Quick spoilers for last night’s Survivor—and your invitation to discuss any other of last night’s TV—after the jump:
Hats off to Survivor for blindsiding me. At the end of what I expected to be a predictable episode—i.e., Sierra would go home after a valiant attempt by the editors to imply that she might be spared—J.T. and Steven’s alliance instead turned on the bigger threat Tyson. And it happened, in one of those ironies Survivor loves, after Tyson had spent his confessional interviews knocking Sierra for celebrating too soon at the immunity challenge, even as he was prematurely celebrating her not-to-be elimination.
I actually enjoyed Tyson, bitchy as he was, but with him gone this season still has its chief villain in Coach (which, by the way: would ever want him to coach your child at anything?). And I’m increasingly impressed with J.T. and Steven, who seem to be playing their fulcrum position wisely—last week, knocking out Coach’s rival Brendan, this week taking out a player from Coach’s side, thus maintaining the balance of power. (I’m wondering, though, what Taj’s present role is: she all but disappeared this episode.)
In the process, they set up what looks like a sweet episode next week, as Coach and company are probably going to be forced to court Sierra, whom they just spent three days torturing. Best episode so far of a season that is becoming more interesting than I had expected.