I'm not rewatching the fucking episode... Even w/ Coronavirus, and even w/ this season being mostly fantastic, I got better things to do. So here's a very hasty, probably very inaccurate Edgic based on a single viewing I did... last night! So fresh. It was a double episode which means I'm gonna say half as much.
Merged Tribe
Michele- CPP4 - Michele dominated both halves of this episode, as players "on the bottom" on wont to do. In testimonies and in interactions with other players, we saw in Michele a capable, strategic player, one who I think the viewer is meant to root for (hence the extra "P"). She is rarely undermined (as opposed to her off-and-on ally, Nick), and even in defeat is shown to be sympathetic (her sad finish to the first immunity challenge was made to look semi-heroic, and not lame, I think). I do wonder if her edit isn't just a little too positive, a little too repetitive... For all her talk about trying to play a more aggressive, memorable game this season, I'm not sure if Michele has really shown herself to be one of the all-time greats. I don't think she's evolved quite enough to win this thing.
Nick - MOR2- The double episode's second boot, Nick certainly went out in style, but his exit was Edgically a foregone conclusion. He never established himself as a threat, or even a player to look out for. Constantly a hanger-on, and a frequent target of words like "shifty," Nick was never gonna win this thing, and never really moved past Middle of the Road. His somewhat disappointing finish makes me think of his debut, when his "play all sides" antics almost got him voted off first. His game just couldn't find a foothold against superior players-- he was often the butt of jokes, and made to look speechless against Michele's "what the hell did you just do" rant-- and I doubt he's coming back for more.
Denise- MOR4- Players are finally acknowledging that Denise is a major contender in "Winners at War," a special combination of a "big move maker" (the Queen slaying) and "decent, sincere, likeable human being" (has Denise ever upset anyone in her two seasons?). But is the edit acknowledging this? Given the quality of Denise's resume, and her great personality, you'd expect to see more of her. And yet, she's constantly being kept away from the main storyline. When she did do some strategy this time (the old "I'm throwing in the towel" trick), a bunch of players (including little Adam!) appeared to see right through it... And yet, her gambit worked, in a way, resulting in the end of Nick. It's a curious edit, all and all, and yet, talented and neat as she is, I don't think she's going to pull off this second victory.
Jeremy- MOR2- I knew Jeremy was in trouble right from the get go. He got some funny character moments in his finale-- he's a reliable narrator of the game in testimonies, and his look at Michele during Tribal was priceless-- but he was never shown to be seizing the reins this time. Constantly at the mercy of other players, and other advantages, it makes sense that Jeremy's story ended with a failed 50/50 flip (not even played for him!).
Tony- CP3- Tony wasn't quite the force he has been as of late, and yet, he was still an obviously "complex" player, still the guy to beat, still the person making the moves, still somehow avoiding any conflict from the other Survivors or the producers. His lions-and-hyenas line was repeated-- at this point, it's an even more defining part of this season than "old school versus new school"-- and the drama of the episode came from Tony and Sarah's efforts to tinker with the formula. And the end of the day, it was "Cops R Us" which held the fate of the other players in their hands. I still think he's gonna win it all. This closer to MOR edit suits him well going into the finale.
Sarah- CP2- Sarah is Tony's partner, and yet, Sarah always somehow seems to be in Tony's shadow, too. An interesting point came during Michele and Sarah's "chat" about Michele's prospects. The look in Sarah's eyes when Michele suggested a Tony blindside was interesting... but Sarah did not consider the move seriously, telling the rest of the tribe about it immediately. Will this deference to "Cops R Us," which she appears to need more than Tony, be Sarah's undoing? Possibly. Until then, Sarah remains one of the strongest edited characters this season, a lethal combination of smarts and strength and cunning.
Ben- UTR3- Though Ben provided the title of the episode (wait, maybe not), he wasn't in it much. Even the conversations about his fate didn't include him-- he really only factored in during the "disadvantage" saga (which, again, focused far more on Nick and Michele's "win" than his "loss") and his disarmingly frank testimony about post-Survivor social trauma during Tribal Council. Ben's candor in that second moment brought him out of negative territory (for all of his talk about improving his social game this season, how often do we see Ben just lying around, throwing shade at other players?). He's a long, long shot for a win.
EOE
Natalie, Amber, Danni, Ethan, Rob, Parvati, Yul, Wendell, Adam, Tyson, Sophie, Kim
I'll eat my shoe if the returnee isn't Natalie, Tyson (again!), or Rob. Natalie is the only one w/ a coherent story relating to the Edge, and the only one who I believe might pose a real threat upon returning to the game (all the rest will be voted out immediately).
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