By Brian M. Rafferty
And then there was one tribe.
This week the Rotu and Maraamu tribes merged on the CBS show “Survivor,” which features College Point resident Robert “The General” DeCanio.
With a full three weeks in the Marquesas Islands under their belts, the survivors are pumping along strong, making perhaps their wisest move yet — to eliminate troublemaker Boston Rob with seven out of 10 votes.
When Boston Rob and Kathy each volunteered to represent their tribes in what seemed to be a reward challenge, they found out that the tribes were going to merge and that they were going to be treated to a night of pizza, beer and sleeping under mosquito netting as they came up with a name for the new, merged tribe.
Choosing “Soliantu,” which means sacred allegiance to the sun, Boston Rob and Kathy spoke well into the night about the plot twists, alliances and deceptions that had transpired behind the others’ back. Boston Rob told Kathy that Zoe, whom she thought was her ally, had conspired to vote against her. When confronted by Kathy the next day, Zoe took a very long, shocked pause before saying that Boston Rob had lied.
Matters grew worse quickly as Boston Rob and Sean challenged John’s integrity. A shouting match ensued, and after John walked away, Boston Rob bought his ticket off the island by then going on a tirade against other survivors, including DeCanio.
The General was quick to cut off Boston Rob, though, explaining that the only person he is looking out for is himself, and that he could not have broken any alliances because he hasn’t made any alliances — perhaps the most he has spoken throughout the entire run of the show.
If Boston Rob had any chance left by the time the group sat down for tribal council, he cut his own throat when asked, “Have you lied to the other players?” Without batting an eye he said, “Yes. And so has every other person here.”
So now there are nine survivors left. The next seven to be voted out of the tribe will make up the jury that will pick the winner from the final two contestants. Regardless of how much farther The General goes in the show, we at least now know that he got to stay on the island for the duration. Whether it was fighting his way to the end or waiting in an air-conditioned hut to be a juror remains to be seen.
“Survivor” is on CBS Thursday at 8 p.m.
