The Double Whammy!

When it's getting close to the end of the season and they've started with extra cast members, they have to pull out the Double Whammy.  That's where TWO Survivors get voted out in one episode.  It's very exciting.

Whammy #1:

Instead of a reward challenge, the Survivors were told it would be an immunity challenge, with a reward.  They had to stand out on the water on what basically looked like a submerged dog house.  It was windy and it looked tough.  Immunity was at stake as well as a clue (the reward) to a hidden immunity idol.  In addition, my former boyfriend Jeff Probst pulled out the stops with little food enticements along the way.  Erik and Eddie were the first to cave with a plate of donuts.  Seriously, does anyone watch this game?  I mean, Erik's pretty safe, but Eddie?  Eddie is not safe at all and yet is willing to not even try to win a million dollars, opting instead for donuts.  Now, I'm a big fan of deep-fried dough myself, but think of how many donuts you could buy with a million bucks... Dumb.  Later, Eddie would say that he knew he couldn't hold on anyway, so he figured he might as well get some sustenance. 

Cochran would do the same for hot dogs and a coke.  Now, Cochran is pretty safe. He knows this and also is very hungry.  But if I'm the girls left behind (Dawn, Andrea & Brenda were all still standing at this point) to fight off Reynold, I'd be a little pissed that my teammates are bolting for food when the common goal has yet to be achieved.  Thankfully for them, Reynold - after a few absolutely magnificent saves - did fall off the dog house.  As did Dawn.  After that, it doesn't really matter, right?  Brenda and Andrea should have made a deal for the clue and Brenda SHOULD have jumped in the water, letting Andrea have the immunity.  This would get her the reward and make her a friend.  But nope, Brenda decided she would "rather lose than step off."  OK, admirable I suppose, but don't you want to conserve your strength?  Andrea ended up winning anyway and they had to stand out there in the heat for something like 4 hours.  Jeff just wanted to get this thing over with and get his mai tai on, I'm thinking. 

Andrea got the same clue that Malcolm had read the episode before and shared it with her alliance, who all helped her look.  Erik dug it up (saying, "I'm from a family of diggers."  What? Seriously? Are your family moles?  Meerkats?  Miners? I need to know now.) and kindly handed the idol over to Andrea.  Which, really was the right thing to do since she shared the clue and she was literally a foot away from Erik when he found it.  Cochran thought Erik should keep it... and had he been Boston Rob, he probably would have, but he'd have lost a couple of jury votes for sure.  Erik's playing the nice ice cream scooper card for sure.

So, no chance of fining an idol, Reynold knows he's hooped. And yes, he got voted off.  A no-brainer, really.  Reynold is a threat at challenges and he's a smarty pants.  Eddie... not so much.  To Reynold's credit, he is not that bummed about getting voted off and takes it super graciously.  Reynold, I will admit, grew on me.  Eddie... not so much. 

So now it's down to the (former?) Stealth R Us folks plus Sherri and Eddie.  People are starting to think about the final three.  If I'm these guys, I'm thinking Sherri and Eddie are looking pretty good as people to take to the final three.  Eddie might have a vote from Malcolm and Reynold, though... maybe.  Sherri is awesome for going as far as she has, but she's delusional if she thinks it's because of anything except her vote.  She's not controlling the game at all.  Mind you, I will say Sherri must be playing one hell of a social game because she seems to be everyone's best friend. Have you noticed this?  She's smarter than she's been getting credit for, editing-wise. 

Whammy #2:

Andrea wants to start targeting strong members of her own alliance and Brenda's whole "I won't jump off the dog house" (not an actual quote) thing makes Andrea think she's a pretty big threat. Plus, she knows that Brenda is also everyone's best friend. Brenda - who I'm pretty sure was a bit of a beeyatch last time she played, right? - is playing the nice card as well as Erik... oh, and Dawn... and Sherri.... and Cochran.  Andrea is playing pretty hard, though, pushing her strategy on everyone while having the idol.  No one likes that.  So, they come up with a pretty ingenious plan to make Andrea positive that yes, they're all going to blindside Brenda, when in fact the plan was to blindside Andrea.  She did not see it coming and she did not play her idol.  They threw some votes Eddie's way, just in case she did play it.  Eddie and Andrea voted for Brenda.  It was a perfectly executed blindside.  Sigh.... these make me so happy.

Now it looks like Cochran is going to have to watch his back because everyone knows what an awesome game he's been playing.  And Eddie is a free vote, remember, so things could get pretty interesting from here out.  Also, next show is the family visit show, so get ready and prepare your box of tissues!!