Survivor: Redemption Island WTF Matt? Really?! [Spoilers! but not new ones]

I already shared the fact that brave Christian Soldier Matt on Survivor has found his way back to Redemption Island, where he spent 15 days alone, winning 5 some odd challenges to stay there, again. But I felt it necessary to actually make a separate post from my usual recap to discuss just exactly how mind boggling and WTF inducing Matt's behavior was in this week's episode. Seriously. I have to get it out of my mind, I have no choice.

So, here's the deal, from the first episode the producers have been making it clear to the audience just how important Matt's faith is to him. Matt makes it clear how important his faith is to him. His sincerity is without question. I am more likely to believe it is Matt's faith in God that allowed him to do so well on Redemption Island, than that it has anything to actually do with any God that may or may not exist. His belief alone is apparently enough to give him the mental and physical strength to deal with what must be a pretty harsh experience. So after watching his story build this kind of destined, or blessed, narrative for 5 weeks, Matt is brought back to the main game when the tribes merge.

Now, the thing that's so frustrating is that Matt actually recognizes a very real advantage that he has. He was the second person in the entire game to be sent to Redemption Island. He knows what things were like in Ometepe, and he's had a steady stream of intelligence on Zapatera. He also knows that he was blind sided by Ometepe the first time. The episode's title "This game respects big moves" is something Matt actually said. The Holy Soldier is back, and due to timing, he has ALL the leverage. ALL of it.

Rob has Ometepe, with a head count of 6, mostly locked down, but Andrea was Matt's friend at the start of the game, and she's willing to work with him if he can actually come up with some kind of good plan. As he rambles about "pretending" to be loyal to Rob with the intent to blindside him in a few votes, the look of apprehension rightfully spreads all over Andrea's face. It seems Matt has two settings, he over thinks, or he doesn't think at all.

His conversation with Andrea was actually inspired when Mike of Zapatera came to him and discussed bringing him into their alliance, with an inside track to the final four. Mike would actually up his bid to the final three in an effort to get Matt to make up the one vote Ometepe had over Zapatera.

So Matt has an offer from a voting block of 5 to pick apart the people who sent him to Redemption Island, with the exception of his one friend on that tribe. He has a friend who seems prepared to follow his lead any which way, so long as he actually looks like he knows where he's going. He understands that big moves are how you win the game...

And then he goes to "confess" to Boston Rob. I don't know if Matt's catholic, or protestant (betting protestant of some sort) or what, but while guilt might be part of your religious experience, it's the last thing you want in your Survivor experience. Especially when you're interacting with somebody who is considered to be one of the all time greats of the game (who happens to be in the middle of an absolute tour de force of Survivor villainy this season, btw) Boston Rob, especially than, guilt is not going to help you. So Matt ultimately decides to FORGIVE Rob, confesses any thoughts he had at trying to unseat Rob, and thinks everything will be peachy keen going forward.

Even as the Jeff Probst leads the Survivors through this week's tribal council, it is obvious that Ometepe does not consider Matt part of their tribe. Matt should know better than to trust his luck with them. He points out that the relationship dynamic in the tribe has changed in the two weeks he's been gone. Yet despite all of this, all of this, he chooses to trust Rob. Andrea being smart enough to see a lost cause bailed on Matt in the end. Was it the smart play for Andrea? I think I can theorize a smarter one, which I might post later, but we'll see where her decision leads her. Seriously though Matt, What. The. Fuck. I hope God is with you out there on Redemption Island, you'll probably need him a lot to make it another two weeks out there.