Survivor: Samoa: Watching Natalie Grow Up

When Survivor: Samoa began, like many other fans, I had an idea of who'll make an impact and who will be eliminated early on.  For some of you who saw my power rankings over the past few weeks, you would've noticed that I always put Natalie on the bottom ranks.  Admittedly, I never really held her in high regard. Come to think of it.  At the very beginning she was one of Russell's "dumb blondes", the people who he struck alliances with early on, only to eliminate when the deed is done, like Marisa.  When she got eliminated, it felt Russell would kick her out soon, especially after having found more reliable allies in Mick and Jaison.  The gender lines being drawn then on Foa Foa wasn't helping, either.  Liz was the most vocal of the females, and Natalie was just hanging on to her (or to Russell, although she was still dispensable).  When Liz got voted off, Natalie's demise seemed inevitable.  What else could a na??ve Southern belle do? (link)