Grid Effect

I really hope it’s the season and not my attention span that has me tired of this series. Me thinks it’s the former, but we’re not ruling out the latter. For whatever reason, this could be the end of the road for me and the only reality series we still watch.

For all the hype and all the build up, the happenings after TC were nothing more than a reward challenge. It is an extravagant award that takes place at the Shaolin Temple, but still…a reward challenge? They better fight to the death. The winner gets to invite two people.

Credits. Outwardly ethnic this season, can’t imagine why.

It is a trivia challenge asking questions about Chinese culture. They are all true or false or multiple choice, meaning someone could stumble into a victory or a good showing, much like I did with my ACT score. Anyhow, first to five points wins, PG takes it home, edging out James and Todd, she invites Denise out of pity and Erik out of loyalty.

Which means back at camp is Courtney, James, Amanda and Todd, the perceived final four. With Courtney on the chopping block. Todd and James pontificate about the comfort of their situation, James uses the tired Garden of Eden analogy which none of us are tired of, certainly. Meanwhile Amanda essentially lays out her game plan in a camera interview. Now, opportunists tend to win this game, and it is a smart play, but I don’t have to like it. She has kind of coasted until now, due in part to her play (aligning with Todd), but partly her inability to be a challenge threat (never won individual immunity, nor been a significant contributor in group challenges, but managed to win a majority of them). So, would it be satisfying or deserved if she won? I guess, as much as anyone this season. But that’s what makes it so disappointing and repetitive.

On the challenge, it is one of the more impressive culture-oriented things they’ve done, and it does seem quite entertaining. On the private jet, they celebrate and admire their surroundings. Denise even says, “livin’ large, like millionaires”, and not that it is particularly significant or anything, but if I claimed it didn’t remind me of The Simpsons episode where the carnies kicked the family out of their house and the dad carnie put on one of Homer’s shirt boasted, “Look at me, I’m a millionaire”, well then, I’d be lying.

We’d definitely be trying to get HBO OnDemand on that mini television to catch the final Sopranos episodes we’d been missing.

The challenge was them watching a martial arts show, then participating in a workout with the kids at the temple (there are women around this thing?) and Denise putting on a demonstration for all the onlookers. Judging by the facial expressions of the natives, their is a bit of a cultural divide between what they do in Shaolin and what they do on the Southside of Boston.

Meanwhile, back at camp, it rained. And the four members still back their are huddled up in a cave, acting like no one has ever dealt with some rain in Survivor. They take it really personally when PG, Erik and Denise arrive, actually content for once. For whatever reason, PG really delves into the detail of the reward. Their all really bitter people, particularly Todd.

Speaking of which, Todd gives one of those ironic camera interviews that predicts his fate (sort of) where he bad mouths PG. It’s very non-intimidating. Erik tries to extract information from James and it’s the wrong person to ask, because even if it was in James’ effort to share anything with Todd, he wouldn’t realize it.

After commercial, Amanda brings her plan to vote out James to…Courtney. She plans to vote out James! Why didn’t they do this three or four episodes ago when it made perfect sense? I have no idea. But she lays out her case well, and that is, he has done alright at challenges and he works around camp. Oh, and he has two idols that he has yet to play.

At IC, their throwing ninja stars at these cardboard cutouts of some guys doing yoga. Three highest advance after the first round…and for the sake of convenience those would be James, Amanda, Erik and Courtney. Erik wins immunity. It’s exhilarating.

James monotones getting rid of PG, then Erik and everything will be all good, because that’s the end of the game. Amanda brings her two week old master plan to Todd, which is surprising, since he seems like the most likely to spill the beans, considering he gave James the idols. But he’s reluctantly game.

PG discovers the Hidden Idols and apparently had no idea they even existed. And when she suggests Amanda might be in the dark as well, she takes incredible offense to it. Amanda tells PG her plan as well probably out of necessity, and PG jumps at the notion a little too eagerly. Why do all these people talk to PG like she’s nothing? I kind of want to see her win now. Since they now know everyone is voting for James, PG wants herself and Erik to vote for Todd as a fail safe in case James plays one of the idols. Seems pretty fucking brilliant in a season lacking brilliance, but Erik claims he would be “risking a lot”. What, exactly, is never made clear. And I can’t fathom for the life of me what he’s talking about. I suppose there could be some backlash should Todd go home, but that seems pretty damn minor. He’s playing with house money, shouldn’t he be willing to gamble? Because for all he knows, he’s next on the conveyor belt.

At Tribal, Jeff does everything he can to ruffle some feathers, and I suppose that is his job, but these people are too dull and mundane to really take the bait. I could call them smart, but I’m not willing to jump on that bandwagon. Nothing interesting is exchanged. Again. While voting, PG does indeed vote for Todd, and he casts his for James, James follows through and casts his for PG. When asked to play an idol, James withholds, and it’s somewhat insane considering there are only three Tribal councils left (perhaps he thought their were four?). Anyhow, the votes read as such:
Todd
James
PG
James
James
James
Maybe they don’t know the stipulations, but he reveals later his gut instinct was telling him to play it, and he refrained. To his credit he is good natured and understanding about it. Admits he was mistaken to not play either idol, which is stating the case generously.

Tonight: Amanda goes behind Todd’s back and Denise is suddenly a swing vote, which means this is the height of the game for her.