TVSquad

(S14E12) Episodes when there is one member of a decimated alliance still struggling to avoid getting voted off can either be fascinating or a snore. This one is actually a bit of both. I generally have a soft spot for the underdog but Alex is flatly unlikeable. Case in point, early in the episode, the increasingly needy Stacy approaches Alex to try and be friends after the show, his response, later to the camera is to say "like I care." Nice.

The main dram in the episode focuses on the potential trouble in the main alliance. Earl wants to take Dreamz to the final four. Yau-Man wants to take Stacy. What we are seeing here is basic foreshadowing for the inevitable Earl/Yau-Man stand-off. Oddly though Yau has the idol it's Earl who has the power here.

The reward challenge involves biting pork off hooks. The winner gets a little boost in the immunity challenge in addition to the reward. Boo wins the challenge with Yau-Man and Dreamz as runners up. Boo sends Earl to Exile Island.

Boo's excessive chatterboxing leads Alex to start campaigning against him. He approaches Dreamz, the weak link in any alliance chain. Boo's advantage, a series of climbing steps, places him in the final part of the immunity challenge.

Jeff makes fun of Cassandra's digging technique saying she is digging like a small rabbit who thinks the steps will be one or two inches down. Dreamz is the first to make it to the final round followed by Alex. The second part of the challenge is a quick pole climb that the well-rested Boo wins.

Alex then starts his secret ninja fighting plan, trying to convince Earl, Dreamz and Cassandra to get rid of Yau-Man. Alex thinks he has them snowed but Earl isn't fooled. But Dreamz and Cassandra are another matter. They start plotting against Yau-Man a little but it's fairly half-hearted. The sad thing is that as much as I dislike Alex he's right. If people want to make a move they should ease him. But often an alliance becomes less a collection of equals and more a like a family with a father figure in charge.

At tribal Jeff does his best to stir up controversy asking everyone if they feel unsafe. Yau elects not to use his idol and he doesn't need it, Alex is out.

Obviously next week will be a battle between Earl and Yau-Man. But what fascinates me is the role of Dreamz. Sometimes I think he has no idea what's going on, sometimes I wonder if he is the secret evil genius of the season. The next few weeks should finally prove things one way or the other.

This episode gets a four from me. I hate being manipulated by editing to think that there is a coup going on when there isn't one. Also, I think Boo's immunity challenge boost was unfair and detrimental to game play. But I love any reward challenge where people get messy and for a little while I was almost thinking there would be a big switch and it was almost interesting.