Survivor 39: Episodes 4 & 5

I have so many thoughts about the last couple episodes, and not enough time to share them. Regrets for not posting sooner? A few, but then again... too few to mention. So here's a few highlights:

• I loved the "this is Plan Z" speech by Missy. That _____ (I need your help finding the perfect word for it, please vote on the options below, or provide your own!) quickly elevated her in my power rankings. Well strategized, defended at tribal council, and then somehow perfectly concealed from Dean in the next episode
• Choose from the following nouns:
1. soliloquy
2. closing argument
3. monologue
4. diatribe
• Why did Missy really do it though? Wouldn't Karishma have been a better option? Or any dude? Maybe this was just a really good opportunity to build her resume, I'm not sure.

Episode 5 begins with Dean's unsuccessful attempt to uncover the mastermind behind Chelsea's demise. Then they do a tribal swap and a new gang of misfits is presented with the same dilemma that Orange, aka Lairo, has been battling all season long. Keep worthless Karishma around who you know you can beat post-merge, but lose every challenge between now and then? Or cut your anchor and see if you can compete in the next couple challenges?

Aside: my personal favorite moment in the episode is during the reward challenge when Probst describes Noura dragging an exhausted and non-participatory Karishma through the sand as "great teamwork."

My theory on this decision is that the Vokai majority decided that they have sufficient fodder in the original Lairo minority that it doesn't matter if they win. They can lose every challenge, remove the threat of an Original Lairo Alliance, and strengthen their own original alliance.

In the end, Tom gets voted out. While his early demise seemed inevitable, his unbelievable gracious and respectful exit interview was not. Tom does not have the instincts necessary to succeed at Survivor. But he is clearly good people.

Power Rankings:

1. Baggins - 3 players are quickly emerging as the biggest threats to win this game: Missy, Tommy, and Kellee. Missy and Tommy are both on Baggins' team and his supporting cast looks to be a pretty big physical threat too. Great for raking up the points in this league.

2. MoonBee - see above, but note the small hiccup of having drafted Vince. Also the bottom half of their team mirrors mine, which is ominous....

3. Eric - I like Eric's team, despite his double-Tom dinger. Kellee and Aaron I think are both doing really well. Jamal is over-performing considering when he was drafted.

4. Michal & Ben - our players aren't just dropping like flies. They are doing so with idols in their pockets. Stupid flies. And despite that, I have hope for our team. A hope that rests solely on Kellee and Aaron's shoulders as any solid performance from Jason or Touchy Dan will help MoonBee just as much as us.... But you gotta have hope, right? (Note that I am similarly delusional about my 3-5 record in my fantasy football league - brace yourselves for the greatest comeback ever!)

5. Phil - It's kind of insane and completely indicative of the strength of Phil's team that he still has all his players in the game, and yet his total score is abysmal. There is little hope for Dean surviving the next vote, barring some kind of deux ex machina move from Boston Rob & Sandra.

6. Doug & Bri - The only things worse than a double-Dean are a double-Noura or a double-Karishma... and one of those is real! Not a great start to their season. At the same time, I said probably literally the same thing around this time last season. And we know how that went. So I'm not writing them off completely. But it is pretty hard to see a path to victory right now for this team.

DoW:
I've got a perma-vote on Noura going for now. I'll let you know if/when that goes away.

Goodbye Survivor 38, G'day Survivor 39!

I know I owe a season finale post for Survivor 38. I must admit, I'm still a little salty about that season's format...

I hated everything about the Edge of Extinction. Except for you, Reem. You were a real peach.

That being said, Doug and Bri made a dramatic comeback to claim victory. Moonbee's hopes and dreams were crushed by a stacked Chris who might qualify as one of the least-deserving Survivor victors. I hope that he returns for the highly-anticipated and soon-to-be overly-hyped-by-this-blog Season 40... the season of all Victors! Or, as Ben called it, the Quarter Quell. And then I hope that Chris is the first to be sent to the Edge of Extinction and NOT be named the Sole Survivor at the end. He'll just slowly devolve into a Gollum kind of character, muttering about how he just wanted to play a perfect game.

But to you, Doug and Bri, I say:

And now, on to Season 39: Island of Probst's Future Replacement

Hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right. Oh yes, it's the Island of the Idols. But it doesn't appear to provide much of an advantage, does it? Even if you get an Idol you have to use it to save your skin, and if you don't get an idol... well, folks probably won't believe that and then you get voted out.

The draft was surprisingly pleasant and professional. I think we can all agree that none of us really know what to expect with this cast of castaways, nor with the twists that this season includes. I'm pretty excited about it, I see a decent amount of potential to this season.

Power Rankings:

18. Vince - his entire alliance had a conversation with Karishma except for him. And that didn't make him nervous enough to play his idol? I think he might have deserved to be sent home.

17. Karishma - insists on isolating herself, complaining about no one "playing the game" when it's clear that everyone is playing like a pro. It's pretty clear she has no idea what she's doing.

16. Noura - If they switch up the tribes, Noura and Karishma might make a fun pair. I hope they contrive to put this potential odd couple together to wreak havoc on the tribes.

15. Dean - Dean was much higher on my rankings list when I had no idea who he was. So far his only air time was of him making a huge blunder, and then trying to look cool by imitating Tyrion Lannister in a moment when he was decidedly not cool. "As someone once infamously said.... split the vote" .....  you are derivative, Dean, and I am not amused.

14. Touchy Dan - and I suppose that's enough said.

13. Tom - is clearly not playing the right game. I love watching athletes who've spent years being team players come on this show and do everything they can to keep their tribe united and victorious in challenges. That's not actually the point, unfortunately, but it is endearing.

12. Elizabeth - questionable 2nd overall pick from Phil imo. What a great athlete, but I'm afraid she's just not crafty enough.

11. Jamal - does not seem to handle setbacks all that well. I like that he's still playing the game hard, though it's not good that his name is already being brought up.

10. Lauren - I like her, but she's not getting enough air time. I'm taking that to mean she's not contributing much in the way of strategy.

9. Aaron - this aggro jock may make it fairly far. Not because he's good at this game, but because they'll use him for his muscle and he's one of the only one of those types left.

8. Elaine - has the backstory to win, but I'm not sure she's going to get to the end.... probably because of the backstory.

7. Missy - I think she's doing a great job, but her leadership role on the tribe might just be a bit too obvious. I'm worried she's putting a target on her back.

6. Janet - represented herself well against Elizabeth in the swimming part of this last challenge... though she's evidently not great with knots. I think she's doing great overall. Holding her own in challenges, has a good relationship with most people in her tribe, open to blindsides, etc. But she also needs to be prepared to drive the train at some point too.

5. Jack - I just loved how he bounced back from that blindside - what a champ! I think he's going to be that lovable doof that no one wants to get rid of, even when they know they should. #FabioJunior

4. Jason - I think he's being crafty. Laying low for now, but clearly capable of making big moves.

3. Kellee - I don't know why I think she's going far in this game. She's done fine, but I wouldn't say exceptional. And yet something tells me she's going to be around for a while.

2. Chelsea - it definitely feels like she's driving the train of her women's alliance, and I think she's making smart decisions. I'm sorry to see Vince go, but that keeps her on good terms with the 3 remaining bros on her tribe, which will be critical should they do a tribe mix-up soon.

1. Tommy - first one to mend the bonds after Molly's blindside. People are approaching him to discuss strategy. All signs point towards Tommy as an early favorite to win the whole thing.


That's all I've got for now. Would love to hear other's opinions on the Pool's power rankings, though!

Edge of Extinction: Ep 12 & 13

Welly welly welly well...

We're 2 days from the Survivor finale, 6 days from the GOT series finale, and I can think of nothing better to do than fill this blog post with random pop culture references and occasionally relevant analysis of a mediocre season of Survivor. Bottom 10 seasons of all time? Undoubtedly. Bottom 5? Perhaps, but honestly Reem's stellar performance on the Edge as the Ghost of Christmas Past might be saving it for me.

Is he dead? Did she kill him using only her words?

Speaking of finales, here are my top 5 fave TV series finales of all time:

5. The Office -- hahhahaha, just kidding, this show should've wrapped when Steve Carrell left
4. Friends
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Breaking Bad
1. Battlestar Galactica

...and speaking of Battlestar: that thumb-up-to-the-sun-to-find-the-airborne-enemy-honing-in-on-your-location move that Euron Greyjoy pulled in S8E5 of GOT was a complete rip-off of Starbuck's move in S2E15 (aka "Scar") of Battlestar and it wasn't nearly as powerful a moment. #CommunityAin'tGotNothingOnThisPopCultureGame #QueenStarbuckNoWaitIMeanSansa

And now, this:

Okay, should we throw some Survivor in here? Here's the thing: there's no one left in the game who I'd truly be happy to see win this thing.



Let's belabor this point and do a full-on Survivor/GOT comparison:

• Julie = Theon. The weepiest of them all. 
• Lauren = Harry Strickland, Captain of the Golden Company. This casting screams physical threat, but what have they really done besides fail at the thing they should be best at?
• Victoria = Osha. Just something about the way she hunches over a fire... it just speaks Osha to me.
• Rick = Euron Greyjoy. Thinks he's funny but really isn't, thinks he's powerful but really isn't. Thinks he's sexy, but... well, you get the point.
• Gavin = Davos. I mean the guy's lovable in his own right, but would you really want to see him sitting on the Iron Throne in the end? I mean I guess he's better than the others, but really? Davos? 

What's lacking here? A main character. A hero. Someone to cheer for & believe in. Someone who's going to make the right choices for their people:

No, not you - get the fuck out, Jon Snow! See below, you asshole.

This is more like it:

You made a choice Brienne, and you chose wrong!

And on to the Survivor Pool scores:

5. Michal & Ben - 116 pts

4. MoonBee - 130 pts

4. Baggins - 130 pts

2. Eric - 154.5 pts

1. Doug & Bri - 181.5 pts

Power Rankings:

5. Michal & Ben - my Survivor team may be terrible, but at least I have a fighting chance in my Game of Game of Thrones pool! (Long live King Drogon?)

4. Baggins - this team had a seriously strong start followed by a dull & meandering middle, and will likely finish in a forgettable fashion. It's the Walking Dead of this season's Survivor Pool. Or, I suppose to more appropriately theme to this post:

Is this how you're getting to Storm's End too?

3. Eric - Best performance in Survivor Pool by Eric yet, but it won't be enough to get him that top spot. I'm so happy you achieved a lifetime goal of getting top billing in the Blog, but unfortunately this blog is fickle and unreliable, and now you're stuck with a middling ranking. 

but then.... you know...

2. Doug & Bri - Doug & Bri had a seriously rough start, followed by a massive comeback, with the potential for a very disappointing 2nd place finish. They need one of their bench players to be put back in the game, I think, to have a real shot at the trophy. (Speaking of, where's that trophy gotten itself to?) #JonStarkaeryan

1. MoonBee - In a powerful position with 3 players left and a high ceiling for point-earning potential. This was a well-drafted team that deserves to win the pool this season, unlike the castaway that wins Survivor this season. #QueenSansa #TheQueenTheyDeserve

Edge of Extinction: Ep 11

After catching up on a couple of chillingly accurate blog posts by Moon I'm back on the Survivor wagon & eager to see what comes next.

Sadly the story begins with Wardog at his worst as he rips on Gavin. Rick looks on smugly, like a cat that just got into cream. Soon after Ron, Rick, and Wardog plot like pretender mob bosses while Ben and I discuss how we'd like to see none of these castaways come back as veterans in future seasons. They are not likable, nor do I think they're all that good at playing Survivor.

Probst arrives to introduce the reward challenge, which I do not follow because I'm riveted by how unbelievably clean his shirt is. (I know this is random, but these are the consequences of a Pickett live-blogging.)

Wardog screws the pooch (get it?) by swimming to the wrong deck. Everything is ho-hum otherwise until Aurora enters the water and I'm again blown away by the physicality of this woman. She may be dumb as bricks but she is a challenge beast.

Then Probst calls Rick Gavin, and Eric's misstep in last week's blog comments is immediately validated. If Probst does it, then maybe we all should.

Julie, Lauren, Rick, and Wardog win the reward. Is this Lauren's first reward ever? (Note: I realize Wardog falls into the same category, but I don't particularly care about his well-being.)

Gavin plots his revenge during an unnecessary slow-mo of him swimming & then we cut to Reem reaming Kelley for almost no reason except that they might be spiking the well on the Edge with bitterness and bile. Would the Edge be 10 times more bearable if Reem didn't live on it like a menacing hermit? Overall this doesn't seem like a fabulous plot twist, but maybe it'd be better on a different, Reem-less season... I'd give the Edge one more try I suppose.

Cut to the mud bath reward & all I feel is uncomfortable. The mud rubbing is gross. Rick's dismissal of Julie & Lauren is repulsive. But fortunately we don't linger there long and soon are moving on to the immunity challenge. Which is kind of boring actually....

I think possibly one of the biggest problems with this season is the general puzzle ineptitude of the castaways. So many of these episodes end with them all looking around cluelessly and/or in frustration. Not the sort of thing that really draws you into the suspense of what's normally a pretty exciting few minutes of a Survivor episode.

Rick wins & now folks are deciding who to vote out. My mind gets blown as Wardog works Julie for her vote. Wardog is pushing for Aurora when Julie asks "Why should I believe you after the last vote?" to which Wardog responds "Well you were closer to Kelley than I was. You would've told Kelley, so I couldn't have told you. That makes sense, right?" Julie seemingly accedes to this nonsense, and I can't tell if she was just bullied that hard or if she maybe kind of believed him. But how could anyone agree to that statement after watching Wardog vote as a united block with Kelley on every vote that season? Madness!

Ultimately Wardog is too annoying to live with and/or the other castaways love Kelley so much they must take revenge. Hopefully the quality of play will start to improve now that he's gone.

The Teams:

• Baggins "Using My Rage Over Last Season to Draft Like a Pro" - 106 pts
• Eric "Eric" - 123.5 pts
• Doug & Bri "Well, That Sucked" - 118.5 pts
• Michal & Ben "The Hammer" - 114 pts
• MoonBee "Nerdy White Dudes" - 96 pts

Power Rankings

1. Eric - Eric's has a couple of bad episodes, but I still like his remaining roster best. Also I think his Edge players might have the best chance of getting back on the show (I keep thinking it'll be Wentworth who comes back). Really solid & consistent season from Eric so far, hopefully he can keep this mo' going!

2. Doug & Bri - need a new team name. What a comeback! I do think Eric has a slight edge with Gavin & Julie over Rick & Ron. But there's nothing certain in this season

3. MoonBee - I appreciated Moon's individual power rankings in no small part because he put Victoria as #1 overall. Which is how I've long felt about this quiet assassin. Sadly she's not earning any points so far, but I do think she's chock full of potential to take this season. 

4. Baggins - This team isn't great (sorry Bag) but they do have 1 more "live" player than we do, which means....

5. Michal & Ben - Ugh. Our "physical" players have been beyond disappointing & while I'm happy to cheer for a Victoria victory, it won't be enough unless we get someone back from the Edge. And I'm definitely not using my "one time!" on this season. 

DoW

I think it's safe to say at this point that DoW has run its course. I love the comments but I'm just gonna shut this aspect of the pool/blog down as far as scoring goes. I'm not keeping up with it & it's unfair to pretend.... but can I give Reem a Lifetime Achievement DoW here at the end of a much-loved legacy?

Edge of Extinction: Episode Ten

Survivor: Edge of Extinction has suddenly been whittled to just eight remaining castaways after the elimination of its last two returning players. Though at least one player on the Edge will return to the fray, we're undoubtedly entering the homestretch of a wobbly season. We've got a capricious group of greenhorns vying for the title. Let's break 'em down.


Player Power Rankings:

8. Aurora has no friends and no respect. She's an instantly-forgettable player who will never re-enter our conscious after her elimination. But in this wonky season she's scored a crapload of points. Aurora has scored 29, eight more than second-place Julie, sixteen more than third-place Gavin. It doesn't feel right, but she's grinding out the challenges.

7. Wardog is playing a Trumpian game. He’s incompetent, but pushes forward with relentless aggression. It hasn’t yet been worth it for anyone to stand up to him, so he's been getting his way.  But he isolates himself with erratic, paranoid decisionmaking, haphazardly ejecting his closest allies. He destroys most of what he touches and won't be able to win a final vote without cheating.

6. Lauren was an energetic player her first week or so in Fiji, but her vitality has waned. The lost challenges, endless tribals and lack of food drained Lauren's lifeforce, and Wentworth's ouster leaves her friendless. She has nothing to pin her hopes on, and could actually slip below zero points for the season if she misplays her idol.

5. Gavin hasn't made much of an impression, but neither had last season's champ Nick up to this point. Gavin resembles Nick in many ways, but his game isn't as whimsical or as inspired. Gavin appeared to be a ringleader early, or at least to dwell within the ring of leadership. Recently he's been an afterthought. He'd be wise to reunite with Victoria and soak up passengers like Aurora and Lauren to retake control of the game.

4. Ron has some annoying attributes, but he plays alright. An assessment of his game doesn't reveal anything particularly distinguishing, but there's enough acumen/fortitude/sociability here to defeat a relatively weak cast of opponents.

3. Rick has done it all. He's forged alliances and broken them. He's lost a dozen challenges and won individual immunity. He's tipped tribal council, been voted out, lived on the Edge of Extinction and rejoined the game. He's played astutely, lost his bearings and rediscovered them. With all the larger alliances and voting blocks disassembled, Rick has the social skills to maneuver his way to Final Tribal.

2. Julie has lost her wits on occasion, but generally plays with balance and rationale. She's got something cooking with Ron, an alliance that could potentially go the distance. 

1. Victoria was the Mob Boss early on, but has been bumped over to riding shotgun. She's accepted her demotion with humility, but you know she's keeping a list of adversaries she'll eventually take revenge on, Arya-style. Having endured a winter of loneliness without perishing, Victoria may now be ready to regain her seat at the head of the table.

Standings:

Eric - "Eric" - 121.5 pts

Eric - 23

David - 17.5

Gavin - 13

Wentworth - 18

Julie - 21

Aurora - 29 

It was a catastrophic hour for Big Eric, who lost two strong returning players in dubious fashion. Perhaps the lead story of the season so far is returning players misplaying idols. First Aubry got bamboozled with an idol in her pocket, then David used his one vote before he actually needed it, then Wentworth pulled an Aubry. It was an embarrassing exit for the veteran, who had played arguably her strongest game before exiting ignominiously. Barring an upset return from the Edge, this should be the last we ever see of Wentworth.

Doug & Bri - "Well, That Sucked" - 110.5 pts

Rick - 12.5

Chris - 13

Chris - 13

Ron - 12

Aurora - 29

Julia - 31 

Terrific episode for B&D, as they won both immunity challenges and watched their greatest rivals lose a key player to the Edge. Their team would morph into the pool's strongest if Chris was able to return from the Edge. If not, they need Rick + Ron to outscore Gavin + Julie by ten points to beat Eric.

Baggins - "Using My Rage Over Last Season to Draft Like a [redacted]" - 102 pts

Joe - 29

Eric - 23

Lauren - 3

Ron - 12

Julie - 21

Aubry - 14

Ron and Julie appear to be the strongest alliance left in the game. They also seem to have an element of control over the stretch, as their middling position gives them access to the fates of the remaining castaways. Should this duo remain allied and navigate their way to Final Tribal, they could spearhead the storybook victory Baggins (given just a 9% chance of victory one week ago) deserves.

Ben & Michal - "The Hammer" - 93 pts

Joe - 29

Lauren - 3

Wentworth - 18

Victoria - 7

Julia - 31

Wardog - 5

Prospects have dimmed to a flicker for the Greenbergs. Their three players who haven't been ousted have combined to score an anemic 15 points. Wardog won't be winning while Lauren and Victoria don't have much current footing or challenge potential. 

Moon & Melissa - "Nerdy White Dudes" - 69 pts

Rick - 12.5

David - 17.5

Gavin - 13

Victoria - 7

Wardog - 5

Aubry - 14

With the most remaining players and the most remaining competent players, the MoonBee has hope for another epic comeback. The deficit is a concerning 52 pts, but keep in mind each player voted out will immediately receive an escalating jury bonus starting at 18 pts.

Edge of Extinction: Episode Nine

The Kama Tribe has now fractured fully, or at least to the point where we can disregard tribal affiliation in our evaluations of the remaining castaways. Some bonds remain, but with Kama now having voted out three of its own in consecutive weeks, it's clear players are now fully focused on individual resumé-building. We'll examine each castaway's prospects next week. This week we'll take a snapshot of the teams and recklessly estimate their chances of winning the pool.


Standings:

Baggins "Using My Rage Over Last Season to Draft Like a [redacted]" - 104 pts
Joe - 29
Eric - 23
Lauren - 4
Ron - 13
Julie - 21
Aubry - 14
It looked like a revenge tour season for Baggins, but his prospects have soured. He's down to three players, Lauren isn't doing jack and Ron & Julie were recent victims of a backstabbing. Bag does have hope that one of his players could return from the Edge and garner some late points, but he'll need Team Eric to pop some leaks soon to have any shot.
Chances of winning: 9%

Doug & Bri - "Well, That Sucked" - 99.5 pts
Rick - 6.5
Chris - 13
Chris - 13
Ron - 13
Aurora - 23
Julia - 31
This sad squad drafted two self-destruction artists - one of them twice. Pitiful as Chris's immolation was, Julia's was even more spectacular. Those meltdowns leave Doug & Bri with recently-imploded Rick, uninspiring Ron and abysmal Aurora. Not exactly the Moses this long-suffering duo needs to guide them to the Promised Land.
Chances of winning: 7%

Eric - "Eric" - 90.5 pts
Eric - 23
David - 1.5
Gavin - 13
Wentworth - 9
Julie - 21
Aurora - 23
Big Eric Schwartz is tied for the most players left, has easily the two highest-scoring surviving players and another who's tied for third and sits in third place in the pool behind two teams with three players left. Schwartz is a solid favorite to win the pool right now with four savvy players plus high-scoring Aurora.
Chances of winning: 54%

Michal & Ben - "The Hammer" - 86 pts
Joe - 29
Lauren - 4
Wentworth - 9
Victoria - 8
Julia - 31
Wardog - 5
The loss of Julia leaves the Greenbergs with four single-digit points earners. Victoria is a cold-blooded strategist and Wentworth is playing a gritty game, but Lauren is a passenger and Wardog is woeful. The man is averaging just more than half a point per episode. Victoria may be the best player in the game, but The Hammer may have trouble garnering points around her.
Chances of winning: 14%

MoonBee - "Nerdy White Dudes" - 48 pts
Rick - 6.5
David - 1.5
Gavin - 13
Victoria - 8
Wardog - 5
Aubry - 14
Incorrectly playing an idol calls for a 5 point deduction in our pool. I gave David & Rick -2.5 each for unnecessarily playing their joint idol this week. With so many idols and advantages in play, I don't remember if they were forced to play it this episode. Remind me if they were and comment if you don't think -2.5 is fair. If this is correct, it drops David to a miniscule 1.5 points on the season. This team appears as strong as Eric's, but trails him by 42 points. That's a lot of ground to make up, especially with a couple redundant players.
Chances of winning: 16%

Survivor Extinction: Episodes 7 & 8

For the record, I don't really know how to keep score of this season. I am open to suggestions! Here's what I did: Keith & Wendy lost points for being 1st and 2nd out of the game respectively. Everyone else is now gaining jury points. I intend to take those points away & turn them into negative points should anyone quit at this point. However, I don't see that happening. Not now that they have twice as much of a reason to stay - jury vote plus a chance to get back into the game. but let me know what you think.

Now, back to the show itself - here's some notes from Ep 7:

• The Kama Six decided to vote out Joe perhaps a little prematurely. Maybe they felt safe doing so with the Lesu alliance in apparent shambles. But they cut Aurora out of the decision & now there's a Kama Six and six other players who may or may not band together. That kind of showdown would be a welcome addition to this season.
• Did anyone else get the impression that Joe was (maybe subconsciously) hoping to get voted out? He's been failing at the social game & knew he was on the outs. He might have decided that he'd have an easier time of it living on the Edge instead of in the thick of the strategic & social game. And quite frankly he might be right. Just sit on the sidelines, don't stress about providing for everyone else, and then crush it in one epic challenge & you're back in the game with just a couple challenges to go. He'll probably get less food but he'll also put his body under a lot less stress....
• And finally, Wentworth and David need to recognize that Kama has gone 2 for 2 in targeting & eliminating veteran players. If Wentworth doesn't read the writing on the wall & play an idol next episode (or at minimum seriously consider it) then it's her own fault.

And here's some thoughts on Ep 8:

• Rick thinks he's the shit and he's far from it. No one ever goes around stating blatant hatred for other people in the game & has a chance to win. Last person to do this I think was Abi Maria & we know what kind of player she was. I now want this guy to go down in flames & am extremely grateful I didn't get him on my team.  This last tribal council was a good start.
• Overall I loved the strategy in this episode. The game is afoot! It seems like alliance/voting blocks might be back on the table for the season, which would be an excellent turn of events.
• Obviously I'm highly biased based on my team roster, but I do love watching Wentworth & David converse like the veterans they are, giving an accurate assessment of their situation & coming up with successful strategies to improve their lot. What could be more masterful, really?

The Teams:

Baggins "Using My Rage Over Last Season to Draft Like a Pro" - 104 pts

• Joe (29 pts)
• Eric (23 pts)
• Lauren (4 pts)
• Ron (13 pts)
• Julie (21 pts)
• Aubry (14 pts)

Eric "Eric" - 87 pts

• Eric (23 pts)
• David (4 pts)
• Gavin (7 pts)
• Wentworth (9 pts)
• Julie (21 pts)
• Aurora (23 pts)

Doug & Bri "Well, That Sucked" - 87 pts

• Rick (9 pts)
• Chris (13 pts)
• Chris (13 pts)
• Ron (13 pts)
• Aurora (23 pts)
• Julia (16 pts)

Michal & Ben "The Hammer" - 71 pts

• Joe (16 pts)
• Lauren (4 pts)
• Wentworth (9 pts)
• Victoria (8 pts)
• Julia (16 pts)
• Wardog (5 pts)

MoonBee "Nerdy White Dudes" - 47 pts

• Rick (9 pts)
• David (4 pts)
• Gavin (7 pts)
• Victoria (8 pts)
• Wardog (5 pts)
• Aubry (14 pts)

Power Rankings:

1. Eric - Eric may have lost his namesake (or whatever the opposite version of that is) but this is still a team of players - both strategists & physical threats. I'm a fan.

2. Michal & Ben - I didn't think Julia was going to be a big player, but hopefully this episode is the start of her crafty reign. Great resume builder & hopefully her core 3 stay true to each other moving forward. Wardog is a huge disappointment - I thought he'd be a minimum a physical threat rather than an anchor - but otherwise this crew is doing decently well.

3. Baggins - Baggins lost Joe and Eric in back-to-back episodes & now there's trouble abrewing for this once beastly team. Lauren, Ron, and Julie will not rake in the points while he's stronger players languish on the Edge. He needs a chance for a comeback from one of them soon, but I'm not expecting that will happen until there are maybe 5 people left.

4. MoonBee - I'm struggling to understand how MoonBee's team, with 5 players still in the mix, is scoring so low. But these are just not challenge contenders, and this otherwise solid team will likely pay the price for it. Maybe things will turn around though if the strongest physical players get voted out...

5. Doug & Bri - Rick & Ron are in a precarious position, Chris is in purgatory, and Aurora is a fool. Having Julia, a long shot at this point, is not enough.

DoW:

Joe for Ep 7, Rick for Ep 8. I'm throwing a lot of hate towards the top overall picks this go-round.