Survivor Philippines Episode 5: Kalabaw Gains One Member, But Loses Two

The game is starting to pick up speed! Matsing, after being whittled down to just a pair of players from losing EVERY immunity challenge so far was predictably assimilated into the other two tribes, but not before Denise and Malcolm sensing their impending fate ripped apart their blue camp looking for the immunity idol which they found and Malcolm now has in his possession. All three immunity idols are now lying dormant, two in the yellow team and one for the red team waiting to be strategically played by their masters.

KALABAW

Kalabaw got Denise from the now defunct Matsing which excited the existing ladies in the red tribe as they now had a 4-3 advantage over the dudes, shifting the balance of power but that newly found elation would prove to be short lived.

Dana suddenly got violently sick which frightened her tribe and attracted the attention of medical whom gave her the green light saying her sickness didn't appear to be life-threatening but Dana didn't feel like she could continue in her condition and ultimately took herself out of the game. Back to 3-3 ladies, sorry. To further add insult to injury, Denise allies up with the Jeff and the guys anyway, so looks pretty bad for Katie and Dawson should the red team lose it's first immunity challenge.

TANDANG

The newly immune Malcolm started off his tenure as a yellow-bandana wearing member with an aggressive performance at the reward challenge taking a note or two from the veteran Mike Skupin who pulled a cool tactical move ultimately securing the win for Tandang. The prize? Muffins and cookies and other sweet goodies. Where's Angie when you need her? She almost got her wish! Anyway, Malcolm came righ out of the gate with a bang and was welcomed into the tribe like the instantly popular new kid at school although he's still got his wheels turning. The tribe is happy to have his physical prowess, but he and Pete have aligned and it looks like there could be some back-stabbing in the near future and it looks like R.C.'s or Mike's back on the line.

Fast-forward to the immunity challenge and two tribes that were supposed to be evenly matched weren't due to Dana's departure so Tandang sat Abi again and off they go. Tandang ends up winning by a second or two protecting their undefeated status and sending Kalabaw to Tribal Council for the first time. The red team is split between booting Katie who had a lack-luster performance during the challenge and Dawson (whom I don't think has said a word in an episode up until now) the only member who know's about Jeff's pro baseball past. But Jeff's secret is still safe as Dawson, who has a crush on the show's host didn't stand a chance and was let go unanimously. BUT, this didn't phase her as she got to sneak an embrace with her mental boy-toy.

So Kalabaw loses not one, but two members and the balance of power is an as-yet untouched Tandang tribe at 7 members to Kalabaw's 5. Time for the red team to win an immunity challenge and it appears from the preview that they resort to playing dirty in their efforts to win.

This week's Survivor Insider Question:

"Where does the crew live and work?"

Answer: "Living arrangements depend upon the location, and ranges from tents to actual hotels. A large part of base camp consists of a large, temporary tent city, where everyone from producers to host Jeff Probst were living until their prefabricated cabins — which included bathroom facilities — could be assembled nearby. The crew works out of trailers or cargo containers that double as offices, and some offices are prefabricated and assembled on site. Everyone except contestants eats their meals in a large catering tent, which opens as early as 4 a.m. for those who need to be on location first thing."