So Survivor starts tonight..

I'm so disappointed. I know that Survivor is not about deserving, but dammit! Neither Aaron nor James deserved to be put in that position.

It was a smart Macchiavellian move by Jamie & Peih. It's not the first time a challenge was thrown for strategy. And anyone who watches knows that the producers throw in twists that make mincemeat of any single player's planning so, in one sense, the players need to plan or incorporate the possibility into their strategies.

But ... I really felt James' frustration.

Should make next week interesting. Does the other team take note, and try to copy? (How ridiculous would it be for both teams trying to throw the same challenge?) How do Erik, Jamie & Peih live with James? Or will the Survivor gods be kind and move James back to his own team?

I liked the concept of throwing the challenge to get your original tribe members at an advantage - hated the way they executed it. I actually thought of that strategy before the two girls mentioned it. First they should have included Erik and second they should have made it appear they were trying. Erik was in the best position to make it look like they were trying and to get them to fall behind.

Now all it resulted in was to make an enemy and made them all appear cocky. If anything else changes - merge early, dynamics of the other team change at all, another mix up of the teams, they just screwed themselves. James will probably open his mouth when they meet with the other team as well - overall a stupid and unnecessary way to execute what could have been a smart strategic move.

There isn't any communication between the tribes, so I'm wondering if Jame's old tribe can even figure out 1) that the challenge was thrown and 2) done in order to get rid of James and Aaron. Even if they do, what can they do?

Joe(James is toast)Nation

I was thinking when the two tribes get together for the challenge - usually before hand Jeff says a few things and may ask questions of a tribe or tribe member - I thought that perhaps James may speak up or just to rile things up Jeff will ask some pointed questions.

It will be really funny if there is NO merger this time around and all they are doing is destroying their own chances by throwing the challenges.

OOooo, good one, McG.

Joe(mmmm. battle until there are only two left on each team.)Nation

I kinda like the idea of both tribes trying to throw the immunity challenge. That would be interesting. That means either James or Sherea get the boot tonight, depending on which tribe does the better job of throwing the challenge. I think James' old tribe does the better tank job tonight, thus sending Sherea home.

There, now you have my prediction.

I cannot not watch the gross food challenges, they make me gag.

I really wish they had voted off Jon-R., he is horrible and certainly not one to be trusted. I think they will regret it.

I don't think anyone is controlling this game. Everyone has grand plans that go nowhere. I like the twist that James is now the safest by holding one idol and knowing about the second. The little gay flight attendant is a good strategist, but I think he would have been better off just keeping the information between himself and James.

I'm so glad James is still there.

I'm still mystified as to why they let Courtney sit out the reward challenges, which forces her to participate in the immunity challenges. I'm developing a very strong dislike of her, which makes it hard for me to view things rationally.

You can be sure that when they show someone saying something about themselves (I never quit. I always give 110 percent), that person will do exactly the opposite when push comes to shove. The woman couldn't eat feathery chicken embryos. What a wimp.

James will soon have two immunity idols! I think he'll be around for a while.

Missed it. gotta see the recap on the site.

joe(go red sox)Nation

It was so difficult. Watch survivor or watch the World Series ... well I watched Survivor and then the World Series. Loved the outcome on both. And why the h*ll did that chick who was voted off, not respond to her former team mate - seemed odd. I would have thought she would have at least smiled and nodded or made some acknowledgement.

I missed the beginning, but I take it that James now has two immunity idols.

The coming attractions were interesting. The flight attendant has a plan to somehow negate both the idols? We'll see.

Yup. He's got two.

This was a dull show except it showed how JohnRobert sucks.

Joe(Pleeeeze get rid of skinny girl too)Nation

Yeah - the only highlights was when that chick Jaime? thought she had the immunity idol and then JR look of horror when he realized he could be voted off.

Besides that a snooze.

Big mistake not voting out James tonight. He has two free passes and he's now aware that he is a target. Two people will have to go before there's any chance of voting him off.

I'm soooo glad JR got snuffed. I would love to be in the room when he watches this broadcast and realizes he was a clueless dope and not a threat to anyone with a brain.

GW, He could watch this show ten times over--with captioning for the clueless. He still wouldn't see it. Arrogance can make a person blind and dumb.

Balancing challenges are geared for women to win. (You don't see men walking on narrow beams in the Olympics.) So Courtney won a challenge. Go figure.

Yes, James is now aware that he's a target. If they weren't sure they could get him, they shouldn't have written his name.

There's no one excrutiatingly annoying this time, but the flight attendant is starting to get on my nerves. (Will I ever remember his name?)

Todd, the gay mormon flight attendant.
He has almost too many plans. And he likes to change them if anyone else thinks of the same thing.

Denise, lunch lady, so do you think at Tribal council she finally realized that she's just not really on anyone's alliance?

I love James, but that should have been a real wake up call at Tribal. He came close to going home. He better start planning serious. I don't think he's smart enough about strategy.

Courtney, of course she wins immunity. She weighs nothing!

Amber?, that quiet dark haired girl. She's one to watch. She needs to get rid of the strong guys though.

I don't know who I'm cheering. No one is really playing that well...

Why did that flight attendant not negotiate getting one of the immunities? Seems kind of stupid to me. He should have said, I let you know about them - now to show good faith, I should have one.

Of course Courtney would win that one - it like putting a feather there - no weight so why would the barrel move? I think my 8 year old skinny mini weighs more than her.

As far as balancing and walking on beams - remember Boston Rob? He was awesome at that - I remember him running across a beam in one challenge as if he were running on a race track.

Yeah - why didn't they let Denise in on the plan - she will definitely be a possible swing vote for any group now. She could get an advantage here if she is smart enough.

I agree there is no one that I particularly dislike (except Courtney the whiner) and no one I particular like a whole. Just some that I prefer a bit more than others.

I was really surprised that James didn't use one of his idols. I think when someone feels he is pulling the strings he stops thinking straight.

It wasn't a surprise that PeiGe won the contest about Chinese culture - gosh, she's Chinese.

Nice to know a Sholin temple is still around in post Cultural Revolutionary China. Mao must have missed that one.