‘Survivor: Blood vs. Water’ analysis: Tyson Apostol’s pain is also his gain

It is rather strange to sit here and think that a man who lost his girlfriend and also his arm to an extent on “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” Wednesday night could actually be in a better spot now than he was beforehand, but that may just be where we are now when it comes to Tyson Apostol. This is a man who was once a beast, and one of the biggest physical threats to ever be in this game.

So where is he now? Basically, he’s in a five-person alliance with Gervase, Monica, Tina, and Aras, he has yet to lose a tribe immunity challenge, and he also has the knowledge that at this point, there are much bigger threats left in the game then him. Tyson could come out and kill it after the merge, but right now, suddenly you have Brad Culpepper, Hayden Moss, and both brothers in the Baskauskas clan probably ahead of him in the physical threat power rankings. Add to that now the loss of his loved one, and he could be in the best position that Tyson has ever been in at this point in the game. Let’s just hope that he continue to “have fun” while in so much pain.

Treading water – Given how little we have seen on the returning players this season thanks to the other tribe losing so much, it’s hard to say what all the intricate dynamics are. But is Laura Boneham at the bottom? Probably, and she is certainly not doing much to make herself as someone with the long-term potential to stay in the game.

If this group ever starts losing, it’s a pretty quick elimination of the two Lauras and also Kat, who is really the odd person out as the only young woman on the tribe. The one hope she has? If she gets voted out, her odds are high at taking down a few people at Redemption Island.

Brad fumbles the snap – Yes, we know that he was not a quarterback in the NFL, but the analogy is better than “Culpepper” is at the game of “Survivor.” He apparently got his lessons in being discreet from Shannon and Matt from “One World.” He’s a “Rooster,” and the only reason he’s still around is because everyone seems okay with allowing him to take the heat for everything. Do we think that he’ll be gone pre-merge? With the way Tadhana is losing, sure, but we’d probably keep him until around until the week before the merge; even then, we’d only get rid of him if Monica was still in the game. Having a blowhard around for a while is a great game move, which is why Vytas and Hayden have a great shot at winning the game, even though neither one of them knows what it feels like to win a challenge at this point.

Also worth watching? Ciera, who may actually be playing a better game than her mother right now. While she not done anything that impressive, she’s surviving and she’s knowing when to stay quiet; in her shoes, Laura may not have been able to do this. Her, Vytas, and Hayden are the only three here with a real shot at winning the game. Caleb’s likable, but we almost think that he is too much so to make it to the end.

One last thing we’ll stay? Getting rid of John was a stupid move for Brad’s game. He eliminated a friend when he could have taken out an enemy.

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Let’s just take another moment here to toot the horn of this season. Everything that was criticized early on, including Redemption Island, has turned out to work for the show. The ratings are on the rise, and the feeling here still is that the best is yet to come when the merge comes and some family members are reunited.

If you want some more “Survivor” scoop, we’re your source! Click the sidebar to the right for the latest updates, and you can also click here to see what Colton told us the other day about quitting the game.

Photo: CBS