I agree! A lot's changed since the last time they've had an all-stars cast and there's such a heavy-handed push from production now about RESPECTING THE GAME and NOT PLAYING WITH EMOTIONS and all this other stupid **** because the show is actively trying to condition its players to vote a certain way. They don't want any more winners like Michele. They want their Bens and Tonys and the like, and that's why we're at a point now where we are very likely going to have six male winners in a row, and I'm not particularly optimistic about that streak getting broken anytime soon with how diluted the actual game is.

There's also a lot of stuff with Tony that doesn't get shown, which is one of the reasons why I can't really get behind Cagayan as one of the best seasons ever. Tony's edit was HAMMERED with negativity and I don't think anyone ever actually spoke highly of him at any point in the season, and yet he demolishes the Jury vote and we find out after the show that he was a very hard worker around camp and would give his last cup of rice to other people more hungry than him and that his manic gameplay was only like.... an hour or two a day and the rest of the time was him building relationships and being liked by his cast.

Ugh @ Nick winning the IC. Wanted the Nick plan to work out :(

Also it's weeeeird that they did that challenge this early already? Hmmm lot of time left for the first half

Denise last week: (talking to Michele and Nick) this is a final there that can go all the way!

Denise this week: (confessional after Nick wins Immunity) well the ONE PERSON we didn't want to win just did :(


This is such ****ing lazy storytelling and it doesn't even make sense? Was their one confessional where Ben said Denise will do what he says, something we have NO PROOF OF considering they've never even talked on camera, the entire justification for Denise suddenly turning against him? This show literally doesn't make sense anymore.

"Ben and Denise are very good friends" literally came out of thin air, I think the last time they spoke was the beginning of episode 2 when she found her Idol?

This show is not good.

Eh I think it's a product of these people playing crazily and not so straight forward like most seasons.

The story/dynamic for this episode is still really interesting/entertaining and easy to follow :clap1:

Tribal council at half past :skull:

I mean you can follow it in a vacuum but there's no consistency or coherency from episode to episode which is kind of an important part of this show? Like, if the show doesn't care to show us how things form organically and would rather just choose to give us random updates through confessionals, why should I care about these people? The show just doesn't give us any reason to care about these dynamics because they are just presented to us as something we're supposed to accept without any tangible evidence.

And it's even more insulting that this show is talking about how SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS MATTER THIS SEASON like they matter so much that they don't show any of these relationships actually form.

That tribal was so boring :skull:

LOVED the post-TC scenes tho :joker:

Michele finally SNAPPING :joker:

Seriously WHEN did Ben and Denise become this unbreakable alliance, this is the third time this "alliance" has been brought up this episode and also the third time this season what shoddy storytelling.

In other news, Michele is That Bitch :love:

"No claps, notice??? :D" lmfaoooooooooo the library has been open all episode for Michele to read these ****ers.

So I’m guessing there’s gonna be some sort of way for them to spend their remaining fire tokens, or else why give away two at the challenge?

Do you not think they are enticed by the menu, where the most expensive of option is "write a letter to someone on the Edge?" ?!?!?!?!?!

Denise is such a ****ing plant lmao

But on a serious note, WHEN did she turn into a Sarah/Tony lackey like how the hell did that come about?

Totally forgot the menu was a thing :joker: have they even shown it more than a couple times?

I'm soooo confused by this half of the episode :think: So much flip flopping around lol.. No clue who goes here

Michele LaBeija is canon

WOW @ that result

Nick getting the fake winner's edit towards the very end had me thinking he at least doesn't go yet. Keep getting through Tony! :clap1:

Another plothole we're just randomly supposed to accept: Natalie buying Tyson an Idol rather than buying one for Jeremy or Parvati or anyone who we've actually seen her interact with on the show.

Nick's "fake winner edit" was him talking about being EVIL DONATHAN VAMPIRE, smelling himself, transparently lying to Tony and being sussed out immediately, continually making bad game move after game move, and being set up for an obvious downfall with confessionals about how he's NEVER been in such a good position.

So they just moved the season recap to the end of this ep rather than the start of the finale? Random

Seems a shame in a way that it’s still going ahead, an all winners season deserves a traditional live finale. I’d have rather they postponed it till later in the year :shrug:

Eh, something to tell the grandchildren about, how the legendary historic Season 40 All Winners season of Survivor was concluded on a zoom call

Oh I totally agree but he got a lot of hype in the Survivor spoiler universe where those confessionals were supposed to be a big thing :joker:

God damn it they saved the returnee for the last episode :rolleyes: Of course they did...
All of a sudden Natalie is friends with Tyson (???). Something that came out of nowhere again. I just hope Tyson doesn't come back, the two seconds we saw of him last night were enough for a lifetime.

Anyway, Michele coming back with a bang this episode, getting that screentime, snapped big time and she's THAT bitch! We stan an unbothered last minute winner. At least it takes the heat out of Tony a little bit.

Denise played it well on the last TC. She knew she was toasted and tried the oldest trick in the book which is to feed people to stay in the game (we live for a move that was so golden back in the old days). But when did that friendship with Ben started? All of a sudden we find that out despite them having talked to each other for 10 episodes straight. Someone in the editing team needs to be fired, for real.

I can't get behind the Sarah and Ben train because they're just not likeable. Tony and Michele are more likeable than both combined. Sarah is trying too hard, and Ben is...Ben. I liked him on his first season but this time he's not about that life.

And the King of the season is still untouched. Tony went through that without a problem and that's tough to do when you won 3 challenges and is responsible for a lot of the evictions.