This weekend, I had lunch with an ex-girlfriend. Because we rarely talk to each other anymore, the meal was initially a bit awkward. But when the subject of CBS's "Survivor: The Australian Outback" suddenly surfaced, the conversation exploded into a fury of excitement, friendly banter and a feeling of camaraderie and chemistry.
The most valuable attribute of pop culture is its ability to bring people together. With so many things in our modern world pulling people apart -- race, gender, education, origin, economic status and even past romantic relationships -- it's a relief when a person can rely on a bridge that allows him to connect with other strangers or lost friends. Last summer and this winter, CBS's "Survivor" has served as that bridge.
Of course, the assumption before the first episode of "Survivor II" was that if "Survivor" were the Tower Bridge -- London's beautiful Thames-spanning bridge and the world's most well-known -- of pop culture watercooler shows, then "Survivor II" would most likely be New York's George Washington bridge -- functional and certainly exciting, but without the innocence and charm of the original.
Wow, was that assumption wrong. "Survivor: The Australian Outback" has turned out more like the Golden Gate Bridge; the show is beautiful and thrilling to see. While it may lack innocence, it more than makes up for it with its sophistication and audacity.
Now that this excruciating bridge metaphor is out of the way, let's do another quick recap at the last two episodes of the show.
Third episode recap
In the third episode, we saw Tina's -- the soft-spoken nurse from Tennessee -- friendliness and innocence turn sour as she befriended 50-year-old, retired-police officer "Mad Dog" (Maralyn) and then turned around to help destroy her (with a cute, frowning face on her vote card) in the Tribal Council Meeting with Ogakor. The betrayal was somewhat heart wrenching, considering that Maralyn had described Tina as her "constellation" and best friend just moments before.
But, it would have been even more heart-wrenching had we not been subjected to scenes of Colby being forced to drag flabby Maralyn through the dirt for most of the immunity course obstacle challenge. Maralyn was nice, but the Ogakor tribe made the right choice if they wanted any chance of survival.
We also saw Jerri (the unemployed, snake-like actress from hell) and buff but dumb auto-customizer Colby flirt nauseatingly as they discussed their tastes in ice cream and cookies in what "Salon" calls Jerri's "puddle of evil." At first, it seemed as if their wading was going to turn into skinny-dipping, but Colby suddenly started thinking with his correct head and has became suspicious of Jerri -- for now, at least.
Kentucky Joe (Rodger, a high school teacher) and Elisabeth (the world's most beautiful shoe wear designer) also entered into a relationship during the third episode. The only catch is that Rodger is 53 while Elisabeth is 23. Rodger may have not been thinking with his correct head when he gave Elisabeth a locket, but Elisabeth seems to have a crush on him too and has announced her refusal to vote against him. Hopefully this one will stay platonic.
In the episode's reward challenge, Colby and Michael found themselves in a face-off with hundreds of pounds of water-buckets on their backs, which could have lasted forever had Michael's pole support not broken in half. In a tie-breaker, the Ogakor tribe defeated the Kucha, and Michael became angry and developed a strange look in his eye. The look returned in episode four (keep reading).
Also in the third episode, we met Nick, a Harvard Law School student who we strangely had almost never seen before. My guess is that he will be sticking around for awhile, since we barely know what he looks like.
Fourth episode recap
Last week's episode may have been the best "Survivor" episode ever.
In this fourth episode, we found out what that look in Michael's eyes meant -- "Lord of the Flies" was written about him. When Kucha spotted a wild boar running in the woods, Michael's eyes held a devilish flame while his hands held a machete big enough to kill Kimmi, the not-really vegetarian everyone loves to hate.
After a black screen with the message, "The following scene contains material that may be unsuitable, particularly for young viewers. Viewer discretion is advised," we saw Michael track the boar through the woods like one of the savages from Conrad's "Heart of Darkness."
Suddenly, Michael stabbed the pig repeatedly, as though he was afraid it might have come back to life. Kimmi, needless to say, started screaming and expressed her extreme displeasure. After all, she is a vegetarian -- but she eats fish, worms and insects. No cow brains though. With the pig's carcass hanging from a tree and the members of Kucha eating flesh as though they had never eaten before, Kimmi wandered off into the woods, pouting.
The only drawbacks to this episode were the reward and immunity challenges, which left something to be desired; the first was a sliding puzzle game and the second was an Outback trivia game. At least we didn't have to see Colby drag Maralyn through the dirt again.
Then, the real fun started. Since the Ogakor tribe lost the immunity challenge yet again, a power struggle began. Colby, afraid of Jerri's power, decided to defect to the Kim-Keith alliance, and in the most exciting Tribal Council yet, Mitchell and Keith found themselves in a tie, each receiving three votes against themselves. Then, after an impassioned speech by Keith and a strangely unimpassioned speech by Mitchell (he insisted he was tired and wanted to leave), another tie ensued!
Slimy host Jeff Probst, without missing a beat, seemed to make up a new rule on the spot -- double ties are decided by past Tribal Council votes. Keith had never been voted against, and Mitchell had been dung once -- ironically by Keith. Mitchell sullenly left the waterfall. But, he asked for it.
What an end to the episode! Even Jeff seemed excited as he watched Ogakor become torn apart with Jerri and Amber in one alliance, Tina and Keith in another and Colby thinking about ice cream and engine rebuilding.
It's ironic that a show about betrayal and the tearing apart of relationships due to money could serve as such a powerful bridge between people. It doesn't matter whether you're a pretentious intellectual or a Jerry Springer-lover, a television-hater or a couch potato, a waiter or a CEO, my best friend or my ex-girlfriend.
So, use the show to rekindle some old relationships or make some new ones. All you need is a television, an opinion about Michael's pig slaughtering and a few minutes to cross the bridge that stands between you and your old or new friend. "Survivor" is for everyone because no matter who you are, you can love it or simply love to hate it.
"Survivor" airs Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.
