Woo hoo! Survivor is back and so is Michael Skupin! He is one of my all-time favorite players. Add in the always strategic Jonathan Penner, Bible-thumping Lisa Welchel (Blair from "Facts of Life"), and former MLB All-star Jeff Kent and you have a formula for a solid edition of Survivor in season #25.

I am again recapping/blogging about the show on the WSJournal's Entertainment site, so you can read my recap there. Here is the most important part--

Back at camp, Zane says he is cramping and is just not in shape to play the game. He asks them to vote him out. He secretly admits that this is all strategy to see how much everyone likes him. He is pretending to be weak because he thinks they all like him so much that they will take Russell out anyway. Ummm, this seems really, really stupid to me. Like monumentally stupid.

Other members of Matsing practically beg Zane to stick around, but he is still waffling about it and pretending to be weak. I don’t even begin to understand this strategy. It is clear that his tribe likes him and wants to keep him in the game, but he is making it easy for them to take him out instead. He seems to think he is making some brilliant move. I don’t see it. I don’t get it. Playing the “I am weak and not a threat” card at the start of the game is dumb. That is a card you play after 10+ players have been taken out, not at the start. This makes no sense. I think they are going to vote Zane out.

There is a funny moment when Zane calls himself a master at chess and says, “King me!” Uhh, Zane, you “King” someone in checkers, not chess. So, not only does he not know how to play Survivor, but he does not know how to play board games either. I am laughing at his so-called “strategy.”
As an aside, do me a favor and click over to the article so it gets a lot of hits. The editors are not sure they want me to do recaps for the entire season. Also, comment there, even if it is just "So glad Survivor is back! Can't wait for another season of recaps and chats about it." I am hoping lots of hits and comments will help convince them to let me do it

Of course, we can have the larger discussion of the show here, like we always do! I like Skupin's position. I think Russell and Lisa are in hot water and Penner needs help too. Jeff Kent may make the merge, but he won't win it. He's too rich and folks will know about it soon.

-Jason "sorry to be here asking for hits for somewhere else... bad form, I know... but hopefully ya'll won't hate me for it" Evans