‘Survivor’ recap: Too little, too late?

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Well, well, well. Looks like one of the remaining people on “Survivor” finally decided to play … once that person absolutely had to.

I guess you could argue that said player just got lucky in the immunity challenge. Andrea certainly waged a similar last-second battle to stay in the game but almost doesn’t count. It also certainly seemed like much more of a sure thing that said person would be safe this week after so many “they absolutely can’t win” statements aired.

But that’s enough vague writing. With four days left until the live finale and reunion -- where’d the time go? Is it, too, doing whatever Rob says? -- let’s break down our last regular installment of the Redemption Island season. One more of Rob’s ‘friends’ blind mice tribe mates has to go, who will it be?

Ashley and Natalie must not have learned words like “irony” and “foreshadowing” in English classes growing up. Their celebration over being the last women standing right after blindsiding Andrea is just so silly. What’s also silly? Andrea actually feeling blindsided, surprised everyone lied to her face. Or the fact that she can go on about that in front of Matt at Redemption Island, when she did the exact same thing to him and the others there. Ah well, at least she and Matt get to argue about giving each other funny looks at Redemption Island arena. Save it for the reunion, kids.

But Ralph’s explanation for not making Andrea sleep on the ground? Even sillier. I get it, you don’t care for her beating you. But his “if this was my home” analogy, and saying that they were completely split up after the merge, make no sense. The Zapateras were separate from the Ometepes, but no one had to sleep on the ground.

It’s all whatever, because Ralph’s gone the next day after losing the four-way duel. He zooms to an early lead after getting a peg through a maze, but Mike and all the others race past him to stay alive. Farewell, Mr. Farmer. We barely understood you.

Later, Phillip’s arguing over rice again, and Ashley realizes that Rob wants to get rid of her next. Does she hear Rob’s and Grant’s confessions all about that? Maybe Rob’s weekly “just do what I say” instructions to Natalie? Where does this flash of slight comprehension and meager strategy come from? Regardless, Ashley gets it together and wins immunity later by fixing a fish-bone puzzle the fastest. She chooses Natalie to join her on a room-service-type feast where they stuff themselves until they’re sick.

The producers try to make us think Rob might want to split up the girls’ friendship alliance, but we know that even with Rob’s complete control of the game this season, he wants dim bulbs Natalie and Phillip sitting beside him at the end as insurance. And yes, Grant is voted out and sent to RI.

With that, we have a brief break until the biannual Sunday night “Survivor” marathon, starting at 8 p.m. Pacific. Usually, two more people are voted out in the last two-hour episode, and I’m guessing that will happen this season as well. That way, whoever survives the largest “duel” likely ever recorded in history will become a part of the final three up for the million-dollar prize.

Do y’all have any guesses as to how the rest of this will play out? Do you, like me, think that whoever survives Redemption Island will have so much favor with the jury? Or is it still Rob’s game to lose? And make your predictions for any crazy antics, insults or plugs you’re expecting to see at the reunion show that will follow.

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— Anthony Williams
twitter.com / anthonyw_ent

Well, well, well. Looks like one of the remaining people on “Survivor” finally decided to play … once they absolutely had to.

I guess you could argue that said player just got lucky in the immunity challenge. Andrea certainly waged a similar last-second battle to stay in the game, to no avail. But it also certainly seemed like much more of a sure thing that said person would be safe this week with so many “they absolutely can’t win” statements aired.

But that’s enough vague writing. With four days left until the live finale and reunion – where’d the time go? Is it, too, doing whatever Rob says? – let’s break down our last regular installment of the Redemption Island season.

Ashley and Natalie must not have really learned words like “irony” and “foreshadowing” in English classes growing up. Their celebration over being the last women standing right after blindsiding Andrea is just so silly.

What’s also silly? Andrea actually being blindsided, surprised everyone lied to her face. The fact that she can go on about that in front of Matt at Redemption Island, when she did the exact same thing to him and the others there. Then she and Matt want to argue about giving each other funny looks at Redemption Island arena.

But Ralph’s explanation for not making Andrea sleep on the ground? Even sillier. I get it, you don’t care for her beating you. But his “if this was my home” analogy, and saying that they were completely split up after the merge, make no sense. The Zapateras were separate from the Ometepes, but no one had to sleep on the ground.

It’s all whatever, because Ralph’s gone the next day after losing the four-way duel. He zoomed to an early lead after getting a peg through a maze, but Mike and all the others race past him to stay alive. Farewell, Mr. Farmer. We barely understood you.

Later, Phillip’s arguing over rice again, while Ashley realizes that Rob wants to get rid of her next. Did she hear Rob and Grant’s confessionals all about that? Maybe Rob’s weekly “just do what I say” instructions to Natalie? Where did this flash of comprehension and strategy come from? Regardless, Ashley got it together and won immunity later by fixing a fishbone puzzle the fastest. She chose Natalie to join her on a room service-type feast where they stuffed themselves until they were sick.

The producers tried to make us think Rob might want to split up the girls’ friendship alliance, but we know that even with Rob’s complete control of the game this season, he wants dim bulbs Natalie and Phillip sitting beside him at the end as insurance. And yes, Grant was voted out and sent to RI.

With that, we have a brief break until the biannual Sunday night “Survivor” marathon. Usually two more people are voted out in the last two-hour episode, and I’m guessing that will happen this season as well. That way, whoever survives the largest “duel” likely ever recorded in history will become a part of the final three up for the million-dollar prize.

Do y’all have any guesses as to how the rest of this will play out? Do you, like me, think that whoever survives Redemption Island will have so much favor with the jury? Or is it still Rob’s game to lose? And make your predictions for any crazy antics, insults or plugs you’re expecting to see at the reunion show that will follow.