Captain Asshat

They both annoyed the living snot out of me. She seemed like she was looking for a reason to be angry. At first, I agreed with her. He was not listening to her and he was talking over her. These are two hot button issues I have as well. But later, she also misinterpreted things he was saying and didn't try to listen to him explain himself. For his part? He was defensive and constantly talked over her. Then he lost me when he actually woke her up to whine about being bitten by mosquitos. I have to admit I zoned out most of the way through.

My thoughts after finally viewing this episode: Waz and Jake After they lost Sarah to the medical tap, they were able to keep going and scored some miracle crawfish. I liked their survival approach. The toughed it out, shared the chore of procuring food, and they freakin' supported each other. Did I have any doubts that Jake would finish? No. Even after Medical showed up on Day 13 to assess Jake's feet, I didn't think they'd tap him. His feet weren't happy, but they weren't horribly infected, and he had no fever. He did worry me with the ice jump, though. That could have ended badly. Gabby and Ky Loved them! They're just awesome together, and I'd watch any show with them in it. They really did what they could to keep Joe in the challenge. As much as I like Joe, he just doesn't make good decisions, specifically when it comes to hydration and rest. Gabby and Ky just kept going. Wes, Jeremiah, and Sarah They had a bit of tension, and I really did see both sides of the initial fish basket argument...until we saw how long she was taking in the subsequent episode. Wes is a really good leader when it comes to managing personalities and keeping his team motivated. I don't know anything about his company, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out it was successful. Jeremy and Trish While they didn't have much in the way of food wins, and they got along, Jeremy did the lion's share of at least trying to procure protein after they lost Rod. And, can we talk about how little they did while they allowed an injured Rod to keep working as much as he did? I expected that from Trish, but Jeremy? Come on. Only after Rod's tap, did we see Jeremy jump up and start hunting. Trish did...I dunno what, during that time. She finally fished with Jeremy a couple of days near the end. However, neither did a whole lot to shore up their "shelter". At the end, it seemed like it either didn't have a door, or the door was just off so the camera crew could get a shot of them. Jeremy is a pretty laid back and patient guy who never asked Trish to do anything and seemed happy with her stating she was keeping the fire going. Trish was her usual self, but without the abrasiveness that she exhibits when a partner actually asks her to do basic camp tasks. In short, she and Jeremy basically waited out their 14 days while complaining about the cold in a shelter that neither seemed interested in making more weather tight. The End The hike out wasn't horrible. As I watched them shed their furs, I figured they were getting warmer from a combination of their physical exertion and the temperature warming as they descended to a lower altitude. In short, I'm glad they finished, but who ordered the Lunchables to be their extraction meal? I hate that this was Jake's last challenge. I love seeing him on my screen. I guess I'll just have to continue stalking him on IG.

I'd say the "miracle food" is a staple of any NAA. No wonder Trish was talking about the possibility of a chicken just wandering through the camp -- it was wishful thinking based on previous seasons. "OMG! Look! A bird! Right there! It's not moving at ALL! Must be a sleeping Norwegian Blue. I must sneak up on it, or else VOOM! It's right out of here."

I don't know. No one does. That's a rhetorical question with absolutely no definitive answer, because 1) Steven and EJ are not women, and 2) Steven and EJ proactively went off to go fishing/hunting, and Amber stayed behind. Neither of those things were true, for the majority of the time, with Amber's previous team. What I witnessed on the show was in her first group, Amber asked them to perform routine camp tasks, since they stayed behind while she went fishing or worked on the dock. She got annoyingly passive aggressive about it, because she always had to ask. There was never an indication that she asked Trish and Jen to do those tasks, because they were women. Only that she asked them to do so, because they're basic camp tasks that were consistently not done, and Trish consistently told Amber they would not do those tasks right now. With Steven and EJ, I got the impression that Amber was simply walking the walk. Her teammates were out fishing/hunting, so she performed the tasks expected to be performed while they were out. That way, when they returned, they'd have water to drink and a fire over which to cook whatever they caught. There was no indication that Steven and EJ being men was the reason she performed those tasks. By the same token, we have absolutely no way of knowing whether she would have walked into a camp of other multi-challenge and XL female veterans that were already feeding themselves and started trying to take a leadership/mentoring position.

This. I'd also like to add that, while Steven and EJ were out, Amber proactively gathered firewood, kept the fire going, and boiled water.

So, I just saw this on Reddit, and my opinion of Amber shot way way up. She can view episodes, look back at herself, and realize she has more to learn about working with people. She is humble, reflective, and apologetic. I would be interested in seeing if either Trish or Jen have expressed themselves similarly on social media.

But Steven needed that. He was at a low point. EJ came in fresh, told Steven to take it easy for a while, and he looked for food and resources. EJ's arrival was a boost for Steven's mental well being, and I think it gave him new life. Also? I totally agree on the wish I could forget EJ's stitches.

My rambling take on why I think Amber seems so "bossy" to some people: This season started with four XL veterans, each put with two NAA XL rookies. On Day 1, each of the vets was talking about mentoring their teammates and getting/leading them to their 40 days. From Day 1, they were all acting as mentors and were having some teachable moments or were leading their respective teams. That was working out until, within the first week...Steven's team tapped, so there was no one for him to mentor. Gary tapped, so there's no one to mentor the other two guys (who were already proactively working hard on the shelter), Kaila tapped, so there was no one mentoring Dan and Jamie (who also tapped). That leaves only one veteran attempting to mentor XL rookies, one of whom is a fan who has completed only a 14-day fan challenge. In the beginning, Jen was happy to learn from Amber. Well, she was happy to learn until Trish started being a total pill over the very idea that a shelter roof was more important than taking five days to create a bed for her own comfort. So, since Episode 2 or 3, all we've seen is Amber attempting to get the other women to perform basic camp duties or to join her in other tasks. The more the XL rookies did nothing (or took on tasks that were not priorities), the more passive/aggressive Amber seemed to be about her requests. Fast forward to Day 21: By the time Matt showed up, Dan and Waz had "found each other" and were doing marginally OK with some food wins. Matt started mentoring them with the dock building and, later, with bow lessons. Dan and Waz were happy to learn from Matt and take direction from him. Neither of them ignored him. Neither of them told him they'd rather not build a dock, because they were already catching fish. They took his mentorship. The differences I see between those two camps are 1) Amber's communication style isn't as good as Matt's. I think she could stand to communicate better, and learn some conflict resolution, but she is not wrong about anything she's said or has asked for. 2) Trish doesn't like taking direction. I don't know whether her issue is taking direction from Amber or from other women in general, but she preferred to be a petulant child rather than work it out. 3) Trish sucks. In short, Amber wasn't doing anything or expecting anything the other veterans wouldn't have done or expected had they (or their team) remained in the challenge. Amber was simply the *only* veteran with someone to mentor after a week, so that's all we saw. Given Trish's reactions, viewers seemed to either agree or disagree on whether what Amber was doing was out of line with the others. Here's my speculation on Jeff's arrival: Production told him that a large number of people tapped in the first week, and "now we need you to come in and help one of the teams get to the end." He came in thinking *he* would be the mentor, and he arrived to a team that was still whole and sustaining itself, but had some personality issues. He realized he couldn't be the "Great Team Savior," because Amber was already providing for the team (and he started getting sick on his Day 1), so he worked with the Mean Girls to oust her so he could take her place. When the Mean Girls saw Mr. Great Team Savior was on their side, suddenly they were all about gathering firewood and boiling water. Well, now they have no one. I'm interested in seeing how they fare in their remaining 10 days. I kind of hope they catch a Karma Fish, which tastes like shit and actually removes calories from your body. I really wish that Amber had started catching enough fish only for herself and told Trish and Jen, "Y'all say you have everything under control, and will do things as they come, but I'm hungry. So, I am just going to go ahead and get myself some fish and make myself some breakfast. I left the lines in the water for y'all to check when you're hungry." My final nail in the "Trish Sucks" sign: Jeff left his fishing lines/hooks behind for the team, and Trish is suddenly the camp quartermaster when Amber stated a need for more line. "Well, you can have *some*." WTF was that? Suck it, Trish.

Oh, TV gods, thank you for granting my hopes so far. I will continue to hope for a total Trish/Jen failure, because Suck it, Trish. Even if they manage to make it to 40 days, I hope they’re starving and broken and, to quote Jeff, humbled.

I'm Team Amber here. After three weeks of being rebuffed by her team mates when she asks them about normal camp duties, she's being a bit more direct. I don't exactly agree with her communication style, but I don't blame her frustration level or that it's coming out the way it is now. Jeff is not happy about taking a back seat, so he's siding with Trish and Jen so he can use their numbers to "mutiny" Amber. He will then take over and ask Trish and Jen to do the exact same things Amber was asking them to do. They will do so willingly, and when he asks, because Jeff isn't Amber and is "on their side." I hope -- and I know this hope will be dashed -- that whatever Jeff's suffering from will make him tap, and the women will remain a threesome. My larger hope -- and I know this hope will be dashed -- is that Amber leaves the group and thrives (possibly with one of the other groups), Jeff taps, then Trish and Jen won't be able to finish the challenge, because they can't eat beds and signs. Sadly, I'm guessing Jeff will get the medical tent treatment he's gotten in the past, will miraculously recover, and will "lead the ladies in the way they need to be led," because he is Jeff and his ego demands that he lead.

OMG, thank you! This is not new information about blood donation. It's literally a question you must answer on the form you fill out when you donate, and has been since the 80s. At the very least, freakin' doctors should know this (but it was only Helm who seemingly didn't know, so maybe it's not surprising she didn't know). The way that scene, and the paramedic/Ben scene were played, it sounded like a really bad PSA. How many "The More You Know <shootingstar>" moments do they need on the show?

As D&D gained popularity in the early-to-mid 80s, there was a ton of pearl clutching about it. I remember articles and news magazine stories about D&D players not being able to separate reality from fantasy and how they were all going to snap and kill people. I'm fairly sure the Newsweek article someone was reading in an earlier ep was real. It's not a far leap that a small town would easily get whipped into a frenzy about it.

That dock/raft absolutely needs more work. My line of thought was that, as more survivalists randomly show up, there are more hands to build it, plus they'll know how many, at most, it will have to support. Also? There's the potential for more drama as too many "Legends" will want to engineer the thing.

I'm glad the women's team was seemingly able to work out their differences. Amber should know Jeff, right? At the very least, they should *all* know Jeff by reputation. I hope that he comes in and realizes the team needs someone to help pitch in, considering this team (blow ups aside) has been able to secure protein in the form of fish and two caiman. They don't always pull in enough fish, but that's where Jeff's contribution can help. Tasks that I see them needing immediately are: Expanding the shelter to make adequate room for a fourth. Combining Jeff's and Amber's fishing skills to feed one more mouth. I don't like the man, but he does have fishing skills. And, really, if they keep pulling in caiman and their "6 lbs of protein", they should be fine, at least until the inevitable need to leave that spot.* Utilizing Jeff's "I ate just before insertion" energy to help complete the dock/raft. *I'm wondering, though, if the women's spot will be the final merge destination, because they're creating the most significant dock, and I'm pretty sure I remember Amber saying she'd use it for her extraction on Day 60. The dock/raft looks like it would be substantial enough to carry all the survivalists leaving on Day 60. (And my guess is that the "Legends" arriving on Day 21 means they're leaving on what would be their 40 and Steven and Amber's 60 day mark). I'm happy Steven is teaming with EJ. They'll work together well, and I'll bet EJ convinces Steven to move to another site, because those resources can barely house and feed Steven, much less Steven and EJ. I'll further bet that they will not move to another independent site. They will "accidentally stumble upon" one of the other groups. Dan and Waz each have a bow that they, admittedly, could use some lessons with, and in comes Matt with his bow and skills with that bow. This should be fantastic. That said, I hope Dan's wound does not get horribly infected. That's how Matt got taken out of his first XL. If Dan's hand gets worse, and he tries to stubbornly tough it out, Matt would be the only one, given his own experience with infection, who could convince Dan to tap in that situation. I want them all to get to their respective goals, though. I really enjoy Dan and Waz.

It would be worse, so much worse. If Trish thinks Amber is telling her what to do, she would absolutely flip if Su-Zahn was there, was actually dictating tasks, and doing so as if Trish is a child.

If you are on the beach, they don’t bother you much at all. It’s behind the dunes where you might have an issue. So you sit up on the deck, and from dusk until noon, you pull out the citronella. You can also get some spray that repels mosquitos without turning the parking pad and the deck into a biohazard. lol

All I want to say is, when this season is over, I am going to visit one of Evelyn's farmers market locations. I don't think she's created anything that I haven't wanted to eat, and I can't wait to try something she's planned and cooked on her own timeline. I love that they were in Galveston. It's such an underrated coastal town, with plenty of history, and some of the most amazing fresh seafood! As soon as I saw the interior of the "ice cream place," I yelled "La King's!" Seriously, that place has all the best ice cream, milkshakes, and candy! I gained 5 lbs just watching that scene. Finally, all I could think about, as everyone was gathered outside on the ground floor, was, "I hope someone sprayed for mosquitos." Along the Gulf Coast, especially behind the grassy dunes, lurk the biggest, King Kong, bloodthirsty, painfully biting mosquitos you'll ever encounter.

My rambling thoughts: I'm totally with Amber. I didn't see her being a dictator. She rarely flat-out told Trish and Jen what to do. She usually asked in what I think was a bit passive -- "When you get a chance, could you guys..." or "I would really like us to work on the roof today" and not "You need to work on the roof today". Trish interpreted anything Amber asked as being told what to do. Trish waved off camp essential tasks (roof and firewood) in favor of "I'm doing this thing right now." She took offense at being asked to do priority essential tasks, like the roof, because they took away from spending four or five days making her Amazonian Serta and a net that wasn't even *completely* needed. I mean, Amber was having no issues finding bait and catching fish, so the net could clearly wait at least a little bit. In last night's episode, Amber continued working on getting materials for the dock (after a needed rest). Trish and Jen, who started working on that project with her, would not return with her to finish the job, because...net? Amber seemed a little irked about that, so she asked if they'd get some firewood, when they got a chance, while she was finishing the tree tasks. Trish said something like, "When we see it, we'll get it," as if wood would be wandering through their camp. Gathering wood is a proactive task, and it's a necessary survival task. The net? Not so much right now, as mentioned above. Amber sounded frustrated, and I don't blame her. Trish is purposely waving off Amber's requests, because she doesn't like the way Amber communicates. Fine. Differences in communication style happen, but they can be worked out if someone initiates a conversation about it. Rather than try to work it out, though, Trish just flat-out refused to do anything but the secondary tasks she's decided to take on for herself, and then she tells the camera how she feels about the way Amber communicates. Suck it, Trish. It's day 11. If you have a problem with Amber and how she communicates, be a grownup talk it out with her. Communication is a two-way street. Why did Jen need to help with the net? She could very well have taken care of firewood and cordage, and it would a fair division of labor -- Amber was finishing up with the trees, and Trish was making her crappy net. The only things left were firewood and cordage, both of which were needed, and Jen could have taken on those tasks. At one point Amber asked if either of them could fish, because she was exhausted after the physical labor involved in her tasks. Neither Jen nor Trish would do so. Amber went ahead and went fishing. I hope she ate all of the one fish she caught. Yep, she was a bit passive-aggressive when she returned with the fish. I'm not saying I agree with that, but I understand where it came from. Speaking of fish, have we seen anyone other than Amber bring fish back to camp? I think the others have brought back small things they've foraged, but I can't remember. As for being the leader? I have a feeling that production told each of the "Legends" on each team that they'd be "mentoring" the other two members of their teams, due to their respective N&A experience. For example, Steven, Amber, and Gary all had THs in which they talked about teaching the other members of their teams this or that or the other things. This is *not* strictly an Amber thing. As a matter of fact, she's given her teammates props for being badasses in their own rights. I don't think what she's asking of the other two members of her team is outrageous, especially in comparison with the tasks they decided to take on. Those tasks - bed and net - are fine, but they're not survival priorities. Trish's bed could wait, as she clearly had a sleeping surface already. Working to waterproof the roof would have taken a day or so, and Trish could return to her bed project after helping to assure they had a dry shelter. They are taking on a challenge in an environment that literally has "rain" in its name. The shelter roof should have taken priority over refining a bed and making a net that is not their primary method for catching fish. The roof should not be worked on nearly two weeks into the challenge. As a matter of fact, if they'd have taken care of the roof in the first couple of days, they'd have a dry shelter, and Trish could continue working on her bed and net afterward.

Ah. Well, clearly things have changed since the move. Mea culpa.

I'm pretty sure they shopped at The Houston Farmers Market only for the Quickfire Challenge, and they shopped at Whole Foods for the Elimination Challenge. I don't think the QF and EC themes are necessarily related either. I think the QF was all about fajitas and the EC was about making "space food." I could be wrong on that, though. Here's my Houston pride showing (and I'm lightheartedly clutching my pearls here): Produce at the Houston Farmers Market is not from a huge distribution center and is absolutely not from China. It is one of the oldest farmers markets in Houston. I'm old, and this market has been around longer than I've been alive. 😁 It used to be located behind a Mexican market (RIP Canino's) not far from where it's currently located, whose back door opened to the farmers market stalls into which local farmers literally backed their pickups and sold produce from the beds of the trucks. It was that way until a couple of years ago when the market moved and reopened as this stylized location nearby. I can speak only for the produce -- the market now features so much more -- but the produce is definitely local. Personally, I have no problem with different takes on fajitas. The Houston food scene includes more than a few fusion restaurants that combine traditional dishes from different styles and cultures. Fajitas really do lend themselves to playing fast and loose with the "rules." I mean, it's Top Chef, I kind of expect this kind of "messing with tradition" to create something new and delicious, while still paying homage to the original cuisine.

I have to say that I freakin' love Evelyn, and not just because she's a hometown girl. I love her attitude, her spin on food, and just her passion. This episode is one of the few times I wish I could taste a dish! I live about a mile from Freedmen's Town, and while the area's been heavily gentrified over the years, I absolutely love that so much love has been put into preserving the history of a number of the homes and the brick streets. The walking tour really underscored that! In the case of the brick streets, a few of them were recently discovered when the city was doing some kind of drainage maintenance. When they pulled up streets that had been laid over the brick, they discovered the brick. The Freedmen's Town Conservancy worked to preserve the bricks. Another local observation: The restaurant that served the cheftestants lunch, This is It, is an amazing local soul food restaurant that's been serving the community for years. ETA: I literally just read the other day that one of the area homes is in danger of being demolished. The Conservancy has a fundraiser going to purchase the home and turn it into affordable housing. I hope they meet the goal, because as this episode demonstrated, that history needs to be preserved. And, no...I have no connection to the Conservancy at all. I'm just a local who hates seeing local history replaced. Also? Sorry if any of my local commentary is too off topic. I'm happy to edit it out warned to do so.

We finally caught up on three episodes last night. Whew! I haven't watched TC in years, but I tuned in to this season, because I'm a native Houstonian. I absolutely love seeing my city showcased, and I'm so glad to see them showing the positives, including all the local chefs who make incredible food here. I keep watching for people and places. In the RW episode, I noticed that they staged it back at The POST, which is where they staged the Night Market episode. The POST is an awesome venue of creative spaces, food court and other kiosks, and the open area where RW took place. The place gets its name, because it used to the main Houston post office and, in some areas, you can see remnants of its previous incarnation. If you noticed one of the restaurant patrons wearing a cowboy hat and shirt? That's Gonzo247, one of Houston's best known street artists. He runs Aerosol Warfare, which promotes street art as a valid art form, and he's behind a number of murals in Houston. Since he created all the graffiti style artwork in the TC set, I'm surprised the show didn't identify him. I'm a huge fan of street art, so I was geeking out when I saw him.

Hmm. I had the impression that he didn't realize that tree was the poison sap tree until he had the issue. Otherwise, WTF did he think it would be a good idea to use a tree with poisonous sap to make a sleeping platform? I am pretty neutral on Gary. I neither like nor dislike him. I think he is just one of those people who goes OTT to be the center of attention, regardless of whether it's on or off camera. I've had friends like this, and I need to take them in small doses, because they are exhausting otherwise. I'm sure Gary has survival chops. We've seen some of them, but it seems like his desire to be Mr. Lookatme steers his tendency to make really bad decisions and, in a couple of instances, cause friction with teammates who don't want to play along or eat the rancid meat he's brought back to camp.

What I want to know, poisonous tree sap aside, is why he was chopping the tree down by chopping the trunk at a point above his head. I mean, even without that sap issue, that opens up the possibility of bark chips or anything else falling on his face/into his eyes. Is there a valid reason for him to be doing so?* *"Valid" refers to real-world validity, not "Gary Logic."