Survivor: Redemption Island Discussion (Spoilers)

I'm hoping the other players on the jury can set aside any bitter feelings they have and realize that Rob has played by far the best overall game of Survivor of any player ever, IMO. Like any game or sport where one player or team utterly dominates everyone else, it makes for boring viewing sometimes (thank goodness for Philip being there to provide comic relief), but you have to respect his gameplay. If he ultimately wins it will be like the Survivor equivalent of throwing a no-hitter. For all of Russel's self-aggrandizing talk - which I hope the Survivor producers will stop indulging - Rob's the real deal.

I would be unhappy with anyone but Rob winning, but if it had to be someone else, Grant and Matt are the only ones I wouldn't completely object to. I hate the hangers-on like the girls this time around, because often you can't tell if it's actual strategy or just sycophantic behavior. They haven't even made a move at all. The Redemption Island idea has been a total bust as far as I'm concerned (I thought it would happen once and then end when the tribes merged, not continue up to the finale, which I think is unfair), but it's hard to argue that Matt hasn't at the very least met the outwit, outplay, and outlast requirements where it comes to individual challenges; though not on strategy in the actual game, where he sucked. Grant really did what Rob said most of the time too, but at least he sort of contributed insight into strategy; and there's no doubt he played hard and made good choices on alliances.

 

In the past "played the best game" was good enough to get people won, it's a large part of why Richard Hatch won. But, now, the social game is a larger part of things so strictly on game-play I'd say Rob will not likely win if the jury members are bitter enough. Matt should win just over the experience he's had in the game the entire time he has "survived" while also being cast out of the game! But, more than likely, he'll just win America's Vote.

 

But who's left of the non-Redemption people that have even played a better social game then Rob? Philip's made it his mission to piss everyone off on both teams, whether intentionally or just through his winning personality or both. The two remaining girls have reached out to and befriended no one except possibly Andrea, and they were as complicit in voting her out (and pissing her off) as Rob and Phil were.

The only one who has a chance on that score is whomever the returnee from Redemption Island is. Grant has probably ticked off many of the opposing team members and his own like Rob. As likable as Matt is, I would hope the jury would realize that it would be a potential shark-jumping moment if they awarded victory to someone who was so bad at stratagizing that he was voted out once, got a second chance, was voted out again, and got a third chance. I'm perfectly fine with Matt winning Viewer's Choice, but if he wins the show that would suck big time. Navy SEAL guy has the best chance of the Redeemers of winning, since he's the only one left from the team most of the jury is composed of. I would be disappointed if any of the Redemption people won the show.

There were no real blindsides or betrayals from Rob towards the other team to seriously piss them off. It was all just pretty straightforward elimination by numbers, which was their own fault for stupidly throwing a challenge to get rid of Russel and catastrophically throwing their whole momentum off. I would hope they could at least recognize and respect good gameplay. I think at the very least David will.

 

I think David would be the easiest Zapatera vote for Rob. Even though he was part of the Zapatera 6, he was clearly on the bottom of it, and he seems to be the type who's more concerned with the game itself than with making friends.

 

I would hate it if Matt won Viewers' Choice. That guy bugs me. I don't know if Rob is going to get the big win, but he deserves to win Viewers' Choice at a bare minimum.

 

I'm not so sure. I agree that David appears to be that sort of person, but in the past the people I thought are most strategic and game-oriented turned out to be the most bitter jurors of all.

Whoever comes back from Redemption Island almost certainly has to win every immunity challenge from there on though, so I think it's unlikely that'll be a factor.

Maybe Phillip surprises us all in the final tribal council by demonstrating he was just acting all along, is super-friendly and coherent, and explains his strategy so convincingly he wins over the jury.

 

Well, he did say that if Rob took him to the final tribal council, he had some "unbeatable" argument to make that would guarantee him the win, or something like that. Of course, that was probably just Phillip being Phillip.

 

Phillip's "unbeatable" argument is probably that he was . . . have you heard? . . . a federal agent!

 

Even if Philip manages to convince some people that it was all an act, it's a hard sell to say "Oh, by the way, when I accused you of racism and got up in your face and threatened violence, that was just me being strategic in the game." It's worse to say something like that when you're not even sincerely upset at the time, IMO. That crossed the line of what's appropriate, even strategically.

 

Ugh! Sucks for Matt, but he'll likely get the viewer's choice vote.

Phillip at TC: "I could be clearer about [what he's talking about] if you want me too."

Me: Oh, why start now?

 

Well, at least nobody from Redemption's going to win. That's good. Now hopefully Rob wins the last immunity challenge.

 

Well, this is going to be interesting.

 

Phillip: worst final tribal council performance ever?

Loved David's comments, and he was absolutely right. I hope the rest of the jury agreed with him.

 

Yeah, Phillip's whole TC arguments were "Vote for Rob."



Glad Rob won, he played the best game and after being on this show so many times he deserves a win.

 

Yeah, nice to see the jury make the correct decision. Congrats to Rob, he completely owned the game from Day 1.

Had to roll my eyes at the preview for next season, though. I was really hoping Redemption Island wouldn't be back, but I think they'd started filming next season before this one aired. So hopefully it won't be back in the season after next.

 

I'm glad Rob won both the final jury vote and the player of the season prize. He deserved both prizes.

 

Natalie was even worse.

And hat off to David, yes.

I don't understand what Natalie was thinking. Yes, the game is the game, but some relationships are real there. She should at least have given Ashley a chance and make the vote 2:2, what did she have to lose at this point? But it wouldn't have mattered either way.

Congrats to Rob, most dominant, controlling, undisputable victory ever. I laughed so hard when I saw Phillip at the TC wearing that stupid blanket with feathers on his head.

 

I didn't care for Redemption Island either, but I really hate the idea of bringing back two former contestants yet again.


Rob deserved to win, but the cynic in me can't help but wonder if the producers didn't stack the deck by setting him up with a tribe full of clueless people.

 

Are there spoilers/rumours yet who the two returnees are?

 

You know, Rob would have probably still won, but I was amazed that nobody at the final TC brought up that fact that his wife had already won a million dollars!

That was pretty much the only argument against him.