S32.E09: It's Psychological Warfare

[kikaha]

I don't know if the sabotage had anything to do with it, but the women's alliance proceeded to turn immediately on one of its own.  i.e. Scot, Jason and Tai got exactly what they wanted.  It's interesting that none of the women suspected Tai of dousing the fire.

 

If Scot and Jason are smart, they'll snag Joe to their side -- he must be royally pissed with the women for booting Debbie.  By managing Tai and Julia properly, they could quickly bounce Michelle, Cydney and Aubry (depending on immunity wins). 

 

I kind of think their arrogance will get the better of them, though, as it did the previous episode. 

[scowl]

Julia, Julia, Julia...see Cagayan Sarah to see what the arrogance of assuming you have power because you're the swing vote gets you.

 

Or years before that, Vanuatu Dolly. Nobody likes the swing vote.

[henripootel]

The fact that it was scrapped for Second Chances, TPTB probably thought it was a dud, much like the Medallion of Power was.

Or it was a dud because it'll never actually get played, not because it'll make no difference.  The Medallion of Power got used at least but it didn't have a large impact.  Tony the Cop used his super-HII as a ticket to the final 3 by not playing it.  Tai's idol has the same power and is similar unassailable, unless you can get everyone in your group to potentially sacrifice themselves in order to flush it out.  Here's my prediction: Tai just got handed a million dollars. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by henripootel

[ForeverAlone]

If Julia thinks she can win by closely aligning with the asshole men, she should probably ask Parvati how that strategy worked for her on Heroes vs Villains. And Parvati played a stronger game than Julia. 

 

 

And while I intellectually understand why Aubry  targeted Debbie (she blindly trusted Julia and was sharing all their plans with her, putting them all in danger), voting her out is the precise way minority alliances are able to break majority alliances. They exploit cracks in majorities. Only in this case, the douchebags didn't have to do anything to get the women to turn on each other; they were more than happy to do it themselves. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by ForeverAlone

[candall]

The girls should have voted out Joe for being so inflexible all the time. Jeez, does he realize only one person wins the game and the most loyal doesn't win. 

This way the girls would still outnumber the men.

I think Joe sees it as putting his word above gameplay.  Survivor does not write checks for the "no backstabbing," er, strategist, but I still kind of love him for it.

[green]

I'm so disappointed in Tai.  He could have easily joined with Michelle and Julia and kept some semblance of the beauty alliance.  Why go with these two jerks?  They are nasty people, and from what we have seen on the show, he is not.

 

Save your disappointment for the Beauty Women since they never were allied with Tai.  They were planning to get rid of him.  There never was a "Beauty Alliance" other than the three Beauty women.  They didn't want him.  He only survived their voting him out because of the tribal swap.  Had they asked him earlier he would have gladly joined them.  They didn't ask and Scot did.  It is on them, not Tai.

[yamashinaryu]

How I wish Joe and Debbie joined the Scott, Tai and Jason. Strange season, in an instant I am rooting for the three guys. All of these women suddenly became evil in my eyes. Joe is non-existent. So yeah. 

 

If only Scott, Tai and Jason saved Debbie. That would have been a delicious exit for Cydney. 

[millennium]

Yes! I've been saying all season that Tai is a creep! Ha! Vindication is SWEET!

 

Me too, although I believe I said he's a worm.

[SnarkKitty]

That was a squeaker! But now Cydney has to beware the next vote. I did think it was very cute when she was interviewing about Julia telling everything and she called Debbie "Miss Debbie," in a very respectful southern way.

 

The women aren't stupid (other than voting Debbie out, 'cause ... 5. I get the whole "she's telling Julia everything, thing..." but then you just don't. tell. Debbie.) They know Julia's vote was nothing about voting with them, and everything about not voting out one of the guys.

 

Tai. What a disappointment. Say what you will about Sandra Diaz-Twine (Greatest Survivor Player Ever!), she never pretended like she cared about every little living being before crushing their food (or heat/cooking) source. 

[millennium]

Never liked them, but Tai is the biggest asshole of the season now. At least Scot carried out his sabotage in the open. Tai doesn't even have the balls for that. I haven't liked him in a while, but I really despise him even more than his big boy friends at this point. Not sure how putting out the fire and hiding the tools is "just playing the game". It's actually being a petty asshole who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Having an alliance with odious people is one thing. Destroying the ability to get food and water because a vote didn't go your way is showing yourself to be trash. It isn't game play. Tai, Kyle and Scot deserve each other.

As for Debbie? I won't miss her, since I never liked her, either. Glad Cydney is still around.

 

All of this.    I hate Tai's "meek little me" act, like it absolves him of all responsibility to think for himself because he's just too small and frail and precious. 

 

But Debbie had to go.   She was infatuated with Julia.   I don't know if it was a crush or if Julia had become her Survivor surrogate daughter, but something was happening there.   You could see it not only in her staunch refusal to merely consider voting Julia, but also in the way her eyes followed Julia everywhere.

 

It was very difficult to watch the Scott and Jason assholes so insufferably pleased with themselves tonight.

[princelina]

Someone upthread asked how these two drips think they can win with this jury. They'd have to go together to the end. Everyone may want to take one of them along to be a goat but they need to both be at the end for the jury to pick the lesser of the two evils (if it's a final two...which it's been final three as of late, right? Most of the past dozen or so seasons have been final three except for season 28). They may want Tai to be an evil jerk too so that they need to all three get to finals and then the jury will have to go with which jerk they like most or which jerk game played the hardest. 

I think that's what Julia is thinking right now - go to the end with them, because they will ditch cute little Tai before her, and she makes their F3.

 

I don't know if the sabotage had anything to do with it, but the women's alliance proceeded to turn immediately on one of its own.  i.e. Scot, Jason and Tai got exactly what they wanted.  It's interesting that none of the women suspected Tai of dousing the fire.

I post this once every few seasons, and usually get lambasted for it, but if I were on Survivor I would have a very, very hard time trusting any "women's alliance" because one always caves.  Although Julia caved quicker than usual, it seems!

[blackwing]

I know they are keeping the chicken in the original cage, but they seem to occasionally let it out and let it run around.  They aren't tying it anymore.  I thought most chickens can fly short distances.  I wish it would fly up into a tree and just sit there.

 

Sad, but I think I might be more invested in the fate of the chicken than I am in many of these people.

[azshadowwalker]

I don't think the sabotage had anything to do with it, except for how it affected Debbie. Her concern about it pushed Aubry to move against her. Aubry didn't care about it. Michele didn't seem to care about it. Joe just built a new one. The only one who was dumb enough to let it bother her is in Ponderosa. Even that is iffy, since I think Debbie was more obsessed with Julia than the fire, truth be told. I think it gave the viewing audience additional reasons to hate Kyle and Bench and exposed Tai more than it affected the vote.

As for women's alliances, I would love one to last. Just don't include headcases like Debbie or immature little girls like Julia. I never really considered it a women's alliance, anyway, since Joe was also included.

Edited April 14, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Lantern7]

Loved Tai dousing the fire trying really hard to channel his Tai Vadar side.

More like Kylo Tai. Half the calories, a quarter of the taste.

 

And props to those who suggest the girls kill Tai's best friend in retaliation.

[GaT]

I hate Jason and Scot so much right now!

And Tai has added his name to the list IMO, I don't even know what that song & dance routine Jason & Scott did at tribal was.

[ByaNose]

Wow! It could be two unlikable people (Scot & Jason) in a final with Julia?!? The Super Idol might be just to powerful. I agree that they might ditch Tai and drag Julia to the end. That said, it might be a Final 2 and it could be just Scot & Jason. Ugh!!! That would be horrible wouldn't it?

[calico]

The only thing that saves this season is if Lurch and Bounty are convinced Tai will save one of them with the super idol and instead he keeps both of them for himself as we get to watch their smug faces dissolve into disbelief at the precise moment they realize they were played.

[backformore]

But Debbie had to go.   She was infatuated with Julia.   I don't know if it was a crush or if Julia had become her Survivor surrogate daughter, but something was happening there.   You could see it not only in her staunch refusal to merely consider voting Julia, but also in the way her eyes followed Julia everywhere

 

Glad to know I wasn't the only one who caught that.  There were of odd moments, where you could see Debbie looking at Julia, that made me re-wind and watch again, to try and figure out what exactly was going on.  Debbie's previous crush  was voted off last week, I guess she found a new one. 

 

So, do these two guys just have particularly ugly tattoos?  Or am I just seeing things that way because they are such horrible people? 

Edited April 14, 2016 by backformore

[Lantern7]

So, do these two guys just have particularly ugly tattoos?  Or am I just seeing things that way because they are such horrible people?

I've been calling those two motherfuckers "The Brotherhood Of The Ugly Tattoos" since the first episode, backformore. I think their love of ink is why they voted out Darnell. Seriously, they look like canvases for failed artists. Gruesome, inside and out.

 

ETA: Turns out I've laid that nickname on them since the second episode. My bad. Also, apologies if I've laid that on too thick throughout this season.

[riley702]

The only thing that saves this season is if Lurch and Bounty are convinced Tai will save one of them with the super idol and instead he keeps both of them for himself as we get to watch their smug faces dissolve into disbelief at the precise moment they realize they were played.

Tai could redeem himself by keeping them both. And they couldn't say a thing, since they made such a big production of formally giving it to Tai.

[ForeverAlone]

Kyle said on his Twitter tonight that Tai returned his idol to him right after they got back to camp. 

[riley702]

Idiot. I'm done with him.

[azshadowwalker]

Kyle said on his Twitter tonight that Tai returned his idol to him right after they got back to camp.

Of course he did.

[Charlesman]

This domino challenge is fricken mind-blowing. One of the best ones they've had for immunity.

Is it new? Because it's awesome.

[Charlesman]

I don't know, after two wild tribals and that fun domino challenge, I'm warming up on this season. Contrasting personalities and always unpredictable.

[viajero]

The girls faced a tough choice at TC.  If they stayed with their plan to split the vote among the guys, they would have very likely lost Cydney.  But they also would probably have flushed out the superidol.  Instead they save Cydney, while getting rid of the least reliable person in their alliance, but the idols are still in play,

[Charlesman]

You know, Kelley Wentworth made a good point in one of her podcasts - or maybe it wasn't her, but another person she did a podcast with. If the Super Idol worked brilliantly in Kaoh Rong, they would have done it again in Second Chances, since Kaoh Rong filmed before it. The fact that it was scrapped for Second Chances, TPTB probably thought it was a dud, much like the Medallion of Power was.

Maybe it wasn't in Second Chances because it was new, and everything in second chances was a repeat from a prior season. Dunno, but I'm not bailing on a new twist just yet. Even if it's never used it makes things interesting for sure.

[Sentient Meat]

I don't know why many are taking the sabotage so personally... it's been part of the game for years... and it's on production to change the rules if they think it would actually endanger someone.  Maybe put it this way...  would you rather have someone make a verbal promise to you over a million dollar business deal and back out of it or would you rather they cut some of your food supply for a week?  Both suck in my book... but even in the context of Survivor the lie would bother me more than having to restart a fire.

 

Aside from all that, it's just poor strategy on the part of Scot and Jason and ultimately Tai when the jury ultimately finds out about his participation later on.  Either do it in a way where no one knows you did it... convincingly frame the person that betrayed you... or don't do it at all.

 

Also try to keep the focus of attacks on people's personality or game play rather than their appearance... I know as a male poster if I made fun of Debbie's looks that it wouldn't go over well on this forum.  I think it's only fair if that works both ways.

 

Debbie was a character... like a female Coach or Philip... I'm sure she guaranteed herself a spot on a future all stars season if she wants it.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Sentient Meat

[KimberStormer]

Ahhh right where I love to be, in the minority.  I had a blast this episode.  I am super rooting for Julia.  I get a somewhat bittersweet vindication for my loathing for the ridiculous overpowered Terry/Yul/Tyler Perry idol, which will probably drive the jerks straight to the finish line.  I don't mind the sabotage (as a viewer) because a) the others didn't really suffer for it but more or less cheerfully carried on and b) they were pouring their own chances of winning out with the water, etc.  Here's the funny thing that our jerks did this episode: 1) they more or less secured their way to the end 2) they made themselves total goats with zero chance of winning, ever!  IOW whoever is in with them wins the game.  Julia made good moves to get herself into that position, a winning position, without doing so so boldly that she has no other options.  By voting with Aubry's insane plan, she stuck (as Michele promised) with Aubry, Michele, and Cydney, without doing anything to the jerks.  This is an option she had only because Aubry is dumb and set that perfect situation up for her (and because she won immunity in that awesome challenge.)

 

Aubry is, unfortunately because I enjoy her, just way overthinking it.  She got so lost in the byways of her several plans that she forgot what the hell she wanted to accomplish, and completely sabotaged herself here.  She wants to get rid of Scot/Cupcake-->she wants to get rid of Julia to weaken Scot/Cupcake since she can't get them because of idol(s)-->she wants to get rid of Debbie (one of her closest allies!) to weaken Julia since she can't get rid of her because of immunity.  To weaken Scot/Cupcake from two levels away she hurts herself and helps them!  They can't split the votes anymore!

 

Unless they swing Tai or whatever, which would mean trouble for Julia, except, you know, she did vote with you, Aubry.  She did what you told her to do, whispering in her ear at tribal.  Can't really blame her for that one (though they were so fast to hate on her just for volunteering--Jeff specifically said they could forego the schoolyard pick only if they were willing to split up right away, so someone had to do it; and actually it was super-stupid of the majority to allow this meddling from Jeff--that perhaps they still will try.)  You strengthened everyone you meant to hurt, Scot, Cupcake, Tai, and Julia, and hurt yourself, Aubry.  Crazy town.

 

LadyChatts, on 13 Apr 2016 - 5:41 PM, said:

Disappointed Julia won immunity.  I kind of wanted her to get blindsided tonight, as I didn't think the guys would save her.  Making moves for the sake of making them?  Well, I guess that's better than people who get into an alliance with goats and go to the end with them because they think they will win.  Then don't understand why people are saying they did nothing.  Oh wait...

 

Who has this ever happened to with a genuine goat?  If you get to the end with a goat you did do something and you do win.

 

wallflower75, on 13 Apr 2016 - 5:47 PM, said:

Julia, Julia, Julia...see Cagayan Sarah to see what the arrogance of assuming you have power because you're the swing vote gets you.

 

I know this is the Survivor fan's favorite schadenfreude, but the swing vote does have power and it doesn't always backfire for them, as we see here.

 

me5671, on 13 Apr 2016 - 6:50 PM, said:

Julia missed a great opportunity to get back at Tai, Scot, and Jason in the reward challenge.  If they had sabotaged me at camp, I would have volunteered to be on their team and sabotaged them in the challenge to ensure they don't get to eat!  I would have sat down in the sand... let them see how fast they can untangle that rope around me.  Give them a taste of their own medicine.  I would have LOVED to have seen Julia do that, honestly. 

 

The audience would have loved it, sure.  The audience also doesn't to vote.  It would be a completely terrible move for Julia's game.  Hey, let me completely close off all options for myself, and lose!  Just for the exact same kind of childish satisfaction that Scot got from putting out the fire!  The audience'll love it!

 

candall, on 13 Apr 2016 - 7:04 PM, said:

I think one of the stupidest thing I've ever heard on this show is Julia announcing to the men that she'll help them because she's on the bottom over in the other alliance.  WHERE do you suppose you are with the men's alliance, idiot?

 

Yes....imagine, giving the people you want to work with a plausible reason for them to trust you.  Terrible Survivor play.  Stupidest thing I've ever heard.

 

RedheadZombie, on 13 Apr 2016 - 7:31 PM, said:

Interesting that Debbie was targeted for refusing to vote for Julia, but Julia was sporting a huge grin as she voted out Debbie.

 

And why not?  Julia said she wanted Debbie gone eventually, and that blood is not on her hands alone now.  Shockingly, Julia seems to think this is a game she's playing, and it's not a big deal to vote out someone she met a few days ago as part of that game.

 

ForeverAlone, on 13 Apr 2016 - 9:06 PM, said:

If Julia thinks she can win by closely aligning with the asshole men, she should probably ask Parvati how that strategy worked for her on Heroes vs Villains. And Parvati played a stronger game than Julia. 

 

You think Julia is closely aligned with Scot/Cupcake to the degree that Parvati was with Russell?  Even if she was, she'd be the Sandra in that scenario.  Two hated villains plus you at FTC is instant, guaranteed win.

 

green, on 13 Apr 2016 - 9:09 PM, said:

Save your disappointment for the Beauty Women since they never were allied with Tai.  They were planning to get rid of him.  There never was a "Beauty Alliance" other than the three Beauty women.  They didn't want him.  He only survived their voting him out because of the tribal swap.  Had they asked him earlier he would have gladly joined them.  They didn't ask and Scot did.  It is on them, not Tai.

 

I still think you are way overstating, in fact inventing, this anti-Tai sentiment amongst the Beauty women.  We had confessionals from Michele saying they liked Tai and wanted to keep him, so Nick was the one to go if they went to tribal.  He wasn't saved by the tribal swap in any sense.  They didn't totally trust him, and with good reason because Tai is playing this game in bizarre, flailing fashion, with no apparent rhyme or reason; but they weren't targeting him and they weren't going to tribal anyway because their tribe was winning everything.

[MsTree]

All this talk about "plan A" or "plan B" makes me nostalgic for the good ole days when everyone just voted off the cuff...or in alphabetical order :-)

[yamashinaryu]

Super Idol can be used after the votes were read, right? What if Scott (or Jason, Tai) said to Debbie, will you promise not to vote against us and we can guarantee you a top 5 with Joe. Damn, I would like to see the panic in Cydney's eyes, after all she had 3 votes after Debbie. 

[33kaitykaity]

I has a sad.  I liked Debbie and I'm sorry to see her go.  I intuited, not spoiled, that it was going to be her because she wasn't listening and I don't have a problem at all with Cyndey's move here, but still, it will serve Survivor right to have the completely detestable trio of Scot, Cupcake, and Julia in the F3.  Talk about the taking of goats.  Blech.  

[Gweilo]

That immunity challenge was awesome.  I would have started from the end and worked my way back to the table, so I hope someone tried to do that and was forbidden by production. 

 

Joe, I can't even.  Most people in survivor can be talked around but he is always so implacable.  Imagine if Debbie had got some illness or something and asked everyone to vote her out. Joe would still be all "Nope. I will NOT write your name down."

 

Maybe I'm petty but I would have made up some really annoying "We are starting the fire now! Fire starting! laalaa laa!" song that I would sing EVERY. TIME. the boys doused the fire. They want to keep dousing, I'll keep singing.  Loudly.  And out of tune.  With all the other girls as well.  Possibly with dance moves.

[SnarkKitty]

Kyle said on his Twitter tonight that Tai returned his idol to him right after they got back to camp.

 

I wonder if we would have learned this information next week/episode? I guess this relieves me of the burden of anticipating that bit of additional strategy and game play next week/episode. Yeah.  

[Lamima]

I wonder if we would have learned this information next week/episode? I guess this relieves me of the burden of anticipating that bit of additional strategy and game play next week/episode. Yeah.  

But the girls probably won't know that Tai gave it back. I am going to guess that they go for Jason but he uses the idol on himself so one of the girls goes home. They don't have enough to make a vote split work...unless they get Tai and Julia in with them. Both of them LOVE Lurch so maybe the girls can get them in to oust Cupcake. They'd have to make the two dingleberries do their rock, paper, scissors and hope that Scot gets the win and uses the idol on himself...then Jason goes. Too many things have to work perfectly for that to happen so I am guessing it won't.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Lamima

[SlackerInc]

If Julia thinks she can win by closely aligning with the asshole men, she should probably ask Parvati how that strategy worked for her on Heroes vs Villains. And Parvati played a stronger game than Julia. 

 

 

And while I intellectually understand why Aubry  targeted Debbie (she blindly trusted Julia and was sharing all their plans with her, putting them all in danger), voting her out is the precise way minority alliances are able to break majority alliances. They exploit cracks in majorities. Only in this case, the douchebags didn't have to do anything to get the women to turn on each other; they were more than happy to do it themselves. 

 

Agreed.  I haven't been impressed with Joe all season, but he was the only one who didn't either annoy me or piss me off in this episode.

[cooksdelight]

Agreed.  I haven't been impressed with Joe all season, but he was the only one who didn't either annoy me or piss me off in this episode.

Joe has been invisble to me. Someone upthread asked "Why is he here?" and I thought about it for a while. I think production was hoping he'd be a reincarnation of Rudy, since he's retired FBI and Rudy was a retired Navy SEAL. But he's been nothing but a stubborn old dud for me. Rudy had his moments when he'd say funny stuff. Joe....nothing.

[Latverian Diplomat]

Speaking of which, why is that still around? It can't be producing eggs without a rooster.

 

Nope. Domesticated chickens lay unfertilized eggs all the time. That's what you are buying in the grocery store. 

 

That said, I dont think we've seen any eggs. This breed may not be much of a layer, or it may not be eating all that well.

[JudyObscure]

The girls should have voted out Joe for being so inflexible all the time. Jeez, does he realize only one person wins the game and the most loyal doesn't win.

This way the girls would still outnumber the men.

I think "girls alliance" has always been short hand for the "mostly girls alliance."  Joe/Debbie/Aubry have been tight since the beginning.  I don't think he's considered a lesser member of that alliance based on his gender and I don't think he's inflexible, or even loyal,  so much as he is always conscious of the importance of keeping their numbers up.  I hated to see Debbie go but with three votes (possibly four with Julia) directed at Cydney, the only way to keep her was to vote out another member of the "girls," alliance.  I think Debbie was the right choice based on her inflexibility about Julia and her over all tendency to be indiscreet.

[Bryce Lynch]

Worst season of Survivor ever. No wonder they skipped over it. Scot and Jason are filth.

[sigmaforce86]

I'm not that annoyed with the tool hiding; I think it's dumb and see no reason how it helps either of them in the game but it's a mostly minor thing.  What is annoying douche behavior is Scott putting out that fire; and very juvenile.  It was all based on his growing anger that the tool hiding didn't work, that the girls didn't immediately dissolve into trembling helpless heaps who couldn't handle camp life and food without his help, begging his forgiveness for their vote and promising to kiss his feet straight to the million for the rest of the game.  Basically he was pissed that they weren't pissed.

 

I want to say this the right way - I'm starting to wonder if Tai isn't a little............slow?............like that special needs kid in school that the jocks befriend just to talk him into sneaking into the girls bathroom then laugh when he gets caught.  Not that he's handicapped just that he doesn't seem to get what's going on a lot of the time and he seems too happy that the big strong guys want to be his buddy.  I don't know, last week it was maybe he's a genius for outing the super idol, this week he seems more like the clueless guy who just goes where he's pointed.

[Sarahsmile416]

I liked Julia for awhile...but a couple episodes ago, I started cooling off on her and last night's episode just solidified it for me. I understand why she went with Scot and Jason even though I hate that she did it. But, I think she is too caught up with the "power" aspect of it because in playing both sides as she is, no one will ever trust her. Not the guys, and certainly not the girls. Besides the fact that people in her position rarely ever win Survivor. At some point, being on the bottom of both alliances is going to hurt you. Tai has more value to S and J than she does as long as he has the idol.

I am sticking with my favorite right now - Michele. I have been liking Cydney more and more since the merge though - before the merge, I wasn't too impressed.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Sarahsmile416

[nutty1]

I CANNOT STAND JASON OR SCOT!!!!

OK, I feel better now........

[me5671]

 

The audience would have loved it, sure.  The audience also doesn't to vote.  It would be a completely terrible move for Julia's game.  Hey, let me completely close off all options for myself, and lose!  Just for the exact same kind of childish satisfaction that Scot got from putting out the fire!  The audience'll love it!

 

It would have been a great move for her gameplay, not terrible!  She would have been voted out this episode because she volunteered to play on the guys' team too quickly at the reward challenge.  If she had made it clear at the reward challenge that she was 100% with the girls' alliance, she would have solidified her alliance and perhaps moved up a few rungs in the pecking order.  The only people who'd be mad at her would be Scot, Tai, and Jason, who don't like anyone besides each other anyway.

 

Also, there is NOTHING childish about giving jerks like Scot and Jason a taste of their own medicine.  At least if she sabotaged them at the challenge, it would have been in the context of the game.  They're making everything personal by doing what they're doing.  If this is what they're like when they're losing at a stupid game, it must be miserable being around them in real life when more important things go awry.

[ghoulina]

Well, boo. Debbie is gone before we got to find out about her other 50 jobs. 

 

Nah, given the circumstances, I think it was the right move. Because of the Super Idol, there's no way they could have taken out one of the guys. And Julia was safe. If they hadn't made the plan to take out Debbie, Cydney would be gone right now. And I'm currently loving watching Cydney and Aubry play together, so I would have hated to see her go home. 

 

And Debbie really is just too rigid. She's a different kind of rigid than Joe. With Joe, it's more because he's set in his ways. "I said I was going to do this, so that's what I'm going to do". But with Debbie, it's more because she thinks she has it all figured out and isn't open to being wrong. IMO, sans II, Julia was the best move. She's straddling the middle, so you can't really trust her, and the guys have their big bad Idol to protect them. But Debbie wouldn't here it. She's kind of naive, really. To hear her sit there at Tribal and say she thought Julia picked the guys's team to get some Chinese food floored me. I mean, maybe she just said that to butter Julia up, but I kind of think she meant it.

 

And from Julia's POV, I get why she did it. The guys are unlikeable, so they might be a better option to play with. But I just find them so despicable, and I am rooting for Cydney and Aubry, so while I respect Julia for playing HER game, I can't root for her. And I don't think keeping her would have benefited Debbie's game, but she couldn't see that. 

 

Scot and Jason were just AWFUL this week. Ya know, I had thought maybe Jason was more of the asshole by nature and Scot was just going along with it, but he proved me wrong last night by dumping all that water on the fire. Forget that you put the fire out, you just wasted 5 gallons of water!!! I never understood the whole sabotage the camp thing. You have to eat too. You need water too. You need fire too. 

 

But I loved how calm everyone stayed, Michelle especially kept really positive. And they ate their coconuts and re-started their fire and they don't NEED you Lurch and Cupcake. 

 

Tye is the real disappointment here. When he voted for Jason last week, I thought maybe he was going to go against them. But here he is, rolling right around in the mud with them. Again, I'm sure he's thinking like Julia - FF of Tye, Scot, and Jason....and Tye wins. But does he have to stoop to their level and start putting out fires too???? So disappointing. 

[JudyObscure]

I'm not that annoyed with the tool hiding; I think it's dumb and see no reason how it helps either of them in the game but it's a mostly minor thing. What is annoying douche behavior is Scott putting out that fire; and very juvenile. It was all based on his growing anger that the tool hiding didn't work, that the girls didn't immediately dissolve into trembling helpless heaps who couldn't handle camp life and food without his help, begging his forgiveness for their vote and promising to kiss his feet straight to the million for the rest of the game. Basically he was pissed that they weren't pissed.

I agree. Scott wants a team of cheerleaders after every little thing he does. "Oooh, look at Scott lift Tai on his shoulders to get us girls coconuts!" I think part of his reason for the sabotage plan was that he was already mad that he wasn't getting enough of that. It all makes me feel sorry for his extended family who he has portrayed as barely able to survive without his magnanimous help. Julia is the only one giving him the applause he thinks he deserves by telling him how awesome he is. At this point, Scott is my least favorite and Julia is in second.

[Drogo]

Khaleesi was none-too-happy about the falling-aparts of the Girl Power Alliance.  Her hatred (as much hatred as one can have at 9) for Scot and Cupcake is reaching an all-time high, and Tai is in her sights to be hated as well. 

 

Scot sits pouting about not being in on the plan

Scot looks like a gigantic baby.  Like a baby who smells bad but his diaper's clean, so he's just a big baby who naturally smells bad, sitting on a log and almost crying.  

 

Cupcake discusses psychological warfare (I almost spit out my drink laughing at this one, as first of all hiding shared property is not psychological warfare but rather unsportsmanlike conduct- and I firmly believe the only combat he's seen is in Call of Duty- and I also believe the only warfare he uses during bounty-hunting is going to the nearest seedy motel and showing a photo to the desk clerk)

You know when psychological warfare would make sense?  During a war. 

 

Tai sits with Cupcake and Scot while everyone hates them elsewhere

You know what, Tai?!  Don't tell them it's going to be "hard to watch" them starve the rest of the tribe.  Tell them to stop or you're going to leave their alliance and take your idol with you.  Their whole master plan involves your idol, so you're the boss of this group. 

 

Julia volunteers to go with the guys

Julia should have volunteered to go with the guys, make them lose the reward by messing up the ropes, then waited until she was alone with the guys after the challenge to tell them she might be willing to work with them and this was her way to talk to them in private without making everyone suspicious.  She's a dummy. 

 

Julia basically offers up her allegiance on a silver platter

Not super good at playing hard to get there, Julia.  These messes need you more than you need them, have some respect for yourself.

 

Aubry decides that Debbie is the biggest problem out there, Cydney agrees

Aubry thinks she's really smart, and Cydney doesn't like anyone who disagrees with Cydney.  Debbie is only a problem because she trusts Julia and Julia can't be trusted. So... instead of making the group Julia is going with weaker, they want to get rid of Debbie?   Not great, ladies.   

[yamashinaryu]

The immunity challenge was great. I was just confused about the final part of it. Don't they need to remove all the blocks if the domino wasn't successful?

Cydney losing her muscles is beautiful.

Joe has been heartbroken by Aubry twice already.

The last part I was rooting for the trio. Must be because of Debbie. Julia is definitely playing many sides.

[FlyingEgret]

I'm not that annoyed with the tool hiding; I think it's dumb and see no reason how it helps either of them in the game but it's a mostly minor thing.  What is annoying douche behavior is Scott putting out that fire; and very juvenile.  It was all based on his growing anger that the tool hiding didn't work, that the girls didn't immediately dissolve into trembling helpless heaps who couldn't handle camp life and food without his help, begging his forgiveness for their vote and promising to kiss his feet straight to the million for the rest of the game.  Basically he was pissed that they weren't pissed.

 

I get hiding the tools - the boys can still use them in secret; but dumping water on the fire doesn't make sense.  Do they have their own secret fire that they can use to purify the water for drinking?  Or once the fire was re-lit, did Tai, Scot and Cupcake just use it like before?  Assholes get dehydrated too, right?

[Haleth]

Aubrey seems to me like the cat of nine lives. All her schemes fall through, mostly due to ill luck, yet she remains totally unscathed.  I am rooting for her.

 

She kind of reminds me of Mike who was always on the losing side of the votes and had to constantly scramble to survive.  She may not be making great choices but in a season of duds I hope she stays around a while.

 

I was so irritated with Tai, I was half-hoping they would cook the chicken and eat it in front of him. You want psychological warfare...I got your psychological warfare right here!

 

I hope the goons make the mistake of preparing a celebratory chicken dinner and that turns Tai to the girls.

Stupid stupid. If the women had just split the votes between the two asshole guys, the guys would have had to choose which one stayed, since they decided to share the idols. Yeah, there's a chance one of the women would go, but it would be worth the risk.

 

I don't think they trusted Julia to vote for a guy.  It's fine to say it's worth the risk to lose one of the girls, unless you are the girl that is targeted.  They were probably going to lose a girl anyway so they decided whom they could best afford to lose.

Jeff specifically said they could forego the schoolyard pick only if they were willing to split up right away, so someone had to do it; and actually it was super-stupid of the majority to allow this meddling from Jeff--

 

That is a very good point.  The whole Julia defection would not have happened.  Still I'm bummed out she didn't sit down and refuse to move.  That would have been great tv.

 

I think I'm rooting for Mike the chicken at this point.