Elites TV

The second Survivor episode among the Pearl Islands continues the distressing downward spiral for the moldering Morgan tribe.

A short skiff ride away, though, the Drake tribe lives in relative splendor. Burping up clouds of fish guts while packing bellyfuls of Rupert’s ocean haul, tribe members actually start to complain about being too sated with food. There is no talk of sleep deprivation or hallucinations, or of the cold, breezy nights---which is the constant buzz at the Morgan hovel. No, things are going so well at Drake that, naturally, an internecine spat develops between Rupert and Shawn over a lost spear blade; and in an episode three preview, we catch Sandra and Jon go after each other like alley cats. Fat, dumb and happy, Drake members will start imploding from glut and boredom.

The Morgan tribe, on the other hand, while flittering away physically, may well draw incredible emotional strength from one another due to common exposure to toil and travail. This will augur ill winds for Drake if Morgan ever figures out how to sleep and eat.

A nice example of Morgan’s potential to reek havoc upon a bloated Drake tribe comes from the two challenges run during episode two. At the Rewards Challenge the Morgan zombies show up and get so far behind the pace of the Drake team that their first swimmer, Skinny Ryan, fails to complete the initial stunt while Morgan is completing their third. They lose miserably, contemptibly. Obviously, diving into the ocean doesn’t work well for sleepy people.

One of the perks for the Challenge victor was sending a tribe member to the rival tribe’s encampment to “steal” one item. Talk among the Drakes was of snaring a water jug, a tarp, so “to hurt them.” Rupert, in a moment of lucidity, chipped in, “We don’t have to hurt them.” His words should have been heeded.

It was patently evident at the Rewards Challenge (for a piece of a map to a buried treasure) that something was wrong with the Morgan tribe. One cannot fall that behind, that early, in a competition without health issues being questioned. I’m sure that it was quite obvious that basic requirements for sustaining life at Morgan were hardly being met. So, it would have been sheer genius to send Sandra to the Morgans with, say, seven fish and a hug. And maybe stealing a palm frond.

Instead Sandra traipsed onto the Morgan enclave like a Nazi SS officer barging into a concentration camp. No talks, no sit-down, no hugs. Just a few stiff introductions and she was off skirting through the camp and its perimeter for “the f.....g water jug.” Water jug was not found because Morgan doesn’t have one. (Duh.) Sandra then eyes the tarp covering Morgan’s ailing shack and without pause dismantles part of the edifice to snag it. All this is done with an underlying bog of smugness. At one point Sandra even had the temerity to quip, “It’s all good.”

What Sandra “accomplished” was obtaining a tarp of questionable need and alienating seven members of the sickly Morgan tribe who will, I think, not forget her surly diktat. Interestingly enough, pay back almost happened the next day. Andrew had Rupert beat fair-and-square during the bulk of the Immunity Challenge and it was simply an odd fluke---an irritating, nasty knot on the bamboo chute that contained the string coordinates---that thwarted the Morgans from a deserved victory.

And I don’t believe it was the lack of sleep or the miniscule carte du jour of food that brought Morgan to the steps of Immunity victory. One could probably surmise that it was the ugly memory of Sandra and her needless, fanciful rape of their camp and their space that fueled the impressive and massive Morgan effort. This effort can only swell and become more visceral. Sandra, in particular, should begin glancing over her shoulder. One day, things will change.

Looking back, it was the foolhardy rush through the Panamanian village stockpile---mere minutes after being “shipwrecked” by Mr. Probst---that precipitated the Morgan collapse. Drake must be commended for utilizing their time and money so fully and wisely, and being fortunate enough to have Sandra and her Spanish language skills in tow. Morgan squandered their scant time and coin because, as related by Skinny Ryan, they were in a rush to get to their island. This proved a huge boneheaded error. They may have possibly assumed that like all other Survivor treks they would be provided with some sustenance. It seems the cautionary words of Jeff Probst, that they only had the clothes on their backs and supplies bought and bartered for from the nearby village, fell on distracted ears. Morgan’s lack of foresight is bearing suicidal karma.

It is fairly ironic that the one soul who spoke up about this fundamental tribe failure is also the one voted out this episode. Skinny Ryan also spoke about the dearth of tribe cohesion and celebration, not only at the infamous village spree, but upon arrival at camp. He was also fairly insightful at the Tribal Council roundtable with Jeff Probst, giving a rather apt logical oration about what was necessary for Morgan’s resurrection; his insights into what was lacking in tribe leadership should have jolted a few eyes open. Sadly, opting for muscles in place of a clear, rational mind, Skinny Ryan was out. We’ll have to see if Andrew is a true Morgan leader or if its potential saviour was just shown the plank.

David Taylor