Episode 4: Brooke Says Good-bye

Brooke Says Good-bye
official title: To Betray or Not to Betray

Summary: the Reward Challenge is just a cover for switching some tribe members. Nakum lose a close Immunity Challenge and vote off Brooke, thereby leaving Survivor Guatemala with no cute women.

After the recap of last week's episode, Cindy (first interview), Margaret, Judd and Brandon are complaining about the heat and mosquitos. Over at Yaxha it doesn't seem like the heat is bothering them as they hangout by the water catching minnows with a bucket. Rafe jokingly says they are a "finely tuned fishing machine." Then crikey! (in your best Jeff Corwin voice, spelling?) There's one gigantic crocodile out in the lake.

The Switching of Tribes
Under guise of a Reward Challenge the tribes are shuffled. Jeff Probst starts by saying that it is Day 9 and there will be a little challenge to see where they stand with their fellow Survivors. A little quiz is started.

Question 1: Who in your tribe is in most need of nourishment?
Yaxha votes for Jaime, Nakum votes for Danni. Jeff gives each of them an apple.

Question 2: Who in your tribe is the smelliest?
Yaxha votes for Gary, Nakum votes for Bobby Jon. Jeff lets each of them shower.

Question 3: Who in your tribe are in most need of a picnic? Vote for one man and one woman.
Yaxha votes for Gary and Amy, Nakum votes for Judd and Margaret. Jeff gives the four of them a huge, well stocked picnic basket and they go to the top of a Maya pyramid to enjoy it.

Question 4: Who in your tribe has the most tribe pride?
Yaxha votes for Brian, Nakum votes for Cindy.

Jeff announces the shuffling of tribe members. Brian and Cindy will stay in their tribes, as will the four off on a picnic. The others switch tribes (Nakum have an extra person so there's a drawing of lots and Brooke also stays with Nakum).

The new tribes look like this:
Yaxha: Gary, Brian, Amy, Brandon, Danni, Bobby Jon, Blake.
Nakum: Cindy, Margaret, Judd, Jaime, Rafe, Stephenie, Lydia, Brooke.

Meanwhile at the picnic, Gary once again has to deny that he was a quarterback in the NFL. The others don't look like they are believing him. Amy tells us in private that if Gary really is a millionaire and lying she will freakin' kill him. The picnickers are surprised to find out about the switch when they return to their tribes.

Scheming
Brian, ever the smart Ivy League student, does the math and correctly figures he's on the short side of a 4 to 3 vote. Brandon, Bobby Jon and Blake set the order of removal: Amy first, then Brian and lastly Gary. They end by saying they will tell Danni of their decision. Amy tells us that she feels vulnerable and that she's trying to hide her sprained ankle from the new Yaxha members (I don't think it's working).

Over at the new Nakum, votes would appear to be even (4 Nakum and 4 former Yaxha). Judd likes his new tribe. He makes fast friends with Stephenie and Jaime. He also sees himself as the big man in the tribe (Jaime and Rafe aren't that strong physically). The three of them plot to vote off Brooke if they go to Tribal Council. Stephenie seems certain Rafe (her pawn?) and Lydia will go along with them.

Immunity Challenge
Competition: row boat out into lake to collect 3 bags of Maya throwing clubs, return to beach and use the clubs to break 3 tiles. The first tribe to break the tiles wins Immunity.
Sits Out: Lydia

Nakum take an early lead on the lake and get back to the beach with their bags first, although Yaxha aren't that far behind. Brian and Stephenie start throwing clubs at the tiles. Stephenie gets hers, but Brian gives up without braking one. Judd struggles as Danni and Blake each break a tile to put Yaxha in the lead. Judd breaks a tile and Jaime takes over for Nakum. However Brandon nails the third and final tile for Yaxha. Yaxha win Immunity!

More Scheming
Rafe says it's 4 versus 4 but hopefully they can swing one of the others - it looks like Judd will go along with them (Rafe, Stephenie, Jaime, Lydia). Brooke, Cindy and Margaret are targeting Lydia but aren't sure Judd will go along with them.

Nakum at Tribal Council
(paraphrased by me, not word for word)
Jeff Probst: Stephenie you have been to so many Tribal Councils do you feel like a bad luck charm?
Stephenie: I've wondered that too, I hope I'm not.
Jeff Probst: Margaret how is the new group dynamic working out?
Margaret: There has not been much pairing off although I did notice Judd with Stephenie and Jaime.
Jeff Probst: Judd did you know you were being watched?
Judd: Hey, it was nothing really. I was just being social "Hi, my name is Judd," that sort of thing.
Jeff Probst: Lydia you've been to a few TCs as well, how confident are you tonight?
Lydia: I feel vulnerable, I don't know if the others know my strengths yet.
Jeff Probst: Brooke are you worried?
Brooke: Yes, strength seems to be a big deal and I'm not that strong.
Jeff Probst: Judd in your profession (NYC doorman) you deal with a lot of different types of people, does that help you here?
Judd: Yes, I think it's very important. I know very quickly if I connect with people or not.

Time to Vote:
Lydia gets 3 votes and Brooke gets 5 votes. It seems Judd was the swing vote and betrayed his old Nakum tribe mates for his new Nakum tribe mates.

Jeff Probst's Final Thought
As tribal lines and personal loyalties shift it becomes harder to trust.

Brooke's final words include "I was only here 11 days but I did so much" and she wished the original Nakum women well.

Alliances
In Yaxha it's Gary, Brian, Amy versus Brandon, Danni, Bobby Jon, Blake. Over at Nakum it's Cindy and Margaret versus Judd, Jaime, Rafe, Stephenie, Lydia.

Heroes and Villains
Props to Judd for making a bold move although it could come back to haunt him. I'm cheering for Cindy but I don't really care for Margaret - she just seems clueless to me. Having Gary and Danni in the same tribe should be interesting. No one is believing his lie, will she confront him herself?

Won Reward: No real reward challenge; switch-up of the tribes instead. Although Gary, Amy, Judd and Margaret got to go on a picnic on top of a Maya pyramid.

Won Immunity: Yaxha

Voted Off: Brooke
(5 votes to 3)