Survivor Panama: Exile Island Terry’s Latest Strategic Error
Strategy commentary by VikingBear
Terry made another strategic error this week on Survivor Panama: Exile Island. I personally have built fire with flint and steel and native materials many times, and I can promise you it’s not that easy! It takes practice to get the hang of it.
Has either woman practiced? No! Both women seem to think they’re better off being confident, thinking about it, and not showing weakness by practicing. Cirie said on camera “it’s usually a fire challenge.” The setup looks identical to the Stephenie and Bobby John challenge on Survivor Palau. Cirie would know that… and all four clearly were preparing for a fire challenge between the women.
Assuming Terry needed Danielle to win the challenge…
Assuming Terry needed Danielle to win the challenge, he could have done a lot more to help her prepare. She could have actually practiced, and worked out the best combinations of materials to get a tall flame.
Strangely enough, there’s a good analogy from Terry’s Naval Academy days. To get into Annapolis, you had to score well on the physical assessment. The test is nearly the same as it was when I took it 30-plus years ago:
Service Academy Physical Aptitude Exam
Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, running… no big deal. What’s important is the weird one: While kneeling, throw a basketball as far as you can! What they do not tell you, when you’re trying to get into the Air Force Academy, Annapolis or West Point, is the real purpose of that basketball throw.
You see, when you’re kneeling, you just can’t throw a basketball like you would a baseball. It’s too heavy and too bulky. There’s just no leverage. The only way to get distance is to practice it, over and over, until you get the right motion down, and get those muscles built up. When the high school seniors take that test, it’s completely obvious from the scores. There’s no question as to who bothered to practice, and who did not. Terry obviously passed that test.
Both women have watched each other for 30-plus days. They both know neither has been building many fires with flint and steel. Both have said in Tribal Council that they’re not “outdoorsy” types. It’s too late now, of course, but I believe that either person’s practicing would make a huge difference at the Fire Challenge. Any of the four should have seen this!
Why do I blame Terry? Because I expect a higher standard of him. I still give him part of the blame for not saying anything when Sally was headed for deep water to learn how to use the fishing spear. If he’d thought about it, he could done far more to help Danielle to really prepare for the current challenge.
At the same time, we have further insight into the four peoples’ personalities and approaches. Neither Terry nor Danielle trust each other, but are willing to make a pact of convenience. Terry is focused on the challenges not on making friends - and that can cost him votes. Terry is not helping Danielle come up with a strategy for winning the challenge - how she wants to handle it is up to her.
Both Cirie and Danielle, in typical Casaya fashion, opt to do as little as possible, on the theory that this inaction is the most clever and wise. (Though, to be sure, that approach got three of them to the final four.)
Terry called Aras out on that “women” comment. Aras agreed and apologized. That was a good move on Terry’s part. “Captain America” is a man of integrity, and that’s confirmed on camera. And, that bit of male bonding may actually help him get to the final two, or possibly get Aras’ vote. It can’t help him except with respect to Aras, because nobody else heard the conversation.
So who wins the Fire Challenge? It could go either way. I see the two women as completely even (no experience), and luck could make the difference. I’m guessing that Danielle wins and Cirie goes home - because it was edited to be a “cliffhanger.” That gives us time to worry over whether Cirie is out or not.
If Cirie’s gone, I only have one more to root for - Terry!
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