After tribe shake-up, Survivor tribes shake poles

Survivor's two new tribes shake poles during the immunity challenge. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS)

by Andy Dehnart 23 Oct. 2014 | 9:29 am

Despite a tribe shake-up and a somewhat surprising vote, I’m not sure I have all that much to say about Survivor San Juan Del Sur, or Survivor Blood vs. Water, as Jeff Probst called it last night, and perhaps before, perhaps to confuse us into thinking we were watching a season with actual strategy or better editing.

• I understand why tribes were swapped now (so there are still pairs left to play together or remain split up), but I still hate it. We’d finally reached the point where each tribe was coming into its own, and that’s all gone now. Also gone: the original Hunahpu tribe having to face the consequence for their greedy gorging on rice, which left the new tribe with basically no rice.
• Even with advance warning of the new tribes, I’m still confused about who’s on which tribe.
• I miss the era of Survivor when Jeff Probst didn’t feel the need to explain every single thing that was happening. After the swap, he basically pulled out a whiteboard and drew pictures to illustrate that Keith and Wes were separated, and Josh and Reed are the only couple on their tribe, and various strategies each tribe could employ to please him.
• Josh and Reed are staying abstinent until they get married. Good for them, but I would like Jeff Probst to ask more questions about that because I have questions, particularly about what that means, specifically. Video would be fine.
• I love Baylor and am hoping she can single-handedly take this season someplace awesome. Her confessionals are helping. “I’m totally jealous. I’m sitting here single, 20, hanging out with my mom,” she said, having to watch Jon and Jaclyn make out. Then she topped that by referencing her mom’s previous marriages: “My time will come, my mom’s next time will come.”
• I wonder if the challenge team created the apparatus with the basket at the top just so Probst would have to say “pole” a lot. I’m just disappointed they didn’t also include balls.
• Alec apparently thinks Jeff Probst is a Nicaraguan CVS, open for trading. Probst, of course, decided to turn this into a Thing, deferring the trade until the day after Tribal Council (Probst said he had to prepare!), so he could show up at their camp and take something valuable. Suggestion: trade more rice for all hidden immunity idols.
• Jeremy tried use a firefighting metaphor but inadvertently creating a new watersports strategy: “We just need to drown him with the water of the singles.” Maybe next week, Jeremy.
• “She’s a self-centered bossy bitch,” said self-centered bossy bitch Dale. I wish Dale had been voted out instead of Kelley, because her game might have been interesting had she not had her grumpy dad to carry.
• Jon and Jaclyn ended up joining Missy and Baylor, which I like because I’d rather have Baylor around than Dale, but I don’t quite understand why they voted that way. If Kelley was a threat, maybe we should have been shown some of that?
• Watch this video preview of the immunity challenge, but only for Michael, a kid who hosts the challenge rehearsal. He is awesome, from the blue shirt on down. I wish this behind-the-scenes video would have explained why there were kids on location (crew members’ children?) and also given us an indication what season this kid will start hosting Survivor.