‘Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance’ episode 9 review: A new twist and a (big?) move
Sometimes, there are just thousands of things that happen on “Survivor” that you just do not get the opportunity to see. We’ve been trying to formulate some sort of explanation for what we saw on CBS Wednesday night, and that is for now the only explanation that we have.
Repeatedly in this episode, we saw Stephen mention how Kelly Wiglesworth was an enormous threat in the game, and just how important taking her out would be. We do understand that she is close to Joe, but that cannot be the only reason to target her, right? If Joe loses immunity, it doesn’t matter if he and Kelly are friends. The guy is still getting voted out over fears that he will win his way to the end.
Apparently, there was just something about her social game that we were not seeing to make Stephen and others think that she could win the game in the end. We didn’t see it; during her exit interview earlier in the season, Shirin clearly didn’t see it, either. That’s why we are not so sure about the move by Stephen and Jeremy to flip over, join the “Three Witches” in Abi-Maria, Kelley Wentworth, and Ciera (the term comes courtesy of Kimmi, not us), and vote out Wiglesworth from the game. You know those three women are not going to vote each other out. Therefore, why keep around an alliance that will never break? We’re getting almost a “Big Brother Canada 3” Sarah – Brittnee vibe from these ladies (vague reference, we know), where they could go really far because people just figure they will take them out later. For those who didn’t watch that show, Sarah ended up winning. Fittingly, that show also has a ton of twists.
Obviously, something was going on socially that we weren’t seeing. Otherwise, it’s not worth the risk for the flip. For Stephen, it may be since he wants to be able to have moves at the end that he can point to. Meanwhile, for Jeremy we just don’t see it. Why not get rid of people who clearly want you out?
Maybe these two guys are just feeling great because of some of what they’ve found. For Jeremy, he’s now in the possession of two immunity idols. Other than James, there is a good track record for people who do this making it to the end. If he can just survive several votes and get rid of Joe, he may be in a position where he can defeat beatable opponents in the final couple of immunity challenges. Nobody beats him in the end.
Stephen, meanwhile, now has something that is completely unheard of in this game: The ability to steal a vote from someone and use it for himself. It he holds onto this until final seven or six, he’s in a tremendous spot.(Also, you can put this on the tally of ways Spencer gets the shaft while playing “Survivor” through two seasons.)
The Wiglesworth boot is probably not the game’s most dramatic, but it does draw up interesting lines moving forward. Also, the blindside at least livened up what we would say otherwise was a solid but not outstanding episode. It’s more fun to us to see people who are super-excited and happy, and with torrential rain most of the second half of the episode, they all just looked miserable. It looks to be continuing into next week, as well. Grade: B.
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