Since it didn't factor into this episode, the question becomes what part does it play in the building blocks of the overall story?

Well, the biggest thing that it did for me was enlightened me as to the feelings of the Raro tribe for their "least favorites", as reported by Rebecca. We touched on this conversation in the misdirection thread this week and I want to touch on it here as well. Jiffy in his pre-game interviews said that when we watch this series we may start out rooting for our own ethnic group favorites, but in no time we would be rooting for the underdog.

Clearly, Ozzy epitomizes the underdog in and regardless of the editing. His tribe has been eliminated almost completely. He finds himself the sole original Aitu on his nu Aitu tribe. He bonded with the misfits over there and voiced that he just didn't want to play the game any more after Cece was booted. VS and friends have noted that something drastic in his demeanor changed from his reaction to Cece being eliminated and the rest of the episode. He went from despair to upbeat super-tribemate in and out of the challenges. Most likely he was approached by someone else on the tribe regarding an alliance...

While BR speculated that perhaps he was just encouraged by the power 5(someone may have thrown him a bone), but I really suspect that he has found someone to watch his back over there. I just do not see him with all the editing pointing out that the power 5 in Aitu just can not "trust him", and then the other tribe confessing their distaste for those three especially. Clearly, the editing has him isolated, and how can he reach end game like this?

The more I ponder this delimma the more convinced I am that he indeed has a binding alliance with one or more of the power five over in nuAitu and at this point I suspect it could be Jonathan, or perhaps even Jonathan and Yul.

What I want to know is why can't they trust him, is it because he is kicking A$$ in the challenges and could be a big threat later, or is it that they see that he is a crafty player?

We all saw in the last episode how no one wanted to go with Ozzy, Yul, or Flicka to explore the other island. No one in the power 5 wants to be seen with the "others". Did Yul really want to bring in another member to their alliance to ditch Cowboy and Flicka and thus choose Sundra because she was all alone and "he liked her"??? Is this a decoy to fool some others in the power 5 alliance? I believe that this original alliance, the one that we are seeing, Yul, Becky, Candice, Jonathan, Sundra is already fractured. Even if Ozzy goes on an incredible immunity run in the individual part of the game, at some point he will lose and if someone doesn't have his back, how could he make it to end game. I theorize that someone already may have his back...the question is who?

I also speculate that Jonathan may be the one on nuAitu that could have approached Ozzy. Jonathan seems like a very bright guy, and knows that survivor is like a chess game. It's good to have multiple OPTIONS....perhaps Ozzy even approached him. Clearly Ozzy can be seen as an asset, someone to get you to the end. Jonathan must know that Flicka is someone that he can not count on, and I'm sure he has questions regarding the alliance of Yul/Becky, knowing that their first priority is to EACH OTHER...Also, with all this animosity toward Ozzy, might Jonathan suspect that he could make a good F2 foil? Perhaps if Ozzy/Jonathan got to the merge, they could reconnect with Parv/Adam/Nate. This is all wild speculation, I realize. Food for thought. All of this stemmed from the underdog edit of Ozzy, the wonder-survivor!

Jiffy also noted in his pre-game interviews that something would happen midgame that would change the game in a beautiful way....???