pennben

I think I love her mostly because she has been so enthusiastically, cheerfully absolutely wrong every time about where the game & her place in it is!! That is indeed some kind of magic!

I hate that Sheldon & family have put Missy in a hole. She deserved so much more as a kid but attention always focused elsewhere.

Hahahahaha! I've got pay respect to the Danny reply at tribal that "I'm not a scout!" Hysterical, love hm/hate him, absolutely. hysterical defense similarly to as if someone tried to enforce pinkly swear! Loved it! Jamie is wearing it less and less well after she told who was it that she needed to wear confidence better last tribal, then her face dropped at end of last week & now very much not wearing it well this week! Delicious! Most amusing, basically most pre-merge shenanigans are now out of the game! mostly without the effect they wanted! Biggest laugh of episode was that production wanted to humiliate someone when they played manufactured fake idole & boom, their plans were just blanks and players moved on without damage. In sum, delightful episode for many unexpected reasons. Annoyed by Jeff trying to pitch that whack-a'-mole like this season is better than traditional Survivor focusing a bit more time on player than trinkets, don't like the whispering at tribal (was that part of Tika confusion strategy?) End of day, loved the Carolyn exposition about her issues and how she has overcome to build a good life. Winner or not, she deserved a standing at the top of a rock hero shot from the show, because it is extraordinary for her to be there..

To me, this is more of Probst trying to manufacture outcomes. Less manufacturing, more trusting your cast. They are getting some great casts lately. They are tying their hands with the 3 tribes, shortened season & all the trinkets to make them play very conservatively until the end. Now he wants production to influence more. Idols/whatnot should be there to shake things up, but crikey, production should be in background & exposition should spend more time on players than explaining trinkets. This is not The Challenge, challenges are one component to a win. Perhaps they should have a jury stand back at the tribe to observe social interactions as well?

I think the episode title changed from "Boxes" to "Strings that Bind Us". There are so many good things here, but they are scattered! On the one hand, we see how Sam's bond with his father has made him who he is in a good way. On the other hand, we are reminded about Nate's father being a dick, but also are to root for Nate in his wooing of the hostess. I'm not rooting for Nate at the moment until I see amends for his horrific behaviour.....maybe he will grow into in. I guess "yay" he didn't spit into the restaurant's mirror to make a stand, but how is his growth earned? Not seeing it. Love the show, it just seems like they aren't good for writing women on their own & basically isolating Keeley & Rebecca from main stories has just been a horrible mistake this season. It highlights the weakness here. Interesting though, is whether Jack is a Rupert or not within this storyline. I'm not sure whether we are to see Barbara as jealous or Barbara has seen this all before. I guess time will tell. Lot's to like here, so much to like, but it all just feels a half a bubble off to me. PS: on the shut up and dribble, woof, such absolute bullshit from the politician which we have all seen before & damn, I want Sam to just dribble over and over on her and crush her.

Just rewatched, after a few cocktails (so may delete in morning:)), this really is an ultimate reset episode where they take them away from home. Ted figures out how to be a coach again, Rebecca remembers what a spark with a good man looks like, team comes back together with fun, Colin finally at least knows he has support, Wil gets a mentor & is growing up, Roy/Jamie are getting healthier, Nate misses out because he's still lost, Higgins & Beard just reconfirm how totally adjusted and awesome they are in their own skin. Keeley is out of this world....for better or worse, we aren't sure yet. Now, let's see what happens when they get home for the rest of the season. Resolutions can be made on roadtrips/vacations, but then you come home to all of the issues. Ultimately doesn't matter if Rebecca gets back with boat guy, just keeps within herself a new belief....and on and on (for each character)....which is perhaps why ultimately not important they knew each others names. Acting on what you felt & discovered in that night is really the cliffhanger. Will each and everyone build on that? Even boat guy, even if we never see him again!

The timing & logistics of vote arrangement at tribal: Vote arranging.

Yep. The show lost me here. What the actual hell. Ridiculous!

Just flashed back to long ago soap General Hospital. I remember how Luke & Laura getting married was a moment & rating shattering event. And then remembered it was after him raping her. How screwed up were we way back when!!!! Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, but I was rooting for the wedding at the time. How in the hell was that ever conceived as a storyline & how on gods green earth did we see it as a love story for the ages??? Im embarrassed for younger me!

It honestly never occurred to me to be anything other than him saying there was a connection there between them that night, nothing more, until I started reading here and elsewhere about questions about his response. I cannot tell you how horrified I will be if I interpreted that wrongly. They would be romanticizing date rape in an episode where they were showing that Rebecca got her confidence back in her personal life. Horrifying! I know they played fast and loose with power imbalances and ethics last year when they wanted us to root for Rebecca and Sam together, but this would be a bridge too far (giggling now thinking about the bridge upon which they met) & just truly ruin the show for me. Please let me be right here!

I think this is a misdirect. I think editors want us to believe this is Yam Yam gunning for Heidi, but in reality, he is explaining to Carson why Carolyn feels so strongly that Danny has to go. Not sure that Carson actually wants Danny out yet, so we will see what happens.

Slightly off topic for episode thread, but rest in peace Keith Nale, original "Stick to the Plan" survivor.

Carolyn happened after their Bro-down …”I’ll see you at the merge”! Kidding! I think they perceived correctly the shot fired over the bow in taking out Matt. Honestly, YamYam might have been the better vote there for both Ratu & Soka (with perfect hindsight vision to keep the war at bay a bit longer until they built a more substantial vote block) last week to reduce number of ‘floaters’ who could wreck either side. That would have reduced Carson’s ability to work as counter agent in both of the larger tribes.

So, Jamie wasn't quite "wearing it well" at the end there!:) She amuses me, but I think she's getting a tragic edit and am just waiting for her to get her own blindside thinking her idol is real. The magic wand will ultimately fail her. How could Ratu possibly have thought with the various splits, this was going to be an easypeasy march for them. I guess they had no doubt that they had Carson, but even that being true wouldn't have given them an overwhelming undefeatable advantage like they though they had. Carolyn. What can I say....she's fantastic! I thought she looked great with the dark mudstained hair, took me a bit to think of who she reminded me of, but Maria Shriver is who came to mind. Final thought, if you follow WeRateDogs on twitter there was one today that just seemed so appropriate for Carolyn after this challenge, and I mean this is the very best possible way, down to the breed of dog ultimately revealed at end of video. Just the best! possible Carolyn doppelganger pup?

I’m going out on a limb here to say we just saw tonight why Ted/Rebecca are not end game. They have a deep personal connection that can be lasting. But they do not have the crackling sexual connection we saw tonight. Not saying boat guy is endgame, but it was the ‘lightning’ type connection that Roy told her she deserved way back in S2!

She most certainly did not. When she asked & he said no, he was responding to her implied question. When he then commented that they did to himself, it was in the more romantic version that of course last night they found chemistry, connection, electricity, whatnot between them. Is everyone not noticing the princess room that Rebecca saw, that is surely a little girl's room that represents his daughter's room from his relationship with his ex? Not knocked up, but perhaps has found a step-daughter to mother?

Well, well, well....I am so happy for the season premiere of the show I remembered! Who the hell knows what was going on in the first five episodes.....setting up spin off stories...not trusting audience.....too many rewrites at last minute? Regardless, happy to see progress & tonal quality back to what I remembered. We lost 5 episodes to the ether forever, as I can't imagine rewatching them & I'll always wonder about great storytelling we missed there. But this? This is the show I fell in love with way back when.

I thought it was a good play to have the Sheldon doesn’t understand nuances/pick up on cues as the B story to the A story reminding us how complicated George/Mary marriage is right now with each reaching out to others as they really aren’t in mesh. question for clarification: Is Mary still living at Meemaw’s and just showing up to house for kids sake? I don’t know if I missed she moved back in, but maybe she did? And I missed the cue?! Or perhaps an episode?

Because he already has a fulltime job that is beyond 9-5 and this is on top of that and only time available?

I don't believe Jeff! If she had brought the bag, they would have found it to be within the rules! I find it funny, in the Big Brother era of Survivor, that Jeff just stated a rule that will be in place going forward (although any idiot that doesn't bring their bag likely deserves it) rather than allow for maximum drama!

So, to sum up: 1. Ted's ex, in an inappropriate relationship. 2 Rebecca, in an inappropriate relationship last season w/employee. 3. Keeley, in an inappropriate relationship this season w/female investor. 4. Nate, piece of shit, gets romcom music for getting the 'reluctant hostess' in a return to the restaurant. 5. Roy/Jamie in delightful bromance, if you will. Hmmmm, sensing a pattern here..... Perhaps there will be a satisfying ending to the show, but boy howdy, I don't care anymore. Makes me sad.

I tend to agree with you that perhaps she’s better off untethered. But I do also think, if she was going to throw something, holy hell, this was the one to do it it to keep an ally!! It was 4v her! A little wobbles, shaky, especially after Matt dropped, whose the wiser?! Regardless, still love the win for her…dominated an NFL player. Odds are low an alternate universe means she wins or he wins, so nobody knows. I wanna see return Frannie (on winners season or otherwise) because I think she’s been handcuffed to ‘got no vote for two tribals’ Matt, spent lots of time protecting him & I’d like to see how she could maneuver in small tribes without that being a factor.

I hate that a fantastic win in a challenge by Frannie, outlasting 4 from the other side became a pyrrhic victory, because what an underdog story win! Then, I was thinking what a great thing for her game to be released from the Matt showmance anchor. Then she became a bit crazed in insisting Matt should be saved. Ugh. Think she was better gameplayer of the two, would have loved to see her maneuver more on her own in a different universe. She still can, so, get it together Frannie!

From a bill Lawrence interview: Lawrence says he has little to do with Season 3. He's running a new Apple TV+ show, "Shrinking," alongside star Jason Segel and writer/actor Brett Goldstein, who won an Emmy for playing cranky "Lasso" footballer Roy Kent and has writing duties on "Lasso" along with Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard.

I think for me the issue is that rather than Ted's ex just dating someone & Ted is dealing with the fallout, it is that the ex is in an ethically dicey relationship, so all the focus is now going to how she's in an inappropriate relationship & Ted is just a victim of that awfulness. Look at the comments for the last episode, it was all about how inappropriate the ex's relationship was. Totally changing the focus from the reality, as we had been shown previously, that Ted was a part of the breakup because he never did the hard work in the relationship, always just being cheery, quippy guy rather than dealing with feelings. I know nothing of the real life relationship other than folks have criticized her as unserious for now dating a singer & how could she divorce nice guy Ted Lasso (literally attributing the character to him). I also know he had her served divorce papers on stage, which seems gross, but don't know/don't care to know background for that. The thing I appreciated at the end of this episode is that after Ted actually expressed real feelings to her via his explanation of how her new relationship hurt him...she paused & there was a slight smile on her face. An indication that while they might be apart, she was happy her co-parent & someone she loves still (while no longer wanting to be married to) was showing emotional growth. It was subtle, but nice. It was very loud that her new relationship is inappropriate & very quiet in reminding us of his issues that hastened the breakup (non-existent if you had forgotten her complaints from Season 1 when she visited). I read an article a few weeks back, maybe in Vulture (I'll see if I can find it & will update here if I do), that Bill Lawrence (producer along with Jason on first 2 seasons (formerly of Scrubs, Cougar Town, currently of Shrinking) was not involved in this season, so this season is basically Sudekis's vision. I wonder if what is missing this year is a smoothing/more disciplined voice of Lawrence in the room? Who knows! I've had the concerns this season & perhaps it is me conflating real life things with things on the show, but I've not been happy with how tilted the relationship is being portrayed this year. Hope I'm wrong & he lands the ending to this story line.