Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X 1x13/1x14 "I'm Going for a Million Bucks"/"Reunion" live blogging thoughts

Starts with Jeff hyping the finale from the studio where the live reunion will begin two hours hence...He calls it a great season of gameplay, which is absolutely true (after a slow start).  He talks about hashtags, and no, I will never tweet Survivor, thank you very much.  I just don't see the appeal of trying to express my life in soundbytes (but yes, I have a Twitter account, and yes I tweet on occasion).

Recap of the season.  It's really, really hard for me to root for anyone besides Adam, but other than Bret I really could be happy with anyone still in the game winning.  I would even be rooting for Bret if he hadn't given up except to latch onto voting blocks he never really controlled.  Anyway...

Jay frets about having lost his hidden immunity idol.  "Time to fight to the death, baby."  I've always liked his spunk.  Bret somehow compares eliminating David to bin Laden.  Crazy much?  He thinks Jay or David will win.  He clearly doesn't know that literally everyone but him has a good argument.  If he makes it the finals the jury will love him.  But he won't.  Bitter jurist, party of one!  David makes a fake hidden immunity idol!  Yes!  Wasn't I just talking about that? 

Jay goes looking for another hidden immunity idol.  Ken derails the plan by calling for him.  But then he sees a pink blotch on a coconut.  But it's David's fake idol!  Classic!  But, poor Jay!  It's still weird that hidden immunity idols are still valid this late in the game...

Ken looks at the legacy advantage at last.  It gives him immunity at the next tribal council!  Has anyone ever worn cowboy boots in this game before?  Colby? 

Immunity challenge!  The first place finisher also gets a big fat steak!  Obstacle/puzzle challenge, anyway.  Jay inadvertently allows everyone to cheat off of him...I just realized (this will sound stupid) that there's only one woman (Hannah) left in the game...David wins!  So Jay gets screwed twice over by the neurotic little dude...Jay then uses the stolen reward thingy he got from Adam, but then chooses David, and Adam, to enjoy the steak with him anyway...

David!  Adam!  Agree with Jay to vote Bret!  David at least sees the wisdom in it.  He has been by far the most surprising strategist I've watched in Survivor, in thirty-three seasons...Bret thinks it's Jay going home, of course.  Adam is not as convinced that Bret has to go.  Bret calls everyone else "crazy people."  But it would be crazy to let him reach final three.  He should see that, right?  Jay decides to keep at Adam.  He makes a hard sell.  Adam seems to take it seriously this time.  He wonders if he can beat Jay.  You can beat Jay, Adam.

Tribal council!  The reward eaters talk about a "working lunch."  Bret realizes he's going if Jay isn't going.  Hannah talks about reading the jury.  No, not John Grisham!  Ken's advantage is pretty worthless, all considered.  That kind of sucks.  Jay, don't play it!  He plays it.  It's not real.  Jay's shocked!  Ken uses his advantage anyway.  Actually did get a vote.  But Jay's voted out.  Hannah tries to go for a hug.  Jay wants nothing to do with that.  He calls Jeff "Jeffrey."  Has that ever happened?

Immunity challenge!  David fears he's out next if he doesn't win.  Maneuvering a buoy around obstacles, balancing puzzle pieces over a balance beam, and then a puzzle.  Ken wins!

Adam fixates on the need to eliminate David.  Time will tell if that's a huge mistake for him.  Maybe it's just because I think Bret doesn't at all deserve to have a shot at making the finals, because the edit for him just doesn't justify it and it would suck to have someone who shouldn't be taken seriously to win in a pool of worthy contenders.  But, I'm not playing, only watching.  David, meanwhile, says it has to be Adam.  But, Adam finds a hidden immunity idol!  Bret's told Adam is the target.  Screwed, buddy.  Adam finally becomes a target, and he's home scot free.  But he tells Hannah about it.  What's going to happen???   Swing the vote to Bret, Hannah!

Tribal council!  Hannah brings up hunting for hidden immunity idols.  Jeff asks Adam about it.  Adam admits he was the first one out looking for one.  No one sees how important this is.  David and Bret both think they're the biggest threats to win.  Or go home tonight...Adam talks about what a huge threat David is.  Bret remarks that Adam always cries.  He doesn't know why.  Big secrets this season.  I love that literally no one has talked about Millennials or Gen X.  These are all the players who looked beyond that.  That's how it should be.  Adam uses his hidden immunity idol.  Jay laughs about it!  David and Bret garner votes.  Bret's gone!  He complains about flipping voters.  He declares that David has just won the game. 

They talk about the surprising vote.  Adam and Hannah talk about if it was a mistake to keep David in.  Hannah explains why she voted out Bret, as something she needed to keep Ken's trust.  Bret never understood that you need to have broad alliances.  That's what kept everyone who's still here in the game.  But bitter jurists will be bitter jurists.

Immunity challenge!   A stacking/balance challenge, which is what these final challenges should be.  The wind plays a key role in this one, as Ken and Adam learn, much to their chagrin.  Ends in a tie between Hannah and Ken.  Then becomes a showdown between them.  Ken wins literally with seconds to spare!

Everyone gets nervous.  Hannah talks with Ken.  Ken talks loyalty to David first.  He's basically telling her that she shouldn't count on anything.  She says he isn't a smart player, for his own interests.  Adam talks to David.  He says David needs to go in order for him to win.  This is where Ken and Hannah's game really lies.  And it kind of comes down to Ken.  Everyone's expecting a tie and fire challenge...

Tribal council!  Bret is still bitter toward Hannah.  Her chances of winning probably died voting him out.  Too bad.  Jeff talks about how long it took Hannah to vote the first time.  He insists on continuing his depiction of her journey, interrupting Hannah herself!  Everyone scrambles.  David makes a hard sell for Ken to remain loyal.  I've been rooting for Adam for so long it only now occurs to me that he really might have pulled a Hannah about a million times.  So that basically leaves Ken or David, depending on whether David makes it past this tribal...Wow!  David is voted out!  Will make for some very compelling arguments for sure, and very interesting bitter jury comments... 

Ken complains that Hannah and Adam can't just soak up their cushy spot.  So there's the season's theme coming up again...They're been talking up his daughter a lot, but that's not really much compared to Hannah's journey or Adam's mom.  Hannah thinks she's played the best game, but in terms of dynamic playing, it's hard to argue against Adam, or Ken's assistance to David's journey, as the only one who really had a strong ally all season, out of the finalists. 

Final tribal!

Taylor asks finalists to pitch themselves.  Hannah says she put every member of the jury there.  Ken talks about the human side.  Adam talks about putting himself into the position of not going home.

Sunday talks about the theme of the season.  She says she was adaptable/flexible.  Maybe she was?  She asks if they were that.  Ken kind of throws the other two under the bus.  Adam kind of throws the other two under the bus, but mostly Hannah.  So Hannah goes on the defensive.  They're making a mistake tying themselves up with each other.  Leaves Ken wide open to collect votes.

Jessica is shocked about Ken's choices, such as voting out David.  Ken gets emotional.

Will talks about respecting Ken for voting out David.  He talks about being confused about Adam's game.  Adam again pits himself against Hannah.  Hannah responds. 

Zeke gives "hardiest congratulations."  He says evolution is key.  He says Ken did nothing to evolve the game.  He gives the ball to Adam to explain how that goes.  Then throws it to Hannah.  Zeke is reviving their chances, changing the narrative.  Hannah throws Adam under the bus.  Now she's saying "most" of the jury.

Michelle is actually bitter toward Hannah.  She's also bitter toward Adam.  Triforce to the end, alas.  Adam and Hannah quickly lose their momentum. 

Bret asks when they felt they really started playing.  Ken talks Jessica and David.  He asks Adam a more pointed question.  Adam tries to pander to Bret.  Adam doesn't understand the mistake.  Bret doesn't address Hannah. 

Jay wonders why Adam betrayed him.  Adam tries to salvage that.  He declines to talk about what they both know about his mother.  Jay is probably still his brother.

Chris reveals he's a trial lawyer.  He points out Adam's got the strongest case.  Ken tries to dispute the fact.  Tries.

David talks about himself.  Asks them how the experience changed them.  Hannah really is not going to win.  It's a two-horse game.  We know Hannah's argument here.  Ken doesn't really have a story.  Adam talks about his mother, how they originally applied to Blood vs. Water, and the diagnosis.  So now it's all laid out.  You really, really can't top that.  Actually gets comfort from another finalist (Ken). 

Voting is done.  Live portion begins!  Even though we've literally seen Jeff in the studio the whole night they still did the mock transition they've done far too much, when they used to do it so cool in the early seasons! 

Votes: Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam.  Winner: Adam!  I totally saw that coming, with or without the hard sell at the very end.  Got every vote!  I think he got the rest of the votes after the hard sell, but he was gonna win anyway, right?

Jeff congratulates Adam.  Adam talks about how huge this is.  Jeff talks about Adam making it onto the season before his mom's diagnosis, and they talk about his decision to play regardless.  They talk about how Adam chose to tell Jay of all people.  Jay explains it hilariously.  Jeff and Adam continue talking about his mom.  She was still alive when he finished playing and got home.  She died an hour after he got home.  He talks about how this seems like a story, but it's his life.  He says it doesn't matter whether or not she knew he won.  He says she knew he did.  Survivor puts together a lung cancer research fund (linked with Stand Up 2 Cancer).  Adam puts up a hundred grand, which will be matched. 

Then David gets to talk.  Then Zeke. 

Bret/Zeke is talked about, the "gay guy" moment. 

Hannah/Kent is brought up, their possible romance.  Ken actually talks about his anxieties, too. 

Michaela speaks.  Honestly had completely forgotten about her.  I don't really know why they chose to speak to her.

Jessica speaks.  Talks about picking rocks.  She admits she would've lost no matter the rock thing.

Will speaks.  Finally has a not-stupid hairdo. 

Sunday speaks.  About being a mom.  Somehow the connection is not made to Adam. 

Taylor and Figgy!  They no longer have a relationship.  Apparently Taylor is a father.

Chris is asked about how twists affect gameplay.  He admits the players who lasted longest were able to adapt best.

Apparently returning players next season!

Season 34 - Survivor: Game Changers.  Michaela (that's why she was talked to) is among the returning players, as are Tony (winner), Sandra (two-time winner, but I doubt very much she can make it three), Ozzie...!  Clearly going for the true players this time, rather than mere fan favorites, so that will be a good way to distinguish this one.

That's all for the season except the summary!

One last segment!  Michelle talks about how this was not a bitter finale.  Jeff says that's the way it should be!