Jen is sadly out this week, so Jared Bangs joins Drew to talk about what we both agreed was the worst twist the game has introduced up to this point. We also talk about this new four person alliance, whether Ericka made the right move, and who we think is going to win as this game gets nearer and nearer its conclusion.

This very complex strategic episode had Drew and Jen wondering if more players shouldn't wait until after the immunity challenge to launch their big plans. We also both lament and celebrate the downfall of this season's queen. 

We lament the double immunity tribal counsel mix up because we would have loved to see things play out more naturally. However, we also name our top four players who have a chance to win and applaud a few players for standing up for themselves and making moves. It's actually getting down to the wire--it's time to start padding your resume before it's too late!

Scramble, scramble, scramble! And yet no one is trying to flip the game. We talk all things episode 8, including whether Shan's doing too much and putting a big target on her back and also we wonder how many challenges Evvie has memorized. As always we name winners, strugglers, and a player of the week.

Idols, Advantages, and new alliances all come into play in the most frantic episode yet! We talk about whether all these new advantages are making for a better game. Speculate about what changing history should really mean, and as always answer Fun Survivor Questions and pick the best and worst players of the week.

The merge is finally here (more or less) and seeds of a new alliance are sown. We also discuss the last two major advantages introduced into the game and whether or not they represent good game design. We also see some strong players stumble a bit and some more quiet players find their voice.

Jen and I talk at length about this season's most dominant player and ask how long she can sustain her dominance. We also discovered someone who is playing worse than JD and Brad were, it is shocking really. And finally, we discuss the players we are rooting for the most. Not only was this an episode where Survivor justice was done, this was also an episode where some key player made their way into our cold, calculating strategy-minded hearts.

Game designer and reality TV junkie, Amy Green, joins the show this week to talk about how Jesus would play Survivor, why you should never throw a challenge, and whether Shan is playing too hard. We also talk about all the crying that's happening this season as well as the sea turtles and Naseer activating beast mode.

Richard Clark joins the podcast to discuss a truly hilarious episode of Survivor. Thanks to Rich, we finally discuss what irked us about the "Guys" discussion from episode 1. This episode is also brimming with brilliant "Fun Survivor Questions," high level strategy, and plenty of talk about this episode's Winners and Strugglers.

We aren't quite ready to drop the 4 and keep the 1, but we are starting to dig this cast and the new game mechanics. We also answer some fun hypothetical questions weighing on the power of Jeff Probst yelling at you in an immunity challenge and potential themes for future Survivor Seasons. As always we name Winners and Strugglers and discuss how to navigate the tension between tribe strength and social bonds.