survivor philippines: "poof..and lisa's plan is shot into smithereens"

Survivor Philippines, episode 12, air date Dec. 5, 2012

true to form, carter is not thinking about the fact that he is on the outside of the main alliance.  or about strategy.  or thinking at all.

#rewardchallenge - it's time for the loved ones challenge.  lisa can hardly contain herself.  skupin "litrally" slobbers all over his son.  how tall is carter's mom?  either he's a giant or she's only about 3 feet tall.  lisa's brother comes out calling her "sister, sister" (weird?) and lisa just disintegrates.  he also looks MUCH younger than her.  abi's mom comes to visit.  and as previewed, malcolm's brother is on hand.  a couple interesting comments to note:  malcolm says "i look so good now without a shirt on you won't believe."  does this mean malcolm doesn't normally look good shirtless?  is he typically chunkier/flabbier?  and then he says "did you see jeff?" and his brother starts giggling like a school girl.

heeheeheehee, it's jeff probst!

the challenge involves the survivor tossing a muddy bag to their loved one who will then use the muddy bag to knock down bamboo targets.  abi is unable to get any bags to her mom as she continues to duck for cover every time a bag comes near her.  fail.  it's a pretty close race between everyone except abi but malcolm ends up winning the challenge.  he gets to pick two to join him so he picks lisa and skupin to keep them tight in their alliance.  poor denise.

what they played for:  an overnight stay with their loved ones back at camp.

mike skupin jr. shows us that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as he scrapes his arms bloody in an attempt to get coconuts.  self injury must be in their DNA.

lisa, skupin and their loved ones are now talking about blindsiding malcolm and his idol.  as usual lisa is having moral issues because she has given malcolm her word in their alliance but her brother is doing a pretty good job of helping her be OK with it.  i bet malcolm will regret picking these two to hang out at camp.  and even worse, as a result of this change in plans it could mean the abi survives another week. nooooo!

lisa's brother:  i wonder what jesus would look like playing survivor?
skupin: sadly, a little bit like malcolm.
group laughter
lisa:  and he would probably play like carter which is even worse!
ZING!

#immunitychallenge - race across balance beams, fish 3 bags of sticks out of the water, build a long stick with strings to poke the paddle and release a flag to win.  abi seriously DRAGS ASS in this challenge, like she has absolutely nothing to worry about.  does she know about the blindside malcolm plan?  she's taking her sweet old time placing her bags on her shoulders like she's out clothes shopping or something.  is she stupid or does she just not care?  probst is totally calling her out on it.

how am i going to fit all this the trunk?

"abi, what are you doing?!  pick it up!"

lisa, skupin, carter and malcolm all give their sticks a shot at the paddle but most have to go back and re-adjust.  malcolm looks like a drowned rat with his hair in his face and - HA, he's sticking his tongue out like a 5 year old does when using scissors - really concentrating.  hilarious!  and i guess it helps because he manages to maneuver his stick (hee hee) enough to win immunity!  it is his first immunity win and it couldn't have come at a better time.  with his HII, this means malcolm is guaranteed final four - woot woot!  he is giddy with excitement.  me too, me too.

i think i can, i think i can

denise looks like she is the only one who is truly happy for him, she is positively beaming.  will he keep his word and take her to the end even though he doesn't think he can beat her?  i wonder who malcolm thinks he has the best chance against?

proud mama

unbelievably, they are talking about the possibility of voting out carter because he is a threat to win immunity. and when carter walks in on skupin and malcolm discussing his possible demise, he barely fights for himself.  dude.  don't you have any game?

abi is still hilariously trying to pretend like she has a HII.  i'm not even sure anyone believes it because it never comes up during their strategy talks.  she claims that if you say something enough, people will believe it.  i think the only one she has convinced is herself.

malcolm makes a harry potter reference when he compares abi to a dementor.  *swoon!*  and he tells us he has webbed toes.  *un-swoon*

tribal council:
- the jury comes in and there are lots of looks between penner and the castaways.
- skupin loves carter like a son.
- penner is shaking his head in disbelief that lisa would want to win the game by taking someone she knows she can beat to the finals.  i guess that's why he's sitting over there!
- now abi is talking about her "fantasy" HII at tribal council!  even penner is smirking about that one.
- jeff keeps pitting denise against abi, almost like he KNOWS that denise's words will hurt her the most.  because they are the most honest, perhaps?
- will abi play her fake stick idol anyway, even though it will have no impact?
- 1 vote abi, 4 votes carter and carter is sent on his way.  unbelievable.  i have no love for carter but it sucks that abi gets to stick around any longer than necessary.

by day 33, this group is looking pretty well beat up

even in his farewell video, carter is incapable of inflecting any emotion in his voice.  at. all.  why is he SO dull???  i want to smack him just to see if he reacts in any normal way.  what was on his audition tape that convinced them to cast him?  whatever it was, he brought none of it with him to the philippines.

next week's previews show lisa entertaining the possibility of taking abi to the end so she can win.  god help us all.  i like lisa but her constant wishy washy-ness and "want to do the right thing" BS is starting to get on my nerves.  i love the facts of life but it's time for blair warner to go.  unfortunately that leaves skupin in the final 3.  ugh, i can't win.  go, go malcolm or denise!