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Morgan Suddenly 'Survivor's' Fair Child

By Brill Bundy

Thursday, October 16, 2003

11:02 AM PT

We agree with "Survivor" host Jeff Probst -- Jon is a tool.

Returning from the Drake tribe's first visit to Tribal Council, the badly-coiffed "art consultant" is all cock-of-the-walk strutting about how he engineered the voting off of Burton. And although he tells Michelle (the only person other than the excommunicated Burton to vote for Christa) there are no hard feelings, he's already planning how to get rid of her with his buddy Shawn.

Yep, he's a tool.

Meanwhile, Rupert is settling in for his three day visit with the Morgans by schooling them on the fact that their shelter is built to close to the water and with the full moon coming, the tides are just going to keep getting higher until bye, bye bamboo. He convinces them that they should tear it down and rebuild 40 feet away.

Well, he almost persuades them. Osten -- damn, is he still here? -- isn't convinced that the jungle adjacent location Rupert has selected is the best. However, the one he likes would mean they would have to cut away a lost of brush and relocate the fire -- no small feat. Much furrowing of brows and navel-gazing ensues.

"They work hard at not working," observes Rupert, who is piecing together why the Morgans aren't really coming together as a team.

Speaking of teams, the Drakes are showing a couple of cracks around the seams. While they are waiting for Rupert's return to open the last can of Spam (because nothing says love like potted meat), they are all a bit concerned that he might decide he likes the Morgans better, or worse, open up after a round of Light-as-a-Feather-Stiff-as-a-Board and reveal the fact that they stuff their bra or something equally embarrassing.

What? Does he look like "Survivor: Amazon's" Jenna?

Actually, much like Jesus, Rupert is more interested in teaching the Morgans how to fish so that they will be fed for a lifetime. He takes Ryan with him on an expedition where the 31-year-old's only job is holding the bag so Rupert can put the fish into it. Needless to say, this does not work out well. Still, Rupert perseveres and brings home dinner on a string.

Andrew gives Rupert a glowing performance review, praising his "impeccable work ethic." In the real world this would translate to between a four and five percent cost-of-living raise and, if he cut the hair and shaved his beard, possible health benefits and a 401-K.

Tree mail arrives heralding the next reward challenge -- a portable shower and a bevy of beauty products.

While most people in Rupert's position would want to sabotage their foster tribe to win favor with their real team, he has a different way of looking at things. He wants to beat the Drakes to show them that maybe part of the reason they always win has something to do with him.

He gets his wish and the Morgans win their second challenge in a row, garnering the reward, the chance to plunder an item from the Drakes and the first piece of their treasure map. Jeff tells Rupert that he is welcome to take part in the luxury reward before returning to his former tribe, but Rupert is ready to go home and crosses back over, his point proven.

The Morgans are flush with victory. Andrew feels they have proven that they have it in them to win which is more than half of the battle. Tijuana and Darrah are thrilled about getting clean and Darrah says the guys are very respectful about not watching them while they bathe.

The cameramen aren't quite as honorable. Then again -- it's their job. Mark Burnett would be very unhappy if the comely Darrah should have an accident while showering and they weren't there to capture every sudsy moment of it.

The Drakes have barely debriefed Rupert when Andrew shows up to loot their camp. Rupert, having surveyed the food situation over at the Morgans and realizing that they are down to "two meals of beans, two meals of rice," persuades his new pal to take half a bag of rice. He says it's not really even plundering, but more "friends helping friends." Andrew thinks it says a lot for diplomacy. The Drakes just look on suspiciously, not sure what to make of it all.

Seafood smoothies are on the menu for the immunity challenge. Trish is dubious, but ever-helpful Rupert tells her to just hold her nose and drink it down in much the same manner than has gotten many a child through years of eating lima beans.

At the challenge, Jeff takes a moment to mock Jon who tries to flirt with Darrah. Jeff asks the lovely mortician if Jon would have a chance if she didn't have a boyfriend waiting at home. In case you missed it Jon, that would be a big, fat, no.

Things come down to a tiebreaker round. The Drakes pick Darrah to go for the special concoction that Jeff is whipping up, while the Morgans pick Sandra. Both women give it their all, but Darrah manages to gulp down the goo and polish off the sardine garnish in the least amount of time, bringing the Morgans up to three wins in a row.

Sandra feels awful. She apologizes repeatedly, but her humility means nothing to Jon who thinks that the whole challenge was mind over matter and all that was proven was that "a sardine is bigger than Sandra's mind."

See? Total tool.

At the Tribal Council, Jeff gets Jon to say that they threw last week's immunity challenge. Jeff then asks if this was a really good idea since the Morgans have now begun to experience a winning streak and that first win may have been just the confidence boost they needed. Michelle says this is nonsense, but Rupert says Jeff is absolutely right.

Still, last week's vote for Christa, combined with her refusal to fake out the Morgans as planned during the reward challenge, end up getting Michelle a one way ticket home.

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