Episode 35.12

If I get an old Survivor season for Christmas, be on the lookout for posts on Sundays. If I get two old Survivor seasons for Christmas, then be on the lookout for posts on Sundays and Fridays. Of course, it is possible that I won’t get anything Survivor related for Christmas. Just know that after the season finale, I’ll do random posts on Wednesday unless I have an old season to blog about, which will appear the other days as already mentioned. I might have to buy it for myself if I don’t get it for Christmas. We’ll see what happens regarding that front. But enough of my ramblings.

In the first segment of the show, the tribe returns after tribal council. Who thought it was better than their idol play? Ben is the only person with a good idol play yet this season. Everyone agrees to vote out Ben next. Will they be able to? Ben looks for another idol. He should at least wait until daytime, right? But he shouldn’t look for it in the same way. But maybe he doesn’t know that every idol has been found in a different way thus far.

In the second segment of the show, we get to the reward challenge which is a pairs challenge. They must want to see who will have to work with Ben. He is with Ashley. Ryan is with Mike. This makes Devon and Chrissy the last pair. Mike and Ryan struggle a lot with the challenge. In the end, they are all pretty much about even in the ring throwing stage. Devon and Chrissy win. They get to take a person with them and take Ryan. Ashley thinks that Chrissy clearly controlled the choice and is surprised in some way for some reason about all of this.

In the third segment of the show, Mike thinks that they should pander to him since he is in the middle and people are upset that he went on the reward. Ben tries to get in the middle of these people. Mike thinks that Ben won’t find an idol because he couldn’t find one either. But you should never feel sure that you’ll know what will happen next in Survivor. We then see the people on the reward who want to make a final three alliance. But who would they use as their fourth vote? Chrissy wants to get rid of Ashley at some point. Survivor isn’t just knowing what moves to make, but when to make them too. That is why Ciera got into trouble in Blood versus Water for flipping a vote too late.

In the fourth segment of the show, we get to the immunity challenge. They kind of made it obvious in the challenge set up explanation that they were showing a member of the dream team and not a person in the game right now. What would happen if the ladder got stuck on its way down for a contestant? You’d think that they’d have to pause the challenge to sort it out or it would be unfair. Chrissy wins the challenge on the same platform she once had trouble at earlier in the game back in the first episode of the season.

In the fifth segment of the show, Ben thinks that he’s the target. Still, he looks for an idol and is okay with everyone talking amongst themselves about who to vote out. If he were there, it wouldn’t seem like they wouldn’t get rid of him as easily. Chrissy wants to get rid of Ashley, but if she does this, it could lead to Ben to finding an idol. Don’t give him more time to do that. Ben finds the clue for an idol. He knows where the idol is but needs people clear of the camp area. Did he get it? We don’t know. We are lead to believe that he didn’t get it, but he might not be the target anyways.

We get to tribal council next. Did Ashley somehow cause herself to be a target? It seems that five out of the six players have a final three deal. Things aren’t always as they seem on Survivor. It is hard to tell what is going on here, but that can be a good thing. Ben pulls out his idol that is probably real. There is more Russell Hantz in Ben that I would like. Ben wants people to vote out Mike. Can he play it before the votes are cast? That has to be against the rules. Ben thinks that he has succeeded in his mission to cause chaos in the game. But would people vote for him now? Ashley is voted out. I can’t tell if Ben wasted his idol or made sure no one voted for him because of it.

On the next Survivor, the season finale happens. There is a secret advantage yet again. Why? I just don’t get it. You are going way too overboard on that. Please, don’t ever do a season again with a secret advantage if you will just use them way too often like this. You better not be doing the twist where a person gets to vote off a jury member. That was a monstrosity before and if it happens again, I will be most annoyed.

Total confessional count: Chrissy- 29, Ashley- 21, Devon- 25, Ryan- 35, Mike- 22, Ben- 41. New confessionals this episode: Mike- 2, Ben- 7, Chrissy- 4, Ashley- 2, Devon- 3, Ryan- 2.

Ashley had two new confessionals this episode, the same number as Mike and Ryan. Everyone else is higher with Ben as the highest with seven. As for total confessionals, Ashley had twenty-one, the lowest of anyone still in the game. Mike is second lowest with twenty-two. The highest is Ben with forty-one. The second highest is Ryan with thirty-five. The third highest is Chrissy with twenty-nine.

I have no idea who will win this. It could be Ryan, Ben, or Chrissy. I don’t think that it will be Devon or Mike. I kind of like not knowing what will happen sometimes. Just as long as I understand why things went the way they did, I should be okay with whatever happens next. Anyways, I’ll be back next week with the finale episode, hopefully soon into the day if I can do it as early as I’m wanting to. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.