Survivor 27: Blood vs Water

[JirinPanthosa]

Funny, I think most BB winners not the most deserving player and sometimes very bad players and Hayden was one of the few who actually controlled his destiny through the show. Just in BB he was a jerk.

But that conversation with Kat, I picked up a distinct unstated threat if she made him leave the game.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

What do you guys think of this season? I think it's gotten much better post merge.

With Survivor it's like there's two different shows every season. there's pre-merge, and post-merge. Some seasons are good pre-merge, others are good post merge. The average season is good pre-merge and bad post-merge, this season is the opposite. It's been much better since the merge.

There's nobody left in the game who I don't think would be a deserving winner, not counting Laura M on Redemption. I suppose Katie wouldn't be deserving, but I'd be happy with Tyson, Gervase, Siera, Hayden, or Caleb as the winner. Or even Vytas if he got back in the game, since he was only eliminated because he got screwed by a tribe switch. And I suppose if Tina somehow managed to both get back in AND not immediately voted out she'd deserve it.

I'm rooting for Tyson. Best villain since Russell.

Also in Amazing Race, all four teams left would be deserving. I'm so happy Ally & Ashley got eliminated, since now there are only good teams left. Tim & Marie are jerks but they're fun to watch jerks.

 

[Spot's Meow]

You forgot to mention Monica, what do you think of her? She and Laura are the only ones I really wouldn't want to see win.

I think this season has been good as well. I think Tyson is the first one in a long long time to not spill the beans about having an immunity idol, which is impressive.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

That's how little I think of Monica in this game, I forgot she existed.

Interesting you didn't include Katie on your list. I just don't think she's had much of any game and she's been in the minority all the time. If anything she might be this year's Sherri, the one who never gets voted out because she's everybody's ideal finals-mate.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I don't really feel strongly about Katie either way. Yeah, she hasn't done much, but a lot of folks out there haven't done much either. She did at least win individual immunity. Although she's boring the thought of her winning isn't quite as offensive as the thought of Monica winning.

 

[Pegaritaville]

You forgot to mention Monica, what do you think of her? She and Laura are the only ones I really wouldn't want to see win.

Monica's about the only player I don't want to see win. Well, her and Caleb, who went from, "I run this tribe" to screen time oblivion.

I'm kind of rooting for the gal that threw her mom under the bus. Too bad she was so obvious about it- I gotta think the others took notice of that.

Edit to add: As far as the Amazing Race goes: This has been a pretty good season. Nobody really annoying left in the race (Marie is, but in a fun kind of way), and there's been some good roadblocks/detours.

 

[Timewalker]

I'm kind of rooting for the gal that threw her mom under the bus. Too bad she was so obvious about it- I gotta think the others took notice of that.

I hope Ciera makes it to the finals, at least. When it comes to jury votes, they're all going to remember that she wasn't wishy-washy about playing the game. She was willing to make the hard decision to vote her own mother out, and she didn't do it with tears, wailing, or complaining. It was a necessary move for her own game, she did it, and she owns it.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's true, Tim & Marie aren't nearly as obnoxious as some of the other jerk couples in the past. Like last season, the team that lost while holding the Express Pass. If they didn't lose so early they would have been insufferable the whole season. They were worse than Colin & Christie. Which is why I wouldn't be too unhappy if Tim & Marie won, their obnoxiousness is entertaining more than it is exasperating. But sometimes weak teams manage to float through barely then just happen to have one really good leg that just happens to be the last leg. Which is why I'm so glad Ally & Ashley are out, they might have been that team this year.

I think Ciera's going home next, unfortunately. I think Tyson used to see her as the weak tagalong, but she ruined that when she manipulated the idol information out of Katie. Unless Ciera manages to rally people against Tyson this week or wins immunity, I don't see her surviving the episode.

Is this week's episode a new episode or a recap? I hate recaps and I don't care that it's the day before Thanksgiving. I never watch the recap episodes.

 

[Timewalker]

From the preview I got the impression it's a new episode. I don't remember Tyson being in the crosshairs before, so it must be new. Maybe someone figures out he has the idol.

 

[shapeshifter]

*checks DVR*

Yes it is new, it's entitled Gloves Come Off Description: a castaway makes a risky move.

Finally!

 

[Timewalker]

This season has gotten better since the switch. It helped that the really irritating people (Brad & Colton) left early. But, Vytas, Hayden and Caleb are killing it strategically, Tyson has pulled off the 'Likable villain' role, Tina and Monica are dominating the social game. It's got me really interested to see how it all turns out. It'll also be interesting how Jon fits in if he comes back from Redemption.

Also, could the hidden idol not even come into play this season?

Hee, Tyson burned the idol for absolutely no reason at all other than his own paranoia - he didn't get a single vote, and now he's got no idol.

I'm willing to bet the next person who's offered a clue after Redemption Island won't toss it in the fire.

I'm impressed with Monica's immunity run.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Monica's easily got the best strength to weight ratio of the group, her and Laura M. Any challenge that involves holding up your body weight, or holding up a proportion of your body weight, Monica's the clear favorite.

Hayden had better hope the next immunity challenge is 'Stay under a cage while the tide is rising', and not anything involving body weight or balancing.

 

[AgentCoop]

I was really suprised that Tyson felt spooked enough to use the idol. The way the episode played out, it seemed like he wasn't really worried. It was pretty funny when he couldn't find it in his bag.

 

[Timewalker]

It looked to me like he did that for effect, to increase the suspense.

I remember the season where Bob made a fake idol. I wonder why nobody else has done that (or maybe it's now against the rules?).

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I wonder how the producers beamed that white rock into Katie's hand. I dunno, maybe they weren't real rocks and they had a way to change one white by remote control?

Anyway, whew. Is the Redemption finish next week or week after? If it's next week, Tyson/Gervase may have a problem because no matter who comes back they'll join Hayden's side.

But definitely gained respect for Hayden's game there. That's the most successful last minute scramble of all time.

I think a problem with making a fake idol now is that the real idol always comes with an instruction manual.

 

[Timewalker]

I'm not liking the "punish the voters" angle. The two whose names were written down should have had to draw rocks.

That said, I would have loved for Ciera to have gotten the white rock. She's gotten awfully smug the last couple of weeks. Or Tyson... the idol wouldn't have protected him at that stage of the voting.

Actually, a bigger mystery to me is why Caleb likes Colton. The Ponderosa footage is available on YouTube, and Caleb says he can see himself and Colton still together when they're "old and grey."

 

[Pegaritaville]

Yeah, not really fair that the players originally voted for get a pass on the rock drawing.

I'm also wondering if Redemption Island ends next week. If so, Tyson's gonna need that idol. If he doesn't let anyone know he has it, he could protect his three person alliance. But even if he does, the rock draw could come back into play.

 

[Garak]

Great season so far.

I was pulling for Tyson but now I'm pulling for Hayden, what a great scramble.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

My feeling is that Colton's a completely different person when his defenses aren't up. When Colton was a child he was in a situation where he was the center of bullying all the time and I think that overdramatic hostility developed as a coping mechanism to prevent from being vulnerable. But I bet when he's with somebody he's really comfortable with he's not like that.

I think it's a good idea that voters have to draw rocks. Because that gives the voters extra incentive to avoid ties. That's why they invented the rock drawing system in the first place, because in the first three seasons ties went to most previous votes and it made it so players strove for ties instead of majorities. It makes the game better that players have that extra incentive to avoid ties. Playing for ties instead of majorities made the game less interesting. It's a very good thing that there hasn't been a tie since Paschal in season 4.

But I think the voted players should ALSO draw rocks. There should have been 5 rocks pulled there, not 3.

If Tyson were Russell he would have played the idol on Monica.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I also think Colton is probably completely different when he's not on camera or on Survivor. In those situations some people excel, which is why they get picked to go on the show in the first place, and some would fail utterly (like myself!). Usually they are pretty good at picking out the people who will excel or at least remain their boring selves (e.g. Katie), and avoiding casting the people who just wouldn't do well on camera or on Survivor, for whatever reason. The quitters are the times that they have failed.

I think it's funny that the person who drew the rock was such a non-entity to begin with. We won't really notice her absence on the show, and not even Katie herself seemed to care all that much.