Siberia Gets a Little Stranger

Love and Lights were in the air on Monday's new episode of NBC's Siberia, "Fire in the Sky".  With eleven contestants still living off the land in the remote area friendships are bound to form, although deciphering who can be trusted and who's just playing the game has become a difficult challenge.  In addition this episode brings into question how many of the strange events we've witnessed are created in order to scare players into forfeiting the game and what real dangers lie amongst them.  Let's take a look at the all new Siberia.

• The first eerie event in this episode came when Daniel awoke to find a spear, lodged in the ground outside their cabin.  Attached was a note written in Russian that Sam translated as "get out".  Later when Sabina was studying the spear she determined it was authentic, made from real ox bone and balanced for throwing.  Although Neeko had his doubts, as he believes this was one of the many scare tactics executed by the producers, Sabina explained that if it was a prop, it was a good one.  I believe it was another message from the beast in the woods.  Whether they are in danger only if they stray too far or even if they remain in the settlement is not yet clear, but obviously there is more going on around them than they have yet to realize and the lines between production tactics and actual danger is becoming more blurred with each new episode.
• Neeko tried to show Carolina the mauled tiger that he and Sabina found at the end of the last episode, but strangely it had been removed with no trace of drag marks and all that remained were the blood stains where the carcass once lied.  Although questions still linger; did the strange beast put it there as a warning, much like the spear, or was it just a ruse that the producers set up to frighten contestants?  I believe it is the former, both the tiger and the spear were attempts to warn the contestants of their impending doom by the strange Lost-like presence in the forest. 
• Johnny camped out alone in the woods after being accused of stealing the food and burning down the shed.  He wasn't very upset about it as he started his own fire and began setting traps to catch his own food.  Unfortunately, while it is clear his trap caught a deer, something had ripped the entire dead animal from the contraption.  What made it more odd, is that whatever did this was able to pull apart the doe including the bone, muscle and flesh cleanly, leaving only a small foot behind.
• Miljan finally found his voice this week and had a lot of airtime allowing us to understand him a bit more.  While he is a jokester at heart and likes to play around, he is also extremely manipulative and not scared to cross boundaries in order to win the game.  When Daniel voiced disapproval of Johnny's actions and claimed he wanted to play the game like Neeko, together and helping each other out, Miljan planted doubt into both Daniel and Sam's heads by claiming as a professional athlete Neeko plays games for a living and that he shouldn't be trusted as it's all part of his plan.  Later when Esther decides to move out of Miljan's bunk and over to Natalie's in the girls' cabin, he questioned her move claiming they made great roommates and he wanted some romance to go on.  When Esther explained that she doesn't do romance and this isn't a dating show he attacked her by grabbing her throat and pushing her up against a cot whilst telling her she's not leaving.  Although he dismissed it as another one of his "jokes" and downplayed the whole incident, Esther was obviously rattled by his actions.  I'm not so sure that he was less kidding and more playing the game; purposely trying to terrify Esther in hope that it will give him a kind of hold over her and thus an advantage.  Later, while trolling the woods he came across a totem pole carved with precision.  Oddly, he doesn't seem particularly interested in who did this or why, instead he begins a humorous dialogue with the relic naming it Ogdy (this will be important later), and claiming he is an old high school friend.  Whether his actions are just for fun or if he actually has something wrong with him is unknown, but no one can debate the fact that there is something strange about him.  We also were finally introduced to the strange symbol that haunts the Siberia credits.  Miljan noticed it on a tree and, as hypothesized, it did represent a kind of compass rose that lead him to another tree with the same symbol and another and another.  Finally at the end of the trail he discovered a metal box hidden beneath the ground.  Inside was an old journal, likely from the original settlers, that appeared to be written in Russian as he notices the Cyrillic lettering.  While investigating his find, he noticed he was being watched by a strange man hiding amongst the trees.  Whether it was a cameraman, a producer, or someone else entirely, maybe even an original settler, is not yet clear but Miljan quickly hid his find and ran off, protecting his treasure.  This also reminded me of Neeko's comment about always feeling like something is watching him; what strange presence inhabits these woods is one of many questions still to be answered, but it seems like there is more than the beast out there.  Regarding the journal, I believe that Miljan will reach out to Sam in order to help translate it, but not until he is sure he cannot benefit solely from his find first.  Miljan is in the game to win and doesn't seem the type to reach out for help until it is absolutely necessary.
• Esther continues to be as manipulative as ever, enticing a cameraman to join her skinny dipping in the river.  After she insisted they record their escapade and had him promise to erase it, he frantically found her claiming the tape has gone missing and it is vital they retrieve it.  To his surprise, Esther informed him that she's hidden the proof of their activity and it's in his best interest to help her win, because if he doesn't it might fall into the wrong hands and he certainly doesn't want his wife finding out.  She tops it off by insulting him, saying he caught on quickly to her extortion routine although the other cameramen said he was a bit slow.  She really has no boundaries, maybe she should stay with Miljan! 
• Natalie found herself, this episode, feeling lonely and scared thus entertaining thoughts of going home.  She's not so into the game that she's willing to risk her life and possibly end up dead, like Tommy, and says that since she really doesn't need the money, there's no point in continuing to play.  She misses her friends and family and seemed ready to cross the forfeit threshold, until she felt an unexpected spark when Annie made a move and kissed her.  While at first in shock she stormed off, but later when Annie approached her to apologize for making her feel uncomfortable, she returned the affection.  For now it seems this new bond is enough to make her stay as she is open and in need of any type of companionship in the lonely woods of Siberia.
• Sam and Daniel struck up an unlikely friendship and Sam even went as far to say that if he had a son, he would be proud if he was like Daniel.  Daniel further romances Irene and rather than the awkward staring we have seen before he took the dive and revealed his feelings.  Initially he attempted to give her a flower but upon learning that Irene isn't flattered by a gift that's dying he instead found a shiny blue rock and presented it to her as a token of his love.
• Suddenly, while the guys were discussing going out to find Carolina who was still in the woods with Johnny, the entire cabin structure started to shake.  Once the rattling ceased, they ran outside to see what was happening.  They were shocked and in awe to find the entire sky lit up in an eerie green color casting down like an avocado moon.  In addition big streaks of light streamed across the sky in different patterns, like a well-produced studio light show.  While many believed the producers were behind the strange events that have surrounded them in previous episodes, it was clear that this was nothing they could have created.  In addition, it was just as Victoria had predicted, "green fire in the sky", and had similarities to the eyewitness accounts of the real Tunguska Event.  This will force the contestants to be a little bit more suspicious of what are scare tactics created by the producers and what is going on in the Siberian forest that no one can control. 
• At the beginning of the episode, Carolina found Johnny alone in the woods and tried to bring him back to the settlement.  While he wasn't interested in returning, the last we saw of them was a quarrel and Johnny angrily chasing after her, before the mini-earthquake and the eerie lights in the sky appeared.  During the light show, Carolina returned to camp appearing like she had been attacked with cuts and blood over her body.  She claimed that she had no memory of what happened and barley managed to spit out that the last thing she recalled was fighting with Johnny.  Neeko and Sam were outraged and had enough of Johnny, so they embarked on a search to find him and punish him for his actions.  While at first I thought this whole thing was another game-playing attempt by Carolina to further discredit Johnny, he soon returned to camp, also dazed and confused, not able to recall what happened either.  Sam mentioned to focus on Johnny's hands, that if he had hurt Carolina his hands would show the telltale signs.  Natalie, clearly no stranger to abuse, pointed out his tattered fists and though Daniel recognized Johnny's absent gaze and tried to stand up for him, due to the fact he was obviously not all there, Neeko returned just in time to jump Johnny.  Carolina ran to his defense, insisting she was sure Johnny wasn't the inflictor of her wounds, but doubts still lie about what happened when they were alone in the woods.  Obviously, something attacked Carolina and Johnny likely attempted to fight it off, but what it was and why it bombarded them is another question for the books.  Johnny confronted Carolina about setting him up for burning down the shed and her inability to even look at him was enough of an answer for him to be sure.  When chasing after him she calls out in Spanish which is when it finally clicks for Daniel where he knows her from.  He called Carolina out as being an actress and she was caught.  She claimed she didn't want to set Johnny up, but the producers told her to.  We are left with the entire camp in shock upon the discovery that Carolina is not who she says at all, rather a plant from the producers, an actress, who is apparently taking orders to incite drama and tension amongst the others.  I am sure we will see this addressed in next week's episode as they must decide whether to cast her out, use her to gain more information about the production's stunts, or keep her there constantly wondering if what she says is true or if it's all just an act.

I think I've wrapped up all the major events in this week's episode of Siberia, I will re-watch to ensure noting critical is missing.  While some questions were answered and more were posed, I will update my theories post (Siberia: Theories Blown Open!) accordingly.  What surprised me most about this episode was that before I didn't think the producers had much to do with the strange happenings, finding out that Carolina was a plant adds a whole new possibility that some of the events are staged and has nothing to do with the 1908 event, the original settlers or the strange beast in the woods.  In addition the man Miljan saw makes me wonder if the beast is not the only thing creeping in the forest.  So many mysteries, so much intrigue, we must stay tuned to get all our questions answered!  Watch Siberia Mondays on NBC and check back here for weekly recaps and updates to the many questions and theories that surround this enticing new show!  Enjoy!