Interesting. I really wanted to like him, and I do to an extent, but he seems to disappoint week after week. Never in my Survivor-watching history have I felt so sorry for someone so consistently. And what's weird is that he's not trying to do it (the way some Survivors blatantly play the victim). He just seems lost, out of place, and yes, like MC said, weak. I can't stop feeling sorry for the poor guy. Only once I stop feeling like his heart needs blessed can I start really liking him. I'm ready for him to step up so that can happen.

lol - yes, this has to be it. My brain hurts just thinking about what it must be like to be unable to escape from those two.

Agreed.

I have not been able to get into this season. I think I'm just too busy to be able to pay enough attention to an episode to really know anybody except Ozzy, Coach and Brandon. If I ever get caught up with homework, housework, and life, hopefully I'll be able to watch them all On Demand and get caught up with this too. Somehow though, I can't seem to make it a priority.

Bumping for tonight. If what I think is going to happen actually does happen, it will be a very interesting episode.

Merge? I haven't seen any previews except following last week's episode, and this week might as well have been a month where my memory is concerned.


Hypothetical RI Question: if they merge with even numbers, does the person returning to the game become a power player because they hold the tie-breaking vote, or do they become an easy pick-off that both sides can agree easily to get rid of? First instinct would be power player, but on further consideration, that person is likely to be seen as unpredictable and untrustworthy even as a tie-breaker. Even if they are used as a tie breaker, it would still probably be their only stay of execution, since after the tie is broken they are no longer useful.

^^ The previews don't mention a merge (from what I remember, anyway), but they do indicate that (spolier fonted - even though it's in the previews - just in case you don't want to know) that * someone asks to be sent to Redemption Island.* If that's the case, that's just dumb.

Regarding the hypothetical RI question: I think the answer completely depends on who the returning person is. If it's Christine, I think it's a moot point since she's made it clear that she'd switch to the red tribe (name escapes me).

Well, in addition to what you've said, they pretty much tell us which tribe this happens on. Shoot, I think they straight out tell us who pulls this move -- I don't think it's a misdirection in the previews. And I think the person involved thinks it's a strategic idea. Crazy yes, but it will be interesting.

I can see the strategy behind it. Tribe feels the new evictee will be able to beat Christine in a challenge. Getting rid of her means that they don't have to worry about her loyalty at all when they go to the merge.

DaffyKD

So Coach didn't lie. HE found it.. So obviously he didn't think that someone else did.. :p

Now knowing it was Ozzie, I think this was a stupid move.

The red tribe (whatever they're called) took a HUGE risk here.

And I don't think Christine should be a big concern for them, especially because she makes it blatantly obvious during the RI challenges that she pretty much hates her old tribe.. And she's been out to get Coach from day 1.

Ultimately, I think they would have been better off keeping the tribe strong, winning a couple challenges, and having the opportunity to go to the merge with more people and bring Christine into their group.

Even if Ozzy wins the RI challenge next week, I think they're going to be eliminating a potential ally.

LOL. I went to walk out of the room after seeing that all of their masks were correct and knowing their tribe had won, when all of a sudden I heard him yell this. Obviously I had to come back to see what was going on!

That was quite possibly the most awkward end to a challenge, with one tribe praying to the heavens, and Ozzy kicking and punching everything

Hee...I too, will experience great "schadenfreude".

Ugh...I found that whole 'display' so offensive. It's like, yes, God likes you better than the other team and that's why you won. WHATEVER. :rolleyes:

And yet, LOL at your dirty mind (and mine). :D

But as others have said, Christine has made it very clear at RI duels that there's no way she's teaming up with her former tribemates, and especially not with Coach. Remember how she flipped Rick off when he tried to say something encouraging? Remember how she joined in with Stacey's rant about "Benjamin"? Notice how Albert last night was openly encouraging Mikayla? Savaii has sent two people to RI duels every time; haven't they been paying any attention?

As I thought, the previews this time -- especially when coupled with the press blurb released by CBS* -- told us exeactly what was going to happen. It was clear before the show started that Coach and team would win immunity and that Ozzy was going to sacrifice himself. (Though for just a few minutes, I was thinking maybe it was Cochrane** instead who was going to sacrifice himself.)

It was a stupid, stupid move on Ozzy's part, but maybe a smart move on everyone else's part (even if they didn't do it for the smart reasons). Ozzy strength has never been strategy; it's been winning at challenges. The merge is coming soon (maybe not next time, but soon). At that point, it's individual immunity up for grabs, and Ozzy has a track record of winning there. That gives others on his team reason to want him gone, especially if they don't have the numbers to control a Tribal Council vote.


* "One tribe calls upon the heavens in hopes of changing their luck, while the other tribe is left in shock when one of their own makes a risky move that will go down in Survivor history." The tribe calling on the heavens was clearly Upolu, who last went to Tribal Council and needed a change of luck, and that was shown in the previews. That meant Savaii was the tribe that would be left in shock by a risky move, and that was only happening if they lost the immunity challenge. This was confirmed when they went to the immunity challenge and only Ozzy and Cochrane has discussed the risky move -- no tribe in shock.

** Cochrane, bless his heart. I really want to like him. I do like him, and I'd love to see him go far. But could he have looked any more pathetic and pasty in his war paint?

http://www.cbs.com/cms/files/imageca...s/episode7.jpg

And could he have been any more pathetic with the rope? Poor guy.



Yes, I cringed more and more every time they did that. Praying that God would help them find the immunity idol? (Though at least Sophie saw the problem with Coach praying for that.) And then Brandon's "It's good to have The Big Guy on your side." Yes, Brandon -- I'm sure your tribe is the Chosen People compared to those Canaanites at Savaii. I couldn't help but wonder how Albert, Edna and Rick felt about it. Did they share the feeling or were they essentially being forced to go along so as not to alienate teammates? As a Christian, I found it very offensive.

How I wish we had Matt back -- yes, he talked about his faith a lot too, but he prayed for strength to do his best and be his best, not for God to favor him over the others on the Island.

Well, if Ozzy beats Christine, then the strategy was successful. The Survivor commercial during TAR just said they will merge this week. *if*

I totally take this back...great episode. Wow.

Hate to agree with Brandon, but he was right as they left tribal...they brought it on themselves treating Coachman like crap and then asking for his help.

I had that same thought. Not only asking for his help, but expecting it as though it was owed them.

I still can't decide whether I think Cochrane made the smart move or not (in terms of his own game), but the previous had my eyes rolling so hard that I thought I might dislocate them. Whitney in his face telling him how he "disgusts" her? Maybe somebody needs to explain to Whitney and some of the others what game they're playing.

I have no idea why autospell changed Cochrane to Coachman...but anyway...

For now I'm going to say that he made a smart move for himself. For one, he avoided having to pick a rock (still a stupid tie breaker, in my opinion). He got rid of Keith, who was one of his biggest bullies. Either way, he's still at the bottom of the totem pole...EXCEPT now that he's shown he can be flexible, he might be able to put himself in a tie breaker situation (again) when the majority alliance has to start turning on eachother. It might be decided as well that he's good jury fodder and therefore more beneficial to keep around than someone else in the majority alliance.

The two downsides I can see are that he pissed off his former tribe who, if things continue in the current pattern, will make up the majority of the jury and the old saying about the evil you know being better than the evil you don't. I don't know that he had much of a shot of getting jury votes whichever direction he went (hence the jury fodder comment above), so he may have at least increased his consolation prize money.