The Tide Has Turned

Many spoilers ahead, so don't read on if you haven't seen it yet.

Yes! This was the episode we've been waiting for! The game has changed and suddenly Wes and Evelyn are on their heels. Watching this episode, seeing the slow demise of their alliance, I wondered why I was so behind Kenny and Laurel. I mean, after episode one I was pissed as hell at Kenny for tossing Darrell to the wolves. A month or so later, I am delighted that Wes and Evelyn's manipulations have fallen flat. What gives?

I think part of it is that Wes has proven he's willing to sell out anyone to save himself. While I don't want to judge this strategy, it's been fascinating watching him win partners in the game and then subsequently ditch them. As they say, evil always turns on itself and it looks like that's exactly what's happening here. The problem is, I don't think Wes and Evelyn are evil. Nothing would make me happier than to see Eve win this whole thing (and what fun to see the challenge that revealed her presence on the show to Yasmine). But my respect for Kenny and Laurel is slowly displacing my like of Weselyn.

Here's the thing. There's something quite cowardly about Wes trying so desperately to avoid an Exile. Sure it's the strategic thing to do but c'mon, he's been in Exile before multiple times -- with Casey of all people. He can beat some of these other teams here can't he? Instead of leading by example he's leading by being conniving. Go in there, kick some ass, find out what Mandi is made of, and people will fear you. I understand that somehow Kenny manipulated the Ruins 2 to never even make it to an elimination challenge but that won't work in this Challenge. You gotta step up and prove something.

Plus, when you stab good guy Landon in the back, toss your best friend overboard, and pick up Kenny's sloppy seconds, there's bad karma coming your way. Oh right, and when you can't beat Kenny, Pete, Laurel, and Jillian after they've just pushed a log for an hour and a half, you're pathetic.

Let's talk about that. How in the world are Pete and Kenny so much stronger than Wes and CJ? For all of CJ's faults he's at least a huge strong guy right? And Wes' low center of gravity should be an asset. Instead they got smoked and did worse than the Landon and Ryan combination. Kenny might be right, "Why's everyone afraid of Wes when he never wins anything?"

Like Jenn (and Ryan), I'm switching alliances, I'm going Team Kenny!

Some other notes:
(1) Did you see Landon's heart stamped PJs he wore to deliberation? For some reason they just cracked me up, like all those onesies from last season.

(2) How come Kenny and Pete didn't tell Jillian and Co. about who they were going to throw in? It's weird that the partners don't communicate pre-voting. Maybe they don't have much time or they want to keep it on the low so Wes and Evelyn didn't find out, but there needs to be some communication people!

(3) I have some big respect for Carley. She may seem like a party blonde but she was actually pretty decent at the Challenges. She didn't complain, she almost won the first challenge, and even won the swimming one. It seems like she has a problem with language whenever she's being interviewed but clearly she's not that dumb because she knows what Tangrams and Sudoku are. She totally covered poor Landon's ass on the puzzles. She seems like a trooper and even when she failed spectacularly and hurt herself, she just kept plugging away. On last week's aftershow, it was revealed that she tried that jump out to grab the bag thing three times. After she toppled onto her head! You've earned my respect Carley!

Is Landon not that smart or something because he was so worried about those puzzles! "Puzzle puzzle puzzle. I just kept thinking about those puzzles... I know I can run but I don't know about the puzzles." It makes me rethink his "I don't like shadiness and manipulation" stuff. He might not be upstanding and honest by choice, he might just be simple and not that bright, thus he avoids the strategy part of the game. Oh good old Landon, I'm gonna miss you. And now my team is left with just Ryan. Oh boy.....

[Update] I don't know why I thought Landon was gone, he's still here! Whoops.

(4) Speaking of stupid. Oh CJ and Sydney. I'll let HT comment here but an hour and a half on one puzzle? Do they change the rules and put a time limit on that first puzzle from now on? I don't know what was so hard about that thing but you'd think after twenty minutes they'd have tried every combination just by sheer chance. Idiots.

The ending was probably the highest comedy ever. Check out TJ Lavin's face as they come to the finish line and Sydney says, "Did they cross yet?" Even the air horn sound TJ makes is kind of wimpy and pathetic. How fitting since that was the worst showing I've ever seen. There was no sense of urgency whatsoever. I think the thing that really killed the Wes and Evelyn alliance is that their partners are just bad at all the challenges. It's hard to win when you just are terrible at everything.

Is CJ the worst Challenge male ever? He wasn't fun, he wasn't strong, he can't lie for shit, and he's entirely boring. It makes me kind of want to watch his Real World Cancun season actually, to see how they edited his non-personality. But I fear I'd fall asleep and I need to do a lot of work this week.

(5) How cute is Noor?!