Survivor 4/15

Before my review of last night's Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, I want to ask you all to tune into "Miami Medical" on CBS tonight (Friday) at 9:00 pm Central Time. Below is a link for some info about the show: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/miami_medical/about/


I've six degrees of separation to this program (actually five...) and I've yet to watch, but I'll give it a chance and my honest review in days to come. It was created by Jeffrey Lieber who was one of the co-creators of the best show on TV right now, "LOST".

If you're going to be out tonight, be sure to DVR it.

Now onto Survivor.

** SPOILERS AHEAD...IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED, TURN AWAY NOW...**

Okay, let the broken record start now: Russell Hantz is the best and most entertaining Survivor player ever. The man is incredible. Villain Russell said nothing, NOTHING to Hero J.T., and yet J.T. felt so sorry for our man that he gave Russ the Individual Hidden Immunity Idol ("IHII"). For novices to the show, each week someone is voted out and an IHII can give immunity so that whomever holds and plays the IHII cannot be voted out. The last season that Russell played, he found and played THREE IHII's! He doesn't need anyone helping him! But in this "all-star" season of Survivor, Russell has the advantage that none of the other Survivors had the benefit of watching his season, as this season took place before Russell's first season aired. Had J.T. this benefit, he would have never, EVER, made this critical and frankly, dumb mistake.

Here's how it went down: at the reward challenge, the five remaining Heroes saw the new Villain tribe consisting of Russell and five women (Coach being voted off last episode). The came to the "obvious" conclusion that there was a women's alliance and poor Russell was doomed. They had no clue that Russell was running the show. The Villains wound up winning the reward of an Outback Steakhouse feast. At the feast, Pavarti found a clue to another IHII and shared that knowledge only with Danielle saying, I'll tell Russell on a need to know basis. Pavarti and Danielle did indeed find the second IHII and did keep it secret from dear Russell. Meanwhile the Heroes retreated to their camp to strategize...

At Heroes' camp, J.T. came up with a brilliant plan which he shared with the rest: if the Villains don't win at the immunity challenge, he would slyly slip Russell the IHII and tell him to play the idol to save himself and when the two tribes merged (J.T. assumed the merge would definitely happen after the next expulsion), then the Heroes would have a new ally in Russell who would "owe them one". Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Save for one point- he is giving the IHII to RUSSELL HANTZ.

Well, according to script, Heroes dominated the immunity challenge, Villains lost, J.T. slipped the IHII to Russell and some of the best TV in a long time happened. Back at Villain's camp, Russell shared the news with his allies Parvati, Danielle and Jerri, and also shared the heartfelt love note that J.T. included with the IHII. GREAT TV!!

The actual Tribal Council was anti-climatic as Russell's allies held a 4-2 advantage over the two outcasts Sandra and Courtney. It was just a matter of who the four wanted to keep. Courtney was ousted and they kept Sandra in what I think will be a CRITICAL MISTAKE! (mark it down). More great TV was watching Jury Member Coach (the first member of the Jury who will decide who wins $1,000,000) in his kimono and apparently meditating while in the Lotus position. Seriously, where do they get these people??

Next weeks preview show the Heroes and Villains merging and Sandra immediately flipping to the Heroes side. I pray this doesn't lead to Russell's downfall...

Overall grade of this episode: A-