Survivor: "You Call, We'll Haul" or "Wentworth, Does Not Count"

So this week on Survivor there was some actual shakeup going on. Some good, old-fashioned, change-it-up. Tribal council most nights has become predictable and snoozy, with players being afraid to make the quintessential "big move" despite everyone being smarter than ever in terms of game knowledge and strategy talk. Last week when Sierra (Ciera?) was all "Play the game!" I was all for the shush-shush, but how is she actually right?! This week a couple players messed themselves out of winning a million dollars, one of them potentially and one of them actually.

Let's start with not the denouement. Instead, let's please dwell on how there absolutely needs to be reward challenges every week. Especially in the individual state of the game. Not only does it break up viewing, it gives the players much-needed time to refresh strategize!! While it's nice to see people actually eating and being happy and delirious with nourishment, instead of picking sadly at two pieces of rice and a raw snail, the reward is the best time to give people the chance to talk to others outside their alliance and think about the moves they can make. Fishback (sp? what are the chances of such a weird name being spelled exactly as it sounds?) is completely right. Bonding happens on rewards. Chatting happens on rewards. Plans for big moves to "play the game" happen on rewards. It's true that often people get home and when the high of eating a slice of bread wears off and the rosy glow of a brownie turns brown and sandy, they go back to their alliance. But at least the chance to do those exciting-to-the-viewers things is provided and isn't that all production really cares about? Plus we get to see some relaxed survivors having fun and Keith gets some screen time (he's on this season?) which is awesome because Keith is awesome and who knew he knew how to drive a tut-tut? I literally thought he was going to tip them over into the ocean. It would have been awesome.

Also, in addition to the secret Ponderosa footage, can we see some video of this Survivor Cafe in business all the time? Who knew such a thing existed? Do the Cambodian locals stop by after they stumble through the jungle to try some American food? 

Ooh, and some footage of Jeff with what he does not at challenges/Tribal Council. Just some silent, unknown-to-him, secretly taken footage of him going back and forth between his hotel hidden just around the corner and his hiding places all over camp so he can hear what everyone is talking about. And then one little reel with sound about him practicing for Tribal Council.

So back to how Joe thought he dropped the mic and instead dropped a million dollars. Oops, spoiled the ending. But that's all I can think about! Joe lost it for himself. I was just thinking that he seems to actually be doing well for himself this time, and not just challenge-wise, because although he's a challenge beast, strategy doesn't seem to be his strong suit. Leading a group of ladies in beach yoga? His strong suit. Sitting in the trees communing with nature? His strong suit. Making jewelry? Theoretically his strong suit. Survivor strategy? Not so much. But these last couple weeks I've thought, oh, he seems to be thinking about things and planning and willing to act. I should have seen the signs with his first individual immunity challenge win. Yes, it's probably a great idea to give all the people whispering about how you're the one to beat in immunity challenges and should be taken out at first opportunity vindication, by literally setting the tone that you're the one beat by winning the first ever individual challenge! Would it have been so hard to lose it, to say, I'm just human, I don't win every single challenge ever all the time? Although maybe his plan is just to win every single challenge ever all the time and then we don't have a problem. And I'm not really advocating throwing challenges; I just know the bullseye on his back is getting any smaller. 

So Fishback is gunning hard for the "golden boy" and crying a lot about various things. He definitely seems like he could have used that reward. But then his plans are upset by a SURPRISE win by Joe. So Fishback and Co are not voting for Joe. Joe tries to make some waves by putting Fishback's (Oh, I just looked it up and apparently it's Fishbach) name out there, and he's gaining traction. Wentworth and Ciera, who are kind of on the outs with everyone, are down to clown for FB. So Joe takes it to trusty Savage, who was not for the Joe plan, and Savage takes it to Jeremy, Tasha and Spencer. The train screeches to a halt when they are unsure that they want to ditch FB. So here is where it gets "Play the game!" Savage and, in turn, Joe are all oh, ok, no FB? Then whatever you want, guys. Savage and Joe should have cut their losses and went ahead with the FB plan. It's Savage, Joe, Wentworth, Ciera, and Abi for sure for Fishbach. And probably Wigglesworth and Kimmi. Then it's Fishbach, Jeremy, and Tasha for who knows who else. Spencer and Keith don't matter either way. Instead, not only do they lay down for the majority, Joe TELLS WENTWORTH THEY'RE VOTING FOR HER. And they do. Every single person besides Ciera, Wentworth, and Abi vote for Wentworth. And because she had wind of it, she played her IMMUNITY IDOL. And so we heard "Wentworth, does not count" more times then we've ever heard "The tribe has spoken." And so the de facto elim went to Savage!! So now Joe is down his best ally and protector against FB AND he's down friends in the annoying girly 3 because he flip-flopped and tried to vote WW out. And now Savage is down in life in the game which is represented by fire because he was afraid of breaking up the status quo. Can you use status quo that way? Maybe. Maybe I'm breaking up the status quo by using it that way.

Can we talk for one brief sec about the beauty of not splitting the votes? The one time in like, Survivor history people weren't all crazy for splitting votes in case there is an Idol, there is an Idol! How lovely. That's good TV.

So now my pick for the winner is upended. Savage and Joe were both pretty good votes, and Joe may still win if he wins every challenge from here on out. Which is not a ridiculous thing to think may happen. But the second he loses he is outta here, down to Ponderosa with Savage and Kass. Who both flipped people off this week. Wow. Sounds fun. I'm going to put Wentworth out there, because she and Ciera are actually doing things, if not only because WW happened to have an idol. And if it's Ciera and WW in the end, right now WW is more impressive because she is the one who made that bomb Tribal Council happen. Depending on the how the rest of the season flows, Ciera could rise up. Also, FB and Jeremy are in my top. Tasha seems like more of a follower, so if she were against either of them, I'm not sure she'd come out on top. If Spencer can finagle through and make some moves, he's a contender. But he can't be shy and he can't ride the coattails of the Fishbach, Jeremy and Tasha alliance. He's got to break them. So: Wentworth or Ciera, Fishbach or Jeremy, or Spencer. Those are my contenders for the title of Sole Survivor.

Next week, on Survivor. Looking for an Idol because everyone is reminded that they exist and anyone, even a dumb-dumb like WW can have one. I'm assuming that's what they were thinking. And  neither the challenge nor that challenge-within-a-challenge look like they're going to disturb Joe's reign of terror.