Episode #3: "I Like to Watch Blindsides"

[devon]

Kami and Shannon are in a better place now.

Post thoughts on the round below!

[devon]

A very short round but here's my thoughts on each tribe:


Sadani

This was the tribe to watch this round, as the cracked-ness that's been ongoing since Day 1 is finally culminating in a Tribal Council.

Whenever a group of 2 has complete control over the vote on a tribe of 5, it means that duo is playing exceptionally well. And that's the position Sam & Biniam are in, which is v impressive.

Sam & Biniam had an interesting call as soon as results came out where both seemed very conciliatory towards each other. Sam trusts Emily way more than Biniam does, whereas Biniam trusts Lee more than Sam does - yet both Sam and Biniam seemed very keen on letting the other keep their preferred ally. Ultimately, the vote seemed to settle on Lee, and this crystallized once the Jeb's Bush alliance (Sam-Biniam-Josh-Emily) called.

It looks like Josh is still going to get away with being one of 2 people getting extra votes this round, merely because he volunteered and it would've been potentially awkward for others to push back against it. Which goes to show that erring on the side of aggressive gameplay has a lot of perks. It would have taken others to risk turning an easy vote into an awkward standoff if they openly opposed Josh on that alliance call. Hence, predictably, they didn't.

Josh is in an interesting spot because he's so over-the-top and wild as a strategist that everyone around him looks down on him...but this only makes them want to keep him around more, as a loyal puppydog. This probably isn't what Josh is going for, but it's actually an amazing spot for him. You want people to feel superior to you in this game.


Razu

Miles is a dead man walking, and rightfully so for his challenge performance. But as Miles' biggest detractor at the start of the season, I have to say that I really like how he blossomed as a player. I still think he was kind of bland as a character, but he became very invested in the game, which was admittedly fun to watch. Despite the fact that he's going tonight, I think he was actually well-positioned on this tribe; this is a bittersweet vote for the other three. Had the Razu 4 made it to swap, I think any combination of the 4 on a tribe would've been super-tight.

Meanwhile, Queen Abby continues to rule with grace and magnificence towards her subjects. After Georgina immediately told her Queen that she was gambling her vote at the Shannon tribal, Jenny informed her that she had found the idol. Also, all of her loyal subjects are fine with her going for an Extra Vote at this tribal. All hail Queen Abby, and may her shrewd judgment lead us all into prosperity. 


Cavaso

Glad they didn't go to tribal because I think Jack has a lot of potential as a player and as a character, that should emerge moreso at a swap. His main allies in the game will likely be new people he meets at swap - I can't imagine him reuniting with Jordan, for example, at merge and being ride-or-dies if they're separated at swap.


Varia

Not much new going on here, except I think CJ is really distinguishing herself from the pack. Carley is one of our best 4-5 players, but it seems like CJ is still a full tier above her. Carley hasn't been shy about her history in games and Survivor fandom in general, whereas CJ has done a fantastic job of playing dumb and naïve. Everyone has CJ in their endgame plans, even though she'd annihilate them all. It's legitimately Spradlin-esque.

[aubra]

Purple:
Sam and Biniam are def running the show. I’m surprised Sam ended up being the one going to bat for Emily after the way they started out. It’s hard to say what I want to happen here bc I’m enjoying them all. My least fave of the three in trouble is Josh, but he brings it entertainment wise, and it would also suck to lose him. Sounds like Lee is leaving which would mean Sam is calling the shots bc Biniam was trying to work with lee over josh and Emily.

Orange: love if the three girls ends up being the ones to survive the cursed all out orange tribe. Miles seems like he has potential but he’s bringing less to the table than the three girls are, so I’m okay with seeing him go. He didn’t even vote at tribal so. I am impressed he survived two tribals though when it seemed like he was going to be the first boot.

Blue: Minga still seems inactive and will probably be gone soon. Waylon really turned things around and I hope he keeps it up. I thought Austin was playing amazing after round 1, but he quickly messed that up with the way he handled the idol. He only told Kollyn about it, but the girls quickly found out it was gone since the whole tribe had a clue and they suspect one of the two boys, and now they thing they’re sketchy. Not only did they lie about knowing where it was but they pretty much tried to act like they didn’t know what idols were and Kollyn claimed to not see a post that he liked. Oof. They could not have played this worse. Combine this with the fact that Waylon is suddenly active and it means trouble for Kollyn and Austin. Also Austin is saying he trusts Cj more than Kollyn. Uh well you told the wrong person about your idol then. I think given the circumstances he needed to tell his entire four person alliance about the idol. CJ and Carley are both still playing really well. They rightly are suspicious of Kollyn and Austin and made a solid alliance with Waylon. And Kollyn and Austin don’t seem to be picking up on the fact that the girls no longer trust them.

green: Jack Probst is in trouble and it makes me sad. He trusts Silas the most and Silas has never been a big jack fan even though he’s come a long way. Jordan seems to be in a good spot. He got an extra vote and as far as I know they don’t suspect him. Seems like most of the blame is falling on Nicole and jack. He seems tight with the power duo Elyse and Silas. Elyse and Silas are still in solid spots. Nicole seems to be finding her footing. I think elyse trusts her a lot and they even met up.

[andra]

Time for the swap!

Razu - Poor, poor, Razu. It's hard to say where this tribe went wrong but I am looking forward to seeing the 3 girls get a new life (hopefully) in the swap. They will have an idol and 2 extra votes between them, but will also look like a strong girls' alliance to the players they are swapped with. I'm not sure what kind of split is most beneficial for them. As crazy as it sounds, they might be better off being split into 3 different tribes. They are all savvy enough to make some relationships and without anyone from their original tribe, they will be a valuable number for other duos or trios.

Varia - It will be interesting to see this tribe start to really play. Will Austin mesh well with other players from other tribes or paint a target on his own back? Will CJ continue to play under the radar? Will Waylon's internet cut out at another crucial tribe call? Will Minga be inebriated again and clash right of the bat with anyone? Will Carley end up swapped with one of the people that may throw her under the bus to gain their own capital? Will Kollyn find a new car to film his next confessional in? We haven't seen enough of this tribe thus far to really get a sense of how they will do in the swap. 

Cavaso - This swap will force the stagnant green tribe to really play. They will have to integrate and communicate at a level that they haven't been. Silas may be the only one ready for the shift in communication as these 5 seem to just have quick check ins or silent calls from what we see. I'm very interested to see a few of these players step it up and try to keep up with some of the more active players from the other tribes.

Sadani - This is the main attraction for the swap. Where will they go and with whom??? The game can go so many directions and I feel like it all depends on how Sadani is swapped. They are the tightest and also appear to have three of the most strategically social threats in the game - plus Josh. I can not wait to see how things play out for this purple tribe.

[mikeg]

LEE!