I only got to see up until the reading of the final votes and then I had to go to bed. Russell looked so angry, which was so different from how confident he had looked the first time around and at the last tribal council. I'm so eager to see the reunion and see how it went.

Prepare yourself. That reunion was a trip. It really is the Russell show for the first half.

I suppose this is not really news to anyone who has thought about it but one thing I did learn from Russell is that most people (but not him) are still constrained by rules of common decency and honesty, even when they are "playing a game". When they lie to people, they feel bad about it and they have tells of one sort or another. But not Russell. Parvati is the perfect example. I think she was as devious as Russell but she didn't do it in a way that made everyone hate her.

Russell's version of "playing the game as hard as I can" involved bullying and threats - good for keeping people scared to vote you off, but *terrible* for jury votes.

I thought Boston Rob's comment about Russell playing to get to the end but not to win was dead on. (Which isn't surprising given that the same thing happened to him on All-Stars. Of course, losing to your fiance probably stings less than losing to a woman who refers to you as her "pet.")

Yeah, I think it's hard for Russell to make the case that he's just playing a tough game when he lost his temper over and over. And often he got mad about people doing the same things he'd done -- like when he berated Sandra for not telling him that she had an idol. You can't tell other people that they shouldn't take it personally, and then fly into a rage when things don't go your way.

Whereas Parvati & Sandra -- and even Rob -- mostly stayed cool even when they were outplayed.

I do kinda think Russell should be in another season, but not as a competitor -- as a challenge. Like "We're putting you all in a room with this guy. Whoever can stand it the longest gets immunity."

I think the EW recapper summed Russell's problem up the best "They could make the final three a final one and you still would get a single person to write your name down.''

And of course Russell doesn't get that.

Hee.

Oh, and in shallow news: I was very disappointed in the reunion show for not including a clip of mud-coated Rob versus mud-coated Colby in that sumo-wrestling challenge. Booooo.

Top Chef news! Including news about the panel of judges and the lineup of contestants, if folks don't want to be spoiled about any of that.

Dag, one of the chefs has a BAD reputation here. And there is no way he is only 39. This should be interesting. If only on the stupid Sun restaurant blog. For example:

[link]

That was the most satisfying Survivor win in a while, maybe since Yul. And Sandra burning the hat? Telling Russell that the only people at the reunion who liked him were his friends and family members and then counting them off? Love her! And her hubby is a total hottie. Is she the greatest Survivor ever, well no. But she is the only one to play twice and win twice, so Russell can bite it.

I really think Hatch got a huge assist from having the ultimate bitter juror in Sue. Her vote was more anti-Kelly than pro-Hatch. What I'm saying is, I'm not sure even Richard Hatch won by playing the "Don't hate the player, hate the game" strategy. And certainly no one since has pulled it off. Todd from China comes closest. He was a snake and a schemer, but he was also a charmer.

That was a good season. She burned his hat. And then called it funky on national TV. Hee!

I do kinda think Russell should be in another season, but not as a competitor -- as a challenge. Like "We're putting you all in a room with this guy. Whoever can stand it the longest gets immunity."

Damn Strega, that burns.