Survivor
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Hello and welcome toIdol Hunting With Jeffrey Lee Probst.
Ill be your host, not Jeff Probst.
But seriously, that is all that happened in this episode.
Wait, I take it back.
Thats all this episode cares about, where these idols are and how the people are getting them.
Teeny then tells Kishan about it and then goes right to the box and inspects it.
Who walks up but Rome?
If I was Rome, I would have gone full Solange in an elevator on them.
Sam does the same thing when he finds the Beware Advantage over at Gata (yellow tribe).
Hes actually the second person to find it.
As soon as Sam leaves him alone, he bolts to go look for the idol and finds it.
However, he is the first person inSurvivorhistory to find a Beware Advantage and leave it.
His strategy doesnt really make sense.
He says that if he needs an idol, hell go pick it up later.
Theres also the thing that, well, someone else may find it.
Ah doy, Andy.
Andy, as we know, is about as sane as Courtney Love at an ayahuasca retreat.
But Sam finds it with Anika, and then he tells his No.
1 Sierra about finding it cause he needs her help with the box.
Now literally everyone knows that the advantage was taken and all but one person knows who has it.
This episode, from stem to stern, really elucidates the problem with idols in the new era.
What makes idols great is when they can totally and unexpectedly upend the game.
Think aboutParvati playing two at one tribaland going from the bottom to the top.
Thats what we want to see.
We are no longer getting that.
Maybe, I dont know, change what the cost of advantage is?
They cant play in the next immunity competition, for instance.
I dont know; something that would really surprise and shock players.
Right now, everyone knows theyre going to lose their vote, so they can pre-plan for that eventuality.
(While stupid, that was the best way to disadvantage players yet.)
Its not so much a Beware Advantage these days.
Its more of an Inconvenience Advantage.
I dont know if its because of the small tribes, but all of these idols become extremely public.
In Rome and Gabes cases, everyone saw their search because they were so bad at being covert.
In Sams case, he was with someone when he found it.
When people know you have an idol, it becomes a target.
Thats why I dont really fault Rome and Sam for only taking the one-tribal idol.
Everyone knows they both have it, everyone knows theyre playing it the one chance they can.
Last season everyone went home with them in their pockets, more or less.
Its like getting to the end ofLord of the Ringsand finding out Frodo brought the wrong jewelry.
We do get at least a little bit of that in this episode.
Jeff shouts, Gata is in the lead, something theyre not used to.
Okay, Jeffrey, slow your roll.
This is only the third challenge.
If youre going to start disparaging people, at least let it have some weight behind it.
At the end of the challenge, Jeff notes that some of the Tuku members are smiling.
Honestly, Im genuinely pissed off right now, he says.
Im just not that used to losing.
I dont hang with people who are cool with losing.
I dont associate myself with that.
If I lose, Im not going to be happy about that.
As hes saying this, Tiyanas eyes are rolling as if theyre on their fourth day at Burning Man.
(Speaking of Sue, the lighting guys are doing her dirty.
What the TK group doesnt know is that Gabe really wants to play with Sue and Caroline.
Okay, Patriarchy, you should probably be toppled a little bit right here.
Just because theyre smaller women doesnt mean that they cant playSurvivor.
He doesnt even know whether or not they can play because they havent even been to a tribal yet.
Gabe has a halfway-decent plan, though.
He tells Sue and Caroline to talk to Tiyana and have her vote out TK.
Even when Kyle makes him apologize to Tiyana, hes still too self-centered to make a difference.
He tells them, Were straight.
Maybe ask Tiyana if youre solid or not.
Then he says, Were going to stick to the same plan.
You, TK, are no Boston Rob.
Even at tribal, he tells Sue, These are the conversations you gotta have onSurvivor.
Oh, thanks for mansplaining how to play a game youre about to lose.
But it seems weird that hes leaving himself out of this vote.
No one wants to go to rocks.
Only a fool would willingly go to rocks.
Instead, he plays it on himself.
However, if he plays his idol, hell be exempt from the draw.
