01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Helen Glover, of Portsmouth, a contestant in Survivor: Thailand in the 2002 season, is now a freelance Survivor commentator. Here is her report on tonight's episode of Survivor: All-Stars (airing at 8 on Channels 12 and 4) in which two tribes of contestants are vying for a million-dollar prize off the Pacific coast of Panama.

(Survivor will air on Wednesday this week and next because of the NCAA basketball tournament, before returning to its regular Thursday night slot on April 1.)

Tonight's Tension:

The romance between Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich heats up, while the competition between Mariano and Rupert Boneham increases. As Mariano put it, it's "Aqua man versus the city kid from Boston." Jerri Manthey and Shii Ann Huang are at each other's throats, which seems to be playing right into Lex van den Berghe's plan for his own advancement.

Recapping Last Week:

Last week, we saw only one challenge being played out for both immunity and reward, and the added twist of the winning tribe being able to select one member of the losing tribe to accompany them. The reward was a day-long fishing trip aboard a luxury yacht, complete with open bar and full buffet. It looked as though Mogo Mogo had the challenge in the bag. Ethan Zohn had a sizable lead heading into the jungle, but had a tough time untying the knots that secured his team's paddles. Mariano, apparently a master at untying knots, emerged from the jungle to lead Chapera to victory, keeping his tribe safe from Tribal Council that evening. Chapera decided to bring Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien along for the ride, hoping to gain some useful information. O'Brien, a RISD-educated real estate agent, noticed that Chapera has fun playing the game, while her Mogo Mogo tribe is all about the business of being miserable. Kathy felt very comfortable with this tribe and is hoping this will serve her well when, and IF, they merge. Over at Mogo Mogo, it seemed that Manthey was sure to go, but Lex van den Berghe decided to orchestrate a voting block against Colby Donaldson, fearing a coming merge, and remembering Donaldson's dominance from Survivor: Australian Outback. In the end, van den Berghe's scheme sent Donaldson home. This was a huge risk. If there isn't a merge soon, Mogo Mogo has just voted off their most valuable player.

What You Don't Know:

Have you ever noticed how insightful host Jeff Probst's questions are at Tribal Council? He works very hard at his interrogations, studying videotapes of the previous days in camp, and consulting with the producers on a daily basis. He takes the game and his part in it very seriously. This past week was a great example of his skill as the Grand Inquisitor. Probst pointed out Shii Ann Huang's limited physical strength, while also emphasizing Donaldson's value as a strong member of the tribe. Does Probst affect the outcome of the votes? In my case, I know my vote was never affected by Probst's questions.

What's Up With Richard Hatch:

I'm on vacation in Honolulu, along with my friend, Brian Heidik, winner of Survivor: Thailand, and now we find out that Richard Hatch has just checked into a well-known Honolulu hotel. Looks like it might very well be Survivor: Hawaii!

My Prediction:

Shii Ann Huang and Jerri Manthey continue to annoy each other. The big question is, which of them has positioned themselves the best? The answer may determine who stays and who goes home this week. My guess is that Huang is in a better position with her alliance with van den Berghe, and Manthey will be the one to go. Ethan Zohn continues to hold on, but the sands of the hourglass are running out.