Surviving stupidity. Will the best outplay themselves?

It’s all about execution. Russel has played the game better than anyone (including Richard Hatch), yet still made mind bogglingly stupid mistakes. There are also different ways to approach things. I don’t think that I could play the game nearly as well as Russel has, but at the same time there are mistakes he’s made that I would have avoided.

But last night he made a bold play. A play I wouldn’t have made. A better play than I would have made. Sitting down at tribal council he puts the (not so) hidden immunity idol around his neck, removing any shred of doubt that anyone might have had regarding if he had it. I would have played the idol, but by throwing it out there for all to see accomplished something. He called their bluff. By putting it out there he was daring them to vote for him. In doing so he bought himself one more (television) week of safety. He just needs to win A SINGLE immunity challenge and he will be able to float to the finals.

Could you not vote for him if you were on the jury? He’s played a masterful game. Brilliant. Unparalleled, yet flawed in some really dumb ways:

He can’t keep his mouth shut. Whether it be about the fact that he has the hidden immunity idol, or that he’s rich, or whatever he can’t keep good news to himself.

He plays his hand a week too early. In voting out John, and then nearly choosing to vote out Shannon he shoots his load too early, not unlike a teen boy first getting a shot at the goodies. As mentioned before he (and others) aren’t doing the math.

He overplays the game at times. I figured he was destined for an early departure because he was playing so hard so early, but he managed to recover.

Russel has the opportunity to do the one thing I always wanted to do if I was on Survivor: give an honest final tribal council speech. Lay it all out. Come clean about how you played everyone, and how they were just pawns in YOUR chess match. If I was on the jury, it would be something I would respect and would win my vote…of course I’m not your average simpleton.