Wow. After watching last night’s episode of Survivor, I was really happy to see Kat get voted out. Of all the young, hot twenty-somethings we’ve seen on this show over the years, have we ever seen someone so spoiled and selfish? It was becoming unbearable. She had to go.
I think the fact that Kim ended up listening to the other people in her alliance and agreed to vote out Kat instead of Sabrina is a sign of what a good game she’s playing. Sure, she was contemplating going to the end with Kat. But with Christina, Alicia and Tarzan there she still has plenty of options, and you have to pick your battles. Kim made the right choice in keeping Chelsea and Alicia happy, even if it meant keeping Sabrina around a little longer than planned.
I have to say though, I’m surprised everyone views Sabrina as such a threat. Yes, she’s lovely and well-spoken. But she hasn’t performed well in the challenges and last week’s Reward Challenge revealed that people think she’s lazy around camp. It’s interesting that Chelsea and Alicia are so wrapped around Kim’s finger that they’ve yet to admit who the real threat is – everyone’s BFF Kim.
We Are Family, I Got All My Loved Ones With Me
OK, let’s back up a little. The episode started off with Alicia talking about how Sabrina was more dangerous in the game than Christina, because Christina is so dumb. Well, you’ll get no argument there. Her actions last week proved that she doesn’t have a sweet clue how to play this game. But then Alicia said she is the most powerful player in the game right now, and I did a spit take. Oh girl. Your inappropriate bikini top MUST be cutting off oxygen from your brain.
The Reward Challenge this week was family visits. Did you tear up at all? Did you cry? Did you? Is that a tear? But Christina’s father is DYING. OK, I actually don’t care if you cried, I’m just doing an impression of my boyfriend who watched me like a hawk during this segment to see if I’m capable of feeling real human emotions. (I’m not. I wondered why Christina didn’t bring a family member who could perform better in the challenge with her.)
So, can we talk about the weird relationship between Kat and her cousin? She CRAWLED to him like a puppy. And went on and on about how he’s the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE! Um, do they allow cousins to marry in Florida? I feel like they do.
Anyway, the general consensus of the group seemed to be that Tarzan and Christina were the most deserving of the reward. Christina’s dad had recently had a kidney transplant and only has 5 or 10 years left, maybe. OK, even I can admit that hearing Christina talk about her dad was sad. Tarzan is 64 and has been married 30 years – I’m not sure why this qualified him as most deserving, but since that was how the group felt it seemed clear that the obvious strategy would be to choose Christina and Tarzan for the reward.
Tied together, each player and their loved one had to make it through a tangled rope course. It was a close one – Kim and her sister, Chelsea and her dad and Kat and her cousin all performed well, but in the end Kat and Cousin Robbie won. Kat was excited to have finally won something, but she was more excited that the reward itself would include margaritas. So who did she choose to go with her? Kim and Alicia, because she wanted to get drunk with them.
Sigh. Oh Kat. THIS is why you’ll go down in Survivor history as a moron. If you want to have drinks with Kim and Alicia, make some plans with them for after the finale. Do not anger everyone else in the game by making a selfish, stupid decision. Not only did she choose her friends, but she chose two people who’d JUST been on a reward. “I’m about to get DRUNK!” Kat shouted. Keep it klassy, homegirl!
Final Three Plans
And sure enough, pretty much everyone back at camp was angry that Tarzan and Christina hadn’t been chosen. And these people don’t even like Christina! Pretty soon, everyone at camp was talking about how Kat had to go – whether because she’s selfish and horrible, or because she’s a dumb, fun party girl who’d bonded with some of the guys and could actually get votes in the end.
But over at the reward, Kim was strategizing with her sister and wondering if the two girls she was sitting with, Kat and Alicia, were her best bet for the final three. I like how Kim has done such a good job of keeping her options open. She has a lot of choices for the final three, and miraculously it seems everyone still wants to go with her. I think the best choices are Alicia and Christina.
Endure This
Time for the Immunity Challenge! It’s one of my favorites, an endurance challenge that requires players to hold onto a rope to keep themselves in an uncomfortable plank-style position as they’re lowered closer and closer to the water.
Surprisingly, Sabrina was out first. Next Tarzan, who did last much longer (ten minutes?) than I expected. And one by one Alicia, Chelsea and Christina were out. It came down to Kat vs. Kim, and they lasted over an hour. At this point, Kim has given up on wondering if she should throw immunity challenges to make herself seem like less of a threat, and I’m glad. I like people who have to give a challenge their all, and
I like that Kim isn’t feeling so cocky about her position in the game that she doesn’t think she needs to win. And she still has that Hidden Immunity Idol! Kim is perfectly poised to be almost guaranteed a spot in the final four.
Kat, always the spoiled brat, basically begged Kim to let her win the challenge. What is wrong with this girl? Would it feel good, to be handed the challenge? Would she feel proud of herself then? What a freakin’ princess. Kim beat her, and Kat acted like an absolute child after. She refused to give Kim a high-five, and at some point moaned about losing to a 28 year-old. Oh, because 28 is positively decrepit! Geez Louise! Kim is a monster in these challenges, she is very physically fit, and Kat should have just been proud of her own efforts and congratulated Kim on the win.
Are you 22 or a toddler?
Back at camp, Alicia was questioning her desire to vote out Sabrina next. After all, Sabrina had been out of the challenge first – even Alicia beat her, and Alicia sucks. Alicia didn’t want to get into a situation where Kat would win her way into the finals, and that’s because I think Alicia would rather take Christina to the finals. Chelsea also wanted to vote out Kat, because of Kat’s spoiled, selfish behavior. I like Chelsea, but she plays with too much emotion.
Kim still wanted to vote out Sabrina, though, and we went into Tribal Council not knowing which way she and Chelsea had decided to go.
At Tribal Council, Kat was a bit of a punching bag. And you know what? Good! Someone needs to knock some sense into her, because the whole “I’m only 22!” thing is getting real old. This is what happens, America, when you don’t let people go to bars until they’re 21. It stunts their emotional development. I was so happy when Chelsea said “22 is not that young,” because she’s right. There have been plenty of 22 year-old players on this game before who haven’t been as wussy and whiny as Kat. (For example, Jenna Morasca was only 21 when she won, Todd Herzog was 22 when he won, and both Parvati and Amanda were 23 during their first tries playing the game.)
Kat did the absolute worst job defending herself during Tribal Council, focusing on how much it hurt her to see people mad at her after the Reward Challenge (the poor dear…) and saying “Yes, strategically I could have picked two different people, but at that time I was thinking more, like, who would I have a great time with — not thinking strategically.” Gee, ya think?
And then, showing just what a moron she really is, Kat said “If it is going to be a blindside, it is going to be pretty fun and pretty, like, like, exciting.” Oh Kat. Not only does that make you look like an idiot if you’re voted out, but you’re basically saying that you’re going to enjoy backstabbing whoever you voted for. What an end game!
And with that, Kat was voted out. She was crushed, and sobbed her way through the exit confessional. How exciting and fun is it now, Kat? And because she absolutely could not leave with a shred of class, she obviously had to wail about the humiliation of leaving before Christina and Tarzan. Oh, and she begged Probst for a second chance at playing the game. Oh behalf of viewers everywhere, Kat, I think the answer is no.



In an unbelievable twist of fate, I sincerely enjoyed this episode. I didn’t think I would be able to say that again this season, but these are the times it feels great to be wrong!
I was hoping Kat would be voted out, because a) I like Sabrina better and b) she’s an idiot. I could not have prayed more for her to be blindsided during Tribal Council; that she did get blindsided while being at the height of her idiocy was amazing. Justice! I was laughing so hard during her exit interview, and her facial expressions as the votes were being revealed were. Just. Priceless. I loved it.
Agreed!
Yay! Finally someone I was glad to see go! And Tarzan is starting to wear me down a bit. Not with the wife thing, but because he seems to have a shred of strategy in that brain of his. He’s made himself a complete non threat, both in challenges and in the game. Perhaps switching sides way back when he did was the correct decision? Kim still deserves the win though. Playing this game like a champ. If she doesn’t win, she deserves a spot on a future All Star cast. Though that may be getting ahead of things a bit. Who knows how many seasons this show has left?
Uh-uh, I can’t agree on Tarzan. I still think he’s floated through this game without a sweet clue of what’s going on. I’ll be so disappointed if he wins!
I’d like to see Kim come back. She’s fierce in challenges, a fan of the show, and has played a great game. I want to know what she can do against other hardcore players.
This was my favourite episode so far this season. I love Kim, but it was really neat to see the rest of the girls take the initiative and start thinking for themselves.
To start, I’m so glad you busted Kat for acting the same as Troyzan did last week, when it happened I wondered if she’d get a free pass for acting like a baby after losing the challenge.
I don’t mind admitting, I fast forward through the family stuff, I don’t find it interesting just a product placement for Sprint and good for the players, even though it’s just 8 days left. But did Christina not know her dad had a kidney transplant? Did it just shockingly happen while she was on the island? If not, why does she deserve a reward for going on a game show while her dad is sick? Same with Tarzan and being married for 30 years, I don’t get why he gets a free pass for being married while Kim came within seconds of getting the win but doesn’t deserve the lunch.
I really needed to get that off my chest.
Good episode though, was indifferent that Kat left, but I can’t see much of a chance of her giving Kim her vote now, maybe if it’s Kim/Chelsea/Alicia, but I think someone’ll bring Tarzan along as a body, in the Special Agent Phillip role.
(Why does Survivor bring these type of players onto the show? Aren’t there more smart and charismatic applicants?)
No, Christina knew about her dad – the surgery happened a while ago, I think. It was more about how her dad isn’t in great health generally, and only has a life expectancy of about 5-10 more years due to his health. So the experience might have meant more to her than it would some of the others. I would have chosen her. Tarzan, I didn’t feel so strongly about. You’re married, whatever.
So, who does Kim really want to take to the final? Chelsea is still the only one who knows that she has the hidden Immunity Idol, so that would suggest that she is the tightest alliance. But that doesn’t seem smart since Chelsea is likeable and strong and could cost Kim votes. I can understand taking Alicia to the end, who is mean and so unlikeable, and probably won’t get any votes — even if I would have preferred that she was voted out weeks ago. (Does Alicia really think she would get votes in the final? What planet is she living on?)
I agree that Kim is playing the best game. Like you, I am amazed that everyone seems to want to go to the final with her, even though she is strong, wins challenges, and is well-liked and well-respected. How to understand that, other than she is playing everyone brilliantly?
Even with all that, I am currently rooting for Sabrina. Maybe I just cannot resist rooting for an underdog! I think she was sincere but also wise in saying that Tarzan and Christina should have gone on that reward. She may have scored a few points with them, assuming that they are in the jury and not the final three. But I would be totally happy with Kim winning. As you’ve said, from what we’ve seen so far at least, she deserves to win.
I think she has the tightest alliance with Chelsea, but I’m not sure she wants to go to the finals with her. I think she wants to go with some combination of Alicia, Christina or Tarzan. I like how Kim has left herself a lot of options though, I think her ability to change her plan as the game unfolds is a sign that she’s a smart player.
AM I the only one who does not like Kim? She comes of a smug and all-knowing, but really, her gameplay isn’t THAT good. Its just better in comparison to the others .
But really, her gameplay would have been severely lacking in a season with competent players.
I enjoyed the episode, if only because seeing Kat get voted off was the first real bit of satisfaction this season has provided.
That crawling thing was weird!
I feel like no one is really worth it, except for Kim (i say it begrudgingly); but she’s barely been challenged, and it seems like her playing everyone is as easy as taking candy from a baby.
I don’t see anyone realising she’s the biggest threat, I don’t see how anyonecan derail her from winning, and because of that, it makes it really boring.
If i had to pick someone, I’d go Chelsea. I feel she’s the only one, who, if she detects deception from Kim, would be able to come up with a plan that could threaten Kim. But i think its too late by now.
I’m not sure we can judge how good Kim’s gameplay is since, yeah, the other players haven’t been the strongest. But I think in the game and the circumstances she’s in, she’s been outstanding. She freakin’ rocks challenges. She has everyone wanting to take her to the end. She adjusts her end game based on what happens in the game. She’s barely made any mistakes at all. I’d love to see her play in an all-stars season to see how she’d do, but I think she could potentially fare quite well against strong players.
I personally don’t think she comes off as smug. She seems to always be thinking about the game, and worries about going home. I don’t think she acts like she has it in the bag or anything. We’ll have to agree to disagree, I guess!