This week's guest correspondent is Raleigh lawyer (and longtime "Survivor" aficionado) Damon Circosta:

Part of the secret of "Survivor's" endurance is that it continues to explore universal human emotions. While top-running crime dramas such as "The Mentalist" and "NCIS" explore the darker side of human psychology, there is only so much emotional range to explore in a cop drama. "Survivor" runs the gamut.

There is hope ... and then it is crushed. There is power ... and then it is usurped. On any given episode, a contestant can go from euphoria to despair at a moment's notice. In order to excel at this game, it pays to not get too invested in it. You need to care, but you cannot care too much. You need to bond with your fellow contestants, but you cannot bond too deep.

In other words, to win at "Survivor" you need to stay on an even keel, and even then you still need a little luck. According to this observer, here are where the 10 folks still in the game stand. (Six on the Murlonio tribe and four on Redemption Island, including the two newest folks sent there this week -- Ralph and Steve.)

Our correspondent (and longtime "Survivor" afficiando) Alec Peters of Raleigh offers his thoughts on this week's episode:

All season, our castaways have confused running their mouths with “being in charge of the game.” Ralph did it when he decided it would be good to tell almost everyone at Zapatera that he had a hidden immunity idol. Then after the Redemption Island duel, when Russell, out of the game forever (please!), went for one last dig at his team, Ralph decided to share news of his idol with everyone there, including Phillip and Kristina from Ometepe. 

That’ll show Russell who’s really in charge! Phillip assured Kristina that he could use this knowledge and his covert federal agent skills to improve her position with Team Boss Boston Rob by promising Rob to give him this intel at the merge. Instead, all Rob had to do was ask once, and Agent Underpants was singing like a canary, while Kristina was on her way to Redemption Island.  Meanwhile, Ralph might was as well have told everyone in Nicaragua that he had a hidden immunity idol.

Then at the last Tribal Council, Krista decided she had nothing to lose and might as well call out the Zapatera Alliance of Six, which we haven’t seen give much thought to long-term strategy beyond throwing a challenge so they could oust Russell. She named the duos and triads in the group, and it didn’t appear to be lost on David that he was odd man out while Steve was working two different duos.  But taking a cue from Ralph’s playbook, Mike decided that Krista’s last gasp couldn’t go unanswered, so he assured Krista (and host Jeff Probst) that they have indeed been talking strategy -- just not when she’s around.  Because, well, she’s not in charge of the game. I couldn’t help but wonder if all of this was news to David.

We're only three weeks into the "Redemption Island" season, but tempers are flaring and backs are being stabbed all over the place. And frankly, we couldn't be happier.

After the fairly dull season that was "Survivor: Nicaragua," it's good to have some contestants this time who are really playing the game. And that means telling some lies, which is not a problem for these folks.

Sure, they're dishonest about the important things, such as whether they have a hidden immunity idol or who they're voting out. But they also lie about dumb stuff, like who lost the first "duel" on Redemption Island. At this point, I'm not even sure I believe Phillip is a a former federal agent. (Would a former agent really wear those pink briefs?)

It's Week 2 of "Survivor: Redemption Island," and producer Mark Burnett is up to all his old tricks. He's truly a master at misdirection in the editing room.

For example, when young Matt, right, the spiritual pre-med student, describes the Ometepe tribe as "Camp Harmony with Boston Rob," you know Rob will be unleashing holy hell within minutes.

When evil Russell says that hairy farmer Ralph is "the dumbest person on the face of the Earth," Ralph will soon do something brilliant.

And when certified crazy person (and former federal agent) Phillip declares that no one will beat him, prepare to watch him quickly lose. And to spout some nonsense about uniforms, gallantry and gorillas. Cause that dude is crazy!

"Survivor" is back for its 22nd season, this time with something new -- a "Redemption Island" twist in which ousted players could win a spot back in the game -- and two things old: Russell Hantz and "Boston Rob" Mariano.

Russell, arguably the show's biggest villain ever, is back for the third time. He's made it to the finals both previous times but ultimately lost because of his obnoxiousness. There's little indication he'll be more likable here.

Boston Rob is playing for the fourth time. (He also was on "The Amazing Race" twice, making us wonder whether he's ever had a non-reality-TV job.) Rob at least has transformed over time from pure evil to somewhat untrustworthy to charmingly sneaky. But don't be fooled by the ever-present smile beneath his Red Sox cap -- he'll do what it takes to win.

Russell and Boston Rob are upstaged in the first episode, though, by Phillip, a "former federal agent" (he says this at least 15 times) who is controlling, patronizing and can't keep his mouth shut. It's amazing that he isn't voted out before the first commercial break.

As Fayetteville resident Sandra Diaz-Twine prepares to cash her second $1 million check from CBS, it's time to close the book on the 20th season of "Survivor" – Heroes vs. Villains.

But first, some final thoughts on the season, courtesy of the reunion show. And like nearly everything else about this season, unfortunately, the reunion revolved a little too much around the egotistical, conniving super-Villain, Russell Hantz. So, let's go ahead and address him first.