Fishbach makes a splash.
Its calledThe Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.
I mean, the lead actor is none other than Dr. J.
Credit: CBS
As in the NBA player.
Thats kind of a red flag right there.
(Unclear if those, like myself, born on a cusp could join the team.)
Naturally, they go on to win the championship.
The movie is all kinds of awful.
And yet I love it.
Watched it a million times as a kid.
Wore out my VHS tape.
Because kids watch stupid crap they are too stupid enough to realize is stupid.
Seriously, my entire childhood was spent watching re-runs of Rerun onWhats Happening!
!andThe Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.
Did I ever bother to question whyWhats Happening!
!had two exclamation points and zero question marks?
SPOILER ALERT: They got busted.
They also got busted for scalping Stevie Wonder tickets, if I remember correctly.
Man, those guys were always getting into some shady concert shenanigans back in the day.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything Fish-related could get me excited as that all-Pisces basketball team.
But then I watched Wednesday nights episode ofSurvivor.
Ladies and gentlemen, hold the doofy circus music.
Tell any small-to-midsize tree branches daring to be chopped to back off.
Purge those images of premature-celebrations and not being allowed to touch the immunity idol out of your head.
Because Stephen Fishbach went from zero to hero this week.
Im not sure this move improves his position in the game at all.
May even hurt it… significantly.
Weve heard several people say this.
When you are in that position, your best move is to keep things exactly as they are.
Just ask Tom Westman inPalau, or Boston Rob inRedemption Island, or Kim Spradlin inOne World.
They were seen as running large alliances and were rewarded for their efforts with million dollar checks.
Not only that, but Jeremy hastwohidden immunity idols.
Jeff Probst always says that you have to make big moves, but not if youre Jeremy.
At last not here and not now.
But this wasnt even Stephens best play in the game.
That would be his beating Spencer for the Steal a Vote advantage.
(More on that later.)
Why was that a smart call?
Because NO WAY IN HELL was Fishbach going to win that challenge anyway.
It just wasnt going to happen.
So why not just go for something else that can help you in the game later?
(What if its a complete get-out-of-jail-free card and their blindside gets completely overturned?
You want to risk that?)
Had Stephen hesitated at all, he would not have gotten that advantage.
Instead, he was decisive, and that was key.
As Spencer said himself, he left one second too late.
So well done, Fishbach!
That is to be applauded.
This is why youre out here!
Exhibit B: I absolutely think the game is evolving.
Alliances are not as clear-cut and defined as they were in the past.
Evidently, Stephen has never seenSurvivor:Cagayan.
Or pretty much every other season of the show.
Just say how crazy your particular season is over and over again and youre sure to make final cut.
Fishbach is a pro at this.
Ladies and gentlemen, I just wrote over 1,200 words on Stephen Fishbach.
But thats his reward after being the unwitting subject of so manyDalton Ross Vinesover the course of the season.
Now lets move on to a few other odds and ends from the episode.
Just because people have not been votingwith youdoes not mean they have not been playing.
This might be one of the biggest blowouts inSurvivorhistory, yelled Probst.
Kind of a bummer to see such a cool course designed by John Kirhoffer and company go to waste.
Was there ever any doubt?
Weve heard variations on this before.
Once again, he snuck off to go idol-hunting and this time he located another clue.
Just one problem: Nobody went to sleep!
So he faked diarrhea or something, found a torch and his idol hanging beside it.
Which leads me wonder: Could anyone have found that idol?
How did that work exactly?
(Good thing I have access to the host and can ask such things.
And I did exactly that, andyou can see his answer in this weeks Q&A.)
But kudos to Jeremy.
Having two idols is a huge advantage at this stage of the game.
CAN ANYONE BEAT JOE?
So this weeks immunity challenge forced the contestant to balance a ball on a platform while….
Wait, whats that?
No balls on platforms this week?
and I got nothin for ya.
But no, this was the recent classic where contestants have to balance on triangles out on the water.
Simple, but great.
I love this one.
And the final one-legged battle between Joe and Abi with Joe winningagain for immunity was pretty legit.
THE LATESTSURVIVORTWIST
But I loved the challenge even more with the addition of the secret buoy advantage.
As you all know, I am a huge proponent of offering choices in challenges.
But what do I think about the advantage itself?
So it is, if played correctly, a three vote swing.
Is that too much power?
I dont think so, and heres why.
Look no further than Mikes blindfolded advantage last season for proof.
Like most challenge advantages, it made the running of the actual challenge pointless.
Anyone could have jumped off that floating triangle to go and get it.
So theres nothing inherently unfair about an advantage that everyone has an equal and open opportunity to get.
I love the vote steal.
Its another fun twist, and I like that producers are constantly thinking of fresh new wrinkles like this.
Hopefully well get to see play out.
(Dont blow it, Fishbach!)
NEXT: Welcome to the rainy season!
After all, its season 31.
Do folks still actually think this is fake?
S gets real out there, people!
Did you see that rainstorm?
That was NO JOKE.
These people are suffering for our entertainment.
I love watching challenges and Tribal Council in a downpour.
Others start curling up in the fetal position.
And Jeff Probst starts looking like a grade-A badass with his hair all slicked back.
Its the stuff dreams and nightmares are made of.
But make no mistake, this is all real.
I was out in the Philippines for six straight days of rain and was a complete mess.
Well, it was clear she was never going to win judging by how little we saw of her.
And trust me, had she been saying anything even remotely interesting we would have seen a lot more.
Lord, how they tried.
Still, all that said, it was nice to see her back suspiciously smooth forehead and all.
Hell, bring back Sonja Christopher and her ukulele for all I care.
Okay, that will do it for this week, but dont forgetour Q&A with Jeff Probst.
Was this a good move by Fishbach to flip the script?
What about for Jeremy?
Can Joe keep winning?
