It showed one of the key things that has been driving her all of her life: the prophecy. No new information as far as plot but still pretty important in expanding Cersei's character by showing that all of her bitterness and paranoia isn't just due to Tywin and Robert. I like anything that deepens her character so I…

I hope not. I like the idea that Margaery can be calculating and scheming but with a good heart underneath. I hope they stick with that.

Are you not a fan of underdog stories? Fiji, Gabon, and Cook Islands are all about the underdogs winning despite the odds stacked against them. Same goes for Vanuatu and Philippines.

Okay, good points. I am going to cling to those good points in future episodes because I really want them to have no power whatsoever.

I'm not sure I'd call it bullying, and I wonder if even Nina would call it that. But I agree that it was horrible to watch and it made Jenn in particular look terrible. Her comments about Nina were repulsive.

But they do have power! Mike is in charge, but outside of Rodney during the Joachim vote, Dan and Rodney have been on the winning side of the votes each time. They may appear absent in key strategy talks but they are part of the majority alliance and that only makes them even more excruciating to watch.

Physician, heal thyself.

Continuing my season rankdown, post series rewatch:

I think Mike. Maybe Jenn. Both from the beginning of the season.

Dan and Rodney being so despicable is making it hard for me to enjoy this season. This is one of those really rare times when I wish I knew who the winner was, because a Jenn, Joe, or Shiren win could at least let me enjoy D & R as despicable antagonists who get blindsided. Right now just the idea of those three…

Maybe in Bizarro world.

Ugh. He's so Russell Hantz in Samoa. Not even fun as a villain, just an overall drag to watch.

I think he modified his actions by maintaining a quieter presence the second time around. His first season he spent a lot of time defining and defending himself to his tribemates and Probst, which is rarely the sign of the winner. His second season, people came to him.

Tyler is a typical coattail rider in his actions but he has himself fooled into thinking he's actually a strategist. It's funny to me. Well the idea is funny, not Tyler himself who is actually pretty dull to watch.

Ha!

Throw Scout Cloud Lee in there and we'll have a mother/daughter/grandmother trio of awesome mean-spiritedness and I can die happy.

If she returns I imagine she'll try the same thing because she seemed genuinely contrite at the reunion. It was another thing I appreciated about her but I'm crossing my fingers that she'll forget all about that when and if she returns.

Wow, I really, really like your analysis. 100% agree that what made Rocky so repugnant was that combo of misogyny and homophobia in his attacks. The only thing that I find endearing about him is that he appeared so genuinely miserable and was the person that the have not twist seemed to affect the most on an emotional…

You are completely right about how and why the have nots lost. It was terribly unfair. If it didn't turn them into righteous underdogs and if Earl hadn't won, I may have ended up hating that twist too. But since it didn't, I look at it as one of those random twists that made the season interesting.

Courtney is up there of course, but not top 10. I hold her miscarriage and "she sucks at life" comments against her. But overall she was a delight, I would put her in my top 50 or so.