Heathrowe

They need to blow this game up so that all of the old strategies don’t apply. No puzzles, no final three, maybe no jury so people stop playing to the jury and get back to playing the game. Will never happen but, my thoughts.

I know these things are usually planned out far in advance but I wonder if Soo happened because the caliber of chefs became apparent by episode two? Or earlier? Did the producers think they needed to bring someone in to elevate the dishes? That said, I didn’t think fried shrimp with two sauces was all that? I was rooting for “the guy with the green thing” and the scallop mousse or the mustard green woman. I don’t know, I like Kristin - but this season is just off somehow.

I’m so sad that Blackthorne doesn’t actually return to England! I had just taken those scenes on face value, though I did notice the cross. 10/10 for the series, 8/10 for the finale. I missed Mariko, she is a wonderful, mesmerizing character and actress. i thought Cosmo Jarvis was great in the role. I read a lot about Tudor times and thought his was a very good portrayal of a man of the time. Lady Fuji. Glad those were cremains in the boxes - I had thought heads! I don’t know why, that’s pretty morbid. I’m glad she was able to move on from her tragedy in a way Lady Mariko never could. I’ll give the plot holes some grace in that Torunaga was obviously playing a very long game. He’s the craftiest man in Japan. Also a wonderful actor. I would also like to say - this series surprised me multiple times and held my interest. These days that is saying a lot. Recommending to everyone.

I watched this episode and the next day I could not remember who was eliminated because it was…that boring. This season is very snoozy, the cooking is just meh. I think it’s tough to top last season. TC is my comfort watch, I don’t expect it to be exciting but…interesting and delicious at least?

Someone up thread said Venus is getting a cruel edit, making fun of her. I agree - the shot of Tevin laughing over what an idiot he thought Venus was…all I could think was how much that would hurt her to watch later. Except that - his crappy outburst is what put the target on his back. And maybe Venus is secure enough to just shrug & say she stayed in the game longer than he did. I posted last week - she’s very young and brash and I kind of love it. She hasn’t had her confidence stomped out - that happens to a lot of young women. She doesn’t feel like she needs to be sweet and keep her mouth shut. Why don’t people like/trust/want to play with her? I think because she’s very conventionally beautiful and society tells us a woman cannot be beautiful AND smart AND good. (And also because she’s kind of obnoxious, yes!!) I get why people don’t like her, I’m not sure I’d want to be on an island with her, but she seems a much younger soul than Charlie, who I think is closer to her actual age.

Figured out why I can’t stand Tevin - he reminds me of…JarJar Binks!!

I hate Tevin so much. Ew.

It is hard to measure up after the level of cooking last season - but so far I’m not impressed and don’t want to eat any of these dishes. Wisconsin - I’m sorry, I’ve visited & it’s a very pretty state & Madison is lovely but…zzzzzz. I’m bored. Also, Buddha. Blech. I’m sure he’s lovely in real life but he just strikes me as horribly boring and condescending. Also I like Manny quite a bit, I hope he steps it up next episode.

This is just the weirdest cast. I’m still rooting for Venus, even though I don’t like her. Her stunning UN-likability and lack of self-awareness is sort oddly appealing to me as an older woman. It’s cute to watch her confidently bulldoze her way through each episode, offending people right and left. Even at this stage of the game she’s not thinking about being liked or being a good girl. That IS refreshing. Also, she’s trapped on an island with the most frustrating cast in 40 something seasons. And I think she has a lot of bravado. I don’t know, I just find her baby villain-ness endearing. Bye Tim. He came for Hunter hard and failed to read the room. Que - please stop talking. He is someone who speaks as he thinks so he keeps popping off half-baked ideas. Slow down. Shhh. Strategize. i like Tiffany but she’s playing a very passive game. She has the same confident, competent vibe as Maria but she’s just side-kicking for Que. I don’t know how she breaks out of that. Hunter- I have no beef. I was scared when he didn’t play his idol so I guess I like him. I do like quiet competence. Soda - I was not attached to her, but I thought Charlie’s observation that the tribe was full of cracks was spot on. I love that the tiny tribe of 3 is getting success & power. Makes it less of a repeat of last season.

Hot cheese in the hot sun surrounded by angry bees. I have been wracking my brain for some kind of winning cold dish and coming up with nothing. One dish was paired with peaches-I thought that sounded good, but the judges did not like. I like Dan. Glad he did well, I hope he goes far. Manny also easy to root for, I was glad he made it through!

I’m rooting for Venus because she loathes everyone else on the island just as much as I do!

Key difference for me was that Q was not so stupid as to return from the journey and then tell Tiffany & Kenzie everything he said and did on that journey. Q made an alliance and he chose Tiffany as his #1. And then he somehow kept that to himself!

That was terrible. And particularly terrible because everything Bhanu said and did seemed so false and fake. And if it’s not, and that’s really his cringing, whining personality under pressure…honestly one of the least attractive personalities I’ve ever seen on this show.

Am I the only one who found the site review from Claire Lustig Sherman on the home page weirdly anti-Semitic? I haven’t watched the show yet, but read the book. The daughters walked across Russia to get to safety. Hard to ask them to check their privilege.

I like Jess and like to think she walked off happy to go get some sleep and be away from her tribe. The arch challenge was hard - and it would have been nice to have seen anyone strategizing that tall person goes in the middle, smallest person delivers letters. But we seem low on critical thinking this season. If you watched last season, this just feels too repetitive to sit and watch the same tribe get picked off every week. It takes so much of the shows focus to the detriment of getting to see the other tribes/players who will actually stick around for the majority of the game. Metallica guy reminds me of Chris Kataan and I keep expecting Mango! I like Tiffany & Q. I like the mom on the other tribe. I like Venus and her quest for REVENGE against her current tribe members. She might be whiny but they are being exclusionary. Tevin seems pretty awful. The woman who keeps talking about how rich she is also said at one point that she came from nothing - so that’s probably why her success is such a big deal to her, why she can’t be cool and not let people know. Possibly in her mind she feels like she’s letting people know that she is smart, determined, doesn’t give up - but all we are hearing is “I’m rich!”!. Bhanu does not seem to be holding up at all. So what has the loser tribe had to eat for four days? Just coconut & papaya & ants?

Between Dee winning and the boards being down this late and zzzzz… But I’ll post anyway. Dee cruised to the win because a weirdly unshakable alliance. That alliance, plus all of the new tribal changes, really didn’t let anyone else play the game. Poor Jake was basically playing by himself. As they say on instagram, no one wanted to collab with him. Katura was very likable, but how could she win when she basically did nothing other than be non-threatening and make it through? Jake should have focused less on trying to make crazy big moves and more on planting seeds of doubt between Austin, Dee, Julie and…the skinny guy whose name I’ve already forgotten. I really enjoyed Jake but I think he played another season’s game - not this season, if that makes sense? I think Austin could have made a bigger deal of himself - I think he is much smarter than he let on to everyone (see puzzle solving) and he played a great social game. Except for the part where he blabbed to Dee, I would have voted for him. But that was not the move of someone playing to win! A fun season that lost its zest for me once Emily was voted out, but that usually how Survivor is for me. It’s very rare I’m invested in multiple players.

Just watching now - I honestly would never have thought Austin was an awkward kid. He is so gorgeous and seemingly confident now - it just goes to show that you can’t judge on appearances. It did help me to understand why he’s so goofy for Julie, if he still feels like that awkward kid inside.

Ugh Austin you ding dong. Julie’s giving crazy vibes, I do like that, but I love Emily. I hope she’s not toast.

Austin & Dee are both beautiful people who look pretty together. I’m not sure about heart eyes as much as like meeting like. Not much Emily could do this episode without a vote but now she really does know that Austin & Drew & Dee & Julie are tighter than she is. I hope she makes a big move next episode even if it sends her to the jury. Bruce getting the redemption edit and the backstory so…I dislike him a little less but I am still so angry they can’t flush his idol/he’s still there. Not sure who beyond Dee/Austin/Julie would vote for Drew if he makes it to the end. And I assume 2 would be with him?

It was a fun episode but I can’t say I like the forward momentum of it. -Emily outed herself to the “women’s alliance” too soon. She’s my favorite, I hope she can make it onward but unless Dee & Mama J protect her in addition to Austin & Drew - I think she’s very vulnerable. Especially if she keeps sitting out challenges. -Bruce. Ugh. I’m so mad that last week they didn’t even flush the idol that EVERYONE knows he has - and then winning immunity. Ugh. Call me Katurah but I want him gone ASAP. -Jake…I hope he blames Bruce for not sharing his idol. If he wanted to take out Austin with rocks I don’t see him being allowed into that alliance, even if they saved his bacon this week. -Dee/Mama J I think they are still moving as two TOO much. As a 50 something lady, I was really hoping for Mama holding on to that rope. That said, I still don’t know her real name! Were Dee & Mama J in on the Kellie blindside? I saw Drew float it but did they agree to split the votes? -Drew/Austin also playing in tandem too much but I guess it’s working. -Katurah’s a bit of a lone wolf. I like her! She loathes Bruce and so do I! Plus I think she’s kind of funny. I truly, truly hope she is able to stay in the game longer than Bruce. Oh also - yes to worrying about Jake’s health and I will ratchet it up a notch and say that making him eat the chocolate cake with his hands as a timer ran out made me VERY uncomfortable since he has discussed having disordered eating in his past. I don’t know, it just seemed kind of cruel and out of touch. Maybe I’m projecting but that is probably the kind of behavior he has worked hard to stop. I’m still thinking about it.

I am enjoying this season but the other reason the early double elimination is a bummer is because we spent the whole beginning of the season with Lulu taking up 75% of the storytelling. I just figured out who Dee & Kellie are this episode. I do not know the older blonde woman’s name. No time to get attached to anyone BUT Kale & Emily. I dislike Bruce but it’s good to have someone to root against. Keeps me awake.

Dee reminds of a girl in high school who used to kick soccer balls at my face during gym so…I don’t like her. Emily was very quiet this episode. You could see her thinking - anyone but me!! I loved her and Kaleb as a team but I do think it’s important to play your own game. Will be interesting to see who she is able to connect with next week. I like Austin. I like Jake. Kellie was not on my radar until this episode but she impressed me last night. I don’t think Jakes plan would have worked, I don’t think Austin is scared, and I don’t blame Katurah for being put off by the late in the game secret sharing. She was feeling used. And when it fell through she’d have a big target on her because we see that Dee is an emotional player. I really enjoy the show, it’s my guilty pleasure. Generally I’d say more is more but two tribals is too much. I was bored when the second one started and even though I liked Kaleb - I didn’t care over much by the time they voted. I did like Sifu abd was sad to see him go. Bruce, yuck. Flush that idol and send him packing.

Ugh. I wish they had at least made Bruce paranoid enough to flush his idol.

I thought the other women in J’s alliance were annoyed that J was bent on getting Sifu out. Sifu was also part of their alliance, he’s helping them win challenges and I think it seemed like if she could flip on Sifu so easily, why not one of them next? I think pushing the Sifu vote, and it failing, collapsed her alliance with the women, and turned Sifu against her.

I like that Austin’s so bitter about the sandwich. Not-Boston-Rob guy is really growing on me. I’m very attached to Kaleb and Emily. Emily’s so interesting since she bugged me so much episode 1 but now I feel like she’s my eyes into the show. I was very upset when J said Emily and everyone seemed like they would go with it. The unanimous votes tonight for a merging tribe were pretty impressive. I was glad Drew didn’t turn on Emily. I don’t think I like any of the other women players, other than Emily. Maybe Katurah. My final three would be Emily, Kaleb, and Austin. I like Sifu but he seems a little all over the place. I would agree with Kaleb that Bruce is playing an old-school game. You need to be the leader no one notices leading in this game, and he’s all listen to me! Drew is holding himself back from taking charge but I suspect everyone knows it. His relationships seem very selective. The rest of the women don’t seem to have a clear agenda. They don’t seem strong together - and I guess now they are one less.