AncientNewbie

I'm not always a fan of stunt casting, but I can understand the attraction for production. You're starting with people who have been on camera, for whatever their original notoriety is, plus however many local (or national) interviews. I mean, I'd love to run TAR, but I also clam up under pressure and am not demonstrative at all and would be a complete snooze to watch. My biggest beef this episode was the excessive celebration from the train guys and the out of prison guy(s)....they were just so overboard.

I'm just so happy TAR is back and felt delightfully old school that I'm not going to snark on it. Much.

She also posted recently about being sober, which probably helps her separate herself from the excesses of her youth.

As I've heard it, it was the putting hands on staff and having a drunken golf cart accident that ruined her chances of returning.

I'm three eps in. The only mixed feelings I have is for the dirty rancher. He just seemed unwilling to really dive into the experience or step outside his comfort zone. I also might have had too high of hopes for him, thinking back to a cowboy-style straight on the original QE who really worked with the Fab OGs. Generally, I'm liking the new season, though. Austin in a nice location for them to base some adventures.

Ayanna can be a lot, I have no doubt, but I had to laugh at her salad monologue and feisty Jazmine trying to confront her. I'm a simple mark for this show, I admit it.

Laterrian should be barred from pole wrestling anyone without his level of intensity. I get worried he's going to hurt someone for real (again) when he gets going. But props to Tyler for hanging in as long as he did...

I'd say "how do you let CT get to a final?" but I think the question is more "how do you keep him from reaching the final?" He's competent at everything and stands a strong chance of returning if they try. It does make for a less than climatic final in some ways when the old guy is in the lead most of the time. But he was also the one I was most interested in watching win, so that worked out, I guess. I do wish there had been an eating section, though, because I was curious to see how Kaycee would do after last year's run with Fessy when they never dug in and made a meal of it.

Jay-as-Hetty with the anti-Irish slurs to poor Mr. Murphy the pigeon guy really amused me far more than I should admit. Utkarsh's delivery was just golden as Hetty suddenly able to interact (read: slander) with those Irish again.

My only takeaway this week was that I hope the people mad at "woke Survivor" realize the problem lies with Peachy as the showrunner and not the miserable, hungry, stressed people trying to play a game that's been cited previously as messing with one's mind and values, sometimes long term. Well, that and I'll miss Danny's voice and chill demeanor.

Danny's soothing voice could narrate every additional Ponderosa for me and I'd be fine.

Nelly plays with emotion too much. He's a physical beast, but the connections to others keeps getting in his way. It will be interesting to see how he does in the final. For someone that turned off RW: Paris because that CT guy was so annoying, I find myself pulling for him this final. I don't know if it's his age, his new demeanor or wanting someone else to compete with John Bananas as the best player, but I'm all for the old guy this final. Amanda...you made the only choice you felt you could make, but I'm not sure there's anything she would have beaten Tori in at the end.

I watched far more of this than I should admit, but...actually, I have no but. Just a day off and lots of snow led me down this path. It was...all right. It seemed geared toward a younger audience than the original sitcom. Not a bad thing, just very Fuller House in the obvious conflicts and such. The male lead just didn't do it for me. I like the idea of an earnest teacher, but we didn't get to see him do more than react to the wacky. Also, I hate when I have to apply real life logic to sitcoms, but what part of Yale and Google qualifies someone to teach debate? Or qualifies for a license to teach? I don't like when there are obvious holes that could be patched with some basic backstory, even if we don't get a Very Special Episode on it right away.

I'm a bit torn on Very Special Tribal. I really appreciated the apparently frank discussion and insight. But Jeff trying to relive having a talk show gets so old, as does his self-important pronouncements about the value of Survivor.

I can't decide if CT beasting that challenge means something for the final results or was a set up for a dramatic last elim next week. Either way, this stupid show keeps me watching each week... I really liked that elimination. The beep test, basically, but with jumping an obstacle. The bane of soccer players everywhere.

I'll mangle the next line, but it sells the whole thing for me. "Maybe you could if your dad wasn't in prison."

Cohutta killed me twice this episode with his dry-as-desert delivery. "I'm not Steve. I'm Cohutta" and "Not since the Moscow world finals..." I'm glad he's back on tv this season. This, of course, means he is now marked for immediate elimination if not spontaneous combustion.

"Outside money" is a really fun rabbit hole to fall down. It seems to vary with more criteria than just presumed bank account. I may take the thought to "Past Seasons" if I can generate some words on it...or to a dissertation committee if anyone wants to fund a media studies PhD. Bueller? Bueller? I was really surprised to see Shan smuffed this ep. I was sure she was going to pull something to get free of the closing trap. Like stand still and be quiet a moment and let the rest shoot themselves in the feet. But no, everyone did as planned and the presumed winner fell early. I can't say I'll miss her. I've felt the show spent too much time on her and not enough on some of the others already. But she was playing hard and talked a lot about how she was playing, so at least the editors had something to work with.

I didn't take Liana literally. It sounded like a bombastic sort of comment meant to be OOT. YMMV, of course. I can imagine playing Peachy's version of Go Fish has made her a bit salty.

If nothing else, the soundtrack for this episode (and season to date) is top notch.

I really hope the brewing dissention in their alliance means the end is nigh for Shan and it's not part of Shan Learns a Lesson on the way to a win. She was a favorite early on, but I just can't get behind the way she tries to dominate her alliance. My view is probably biased, though, because I like Deshawn and my personal experiences with being part of groups steered by the loudest/most obstinate. I still think there are too many twists this season. It's hard for me to judge anyone's gameplay when they are all just reacting to the latest and not wheeling and dealing at camp over empty days.

He really needs to. Even if he thinks that he's a benevolent dictator in charge of all the moves, if they'd just trust him, he's still delusional. There are people there who are not going to be all in on his plan to get other people than them to the final and the numbers are too low to risk it.

I keep hoping that trivia still shows up, because that (and TJ laughing at them) is one of my favorite bits each year.

I'm not sure why I keep linking to the same tabloid, or what it says about me that US carries the news I'm looking for, but MTV and Bunim-Murray responded with a statement after Leroy's video. Generally supportive, but also the same sort of not-admitting-liability language that we expect from any such statement. https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/mtv-responds-to-leroy-garrett-the-challenge-camila-criticism/

Well, the editors get some praise this time because I actually felt sorry for the goof. I was sure we were getting a winner's edit when we didn't see his usual irrational behavior. Or else I'm so used to Josh being Josh that I just don't see it anymore. I think Kyle chose well, though, because he needed a move to stay in the game.