When I was younger, if someone was about to totally embarrass themselves on a sitcom, I couldn't take it. It would set off my sense of empathy so much that sometimes I would have to literally leave the room rather than watch.
I'm feeling that feeling again tonight watching Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.
JT, so sure that the villains are being run by the women and that they've flipped Russell to the Heroes' side. Russell, so sure that he's just going to totally fool them. Russell seems to have forgotten that there is a person on his tribe who is not in his alliance -- Sandra -- and gosh, is it possible that she might mention to the others what actually happened at the last tribal council and contradict this total fiction that Russell has concocted for JT's benefit?
So the tribes merge, Russell swears on his kids that he's with the Heroes, and a while later, Sandra talks to Rupert and spills the beans about how Russell is running things, with Parvati as the second-in-command. Rupert talks to JT and Amanda about this, and he's so worked up, which leads to these interview segments with JT being so condescending about Rupert's lack of faith in Russell. These would be the moments that make me squirmy and wanting to hit fast-forward. I just can't help but picture JT at home, watching this, knowing now what was actually going on, and just feeling like a big ole moron. Here, JT, this *facepalm* is for you.
Moving on.
Amanda and Parvati have this insane conversation that ends with them telling each other again and again, "I trust you!" "I trust you!" Which, of course, is completely false. But in the course of it, Amanda tells Parvati she is trying to get people to vote for Sandra and Parvati tells Amanda that she has a hidden idol.
In the immunity challenge, the tribe members have to hold onto a pole with small indentations for their toes for as long as possible. Sandra and Colby are done in mere moments, Russell follows soon after, then Rupert. After 40 minutes, JT drops. After 90 minutes, Jerri climbs down. Candice steps down a couple of minutes later, and Jeff seems mad, since Candice won this in her season. That leaves Parvati and Danielle, and they talk and Parvati leaves since she has an idol.
Thanks to Rupert's paranoia/smarts, the Heroes are planning to tell Russell they're voting for Parvati and then actually vote for Sandra or Jerri. Russell decides to protect Parvati by giving him his idol, not knowing that she already has an idol.
Of course, in the meantime, the Heroes are thinking that Parvati might have one since she stepped out of the immunity challenge so cavalierly.
Amanda and Parvati have another conference, and Amanda tries to persuade her to play the idol, but Parvati interviews that she knows Amanda is lying to her. She says she wants to play with Parvati, but she can't see how. Then Amanda whines some more.
At tribal council, there are so many ways this can go, but it starts out with Rupert and Danielle sparring over ... plantains and ripe bananas? Let's get to the good stuff!
Russell interviews that this is the most important vote of the season and it will determine everything.
Then everyone starts talking about how no one will talk to them about strategy. Parvati chimes in that she feels like a leper because no one will talk to her, and Jeff asks: "Is that just because you're just so used to getting attention all the time in life?" She laughs and says no, it's just because they think she's a threat. Colby pipes up and says maybe they think she is going to be around for a couple more days so they are going to talk to her later.
Russell and Parvati vote for JT. So does Jerri. Amanda votes for Jerri, as do Rupert and Candice. That's all we see, though.
At hidden idol time, Parvati takes out an idol and hands it to Sandra. Everyone looks intrigued. Then she takes out the other one and gives it to Jerri. HOLY MACKEREL! As the votes for JT start coming in, JT turns to Russell, shakes his hand and says, "Well done." JT is out. Russell turns to Parvati and says she has some explaining to do.
Also, in the middle of the voting, I start doing the "OMG NEXT WEEK IS GOING TO BE AWESOME" happydance. (No video, sorry.)
I'd like to take this minute to remind JT of something Rupert said at the beginning of the episode about Russell: "He's on the villains' side for a reason!"
JT's classy exit: "Don't ever trust [villains]. Worse than that, don't ever trust women. Ever. Ever. Ever." How about the woman (Amanda) who last week tried to remind you that maybe Russell wasn't on the outside of his tribe? I can agree with this part: "I feel like a total idiot."