Survivor Redemption Island Episode 8 Thoughts

One thing that Jeff Probst has been repeating throughout this season is that Redemption Island is here to stay. So I'm confused about why they would restart Reemption Island after sending Matt into the game. That's the sort of thing that could be used as a twist after the third or fourth season, when people think they've got the game figured out. Instead now, you've already planted the thought that Redemption Island doesn't necessarily go away after the first person returns to the game, so they will consider the possibility.

As well, the dynamic brought to us by having the two tribes meet and interact in a non-challenge environment is lost here. Instead, you have a forced situation where people will be forced to have alone time with one another. That'd be fine, but we already have that dynamic available to us in reward challenges. I don't know what other twist they're going to add to this, but they need to do something to replace what was the best part of Redemption Island.
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When the Immunity Challenge was over, I had to rewind it. I heard the dramatic music reaching a crescendo, so I knew that it was going to be over. But I had just assumed that Mike was going to win since he hadn't moved, well, ever. But instead Natalie won, and we got a crazy half hour that cumulated in our second blindside of the season - both of which happened to the same person.

Matt might be too honest for this game. Or at least too naive. If he honestly thought that the reaction to his revelation that he had a chance for final three with Mike if he voted out Grant would get him on Rob's good side, he hasn't been paying attention. I don't know which reason drove him most, but either way he was in trouble.

Matt was also crazy to consider switching to Zapatera. He's 6 of 7 in Omatepe, true, but in Zapatera he'd be in the same position AND getting more people angry at him. When he said that the game respects bold moves, he was only partially correct. The game respects bold moves that make sense. Matt failed to understand that he was making a lateral move, and it ended up hurting him in the end.

It's also worth noting that Rob's understanding of the game is even more obvious now. Rob doesn't care about the possibility of Matt coming back into the game again. He just knows that he wants to remove Matt's vote from the equation. That he also flusted the idola the same time was just gravy.
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One quick thought: you can't vote Phillip out any time soon. His gold in Tribal Council is needed.
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Random observation: Jeff didn't ask Natalie if she wanted to give up the immunity necklace. Change in the rules that you can't give up the necklace any longer, or just an oversight on Jeff's part?