Survivor: Blood vs. Water

originally aired 9/18/13-12/15/13

The order in which players left the game, and the impact they left behind:

• Rupert (Galang; Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains) Played with his heart this time.  Very plainly sacrificed himself as the first victim of the season's theme.
• Colton (Galang; One World) Quitter (x2).  Should not be allowed to play again, no matter what he said at the reunion.  He's really good at making himself sound better there.
• Rachel (Tadhana; Tyson) By his own admission, a huge part of why Tyson eventually won.
• Marissa (Tadhana; Gervase) Probably the most tenuous and superfluous loved one of the season, and her fate played out accordingly.
• Candice (Galang; Cook Islands, Heroes vs. Villains) Got sent immediately to Redemption Island Arena, and just never made it out.
• Brad Culpepper (Tadhana; Monica) A classic case of strategizing himself right out of the game, although to his credit was the first one to do so this season.  Monica was competing against him all season, too, at least in her own mind.
• Kat (Galang; One World) Not as memorable this season as her first one, probably thrown off by the loved ones gimmick.
• John (Tadhana; Candice) Got tangled up in the loved ones affair and never really recovered.
• Laura B. (Tadhana; Rupert) On the plus side, probably did about as well as Rupert ever managed on his own, making this a Boneham tradition of coming up well short of the prize, although they both remain one of the classic pieces of Survivor history.
• Aras (Galang; Panama) Needed to be eliminated so that other people (read: Gervase and Tyson) could make it further, although his basic gameplay ability was definitely validated just in case anyone is still doubting that he deserved his Panama victory.
• Vytas (Tadhana; Aras) Proved he was every bit the match for his brother's gameplay.  In any other season probably a viable contender for the title of sole survivor.
• Caleb (Tadhana; Colton) Still trying to figure out what he sees in Colton (the reverse is obvious enough), but made a surprisingly competent contender although one without a real chance of winning.
• Katie (Tadhana; Tina) One of the real surprises, and one of the better strategists in the game, the last best victim of the loved ones affair.
• Hayden (Tadhana; Kat) Learned that there is a big difference between Survivor and Big Brother.
• Laura M. (Galang; Samoa) The subject of the season's biggest strategic move, although I'm not sure if it made a real difference other than in that family.
• Ciera (Tadhana; Laura M.) The loved one with the most gumption, although not the best strategist; even voting out her own mother didn't amount to everything she thought it would.
• Tina (Galang; The Australian Outback, All-Stars) Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season was a former winner who actually played better this time than when she won, a much bigger threat somehow and therefore a target to be eliminated.
• Gervase (Galang; Borneo) Moreso than Tina, a hugely remarkable turnaround from his earlier gameplay, although to be far he was one of the last two Tagi that first season so perhaps there was always indication that he could do well given another chance.  And so he did.  Not the most impressive in the challenges, but he did what was necessary at camp strategically to secure himself a worthy place in the finals and a good argument for winning if his ally Tyson hadn't done it better.
• Monica (Galang; One World) The classic case of an emotional argument speaking against its own chance of success, no matter how good it can sound, the feel-good argument of playing to believe in herself, creating her own legacy.  She achieved that her first season, and making it to the finals without really having done anything herself to get there (and deep down she knows that; she was the third man, and in the three-way final tribal, no matter how the votes actually shook out, that one never wins) was its own statement as well.  But she never had a chance to win, to be clear.
• Tyson (Galang; Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains) A player who greatly benefited from a second and especially third chance, always memorable but never a clear threat to win until this season, and he did everything he needed to in order to do it, including clever usage of the hidden immunity idol.  Very happy with this result, a total deserving winner.  In a season heavily dominated by strategists rather than any one truly strong player, he still stood out.  Surprising for a season with a gimmick geared toward emotion, but it was Tyson who managed to strike the right balance, and so here he is.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water so far

We're now nine weeks into the twenty-sixth season of Survivor, and I figured I'd chime in on how it's been going.  In case you don't know, this is an entire "loved ones" season, in that half the cast is returning players and half various versions of their family.  The most obvious example of this is Rupert and his wife Laura.  Rupert became a fan favorite in his previous seasons in part because of the relationship he has with his wife, which was infectious the moment she visited him for the first time.  Of course, both of them quickly left this season.

Anyway, here's what I'm going to do, which is share text messages I've exchanged with my sister, who is also a big fan of the series, during the course of the season.  Let's begin:

9/18

Me: We're going to be watching Survivor.
Her: Of course you are.
Me: I was evoking [singing Wanda from] Palau.  You should sing that text to yourself.
Her: Lol
Me: [referencing a comment from the show for emphasis] Aras = likable winner.
Her: Gervase is still funny.
Me: Still awesome.
Her: No cow comments please [referencing infamous Gervase/Joel incident from Borneo].
Me: Mooo.
Her: Lol
Me: Bye Rupert's wife [referencing Laura being sent immediately to Redemption Island].
Me: Redemption Island is back!
Her: I already knew that [she favors spoilers].
Me: Rupert is good [referencing his decision to opt for the swap with his wife so he goes to RI instead of her].
Me: You're a spoily spoiler.
Her: Go Candice! Rupert's had a lot of chances already.  [Candice is the other player sent immediately to RI.]
Me: And gotten a million already [via audience fan favorite award].
Her: I don't understand why the vets didn't go after Tina or Rupert...
Me: Of course, Candice has played a few times too, and the reason Rupert exited Heroes vs. Villains.
Me: Besides Rupert himself.
Me: They went after an actual threat [in the decision to send Candice to RI; later developments prove Tina to be a major threat, however].
Her: She could have really helped them in challenges.
Me: Well, that's not how they think.
Me: It's on like hot buttered popcorn at the break of dawn!  [Referencing a favorite Gervase quote from Borneo.]
Her: Oye
Me: Oye!
Her: Maybe he took too many hits in the NFL...[referencing Brad Culpepper, Monica's husband and loved one]
Me: Probably.
Her: Not good game play.
Me: Professional athletes don't do well in this game.
Her: Not true, Gary did well [referencing Gary Hogeboom from Guatamala].
Me: They have to be high school coaches [referencing, of course, "Coach" Ben Wade].
Me: Gary?  He was just a regular guy!
Her: I'm going to hunt you down!  [Referencing a favorite quote from Amy that season.]
Me: Easy to hunt down!  [Not really, because Amy didn't know Gary's true identity at that point.]
Me: Hee hee hee!
Me: Golden Boy!  [needs to be said like Amy did that season.]
Me: So people voted out before treemail didn't really play?
Her: Not until a third person joins them at Redemption Island.
Me: I was thinking Palau again [where the aforementioned Wanda and Jonathan exited before gameplay really began].
Her: Something like that.
Me: Aras don't need no stinking help.  [Yes he does, it turns out.]
Me: Did Gervase ever learn how to swim???
Her: Apparently not.
Me: He can't even swim!  (But can win a paddling challenge.)  [Referencing a favorite Kelly comment from Borneo.]
Her: Lol
Me: Gervase was right about the puzzle.
Her: What did he say?
Me: He said the challenge was all about the puzzle portion.
Her: Of course it was.
Me: He's on the ball.
Me: Or on target, as it were.  [Referencing his and Colleen's self-imposed status in later Borneo tribal councils when they realized how the game was going to be played.]
Me: Poor naive loved ones.
Me: As we say in Boston, see ya later.  [Referencing, of course, Boston Rob.]
Her: The guys are just thinking of themselves...
Me: Nooo.
Me: (Yes.)
Her: The thing is I don't think Gervase will care.  [His niece Marissa was voted out.]
Me: Bye Marissa.
Me: There's no great reason for him.  He's actually playing the game this time.
Me: Plus he's a chauvinist pig.
Me: Moo.
Her: I don't think they are all that close.

9/25

Me: Yes, rice for Survivor night.  [Because rice is such a classic staple of the show!]
Her: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  Don't forget about them.  [Referencing the chickens from Borneo.]
Me: Who counted these chickens?!?  [Referencing Greg's famous statement.]
Me: Survivor!
Her: Commercial...
Me: Well, now.
Me: You haven't lived until you've watched Survivor with commentary by Mom...
Her: I can only imagine...and not the song!  [Referencing MercyMe song.]
Me: Tinker toy challenge!
Her: Sure is.
Me: Sorry, didn't get a good look.
Me: But fun!
Her: Bye Rupert!  [Gone from RI. and thus game.]
Me: By Jeff [Probst]'s own admission he now interprets Rupert's decision poorly indeed.  [Jeff had stated that success of his decision to swap with Laura hinged on whether or not he'd make it on RI.]
Her: Are you following Twitter?
Me: No, the EW interview from last week.
Her: Oh.
Me: Colton is only interested in chatting if it's about himself.
Her: He's an idiot.
Me: Indeed.  Tina's not ready for this trauma.  [Or perhaps very ready.]
Her: Is anyone?  He needs to go.
Me: Soon.  And be voted out this time.  [Not likely.]
Her: Yes please.
Me: Impromptu vote please.
Her: Like yesterday.
Me: As in don't cast him again.
Me: Or have him play against Russell.  ]Two peas in the Wrong Type of Villain pod.]
Her: Aras is a dork.  [She never accepted how awesome he is.]
Me: He's awesome.  We've covered this.  Repeatedly!
Me: Wouldn't you love to be in one of those barrels?
Her: Dizzy.
Me: Gervase!  [Referencing that he helps his team win a challenge again.]
Her: That means at least another week of Colton...Grrr
Me: The loved ones have no idea that they're all pulling a Jeff Kent [from Philippines].
Her: They aren't playing smart.
Me: Nope.
Me: Rachel came with who?
Me: Tyson?
Her: Tyson...Oye, that's partly why they targeted her in hopes he will switch with her.
Me: I guess we'll see.  [He doesn't.]
Me: Colton.  Oye.  [In reference to the previews.]
Her: I hope he quits so we don't have to see him anymore.
Me: At least no convoluted medical excuse this time [in reference to convoluted medical excuse from One World].

10/2

Her: Colton quit again!!!  Yay!
Me: Ding dong the witch is dead!
Her: Jeff [Probst] regrets bringing him back.
Me: Of course.  Someone who never had a snowball's chance of winning.  Either time.

10/9

Me: Anything interesting on Survivor?
Her: Ding dong, Culpepper to Redemption!!!  I think Candice and John can take him.
Me: Candice is certainly doing well at RI.  Culpepper can probably call it a game.

10/16

Me: Well, put Survivor on but for some reason people want to watch baseball instead...[I'd recently started a new job, and this was in reference to the breakroom TV, and the fact that the Red Sox were in playing postseason.  I live in Maine.  It's mandatory to support Boston.]
Her: That's because the Red Sox are playing...[They won the World Series, by the way.]
Me: Oh!
Me: Anything good on Survivor?
Her: Next week is going to be a tribal switch-up.  Returning players lost this week.
Me: Who did they send packing?
Her: Laura M.
Her: Candice lost the duel.
Me: Rupert's wife?
Her: No, other Laura [returning player from Samoa].
Me: Then I have no idea.  No big deal.  [Pretty much.]
Her: Really good with puzzles.  Aras masterminded it to have her at Redemptionto hopefully beat Brad.
Me: Well that sounds good.

10/23

Her: I'm guess you aren't watching Survivor...[because of the Red Sox]
Me: Anything good on Survivor tonight?
Her: Bye Brad!!! And Kat is now on Redemption Island.
Me: So long, latest would-be master strategist!
Her: Yeah, now his wife is picking up that portion...
Me: [S]he was one of the One World bimbos, right?
Her: Yup.

10/30

[Sox win World Series]
Me: Anything good shake on Survivor?
Her: No surproses, Kat is gone and they merge next week.
Me: But they hardly know each other!
Her: Whoever wins the duel next week reenters the game.  But Redemption Island isn't going away.
Me: Not until just about the end.  Which you love.

11/6

Me: Operation: Breakroom Survivor initiated.
Me: So long, Mr. Candice [John].
Me: So long, Mrs. Rupert [Laura].
Her: I did see John fight to stay on pole and Laura hover over the ground.
Me: Tom and Ian this challenge was not [once again referencing Palau].
Her: None of them could hang with Tom and Ian.
Me: Not even with Katie!  [Who was also in the referenced challenge.]
Her: True enough.
Me: Although they could bet Janu...[who did not share the same kind of fortitude earlier in Palau]
Her: Yes.
Me: Tyson found the Hidden Immunity Idol!
Her: I saw that.
Me: It took these guys forever to find it!  But I think they're a different kind of player.  More cerebral as a whole.
Her: They kept burning the clues.
Me: Not Aras!!! [Voted out.]
Her: Overconfident much!!! [Still jealous of his awesomeness.]
Her: Bye Aras!
Me: But it's all good.  I'm comfortable with this lot.
Her: Tina looks scared now.
Me: It's okay.  This is the recriminations phase.
Her: How does she figure they lost 5 votes?
Me: The people they betrayed voting him out.
Her: That's only 4 people.
Me: Including Aras?  Because he's still in play.  Should do well on RI.
Her: The 2 brothers [Aras and Vytas] and Tina/Katie [mother/daughter].
Me: And Gervase?
Her: He didn't vote with them.
Me: Well, hopefully she knows what she's talking about.  This is where things get interesting anyway.

11/13

Her: Are you watching Survivor tonight?
Me: That's the plan.
Me: Survivor!
Me: They can't do a loved ones episode this season!!!
Her: He ate them off the ground...Yuck.  [The only way to make the Disgusting Foods Challenge any worse.]
Me: Yum!
Me: One area where Gervase has improved!  [He famously and quickly crapped out in Borneo.]
Her: Yes, the one area.
Me: Has he been practicing???  With hot buttered popcorn?
Me: But he stumbles.  [Back to Borneo mode.]
Her: But it was funny to watch.  [Indeed.]
Me: Poor Gervase.
Her: I would suck at a "food" challenge.
Me: Even yummy delicious baluts [another Palau reference, because we're full of them]?
Her: Partially formed birds, I think not.
Me: Bones and all
Me: Vytas should not talk so much.
Her: He's just stirring the pot.
Me: Gervase is playing the game in a big way.  Also, mooo.
Her: He's no sitting duck this go-around.
Me: Tina?  Monica?
Me: Tina.  [It was a double elimination week, at least at tribal council.]
Her: Who keeps voting for Tyson?
Me: ...Jeff, she doesn't have a chance.  Aras prevails!  [In reference to Tina's chances at RI in Jeff Probst's estimates.]
Her: Sure.
Me: Because he is awesome.

The game continues!

Survivor: Caramoan

originally aired 2/13/13-5/12/13

The order in which players left the game, and the impact they left behind:

• Francesca (Bikal; Redemption Island) Fairly worthless Favorite who didn't bring anything more to this season than her previous one.  (Sometimes referenced under the term "wrong season," as in this was the wrong season for her to compete in, assuming there's a right one.)
• Allie (Gota) Her exit should have been the first sign for anyone that Reynold and Eddie were never going to come close to winning.
• Hope (Gota) Gone because Shamar managed to stick around.
• Shamar (Gota) I think Survivor itself loves the military, but that the people who play and watch it don't.  This dude got a raw deal all the way around, and deserves so much better.  Although maybe he helped do himself in, too.  I'd love to see him again, but it's probably unlikely.  At least he wasn't voted out.
• Laura (Gota) A victim of the foolish thinking that "physically strong" amounts to better than "mentally strong" in this game.
• Brandon (Bikal, South Pacific) Completed his transformation to a Hantz.  Hopefully Russell is happy now.
• Matt (Gota) Could have been interesting, but wasn't.
• Julia (Gota) She was proclaimed bland, but she was also cute.  Cute trumps bland, people.
• Corinne (Bikal; Gabon) The first to outsmart herself from the game.  Probably should have seen that coming.
• Michael (Gota) Like Matt, seemed like he could be interesting, but wasn't.
• Phillip (Bikal; Redemption Island) Laugh at me if you will, but for the time he was there, the Special Agent dominated.  Unfortunately no one takes him seriously.  Otherwise he could very easily have won.  Will always be a favorite.
• Malcolm (Bikal; Philippines) Seems to have all the tools, but he just doesn't have the instincts.  Engineered several memorable moments, and challenge rival Reynold became a surprising ally, but ultimately had no chance of winning.  Maybe if he comes back again he'll have learned from his mistakes.
• Reynold (Gota) A complete idiot strategically, although pretty good in the challenges.
• Andrea (Bikal; Redemption Island) Surprisingly good as a strategist, so good that she strategized herself right out of the game.  Maybe if she gets another shot she could do better, but I don't see that as likely.  
• Brenda (Bikal; Nicaragua) I fell in love with her the few times she was featured during the season, even before the spotlight episode that was her downfall.  I think if she played again it would be very interesting to see if she improved or worsened as a competitor.
• Erik (Bikal; Micronesia) From the original Fans vs. Favorites season, went down with about the same amount of dignity, medevaced with three days to go instead of giving away immunity.  There would be no value in seeing him play again.
• Eddie (Gota) Someone who was overwhelmed by this experience.  Perhaps Big Brother would have been a better match?
• Sherri (Gota) Never impressed with her.
• Dawn (Bikal; South Pacific) A genuinely good person who decided that making compromises was just part of the game, and ended up severely compromising herself as a result, because she made the worst compromise in the history of Survivor, voting out Brenda.
• Cochran (Bikal; South Pacific) The winner with good reason of this season, followed the developments like an expert, something he didn't allow himself to do last time.  Fans come in different flavors.  He was accepted into the game originally as a regular competitor, not during a season with fans literally drafted into it, and it shows.  The draftees never know what they're doing.  Cochran is always aware.  The first time he was overwhelmed.  This time he did everything right.  Having Dawn as an automatic ally was genius.  Neither of them ever even questioned it.  That's what you do with allies, Dawn.  When you're good to the people you're supposed to be good to, you have a shot at winning.  It also doesn't hurt to have a lot of pathetic players taking care of themselves.  Cochran is the Dragon Slayer!  Long live Cochran!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x14/1x15 "Last Push" and "Reunion"

I'm totally cheating again.  Go ahead and read Dalton Ross's thoughts, I'll wait.

I'm directing you to the Entertainment Weekly expert again because I didn't see the show last night live.  Usually I've gotten to see the finales as they air, even when I've missed huge swathes of some of the recent seasons, so that was kind of disappointing.  But reading Ross is like a different kind of entirely acceptable Survivor appreciation.

The winner was Cochran.  This was what the spoilers suggested at the start of the season (spoilers having made a big comeback recently in Survivorland), so I was only surprised that they were completely accurate.  The final vote is sealed before Probst reads it at the reunion, but sometimes it's just too obvious.  Cochran is the rare unanimous winner, joining Earl from Survivor: Fiji and J.T. from Survivor: Tocantins for the honor.  Interestingly, all three such winners have come from the Final Three era.

Ross goes on at length about how Sherri and Dawn didn't have realistic chances to win, and they really didn't.  He also waxes poetic on the irony of Brenda's behavior at the final Tribal Council that stood in stark contrast to what motivated it, being Dawn's decision to betray her, the move that cost her any shot of winning.  We should all know that Dawn probably owed her continued performance in this game to Brenda retrieving her false teeth, and to any observer it seemed Dawn owed her an eternal debt of gratitude.  Instead she chose to be that player who convinces themselves they have to sacrifice everything in order to have a shot at winning (except, apparently, anecdotal alliances with Cochran).  Brenda felt humiliated.  She was the rare person voted out who still couldn't compose themselves by the time they recorded their exit video.

So she was still going to be emotional in the final Tribal Council.  As fans, we yearn for Big Dramatic Moments in this final act of the game, ever since Sue Hawk's rats and snakes speech that helped make Survivor a thing in the first place.  It might have been vindictive to make Dawn remove those teeth she claimed would have forced herself to quit if she couldn't find them (but as Ross indicated throughout the season, she could cry and have a meltdown at the drop of a hat), but it also served her right.  Maybe it makes Brenda a bad person to have gone there, and maybe it makes me a bad person for agreeing, but in a very real sense, Dawn all but acknowledged that the teeth weren't that important to her, nor the person who helped her reclaim her dignity.  That wasn't a strategic move on Brenda's part, either time.  Dawn couldn't win.

Sherri also couldn't win, and she should have known it.  Too often people assume success in the business world actually means something.  Russell thought the same thing.  It takes a different kind of personality.  It's not the many who love that kind of success, it's the few.  The many don't enviously applaud that success.  They only want the same stability that success engenders.  In a game like Survivor, success becomes something else.  It's the ability to be rewarded by the many, not the few.  And Sherri couldn't even get the few to like her.  Ross complains that the jury members always lay into the floaters.  They deserve it.  It sucks to play the game and be voted out for it, while the people who aren't playing the game, or who aren't playing it well, technically have a shot at winning.  Except they don't.  They never do, and they never have a clue as to why that is.  So that's why jury members should be able to tell them.

You can always tell what the producers or Probst thought of someone by how much they're featured in the reunion show.  Ross says Sherri was a nonentity.  That's all you need to know.  She wasn't even acknowledged.  I long for the seasons where true competitiveness reaches all the way to the finals, where sitting besides each other in front of the jury is a matter of honor rather than strategy.  This happens so rarely.  I applaud Cochran for winning.  He absolutely deserves it.  He's the version of Todd from Survivor: China that I can actually respect.  He's the self-aware version, even if this season has been giving him an infusion of ego (or just making it more obvious, because the dude always loved to talk, and that's the reason he's so fun to watch and why his interview segments have made him immortal in Survivor with or without this win).  Todd was very much a snake, but unlike Rich Hatch before him he swallowed the rat because he was so pathetic no one realized what a jerk he was.  Cochran owned up to everything.  That's what makes him so great.  And he didn't even have much to own up to.  He was a classic opportunist.  He let his worthy foes eliminate themselves.  This was a season of attrition, but the difference between a win from Cochran and two from Sandra is that he knew what he was doing the whole time.  He did whatever he could to help, but really it was just a matter of seeing it all play out.

Was this a memorable season?  Insofar as a worthy winner like Cochran emerged, yes, but it was also kind of pathetic, in the very way that Dawn proved her ultimate character in that Brenda debacle, and people like Ross are now going to make Brenda seem like the villain, or how Shamar is still being perceived, or that Brandon's complete reversal remains intact, or that Malcolm didn't redeem himself.  A good season for fans, but I wonder if it made anyone into converts.  That's how you gage a memorable season.

Survivor: Caramoan 1x13 "Don't Say Anything About My Mom"

Loved ones episode!

Probst cried thanks to Brenda.  It figures!  She's the ninja assassin.  I'd be perfectly happy to see her win.  She was happy to see her father, telling him how much of an inspiration he is to her.  Good stuff.  Probst only cried a little, though, for the record.

It's always awkward for loved ones to compete in a challenge.  Unless you're Amanda and you and your friend have a weird chirping language you share.    This time it's physical.  One time they made the loved ones do the Disgusting Food Challenge.  That was awful.  For everyone.

It only figures that even when his mom is there Cochran is still the one talking.  He never stops!  Even during the challenge he's talking with his mom!

Brenda and her dad win!  It only figures.  And she chooses Dawn to share the reward with.  That figures, too!

Another surprise!  A second set of loved ones!  And then Probst spoils everything by offering an impossible deal, and then we cut to commercial...

And Brenda is once again awesome.  Where this could seem calculated if it were just about anyone else, Brenda seems absolutely genuine.  It doesn't hurt that we've seen the bare minimum from her, so either she's just not that type of player, who will draw as much attention to themselves for (sometimes) all the wrong reasons (I'm looking at people with the last name "Hantz").

Anyway, of course it's Cochran with the comments about getting all this loved ones love.  And then he goes on about how his dad is exactly him in forty years.  And apparently not realizing how cocky he's becoming.  But not necessarily in a bad way.

Dawn is a little more upset about Brenda's decision, by the way.  But Brenda's there for her.  Again.

Another endurance challenge for immunity.  Cochran was the first one out.  Eddie didn't last too long.  Brenda and Dawn are still in it.  Dawn is being chatty.  And Dawn wins.  It's her first time winning immunity.

Now, hopefully they'll just get rid of Eddie already.  Did Brenda admit to letting Dawn win?  Is she becoming strategic?  Or is this the point where the edit reveals that she's the one going home tonight?

There's just a ton of Brenda in this episode.  Loving it.

Then Cochran mentions that it would be great to get rid of Brenda.  So you see what I mean?

Well, my powers of interpreting fairly obvious editing seem to be working.  She's not happy about leaving, especially after what she sees as their assuming she did what she did during this episode to manipulate them.  Some of the edit obviously attempted to cast doubt in the viewer's mind, which is interesting.  But one way or another, if you love Brenda, you had to love this episode (except the ending).

She really took that hard!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x12 "The Beginning of the End"

Apparently a memorable episode to watch, but like Dalton Ross last week I missed it.  Alas!

The big development of last night was double elimination, two sets of immunity challenges and tribal councils.  The first to go was Reynold, the second Andrea, and it only figures.  At this point we can all acknowledge that this is a season of attrition, where no one's really in charge and the ones outlasting are the ones who manage to capitalize on the players outwitting themselves.  Happens all the time.  Definitely happened last season, for instance.

I'm told the first challenge was especially fun because Andrea and Brenda made up their own wrinkle when it came down to them, because the balancing act was so easy for them (as opposed to everyone else) that they decided to one-foot it after three hours.  I forget what my spoilers said about her, but Brenda is looking more and more like someone worth rooting for as a winner.  She's not the biggest personality, but she knows what she's doing.

Andrea on the other foot hand got far too confident.  She apparently really didn't hear her name being tossed around at that tribal council.  She was looking forward to a blindside, of either Brenda or Dawn.  She talked about Dawn around Cochran.  She ought to know as well as anyone that Cochran and Dawn are about as strong an alliance as anyone, and were well before this season, and this is no Boston Rob/Lex situation we're talking about here.  (Although again, Lex was the one who got that ball rolling when he got rid of Ethan.  Just saying.)

Anyway, Reynold was obvious as the first to go.  There was just nothing else keeping that mustache hidden. And then Andrea went.  That leaves people like Erik still around.  Seriously, how is Erik still there?  Hasn't he voted himself out yet?  (I don't even know if there's a rule against that.  I guess there should be.  I'm not talking about quitting.  I'm talking about literally writing your own name down.  I'm sure this would never cross anyone else's mind as a legitimate strategy.  But Erik...?")

And that's why, folks, that Cochran has stumbled into the perfect scenario to win, the guy whose first notable move of the season was acquiring...a sun burn.  This is the episode that will explain for posterity why that happened, if indeed that's how the season ends.

Apparently next week is the loved ones episode, and someone is so good at manipulating this occasion that Probst cries.  Not in a Johnny-Fairplay-went-there sort of way (although perhaps this will be the real version of that) or Jenna-didn't-get-to-see-her-babies moment redux.  Anyway, we'll see.  Probst cries.  The dude is committed to this reality show.

Survivor: Caramoan 1x11 "Come Over to the Dark Side"

Since it's always a crapshoot when I don't get to watch live, I'm going to cheat and point this space for my thoughts over the Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross.  He's always worth reading, he's a superfan, and this week's recap is especially noteworthy because he talks about missing last week's episode, part of an inexplicable trend of always seeming to miss the best episodes.  Anyway, read it here.

The big news of the episode is that Malcolm was voted out.  Dalton makes a big deal about the food auction, and true to form because it's a favorite obsession of his.  He doesn't understand why these knuckleheads aren't always expecting and saving for advantages that are sure to be on the menu.  And considering some of these particular knuckleheads are supposed to be acknowledged fans, they of all knuckleheads should know to expect such things.

Anyway, Malcolm was voted out and we should all have seen that coming, maybe not exactly with this timing, but c'mon, the dude just isn't what he seems he should be.  He's not as great in the physical challenges as he should be, and he's still not much of a strategist.  He tries, but he's just not that good.  Last week saw him engineer an outrageous moment, one that fans will remember for a long time, but it didn't amount to anything.  He was still on incredibly unstable ground.  It's great to be able to find allies, but you need to know how to find the right allies.  It's not so hard.  Good players do it.  Bad players do it.  Ultimately the winners are the ones who knew how to manipulate those around them, or merely exist around the individuals who made everyone else hate them.  They made the right allies.  This is the key difference between watching and playing this game.  I've said it before, but viewers have a completely (or should have) different perspective on the game.  They have perspective.  The people playing are usually blinded by their emotions.  The best alliances are between people who hate each other.  I'll say it again: the best alliances are between people who hate each other.  There's every incentive and thus no incentive to get rid of your allies in this scenario, and thus it ends up being the player who did obviously play the game the best who wins.  That's how Rich Hatch won in the very first season.

Seriously, if I never get a chance to play, at least use me as a consultant.  I'll give you the victory.  Guaranteed.

Survivor: Caramoan 1x10 "Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

One massive teaser sequence down.  Turns out the editing was misleading.  And who would imagine that?!?  Brenda's much ballyhooed freakout is about a lost retainer.  Fine.  Brenda ends up looking really good (or, better, because she's y'know, hot), although she loses some of her bonus points by saying "visa versa."  It's "vice versa."  Just like it's "Barnes & Noble," not "Barnes & Nobles."  Yes, people get those wrong all the time.  They also really love saying the letter "o" instead of "zero."  Sometimes that's okay, but not all the time.

Malcolm's mini tribe lost the reward challenge in part because his rival mini tribe had Reynold on it. And because Sherrie sucks.  This is what I've been saying, folks.

Okay, and so apparently Dawn has a backup freakout, so the edit simply didn't cover both of them...Cochran again with the analysis and bonus points: It's reminding him of Brandon.

Dawn probably only seems like she's getting the I've-made-peace-with-the-game-and-can-go-home-now edit.  Because y'know, she's not completely a headcase.  Just for the purposes of this episode.  She was also celebrating the exact number of days she lasted her previous season.

People identify Reynold as a threat.  Our planet has a moon.

Phillip decides to sit out the immunity challenge.  This would be the phase of the game where everyone is vulnerable except the one person who wins immunity, just to be clear.  Also, the other massive teaser for this episode is the tribal council extremely memorable.  So that means it'll be interesting.  So that means you probably want to have immunity and/or not be one of the many blockheads to give immunity up at tribal council.  And so on.

Somehow the challenge boils down to...Reynold and Malcolm.

Reynold wins immunity.  The moon looks on in eager anticipation.

Reynold apparently looks a lot like Matteo (from Survivor: Amazon) when he's got his hair and beard growing out.  Crazy eyes, too.

Seriously, they keep cutting to Phillip for analysis.  Either the producers think he's actually intelligent, like I do, or they're being ironic.  Naturally I choose to believe the former.

People become anxious about finding another hidden immunity idol.  Personally, I suggest Brenda look for it.  Although apparently Malcolm will do.

Interesting comment, Andrea: "Malcolm was supposed to go home."  Which apparently means they've realized Malcolm and Reynold are the biggest threats, at least as far as winning challenges goes.

Interesting analysis, Eddie.  Even if you don't go this time, you'll be gone soon enough.

On to the fascinating tribal council!

Show everyone the idol, Malcolm!  I suppose it's only fair, considering what he did last tribal council.  The Specialist, meanwhile, could take storytelling lessons from Coach.  They really need to play this game in the same season.  Malcolm just gave Eddie another hidden immunity idol.  Lots of strategizing at tribal council!  This doesn't happen.  This never happens.  So yeah, interesting!  "Phillip is the fun sponge."  Actually, that sounds like a fun role to play!  He's not happy to be a target, though.  It's worth noting that Andrea's name is being vocally tossed around.  Phillip is trying to save his own name.  Although perhaps he doesn't know that his name is bad enough already.  The way he tosses around Boston Rob's name is the way future contestants will toss around his.  In a different context.  And I like the guy.

Just for the record, it's stupid for Malcolm to align so visibly with Eddie and Reynold.  Because it just won't work.  Unless you're Fabio.

Eddie plays his (Malcolm's second) hidden immunity idol, and Malcolm plays his.

Because his own alliance didn't figure out that it really needed to alter its strategy, Phillip in fact goes home, by two votes.  Lots of votes for Eddie that didn't count.  Sad to see the Specialist go, but realistically he never had a chance to win.  He's just fun to watch, regardless of whether or not you take him seriously.

Next week in possibly accurate teaserage: A monkey goes fishing!  Sherrie, unsurprisingly, apparently considers joining the Fabios.  Plus a classic Survivor auction!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x9 "Cut Off the Head of the Snake"

We join our story already in progress...Which is to say mostly done.

Looks like Malcolm is still scrambling, looking to get rid of Andrea, who he considers to be the real threat...People are still using Dawn as a strategy sounding board...Reynold does in fact have a hidden immunity idol, which the Fans already knew...Dawn finds it pretty funny that he showed it to her...Note to Malcolm: that's how you affect the game...Constantly strategizing may get you far, may even get you to the end, but it also proves that you're essentially in a weak position...I'm happy to see Andrea continue working with Dawn and Cochran, who have a clue as to what they're doing...

Was Erik grooming Andrea at tribal council meant to mean something, or is he still simply prone to odd behavior at tribal council?

I don't know, I still think Phillip has the ability to sound like the smartest man in the room, regardless of his personality quirks.  Deal with it.

Wow, so Malcolm just did the biggest move of the season so far, realizing that people were gunning for him, and convinced Reynold to give him his hidden immunity idol.

...Or it was all in his head, and they were gunning for...Michael.

Should make things interesting next week!  What was I saying about Malcolm?

Keep it together, Dawn!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x8 "Blindside Time"

Merge!

Malcolm names the new tribe, Enil Edam, after his mother, but it also happens to mean "new beginning."

His plotting with Corinne seems brilliant on the surface.  But it keeps prime movers like Phillip and Cochran out of the equation.  That's not so good.

Cochran, meanwhile, is pretty sure, unlike Eddie, that the Disgusting Food Eating immunity challenge will be good for his image.  A bunch of familiar items shows up in the challenge, but it comes down to Cochran and Malcolm, and Cochran wins!

We're officially in the Cochran phase of the season.

Apparently Sherri is the target.  As I've noted before, I would not be sad to see her go.

Dawn's realized her mistake from last time.  Also, Corinne is a moron.  Andrea is someone who's looking very good strategically this season, so of course Cochran discusses affairs with her, and then she talks with Phillip.  If there's a gang of misfits, the misfits always prevail.  Doesn't anyone who plays Survivor actually watch Survivor?  Fans?  Hello?

The alternative to Sherri is Corinne.

Cochran doesn't trust his strategy to Erik.  But he could be a valuable swing vote, as the edit before tribal makes clear.

Who gets punched in the face?

(By the way, Michael, they always take it personally when you vote against them.  Seriously, do none of them watch?)

Corinne is officially the first person in the history of Survivor to punch herself in the face.  (Erik opted for Team Misfit.)

Next time on Survivor people start scrambling!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x7 "Tubby Lunchbox"

Soooo, what's Corinne thinking?  She knows that visibly considering other strategies can be bad, right?

Oh, so I guess we're headed toward the challenge from the preview last week, were Phillip didn't look so good...And he naturally spends all the time before the challenge talking about how awesome he's going to do...Newsflash!  Cochran is a weakling!

So yeah, the challenge from Survivor: Palau, walking around a loop in water, tribemates clipped together and weighted down, with the option of walking out and leaving your weight to someone else.  Good challenge.  Koror eventually lapped Ulong (of course) with very little problem.  That was fun to watch.  That was a great season overall.

Phillip's Bikal put him in front.  He's apparently concerned so much about the weight that he won't run.  Dawn steps out and gives her weight to...Corinne?  Phillip slips and loses the challenge.  Not so great, Specialist.  That title doesn't apply, apparently, to this challenge.

"He sees all of his strengths and none of his weaknesses."

Food reward for Gota!  Andrea takes it as an opportunity to bond with the Fans, but still prepared to vote them out.

Malcolm seems far more comfortable this season.  The turnaround from filming two seasons back-to-back doesn't seem to have affected him.  If anything, it's made him better.  So far.

Corinne, as at the start of the episode, is gunning for Phillip, and now has some ammunition.  All of this is getting Cochran a lot to talk about, though.

I will eat Julia ice cream, for the record.

Phillip is also keen to talk about Julia, who he sees as a potential double agent.  She's willing to consider, but she's also willing to get rid of him.

I believe the Specialist just mispronounced "faux pas."  Which is also a faux pas.  Of course, it's either him or Julia going home tonight, apparently.

Immunity challenge!  It comes down to Phillip and Reynold, because Reynold is now on the same tribe as Malcolm...Gota wins!  Phillip and Bikal go back to tribal...

Phillip says to Cochran that he threw the challenge so the tribe to lose a Fan.  "You can't make up this level of delusion, and that's what excites me about playing with Phillip."  Anything else you can say about Phillip, he makes a pretty interesting version of the same dynamic Cochran had with Coach.

Phillip decides via BR (that would be Boston Rob) logic that it's Michael who needs to go.  Thereby completely alienating Corinne.

Tribal council!

If Jeff trying to make Phillip look bad?!?  Jeff, let's be clear.  Your job is to be awesome, like always, but also to make sure the best characters stay as long as possible.  Just kidding.

Tie!  Of course, it's between Michael and Julia, so Phillip is once again safe one way or the other.

The Julia ice cream bowl melted in the fire, alas.

Next week's the merge!  Also Disgusting "Food" Challenge!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x6 "Operation Thunder Dome"

Breaking news!  The Favorites did not appreciate Brandon's meltdown!

Tribe swapping!  I love the paint egg thing, which was awesome when Ozzy did it in South Pacific and wore the resulting spot on his shirt like a badge of honor the rest of the season...

It's great that the three Fans I don't particularly care to see stick around, Reynold, Sherri and Eddie, are marooned on the Gota...Corinne, meanwhile, doesn't mind joining Bikal, though at this point she doesn't seem to be considering anything but remaining loyal to the old tribe.

Immunity challenge suggests that the Fans don't appreciate having the Specialist around.  I always value Phillip!  And after the loss he sounded hopefully intelligent and calm enough for any viewer to appreciate him.

Phillip attempts induct Matt and Michael into his alliance.  Matt may not be so willing, yet he's game to vote out Julia.  Where are Dawn and Cochran on this?  Cochran is game for it.

Matt is sacrificed mostly out of Corinne's paranoia about a hidden immunity idol.  This episode I finally decided that he could easily have been Survivor's own answer to all the cable reality stars from the dozens of extreme situation show.  Oh well!

For the record, the new alignments are:

Gota (formerly identified as the Favorites):

Malcolm

Andrea

Brenda

Erik

Reynold

Sherri
Eddie

Bikal (formerly identified as the Fans):

Matt (well, until the end of the episode)

Michael

Julia

Phillip

Corinne

Dawn

Cochran

Dawn and Cochran always go together as a unit!

Next time we revisit another moment from Survivor: Palau (this time one of its challenges) and Malcolm appears ready to assert himself!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x5 "Persona Non Grata"

Okay, this last quickie recap for at least the next few weeks can only focus on one thing, and if you know anything about the fifth episode of this season, you already know what that is:

The Brandon Hantz meltdown.

This is something most of us saw coming.  We already had a preview of it earlier in the season, only for Cochran of all people to defuse it.  (By the way, where is he this season???)  Well, this time, only the magic hands of Jeff Probst could hope to at least contain it.  Because this rocket's fuse was lit and there was no putting it out this time.

Brandon Hantz is definitely a Hantz.  He has no clue what being around other people actually means.  That was the whole deal with his uncle Russell for three seasons.  Russell the evil genius who made it to the finals twice, whom no jury would vote for, and a tribe threw a challenge to get rid of before his poison could spread a third time, who thought messing with things around camp behind everyone's backs was perfectly acceptable behavior.  Incredibly, it's true that some fans thought Russell deserved to win.

I wonder if even those delusional idiots thought that in the reunion show for Survivor: South Pacific when Russell basically disowned Brandon for not being Hantz enough, for showing dozens of moments of vulnerability, for not being tough or mean or nasty enough, whatever it is he thinks a Hantz should be.  He probably loved the Brandon of Survivor: Caramoan, or at least approved of him a lot more.

Of course, Brandon is no longer in the game.  For the first time since Survivor: Palau, an impromptu tribal council was held to vote someone out.  This was no Tom/Ian show of mutual respect.  This was a tribe getting Brandon the hell out of the game.  Everyone knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that whatever else is going on with Brandon, he has reached the point where it's clear he shouldn't be playing Survivor anymore.  At least this time, a Hantz figured it out along with everyone else.

I like Brandon.  He's a conflicted young man who has better instincts, I should clarify human instincts, than any other Hantz I've seen on TV.  But he's working against a family tradition that is constantly working against him, and sometimes he has no clue what to make of it.  It's the Survivor: Caramoan reunion show that will prove interesting to watch this time, to see what if any progress he's made, and if Russell can back the hell off of Brandon.

That is all.

Survivor: Caramoan 1x4 "Kill or Be Killed"

More abbreviated thoughts, this time from a more recent episode...Still surprised that the Cochran edit is so light so far this season...Probably still owing to the fact that Shamar existed for one more episode...Pesky shelter didn't protect him from sand in the eye...Not quite Skupin from Australian Outback as far as the exit goes, but he didn't kill a pig...or survive a thousand tiny mishaps...At first I respected Sherri supporting Shamar, but now I just think she's a bitch...She thinks she understands him, but she's really just a condescending boss who doesn't have a clue...Goes with the rest of that tribe, though...Not much for representing the fans, hopefully...At least Cochran had a few good insights in that regard!  Reynold continues to impress in challenges, but he's such an idiot at camp...At this point you'd think someone there would realize that if they don't start rallying around each other they'll all be gone well before the finals...What strikes me about Brandon these days is that he's still the opposite of his uncle Russell, being an asshole to people's faces rather than behind their backs...That apparently will be the theme of the next three days...Yay!

Survivor: Caramoan 1x3 "There's Gonna Be Hell to Pay"

Some quick thoughts, as I only got around to watching this episode on Sunday...This is the first of Shamar's two-part finale.  Clearly the producers realized he was at the very least good TV, because he more or less dominated each of his four episodes (um, SPOILER ALERT for the next episode).  I don't understand how his jerky tribemates found it morally acceptable to in any way make light of his two tours of Iraq.  Regardless of how you feel about that war, that's just something you don't do.  Clearly these would have been exactly the jerks who did the same to Vietnam vets, and that's pretty much all you need to know about modern America.  Anyway, I stand by my sympathy and admiration for the guy.  It's entirely common for the bigger guys to have a hard time staying mobile in this game, and Shamar made no secrets of the problems he's had since he came back from Iraq, so for him to be doing anything is admirable.  But Survivor traditionally is pretty bad about players having any kind of perspective, so it just goes to figure...Still, it's to his tribe and alliance's credit that he survived this episode intact.

Survivor: Caramoan 1x2 "Honey Badger"

Here are thoughts from the second episode, which unlike the first one (obviously) I'm watching live rather than via the CBS website.

Breaking news!  Brandon didn't like the way tribal council went.  Thus begins his downward spiral!  Picking on Dawn...apparently he needs a good influence to try and be good...which means Coach is technically a good person...Sucks that Dawn was the victim, though.  It appears he's simply concerned about his own fortunes.  Which sheds new light on uncle Russell, who probably suffers from the classic Napoleon complex...Of course, it may also be Brandon simply not wanting to take more shit from family when he gets back home, as my sister just reminded me.

Shamar is either getting the classic lazy black person edit, or that's what he's really doing with his time.

Good sign for Brandon to be talking with Cochran.  I was hoping that would happen, because Cochran is a smart cookie, even if he isn't always the smartest player.  And Phillip, naturally, is Phillip's version of Coach.  Isn't that what he was all along?  I never understood why people don't like Phillip.  He's got an unusual personality.  Still, Brandon is asserting himself about working against Phillip, calling out the Specialist's Boston Rob tendencies, which is not just because Phillip last went far in the game with the legendary (and fourth time's a charm) godfather of Survivor.

Carnival game immunity/reward challenge!  Malcolm, watch out for Reynold!  Always a good challeenge when you need to haul in tribemates and release items from underwater.  Fans apparently aren't also fans of Tolkien.  No love for rings...Favorites win immunity!  Figures, though.  With tribes like these, alternating victories will probably happen a lot.

Shamar predictably is the first target for the Fans.  We'll see how the rest of the episode plays out in that regard...

Okay, so Phillip can definitely overdo his gimmick, although it can apparently amuse people other than myself.

It's not really a Survivor argument unless someone wags a finger is someone else's face.  Hopefully Shamar can tough this rough patch out.  Sometimes when it seems obvious that someone's going, the rest of the episode will introduce an alternative to the person pegged to go home.  We'll see.

Predictably, Matt's the one who introduces an alternative to the proposed vote, simply out of numbers and alliance considerations.  The real trick is that Reynold happens to find a hidden immunity idol.  May or may not have any immediate impact, but certainly makes him that much more of a threat in the game.

Breaking news!  The alternate vote is for Allie, breaking up the alpha couples alliance.

Shamar doesn't simply suffer from laziness.  He's got the classic big man's depletion from lack of the obvious intake he was used to off the island...Also, Reynold has already blown the hidden immunity idol's main effectiveness.  So much for Reynold...Shamar has a chance at life yet!  And thanks to Reynold's blunder, Allie indeed goes home.  It's rare that the edit swerve actually pays off, but sometimes it does, and it works to my interests, so I have nothing to complain about.  I said last episode that the alphas rarely do well in this game, and these Fans have somehow not learned that.  ("Fans" may also be synonymous with the casting agent's ideas of what makes an acceptable Survivor cast.)

So much for another three days on Caramoan!  Usually the person who manages to find a hidden immunity idol without having any clues would be subject for an easy vote for player of the week, but obviously Reynold doesn't deserve the honor.

Next week, is Shamar going to undo everything he just accomplished?!?

Survivor Caramoan 1x1 "She Annoys Me Greatly"

Before we dive into the first episode of the new season, let's have a look at the Favorites returning for Survivor: Caramoan and where we last saw them:

• Francesca (Redemption Island) Apparently best known for two things: being a notable first-voted-out player and being Phillip's first nemesis from that season.  Otherwise I couldn't tell you much about her.
• Andrea (Redemption Island) Best known as an ally of Boston Rob and for having a relationship with Matt, who would have been awesome to have back (although he already did return several times in that season, so I guess it's Andrea's turn).
• Cochran (South Pacific) An automatic legend, the new Dragon Slayer, Coach's disciple, the nerd fan who made good until he blundered horribly by believing he had a shot at making it far after flipping against his original alliance, one of the best interviews ever in the history of Survivor...
• Malcolm (Philippines) Looked like he would be the new Ozzy but kind of fizzled and faded into the background.  Still hoping that was a strategy but I guess we'll see this season.
• Brandon (South Pacific) The least crazy member of the Hantz family was still pretty nuts but seemed willing to work on it.
• Corinne (Gabon) Scrambled a great deal in her season when her alliance evaporated, and was a minor note in Bob's genius fake idol shenanigans, but otherwise was not a true standout of that season.  Hopefully will redeem herself this time.
• Brenda (Nicaragua) Part of the reason this season is so hard to remember is that everyone was playing the game so hard that it was hard for anyone to stand out.  Great viewing as it plays out, but hard to remember when the dust settles.  Brenda was a part of that.
• Dawn (South Pacific) Originally a counterpoint to Cochran.  Probably will be the same this season, although she won't have evolved her game the same way he will have.
• Erik (Micronesia) The most famous fan from the original Fans vs. Favorites season will hopefully be far less naive this time around.  
• Phillip (Redemption Island) The man everyone assumed was crazy proved to be an immediate standout "regahdless" of whether or not you liked him, and that's the mark of a true Survivor legend.  Very glad to have him back.

Anyway, here are my insights, if any, for the first episode!

Love that Shamar says from the start that the Favorites don't immediately look all that impressive.  That's the summary of the dynamic in this edition of Fans vs. Favorites.  Malcolm has the advantage of already looking more impressive than any of the other Favorites.  He somehow stands out more than in Philippines.  

Perhaps predictably, the Favorites win the first challenge, though it's pretty equal for most of it.  Malcolm once again looks pretty impressive.

Matt and Shamar are the immediate Fans standouts, but neither seem to be aware that they are the prototypical dysfunctional tribemates.  They will probably be fine.

It's funny to listen to Francesca try to explain how she won't be voted out, or her continued impressions of Phillip, because she doesn't have anything to contribute other than that.  (Well, she wasn't so bad in the challenge.)  She's just not interesting, and I'm sure it's not just the viewer who thinks that when listening to her.  

Breaking news: Shamar made fire!

Breaking news: Phillip is a strategic genius!  Erik is not.

Reynold apparently didn't learn FROM ANY OTHER SEASON that making an alliance with an attractive female (in this instance, Allie), MAKES YOU A TARGET.  Neither did Eddie.  Good fans!  Both are doomed in this game.  They were cast exactly as the types to behave this way.  How do they not know this?

Cochran sunburns!  But he's the guy who gets ahead because it's so easy to underestimate him, so hard to take him seriously.  It worked the last time.  And this time he knows better (hopefully).

Michael, the other male Fan who is not a generic pseudo alpha male (more often than not, that's a bad role to play in Survivor, even for Colby, the ultimate incarnation of that type), so obviously he strikes it up with Matt.  Keep the glasses on, Michael.

Of course, as Survivor has well demonstrated, potential doesn't always lead to perfect execution.  Malcolm is in the position to get the win for the Favorites in the immunity challenge, but doesn't get the job done.  Story of his experience so far in the game.  Also likely developing an idea that Reynold is his true rival at this point.

Francesca apparently didn't realize that there's no strategic reason to get rid of Phillip.  But she pushes the idea anyway.  Brandon, who's far more sedate (so far) this time, is game for the move, and so is Erik, and that's all you need to know about those two.  Cochran, meanwhile, talks with someone who has a more concrete future, Dawn.  They knew how to play the game the first time around, and now they both know what needs to be done differently.  Still, this is once again all about Cochran.  And Phillip.  That's this whole season.  Then again, that much was obvious before a single shot was taken from the season.

Andrea is just the excuse necessary for the idiot alliance to fall apart before it goes anywhere.  Just to make that clear.  Because they're idiots.

Anyway, Francesca should hopefully learn something from going home first again.  And hopefully Survivor won't bother with her again.

Next time on Survivor!  Brandon may get his Hantz on!