It's been two days since the finale of Survivor: Fiji, and I'm still flabbergasted. I truly can't believe I saw what I just saw. Wow.
First, the things I liked. I liked the challenges. Both were hard, and both could have been won by anybody (one of things I love about Survivor challenges). Loved them. I have no idea why Cassandra and Earl did such a bad job with the maze challenge, but the other three kicked some butt. (apparently when it looked like Cassandra wasn't trying in challenges sometimes, it's because she wasn't trying - she said that she didn't try hard on any challenge that would have involved swimming...it wasn't worth drowning to win immunity) And the final challenge looked brutal - way to go challenges team.
So on to the rest of the show. No shocker that Boo went home first. But the real drama came at the final four tribal council. After Dreamz won the final immunity challenge, he made the decision to not honor his deal with Yau Man, and kept immunity for himself. This was billed as "the most controversial decision ever made by a survivor." I don't agree with that at all - the Johnny Fairplay-dead grandma debacle on the Pearl Islands was way worse. That was motivated by greed. Dreamz saw an opportunity to give a better life to his kids. He knew if he gave Yau Man the immunity necklace, he was gone. Keeping it guaranteed him at least 3rd place, probably 2nd (who would really vote for Cassandra?). There's a big difference in the money awarded to 2nd place vs. 4th place - the kind of money that could change the lives of Dreamz's kids. I don't agree with the decision, but I certainly don't fault him for doing it. A couple other notes about it - Yau Man still wants to be friends with Dreamz, Yau Man says that if he had to do it over he would still give Dreamz the truck, and several jury members said that they were thinking of giving Dreamz their vote had he said different things at tribal.
Ahh, tribal council. I love when there's drama. But the final tribal council went beyond drama and crossed the line into cruelty. Not from all the jury members. Stacy, Michelle, Yau Man - all came off very well. Others seemed bitter, but reasonably so. But then there was Alex and Lisi. Both had been on the jury for awhile, and had plenty of time to calm down and be adults. But instead, they both came off as cruel. I don't know how they could watch that back and be proud of their actions. These are the same people who chastised Dreamz for his decision? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I hear that Alex is no longer practicing law - I hope that karma bites them both in the butt.
In the end, I'm glad that Earl won. He played a great game, and deserved to win in the first unanimous vote in Survivor history. And the new season looks amazing. I have a personal interest in China (since that is where we are adopting our daughter from), and the change of landscape will make for a great game. Just wish I didn't have to wait till September!
Showing posts with label Survivor: Fiji. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Survivor: Fiji. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Best Survivor of the Season
That's right. Last night's episode of Survivor was by far the best of the season.
The reward challenge was one that is done on almost every season, and is almost always my favorite. The combination of finding out what others think of you and finding out where you fall in the order of the tribe is sometimes the beginning of the end for castaways. And, of course, there's the added layer of choosing people to come with you on the reward. Fantastic. Cassandra was really smart, taking the people who she knew that she needed to firm up an alliance with. It was a big move - maybe she's a better player than we thought she was.
The immunity challenge was great too. Endurance challenges are always good at this point of the show, and those pegs they were standing on looked horrible. I don't know how they stayed on as long as they did.
So after the challenge was when the fun began. The scrambling that took place on the beach made for incredible television. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. This is the first season where the idols are playing out like this, and it's huge. Then there's Dreamz. I can't tell if he is just a young kid without much of a filter (whatever he thinks he says), an amazing Survivor strategy player, or a little of both. There's also the element of just plain dumb luck. How he has survived this long playing both sides is a mystery. And I'm starting to like him more and more. Rumor has it that something big happens with him - there's only four more episodes, so it sure needs to happen soon.
So after all the scrambling, tribal council was fantastic. Every single one of them was sitting there, looking smug in the knowledge that their alliance had pulled off an amazing vote. And the cameramen did a phenomenal job of capturing their faces as Probst read the first vote for Edgardo. Wow. I'm sad to see Edgardo go - he was one of my favorites. I'm also a little confused about the hidden idol - I'm surprised to hear that they're going to re-hide it. That's a huge twist that they probably never saw coming. I can't wait to see how it will play out.
The reward challenge was one that is done on almost every season, and is almost always my favorite. The combination of finding out what others think of you and finding out where you fall in the order of the tribe is sometimes the beginning of the end for castaways. And, of course, there's the added layer of choosing people to come with you on the reward. Fantastic. Cassandra was really smart, taking the people who she knew that she needed to firm up an alliance with. It was a big move - maybe she's a better player than we thought she was.
The immunity challenge was great too. Endurance challenges are always good at this point of the show, and those pegs they were standing on looked horrible. I don't know how they stayed on as long as they did.
So after the challenge was when the fun began. The scrambling that took place on the beach made for incredible television. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. This is the first season where the idols are playing out like this, and it's huge. Then there's Dreamz. I can't tell if he is just a young kid without much of a filter (whatever he thinks he says), an amazing Survivor strategy player, or a little of both. There's also the element of just plain dumb luck. How he has survived this long playing both sides is a mystery. And I'm starting to like him more and more. Rumor has it that something big happens with him - there's only four more episodes, so it sure needs to happen soon.
So after all the scrambling, tribal council was fantastic. Every single one of them was sitting there, looking smug in the knowledge that their alliance had pulled off an amazing vote. And the cameramen did a phenomenal job of capturing their faces as Probst read the first vote for Edgardo. Wow. I'm sad to see Edgardo go - he was one of my favorites. I'm also a little confused about the hidden idol - I'm surprised to hear that they're going to re-hide it. That's a huge twist that they probably never saw coming. I can't wait to see how it will play out.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
A Merge and a Twist
Sorry for the delay in blogging about Survivor. I usually like to wait until after watching Survivor Live to blog, but I had to work Friday, and for whatever reason, CBS hasn't put the episode in the online archives yet. (come on CBS!!)
The tribes finally merged this week, and really, not a moment too soon. Of course, they made them work for it a little; they had to row out to Exile, just to row back to a cleaned out Moto beach. Ha! It makes you really understand how far out Exile is...it had to take the crew awhile to completely clear out Moto beach - there wasn't a trace of them when the newly merged tribe got back. And I loved that they came back to nothing. Welcome to Survivor Boo, Stacy, & Cassandra.
I also loved the twist at the challenge. Competing for individual immunity as two teams is nothing new. But to have to go to tribal right away was fantastic. It definitely made the difference between getting rid of Michelle instead of Stacy. I could see why they each voted the way they did (though if Dreamz had just had a little more time to think it through, I think he would have booted Stacy), but I hated to see her go first.
The tribes finally merged this week, and really, not a moment too soon. Of course, they made them work for it a little; they had to row out to Exile, just to row back to a cleaned out Moto beach. Ha! It makes you really understand how far out Exile is...it had to take the crew awhile to completely clear out Moto beach - there wasn't a trace of them when the newly merged tribe got back. And I loved that they came back to nothing. Welcome to Survivor Boo, Stacy, & Cassandra.
I also loved the twist at the challenge. Competing for individual immunity as two teams is nothing new. But to have to go to tribal right away was fantastic. It definitely made the difference between getting rid of Michelle instead of Stacy. I could see why they each voted the way they did (though if Dreamz had just had a little more time to think it through, I think he would have booted Stacy), but I hated to see her go first.
Monday, April 09, 2007
back from break with a few things on my mind
So, I'm back from Spring Break, and I really hadn't planned on blogging about the episodes I missed (I know, you're all crushed). I really just watched lots and lots of baseball (go Red Sox!), and caught most of my reality shows on tivo the next day. But I have a few things that I just have to get out of my brain and on to the internet.
First, there's Survivor. I have never hated a contestant before. I've hated how some play the game, or the character they choose to be on the show. But they all seem like nice enough, decent people in real life (see Jerri Manthey...hated her on the show, seems nice enough in the real world). But I think I actually hate Lisi. Did she not understand that the things she was saying in her confessionals would be aired on national television? I have a real problem with how mean she was. And I think I could have even forgiven her as it being in the "heat of the moment" if i hadn't seen her on "Survivor Live" the day after she was eliminated. The hosts asked a few times about things she said in the confessionals, clearly giving her the opportunity to use the "I hadn't eaten and I really didn't mean it" line. And each time, Lisi affirmed what she had said on the island. She affirmed that she was on a team of losers (hello! You SUCKED at challenges!), and that she didn't like Dreamz. She also still doesn't understand that Ed's name is Edgardo, NOT Eduardo, and said that Boo is the reason that Moto keeps winning. I can't stand her.
Speaking of people I can't stand, there's Sanjaya. Sure, it was funny at first. But now it seems like he's decided he's going to win, and it's just not so funny. I understand that the judges have realized that by slamming him they're only giving him more votes (hence the "I'll take a different approach" approach last week), but they need to accept that Sanjaya's in it for the long haul, and go back to being honest. Either that, or come up with some sort of reason that he needs to drop out. Whatever works.
Still watching Dancing With the Stars, and excited that The Bachelor is back. And last night's episodes of Apprentice and Amazing Race deserve their own blogs. More to come later tonight.
First, there's Survivor. I have never hated a contestant before. I've hated how some play the game, or the character they choose to be on the show. But they all seem like nice enough, decent people in real life (see Jerri Manthey...hated her on the show, seems nice enough in the real world). But I think I actually hate Lisi. Did she not understand that the things she was saying in her confessionals would be aired on national television? I have a real problem with how mean she was. And I think I could have even forgiven her as it being in the "heat of the moment" if i hadn't seen her on "Survivor Live" the day after she was eliminated. The hosts asked a few times about things she said in the confessionals, clearly giving her the opportunity to use the "I hadn't eaten and I really didn't mean it" line. And each time, Lisi affirmed what she had said on the island. She affirmed that she was on a team of losers (hello! You SUCKED at challenges!), and that she didn't like Dreamz. She also still doesn't understand that Ed's name is Edgardo, NOT Eduardo, and said that Boo is the reason that Moto keeps winning. I can't stand her.
Speaking of people I can't stand, there's Sanjaya. Sure, it was funny at first. But now it seems like he's decided he's going to win, and it's just not so funny. I understand that the judges have realized that by slamming him they're only giving him more votes (hence the "I'll take a different approach" approach last week), but they need to accept that Sanjaya's in it for the long haul, and go back to being honest. Either that, or come up with some sort of reason that he needs to drop out. Whatever works.
Still watching Dancing With the Stars, and excited that The Bachelor is back. And last night's episodes of Apprentice and Amazing Race deserve their own blogs. More to come later tonight.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tribal Mixup on Survivor
Well, it's about time. Actually, I was ready for a tribe mixup weeks ago. And I liked that (and purely by chance) the team that seems weaker on paper (Earl, Yau Man, etc.) got the nicer camp. And, of course, it made me laugh that Rocky still is stuck on Ravu.
Anyways, there were a couple of big things in tonight's episode (which, by the way, was one of the best of the season). First - Lisi. I hate her. To think of how many people want to be on Survivor, and there she is throwing a temper tantrum because her alliance got split up? Are you 4? You could just hear her saying "well, if you're going to take away my toys, I'm going home." Blech. And her attitude on Exile wasn't much better. It's Survivor karma - perhaps if you and Stacy had been nicer you would have been picker earlier on. Boo hoo to you. But thank you to Probst for pointing out just how crazy her tantrum was.
There was also the emergence of Earl as a real power player. I'm glad - he seems like a really nice guy - and his "godfather-like" interviews cracked me up. There's no question in my mind that Cassandra has re-aligned with him and Yau Man and will vote off Boo & Stacy as soon as they get the chance. (and what was the deal with Boo's attitude last night too? Cripes.) The power players over at Ravu seem to be Alex and Ed - I like them both, but I wish that they had targeted Rocky. I have no idea what they have to gain by keeping him around. Sure, Anthony might be the worst challenge competitor ever, but Rocky wasn't that much better. And it seemed like Anthony did a lot around the camp. After Rocky's crazy explosion at tribal, I don't know how they kept to voting for Anthony.
I LOVED the challenge. It was one of the most creative I've seen in awhile - a fantastic combination of team work, puzzle, and physical challenge. I am hoping that they will put the entire thing online to watch (generally the challenges last a lot longer than we see - they often edit an hour long challenge down to 3 minutes). Fantastic.
And finally, there's Anthony. He seems like a nice enough guy. But he just wasn't cut out for Survivor.
Anyways, there were a couple of big things in tonight's episode (which, by the way, was one of the best of the season). First - Lisi. I hate her. To think of how many people want to be on Survivor, and there she is throwing a temper tantrum because her alliance got split up? Are you 4? You could just hear her saying "well, if you're going to take away my toys, I'm going home." Blech. And her attitude on Exile wasn't much better. It's Survivor karma - perhaps if you and Stacy had been nicer you would have been picker earlier on. Boo hoo to you. But thank you to Probst for pointing out just how crazy her tantrum was.
There was also the emergence of Earl as a real power player. I'm glad - he seems like a really nice guy - and his "godfather-like" interviews cracked me up. There's no question in my mind that Cassandra has re-aligned with him and Yau Man and will vote off Boo & Stacy as soon as they get the chance. (and what was the deal with Boo's attitude last night too? Cripes.) The power players over at Ravu seem to be Alex and Ed - I like them both, but I wish that they had targeted Rocky. I have no idea what they have to gain by keeping him around. Sure, Anthony might be the worst challenge competitor ever, but Rocky wasn't that much better. And it seemed like Anthony did a lot around the camp. After Rocky's crazy explosion at tribal, I don't know how they kept to voting for Anthony.
I LOVED the challenge. It was one of the most creative I've seen in awhile - a fantastic combination of team work, puzzle, and physical challenge. I am hoping that they will put the entire thing online to watch (generally the challenges last a lot longer than we see - they often edit an hour long challenge down to 3 minutes). Fantastic.
And finally, there's Anthony. He seems like a nice enough guy. But he just wasn't cut out for Survivor.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None
I can't believe I'm about to type this. But I didn't like last night's episode of Survivor: Fiji. Crazy. Really crazy.
There's something about this whole "haves" vs. "have-nots" that was intriguing at first. But now it's just ridiculous. The division is too great for them to overcome. It's just not fun watching Ravu lose over and over and over. And the attitudes over at Moto show you why. I couldn't believe how Lisi and Stacy acted. I hope that they were at home last night, being very embarrassed at their actions. I don't care if you need their votes or not - there's no reason to treat Dreamz (even with his ridiculous nickname) and Cassandra the way they did. Alex is right - even if Moto wins out, and goes to the merge with seven, they still need Dreamz and Cassandra. There's also that element of Survivor-karma that will hopefully come back to bite them sooner rather than later. Let's just remember, too, that they are likely unaware of the expanded jury, which could play a huge part in the game later on.
I wasn't a huge fan of the challenges either. Both are repeats of challenges from previous seasons, with a few tweaks. I don't mind the re-used challenges - I just wish there weren't two in one episode. I also felt like the wrestling challenge simply wasn't fair. There's no way that the depleted Ravu could compete against Moto. I liked the tweaks on the memory challenge (which they've played on a few seasons) - the extra boards with no matches and the fact that they couldn't get help from their teammates. But still, with very little food for their brains, it was almost impossible for Ravu to win. I'm surprised that it was as close as it was.
I'm not really surprised that Rita was voted out. Even though Anthony is a complete liability in the challenges, Rita wasn't faring that much better. And I loved Yau Man's philosophy at tribal council - "Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None." I wish we all lived like that. Thank goodness that it seems like we're going to get a tribal mixup next time (no Survivor next week because of the NCAA tournament, which I am SO excited about). Of course, it does seem like there will still be the division between the two camps. I just feel for the members of Ravu who get stuck on their same beach.
There's something about this whole "haves" vs. "have-nots" that was intriguing at first. But now it's just ridiculous. The division is too great for them to overcome. It's just not fun watching Ravu lose over and over and over. And the attitudes over at Moto show you why. I couldn't believe how Lisi and Stacy acted. I hope that they were at home last night, being very embarrassed at their actions. I don't care if you need their votes or not - there's no reason to treat Dreamz (even with his ridiculous nickname) and Cassandra the way they did. Alex is right - even if Moto wins out, and goes to the merge with seven, they still need Dreamz and Cassandra. There's also that element of Survivor-karma that will hopefully come back to bite them sooner rather than later. Let's just remember, too, that they are likely unaware of the expanded jury, which could play a huge part in the game later on.
I wasn't a huge fan of the challenges either. Both are repeats of challenges from previous seasons, with a few tweaks. I don't mind the re-used challenges - I just wish there weren't two in one episode. I also felt like the wrestling challenge simply wasn't fair. There's no way that the depleted Ravu could compete against Moto. I liked the tweaks on the memory challenge (which they've played on a few seasons) - the extra boards with no matches and the fact that they couldn't get help from their teammates. But still, with very little food for their brains, it was almost impossible for Ravu to win. I'm surprised that it was as close as it was.
I'm not really surprised that Rita was voted out. Even though Anthony is a complete liability in the challenges, Rita wasn't faring that much better. And I loved Yau Man's philosophy at tribal council - "Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None." I wish we all lived like that. Thank goodness that it seems like we're going to get a tribal mixup next time (no Survivor next week because of the NCAA tournament, which I am SO excited about). Of course, it does seem like there will still be the division between the two camps. I just feel for the members of Ravu who get stuck on their same beach.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Worst Survivor Move Ever
Thursday night we witnessed what will probably go down as the worst move in Survivor history. All of a sudden, this season got interesting.
First, Anthony continued to be the weak link at Ravu. They did one of my favorite challenges from Vanuatu and he just couldn't seem to get it together. It's a tough call as to where to put him in line. If they put him first, they might not ever have a person across. But if they put him last, they could get someone all the way down the line only to not be able to get around Anthony at the end. It's a shame. He seems like he's a nice enough guy - he just folds under the pressure of challenges. The reward challenge was also one of the most ridiculous in Survivor history. A king sized bed? It's just ridiculous.
We finally got a glimpse at life at Moto, but sadly because Gary (Papa Smurf) finally couldn't handle his breathing problems any more. What a guy - he toughed it out for three days after the medics first visited until he left. It turns out that his breathing problems were caused by an allergic reaction to the bug bites. I really feel for the guy.
Did you love how in the immunity challenge they put Anthony in the cage at the end? I wonder if Rocky (in his pink bikini top) locked him in with a "you can't mess it up from here!!" And I just don't understand how Ravu could fall so far behind in the challenge. But all of this is secondary to the message in the bottle. After they won the challenge, Moto had to choose between immunity or their plush camp. For anyone who is a fan of the show, you know what the answer should be - you choose immunity. It gives you a two person advantage (sitting two people out at each challenge is a HUGE advantage), and means that you still don't have to start the backstabbing and nastiness for a few more days. You always choose immunity. But somehow, the luxuries have addled Moto's brain - they actually gave up immunity to keep their camp. That's right. They gave up immunity. It's been two days, and I STILL can't believe it.
So even though they are still undefeated in challenges, Moto ended up having to go to tribal council. And the nastiness started as soon as they got back to camp. Lisi was the worst. I haven't liked her from the beginning, but she really bothered me this week. Between her callous interview about Gary leaving meaning better odds for her (which it actually doesn't) to her talking about "Liliana's diabolic Mexican moves", I am so ready for her to go. Alas, it was Liliana who was the first voted out of the tribe. So stupid (though not as stupid as giving up immunity. Seriously people - worst move in Survivor history). So now both tribes are even at 7, and Moto got rid of one of their stronger players. Good luck with that.
First, Anthony continued to be the weak link at Ravu. They did one of my favorite challenges from Vanuatu and he just couldn't seem to get it together. It's a tough call as to where to put him in line. If they put him first, they might not ever have a person across. But if they put him last, they could get someone all the way down the line only to not be able to get around Anthony at the end. It's a shame. He seems like he's a nice enough guy - he just folds under the pressure of challenges. The reward challenge was also one of the most ridiculous in Survivor history. A king sized bed? It's just ridiculous.
We finally got a glimpse at life at Moto, but sadly because Gary (Papa Smurf) finally couldn't handle his breathing problems any more. What a guy - he toughed it out for three days after the medics first visited until he left. It turns out that his breathing problems were caused by an allergic reaction to the bug bites. I really feel for the guy.
Did you love how in the immunity challenge they put Anthony in the cage at the end? I wonder if Rocky (in his pink bikini top) locked him in with a "you can't mess it up from here!!" And I just don't understand how Ravu could fall so far behind in the challenge. But all of this is secondary to the message in the bottle. After they won the challenge, Moto had to choose between immunity or their plush camp. For anyone who is a fan of the show, you know what the answer should be - you choose immunity. It gives you a two person advantage (sitting two people out at each challenge is a HUGE advantage), and means that you still don't have to start the backstabbing and nastiness for a few more days. You always choose immunity. But somehow, the luxuries have addled Moto's brain - they actually gave up immunity to keep their camp. That's right. They gave up immunity. It's been two days, and I STILL can't believe it.
So even though they are still undefeated in challenges, Moto ended up having to go to tribal council. And the nastiness started as soon as they got back to camp. Lisi was the worst. I haven't liked her from the beginning, but she really bothered me this week. Between her callous interview about Gary leaving meaning better odds for her (which it actually doesn't) to her talking about "Liliana's diabolic Mexican moves", I am so ready for her to go. Alas, it was Liliana who was the first voted out of the tribe. So stupid (though not as stupid as giving up immunity. Seriously people - worst move in Survivor history). So now both tribes are even at 7, and Moto got rid of one of their stronger players. Good luck with that.
Friday, February 23, 2007
3 Out in a Row for Ravu
After my tivo got a workout (seriously networks, why must you put my three favorite shows on at the same time? It's just not nice) last night, I finally saw a really entertaining episode of Survivor: Fiji. Things are starting to get interesting, even as we continue to see the self-destruction of a tribe.
I think why I like last night's episode was because of the challenges. Both challenges were REALLY good. I always like the gross food challenges (that is, I like watching them - I would never ever be able to stomach the mildest of the things they have to eat), but the reward challenge was especially fantastic. Watching them try to maneuver through the giant oiled-up slip and slide was some of the best tv ever. Then to have to go and shoot baskets on top of it...hee hee! Watching Silvia attempt to swim through the oil was hilarious; I also loved the match-up between Yau Man and "Dreamz" (and thank you Jeff Probst for calling him Dre - I feel like such a dweeb typing that nickname)...you just know that Dre's friends are giving him quite the ribbing for almost losing that race. And who knew that Gary ("Papa Smurf") was such an athlete?
Speaking of Gary, I don't really understand what happened to him. I also don't understand why he was allowed to take the medication that the medical team gave him (sounded like he was given tylenol). I thought that the rules didn't allow you to take medication without being disqualified. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that's what previous castaways had said (that was why Bruce two seasons ago didn't want the medics to come...if he had taken something, he risked being disqualified). I think that he's going to be out next week - they spent a lot of time on the storyline this week for nothing to come of it.
Ravu finally started to get some strength, all because of Michelle. I believe that she is the first castaway to ever start fire on her own (without anything provided by Survivor). On a couple of seasons they were able to start a fire with a magnifying glass from their first aid kit, but the first aid kit was provided to them. They just need to start drinking lots and lots and lots of water. Having fire could make all the difference in the world for them. I remember seeing an interview with Colby (Survivor: Outback and Survivor: All Stars) - he said that the secret to his success was how much water he drank. It kept him strong, and tricked his body into thinking it was getting more food than it was.
It seemed like being dehydrated played a huge part in Ravu losing their fourth straight challenge. Several of them claimed that they couldn't swallow the gross food because they didn't have enough saliva. What I really don't understand is why the rest of the tribe didn't start chugging water (they usually bring their canteens everywhere) once they saw the first person have problems because of lack of spit. I also didn't understand at first why the tribe was so upset with Anthony. But it turns out that the challenge lasted a lot longer than we saw on the show. The pig snout battle lasted somewhere in the 20-30 minute range; Anthony chewed that tiny bit of snout the entire time. So I guess I can see where the tribe would be upset that he's not giving it his all.
In the end, they voted out Silvia, who really should have gone home last week. You have to wonder what would have happened if they had had Erica in the challenges instead of Silvia. I also had to laugh about Silvia's last minute digging for the idol. She said today that there was ginger that she was digging up, so they may not have suspected anything. But there's the distinct possibility that someone who is not sent to exile will find the hidden immunity idol.
I think that we'll see a tribal mix-up soon. At least, I hope so - I can only take so much more of the disparity between the tribes.
I think why I like last night's episode was because of the challenges. Both challenges were REALLY good. I always like the gross food challenges (that is, I like watching them - I would never ever be able to stomach the mildest of the things they have to eat), but the reward challenge was especially fantastic. Watching them try to maneuver through the giant oiled-up slip and slide was some of the best tv ever. Then to have to go and shoot baskets on top of it...hee hee! Watching Silvia attempt to swim through the oil was hilarious; I also loved the match-up between Yau Man and "Dreamz" (and thank you Jeff Probst for calling him Dre - I feel like such a dweeb typing that nickname)...you just know that Dre's friends are giving him quite the ribbing for almost losing that race. And who knew that Gary ("Papa Smurf") was such an athlete?
Speaking of Gary, I don't really understand what happened to him. I also don't understand why he was allowed to take the medication that the medical team gave him (sounded like he was given tylenol). I thought that the rules didn't allow you to take medication without being disqualified. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that's what previous castaways had said (that was why Bruce two seasons ago didn't want the medics to come...if he had taken something, he risked being disqualified). I think that he's going to be out next week - they spent a lot of time on the storyline this week for nothing to come of it.
Ravu finally started to get some strength, all because of Michelle. I believe that she is the first castaway to ever start fire on her own (without anything provided by Survivor). On a couple of seasons they were able to start a fire with a magnifying glass from their first aid kit, but the first aid kit was provided to them. They just need to start drinking lots and lots and lots of water. Having fire could make all the difference in the world for them. I remember seeing an interview with Colby (Survivor: Outback and Survivor: All Stars) - he said that the secret to his success was how much water he drank. It kept him strong, and tricked his body into thinking it was getting more food than it was.
It seemed like being dehydrated played a huge part in Ravu losing their fourth straight challenge. Several of them claimed that they couldn't swallow the gross food because they didn't have enough saliva. What I really don't understand is why the rest of the tribe didn't start chugging water (they usually bring their canteens everywhere) once they saw the first person have problems because of lack of spit. I also didn't understand at first why the tribe was so upset with Anthony. But it turns out that the challenge lasted a lot longer than we saw on the show. The pig snout battle lasted somewhere in the 20-30 minute range; Anthony chewed that tiny bit of snout the entire time. So I guess I can see where the tribe would be upset that he's not giving it his all.
In the end, they voted out Silvia, who really should have gone home last week. You have to wonder what would have happened if they had had Erica in the challenges instead of Silvia. I also had to laugh about Silvia's last minute digging for the idol. She said today that there was ginger that she was digging up, so they may not have suspected anything. But there's the distinct possibility that someone who is not sent to exile will find the hidden immunity idol.
I think that we'll see a tribal mix-up soon. At least, I hope so - I can only take so much more of the disparity between the tribes.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Erica Stunned at Tribal Council
A tip for everyone thinking of trying out for Survivor - if you're the type who panics at challenges, this may not be the game for you.
I'm still not sure how I feel about Survivor: Fiji yet. I know that I hate the "have vs. have-nots" concept with the camps. It's not really Survivor if you have a couch and so much food that you're full. Sure, it provided "Dreamz" a mushy television moment to comment that they had more food at their camp than a lot of Americans have in their fridges (which, sadly, is true...it's also sad how few of his tribemates believed him). But it's not Survivor. And there seems to be no end to the camp divisions. Many had speculated that the nice camp would be a reward (and there would be lots of camp switching. But at least for now, that isn't the case. Probst did NOT say that the winners of the challenge would get the nice camp. And this is why I hate it. It's one thing for a tribe to flounder, and lose challenge after challenge. As we saw on Palau, that actually makes for good television. But for a tribe to get weaker and weaker, while the other gets stronger and stronger, simply because of how the producers set up the game; it isn't fair (and it really isn't good tv either). I've read that a good twist on the camp would be that the losers of the immunity challenge would get the camp, but also have to go to tribal council. That would at least make things interesting. I'm hoping that Mark Burnett realizes this and changes it - soon.
A twist that I do like, at least how I understand it, is how the hidden immunity idol works this season. They can only use it through the final five, and it must be played after the votes are cast, but before the votes are read. It takes a lot of power away from the idol, and it means that the person who finds it can't just coast through the game as they could before (not that Terry or Yul coasted through the game, but had a weaker player found it, they certainly could have). It's interesting, too, that Probst said final five. Not sure if this means there will be a final three up against the jury again this season or not. Apparently Probst has said that if it were up to him, it would always be a final three. That eliminates the strategy of taking the weaker player with you to the final two - hypothetically, at least two of the final three would be strong players. I see his point. If the vote had been with the final three, instead of the final two, I think that a different player would have won in Marquesas (Kathy would have won over Vecepia), Amazon (though it would have been close between Rob C. & Jenna), and Exile Island (Terry would have won over Aras and Danielle for sure). It also would have changed the votes in Africa (some votes would have gone to Lex instead of Ethan), All Stars (Jenna would have gotten a few votes, which may have shifted the vote from Amber to Boston Rob), Palau (Ian would have gotten some votes), and Guatemala (Rafe would definitely have gotten some votes), though the end result would probably have been the same. That's more than half the seasons where the weaker player was brought to the final two as a strategy move. Maybe Probst is on to something.
Back to Thursday night's episode. We're seeing very little of Moto - probably because nothing exciting is happening, other than Boo getting hurt (and please, someone, give the cameraman who caught him falling out of the hammock a bonus). I don't really know the players over there, though Dreamz and Lisi continue to rub me the wrong way. At Ravu, dehydration is setting in, and it showed at the challenge. They had the strength to lead after the physical part of the challenge, but they weren't there enough mentally to solve the puzzle. Not a real surprise.
What was surprising was that they voted out Erica. She is such a strong player, even though she admittedly lost it during the challenge. Some of the guys are playing an individual game far too early; it's likely that that will come back to bite them in the end. And I'm not sure why Earl was sent to Exile Island. It seems like a really poor choice, unless they were trying to keep him safe from the vote. Moto knew that Ravu still doesn't have fire (and thus, no water) - sending someone to exile at this point only makes them stronger, since they will be able to drink. Anyways, in the end, Erica was voted off, which should make for a very interesting return for Earl. Can't wait.
I'm still not sure how I feel about Survivor: Fiji yet. I know that I hate the "have vs. have-nots" concept with the camps. It's not really Survivor if you have a couch and so much food that you're full. Sure, it provided "Dreamz" a mushy television moment to comment that they had more food at their camp than a lot of Americans have in their fridges (which, sadly, is true...it's also sad how few of his tribemates believed him). But it's not Survivor. And there seems to be no end to the camp divisions. Many had speculated that the nice camp would be a reward (and there would be lots of camp switching. But at least for now, that isn't the case. Probst did NOT say that the winners of the challenge would get the nice camp. And this is why I hate it. It's one thing for a tribe to flounder, and lose challenge after challenge. As we saw on Palau, that actually makes for good television. But for a tribe to get weaker and weaker, while the other gets stronger and stronger, simply because of how the producers set up the game; it isn't fair (and it really isn't good tv either). I've read that a good twist on the camp would be that the losers of the immunity challenge would get the camp, but also have to go to tribal council. That would at least make things interesting. I'm hoping that Mark Burnett realizes this and changes it - soon.
A twist that I do like, at least how I understand it, is how the hidden immunity idol works this season. They can only use it through the final five, and it must be played after the votes are cast, but before the votes are read. It takes a lot of power away from the idol, and it means that the person who finds it can't just coast through the game as they could before (not that Terry or Yul coasted through the game, but had a weaker player found it, they certainly could have). It's interesting, too, that Probst said final five. Not sure if this means there will be a final three up against the jury again this season or not. Apparently Probst has said that if it were up to him, it would always be a final three. That eliminates the strategy of taking the weaker player with you to the final two - hypothetically, at least two of the final three would be strong players. I see his point. If the vote had been with the final three, instead of the final two, I think that a different player would have won in Marquesas (Kathy would have won over Vecepia), Amazon (though it would have been close between Rob C. & Jenna), and Exile Island (Terry would have won over Aras and Danielle for sure). It also would have changed the votes in Africa (some votes would have gone to Lex instead of Ethan), All Stars (Jenna would have gotten a few votes, which may have shifted the vote from Amber to Boston Rob), Palau (Ian would have gotten some votes), and Guatemala (Rafe would definitely have gotten some votes), though the end result would probably have been the same. That's more than half the seasons where the weaker player was brought to the final two as a strategy move. Maybe Probst is on to something.
Back to Thursday night's episode. We're seeing very little of Moto - probably because nothing exciting is happening, other than Boo getting hurt (and please, someone, give the cameraman who caught him falling out of the hammock a bonus). I don't really know the players over there, though Dreamz and Lisi continue to rub me the wrong way. At Ravu, dehydration is setting in, and it showed at the challenge. They had the strength to lead after the physical part of the challenge, but they weren't there enough mentally to solve the puzzle. Not a real surprise.
What was surprising was that they voted out Erica. She is such a strong player, even though she admittedly lost it during the challenge. Some of the guys are playing an individual game far too early; it's likely that that will come back to bite them in the end. And I'm not sure why Earl was sent to Exile Island. It seems like a really poor choice, unless they were trying to keep him safe from the vote. Moto knew that Ravu still doesn't have fire (and thus, no water) - sending someone to exile at this point only makes them stronger, since they will be able to drink. Anyways, in the end, Erica was voted off, which should make for a very interesting return for Earl. Can't wait.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Survivor Fiji Gets Off To An Exciting Start
There's so much to talk about about last night's premiere of Survivor: Fiji I barely know where to start. So I apologize in advance if my thoughts seem a bit scattered. I'm just too excited to sort them all out. That, and I am still on a significant amount of cold medicine. Go figure.
There was lots of talk before the season started about the strange-ness of starting with 19 castaways. Turns out that they were supposed to start with 20 - one dropped out right before filming started. Melissa McNulty was supposed to be the 20th castaway; after having 3 panic attacks in one day, she met with the producers, and decided to pull out. I'm not sure how I feel about this. The week or two leading up to production is really tough - the castaways are sequestered, put through lots of activities (some media, some educational, some actual challenges), and aren't allowed to speak or have eye contact with each other. They are told to bring an ipod, so that they have the ear buds in all the time. There's no question that it's hard. So I'm glad that if Melissa couldn't handle that, that she was able to back out before the show started (and probably saved us the "fun" of watching her quit later on). Melissa said today that she didn't know that she had one day left of sequester, and that the producers were well aware beforehand that she suffers from panic attacks. I'm curious why they cast her in the first place. I'm also a little annoyed - because it was so close to the start of the game (probably about 18 hours), chances are (and this part I'm guessing on) that her departure drastically changed the first few days of the show. Jessica said today in interviews that most of them were looking around, realizing that there were 5 of each ethnic group, and assumed they would be split by race. When Melissa backed out (she is a white woman), that would have forced the producers to change how they divided the tribes. I think that the shelter twist was probably planned in advance, but how they divided the tribes I'm sure was changed. I hope we see an interview soon with Probst or Mark Burnett to know for sure.
Ok, so on to first impressions. Mine? That nearly everyone in the cast looks like a previous castaway. Seriously. "Dreamz" (and we'll get to that bit of ridiculousness in a second) looks so much like Osten from Pearl Islands that I thought it was him for a few minutes. There's too many of them like that for it to be a coincidence. I just hope that it's part of some sort of huge twist later in the game. That would ROCK.
Most of the castaways seem really likable so far. I LOVE Yau Man - I hope he does really well in the game. I also like Rocky, though I admittedly have an affection for anyone with a Boston accent. And I like Earl. Ok, I like most of them. What I didn't like? The fact that so many of them have nicknames. It's not ok to make up a nickname for yourself for the show. It's never ok. But to come up with "Dreamz" as your nickname? I can't think of anything worse. I was wrong about him (see my previous blog...his real name is Dre) - he'll be the first one voted out of his tribe. I'm also not too sure about Mookie. Did you see him sit down in the challenge? NOT cool.
I hate the twist of the two camps. Yes, I know that they'll probably be doing a lot of camp switching (the nice camp may be the reward for the reward challenges), and I hate it. Rewards that give a tribe an advantage at the next immunity challenge are fine. Rewards that give a tribe an advantage that is so large and so hard to overcome...well...blech. This is Survivor - they should have to work for it. Otherwise I'm just watching Big Brother on a beach.
Exile Island this year SUCKS. "Crawling with sea snakes"?? How is that safe? Do they have somewhere to go away from the snakes? Did CBS really let them do this? Yikes. And the fact that it looks like the immunity idol is actually hidden back at camp sucks even more (which is probably why they keep saying that there are two idols this season...one at each beach). I am also moving over to the side of the argument that hates that hidden idol. At least how it's done now. Maybe if there is a shorter time limit on it (like only being able to use it at the next 2 tribal councils) it would be better. But now finding the idol pretty much guarantees you final four. I hate that.
What I didn't hate was the challenge. LOVE when there are lots of parts to a challenge, and this one was tough. 14 seasons, and the challenge production team still rocks.
So after that great challenge, Ravu loses, and has to go to tribal council. I wish they had shown a little more of tribal last night - there are actually 200 steps to get up to tribal council this season...hopefully they'll show that climb in future episodes. And sadly, Jessica joins the "elite" club of those first voted out of Survivor. Someday maybe they'll take my idea and have a season of just those people. (of course, how much would it suck to be the first one voted out of THAT season!) Jessica seemed really nice, but someone had to go. It's too bad for her, but the people who seemed to rub others the wrong way were really all on the other tribe. It's the first season in awhile where it seemed like they pretty much just flipped a coin to choose who to vote off.
14 seasons in, and still by far my favorite show.
There was lots of talk before the season started about the strange-ness of starting with 19 castaways. Turns out that they were supposed to start with 20 - one dropped out right before filming started. Melissa McNulty was supposed to be the 20th castaway; after having 3 panic attacks in one day, she met with the producers, and decided to pull out. I'm not sure how I feel about this. The week or two leading up to production is really tough - the castaways are sequestered, put through lots of activities (some media, some educational, some actual challenges), and aren't allowed to speak or have eye contact with each other. They are told to bring an ipod, so that they have the ear buds in all the time. There's no question that it's hard. So I'm glad that if Melissa couldn't handle that, that she was able to back out before the show started (and probably saved us the "fun" of watching her quit later on). Melissa said today that she didn't know that she had one day left of sequester, and that the producers were well aware beforehand that she suffers from panic attacks. I'm curious why they cast her in the first place. I'm also a little annoyed - because it was so close to the start of the game (probably about 18 hours), chances are (and this part I'm guessing on) that her departure drastically changed the first few days of the show. Jessica said today in interviews that most of them were looking around, realizing that there were 5 of each ethnic group, and assumed they would be split by race. When Melissa backed out (she is a white woman), that would have forced the producers to change how they divided the tribes. I think that the shelter twist was probably planned in advance, but how they divided the tribes I'm sure was changed. I hope we see an interview soon with Probst or Mark Burnett to know for sure.
Ok, so on to first impressions. Mine? That nearly everyone in the cast looks like a previous castaway. Seriously. "Dreamz" (and we'll get to that bit of ridiculousness in a second) looks so much like Osten from Pearl Islands that I thought it was him for a few minutes. There's too many of them like that for it to be a coincidence. I just hope that it's part of some sort of huge twist later in the game. That would ROCK.
Most of the castaways seem really likable so far. I LOVE Yau Man - I hope he does really well in the game. I also like Rocky, though I admittedly have an affection for anyone with a Boston accent. And I like Earl. Ok, I like most of them. What I didn't like? The fact that so many of them have nicknames. It's not ok to make up a nickname for yourself for the show. It's never ok. But to come up with "Dreamz" as your nickname? I can't think of anything worse. I was wrong about him (see my previous blog...his real name is Dre) - he'll be the first one voted out of his tribe. I'm also not too sure about Mookie. Did you see him sit down in the challenge? NOT cool.
I hate the twist of the two camps. Yes, I know that they'll probably be doing a lot of camp switching (the nice camp may be the reward for the reward challenges), and I hate it. Rewards that give a tribe an advantage at the next immunity challenge are fine. Rewards that give a tribe an advantage that is so large and so hard to overcome...well...blech. This is Survivor - they should have to work for it. Otherwise I'm just watching Big Brother on a beach.
Exile Island this year SUCKS. "Crawling with sea snakes"?? How is that safe? Do they have somewhere to go away from the snakes? Did CBS really let them do this? Yikes. And the fact that it looks like the immunity idol is actually hidden back at camp sucks even more (which is probably why they keep saying that there are two idols this season...one at each beach). I am also moving over to the side of the argument that hates that hidden idol. At least how it's done now. Maybe if there is a shorter time limit on it (like only being able to use it at the next 2 tribal councils) it would be better. But now finding the idol pretty much guarantees you final four. I hate that.
What I didn't hate was the challenge. LOVE when there are lots of parts to a challenge, and this one was tough. 14 seasons, and the challenge production team still rocks.
So after that great challenge, Ravu loses, and has to go to tribal council. I wish they had shown a little more of tribal last night - there are actually 200 steps to get up to tribal council this season...hopefully they'll show that climb in future episodes. And sadly, Jessica joins the "elite" club of those first voted out of Survivor. Someday maybe they'll take my idea and have a season of just those people. (of course, how much would it suck to be the first one voted out of THAT season!) Jessica seemed really nice, but someone had to go. It's too bad for her, but the people who seemed to rub others the wrong way were really all on the other tribe. It's the first season in awhile where it seemed like they pretty much just flipped a coin to choose who to vote off.
14 seasons in, and still by far my favorite show.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Survivor: Fiji Starts Tomorrow!
I am so excited for tomorrow night's premiere of Survivor: Fiji. With so many good reality shows out there, Survivor is still my all-time favorite. Last season, my prediction made it to the final three (Becky), and I also managed to predict two of the three first voted off (Sekou & Billy) weeks before the first episode premiered. Really. You can check it out here: http://marasusan.blogspot.com/2006/08/more-on-survivor.html
So who do I like this season? I'll admit that I had an advantage last season since I knew that the survivors would be divided by race. And while I suspect that they may be divided by race again, I'm not sure. (for those who don't know, this season's castaways did NOT see Cook Islands before they filmed this season...this means that a lot of times they can do the same "twists" without the survivors seeing it coming) Without seeing any of the show yet, I like Anthony, Edgardo, Michelle. Something about their profiles jumps out at me. Dre is also one to watch. It's strange to list "cheerleading coach" as your occupation (though not nearly as strange as fire dancer or roller girl), but I think that a coach will do well on the show. Rita, a single mom, also has a good chance - moms traditionally do very well on the show. As for ones who might be quick out, this was tougher. Lisi, Erica, & Gary might be quickly out.
Can't wait for tomorrow night...
So who do I like this season? I'll admit that I had an advantage last season since I knew that the survivors would be divided by race. And while I suspect that they may be divided by race again, I'm not sure. (for those who don't know, this season's castaways did NOT see Cook Islands before they filmed this season...this means that a lot of times they can do the same "twists" without the survivors seeing it coming) Without seeing any of the show yet, I like Anthony, Edgardo, Michelle. Something about their profiles jumps out at me. Dre is also one to watch. It's strange to list "cheerleading coach" as your occupation (though not nearly as strange as fire dancer or roller girl), but I think that a coach will do well on the show. Rita, a single mom, also has a good chance - moms traditionally do very well on the show. As for ones who might be quick out, this was tougher. Lisi, Erica, & Gary might be quickly out.
Can't wait for tomorrow night...
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