Survivor Redemption Island - I wasn't sure I was going to post this...

... but I was a special agent and I know how to size people up and tell you if they are friend or foe.


Phillip is comic relief and I am glad he survived the first week, but how much longer remains to be seen.


So back to the start of the show and Rob an Russell make their entrance and Francesca opens her mouth about not wanting to play with them, that was mistake number one.  Rob got screwed on the physical aspect of the tribe, but if his group of 6 stays strong, then Katrina and Phillip will be the next to go.


Russell on the other hand comes out saying he is playing a straight up game and he is here to win.  I think the key word is HE.  He doesn't care about any of them and if they keep him past the first Tribal Council, they are dumb.  Granted he was the one that brought the challenge together and ultimately gave them the win, but not by much, especially with the lead they had.


Ometepe, Rob's Tribe, worked well together around camp and did give it their all during the challenge, but in this case the physical strength, or lack there of, hurt them.  I'm glad Phillip and Kristina survived and really wouldn't have minded Francesca staying, but I didn't get a feel for anyone else on the tribe, so I'm glad it was one of them.  Personally, I think Kristina would have been better, especially since she kept her idol.


Zapatera, Russell's Tribe, also worked well together around camp and in the challenge and most of them have a good understanding that Russell is a cancer and he needs to go.  We'll see if he does.  The show starts off with a great line from Mike, stating something along the lines of wanting to win and avoid the Immunity Challenges, which I'm sure he meant to say Tribal Council.  Doesn't give us a warm and fuzzy for our service men and women, but I know they are better than that. 


Overall, it was a good first episode and I'm interested in how they will work Redemption Island into the game.  Will the players still in the game know the outcome each week or not?  If they do, that could play into who gets voted off next, as trying to find someone to beat the person whose there, or maybe who won't.  Personally I hope the person on RI that does come back into the game, comes back right after the merge, maybe at the point when the first jury member is voted out.  If you think about it would make the most sense, because any later gives them too much advantage to get to the end game.  


I also must give Kristina props for finding the idol without a clue.  While Russell did it twice, hers was the most difficult.  She was smart to use the map to camp as her guide.  After that, she was dumb.  Her best move would have been to target someone else and try to make Rob think she was on his side, then get him out later, closer to the merge, but she didn't know when to shut up.


I loved Rob's line when he voted, I love the new players as they give away too much information. Welcome back Rob... I hope you do well.


So until next week... The Tribe has spoken.