Episode Report Card Kim: B | 23 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT The Triumph of Tyson
By Kim | Season 27 | Episode 15 | Aired on 12.15.2013
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Some reunion bullet points to tide you over until the full recap:
- Tyson used a flatiron on his hair and somehow it works for him.
- The entire cast got to sit on the stage for the reunion.
- They show a photo of Monica and Brad when they met in college, and they both look like completely different people and it's a little scary.
- Probst compliments Ciera on realizing that she needed to make a move and being willing to go to rocks.
- Colton is still a dick and a waste of space and a professional victim. Over him.
- Rupert still has weird ideas about how women need rescuing and protection.
- Cochran got a job as a TV writer on The Millers and they spend way too much time on that at the expense of the people who were actually on this season.
- Aras and Vytas are close but still argue.
- Kat implies that she got a boob job and makes no sense as usual. What is Hayden doing with her?
- Tina's son (and Katie's brother) was killed in a car accident, but Tina and Katie still made it to the reunion.
- Next season has three tribes: Brains, Brawn, and Beauty. It won't be as good as Blood Vs. Water, but at least it makes sense.
After Tyson has had some time to give out all of the hugs and everyone is back on stage, Probst welcomes us to the reunion and launches right into the traditional Celebration of the Winner with a clip package of Tyson's highs and lows. This seems like a good time to talk about Tyson's hair. It's been flat-ironed? I read an interview with him where he said the hair and makeup people straightened his hair and then wanted him to wear it in a ponytail but he thought he looked like a creepy uncle so he wore it down. You'd think they could have at least thrown some beachy waves in there so it didn't look quite so sorority sister. Anyway, in the clip package, when Rachel left, Tyson vowed to beat everyone there. And then he did! That's kind of awesome. He also dislocated his shoulder. Then he found all of the Idols, basically told his alliance who to vote out each and every time (or at least each time that it mattered) and won the game.
Tyson gets choked up again watching the clip package. Man, is Tyson on his period? What's with all the waterworks? Kidding. It just cracks me up that the guy has always been such a goof and now he's suddenly Mr. Emotions. Probst asks him what was different this time, his third time playing the game. Tyson says that his original intention was to go in and have fun and he was only playing so that Rachel could also play and have the experience. And then when she refused to let him switch with her, and denied herself the experience, he knew that he had to fight and scrape and win to make her sacrifice worth it. Probst asks if that made a big different in his mindset and Tyson says it did, because there were times in the past when he would have relaxed or let down his guard, and this time he wouldn't let himself do that.
Probst asks Rachel if she was surprised to hear that her departure had such a huge impact, and Rachel says she was. She adds that she always knew Tyson had it in him to make the finals, but she still wondered if he would do it. Probst asks Tyson to try to give the audience a sense for not just the physical struggles, but also the mental fatigue. Tyson says that, other than Caleb, no one seemed to sleep more than two hours a night, both due to discomfort and strategy running through their heads. Why was Caleb able to get so much sleep? Missed the follow-up there, Probst. Probst says he likes seeing a Tyson who can complete a sentence and isn't always sarcastic. That must get frustrating for him, when he gets players who are just trying to fuck with the process. Then again, they did invite Tyson back twice.