Pulling The Strings

Pulling The Strings is the premiere episode of Survivor: Calamian Islands

Challenges
Reward/Immunity Challenge: Caught in the web One at a time, four castaways from each tribe would race across a platform and a rope net and then climb up a rope web to retrieve eight bags of puzzle pieces. Once all eight bags were retrieved, four other castaways from each tribe would assemble the puzzle. The first tribe to assemble their puzzle would win. Reward: Flint Winners: TBA

Day 1
The camera zooms in on the exotic Calamian Islands, in the Philippines. It flies over the landscape showing rainforests, seas, beaches and savannahs. It finally settles on a green, grassy hill and zooms in on Jeff Probst as he introduces the season.

As Jeff speaks scenes of wildlife and the landscape are shown.

The camera shows two boats moving forwards, parallel to each other. The right one has people from a blue tribe (Malcapuya) and the left as the green tribe (Busuanga). The camera zooms in on the Malcapuya boat and focuses on a young, tanned girl with dark hair.

The camera switches views to an indigenous man with short-hair.

The camera focuses on the Busuanga boat and zooms in on a middle-aged lady with short dark hair.

As Probst says this the camera focuses on different castaways. It shows Eric, Twila and then Chase, before moving on to a middle-aged Asian man who appears to be slightly overweight.

Next to him sits a young, tanned blonde girl, looking to see where the boat is heading.

The camera switches to the other boat and zooms closer to a determined-looking young woman with short, red hair.

As Jeff Probst’s says these words the camera shows scenes of several competitors and landscape scenes. It shows a fit man in his thirties carrying palm leaves up a beach.

The scene changes to see a young, dark-haired man grabbing a bag from a web and jumping down onto a net.

The camera finally focuses on Jeff Probst once more as he walks to the centre of a green grassy hill. The camera zooms out as Probst finishes his famous intro.

(Opening credits play)

The boats reach a sandy beach to see Jeff Probst standing in front of two mats, one dark green, the other dark blue. The sixteen new castaways jump out of the boats and head to their tribe’s mat. Once they are all standing on their mats Probst welcomes them to the season.

Jeff Probst: Welcome to the Survivor: Calamian Islands.

The castaways clap and cheer as Probst says this. Jeff nods and waits for the castaways to finish their applause before asking questions.

Jeff Probst (pointing to Eric): Man in the back with the beard, what’s your name?

Eric: Eric.

Jeff Probst: Eric, looking around at the two tribes, what do you think of your tribe?

Eric (looking around at both tribes): I’d say it’s a pretty good tribe, you know. We’ve got a lot of young, fit people on our tribe. I think we can pull our own weight and could definitely be a force in the challenges.

The rest of the Malcapuya tribe nods, happy with the answer while Nel rolls her eyes.

Jeff Probst: Women on the green tribe standing at the back of the mat, what’s your name?

Nel: My name’s Nel.

Jeff Probst: Nel, you were rolling your eyes as Eric said that, what do you think about that?

Nel: I agree that they have a lot of young, fit people. We also have a lot of people who could be good at challenges and maybe they do have all the brawn but that’s not gonna help them when they come to a puzzle.

Jeff Probst (pointing to Xavier): Older guy with the glasses and tie-

Xavier (cutting Probst off): Xavier.

Jeff Probst: Xavier, would you agree with Nel’s assessment of your tribe?

Xavier: Completely true and I do think that’ll show in our challenge performances.

Jeff Probst: Alright, well, before we get to any challenges, it’s time to head out to your new homes for the next thirty-nine days. Green tribe, your name is Busuanga, here are your buffs as well as your map to your beach.

Jeff throws the back of buffs with the map tied to it to the Busuanga tribe and they cheer as Ruth catches and passes around the bag of buffs.

Jeff Probst: Blue tribe, your name is Malcapuya, here’s your buffs and a map to your beach.

The Malcapuya tribe also cheers and put on their buffs after Katie catches them. Music starts to play as the castaways grab their things and head to their beaches. It focuses on Brandon, Xavier, Skye and then Tabby as they walk away.

The camera cuts out and when it comes back into focus we can see the members of the Malcapuya tribe – Chase, Eric, James, Jim, Katie, Sherri, Skye and Tabby – walking single file along a white, sandy beach. Clear blue water laps against the shore on one side and forest hems in tight on the other. The castaways round a bend in the beach and start chattering excitedly as they see their tribe flag.

Tabby (excitedly): We’re here guys!

Sherri (smiling exhaustedly): Finally, right?

The Malcapuya tribe approaches their tribe flag and dumps their stuff at the base, filled with excitement and nervousness.

Skye (laughing): How many of you guys actually thought that they had a stronger tribe.

Sherri (laughing): Honestly, I don’t even think anyone from their own tribe bought their little charade.

Chase: Yeah, we’re the stronger tribe by far and can we just make a pact right here to just destroy the other guys?

Sherri: Done, let’s do it.

James: Alright guys, I hate to ruin the moment but we’ve got a shelter to build and we haven’t got all day.

James: So, I reckon if we could get the guys working on the shelter and you two (pointing to Tabby and Skye) working on palm leaves while you two (pointing to Sherri and Katie) find us our water source.

Eric: Right, let’s get to it then.

Most of the tribe nod or voice their agreement but Sherri still has stuff she wants to say.

Sherri: Wait, shouldn’t we like get to know each other first, look, I’ll start us off. Hey guys, I’m Sherri  (waves) , I’m-

James (cutting Sherri off): No time for that we can do that tonight after our shelter is built.

Sherri (visibly annoyed): Ok, well then, when I get back I’ll start making fire.

James: Don’t be stupid, Chase can do that later, you’re a girl so you can do the easier things like palm fronds.

There is silence. Chase raises his eyebrows and looks at the ground, while James just looks down at Sherri. Sherri just shakes her head and walks off. Katie follows and soon the others get off to doing their own things.

James walks around carrying a bamboo log and a machete. The camera focuses on Chase as he looks at James, shaking his head.

The camera focuses on Sherri walking along the beach and talking to Katie and then shows James as he helps build the shelter. The camera cuts to the Busuanga camp as Brandon, George, Gwen, Nel, Ruth, Todd, Twila and Xavier walk up to their tribe flag and put their stuff down.

Brandon: Ok guys, I know we need to focus on building shelter and stuff but before we do anything else can we just take a minute to get to know each other. I’ll start us off and then maybe if we wanted to go around in a circle just saying our names, jobs, and stuff.

The rest of the tribe either shrugs or nods to show that they agree.

Brandon: Right, so my name is Brandon, I am twenty-seven and I am a cop from Sydney.

Todd: Hey, my name is Todd, I live in Sydney, I am thirty-eight and an accountant.

The Busuanga tribe members go around and say there names, where they are from and what they do for a living.

Xavier: My name is Xavier, I’m older than all of you, I’m fifty-two, I’m a librarian and I currently reside in Tweed Heads.

Brandon: I guess that’s everyone then, what do you guys think about getting camp life up and running.

Ruth: Definitely! Let’s do it!

The other castaways cheer and simultaneously shout ‘1…2…3…Busuanga’ and then get to work, happily.

Brandon is seen carrying a bamboo log across the beach with George in front of him and Xavier behind.

Brandon: So you know what? I was thinking, we’ve got a pretty good group of people here but there is one thing that can get people far in this game. You know what that is?

George: An alliance.

Brandon: Exactly. I was thinking that if we got a majority, us three, along with, I was thinking, Gwen and Nel, could pretty easily run the tribe, you know what I mean?

George: Yeah definitely.

Brandon: So what do you guys say? You in?

George: Count me in dude, I’m all for it. Xavier?

Xavier: Yeah, definitely. I’ll go along with you if you have the numbers.

Brandon: Awesome, we’ve got this game.

George (looking over his shoulder at Brandon): We going to shake on it?

Brandon: I’d love to bro, seriously but we better not because if someone sees us that could mean trouble.

George nods understandingly and turns around as Brandon smiles. Xavier just looks on seemingly unphased.

Time passes and scenes of people working on the shelter and weaving palm fronds are shown, it appears the survivors have managed to get a fire started as it burns nearby.

Gwen and Nel appear to be taking a break from the work and are sitting on the beach, chatting amongst themselves.

Brandon walks up to Gwen and Nel and sits down next to Gwen.

Brandon: So I was just talking to Xavier and George and we thought it’d be a great idea to align ourselves and we thought we should bring you two into the fold.

Gwen: Really, thank you so much, I was worried that I would be the first boot (laughs).

Nel: Yep, sounds great to me, we’re going to absolutely destroy anyone who stands against us.

Brandon: So you two are both in?

The two women nod happy that they’ve found their way into a majority.

Brandon: Awesome, I’ve gotta go now, don’t want people getting suspicious right?

Gwen shakes her head and Brandon walks off.

The camera focuses on Brandon smirking as he chops a bamboo log in half with a machete.

The camera shows Xavier and George carrying wood and then cuts out.