Survivor: "Rustle Feathers" Review

Last night's tribal council tiebreaker was so unusual, I'm still working through what happened in my head. And Jeff Probst is still tweeting clarifications this morning.

Rule clarification: Deadlocked ties - we draw rocks. That's why we rarely have them. Takes a lot of guts. But at final 4 we make fire.

— Jeff Probst (@JeffProbst) December 5, 2013

The real winner in the episode was the editing. Who in the audience had ANY idea that votes would be cast for Monica? That Ciera would make that seemingly 360-degree turn? None. Or at least, none who didn't watch any of the promos. As the episode progressed, all the confessionals wherein Ciera claimed sole allegiance to Tyson were highlighted, and any where she may have swayed were omitted.

Source: Facebook.com/Survivor

Poor Tyson. He was playing a heck of a game until his cocky attitude at tribal (and around camp) began to lose him any jury votes he may otherwise have received. I can't help but sympathize with him, because I get annoyed when people mis-quote common idioms, too. I really can't blame him for correcting all the "rustling" of feathers that was happening last night. And poor Katie! The tribe didn't even speak and she was sent packing. Ciera, though. Ciera may have just won this whole thing. If she can stay in the game long enough for her big move to have meant anything. (You Malcolm fans out there know what I'm talkin'bout.) In my opinion, her fate will also depend on whether her mother stays out of the game from now on, too.

Here's what I'm really wondering. At this point, doesn't it sort of behoove any of the remaining players to go to the end with Tyson? I mean, he won't get any votes from the jury, if their facial expressions are any indication. And with a hidden idol in his pocket… er… shorts, Tyson doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon anyway. Hang in there Hayden and Ciera. You're the forces to be reckoned with now.

Survivor: Caramoan "There's Gonna Be Hell to Pay" Review

The second episode of Survivor ("Honey Badger") was a bit of a snooze. A lot of focus on the self-elected tribe leaders, Phillip and Shamar. I would have been happier to see a bit more of Gota's cool-kids clique. Was it just me, or did Reynold seem to be holding back tears when Allie's torch was extinguished? And Reynold's last minute idol-find could have been much more dramatic.  

In "There's Gonna Be Hell to Pay," one of the best moments was once again  at Tribal Council. The three way tie was a nice bit of excitement, but ended up only hurting the unpopular foursome. Not enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. I think the problem is with Gota. Yeah, they're bad at the challenges, but also relatively uninteresting. At least, what we're seeing of them. Next week, I might be rooting for the Fans to win the challenge, if only because I'd like to see the Favorites in more than just the pre-challenge half of the episode.

Gordon Holmes's recap of the episode over at the Xfinity TV blog is well worth your time. (As is following him on twitter.) In his recap, he joked about "some crew member named Julia." He's not wrong. Increasingly over time, and more distinctly this season, Survivor has inclined toward a structure of lead and supporting characters. In Caramoan, it's not just Julia who's been cast in a minor role. Brenda, Erik, and Michael seem to be on the outskirts of this season's plots, as well. And Cochran's only shining moment was his mini-commercial for the show within the show.

My latest #Survivor innovation: advertising Survivor *on* Survivor.
— John Cochran (@JohnMCochran) February 28, 2013

I'm not sure whether or not I like this new structure. Certainly, there's no point in giving contestants airtime just for the sake of it, and I suppose there are some contestants being overlooked because they won't be around much longer. But I have a feeling the plot could be more interesting if it was less simplified. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, it will be. Otherwise, this might be a disappointing season.