Probst: "When we get to customs, I’m gonna need you to take your opinion into the bathroom. And I’m gonna need you to put them way up inside your butthole, Jason."

I somehow completely blocked Savage out of my mind. Abi-Maria too, although she kind of grew on me towards the end. I doubt the same would have happened with Savage.

Especially when there are any number of entertaining alternatives that don't involve physical suffering. Have them throw things at another thing! Have them answer trivia! Let them row a boat! Hell, let a challenge take place at night! There was no reason for anyone to be getting heat stroke, except poor, repetitive…

They were in total "It's early and you're not going to be on the jury anyway, so fuck you" mode. Then again, there's no guarantee they aren't assholes to her at the merge, and adopt Will's attitude towards Shirin.

This is another reason I wish we had more varied locations. I loved Guatemala taking place in some rainy Mayan ruins, and the Amazon taking place in a shade-soaked rainforest.

I want to like this cast so much more than I do, but the only person I really even enjoy right now is Debbie, and at least half of that is because my friend works with her and I know her daughter, Jade. So I'm totally rooting for the hometown girl right now.

Exactly. The lie didn't really hurt anyone, it just helped Fairplay.

I think the episode kind of answered it for me though. The early tribal portion privileges strength, and barring a situation like we got with Will and Shirin, the lion's share of the bullying comes in those early stages where men pick on women for not contributing enough in the game. The alpha males all huddle…

But he was playing with the best in the world! The best! That makes him the most qualified of all on what makes a team great!

I mean, I get the Alecia hate from Jason and Scot. She was functionally useless to the tribe. But they decided to keep her around. I get that Jennifer really shit the bed, but I don't see how they saw her as less trustworthy than Alecia, who not only offered nothing in challenges, but who also seemed like the most…

Interestingly, you rarely get this sort of behavior in seasons with returning players (well, unless those returning players include a Hantz). It's the first-time players that seem to have trouble not being smoldering assholes.

If that's how Scot helps people, I'll take my chances and learn on the job.

I was so upset for Caleb, because he was in a great position. Majority alliance with the girls, side alliance with idol-holder Tai, and the possibility of making new connections at the swap. He had four allies, so unless the swap went disastrously for him, he was going to have people he could work with on whichever…

I kinda saw this as the start of a possible winner's edit for Debbie. At least I hope. I want at least ONE winner to come from my hometown, dammit!

I thought the contrast between the misdirection over who would be the medical evacuee at the start of the episode, and the complete and utter lack of suspense at the end (Brawn doesn't go directly to tribal council, but WE DO!) was kind of amazing.

That's probably the closest this show has ever come to getting canceled.

Jason and Scot were infuriating.

We're also at a point in which all the challenges are starting to blur together. Generic obstacle course + puzzle at the end / put a thing in something else.

And to think, that was a challenge in which the rewards were COFFEE AND SPICES! Of course, dehydration was eventually going to happen to this degree.

Golden Girls taught me what a "lanai" is.