Plus, alliances change. People at the bottom suddenly become attractive to splinter groups. And I’m seeing some alliance shifting in the works here. Unpredictable = dangerous in Survivor.
I’m mainly saying that given the choice between Joe and Cole, you sack Joe. Cole is predictable and stupid. And no way would he win if he made it the final. I can’t even imagine how idiotic his speech would be. It’s like, rock climbing man. You need to get the top and stuff. Does anyone have any food???
Agree.
I don’t think Joe has any chance of winning the million, and he’d make a good goat at FTC. I’d enjoy watching the jury tear into him.
However, if I were actually playing the game (as opposed to watching comfortably on my sofa), I’d probably want Joe out, simply because he’s so unpredictable. He’s constantly looking for alliance weaknesses that he can exploit, and I’d be worried that he’d fuck up whatever strategy I had going. It’s much safer to keep a weak but cooperative player.
What really baffled me is that Dr. Mike looked weirdly pleased after the votes were read, as if his devious scheme had worked perfectly. 
Yes, as others have said upthread, I honestly don’t know what his strategy was all about. I mean it was obvious he was trying to annoy the others at tribal to take the heat off Joe and then put it on himself, maybe. So he plays the idol to save himself, except I don’t think any votes were cast for him. If I were him, I’d be thinking, damn, I wasted an idol. But, as you say, he looked extremely pleased.
Not really, you can often just bring along a non-entity, a freerider, a person most players dont hate but no one thinks they did anything win-worthy. It is especially nice, and a bonus if the jury sees that you brought them along due to loyalty or freindship, rather just as a goat.
It was "a move’ and if you dont make “a move” you can’t win. Not a especially clever move, sure, but a move nonetheless.
I got the impression that Ben wants to keep Joe, because he is good cover. As leader of the 7, Ben will become a target soon, and he knows it. Joe keeps people distracted. However, he can’t explain this to his alliance so he resorts to bluster, which ends up putting even more of a target on him. The strategy was there, but the execution was poor.
Joe and Mike both have a semi-smug but slightly uncomfortable smile after voting like “see what I just pulled off there? Ha-ha, yeah, showed YOU guys, ha-ha,” while hoping nobody remembers they just threw away an idol.
There are only 2 outsiders left, right? The folks who are lower on the totem pole in the alliance of 7 must be thinking that once those 2 are gone, they are next. So, time to form an alliance within the alliance and knock out the stronger guys. Then they can go after Joe and Mike. This is where Ben really screwed up by not listening to the folks in his alliance. He’s just given them a big reason to blindside him. And all hell is going to break lose if Joe or Mike finds the idol (I think Joe has a good chance of doing so), and if Joe wins the IC. Joe is not great at the challenges, but he’s pretty good. If it’s a balance thing, Joe and Mike don’t have much of a chance.
But who knows what type of advantage might find its way into Joe or Mike’s hands.
Ben should be very nervous. He’s focusing way to much on the physical game to the expense of the other parts.
In Cole’s Ponderosa video, he and Desi discuss the vote count at Desi’s tribal. But they don’t come to a consensus on what happened.
Not one word was in the broadcast on Wednesday.
Soooo according to Cole’s EW interview there were two big scenes that were left on the cutting floor by the editors:
After they returned to camp from the Desi TC, there was indeed a big discussion about the votes - and while they didn’t realize there was a missing vote, he had changed his vote from Joe to Desi on the revote, but everyone assumed it was Lauren’s (missing) vote.
At the TC he got voted out at, Dr. Mike pulled out his own HII pre-vote. He then also pulled out a fake Idol and said he would play it for Joe (which led to everyone deciding to vote for Cole).
Probably worth noting that Cole already posted on reddit that in the EW interview he says he misremembered when he said “he put it on their necks” but still sticks to his story that Mike produced two idols and there was a big discussion about it. Which seems like a rather large thing to cut out… I wonder if they’re just trying to keep the votes non-obvious, but I’d rather see the strategy and know Cole’s going home than not see it.
At least it would explain why Mike looked satisfied – he actually did sort of accomplish something, saving Joe.
Though it probably guarantees votes against him this time, to flush out the idol.
Whoa! There’s actually a glimmer of hope for this season!
First, Lauren makes just about the best use of one of those “take some people along” rewards ever.
Then Devon (Devon!) comes up with the great idea of using Ben as an undercover spy, since they had more votes than needed. (I just doubled my opinion of his IQ.)
Then Ben actually does a somewhat decent acting job – I though sure he’d overplay it and give it all away, but no, he managed to control himself all the way to the next TC. And THEN he urges Ryan, but not so strongly as to raise suspicions, to pay his Hidden Idol.
I do think that there were better targets than JP for the first Council. Like Chrissy, duh! (I’m glad to see the end of Joe.)
And Devon is just so gleeful over his brilliance that I expect it will bite him eventually.
And Ben… I think you will regret playing spy. That’s the sort of extra twist of the knife that jurors might well resent when it comes to a final vote.
Still. These two episodes were sooooo much better than what went before.
Agreed!
That was an entertaining 2 hours of Survivor! I still wish people would just not let Jeff trip them up a TC, though. “Jeff, I feel pretty secure in my alliance” is all I would ever say. I did think it was a bit risky for Ben, and the other two to sit out the IC, but it worked out OK. I didn’t quite understand what the purpose of the other 2 levels on the triangle were, since they started at the 2nd to last. And, it didn’t surprise me at all that Chrissy was the one to guess the secret puzzle word. She’s the smartest of the bunch, but it doesn’t seem to be doing her all that much good.
And, Joe is finally gone. Good riddance!!!
Agree that was a very entertaining two hours. I didn’t think Devon was as smart as he’s proving to be - thought it was a brilliant move to use Ben as a spy. Now Ryan’s idol is gone, Mike lost his partner (Joe) and Chrissy is desperate.
Loved that scene where Chrissy was obviously grasping at straws, and Lauren was just sitting there going “mm hmm…mm hmmm…”
Also really enjoyed Joe acting like he was the mastermind, only to get voted out at TC. Chrissy says “oh that was some alliance.” I was hoping Ben would look at her and say “there never was one” 
And I’ll say it again…Ashley is coming on strong; she could win this thing.
Lauren is turning out to be quite the player. She still has her extra vote, right?
I think the season is going to get even better now, what with all the scrambling. The weaker players are going to be real attractive as “bring alongs” to the stronger ones. Mike and Ryan might be in good positions.
Yes, I think there will be lots of temporary alliances from here out. What was the name for that that was invented a couple seasons ago?
Agree that Devon and Lauren are proving to be surprisingly good players. I wasn’t as glad to see Joe gone as others though. He was entertaining and played hard. I think it would be fascinating to see him and Tony on the same tribe in an all-star season.
Go to your room!!