Survivor's first week on Palau jumps into competition before the group of 20 even hit the island. We hear a song, take a trip to the high school playground and see what happens when nine people paddle in different directions. Merced's Katie Gallagher gets plenty of screen time and shows that she just might be around for a long time.

The South Pacific island is surrounded by wrecks of ships and planes as well as the usual suspects of sharks, jellyfish and iguanas. As this year's group of 20 paddles its way toward the island, Jeff Probst glides up to them on his cruiser. He lets them know that there are two immunity necklaces available on the island and the first man and woman to reach them are safe -- for awhile.

Now we meet some of the contestants. James gets a bit and comes across as a hick with an accent. Then we see Wanda, English teacher and songstress, singing to the rest of the crew rowing. Uh oh, you know the singing woman is going to be one of three people not seen next week. We also meet hair stylist and Texan Coby.

The scheming starts immediately, but most of the group is smart enough to figure out that a canoe paddled by 20 is going to be faster than jumping ship and swimming to shore. But then Stephenie and Jonathan decide to take their chances. It's too bad they're wrong. Very, very wrong. And even after begging, they're not allowed back on the boat.

Katie, from Merced, gets some screen time next. She points out that you don't want to be the first person on the water.

"That is a gigantic target on your head," she says. It's only a few minutes before the canoe is close enough that everyone wants to jump. "The competitive nature in me was like you've got to take off your shoes and go," she explains as we watch everyone dive into the water.

It's just too bad she didn't make it to shore first.

Jolanda and Ian win the safety gear for the day and Willard picks up on the fact that the Palau flag doesn't have a tribe name.

And as we see everyone get ready to find food and shelter, we get a shot of Steph and Jon still trying to stroke their way to shore.

The group is surprised at the changes -- just a map to water, two machetes, the clothes on their backs (I feel safe in saying that if you're picked for Survivor you should just go everywhere in your survival clothes until you're actually dropped on the island), and 20 people all under the same flag.

As the tribe splits to find water and start the shelter, the politicking and alliancing build gets started. It's never too early, apparently, to start the lying and game playing. The best news is that at the well the gang finds a duffel bag of everyone's shoes, so the stilettos some had worn on the boat are thankfully going away.

Also, Wanda sings some more. Really someone should have told here that the out-and-out freaky people always leave the island first.

Back from commercial, and Coby is starting out the game planting the seeds of alliances. He also starts a bit of back stabbing by talking about the others as he makes his rounds.

Janu, helping with the shelter, gives us the best quote of the night as she shinnies up a tree to help tie off some support for the shelter: "I climbed that puppy like a monkey."

And then Jolanda eats a grasshopper as well as tries to take the leadership spot. She won immunity and she's letting everyone see she's strong and should be in charge.

The next morning host Jeff shows up with the biggest surprise of the night. The immunity necklaces, it seems, are only good for a short while. Ian and Jolanda will actually help to split the group into tribes by each picking someone for their team. The person picked will then pick the next. Each tribe will pick nine members -- meaning two people will immediately leave the island. And now we're back in high school gym.

The picks have to alternate boy, girl. Here's how they tribes end up:
Ian - Katie - Tom - Janu - Gregg - Jennifer - Coby - Caryn - Willard
Jolanda - Bobby Jon - Stephenie - Jeff - Kim - James - Ashlee - Ebrehim - Angie

Surprisingly Jonathan isn't picked. Unsurprisingly, Wanda doesn't make the cut. The two of them are whisked away, going down as the first cut loose from Palau.

The buffs are passed out and Ian's buff and brawn tribe ends up as Ulong in blue while Jolanda's more senior crew is Koror in brown.

It also looks like Ian and Jolanda's immunity is over. Oh, and Angie's picked up on the fact that she was picked last; that can't be good when it comes to vote someone off the island. For now, though, both tribes go back to the same beach and shelter.

The first physical challenge is for reward and the new immunity idol. Both teams will have to complete an island obstacle course: net maze, series of tires, supply dump with choice of survival items, a wall, the swamp, a quick trip in a canoe and a race back to shore. The twist: there are three four items at the supply dump: paddles that must be taken and optional flint for fire, two cans for water, flour and rice. Everything but the paddles has been weighted. So the teams can take it slow and gather all the supplies or go for quick and take none.

Ulong makes it the supplies first, but spends too much time bickering and trying to figure out knots. Koror gets there, grabs the weighted box for fire and gets going. They keep the lead for the rest of the challenge. The members of Ulong just embarrass themselves more as they reach the canoe, start paddling and can't get the team work going. Their boat heads off in odd directions and they're never even close to catching up.

Koror wins, and is given the choice to head back to the beach and shelter they already know or take a map and head to an unknown beach. They decide the unknown may be better and choose the map. Host Jeff tells Ulong at least now they can get in some paddling practice when they have to head in for tribal council that night.

Riding high, Koror heads toward their new beach with immunity, flint for fire and a strong team. It's too bad fate serves them up a wave and their canoe takes a tip. As the group flips their transportation back over, the weighted flint box heads straight for the ocean floor. There's a dive or two, but no one rescues their one piece of survival gear. Looks like the tribes mood just went from the high to low. Katie gets the on-screen explanation.

"We were so the underdogs. Winning that was huge for us," she said. "This wave came, and we went over. ... I don't know what the deal was, who was leaning what way or what, but I think it was just a combination of all forces and we just went down."

Back at the Ulong camp, the game of "who should we vote off" is running at full speed. Jolanda hops from person to person and letting them know "[Angie] must be voted off." Although Jolanda owns up to her mistake in the challenge (she insisted they try for all of the heavy boxes, she is setting herself up as the leader.

But right after Stephenie gives a convincing performance of agreeing with Jolanda, Steph heads over to Bobby Jon and says it's Jolanda that should go. It's a shame Bobby Jon will have none of that talk.

Then we get a shot of Jolanda proclaiming that the tribe will now work for two hours and rest for one. Here's another danger sign of Survivor: the "strong personality." It's not a good thing to annoy everyone on your tribe in the few hours before voting.

Angie knows she's in danger. She remembers getting picked last and she knows she's different (she's covered in tattoos and piercings).

Jeff goes through the tribal council quiz, getting the mates to open up on what happened and what they think about it. Stephenie says starvation and lack of fire are their biggest surprises (I'm guessing she was locked away from the last few seasons). James is happy with the tribe and "a lot of energy ... a lot of testosterone." Jeff says he knows the tribe has the strength, but there a couple of key times they messed up and James chimes in with the fact that not taking the fire was a "dumbass" mistake.

Ashlee points out the tribe lacks a leader and that's hurting them. That statement can't sit well for Jolanda, and she says she wants to be that strong leader. Jeff tags Angie then, and asks the probing question about being picked last. She owns up that it weighs heavy on her and that her "head is on the chopping block."

Then Angie's off to vote. No surprise, she votes for Jolanda. When we see Jolanda vote we get to see that she wants Angie gone. No surprises there.

Here's the votes as called out by Jeff:
Angie
Jolanda
Angie
Yes, Jeff gives us the count after every vote. "Two votes Angie. One vote Jolanda."
Angie
Jolanda
Jolanda
Jolanda
Jolanda

Jeff then berates the tribe ("You need to stop with the excuses and get a plan") and sends 'em paddling back without fire.

Jolanda's credit comments are calm. She says she wouldn't do anything differently and notes she's much more action oriented than her tribe mates.

"They're much more happy-go-lucky than I am."
Next episode:
Rats!
Rain!
Resistance!
Romance!