Well I hope the show is done letting Natalie speak. This episode was just painful at times. I hope the editors don't do the same thing with Alexis *knock on wood*. And I don't care what you say, I actually like Erik.

I haven't read the recap yet but I would just like to thank you abaumga2 for the faster postings of the Survivor recaps. It's nice to see that a small request was so immediately responded to. Thanks! Now, on to the recap!!!

I'm assuming you meant to thank me? Indeed, we're all about showing love to the readers here. Just don't ask to touch any of my special parts.

I LOVED the "apple chewer" parables by James! They're so whacky, even Parvati looked confused. I think James actually liked her a lot more, and was hurt by the whole sitch.

And I thought it was really funny when James said to Parvati something like "I never said you were stupid. I said you were selfish."

I think Amanda was gaming a lot more than it appeared during the "Black Widow Brigade" discussion about Jason. She was slightly off-camera, but it was her voice intoning some of the details of the plan.

Sadly, it's hard to imagine Parvati NOT winning at this point.

Even though I didn't think James' analogy fit the situation, I also thought it was funny he called her an "apple chewer". Just like it was funny when he said, "What in the nickelodeon is going on here?" last week. WTF does that even mean?

I don't know why Amanda didn't round up Jason, Erik and James and tell them the plan so that Jason would've played the idol and Parvati would go home. Obviously Amanda can't trust Parvati at this point. As soon as it's down to all girls they would turn on her in a heartbeat since she's the strongest in challenges.

Natalie is such a dirty, stupid, skank. Everything she said made me want to kill her, but the worst was when she kept saying "jugular". Ugh...

Thank you SO much for pointing out the obvious solution of joining together, telling Jason the truth, and getting someone out. It wasn't rocket science and they would have gained the majority numbers. However, schoonie, I would think James instead of Cirie would be easier to pull. Also, I disagree that I would target Parvati. I personally would go after Cirie. She's far more intelligent and also a lot sneakier. I think if the vote had gone a different way then Parvati expected (Jason) she would have suffered more severely.

Dumbest move in Survivor history, James not playing one of TWO idols, come on, you had a back-up.

Dumbest Survivor this season, three way tie: Jason's undeniable gullability. Amanda/James saying I've gone over all possibilities, there's no way out of this. The other one agreeing. Simple math people, this was the one time it could totally be advantageous. Most annoying Survivor: Natalie's arrogance. She didn't mastermind the plan. Plus it wouldn't have worked without Jason's idiocy.

Bentley:

While I get what you're saying, you actually have to have James AND Cirie to make a difference at this point, not one or the other. You need five for a majority when eight are left, meaning that everyone but Parvati and her fan followers would have to participate, which is what I think I said. While Cirie is a problem, and will have to be dealt with eventually, the more pressing problem is the possible tandem of Parvati, Alexis and Natalie taking control of the game at five. That needs to be dealt with first, then the Cirie thing.

snackycakes420---

I think the nickelodeon comment has to do with the Nickelodeon channel where people get slimed on some of their game shows and award shows.

And how dumb was it that James and Amanda didn't talk to Jason and get him to vote with them. Was it bad editing? I can't believe Amanda wouldn't have thought of that, especially after it looks like they were there when Natalie looked in Jason's stuff for the idol.

THIS is what should have happened. There's 8 left - 5 girls (Parvati, Cirie, Alexis, Natalie, Amanda) and 3 guys (Jason, James, Erik) who are obviously on the outside.

Amanda should have betrayed the girls, snagged the boys and gotten 4 votes against Parvati, without letting the girls know. The 4 girls split the vote (2 for James, 2 for Jason) but then ooh look, Parvati still loses.

AND, if the girls were all going to vote for Jason, Amanda could have told him, he plays the idol, Parvati goes. Easy. These people are idiots.

I really was wanting Natalie to put on a bra (or as close to a bra as she could get) for pretty much the entire episode. Skank. She annoys me.

I like Erik and Cirie. Everybody else is dead to me. But Erik will never win, so I'm pulling for Cirie.

Best case scenario: Jonathan Penner wins. Sadly, that is not to be. So, I'll settle for Cirie.

Georgiababe - for some reason, I had not thought of that. Smarter than me! Amanda probably knows she's looking at fourth either way in that scenario, although it does result in Parvati losing, which is beneficial.

i know you don't like James but i understand his "eat the apple" analogy.

i think he meant it like (as it was in the bible) if he didn't like Parvati and follow her eveery wim, he wouldn't have been blindsided, alas he should'nt have ate the apple which makes sense b/c if he wasn't all goo goo gah gah over her he would've been playing the game...hopefully :)

okay, so remember horrible alex the attorney from a few seasons back? Ozzy is Alex right now. And I hate him...oh I hate him. Get over yourself.

I equally despise natalie but don't really care, no way will she get to the final 3. No way. Parvarti made the best out of her situation in terms of making promises to a lot of people.

I love the way the girl power is going. Jason could have ended up winning individual immunity several times and stupidly landing in the top three and even (oh god no) winning. I'm happy he's out.

Amanda snoozed on an opportunity to out think the situation but I think she's okay with all girls. She's not too stupid to have considered georgiababe's plan. But what would that gain? She's the strongest of any of the women, she can keep using Cirie and Parv to vote off who she wants and I think if she goes against any of the women in the final three, she wins. Or maybe she's just dumb.

"it was funny when he said, "What in the nickelodeon is going on here?" last week."

It was in reference to the colored water spilling out of the buckets onto their heads.

I loved it when James said "I didn't call you stupid. I called you selfish." It was dead-on accurate. I also applauded when he made a point of letting Ozzy know (during Tribal) who was the mastermind behind his ouster.

But, geez...why didn't Amanda and James get to Jason and Erik and tell them what was being planned. The four of them could have written down Parvarti, Jason could have played the idol, and the entire momentum of the game would have been changed.

Strategy people. It's a beautiful thing.

cattyfan -

Isn't this game ultimately about being selfish? I mean, they don't give out a team prize - an individual wins one million dollars. I have no particular love for Parvati, but I have to defend her choice to get rid of Ozzie. He's a strong competitor and there's no way she was going to the end in an alliance with him.

Lady2001, in James' analogy, Parvati is the one that ate the apple, not James himself. He's doing the same thing he did last season, where he's trying to guilt trip people for trying to win, which is the whole point and completely selfish of James himself, not of the people actually making an effort.

It's impossible to be selfish playing Survivor, because that's the entire point of the game, to win. Yourself. Not to help James along and do whatever is best for James. Thinking that way actually makes James the selfish one.

He does occasionally do awesome things. I did chuckle at 'What in the Nickelodeon is going on here' last week. And when the bucket fell on his head and he was like 'Oh, BITCH!' Priceless. But he's a jerk in more ways than he is awesome, as this week has proven.

i still think that James is more awesome than a$$hole, but i also think that a$$hole=awesome most of the time, so i guess i'm biased. plus, James is funny and everyone seems to really like him, so i think he is an ok guy.

i agree with lawyerjenn, it was in Amanda's best interest to get Jason out now. Amanda is the strongest woman, so she has a much better chance going against the women in immunity challenges than she would going against Jason. he didn't have individual immunity and even if they could have made him use the idol, there was still a chance that he would go an immunity run and get to the end, so they had to use any chance they got.

i also think Erik is absolutely adorable. he seems so happy to be there, which is refreshing.

Hey Buddy,

Yes...the game is played by being selfish (usually...there are a few notable exceptions.) And I'm not taking issue with Parvarti ousting Ozzy. That was brilliant and necessary...and as smug as he was, he had it coming.

I just thought it was funny James called her on it, as she tried to make excuses and couch things in pretty words. You don't often see such bluntness in these games. It may be his undoing, but I thought that moment was a highlight.

Being totally selfish is ONE way to play the game.

Trying to make good alliances and carry them through to the end in another.

I am not sure about the "I can't win against Ozzy" thing. If I am on the jury and the final three are Ozzy, Parvati, and say, Alexis - do I think Ozzy is the ultimate survivor becuase of physical dominance? or do I vote for the less likely finalist who managed to make it there WITHOUT having all the obvious physical and survival skills?

I agree wth Schoonie. James is dead to me as well. I doubt he'd be as upset had Ozzie blindsided one of them. Just because he was outsmarted by ditzy parvati. a woman. comparing her to EVE! LAME & sexist.

Yeah, but making good alliances and going to the end is a selfish act, too. It's designed to get you to the end and give you the million dollars, not your friends. There's no way NOT to be selfish and still win the million, because winning the million requires you to beat every other person there, INCLUDING your friends.

The only reason to be in an alliance is if it's mutually beneficial to all parties, and therefore a "selfish" act by all parties. What Parvati had with James and Ozzy was not beneficial to her, because it wasn't going to help her win. It was beneficial to James, because he had a good shot at beating her. James is the one making it personal, not Parvati, and he's doing it because he wants to win, which makes him more selfish than her.

By the way, I love talking about this with you guys and hearing different opinions. Sorry I haven't done this earlier!

I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who thought Natalie looked like the Grinch!!! I am seriously hating her and want her gone! I missed the Ozzy ouster episode - but I got to see how he felt about it. Bitter much? Thanks for the quick recap, Schoonie! You have put life into this otherwise dull season.

Thanks Georgiababe, that's what I was trying to articulate. Once they blindsided they'd have a 4 player vs. 3 player majority.

If the past is any indication. Amanda was stupid for not pulling this off. Natalie, Alexis, and Parvati have a solid core three. Once the guys are gone, that only leaves themselves. Granted Amanda is the strongest. However, any strategy that involves winning immunity every time, isn't exactly effective or original. Once the immunity goes, girls realize she's a threat. There Amanda goes joining her love Ozzy on the jury.

P.s. Although Ozzy showed some bitterness at tribal council. You should take the time to watch the Ponderosa episodes on the cbs website. He shows a lot of understanding that it was his stupidity to not even BRING the idol to tribal council. You also learn that Jason on the other hand did bring it and still didn't play it.

Why thank you, Schoonie, for recognizing the brilliance of my plan. ;)

I actually think it could have worked - at least to get Parvati off. However, it's obvious from the immunity challenge that none of the other women pose a physical threat. So, Amanda would have to convince James and Erik to vote Jason off. Then, she would have to get back into the good graces of the girls (perhaps by explaining how Parvati was controlling them) to vote the boys off, then win Individual Immunity to get into the final 2. That could definitely get complicated.

Ugh, Survivor is such a dumb show, yet it plays with my mind so. So many idiots, so many different scenarios.

Love the recaps though! I don't know if I've ever commented on your work (I haven't been watching Survivor for the past few seasons) but bravo!