LAST EDITED ON 05-04-09 AT 12:58 PM (EST)

Delightful dialect in here, I just love reading every word! I agree with so much of what you all see...here is my take...

As michel noted, a new format for the episode recrap...
Coach ot Tyson: Think about an alliance with Stephen and JT...Coach: I have the power alliance, hence my name, the Dragon Slayer! Coach: Commanding my officers like I was born to do...Sierra's going tonight, no brainer.
We then see only Stephen say: We might think about taking out Tyson, we might not get another chance...to JT: If we don't take him out now, he could go on a run...
Jeff: Tyson, another TC, another blindside, this is shaping up to be a battle to the end, 7 left, who will be voted out tonight?

Forza, Night 27:
Sierra in confessional: I thought I was going home...crazy!
We then see JT doing damage control immediately while Stephen looks down, and is off to the side..."Coach, I don't want you or Deb to feel like you were out of the loop. We know you would not want to go against your word with Tyson...

Later we get a confessional from Stephen...We didn't want them scrambling and changing their plan. We knew what their votes were gonna be, we could safely get rid of Tyson without telling them...Stephen becomes the narrator of events here, AND, speaks for them both, all? using "we".

Debbie notes that it was a good move and appreciates them not telling her.
Coach adds that it was "bold and brilliant", he's got great intuition and he didn't see it coming...AGREE with michel...Coach has made up his mind about JT, specifically, and no matter how many times JT betrays him, JT will indeed be able to sweet talk Coach to his point of view. If JT makes it to the finals, I see Coach still supporting and voting for him...supporting JT as the trustworthy, worthy opponent and voting for him to win, will validate Coach's initial assessment of JT, and clearly, Coach is always right!

JT continues the conversation: "Coach, I don't want you to be mad at me, Coach...
Coach: "I'm not in the least and I appreciate you not telling me.

Stephen confessional insert: "Both Coach and Debbie realize that the dynamics had suddenly and dynamically shifted and they were trying to curry favor with us...Basically, anything we had done was the greatest thing that had ever been accomplished. What a tremendous blindside! It worried me a little bit cause, I would rather have an honest big, blowout, than have people smiling and plotting something else.

Coach to JT: No hard feelings
JT to Coach: "Thanks, Coach"
Coach as he walks off with his arm around JT's shoulders, in a paternal way..."OK, I mean it." As he continues patting JT on the back....cut to intro...

Forza Day 28: We see a vulture on a rock...and I think the drama begins...

We see JT starting a fire(thinking ahead, I think JT will be able to do well in a fire starting challenge...)
Deb says to Stephen and JT: We need to know what our next couple of moves are...
JT: "Sierra and Erinn"
Deb: "Yeah, ok."
JT: "I trust you completely, Deb"
Deb: "I trust you completely"
JT: I mean there's no reason we can't be in the final 4. You, Stephen, myself, and Coach".
Confessional from Deb: Where I am in this game right now...recoiling to figure out exactly what my next move is...kinda like a snake, then JT and I talked about all of us being there at the end, but, do you believe them? That's the question of the day? (More like the question of the episode for us! And I get that this is the question that will need to be answered for Debbie, and it will indeed set up the next show.)

Deb then goes and talks to Coach at the campfire...we see that Debbie is two moves ahead and points out that they are 4th and 5th on the totem pole but could be 1 and 2 with an old Timbira alliance...Deb has a confessional: She says that they would outnumber Jalapao with an old Timbira alliance and take control of the game again...I note that Debbie gets the credit for this plan and effort to get Timbira to overtake the Jalapao's...seemingly a far more strategic player than Coach

Cut to the RC...Again Coach is seen reacting to the reward at the Brazilian Family feast and then the Fervadora...once again I think he will not go on this reward, as we have been hit over the head with his vast life experiences continue to be of no help to him in this game...

Question: Who has not lived up to their potential: Answer - Coach. Erinn chops Sierra, Deb chops JT, Taj chops Debbie, Coach whacks Sierra, and Sierra chops Coach....WOW, they really are true to form chopping who they each individually distrust the most....most interesting and enlightening chop for me was Taj on Debbie***Will remember this for the end of the episode!

Question: Who would squander the million $: Answer - Sierra.
Debbie chops Erinn, JT chops Sierra and she's out. Erinn chops Debbie***exposes that Debbie is next on the list for Erinn, as now Sierra is out.

Question: Who would never survivr on their own? Answer - Debbie.
Taj chops Coach, Erinn chops Coach and he's out, Stephen chops Debbie and she is out. So, Taj, Erinn, and Stephen are all targeting Debbie first after Sierra is gone....and yes, I have the luxury of writing this after the episode airs, so I can try and pinpoint clues to the next episodes... Debbie chops Erinn.

Question: Who would you trust with your life? Answer - JT. Stephen notes that this is a "gimme". JT in confessional: I don't know why everyone would trust me so much, cause in this game I'm not so trustworthy and it seems like people would catch on to that. It may be the accent, I don't know! Smiling...I thought the verbage was a bit different than what michel thought...I got that this was a confessional in retrospect, they probably later asked JT why he thought everyone would trust him with their life and he is humble and laughs about it, noting his accent....no doubt about it, JT is quite charming, and I think, but will his charm work on the jury, should he make it?

Taj chops JT, very telling that Taj eliminated JT before eliminating Stephen!!!

JT chops Erinn and she is out...JT chops the number 4 of his alliance first, true to the plan? Erinn then chops JT and he is out, and Stephen chops Taj.

Question: Who would you least like to see win the game: Answer - Sierra. Stephen wins the reward and chooses Taj to go. Later, he is told that he can take someone else, and then chooses JT...

OFG is right, Jeff said in his blog that he thought the possible questions had been discussed at camp and decided upon prior to getting there. But, even if you discount the questions, the order in which they chopped each other out was extremely telling, imo...

Clearly the pecking order of the "power alliance", which is Stephen, JT, Taj, and Erinn was first Sierra. Telling that for Taj, Erinn, Stephen, their next choice was DEBBIE!!! Not, the predictable, Coach. Then, while JT was the only one that stuck to the plan, of Erinn out at F4, chopping her last one, Erinn, Taj both chose to eliminate JT before Stephen!!! This makes me think that Stephen has worked far more in roads and scheming with Taj and Erinn, and JT...while, is JT working his magic more on the old Timbira's? Who will pay off for either?

Also, if there is a F3 challenge, if anyone wins against JT, will they choose Stephen over JT? Is JT the underdog in his own F4? Food for thought...

Stephen continues to tell us why he voted for Erinn to Exile.."I decide Erinn should go to Exile cause my alliance of JT, Taj, and Erinn wants to keep exile under wraps. We want the 4 of us to be the only ones on exile. I, just in case a new idol pops up"...I don't get this....is he trying to keep JT away from exile? I can't help but recall how Stephen never told JT about the cross-tribal alliance and didn't want him to know about the idol...and when JT found out on his own, Stephen was seriously back-peddling...I can't help but feel he is deliberately avoiding sending JT, at all costs)

A confessional from Coach: Stephen won and picked Taj and JT, part of his original tribe, I'm afraid when push comes to shove, that Stephen and JT will stick with Taj and I'm at thier mercy...certainly a valid concern, but will Coach do anything against who he perceives is worthy...I doubt it.

JT introduces the reward, then Stephen takes over the narration of the reward. Then Taj has her mother instincts confessional regarding mommy mode and misses her own 3 year old. Then we have the Fervadora and we see JT leading the way and tells us that it's a spring and the water is pushing the sand up, his feet didn't touch anything, feet were bobbbing. Taj laughs and wants to have a power talk...
JT: The next move is obviously Sierra, right? (Looks right to Stephen for the answer...)
Taj: Uh-huh
JT: Coach is secure right now with us...
Stephen: He's the weakest at every aspect, right now. So, to keep him around just makes the most sense.Clearly, Stephen is not threatened by Coach, he's dismissed almost
Stephen: Sierra is strong, a physical threat. The only reason not to vote Sierra is that she could be on our side long enough to take out Debbie. Debbie is shrewd, let's not discount Debbie. She's a strategic player. To me, Stephen's clear preference is Debbie...he is clearly a calculating player that doesn't want to underestimate anyone, and to me, he ranks Debbie as more of a threat to him, than Sierra)

Stephen in Confessional: Sierra's a much more irratic player than Debbie. I'd rather play with someone who's motivations I can guess, but right now is a good opportunity to get rid of Debbie. So, the four of us have to seriously consider...Sounds like Stephen's preference this episode is indeed, Debbie

Stephen to the others: I don't know what Erinn feels about Debbie...
Taj: Erinn's with us. She just feels like none of them care about her so why should she care about them?

Cut to Exile: We have owls watching over her at exile, which makes me recall the VULTURES that were watching over Stephen, when he went....wise owls vs. vulture scavengers...clearly, more positive for Erinn...
She notes that the same clues to the tree mail, where the idol isn't...they've checked and checked and checked the tree mail and obviously it's gone...then thunder and lightening, and she has no food, no water, no warmth, no way to dry anything and slept in constant pouring rain...the kind of thing that could break a person down, like she really didn't think she was tough enough to do this part of it....She's about as girly and prissy as they come, so this is the top of the list of things that she's had to do and overcome...

Well, we have our journey player, or perhaps as michel noted long ago, a possible winner. She started out alienated, no friends, boyfriend dumped her and now she is finding herself able to make her own decisions, able to land in the F4 "power alliance", clearly, she is showing tremendous growth and progression...is it enough to win?

Forza, Day 28: Seirra drama approaching...Sierra, Coach and Debbie at the campfire...Coach notes if they are gonna make a move, then now is the time to do it...question whether Erinn is mad enough at the Jalapao's to do it, and he questions Sierra's loyalties several times.
Sierra refuses to join them, and notes that they proceed to "freak out", noting the brilliance of Jalapao, and she'd rather be with the smart ones.

In the water Coach and Debbie conspire, and Coach says, "just let me work on JT, there's nothing to worry about with you, me, Stephen, and JT in the F4...(notice how egocentric Coach is here and again he is going to push JT, to validate for him that he did make the right choice with trusting JT, the warrier, in his mind. He will try and manipulate JT with guilt...a paternal manuever, perhaps?)

Coach in confessional: TH eline was drawn in the sand today. Sierra has no loyalty in this game and old Timbira is not going to get back together, so I need to get a concrete answer from JT as to who he wants to be in the F4. Then, I'll make my move...There is ONLY JT for Coach, there is no Stephen

Forza, day 30. Coach with JT: "This conversation has to be between you and I, so my question is, are you cool with Sierra going next?" JT says, "Yeah". "Then Erinn, then Taj", JT says, "Yup", Coach: "That leaves me, you, Stephen, and Debbie?"
JT: "I mean that's the way to go"
Coach: "THat just reconfirms the next vote, Sierra will be the one to go. Sierra said something about, let's get Timbira back, and I said, that's not gonna happen, I don't want to get in bed with a snake, she will do whatever it takes to get her farthest in the game without honor. I don't trust Sierra, sooner she is gone, the better."

Confessional from Coach: "Jt was very receptive and I trust JT....a good days work. " Cut to Sierra walking with Stephen...note that Coach goes to JT, while Sierra goes to Stephen...interesting.

Stephen narrates the events...Sierra told me that Coach and Deb approached her about a Timbira alliance! I was panicked, very scared of a Timbira alliance. Ultimately, we know we will have to betray Deb and Coach, but in order to do that we need them on our side. Stephen notes to Sierra, "you could be playing me right now", She cries...she doesn't want to play anymore games.

Stephen then joins Coach and JT: Stephen says he thought they would be angry and try to take the Jalapao members out, Coach says, "of course that's what everybody talked aoubt, but it didn't come out of my mouth". He denied wantting to be in a Timbira alliance, "I can't do that to those guys"...
Coach: "Sierra is on board with watever she can do, but she's just floating, a half wit, not knowing where she's going."

Stephen continues to narrate: According to Sierra, Coach and Debbie are plotting and Coach says, it's Sierra that can't be trusted right now, he can't get a real sense of who is telling the truth, which makes me suspicious of the 3 of them...

Stephen to JT: "I'm freaking out". "Sierra told me that Coach and Deb said this is our only chance we have to take out them now."
JT: "Coach told me Sierra was the one getting old Timbira back together."
Confessional JT: "alot of stories being told, paranoia setting in (Stephen seen). Coach lied to me this AM if Sierra is telling the truth."

JT to Stephen: "If he lies to me then all bets are off!"
Stephen: "We don't have to get rid of Sierra. Let's keep Sierra as a real viable option...I think she's loyal to us."
JT: "I know. I know, I mean if we are gonna betray Coach anyway, I will contemplate sending him home...
Stephen: "me, too"

Cut to the IC: cue rain and Erinn returns, they clap, and JT shouts, "I love you, Erinn", Stephen hugs her, "I am so sorry, I brought you a sweater", Erinn: "Oh my Gosh, that's awesome!"
Jiffy explains the challenge and Jiffy notes: Coach misses, Sierra misses, Deb with a nice toss, just misses. JT snags the first bag, Taj with first bag, Deb with her first bag, Stephen his first bag, Coach with his first bag. Sierra now on board, Erinn only person without a bag. "I haven't eaten in 3 days!"
Coach with 2nd bag, Coach with final bag, JT final bag, moving on. Erinn has her first bag, 1 spot left, Deb snags 2nd, Sierra with a nice toss, just misses. Sierra struggles with this, Stephen with 2nd bag, Deb nails it, Deb, Coach, with JT to final round. Will Deb and Coach vote for JT in the final round?

Coach wins the final and says, "Dragon Slayer!", Jiffy notes that he is on the board, and he says, "finally!". Sierra noted that it sucked seeing Coach win, I'll do everything I can to get them to go after Debbie.

Then later at camp, Sierra tells JT that they tried to form an alliance to get rid of all of you all, JT says that they said it was you, and then Sierra says that she has no problem calling them out, and proceeds to do just that. Debbie is a wreck and crying, Coach has immunity, so he's not worried.

Stephen to JT: "I think Sierra just caught Coach in a lie, she said, "no", that's more loyalty than they showed to us."
JT: "Yeah"...if I was to vote out Debbie this time..."
Stephen: "We have the numbers to take out Debbie"
Confessional from Stephen: (again the narrator of the events of this episode)Sierra did us a favor by exposing Debbie's half truths and Coach's scheming. I think Debbie is a savvy game player and she wants to win, and she is willing to make serious moves, so if we take her out early, it might not be a bad idea."
Again, Stephen makes it known that he prefers to take out Debbie, NOW.

JT to Stephen: "I mean I'm open to Debbie too, but thinking about it, it seems like it'd be less uproars and dramas to send Sierra tonight."

Stephen again narrates: "The problem with keeping Sierra is that she is causing alot of drama around camp, who knows what Sierra will say? Who knows who she will ##### off..." Cut to camp where Erinn is telling Sierra that she will not vote for her tonight" interesting that we were shown this foreshadowing moment for Erinn, will it be significant later?. Stephen continues, "sending Sierra home tonight eliminates one big, nutt, variable, I don't know what to do."

TC: michel has noted the TC verbage, so I won't repeat it. Things I might add...the whole tc was about them trusting, afraid to trust, while everyone notes that, yes, it's at the point where it is not so much fun, but Coach notes that he is reassured that he knows who to trust so so so delusional, but that he's not a coward or a liar...JT notes that when you vote you have to consider who the physical threats are, the social threats, and about who you want to take to the end and how to get rid of the rest of the people without making them mad. Stephen adds his comments...then the voting and the votes are read. When Stephen's name was read, he looked PANICKED, and looked to JT, and JT looked to him....I felt that it was a significant moment, and one that is not going to be taken lightly by Stephen, or JT. Sierra goes, and Jiffy notes something about the paranoia.

I thought this was a great episode and a telling one. The drama or boot selections tonight were Sierra, Coach, but then he was eliminated by virtue of his being dismissed by Stephen, and by his immunity, then Debbie. I thought that Stephen clearly wanted Debbie to go, but in the end, went with JT and his reasoning. Tonight, Stephen was the narrator of the events, interesting how these two are taking turns telling the story.

To me, the power alliance throughout the majority of this episode was indeed Stephen, JT, Taj, and Erinn. Let's look at the remaining characters...

Coach: Stephen told us that he is the most predictable, and the weakest at every aspect. Very interesting to note the possibility of him in the F2 vs. JT, michel. AND, if he were to get there, indeed, it would be thanks to JT. JT appears to seem to be really working the old Timbira's and gaining their favor while perhaps underestimating the ones that he is the closest to, Stephen and Taj...is he confident in his relationship with them, I wonder if he is paying attention to them in the reward chops as we have been? Remember, JT told us that his game strategy banked on people considering him dumber than he really is because of his country boy persona...and he told us he would indeed use that strategy...JT is seen tending to the outsiders, alot, imo, and it's obvious with Coach.

Coach is really the character in this season, and will not win the game, but will go out by the sword of a worthy warrier...

Debbie: Debbie had a significant confessional spike with this episode, and we were shown her to finally be a "savvy" player....very, very, late in this game. I totally dismiss her as the winner and I, like Veruca, think she is the one that would be the perfect person with no real story that gets into the F4. But, she did have a nice little spotlight on the reward last week, missing her kids, she has been shown to be a savvy player by Stephen, she is up on the chopping block as Taj, Erinn, and Stephen showed us in the reward chopping challenge. I think Debbie, bar nothing happening at the end of the show in TC, would have been most likely to go in the next episode, and still very well could.

Erinn: Erinn received no credit for the Tyson blindside, nor did she claim any of the credit...(arrogance would have shown her to be a loser in the end). She did say last ep that she will make her own decisions, here on out, unlike the doomed Sierra. She was given a nice journey edit, overcoming the ultimate adversity, and alot of progression and personal growth. She is also inserted into a scene, where she promised Sierra she would not vote for her tonight...which I found very significant! Why was that shown, it had to be shown to set up a significant event later, what we saw at TC, Erinn voting for Stephen and more importantly Stephen's and JT's reaction to that vote. Had the episode ended before that, I would say, Erinn is setting up nicely to perhaps win this...but to me, this was a HUGE red flag for Stephen and JT. I think it could spell her demise. If she lasts through the next episode, she could possibly win this thing...

Taj: Sitting back, letting the others make all the moves, has been her mantra. I don't think she will win, but she will survive to near very end. She is showing her cards, that she would take Stephen with her over JT...will JT notice it too?

Stephen: Clearly a calculating player, that I would bet most peeps if polled today would pick to win the game over JT at this point. However, I see cracks in him, like how he panics at times when he's near exposure, say when JT discovered that Taj had the idol and Stephen had not shared that with him...like when he was clued into the prospect of an old Timbira alliance, also, what were those vultures doing hovering over Stephen when he was last on exile? While he seems to be nuturing the closest to him, is he not tending to the old Timbiras enough? I don't know. Clearly, Stephen would indeed be a deserving winner. I tend to think that he will honor his pact to get to the F2 with JT, banking on another, should they win the F3 challenge, Taj or Erinn, to take him along, giving him a 4 out of 4 shot to get into the finals. Will he underestimate his country boy at the end as well?

JT: I still have hope for a JT win at this point. I think Stephen is getting the stronger edit at this point, which gives me hope for JT. As I noted above, he is playing the "country boy" card, hoping that he is underestimated. He points this out again in this episode..."maybe it's my accent"...(afterall, anyone with that thick of an accent isn't that smart???) JT is working the charm, and we have seen him charm his way right through this game, and will he continue to do it?

Clearly, there is a similiarity with the Aitu 4...they came into the merge with far less numbers, and like the Cooks, have managed to stay in tact all the way to this point...almost the very end. However, the tribe vs. the aitu 4 were solid and together to pick them off, unlike the old Timbiras are now. I think the old Jalapao's just might succeed...I don't know, I doubt that JT or Stephen will directly sell out the other.

I think the next boot will either be Debbie or Erinn, I lean Erinn at this point, then Coach, then either Debbie or Erinn, then F3: Taj, Stephen, JT. If Taj wins the IC at F3, she'll take Stephen, if JT wins, he'll take Stephen, and if Stephen wins, he'll take JT...or will he? (Remember, Taj was his first pick for the reward this ep!)