After last week’s Tribal Switch-up, it looked like this season may have turned a corner finally. Someone made a comment recently on one of my posts that they thought NaOnka was heavily edited to appear to be the villain for this season, and after watching her mental breakdown over a rain storm, I wondered if that was indeed the case. Was she really a vicious snarly witch like we saw in the first couple of weeks, or the borderline mental patient we saw last week? Whichever one it is, I think we all can agree that she is indeed the biggest drama queen we’ve seen on this show in a long time.Would this week shed some light on which NaOnka is the real one? Why are we seeing an individual immunity challenge again? And who is morphing into the ultimate Parvati/Russell hybrid?
My Random Thoughts:
- Previously on…Survivor: Jeff bludgeoned us over the head with the fact that Yve was the only one who didn’t vote for Tyrone. When I saw that, I turned to my girlfriend and said “if that doesn’t come into play this episode, I’ll bend through my own legs and kiss my own ass.” Her response: “I’d like to see that.”
- Normally to start the episode we see the aftermath of Tribal Council and the fallout back at camp. But this episode , all we saw was Dan talking about wanting to quit, and Holly acting horrified at the thought…even though she was the one who was ready to quit only a few days earlier. A very confusing way to open the episode, especially with a truncated opening credits sequence right afterwards.
- Yve talked about not wanting to “throw Danny under the bus”, so this is probably a good time for me to go over my rules for the phrases that should qualify a Reality TV contestant for immediate disqualification. For those of you unfamiliar with that list, it is as follows: 1) Threw me under the bus, 2) It is what it is, 3) There’s a target on my back, and 4) Game on! (any time after the first episode.)
- Crazy Hair Marty described the switch from Espada to La Flor as being like going from a serious drama to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Not only was it an absolutely perfect analogy…but a fantastic reason for me to post a link to this.
- I will re-iterate what I say every season about how much I absolutely hate episodes where both tribes have to vote someone out. It's a cheap way to get more contestants at the beginning of the game, and it places NO value on winning. At least this time they gave the opportunity of individual immunity within the respective tribes...but that's still not enough to justify it. Sure, La Flor got their feast of chicken and beef kebabs, and a front row seat at Espada’s Tribal Council...but Tribal immunity is what this phase of the game has always been based on, and to take that away is, and always will be, a very weak tactic.
- Fabio, when Marty tells you “I would love to go with someone like you to the final three”, listen carefully to the wording of that statement. He’s not saying that he wants to go to the Final Three with “you”, he’s saying “someone like you.” Translation: I want to go to the Final Three with a TOTAL MORON who thinks Guillermo Vilas is an Argentinian chess grandmaster. He wants to go to the end with someone he can mold like a piece of clay…and that’s you. Smart move on Marty’s part, but read the signs, Fabio!
- Dan talking about the fact that he doesn’t need the money is insulting. It’s insulting to the viewers, it’s insulting to the other contestants, and it’s insulting to anyone who has ever applied to be on the show.
- Purple Kelly AGAIN didn’t say a word in this episode. Is she really on the show? Is she perhaps just a hologram? A figment of our imagination?
- I was so frustrated watching Espada talking about the fact that Dan wanting to quit was the perfect reason to keep him around. NO! The second someone wants to quit, you vote them out, and here’s why: if they quit, then you’re a player down, and you run the risk of still losing another player if you go to Tribal council next. The potential to lose two players in a single 3-day period is a huge turning point in this game.
- At Tribal Council, Brenda turned up the heat on Marty with a lie about who was targeting Jane. Great job of making Marty look guilty, even when he wasn’t. But the fact that she remained calm and composed while lying, while he got flustered while telling the truth, made her appear credible while Marty looked guilty. Russell did the same thing last season: a bold-faced lie at Tribal Council, but it worked because he stayed calm and credible, while Danielle freaked out. Brenda is becoming a perfect mix of who I believe are the two best players to ever play the game: Parvati and Russell.
- After the La Flor vote was revealed to be a tie, weren’t you wishing that Marty could play the Idol then…before the re-vote?- I was completely stunned when Kelly B. was eliminated on the re-vote. Looks like those potential sympathy votes were too much of a threat for her to overcome. She didn’t have a leg to stand on. (I’m so bad…I know.)
- Dan calling Yve arrogant was absolutely laughable. Not only is it not true, but coming from him was even more ridiculous.
- Dan survives FOUR separate Tribal Concils where he should have been voted out? Unbelievable.
Next Week: Jane sneaks a personal fish-feast and Fabio takes a leak.
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7 comments:
Very well written. My only disagreement: your description of Brenda as a combo of Russell and Parvati. How is Brenda like Parvati? I think Brenda is a completely different - and much more respectable - player. She is a natural leader that doesn't need to flirt and giggle her way to the semi top.
Hey Sean,
I can't believe how stupid La Flor is right now. They orchestrate a tie for the purposes of forcing out the idol. If Marty plays the idol Kelly B. goes home. If he doesn't you vote him out with the second vote. What were they thinking? They had Marty right where they wanted him and they let him off. If they were going to vote off Kelly B. why didn't they just do that in the first place. Why the elaborate plan? Why risk splitting the votes?
They didn't accomplish any of their goals. Marty is still in the game. He still has his idol. And now he is pissed off.
And why the heck didn't Marty play the idol? Shifting his votes from Jane to Brenda only weakens his position. Even as he cast his vote he knew there weren't enough votes against Brenda. How could he possibly think he was safe.
I think it is dumb luck that your guy Marty is still in the game. But I'm glad.
How would you like to be Dan? The longer he stays in the game the longer he will stay in the game (if you know what I mean). Soon there will be no reason to vote him out. How many people stayed in the game because they weren't a threat, and ended up winning the whole thing.
Regarding the double tribal: Jeff P. once commented on this. With 16 players they have a problem if someone leafs because they quit or due to injury - they would need to skip tribal council that night. They can't have 18 because they would have an uneven number of males and females. With 20 players they are forced to have a night where 2 people get booted. Not ideal, but it is the best of three bad options.
Cheers!
jim
Ps. The "leafs" was a joke. Just for you.
Anonymous, Brenda has the same game-playing mind that Parvati did. Big picture, people skills, and the awareness that to win the game, people hav to actually like you...or at the very least, not hate you. The way she sat back and smiled when she flustered Marty at Tribal Council made me realize that. "She is a natural leader that doesn't need to flirt and giggle her way to the semi top." - I think you could say that about Parvati too...she just chose to flirt and giggle.
Jim, Yes, La Flor's move made no sense. Why complicate everything to not achieve your goals. Marty not playing the idol was best described in a poker analogy. He had a read, and he went with it. Lucky he was right. But still, it made no sense to me. And when he looked at Jill after NOT playing the Idol, I yelled "IDIOT!" at the screen so loud, my girlfriend thought I was Napoleon Dynamite.
I see the logic of the Double Tribal, but it still annoys me. Maybe if they gave some incredibly difficult element of the challenge that made it possible to save your team from Tribal, I could deal with it.
I can't see Marty lasting much longer, but if La Flor wins and doesn't have to go to Tribal, and Marty makes a merge WITH the Idol, look out.
Otherwise he's toast. Burnt Toast...with bad hair.
Nice Recap Sean!
I think the reason we aren't hearing Purple Kelly say anything is because she's going to suddenly bust out at the end & win the game. Wouldn't that be a surprise?
I think Marty convinced himself that they were trying to trick him into playing the idol, but were actually going to vote for someone else. It's the only thing that makes sense. If that's what he was thinking then I have to give him credit for thinking something. He was dead wrong. But at least there was some method to his actions.
I do think Marty will last a while longer. You don't survive something crazy like that only to go home the next week. Fate just doesn't work that way. Not very scientific I know. I think he will go on the offensive. Between that and the idol he will somehow keep himself in the game a while longer.
jim
Don't you think those devices strapped to their butts in the immunity challenge looked like bedpans?
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