Expedition debrief: the strangest island council ever

What was I naïve last week, when I said that Timor's bare buttocks would be spared from us. What was I thinking? As if Timor would ever pass up a chance for a viral video? Of course, there are people who really appreciate that he gives us a glimpse of what living with Timor would be like, that you walk into the bathroom in the morning while he is showering, and look at those bare buttocks. But naked Timor is exactly what I don't need on this Sunday evening after a tough week.

Surprise: there are also things that I do find really cool

Back in elementary school, it was super cool if you could write or speak in secret language. And very handy too, if the teacher intercepted the notes between you and your best friend. On the island, Hamza and Ouassima have just such an advantage, as they are the only ones who speak Arabic, and they are not shy to use that to their advantage. I love seeing them casually chat about Jamie while she walks by, without realizing it's about her. Because of course, there are also code words invented so that they don't have to say the name of the person it's about. It almost seems like an exciting movie, and luckily ‘the old friend’ comes out well in this story.

Once a control freak, always a control freak

Of course, Kiran wins the immunity challenge again, and he rewards Ouassima and Jamie with a trip to Winner's Island. However, it turns out to be a lot less luxurious than on the ‘regular’ island: all the food is gone so they have to make do with dry flatbreads. Something in me doubts whether it’s really all gone, or if Timor is holding something back. That would then be his smartest tactic, because despite feeling intense stress as he realizes he has no control over what happens on the other island, he keeps winning the challenges and thus also banishing himself from the other Robinsons. The others enjoy the peace with Timor sitting on his own island (this famous saying has never been so literal). Timor now thinks he is living with a lion on his island and during his imitation, again, does not realize that he is being made a little ridiculous. Typical Timor, he just can't imagine that anyone thinks anything other than ‘great’ of him. And I'm sorry that it has to be so much about Timor again, but that really is the Timor effect: the rest of the participants this year pales in comparison to his rather intense personality. He really manages to draw attention to himself.

And then there was the strangest island council ever

After Kiran has pretended again that he is trying to win Timor's challenge, we go to an endlessly long island council: where are all those votes coming from?! And why so many stakes at this stage? I honestly don't understand anything about it. Is it that important to keep Vincent or Marijn in the game? In my opinion, those votes could have been better saved for a later moment, maybe when Timor returns to the island and tries to take control again.

Image: Jasper Suyk