Survivor 22 Ep 5 "We Hate Our Tribe"

[lazarus]

Fairly predictable episode, to be honest. My daughter Kasii squeed at all the turtle shots (she just got a pet turtle).

Boston Rob is a Jedi or something. The maneuver with Grant and the clue, the way he deflected Matt at the duel, even the subtle way he walked on the railings at the IC, all combine to make him Neo. He even admitted that, at this point, he's just making moves to amuse himself. I wish everyone had as much fun playing the game as he does. It's a joy to watch.

On Zapatera, it was interesting to see some divisions appearing in the uberalliance of happiness. Thing is, Krista and Stephanie made a move too late. The time to go scorched earth and start calling out divisions and suballiances and trying to make a move is before Tribal Council. If they had gotten David, all they would need is to grab one of the dyads. A serious long shot, but if there were fractures, there was room to scramble. Never give up in this game.

I think the next duel will be the last for this run. Next week will likely be a double elim, with one going from each tribe. My theory (completely unspoiled speculation here) is that the winner of the reward challenge next weeks gets as reward the survivor of Redemption Island, then the two boots start a new cycle that will end at the merge. That gives us 17 boots and a F3, just like every 20 person season. (There will be a double boot episode midway after the merge, too.)

[murielm99]

1. I guess it was pretty predictable.

They had to lighten things by showing more of Philip in his pink panties, along with everyone's disgust over his exposure.

It would only have been more predictable if Stephanie had been eliminated. Her big mouth and her inability to help them win the challenge would have been reasons enough.

[travelingtypist]

2. So do you think Ralph will be able to fool Rob the way he did Lil' Russ?

That's a battle I'm really looking forward to...

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/03/17/survivor_redemption_island

To make matters worse, Russell also got outfoxed by an aw-shucks farmer named Ralph, whom Russell had incorrectly pegged as "the dumbest person on the face of the earth." Turns out Ralph only play-acts stupidity, and is actually a likable schemer who found the personal immunity idol shortly after landing on the island and not only kept his find a secret from Russell but played all sorts of head games with him.

[lazarus]

3. Ralph is an idiot, actually

he's very like Ressell, actually. Talks a good game, but doesn't play a good game.

He stumbled upon the HII without even looking for it. Then he showed his alliance after the vote when they needed to know it (so they wouldn't do a risky split vote), when it was no longer necessary to share the info. Then he told the other tribe he has it, but tried to play that off. His efforts looked like a kitten trying to cover up a mess on a linoleum floor, actually.

:D

[travelingtypist]

4. Well, I asked.

Ouch.

Useful idiot maybe? I'm enjoying the heck out of him. Have to see how the new schisms in the uberhappy tribe play out, but he seems likable, affable I guess. Or am I missing where he's not good at the social game either?

[lazarus]

5. We haven't seen enough

to know how he is in the social game. The rest of the Zap Six seem to like him, but it's easy to get along when everything's going your way.

David is the big concern for Zapatera now. Krista rightly called him out as the loner, apparently. If Steph can quit being a sourface and try talking to people, making some social connections, she can use that. One becomes two. Then you add a dyad that feels they're on the bottom of the pecking order, and suddenly you're four. That's all it takes on a seven person tribe.

Mike made a crucial mistake when he was slapping down Krista and Steph. They said the Six weren't playing the game. He should have just laughed and proceeded to the vote, but he had to get cocky and brag that they are, indeed, playing the game and strategizing.

The problem with this is, anybody he hasn't strategized with is going to start feeling they're on the outs. There's no way the six have a definite 1-2-3-4-5-6 order set up, of course. It's all pairs, from what Krista said, with one singleton. So any pair that doesn't include Mike is now potentially feeling like outsiders. If Steph truly knew how to play the game, like Sandra or Parvati or Rob or Yul or any number of excellent game players we've seen, she'd be all over that. Either she isn't, and she learned all she knows from watching the troll, or she is, and the editors haven't shown us.

That's possible if her efforts are for naught, of course. But if she hadn't excluded herself from the very beginning, she might actually have had a chance at this game. For contrast, see Andrea on Ometepe. She could well have withdrawn and given up after the love of her life for 6 days was voted out, but she continues to socialize with the rest of the tribe, even though she doesn't like them. Even Phillip Sheridan. She's keeping the doors open. Very dangerous.

A couple of last things. Apparently, Probst said in an interview before the season not to judge Redemption Island until episode six. I think this confirms my theory that episode six is a double boot, with the tribe that wins the challenge winning reward in the form of Matt (or Krista), whilst the two booted go to RI and start the cycle over, with the next person coming back at the merge.

Also, I'm starting to think that Rob could actually bring Matt back around into an alliance. Remember, Matt absolutely is in awe of Boston Rob and loves him. Rob is one of the few people ever on this show who could even think of doing it, much less pull it off, but I think there's a chance there.

It may just be wishful thinking though, as I want Rob on my screen as much as possible. I want people to learn to play the way he plays, not the way Ressell plays.