Grid Effect

Here it is, this is a long post for something I had nothing but seething disdain for. So here goes…

Pre-credits scene, everyone comes back from council and congratulates themselves on “blindsiding” James. Its in quotations because how could he not see it coming eventually? They all hug, sans PG, who contemplates how fortunate she is and strategic she needs to be.

Huddled in the rain hiding cave, Todd laments his current situation and laments being “so close”. You could be going home sooner than expected Todd…Huh? A little foreshadowing perhaps.

At the challenge, they’re paired with their relatives and forced to find each other in a maze and reach the finishing point with their partner all while blindfolded. Erik has his mom, Amanda her sister, PG her dad, Todd his sister and there is some talk of a miscarriage, Courtney her walking stereotype of a British dad and Denise with her husband. Denise and her husband win, because they had to form a bond because they agreed to legally love each other. Denise takes Todd, Amanda and their siblings on the reward. Which is a meal on a cruise.

Take off the fucking blindfolds already.

On said reward, they eat, corroborate and kind of lose their dignity upon the sight of a chocolate cake, Denise talks to her children on the phone That was “donated” by Sprint, as Jeff made a point to say, even he looked nauseous in doing so. when they return to camp they have apparently scraped chocolate off the cake and consolidated it on their fingers for their less fortunate tribe mates to eat directly off their digits, and they do so accordingly. Erik hones in on Amanda like a heat seeking missile. It’s time to pop that cherry, buddy.

Back at camp, Erik, surprisingly, is the first to admit he thought Todd was lying about the reward. PG remains virtually silent, Erik covers his bases by saying that if it is true the family has his condolences, but Courtney runs with this thing and should Todd have been sincere about the entire thing, she managed to offend not only Todd, but his parents, both his sisters, and anyone who’s dealt with such an experience. If you didn’t see it but are familiar with Courtney, it’s basically the type of rant you would expect from her. You know, the kind lacking any type of perspective.

The camera jumps around a bit between Denise talking strategy with her husband and Todd and Amanda discussing it with their siblings. Denise knows she’s taking a chance, her two psuedo-alliance members seem quite certain she isn’t making it past final four, which is an awful place to finish. You stay on the island longer than anyone else and aren’t amply rewarded for it. Really, I’d almost rather finish last. Todd admits that he figured people would assume he’s putting on airs about his sister’s misfortune to curry favors, but he promises everyone in the vicinity that he was being completely earnest.

We say goodbye to the family members, and Todd acts like a hard ass, explaining his intentions are squarely focused on the game. And this is why people would think he’s lying about his dead unborn niece.

Denise and PG discuss Denise screwing over PG by not reciprocating the reward invitation, and PG is surprised by the actions, but not visibly angry. She’s not really in a position to be.

At IC, their running across and obstacle course to get one of two keys from a trivia question, they take the key under the correct statement of the two offered, they riun back to where they started and use the keys to unlock some boxes, if the key works, they move onto the second question, if it doesn’t, then theyt have to go back and get the second key from the other question. First to unlock all three boxes wins immunity.

Out of everyone, Erik gives a remarkably uninspiring performance. He seems like an affable enough bloke, but their isn’t anyone that’s been more ill-equipped to participate in any of these contrived competitions. Or pass a physical. He doesn’t get a single box opened. Todd has the lead throughout the entire course, then fails on the last box, has to return for his last key and opens the door for PG to win, which she does.

Back from commercials to a PG sobbing for joy, and she seems spent, but we’re glad she’s still there. She’s great at strategizing but awful at communicating and persuading.

Tod watches on as Erik and Amanda row a canoe auspiciously, Erik is upset because no one seems to trust Todd, and that must be infuriating. Because everyone likes and trusts Erik, but by virtue of coincidentally ending up on the wrong tribes from the get go, he is doomed.

Erik and PG attempt to sway Denise from her vote, pointing out that she doesn’t have a prayer at F3 with Courtney, Amanda and Todd all collecting enemies. She is still hesitant, no idea why. I could see the logic where she doesn’t think she could win a final vote against Erik or PG and she wants to take her chances at immunity challenge to get to F3, but that seems tenuous. Even she has to realize she has a better chance in a group vote than at immunity with two stronger competitors. Never underestimate the power of denial I suppose.

At TC, PG and Erik speak in no uncertain terms about the idiocy of someone at the bottom of the stronger alliance not forcing a tie and improving their stance. Essentially for Denise it’s an issue of either guaranteeing yourself in the final four and not risk going home tonight, or risk going home tonight but dramatically improving your chance to win. We go to the vote. Erik and Todd vote for each other, Denise votes and she voices over that it’s the biggest mistake she’ll make in the game….not a good sign if you’re the aspiring virgin musician of the tribe. The votes read as such:
Erik
Todd
Todd
Erik
Erik
Erik
In the end, he still barely spoke. Has their been a more unknown character who actually made it over thirty days than Todd. It’s looking pretty formulaic at the moment, and right now it looks like it could get interesting at F3, and even more so tonight should PG win immunity.

In his parting words, Erik talks as much as he did all season and pats himself on the back, though is disappointed he didn’t win. Good lord he must be upset with his edit.

Tonight: Just like every previews, this one blatantly lies to us, suggesting that Amanda targets Todd, I guess to guarantee she loses the final vote?

Also, since the finale is on its traditional Sunday, we’ll recap tonight’s episode and make room for the ever elusive weekend post