SURVIVOR INSIDERApril 11, 2003

We’re movin’ into the third quarter of the big game, and were down to a lucky seven. And the question of the week is:

Why the heck didn’t Deena see the signs?

Was she so busy plotting, that she didn’t see Heidi pull Jenna to the side to tell her about the new plan to get rid of Alex”

Surely, Deena should have observed the dirty cheerleaders — or as I like to refer to them “The Barbies” — talking?

There are only a few people out there now, and Deena didn’t notice the two ‘Barbies’ go off alone?

Any good game player sees and hears all.

OK, even if she missed that little meeting, why didn’t she notice when Jenna went off to talk to Alex alone?

Hello! Paging Deena! Jenna and Alex are good friends and they walked off to be alone so they could talk.

And Deena, why do you think Alex chose Jenna to go with him for the coffee bar afternoon after he won the reward challenge? Huh?

And Jenna and Alex are not just in alliance on the island. They genuinely like one another and will remain close once they leave the island.

Unless you are a part of it, that is the worst kind of alliance — people who plan to be friends after the show is over.

That’s a friendship that’s hard to breakup unless you can get one of them voted off.

Speaking of Alex, he’s playing pretty good except for that lapse of judgment at the tribal counsel, when he boldly — and foolishly — announced that he was there to win!

Everyone is out there to ‘win’, but he reminded them that it’s every man for himself.

The other players turned around to look at him like he just gave them the biggest revelation of their lives.

It looked like everyone was saying, ‘Yeah he’s right we’re friends, but let’s put this in perspective — I want to win too!’

That may also have been the moment that Rob decided to betray his friend and secret ally, Deena, and vote her off!

And speaking of people who didn’t see the signs, did you see Dave at tribal counsel?

He’s a bitter man and I’m sure they know it. Nevertheless, he’s now part of the jury.

I ignored the jury because they can intimidate you. There is nothing you can do at that time to make things better.

I just kept thinking, ‘you only need four votes, concentrate on four.’

But the jury members just sit there — clean and well fed — watching you like you’re an animal in a cage. There is nothing you can do about it.

Now you realize your fate is in their hands.

All you can do is hope that you’re not the one who pissed them off. If you did, hope and pray they understand that it’s part of the game!