Rain, rain, go away!

The rainy weather really affected the way the Survivor contestants played the game.  The Foa Foa Tribe lost the food challenge and they knew someone had to get sent home that night, but they weren't able to scramble this time.  They were all so cold and wet that they did not want to leave their shelter to discuss who would be voted off in private... in fact, they all looked forward to Tribal Counsel this time!  At least they would be out of the cold and rain for a little bit, and there is a fire there.  I think the tribe in fact became closer because of their experiences in the stormy weather because they were all uncomfortable, but each of them knew they were not alone in dealing with it.

The rain is making the Survivor experience much more difficult for all of the contestants; a few of them have even said it is the hardest thing they have ever gone through in their lives.  One of the girls on the Galu tribe said she regrets that they chose blankets over the tarp, because the blankets and pillows aren't keeping them from being warm and dry.

True Colors

Russell Swan is probably Blue and Gold.  He definitely has compassion for his teammates and showed this when he chose the blankets and pillows over the tools and tarp because he wanted the girls on his team to be happy.  Also, he is very personable but might be a little sensitive; when he found out that some members of his tribe were thinking about voting off Yasmin instead of Monica, he was offended that they did not think they could trust him.  As for Gold, Russell possesses leadership qualities.  He is able to get the other members of the tribe to listen to him, and he also has a strong sense of morals so he does not take advantage of his power.  His color spectrum helps him to get along well with the other members of his tribe because of his genuine personality.

If she had not told Eric the clues about the Immunity Idol, tension might build up between the members of the tribe and the others might turn against her because they would feel she can't be trusted.  However, telling her clues to Eric creates competition between them for who would find it first, therefore lowering her chances of finding the Immunity Idol.  If she had lied about the clues then she would have more power, but since she told him the clues correctly, she has less power in the game.

Defense Mechanism: Rationalization

In the second episode, Yasmin reprimands Ben for tackling her so roughly during the challenge, saying that a man should not behave so roughly towards a lady. He uses rationalization by giving the excuse that the rules for the challenge did not state that the men could not hurt the women. However, he should understand that men are supposed to be respectful towards women. It would be okay for him to defend against her during the game, but it was unnecessary for him to be as harsh as he was, especially without apology.
Ben's usage of rationalization definitely hindered his relationship with his teammates, because they were also offended by the way he spoke to Yasmin. They held the incident against him, along with the fact that he was hammering in the middle of the night and showed little to no respect for some of his teammates.

I am glad that Ben was kicked out in this episode because he contributed a lot of negative energy to the group and caused a lot of strain. I think they will be able to unite now that he is not causing tension. I feel bad for Ashley because, although she may not be the strongest link on their team, she is rational and plays hard in the challenges. As of now, she has come close to being voted off two times, once the victim of Russell's shenanigans and the second time because of Ben's arguments.