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Don't know if I beat the deadline, but here's what I saw this week. I know one particular opinion of mine will not be the consensus, but I hope I can at least make you think for down the road. Try to watch for the intent of the edit, not just the words used.

First, initial thoughts non-specific to ratings.

Marcus winning - remember recently FLF posted about seeing Earl's win quickly. Earl won 9-0-0 and that was the story presented. Tom won 6-1, you know why. Parvati burned James and Ozzy but played the rest perfectly, won without those two votes. At least 5 anti-Steph votes in Guatemala. What happens at Final TC is the story of the season.

If Marcus wins easily, this is the story you should be seeing. He'll get doubt over time, but this becomes an easy victory in the end. I think fans want every character (at least every pretty female one) to be shown smart and strong and deserving. That won't happen if there is no reason to insert it. Those calls of "I hope it isn't Marcus", etc, please think, why else show it like this? You know why, if he wins, it's an easy win in the end. You'll complain how they should have taken him out, etc. Heard that with Tom. That's the "surprise" part of the guidelines, how did he get through.

And he will.

Randy's Tone this ep - that's what I referred to at the beginning of the post. Read his rating below. I will only state that I watched this multiple times this morning and I am strong in my belief.

Not a plot point here, but Jacquie immediately tells the others, "Matty told me..." And no scenes of Matty worried about the other three Fang taking him out. Nice guy, not the winner. After he is informed of the others choice of Jacquie, we cut to him spilling it to her. He's on the side of the onions and doesn't know it.

The onions taking out Ace story will happen, I believe. He's around a while. Not winning, but it's a dangling piece of the puzzle. Whether he misplays Sugar's idol, screws her over or leaves her vunerable, he either gets blamed for her demise or the audience cheers when she finally sees through him. And I don't think it's the latter.

I loved the byplay at TC of Matty and Ace. Matty saying he can't trust Ace, but wants him on his side. Then Ace saying they couldn't be fully trusted even if telling the complete truth. Those two, despite editing telling us they can't win, know some things about playing Survivor. Those are two fantastic answers, about as well said as could be expected.

Long post already. Sorry, couple days off will do that. Ranking time.

FANG

Ace - MORN4 - weak N, as Kelly is a lazy cow from what we've seen. But the right term is boorish. He's going to be a hard fall when it happens. During the rank the tribemates, he got a confessional about Kelly, not himself. He's a long term arc always shown in the current storyline. It's the people who beat him that have the important edits. He's the ones the fans think could win. We know he won't.

Crystal - MORN4 - Clearly just MOR, clearly N. Dan and Matty immediately state at the outset that she's hard to deal with. She has sour grapes over Randy, who in this episode "does something" better than her. He was more valuable. Her defensive attitude at TC, when called out by Kelly, is emblamatic. She can't deal with her own failures, and the audience clearly sees it now.

GC - OTTN4 - A cancer. He is one dimensional, the loser force. He was insulted that his own buddy Kenny was ranked ahead of him. Randy is right, he would argue against the sky being blue.

Kenny - MORN4 - He had insight, I bet he gets CP votes, but is was more about the situation with Crystal and GC as a group. Kenny deserves an N, they couldn't leave out the glee of saying Kelly was just a vote he picked up. He was absolutely smart in selecting Kelly, and in voting out Jacquie, who was full of it about not being an onion, but the editing wanted you to be disappointed in him.

Jacquie - MORP4 - Screwed. The onion with no early depth. She was the proper boot, but she did all the right things and goes out looking like a fighter.

Kelly - OTTN4 - As she said back from IC, "Over it." Does working retail really make you a psychologist, Kelly? I should have asked for a sheepskin when I quit OfficeMax after 3 years! Can't keep from knocking Kenny and Crystal, can't get past herself. A dreadful edit.

Matty - MOR4 - He a positive person is reality not given editing weight to be rated P. He immediately stirs the Fang pot by spilling the beans to Jacquie, but no isight to him. He had his 4, and all were lost to him within one day. Sorry, dude.

Sugar - UTRP2 - Not important but still swinging in the Sugar shack.

KOTA

Bob - UTRP1 - "Diamond in the rough" comment is further built on by SPV at camp. With only three onions left, he will be needed.

Charlie - UTR1 - Simple editing trick - remind us who Charlie is, Marcus' buddy.

Corrine - INV - Wrong simple editing trick - did not reinforce she stayed with the onions, was picked 6th, etc. I personally think anyone voting UTR wants to keep her chances up. Don't. If she wins, and INV episode is a guideline (or virtual guideline) that failed us. But she won't. The little bit of development Marcus got should've been the same for her. It wasn't.

Dan - UTR1 - buh bye, see ya later.

Marcus - CP3 - The doubt that the leader can win begins. A confessional not given to #1 Matty, not needed in this ep for any other purpose, but textbook Edgically for a winner.

Susie - UTR2 - She spoke.

Randy - CPP3 - I happen to have read FLF's comments, and I'm the reverse, I saw rating as CP but would completely understand MOR as well. I felt he calculated his meeting with Dan/Matty/Susie, he searched for his place in Kota, knew he had to make inroads, etc. As far as Tone, anyone who still has the episode for viewing, please note the following. Randy called GC a cancer, and we shake our heads yes. Randy then explained what he meant when saying he couldn't tell GC the sky is blue without conflict, he's right again, and now Dan and Matty SPV about that in agreement and about how Randy's feeling about Crystal and Kenny are also right, they are divisive. His comment about Kota not showing alliances was spot on. When he gives the Rory quote about burning down the camp, there is an immediate jump cut to him snickering that was inserted for a reason. HE'S JOKING and we are supposed to laugh with him. Happens again, when he says "despite hating each & every one of you." The whole tribe laughs, HE'S JOKING! He then scores 3 goals, fulfilling Marcus' requirement of pulling his weight.

Some clear positive moments are in the above. There is nothing intended to be a negative edit about Randy in this episode. Crystal was upset he was picked before her, but her only remark is him not doing anything, and yet, from organizing an alliance to winning the IC, she's clearly wrong. It's not the words she said, or as I showed, the words he said. In the context of this episode, we are supposed to cheer, "Atta boy, Randy." He isn't negative, he isn't mixed, he isn't neutral. He is Positive in this episode. I won't get that rating overall, but I am very strong on this. Look past the appearance, and the words, and please look for the context of how they are presented.

That said, I also believe that Randy is Twila. He's always provoking reactions, part through personality, part through editing that leaves him all over the place. He's a pivotal player, who we know can make great moves, but also makes others dislike him so much that he can't win. I expect him to cause some former Fang's demise, outlast most of them, and then be done in.

Sorry to soapbox, but I saw nothing meant to leave any viewer with a negative impression of Randy this episode, a few things to show him positive, and that's what I rated him on.

The winner is Marcus. Should I expand on that? Maybe later.

Michael