As the episodes name suggests, TV Fanatic's own Knights of the Round Table have gathered to analyze the Heroes chances after James' injury along with other developments from last night's episode. Reader feedback on the following topics is encouraged...
Did JT make another mistake?
Kakdaddy: I'd hate to put all the blame on JT for this one because the entire Heroes tribe has been awful...so dysfunctional to the point where I have little confidence in them making the right choice. Amanda, Rupert and especially James hold a great deal of the blame for this. I do think JT chose poorly though as Tom and Colby seemed to be the only ones willing to make correct choices and judgments and James is off his rocker by this point. If his knee doesn't hold up they should all be branded idiots.
Lady Gaga: Yes. James is a liability and will not be able to contribute around camp or to winning challenges. The Heroes are preaching about keeping the team strong to win challenges but are terrible at executing. Rupert was absolutely right when he said “maybe you should vote me out, I can’t run” or something along those lines. I think the tribe missed out on getting rid of Candice, Rupert or James because none of them are helping in challenges. And how is Boston Rob so good at puzzles!
Mr. Probst: These power play moves in the tribal stage of the game come back to haunt players again and again and again. You can't win challenges when you vote off your best challenge players. When will they learn?
Is Russell really in control of the Villains tribe now that he has the idol?
Kakdaddy: Not in the least. He might be able to swing Coach, but that is only 3. He has a long way to go if he thinks he's going to take control over this tribe. Jerri hates Parvati and won't switch. I don't see Sandra or Courtney leaving Rob's protection either.
Lady Gaga: Absolutely not. Even though Russell was successful in bringing the Dragon Slayer to his Kingdom, Rob is way too good and has the numbers. If they ever lose a challenge, the Villains will vote Russell to get the idol out but take Parvati out in the process. Then Russell won't have the idol and Coach will go crying back to Boston Rob.
Mr. Probst: Using it to get people on his side is a sound strategy, but it won't net him control of the Villains tribe or the game. The biggest power play Russell could do is absorb all of the votes, play the idol and have Rob eliminated instead. So long as Rob's around, he'll control the numbers.
Has there ever been a more dominant Survivor challenge contestant than Boston Rob?
Kakdaddy: I would give a slight edge for pure challenge dominance to Amanda's former show-mance partner Ozzy. That man utterly dominated every single challenge. He was apparently half fish with perfect balance and tons of speed and strength. However, Rob is dominant in many aspects of the game making him a better all-around player. Few can dominate challenges and control the social game better than Boston Rob. He is truly an epic reality show contestant.
Lady Gaga: He's very good, but performances like Tom in Survivor: Palau, Ozzie in Survivor: Micronesia and Brian in Survivor: Thailand all had dominating runs as well.
Mr. Probst: Certainly not in tribal challenges. Tom, Ozzie, Brian, Colby and a host of others (including Boston Rob's run through Survivor: All-Stars) have put together great individual runs, but no one has controlled tribal challenges like Rob. Because of that, he's completely untouchable until the merge.
Can Colby survive without Tom?
Kakdaddy: I really hope so because I'm getting tired of James. It only seems likely with some crazy twist like Colby going on a journey and getting to switch tribes is going to save him. Or if the Heroes start winning immunity, but we know that's not going to happen. Maybe James could finally alienate his other tribe members and they will vote him off instead of Colby. All seem unlikely though so it probably will be the end for him soon.
Lady Gaga: Colby is in a very difficult situation. The only way he can survive is to stress the importance of winning challenges and swing James, JT and Amanda.
Mr. Probst: While it doesn't look good for Colby, I think he can stick around. If the Heroes lose the next tribal council, I think they'll get rid of James. Especially if it's a challenge that they might have won with an able bodied person. If Colby can stick around for through one more tribal, he'll get the target off of his back. Candice is another reasonable option to eliminate before Colby. She annoyed Rupert last week.
Do the Heroes have any chance to even the numbers with the Villains before a merge?
Kakdaddy: No. I have zero confidence that that tribe can roll off a series of winning streaks unless the Villains do something idiotic like throw a few challenges to try to vote someone off. Rupert and Amanda are too stupid to vote correctly and both have been inept at challenges. They have no one to do any of the puzzles and this is an All-Star version so there are no weak challenges. They get no breaks and will continue to lose. James on a bum knee makes it even worse as he was their only advantage in terms of sheer brawn. Later Heroes, you guys suck.
Lady Gaga: To quote the magic eight ball - Outlook not good.
Mr. Probst: I doubt they'll get whitewashed the rest of the way, but they're too many tribe members behind to even the numbers. We don't know when the merge is going to be, but the Heroes would seemingly have to go undefeated from now until the merge to even the numbers. They're down three right now, so at minimum three in a row. Doesn't seem likely.
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