North of Eden

Sai being ungrateful to Cedric after he saves her...who da thunk it?! I do with Mary and Sai had wound up on a new tribe together just to see if their détente was genuine or not. So happy for Mary NOT having to go to a tribal finally. Don't care the other two were spared. Thomas was my least favorite player slightly ahead of female fire Lt and tattoo arm sleeve girl so this episode was made for me. I was so worried that whole build up to K& K's plan was just going to have no pay off. I was mildly shocked when they showed Shahuin actually writing down Kyle's name kind of tipping the hand that it was going to work after all. Just glad it did. Eva's relationship for Joe seems suspiciously shallow as soon as she had a new piece of beefcake to latch onto....and yet somehow, I found her more endearing tonight than all the previous episodes before so I kind of hope her and David's pairing pushes forward.

Maybe its just me but if I am 15 attempts behind I would not be wasting time hugging my partner or daughter in a pity fest. That was a time to get cracking and who knows it might have saved the father daughter against the siblings if they hadn't bled time like that. Too bad I liked them. They were barely on last weeks show and now they are gone.

Day behind-just watched now and all I can say is.... Ugh, just ugh the Sai lives to bitch, whine and complain another day. Cedric I want to like but Jeez-Louise! Justin I do have to throw a little shade on...he shouldn't have lied to Cedric which set it all in the motion. Mary was awesome with her head games and Sai was sounded so stupid, "See, see I told you!" No you told them that she had an idol. Finally David...run...run as far away from the 38 year old gold digger as you can. You don't need someone if they only want to be with you for your money.

I feel like in general brother/ sister teams don't make it too far. Was it last season or the season before such a team was first out?

Welcome back RACE! It was a good premier...until it wasn't. My issue was the similarity of the tasks at the fork in the road. They should have been polar opposite...like one for the singing and another for hauling a load of bricks across town in a wheelbarrow. Plus having people we don't even know yet buried under makeup and huge costumes doesn't help to try and learn who they are. Literally in the last four minutes of the race to the pit stop there was a lost mother and daughter team and I was like....where did they come from? Also because I am contractually obligated each season I must rag on confessionals from after the pitstop. Its the same complaint I have every year. The demeanor of Team Purple told me they were out and that was before they got so far behind with the "steps-phobia". What's with not going all the way to the top of The Budda? It was too bad for John and Anna for losing their huge lead but I've never seen a second place winner as glum as Johnathan. Team Green Gamers I fear are going to be taxing because one of them is a "On 24/7 " personality and its a bit much. Pops didn't say a darn word the whole episode but I love 'em. Hope he and his son go along way....I'm in awe how fit he is for 64. Sorry the sisters went so early. Mom didn't get to have adventures around the world and alas neither did her daughters. And the aging firefighters I would have liked to have seen more of. I would have traded both teams first out to get rid of Octo-Mom or Brett and his man because I feel like they might dominate with their physicality. Spiderman couldn't' have scaled that tower faster. Glad to have been wrong about one thing....as soon as I saw Holden an Han I was like "first out" Ending on a positive note the Santa Monica mountains were an absolutely gorgeous backdrop to start the race with.

Rarely ever do I get moved by a boot but I really felt bad for Kevin. You could see how terribly hurt he was...dreaming all these years about playing only to go home on the second vote. It does explain why the premier was a Kevin-fest though as they knew they weren't going to have him for very long. So that leads me to... Sai. What nasty player she is. I knew she would throw a hissy when she believed she"won" the right to go to Extra Advantage Island. So predictable. I want to like Cedric so bad but his devotion to Sai really torpedoed the best chance to get rid of her. How the heck are they going to win another challenge when Sai and Mary don't like each other? I doubt they can pull it together. Okay Star. Easily one of the worst players ever. The way she told everyone was ridiculous and as soon as I she did that, I knew sabotage would immediately be on the table. Personally, I feel these cannister idols are a misfire when so far, the actual finder would still be fiddling with it to this day if they didn't have someone helping them. It feels UNEARNED. Quick notes: Jeff was trying to revive the glory of his ill-fated talk show when questioning Mitch. You can draw a straight line from the 90-minute run time to inane filler like the bizarre body parts segment. I was getting antsy and wondering what am I watching? Extra Advantage Island feels played out at this point...time to consign it to the dustbin of history along with Exile Island. Ending on a positive note I noticed for the first time the new vaguely sinister looking shot of Probst in the opening and got a kick out of it.

Wayyyy late to the party on this one but I had to chime in. The Flint Michigan story left me dumbfounded that those people would come on and try and garner sympathy. They were horrid well mostly Amber. I would 100 percent believe that hot head accidently struck her friend with that bat because she proved herself out of control multiple times. I'm sorry the young man died but I feel more sorry for Kenny. I finally understand how these things happen. We had noise makers and their kids running wild in the street of our formerly quiet neighborhood just when I finally got a deck built. They were literally ruining the peace-thank god they got evicted. Anyway back to Flint...that was a family of bad apples.

Yep! Anyone remember Ethan running like a Looney Tunes character in front of a GINORMOUS ball of wood Season 3? Time to bring back variety-and yes to the Gross Food challenge. That challenge is fundamental DNA to the very essence of what made this show great early on.

You know you are in trouble when you are stealing from BIG BROTHER with the shots of people being told they have been selected to be on the show.

First episodes are always harder to post about with most people nothing but cyphers (especially when you cover them in mud for the first half hour making them impossible to tell about.) Fortunately, there are a few people who can stand out enough good or bad to post about. Sai is Godawful obnoxious. Her big mouth flapping during the puzzle challenge could be heard all the way to the mainland. Playing too hard, too fast and completely unlikable. I was happy when they were flirting with the idea of putting her out first but.... Big Bird (that's what I was calling Steph in the first five minutes on the beach when she was towering over everyone with her blond locks) I figured was dead woman walking from her first confessional when she said she was just going to sit back on her hands...yeah you can't play too hard but you can't play too soft either. She was doomed and now Mary by extension. I do like Cedric though. Calm, cool and collected. Exactly who I would want operating on me if I ever needed something. I hope he can get to the merge and then move on from Sai. Thick beard guy also bugs. Shahim? Whatever...don't like him. Please let this be the last week we hear about the autism. We don't need to be beat over the head with it weel after week. I question the wisdom of sending someone crying like a baby two minutes into the first Challege about their shoulder to win you the flint but thanks to Kyle's accident with the glass we will never know for sure how that would have ended. (Great challenge by the way and the glass breaking was a truly unexpected twist). Speaking of twists....I dare you....no I double dog dare you producers....give us a voting choice that restricts it to one...just ONE hidden immunity idol for season 50-actually making the idol special again.

I generally don't like mob stories so I'll move onto the subplot...what I liked most of all was seeing Flower---who showed while putting together the room switch plot that she could have been a talented and savvy lawyer if her fiancé hadn't come down with a case of LOVE STORY and died propelling her into the cult. Girl had potential! It's kind of sad.

That would be sad if the end was nigh. It wouldn't be the same without The show. I know we like to complain During the season But it's all part of the fun.

In the spirit of the season: "Teacher says every time Jeff says only four women have ever won four individual immunities an angel gets its wings" Thank you ZuZu and yes Jeff we heard you the first time! As for the episode some quick observations: Someone check Teeny's string to make sure it really wasn't disguised wire. How it could not burn in the middle of an inferno does not add up. I thought last episode it was foolish not to boot Andy because Sam was more likely to get votes. I'm glad he didn't or the season would have been cringe. Its been clear for weeks now Rachel had it in the bag if she got to the end. Its funny I hated her first episode as I thought she was a mean girl but in the end was cheering her on. Andy name droppig past SURVIVORS is why I gave up ROB HAS A PODCAST. I got tired of Rob and Steven name dropping people that we are supposed to remember who they are out of 700 contestants. Did Geneve speak in the jury cross exam? I must have missed it. Guess I'm in the minority but I don't think Sam gave a good tribal at all. It was embarassing his attempts to downplay and undercut Rachel's clear victories and prowess. I was a Sue fan from episode one so good on her for making it to the end. She was never going to win but she wasn't dragged along either....she gave some good performances in challenges despite what Kyle wants to say. Jeff was just shining Teeny...she had a near psychotic break over Sam not taking her to the challenge a couple episodes ago making her appear unhinged. Who knew moving desks around was a high school goal these days. Well that's it for these guys....I got to say based on the previews Season 48 may boast one of the most unattractives casts in the shows history.

Having started the thread, I should close my own circle and give a comment. It started off strong but became a slog with the repetitiveness. Would have great benefited from a 60-minute run time. All complaining aside it redeemed itself in the final episode when out of nowhere there came a Tribal Council (I'd swear I heard strains of the Survivor theme in the soundtrack) but anyway....yeah I was so excited that people were going to get called out. It was a nice way to end it and good to see everyone back including the would be villain of the season Swetka who got booted so early. I was happy with either Punkin or Nick winning...just not Therron. His over the top drama all season was grating. A season two? I don't know. Could be one and done. But if they come back more varied tasks are a must. Now please bring on....THE AMAZING RACE!

I grew up less than 30 minutes from Fort Ticonderoga one of our areas biggest tourist attractions so I was very excited when they said they were going there. I was was interested in seeing their version of the fort. I didn't of course resemble the real fort but was an adequate stand in but I was at least expecting some aerial stock footage of the real fort before cutting to the ground. They did nail the re-enactors roaming the fort though (except for modern foot wear LOL). One would think Jay and Sam would replace the stone as to not alert officials at the fort there was a robbery possibly taking place at worst and vandalism at best. I kid you not but in Lake Champlain (just off the fort and not shown in the episode) if a diver takes a centuries old cannonball that has been lying on the bottom unseen for centuries they will be charged with a crime. That's how serious they take it. I love the show but the one thing I wish theyh would do that old shows like NEWHART did was have the seasons appear in the episode as it should be winter outside the B & B but then I guess you couldn't have done the whole Fort Ti thing. As for the rest of the episode I was wondering if the authenticator with all his gear would have detected the modern ink but we never even got that far. That was brilliant making him look like a basement ghost. Not really feeling the whole snail subplot as we've had episodes before that show Trevor really was a sweet guy underneath his whole Wolf of Wall street persona. Is Pete's ex-wife still on the grounds? I don't understand introducing her and then she's nowhere to be seen for months.