photo: cbs
Cut Throat
Original Air Date: Nov 9, 2011
Ryan O – Senior Reviewer
ryano@thetwocentscorp.com
This is one of those episodes with two eliminations. I always wonder if they have a particular episode in mind ahead of time or if they decide on it when putting the show together.
Pretty much who you expect to get sent to Redemption Island ends up getting sent to Redemption Island. By the way, I can’t wait until they do away with Redemption Island.
Pre-credits
Night 21. Returning from Tribal Council. Ozzy talks to Cochran. Cochran explains he’s been too obsessed with the game to let his fate be decided by picking stones after a tie vote. Brandon interrupts them to make sure Ozzy isn’t going to beat up Cochran, although it’s pretty clear that isn’t going to happen. They both tell him to keep it moving. Ozzy says he put his butt on the line for Cochran but he stabbed him in the back. Cochran says it was just about self-preservation. Ozzy solo-views, “That’s how a wiener plays.” Which, what? No, that’s what everyone in the game is doing. You play looking out for your own interests first.
Jim comes over, “You’re a poor excuse for a man. Don’t talk to me ever again.” Then he walks away. Whitney asks Cochran, “Keith and I saved you three times and that’s what you do?” Well, Whitney, you didn’t specifically save Cochran so much as vote out what’s her face.
Upolu invites him over to their fire. Cochran says he feels a little weird, glad that he stood up to his tribe but still isn’t sure what to do next.
Pre-Challenge
We start Day 22 with Coach nonsense I’m just going to skip. He just exhausts me.
Coach and Cochran talk about who Cochran wants to eliminate next. Cochran thinks it would be smart to get rid of Ozzy but he’d like Jim gone on a personal level.
Immunity Challenge! Immunity! Back up for grabs!
Two-part challenge. First round, the first four to throw a coconut into a ring move on. Then, they have to split coconuts, fill their mouths with coconut water, go through an obstacle course, and empty the water into a tube. First person to fill the tube wins immunity.
Dawn is the first one to land a coconut. Whitney, Jim and Sophie then land one.
Next round. Jim and Sophie quickly move into the lead. Jim empties a mouthful and is just short. Sophie vomits during the obstacle course and has to go back. That was a little disturbing to watch. Jim fills the tube with his next mouthful and wins immunity.
Post-Challenge
Brandon tells Cochran that it should be Ozzy since there aren’t many chances to eliminate him. Coach solo-views that Ozzy is much more humble today than he was when he held all the cards. He says he appreciates his humbleness. Coach, that’s not being humble. That’s despair and groveling. Coach says he doesn’t want to see Ozzy leave the game but it’s too late and he has to go.
Dawn says she needs to consider flipping. Maybe a vote too late, Dawn.
Jim and Whitney sit in the water and talk about how much they hate Cochran. Ozzy wanders over. Jim says his plan is to give Ozzy the immunity necklace, which would make them have to figure out on the fly who to vote for, and then ask them to vote for Cochran since they’d still have a 6-4 advantage.
Tribal Council
Cochran talks about how Jim was the loudest critic of his last move. Jim says he did say some immature things especially since it’s just a game. Cochran goes to explain that there’s a reason rocks haven’t been drawn since season 4: people don’t want to leave their game to random chance, people want to take control of their fate. Jim jumps in and claims to have saved Cochran in three votes and says no one on Upolu would let anyone fight their battles for them. Brandon essentially laughs at him by saying that they were being made fun of for playing with honor at the last Tribal Council. He says the small people don’t have to take it any more.
Ozzy is a bit confused and wonders when he made Cochran feel small. I can’t tell if he honestly believes that or is just saying it. Cochran says it was pretty much all the time.
Jim makes an argument that voting out Cochran sends a message that you can play the game with honor and loyalty. Either he’s just saying this to save Ozzy or he means it. Either way: blech.
Coach says voting Cochran out would send the message that you can’t stand up for yourself and he won’t do that. Jim says it won’t change the game.
Jim decides to keep the necklace. Ha! Honor!
Voting!
Ozzy, Cochran, Ozzy, Cochran, Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy. Ozzy is headed to Redemption Island. So, Dawn voted for Ozzy.
Post Voting
At Redemption Island, Ozzy is excited to explore the reef. He brings in some big fish. He and Keith enjoy eating the fish.
Immunity Challenge! Immunity! Back up for grabs!
Each person stands on a beam, balancing a ball on a piece of wood shaped in a semi-circle. Eventually, you have to step out onto a thinner beam. People can choose not to participate and they get to eat donuts.
Only Dawn, Jim, and Whitney choose to compete in the challenge.
Very quickly, Jim is out. Dawn says she’s going to hang in as long as she can so they can keep eating.
Dawn recovers well from a major wobble but soon after she falls off the beam and Whitney wins immunity.
Albert and Sophie talk about whether to vote for Dawn instead of Jim. Sophie solo-views that it’s important to think about the game and strategy but she wants to stick to the plan. Coach solo-views that Jim is a rhinoceros and Dawn is a snake.
Tribal Council
They talk about how Jim is stronger but Dawn is more likable.
There’s some and forth between Brandon and Dawn. It’s pretty meaningless.
Whitney starts to cry as she complains that Upolu has vilified her and painted her as a bully. She says it’s hard to take and she’s not a bad person. Well, see, if you weren’t a bad person, you would’ve treated Cochran a little more kindly and he wouldn’t have flipped.
Voting
Edna, Edna, Edna, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim. Jim is headed to Redemption Island.
Bubbling Under
How will Dawn do as she continues to attempt to work her way into the Upolu alliance? If Albert and Sophie want to make a move, next week would be a great time since they could bring in Cochran, Dawn, and Whitney and eliminate, say, Coach before he had a chance to use his immunity idol.
What do you expect to happen in the coming weeks? Let’s hear your Two Cents!
TheTwoCents 
Can’t blame Cochran at all for doing what he did. He’s crazy though if he thinks he’ll outlast anyone from Coach’s team once all of Ozzy’s minions are all picked off.
Nope, don’t blame Cochran at all. He was clearly at the very bottom of his tribe and knew it but he might be able to work out something in the new tribe.
Jim is vile.
Double true.