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What Russell should have done was take a step back, have an honest performance review, come up with a plan that addresses his weaknesses and then successfully implement that plan in the game. That is how you achieve excellence – by working hard to improve yourself. How is he going to be excellent, rather than just expecting it? It’s “My plan is, I’m going to win a million dollars” all over again.

Probst asks who was to blame for the challenge loss tonight, as though we weren’t past that weeks ago. Malcolm raises his hand, saying that he volunteered to be the wrecking baller, and he did not get close. He talks about how he was let down in the earlier challenges, and when he lets other people down, it stings double. Yeah, I suppose it must really sting when you finally run out of people to blame.

Probst asks Denise and then Malcolm why they should stay. Denise says she will continue to be a strong physical player and will have a strong social game, and Malcolm argues that they cannot wait for a twist or a merge – they have win something at one point, and with 20 years on Russell and a foot on Denise, he’s the biggest physical asset they have.

Probst then asks Russell why not Malcolm, and Russell points out that Malcolm is “such a young stud” and an obvious physical threat later on. And while Russell is “no slouch,” he has “something on the social end, experientially” based on his 15 previous days and one Tribal Council playing this game.

Malcolm, why not Denise? Malcolm says she is a step above everyone socially and no one can say anything about her. Russell agrees before Malcolm has finished speaking, saying if she makes it to a jury vote, she wins, and then they both fall over each other to confirm what a jury threat Denise would be.

Probst asks Malcolm what will happen tonight. The response is that he is going forward with the “two that have the best chance together to go deep in this game, Denise, hint hint.” And it’s time to vote.

We see Russell vote for Malcolm and Malcolm vote for Russell and when Denise returns it’s time for Probst to do even less work than usual “tallying” the votes. But before that, no one has the hidden immunity idol, so I guess Russell expects excellence in everything he does except clue-reading.

When the votes are read, it’s Russell, Malcolm... and Russell. “Uhhhhhh…” he says, visibly deflating. Russell, it’s time for you to go. He doesn’t even say anything when Probst snuffs his torch. Poor guy. I don’t think I’ve seen any player want to achieve the mediocre excellence of just making it to the merge so badly, and it’s not going to happen for him. Truly, the name of Russell is cursed on Survivor.

“That’ll get your heart pounding,” Malcolm says to Denise before Probst gives some final advice of “keep fighting.”

Next week on Survivor, Matsing is down to two, and we are supposed to believe they are both scrambling for the hidden immunity idol... together? And at Kalabaw, everything changes when Probst voiceovers “The only time medical pulls anyone from this game is when their life is in danger.” Survivor needs one of those “X days without a workplace accident” signs. We don’t know for sure who it is, but it seems Kalabaw may be erecting a memorial to Jeff Kent’s leg.

In Russell’s post-snuffing interview, he talks about how shocked and completely blind-sided he was. Dummy. He complains about how his tribe was dysfunctional in so many different ways, none of which have anything to do with Russell, and about how that “it is obvious he and Survivor don’t get along, so I am done with this.” And to rub salt into the wound, those kids who beat him up when he was aged eight just wet themselves laughing.

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