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RSSDragon Slayer slain. Benjamin 'Coach' Wade ousted on 'Survivor: Tocantins'
Only two more episodes of "Survivor: Tocantins" to go, and the big question seems to be, "will Coach make it to the final two?" As longtime "Survivor" fans will remember, there is a danger in taking an unpopular player into that kind of situation. Remember Richard Hatch? He's out of jail now, so if you don't, you can expect to see him popping up on the telly at some point. Personally, I think Steve and JT's alliance is too strong for either of them to take Coach to the top of the mountain. But, that doesn't prevent Coach from stealing the final immunity challenge and earning his way into the F2.
Coach's game plan. Coach is shocked to find out that Debbie was trying to take him down. And he takes the outcome as a sign that JT and Steve are trying to protect him, and they seem happy enough to let him believe that. All the same Coach appears to be resigned to the possibility that he may be eliminated soon. I'm thinking that's his first check-in with reality in a loooong time.
Coach is making his attempt at gamesmanship, complaining about his lungs, his back, etc. Right, Coach, why have I not heard about any of this before? All of a sudden you've got all of these health issues right as you're beginning to be concerned about being eliminated. Coach is also afraid of going to exile. Wow, he's actually gone from annoying to delusional to pathetic.
Reward challenge comes with the opportunity to win a night away from camp, and send someone to Exile Island. JT displays an uncanny ability to navigate his way through the maze-based challenge. Coach simply follows JT the whole way through. Some leader, can't even make his own way through a maze. I swear I've never seen such a gross discrepancy between what a person says and what they do. Is there a sadder person on the planet? Nonetheless, JT easily wins the reward.
Coach is selected to go into exile, and naturally, he uses the opportunity to make a passive-aggressive martyr out of himself. Erinn calls him on it, and he goes on a tirade about what awful shape he's in, and how he's disappointed in Erinn. Just shut up and go away, loser.
Dragon Slayer goes solo. Erinn is feeling guilty about her comments, and Taj is there to validate her response to Coach. Still, Erinn is worried about being eliminated before Coach. Do JT and Steve have a soft spot for old Coach? I don't know. JT seemed to be miffed about Erinn's comments. We'll find out when elimination comes tonight.
Ever cognizant of the fact that the cameras are always around, Coach takes his act to the next level while he's in exile. HE'S ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON!!! This guy is unbelievable, he thinks he's on stage getting all kinds of applause, but he doesn't realize that the whole world is laughing at him.
Meanwhile, JT and Steve enjoy their reward at the governor's mansion, and they take the opportunity to soak up the opulence. The food looks truly delicious, and they don't go lightly into the night. JT states that he would take Coach into the final three, and Stephen seems to be very interested in taking down Erinn.
We endure Coach, Coach endures pain. Coach is limping his way through his time in exile, and he's talking way too much rubbish for me to pick him up on all of it. But I will say that I love the way he limped into the immunity challenge, he's playing his part to the hilt. The challenge is one of endurance and balance. Coach is running his mouth, and Erinn and Taj look like they've had their fill. Before too long, everyone except JT and Coach have dropped out. Nearly an hour has passed before Coach's endurance finally fails him and he drops to the ground, writhing in pain. Sorry man, I just can't buy it. And you won't let medical look at you? Are you kidding me? You're done. I can't believe that Steve and JT are actually buying into this guy's act.
The warrior/poet's untimely demise. Taj and Erinn certainly aren't fooled by Coach, but they are not the controlling interest in the alliance, and although JT seems to be committed to voting for Erinn, Steve isn't so sure. Would Steve really not vote with JT? Is this the start of a split between the two? Only tribal knows for sure.
At tribal, Jeff asks Erinn about her comments to Coach before his exile, and Coach uses the opportunity to continue his grandstanding and quoting ways. And OH MY GOD HE WROTE A POEM! This guy is brilliant, honestly, "Survivor's" never seen another like him. And we won't see him again as Coach becomes the next person voted off of "Survivor: Tocantins."
So, the take away is that for the first time since the merge, JT and Steve have split their vote. JT did not look very happy about this, not at all. Maybe a Steve and JT final two isn't a foregone conclusion. And for Coach, all I have for you is my appreciation for the social and personal dysfunction that you have shared with America. See you all on Sunday night!
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
Well, finally! He's gone. Coach was interesting to watch the first half of the season. But lately he had become a chore to watch.
I'm glad he's gone.
It's JT's million to lose at this point. The only hope for Stephen is to talk to Taj and Erinn that JT will win in the finals, no matter who he goes up against. I think that's the only hope for the other 3 left. To join together and vote JT off. If he doesn't get immunity of course.
We'll just have to wait and see. Great season, although not the best.
Peace.
I am so happy to have Coach gone... but now we have to look forward to his lunacy at the Final Tribal. If JT is in the final two, he's bound to get Coach's vote, because he "played with honor," which means he "didn't vote for Coach," in Coach's mind. I wonder if that was JT's plan all along?
The finale ought to be fun. I actually like all of the final 4, so it's going to be a good show.
Don't be fooled people, Coach wasn't really voted out. What actually happened was that the CIA, for whom Coach works as a super duper secret ******in, needed Coach urgently. So the CIA sent in their brain washing robots and forced people to vote for Coach. Once unshackeled from Survivor the CIA flew Coach to Cairo, outfitted him with a "dragon slayer" sniper rifle (Coaches very favorite gun) and set him on his mission. Coach killed 325 mutants with freaking lazer beam shooting eyeballs with his dragon slayer gun before he ran out of ammo, then he killed another 34 of those deadly mutants with his salvation army knife. The mission was a success (we are all still alive after all, aren't we?) but Coach sustained serious injuries and is having to recover at his summer house, the Playboy Mansion.
Ding-dong, the witch (I mean Dragonslayer) is dead. Loved the editing of the episode in showing how irritating and useless Coach really is, then
giving us the satisfaction of finally seeing him voted off.
I don't think this will cause a problem between JT and Stephen, as I am sure Stephen would not have made this move without JT being aware of it. Thus, JT was able to keep his word to Coach, and Stephen took care of their plan.
By the way anyone see Jeff Probst on Regis & Kelly? He verified that Coach was the most hated contestant by viewers since Richard Hatch.
I wonder what prose Rober Frost/Coach will share with us on Sunday.
Did anyone else notice that he gave up after Taj said that he shouldn't hurt his back any more? Right as she said something about his back, he fell off!
I think Steve and Taj are too loyal to JT and wouldn't vote against him. It is a $1M risk, but I don't think they'll cut him down after being together for so long. This might be moot because I also don't see JT losing immunity to anyone else.
Jalapao going into the merge so far down in #s and making it to the end is very impressive.
i think jt was clueless about stephen's vote. everyone is just playing to give jt the money unless they make a move to get him out----i fear they may be thinking it's a final three instead of a final two---i wish the producers would always have a final two----it makes for more backstabbing to get to the top.
i did see that "anonymus49" Taj just mentioned Coach's back pain and that was enough to shake Coach from his zen mode and start writhing in pain from his back. i personally think that Taj knew that would happen and did to ensure JT would win
That's a burden lifted! Anyone else cheer out loud? I jumped up and dislodged the cat.
Although I believed that Coach was the one you would want with you in the finals - the jury would likely vote for anyone else - it occurs to me that Taj will do just as well. Taj is known to be wealthy, only there for the experience.
This may be another of those series in which an older woman gets last immunity, and picks the winner.
Nice one nisl...haha
Salvation army knife was the best! Anyone can do things with a Swiss Army knife....but not a Salvation army knife.
I couldn't believe anyone took Coach's ailments seriously. He was faking! Anyone who has had back spasms knows that there is no way he could have stayed up during that challenge if his back was spasming. No way. Taj mentioning Coach's back just reminded Coach that he was supposed to be acting injured. And JT helping Coach back to camp after the challenge... He. Was. Faking.