That is some mom love right there!
Jeff Probst
Now, see, in normal society that is just a weird thing to say.
In many circles, that could get you into quite a bit of trouble.
Gabby Pascuzzi and Christian Hubicki on ‘Survivor: David vs. Goliath’.
Thats because it was time for the Loved Ones visit!
Where love is on the line!
In the name of love!
Because love is a many splendored thing!
And all you need is love!
Even though love is a battlefield!
And… okay, Ill stop.
But I also totally get it now!
But now, age has made me soft.
I mean, not Gabby levels of losing it or anything.
Lets not get ridiculous.
But yeah, I could see myself having to wipe away a stray tear or two.
can be seen right here.)
Of course, whats more important than the reunions is sizing up the actual loved ones visiting.
Who would take the title of theDavid vs. GoliathLoved Ones MVP.
I also bet he makes a killing as a seasonal Santa.
Big Jim just seemed like a stand-up guy with that goofy smile plastered all over his face.
And you couldnt help but appreciate Nicks story about Jimbo donating blood to buy milk for his kids.
It dont matter about what you have or what you dont have.
And then there was Mikes boyfriend Josh.
Josh didnt say a whole lot.
Kudos to you, Josh!
But the true Loved Ones MVP would not be revealed until after the challenge.
over and over like a crazy person after her daughters victory.
And God bless her for it.
If you ever wondered where Angelina got her tenacity, wonder no more!
Why was Anna so damn excited?
This is exactly what Jeff Probst was talking about!
Thatissome Mom Love right there!
And Jeff said yes!
Because you dont say no to Anna.
And you dont say no to Mom Love.
When it takes place onSurvivor, that is.
Okay, lets run through the other big points this week.
Short and SweetPreviously onSurvivor… aw, screw it.
That was pretty much the Previously onSurvivor… clip this week.
Ive never seen a previously on segment that short.
I even timed it.
And keep in mind, they hadtwoepisodes to recap from last week!
Thats straight up nuts.
And perhaps a sign of things to come.
First, we saw the opening credits go bye-bye for more episode screen time.
Now the previously on recap could be on the endangered species list as well.
Which is fine by me.
Not unlike Professor Hubicki, Angelina is the gift that keeps on giving.
Whats so great about Angelina?
Sometimes it is hard to properly define or explain.
It was just so…Angelina.
And by extension, perfect.
However you want to look at that moment, it was great.
And another example of why Angelina should automatically be brought back for another season.
Well, thats not entirely true.
Thats usually a big no-no.
Of course, my strategy in Loved Ones reward challenges has always been to avoid winning at all.
Because usually if you lose you still have about a 50% chance of going on the reward anyway!
(The answer: too many times.)
I would always avoid winning this challenge just to avoid having to make that decision.
That said, it didnt seem to burn Nick and Angelina here.
Its Deja Vu All Over AgainAs if on cue, this weeks two challenges involved balls and poles.
If the bucket fell or the player fell, he/she was out.
I have both good and bad things to note about this challenge.
On its own, this was a cool challenge.
This one, however, was different.
You could tell from the very beginning that Kara was locked in.
The fun then became seeing if she could stay that way or not.
You also could see the points where others began to waver.
Watching those first twitches as players begin to struggle is super dramatic.
So in that sense, I liked this challenge.
Now, here is my issue.
Get the contestants moving!
Get them in the water, for crying out loud!
It just starts to feel way too samey-samey when you have them all lined up and holding stuff.
But am I alone in this?
Hit the message boards to weigh in.
Oh, and congrats to Kara, who won.
I Mean, Power GrabHave you ever had malt liquor?
For your sake, I hope not.
King Cobra was endorsed by former football star Fred the Hammer Williamson.
I bring this up for two reasons.
One: Im starting to kinda jones for a King Cobra.
And two: Dont let the smooth taste fool you when it comes to Gabby.
The same Gabby who by her own admission has had to be reassured at almost every corner.
The same Gabby who has been portrayed as riding the coattails of Christian all season long.
No way that Gabby could have the bite to try something like turning on Christian, right?
Dont let the smooth taste fool you!
Gabby realized what I have preached all season perception is reality.
And the perception was that Christian was making all the moves and she was just along for the ride.
So she needed to do something about it.
I want respect in this game.
So what better way than to slay my number one ally, reasoned Gabby.
She needed to change this narrative and had she pulled it off, it would have done exactly that.
No longer would Gabby be seen as a naive, emotional mess pulled along by Christian.
But she also couldnt.
Because of that tip-off, Christian played the idol.
On one hand, that sucks for her.
On the other, can you think of a better way to go?
Instead,shedid the betraying.
Rather than be a passenger, she became the driver.
BUT AT LEAST SHE WAS DRIVING THE DAMN CAR!
So good for Gabby.
The Goliaths could unite over that to send one of them home.
I would throw another name in there as a big threat to win: Mike.
And dont forget, the guy is a professional writer and actor.
Would you want to sit next to that at the final Tribal Council?
This dude crafts great stories for a living.
And then acts them out.
No way Im sitting next toNed Freakin Schneebly.
(Plus, did you see how hot his boyfriend is?
This guy wins at everything!)
Anyway, food for thought.
Food that could even be washed down with a 40 dog of King Cobra, should you desire.
Or you could wash it down with our exclusive deleted scene.
We also have ourweekly Q&A with Hostmaster General Jeff Probst.
Plus, you’re free to always follow me on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
(Or on Instagram, for that matter,@thedaltonross.)
Did Gabby make the right move trying to take out Christian?
Did you cry during the Loved Ones visit?
And who was your Loved One MVP?
