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Cochran says there are two easy votes in Reynold and Eddie, but “we are seeing the self-interested desires bubbling to the surface and people are playing for the endgame to secure their own victory instead of a ‘group victory’.” Obviously the “group victory” concept is always crap, and taken seriously only by those who think their own alliance is a stepping stone to their personal victory.

But I don’t think Cochran actually believes in the ‘group victory’. What he is saying is “we have now reached this stage of the game." He explains how Andrea is a smart player and Andrea, like him, is looking beyond the six. Andrea wants to blind-side Brenda, but Cochran says the game is all about timing – which means that Cochran also wants to blind-side Brenda but he thinks it is too soon to do that.

Andrea is now talking with Dawn, who says that Brenda is a threat but “I want Reynold gone. He’s disruptive to my brain.” Andrea says “I think it’s Brenda”. Her main argument is that she hasn’t upset anyone. Is that because Brenda hasn’t spoken to anyone? “Oh my gosh!” says Dawn, who immediately starts clenching her jaw. She interviews how both Reynold and Brenda are options, and how the biggest obstacle for her has been her mind.

Time for Tribal Council. Here’s Michael and Phillip and new juror Malcolm, who seems to have come straight from shooting a Garnier-Fructis commercial. His hair is luxuriant. Probst leads things off with a judgmental question about Eddie. Can you believe he quit a challenge for food? Eddie explains quite disarmingly that he knew he wouldn’t win, so he sacrificed security and self-pride for some donuts. Everyone laughs, because it’s Eddie. It’s like how everyone cheered Cochran when he won his first immunity necklace.

Probst goes on to recap the rest of the challenge. Why did Andrea and Brenda stay out there for hours if they were such a tight group of six? Didn’t you just berate Eddie for quitting? Brenda said it was an opportunity to test herself and she is happy she was beaten. Andrea nods.

But Probst wants to keep talking about it, and asks Reynold if maybe it means they are not so tight. Reynold declares that he’s “a guy everyone assumes is going home, but I could be a great instrument for any moves you want to make.” Like that plea has worked at all the last six times he’s tried it. If this is Reynold’s pitch, and he’s not saying something like “there could be a few surprises tonight, wink wink,” it’s pretty clear he’s going home.

Probst asks Cochran about Reynold’s “use me” plea and that moves are all about timing. Cochran agrees it is about timing, and ideally about making a move the second before a move is made against you. “It takes a lot of self-awareness to be able to pull off something like that”. Well, probably. But not every time.

Probst gets out the thumbscrews. “Dawn, no matter how comfortable you feel, it’s possible that it’s you on the outside tonight.” “Always, which is why the longer I play both sides, the harder it is to trust anyone at all, because I know I’m not trustworthy.” Probst says that this is one of the most honest things anyone has said ever at any Tribal Council. I think in Probst’s “honest” means “stupid.”

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