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The knives are out tonight and three people are on the cutting board — Rick, the television newscaster; Aurora, a divorce lawyer; and Wardog, a law student with an over-inflated opinion of himself.
The plan to vote off Rick, who’s already been to the Edge of Extinction and won his way back into the game, is quickly scuttled when Rick wins the immunity necklace.
Rick, Wardog and Ron, who bills himself as an “educator” with his own school, somehow gets the impression that they not only are running the show, but are the biggest threats in the game.
Rick has become a challenge demon, and he’s determined to make the best of his second chance. Ron seems to stumble around feeling sad, spinning plots that never materialize. And we’ll give Wardog credit for orchestrating last week’s torch snuffing of Kelley, the last of four returning players, although everyone had Kelley on their elimination list.
Where Wardog oversells his skills, however, is in thinking he’s hot stuff. He is not. He is never a threat to win a challenge and he irritates people more often than not. But Wardog, Rick and Ron form the Unholy Alliance of GOATs (Greatest of All Time) and sit around like sultans, deciding who is the next to go. That blessing falls on Aurora, who is a challenge beast.
Ron, at least, feels a little guilty because Aurora trusts him and thinks he’s on her side.
Down around the working class players, Julie thinks the Unholy Alliance is looking for goats — people they can take to the finals that don’t have a chance of winning; people who have no resume for making big moves. Perhaps it’s time to change that.
Julie, a toymaker, and Gavin, a YMCA director, want Wardog gone, mostly on principal. Gavin doesn’t like the way Wardog barks orders, and Julie just doesn’t like him. But the others in the fluid alliance think getting rid of Rick is the better move because, unlike Wardog, he is a threat to win.
When Rick wins immunity, the target switches back to Wardog, but the Unholy Alliance still is targeting Aurora.
At tribal council, Wardog is confident his minions will do his bidding and can’t hide the grin when Aurora gets two votes. The grin slides off his face like sap off a tree stump when the rest of the votes fall to him. He leaves, telling them they’d made the right decision and implying that he was such a huge threat none of them stood a chance against him. Excuse us while we roll our eyes so far into the back of our head that it takes five minutes to get them looking forward again.
As if there was a doubt, Wardog decides to continue in the game and heads to the Edge of Extinction.
Next time: Cue the tears — it’s the long awaited family and friends visit.
Favorite quotes
“Aurora, you are not the rice Nazi.” Ron to Aurora after she says “nein” to Ron’s plan to punish the four players who went on a reward challenge by eating most of the rice.
“I’m banking on stupidity tonight.” Wardog, explaining why he won’t be voted off.
“They got revenge for me.” Kelley, tearfully, misreading the room and the decision to vote off Wardog.
“It’s going to be a rough night on Edge.” Julia, predicting Wardog will not get a warm welcome on the exile island.
