Okay Schoonie, we were being all the same until you started hating on James. I love James. You were dead on though that Yul and Earl and those guys would sweep these dudes under the crab shells. We are also in agreement on Todd whining about the idol he gave James. I was yelling at the TV, "Just go say something, goon head!" Oh and:

It's either look for the idol or dream about pie.

That was awesome! Okay back to James. I don't think you really hate him. I just think you think he has an unfair advantage. Let's run with it. JR was not only annoying, but was hard to look at waddling around with his toddler posture.

Oh and the immunity challenge? I told my husband, "Courtney will win this challenge because the barrel will not even know she is up there." And it didn't. I did imagine however when Jeff put the immunity necklace on her that she would be crushed by the weight of it.

And last but not least, like you, I keep saying, "Don't these people know anything about this game?!?"

The best part of this episode for me was when JR forgot which reality show he was on and declared his intention on winning the "American Immunity Idol".

I agree with Schoonie on hating James now. I absolutely loved James during the first two episodes. Thanks to clever Survivor editing we never heard a word out of his mouth beyond "I bury people", leading me to believe he was some sort of brooding, mysterious deep thinker.

The first time he was shown in actual conversation (with JR discussing Courtney) I was all WTF! Sadly, my hero is really a whiny little bitch with no game. Nothing he has done or said since then has changed my opinion. Brute strength aside, he would never be able to dominate this game if it wasn't for that doucebag, Todd.

These people are idiots. Why, why, why would you toss a plan to oust the strongest player in the game, the player who also has not one, but TWO immunity idols....for the guy no one can stand? Have these people never watched this show? JR should have been around to the end. That's the guy I want next to me at the finals.

"I don't think you really hate him. I just think you think he has an unfair advantage."

There's no such thing as "unfair" in Survivor, really. I just don't like him because he talks down to everyone else like he had something to do with the fact that he has two idols, which he does not. He's a jackass, which is why I don't like him. Everyone seems to think he's some sort of scrappy underdog or something, which I do not understand.

Schoonie, I have never heard James talk that much, his body must be distracting me........
And if it was a rocking female body it would distract you too....
plese let it be and leave us women a little eye candy... Erik aside, as he is too virginal to dream of, Todd is not much to look at.. even if I was a Hobbitt......which I am sadly not... stop baxhing our hero....
That being said, they should have put James on the jury .... he is going to hang on just a bit too long and they will be sorry.

I don't have a problem with James. If James wins its okay with me. Better James than creepy Jean-Robert or icky Courtney.

Hey, I missed your recaps, Schoonie! Where ya been?

You're right about James. At the outset I thought he'd be an inward-looking kinda guy and we'd cheer the underdog on. Now I think he's a douchebag, too. Howcum Amada or Todd didn't demand one of the idols when they found them??!!?? Todd really messed up changing the last plan, because James was full of hubris and didn't play an idol. Damn! Well, I'll bet they let Courtney slide along as they play personalities and do each other in. Just watch!

Hey Schoonie!

Awsome recap as usual.

I have to agree with you about James being a douche and with IsabellaTheCat on the editing in the first couple episodes. Which makes me wonder why they would edit James to look "good"...hmmmmm...

I desperately wanted to like James too because, well, hel-loooo...but every time he opens his mouth I find him more and more repulsive. (sigh)

And I wondered why Todd would give James that idol instead of just telling James where to find the one back at his own camp instead??

So far, every strategical decision Todd has made has been crap.

Anyway, I'm currently rooting for The Mullet since she's the one that gets on my nerves the least.

Hey Schoonie!

Awsome recap as usual.

I have to agree with you about James being a douche and with IsabellaTheCat on the editing in the first couple episodes. Which makes me wonder why they would edit James to look "good"...hmmmmm...

I desperately wanted to like James too because, well, hel-loooo...but every time he opens his mouth I find him more and more repulsive. (sigh)

And I wondered why Todd would give James that idol instead of just telling James where to find the one back at his own camp instead??

So far, every strategical decision Todd has made has been crap.

Anyway, I'm currently rooting for The Mullet since she's the one that gets on my nerves the least.

Schoonie- enjoying the recaps as usual--- and I to further agree. Have these people never watched Survivor, ever??? Seriously, I knew it was a bad sign when the chicks were showing up in heels and no bras. Let's be honest, who dresses like that for Survivor? I don't care if you're just getting off the plane!!! I would layer, give myself a few options and wear some damn tennis shoes!
I like that Todd is at least invested in trying new strategies- dumb as they sometimes come off, at least he's attempting to play the game.
And yes, Yau-man and Earl would have wiped China clean with what remains of the survivors. And I'm glad you didn't leave Jonathan out of that list- he was not near as bad as everyone mad him out to be!
JR was just obnoxious- and it was hard to watch him read out the clues for the idol- painful really, but that said, I'd rather him be my final competition.
I say Courtney of Peih-gee will take it in the long run and she won't even realize how she got there. Frosti is growing on me, without any real strategy except floating along with the wind, he'll be gone soon.
Still hoping that I have someone to really root for in the end instead of people to hate!

I think it comes down to the fact that no one has really grown on me. James is just amusing to me - the whole situation really. It would have been funny if he had been voted out - he would have become a permanent "Survivor" trivia question. Every week I think I will start to feel something about someone: love, hate, admiration, SOMETHING, but it hasn't happened except for J.R., but he was just gross to look at. But so is Courtney.

I agree with you 100% about hating James. It all started with the "get a million dollars and some ass" convo between him & JR, but the real kicker for me was last week's episode when he was talking about how dumb Jaime was. He kept saying how dumb she was for thinking her plaque may be an idol when 'it didn't even say immunity or anything.' He was all high and mighty when in reality, he probably wouldn't have known the idol if it bit him on the ass. Todd gave it to him! Also, last year's idols didn't say 'immunity' on them. They were turtle necklaces. The Guatemala idol was a little statute ... the examples go on. Good one though, James. Excellent point.

Also, I almost threw my TV out the window after Todd decided not to blindside James. I thought he was so smart and strategic, and really ... he's not. :(

And, I agree with you that Frosti threw that challenge. His movements looked kind of contrived in my opinion. But hey, at least it wasn't as obvious as throwing the puzzle piece in the woods, right? Not that James or Erik would have noticed even if it had been that obvious ...

P.S. Having been a Survivor fan since Season 1, though, for me there is one upside to JR leaving -- I find myself morally opposed to the producers putting people like JR and Ashley on the show because they're somewhat famous in other genres. I'd rather watch a strategic no name over some hack faux-celebrity looking for exposure.

So although there aren't really any strategic no names this season to make me really happy, JR's ouster at least makes the season a little more authentic, instead of a blatant cry for viewership from fans of the WWE and profession poker circuits.

I have to sort of agree with you Schoonie, some of the game play has been astoundingly stupid when it appeared that it would be really great. But, I disagree that James is playing stupid in not aligning with JR, true he would make a great F2 because he is so disliked, but he is also percieved as untrustworthy so getting to F2 yourself would be tricky. BTW, great recap, totally hilarious. I twittered quite loudly on "Her mullet says "Looks like I'm not going to the prom...again." No one gets to ride in her Trans-Am!" But that was nothing compared with : "Courtney wins immunity!...that whole sentence is a typo. MS Word just put the squiggly green line underneath it, all 'subject and predicate do not conjugate correctly'." or this: "Courtney (wearing the necklace, which also doubles as a hula hoop on her". Very clever writer, thanks a bunch.

Oh and geewits, thank you for supplying me with the reason for my utter disgust with JR's body - "waddling around with his toddler posture". That is it exactly, not that I don't love toddlers but it is really disturbing seeing their posture in an adult. :)

Myfavoritesunglasses - JR made the comments about Courtney in the infamous "Million Dollars and Some Ass" convo, not James. He didn't have any interest in Courtney and just sat there and if you remember, it was directly after that conversation that we saw a distinct cooling in the relationship between JR and James. James distanced himself a lot. I will agree though that he shouldn't be be arrogant about the idols since he had nothing to do with getting them.

I have to sort of agree with you Schoonie, some of the game play has been astoundingly stupid when it appeared that it would be really great. But, I disagree that James is playing stupid in not aligning with JR, true he would make a great F2 because he is so disliked, but he is also percieved as untrustworthy so getting to F2 yourself would be tricky. BTW, great recap, totally hilarious. I twittered quite loudly on "Her mullet says "Looks like I'm not going to the prom...again." No one gets to ride in her Trans-Am!" But that was nothing compared with : "Courtney wins immunity!...that whole sentence is a typo. MS Word just put the squiggly green line underneath it, all 'subject and predicate do not conjugate correctly'." or this: "Courtney (wearing the necklace, which also doubles as a hula hoop on her". Very clever writer, thanks a bunch.

Oh and geewits, thank you for supplying me with the reason for my utter disgust with JR's body - "waddling around with his toddler posture". That is it exactly, not that I don't love toddlers but it is really disturbing seeing their posture in an adult. :)

Myfavoritesunglasses - JR made the comments about Courtney in the infamous "Million Dollars and Some Ass" convo, not James. He didn't have any interest in Courtney and just sat there and if you remember, it was directly after that conversation that we saw a distinct cooling in the relationship between JR and James. James distanced himself a lot. I will agree though that he shouldn't be be arrogant about the idols since he had nothing to do with getting them.

Hey Splotchie,

Yes it was JR that said that quote, but what James said was much worse IMHO. Anyone please correct me but I believe it was something like "I wouldn't touch that nasty bush" or something along those lines. Very disturbing convo all the way around.

See, the difference between me and a lot of you guys is that I enjoy the snarky and derogatory comments that James and Courtney make about others. This is why I hope they never, ever leave. Plus, there's an off chance that James is planning to dig a grave for someone (please let it be Peih-Gee), and I want him to be able to complete that task.

Also, I hope someone steps on that annoying little flea Todd. I'm sure he'll make it to the finals, but I shall still hope that something heavy falls on him (maybe Denise?) before all of this is over.

One thing to say about the reward challenge -- I cannot believe those dumbasses picked Courtney because she was lighter than Denise. Um, hello? PG, Erik and Frosti put together don't weigh 150 pounds, I really don't see how adding the bony Courtney was going to help matters. PG said, "We need someone light to sit in the boat." Dumb whore.

See, the difference between me and a lot of you guys is that I enjoy the snarky and derogatory comments that James and Courtney make about others. This is why I hope they never, ever leave. Plus, there's an off chance that James is planning to dig a grave for someone (please let it be Peih-Gee), and I want him to be able to complete that task.

Also, I hope someone steps on that annoying little flea Todd. I'm sure he'll make it to the finals, but I shall still hope that something heavy falls on him (maybe Denise?) before all of this is over.

One thing to say about the reward challenge -- I cannot believe those dumbasses picked Courtney because she was lighter than Denise. Um, hello? PG, Erik and Frosti put together don't weigh 150 pounds, I really don't see how adding the bony Courtney was going to help matters. PG said, "We need someone light to sit in the boat." Dumb whore.

Thanks for the recap, Schoonie! Sorry to read of your frustrations, but I for one was happy to see Tool #2 take an unstrategic exit . . . poker player my . . .

Yeah, I wasn't necessarily saying that James made the comment, just that the entire conversation made me want to rip my ears off and I haven't looked at either James or JR the same way again.

I also kind of like Courtney's snarky comments. I forget exactly what she said to Jeff about not giving up the immunity necklace -- something like, "Screw you guys," but it made me laugh. I thought it was supposed to be funny, not actually bitchy. Her confessional about the merge feast was funny too.

Die_Media_Whores i think i love you. you just said exactly what i was about to say. well, almost exactly.

i have always liked Courtney--i think we could hang out, but i love the bitchy. as for James, i guess i'm kinda a snob because making stupid comments works just fine with my grave-digger from Louisiana stereotype. plus his body is amazing so, for me personally, i would prefer that he not say anything--at all--anyway.

i'm not really impressed with anyone's strategic play. Peih-Gee is always playing the game, but i don't see her making it due to her team's early suckitude.

James didn't say anything nasty when they were in the water and JR made the gross statement about a million dollars and some ass. What he said was that he would like a million dollars "and a sammich."

Courtney's a skank. All she does is complain. I wouldn't want to spend 5 minutes with her. The sooner she goes the better for everyone.