Expeditie Robinson 2009 Netherlands/Belgium: Episode 10

Blog Post by Arthur

Episode 10

At the previous tribal council, Kurt, Igor and Marjolein received the most votes. Kurt doesn't understand this at all and blames Dennis & Esmeralda. They are the cooks at the camp and he is sure those two do more than just cook. Marjolein understands why she got the most votes and doesn't really mind: if she has to go, she has to go. Before the elimination battle, Igor goes meditating to prepare his mind for the challenge. When the challenge begins (build a tower of cubes, the person who makes this tower collapse is eliminated), he is not nervous at all. Nevertheless, it's Igor who loses after Marjolein does a tactical move and places a cube in a manner which makes it very difficult to place a new cube on top of it. Igor is disappointed that he has to go. He says he won't miss the people, but will miss the island.

The candidates get a letter which states that on top of the hill on the island, there are six flags. The six people to grab a flag can take part in the immunity challenge. The seventh person has to stay behind with Marina on the island. Marjolein immediately runs away and is followed by the other people. It's Rita who is the slowest one because she is not wearing shoes and cannot run through the jungle. When Marjolein, Kurt, Marcel, Jeroen, Esmeralda and Dennis have grabbed their flags, Dennis and Esmeralda complain once again. This time about Marjolein, who is lazy around camp but suddenly had the strength to climb up the mountain.

For the immunity challenge, the six who grabbed a flag are divided in two teams: Kurt, Jeroen and Dennis on one team and Esmeralda, Marjolein and Marcel in the other team. The challenge consists of three parts: a strength part, a puzzle and an individual part, where the winning team compete for individual immunity. The three men easily beat the two woman and oldest man in the strength part, but the women and Marcel are much stronger in the puzzle and continue with the individual part. Here Marjolein takes an early lead, but it's Esmeralda who beats her and wins individual immunity.

It's not just immunity that Esmeralda wins: the hosts have got letters from home. Esmeralda gets her letter and can select two other people to get a letter. The letters of the people she doesn't choose will be burnt for everyone to see. Esmeralda picks her friend Dennis and Marina, because she cannot take part in the challenges. Marjolein, Kurt, Marcel and Jeroen have to watch how the letters, drawings and photo's their family, children and friends send them are burnt.

Back at camp, there are the usual tears because of the letters and complaints about the work Marjolein isn't doing. Right before the team goes to the tribal council, Esmeralda confronts Marjolein with the complaints. Marjolein bursts out in tears when she says she doesn't understand why she is strong in the challenges but weak around camp. She tells Esmeralda that she is really doing all she can, but her body isn't strong enough. This touches Esmeralda who feels sorry for Marjolein and decides not to vote for her at tribal council. That doesn't matter, as all other people vote for Marjolein and she gets the most votes. The second person with the most votes is Rita, the other weak person around camp. Right before the voting, Jeroen and Kurt told the hosts that they want to make the finals with the strongest people, so the weakest people get voted out. While the other candidates leave, Marjolein and Rita stay behind to take part in the elimination battle.

As for the full voting results, it probably went like this:
Dennis = Marjolein & Rita
Esmeralda = Kurt & Jeroen
Jeroen = Marjolein & Rita
Kurt = Marjolein & Rita
Marcel = Jeroen & Marjolein
Marina = Jeroen & Marjolein
Marjolein = Kurt & Rita
Rita = Kurt & Marjolein
Not too sure, as it seems unlikely that Dennis would vote for the two weakest girls as he voted for the strongest men before, but since he was attacked for voting for the stronger men, he might have changed his strategy. The votes for Kurt are most unclear because he is hardly in the show and we don't know for sure who likes/dislikes him.