Tuesday Jan. 24th

"I forgot to write down the episode title" Air Date 1-24-12

Getting exclusive access to the gym is a pretty good prize for a challenge.  I would have liked it at the end if they had gotten to pick between the gym and a "x" pound advantage with the other team getting the other prize.  It would be interesting to see what teams would do with the option between the gym and say three pounds.

You'd think they could have come up with more obstacles than just mud pits, and if they decided to just use mud pits they could have made them deeper and more treacherous to traverse.

Also they gave both teams the same questions and answers without mixing up the correct letter choices.  All the black team would have had to do after they fell behind was look at the red teams door to see if it lead to a mud pit and then choose accordingly.

The Aqua team seems ultra focused.  They should make it back on the ranch easily.  It seems that the producers gave them enough help, so they will actually be a twist that pans out instead of fizzles like the last few at home teams have been,

It seems that reality show are getting more and more relaxed about letting you see other camera crews in the shot.  It was only a few years ago that if there was a shot with a camera man in the background he was blurred out, but in this episode alone there were multiple times camera crew were visible and they even had text onscreen that the producers were saying to contestants.  And its not just this show, this year alone I've seen it on Biggest Loser, Jersey Shore, Storage Wars, and something else that I can't remember.  I wonder if its laziness or if something changed the mindset of the producers about showing other cameras.

So they can't use the gym.  Does that mean they can't use the pool also? 

Again I wish they were exploring the breaking of these excuses better.  The fact that they lost the weigh in wasn't really the issue because they all put up good numbers.  It was more they way Bob was treating the lack of gym.  If anything it made me feel like not having a gym was a huge burden instead of a small obstacle.  Also not having gym access would seem like a bigger deal on the show, if they didn't have an episode every single season dealing with this issue.

I wonder when they knew that this episode would only be an hour long?  Did they know when filming that it would be aired with the state of the union?  Was it during editing and if so did they film challenges or temptations that they had to cut out?

The show never seems to focus on any of the politicking or scrambling that tends to dominate the second half of an episode of Survivor.  I wonder how much it goes on and if they just don't want to focus on it or if there are really no alliances and every body just votes how they feel.

"Unclaimed airline luggage"  Air Date 1-17-12

Sometimes cars are a part of an auction and sometimes they are excluded from the auction, even though they are inside the storage unit.  I wonder how it is decided if a car is included?

I thought all unclaimed luggage went to a warehouse in some southern state where they opened it and sold it in a store front.  I know I've seen something about it on television.  They had one on the puppets from Labyrinth on display there.  Also that truck that was unloading the luggage seemed fishy to me.

If half the show is spent on the bidding process, they really shouldn't show who won units in the intro.  All it does is spoil half the show.