cuphead

IMHO, James is one of the most fascinating people on this show and Kristen is a close second. When sober, James is intelligent, witty, focused and incredibly charming. He really impressed me in the scene when he was trying to get some time spinning in that club. First, he made the effort to speak to the DJ in Spanish; second, he had a flashdrive of his music with him, and third, when Peter tried to step in on his behalf, James, in a non-offensive manner, made it clear he got this (and he did). On the flip side, when provoked, it's as if a switch flips between the James who has potential and the James who will egg your house on Halloween because you accused him of eating all the pasta. He becomes a 10 year old and reacts to situations like a 10 year old boy (e.g. spitting on Kristen's door, saying mean things such as calling Britney fat because he was mad at Jax). His reaction at the golf course after he was questioned about hanging out with Kristen is a perfect example because he was acting like a little boy- a little boy having a melt down because he's scared of getting kicked out of the cool group. I'm curious to see James in his 30's after he emotionally matures a bit and learns how to drink like an adult.

Chrissy looks like the middle-aged version of Emma Nelson/MiriamMacDonald from Degrassi.

Abby, Sean and Chris is like Ginger, Ace and that James Woods pimp character in Casino.

Quoting myself bc I feel a sense of validation after watching this past season. Landon is awful, and I'm convinced she's on coke or adderall in half of her scenes.

I'm not a fan of Bugs, but I can understand her issues with Hannah as a boss. Bugs takes this profession seriously- which was covered earlier in the season when she was talking about how she knew Wes, and the respect she had for him bc yachting was a real career for him, as it is with her. So taking that into consideration, it must be very hard to have a manager who is not as overtly serious career-wise, and may not be helping her juniors elevate their skills. Personally speaking, I have had great bosses who have served as mentors- either by leading by example, or by teaching me how to improve my weaker points and encouraging me to acknowledge/utilize my stronger points. On the flip side, I have also had bosses who only care about getting themselves further up the ladder and don't care about developing their team. When you deal with the latter, it's difficult not to have a bit of resentment. And from what I've seen, Hannah is definitely the latter. So, in that sense, I cans ee why Bugs is hard on Hannah in her talking heads. Hannah is a bad manager who only knows how to manage up (to her superiors and guests/clients), but has no idea how to manage down. (juniors or with colleagues).

Bugs is slowly turning the screws on Hannah. I really didn't like the way she switched the roles around during the hug-it-out scene. There is no reason why Hannah needed to explain herself to Bugs, her subordinate. What made it worse was she also came off as extremely deferential and this immediately put Bugs in a power position. It was really arrogant of Bugs to not even apologize for showing/telling everyone about the messages. She's using this situation to make Hannah the common enemy and that can only tighten her bonds with the others. This is some high caliber, Eve Harrington kind of gameplay we're watching right now and it's only obvious to the viewers at home because of the editing.

Agreed. The bubonic plague is not a good look for her.

Was Landon on something in that break-up scene? She seemed disheveled, kept flipping her hair about, was glassy eyed, giggly and super emotional (went from smiles to tears and back to smiles). The poor guy aka Bizarro Shep looked a little weirded out by her behavior and really didn't give a rat's ass that he just got dumped on television. Landon must be worse in real life.

I thought it was genius to have Brad, Troyzan and SIerra vote Tai,and for Tai to vote Sierra. In doing that, the women's alliance have effectively created mistrust in the WWMD alliance. SIerra and Brad are tight, so knowing that Tai flipped and voted for Sierra would definitely make them view Tai as disloyal. And having them vote for him would definitely make Tai feel betrayed and targeted. Can't see them working together anymore after that vote. In addition, voting out Zeke meant they would be cutting it close on their numbers advantage, so they had to find a way to swing someone from the other side just for a bit of a cushion. Targeting Tai to be their isolated flipper makes sense since he isn't a strategic threat and seems a bit malleable emotionally, which means it wouldn't be difficult for someone like Cirie to control his vote. Speaking of Cirie, remember when she was two step ahead of everyone and managed to convince the WWMD alliance to vote out Halie as a way to keep Michaela around as a secret ally? Taking this into account, I can believe that Cirie was the one who came up with the idea to make Tai their swing target so she can keep him close as a kind of vote-goat.. We have seen them bond on several occasions (e.g. the chat they had after the RC when she crossed the balance beam), and Tai even expressed a desire to work with Cirie very early on in the season. This points to a potential alliance somewhere down the line, and with each passing day they are getting closer to the end of the line, so it's now or never.

The scene with Landon and Austin should have been about the drama between Austin and Shep, but Landon hijacked it and made it an audition for her own show on the Travel Channel or Food Network. Austin just seemed to give up talking about anything because she kept making it circle back to ROAM and the script she wrote in her head. I think she wants to be a female Anthony Bourdain (as if!!!) with a splash of Martha Stewart. Her family is probably funding the lifestyle she currently leads, but I suspect now she wants someone else to pick up the bill AND pay her a salary for being a drunken vagabond. I would never watch a show hosted by a bland, entitled, spoiled nitwit named "Landon". If the she hooks up with Thomas, I say we ask South Carolina to pass a bill that will allow public stoning for people on reality television who lack the self-awareness to realize they're smug, insufferable douchebags.

Thank you editors for all those close-up shots of Andrea and Sierra's faces. They made me realize that Andrea is phenomenally beautiful, and this is coming from someone who thought she was just meh before tonight's episode. They also made it painfully clear that Sierra needs a shave tout suite. Geez, I think I actually saw the hairs on her eyebrows and upper lip blowing in the breeze while she was chowing down in the RC.

I'm so glad Sarah got another chance to play. She's easily becoming one of my top ten favorite survivors.

There was a shot of Debbie guzzling wine out of a bottle at the Reward Challenge. Have a feeling she was more than a little tipsy at the merge feast. Call it a hunch. And just because it needs to be said, I love Aubrey's awkward athleticism.

During the confessional when she talks about being ready for war, a butterfly lands on the top of her head, and just sits there as she giggles away in what could be interpreted as either giddy anticipation or nervous dread. I think it's clear that even Mother Nature recognizes Cirie's awesomeness.

Thank you editors for giving us those incredible shots of Cirie's face at Tribal before and after Hali received the final vote.

Yuck. Sierra isn't as hot as she thinks she is. If anything, she's lukewarm at best.

Apologies, but I don't think I can totally agree with your assessment. Survivor is not the typical game show that is shot on a soundstage in front of a live studio audience. Living outdoors is harsh (the elements, not bathing, building fires for warmth, cooking and a light source when the sun goes down, starvation, thirst, sleeping on dirt/bamboo, etc...). And you're totally immersed in an atmosphere of paranoia and distrust. Even though you're on an island, it's rare to get a moment to decompress because you want to be involved in every conversation, and not be the target of any conversations should you walk away. I can understand why Brad, and the rest of the tribe, broke down. It wasn't the pizza, it was the feeling of defeat, and the elements/game beginning to make them all feel defeated, both mentally and physically. Individually, they were all breaking down for various reasons, but were able to do it as a tribe and find a bit of comfort in sharing it with each other. I thought it was a nice bonding moment for them. In Brad's defense, he seemed more shaken because he didn't understand Monica after she came back from 39 days on Survivor. He finally was beginning to understand what she went through, and probably regretted that he wasn't very understanding when Monica came back a little changed. It was touching that of all the things that could make a person moved to tears on Survivor, his trigger was a sincere sadness over not understanding his wife when she was going through a difficult time. Felt very human. I liked him from the start of the season and like him even more now. And off topic, I respected Sarah's raw display of emotion during Tribal. Last year we got to see David transform throughout the game, but watching Sarah on television processing something quite momentous for her in a matter of minutes was pretty compelling and I was moved to tears. I really like her, and want to see more of her storyline.

If I were Debbie, I would have chosen the fake idol kit, and returned to camp with it around my neck. To the best of her new tribemates' knowledge, she went to Exile Island, a most miserable place that has been known to break people down. However, they also know that there may be hidden idols at Exile Island, so the possibility of returning with an idol is out there. But what won't you find on Exile Island? Materials to make one (unless a member of the tribe is really, really, stupid and would believe that a smiley stick is the best a multi-million production value show can do for something as important as an Immunity Idol) So...Debbie can conceivably waltz back into camp and no one would have any reason to doubt her. If she was really smart, she could say that it's a Tyler Perry idol and Tai could attest to it because the idols he has found look the same. Plus, she was at the Tribal Council where Tai used the idol, so she knows what it looks like too. Either way, it's guaranteed protection for a long time. But enough about Debbie... Long live the Queen!

Ha. Thanks for the "awesome". My pseudo-fanwanking version of the chain of events is never going to happen, but hey, it's always fun to theorize, no? =) *edited bc I think I misunderstood your comment* I'm just hoping the idol becomes more pure in the future (no more Voltron Idols, please), and once it's burned, it stays burned. Throw it in the fire if you have to. Just don't rebury it.

Ha. Thanks. Doubt it will happen, but if it did, it could breathe more life into Survivor (add'l life after introducing the cool concept of hidden immunity idols at Challenges, and the incredible gameplay from last season). It would also be another reminder that the game never stops, even when you're hanging out with a guy who's not even in it to win a million dollars. Plus, the possibility of a reward-within-a-reward could be a lot more interesting if it played out to be a game advantage, not a clue to the idol. Personally, I think the game is saturated with too many ways to get immunity (e.g. at least two idols at any given time, winning an immunity challenge, and now this silly Legacy Advantage). Finding an idol is no longer a huge deal anymore, and it downplays its importance. What happened to the days when people held onto idols and kept them secret? Nowadays, idols can be passed around like crabpuffs at a cocktail party (two at a time in some cases!), or could be a semi-solid Plan B for someone who feels in danger. Really wouldn't mind a toning down of immunity opportunities. But back to the reward-within-a-reward reconceptualizing- the game advantage could also possibly ruin your game if you don't use it correctly (e.g. Adam's Reward Steal Advantage), and will have to be twisted in many ways to figure out how it would actually work to your advantage in this specific game. And if the next episode twists the concept of Exile Island, it could be a very interesting place to go in future seasons.

If BRob returns and there's also an Exile Twist, I could imagine things going down as follows: Everyone drops their buffs They pick new buffs, and all separate into two tribes Play for reward (and either the winning team has to choose one of their own to go to Exile Island, or the losing team chooses someone to go to Exile Island) And surprise! BostonRob will be joining them on their reward with letters from home! *eta: and Survivor will edit it so the winners' tears over letters from home will actually look like tears of joy to be able to spend time with the biggest GameChanger of all time...Boston Rob!* Screwed tribe member has to go to Exile Island, miss the reward, and also not be present for any bonding with the new tribe Everyone has a great time, and tell BRob all the intel on the game since he's not in it to win it Miserable tribe member is trying to build a fire on Exile Island while cursing the twist, and feeling sure he/she is the next one out Reward Challenge breaks up and everyone gives BRob big hugs, and asks him to contact their families for them BRob sails away in a boat, and the survivors go back to their camp Back at camp, everyone talks about the awesome reward, and being able to send messages home BRob land on Exile Island, ends up staying the night with the Exiled tribe member and blabs everything that was said to him during the Reward Exiled tribe member returns from Exile Island with a heavy arsenal of info on the new tribe mates The real reward is being able to scheme on the new tribe with Boston Rob!

The anger Debbie directed at Haley reminded me of how much Shambo hated Laura. I always wondered what an older version of Shambo would be like if she ever returned to play the game. Now I know.

Hey All. Just wanted to give a personal shout-out to the Survivor editors for all they do to make the show so entertaining. Love the ominous music used in the background whenever someone is actively scheming; makes me think of a snake in the Garden of Eden. First noticed it when Brad was manipulating Tai into being the one to decide if Caleb should be voted out (and in hindsight, think it may have also been used when Tony was trying to make Caleb vote out Sandra). Tonight it was in the background when JT started plotting Michaela's demise bc of her "seven-drops-of-coffee-and-a-spoonful-of-sugar" request, and continued playing as Sandra realized she could cause discord in the group (and keep a target off her back) by fanning the flames of the great sugar war between JT and Michaela. The underwater shots are wonderful too. My favorite shot is from last season of Ken catching the octopus, but also love the shots of Ozzy catching the stingray, and the snorkeling shots of Michaela and Malcolm right after the tribe switch. And finally, a special thanks to the story editors for showcasing Sandra's mastery of the game, and Varner reacting to her machinations every step of the way. Brilliant.

Debbie is such a strange woman. At the Reward Challenge, Haley took the slow and steady approach in getting across the beams. She took her time in an effort to make sure she wouldn't have to start over again by dropping the ball. Debbie's approach, however, was to try to get across as fast as possible, but as we saw, that cost her because she kept dropping the ball. She's re-working what really happened and trying to sell it as her having to hustle because Haley took 10 hours to get across the beams. Regarding Brad, as they were discussing who should do what, he immediately delegated balance beam to her because she said she had a good sense of balance. To normal people, her comment would be taken as someone volunteering herself. But Debbie is spun it (after the challange) as Brad making the decision without consulting with the group first. I believe she's spinning because she's feeling really insecure with her spot on the tribe after screwing up at the Reward Challenge. It kind of makes sense since Haley did so well, and it's known that Manu wants to keep the tribe strong. Perhaps this is why she made the comment about giving Haley her clothes after she is gone, and Brad being so far up Haley's ass. Debbie thinks she is going to get replaced by Haley in the alliance. I need to say that I believe these are the core reasons for why Debbie wigged out, and I can see why one would wig out in a situation like this, but Debbie took it to another level. That chick is cray-cray. eta: I loved Brad's bewilderment after Debbie's first outburst before she left for the beach, and his exchange with Sierra. Brad: Is she...acting? SIerra: No. I think she's mad. I dunno! *and both continues eating coconut in total confusion*

I really like David's story arc and I admire him for being open with his struggles. And honestly, the sweetest friendship I have ever seen on this show is the one between David and Ken. It feels genuine. They looked genuinely happy to be reunited at the merge, last week David expressed genuine dismay when it looked like Ken was going to falter in the immunity challenge, and tonight Ken had a genuine interest in David's state of mind after they lost the reward challenge. To think, this whole friendship started when Ken convinced a very freaked out David to pet a stick insect. Regarding the wasted idol, it's a shame but idol play is always a risk. However, when Adam said the vote was on Ken, it was a no-brainer for David. Protect Ken over Hannah. In the heat of the moment, he made a split second decision between Hannah, Ken and even himself, which ended up with him choosing to protect Ken. To me, it shows how strong the bond is between them. I'm hoping David's line about wanting it to be Ken and him, sitting side by side at FTC, was foreshadowing.