Cheat Work Thursday

"TRIBAL LINES ARE BLURRED" Another great episode, Survivor gods! The two-hour episode starts on the night of the Dan vote with Angelina deliciously collecting names, specifically the two — Kara and Alec — who wrote her name down, then going to the Davids and throwing the names under the bus. Very early the next morning, on a hunt with Davie, Nick finds a clue to an idol that can only be retrieved later that night at the other end of the island. I’ve lost count of the idols now. Nick already has one from before, and Christian also has one, right? In the first reward challenge, two teams of five will walk on a rope bridge to reach a platform and land three rungs on target. Team of Alec, Alison, Mike, Christian and Gabby wins a picnic lunch of wraps and salads, and surprise letters from home in a come-from-behind victory. And this GIF of Angelina is the best. During reward, realizing that he no longer has the numbers, Alec talks about charming Gabby and Christian of...

"BREADTH-FIRST SEARCH" The episode starts on the night of the John vote with Davie diplomatically telling everyone that he feels like the game has evolved enough to where they can all respect each other's gameplay without getting personal. Then cut to him in a wrestling arena mode, celebrating the Mayor of Slamtown's defeat by putting on John's jacket. Alison, Kara and Alec talk about how they have been promising the Davids to flip the script — and vote Dan and Angelina out — but never gone through with it. Then cut to Dan sitting by the beach, alone, grieving his lost idol. To be fair, it was an overall bad night for him. Kara goes to him eventually and tries to talk him out of his moping. God, Kara is too good, too level-headed for this consoling business. In confessional, she tells us that the game is getting to Dan, and she needs to move forward without him to save her game. Reward challenge is an obstacle course to retrieve numbered tiles and use the n...

Turns out, some of the Hollywood’s powerful, rich and famous whose work we enjoy so much are also douches, to say the least. So here we are, at the sixth and final season of House of Cards, and Frank Underwood is dead. Truth is, the last couple of seasons of the show had already gone off the rails way before we found out about the allegations against Spacey. I don’t remember watching the last two seasons with the same thrill and breath-holding suspense watching the old Zoe, Rachel, Frank and Doug; or the same awe at how ruthless and unhesitant the Underwoods were; or the same hatred and love for Claire and her condescending comments and smiles. You just don’t go husband and wife POTUS-VP. That’s a line. So, thank you, the person who finally signed for its end. And thank you, the opening montage, for being the only thing that feels familiar about the show. Eerie, grey, cold. Then the rest of the season is barely recognizable. Off. The. Rails. I tell ya. I had high hopes for...

“YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE” Back at camp after the Elizabeth vote, Angelina knows she’s on the hot seat and immediately launches a damage control speech, telling everyone that Elizabeth was the one who pulled her aside and badgered her for a name, which no one buys, and they snicker behind her back. While talking about Strike Force the next day, Mike tells Christian that he's worried about Gabby from the way she still seemed to be thinking along the David-Goliath line at the last tribal. Meanwhile, Nick and Davie team up to look for an idol and find a clue: the coconut tree sign from the merge feast, obviously. Davie creates a little stick show diversion at the beach, so Carl and Nick can go retrieve the advantage, which turns out to be a steal-a-vote. So they really look a little too happy for this. In the reward challenge, the players are divided into two teams of six, and each of them has to hold a sandbag connected to a trough above their heads. One member will tap out eve...

"THERE'S GONNA BE TEARS SHED" It’s the merge episode! And it starts with the usual good mood of a merge. Everyone’s elated to reach the next stage of the game. They cheer and hug each other, eat, get drunk, and one person looks for an idol clue at the feast table (Gabby — didn’t find any). But at least half of them are not allowed to be happy for too long. Soon, they begin assessing and reassessing alliances and relationships. Angelina is wary of Alec for flipping on Natalia, Carl tells Dan that Elizabeth is annoying, Mason-Dixon are checking on each other and giving out information, and Kara and Dan reunite — whispering and giggling in bed at night, which very much is under Elizabeth’s hawkish radar. So this makes Elizabeth want to break Kara-Dan up and target Dan. With two idols in his pocket, Dan almost stomps his feet at this unfairness. Meanwhile, Mike talks strategy with Alison and Alec, and they subsequently group with Christian, Gabby and Nick, apparently m...

When I was 12, I couldn’t wait to be 16. Sixteen sounded so grown-up. Now that I’m waaay over 16, I still have no idea how growing up feels like. You’d think I'd see this as my shortcoming, but no. When I see my grown-up friends stressing out over their grown-up problems, I’d lie in bed, sip coffee, open my Sims, and know that I’m fine. What If It’s Us is written by Becky Albertalli, whose earlier books I discovered and was obsessed over this year, and Adam Silvera, whose two books are on my current to-read list. Now that this is the sixth YA book I read this year, I've started to wish these characters were a little older, though. The characters are cute and funny and great, but I’ve started to ask myself if I reaaally should be reading one more book about 16-year-olds making out... But as I've said many times this year, young adult books are happiness! Also, these books are written by adults. I should be fine, right? OMG ALL THOSE YA TV SERIES AND MOVIES THAT I ...

“AREN’T BROCHACHOS JUST ADORABLE” The episode starts with Jabeni cracking up at their camp the morning after, reminiscing the jacket-gate, and Angelina telling Lyrsa that the only reason she wrote Lyrsa’s name down was because she wants Natalie’s jacket, which does not make Lyrsa feel at ease at all. If it hasn't already, the jacket-gate just reminds Nick, Mike and Lyrsa of how sneaky Angelina can be and what she will do for a million. Then we pause for the reward challenge. In the reward challenge, all three teams must carry a huge bag of coconuts on a part-water course and hold it high enough at a stop so one member attached to the bag can reach four rings to be landed on four targets. The first team to finish will win cooking utensils, herbs, spices and ten vegetable kebabs, and the second team will win two kebabs 🤷🏻‍♀️. Vuku had a huge lead until the tossing portion of the challenge, when Alec kind of blew it, allowing Dan and Nick to catch up for Tiva and Jabeni, winn...