Okay, so I must admit I’m getting a bit bored of watching M-Net’s “Survivor SA: Immunity Island”.
The home-grown reality show used to be a fun watch and, at the start of season eight, I thought it would retain its appeal. I am starting to realise I was a bit hasty in my assumption.
I’m not sure if the characters are a bit too insipid for my liking or if the format has lost its intrigue. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
Honestly, I’m tired of watching the same old s**t stirrers generate the drama. Often, they are harping on the same issues.
Trust is a huge problem at Zamba. Wardah and Chappies have no problem airing their dislike for one another.
Although Chappies and Paul, former Vuna tribe members, had targets on their backs when they swapped tribes, their alliance with the original Zamba members propelled them to positions of power and influence.
In tonight’s episode, two Zamba members perjured themselves.
While Amy was forgiven for her artfulness, which is out of character for her, Carla was not so lucky.
At the start of the episode, Amy gave the tribe a heads-up on the imminent raid by Vuna. As such, they started hiding their valuables.
When Paul and Anesu arrived, they were kind of given the run around over the items they wanted. Although they left semi-satisfied with their three items, they had useful information on their rivals.
More so, after Amy’s lie is exposed. And Santoni takes exception to her deception.
For the reward challenge, which requires the strongest members, Chappies and Wardah represented Zamba while Dino and Marisha represented Vuna.
A sentimental Marisha was invested in winning as it was her daughter’s birthday. And she, with some help from Dino, annihilated Chappies and Wardah in the test of strength.
Vuna was rewarded with sustenance provided by Fresh Stop. And everyone at camp was elated over the sweet victory.
Meanwhile, back at Zamba, Paul’s selfish actions were rubbing the several members up the wrong way. Losing the immunity challenge made him the perfect target.
When Carla was sent off to immunity island, she took a leap of faith and returned in order to cast her vote. Although she led some members to believe she was safe, Santoni, Chappies and Paul knew better.
At tribal council, her lie was exposed by host Nico. Shaun was still bummed out by the fact that his bad allergic reaction forced him to sit out the challenge. He felt he could have made a difference.
Chappies was quick to point out that it wasn’t exactly the case as they forgot to pay attention to a crucial aspect - coupling the brawn with brains.
And this is what threw Wardah’s nose out of joint. She felt they lost because of “a misogynist tendency”. While Paul disagreed, along with Chappies, it became a moot point.
In the end, it was about the numbers. Sadly, it didn’t work in Paul’s favour, much to the surprise of Chappies.
After his torch was snuffed out by Nico, he said: “It seemed like everything was going too smoothly. I think the same thing happened with Mike.”
This decision will impact the dynamics among the Zamba tribe members. Alliances may shift, especially with a double-agent at camp.
Now can we please have some decent drama instead of this humdrum soap opera we’ve been getting?
“Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island” airs on M-Net on Thursdays at 7.30pm.