Man, getting old blows.
Your hair starts to turn grey.
Its all very confusing.
Credit: CBS
I cant quite make heads or tails of it.
But other things change as well.
You start saying weird stuff like Ow, my back!
and Why is this font size so small?
Teenagers all of a sudden start snickering for no apparent reason when they look at you.
But there is an emotional change as well to aging.
You start reacting to things in a much different, almost unrecognizable way.
Which brings us toSurvivorand the Loved Ones visit.
Suffice it to say, I am no longer in my twenties.
I have a teenage daughter who still on occasion allows me to talk to her in public.
Im a different guy, and that means I think and feel differently as well.
But then something happened.
Just want to clear that up before someone gets in trouble.
Anyway, as this was happening, I involuntarily took a long, hard gulp.
It was imperceptible to the naked eye, but I felt it.
Then, the next season, I noticed a slight eye flutter on my part.
Again, it was barely noticeable, but it was there.
I said, Awwwww!
I remember thinking, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!??
I have become the very thing I used to mock!
And Im not the only one either.
Probst has been getting downright mushy of late as well.
Whats wrong with him?
And, more importantly, whats wrong withme?!?
I dont want to make it seem like I was a blubbering mess during this episode.
However, now I kinda get caught up in it.
Look at Wendell taking about his dad and how This guys everything to me, man.
Hey, maybe my son will one day say that about me!
How awesome is that?!
Can we talk about Aunt Patty?
I need to get me an Aunt Patty.
Not unlike Donathan, I felt a sudden need to be enveloped in an Aunt Patty hug.
And I still kinda feel it.
Aunt Patty is the anti-Aunt Lydia.
But for me, the best was saved for last, when Domenicks wife Kristen came out.
Hey, what can I say, I guess I now love love!
Ive grown soft with age.
Soft, but still longwinded.
Loved Ones on the SideSo, heres the good news.
The loved ones challenge this season didnotconsist of people pulling rocks out of a bag.
So Im not going to complain about the challenge as it was designed.
To that I say…SO THE HELL WHAT?!?
Its a freakin reward challenge, not a fast pass to the final 3.
Let the loved ones compete!
And if you dont want to have them actually compete, at least make them part of the challenge.
Force the players to unlock them from a cage, like we saw a few weeks ago.
I dont care, just make them part of the action instead of sticking them on the sidelines.
This is my plea to you,Survivorproducers.
It is a loud plea.
Almost as loud as Colby Donaldson repeatedly yelling at his brother.
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!
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Wendells Big DecisionThis is a really hard one.
But first, lets backtrack.
Love isnt won, Probst!
Its earned!!!
First he picked Domenick.
Then he picked Wendell.
Then he picked Donathan?
One ofSurvivors ultimate bros just picked three dudes to go with him on reward?
(By the way, this advice applies in gender reverse as well.
But do we really believe Sea Bass is making any decisions in this game based on strategy?
I am definitely not going to go to Ghost Island, Sea Bass immediately responded.
But then Wendell volunteered.
And here is where things get interesting.
Was this the right decision?
Put yourself in Wendells shoes.
What do you do?
First off, put off the Wendell Sr. angle for a moment.
You do whats best for your game.
SEE YA, POPS!
But whatwasbest for Wendells game?
Going to Ghost Island gives him a guaranteed advantage.
Why the hellwouldntsomeone want that?
In that sense, you are weighing an obvious strategic advantage against a possible social disadvantage.
Its such a tough call.
So what wouldyouhave done in Wendells shoes?
And remember, this isbeforeknowing what the actual advantage was.
You already have the four women that were not selected to get time with their family members.
The damage is done.
The Kellyn Bechtold FolliesI cannot take my eyes off of Kellyn.
Its not because I accidently ingested some love potion chocolates from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes.
I love it all.
Im talking Eliza Orlins level crazy facial contortions and over the top gesticulating.
It would be a thing to behold.
And we may still at some point.
Well, he did.
Plus, it cant help but put an asterisk next to the name of the winner.
When an advantage holder wins, theres just an underwhelming sense of Well, of course!
that doesnt sit well.
(I especially hate it when it is done in the last and most important challenge of the season.
That should always be a straight-up competition completely on the level.)
But again, this Malcolm advantage is the most famous exception.
Malcolm dropped his ball, restarted, and dropped again.
And thats kind of what happened here.
Kellyn and Angela were the first two out, and then Wendell dropped.
And then Wendell dropped again.
I wonder if there could be anything psychologically detrimental about this particular advantage.
That, paired with his idol and Legacy Advantage, gives him quite the resume moving forward.
And then that happened yet again this week as well.
The scene plays out the same every time.
Let me tell you something about Laurel.
And once again, Donathan wanted to flip the script.
And once again, Laurel won out.
But was taking out Chelsea the right call?
On one hand, Dom and Wendell are clearly the biggest threats and they each have an idol.
If you have the shot, take it!
(And they didnt.)
So all of that screams that they should have taken out Wendell.
But lets look at the other side.
If they switch sides, they are left with Kellyn, Angela, and Chelsea.
Easier to beat, but now you are outnumbered 3-2.
Can you win one of those ladies back over?
Maybe Chelsea, who tried to take a shot at Kellyn already?
Perhaps, but probably not since Laurel already burned her once on an attempted flip.
Instead, she made like Babe and immediately squealed like a pig.
Of course, the agreement is take Sea Bass out at the five spot.
So much of this decision could boil down to that.
With all that considered, I would have taken the shot at Wendell now.
and that person is most likely going to beat you.
Personally, I would take that option.
And they may be right.
It will happen again.
And it could happen here.
I dont know what is going on here.
Does Jonathan with a D simply have a flair for the dramatic?
Is he trying to secure some more camera time?
Does he enjoy toying with tribemates?
Whatever the reason, it doesnt strike me as particularly smart.
But, above all, you want people in your alliance to feel comfortable.
You want to be seen as predictable as possible.
I would shut that down faster than Ryan Ulrich once got shut down trying to high-five somebody anybody!
Chelseas Last Stand (Wait, Whos Chelsea?
)So Laurel and Donathan did not flip and Chelsea was voted out.
What a weird season for her.
But we never heard squat.
So whats that all about, you ask?
Chelsea is simply not a great interview.
I met Chelsea and spoke with her before the game and really liked her.
Had a great laugh.
Solid, all around.
But she simply was not a dynamic personality when it came to answering questions and narrating the action.
Thats why people like Zeke, Fishbach, Cirie, and Aubry were so valuable to the show.
They could dispense information in an entertaining and funny way.
Unfortunately, thats just not Chelseas strong suit.
But she did win immunities.
So kudos to her for that.
Finally, for endlessSurvivorscoop, follow me on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
