Episode Report Card Sara M: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Sierra A-Leone
By Sara M | Season 18 | Episode 11 | Aired on 04.30.2009
Fourth question: who would you trust with your life? Of course, everyone says J.T., including J.T., who definitely believes in his own hype no matter how much he tries to disguise that fact with his humble Southern accent. J.T. interviews that everyone seems to trust him even though they all already know he's not very trustworthy in this game. "It seems like people would catch onto that," he says. Truly, he is playing with morons. And honestly, out of that group, who else is there to choose? Debbie can't survive on her own, Douche is insane, and the rest of them are pampered city folk with few survival skills. Taj cuts J.T.'s rope. He cuts Erinn's, which takes her out of the game. That was kind of dumb, since Erinn still has one chop to make and turns right around and takes J.T. out in return. Douche warmly greets J.T. on his way to the bench because Douche is an idiot. Since Stephen was lucky enough to get the last chop, he chops Taj's rope and puts himself in the lead. Stephen and Taj exchange playful banter that really should make Douche and Debbie wonder just how loyal Stephen would be to them over her.
Fifth question: who is most likely to stab you in the back? Of course, they both say Sierra, since that's the safest answer if not the most truthful. It's also the correct answer, and Sierra takes it personally because she doesn't understand strategy and diplomacy. Taj and Stephen cut each other's ropes, leaving Taj with just one hit left.
Sixth question: who would you least like to see win this game? The obvious answer is Sierra, but Taj knows that if she guesses that, Stephen most likely will too, and then he'll definitely win if it's right. So she guesses someone else: Douche. Hahahahahahaha! I love you, Taj. We get a nice shot of Sierra and Douche sitting next to each other on the loser's bench looking less than amused, although Sierra attempts to conceal this by laughing at the ridiculousness of how much everyone left in this game clearly hates her. Her smile crumples into a cry-face as soon as Probst announces that Stephen got the correct answer. Stephen takes out Taj and wins the reward.
Stephen is pleased until he realizes that he has to send someone to Exile now, "which is no fun at all!" Probst declares. Shut up, Probst. Given the choice between camp with Douche and Exile Island, I'd pick Exile Island in a hot minute. Stephen picks Erinn, who is not happy. Stephen interviews that this was a strategic choice because his alliance wants to make sure that they're the only ones going to Exile just in case another idol pops up there. True, except that the fact that he picked Erinn over Taj or J.T. also shows her exactly where she stands in that alliance, although she'd be an idiot to think it was any other way. I'm just happy to hear Stephen say he's in an alliance with Erinn, J.T., and Taj, because that means Douche will leave this game ASAP. With that, Stephen is allowed to pick one person to go on the reward with him. Douche makes pathetic begging faces because he thinks he has a shot at this, only to get all wonderfully sad when Stephen picks Taj. She's thrilled, and says "that's why I love you!" as she runs up to hug him in front of the rest of the cast who should really be taking notes about this. And then Probst lets Stephen pick one more person. Once again, Douche thinks he has a shot, and once again, he's disappointed when Stephen picks J.T., saying he made him a promise. It couldn't be any clearer that Stephen, Taj, J.T., and Erinn have an alliance, but that doesn't mean Douche and Debbie will be able to pick up on it. And now poor Sierra has to go back to camp with them. Douche interviews a bit condescendingly that "good ol' Stephen" won the reward and based on who he picked to accompany him, he's starting to get an inkling that his warrior alliance might not be all that loyal. Considering that it was formed on the premise of not being loyal to one's original tribe in the first place, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise, should it?