LAST EDITED ON 10-21-14 AT 12:34 PM (EST)

Thanks again, michel for the very thorough account for the episode and how it was edited. I see it very similarly!

This is kind of a fun start to the season...the early votes are going all over the place! It seems as though one tribe is prevailing but when they go to their first TC, they are a truly "a hot mess"! Seemed as it took Coyopa three rounds to get it together, but from the promos we will not get to see Hunahpu get their act together. (the writing was on the wall though)

I love the timing of this swap....just as it seems the hierarchy of the tribes is starting to shake out, there is a mash up. Perfect!

I felt that Baylor getting the confessional about the vote, while Josh and his part in it was ignored, did indeed make it seem to benefit the girls vs. the boys...perhaps it was edited this way as a foreshadowing as to how the rest of the episode would shake out... at Hunahpu...girls defeating boy. This episode was definitely a nod to the girls. No. Doubt. About. It.

The events would give Kelley a much better role than Drew, but, now that he is gone, what role is left for our farmer’s daughter?

Very astute question, Michel...very astute. Also, great pick up on Alec’s narration role as a means to highlight his brothers fate, and the impact that his loss will have on Alec later. I agree. But, it could also be a start of an arc as well.

The fact that Julie and her reaction to John going was minimized with one confessional from her I think may bode well for her, All I can do is try my best and get myself back in the game. Seems as though she got a nod, and they move on with the game, exactly what she says she is going to do...this was a bit foreshadowing as to her fate later in the game as well, when at TC she did receive a few votes, a nod so to speak, but someone else shined brighter and she slipped past and back into the game.

Good pick up on the clue at Exile island, but, remember it’s a clue to both tribes hidden idol...so I question if there is a new idol buried or not?

Clearly, Drew has thrown his entire hand in with Jon and their plan to work with Alec and Jacklyn post merge. It comes across as it’s his plan to throw the challenge so the Coyopa tribe will not lose, and he can get rid of snakes on his tribe, namely the untrustworthy girls. Pitting Drew against the girls. Is this Drew’s plan, or Jon’s or both? I would have been happy to have gotten to see how this plan was hatched. By the editing, Drew takes all the credit, but I believe there is more to it. Clearly, they had planned to send Drew to EI if Jacklyn/Jon competed and she lost. Don’t think we are seeing what is presented at face value.

When Reed ran off to tell Jeremy of Keith telling everyone that Jeremy had the idol, I was reminded of the omissions that Jeremy made when he talked about the dumb guys. He never called Reed dumb or put him with Drew/Jon. So, this makes me think that Reed has some kind of deal with Jeremy that we did not see.

Now, in regard to Keith, I loved it! He found the idol and he kept it to himself, all the while saying it may have been a good thing to put it on Jeremy. Keith is playing a smarter game than all of them at Hunahpu...so far, imo. As michel noted, figuring it out!

I saw the bickering between Alec and Baylor as more girls vs boys...Alec, Drew’s brother, got to explain his rationale, but I still thought he appeared ridiculous, especially in a social game that hinges on bonds. Comparing it to Kelly and Drew bickering on Hunahpu...Drew looks like a dumb player, Alec, the younger brother, looks quite the same, imo.

Recalling one of the themes that you and Georgiana noted, the family theme. Baylor/Alec, Drew/Kelly are falling into sibling rivalry in a big way. They are acting like the competitive peers/siblings that they are...but, will one of the kids win this show, or one of the parental figures? Of them all, Baylor nailed it with her confessional...Alec feels like a little brother. She gets it, and him.

Next we had the challenge and Drew basically following through and executing his plan. Then back at camp the drama begins with Jon...

we heard Jon talking to Missy, Reed and Keith: “Here’s my idea: I fear that, going into the merge, the individuals are going to outnumber the couples (we see Julie and Natalie as examples of individuals to target) So we need to take out people that don’t have a loved one right now.” With them agreeing, Jon added: “That’s why I think Julie is an easy vote and she hurts our team.”

I thought this was a significant insight in to a major strategy for the season...instead of singles to the end, he’s proposing couples staying strong to the end. It also shows that Jon is paying attention. I also thought because he didn’t choose to target Natalie or Jeremy, he may be playing an angle with them as well...His follow-up confessional was logical....

“My argument today was that Julie should be the one to go. She hasn’t really been helping in challenges and she doesn’t help around camp, it would be an easy one to agree on, but most importantly; she doesn’t have a Loved One.

Sound and rational. Then, Drew, who is coming across as dumb, interjects his rationale for Kelly, who he thinks is the most dangerous person in the game right now...we see no one agreeing with him, so it appears that this suggestion is indeed dumb.

Then we hear something from the “future promo” from Jeremy...if someone is after you, I am going to go after that person. Clearly this was implying that Jeremy had a side alliance with the guys, as we see them talking and arguing. It seems that Jeremy’s idea of what an alliance means is definitely conflicting with how Drew and Keith see an alliance.

Frankly, I did see this scene as disasterous for this alliance as Drew is adamant and stubborn with his pick, while Jeremy is un-relenting with his choice as well. Crazy.

We heard from Missy that since the boys were all over the place, now would be a good time to target Drew. Natalie said that Drew would be the first choice out of he and Jon to win IC’s later, and then Missy said, maybe we should get out Drew first. Clearly, this is a girls vs. guys episode.

Natalie talked to Jeremy, telling him that Missy was down with getting rid of Drew. She added that they could get Jon, tell him that Drew is leading him the wrong path. Well, it seemed like they were indeed able to “get” Jon because Jon apparently went with Jeremy because he agreed with his definition of an alliance...if someone is going after you, I will go after that person and you will do the same for me....he voted for Keith.

Jeremy refused to go with Drew, and Drew refused to go with Jeremy. Jeremy fell back to his original plan “A”, his girls. The alliance that was shown. Jeremy played like a “girl” at TC when he got emotional about Keith throwing him under the bus. I agree, I can’t help but to think the girls were only an option for Jeremy but it was the girls alliance that used him.

Missy was sound at TC, pointing out who gets along, Drew and Jon, and too many chiefs, and too many selfish players. Clearly, she’s the mom of the tribe.

I also thought Jon was sound admitting that he didn’t have a full grasp of any of the strategies going around and he didn’t know what name to write down...

The vote revealed to me that Jon went with Jeremy, Drew stayed true to himself, Keith/Reed stayed true to Jon and the “couples to the end vs. singles” rationale, and Jeremy screwed them all by going with the girls. Clearly, the girls were the smartest ones in this scenario, united and victorious.

My thoughts are similar to yours, the girls stock is going up in this game. There are themes emerging, namely, girls vs. boys, younger vs. older, couples vs. singles, chiefs vs. indians.

My thoughts:

Agreed the girls were the break out stars of the show, getting credit for the “big move” at Coyopa, as well as remaining solidily unified and triumphing over the big strong guy.

Dale’s edit is not looking good. He even admitted he could be “toast”. Alec looked ridiculous to me as the little brother and I do think he stepped up with narration due to the fact that he’s being set up to react to the loss of big brother, Drew. Wes and Josh flying under the radar. It can’t be good that Josh had nothing after the Rocker vote out.

Baylor and Jacklyn got all the love and credit from the editors and Baylor seems level headed and positive now and perceptive. She’s lookin’ good! Jacklyn by association, perhaps?

At Hunahpu, they were a freakin’ hot mess! The girls were far more perceptive, and read the situation accurately. Jeremy did look immature to me, stubborn, and emotional. It seemed as if he went with the girls as a last resort. Who’s playing who?

Reed: Really not much from him other than he was the one to rat out Keith, not Jeremy’s so called alliance mates. Reed is on board with the couples strategy, as was Keith.

Keith: I think Keith is looking good...he threw Jeremy under the bus, but called him out at TC with alliances and sub-alliances...he’ll figure it out! He didn’t tell anyone that he found the idol. Well done, Keith!

Jon: Jon had alot of fun with Drew, the other young D1 athlete there, and I think he got his early game handed to him on a silver platter tonight, but can he learn from it? He had several very astute and logical confessionals and arguments, namely the thought to target Julie, who would have been someone they all could have agreed on, while at the same time she wasn’t part of a couple. But, he could convince some, but not others. Clearly, he didn’t know who was with him or against him....he does now! I also thought he made sense at TC, recognizing that he didn’t know what the heck was happening, but clearly wanting to get on the same page. He was excluded and it better be a wake up call, or he will be the one at Hunahpu noting, he’ll be toast!

Julie doing exactly what she said in confessional...I love him, but I am getting on with my game now. Kelly, constantly seen in conflict with Drew and called out as the “player”, yet it was Missy that was edited as making it happen. Dismissive of Kelly cannot be a good thing. Missy is looking good in this tribe, and with the swap coming, she and Baylor could really be the heart and soul of this season?