What's strange is that GRRM was on record as saying he liked Natalia Tena's performance so much in the early seasons that he planned on giving her a bigger role in the books. Would have been nice to have seen what role that might have been, and if it ended the same way. But we've gotten absolutely zero books since…

I get that side of it, but I just wish we didn't have to check in on him every single week. It's five minutes of the same old shit. And it would have done just as well to find out about Osha's death in the letter at the end (might have mirrored the pink letter from the books nicely, in that we're not entirely sure…

It's like playing Telltales' Game of Thrones game all over again. Untouchable Ramsay, always winning. The Northerners, always holdin' Ls.

Ah yes! I knew I was mixing those up.

True, but it's best not to take the risk that the final immunity challenge is shuffleboard.

Poor Erik and Neal. The elements have it out for ice cream men.

His boner for Joe nearly cost me my television set.

But he'll always have that first race.

True. One of my favorite Survivor moments also happens to be one of the absolute cruelest: revealing to the Micronesia final 3 that one more throat had to be cut. You could just see all the air leave Cirie because she knew it meant her ass.

Agreed. I think Spencer guns for Stephen no matter what. But the reward snub just gave him an excuse to start putting out feelers for the blindside.

By the time I looked at the clock, saw that it was 8:38 pm, and we still hadn't even started the immunity challenge, I figured Joe was getting evacuated. But I still held out a faint hope that the episode would end in a "will Joe get evacuated?" cliffhanger to be resolved in the opening moments of the finale. But that…

It was the Survivor version of The Tortoise and the Hare. I don't think I cheered this much to see a castaway win a challenge since Shii Ann was outnumbered on All-Stars.

With the numbers lining up in such a way that it seems likely we're getting a final two, I figured now would be the time to ask:

Totally. In the comfort of my home, I'd like to think I'd speak up for another player. But with a million dollars on the line, and only six days left in the game? I mean, even though Joe wasn't much of a physical or strategic threat, that's still one less person to deal with. One less immunity challenge you have to…

My issue is that I just don't see what kind of case Michele would make for why she deserves to win. I really can't think of anything she's done. I mean, at least Natalie White organized the John Fincher blindside (IIRC) that turned the tide for her alliance in Samoa. Then again, maybe Michele pulls off some kung fu…

If anything, Joe's ouster actually strengthens her case for the million if she makes it to the end, because now she can argue that she got screwed over twice by medical evacuations, and was still able to bounce back and make it to the end.

In this sense, Tai sort of reminds me of Rupert. In Pearl Islands, he couldn't conceive that his tribe would vote against him, and delivered the most boo-hoo pity party exit interview ("So much for my dreams") that I've seen from any grown-ass man on this show.

Oh definitely. I'd like to think I would have spoken up, in her position, but I think I'd probably be a complete gamebot out there. That kind of worries me, to be honest, and it's why I've only ever applied twice to be on the show, and sighed with a strange relief when the call never came.

I love Aubry to bits, but I think she's made a couple missteps the past few weeks, between not blindsiding Tai, and then failing to do any real damage control after last week's vote (albeit not for lack of trying. But still, why the hell not take him along on the reward just to smooth things over?).

I'm thinking forces would have aligned against Cydney, although the edit would have teased Tai voting with Cydney and Michele to ditch Aubry or something.