Survivor: Tocantins, week eleven

Very little to talk about this episode. The editors aren’t even trying to fool us into thinking Stephen and J.T. might break up at this point. Coach and Debbie get to scuttle around a bit, but that’s all they get to do. Stephen made mention that Debbie is a very strategic player and that she might be dangerous. I’m sure it looked that way to him while he was out there in Brazil, but if he knew what I know as an outsider he would have appended that statement with: “…good thing she didn’t bother to start playing until Day 31.”

“Under the Radar” is a classic Survivor strategy in which a player will try to stay beneath everyone’s notice for as long as possible. Such players very rarely win, though, because when they make it to the finals and their opponent isn’t an under-the-radar player the jury traditionally has viewed them as weak and undeserving. There are, then, two ways such a player can win the game: get to the finals with another low-flyer sitting next to you (so “deserving” isn’t a concern), or make the right play at the right time to tip the game in your favor.

It’s clear Debbie was trying to do that second thing, but it was way too late. I think she got comfortable with her position and thought she could ride Tyson and Coach all the way to the end — right up until the moment Tyson was voted out. Unfortunately for her, she was such a nonentity through the entire beginning of the season that I doubt I’ll even notice she’s gone, now. Ah well.

The auction surprised me by not incorporating a twist. Usually someone will buy a clue or an advantage in the immunity challenge or somesuch, but nothing like that this season. I’m more convinced than ever that CBS intends this season to be something of a return to form; no twists, no surprises, just straight Survivor all the way through.

I have to say, though, that while I usually don’t get into the tearful family reunions (which aren’t typically real parts of the game and therefore mostly uninteresting to me) I had a big dumb smile on my face watching Taj’s reaction. There’s not a lot to say about it since it didn’t affect anyone’s position and didn’t actually change the game at all, but I did enjoy it.

Who’s gonna win? I’m still leaning towards Stephen. I’m extremely curious to see if one takes the other out at three, though; either of them could win against Erinn or Taj in the finals, and that certainly seems to be the way things are heading. At the same time, though, I don’t think one has a serious advantage over the other against the jury. It could be they really are planning to go to the finals together and roll the dice.