One loopy factor about Survivor is that it’s so unpredictable by nature. You by no means fairly know what’s going to occur, by design. And but the sport is so powerful, that the occasional medical evacuation is inevitable.
But every time these med-evacs do occur, it at all times leaves a nasty style in my mouth. It appears unnatural. The recreation is modified, and never due to technique, alliances, or blindsides. It’s virtually unattainable to not play the “what if” recreation, biking via all of the other ways the sport might need performed out had the harm not occurred.
It’s sufficient of a game-changer in and of itself, that it feels doubly insulting when manufacturing makes use of the harm as an excuse to vary the sport even additional. That’s what I imagine occurred after they cancelled a scheduled Tribal Council after Matthew Grinstead-Mayle was medically evacuated from the sport.
Medical Evacuation Or A Quit?
Losing Matthew is a large blow to this season. He was a mastermind strategist, had nice in-game consciousness, and was an enormous social menace. He appeared destined for greatness. Instead, he’ll be forgotten as time marches on, simply one other pre-merge sufferer of the sport. Unlike Bruce Perreault, who was the primary to go away the sport this season attributable to harm and was then invited again for a future season, I feel Matthew’s time on Survivor is all however accomplished. Even if he’s requested to come back again and “redeem” himself in a future installment, he performed lengthy sufficient to indicate how huge of a menace he actually was. With a significant goal on his again, I don’t see Matthew doing in addition to he might have accomplished this season had he been capable of proceed.
But in fact, it wasn’t a full minute after his harm till the web created controversy together with his exit: Technically manufacturing didn’t take away Matthew from the sport. The ache from his separated shoulder simply turned too insufferable to proceed. So if manufacturing didn’t pull him, might this be thought-about a “quit”? The phrase “quit” has such a adverse connotation to it, that it doesn’t appear to use right here, given the comprehensible ache Matthew should have been coping with. But it needs to be thought-about a give up, no? I don’t imply any insensitivity. And I might possible give up Survivor if I stubbed my toe, or bought a couple of mosquito chew.
Does its categorization matter? The essential takeaway is that Matthew is now not within the recreation. So what now?
More Controversy – Part One
Matthew‘s injury prompted Jeff Probst to arrive at the Purple Tribe’s seaside with some excellent news to go together with the unhealthy: Yes, Matthew is now not within the recreation. But his unhealthy fortune was good for Carolyn Wiger, Josh Wilder, and YamYam Arocho. They had simply been about to go away for what was shaping as much as be a really intense Tribal Council. Probst then knowledgeable them that attributable to Matthew’s harm, they now not would wish to go to Tribal Council.
I’m not a fan of this determination in any respect.
First and foremost, not less than be constant. Just this season as talked about, Bruce left the sport attributable to harm. They didn’t cancel Tribal Council although. Why not? In different seasons, there isn’t any clear precedent. It appears that manufacturing cancels Tribal every time it needs to, and tries to justify it with these in-game visits from Probst. More possible, Probst didn’t need to lose Matthew AND lose one other huge persona in the identical episode or pre-merge (they clearly love YamYam and Carolyn – who doesn’t? – and as we noticed with flashbacks, Josh’s story is a tremendous one).
More Controversy – Part Two
Their determination not solely impacts the sport in ways in which stretch properly past Matthew leaving, but it surely additionally renders half of this episode utterly ineffective. We simply watched a close-fought Immunity Challenge, that looking back, was an entire waste of everybody’s time. It meant nothing that the Orange and Green tribes have been victorious. It meant nothing that the Purple tribe misplaced their second consecutive problem.
In my view, there isn’t any good cause why the Tribal Council couldn’t have gone on as deliberate. I might moderately manufacturing alter the sport transferring ahead in additional refined methods (one much less jury member, for instance) than to have thrown this tribe a lifeline after they didn’t deserve it. And for Matthew’s remaining tribe…they not solely misplaced an alliance member, however now the enemy tribes are stronger as a result of nobody else went dwelling. As they need to have. You know, after dropping an Immunity Challenge.
Also, I’m not a fan of the way it was portrayed. They left Matthew’s official determination off-camera, in an try and squeeze some drama out of it. Just not a fan.
Something we are able to all agree on although: Josh’s faux Idol is possibly the second-worst within the recreation’s historical past behind that “stick” introduced to Eliza Orlins again in Season 16. I liked that it immediately fell aside in YamYam’s fingers.
Macho, Macho Men
Without a vote-out within the episode, there was lots of time spent on future tribe dynamics. But essentially the most fascinating phase needed to be the “journey” that Carolyn, Brandon Cottom, and Danny Massa took half in. First, I liked that the twist was that there was no twist. There have been no “risk/reward” challenges and no benefits (except you depend the meals). Yeah proper! Try explaining that one to the tribemates again at camp! Nobody will imagine for a second that there have been no benefits to be discovered. This determination by manufacturing sows doubt, and I liked it.
But wow was it painful to look at Danny and Brandon “bro out” throughout their feast! Carolyn is so distinctive and such a mesmerizing presence this season. We’ve by no means seen anybody fairly like her. And she has proven that she isn’t just right here to be a loopy pre-merge persona. She has been enjoying this recreation! She has an Idol, planted a faux Idol, and pulled off an enormous blindside. And but, one thing about her permits different gamers to dismiss her outright.
There might need been some artistic enhancing there, however clearly, there was sufficient machismo to make her fearful about these Bros heading into the merge. Why Danny and Brandon would have left her out is mind-boggling, and says much more about their video games than it does Carolyn’s.
If something, key data did change fingers. Carolyn let the boys learn about Josh’s short-term Idol, which led Danny to attach the dots and decide that Jaime Lynn Ruiz and Carson Garrett should even have short-term Idols. But with the merge subsequent week, does this information turn out to be ineffective?
At any charge, let these males proceed to discard you, Carolyn! We see you. And you’re shortly changing into my decide to go far this season…not as a goat as Brandon might need alluded to. But as a doable winner!
Episode Take-Away
Elsewhere, we bought to see Carson proceed to nudge his manner into the great graces of his tribe. A budding “nerd-mance” blossomed between Carson and Kane Fritzler, who has reworked from a grumpy-pants the primary few episodes into his present incarnation as a laughing geek (the best of compliments from one geek to a different).
And the full-on showmance between Matt Blankinship and Frannie Marin continued to develop. The pair has now reached the merge, and one thing tells me that they don’t seem to be going to be high on anybody’s record. Alliances are good, however love is within the air. Could Fran-Matt mix with Car-Kane to kind the final word Nerd Alliance? Could this be the antidote to the budding “Bros” Alliance? Will the remainder of this season remind me of highschool? Will Season 44 be remembered as “Survivor: Revenge of the Nerds” when all is claimed and accomplished?
I’m simply saying that there are extra nerds and outcasts than there are “cool kids” remaining within the recreation. This might result in a number of extra accidents as we transfer alongside, but it surely’s a threat I’m keen to root for.
The Survivor Official Podcast that adopted this week’s present had Jeff reminiscing about Survivor Season 1 manner again within the Summer of 2000! Lots of enjoyable insights and good tales. Again, this can be a must-listen for die-hard Survivor followers and informal followers alike. You can discover the podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
Erik Reichenbach DabuDoodles Art
We’re honored right here to be related to Survivor legend, Erik Reichenbach! He simply so occurs to be a tremendous artist. As at all times, we’re thrilled and honored that he shares his skills each week in my column and with my viewers. If you don’t see his artwork beneath, that signifies that it isn’t prepared but (one doesn’t rush an art-eest). But it can seem as soon as prepared, so examine again in case you don’t actually see it.
All of Erik’s work could be discovered and bought on his web site, DabuDoodles.com. I urge you to help this fantastically expert former Survivor participant!
Final Episode Tallies
Out this week: Matthew (left the sport attributable to his ongoing shoulder harm)
Won Immunity: Green Tribe and Orange Tribe
Vote Result: No voting this week as there was no Tribal Council attributable to Matthew’s harm.
Current Advantage/Disadvantage List:
- Lauren – Extra Vote
- Matt – Cannot vote for yet another Tribal, possesses a Fake Idol
- Jaime – Possesses a Fake Idol, and one short-term Idol (have to be performed pre-merge)
- Danny – Immunity Idol
- Carolyn – Immunity Idol
- Matthew – Immunity Idol
- Carson – one short-term Idol (have to be performed pre-merge)
Next Week’s Episode: Drop your buffs, you’re about to enter Merg-Atory!
Quick Note! I recognize that you’re studying this recap! I’m additionally a TV persona and Film Critic within the Detroit space and a RottenTomatoes-approved movie critic. Check out my previous film evaluations and my film present (episodes are additionally out there on-line on the web site, www.MovieShowPlus.com.) Follow me on Twitter – @tomsantilli – or on Facebook.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS EPISODE? IS MATTHEW’S EXIT A MED-EVAC, A QUIT OR DOES IT MATTER? AND WHO DO YOU PREDICT WILL WIN SOLE SURVIVOR?
[Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira/Michele Crowe/David M. Russell]