Retro Survivor rewatch: Borneo episode 5, “Pulling Your Own Weight”

If there’s any theme to Survivor: Borneo‘s fifth episode, it’s irony and reversal of fortune, told in a few different scenes throughout.

Survivor: Borneo‘s fifth episode, “Pulling Your Own Weight,” mostly retold the same idea that had already played out on Pagong in episodes 1 and 2 for Tagi, and added in a little irony to boot.

Five episodes in, and Jeff Probst’s dulcet tones still introduced us with the same footage to the entire concept of Survivor. But the recap of episode 4 very pointedly included Sue talking about not wanting to feed people who didn’t work. Methinks production found it high time to bring that underlying storyline to a head for Tagi.

Day 13 on Pagong opened with somber music, and everyone talked about their low spirits, with Greg suffering from an ear infection per Jenna. But Gretchen had an idea: cleaning.

However — sans the conch sound — Tagi had more fast-paced music as most of the members worked to build a shady spot with the parachute from the previous reward. Dirk and Sean basically did nothing but try to fish, which did not go over well with others. Sue even told them off a little for it.

But then came Jeff Probst, putting up messages himself and bringing practice weapons for the reward challenge while wearing sunglasses around his neck. It was a target-hitting challenge: blowgun, slingshot, and spear. Sue was mostly excited about teasing a Pagong guy in spear-throwing, and in general, Tagi just practiced. Pagong, as was Pagong’s wont in general, was to take it slightly less seriously as they practiced … and Joel took on the spear-throwing.

For the darts, Sean and Jenna had 10 darts to hit as much fruit as they could. In slingshot, Richard and Gretchen had two minutes to hit pots, knock fruit down, or get a rock in the fruit. As for the spear, the goal was to get a throw closest to the center. Sue and Joel squared off, and Joel won the fruit that everyone had shot as well as chickens for Pagong.

Chickens named Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner meant that Pagong got happier music, but the tribe didn’t make a really good coop for them and mostly planned on eating them while they feasted on fruit.

Greg also continued his oneness with nature by sleeping in the woods, occasionally with Colleen. Naturally, everyone noticed the two of them spending time together. Both said they weren’t doing anything, but no one believed it.

Tagi’s scenes told a few different vignettes: Richard played with a supposedly deadly snake; Sean talked about his bathroom habits; Dirk had lost a lot of weight. The first two are things Survivor probably wouldn’t show these days; the third is pretty common.

Then things turned to strategy, with Richard and Sue not-so-casually noting Sean didn’t want to form alliances while Sean himself and Dirk tried to find tapioca.

The immunity challenge mostly relied on rowing. Tagi noted that Kelly was a whitewater rafting guide and that Pagong’s Gervase couldn’t swim. Keep that in mind. (Also, Greg sang to the tune of “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story.) Probst’s voiceover explained that the rower had to pull the five others out of the water, and the others could then help row back to shore.

Suffice it to say that Pagong won by a pretty hefty margin despite having Kelly call herself a “water all-star.” Fortunately, that’s what alliances are for.

Probst did not tell viewers who was in danger, a welcome change. He made it obvious with his questions, which were directed at Kelly, Sean, and Dirk, in that order. Then Probst asked Richard about alliances, and he dodged the question very effectively.

Dirk went home in a 4-1-1 vote, with Rudy and Sue each getting one vote. Lesson learned: form alliances.

Next: Retro Survivor rewatch: Borneo episode 4

Stay tuned for episode 6, where controversy returns, because Probst flat-out said “sexist remark” in the preview!