At the top of the episode, both Stephen and Rob were very perplexed about what went on in all of the conversations in this episode, so they break it down piece by piece. First they talk about how Malcolm Freberg wanted to target Andrea, because he feels she is running the show, and Rob and Stephen discuss whether this is really the case. They analyze why all the players are going to Dawn Meehan with their plans, which is the fatal flaw in their games. In this case, Dawn reveals Malcolm’s plans to everyone. Stephen thinks there wasn’t a way that Malcolm could have known that Dawn was the one to blab, so he thinks it was an excusable mistake. Rob and Stephen examine the numbers and realize that Malcolm did need to bring an additional number over to his side. But what Stephen doesn’t excuse is Malcolm’s decision to talk to Sherri Biethman.
Next they talk about the blooming showmance between Eddie Fox and Andrea Boehlke. Andrea tells Eddie that he is not going home, and makes it clear that Malcolm and Reynold are the targets. Stephen thinks Eddie is in an interesting position. Next they talk about Phillip’s comments at tribal council that Malcolm interpreted as talking about him. They give praise to Andrea because she would have gone home if she didn’t switch things up and the Favorites had kept their vote on Malcolm.
They discuss the decision to vote out Michael Snow. Rob and Stephen think the safe bet was likely the right move since they know Michael did not have an idol. They talk about Malcolm’s big play at tribal council, getting Reynold Toepfer to give him the idol when he was about to play it for himself, which was thisclose to being an all-time great move– but it was ultimately a big “whiff.” Stephen loves Reynold’s willingness, trust, and hope as he goes along with every plan. Rob asks Stephen if this was something Reynold and Malcolm discussed ahead of time, but Stephen thinks it happened right in the moment. Did Malcolm have any suspicion that something was happening, or did Eddie reveal anything about his conversation with Andrea?
They also talk about the ill-advised suggestion of a “Bro alliance” to Cochran and how Malcolm is Target #1 and now no one will suspect he has an idol, since he asked Reynold for one. Next they talk about Phillip Sheppard’s choice of “Tenacity” for Sherri’s Stealth-R-Us nickname. Rob remarks on the overlap between Celebrity Apprentice team names and Phillip’s nicknames. They talk about Sherri’s circular logic in saying that Phillip was her “Shamar.”
Next they discuss the lack of confessionals from Michael in this episode, and Brenda Lowe’s ongoing streak of zero confessionals, in spite of winning the immunity challenge. Then Stephen and Rob debate Phillip Sheppard’s strengths as a player and how much credit he should be getting. Rob feels The Specialist does not deserve all the hate he has been getting. Stephen feels other players should have received more airtime in the first half of the season.
In the viewer question segment, the Know-it-Alls discuss Malcolm’s potential excuses to Reynold about his own idol, Erik Reichenbach’s “anyone but me” strategy, and Dawn’s jury management if she makes it to the end.
Rob is heading to New York to film Reality Game Masters this weekend, so this week he and Nicole will discuss the episode on Thursday’s podcast, and he will also be doing an exit interview with the latest player voted out, Michael Snow.
