Schoon, great recap!

I so can't stand Crystal. When does she go!!!!! This must come down to Kenny or Sugar, or Bob if he manages to survive to the finals.

Kenny and Sugar both need to get rid of Matty and they're going to turn to that as soon as Corinne is offed. However, it seems the threesome is Kenny, Crystal and Susie, which is what Kenny wants. He wins against either of them. He can't afford to see Sugar or Matty or Bob in a finals with him. That puts him in the catbird seat.

Sugar, however, needs to quickly recognize that those three are her enemies, and, after Corinne goes, she needs to turn Bob and Matty to her, and use the idol to get rid of one of the Kenny 3some, then give her a 3-2 advantage. It's dangerous, because she's probably thinking Susie/Crystal are a lock for her as well, but she also might come out a winner with Bob. As I sit here, only a Kenny/Sugar final requires any thought. either of them against anyone else and it's going to be a blowout.

I can NOT believe how quickly you got this out, but I'm sure glad you did!

I haven't read your review yet, but I just have to say, that tribal council was the BEST YET!

I'm so glad Randy is gone...and the way it happened was just awesome!

On to the recap!

Jaybird,
I really think Sugar is smarter than you're giving her credit for.
I don't think she's looking down the road, as we've seen so many others do. And I don't think she sees anyone as a "lock."
She doesn't REALLY have an alliance, does she?
I don't think she does, which means she'll go with whomever will take her to the next step.

Oh that was one of, if not THE greatest Survivor scene ever. Really enjoyed it. Kind of made up for the rest of a somewhat pokey season.

It's always hard to know with the editing (although this season the editors are really hammer-handed ...) but I wonder if Sugar just plays her strategy close to the vest? Time will tell.

But she's the most likable personality on the show right now --even more than Bob, since he doesn't actually do much game-wise.

And I think she looks great in that weird coverall thing she wears. And by great I mean hot (i.e., I'm not actually looking at the garment itself).

Anyway, it looks like she's priming a downplayed alliance with Bob...they don't show her relationship with the others much.

Crystal has been a lot less unstable and annoying since a) she's been eating better and b) she's on the winning edge.

Greatest TC ever.

Did Matty snort his cheeseburger?

I think the horrible burlap outfit Sugar wears is a burlap bag. She split open the bottom, the flap is the bodice and the straps became the sleeves.

I was under the impression that Sugar made that overall thing from something at camp (like a burlap bag as someone mentioned) because it wasn't what she was wearing when she arrived on the island. If so, pretty smart! She is a multi-talented girl, our Sugar.

Glad to see Randy go even though some of his asshole antics did bring the lols. And what a way to go! This has to go down as one of the greatest survivor moments evah!

Schoon, did you leave something out or did I just misunderstand it? When Bob goes to exile island, in front of the clue/comfort gourds was a scroll with a sign that said "read first." THAT was what had the map on it with all of the idol clues. He didn't actually choose clue. It was after looking at that map that he went on walkabout. He probably chose comfort when he return. That leads me to believe that there MAY be another idol out there now. Thoughts?

Great recap as always and I appreciate you every week. However, I need to nitpick two things. 1. I think you were a little harsh on the fake idol. That thing absolutely looked like it could have been real. And it was a zillion times better than any fake idol we have ever seen before. Um... stick with a face, anyone? 2. Colin Ferrell has been sober for like 4 years ever since he had a son who has health issues. :p

I was wrong. I went back and looked again, and he does take the clue. Dumbass! lol

I am officially on Team Crystal... ultimately, I don't think she gets enough credit for her impact on the game and both Kenny/Sugar will take full responsibility for it if it comes down to those two at the Final TC. Her rant at the TC was the funniest thing ever and, really, who doesn't love a slightly off-balance Survivor contestant.

I also think the original Fangs are much better at this game is because they've had to actually play, re: strategize and go to Tribal Council more often. By the time original Kota had to really strategize, they were outmatched. Marcus was outmatched for believing Crystal, Charlie didn't even play the game and was dumbfounded when Marcus got voted out, and now, Randy, for being the game's biggest asshole. Kota's only TCs before this were landslides for Paloma and Dan, so they were unprepared for Susie's "betrayal" and Randy's blindside. Now that Corinne is left (I don't count Bob, as he is starting to pick up his strategic gameplay), she is going to have to find a way to align with someone such as Crystal and Susie and create an underground alliance. I think Corinne should go to Matt, Crystal, and Susie and propose voting for Sugar (I doubt she would play the HII) and starting that underground alliance. As a viewer, I hope Corinne finds a way to infiltrate the major alliance, but I don't think that's going to happen, especially if she believes Bob's lame story.

1) Sorry but the greatest TC was a few seasons ago when Eduardo (was that his name?) got blindsided with the 3 double-crosses and vote switches happening at the same time.

2) Okay, had a BIG argument with the wife over this and want to know who agrees. I think Bob should've held onto his fake immunity idol.
What did having Randy use it accomplish for him? It loses a vote if he makes the final (Randy won't appreciate being made a fool for no apparent reason). Here's what I think Bob should've done with his self-made idol...I'd really like your thoughts.

Bob didn't know (or at least didn't let on that he knew) that Sugar had the idol. Therefore, no one would know if the idol he made is real or not. If I was Bob, I would've let everyone know I'd found it and let them worry about voting off him, Randy, or Corrine, possibly enabling them to take back some control in the game. Now, with the information WE know, we know the rest of the players (Sugar, Kenny et al.) would've known he was full of elephant dung but if Bob really didn't know the idol was in Sugar's possession, why didn't he try to use it as a potential play in the future for if he felt he was in danger?

Thoughts?

Well, Bob might have been counting on Randy having grudges against EVERYONE, so it really wouldn't have mattered what Bob did.

Who knows, maybe Randy will actually respect him for the move?

And he's obviously working on an angle with Sugar, working up to an alliance (which makes sense, since they're the only two reasonable players left...I'll include Matty in there too, since he seems to be waking up a bit finally). Because he knows he needs to break up Ken n' Crystal.

So playing along with her gag will probably help more than hinder -- he probably won points with everyone else too. Randy is just one vote.

Awesome recap!! Did anyone else notice that Crystal did not bid on any items at the auction? Do they get to keep the money they were given? If so, then she chose to keep the whole $500 instead of eating. You'd think she'd be hungry after all this time.
Sugar rocked this episode and Randy got just what he deserved!!

My guess about the auction was that people were expecting letters from home to come up last as they have in so many other seasons. So they were saving their $$.

A very fun episode. I kinda digging Sugar myself.

Her overalls are from Jaclyn Smith's "Dexy's Midnight Runners" collection at K-Mart.

IT'S OFFICIAL. I hate every single person still on this show.

These people are vile. I can understand not liking someone. I dislike a lot of people but to deliberately humiliate someone IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE because you get some joy out of it says something about Sugar, Crystal, Bob and the other trash still playing this game. They're vile people. They'll always be vile people and I thank God I don't know any of them.

Maybe, I was raised differently but deliberately humiliating people for your own enjoyment wasn't something my parents taught me. Maybe I was lucky and I got good parents.

Well, Mr. Dangerous, there's a world of difference between humiliation and comeuppance.

It'd be one thing if they'd done that to someone inoffensive or weak. Then I'd agree with you 100%.

But they did this to someone who had spent the last several weeks PURPOSELY making their lives miserable. He was quite proud of himself too. And I bet we didn't see a fraction of what he was really up to.

So while I would never agree with kicking a guy while he's down. I see no reason with giving the devil his due.

Now, I believe I've mingled enough pithy maxims for one evening.

Carry on.

I have to agree with itchy, Mr. Dangerous. I don't agree with humiliating someone for no good reason, but if someone has been rude, disrespectful, arrogant (look back at all the times Randy's tribe won and he acted like an ass), and purposely a jerk to everyone else (self-proclaimed by the way), then people taking a parting shot is acceptable in my book. Besides this, it's not like he and Crystal hadn't openly stated their dislike for one-another (though she never called him anything like "sasquatch"), so her making her vote open, in my mind, was hilarious and much deserved. As for them goading him into playing the fake idol, there was no point outside of pure humor, and I have to admit, I was laughing out loud when the smirks on Randy and Corinne's aces were wiped off.

Don't be high-and-mighty...realize that people have feelings and if you disrespect someone, you should expect some sort of disrespect in return.

Hmmmm. Maybe, I just think that in a civilized society people should behave in a civilized manner.

Sugar, Bob, Crystal and the rest of them were obviously born in the gutter and raised next to a dumpster. There is nothing commendable about any of them.

If you think their behavior is appropriate (or just) that says something about you.

Remember, "Do unto others as if you were the others."
(Elbert Hubbard)

Uh,I'm not completely pious:

To be quite honest the only way this season could end with any satisfaction, for me, would be if the producers gave everybody left on the Island a loaded pistol and it turned into a bloodbath like the end of THE DEPARTED.

Mr Dangerous:

Let me see if I understand you correctly... You don't condemn Randy even though he taunted starving people with his food, called people names which were clearly derogatory towards their gender race and physical attributes, stated outright that he wanted to be as rude as possible to other people and was proud of the fact that everyone hated him. And you say the OTHERS are from the gutter because they were pleased when he was tricked by a fake idol which HE himself had planned on taking from Bob?

And then you have the hypocrisy to pass judgement on others who may be pleased by his outcome. Tell me, are you the pot or the kettle? Or are you just a troll who likes to stir the pot on forums? It seems to me that this is not the first recap that I have seen you come in with this sort of comment.

How about we just agree to disagree, without you getting all personal n' nasty about it?

Passing judgment on who or what I might be is kind of...um...inappropriate...and, well, er, uncivilized. Or at least lacking in civility. [wink wink]

Nothing like talking out both sides of your mouth there, Mr. Dangerous.

Karma is, as they say, a bitch...and it came back and bit Randy big time.
He totally deserved what he got.

And after the last episode, weren't you the one saying you LIKED Randy?
If you hate all the actions of Crystal, Sugar, etc., then how could you possibly like Randy with the way he treated everyone from the beginning?

Randy (aka Mr. Dangerous)...is that you?? Welcome!! If not, the actual Randy deserved every second of it and if that makes me uncivilized, go ahead and keep the Right Guard!

Not to continue to pound on the nail (hey, call me a hammer) but I had a thought:

This is a game. Supposedly a game of strategy. Randy made a move (using the fake idol). The others made a countermove (allowing him to do so).

Kind of like chess. You wouldn't say that a Kasparov was born in a gutter and raised next to a dumpster just because he pulls off a check mate, would you? But there's nothing more crushing than a checkmate (it's the whole point of chess, after all.)

But let's take this further. Everytime someone scores a touchdown, hits a home run, scores a goal, makes a basket, lands a punch...the crowd goes wild, the teammates jump all over each other, the cheerleaders taunt the opposing side...which is really no different from peoples' reaction during the TC. And a very human reaction, (to say nothing of the odiousness of Randy's behavior).

So in essence you're saying that pretty much 99.99 percent (give or take) of the world's population are gutter-born and dumpster-bred?

Must be awful lonely up there. At least you have your parents! ;-D

Hey Mr. Dangerous
Thanks for ruining the ending to The Departed! I haven't seen it!

anyway... I strongly suspect that Sugar is gonna win. The way she is edited seems like it. Either that or she's just really that cool.

I think Bob confiding in Sugar was to see if Sugar would admit to having it.

nashuaf:
I think Bob did the best he could with his fake idol. If he let people know he had it and kept it they would throw votes at him to get him to use it and he would be voted out by those very votes.

slutty_whore:
I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes Crystal, I like everyone left except for Corrine.

I laughed out loud during all the tribal council, my niece was here doing her homework (she doesn't watch Survivor) and I think she thought I was nuts! I loved,loved, loved when Sugar asked to give her cookie to Matty and Randy said "It's not yours to give away!" all snarky, then Sugar finally takes a cookie and says "Here Matty!" I'm laughing as I type this! I agree with Sugar, ITS JUST A COOKIE! LOLOLOLO

Rock - I like Sugar a ton. I am all about Sugar and Bob now (and I, too, think Sugar is hot as lava!!!).

I think Sugar is on the outside of the alliance of three and she needs to create some kind of alliance with Bob and Matt. With her idol, she can run the show down to the final 2 (or is it going to be 3?). I think she's played a brilliant game so far, staying out of the spotlight, but still manipulating the situation to suit her. That HII has really been a boon to her, and I think it has protected her for so long, some (Ken, Crystal, Susie) are going to be shocked when it's used against them.

I also think Ken is playing a great game, and he has the benefit of the two least liked people on the game in his alliance, so he doesn't have to scheme to get a loser sitting with him.

I'm with itchy and soapboxx about liking Crystal. She's a tells-it-like-it-is gal, at least as much as you can be in this type of game.

I have liked Sugar since the beginning because of her dumb blond game. It usually takes a smart person to play dumb. The fact that none of these people (besides the Fangers) even SUSPECT that Sugar is smart enough to have found the Immunity Idol is why they're getting blindsided. First rule on this show should be "Never underestimate anyone". If done properly, playing dumb ALWAYS works. Marcus, Charlie, and Randy got booted because of their arrogance and wrong assumptions. And THAT is HIGH-larious, as Sugar would say. ;)

I'm rooting for Sugar, Crystal, Kenny or Bob to win.

Btw, Crystal is so faking sucking at those physical challenges. On the 1st episode, she said her strategy is to not let anyone know she's an Olympian medalist. From looking at her, she looks like she still trains/stays in shape, so she can't really be this bad...What better way to keep people from suspecting your muscular build ISN'T due to being an athlete than to portray yourself as a klutz?

SB, I disagree with you about Kenny not outbidding Corinne on the challenge clue at the auction being a bad move. Even if Corinne had won immunity, it wouldn't help her any. At the most, she would gain 3 more days from being booted.

I haven't watched Survivor since Season 3, so I'm loving all of the twists. :)

one more thing: I don't know what that Bob preview next week is about, but I believe he already figured out Sugar got the Immunity Idol during his 1st trip to Exile. How did a nail get on a tree out in the middle of nowhere? It had to have held up something at some point...

He probably went along with Sugar's scheme to gain some brownie points with Sugar and maybe to show his loyalty/ability to carry out a scheme in silence to the people in power currently.

Ok, I lied. Last thing:

SB, how can you hate on Sugar's burlap fashion creation? You're tired of seeing it? Do you expect them to have different outfits every week? Because of Sugar's resourcefulness, she has TWO island outfits (not including the black bra ensemble) - that's one more than everyone else.

Blahblah, you aren't talking to me are you because I didn't say any of the things to which you just replied? I think you mean Schoon. He wrote the recap. I just made a couple of comments. :p If there is another SB, sorry for the toe-stepping! ;-)

Just because it's resourceful doesn't mean it's not ugly.