If you can say one thing about this season of "Survivor," it's that it's predictably unpredictable!
Hard to know where to even start! So I will leap in with Russell.
The ego on this man is huge — bigger than any ego I've seen on "Survivor" and that's saying something. He spends so much time touting his own accomplishments that he virtually ignores the obvious. In this case, the obvious is Sandra, who is smarter than he gives her credit. Of course, Russell's ego prevents him from seeing that anyone else is capable of scheming and playing the game of "Survivor."
If Sandra pulls off what appears to be a coup, she might very well be the greatest survivor in the history of the show. Russell managed to fall for the oldest ploy in "Survivor" history — the lie! Sandra preys on Russell's most glaring insecurity when she tells him that Coach is out to get him. It's like dangling a fresh piece of meat in front of a hungry lion. Russell pounces on that bit of information with single-minded focus. He must eliminate Coach before Coach eliminates him!
Now to me, it would have been just as advantageous for Sandra to hook up with Coach/Jerri and vote out Russell. But my feeling is that Sandra wants Russell at the end of the game to offer comparison/contrasts to her own game. Whether he realizes it or not, Russell's biggest mistake of the game might very well be allowing Sandra to remain in the game.
What's JT's Word Worth?
The Heroes, on the other hand, seem to have jelled, at least on the surface. But then there's good old JT whose word this time around is about as good as Russell's. Last week, JT declared that the search for the idol should not come between them and they should hunt for the idol as a group.
So much for JT's word as he goes off on his own, finds the idol and is discovered by Amanda as he attempts to conceal his find. JT is duplicitous at best and a down right pathological liar at worst. He decides to come clean with the idol, but thanks to Candice, JT's character is seriously in jeopardy of being disclosed.
Then you have the Heroes, who, as a team, determine there's an all girl alliance among the Villains. Rupert voices it and JT promptly offers whispered support to Russell. (Another pre-show alliance for JT?) I suppose the fact that three of the five men were voted out would suggest that fact but still, Rupert was premature in stating it out loud. Kind of set the stage for Coach's exit in many ways.
Drop Your Expectations!
Thankfully, the Villains are not the sharpest tools in the shed. Assuming merge, the team packed up their entire camp, dismantling their only successful shelter to date, and arrived at a Reward Challenge. It's a numbers game and the jury has never started prior to 10 people which was, at that point still two people away. A little premature and a lot foolish!
The challenge was the old bowling game which on "Survivor" is simply a game of chance. Coach wanted a win without a thought toward what happens in the Immunity Challenge. He turned to Sandra and Courtney and questioned them whether they want to play. Sandra leaves it up to the group, and Coach sat them out.
Russell scores the only point for the Villains, while Coach is defeated by Amanda. Heroes win again, and suddenly it seems like Stephenie was not the bad luck member of the group, but James. File this under the category that makes me go hmmmmmmm.
Bad Decision?
While the Heroes dine on pizza, the Villains go back to their camp and the sniping begins. Jerri targets Courtney and Sandra for not stepping up to the challenge. She's started to look ahead to the Immunity Challenge and knows there's no reason to celebrate a potential victory.
Jerri seems to be reflecting a little — make that a lot — on her decision to vote out Rob. It's starting to become obvious that Russell will do anything to advance himself in the game, including weakening his own team. Too little too late on Jerri's part.
The Immunity Challenge is down and dirty and once again the Heroes come out on top. Courtney is the weakest player, and Sandra is not too far behind physically. To top it off, Courtney is injured and still, Russell decides to send Coach packing. Why? Because he heard that Coach was out to get him.
More Questions Than Answers...
So this episode raised some interesting questions for me:
Who is Courtney? I don't remember her from her earlier season and can't for the life of me figure out why she's a Villain. Up until this past week, Courtney barely uttered a single word, and her only distinction this week was a few whiney confessionals and addressing Jeff as Jeffrey.
Why is Sandra a Villain? Sandra and I are equally confused by her designation!
Just how much did JT rely on Stephen for strategy during their season? My guess is, a lot. JT is all over the board and is making promises to whomever comes along. If next week's teaser is any indication, JT has completely lost it! Slow down and think!
At the finale, what will Jerri say to Rob about voting him out?
Why is Coach more likable this season than during his first season? Come on, you know you've thought about it. Coach is much less annoying than his first season, yet he's the same guy spewing the same "Dragon Slayer" crap. Maybe it's the fact that Russell makes Coach seem like the voice of reason?
When will Danielle realize she's the expendable part of the three-way alliance?
What will Sandra do next to stay in the game?
Why does Russell feel that he is a "Survivor" god? Seems to me that winning the second half of the game against players like Rob would mean more than eliminating him when his team still needs him.
No comments:
Post a Comment