4/27 Show Discussion Thread **Spoilers**

[Longhornfan]

I'd love to see one of the girls go next, but I'm also thinking it could be Grant. I think Rob wants one of the girls and Phillip in the final 3 with him, if he makes it. He can point out Natalie/Ashley/Andrea did nothing and Phillip is crazy. I do like Matt, and am glad he's hanging in there. I also liked Julie, so I was sorry she didn't get to stick around.

I'd be highly surprised if Rob's ultimate plan wasn't to take either Natalie or Ashley and Phillip with him to the final three, no matter what he's saying to anyone else. He can't afford to take Grant, because Grant has a legitimate argument he can make with regard to why he should win--he was a dominant force in the challenges. There's a possibility the jury might find Andrea more likable, or at least less offensive, than Rob, so she's a possible liability too. But, as you pointed out, Phillip is nuts, and the two girls don't have much of an argument to make on their behalf other than to say they "stayed under the radar" and rode the right set of coattails. If either of them want to win, they really need to figure out how to get rid of Rob and make that their claim to fame. Otherwise, the only chance they have is that the jury finds the other two people in the final three so distasteful that they are the lesser of three evils.

If Matt makes it to the finals by dominating the RI challenges, he can use that to argue that he's worthy of a win. No matter how anyone feels about RI, it was part of the game this season, and Matt was very good at those challenges. Whether that's enough for the jury to give him the money is up to them. I'm sure Rob would rather not have him make it to the jury just because he would have any kind of argument to make. He wants people with him who have zero argument with which to defend themselves.

I agree that Rob would like for the final three to end up with him going up against either Ashley or Natalie and Phillip. If neither Grant or Andrea win immunity next week, then it will most likely be one of them that is voted off next. I am thinking that it might be Andrea, unless Rob convinces the others that Grant is too much of a threat and convinces them that the jury members would vote Grant the winner. Both he and Grant want Andrea gone - fearing that Matt might be returning to the game again.

If you watch Rob's face during the "duels" on RI, there is no doubt that he does not want Matt to keep on winning. This is one aspect of the game that Rob can not control...along with the other twists that are thrown in.

[PWS]

I did not like all the rewriting of the history of Andrea and Matt last night. Andrea BETRAYED Matt??? What are they talking about??? Matt betrayed Andrea if anything! He outed her plotting to Rob without even warning her....with the consequence that whatever she might have done to redeem herself in his eyes after he left has been totally negated. How does no one, including her, remember that?

[maude~flanders]

I did not like all the rewriting of the history of Andrea and Matt last night. Andrea BETRAYED Matt??? What are they talking about??? Matt betrayed Andrea if anything! He outed her plotting to Rob without even warning her....with the consequence that whatever she might have done to redeem herself in his eyes after he left has been totally negated. How does no one, including her, remember that?

I think it's about Andrea voting him out, along with the rest of the tribe. She could have warned him about what was going on, gotten his head straight about Rob and they could have completely changed the game. Instead, she ran to Rob, then voted out Matt to show her loyalty to Rob, and sealed her own fate as a sheep - not a player.

[Rattus]

I did not like all the rewriting of the history of Andrea and Matt last night. Andrea BETRAYED Matt??? What are they talking about??? Matt betrayed Andrea if anything! He outed her plotting to Rob without even warning her....with the consequence that whatever she might have done to redeem herself in his eyes after he left has been totally negated. How does no one, including her, remember that?

His outing her plan was stupidity. Her voting him out was deliberate. Deliberate actions are always a greater betrayal than stupid ones.

[mindy384]

I did not like all the rewriting of the history of Andrea and Matt last night. Andrea BETRAYED Matt??? What are they talking about??? Matt betrayed Andrea if anything! He outed her plotting to Rob without even warning her....with the consequence that whatever she might have done to redeem herself in his eyes after he left has been totally negated. How does no one, including her, remember that?

EXACTLY. The spin they put on this debacle was making my head woozy last night--I was like What the Hell?!?! Matt is a dummy and has less survivor sense than looney Phillip (but, to be fair, Phil does have his great great great grandfather on the island apparently) yet there is a very good chance he could make the finale and WIN! IF that happens then this will be the most disappointing season of Survivor EVER (and Ive seen almost all of them).

Unfortunately, I predicted that Zapatera was making a giant mistake with their blindly fanatical (and very illogical) "defeat Russell" campaign & would eventually be stomped out because of numbers. I also figured Rob would make it far because his tribe is full of a bunch of dummies who are content to ride his coattails and risk him sliding into the finale with immunity wins (although if he does lose immunity I do think they will vote him out). So, it stands to reason that I might be correct (please NO!) about this Matt problem and if so I consider it be a gigantic failure on the part of the people behind Survivor. Did they really not consider the fact that a contestant on RI would be in an excellent postition to win without actually playing the GAME--1) they havent ticked off or betrayed many tribemates 2) they even get to bond with the latest eliminated tribemate over their mutual oust 3)they can make a case that they survived on RI!

It will be such a travesty if this moron makes it anywhere near the finals. And for the record Im really not down with this whole RI concept--when your outwitted, outplayed & outlasted...well.... you should be OUT!

[Shoepie]

So the Zap's are finally gone. I guess we still can't count them out completely yet considering three of them are sitting at RI. I've really been enjoying this season. I'm going to guess that Andrea is gone next week. Then it should get interesting to see whom turns on who. I am still rooting for Rob to win!

I don't know if Andrea is a done deal. In the preview, Rob's comment, "32 days of hard work, gone, just like that", leads me to believe that a twist is possible. Or does the challenge offer a huge reward and the winner chooses two to go with them, thus creating a 3 and 3 split worrying Rob about strategizing behind his back?

I can see Grant winning and not choosing Rob with the justifiable reason he choose Rob for the cake. So we would have Grant and two of the woman who would pass word of the coup to the others. An overthrow may not happen but Rob would certainly be concerned about this possibility.

[Maybaybie]

I don't know if Andrea is a done deal. In the preview, Rob's comment, "32 days of hard work, gone, just like that", leads me to believe that a twist is possible. Or does the challenge offer a huge reward and the winner chooses two to go with them, thus creating a 3 and 3 split worrying Rob about strategizing behind his back?

I can see Grant winning and not choosing Rob with the justifiable reason he choose Rob for the cake. So we would have Grant and two of the woman who would pass word of the coup to the others. An overthrow may not happen but Rob would certainly be concerned about this possibility.

I'm wondering if Matt comes back next week? I know part of Rob's theory on who was voted off the Zaps is to send someone there who could defeat Matt at the challenges- it never happened, but he was hoping. Maybe his last chance is to vote off Grant- also a threat to Rob for the win, but also good in challenges who could beat Matt. I also think if Grant were sitting on the jury and Rob was in the final 2 that Rob would get Grant's vote over one of the Zaps even if he was mad about getting blindsided.

[Shoepie]

I'm wondering if Matt comes back next week? I know part of Rob's theory on who was voted off the Zaps is to send someone there who could defeat Matt at the challenges- it never happened, but he was hoping. Maybe his last chance is to vote off Grant- also a threat to Rob for the win, but also good in challenges who could beat Matt. I also think if Grant were sitting on the jury and Rob was in the final 2 that Rob would get Grant's vote over one of the Zaps even if he was mad about getting blindsided.

Yes, this is another possibility. But why would Rob think all his work is down the drain if Matt returns? He would be outnumbered so even if he did return with immunity for a week his target would be Andrea. Should Andrea win II he could just choose another.

[ironcat]

I'm wondering if Matt comes back next week? I know part of Rob's theory on who was voted off the Zaps is to send someone there who could defeat Matt at the challenges- it never happened, but he was hoping. Maybe his last chance is to vote off Grant- also a threat to Rob for the win, but also good in challenges who could beat Matt. I also think if Grant were sitting on the jury and Rob was in the final 2 that Rob would get Grant's vote over one of the Zaps even if he was mad about getting blindsided.

I can't see them reintroducing the RI winner this soon, especially since Jeff revealed that on the last episode, there would still be 8 people in play. Wouldn't that indicate that the RI angle has to be around until then? (I can't imagine they plan to put a total of 3 people back in; that's just ridiculous.) Also, as to Rob's statement, there is a chance that it was edited in such a way to make it sound like a fait accompli, instead of just speculation on his part. For example, maybe he was hypothesizing and said, "If Matt gets back in the game now (or if Andrea can convince the girls to flip, or if Phillip kills Grant because his dead grandfather told him to), it would mean 32 days of hard work gone". It doesn't necessarily mean any of those things have actually happened. I'm sure the editors are going to attempt to imply that a blindside of Rob is imminent in every preview until it finally does happen (or he makes F3), to encourage viewers to continue to watch, and not assume that the ending is predictable.

[Shoepie]

I can't see them reintroducing the RI winner this soon, especially since Jeff revealed that on the last episode, there would still be 8 people in play. Wouldn't that indicate that the RI angle has to be around until then? (I can't imagine they plan to put a total of 3 people back in; that's just ridiculous.) Also, as to Rob's statement, there is a chance that it was edited in such a way to make it sound like a fait accompli, instead of just speculation on his part. For example, maybe he was hypothesizing and said, "If Matt gets back in the game now (or if Andrea can convince the girls to flip, or if Phillip kills Grant because his dead grandfather told him to), it would mean 32 days of hard work gone". It doesn't necessarily mean any of those things have actually happened. I'm sure the editors are going to attempt to imply that a blindside of Rob is imminent in every preview until it finally does happen (or he makes F3), to encourage viewers to continue to watch, and not assume that the ending is predictable.

I think you have it. And I agree that it is most likely speculation on Rob's part in that diary talk.