Episode 7:

The two attenuated teams come together in a new 10-person outfit. With one tribe, the immunity challenges now offer protection for only the player who wins the contest. It's ostensibly every player for him- or herself, but the powerful Tagi voting bloc promises a bit of sanctuary for its four crafty members.

First, the teams need to sniff each other out. The plan is to have an "ambassador" from each camp scope out the other and then convene to decide on how the merge should proceed. Jenna represents Pagong, now comprising Gretchen, the canny and likable teacher; Greg and Colleen, who've been sneaking out at night for a little jungle boogie; and Gervase, Mr. Personality. Tagi's man is Dr. Sean, who's stranded with not-so-pleasingly-plump nudist Richard, sneaky Sue, cranky Rudy and comely Kelly.

The Tagi camp is much better appointed. (The Pagongs have always been a bit disorganized.) Jenna and Sean then get the show's best perk thus far: a scrumptious dinner for two on a sand spit, and then a comfy night in actual beds! It's plain the "Survivor" producers hope that four bottles of wine will put the two in the mood for some castaway hootchy-kootchy. No such luck.

The next day, the two teams join and try to rebuild the Tagi sleeping hut -- or rather, the women do while the men sit around playing cards. Then it all falls apart. The group stays up late swapping sex stories; Dr. Sean says that he once had the chance to sleep with two women. Septuagenarian Rudy, standing in for the watching audience, walks off in disgust. That night it rains and everyone has to snuggle together so as not to get wet. Rudy isn't happy.

The immunity challenge is a rather silly contest to see who can hold his or her breath underwater for the longest period of time. Challenges like this, emphasizing physical strength or endurance, seem rougher on the women, who in the event all come up first. (What's next -- arm-wrestling?) Three of the guys are then faced off in an underwater race for immunity. Dopey Greg wins an amulet that means he can't be kicked off the island that night.

At tribal council the grim Tagi alliance -- Richard, Kelly, Sue and Rudy -- vote together. They knock out ... Gretchen, a shocker. In retrospect it's easy to see why: They identified her as the smartest and toughest of their new teammates and hence the biggest threat. In a way, Gretchen is responsible for her own demise. In the last show, she wouldn't join up with a budding Pagong bloc. Without her as a linchpin, Dr. Sean and the others on the former Pagong team scattered their votes. The remaining five castaways outside the Tagi alliance have exactly one week to figure out what's going on and band together to stop the Gang of Four.

(B.W.)

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