Reviews

Possibly the best tribal council in a long time, if not all time. It is fascinating to watch the master strategist at work, adapting his moves on the fly, boxing his victim into a corner and forcing him to make a choice, either of which has terrible consequences. Watching the victim squirm is cringeworthy but great television. It is tempting to laugh at how naive some tribe members appear to be in playing the game. This is perhaps unfair as we, the viewers, are privy to information that they do not have. However, overconfidence has seen many a downfall.

This master class shows the self-proclaimed King at his best. His superior tactics more than compensate for his perceived weakness by other players. This is how you play Survivor and make it to the end of the season.

I've watched every episode and always look forward to the next one. The writers are doing something right in that regard. Looking back over three seasons there have been highs and lows. The initial fear of zombie attack, and the suspense this generated, has lessened as the characters have become expert in their dispatch. Perhaps this is to be expected - there are only so many times you can watch a brutal killing before becoming desensitised. As have the characters themselves.

Most interesting to me is how the characters have hardened, emotionally and physically. Young Carl personifies this. His coolness is scary. Or is he disturbed? Aren't they all? Why wouldn't they be? The world has changed.

There are long stretches when the narrative stalls and you are left wishing for quicker resolutions. But along come some moments that are utterly heartbreaking. There is a small scene in S3 where a hitchhiker runs after Rick and Carl but they repeatedly ignore his cries for help. Later, on the way back to the prison, they discover him dead on the side of the road but they take his backpack anyway.It's a cold, cold world, this land of the walking dead.