(S18E08) I don't know. Is it just me or is this sexy librarian in a bikini look on Erinn from Survivor just a bit unsettling? There seems to be an evil gleam in her eyes, too. Maybe she's considering some Donner Party action and Coach will be her target? Sigh. Nah, it would never happen. Mr. Lord "Willie Nelson" Fauntleroy is just too darn skinny.

The promos promised us a merge tonight. This could get interesting with secret cross-tribe alliances. Will the Exile Island Allies take over the game? Or will the numbers in Timbira squash the weaker Jalapao tribe one by one? Read on.

Begone Coach ... please!
I have no idea why Jeff Probst seems to like this man. If he's annoying me as much as he is by just watching him on the show, the ones having to live with him deserve some sort of meritorious honors. The ego is unbelievable. Unfortunately, he reaped a ton of airtime tonight. Sure, encourage the Ego Man.

• He apparently told Tyson he started the "Samurai thing." You know, the Japanese warrior discipline which started before the 1200s. Maybe he's a reincarnation.
• After the merge, he befriended JT. That much is true.
• But, when they were all forming new alliances and such, it was Stephen and JT who decided the vote had to be split in case Brendan saved himself with a hidden idol. Coach took all kinds of credit for his brilliant plan.
• Coach truly believes that he rules the game.
• He told everybody that he's a symphony conductor in addition to being a soccer coach. He flies back and forth between the two jobs. I'm surprised he didn't tell them he has a private jet!
• He's decided he's "The Dragon Slayer" because Brendan is the dragon and he's going to send Brendan packing.
• He's so vain he probably thinks Forza is about him. (The new tribe name means "strength" in Portuguese.)

Then there's Tyson
In many ways, Tyson's ego is just as bad as Coach's ego. But there are a few differences. Tyson's ego comes out in the confessional segments and he doesn't try to run the tribe. Sure, he's an exhibitionist and every now and then, he gives the tribe a glimpse of ego. However, he doesn't seem to rub folks the wrong way. He's also better in challenges. But my heart won't be broken if he gets the boot. I just want Coach out first.

I'm so confused!
Okay, the tribes tend to have their own tribal alliance going into the merge. That's a given. Then there's the Taj, Stephen, Brendan, and Sierra cross-tribe alliance from Exile Island. Then there's the Stephen, Taj, and JT alliance within Jalapao. Coach and Tyson don't like Brendan and Sierra. Coach has forgotten that he doesn't like Erinn. Erinn thinks Coach has changed and he's "Nice Coach" now. Erinn and Joe have their own Exile Island cross-tribe alliance.

Then the merge hit. All of a sudden, there's a Coach, Tyson, JT, and Stephen alliance gunning for Brendan. If they can't take out Brendan, they will do Sierra. Stephen is keeping Taj sort of in the loop. But she's not in the alliance. Taj is concerned that her alliance with Brendan and Sierra is a bust. Meanwhile, Brendan wants JT out before he gets going with Taj and the alliance. Since he hasn't bothered to tell her, she has no clue and is willing to turn on him.

The best-laid plans of mice and men
In the end, it didn't even matter at all. Tyson won immunity. That didn't matter either. What mattered was that Joe's leg developed a nasty infection. He was sent out of the game by the medics. There was no Tribal Council and the only one gone is Joe. He didn't want to go, but that thing looked way nasty to me!

Best line of the night
"I get excited whenever I hear anything that starts with an 'F'" -- Taj excited about feast and food. Hey, what did you think?