Foa Foa’s failure may end with merge

On Survivor Samoa, Foa Foa lost. Again. The preview showing Russell talking with Laura was a fake out: He didn’t go to her tribe, she came to his when Galu won reward and Foa Foa lost again. And then again, sending Liz home, finally. Over on Galu, Shambo was elected leader, although she has no idea that she’s the men’s pawn, which is simultaneously depressing and fantastic (gotta love Erik’s line about her being so deep in his pocket she’s down there with the lint).

The preview showed the merge feast next week, so unless it’s a fake merge—which I really wish they’d do again—Foa Foa will be over after losing eight out of 10 challenges for what Jeff Probst said was “one of the worst overall performances of any tribe in the history of the game.” And maybe this season will pick up from its mid-season doldrums. Even Russell isn’t interesting any more when he does his villain shtick. Next.

A CBS press release says that next week, “the outnumbered Foa Foa tribe devises a strategy that will allow them to make quick alliances with some of Galu’s strongest players,” but it also says that “an unexpected master manipulator emerges.” Who could that be? Who’d be unexpected? Brett?