Jeff Probst: Culver City, California...as unlikely a spot as any to find the latest rugged band of survivors that our inexplicably high standards called for. Nevertheless, this was where we found all the contestants for our two tribes. As it turned out, we came across a couple of personalities so utterly unique that we decided to let them be their own tribe. Thus we had... the "US" tribe, led by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy... ...against "The World" tribe, which consisted of all the rest of our contestants. To determine our newest tropical setting, we set our sights on a series of lush yet forbidding islands that were owned by former schoolteachers and thus were named only by alphabetical letters. After rejecting Islands A through J as being too easily conquerable, we finally settled on the eleventh such island..."Atoll K"...which, although it also goes by such names as "Robinson Crusoeland" and "Utopia," conjures up only dark, torturing memories for those who have viewed it and lived to tell the tale.
Let's recap the list of contenders who have already been voted off or have otherwise left the island.
In an unusual series of developments, The "US" tribe inspired many of their opponents to such heights of frenzy that these opponents were often removed from the island, even before voting ensued. Professor Theodore von Schwarzenhoffen, an eccentric with an unusual aversion to pianos, was sent home even before the first vote. This occurred because, when the islanders first arrived, they were invited to simply walk around and explore the sites...to which the professor haughtily replied, "What? Walk around? Me? Professor Theodore von Schwarzenhoffen, M.D., A.D., D.D.S., F.L.D., F.F.F. und F, should walk around?" Edgar Kennedy, frustrated by Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy's constant assaults on his person, did so many slow burns that he eventually developed a severe rash on his forehead and had to be removed for treatment.
The island's most notable ejections, however, came about due to one of our challenges, in which we asked the islanders to do their most authentic impersonation of the foods they missed most. Charlie Hall, a short, abrasive contestant, did an all-too-convincing impersonation of a lobster for Mr. Hardy. James Finlayson, unfortunately, did such a perfect impersonation of a chicken that Mr. Laurel actually tried to eat him at one point. Also, in case you were unaware or wondering, at one point there were some women on the opposing tribe. But at one point or another, they were denuded of either their dignity... ...or other items. In fact, the females on the island were the only contestants in "Survivor" history to individually vote themselves off the island.
That now leaves us in the unusual position of having completely eliminated one tribe at the expense of another. Having removed every member of the opposing tribe by either hostilities, personality clashes, or plain old brute force, Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy are now left entirely to their own devices, without even Beanie Walker to provide them with witty subtitles. At this point, we can only speculate as to whether they have become prisoners of their own success, but one thing is fairly certain: ...Win or lose, there will be a lot for Mr. Laurel to cry about in this episode. Title montage: ONE MILLION DOLLARS...AN ENTIRE TEAM ELIMINATED...TWO MINDS WITHOUT A SINGLE THOUGHT. (Click on Stan [below right] to continue.)
