Survivor 27 Discussion

[dansigal]

As far as I understand it, they keep what they don't spend. People are just perpetually undervaluing food and game advantages in the context of a million dollar contest. Tasha's "oh I was saving in case there was a clue" was bullshit, she gave up on her good strategy because she caved watching everyone else eat.

Anyway with Tony in meltdown mode but with 2x immunity, this end run of episodes has shaped up as perfect televesion. Really Tony and Spencer are the only ones whose games I respect, so hopefully one of them wins. Tony makes a lot of mistakes, but they're mostly rooted in his inability to read people. At least he's proactive.

Also, it's amazing that Cass can annoy the fuck out of me even when she's essentially endorsing my thoughts on Spencer playing that idol for himself instead of LJ. A college age male isn't the most selfish creature. If nothing else, clearly a human baby/toddler of any gender is far more selfish.

I bought Tasha's explanation. If there had been an advantage in the challenge and a clue to the idol, then she would have had a 100% chance of getting the next one, as opposed to just a 1/3 chance of getting the current one. But since she didn't have an opportunity to bid on food after that I guess we'll never know for sure.

I also respect the game that both Trish and Tash are playing. Trish changed the game 100% when she realized she could bring in Cass and then successfully was the one to bring in Cass. Since then she's been the one to try to reign in Tony (sometimes successfully, sometimes not). She's also played a really great social game. Who has she pissed off on the jury right now? She's let Tony take every hit, I have to imagine she's pretty well liked. As for Tasha, hard to argue with three straight immunity wins and while she isn't masterminding behind the scenes to the same extent as Spencer or Tony, she's doing her thing now and then.

 

[Garak]

Yeah I don't' know what I was thinking saying Cass could win. Was I drunk when I posted that?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Yeah I don't' know what I was thinking saying Cass could win. Was I drunk when I posted that?

Even drunk you'd still play a better game then Kass. She is completely lacking in any degree of self-awareness, between her criticism of Spencer's "selfishness" for not giving up his idol, and her criticism of Jefra for playing emotionally, both qualities she has in spades.

My ideal final three would be Tony, Tasha, and Spencer, since they embody the "outwit, outplay, outlast" mantra the best between them. Tony can be reckless and paranoid, but he's damn entertaining to watch and has made some legitimately big moves. Plus, he and Spencer were the only ones who waited for an advantage at the auction, so they get credit for that. Tony's pretty much a lock for the final three with those special (way too powerful) and regular idols. Tasha has done a fantastic job in challenges and plays a good, subtle social game, while also being able to push Tony's paranoia buttons by making him think there was an all-girls alliance by sitting with them. Spencer is way too full of himself, but he's played a good game and lasted a long time despite overwhelming odds.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I agree Tasha and Trish have both been playing very good games. Don't forget in that key vote it was Trish who identified Kass as somebody who might flip and then flipped her while Tony was obsessing over Sarah. And when Jefra was ready to flip over Tony voting out LJ, it was Trish who calmed her down. Tony's been making all the surprise moves, but Trish has been managing the numbers. Without Trish Tony is blindsided three times over by now.

Kass's comments have been hilariously un-self aware. When was the last time we had somebody with as little self awareness as Kass? Maybe Naonka?

 

[Yoda]

Tasha stuck with the J'Tia bullshit for at least one tribal council more than it was worth. I guess for the most part she's played well, hard to argue with the immunity challenge streak. But the "thank you jesus" and "I'm scared of water" stuff turns me against her.

Trish I find all manners of obnoxious. Yes she did flip Kass, you have to give her credit there. But she did the whole "we're in control" complacent lazy bullshit this last episode, if her special talent is reigning in Tony, she didn't accomplish it there.

Woo is such a non-entity. At least he climbed a tree that one time. Though he did fall out of it. And that's all I have to say about Woo. Life is like a box of chocolates.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

As much as I loathed keeping J'Tia on as a viewer, from Tasha's POV it made sense in that it gave her a numbers advantage over Spencer's alliance until it was the right time to cut her loose when the merge was approaching and they'd all be one alliance in the larger tribe. So I can't really hold that against her, especially when Tasha's performance post-merge has been exceptional.

I wouldn't mind too much if Trish were to make it to the final three over one of the choices I made above, as irritating as I find her. To be honest, if I was choosing based on who irritates me rather than who has played the game well, Tasha would be the only one I'd want to win. Woo is fun and likeable, and I'm glad that he seems to be enjoying himself out there, but he's such a passive, malleable flake and has no gameplay or ambition whatsoever.

Also, I'm pretty sure Woo did inappropriate things with those ribs at the auction while Jeff looked on like the sex trafficker in Taken, which was disturbing to watch.

 

[Timewalker]

Woo is such a non-entity. At least he climbed a tree that one time. Though he did fall out of it. And that's all I have to say about Woo. Life is like a box of chocolates.

From what I've seen, Woo is not (too) obnoxious, and he's cute.

 

[Yoda]

Yeah, he's not obnoxious. Obnoxious players at least affect the game some by pissing the other players off.

 

[dansigal]

Pretty pumped when Spencer won immunity! Absent another one next week though, I don't know how he makes it to final 4.

 

[Pegaritaville]

Yeah, Spencer has to either win immunity or hope Kass pisses people off enough to cause them to forget to play strategically.

I have a feeling both Spencer and Trish's days are numbered.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Why Trish? I think she's been playing a great game but I don't think other people see her that way. I think Tony keeps her over Woo for the same reason Cochran keeps Dawn over Eddie.

Kass has taken to psychoanalyzing everybody. It has started to remind me of the Freud scenes from Phantasms.

I'm starting to think Survivor 28's ending plays out the same as Survivor 26's ending.

Tony = Cochran
Trish = Dawn
Kass = Sherri
Woo = Eddie

 

[Garak]

Looking at the jury's reactions over the last few Tribals, I don't think Tony has many votes there.

I mean you can respect the game he plays with all his idols and big moves but if you're a paranoid slimeball like he is, generally that doesn't get you very far in this game.

The only advantage he really has is that his competition isn't all that great. No one likes Cass either, Woo and Trish have sort of coasted.

If Spencer wins immunity next time that would be freaking massive. He's impressed me the most out of anyone this season.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

That's exactly why I think Tony takes Trish over Woo.

Trish has contact hate from Tony. Woo is just 'Hey this nice guy who is hanging around cool whatever'.

And if Spencer wins out immunity, I can't see him possibly not winning the million.

 

[Cato]

Either way you look at it, it's either Spencer orTony. Tony is guaranteed to be in the final at this point.

 

[dansigal]

Either way you look at it, it's either Spencer orTony. Tony is guaranteed to be in the final at this point.

You don't think Tony's in trouble if he doesn't win immunity at Final Four and again at Final Three (assuming it goes to a final two)?

 

[Pegaritaville]

Why Trish? I think she's been playing a great game but I don't think other people see her that way. I think Tony keeps her over Woo for the same reason Cochran keeps Dawn over Eddie.

I think Tony knows Trish has played a great game and won't want to go up against her in the final. She's been subtle in her moves but she could make a good case for herself to the jury. Woo's very likable, but he hasn't made a strategic decision yet and most of the other players seem aware of that. Things could change before the final jury, though. A lot will depend on who wins immunity, especially after the idols are no longer in play.

 

[AgentCoop]

^I can't agree about Trish. I think she'd be a good choice to take to the Final Three. The majority of her game has been spent riding on Tony's coattails, and the few moves she has made have been in support of Tony's game. The jury usually takes a dim view of followers.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I don't understand why Tony didn't play his idol on Trish. Now he has to go in the final against either Spencer or Woo. Is he really just banking on his ability to bluff that the special idol can be used in the final 4? That's a pretty big gambit. It seems to me like he would have been much better off protecting Trish to vote out Woo.

 

[dansigal]

I don't understand why Tony didn't play his idol on Trish. Now he has to go in the final against either Spencer or Woo. Is he really just banking on his ability to bluff that the special idol can be used in the final 4? That's a pretty big gambit. It seems to me like he would have been much better off protecting Trish to vote out Woo.

It's a great question. The only thing I can think of is he didn't want to risk using his regular idol on Trish, then having his name come up and having to use his special idol and then having nothing to bluff to get him to the final 3? There are clearly a lot of holes in that logic, but that's all I got.

In general though, boy has Spencer been fun to root for this season. Cass is just not good at this game. I don't think she has any chance at all in any combination of a final 3, but the only way I think she could even remotely win is if there's a bitter jury against what people perceive as a Tony-Trish team, and she picks up enough votes from it. And she was promised that final 3 by Tony, but instead blows it up, almost getting herself voted off in the process and guarenteeing that if she does make it to the final 3, either Woo or Spencer will be with her for sure, neither of which she can beat. Dumb dumb dumb.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

You see, if that Tony-Trish bitterness were to work, she would have to be against only Tony and Trish. Now she will either be against Woo or Spencer.

It seems now, either Spencer will win immunity and win, or Woo will win.

I loved Trish's comment about the self-awareness book, as it reflects everything we've been saying the whole season.

Tony's path to victory was to go into the final three with Trish and Kass. Mostly players like Tony lose for being too dickish, now it seems Tony will lose for not being dickish enough. I did greatly respect his comment about how Kass was probably a good person in real life but was a horrible person in Survivor.

I also want to add that this is probably the best season since Heroes vs Villains and I really hope the producers take note of the fact that occurred with no returning cast.