WEEK EIGHT:

A Story of Betrayal

How ironic and silly that the person Jupiter was trying to protect decided to put her on the chopping block. Captain Azmyth, who's days are numbered it seems to me, became strangely defensive, even angry that Jupiter even spoke the word "Mutiny." I call that "disconnected from reality." But hey, as Mark Twain said, "Da Nile ain't just a river in Egypt."

So it's goodbye to one of the cooler people on the Picton Castle. Jupiter put too much faith in friendship to last in a cutthroat game. And so the Pirates must change cooks once again.

Another ripple in the game dynamics is also increasingly apparent. If a Mutiny happens, do the remaining crew then vote for a new Captain? If so, Jay and Ben may never go along. Or will they? This is where some back room dealing may rule the day. Stay tuned.

-Mr. Horatio

Jay the Meanie

Well, this is a game, but this is also a game with a lot of moolah at stake. Jay has held few illusions from the beginning. Still, he's so into the treasure that he's not fun to watch most of the time. Case in point, storming back to his room after the previous Pirates' Court, he calls Kendra a "stupid bitch."

And why does he use this curse to angrily refer to his former toady? Well, as he sips on some rum, you might deduce as he does that he's been played. Worse yet, he's been played by Kendra. But for someone who talks about doing whatever it takes to win, is he so surprised that she would serve her own interests?

Apparently so. Angrily so. Well, this is what one calls a double-standard, which is usually born out of a lack of self-awareness. Not to say Jay is not self-aware. Clearly he's a clever chap. Here he's having a momentary lapse of reason.

So Kendra's days are now truly numbered. But does Jay, who says he's responsible for every "cut adrift" going to survive the bad blood he's created. If he stabs Azmyth in the back, I predict he's not far behind.

-Mr. Horatio

DOH! John kills the Ghost Pirates

Man, O' man, I feel bad for John. Not only was he the first to go but he also loses the key, dashing the Ghost Pirates' hopes at revenge. I mean, I truly feel awful for him. I know some will gloat over this, but I find it painful to watch. It's not that he's a bad competitor or even that he meant to lose the key.

But the greatest irony here is that he didn't lose the compasses!

-Mr. Horatio

WEEK SEVEN:

A Han Solo moment

Yes, many of us ridiculed Joe Don at first for his excesses as the first Captain. But as the weeks have gone by, we've seen that the other Captains have been no better, if not worse. Who can fault the man, who helped Kendra swim ashore and who spoke little ill but wanted to master the game?

It was somber when Joe Don's number came up. The underdog and the Red Crew's best hope had no tears shed and no clapping in his honor. But he did have a passionate kiss with his princess.

And with Azmyth walking up to lead Joe Don away, separating the two love birds, it had that City in the Clouds aura, like Han Solo stoically meeting his fate, unsure he'd ever see his sweetie again.

Now that's TV.

-Mr. Horatio

Haggard, Skinny Pirates

It's that time in any outdoorsy Mark Burnett production when the lab rats take on that scarily thin, sunken-eyes look. Only Louie seems to be looking hale. Even Ben, Azmyth and Jay look starved; maybe that explains why they raided the fish fest in this week's Web Clips.

So making Joe Don and Louie work extra was a bit cruel if not cowardly. The "Triad" are abusing their powers for some unfair advantages. And while they held onto their power this time, starved, abused Pirates will Mutiny if for no other reason, some real food and rest.

-Mr. Horatio

Shifty, Shifting Kendra

The weakest Pirate on the ship says she's survived because she's been honest and always does what she says. But striking a deal with Jay the trickster, it looks like she has decided to shift strategies. While I thought she was lying to Cameron Daddo's face when she said Joe Don was not expendable, she was in fact lying to Jay's face.

After watching her put down a "Louie" card on the knife in the Web Clips, the question now is who this might bite in the end? The others who voted may find out that Kendra voted against Louie, but then they probably have no idea about her deal with Jay. So, it looks like Jay is in danger. He thinks he has a compliant ally. In fact, he's dealing with the devil.

-Mr. Horatio

A Fly in Azzie's Ointment

"I would never turn my back on them," Azmyth says of his beloved Officers, Ben and Jay. But would they turn on him? It seems Ben and Joe Don did not have a pact. But in the Sneak Peek for next week, Jay tells the camera that he would go along with a Mutiny if the incentives were right.

So, that means, as we lose Joe Don, the alpha male war may continue right up the chain of command. Jay is already thinking ahead and seeing that Azmyth and Ben could be a threat to his winning the grand prize. So it looks like it may be the butcher's knife for Azzie in the not too distant future.



Once a couple more Pirates are gone, Jay may see his chance to up his odds at later Expeditions. Also, we don't know how the game might change in the later stages. Other rules could be introduced. Heck, apparently even ghosts are on the way.

Still, if Jay's got a butcher's knife waiting for Azmyth, maybe Kendra has Jay's comeuppance covered too.

Read the Week Six Blog