So much to talk about in this episode, but sadly I have very little time to do it! So I'm doing quick talking-points instead:
1) This episode's reward challenge was a beautiful example of how working as a team can be more powerful than having physically fit, athletic people. Good strategy & good teamwork by the purple group!
2) Dawn's breakdown & paranoia was overblown in last week's preview (thank goodness) - I completely understand how it could happen if you're getting no sleep in such a stressful environment. I just hope it didn't hurt her chances too much of winning. Yay Brenda for becoming a close ally to her too!
3) Is Cochran now the favorite to win the whole thing? I think so. Winning that food eating challenge must have given him a whomping boost of confidence that he was sorely in need of because he's been on a tear ever since!
4) I had no problem with Phillip sitting out the immunity challenge. Probst had a better chance of winning it than he did, so traumatic childhood incident or no, save the energy I say!
5) Tribal Council: was Malcolm's idol play brilliant or wasteful? I say wasteful! Considering his athleticism & puzzle-ability, using the idols for himself keeps him in the game longer with good chances of winning immunity on the way & other opportunities for flipping players in the alliance. Plus, once that alliance is down to just 1 player it's not a minority alliance anymore; it's a swing vote. I think Malcolm was hoping he could get away with not playing his idol... until Probst noted it could be a bluff. Plus, if he is going to make this sort of play, the amigos should target someone who will fracture the alliance, not Phillip. Most people in the Stealth alliance are very okay with Phillip going home, so they're not going to switch their voting plan. If they'd targeted Andrea or Cochran on the other hand things might have gotten messier. (Credit goes to Ben for making this observation.) Overall I think that Malcolm has been playing the worst strategic game this season of all the players. It seems like he wanted to be a bad guy, but he's just not that good at that kind of strategy.
Side Bets:
- Toothpaste: Pickett v. Bag -- Winner: Pickett
- Med-evac: Bag (Cochran) v. Moon (Shamar) -- Winner (so far): Moon!
- Odds on Malcolm hooking up with a fellow castaway - Pickett is taking -500 on him not hooking up with anyone
The Score:
Pickett "Jessum's Harem": 99 points
1. Brenda - 31 pts
2. Dawn - 19 pts
[3. Laura - 1 pt]
[4. Corinne - 17 pts]
[5. Phillip - 31 pts]
JeffCo Cartel "The Great White Hope": 98 points
1. Erik - 33 pts
2. Eddie - 28 pts
[3. Hope - 3 pts]
4. Cochran - 31 pts
[5. Allie - 3 pts]
Moon "the Blindsiders": 84 points
1. Malcolm - 27 pts
2. Andrea - 25 pts
[3. Michael - 20 pts]
4. Sherri - 10 pts
[5. Francesca - 2 pts]
Bag & Leah "Shamarn't": 62 points
1. Reynold - 33 pts
[2. Julia - 6 pts]
[3. Matt - 6 pts]
[4. Shamar - -2 pts]
[5. B. Hantz - 19 pts]
Power Rankings:
1. The Great White Hope
2. Jessum's Harem
3. The Blindsiders
4. Shamarn't
Douche of the Week:
Malcolm.
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2 comments:
Unbelievably fortuitous turn of events for the Cartel.
Douche of the Week: Malcolm. I tend to agree with your analysis - why not just play the new one & save the old one for a rainy day? Even if you use it the next week you've bought yourself two weeks.
Also, we need to modify some rules in the offseason. Clearly the points regarding every aspect of the idol, but perhaps more importantly scoring 4 points for "individual reward challenge" wins which are actually team efforts. A post-merge team reward challenge win should still just count as a team reward challenge win.
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