Friday, April 13, 2012

Survivor: One World, Ep. 9: Belshazzar Redux


Why couldn't Jay see the writing on the wall, when Troy could?  Why did Jay tell Kim of Troy's plan to play the idol - becoming an instrument in his own demise?  More puzzingly, why did he make these errors when he had been so suspicious of the women in the previous episode, an episode where a member of his own alliance got picked off (Mike)?
 
I think the answer is mental fatigue.
 
Jay has been on defense for most of the game.  His ally (Matt) was the first to go in his tribe.  Next went Bill - at an improbable tribal council Jay felt pressured to attend.  He had good reasons to be suspicious of the girls in the post-merge tribe.  But, last week, he won immunity, and he finally had a chance to relax.  And, I get the feeling, he didn't want to go back to the pre-immunity chaos and paranoia.  He made a decision, for his own internal well-being, to believe the girls.  I can undertand it.  But, in some ways, he sort of gave up.
 
The second factor in Jay's demise was his fear of Troy.  There was something surreal about watching Jay worry about going against Troy in the final tribal while his alliance was conspiring against him.  You get the feeling that Jay is wired to see only men as threats.  You get the feeling he really never was with Troy.
 
That might not be all Jay's fault, because it appears Troy has no allies.  He'll fight like a tiger to stay alive, but if Troy couldn't pick up votes when he had the immunity idol, who is he going to convince without it?  Troy can't afford to lose another immunity challenge.  Tom (in Palau) and Terry (in Panama) went on massive immunity runs, but they still lost once in a while.  So, I don't see how Troy can do it.  Regardless, I'm happy he played the idol.  I would have hated to see him go home with it still in his pocket - and, Jay really did deserve to go before him.
 
Leif has nothing going on.  He voted with Jay, who was in the process of driving himself off a cliff.  Leif thought it looked fun, and decided to ride shotgun.  Furthermore, Leif stepped down from the immunity challenge because Chelsea said it would make him look better (Leif: "Is that true?").  Leif - Chelsea is in the dominant alliance, why isn't she stepping down?  Why isn't she worried about looking strong?  Even Tarzan is making better decisions than Leif.
 
I don't begrudge Chelsea for waffling on the issue of voting out Jay.  It's one thing to vote someone out, it's another to lie to a loyal ally's face.  I'd have a hard time doing it.  It's good to see someone out there has a conscience.  However, she should have kept her misgivings quiet and sorted it out privately.  I think she hurt herself with the others.  They might see her as trying to kiss-up to the jury.  She can truthfully tell Jay at the final tribal that she spoke up for him.  Which means - it's now harder for Chelsea to make the final tribal.  [Of course, the jury doesn't always buy this line of argument].
 
Christina is a phoenix.  That appendicitis couldn't have come at a better time.  What a turnaround!  She's alive and well (and not on any radars).
 
It took some guts for Kim not to play her idol.  If only a couple of people switched their votes, she would have been in big trouble.  She must have a real feel for what's going on.
 
I know Probst deserves a day off once in awhile but Survivor only films 78 days a year.  Does Jeff really have to miss a reward challenge?  That challenge was (a) terrible, and (b) worse without Probst there.  I'd rather watch my neighbors pitch horseshoes.  Frankly, the first half of the episode was terrible.  All the action was in the second half.
 
At the beginning of the episode Troy said he'll play the idol if he sees something fishy from Kim and Chelsea.  How about when they voted off Mike - is that fishy enough for you?  I'm glad you caught on by the end.
 
The big question right now is whether Kim is so clearly in control that the other women turn against her.  Unless they haven't shown it, only one of them knows she has the idol (Chelsea), so a move against Kim could backfire.
 
I am so sick of listening to Tarzan.
 
Later.

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