Ethan is often shown with his buddy, Lex, while Kim has been depicted as the tribal mother, doing much of the cooking. But consider this: Kim has been the only constant presence in Ethan’s tribal life for 27 days and vice-versa. This has been the case for three other pairs of Survivors, and those relationships have clearly been close. Lex and Tom, for example, have bonded considerably (they were part of the original Boran with Ethan and Kim J., then were swapped into Samburu after 12 days). Early on, they ’swore on their childrens’ names’ to stick together until the end. (Tom fears in Episode 9, however, that Lex’s refusal to vote out Brandon could threaten their alliance.)

It’s clear, too, that Frank and Teresa — also in the same tribe all 27 days, including when they were both switched into Boran — are tight. They allied with since-ousted Carl and Linda in Episode 2, and Frank recently told Tom that he trusts “T-Bird” above everyone else. Kim J. and Brandon, together all 27 days, were close, too, until Brandon voted for Kelly. The odd exception is Ethan and Kim J., who have not explicitly been portrayed as being close. We don’t see them talk all that much, and we don’t hear them gush over each other. In the clips selected for TV viewing, Ethan talks more about his friendship with Lex, whom he was separated from for eight days when Lex was swapped away.

We have, however, seen hints of a bond. In the online Survivor Insider footage for Episode 3, Kim singles out the Massachusetts native as her favorite: “I relate to Kelly and Lex, but I’m really crazy about Ethan.” In the next episode, Ethan soothes Kim’s fears of being voted out after she loses the reward challenge for her team.

And, perhaps most significant, when they were paired up for last week’s obstacle course reward challenge, Ethan and Kim crossed the finish line holding hands. (All together now: “Awwwww.”) Ethan also boosted his tribal elder over a wall, and, earlier, Kim rubbed lotion on his back.

All of this may mean nothing, but when you take into account Burnett’s treatment of the Tina/Colby connection, you have to wonder: Is he setting us up again?

Kim J. already has made it much further than any female Survivor near her age. Sonya, then 62, was voted out first in the original Survivor, while Maralyn — only 51 at the time — was dumped third in Australia. Kim J. has far outlasted both of them. She was passed over for eviction three times before the merge, when physically weak players are most vulnerable. Some of that has to be due to the bonds she’d made with the other players.

In a game where “people are changing their [alliances] like they’re changing their underwear,” as Frank puts it, Burnett may be downplaying Kim and Ethan’s relationship via selective editing because it is the one that lasts the entire game. Indeed, Ethan is looking more and more like a winner, especially now that the former Boran members are once again in the majority. He’s the runaway leader on CBS.com’s Ultimate Survivor poll. And one Survivor viewer, who accurately predicted weeks in advance that Tina would win in Australia based on that show’s editing, has an intriguing theory positing that Burnett is editing Ethan as a Jesus figure and that he will collect the million.

In any case, most Survivor addicts can tell you that what Burnett doesn’t show viewers is often more important than what he does. So Ethan and Kim may well be an “invisible pair” that takes it all the way. However, in a season of Survivor that has been as predictable as a dice game, anything short of the contestants voting out Jeff Probst is possible.

Next episode: Be warned that some of CBS” teasers for episode 9 did not come to pass, but Lex is on ‘the hot seat,” Tom helps the women bathe and Frank offends the others.

The Lowdown: Episode 9
Reward challenge: The tribe members split into pairs for an obstacle course; Brandon and Frank beat Ethan and Kim J. in the final heat for a dinner and movie ‘date.”

Immunity challenge: The Survivors race to build a fire; Lex wins after Frank is disqualified.