I can't even stand it how much I enjoyed last night's episode!! The look on Abi's face when Artis was voted out made the entire season for me. That's it - I can stop watching. I'm done. Life is good. OK, who wants to take over the blog?
Oh, OK, I'll carry on. So let's discuss how this is now a game that's won by someone who's the smartest. Really, it is... Look at the winners lately - Sophie, Boston Rob, etc. They are smart people who are people-smart. And not that I'm saying Penner will win (though you all know that would be ok with me), but this particular episode was all about how a player's brains - or lack thereof - make all the difference.... with a tiny bit of luck thrown in for good measure. Cases in point: Penner (brains) and Abi (lack thereof). Somewhere in here is a PSA about how you can overcome bullying by being smart. Someday, being smart will win you a million dollars, kids! Stay in School!
The tiny bit of luck I speak of is the fact that for the reward challenge, the Survivors were again split into two teams. Because it was an odd number, Abi did not get picked (it was apparently - though not shown - a schoolyard pick situation) which made her sulk. No one likes to be the one not picked. Abi, however, does not mind sitting out because she is lazy and not very good at things. Note that the almost 50 year-old mom, Lisa, got picked. 20-ish year-old Abi did not. The teams were Penner, Malcolm, Denise and Carter (no surprise there, former red teammates and Malcolm) vs. Pete, Artis, Lisa and Skupin (all former yellow). Penner used his substantial brains to dig up ALL the bags needed at once, making it simple for the rest of his teammates to follow to just grab a bag and move through the obstacle course. Totally paid off and the team won a great reward where they got to deliver toys & school supplies to a local village (cool, right?) It was lovely to see Malcolm say how much he misses teaching kids (he spent a year teaching kids in Micronesia) and how it opened his eyes to how much he'd like to do that again instead of bartending. (Say it with me... "Awwwww!") And then of course, Penner got to schmooze and strategize.
Meanwhile, the bit of luck comes in that Lisa got stuck on the other team that did not win reward. When they went back to camp, Abi was her usual bitchy-weird-patronizing self and told Lisa... who again is twice her age... how she is just "gullible" and "naive" and how Skupin needs to be "kept on a short leash." Lisa was still concerned about how her big move from last week was going to go over. Let's remember that Lisa's move was to save Skupin while remaining LOYAL to her yellow tribe. The thanks she gets is to be talked down to by this arrogant pipsqueak child. Lisa took it all very well, but you could see the wheels turning in her brain.
Penner - knowing he's got to scramble but not LOOK like he's scrambling - approaches both Lisa & Skupin, because they're the ones who can turn the game around on the Axis of Evil. With Skupin, he's pretty matter-of-fact and asks straight out if he'd consider switching loyalties to get rid of people who are jerks. With Lisa, he becomes a psychologist. He talks to her about how she's always had to please people, be the breadwinner, etc. and how she's always wanted to be liked. How changing loyalties against people who aren't loyal to her wouldn't necessarily be viewed as a bad thing. And by presenting it to her in another way that she specifically gets - think of it like a script.... How would you want the viewers at home to see this played out? Do they want you to stay loyal to these jerks? Do they want these jerks to win? Or do they want you to make moves that are good for you because you're a nice person and they're rooting for you? Brilliant. He made Lisa cry at one point and she said how nice it was to have someone understand her. It's a great story seeing Lisa change as a person on this show - and she even said at Tribal Council how much these days have changed her as a person and how much she'll take away from this game. Probst eats that stuff up (have you seen his talk show yet?) (Insert line here about Lisa finally learning the Facts of Life... thanks Wendy!) Abi, because she's young and stupid (well, sorry, it hasn't been proved otherwise yet.) has a thought bubble meanwhile that says, "This game will not change me because I am special and perfect the way I am."
Where was I?
Right. So then there's a fun immunity challenge where you have to get 6 (maybe?) balls to balance on this paddle-looking thingy. I love these ones, as you know, because it's anyone's game. You don't have to be big and strong, or even that smart to accomplish a win. It's a game of skill that anyone may or may not be able to do. Skupin took this one easily, which was fun. Much like seeing Denise win stuff, you kind of pull for Skupin too because you know how much it really means to him to win.
So of course the yellows want to get rid of Penner. Easy vote for them. Couldn't get him last week, so let's get him this week. Penner and the reds are gunning for Artis, because they know that Abi may give the immunity idol to Pete, but not to Artis. The deciding votes will be Skupin and Lisa.
At Tribal Council, Probst asks Lisa how her big moves from last week went over. Lisa tells him that her moves were accepted "with grace" by people who knew she was just playing the game. Oh, says Jeff, by everyone? Nope, says Lisa. Interestingly, more so by the people who are my "opponents" rather than by my own tribemates. Interesting, says Jeff, "Like who?" "Well," says Lisa, "Abi has been a total jerk-face." Ok well, she didn't exactly say that. She's way too nice. But, here again is where the brains part comes in. While most smart people would have known that they need Lisa's vote and they ought to be sucking up to her, Abi just opened her mouth and let the usual arrogant crap flow out. "Well, I thought I was graceful towards her." And, "I am worried about Lisa's vote tonight," making Lisa say out loud, "Geez, I thought my actions spoke louder than words - but I don't know how else to prove to these thankless schmucks how loyal I am." (Again quoting, yet paraphrasing.)
In the end, Lisa and Skupin are a team, so they must have had an agreement. Skupin switched his vote over to Artis, while Lisa still voted Penner. See how she can still maintain the "idea" of being loyal, while actually having some say in who goes home? Smart! Artis goes home 5 votes to 4, and I'm a little sad in a way (a very tiny way) because I really would have liked to get to know Artis more. Is he really the cranky pirate from the Axis of Evil, or is he just a usually nice but sometimes cranky regular dude with 2 big earrings who happened to get caught in the middle of the Axis of Evil? In his parting words, he was super nice and kind of funny, acknowledging that he's really happy... but yeah, could be happier.... to have played the game and wishing the others well.
So now it'll be Pete and Abi doing the scrambling for once, whicih makes me super happy. Abi's face when Artis was voted out is what made my whole season. Seeing the fury that was boiling inside her tiny brain... which I believe was 99% fury and 1% "I'm still special" and not a lick of realization that it was she who was responsible for the whole mess.... Oh, seeing her face made the whole season grand. Now, the kick is that Pete and Abi "share" an immunity idol so it won't necessarily be as easy as picking them off. Pete may be smart enough to play the idol properly. Abi is not, plus she doesn't know how to keep a secret. I wouldn't mind seeing Pete stick around because he's a jerk, but a worthy opponent. If it's Abi, at least she's entertaining. At the end of the day, it's going to be a battle of the good kids... Who is the good-est? (Right, I know, not a word... whatever.) Can they each win a million dollars? Wouldn't that be nice? Maybe get rid of Carter.... and then give a million each to Malcolm, Denise, Penner, Lisa... and maybe even Skupin just 'cause he's got 7 kids to put through college. I'm going to call up Jeff and see if he's good with it. (I'm sure he reads this blog, though... right?)
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