The Winds Twist

Last week on Survivor, injuries plagued Rotu, but a raft led them to victory. Rob's reign of fear did not carry over to Rotu, who remained "untouchable" and bested Maraamu in their third straight immunity challenge victory. Then Rob pulled the strings at Maraamu and his stupid little puppets ganged up to vote off Hunter, proving that puppets have no brains. Which I guess is inherent to being a puppet in the first place, so that's redundant. Unless, of course, you're going by B-movie horror flicks, in which case puppets often have brains, though not particularly nice ones. So let's say for the benefit of all the believers that puppets do have brains: some would surely be smarter than others, and these Maraamu puppets...not so much. In any case, thirteen are left; who will be voted off tonight?

We open on Night 9 at Maraamu with a poor man's scuttling crab; it may actually be a snail, and it's more crawling than scuttling. The editors are getting creative, and I don't like it. I like my scuttling crabs. The tribe moves about in night-vision, and Sean blows on the fire. Rob tells us in a confessional that, "without a doubt," Survivor is his game; he thinks he's controlling it, and says that Hunter didn't see his ejection coming. Hunter obviously underestimated his tribemates' stupidity. Back at camp, Gina stands up and wipes off her butt because one should never be dirty -- not even when stranded on a desert island. She tells us in a confessional that in last night's Tribal Council, the other four members of the tribe voted out Hunter; she thinks it was "a pretty stupid idea," and says it happened because Rob and Sean were tired of having someone else in a leadership role.

Sean and Rob are still hopping around the fire. Gina watches them snidely -- if it's possible to watch someone snidely, that is -- and then comments that she thought she was the one going that night; she says she just doesn't understand why the others voted off one of their strongest members. Sarah says she thinks they all had different reasons, which isn't exactly true: Rob voted off Hunter because he's stupid, and Sarah voted off Hunter because Rob is stupid, too. There are actually myriad reasons why the four members of Maraamu voted off Hunter, and not one of them flatters Rob, Sean, Vecepia, or Sarah. My decision on Hunter was still unresolved when he left, so I don't know why I'm so defensive about his ejection; but then, my decision is totally resolved on the others. In any case, Gina tells the rest of Maraamu that she's glad she's still there, but that she's really shocked. Then Sarah gives Gina the dumbest reason for voting someone off I've heard yet in all four seasons of Survivor, and says they voted off Hunter to "kinda do something different." She also tries to say she was looking at "the big picture" and cites the fact that the game has no rules as reasoning for the vote. Gina complains that, after the last Tribal Council, she and Hunter explained their votes; she says it's fine if the other members of Maraamu choose not to, but she's just asking. In her voice-over, Gina tells us that no one provided a good answer for voting off Hunter. She says that Sarah cast her vote at Rob's suggestion, and complains that "she doesn't think for herself." Gina, incidentally, says "vote on" instead of "vote for" which doesn't make her sound particularly well educated. I'd think the Watermelon Queens of the world would want to represent themselves better. Sarah once again insists that it's hard to explain what she was thinking during the night's Council, and she acts surprised when Gina confesses that she thought she'd be the voted off. Gina tells the others, "I mean, I thought it would be stupid to vote [Hunter] out." Hee. She just called them stupid to their faces, but then I'll wager it's not the first time any of them have been thusly described. Rob tells the group that he's glad he voted the way he did, and Sarah says she is, too -- particularly after seeing last night's votes. In a confessional, Gina says that the others think this is the "beginning of Maraamu," and that if they lose another challenge, she'll be the to go: "They're not gonna keep somebody like me around." What, a woman who actually wears clothes?

Ooh, a real scuttling crab. I knew they wouldn't let me down. It's Day 9 at Rotu. John, who increasingly resembles Jeff Varner from the Outback, braids Neleh's hair. And actually, he's not braiding Neleh's hair, he's just putting it in a ponytail. She can't put her own hair in a ponytail? Someone suggests that John make a "big pigtail in the back," and for the record, one "big pigtail in the back" is not in fact a pigtail, it's a ponytail. In any case, John says he'll make it "like, a Barbie doll thing." Neleh is very impressed with her new ponytail and proclaims it perfect while pawing at it; John admits, "I jammed." Paschal gnaws on something in a troubling way and then hugs Kathy while, over her shoulder, he continues gnawing; some food falls out of his mouth. If you haven't noticed yet, Old Man Syndrome hasn't kicked in yet this season for me. We'll give it some time. Paschal tells us in a confessional that the tribe has been a family since the very first day. He doesn't think their mood could be better, and insists that it's a "calm, peaceful feeling." It's not quite a "peaceful, easy feeling," though, so as yet it might let him down. He says they have real "family pride here," and he doesn't think the other tribe has that. Paschal creeps up on The Moppet standing in the water and hugs him from behind. The other tribe doesn't have from-behind hugging attacks, either.

Tammy and John sit together; Tammy says she thinks the tribe has found its "groove." She says people are beginning to relax, and that yesterday was the best day she's had yet on Marquesas. The Moppet then sneaks up behind John and Tammy to give them backrubs. What's with everyone in this tribe sneaking up on everyone else? The Moppet sprawls out on his back on a bed of rocks and proclaims the tribe "unbelievable": he cites "unity" and "love" as the reasons they keep winning. He tells us that their coming together at camp and during the challenges has been an "unreal experience."

Kathy squats while chopping coconut pieces with a large knife. As she mixes the pieces in a frying pan, she tells us that she's preparing toasted coconut, which was a new discovery last night "by the infamous chef, John." John walks over to Kathy at this point in her confessional, which is most likely the only reason she credits him for concocting the new treat. Kathy explains that the tribe has been trying to make their food taste better, and that when last night's coconut burned in the bottom of the pan, it tasted really good. I like coconut, but it always makes me thirsty. But that's neither here nor there, is it? As the tribe eats, Kathy thinks toasted coconut is so delicious that they should make it every two hours. Jon pours some coconut pieces into the Moppet's hand as Tammy tells us in a confessional that the members of Rotu like and respect each other as individuals. She says that -- whether they like it or not -- they've become a "second family." She then channels Martha Stewart and proclaims it a "good thing."

A solitary flower on the edge of a cliff suggests impending doom. Or at least it's supposed to. Rob and Gina check the tree mail at Maraamu and return to camp. Vecepia reads, "Challenges of brain and brawn are nothing compared to this/ Your world will turn, your head will spin, as you stand upon the disk." Sean immediately thinks they'll be participating in a "wheel of fortune," but he's perhaps just confused about what game show he's on. Meanwhile, Rob proffers a more intellectual guess: the challenge "could be, like, if you get dizzy or not." Vecepia tells us in a confessional that the tribe threw some ideas around but then decided to "just shut up and wait." She says that they've made assumptions so far about every challenge and have been wrong every time, so this time they'll go in "expecting the unexpected." Maybe that means they'll go in expecting to win?

Peachy welcomes the tribes to the challenge. At first, I think Maraamu isn't wearing their buffs, but then I see that they are wearing them on their forearms, and the once-bright yellow buffs now just sort of blend into their grimy skin. Both tribes clutch at themselves as Peachy announces that today's challenge is not for reward or immunity, although it is "an activity of sorts." (And for the lazy members of Maraamu, surely standing on a disk for ten minutes is a full day's work, but more on that later.) Peachy says that some of the S13 will feel rewarded after the challenge, while some will, "as always," return to camp disappointed. He points out that there are thirteen little brown disks laid out in a grid on the ground, and advises the members of the S13 each to randomly pick a disk and stand on it. He tells them to "follow [their] gut[s]," which was an expression I had not yet missed this season. The others settle on disks pretty quickly, but Sarah half-pushes Paschal off one to claim it for herself.

Peachy announces that Zoe is first; he tells her to step off the disk, flip it over, and "pull on [her] new buff." While the others ooh and aah, Zoe turns over a blue buff and then just stares at Peachy with this great expression on her face: half-disbelief; half-threatening. Zoe could kick Peachy's scrawny butt from Marquesas to Pulau Tiga. Peachy repeats that she should remove her old buff, and decrees, "Nothing changes for you; you're still on Rotu." Gina's , and she's still with Maraamu; then The Moppet, who also maintains his Rotu tribal status. Neleh is the first to discover that she's changed tribes; she looks upset, as does Paschal. Neleh heads off to Maraamu's mat, where she hugs Gina and tries not to act totally disappointed. John remains with Rotu, and he still looks bothered. Most likely, he cut himself turning over the disk. Vecepia finds out that she's now a member of Rotu and preaches, "God is still good, regardless," but I'm not sure that's what the former members of the Rotu tribe are thinking at this point. Rob is the to flip over his disk, and he also finds that he will join Rotu; he high-fives his new tribe mates with a peeved expression on his face. I'd be peeved, too, if someone I'd just met called me "Robster." Actually, I'd be more amused than anything else, since my name is Joanna. Peachy coaches Kathy to "say hello to [her] new tribemates" as she discovers that she'll be leaving Rotu behind. When Sean learns he'll switch to Rotu, his transition is significant enough for the editors to pull out the trusty old gong sound effect. Vecepia looks pleased. Sarah is still a member of Maraamu and she says, "What's up, ladies?" as she approaches the group, causing Kathy to yell, "It's all about the chicks!" They hug. Robert will remain a member of Rotu, and it's at this point my viewing group begins to realize that the tribes may be new, but the 8:5 distribution will remain the same. Evil! Paschal pulls a Maraamu buff, and Zoe winks at him in encouragement. Neleh is happy, but Kathy is very weepy; I don't think it has anything to do with Paschal, though. Tammy is last, and will remain on Rotu, causing John to look very happy. And really, it's amazing; suddenly with its new and bigger members, the new Rotu tribe looks immense compared to the mostly female and feeble new Maraamu. Peachy points out that the tribes may have changed their members, but that the numbers have stayed the same, and then assures them that -- "like everything else in this game" -- their "destin[ies]" were planned long before they arrived on the island. That seems to suggest that the contest is rigged, so I'll wager that that's not what he meant. Even if it is true. Peachy doesn't doubt that some of the S13 view this as a reprieve (cameras close in on a grinning Gina) while others see this as a "sentence" (camera closes in on a stern-looking Paschal and weepy Kathy and Neleh). Peachy insists that the change-up is neither.

It's now Day 10 at Maraamu, heretofore to be known as "Maraanu," in honor of their new composition. They "oh my God" as they approach the camp, and Paschal thinks it's "so beautiful." Gina tells us in a confessional that the return to camp was interesting, and that the first thing she did was show the new members the tribe the camp's fruit trees. In a clip, Gina tells Paschal, Neleh, and Kathy that they just have to pick the limes off the ground, and Kathy yells, "There are limes on the ground...hello?" Gina continues in her confessional that it was exhilarating to be joined by people who didn't want to "sit around and be lazy." I wouldn't say Kathy laughs or cackle -- it might best be described as a "guffaw." And also as "very annoying." The members of Maraanu immediately begin shaking fruit trees, and Sarah looks perplexed because who would want to shake a tree when there's someone else to do it for you? Kathy tells us in a confessional that she comes from tribe where they would get up early in the morning, "check the pig pit," and forage for shells, so Maraanu is like a four-star hotel because of the abundant fruit supply. The new tribe stands around and eats fruit, and Paschal wants to know if they have mango, too, which seems mighty ungrateful if you ask me. Neleh makes a child-like, happy face, which she does a lot, and which may show the full extent of her emotional range: puppy-dog happy, and hangdog sad. In a confessional, she tells us that it was nice to get away to Maraanu and see some new scenery. She says that the sandy beach is beautiful and that the fruit outdoes everything they had at Rotu. She tells us that she would have chosen Maraanu over "that place" for the fruit alone.

Paschal now wants to know what the other members of Maraanu do "in real life," and it would have been fun if Sarah answered, "I'm a teen who dances lewdly," but she didn't. Gina explains that until this year, she was a teacher; she recently started bartending to save money for graduate school. I thought she was a river guide? The other members of the tribe congratulate Gina on wanting to further her education, so Kathy quickly jumps in to announce that she's going back to school, too; currently a real estate agent, she plans to change careers once she's gotten a degree in environmental studies. Gina exclaims, "That's what I'm doing!" and Kathy says, "Come on!" and Gina says, "Get outta here!" and Kathy says, "No way!" and Gina says, "You gotta be kidding me!" and Kathy says, "You're pulling my leg," and Gina says, "Don't dick me around," and Kathy says, "Surely, you jest!" and Gina says, "I'm not tryin' to hear that," and Kathy says, "Who's your daddy?" And okay, not that last part -- and not all that stuff in between for that matter -- but Kathy and Gina do go back and forth for a while in disbelief over their common goal. In a confessional, a bitter-but-trying-to-hide-it Sarah tells us that Gina and Kathy had something in common from the beginning: "They're all about the environment and wanna go hiking and do all that." She says it's good that Gina found somebody right away. She doesn't mention that Gina also found Hunter right away, and that she herself played a part in heartlessly tearing them apart.

Sarah then attempts to woo the others with her description of Maraamu's "morning show," and her insistence that Sean is "really, really funny." She says, "We each had a spot in the morning show. I was the beauty!" I think she might have meant to say "beauty reporter" but she never finishes that sentence and moves right into saying that Gina supplied the "sports report," which seemed to me to be code for "ugly athletic girl." When Sarah tells Maraanu that Hunter was the "helicopter weather guy," Gina quickly explains that Hunter was voted out of the Maraamu tribe last night. Actually, she says, "Hunter was the one they voted off last night." Hee. Neleh says that Rotu called Hunter "Surfer Boy" and was convinced that he'd make it to the end of the game. Sarah then explains that Hunter was strong and a hard worker and "everything," but "four people decided for whatever reasons" to get rid of him; Gina looks at her sideways in disbelief, and then says Hunter was the "nicest guy in the world." The camerawork makes it look like she stalks away from the group at this point, but really she just turns to grab another piece of fruit, and not even to bean it at Sarah's head. Paschal tells us in a confessional that he thought Maraamu was lazy, but that luckily most of those members are no longer around. He says that the fruit situation at this camp has made the mix-up worthwhile. Maraanu gleefully toasts each other with fruit in an attempt to spread their pervasive and cultist "we are family now" dogma.

We see the Rotu (now to be known as "Rotwo") flag as the tribe heads back to camp. Sean says, "I still say it's better than the Projects," which doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything except for the chip on Sean's shoulder, but Tammy laughs anyway. Vecepia immediately wants to know what the day's routine consists of for the tribe, and The Moppet suggests that he show the new members their food and water supply. In a confessional, Tammy tells us that she couldn't have been happier when the tribes were switched up. She loved her original eight teammates, but she's thrilled to get some new people in the tribe. Not for long, I'll bet. John produces some popcorn for the new members to eat, and Rob is excited because "that has flava to it, huh?"

Vecepia tells us in a confessional that she felt she, Rob, and Sean received a "genuine welcome" at Rotwo, but also felt that the tribe expected the new members to jump right in because "everybody was just immediately on their jobs." Does she think the former members of Maraamu deserve some sort of break? Zoe asks if Robert will fetch some limes on his way to the waterfall, and Robert exclaims that he's been getting forty limes a day and the tribe has been eating them all. Vecepia tells us, "We noticed immediately...these people...were like ants!" She then makes some arm motions that are more like the Thriller zombies than ants, but then I've never seen ants do anything with their arms at all. If they even have arms, that is. She then imitates her own former tribemates' reaction to the Rotu work ethic, and that reaction can best be described as "slack-jawed." She tells us that she, Rob, and Sean thought they'd be "chillin'," because at Maraamu they worked in the morning and rested in the afternoon. She brags that they never even fired up their frying pan at Maraamu because "everything was slice, slurp, toss!"

We return to the group, where Vecepia tries to learn the nicknames of the former Rotus: John is "Johnny Potts and Pans," Zoe is "Xena," The Moppet is "Tonga," Tammy is "Scoop," and Robert is "The General." This last revelation is accompanied by a close-up shot of Robert repeatedly flexing his "The General" bicep tattoo. It's not pretty. Rob tells us in a confessional that he doesn't know how he'll overcome "the numerical advantage" that the former members of Rotu now hold. He says that the biggest thing will be to see how he'll bond with his new tribemates. He thinks the Moppet "seems pretty cool" and says, "He's definitely a brainiac -- probably thinks he's a lot smarter than he really is." He first thought John was a "big-time queer," but now he's unsure because at camp he seems "rough and tough." He then points out that John does do all the cooking, so the jury's still out on his sexuality. Just to be safe, Rob says, "I won't be sleeping to him tonight...not the first night, anyway." Rob thinks Robert seems like a nice guy; he's big and tough and wants everybody to know that, which according to Rob means "he's probably got a little sausage." According to me last week, it meant the same thing. Poor me if I'm so intellectually -- or not so much -- aligned with Rob. Rob then tells us that Tammy is engaged, so "there's not to much hope there," and that Zoe's "pretty nice...but, come on!" He then proclaims her to be "the toughest guy in this tribe." For the record, it does seem like Rob is being prompted by the cameraperson in this confessional to comment on each member of Rotu, particularly on his romantic prospects. In short, Rob doesn't think this is the type of group where he can "jump in and joke around and just be all outlandish and stuff" like he did at Maraamu. He says the game is definitely changing -- but he doesn't know yet whether it's for better or for worse.

We now rejoin Maraanu, where Kathy has discovered the tribe's map. She actually admits to not knowing something, and says she's embarrassed to say she doesn't know how to pronounce the tribe's name. They all say variations of it, but none the same. Peachy pronounces it "Mar-a-A-mu," for the record, and I don't pronounce it at all, because it makes me feel silly. Gina tells us in a confessional that it was "unbelievable to actually see somebody that wanted to go get water," and says Maraanu got three new tribe members who "totally kick butt." As the tribe heads off to fetch water, Gina raves to Neleh about Hunter: how he provided water and food, and how they had so much in common, and that he was "so awesome" and the "nicest guy in the world." She doesn't say anything about how he was cute as could be; or how he showed off, splashing around; or how they went strolling and drank lemonade and how they stayed out 'till ten o'clock and how he got friendly holding her hand and how they made their true love vow, and how she wonders what he's doing now? And they also edit out the parts where Neleh says, "Tell me more, tell me more," and where Paschal and Kathy chime in, "Wella, wella, wella, uh!" and "Shoop baa baa, shoop baa baa, shoop baa baa yeah!" Those key omissions aside, we see that Sarah is bringing up the rear and most likely cannot hear any of Gina's ranting, but then suddenly she is ahead of Kathy and Paschal, so clearly her body has been digitally added there to make it seem as though she's in a position to overhear the conversation. Gina tells Neleh that she thought she was the one going that night, and that it "shocked the hell out of [her]." She still can't believe they got rid of Hunter, and then "jumped down [her] throat" for asking why. She chides, "Lazy, lazy."

Now they're at the tribe's water source -- most aptly described as a puddle -- and the new members of Maraanu are amazed, and not in a good way. Neleh thinks the other members of Rotu "would die" if they saw this poor supply, and Kathy practically hyperventilates from the shock. Gina calmly says, "Water's water when it's boiled, so..." and Kathy insists that of course she knows that and was just exclaiming because of the humor in the situation. Ha! Ha! Ha! Kathy tells us in a confessional that it's different and weird to be away from Rotu because there, they'd all gotten used to how annoying she was, and now she has to start over with these new folks. Actually, she says it's because it's so "kicked back" at Maraanu and that the members of Rotu were "workaholics." I don't really know what she's talking about, though, since there's only Gina and Sarah at Maraanu from Maraamu, and only Sarah is lazy. Now the former members of Rotu talk about their shellfish supply, and Kathy plays down its plenitude because she wants to seem more special because she found it. Gina tells us in a confessional that she knows the others are disappointed to have joined Maraamu because they had such a tight bond at Rotu and were doing so well. She also points out that they now claim the majority of both new tribes and can just pick off all the former Maraamus. She concludes, "I definitely would not mind it if that happened on the other side. They deserve what they get."

Back at Rotwo, Vecepia picks up sticks very slowly, and it seriously looks like the editors may have slowed this down just a little bit, but not enough to reveal that it's actually in slow motion. I've seriously never seen someone walk so slowly. Sean is glistening with sweat from picking up a few twigs, and at least Rob is actually carrying logs. When Sean takes a single twig under each arm, The Moppet looks on in disbelief. I mean, Brooke Shields worked harder than that! Rob tells us in a confessional that life at Rotwo is "two degrees shy of Hell." He says it's a night and day difference between their lives at the other camp, and proclaims it "absolutely terrible." He tells us, "These people are workaholics," and complains that he doesn't get a second to breathe with them always asking him to do something. We see Rob cutting some branches while John looks on -- and it really does look like John is judging Rob's work, but why wouldn't he be judging, since we know Rob's work would be nothing more than half-assed? John then snits because something they've just built is "good," but that they still need to make another because he doesn't like the first. Rob tells us, "Why give in to this bullcrap? That's all it is!"

Now Robert and Sean work on the fire pit together and Robert talks about how hard it is to dig ditches. In a confessional, Sean tells us there's been too much labor on the island and I'm sure we all saw this one coming: he says he feels "like the master is watching," and that he thought slavery was over. He concludes, "I hear the Roots theme as we speak, here," and looks off pensively in the distance. ["Shut the fuck up, Sean, you whiny bitch. I hope that when he got back to New York, some of his African-American neighbours who had immigrated from fucking NIGERIA where they imprison people for no good reason or from the CARIBBEAN where they are still trying to solve all the problems caused by colonialism or basically from ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD where people of all races experience ACTUAL HARDSHIP AND SUFFERING saw Sean on the street and recognized him from the show and remembered this moment and beat the shit out of him." -- Wing Chun] Sean and Robert roll a rock together, and Sean says that by the end of the day he just wants to relax and "sit around the fiya."

Rob and Sean now recline with their buffs over the bottom part of their faces like old-time train robbers. Sean holds up an imaginary microphone to Rob and wants to know how he's doing. Rob says that he doesn't like being at Rotwo and complains that the woman don't look half as good as they did as the other tribe. The editing makes it look like Zoe heard this, but I'm sure she didn't. Sean enthusiastically adds, "The women on our island had big boobs with, um, tiny bikinis!" Rob says that Rotwo is a tribe of eight men, and then corrects himself to say, "well, eight guys and one girl -- I think her name's John." First of all, that would be seven guys and one girl, and secondly, what kind of allegiance is that to Vecepia? As they snicker, the editors again make it look like John overheard the conversation, but as with Zoe, I don't believe he did. Tammy walks over and offers the reclining Rob and Sean some toasted coconut, prompting Sean to say, "Here's one of my favorite girls right here." She jokes that they only like her because she brings them food, which turns out to be not so much a joke. The two men lie there and stuff their faces, taking the coconut piece by piece while she squats to them. She finally tells them just to take a handful so that she can bring some to the others. They thank her and oblige, but as soon as she's out of hearing distance they snark that she'll be of use to them "as long as she keeps serving." ["And, hi, who's treating who like a slave now, fuckers? I hate them both." -- Wing Chun] Sean's and Rob's mothers are either rolling in their graves, or rolling in Harlem and Canton, respectively. Tammy tells us in a confessional that Rotwo will still feed Sean and Rob if they decide not to work, but that "their asses will be gone -- first vote!" We then see Rob propose that he and Sean go on a hike tomorrow "around that corner over there" and "sit around all day." They high-five each other, because being lazy is fun! And I'm not making fun of that credo -- if you asked my husband, he'd say it was one to which I firmly subscribe. But then, I'm not on Survivor, am I?

It's now Day 11 at Maraanu, and Sarah sleeps while Gina works. Actually, we're supposed to think Gina is working, but really she's just lacing up her shoe. In any case, the point is that she's awake and Sarah is not. Gina tells us in a confessional that the tribe woke up in the morning, started their fire, filled up the water bottles, decided to go for a hike, and took off down the trail. I feel like there should be some sort of quiz later asking me to order that list. As Sarah rubs something into her bug-bitten legs, she says she feels like she has the measles.

Now the tribe is hiking along, and Kathy abruptly stops to turn and snappishly inquire whether Sarah is okay. Neleh and Paschal are behind Sarah, so either they've been desperately trying to get around her for the entire walk, or she's not exactly holding anyone up. In short: I still hate Sarah, but I hate Kathy more. Kathy tells Gina of Sarah, "She honestly strolls. She's a stroller." Paschal tell us in a confessional that Kathy decided to take the lead, and at some point they became sidetracked, and now they're lost. The tribe stands and stares. Even though they're all standing in a clump, Kathy yells very loudly that they'll "backtrack to be safe, instead of sliding down." Which sounds like a good move to me. Kathy tells us in a confessional that everyone enjoyed the hike, but then they got tired and began to wonder if they were lost. Kathy shakes her head and snits, "They weren't used to bush-wacking; I was used to it." We see Kathy propose a couple of options for getting back to camp, and then make the decision on her own. In a confessional, Gina tells us that Kathy sometimes gets on people's nerves because she's aggressive and the others are passive. Actually, I think they'd be more bothered if they were aggressive, as well, but that's beside the point. Kathy looks over her shoulder and refuses to wait for the others while Gina tells us that the others were irritated with Kathy because she insisted they go on; she thinks Kathy's pushy ways might break down the Rotu bond.