I am not a mind reader and maybe Russell is a great actor, but did you see Russell before they read the votes? He looked like his wife just left him. Seriously. He looked ticked. Maybe it was just because he already knew he wasn't winning S19, but it didn't bode well for S20, if you ask me. As for the editing, here's what I mean-
1. In episode 1, Russell was shown making alliances with Parvati and Danielle and dominated confessionals with only Rob getting as much screen time on the Villians. Since then, we have not seen Russell discuss strategy with anyone other than Parvati. In fact, for the first boot, he and Parvati were the main discussion beyond the obvious boot of Randy.
2. After being set up in opposition in Episode 1, the editing has clearly played Rob as getting the better of Russell. Russell was shown as looking like a fool when Coach and Rob cornered him over Parvati. In fact, that episode still revolved more around Parvati than it did around Russell. The editing has shown multiple confessionals belittling Russell, something that NEVER happened last season.
3. The editing focused on Rob's alliance view of the search for the idol. It never even showed Russell looking for it other than to show Sandra catching him.
4. The editing has shown Danielle in nearly every discussion involving Rob's alliance. In fact, when Sandra came back to camp saying Russell had buried himself by looking for the idol, it was Danielle who replied off camera that Russell was gone because that was what they agreed to. Watch it again. It is obvious it is Danielle talking though she is not pictured.
So, people could explain the editing by saying Russell is getting the underdog edit, but I find that extremely hard to believe. 1) After the edit in S19 featured Russell to the exclusion of nearly everyone else, do you think they'd try to cast him as an underdog this time around? And 2) How could he pull it off? He and Parvati may still have an alliance, but it seems doubtful Danielle is still on board. Jerri and Coach have already pushed to get rid of Russell or Parvati, and Coach is tied to Rob at the hip. Sandra and Tyson also seem loyal to Rob. That makes 5 even if Danielle and Courtney weren't in Rob's alliance, which the editing has not shown Courtney and Russell talking even once.
Summation: I'm not a Russell hater. I think he should have won S19 hands down, no question. But what I see in the editing here is a guy with no ties to anyone else on his tribe who has already been discussed as a possible boot. He has made no connections with the men on his tribe, and the two women he aligned with, one appears to have jumped to the majority, and the other is smart enough to abandon him at the first sign of trouble. He is desperate to find the HII, and probably for good reason.
AND, don't you think its odd he hasn't found the HII yet? Do you think its coincidence that he found 3 idols last season and now can't find one even after given a clue? The Heroes appeared to find there's in about 20 minutes. So why is the HII at the Villian's beach so hard to find? Could Russell be set up for a fall? We'll see.
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