LAST EDITED ON 05-01-14 AT 12:59 PM (EST)

Gabon is one of the worst seasons ever because production was its biggest pre-merge player. Having 2 pick 'ems and a "random" draw in one season is simply ridiculous. Crystal and Kenny became in charge because they kept losing.

Really? That's strange what you say about production. On my re-watch, I kept trying to find ways that they fixed this season and was having trouble doing it. It's a strange season how they just left a lot of it to the players.

Like, they initially picked the tribes themselves.
And then they did the ranking game and had a pick'em from there.
Then, after the F10 feast, they just open a box and there's a bag of rocks there, in which the players themselves all drew from. It was kind of weird seeing Randy (or whoever) holding the bag himself while they drew. I'm used to seeing Jeff do it, which always makes me suspicious a little.

Having a second swap is where I'd call foul a little (poor Marcus), but I still can't figure out how production could've fixed it for the Fangs. It could've easily shook out randomly the other way and Kenny is gone there. I think we could also argue the first swap might've been done a round too early to save Crystal and make the challenges more competitive (even though they weren't). But that's not horrible "manipulation," considering the crap the show has done in other seasons.

I don't think Gabon is bad, though. It's just weird. It has one of the strangest juxtapositions of alliances where I think it's an interesting study.

Matty joins up with Randy/Dan/Susie right before the swap.
Swap happens, Matty is stuck with Kenny/Crystal/G.C. Randy abandons Dan/Susie when backed into a corner.
Matty makes a Matty/Ken/Ace/Sugar deal against Crystal.
Kenny lies to Sugar, they vote out Ace. Matty doesn't seem to mind that much afterwards.
Another swap. Kenny/Crystal pick up Susie. Matty tells Sugar about the lie.

And somehow this weird Matt/Ken/Crystal/Susie/Sugar alliance now has the numbers. And then somehow Bob ends up winning anyway. It's so... weird.