The zookeeper Cindy Hall fell to the "curse of the car" and became the latest survivor to be backstabbed and betrayed by the tribe, after she had too much to say about her good fortune.
The vote seemed pre-ordained early in the show when Cindy came back from the tribal council where Judd was voted off, and was pissed that she had not gotten the memo. Overall, though, the remaining survivors were pleased to see Judd go and a much friendlier atmosphere settled over the camp.
In the reward challenge, the survivors faced a course they had pretty much seen before. They raced across balance beam, untied knots, and broke tiles. Cindy and Steph were the most agile competitors and made it to the final two but Cindy proved a might quicker slapping her clay tile Mayan puzzle together to win the challenge - and a new car!
Then -- gasp! -- a shocker, as FOUR MORE CARS are driven hell-bent out of the jungle to the surprise of the players. Host Jeff Probst then gave Cindy the option of keeping the 2006 Pontiac Torrent she had won in the challenge, or give hers up so the four remaining contestants could each have a new Pontiac. The others are thrilled and look to Cindy eagerly. Jeff reminds her several times that in 9 seasons of Survivor the car winner has never gone on to win the game and called it the "curse of the car." Cindy says that since nothing in the game was guaranteed, she would keep what she had won. She then invited Stephenie to join her in the reward - driving to an archeological site where they ate barbeque.
During the commercial, I wondered if I would keep the Pontiac or give it up and concluded it would be more fun to give the 4 cars away, because I don't believe the others would have been inclined to vote Cindy off if she had given them each a car. She had the power to make them indebted to her and she didn't do it. She could have handed out four keys to her buds with a dark warning: "Vote me out and I will HUNT YOU DOWN one by one and KEY YOUR CAR. That's right, baby, a big ol' scratch down the side of your bling Pontiac!" But that's just me.
Besides, I can see keeping a beamer or something, but this was a PONTIAC TORRENT. If it had been a higher end car I'd be in the others' faces, like, "I JUST WON A LEXUS, PEDESTRIANS!" Or words to that effect. But I wouldn't wreck my chances to win a million bucks over a Pontiac. But that's just me.
Danni, Rafe, and Lydia were okay with her decision by the next morning, but then Cindy had to go and rub it in by constantly bragging about the car and how she kept looking at it and she'd never had a new car and all. By that time, they were all giving her the "I hope your sunroof leaks, bitch" look, and Cindy DOESN'T PICK UP ON IT. The body language was pretty clear but Cindy was zoned on a PONTIAC high, and just droned on and on and on about her new ride.
In the immunity challenge, the survivors wound their way around posts, chained at hand and ankle, unlocking four locks along the way. Steph, who has a lot of experience now with these tied-up challenges, finally wins her first ever immunity and has to fight back tears of happiness. She tells us she was relieved to make the final four because she believed at the start that she wouldn't make it past the first tribal council. The only probably now is that she's facing a jury full of people who have it out for her. Actually, two of them hate her guts.
With Steph safe, talk turns to whom should they betray? No one mentions Lydia, still the sleeper in the group, while the early talk is that Danni is a threat. Then Danni and Rafe talk about getting rid of Cindy, and that's sounds like a fine idea, until Rafe's name comes up and is batted around until the commercial break. But when it comes to tribal council, it looks like Danni and Rafe's tight alliance proved to be the key as the group drives Cindy out in a 4 to 1 vote.
Cindy looked pissed and sounded hurt when she grabbed her torch and snipped that she'd be thinking of the others as she "enjoyed the stars looking through the sunroof of her new car", but the other four were hardly listening. They've all got dreams of a million stars in their eyes -- all hung with $1 bills.
Cindy now joins Bobby Jon, Jamie, Gary and Judd on the jury, and will cast a vote in the Sunday night two-hour finale to determine who the sole Survivor will be.
Comments
I can't believe it, my co-worker just bought a car for $66048. Isn't that crazy!
Posted by: Betsy Markum | April 9, 2006 4:03 AM