Episode 3 "The Tables Have Turned" Review

Sooooooooo...

The extra twist was a doozy, and probably cost someone who would have normally gone much deeper into the game.   And the question has to be asked "How did J.T. ever win Survivor?"

REWARD Challenge

The Reward challenge is for Coffee and Cookies.  Two people participate from each tribe.  J.T. and Malcolm for Nuku, Ozzie and Troyzan for Tavua and Tai and Brad for Mana.  Tai has trouble balancing the ball in the first part while Ozzie and J.T. Navigate it rather easily with Ozzy finishing slightly ahead of J.T. The second part involves throwing sandbags at 9 sticks.   Troyzan has knocked over 5 sticks and Malcolm 6 before Brad gets his chance (remember Brad was a professional Quarterback).   Malcolm finishes off all 9, while Troyzan is stuck on two left.   Brad eventually wins a Thermos of Iced Coffee for Mana 

MANA Tribe

Sierra consoles Tai after Caleb leaves, Debbie approaches Hali to get her take on where her head is at, but later reveals it's a ploy to make Hali feel comfortable.   Hali's target is Tai.

NUKU Tribe

Sandra keeps the queen persona and gets more obnoxious feeling she's in charge and nobody knows it.  Malcolm and J.T. conspire to take Sandra out.   

TAVUA Tribe

Cirie laughs at Troyzan's failure to win. Troyzan is disappointed.  Ozzy feels redeemed because he did his part.  He goes fish and brings in a sting ray.   Andrea goes gaga over Ozzy's ability to bring in fish.  

IMMUNITY Challenge

The immunity challenge is a classic blindfolded find the bags and then send balls through a maze.  Jeff announces the twist is that there is only the first tribe that receives immunity.   The other two tribes will go to tribal council.   Varner, Cirie and Culpepper are the callers.  Nuku starts the maze first, Tavua starts second and Mana third.   Varner and Andrea do the third ball, while Mana is still on their 2nd ball.  Varner gets it to the end area but loses the ball trying to make it into the final slot.  Andrea finishes it off for Tavua, sending Nuku and Mana to Tribal council.    After Tavua leaves, Jeff announces the 2nd twist that both tribes are going together to tribal to vote off one person. 

NUKU Tribe Strategy

Nuku knows that they have 6 and Mana has five.  Discussion turns to the fact that 4 of Mana's five are former Nuku and may try to bring over J.T. to get the odds in their favor.  Sandra wants to target Sierra.  Malcolm worries about an Idol.  J.T. wants to take out Tai.   Malcolm and J.T. feel that Brad will target Sandra, but Malcolm also thinks he might be the target.  

 MANA Tribe Strategy

Debbie thinks that they could work with Nuku to take out Sandra.  Brad works to keep Hali with them.  Brad also thinks that J.T. is going to want to go Sandra, while Sierra wants to take Malcolm out.  Tai leaves the discussion to find the Hidden Immunity Idol, finds the clue and following the instructions digs on the beach and finds it.  As the discussion continues, Tai tells the others he found the idol.  Everyone is happy.   

JOINT TRIBAL COUNCIL

Two other times in Survivor history (Samoa and One World), two tribes have met in a Joint Tribal Council.   In both of these cases it was to announce an evacuation, and in One World, it was the scene of the merge.  Never had a vote been taken in a joint Tribal Council, until now.  Both tribes file into Tribal, J.T. lights his torch.  Manu sits to the left as Jeff faces them, Nuku to the right.   Malcolm and Sierra sit pretty close to each other in the back row.  Debbie and Michaela sit next to each other in the front row but are further apart. 

Jeff talks about the Game Changing situation.  Looks at the six vs. five.  Brad muses about a "Mexican Standoff" and whether guns are pointed at themselves.  Sandra chimes in that all their guns are pointed at Mana.   Debbie brings the fact up that J.T. is formerly with them.  J.T. is conflicted.  Sandra is not worried and is not going home.  Malcolm would not be happy if he goes home tonight.  Debbie is concerned whether J.T. will flip or Hali will flip.  Brad calls Hali public enemy #1 if she flips, which further alienates Hali.  Hali is concerned about ultimately drawing rocks.  After some more back and forth Hali says it's stupid to be thinking about other than physical threats.  Sandra thinks she's hinting at Culpepper going.  J.T thinks their targeting Sandra.  Nuku says stay with the plan, as does Mana.  J.T. decides to talk directly to Brad--Tells him Sierra is the target.  Hali tells Sandra that they need to go to Brad and she'll go with them.  

More direct discussion follows and creates more confusion.   Jeff calls for the vote with Hali starts, who seems confused.   While voting, Sandra says assuredly that there is  no idol on Mana.  Tai plays his idol for Sierra.  First six votes Sierra, the rest go for Malcolm who becomes the fourth member of the original Mana to leave.  As they are leaving the discussion on Nuku turn to J.T. and his betrayal. 

NEXT TIME

J.T. is on the hot seat and Debbie goes crazy for some reason.  

FINAL THOUGHTS

The twists were interesting, and in theory could have played out better.  J.T. for the 2nd time did a boneheaded move by making assumptions about the other tribe and talking to Culpepper giving up intel without getting anything in return allowing them to correctly play the idol on Sierra.  Hali held more sway than I thought, but I think the original consensus on Nuku was Malcolm and not Sandra.   

Game Changers continues to be ho-hum to me.   Although the joint tribal was an interesting twist, it ultimately made the original Nuku even stronger as it is now 10-6 with three strong Mana men gone.  All that remains is Varner and Troyzan.  It does not look like another switch at 16 so that will require two more votes before a final switch for one vote and then a merge.   If Mana continues to be wiped out then it's really half a game to the end.  The only other aspect could be a woman's alliance to start taking out Original Nuku men, but that would probably make Sandra stronger, and it would be nice to see her go soon.  She's way too arrogant and annoying this time around.    

The suspense of changing fortunes in Cambodia just isn't there to make it interesting.  Game Changers needs a change of game soon.