Way Wes Jr

Late to the party, but I want to snark, dammit! Considering how Jason was treating Steve, I choose to view this as intentional, though subtle, shade. But it is, in its own way, an example of stellar - real life - game play.

There are huge, underutilized, convention spaces in most major metropolises. You might not be able to create the linear track the city qualifiers and finals currently use, but (functionally,) a zig zag or "C" shape wouldn't be any different for the competitors. (And it's not as if fans at the start of the course have a great view of the finish anyhow.)

Jessie Graff doesn't need a wc, she qualified as #6/15 in the Venice Finals. Meagan is almost guaranteed a wc, making the City Finals this year, and passing the Spider Climb at Vegas last year. Kacy is 50/50 to receive a wc - just for the notoriety alone.

I am guessing that Witch Doctor was hoping that their drum spinner could (possibly?) help with self righting. That being said, everyone above is 100% right, every bot needs to have some sort of self righting strategy - I was shocked by the number this season that didn't.

For women, the answer seems to be: an ex-gymnast rock climber. (Or stuntperson, but still...) But there just aren't as many male ex-gymnasts out there - the pool isn't as deep as it is for the women. And there aren't really that many sports/activities that male athletes are funneled into that give the body control and balance training of gymnastics. An ex-pole vaulting rock climber who runs parkour on the side? Circus folk? Maybe that's why the guy from Hawai'i did as well as he did. (Surfing/ cliff diving/ cliff climbing if we're to believe his promo package and infer where necessary.)

This was by far and away the biggest shock for me this episode. They're supposed to be starved of human contact! Haven't there been seasons when the hamsters have semi-freaked out because they've spotted a PA or camera person that they weren't supposed to see?

They said, "Yes," when asked, and, they were the only ones to say, "Yes," when asked. What? You don't think there is a Jeff Probst "takeover" slotted for sometime later in the season? [When was the S30 finale? Has it been (39 days + 10 for whatever,) 49 days yet? Somebody set up Probst-watch in LA, so we can know when to expect him to appear on a Thursday - especially if production's favorite looks to be in trouble...]

We have had thunderstorms/ tornado watches for the last four Mondays in a row. My terrestrial antenna does not care for the nasty weather, and I lose reception. Except for the week when there were tornadoes in "Greater Chicagoland," and they pre-empted the show about halfway in. Luckily, this week saw minimal glitching. I was surprised by how few competitors made (any) adjustments to the hourglasss drop, especially in the first hour. If that ladder is replacing the spider climb for all the cities, ..., expect very few finishers, that looks brutal.

Oh no, there are four matches total - I had given my predictions for those two matches a few posts above, to wit: For #4 Bronco vs. #5 Stinger, and, For #2 Ice Wave vs. #10 Ghost Raptor

And of course, Thunderstorms are being predicted for tonight... grr...

An all Knock-out episode, that was unexpected. If I took one thing away from this episode, it was that having exposed wheels, especially ones that can be punctured, is b-a-d. #1 Tombstone (W KO) vs. #16 RadioActive. Let’s have an edit debate. I understand, that during competition, almost everyone engages in an amount of “trash talking.” Is Ray Billings being edited to be the villain of the season? ‘Cause I’m beginning to want to root against Tombstone at this point. #8 Overdrive vs. #9 Witch Doctor (W KO) If it is possible to be right in being wrong, I nailed this one. Overdrive was too fast for its own good, and while the tires weren’t hit ‘til late, Witch Doctor was planning on attacking them. WD’s drum spinner managed one good hit, (and then seemed to have trouble spinning up again,) and the driving for WD was improved over their match with Bronco. [Which wasn’t “bad” to begin with.] #3 Bite Force (W KO) vs. #14 Hypershock I still don’t get Hypershock’s seed. If they were dropped because of their mechanical issues, why wasn’t Ghost Raptor dropped for its? Anyhow, another drum spinner gets off a good hit, and never spins up again. I’m glad the rounds are three minutes, as it allowed Bite Force to get the win. [Perhaps the “seeding committee” knew that Hypershock was “put together with baling wire, duct tape, and chewing gum.”] :) #6 Lockjaw vs. #11 Overhaul (W KO) I want to give Overhaul credit for making their pincher come down with more force. They were lucky enough to puncture one of Lockjaw’s tires, and use that as their clamp in order to neutralize Lockjaw. Looking forward to next week’s Quarterfinals: #1 Tombstone vs. #9 Witch Doctor I’ll predict a Tombstone knock out, because that seems like the obvious result. It all comes down to driving skill: Can Witch Doctor stay behind of Tombstone? #3 Bite Force vs. #11 Overhaul I’ll go against the chalk and pick Overhaul. Bite Force took a pretty good hit from Hypershock’s drum, and Overhaul looked to not take any appreciable damage against Lockjaw.

I like ClamShell so much better than "Slay." I personally get tired of portmanteau attempts to describe pairs, (especially lazy and offensive ones like the Julia/Liz one,) but when there's a bit of creativity ... thumbs up. Because, sometimes giving a "thumbs up," isn't enough to say, "You are so right!" Peach has already covered this, but if production was going to attempt this particular tin-foil favorite, this'd be the week to do it. (Judd D. has admitted that he checked the bag after a draw. I don't think Jeff is bright enough/ paranoid enough to think to check.) In the non-t-f hat division, the DR is sure to encourage a Jeff back-door and eviction, just to put out the fire.

In my post above, i said, “went as expected,” a few times - easy to say after the episode has aired. So, I’ll post predictions for Sunday’s episode. #1 Tombstone over #16 RadioActive. I’ll go with a quick knockout here ~30 seconds. #8 Overdrive over #9 Witch Doctor Judges decision? I don’t feel very confident on this one - Wait, wait, Hulu has some of the Qualifying Round fights we got shortchanged on? Let’s watch Overdrive’s win over Chomp #8 Overdrive over #9 Witch Doctor Late knock-out or Judge’s Decision. Have to go with the veteran driver here. (Overdrive may actually be too fast, though.) Witch Doctor’s best bet is to go after those big tires of Overdrive. #3 Bite Force over #14 Hypershock Judge’s Decision. I still don’t understand why Hypershock is seeded so low. I mean, I personally don’t think Vertical Spinners are the way to go, but the “seeding committee,” put Witch Doctor (a Qualifying loser,) and Plan X above Hypershock - so that isn’t it... #6 Lock Jaw over #11 Overhaul Judge’s Decision (again!) I think this will be a more clear cut decision this time. (Or, that’s just my personal feelings intruding, the MIT kids came off as entitled whiners to me in the first match.) ETA: Strikethrough. Because I can!

The second episode was too jam packed, (or poorly paced,) to do the same kind of review I did for the first. Oh well. So first, some observations on the bracket... Wild Cards: Witch Doctor isn’t a bad “wild card” pick, but a nine seed? A lot of winners seeded behind this choice. Warhead probably was the best choice of the English contingent to get the wc, and a twelve seems right. Chomp seems like the least deserving ‘bot to get a wc. Overhaul definitely deserved a wild card, but it seems completely rigged that their seed, and Lock-Jaw’s, just happened to align for a rematch. Finally, Complete Control should have received a wild card, (if not the win over Ghost Raptor,) at the expense of either Warhead or Chomp. The top four seeds are the ‘bots I would have chosen, but I do not understand the inclusion of Hypershock in the bottom four - if anything it looks like a bigger (no mini-bot) version of Witch Doctor, who lost their match and got a nine seed! And I was surprised Ghost Raptor was seeded as high as it was with its main weapon broken. #5 Stinger (W 3-0) vs. #12 Warhead This played out as I expected. I thought that the (relative) novicity of Team Stinger showed, as they put on a great show, but had a couple of opportunities where I think they could have backed up, and given the referee a chance to count out Warhead. Stingers driving control is also a little suspect, again due to a lack of experience. The picture of Stinger shows lifting arms, but it has competed as a wedge/ pusher in both matches so far. #4 Bronco (W KO) vs #13 Plan X This also played out as expected, with Bronco avoiding the reactive armor of Plan X’s sides while also avoiding the vertical spinner at the front. Son of Toro looks awesome. Quarter-final prediction: Bronco in a KO. #2 Ice Wave (W KO) vs #15 Chomp My daughter was hoping Chomp's flame thrower would have an effect upon the gasoline powering Ice Wave’s spinner, but alas, the match went completely as expected. #7 Warrior Clan vs #10 Ghost Raptor (W KO) Ghost Raptor drove an excellent match. The jury-rigged lifter didn’t really come into play, and it was about as good a match a pushbot could hope to have. Warrior Clan’s spinner died early in the match, and they weren’t able to maneuver their lifter/flipper under Ghost Raptor. (Remember WC’s first round match wasn’t won by their spinner, but by flipping Nightmare on its side.) Quarter-final prediction: Ice Wave, probably by KO. (I think they lucked out here, Warrior Clan looked low enough to be under Ice Wave’s blade. IW’s front wedge also looks lower than GR’s, allowing for the “lift and thwack.”)

I think the movie/tv show stuff is just a framing device to create a theme for each week's "takeover."

While I don't think the I-beams were an unfair obstacle, I do think that being right after the Monkey Pegs didn't do anyone's grip strength, (or arm strength in general,) any favors. Also, the paucity of rock climbers in this contestant group shows up here as well - the Kansas City qualifiers (Wolfpack, Meagan Martin,) would have done well on this course.

Ancient history, by live feed standards, but regarding the Prom talent show: Remove a comma, and you've pretty much described Austin's skill set, no?

So when we start advance stat-ing the obstacles, will "kill rate" be a more accurate stat than "kill count," even though the casual fans and announcers will prattle on and on about KC? ;)

Dad Winchester? That seems ... odd?

I'm guessing Jason and James got along well in their short co-HoH stint. James nominates Jackie and Steve, Jason nominates Becky and John ... that doesn't look like one team should have an edge over the other in a BotB competition, does it? </sarcasm>

Day two, again watching on CBS.com, so “notes while watching time.” Liz - Why, exactly, are you worried about jealous girls? Jason - A little over-the-top. Okay, more than a little. Vanessa - Shallow note: I can’t wait for the “hair-bump,” to disappear. * John - Brash, too high energy? Becky - Bland start. Steve - At least he’s self-deprecating? Jackie - This is the show she should have been cast for in the first place. Jeff - I thought he was dull on AR. * I have a feeling the Vanessa is interested in protecting her "brand," and the bump-it is part of her visual image. That being said, if she doesn't want to be recognized in the house, there are two things she needs to do appearance-wise: lose the bump-it, and NEVER wear a ballcap&sunglasses. How long before she goes 0/2? Poor, poor, Phil for having to do this show. Really, the two poker folk are the two to sit out the first HoH comp? A brute strength competition? That doesn’t favor anyone, <cough>Jeff<cough>... Well that could prove to be a dumb decision. I have to wonder if all the ropes were pulling at the same strength... The “second day” players really got the short shrift on screentime - I hope there aren’t any “America’s Choice,” type things for a couple of weeks, to even out the playing field. A really boring episode. Part of this could be the need to stuff so much into the second episode. But, yeah, I noticed this also, and it does seem odd. "Don't hate the player, hate the game." (A phrase I detest, but it seems apropos.) But seriously, the PA's and producer's are going to keep her in the Diary Room until she gives them the material they want. Hopefully it won't crush her soul. The Twin Twist is only supposed to be revealed if they make it to week five, and the clips we saw were just from the last week. Perhaps The clips went by too fast for me to be sure, and I'm not going back to check. If are the twins, I just can't see them pulling it off - identical or not, I'm able to tell them apart from what I've seen so far. It's possible the show is saving Da'vonne's DR, "I know who she is," for Sunday, when they'll have more time. (Again, this episode was boring and rushed at the same time.) As for the WSOP, I can totally see Vanessa weighing the options: If she's eliminated pre-jury, she'll be able to compete in virtually all the important WSoP tournaments she wants to, (and shark the suckers at the cash games if she wants too,) BUT if she makes the jury phase, you'd have to like her chances of winning the whole thing. (And with endorsement money not being what it used to be, she probably isn't missing out too much by missing the WSoP on that front either.)

Going completely off-topic here, but I must.

Thank you Quilt Fairy, I knew Esquire was re-showing the episodes, but they are requiring one to be a cable subscriber to watch online. Until a la carte Cable becomes a thing, we've elected to "cut the cord." (And with HBO Go now existing, lets just say I don't fully understand the Pay Wall decisions that are being made by the various networks. (Except for those owned by cable companies (NBC family,) that I understand, and just don't like.))

I hated that twist, though I loved watching Jun and Jee seethingly loath each other all summer, but surprisingly I wouldn't mind seeing it return this season. (Which is going to be all cluster-twisty anyway.) Better Exes than another set of "Secret Siblings."

Watching the day after - so I’m going to “stream of consciousness,” this episode. --- James - comes across as fairly typical, (reality show casting version,) Southern dude. Meg - Ex-Survivor Andrea was almost in every shot of Meg’s video. Did she turn casting down? I didn’t watch the pre-show interviews, I now see what people were referring to re: annoying! Jace - Cali surfer/ skater/ stoner. I predicted his younger brother would win the last season of The Voice. Audrey - Arguably the most attractive female cast member this season, and she’s trans. Casting has had to have had her lined up ahead of time. Austin - Least useful Master’s degree on the planet. Unless you plan on being a Professor of Medieval Romance literature someday. Da’vonne - No real impression, she knows the lingo. She does seem to know the game as well. Clay - Wants a modelling contract Shelli - No real impression here either. They'll make the perfect invisible showmance. Ah editing, trying to get my hopes up by showing a potential female alliance while the guys are talking workout routines. Not even going to fool me once. (But I am really hoping that they recruit Vanessa and form some version of, “the Fem Four,” alliance.) Battle of the Block was NOT, and is NOT, a Fan Favorite. Not a surprise, but not a favorite. Why isn’t Jace being told not to balance himself on the ball receptacle? They have in previous seasons. “Seeing double?,” subtle, Julie, sub-tle. So, are the “fitness twins,” on call to be the Week Five Takeover guests to do the reveal? --- I don’t “hate” anyone yet, that usually takes a week or two of reading live feed recaps, but I am rooting for Meg to be sent home first out of this batch. (And James? She looks nothing like Taylor Swift.) Okay 14 guests + twin + (speculation) a Coach would make 16, right? Agree to disagree, it may have been a somewhat unfair advantage, but no one has to tell their fellow contestants anything about themselves. If Derrick had revealed, (or the show had managed to do it to him,) it may have actually put a target on his back ... and ... Can we time-travel and see if revealing Derrick's true career makes last season any better, especially if they boot him early? Vanessa and Da'Vonne seriously need to keep their professions under wraps; Vanessa, at least, has a career based on reading and manipulating people. Yeah, the traditional Sunday competition (Food, Have/Have-Not,) never really added to the drama in the house. But now they have "game" related comps every episode: Sun.-BotB, Wed.-Veto, Thurs.-HoH. This used to be my favorite complaint about Survivor as well. But, I don't think you can take all of these first day alliances as set in stone. After all, "If someone asks if you want to be in an alliance, you. Say. Yes." (I forget who I'm quoting, but I know it has been said.)