Who stole the sugar from the sugar jar?
Its hard being the best.
If theres one thing Im known for, its brevity.
Credit: Jeffrey Neira/CBS
None of this long-winded nonsense you find in otherSurvivorrecaps.
And my track record in terms of predicting futureSurvivorwinners is pretty much beyond reproach.
I picked Brad even though doing so CRUSHED MY HEART!
It was a strong selection, if I do say so myself.
But, then, again, everything I do is strong.
Have you checked out my 8-pack abs?
Okay, I think that may have been pushing it too far with that last one.
Not a pretty visual, I know, but often the truth is not pretty.
Welcome to the era of #AlternativeFacts, ladies and gentlemen!
Where truth is in the eye of the beholder.
Where speed and competency in a challenge is completely open to debate.
And where trash-talkingyour own teamduring a competition is a must.
And then itsanotherthing to come back to your camp bragging about how incredible you were after said debacle.
(DONT LET THAT FOOL YOU!)
Anyway, thats a lot of things.
You may not have even noticed, but it also spoke volumes.
And then we actually had aSurvivorflashback!
Has the show ever done this before?
Of course we are now living in a world where the currentTimemagazine cover asks Is Truth Dead?
Did producers go too far in pointing out that Debbies version of events is Fake News?
Should everything out of everyones mouth now be scanned for #AlternativeFacts?
My question is: Why so harsh on Debbie?
Arent these just the actions of a true GAME CHANGER?
So shes changing it by saying something absolutely different transpired.
And why stop there?
But thats next week.
First, we need to finish up with all of this weeks insanity.
(Easiest question ever, by the way?)
Best of luck to all, now on to the rest of the recap!
We begin with the aftermath of last weeks insane joint Tribal Council.
Back at Nuku, Sandra wonders how Tai knew to give Sierra the idol, leading J.T.
Their suspicion rightfully placed, I might add is all that is required to doom him.
And doomed he is.
Unless he finds his own hidden immunity idol.
I mean, you would have to be CRAZY not to use it.
And CRAZIER to not even bring it.
But J.T.s not crazy, so he should be just fine.
Note to future players: This is always a guaranteed way to score a little extra camera time.
Just act super surprised and say something like No way!
or What the…?
when you see the last tribe show up one member down.
She knows how to play this game.
Adam Sandler personally, Im a fan.
So a lot of different elements at play here, which is always fun.
Also fun is seeing the strategy sessions that precede the challenge.
First, some behind-the-scenes intel.
Heres what basically happens out on location before a challenge.
But that minute does not happen immediately.
So say he is walking Nuku through it.
So everyone gets the exact same 411.
This is always filmed but hardly ever shown, just because there is never enough time.
If that Debbie craziness does not happen, none of that is ever shown.)
So we all know what happens.
And then Debbie explodes.
She storms off, then storms back (AWKWARD!
(Question: Does HaliwantDebbies clothing?)
And does that now mean that Brad is upeveryonesass?
Has anyone checked Sierra or Tais asses?
And I dont know what to make of the push-ups.
In fact, that may be theonlything that makes sense out of all of this.
Theres not nearly as much drama over at Tavua.
Theyre too busy enjoying their feast.
But Sarah the cop doesnt want to get too comfortable.
And that dudes name in this case happens to be Troyzan.
Except any smart criminal should always know to be wary of a wire.
Like when Sarah tells Troyzan that she is looking for an idol.
That is information that could easily be relayed back to the others to sow division in their ranks.
while she was out searching and then let their imaginations run wild with the rest.
I dont even really understand what the problem here is.
I guess Michaela and J.T.
both really like sugar… as in the food.
(Im relatively confident J.T.
wants nothing to do with Sugar the person after what went down with them both before and duringHeroes vs. apparently thinks Michaela is eating too much of the sugar.
So Sandra being Sandra decides to exploit the situation, finishing the sugar herself so that J.T.
will think it was Michaela and get pissed at her instead.
Lets be clear about something: There is no strategic advantage to doing this.
It also helps set up the fireworks that will explode later at Tribal Council.
Youve found the super secretSurvivorpre-game vote-off giveaway off the week.
It was a refreshing return to the days of yesteryear when drunkenSurvivorcontestants were a regular thing.
Your question is as follows: Who is Daltons favoriteSurvivordrunk ever?
Email your answer tosurvivor@ew.com.
Winners will be contacted directly.
We now return you to your regularly scheduledSurvivorrecap, still in progress.]
Welcome to the latest immunity challenge!
Or, as I like to call it, Stephen Fishbachs personal Vietnam.
Anyway, its not just targets this time.
I have a bad attitude because Im sick of fing defending myself, she tells Culpepper.
I took gymnastics for 10 goddamn years and made it across that beam.
Does anybody notice it took me 2 minutes?
She was on there for 10!
With all due respect.
Ah, with all due respect.
Youre ugly… with all due respect.
Youre an imbecile… with all due respect.
Yeah, first one down!
she yells after descending down the wall.
Shes not done bragging about the wall either.
Did you notice, Brad, I was the first person over?
she huffs while a teammate goes for the keys.
Lets give Debbie the benefit of the doubt for a minute amassivebenefit of the doubt.
Lets say shes right.
Lets say she would have done better than Tai on the balance beam.
and just give a shot to traverse over a balance beam while wearingthat.
and Nuku to take second place.
He says he cant think of one reason to keep her.
Ummmm…what about challenges?
Where you might often see a bigger discrepancy in terms of athletic ability is among the women.
Having a Michaela can be a huge asset.
Yet, whenever we hear about keeping challenge strength, it is always about the dudes.
(Okay, random gender rant over.)
A shake-up is good for her.
That leaves Varner as the swing vote, a role he clearly relishes going back to hisSecond Chancedays.
Off to Tribal Council we go, and the charade is on in full effect.
Dude, go ahead and buyyourselfa Coke because you just jinxed yourself beyond any and all recognition.
Its as if the second J.T.
uttered that theSurvivorgods looked down and said, Oh no you didnt!
and then blasted every bad vibe possible his way.
isnt just feeling comfortable (which is a sin in itself).
He isnt done, also proclaiming that, Jeff, some of us arent quite Game Changers.
Some of us are just filling space.
Whats this all about?
Yes, Michaela can be a bit of a hothead, butSurvivorand hotheads go hand in hand.
I mean, have you not met Sandra Diaz-Twine?
Is this still about the damn sugar?
is not the only one fooled.
This vote to me has become abundantly clear, says Aubry.
J.T had to feel safe enough where he did not play his idol.
Not only did he not play it he didnt evenbringit!
That is simply stunning to me.
Ive already stated my incredulousness over J.T.
feeling safe after everything thats gone down, but how can you not even bring it?
What if you start to get a bad feeling about the way things are going once you get there.
What if Michaela gets so mad she spills the beans and begins to gloat before the vote?
Now youre stuck with no recourse whatsoever.
Of all the questionable decisions J.T.
has made inSurvivor, this one honestly might be the most baffling.
Hey, whos thirsty?
Tell Malcolm you sent him home too, she taunts him on his way out.
I will, J.T.
responds feebly, because what else are you really going to say in that situation?
Then, the laughter erupts, with Sandra even copping to stealing the sugar.
on the show because J.T.
But again, you have to admire the go-big-or-go-home attitude.
It would have been SO MUCH EASIER to just sit there and do nothing in both circumstances.
Of course, these risks have bitten him on the butt both times.
(Wait, is Brad Culpepper in J.T.s ass as well?)
I have a theory about why J.T.
keeps over-trusting others who then take advantage of said trust and send him down in flames.
It was the biggest love-fest I have seen for a single player inSurvivorhistory.
Even people from the opposite tribe like Coach and Tyson fell head over heels for J.T.
Kudos to him for not becoming gun shy after what happened inHeroes vs. Villains,but if J.T.
Okay, what else we got for you?
Well, we have a fascinating exclusive deleted scene above that shows Mana celebrating after they outsmarted J.T.
to keep Sierra safe.
We also have our weeklyQ&A with Hostmaster General Jeff Probst.
Want to hear from J.T.
And for moreSurvivorscoop, follow me on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
Are you Team J.T.
Did Sandra take things too far with sugar?
And what do you make of Debbies antics?
Hit the message boards to weigh in and Ill be back next week with another scoop of the crispy!
