@avclub-a1967e6de4ca99fb2635d94b99453928:disqus , SAVAGE was the archetype of Survivor Old-Man Strength later perfected by Tom Westman (and attempted by Special Agent Philip.)

For whatever it's worth, I would have preferred the producers not tell us — through the promos, and through the title of the episode, that a blindside was coming.  Blindside US too.  It's more fun.

Bring back Greg Buis!  [Alternative: Jocks v. Nerds season. All part of my long-term desire to bring SAVAGE back to Survivor.]

I'm just waiting for Michael to cut loose and let everyone know what's inside him.

No, I went to the law school where the President taught (me), not the one he attended.

Can I just point out that I said last week "Nothing beats balut"?  It's true. Especially when they show the little embryonic beak.

Cannot watch Dylan Baker in anything without assuming he's going to do something perverted soon.  Thanks, Happiness! Thanks, Good Wife!

He was spilling during the interview too, at a level which I'd deem unethical and unprofessional.

With Kurt McVeigh back, I think that means my favorite recurring characters yet to appear this season are Nancy Crozier and the Daddy P.I. with the world's greatest speakerphone.

Arrogant, and embarrassingly unprofessional. A judge's clerk would never provide the level of detail on a pending matter that this guy did — even if he let slip that he was working on it, the idea that he'd give out dates, and that it's a majority … unimaginable to me.

I guess Baker really did get typecast after HAPPINESS.

Still love the fact that dragons can catch, cook, and eat their own food without needing utensils or appliances.

@hornacek:disqus , there was no "norm" yet — and Kelly, after all, took Richard instead of the more likable Rudy to the finals.  I think taking Keith would've been fine.

It's an incredible payoff, and an exceptional, ambitious episode. My preference for the season 3 finale comes down to four factors, in increasing levels of importance: (1) level of satisfaction in how much got resolved and moved forward; (2) pulling off the flash-forward switch, and what that meant for the show's…

What we don't know is whether everyone in fact knows who has them. During Redemption Island, the producers hid the ball on that — everyone knew Rob was HII'd up, but no one was seen talking about it.

@avclub-a9f5102dde8ca6e2ef0b18e777e918ed:disqus , it's unclear whether his fellow competitors (or viewers) would see it as honorable vs "how you play the game," because those social meanings were very much in flux at that point.  Part of the bonus of winning final immunity is the power to drag that second person to…

If only Colby had brought Keith with him to final council.

Palau is a top five season for me. It's Shakespearean. One of the two or three best all-new-castaways seasons.

Abstain on the scoring question.  I am digging Malcolm's game right now, and remembering how well Rupert did in All Stars I and Russell in HvV with no one having seen his prior season before.

Nothing beats balut.