More Whatnot

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: The merge came along and everyone was fed, the Goliaths were mad because of what Angelina said, and Elizabeth finally found a more comfortable bed.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Olakolak Tribe (wearing blue)
Alec, 24 – Bartender
Alison, 28 – Physician
Angelina, 28 – Financial Consultant
Carl, 41 – Truck Driver
Christian, 32 – Robotics Scientist
Dan, 27 – S.W.A.T. Officer
Davie, 30 – Social Media Manager
Gabby, 25 – Technical Writer
John, 38 – Pro Wrestler
Kara, 30 – Realtor
Mike, 47 – Filmmaker
Nick, 27 – Public Defender

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

Angelina is trying her best to do damage control after last week’s dumpster fire. She tells everyone that Elizabeth cornered her and forced her to spill the beans. Good story. Too bad nobody buys it.

Would it have been so bad to say, “Yeah, I was trying to woo a juror”? It’s already obvious you’re not keeping all of the info on lockdown. Now you’re a liar, too?

Palm of Their Hands

Nick and Davie go advantage hunting…wait…they’re that close? This is news to me. They eventually locate a piece of paper that features the palm tree logo that was displayed at the merge feast. So…it’s safe to say nobody picked up on the hint? Hilarious.

They figure out which tree the image is supposed to represent. Then, Davie makes a karate diversion while Nick and Carl retrieve the advantage.

No seriously. He literally stands on a rock and swings a stick around. It was amazing…

Nick and Carl pop it open and it’s the ever dangerous Steal a Vote.

Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will be split in two. The players will have to hold sandbags over their heads. Every few minutes, one player will have to leave the game and hand off their sandbag. If one person drops a sandbag, their team loses. The winning tribe will get a dozen delicious pizzas.

The teams are chosen by captains. Gabby went with Christian, Alison, John, Alec, and Nick. While Mike picked Carl, Dan, Kara, Davie, and Angelina.

Quick Aside: I’m way too classy to make a “holding onto their sacks” joke, so get your mind out of the gutter.

Another Quick Aside: This challenge involves raising your hands in the air, unfortunately it doesn’t also include waving them like you just don’t care.

Result: Team Gabby won when Dan dropped one of his many sandbags.

Mike’s Making Moves

Mike is not happy with how upset Gabby was at Tribal Council. He makes the point that her Tribal blow-up makes it seem like she doesn’t trust the Strike Force alliance.

Note to Self: Start designing a “Strike Force” bowling t-shirt.

Mike is really uncomfortable with the idea of letting the Davids back into the game. He approaches Alec with a plan to send Christian home next. Ah…so the most Davidish Goliath wants to target the most Goliath-esque David.

The Goliaths are on board with this plan…even Angelina…who’s more than a little perturbed that she had pitched this exact plan last week. She also doesn’t love the fact that they’re intending to use her as the decoy. There’s got to be some way to leverage this whole thing into getting someone’s jacket.

Immunity Challenge Team: The players will stand on a beam and hold a buoy with two poles. The last person standing wins immunity.

Result: This was a quick one with people dropping out right and left. Dan beat Angelina to take the necklace.

Pre-Tribal Politicking

So, it looks like the Goliaths are going to tell everyone that they’re voting for Angelina, but they’re really going to boot Christian.

John says he’ll be sad to see him go, and that it’ll be a #brochachoblindside. Hmm…that sounds like #famouslastwords.

In other news, Dan promises Angelina he’ll use an idol for her if Christian uses an idol. If I thought Dan only had one idol, I would not believe him.

Alec is not thrilled to lose a Strike Force member, and specifically he doesn’t want to lose Nick’s trust. So, he tells Nick what’s up.

Oy…how could that possibly backfire?

CUT TO: Nick telling Christian that he’s the real target.

And then it gets really interesting. Nick asks Davie if they should use the vote advantage. Which leads to Davie wondering if the stolen vote won’t be enough and if he should use his idol.

Dun…dun…dun…

Tribal Time

This was a tame one compared to last week. The highlight being John saying…

Voting Time: Nick does not steal a vote…and no votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol…and Davie does! And, he plays it for Christian!

Oh wow…Angelina is rightfully losing it! She begs Dan to play his idol her for her…and he does!

Exclamation points!

Aww…someone finally gave Angelina a piece of clothing at Tribal.

Alright, we’ve got seven votes for Christian, two votes for Angelina, a vote for John, and the ninth person eliminated from “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” and the second member of the jury is…John.

#Brochachoblindside indeed.

Also, it seems like only Christian, Davie, and Nick were on the vote-out-John train. Interesting.

Verdict: Wow, that was a wild one. Although, I wish we’d had some inkling that Davie was so close with Christian and Nick before.

Also, look at all of these people sticking their necks out for others; Davie and Christian, Elizabeth and Lyrsa, Dan and Angelina…all signs of next-level thinking. Good job, guys.

	Nick – You helped make that move happen and the heat isn’t on you. Let’s not forget this dude was almost the first one out. What a turnaround.
	Davie – Shots fired, buddy. Well done. Your days as a background player are over. Angelina – If you can be cool for a little bit, the game will find another target. Good job.
	Christian – So, at some point you had to have had a conversation with Davie about that, otherwise, why vote for John? Dan – It had to have KILLED Dan to use his idol to save Angelina, but it was the right move.
	Mike – Your big move failed and it’ll come out that you were behind it.
	Alec – It’s so unlike you to say something you shouldn’t. I’m shocked.
	Kara, Carl, Alison, Gabby – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Bradley Kleihege had John in spot two, I had him in spot five. So, the current score is Team Bradley 76, Team Gordon 86.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn. For example, if Dan is voted out this episode, Bradley will receive five points and Gordon will receive nine points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Last Week: Bradley Kleihege had Elizabeth in spot nine, Gordon Holmes had her in spot seven. So, the current score is Team Bradley 74, Team Gordon 81.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

Bradley’s Score: 74 Any questions for Bradley? Drop him a line on Twitter: @bradley_r_k	Gordon’s Score: 81 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. Kara: I’m a big Kara fan. She’s playing great and fun to watch.	1. Mike: He’s got a foot in the dominant alliance and the potential dominant alliance. There’s no reason to target him and there’s no reason for him to School of Rock the boat.
2. John: Continues to stay off the radar.	2. Alison: You’re in the same un-rockable boat with Mike. And, it’s good to see you’ve got some challenge chops.
3. Alec: For seeming less than bright at times in the pre-merge, Alec’s social maneuvering impressed me this week.	3. Nick: There’s no reason for the Goliaths to target Nick at this time. And, if for some reason they think of one, Mike probably has your back Rock Star style. (Air guitar…”Wheaaaaar” noise.)
4. Alison: For all the crap I’ve given Alison about her quiet edit, I like her character now that we are getting to see more of her!	4. Kara: You’re an episode or two away from earning a coattail rider label. Your window of time to make a move is closing.
5. Dan: The target is getting bigger, will he correctly play his idols?	5. John: How is this guy not a target yet? He’s charming, he has a twenty pack of abs…and yet, the Christians and Dans are getting all of the attention.
6. Christian: Worried that his social overtures towards the brochachos may not have been as strong as he needs them to be if he’s going to make a run for Day 39.	6. Alec: Alec came to play! And if he maneuvers things perfectly, he could find himself alone with a tribe of people who can’t touch his speed and strength. Well done.
7. Mike: Feels like a second-string Goliath.	7. Gabby: I thought your crying at Tribal was to throw the Goliaths off of the Strike Force’s scent, but Elizabeth thinks those tears were very real. That’d make me nervous if I was in an alliance with you.
8. Nick: Problematic that his best connection to a Goliath is with Mike who doesn’t seem to have any power.	8. Davie: Why weren’t you invited to the merge episode? It was like “The Office” after Steve Carell left.
9. Gabby: Thank you for encouraging Elizabeth to wait to confront Angelina until Tribal.	9. Dan: You’re seriously asking why you’re being targeted while John is around?! John doesn’t have an idol that he let the world know about.
10. Carl: If you want to know what Carl thinks just give him some beer.	10. Carl: If things are still split between the Davids and the Goliaths, I could see you being another easy pick-off. That is, if Davie and his idol will let them pick you off.
11. Davie: Crickets this week, sadly.	11. Angelina: So much heat on you after last week. If you take a second to relax and remind people of why they should align with you, you should be OK. If you try to force through an agenda, you could be in trouble.
12. Angelina: Whew, what a mess. But I will admit, entertaining.	12. Christian: This one hurts me because I love me some Christian, but I could see you going if the Goliaths want to cement Angelina as an alliance member. If this happens, my heart will break into factorials. (See, I don’t use it right either.)

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Gordon Holmes: When Angelina approached you last night, did you get the sense that she wanted to work with you at all, or did this seem strictly like a jury management move?
Elizabeth Olson: I think she was playing “Survivor.” We had already had a bonding moment, a heart to heart. That maybe tipped the scale as to whether or not she should say that to me or not. But, in saying it, she was definitely working the jury. I’m glad Alison was intuitive enough to see that. I didn’t have to say it, they figured it out on their own. The Goliaths were pretty pissed at Tribal that Angelina was telling me their plans and trying to manage the jury already.
Holmes: Was there any chance to maybe use that information before Tribal?
Olson: Angelina did not tell me with time before Tribal. I had to do all of my blowing up at Tribal. I did not have time to talk to the Goliaths.

Holmes: The vote ended up being unanimous.
Olson: I know! What’s up with that?!
Holmes: What is up with that? Did you think the vote was going to be down David vs. Goliath lines?
Olson: Heading in I knew that people were gunning for me. I didn’t know that Carl was the lead charge on that. He had been throwing me under the bus. That was a little bit hard to watch. But, I don’t have hard feelings, he’s playing the game. I don’t blame him for it, that’s what you do. It was frustrating because I did have hope that we could send a Goliath packing. I did not know it was going to be unanimous, but it was not surprising. It was surprising that there was enough communication going on to get all the Davids on board with it. The Goliaths were forthright with everyone except for me.
Holmes: Did that feud with you and Carl start with the uncomfortable bed, or do you think it dates all the way back to the Jessica vote?
Olson: I think it’s just a core difference of who we are. We’re just like oil and water. Which is funny because we’re both from Texas. We have a lot of things that we should bond about. He’s very laid back and I’m very aggressive and crazy. I’m literally wanting to do something all the time. I cannot sit still. And Carl’s like, “Mmm…man…I’m gonna sit by the fire. You know? You wanna come talk to me? I’m by the fire.” And he’s the only one who caught a fish and he wouldn’t go out and fish. Man, I can’t even swim and I’m out there fishing. We were just very different people. The whole bed situation didn’t help. But, when I found out he was going to join my tribe, I thought of all the people, why does it have to be Carl?

Holmes: Alright, the post-merge word associations take a while, so let’s jump into this. Davie?
Olson: Hilarious.
Holmes: Pat?
Olson: Hard working.
Holmes: Jessica?
Olson: Teenager.
Holmes: Christian?
Olson: Friend.
Holmes: Natalia?
Olson: Smart.
Holmes: John?
Olson: Good.
Holmes: Gabby?
Olson: Amazing.
Holmes: Kara?
Olson: Beautiful.
Holmes: Lyrsa?
Olson: My buddy.
Holmes: Nick?
Olson: Complicated.
Holmes: Dan?
Olson: Sleezeball.
Holmes: Mike?
Olson: Interesting.
Holmes: Alec?
Olson: Surfer.
Holmes: Bi?
Olson: Quitter.
Holmes: Carl?
Olson: Lazy.
Holmes: Alison?
Olson: Smart.
Holmes: Angelina?
Olson: Smart…again.

Holmes: Bi left the game when her knee was injured. She wasn’t forced out of the game. Is that a popular sentiment that she’s a quitter?
Olson: Yeah, we were all kind of pissed at her. Jeff was too. You don’t get on “Survivor” and then quit, especially if you’re a fighter. I understand that she’s in a situation where she has a career where she has to have health, but we clearly told her she wouldn’t have to do anything else to risk her knee. She could sit out. Take one for the team and then go home at the next Tribal. She wasn’t willing to listen and try to understand the game enough or respect the players that she had suffered through the cyclone with to consider that. It was very frustrating.

Holmes: You also referred to Dan as a “sleezeball.” What’s behind that?
Olson: Dude! He’s just…I don’t even know. He’s childish. Very childish. He was pouting around camp. I don’t like people that pout. He was pouting because he had to work. And I was like, “Bro, look here…I’m out here swinging the hammer with you. That’s just life.” Grow a pair of balls and grow up. You’re not nine anymore.

Holmes: They briefly made it look like you and Nick were forming an alliance. I believe it was the “Thoroughbreds.” Did anything ever come of that?
Olson: I think that’s one of my regrets in the game is I didn’t reconnect with him as much as I should have at the merge. We did have a really good connection and we’d worked together to get out Jessica way back when. I was trying so hard to get new relationships that I did not focus on my secondary…Davids. My first big connection on the Davids was Christian. I was extremely close with Christian. But, I did not reconnect with my secondary…like Nick.

Holmes: Alec and Christian have formed a “Strike Force” alliance that’s half Davids and half Goliaths. Gabby is a part of that as well. She was very emotional during Tribal, because she thought she was on the bottom. Do you think that was genuine, or do you think she was trying to throw the Goliaths off of the Strike Force’s scent?
Olson: It was definitely genuine. It was irritating sitting at the fire and watching all of the Goliaths go down and talk like they were man-handling us and we couldn’t do anything about it. And she was like, “We really are on the bottom. This sucks.” And she had to vote for her good friend and it was like lambs being led to the slaughter. And during Tribal, I was getting hammered by Angelina and it must have been frustrating for Gabby. She was very upset.

Holmes: I want to be really careful with this next question so we don’t veer into spoiler territory. You’re the first juror, some people think that person sets the tone for the jury. Heading into this game, what kind of juror did you expect to be? Someone who respects strategy…social game…challenge strength…camp work ethic?
Olson: I’m pretty mathematical in my day-to-day life. I look at life as a math problem. So, for me it’s Outwit/Outplay/Outlast, one third, one third, one third. So, I look at each contestant that way. How did they play strategically? How did they play socially? How hard was their journey to get there? You add that up and figure out who played the best game trying to be as objective as possible. Not “Who’s my best buddy?” It’s who played the best freaking game all around.

Holmes: So, I’m going to apologize for picking you to win, because almost all of my winner picks have lost.
Olson: Yeah!
Holmes: I’m so sorry.
Olson: (Laughs) I was planning on winning, dude.
Holmes: Blame it on me.
Olson: My goal was to win and Jeff got into my head. A day before the game started he said, “We picked y’all because you’re going to make the best TV. You’re awesome. We love you. You being you is going to help you get the furthest in the game.” And I thought, yeah…that’s what I’ve got to do. I need to change my strategy. So, I decided I was going to be myself and have fun.
Holmes: There’s a lesson to take from all of that. And it’s not, “Don’t be yourself,” it’s “Don’t ever listen to Jeff Probst.”
Olson: (Laughs) For real though, bro! I love him to death. And he’s really cool in real life. The reason “Survivor” is awesome is because Jeff is passionate about it. He’s insane.
Holmes: Oh yeah, and the people who’ve never experienced it, might not appreciate that he’s not just the guy who shows up every three days and tells you what to do. He’s producing, he’s directing, he wears like a hundred different hats.
Olson: His passion for this game oozes out to everyone underneath him. They believe in it because Jeff believes in it. And that makes the players believe it. He doesn’t get enough credit.
Holmes: Well, I’m going to cut all of this out of the interview because I don’t want him getting a big head.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: Elizabeth thought the bed was too rough to bear, Dan was targeted by a Brochacha pair, and Lyrsa left with her outerwear…

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Vuku Tribe (wearing orange)
Alec, 24 – Bartender
Carl, 41 – Truck Driver
Davie, 30 – Social Media Manager
Elizabeth, 31 – Kitchen Staff
Kara, 30 – Realtor

The Jabeni Tribe (wearing purple)
Angelina, 28 – Financial Consultant
Mike, 47 – Filmmaker
Nick, 27 – Public Defender

The Tiva Tribe (wearing green)
Alison, 28 – Physician
Christian, 32 – Robotics Scientist
Dan, 27 – S.W.A.T. Officer
Gabby, 25 – Technical Writer
John, 38 – Pro Wrestler

The Tiva Invasion

The Brochachos and Brochachas are enjoying a leisurely morning when they’re interrupted by boats filled with Jabenians and Vukuians. Sure enough, the merge is upon us.

Some fun tidbits that come out during the feast…

• Carl still wants to target Elizabeth, but more than that, he wants a beer. I get that. He also spills the beans that Alec was responsible for sending Natalia home.
• A very suspicious sign seems to have an advantage, but nobody picks it up. Gabby thinks about it, though.
• Elizabeth comes up with the tribe name “Kalokalo” which means “Stars” in Fijian. Do we know that for sure? Is it possible Elizabeth’s mother’s name is “Olakolak”?

Reunited and It Feels So Good

The Mason/Dixon alliance finally picks things up where they left off, with Nick telling Christian that Dan has an idol. Well, he’s half right.

Meanwhile, Dan and Kara get to hugging. Dan decides to toss his plan to keep that second idol a secret almost immediately. She is his kryptonite. Later that night, Elizabeth sees them canoodling and somehow suspects that they like each other. Well, she’s half right.

Elizabeth starts making moves to draw attention to this showmance. As you’d imagine, this does not sit well with Dan.

All Alec’s Alliances

So, it looks like we’re going to start off with a standard David vs. Goliath battle with Angelina wanting to send Christian packing. But, things quickly shoot off into a different direction with Alec reaching out to Christian to start a partnership. His thinking behind this is that nobody will see it coming. I’d like to dub this duo “Smart Alec.”

From there, Alison, Mike, Nick, and Gabby come aboard.

Later on, Alec tells us that the merge is the real party and everything beforehand is just the pre-party. I like to think of it as like the NHL season, where twice as many teams get eliminated during the playoffs, than during the regular season.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will stand on a pedestal and swing a rope around a frame that is balancing an idol. If the idol falls or the rope stops, the player is eliminated. The last person standing wins immunity.

Result: Alison bested Elizabeth to take the necklace.

Post-Tribal Politicking

It looks like the Goliaths are fully in power with the Davids just hanging back to see which of them will go home. There is some debate between Angelina (who wants to get rid of Christian because he’s a threat) and Dan (who wants to get rid of Elizabeth because she’s blowing up his showmance.)

During the discussion, Angelina uses military terminology to fire up the troops. This does not sit well with Dan. He also doesn’t love the fact that she’s targeting his Brochacho.

Alec isn’t feeling Angelina’s plan either, because Christian is a key part of his secret “Strike Force” alliance. The other Goliaths agree that the Christian vote is too fancy, too early, and decide to go after Elizabeth.

Angelina is not a fan of this new plan.

Soooooo…Angelina tells Elizabeth what’s up, claiming that she attempted to target a different person. It doesn’t seem like she’s trying to work with Elizabeth, but maybe she’s trying to win favor with a future juror?

Anywho, Gabby encourages Elizabeth to tell the Goliaths that Angelina outed them at Tribal in an attempt to get them to flip. Wait, Elizabeth needed Gabby to tell her that?

Tribal Time

Christian wins my heart once again by correcting Alison when she says “exponent” when she should have said “factorial.” (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know the correct way to use either one of those terms.)

After that, Elizabeth promptly throws Angelina under the bus, telling everyone that she had revealed the Goliaths’ plan.

Then things get messy.

Dan thinks Angelina needs to tell them what’s up. Alison accuses Angelina of doing jury management. Everybody starts whispering. Gabby cries.

It’s a whole thing.

Voting Time: Elizabeth votes for Angelina, Angelina votes for Elizabeth, and the rest of the votes are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to plan an idol and…nobody does. Alright, we’ve got one vote for Angelina, six votes for Elizabeth, and the eighth person eliminated from “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” and the first member of the jury is…Elizabeth.

Verdict: I’ve gotta be honest, I never suspected Alec would be the driving force behind post-merge strategy. Look at him go.

That being said, this episode didn’t have nearly enough Davie for my tastes.

	Alec – He might be doing too much…but I’m liking his Strike Force alliance.
	Gabby – Tell me you went looking around the feast sign. Did you? Please?
	Dan – There was literally NO reason for you to tell Kara about your idol. She trusts you already.
	Christian – Do you know how close you were to going home?
	Carl – It’s probably never a great idea to get drunk during the game. Loose lips and all… Angelina – You can make it to the final three, I can’t imagine a jury rewarding you.
	Davie, John, Alison, Nick, Alison, Mike – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Bradley Kleihege had Elizabeth in spot nine, I had her in spot seven. So, the current score is Team Bradley 74, Team Gordon 81.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn. For example, if Dan is voted out this episode, Bradley will receive three points and Gordon will receive one point. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Last Week: Bradley Kleihege and I both had Lyrsa in spot twelve. So, the current score is Team Bradley 65, Team Gordon 74.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

Bradley’s Score: 65 Any questions for Bradley? Drop him a line on Twitter: @bradley_r_k	Gordon’s Score: 74 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. John: The Mayor of the merged tribe.	1. Dan: Ah…there’s nothing quite as unfun (not a word) as ranking a merge. So many variables, so many people wanting to make their “big move.” Danny, you get to go first, because two idols should keep you safe.
2. Christian: Being John’s #2 was a smart strategy pre-merge but now he needs to start thinking of his resume.	2. Davie: There’s no real reason to target Davie just yet, and he’s packing an idol as well. He should be here next week.
3. Dan: Two idols.	3. Carl: Hopefully that whole Elizabeth thing will blow over and the smart Davids can hang back and let the Goliaths go at it.
4. Gabby: Nobody needed the merge more than she did. I’m cautiously optimistic she is now fairly safe.	4. Kara: It’ll be so nice to get back together with your buddy Dan and his idols. And, you’ll never have to worry about Alec getting you into trouble again.
5. Davie: One idol.	5. Nick: Who’s going to have more options than you? Mason Dixon, the Rock Stars, the Thoroughbreds, Level Six…
6. Carl: Idol nullifier.	6. Mike: I think you made the right call last week. An Angelina vote would have made a statement, where as you can brush off the Natalie vote.
7. Kara: She needs the merge. I like Kara, hopefully this reset will work to her advantage.	7. Elizabeth: I get that you’re hungry and you aren’t sleeping, but you’ve got to keep it together better than that. Fortunately for you, the merge is a big reset button.
8. Alec: With the merge upon us Alec will find out whether or not his gamble of voting off Natalia was a good strategy or a bad one.	8. Angelina: Nobody needed this merge more than you did. One more immunity loss and you’d have been Rock Star’d right out of this game. Now’s the time to see if John’s still a good meat shield or if you should make other plans.
9. Elizabeth: Did she get the shelter bamboo fixed? Is this what will determine whether or not she can make a deep run in the game?	9. Gabby: The merge came at the right time for you, but let’s not forget that Nick still has you in his sights.
10. Nick: Probably safe but he was a target earlier in the game and the merge Tribal sometimes gets funky with who ends up going home.	10. Christian: You’re good at this game. Socially, physically, mentally, you’re totally holding your own. But…people are starting to notice.
11. Angelina: She showed she had strategic chops last week but she did it very visibly. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if people start targeting her.	11. John: It doesn’t matter how nice and funny John is, a fourteen pack of abs makes a wonderful target after the merge. He’ll never be safe.
12. Alison: She spoke.	12. Alison: One of my favorite underrated moments in “Survivor” history is in “Game Changers” when Sandra is asked who she wants to target. She never says a name, she just has a conversation. Alison shouldn’t have said Dan’s name.
13. Mike: Just not a fan. If you have read this far you have enough time to exercise your right to vote. Don’t take your liberties and freedoms for granted.	13. Alec: A challenge stud, who can’t be trusted, and who’s going to be making big moves? You seem like a likely first merge boot.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Gordon Holmes: So, what did you think was going to happen as you were heading into Tribal last night?
Lyrsa Torres: I was really hoping to stay, and I have more lives than a cat. In the Spanish tradition, cats have seven lives.
Holmes: Only seven? What a rip off.
Torres: (Laughs) Well, that was my seventh chance to save myself and I didn’t. I felt like it was going to be me, especially because when you’re headed into Tribal you can feel the mood. I could feel it and I knew it was probably going to be me. My mama says you have to have two bags in life, one for winning and one for losing, and that’s what I had there. I had a bag for winning and bag for losing. And I lost, so I grabbed my bag…and my jacket…
Holmes: (Laughs)
Torres: (Laughs) And I left. I’m very happy that I got to play this game this far. A lot of people were not expecting me to play that long. And it’s a win/win. No matter the outcome, I played something that I always watched on TV. It’s the game I love. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.

Holmes: Mike is in this position where he likes and trusts you, but if he votes out another Goliath, he’s going to be in trouble at the merge. How did you try to counter that?
Torres: I tried to never lie. I lied as little as I could. It’s a game about lying, but that’s not me. It was difficult trying to be dishonest. When you don’t do that in your real life, it’s hard to lie to a lot of people at the same time. I said to Mike, “Hey, if you stay with me…” They didn’t know about all my connections. I only told them about my connection with Elizabeth. That wasn’t true, I had connections with Gabby and Christian. So, I was pretty much looking forward to the merge because I was going to be with my people and we were going to be able to play. So, I said, “I only have a little bit on the other side, but we’re going to do our best to keep you safe. Even though you’re a Goliath, you’re like the David of the Goliaths.” But, I understand where he’s coming from. If he makes the merge and they lost Natalia and Natalie and Angelina, it’s going to put a big target on his back.

Holmes: It seemed like Angelina was trying to work with you at one point, but you didn’t seem interested. Why did you resist partnering with her?
Torres: To be honest, as a person, Angelina is so nice. She’s a very good person. But in this game, right when she got off the boat I knew she was there to play and win. It was game on from day one with her. She was playing super hard and you can’t trust a person like that in the game. So, there was something telling me you can’t trust her in the game. Also, I didn’t feel like she was trying to work with me. Maybe she was…but I didn’t feel like that after the whole incident with jacketgate. So, when Nick tells me they want to vote for me, how can I trust you when you want to do this? I didn’t get the vibe that she wanted to work with me, or I would’ve given her the jacket, the pants, the socks, everything.
Holmes: Were you concerned that if she got a jacket she’d become too powerful?
Torres: She’d become more powerful and I was going to be voted out next anyway.

Holmes: OK, word association time. Let’s start with Elizabeth.
Torres: Sister.
Holmes: Bi?
Torres: Fighter.
Holmes: Carl?
Torres: Fire, he loved the fire.
Holmes: Pat?
Torres: Teddy bear.
Holmes: Mike?
Torres: Funny.
Holmes: Nick?
Torres: Flip flopper. (Laughs)
Holmes: Gabby?
Torres: Cheese. We were talking about cheese all the time. We love cheese. I’d say, “Ooo…I want some spicy gouda.”
Holmes: You guys would get along with my wife.
Torres: (Laughs)
Holmes: She obsessed. Christian?
Torres: I love Christian. Beautiful eyes.
Holmes: Davie?
Torres: Hilarious.
Holmes: Jessica?
Torres: Sweet.
Holmes: Natalie?
Torres: Powerful.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Angelina.
Torres: Latina-to-Latina conversation…jacketgate.

Holmes: You were an early target in the David tribe. The knock seemed to be that you were a challenge liability, but we didn’t really see anything to support that.
Torres: Thank you! Thank you so much! You guys are watching the game. I think it was my mistake. I was the person that got into the boat and said, “I’m chunky, I’m tiny.” That’s (expletive deleted) I know. It’s not for me to tell them in this game. So, I think I’m the person who put that target on my back. But, I watched every episode twice and I never felt like I was super behind at something. We’d lose a challenge, even the challenge from last night, I was a little bit late. Gabby and I were head to head, but the way it was edited, she finished first. So, I don’t think my game ability was a liability. I put every single piece of me into the challenges, because I think people saw me as the worst physically. So, I needed to double my game, because if we lose it’s going to be me. And looking back, I’m thinking, “You’re stupid, you said you were chunky, you said you were tiny. These are things they can see, you don’t have to tell them this.” But, I like to be honest and I like to tell it like it is.

Holmes: It looks like we’re hitting the merge next week. What would’ve been your plan if you had made it there?
Torres: I was going to go back to Elizabeth. I really wanted to get to the merge. I set some goals; don’t get eliminated first. People don’t remember that person and I didn’t want to be that person. The second goal was make an alliance and the third goal was make the merge. And to be so close to the merge and to not make it was devastating. I wanted to be with Elizabeth and Gabby and Christian. Christian and I had the longest conversations every day about taking power over Slamtown. I was going to be the Secretary of State and try to create a plan to defeat John and take over Slamtown. I was really looking forward to seeing my peeps and actually play the game. What people didn’t know was that I was doing kickboxing four times a week. I was practicing a lot for balancing. I have really tiny feet, so those balancing challenges…I could have rocked that (expletive deleted) because my feet are perfect for that.

Holmes: What’s it going to be like sitting next to Natalie at the reunion?
Torres: Natalie and I are going to have so much fun. We’re going to dance together, it’s going to be amazing. I feel really bad. I have no beef with Natalie, I actually sent her a message apologizing for what I said.

Holmes: It must’ve been cool to have that purple hair and then receive a purple buff.
Torres: I know! After a while I didn’t know what was my hair and what was the buff.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn. For example, if Dan is voted out this episode, Bradley will receive two points and Gordon will receive one point. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Last Week: Bradley Kleihege had Natalie in spot fifteen, Gordon Holmes had her in spot twelve. So, the current score is Team Bradley 53, Team Gordon 62.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

Bradley’s Score: 53 Any questions for Bradley? Drop him a line on Twitter: @bradley_r_k	Gordon’s Score: 62 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. John: Solidly on top of his alliance but also realizing the importance of building relationships with those in the minority. Savvy gameplay.	1. Dan: Wow, it’s really hard to argue with two idols. But, Terry Deitz might want to have a conversation with you about who brought the term “Brochacho” to “Survivor.”
2. Dan: He has two idols, but will he know when he needs to play them?	2. Davie: We’re actually in a very weird point in the game where we have three tribes, and it seems like each tribe has a pair of gentlemen on top. For example; Vuku has Davie and…
3. Christian: Is he trying too hard? Regardless, it looks like it is working.	3. Carl: This guy.
4. Alison: We are getting no content from her but she is in the majority on her tribe right now so she is most likely safe???	4. Dan: And John is Dan’s Tavi counterpart.
5. Davie: Davie has the majority, an idol, and a bundle of enthusiasm. He will live to see another week.	5. Nick: And then you’ve got the smooth air-guitar playing duo that seems to be running Jabeni with Nick and…
6. Elizabeth: She has more enthusiasm than a kid eating birthday cake after being on a diet. Oh, and she is also in a solid place in her tribe so she shouldn’t be in danger.	6. Mike: …this guy. I’m not sure what any of this means other than symmetry is pretty cool.
7. Carl: I am excited to see how this idol nullifier is going to work. I hope Carl plays it correctly because I am impressed by how he has fought his way back from being blindsided on the bottom of the David tribe to being in a majority alliance with an advantage.	7. Elizabeth: My Christmas wish is for Elizabeth and Lyrsa to reunite at the merge. They’ve had their backs against the wall on several different occasions and managed to figure it out.
8. Nick: Nick has come quite a long way from the days of being targeted for his laziness. The numbers on his tribe are even and he has an alliance with Mike.	8. Christian: Brochachos, and Slamtown, and Head of Awesome Stuff. All of these are fun diversions. But, have the three of them ever actually talked strategy? Will they have his back when Probst is swinging the snuffer?
9. Alec: Flipping on the Goliaths and voting off Natalia is looking like less of a death wish for Alec now that Angelina and Mike did the same to Natalie last week. That was the best thing that could have happened to his game.	9. Gabby: It would be heartbreaking for Gabby to get the axe after her emotional ride since joining the Tiva tribe. My hope is that Christian would speak up for you. But, it’d have to be a stronger case than someone else would make for…
10. Kara: Has she really patched things up with Alec? I have to assume she did such a good job patching things up with Alec that now she can’t get rid of him which is what landed her on TMZ.	10. Alison: We have no idea who you’re working with, what’s your strategy, what role you play in the Slamtown administration…
11. Mike: Hopefully his alliance with Nick is strong enough to keep him safe now that he has voted out one of his own Goliaths.	11. Alec: Elizabeth has a point that you’re more likely to be loyal now that you’ve stabbed a Goliath in the back. But, you’ve still stabbed an ally in the back…
12. Lyrsa: Continues to be be a target, whether for her jacket or for her unevidenced lack of challenge prowess, how long can she keep dodging the torch snuffer?	12. Lyrsa: Still in the game…with your jacket…and all it cost you was a couple of eggs. But, you’re not out of the woods yet. The big question now is; what will it mean to the other Goliaths if Mike shows up at the merge without Angelina?
13. Gabby: The green tribe has a stellar record of winning on “Survivor,” Gabby had better hope that continues or I think she goes home.	13. Angelina: So, everyone seems to think that Angelina knew Natalie was going, but voted with her as a ploy to get her jacket. And if that’s true…that seems like a big price to pay for a jacket. You’re on the tribe most likely to visit Tribal again and you’re at or close to the bottom.
14. Angelina: I can only hope her desperate Tribal Council jacket bit was a precursor to her saying “Natalie, Natalie?, Natalie?” as she walks into Ponderosa after this week’s episode.	14. Kara: So…the thing that’s in your favor now is…that Alec…is good…at challenges? That’s something.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: David vs. Goliath”

Gordon Holmes: Take me back to last night’s Tribal. Was it a blindside?
Natalie Cole: I wasn’t blindsided, Gordon. I saw it coming and I decided I was no longer going to fight. I had been fighting every day I was out there. And Nick and Lyrsa came over to our camp and Mike and Angelina did not hesitate to update them on the relationships that occurred there. They did not have to find cracks, they were handed cracks. I erred by not trying to pull Nick and Lyrsa into the fold because I knew I would never get Mike. He was totally in love with Jeremy and Jeremy was enamored with him. Angelina was the most crafty person on the island, so I knew I couldn’t trust her. But, she was the common denominator. She was giving me information when others wouldn’t.
Holmes: I have a theory that Angelina wanted you to go home, but threw a vote for Lyrsa so she could get your jacket.
Cole: Absolutely! She’s very transparent. I didn’t trust her all that much. And I knew when it was two votes…I was like, “What?! Someone is playing a game.” And I knew it was Angelina because she was thirsty for a jacket. I got accused of stealing a jacket, I never stole a jacket. Angelina literally stole Lyrsa’s jacket. I said, “Ehh…you might want to put that back and just ask for it.” Angelina is very crafty. But, just like I could see through Jeremy, I could see through Angelina.

Holmes: Things got off to a rocky start with you and Jeremy. How did that feud start?
Cole: I had a lot of factors against me. I was bullied by Jeremy, you didn’t see the half of it. You never saw me approach him and start an argument, and yet I was considered to be confrontational. I was protecting myself. And then you have people who become followers instead of leading. Day one, I hit John up. I said, “John, I need you to help get me through the first half of the game. And I’m going to help you get through the second half of the game. I need you now because I may be an early target.” John and I made a commitment on day one, I made the same commitment with Dan. I approached Jeremy and said, “I’d like for you and I to consider…” and before I could say anything he cut me off and said he’s not doing that. He said, “We’re the only two black people out here. They’re going to target you and me first.” I don’t believe that. I’m not going to look at the glass half empty. He wouldn’t even hear my full strategy out. So, when he said, “Go get three or four people to back you and then I’ll consider.” I said, “Why don’t you be the first?” What he didn’t know was at that point I had John and Dan. Then I made the decision to not tell him anything because he will never have my back. If you listen to “First One Out” (Josh Wigler’s “Survivor” podcast) everyone speaks positively, they’ll work with me. What does Jeremy say? He says, “She reminds me of a lunch counter lady who gave me some free food.” Well, you couldn’t have been more wrong, buddy.

Holmes: Was there ever a chance for you two to mend fences and work together?
Cole: I was playing the game in pain. I was trampled in the first challenge because Jeremy decided he wanted to help me. He literally made me fall. We were running and had to get over this bar, and as I was trying to get over I lifted my left leg. He literally snatched my leg, flung it forward, and caused me to fall off balance. So, I got trampled. I had back pain the entire time I played this game. I didn’t play it up with the producers because I didn’t want them to think I was pulling out of the game. I thought Jeremy did it as an accident, but he never apologized. He was yelling in my face, to the point that I could feel his breath, and I thought, “What the hell? Is it my fault that you made me fall?” So, Jeremy and I started off on a bad foot and it snowballed from there. So, when people say he was trying to help me, I literally want to scream in their face.

Holmes: Jeremy took us by surprise during the exit press when he told us that the reason he was voted out was because of a joke he made about a showmance between Angelina and John. Angelina has since denied this. Can you shed some light on that?
Cole: What Jeremy does not know until this conversation, is that Jeremy made that comment, of which I wasn’t even in the vicinity when he made the comment, I was told the comment by my ally John. When I was told he made the comment and John and Angelina weren’t doing anything about it, I said to Angelina, “I heard about the comment.” And she said, “Yeah, it’s pretty crappy.” And I said, “Angelina, your husband is a marine. He’s out protecting our country. You can’t let that comment sit. You can’t let that go. We have to unanimously vote him out to speak against that statement he made.” So, I got in her head. I got in John’s head the same way. I said, “You’re getting married next month. Your fiancé is going to be pissed to hear that! We’ve got to do something, John! We need to fix this!” So then, the next two hours I sat back and watched the magic happen. They were soldiers going out with my message. Nobody knows that they did the work because I planted the seed in their heads.

Holmes: One of the big knocks against you was that you were telling people what to do, while not actually doing things yourself. Was that an accurate portrayal?
Cole: I was doing so much work around camp it ain’t funny. It’s something that somebody said, which was Natalia, and they ran with that narrative. I cleaned the entire campground. I dug up hundreds of yards of vines and braided them to secure the shelter. I’m the only one that went out digging for roots to eat. I was as busy as everyone else. And the only person that didn’t pull their weight, was Mike White. He did squat around camp.
Holmes: That’s interesting. Because he was one of you biggest critics.
Cole: That started after Jeremy was voted out because that was his guy. They went down on the beach and slept separately from everybody else. You watch who people sleep next to and those two were joined at the hip.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start off with John.
Cole: Love John. He’s the most authentic person out there.
Holmes: Dan?
Cole: Like Dan a lot. Follower. He’ll know what I mean by that.
Holmes: Alison?
Cole: Underrated. She was my first target.
Holmes: Alec?
Cole: Gnarly.
Holmes: Jeremy?
Cole: Evil.
Holmes: Nick?
Cole: OK.
Holmes: Mike?
Cole: Mousy.
Holmes: Kara?
Cole: Non-descript.
Holmes: Angelina?
Cole: Sneaky.
Holmes: Lyrsa?
Cole: OK.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Natalia.
Cole: (Laughs) Trustworthy.

Holmes: Natalia is trustworthy? That’s surprising. It seems like you two had some issues out there.
Cole: It’s because we are very similar. We’re real talk. She misread what I said and overreacted. She’s young, she’s in her twenties. I understand how she got there. I tried to approach her because I was thinking; they’ll never see us working together. But, she just couldn’t see the game. She didn’t trust that I was being for real.

Holmes: Who were you hoping to get to the end with?
Cole: I would’ve taken Natalie, Natalie Napalm, and Natalie Cole.

Holmes: You were close with John. Did you have a position in mind for yourself in the Slamtown administration?
Cole: I would’ve been in the corporate part of Slamtown controlling Slamtown.
Holmes: You would’ve been the corporate donor that really runs the show.
Cole: Yeah, probably.
Holmes: You’d have the mayor in your pocket.
Cole: Yeah, you know of all the people out there, John had my back.

Holmes: You were amazing with your voting statements. Any chance you could vote me out?
Cole: Well, the voting statement is about what I feel about whomever…so for you, Gordon…I’d say, “It’s been fun and this is a wrap.”

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

“Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings with Bradley Kleihege, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: Bi said, “Bye,” tribes were swapped in tri, and Natalia was betrayed by her guy.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Vuku Tribe (wearing orange)
Alec, 24 – Bartender
Carl, 41 – Truck Driver
Davie, 30 – Social Media Manager
Elizabeth, 31 – Kitchen Staff
Kara, 30 – Realtor

The Jabeni Tribe (wearing purple)
Angelina, 28 – Financial Consultant
Lyrsa, 35 – Flight Attendant
Mike, 47 – Filmmaker
Natalie, 56 – Publishing CEO
Nick, 27 – Public Defender

The Tiva Tribe (wearing green)
Alison, 28 – Physician
Christian, 32 – Robotics Scientist
Dan, 27 – S.W.A.T. Officer
Gabby, 25 – Technical Writer
John, 38 – Pro Wrestler

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

As you’d imagine, Kara was not psyched that Alec left her out of his…questionable…plan. Heh…this won’t be the last time she’s annoyed with his judgment.

He justifies this move by saying he was trusting his gut. Oh…then…no problem.

Fiji Water…Lots of It

A beautiful, relaxing day is ruined by ALL OF THE RAIN IN THE WORLD. In an amazing moment, the rain cranks it up during one of Natalie’s interviews and she tells the crew that they need to go. See, Mike…she tells everyone what to do. She should get a producer credit for this episode.

The weather gets so bad that production steps in to evacuate the players. When they return their camps have all been decimated.

What’s interesting is; when Alison is listing all of the crazy things that have happened this season, she describes Bi’s exit as “quitting.” Technically, she’s not wrong, it just seems harsh.

Also, Alison said things.

Reward Challenge: Two members from each team will use poles to bounce sandbags off of a net. From there, they’ll use a slingshot to launch the bags at targets. The first tribe to hit two targets will win four hens and a rooster. The second place tribe will win twelve eggs. The last tribe will have no chickens to count and nothing to hatch.

Result: Vuku claimed first place and Jabeni took second. Honestly, two Goliaths took all of the shots for Tiva. How do you not let a David use the slingshot?!

A Kara-ble Position

After the challenge, Kara starts throwing her buddy Alec under the bus. It seems like Davie and Carl could be swayed, but Elizabeth doesn’t trust her. But what about the horses?!

Add that to the fact, that Alec betrayed the Goliaths, and poor Kara has a real uphill battle.

An Eggs-cellent Way to Get Voted Out

Angelina is very happy to have won the eggs, because she’s a vegetarian and that’s her main source of protein. I wasn’t sure if eating eggs disqualified her from being a vegetarian, so I looked it up. Apparently, that makes her an “ovo-vegetarian.” Thanks, Google!

There’s a heated debate between Lyrsa and Natalie over how long the eggs will last in the warm weather. Natalie wins the argument by pure force of being Natalie, but Lyrsa literally graduated Magna Cum Laude from a culinary school.

Tiva Inc.

Over at Tiva Beach, the fun game seems to be setting up adorable nicknames and clubs. First, Christian is dubbed the “Ka Genius,” which is a step above a classic genius, obviously.

Then, they start a business called “The Brochachos.” The org chart lists Dan as the president, John as the CEO, and Christian as the “Head of Awesome Stuff.”

No, seriously.

And why is Dan just giving away sweet titles? He should make Christian earn them…

Hey wait, aren’t the citizens of Slamtown going to be furious that their mayor and comptroller are splitting time with this new business venture?!

Dan takes a break from his new career to go looking for the Tiva idol. He knows whatever it is will be wrapped in a green string. Oh good, so it’ll be like finding a green needle in a green haystack. Piece of cake.

Sure enough, he finds a clue that lets him know that he’ll have to retrieve the idol at the next immunity challenge. Which leads us to…

Immunity Challenge: The tribes will race across obstacles, then they’ll lasso and pull up a bridge. They’ll cross the bridge and one member from each tribe will have to complete a pulley/snake/ball maze. The first two tribes will win immunity, the second gets a date with Jeff.

Result: Alec was the man, winning it for Vuku. And Christian completed the puzzle for Tiva. Jabeni gets a trip to Tribal. Also, Dan was able to easily retrieve the idol.

Pre-Tribal Politcking

It starts off with a Goliath discussion about Lyrsa and Nick with the trio eventually deciding to keep Nick because he brings more to the table challenge-wise.

However, Angelina wants to vote out Lyrsa in a way that will result in Lyrsa handing over her jacket. Huh…

Natalie is on the case, and in a roundabout way, seems to be threatening Nick that he’ll be going home if he doesn’t steal Lyrsa’s jacket or give up his own jacket. It’s all very confusing and off-putting.

Anywho, the Rock Stars approach Angelina with the idea of sending Natalie home instead. She seems to play along, but is very non-committal.

Tribal Time

Angelina and Natalie seem to be repeating the “Goliath Strong” mantra, but Lyrsa won’t go down without a fight. She makes an excellent point that they don’t know what’s going on over at Vuku now that Natalia is gone.

Jacketgate is brought up too. Nick thinks Natalie was being a bully, but she feels like she was negotiating. Hilarious.

Angelina eventually comes to her defense, saying that Natalie’s jacket maneuvers were done out of love.

Voting Time: Lyrsa votes for Natalie, Natalie votes for Lyrsa, and Nick votes for Natalie. The rest of the votes are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Natalie, one vote for Lyrsa, one vote for Natalie, one vote for Lyrsa, and the sixth person eliminated from “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” is…Natalie.

Angelina asks Natalie for her jacket on the way out and Natalie doesn’t respond. Then Angelina asks twice more to no response. Cold blooded…and awesome. Five stars.

Also, Mike was the Goliath who voted for Natalie.

Verdict: I gotta say, despite only lasting five episodes, Natalie has got to be one of the most incredible, memorable characters of the last five years. I’m actually very sad to see her go.

And now that the David vs. Goliath stuff has calmed down, I’m loving this season.

	Nick and Lyrsa – Once again the best grade goes to the Little Davids That Could. Maybe Probst is right; maybe they’re all champs at overcoming adversity.
	Dan – We all have our gifts. I’m good at skee-ball, Dan’s good at finding idols. Maybe hide this one better, kay? Christian – That snake puzzle was a big moment for you. Awesome stuff.
	Mike – Yeah, you got what you wanted, but it might come back to bite you at the merge.
	Angelina – Sooo…were you blindsided? Or, did you agree to let Natalie go if you could vote with her and get her coat? Either way it’s not a great look.
	Alec – Well…you’ll probably be the third Goliath voted out of your tribe. That’s something.
	Kara – It seems like the other Vukutians aren’t buying what you’re selling. You need to figure out a new angle quickly.
	John, Alison, Gabby, Davie, Carl, Elizabeth – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Bradley Kleihege had Natalie in spot fifteen, I had her in spot twelve. So, the current score is Team Bradley 53, Team Gordon 62.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes