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[TheFury]

If one of the Villains doesn't go next week I'm hoping it's Candice. Completely useless. They would of had the numbers on their side and she still voted for Amanda.

 

[Galang]

Argh, stupid Candice. I loved you Amanda , favorite character by far, you will be greatly missed! Flipping can work, but in this case Candice is definitely not helping herself get ANY jury votes. It was more of a cowardly move on her part than anything. I suppose Russell's intimidation tactics were too much for her, I do give him props because I think Amanda was the most threatening left on the Heroes.

After this episode, Sandra has grown on me a lot. She's definitely been a great strategic player the whole game and I wouldn't mind seeing her winning. It was great to actually see Parvati/Russell squirm for a bit, but it really looks like the game is still in either one's favor which I don't mind since they're both two of my favorite characters. Next week I would love to see Parvati/Russell break off from each other to make the game more interesting, but if this is actually the case... which I doubt, I think most people will flip to Parvati's side over Russell?

 

[Brian Fellows]

Stupid Candice!

 

[Mo0]

If one of the Villains doesn't go next week I'm hoping it's Candice. Completely useless. They would of had the numbers on their side and she still voted for Amanda.

She freaked out about that stupid idol. It's like she forgot that the idol wasn't a superweapon like it was on her original season.

 

[BowieZ]

She freaked out about that stupid idol. It's like she forgot that the idol wasn't a superweapon like it was on her original season.

I don't know why everyone is blaming Russell for tribal council... if Candice was going to flip to the Villains, why wouldn't she tell the Villains that the Heroes were going to vote for Parvati? That way Russell would have hung on to the idol or possibly given it to Parvati.

I think you guys are being a bit unfair to Candice. It's hard to judge but it does seem like her strategy is to make moves in the game so that if she makes it to the end, she has a clear path to victory to speak of, unlike, say, Rupert, Colby or Amanda, who really have made no actual moves since Day 1. It might not work like it didn't work in Cook Islands, but, come on, give her some props for working her way into the power player position in that episode, whether it comes to fruition or not.

We'll see.

As for her not revealing to Russell who the Heroes were voting out, obviously she didn't want Russell to use that idol to protect anyone, period, because what's the point in Candice aligning with Russell -- because he has an idol -- if he goes and uses the idol straight away?

The problem here was Russell went against all expectation and used the idol on himself.

I'm so sick of these hidden idols.

Meh, I think it's the right time for the game to be spiced up with new gameplay elements like recurring Immunity Idols. Makes the 10-year-old show much fresher imho.

It's a shame Russell played the idol tonight. Kind of tarnishes all the awesome that little duo has pulled throughout the season. :lol

But that's the theme of the second half of the season, isn't it? The ultimate demise of the tight Russell-Parvati union (I'm presuming this, from the previews -- have no idea about spoilers). It began last week with her playing her secret idol and shifting closest ties to Danielle. You can't really blame him for totally freaking out after that ballsy move.

The question is, who will come out on top? If they both make it to the end, it seems to me like the Jury would give kudos to Parvati's move last week and dismiss Russell's anxious idol waste this week.

I love Colby just sitting back and continuing to watch the movie & eat popcorn while that nonsense was going on.

 

[Mo0]

I think you guys are being a bit unfair to Candice. It's hard to judge but it does seem like her strategy is to make moves in the game so that if she makes it to the end, she has a clear path to victory to speak of, unlike, say, Rupert, Colby or Amanda, who really have made no actual moves since Day 1. It might not work like it didn't work in Cook Islands, but, come on, give her some props for working her way into the power player position in that episode, whether it comes to fruition or not.

We'll see.

As for her not revealing to Russell who the Heroes were voting out, obviously she didn't want Russell to use that idol to protect anyone, period, because what's the point in Candice aligning with Russell -- because he has an idol -- if he goes and uses the idol straight away?

The problem here was Russell went against all expectation and used the idol on himself.

I guess I sounded a little harsher on Candice than I meant to. Really, the problem lied in Amanda/Rupert/Colby just sleepwalking through the game. Candice left for a similar reason Jonathan jumped in her original season: She looked at her tribe and went "Jesus, guys, HELP ME please!"

I mean, Sandra was all ready to jump ship, but jumped back when she realized it would've been worse for her to jump than not.

At this point, with the alliance looking like it's about to disintegrate, I'd hope Russ gets the boot he's been deserving for a while. At the rate we're going, though, I think he won't. He's absolute dynamite to take to the jury.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

I have absolutely no idea what to expect anymore. Crazy episode!

I really don't know why Candice voted with the Villains. They could have booted Parvati right then and there.

Very confusing vote.

 

[Mo0]

I have absolutely no idea what to expect anymore. Crazy episode!

I really don't know why Candice voted with the Villains. They could have booted Parvati right then and there.

Very confusing vote.

Actually, if you look at the votes, Sandra voted Amanda as well. Something happened that caused her to realize Candice was solid with the villains, so Amanda was doomed when they walked in there.

 

[jey_16]

Candice.....she just seemed so lost, fell for Russell's shit. Villains just have a straight ride to the final 4 now

 

[Justin Timberlake]

Candice.....she just seemed so lost, fell for Russell's shit. Villains just have a straight ride to the final 4 now

Woah there. No they don't.

This games too crazy to be that simple :lol

 

[Galang]

I like the idols and all, but they've become a little OVERLY random. I know part of the game is luck, but having them hidden in popcorn/napkins is kind of too much.

 

[suaveric]

The dumbest move you can make in the game is feel like you're in trouble and not play an idol if you have it. Russell couldn't read which was Candice was going and feared for his life in the game, so he really had no choice.

What I can't figure out is who let it slip to the Heroes that Candice was going to flip? That kind of thing has to be kept secret or it all goes to shit like we saw tonight. Dumb move.

According to Probst's blog, next week there are two immunity challenges/tribal councils.

 

[ToxicAdam]

I was okay with the idols until the last one. It's like the producers panicked because Parv burned through 2 of them a few days earlier. You can't have a Survivor game where there are 5 freaking idols. About 2 too many.

 

[bill0527]

I like the idols and all, but they've become a little OVERLY random. I know part of the game is luck, but having them hidden in popcorn/napkins is kind of too much.

The problem is that Russell is so damn good at finding the idols, he's making it look easy. The fact that he's willing to play those idols so frequently causes the value of the idol to diminish in the eyes of the viewer.

You have to remember that nobody in the history of the game has had this kind of success finding those idols. Russell is just a freak at doing this. These idols historically have been very difficult to find, and they are seldom played after they are found. In the past, they've mostly been used as a threatening gesture, or to tighten an alliance, or to bring someone over to your side if you tell them you've got an idol. Russell finds them, and plays them or gives them away. Quite a few people in past Survivors just sit on them, and several people have gone home with them in their back pocket. Russell finds almost all of the idols, and actually does something with them.

 

[suaveric]

Probst mentions in his blog this week that because of Russell, all seasons from here on out are going have have idols that are a lot tougher to get.

 

[RubxQub]

I could not believe how stupid Candice was.

If she goes with the heroes, she's now a strong hero in the majority alliance. If she goes with the villains, she's a weak villain in the majority alliance.

That was probably the most unattractive thing I've ever seen on this show. Horribly bad strategy. She was so scared out of her mind.

Russell was brilliant this episode in getting her.

 

[ToxicAdam]

I can see where Candace is coming from. She has basically been in jeopardy and powerless since Cirie left. Not really "playing the game" just trying to survive from week to week. She saw this as a way to actually have an impact on the game instead of just trying to play under the radar. You have to respect that in some manner, even though they edited it to look like Russell was the mastermind behind it.

 

[Baker]

The problem is that Russell is so damn good at finding the idols, he's making it look easy. The fact that he's willing to play those idols so frequently causes the value of the idol to diminish in the eyes of the viewer.

Probst mentions in his blog this week that because of Russell, all seasons from here on out are going have have idols that are a lot tougher to get.

Yeah, I think that's the root of the problem.

The idol used to be a multi-step scavenger hunt. Since Russell has been playing, the clues have flat out been "go to that tree right there and look under the big rock" type crap. I'm not complaining, but I can see how it could irk some people.

I actually think that's how the next idol should be handled. Hide a big cloth wad somewhere that looks exactly like all the previous ones. However, housed inside will just be the next clue. It obviously would be hilarious if whoever found it didn't unwrap it until tribal.

 

[Galang]

Great GIF as usual, :lol do you have one of Courtney during tribal? That was pretty great.

The problem is that Russell is so damn good at finding the idols, he's making it look easy. The fact that he's willing to play those idols so frequently causes the value of the idol to diminish in the eyes of the viewer.

Guess I never thought of that as most players do seem to not use the idol at all or even strategically.

Yeah, I think that's the root of the problem.

The idol used to be a multi-step scavenger hunt. Since Russell has been playing, the clues have flat out been "go to that tree right there and look under the big rock" type crap. I'm not complaining, but I can see how it could irk some people.

The idol hunting has gotten incredibly boring because of this. Last night's episode was probably the most pathetic find in my opinion. It was cool when Russell searched for the idol before getting the clues the last season, but it seems as though the idols have been made even easier to find this season... somehow. I hope the idols really do become more difficult to find next season as Probst said, just not so hard that nobody can find them.

I could not believe how stupid Candice was.

If she goes with the heroes, she's now a strong hero in the majority alliance. If she goes with the villains, she's a weak villain in the majority alliance.

That was probably the most unattractive thing I've ever seen on this show. Horribly bad strategy. She was so scared out of her mind.

Russell was brilliant this episode in getting her.

Agreed with all of this!

 

[B-Rad Lascelle]

What I can't figure out is who let it slip to the Heroes that Candice was going to flip? That kind of thing has to be kept secret or it all goes to shit like we saw tonight. Dumb move.

Sandra gave them that news after Russell went to her and said we have 6 votes so "don't you dare try to defect 'cause I'll know and it won't matter anyway".

The problem with his approach is that there are no layers to how he plays the game. He wields idols, power positions, his millionaire salary, new Final 2 allies all as leverage for his intimidation tactics. It's transparent as all hell. He could have built a pact with Candice and let nobody in on the news apart from her. It would have been worthwhile as she's one of the few people he could potentially beat in an endgame vote.

If he just mixed up his game some, was a little more self-aware and employed different tactics for different situations (ala Brian Heidik) instead of just going full force like a bulldozer, he'd be much more difficult to read and more likely to win the game.

 

[Purkake4]

Sandra can't do anything right, even her tower was hilarious.

Also :lol Courtney.

 

[diamondstar]

Sandra is playing a really smart game. She knew she was on the outs with her original tribe and knew that this would be the best time to jump to the other side. After Candice decided that she wanted to fuck over her entire tribe, Sandra had no choice but to stick with the villains. Sandra looked at the game from every angle she could. Candice, on the other hand, really has no business being in this game at this point. She played a pretty horrible game in her season and certainly shouldn't have been placed on the Heroes tribe. Candice has absolutely no chance of winning at this point in time.

This.

I have no idea what her reasoning was behind switching once she found out they were going to try to flush the idol. Wasn't that they only reason she sided with Russell in the first place? With the idol gone she is in the same spot with no guarantee to move up. I hate it when dumb people get left with crucial decisions. The vote tonite was all Candice.

I was really disappointed in Amanda and Colby. Why didn't Colby just say to read the idol note to everyone since it was known Danielle had it. How can Danielle get pissed at Amanda for trying to get her clue when she was being a rat herself? If I were in the game I would have announced Danielle had the clue once we got back to camp.

 

[Coolio McAwesome]

I was really disappointed in Amanda and Colby. Why didn't Colby just say to read the idol note to everyone since it was known Danielle had it. How can Danielle get pissed at Amanda for trying to get her clue when she was being a rat herself? If I were in the game I would have announced Danielle had the clue once we got back to camp.

I agree. The rules of Survivor state that you can't take an idol from somebody, but Amanda had every right in the world to take that clue. Heck, Amanda picked the clue up from the floor and it wasn't even technically in Danielle's possession at the time. Danielle had no right to physically attack Amanda and certainly wasn't in any position to force Amanda to give it back to her. Colby siding with Danielle in that situation was completely ridiculous. At the very least, he should have tried to reach a compromise in which everyone read the clue together. Under no circumstances should they have surrendered the clue. Colby is useless, Amanda really should have stood up for herself, and Danielle has a mustache.

JT's big move was promoted as they stupidest move in Survivor history, but at least there was some logic behind his move. Colby and Amanda deciding to hand over a clue to the immunity idol was downright ridiculous. It was almost as stupid as Tyson going rogue and essentially voting himself out in the process.

 

[Manus]

Was it just me or was Amanda looking extremely tired this episode? She had the droopy eyes.

 

[TheFury]

Even though Colby should of stuck up for Amanda or told her to at least do something instead of giving it back, it was still hilarious watching him lay there and do nothing.

 

[Kozak]

As a whole episode it was rather disappointing..

I don't think Russell-Parvati alliance will be affect much this week..Russell acted like a kid hiding the immunity idol from Parvati and Danielle but I think they'll return to a normal, no secrets alliance now that they're "issues" have been sorted out. Two wrongs may actually make a right.

I hope Rupert goes next..I hate that punk and his "good guy" act..

 

[Mo0]

I think you're giving Russell too much credit. He doesn't seem to let anything go like that.

 

[Kozak]

I think you're giving Russell too much credit. He doesn't seem to let anything go like that.

If he doesn't then he really is a little kid. This episode shows just how much smarter Parvati is.

 

[Mo0]

He's pretty firmly established himself as someone who plays a game that's fun to watch at home (to a point), is amazingly aggressive and smart, but is also never going to win him the million bucks. I don't think in either of his seasons he's put someone on the jury without seriously turning them off of him.

If you DARE to challenge King Russell, King Russell flips the fuck out and won't stop til he's rid of you. It's his one weakness, and it's one that Sandra picked up on a few episodes ago and nearly used against him. I don't think Parvati and Danielle are going to hang onto Russell for dear life like Natalie, Jaison, and Mick did, mostly because those three had to in order to have any chance of winning (not saying they played badly, but that Galu jury was kinda dumb), while Parv and Danielle can easily afford to drop Russell at this point.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Was it just me or was Amanda looking extremely tired this episode? She had the droopy eyes.

The entire Amanda - Colby - Rupert group looked totally defeated. How about Colby having no interest in the clue to the immunity idol? Clearly it's a result of the shocking JT vote, but what's so crazy about that is that even after JT they still had a pretty good chance. Among the Heroes only Candice, who is a clueless idiot, appears to still be playing, even if she is doing so badly.

 

[Galang]

Colby and Amanda did look very much defeated. I could tell something was up when Amanda was pretty much crying during her confessional even before the whole idol mess with Daniellle. And I agree Amanda/Colby should of gotten Danielle to read the clue. Even as selfish as Danielle is, she probably would of eventually read it since that's what usually happens under those circumstances. I can't believe Colby really didn't help Amanda's case at all, I like him and all, but out of all the players left he's been playing the game the worse strategically imo.

 

[Mercury Fred]

:lol

Spoiler

Candice

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Good riddance.

 

[Hours Left]

Russell self destruction is imminent. Way to make your entire alliance hate you and lose two of your members when you had a four person advantage.

Great playing by Colby tonight. Picked up on the Candice votes and used that to their advantage instead of throwing their votes away on Russell.

Bye Candice & Danielle.

 

[LJ11]

Even if he made the final three, I thought Russell had a slim chance to win the million, now he has no shot.

 

[yellowjacket25]

I like Russell but he is borderline insane. I wonder if he would have even tried this move if he didnt have immunity. Just go to the final 3 with Parvati and Danielle and convince Danielle that she cant win against Parvati. Seems alot easier then his new plan.

 

[Mercury Fred]

Very satisfying episode tonight.

Candice and Danielle were two of my least favorites, Danielle in particular was an eyesore and just generally annoying. Really dumb move by Russell, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to see him shoot himself in the foot.

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

Russell trying to trick Parvati was hilarious and pathetic. "Of course she won't ask Danielle about it" 2 seconds later "Of course I'm going to talk to Danielle. Don't yell at ME Russell". He sure is in love with making BIG MOVES tm .......too bad he's making every single person hate his guts in the process. LOL at the preview Russell looking all intimidating "Either you're with me or against me! GRRRRRR" Sandra, unimpressed and calm "I'm against you Russell".:lol

 

[Baker]

That was so fucking awesome. I don't even care how bad that absolutely screwed Russell in the finals because I'm still just laughing uncontrollably.

 

[Manus]

I thought it was a good idea to get rid of Danielle. I mean their was no way they wouldn't have tried to get rid of him anyway.

 

[VGChampion]

What a dumb move by Russell. Yeah, Danielle would probably have a better chance against Parvati because she already has the million but this way just pretty much guarantees he won't win the jury vote. Not a single person up there likes him yet and there's no way Sandra, Rupert, or Colby would vote for him on the jury.

Russell makes the game interesting to watch but I can't see him winning this. I think that's why he was so desperate for the title last season.

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

I thought it was a good idea to get rid of Danielle. I mean their was no way they wouldn't have tried to get rid of him anyway.

It might be a good idea, but Russell lacks subtlety. He tries to bully people into voting his way "You have to do what I say or you go next!" The end result is that everyone ends up seeing him as a pushy lying troll, which might not be the best idea when you're trying to convince people to hand you a million bucks. But Russell pushes vainly on, convinced that his visibility of PLAYING THE GAME will win out over someone he'll try to drag with him and argue that they played worse. It didn't work last time. The funny thing is, people complained about the advantage he had that noone saw him play before? Well, he didn't know that he lost last time with his bulldozer asshole routine, so the joke's ultimately on him because he's got exactly zero potential jury votes thus far, and none forthcoming from Sandra, Colby, Rupert or Parv. Maybe Jerri, because she's crazy

I like Russell, he's entertaining, but he's got to be an appealing goat to drag to the end at this point, and that's a far cry from his blustering "King of Survivor!" confessionals. He'd need a social game even a tenth as good as Parv's to be king.

 

[Jon]

Russell has no chance to win, but GODDAMN he is so entertaining.

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

I did enjoy watching Russell tell Rupert off, because Rupert has had too many sips of his own Kool-Aid and thinks he is so good and pure and shut up Rupert. Also shut up Colby. When he was voting for Candace and saying "I'm proud of how I played. Are you?", I felt like smacking him and saying "You're more interested in popcorn and donuts than playing this game" :lol

 

[goldenticket]

I agree about rupert and colby but dont like russell either. I guess out of remaining i would want sandra to win then i guess colby. although i havent liked him this season but i would rather a hero win it instead a villain.

 

[Tim the Wiz]

That was so fucking awesome. I don't even care how bad that absolutely screwed Russell in the finals because I'm still just laughing uncontrollably.

Pretty much. Unless he manages to bring Heroes or Jerri to the final, he's screwed.

 

[Shalashaska]

Russell has no clue on how to play the social aspect of Survivor a.k.a. the one that wins you the million dollars.

 

[B-Rad Lascelle]

The one good thing about tonight is that Russell's complete lack of gamesmanship, social grace and self-awareness was completely exposed. We won't be inundated with any more threads or arguments about how great of a player he is.

He's a freaking loose cannon and when we get to the reunion show and he's faced with the fact that he's blown yet another crack at a million bucks, I hope he owns up to it.

For what it's worth, this season's Survivor Ponderosa segments are pretty entertaining if you want to hear Russell's name raked through the coals by everyone on the jury.

 

[ScrabbleDude]

If Russell goes to the final against Parvati or Sandra, then he loses. So he needs to take Jerri, Rupert, and Colby to the final 4. Then he needs to take Colby and someone else to the final 3. He would win against Colby, but I'm not even sure if he would win against Rupert at this point.

Of course, Sandra has the hidden immunity idol and no one knows about it. I think that might win her the game.

 

[Crazymoogle]

The one good thing about tonight is that Russell's complete lack of gamesmanship, social grace and self-awareness was completely exposed. We won't be inundated with any more threads or arguments about how great of a player he is.

I won't argue that playing two straight seasons has clearly worn him down into a more bitter player, but he's still clearly one of the best, if not the best, to play the game ever. His "a good defense is a good offense" strategy has never worked so well for anyone else in the history of Survivor. The problem this time is that I think fighting Rob just sandblasted his ability to play under the radar.

Many of the other great players of the game have relied on a measure of circumstance that can't be easily judged (group voting, injury affecting tribe dynamics, outright bad luck), whereas Russell has been so proactive that you can pretty much judge him on his own actions week to week.

I think given time to see his own play - at this point he has played two long seasons without even seeing his actions out of context - he's pretty likely to dial himself back a bit, but we won't know until another All-Stars season happens.

Russell has no chance to win, but GODDAMN he is so entertaining.

:lol You're probably right, but there is a definitive way to win. The problem is, it involves speaking exactly what was said in Borneo. He has to explain every way he controlled the game. He has to make the 'snakes' argument.

But since he hasn't seen the result of his previous season, he is nowhere near as as aware as we are that it's the argument he has to make.

 

[Coolio McAwesome]

Russell made some bad plays this week. Falling for the old "rock in the pocket" trick was one thing; but going postal on his own alliance for no apparent reason was a horrible move. I guess he was trying to start some sort of feud within his group in order to create chaos, but did he really think he could manipulate Parvati!? Everyone was on to him from the very beginning, so Russell pretty much outed himself out of an alliance that he though he was in control of. Switching sides at this point certainly didn't help his position in the game, and he pretty much threw away the only jury votes he could have gotten. Russell can't win the game at this point.

On the other side of the spectrum, Sandra continues to impress me. She found an idol, she kept it to herself, and nobody even suspects that she has it. She doesn't appear to be a target at this point and looks like she's in a good position to win the whole thing. Rupert played a good game as well. He tricked people into thinkig he had an idol, he accurately predicted how the villains were going to vote, and he kept himself in the game by sending Candice home. He was then able to put aside his differences with Russell in order to vote Danielle out. He's playing a much smarter game than I thought he was capable of.