Episode Report Card Sara M: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Magic!
By Sara M | Season 19 | Episode 7 | Aired on 10.29.2009
At Galu, it's time to elect a new leader. Erik wants Shambo to get it, and his fellow men agree. They decide to pretend that it's an individual vote and it "just so happened" that all of the men decided on Shambo. I'm sure none of the women will see anything strange about the least popular member of the tribe being voted into the leadership position by every single guy. No, really -- they probably won't. Erik says that this will also help them win Shambo over, because he knows her well enough by now to know that she will take being the tribe chief as some kind of vote of confidence. And take it too seriously. And then work way too hard to try to prove something even though no cares and die of dehydration or whatever. And so, he walks up to her and says he thinks she's the "best person" for the job of tribe leader. "'kay," Shambo shrugs, not at all as enthusiastic about it as Erik or I thought she'd be. Inside the shelter, the tribe decides to vote for their leader. Sure enough, Shambo gets all four of the men's votes. Interestingly, she does not appear to vote for herself. I think she voted for Erik, along with Monica who, by the way, is not at all pleased by this turn of events. Nor is her wonder twin. Monica interviews that the vote went by so quickly that she doesn't think anyone even knew what was going on, nor does she know how Shambo won it, especially when as far as Monica knew, Shambo was supposed to be sent home last night. She's starting to think there are things going on in camp that she doesn't know about, and that she was the one who was saved by last night's vote and not Shambo after all. Yes, Monica, good. Pretty soon you'll realize that you're on a show called Survivor, where people plot against each other's backs and stuff. Just keep thinking!
Shambo declares her "first act" as tribe leader "to be one of motivation and kindness," whatever that means. She says she "didn't ask for this" but will do the best she can. I guess Erik and I were wrong about Shambo because she is not into this leader thing at all, possibly because she's just self-aware enough to realize that it makes her a target. She says her leadership style is very different than Russell's, as she is "not bossy." But then she says something about how she was a sergeant in the Marines and thus expects her orders to be followed when she gives them. That sounds bossy to me.
Reward challenge! I see a bunch of platforms with pointy tops on them, all the better for someone to pass out and impale himself on. Probst calls the tribes in and takes a moment to bask in the hot, dry, sunlight before pointing out that Shambo is wearing Galu's leader necklace. Meanwhile, Foa Foa exchange looks like "I thought Shambo told us they hated her on that tribe. Hmmm!" Shambo says she isn't surprised to be elected leader, as she has "a lifetime of leadership skills," none of which she has actually displayed in this game so far.