Episode Report Card Kim: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Edna Makes Her Move
By Kim | Season 23 | Episode 12 | Aired on 12.07.2011
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Edna throws a shit fit because Brandon revealed at Tribal that she's next on the chopping block. Because throwing a tantrum will definitely convince the others to change their minds and keep you around. Her tantrum is interrupted by video messages from family members.
The duel is actually exciting! Cochran and Ozzy have to use a grappling hook to retrieve bags and then put a ball through a labyrinthine maze. Ozzy gets his bags first but keeps failing at the maze, which allows Cochran to catch up. And they are seriously neck and neck the whole time, and Cochran comes within inches of winning! But he loses. But he wins the respect of a lot of people, because it was very, very, very close.
All of the loved ones are brought in, and Ozzy gets to decide who gets to spend time with loved one. He chooses Albert, Coach, and Brandon, and they all head to Redemption Island with their loved ones. While they're there, Coach takes the opportunity to make an alliance for the finals with Ozzy. Interesting. Brandon's dad tells him to stop smoking crack and start playing the game. Then he talks to Coach and asks who he's taking to the finals. Coach doesn't really answer, and Brandon's dad says that he's going to tell Brandon to do whatever Coach says.
The Immunity Challenge is that life-sized Stratego, where you flip over tiles with each step until you can't take any more steps. Brandon plots his course so that he won't win, but neither will Edna, and then opens his fat mouth about it. So Edna throws yet another hissy fit about how insulted she is. She is BITTER! Her jury speech is going to be a barn burner. Anyway, Coach wins immunity.
Edna goes to Coach, Albert, and Sophie and asks them why they are keeping Brandon around when he keeps having these emotional outbursts. Then she asks Coach if he'll play his Idol for her, and he says no, because then he'll be voted off next. So then she goes to Albert and Sophie and begs them to keep her. If it sounds like Edna is doing a lot of begging and whining, you're right. There's just something about her that is so offputting.
At Tribal, Edna makes her case one last time and Brandon seems unworried. Which is smart, because Edna is voted out. Edna and Coach are weirdly intensely making eye contact and she gets all smiley as she's sent to Redemption. What was that about? Also, NOW it should get interesting, because they are down to the final five.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Redemption Island. Night 30. Someone gave Cochran directions and he finally successfully navigated to join Ozzy. He wakes Ozzy up, and Ozzy is immediately like, "Whyyyyy?", presumably referring to why Cochran flipped when he did. Cochran admits that he made a mistake, although he also thinks that he "got screwed." No, he screwed himself. Cochran continues the double speak in an interview when he first says that he "may" have made a bad decision in joining Upolu but then adds that he's insulted that Upolu didn't show him any gratitude. That might be true in a real-life scenario, but there's no such thing as gratitude on this show. When are people going to learn that? Cochran is probably one of those people who apologizes by saying, "I'm really sorry if you felt angry..." or whatever instead of saying, "I'm really sorry for being a dick." Ozzy says that Cochran can stick it to Upolu now by voting for Ozzy in the finals. That's a pretty big assumption that Ozzy will make the finals, and Ozzy doesn't even bother prefacing it with, "If, by some chance, I beat you and the others and make it into the game..." Cochran won't commit to voting for Ozzy if he's on the jury. Finally, Cochran has learned something. And why would he commit right now? Anyway, Cochran wonders why Ozzy assumes he's going to win the duel, and Ozzy allows that there's a chance Cochran would win. Smash cut to Ozzy interview: "He really doesn't stand a chance." That was my favorite part of the episode. I wish they hadn't ruined it in the previews.
Te Tuna. Day 31. Everyone rises and shines. Well, not shines, exactly. They all look pretty exhausted and filthy. Brandon calls everyone over so that he can say the morning prayer. Edna snips, "I'm going to excuse myself, since I'm not really part of this tribe." Whoa. Where did that come from? I mean, I know why she feels that way, but that outright bitchery is new for Edna. Edna walks off and starts crying while everyone else prays together. She interviews that Brandon made it clear at the last Tribal that she's the next to go, and now she feels duped and betrayed, because she thought that she was part of the tribe. She is! And part of being on the tribe is eventually being voted off, unless you win. Right? Am I missing something here? Who did SHE think was going next? That's the question that never really gets asked in this scenario. She's all hurt but who did she think would be next to go?
Coach and Edna have a sit-down. Coach tries to be calm and rational and explains that they've always said that, once the former Savaii were gone, it would become an individual game. Edna knew that, but she feels like they said they were six strong and it turns out that they're five strong. She does have a point there; it would be one thing for Brandon to say that HE planned to vote out Edna next, but he said that THEY plan to vote out Edna next, which makes Edna feel like she's an outsider and they've been plotting behind her back. I still feel like she should have seen this coming, but at least I sort of get where she's coming from now. And it turns out her big problem is with Brandon, who is dumb and crazy (her words, paraphrased), and seems to be the one calls the shots. While Edna tries to explain her feelings, Brandon roars into camp and announces that they have Sprint Treemail, which they all know means a video from a loved one. Edna's meltdown is interrupted as Coach runs over to see the videos.