Survivor 23: South Pacific (Discussion)

[Skywalker]

It looked like Upolu rinsed off the meat and recooked it before eating it, but yeah, that's still pretty gross. But I probably wouldn't be as picky if I'd just spent almost two weeks without much to eat.

I'm liking Jim, too. He seems like one of those players who isn't afraid to make moves, but knows how to do it without being an ass. I wonder if Savaii will keep Ozzy around now that he doesn't have any power. If it were me, I'd hang on to him for the challenges and because of all the fish he catches, plus he'd probably dominate on Redemption Island anyway. It might be a good idea to make him think he's going next but vote someone else out instead, though, just to flush out his immunity idol.

 

[AJBryant]

I was impressed at the stupid move by Kevin and Whitney. Rather than vote against Elyse, they made neutral wasted votes against Dawn, thereby allowing Elyse to get voted off WITHOUT ACTUALLY VOTING AGAINST HER THEMSELVES.

Now, they've shown both the three who voted against Elyse AND Ozzy that they're not reliable.

Way to go, idiots.

 

[Garak]

I thought that was a great episode, maybe one the best I've seen in about 2 or 3 seasons.

Redemption Island does have one definite positive in terms of affecting the game, ie Stacey's tirade about Benjamin - errr Coach - to the opposing tribe, giving them insight to their competitor's dynamics. I am surprised they could understand her gibberish though.

I like how Coach goes off at the mention of his real name but like my wife said, who coaches anything when you're 18 years old? You're usually the one being coached. Shitty deal that Albert found the clue and then gave it up to Coach and whatsherface. Baaaaaad idea - and then wouldn't you know it, Coach finds the effing thing.

That meat challenge was disgusting and awesome all at the same time.

Baby Hantz continues to whine about his own insecurities and shortcomings without realizing he has them, it's the strangest thing. Cry me a river, god boy.

The blindisde on Lys was epic, much respect to Jim for taking one small comment from Ozzy about how he'd vote off Coach's right hand man and parlaying that in to a legitimate reason to make Ozzy more weak. I too have become a bigger fan of Jim.

I liked Ozzy the first two seasons he was in Survivor, now he just seems like a giant douchebag. I bet he's at the Occupy Wall Street deomonstration.

 

[AJBryant]

I liked Ozzy the first two seasons he was in Survivor, now he just seems like a giant douchebag..

We're of the same mind on that one.

 

[Snaploud]

They should really ban that challenge from the show. Mouth problems are no joke...especially when you have to wait weeks before seeing a dentist.

And that's not even taking into account the bloody cuts and mouth-to-mouth transfer of that blood...Herpes could be the least of their problems...

 

[Skywalker]

Yeah, given the emphasis they put on how badly that challenge messed up people's mouths, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't do it again. Which is fine by me, I hate that challenge.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Congratulations Coach and Brandon, you just completely fucked yourself. Loyalty my ass, there's absolutely no reason for Albert and Sophie to work for them after the merge anymore now.

 

[Skywalker]

For a little while I thought Ozzy had completely destroyed any chance of remaining in the game, but Jim was right when he said that he still needed Ozzy to win immunity challenges, and that Ozzy would have the bigger target on his back once the tribes have merged. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to flush Ozzy's idol out ASAP after the merge.

Coach wasn't voting based on loyalty (at least, not from his perspective). Keeping Edna over Mikayla was 100% the better move for him, because Edna is in his pocket while Mikayla was someone he couldn't control. I have to wonder if Rick is actually trying to play this game, or if he's just sightseeing, because I've barely heard a peep out of him so far this season, and then tonight he starts out all "Oh yeah, we gotta get Edna out!" (which, IMO, was by far the correct choice) and then lets Coach and Brandon sway him with their loyalty crap. It's like Albert and Sophie said: it won't matter how loyal you are to each other if you go into the merge with fewer people than the other tribe.

And Brandon continues to be a moron. I used to think they should get rid of him because he's crazy and unstable, but now I'm starting to think that it'd be better off to take him all the way to the end, because I don't think he'd win many votes for the million dollars.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I find it hilarious that Brandon's stated intention coming into this show was to rehabilitate the Hantz name and bring honor back to the family (through the time tested path of regaining familial honor: the reality TV game show). For all his many faults, I at least never thought Russell was a possibly mentally handicapped borderline rapist fundamentalist. I'm curious just how much chlorine there is in that gene pool, so I hope they have a new member of the Hantz family on each season now: Cousin It, Jed, Aunt Bee, one of uncle Billy's sister wives, the whole clan.

Christine, for all her skill at Redemption Island challenges, is an idiot for alienating even the members of her old tribe that are being nice to her. She better hope that they don't have the numbers at the merge, because they have no reason to keep her around at all.

I know they don't want to get rid of Ozzy until the merge so they keep their strongest player and their numbers, but they definitely need to make him think they're going to vote him out in order to get him to play the immunity idol, otherwise he could quite easily go on a run of winning individual immunity challenges after the merge and keeping that as a backup to get him near the top.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I know they don't want to get rid of Ozzy until the merge so they keep their strongest player and their numbers, but they definitely need to make him think they're going to vote him out in order to get him to play the immunity idol, otherwise he could quite easily go on a run of winning individual immunity challenges after the merge and keeping that as a backup to get him near the top.

Yeah, but on the other hand the idol could also be a valuable tool for the tribe as a whole if it's used correctly after the merge and nobody blabbers to the other tribe that Ozzie has it. It's a risk, but I think it's better to let Ozzie keep the idol. Of course if they lose the next immunity challenge, it would be a tricky tribal anyway...

 

[Pegaritaville]

Each week I find myself wondering more and more how Brandon ever passed the show's psych exam in the first place. He seems more than a little unstable.

 

[Greg Cox]

Each week I find myself wondering more and more how Brandon ever passed the show's psych exam in the first place. He seems more than a little unstable.

Nepotism?

Seriously, who cares if he's Russell's nephew? The guy is too busy wresting with his own issues to even concentrate on playing the game.

They really need to vote him out as fast as possible. He's more than just a loose cannon; he's falling apart.

 

[Garak]

Considering how Christine absolutely hates Coach's tribe and will no doubt split to Ozzy's if she gets put back in the game, getting rid of Mikala over Edna was a huge mistake as they need to win challenges up to the merge to ensure they have the numbers.

It seems like Ozzy and Coach are competing for Survivor 23's biggest douchebag. Coach's issues with women are much more subtle than Brandon's but they definitely exist. He needs to control women, and can't stand the thought of a woman not listening to his wise guidance. And he's definitely not the pillar of honesty he belives himself to be.

Brandon might have guaranteed himself a spot in the final 3 with his craziness - remember Phillip last year? We never would have dreamed at the start he'd make it to the end. Then again, he might fly off the handle and get himself booted off.

Is it me, or are these Survivors being coddled, in terms of surviving Survivor. Seems like they have no shortage of food, the weather is always great - it appears to be pretty easy livin'.

I remember the one from Guatemala, now that was hardcore surviving. I wish this season would be more like that, but that's really my only complaint.

 

[Skywalker]

Oh, Ozzy...

 

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

Oh, Ozzy...

Even if the plan works out, it was a totally stupid thing to do.

 

[Skywalker]

Absolutely. But the tribe couldn't really do much about it, since he was just going to give his idol to Cochran anyway.

My guess as to what happens next: Ozzy beats Christine, but there's no merge. Savaii loses again because they don't have Ozzy, Cochran uses his immunity idol and votes out either Keith or Jim. The tribes then merge and Cochran jumps ship to Upolu. Ozzy destroys not only his own game, but everyone else's.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I can't believe Mikayla is gone, and the perv and his Jesus freak buddy are still there.

And Ozzy, OMG. I didn't think this game could reach new heights of insane stupidity yet. Even if he wins the duel, the riskyness is just mindboggling and I don't really see what the possible reward really is, considering Christine would've been on their side anyway.

 

[Yoda]

Considering how obviously the chick at Redemption hates her original tribe, Cochrane or her coming back, would it really matter? Definitely not sold on Ozzy's plan. And Cochrane was the last person he should've given the idol for safekeeping.

On the other hand as stupid as the plan sounds, who knows, maybe it'll work...

One thing's for certain though, the Jesus stuff in the other tribe has gone way past intolerable. It's insulting to non-believers, and maybe even more insulting to believers when they bust out the we prayed the God so he'll help us win at Survivor challenges. What puny people.

 

[Roger Wilco]

One thing's for certain though, the Jesus stuff in the other tribe has gone way past intolerable. It's insulting to non-believers, and maybe even more insulting to believers when they bust out the we prayed the God so he'll help us win at Survivor challenges. What puny people.

I agree. Brendon of all people thinking Jesus supports him - yeah right...

 

[OmahaStar]

My guess as to what happens next: Ozzy beats Christine, but there's no merge.

And that's the thing ... With only a couple exceptions, merges happen when there are 10 people left.

Now, I realize it's been a long time since I've been in school, but the way I learned math was .. 6 people on each tribe (2 tribes) combined is 12. Remove one person (Ozzy) and that leaves 11. 11 does not equal 10.

And who says the person at RI would come back at the merge? If so, then they may wait until there are 9 people total, and bring back the RI person for a total of 10.

They're really underthinking this.