Survivor: Redemption Island

[AGDee]

I couldn't help but think that was karma at work. Phillip steals their rice and then there are maggots in the rice.

I don't think Matt is going to keep winning at Redemption Island. David beat him at this last challenge but Matt lucked out that only one person had to leave. I think Matt's state of mind is going to hurt him in challenges.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I couldn't help but think that was karma at work. Phillip steals their rice and then there are maggots in the rice.

I don't think Matt is going to keep winning at Redemption Island. David beat him at this last challenge but Matt lucked out that only one person had to leave. I think Matt's state of mind is going to hurt him in challenges.

If it weren't for the previews, I might agree with you. But the previews showing Matt "breaking down" make me think he's not done yet.

Besides, there's still the Jesus edit. Last week and this week, we were getting major Jesus-in-Gethsemene moments -- "Take this cup from me"; "Nevertheless, not my will but yours." Maybe I'm too immersed in Holy Week, but that sure looks like how they're playing it to me.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I couldn't help but think that was karma at work. Phillip steals their rice and then there are maggots in the rice.

Yeah, but it's a shame Phillip's tribemates also had to suffer his bad karma. Did anyone from Phillip's tribe know he stole the rice? (I don't remember seeing anything that indicated they did.)

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Besides, there's still the Jesus edit. Last week and this week, we were getting major Jesus-in-Gethsemene moments -- "Take this cup from me"; "Nevertheless, not my will but yours." Maybe I'm too immersed in Holy Week, but that sure looks like how they're playing it to me.

Random hijack: Our service was great last night. Some great reflections from some awesome congregants.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If it weren't for the previews, I might agree with you. But the previews showing Matt "breaking down" make me think he's not done yet.

Besides, there's still the Jesus edit. Last week and this week, we were getting major Jesus-in-Gethsemene moments -- "Take this cup from me"; "Nevertheless, not my will but yours." Maybe I'm too immersed in Holy Week, but that sure looks like how they're playing it to me.

I don't think he'll be done this week, but I'm not convinced he'll get to go to the Final 3 either.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I forgot to mention my big question mark from last night...why Julie? She's not a challenge threat (as much as Ralph & Steve) and I doubt her stealing Phillip's shorts had anything to do with it, since she only admitted it right before the vote. Strange.

One analysis I read said it was because Steve and Ralph have proven so ineffective at challenges lately -- Steve sat one out that he knew he couldn't do, and has said numerous times he's "done" -- that Julie was the best chance for beating Matt. Given the clip last week of Rob talking about how he keeps sending people to RI that he thinks could beat Matt, I'd say that's a reasonable guess.

[ASTalumna06]

Just a random "What if.."

What if Ralph or Steve finds a hidden immunity idol, and what if one of them wins the immunity challenge tonight?

Obviously it's a long shot, but I think it'd be fun to watch Ometepe scramble to decide on who to vote out.

And I kind of wonder who would be the first Ometepe to jump ship and befriend the 2 remaining Zapatera members in order to try and secure extra votes..?

[AGDee]

Good call on the Jesus edit, MC. Jeff was really obvious about that in this episode.

I'm kind of glad we're down to Ometepe. Things will be interesting now. First Ometepe to go? Phillip? Grant? (thinking Rob will want to get rid of competition but who might beat Matt too)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Good call on the Jesus edit, MC. Jeff was really obvious about that in this episode.

I'm kind of glad we're down to Ometepe. Things will be interesting now. First Ometepe to go? Phillip? Grant? (thinking Rob will want to get rid of competition but who might beat Matt too)

I think the boot order will be Andrea, Grant, Ashley, though obviously the person who get immunity could affect that.

Rob is in an amazingly good position, I think. I'm really dumbfounded that the other Ometepes let things get this far -- surely they know there's not a Final 6. He seems to have each of them believing, or wanting to believe, that "Rob will take me to the end." That being the case, they're likely to vote off whoever Rob wants them to vote off because "It's not me." It's amazing that the only one of them we've seen any strategic thinking out of is Phillip.

BTW, Probst said that there will be 8 people when the finale starts on May 15. So, Redemption Island will still be in play at that point.

[SydneyK]

I wonder why they're keeping so many people on RI. There are 4 people there now, right? That seems like a lot for only one to have the chance to get back in the game.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

It's amazing that the only one of them we've seen any strategic thinking out of is Phillip.

We've seen glimmers of strategic thought from Grant. And last night, it seemed that Natalie and Ashley considered thinking strategically (when Steve told them they were voting for Rob), but obviously they decided against it.

It'll definitely be an interesting finish. I think Rob has played a brilliant game (due in part to the tremendous luck in getting matched with a tribe that allowed him to develop that game), but I'm not sure that I want him to win anymore. Then again, when I think of people who I'd rather see win, I'm at a bit of a loss. None of the remaining girls are winning material, IMO. Phillip is too crazy to give $1 mil to. That leaves Grant and the RI person. If Jesus... I mean, Matt... is the RI person, I think I'm pulling for him. Otherwise, at this point, I'm on team Grant. At least for now, anyway.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

We've seen glimmers of strategic thought from Grant. And last night, it seemed that Natalie and Ashley considered thinking strategically (when Steve told them they were voting for Rob), but obviously they decided against it.

I thought about that, but other than when Grant ate a little of the Zapateras fish after Rob told Ometepe not to, what we've seen little of from Ometepe is consideration of strategy that doesn't include (and ultimately defer to) Rob. All their strategy still gives him the power. No one else, except Phillip and Andrea briefly, has seriously considered ways to upend things so that they, not Rob, control the game.

[SydneyK]

^^Right. That's why I said *glimmers* of strategic thought.

All in all, I thought last night's episode was a little dull. Maybe it's because the Ometepe 6 have dominated so much that it became boring and predictable. Dee's right about it becoming more interesting now that they have to start picking off their own.

Phillip's success in finding his shorts was... lucky? impressive? I don't know. When things like that happen, I can't help but wonder if the production crew secretly tipped him off.

[ProudandTrue]

I think that Rob will try to vote Grant off next. He still needs the girls to vote with him, and then after Grant is gone, the girls will go. Rob will keep Phillip so he's sitting next to him at the final Tribal Council. I think that Matt is the only person who can beat Rob in the end...otherwise, it's his. Frankly, Matt and Rob are the only two who have really earned it.

[AlphaFrog]

It warmed my little Christian heart when Julie told Jeff that because of Matt, she's excited to go home and find a church to get involved in. I hope it wasn't just talk. If so, regardless of the "Jesus edit" and all that, Matt can say that he truly WAS there for a purpose, even if it wasn't to win the game.

The rest of the episode felt like "let's just hurry up and get these two gone so the backbiting and in-fighting can begin". When Steve approached the two girls, it was like for the first time it dawned on them that there are only 3 spots in the finals, Rob is taking one of those spots, and they weren't sure if the other two spots were theirs - but that was short-lived.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

I wonder why they're keeping so many people on RI. There are 4 people there now, right? That seems like a lot for only one to have the chance to get back in the game.

I think this would make it more interesting. Keep voting people out at tribal council until they’re down to 2 people, then have one giant challenge on Redemption Island to see who gets back in the game at the end. If they do this, though, they should start showing more of RI, and split the time between the people who are left and those that have been kicked out. Otherwise, us as viewers will have no idea what happened on RI, and understanding why people are voting the way they are during the Final 3 might be impossible.

Originally Posted by SydneyK

All in all, I thought last night's episode was a little dull. Maybe it's because the Ometepe 6 have dominated so much that it became boring and predictable. Dee's right about it becoming more interesting now that they have to start picking off their own.

I was kind of disappointed that the show decided to use the whole voting a second person out at tribal council thing this week and not next. Could you imagine? Rob and his pawns all think to themselves that there’s only one Zapatera left, the vote is obvious, and they are down to six. And then one of them reads aloud at tribal, “You have to vote someone else out right now…”

If I were one of Rob’s puppets, I would DEFINITELY vote for him then.

::Sigh:: but of course that didn’t happen.

Originally Posted by ProudandTrue

I think that Rob will try to vote Grant off next. He still needs the girls to vote with him, and then after Grant is gone, the girls will go. Rob will keep Phillip so he's sitting next to him at the final Tribal Council. I think that Matt is the only person who can beat Rob in the end...otherwise, it's his. Frankly, Matt and Rob are the only two who have really earned it.

If Rob doesn’t try to vote out Grant next, he’s an idiot. I think Grant is the one person who would try to break away from Rob and make a move toward voting him out. And Grant is a huge threat in immunity challenges.