One of the most interesting things about the Survivor 12 series shot in Panama is the glimpses of the fascinating wildlife of the area. Thoughout each episode, views of snakes, spiders, a yellow poison dart frog (see page 2), scorpions, marine life, and monkeys add background to the conflict between the contestants.
The episode begins with the usual discussion of Tribal Council, in which La Mina tribe voted off Misty Giles . The tribe is having no luck with getting food and are hungry. Ruth Marie Milliman looks exhausted and feels isolated. When Dan Barry offers her an alliance to the Final Five, she jumps at it, stressing her loyalty. However, when Dan tells the other men in his alliance, they are not supportive.
In Casaya camp, the tribe is working and fishing, eating a diet of snails and crabs. Storm clouds brew as they fall out when Shane Powers , Bruce Kanegai and Aras Baskauskas return from a food hunt on the beach and find the fire out and some of the tribe sleeping. Their alliance partner, Courtney Marit , is defensive about her work ethic. Chortling to herself, Cirie Fields is happy to let that alliance disintegrate.
Casaya wins the Reward Challenge and return to their camp to find a bathroom hut with toilet seat, toilet paper, an open air shower with fresh water, soap. towels and other bathing supplies. Yet they immediately disagree about the hut's usage. Some want the hut used for its normal purpose, others want it to be a shelter for wood and other supplies.
Having won the Challenge, the Casaya tribe sends Terry Deitz , as the leader and organizing force of the La Mina tribe to Exile Island. They know that without Terry, the other tribe will suffer. And they are right. Though the tribe tries to do things as Terry would, they can't seem to get much done.
Casaya meanwhile are still fighting over chores and how much work the individual castaways perform.
For his part, Terry approaches his time on Exile Island with a method. He reads the clues, follows them, and finds the Hidden Idol. The idol will protect him from expulsion from any Tribal Council, up to and including the Final Four vote. He hides it, determind to say nothing. He returns to his tribe for the Immunity Challenge and finds them weak from hunger and looking emaciated.
The Immunity Challenge requires balance, teamwork and patience and perfoming well during a rain and thunderstorm, Casaya wins Immunity again.
The La Mina tribe returns to camp and discusses who should be voted out. Dan argues that the alliance must be true to Ruth Marie, but Terry points out that only Dan shook on that alliance. He and the other men want to keep Sally Schumann who, even though she lost the fishing spear, performed well and ably in the challenges. It's the first crack in the men's alliance of Austin Carty , Dan, Nick Stanbury and Terry, and at Tribal Council, Ruth Marie is voted out. There is only one woman left on the dwindling tribe. How long before she too succumbs to the male dominated alliance?
Terry is concerned about his tribe's survival when the tribes merge. With the Hidden Idol, he is safe for a time, but will his alliance cope with the environment and the climate to find food and strength before the next challenge?
