Yasmin Giles the fifth castaway eliminated from 'Survivor: Samoa'

Yasmin Giles was labeled as being lazy around camp and was unable to save herself by claiming to be an asset in challenges.


The 33-year-old hairstylist from Detroit, MI who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA became the fifth castaway eliminated from Survivor: Samoa during last night's broadcast of the CBS reality series.

"I personally feel like I'm such a strong competitor, that had I made it to the end, it would have been really hard not to vote for me," said Yasmin after her ouster.

"These people are going to start to scramble because they're not being true to themselves.  They're tip-toeing around each other, they're full of crap.  It's just crazy.  But if that's the type of company I have to keep, I'm happy to be going."

Survivor: Samoa's fourth episode began on Day 8 following the previous night's elimination of Ben Browning -- who represented the fourth Foa Foa member to leave the competition since it started.


While Jaison Robinson, a 28-year-old law student from Chicago, IL, was glad Ben was ousted for what he perceived to be racist comments towards Yasmin during her previous visit to their tribe's camp, he wasn't having an easy time handling the competition.

"I'm hungry.  I'm tired.  I came here to have an adventure," said Jaison.  "But frankly, I right now believe that coming here was the worst decision I've made in my entire life."

Jaison discussed his unhappiness with Russell Hantz, a 36-year-old oil company owner from Dayton, TX who was sad to see Ben go since he considered him an ally.

"I really think that if Ben would have stayed, Jaison would have quit the game," said Russell H.. "Now, what kind of man is that?"

Russell H. tried to comfort Jaison by telling him if they were to win the upcoming Reward Challenge, it could change Foa Foa's spirit for the better. However Russell H. also saw that Jaison could become a target if he didn't stop whining.


"I'm willing to get rid of Jaison," he said.  "Whoever I want to be gone, is going to be gone.  I've got it all under my thumb right now."

Over at Galu, Shannon "Shambo" Waters, a 45-year-old sales representative from Renton, WA, let it be known that she "felt 10-times closer" to Foa Foa due to her recent visit to their camp.

"I'd have no problem going to Foa Foa because I already have a following there and if I can make it to the merge, I know damn well I got their vote, so I'm way ahead," she said.

Erik Cardona, a 28-year-old bartender from Ontario, CA, pulled Shambo aside and asked her about the clue to the hidden Immunity Idol on Foa Foa's beach she had received -- understanding that it probably meant there was a hidden Immunity Idol on Galu's beach in a similar spot.

"If I can find the Immunity Idol, I can give it to you if you're in danger," he told Shambo, who was receptive.


However just when he was about to get the information from Shambo, John Fincher, a 25-year-old rocket scientist from Los Angeles, CA, ran up to the conversation and asked Shambo the same question as Erik.  Shambo told both of them the clues to the Immunity Idol on Foa Foa's beach in an attempt to cement her status in the tribe.

"That can do nothing but help me going forward -- and maybe it won't," she said in a confessional.  "Maybe it will hurt me, but we'll see."

Both tribes then received some Tree Mail, which instructed the leader of each tribe to choose two tribe members to join them in the next Reward Challenge -- with food as the possible reward.

Foa Foa leader Mick Trimming, a 33-year-old doctor from Boise, ID who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, chose to take Russell H. because of his strength and Natalie White, a 26-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Van Buren, AR, for her puzzle-solving abilities.  Galu leader Russell Swan, a 42-year-old attorney from Glenside, PA, chose to take David Ball, a 38-year-old fitness instructor from Los Angeles, CA, and Shambo.

The six castaways then arrived on a deserted beach and immediately realized that host Jeff Probst was missing.  However they also quickly noticed a cage full of chickens with a "Reward" sign on it and a sealed chest across from it.


"I wonder if we're just supposed to jump -- like just get over there and start doing stuff without even asking," said Dave to Russell S. and Shambo.

However Russell H. made the first move towards the chest, which had Natalie and Shambo eventually grabbing chickens. Dave, Russell S. and Mick opened the chest, which contained yellow and purple colored balls and a note.  After reading the note, the tribes realized that the contents of the chest were the game pieces and the chickens were the reward. 

Once the chickens were secured in the cage, Dave read the challenge's rules.  Inside the chest was a flag and three tribe-colored balls for each player.  One player would place the flag in the center of the beach.  One at a time, players would toss the ball toward the flag, ala bocce ball.  The object was to land the ball closest to the flag.  Once all of the balls had been thrown, the tribe with the ball that was closest to the flag would win the chickens.

Mick and Russell S. alternated turns first, followed by the women and then Dave and Russell H..  Foa Foa led through a majority of the challenge and it came down to Dave's final ball, which he released perfectly -- landing closest to the flag and claiming reward for Galu. 

Needless to say, Foa Foa was crushed to have victory snatched away at the last second.


"It's so demoralizing.  I'm just so torn up about losing to these guys," said Mick.  "It totally split me in half to see Galu walk away with those chickens.  It's so ludicrous that we can't even pull off freakin' bocce ball."

Back at Galu, Erik used the absence of Russell S., Dave and Shambo as an opportunity to find the hidden Immunity Idol. 

He put Laura Morett, a 39-year-old office manager from Salem, OR, and Monica Padilla, a 25-year-old law student from San Diego, CA, on "fruit patrol" to make sure they wouldn't get in his way, while remaining Galu member John, Yasmin, Brett Clouser, a 23-year-old T-shirt designer from Salem, OR who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and Kelly Sharbaugh, a 25-year-old hairstylist from Wilmington, DE who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, slept.

Erik began to search around several trees, and John seemed to open his eyes and see Erik's efforts right before he successfully found the hidden Immunity Idol.  Erik immediately hid the idol among some rocks and promised not to tell anyone about it.

"The best part about having this is that nobody even has any clue that there's even one here," said Erik excitedly.  "They all think it's on Foa Foa's tribe... I'm going to use it down the road -- maybe around Day 36 -- because I plan on being here for a while and this is going to be my ticket."

Russell S., Dave and Shambo then returned to camp with the chickens -- and everyone was excited.  Shambo said she had no problems taking care of the newest Galu residents.


"We need somebody that's not going to accidentally let them out," instructed Dave.

"I don't claim to be a chicken farmer, but I was introduced to them at a very young age and you've got to have a relationship with chickens.  They're very finicky.  They have to trust you, they have to know you, they have to like you," said Shambo, who began to talk and cluck to the chickens.

"The Survivor chickens will know Shambo and they will give me eggs in turn because I will be kind to them," she said.

Rain at Foa Foa only soured Jaison's mood, and Russell H. was rethinking his alliance with him. 

"My true alliance, it changes all the time," said Russell H..  "I told Jaison I'd bring him to the Top 2.  But I don't know that I can count on Jaison to stay in the game.  I need somebody to be able to help me to the Final 2.  So I would have to take somebody like Natalie with me because she's gonna ride my coattails the whole way.  She's too stupid to do it by herself.  She needs me."

Russell H. then approached Natalie to solidify the alliance they made on Day 1 -- which was similar to all the other alliances Russell H. made earlier in the game.  Natalie agreed to continue to work with Russell H..


"At this point, I'm kind of his wingman I guess you could say," said Natalie. 

"I definitely think people underestimate me, and I want them to think, 'Hey, it's really smart for them to take me to the end because they could beat me' -- use that to my advantage.  And if it comes down to me or him I know I can beat Russell in the very end because I would say a lot of other people in the tribe have really been rubbed the wrong way by him.  So I'm just trying to not ruffle feathers, stay clear and build good relationships -- which is what I'm good at."

The next morning, Shambo opened the top of the chicken coop to feed her new friends -- and one of the chickens immediately flew out.

"Escaped chicken!  Escaped chicken!" yelled Shambo.

Dave and Erik were extremely annoyed and began to chase it around the camp.  Erik was subsequently clotheslined by a clothesline in the process, and the chicken flew up to a tree branch.  Shambo tried to talk it down to no avail.  Erik attempted to climb the tree to grab it, which also didn't work.

"I didn't know they could freakin' fly," said Shambo, and everyone else was upset at her mistake.  She said at least she produced the egg, which Erik found upsetting since the chicken actually produced the egg -- not Shambo.


"Nobody cares, that's the worst part.  Is anybody looking for the damn chicken?  No," said Erik.  "This tribe sucks."

Kelly was having problems with Yasmin, who saddled up next to Kelly expecting coconut milk after Kelly had spent some time trying to open it.  Kelly accused Yasmin of not doing anything around camp except for waiting to be taken care of "like a princess."

"I almost said, 'Look, it's really kind of frustrating when I've been working an hour for this and you just come and sit down and wait for it," complained Kelly to Laura and Monica.  "She's not a team player.  She doesn't help around camp, and say we do lose a challenge, I think Yas would be the first to go."

Galu and Foa Foa then arrived for an Immunity Challenge, where they were met by Jeff -- who explained the rules.

Both tribes would race across a net run carrying wooden blocks.  When they reached a platform, they had to stack the blocks one on top of the other.  Once they completed the stack, they would make their way across a rope bridge to another platform where they would find more blocks.  This set of blocks would stack even higher.  The first tribe to get both stacks completed would win Immunity. 

Since Galu had four extra members, Russell S. chose to sit out Shambo, Laura, Dave and himself.


The challenge commenced and Galu grabbed an early lead that they kept until the rope bridge, when a slow-moving Monica allowed Foa Foa back in the competition.  Thanks to Jaison's height, Foa Foa was then able to complete the second stack faster than Galu -- winning their first Immunity Challenge.

"I saw Monica basically disappear at that challenge," said Russell S.. "This is Survivor.  This is about physical, mental toughness.  Today, Monica just did not have it."

Russell S. immediately began to lobby for Monica's ouster back at camp.  Erik agreed that she's the weakest and would be the first to go.  However Dave, Monica and Laura had their sights set on booting Yasmin for her lack of effort around camp and overall laziness.  Shambo talked with Yasmin about booting Monica. 

"Whatever's going to happen is going to happen," Yasmin told Shambo.  "I know I haven't came up short.  Around this camp, I ain't stepping up to do nothing because you know what these people do? They prey on doing something wrong like letting the chicken go... So therefore nobody will be preying for me."

In a confessional, Yasmin reiterated that she felt she shouldn't be booted.

"I've been running with the fellas and helping us win our challenges," she said.  "I'm not looking down on nobody, but Monica didn't help us win today.  So if you want to penalize me for stepping up then so be it -- because my body could use a rest damn it."


Erik joined Kelly, Dave, John and Brett on the beach and was surprised to learn that Yasmin was on the chopping block.  He called it "crazy talk" in a confessional.

"But Yas is completely stronger in challenges than Monica," he added.  "Unfortunately people seem to be rallying around Monica, and I don't know how it's going to play out."

When word got back to Russell S. about Yasmin's possible ouster, he was not too pleased.

"So these people who are gonna vote for Yas, they basically already have an alliance, basically," Russell S. said to Erik.

"Well I don't know if it's as much of an alliance as a decision that maybe they don't trust," replied Erik.

"Maybe they don't trust me," said Russell S.. "That's what it comes down to... That pisses me off."


He subsequently told Dave and Brett that Monica's a "liability" due to her weakness.

"I want the strongest tribe and I'm the leader," Russell S. said in a confessional.  "These people, they've got to listen to me or there's going to be some serious ass kicking."

Galu then arrived at their first Tribal Council and had their torches lit.  Brett immediately took aim at Yasmin for not doing her share of work around camp.

"I find that as a bit of a surprise," she replied.  "As a matter of fact, anything somebody has asked me to do, I have did it.  So I don't see how he figures I could be doing more.  I felt like that's a conversation him and I could have had beforehand and I would have stepped it up because I have not shied away from any work."

Russell S. then said challenges are the base of the game and played a crucial part in deciding who to vote for -- a not-so-subtle shot at Monica.  Yasmin agreed.

"Based on what you've said, who could have given more at today's challenge?" asked Jeff.


"Today, Monica struggled," replied Yasmin.  "That's just the way that I see it."

Monica said being blamed for losing the challenge "sucks."

"I think I did a great job at the challenge today," she said.  "Getting on the rope originally, I had to kind of get my bearings.  But once I got pass that, I think I really came back to my normal self."

Laura and Dave then both agreed that they'd rather keep somebody who was more helpful around camp.

Galu then cast their votes -- and everybody voted for Yasmin except for her and Shambo, who voted for Monica.  Yasmin then had her torch snuffed.

Survivor: Samoa's next episode will air Thursday, October 15 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio