Episode Report Card Sara M: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Shamgo
By Sara M | Season 19 | Episode 14 | Aired on 12.17.2009
Li'l Russell goes to Mick and tells him how much he hates Shambo because she's annoying and a close-talker with bad breath. Really, Li'l Russell? Is this necessary? Or is he maybe trying to convince himself that Shambo should go because he feels guilty about having to vote her out? No, that can't be it. Maybe he thinks that this is a good way to convince Mick to vote for Shambo, as if Mick needs any convincing? He just does what people tell him to do. I really wonder if Li'l Russell would talk this way about Shambo if she were a man. While he's had plenty of nasty things to say about women before voting them off, we rarely hear him saying equally negative things about men, and never with the same venom in his voice. Mick says he thought Li'l Russell and Shambo were friends and never heard him talk this way about her before. Li'l Russell says he and Shambo "ain't friends" and he's always disliked her, but had to act nice for the votes. Which you'd think would make Mick wonder if Li'l Russell might be doing the same thing to him. But it's Mick, so he won't. Mick interviews that it appears that Li'l Russell is scheming to get rid of Shambo, but on the other hand, you never know what's really going on in people's minds. Unless those people are Brett, Natalie, or Mick, in which case we can be reasonably certain that there's nothing going on.
Shambo sits down next to Li'l Russell and keeps her mouth a respectable distance away from him as she asks if Mick is getting suspicious about tonight's vote. Li'l Russell says Mick is not, because they told him they're all voting for Shambo tonight. She says she isn't comfortable with this, but what does she expect? It's not like Mick would believe they were voting for Natalie or Jaison tonight. Or that it matters anyway at this point. They could tell Mick outright they were planning to vote him out and he wouldn't do a thing about it except possibly ask for permission to vote for himself as well so he wouldn't be left out. Li'l Russell claims in an interview that he hasn't decided who to vote for yet between Shambo and Mick. There are good reasons to keep Shambo: she sucks at challenges, she's loyal to Li'l Russell, and she isn't a jury threat. But those reasons won't matter if Brett makes it to the Final Three. We're reminded that this is the last opportunity for Li'l Russell to play the immunity idol. He's planning on wearing at Tribal Council again, just in case Brett's immunity necklace steals some of his camera time.