Amanda is muttering about Karma, and how Elsie "needed to go", reminding us that "she sat out at challenges". She's now apparently siding with Dyke, and planning to rid the tribe of the puppet master, Rijesh. But at Bajau, Grant is very busy cheerfully mocking Hein, who seems, indeed, to be becoming pompous and risible. "Every second in Hein's presence is educational".
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Lorette is sitting , literally, at his feet, gazing adoringly and wanting to learn everything the Great Master can teach. It’s getting like a scene from The Karate Kid, and one expects Hein to start up with: "Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important."
Dyke is getting irritated by playing second fiddle to all this, but reminds himself that, for now, "The Heiner is going nowhere". He says it's humbling to be in the presence of the Heiner, and this is where we know he's kidding - a humble lawyer?
Meanwhile at Iban, Irshaad is described as a bull in a china shop, though there's no sign of china, and they seem to have adjusted to Elsie's departure. Lorette announces she's delighted with her new tribe, describing the move as being from a rubber duck to a cruise liner. But the most amazing thing is to watch Dyke actually being tactful and graceful.
Net profits
The reward challenge is a huge slip and slide, over which they have to slither, at the end of which they have to throw a fuzzy ball through a fuzzy hoop. They can win a couple of mosquito nets, and 4 pillows. Irshaad beats Hein, Grant beats Rijesh, Dyke beats Lorette, and Amanda beats Nishal, who continues his record of incompetence at challenges. He may be strong in a technical sense, but lacks intelligence, strategy and other important talents for this series. And yet again, as in so many challenges, Lisa, whose unpleasant personality has been endured by everyone, and who has been kept around for her legendary abilities in such contests, doesn't compete at all.
Sweetly elitist
And Mark makes another of his sweetly elitist comments (remember last season, he indignantly told me he knew hardly anyone in Cape Town who wasn't a model). "Who didn't have a Slip 'n Slide?" he asks, aglow with nostalgia. Well, over 90% of the population of Africa, Mark!
At Iban, Rijesh is still obsessed with manipulation. This seems to be all he thinks about. But he's worried that his old team-mates are becoming integrated into the new tribal structure, and he isn't. Dyke is busy being adorable, and Rijesh really doesn't appreciate this, and is pulling faces. Amanda and Ang are gloating as they feel sure he is doomed. Amanda seems more chatty, and explains that everyone thinks Rijesh is a snake and nobody trusts him.
Lazy Lisa is musing about how something most unusual for her is happening - she actually feels like working, finding it's actually not requiring much effort. Mind you, she then lies down until this unaccustomed urge to work passes. She really is an astoundingly immature and spoiled brat, isn't she?
Rijesh gets crabs
Mandla is seriously hungry. But at Iban as usual, the girls lie luxuriously under the new nets, and the men work. Everyone's getting sick of coconut. Dyke is even being kindly towards Rijesh, as they prepare a stew, commenting: "Rijesh, you know your crabs!" Only if they're very manipulative crabs. Dyke and Irshaad wander down the beach, scavenging, looking like Robinson Crusoe, and Man Thursday. They are bothered by rats at night, and Nichal is keen to eat them, eager for any form of red meat. Indeed, one sees him thoughtfully eyeing other contestants. We don't see him doing anything else at all.
Saving Private Lisa
The immunity challenge is elaborate, with one contestant strapped to a chair within a ball-shaped cage, which has to be rolled through an obstacle course while four locks must be unlocked to free her. Yet again, as her tribe has to sit someone out, it's Lazy Lisa. Why is this? They're supposedly only keeping her around for her remarkable abilities in challenges, where she doesn't take part at all! Though it gets close at times, Iban is often ahead, and eventually wins.
At Bijou, Lisa comments that Nichal isn't pulling his weight (and that's rather a lot of weight!) We see him squatting in the water, looking like an ugly bust of Buddha. And the choice for eviction seems to come
down to one of them. Lisa's getting that weird and unpleasant grin on her face again. Grant, who seems to have become besotted with her, yet again fights desperately to save her, for reasons that, whatever they are, cannot be those he says they are.
I yam what I yam
Irshaad redeems himself, for now, by discovering a crop of what appear to be some variety of yams. When they’ve had their chips, his starch-deprived tribe is highly delighted. Grant claims to be in 17 different alliances.
At tribal council, the four dominant males sit in front, though Mandla insists he has no wish at all to try for any sort of leadership position. Hein grins, like the cat who has eaten the canary, and who has plans to eat every other canary on the island. Hein votes against Nichal, commenting "For Nicola”. There's one vote for Lisa, and the rest for Nichal, and the boring Hulk is out. Lisa gives that eerie grin again. Nichal apparently feels betrayed, though it’s not clear that anyone can have led him to believe that they would try to save him.
In a foretaste of next week, Lisa seems back to lazing around again, back to her old, bad habits. Amanda and Rijesh fight openly. He denies being two-faced, which is probably technically correct for a guy who is generally three-faced or five-faced. And apparently some of them find the next reward somewhat disgusting, which may be a new twist.
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