Damn Clever!

I'll be completely honest. I've been hesitant and even resistant to engage in this season's Survivor. The main reason I haven't enjoyed it as much as other reality shows I'm used to is because of the concept--surviving at all costs to win a million dollars! I really don't watch shows like this.

After watching the episode and reading all the reviews, I was positive that I would rate this episode a +5. The show had finally reached that level. This episode had a physical challenge I didn't find too offensive and there was some amazing strategy between individual players and the team. As the cunning and clever schemes were revealed, I felt transported to one of those old Hollywood films where the villain is constantly one step ahead of the hero. Simply put, the schemes were just damn clever! Who wouldn't rate this episode a +5 after all the ups, downs, and changes of plans the audience was taken through until the final reveal?

After reviewing my notes and writing this review, I realized that there were still disappointing aspects which were just slightly above "perfect." I was letting the cleverness dazzle and blind me to the negatives about this episode. Once I realized this, I couldn't rate it anything higher than a +4 in all good conscious. Still, this is by far the best episode of the season!

The episode began with a night moon and the ocean. The setting was mysterious, beautiful, and spooky. It set the perfect mood for Russell and Rob who finally threw down their gauntlets. They both tried to "psych" each other out about the way the rest of the Villain's Tribe felt as to who deserved to be voted out. Both men were puffing their feathers trying to be more macho. The audience was left with an eerie warning: "Watch Your Back!"

Over in the Hero's Tribe, the group was not doing much better. Colby was still reeling from the results of the votes, and James was mocking his "pain" by offering his teammate a hug. Candice, the traitor who switched her vote last minute, tried to explain her reasons for the flip. It didn't appear that the teams were having a good night's rest with so much on their minds.

The mood and nature scenes shifted the next morning indicating a fresh beginning. There were tidal waves crashing against the rocks again, a cute hermit crab, and an interesting looking lizard. Unfortunately, this was only a brief respite before a new twist was revealed.

This week there was no team immunity idol. Both tribes would lose a member at Tribal Council. The only way to protect yourself was to fight for the individual immunity that was up for grabs. Individual team members raced each other along a horizontal pole. They had to maneuver through some tricky twists and turns because they were basically unraveling a knot tied around a horizontal pole. After the winner got her or his immunity necklace, they would race against the winner from the opposite tribe for the ultimate prize--a hot dog dinner with soft drinks! There were a couple of people who had done this challenge before including Tyson, Coach, and J.T, so I expected quite a spectacle. Unfortunately, none of these people excelled during the actual race.

The Heroes raced first, and they were very unexciting. It looked difficult wrapping and flipping yourself around the pole, but there is something about the Heroes that make them boring no matter what. I wasn't surprised that Candice won the challenge because she is both extremely skinny (no trouble maneuvering around a pole when you don't have a body!) and was fighting for survival. Candice was afraid that the tribe would vote her out if she lost. After she won, the light died in Colby's eyes. He moped about for the rest of the episode complaining about how he was going home. Luckily, there was more fight in the Villains' Tribe.

Watching the Villains race was really fun. Knowing the strong personality dynamics at play and the fact that Russell still had a personal immunity challenge from before made everyone fight that much harder. The only real disappointment on their team was Sandra. She got stuck and gave up at the very beginning of the race. I'm surprised their tribe hasn't pointed out how useless she is! Toward the last leg of the race, it appeared that Russell, Rob, and Tyson were neck and neck. I was cheering for Rob because I knew he would be eliminated without the immunity necklace. Luckily, he won!

After Candice and Rob won, they paired off for a final race for the hot dog picnic! I knew Rob was going to win when I saw that it was now a vertical and horizontal race. It was more "3D" with different types of movements that would be needed to win. How was "Miss Stick Figure Size Zero Girl" going to make it through without getting tangled up in her own body? There was no competition, and it was actually disturbing to watch Candice race. At one point she flashed the camera her front nether regions. Luckily, it was blurred out. Perhaps if the women actually wore clothes on this show they wouldn't be flashing everyone!

The best part of the episode came during the evening when everyone talked strategies before Tribal Council. The Villains were the most interesting because the team knew Russell had the immunity idol from before. Rob took the lead as they planned to send either Russell or Parvati home. At first, the plan was to make Russell think they were voting him off but to really vote for Parvati. Russell somehow figured this out and told Parvati that he was giving her his idol. Then, Rob figured out that Russell might be too smart to fall for their "trap." So, he convinced the team to split the vote. That would ensure that no matter which one of them had the immunity idol, one would be going home. Unfortunately, Russell figured out this trap as well and tried to convince Tyson to switch his vote. It was all very mind-boggling and confusing...yet damn brilliant! You really needed to watch this episode to see the masterminds at play. I could actually see the wheels in their heads moving as they plotted. It was a fascinating display of male dominance and logical deduction. After such an exciting display of skills, it was disappointing to be subjected to the Hero's Tribe voting strategy.

The Villains' Tribe felt like the big boys of the island. The Heroes were the little kids. There was some stupid and silly discussion about banana etiquette because James ate too many bananas without offering others some. James got macho and tried to race J.T., who was able to beat him running backward. During the fight for survival, Colby sulked in the ocean staring off into the distance. He was either thinking really deeply or peeing. Either way, this group felt like a complete joke in comparison to the other tribe. This was the major downfall of the episode, which is why I rated it a 4 rather than a 5. The producers needed to pick better Heroes!

At Tribal Council, there was some interesting music playing before Jeff asked some questions of the players. Most of what was discussed was boring. The exciting part came with the theatrics of the results, which was exactly as I predicted. Unfortunately, the theatrics felt phony, like bad acting in an action film. I wish the people hadn't spoken when the surprise was revealed.

I wasn't surprised nor sad to see these players leave. One was at fault for a stupid choice while the other really had no choice considering the circumstances. Thus, the show ended on a high note with me anticipating the ongoing battle between Rob and Russell. Could the producers be fixing the show to keep the two rivals in play as long as possible? I'm sure their ratings are sky rocketing because of them! One of the main reasons I'm sticking with the season other than a promise to @Pardolis is Rob and Russell. Who will win: Good or Evil?