That's fair, but every character's stories — even Peggy's and Joan's — serve that one essential core motif.

This episode put back in to focus what the whole series is about, really, I think: the mythology of (white) manhood in the U.S. in the mid-20th century, and how the expectations and history thereof affect the changing world around them. Dick Whitman conforms to that — the idea of a self-made man, especially, in more…

This is what would happen if Kyle Mooney took over Rick and Morty.

Did I compare the two so directly? Nah. I compared them in the sense that I enjoy them more than the general public. This season clearly isn't as entertaining, but I'd still take it far above Fiji or 22-24.

I'm not alone in my love. If Survivor becomes too much of a constant strategy-fest, seasons like Redemption Island happen. We need palate cleansers like these (and Gabon, which I disliked at the time). We need some hot messes every now and then.

I adored this episode. Fast-paced, intriguing strategy, moments of hilarity, and to top it all off, possibly the most pathetic quit in the history of the show.