Episode Report Card Sara M: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Everybody's Crazy!
By Sara M | Season 21 | Episode 2 | Aired on 09.22.2010
The crazy over at Espada is so much more entertaining, so let's go back to that, shall we? Holly pulls Jimmy Johnson aside and says she's having a "hard time" and doesn't think she can continue in this game, which is much harder mentally than she thought it would be. Jimmy Johnson says she can surely make it through at least one more day. Holly says she doesn't think she can. And then she starts crying and stuff. Jimmy Johnson, of course, compares this to one of his players wanting to quit the team (except for the crying part, I assume) and quotes Vince Lombardi just to remind us that Jimmy Johnson, like Lombardi, is a football coach. NEVER FORGET. "We need you. We really do need you," Jimmy Johnson tells Holly, which is probably exactly what she wanted to hear. She decides to stay in the game for the good of her team, and hopes that her "emotional meltdown" helps her in this game instead of hurting. She doesn't know which it will be. I can guess.
Time for the challenge! This time, we're playing for both a reward and immunity. La Flor arrives with their now-standard cheesiness, this time "marching" in and stomping on the mat and saying "La Flor!" in unison. They don't seem surprised to see Wendy gone from Espada. Probst ignores La Flor's lameness (while secretly envying it, I'm sure) and explains the challenge: four tribe members must crawl through some mud to a bale of hay and find a ball in it, which they will then give to another tribemate. Once all balls have been located, the remaining tribemates must toss them to each other using only a wooden "shield" to both throw and catch the balls, ultimately throwing them into a barrel. The first tribe to get all balls in their barrel wins immunity and reward, which is a choice between a waterproof tarp and fishing gear.
And since we're still trying to make this Medallion of Power thing happen, Probst says that if Espada chooses to play it this time, they'll start the game with one of the four balls already in the barrel. Which means that's one less ball they have to go through the mud to find and one less that has to be tossed back and forth into a barrel. It also means they can sit one player out. Of course, they elect to use it. That means it goes to La Flor, and Jane hands the Medallion off to NaOnka, who looks personally offended that she's been made to hold something and quickly gives it to Alina. And just when you think NaOnka can't be any more useless and horrible, she volunteers to sit this challenge out. Espada, meanwhile, chooses to sit Dan out. Not really sure why they selected him and not, say, one of the women. Maybe he lost all of his physical strength when his alligator shoes were taken away?