A winner emerges on 'Survivor: Tocantins,' and his name is spelled JT.

A winner emerges on 'Survivor: Tocantins'

'Survivor: Tocantins dragon slayer slain

I can see the finish line from here, and Coach is too close to it for my comfort.  Will Survivor: Tocantins be a complete disappointment if he wins? In my opinion, yes. I have never seen a survivor less deserving, personally, of winning a million dollars. More than that, I don't want to see a loser like this win. That being said, I'm becoming more and more certain that he will be in the final two (or three.) Who wouldn't want to be sitting next to this nut job in a popularity contest?

The biggest threat on Survivor: Tocantins is gone from the game, and the question is: who will the remaining tribe mates turn their ire on next? Clearly, JT is the biggest physical target, and probably the person most likely to win any given challenge. But he's also one of the most likable survivors in play, and has the strongest alliances. Then there's Coach. His strongest ally was voted out last week, and the tribe finally beginning to see him for the joke that he is. BUT, he's a joke who is really playing the game. Maybe he's not the best competitor in the challenges, but he certainly does take part in the social component of the game.

The individual game is well underway at Survivor: Tocantins, and it's time for a little threat assessment. The least two threatening players, in my opinion, are Erinn and Sierra.

Tonight is the night that's a big night in any season of Survivor -- the merge, and Survivor: Tocantins is no different. Alliances will be tested, immunity will be individual, and gamesmanship will be at an all time high. I think I can be conservative in hoping that the promise of drama this season (as represented most strongly by Coach, Tyson, and Taj) will finally play itself out. I don't imagine that Jalapao will react as patiently to the nuttiness that Coach and Tyson are prone to displaying. And I don't think Timbira will take very kindly to Taj's outbursts. But the big question is -- what will become of Team: Secret? Well they be the powerhouse that I think they will, or will they shatter under the pressure of the merge?

Welcome back Survivateers! I hope you enjoyed your break as much as I did.  The NCAA is great, but we all know what coaches and players we're interested in from week to week. Basketball coaches don't inspire as much loathing and lunacy as our own Coach does, and basketball players don't make secret alliances and stab each other in the back as much as our Survivors do. Let's get on with Survivor: Tocantins round two!

We're in a groove with "Survivor: Tocantins." We have our secret alliance, we have those people that you love to hate, and we have two tribes that (with Jalapao's loss at the immunity challenge last week) are fairly well matched. All we need now is a big fat injection of drama into the equation, and we'll also have a respectable season of "Survivor." We need Coach or Tyson to engage in supremely insane behavior and freak out their tribes. We need one tribe or the other to find out about Team Secret. And, most importantly, we need to see some dramatic reversals of fortune.

Survivor: Tocantins has it's first villain, and his name is Coach. I'll be honest, he's been annoying me.  I mean, like, a lot. But, he's also making things interesting. Not only do I want to see what stupid crap comes out of his hole next, I want to see how his tribe reacts to his embarrassing behavior. Much in the same way a brilliant athlete makes his teammates better, Coach is making his tribemates more dramatic.

 Here we go with another episode of Survivor: Tocantins! There's still a lot for CBS to unveil to us with this cast -- we've barely met many of these castaways, and so far, we've had the promise of some strong personalities, but no great moments. Let's all ask the TV gods for a little excitement, shall we!