Survivor

[DuffMan]

Has anyone else out there been watching this season of Survivor?? I watched the first few weeks, then I missed the past 3 or so being busy with the wedding and honeymoon. Now that I'm settled in again I started watching again last night.

[PaulFolk]

I've been watching. It's still one of my top 5 favorite shows on TV, even in its 14th season.

I haven't really gotten into this season as much as previous seasons, though. I don't have a player that I'm really rooting for. Most of the contestants are a little bland and/or annoying this time around. They didn't do such a great job with casting.

The players' strategies this season have been all over the place. Todd proclaims himself as a brilliant student of the game, but his strategy makes no sense. First he arranges things so that the most dominant physical threat (James) ends up with both hidden immunity idols. Then, for no reason at all, he plots to vote out Jean-Robert, who wasn't a threat to anyone, instead of getting rid of James when he has the chance. Todd seems more interested in stirring up chaos than actually following a decent game plan.

At this point, it's practically anyone's game to win, but if I had to guess, I'd say Amanda (just because she's sort of under-the-radar but has a decent strategical mind and gets along with everyone).

[Tank]

I've been watching too. I like this season better than the last one. I agree with you Paul about there not being a real favorite. I think it'll probably be one out of Todd, James, Amanda, and Frosty.

[cindyluvsbrady]

i live in a SURVIVOR crazy house:) My kids like James:)

[DuffMan]

O man I wasn't happy with how last nights episode went. I could've screamed when PG won the Immunity Idol I really wanted her to get the boot. I like Frosty and was bummed he got kicked out. My other gripe was at the end of last weeks show in the preview they showed a clip about having something to do after tribal council. In this weeks episode all they do is say they have unfinished business and then cut away. WTF is up with that?

As far as who's left on the show. I break it down into three groups.

The ones I like and would like to see win: James, Erik, Amanda

I'm neutral towards Denise, I don't want her to win, but if she does I want be mad.

The ones I dislike are Courtney PG and Todd: I really don't know who annoys me more Courtney or PG. I guess I would say Courtney b/c she is totally worthless at any type of physical challenge. I still laugh at the episode whe she couldn't even cut the rope with the machette and she had to saw it. Although PG also seems to be Pain.

[PaulFolk]

SPOILER ALERT-- don't read if you haven't watched the 11/29 episode








Wow...I must say, that one shocked me. I figured James was a shoo-in for the final 2 (or final 3, however they're doing it), and the odds-on favorite to win. I can't believe a guy with two immunity idols somehow got himself voted out. James just wasn't a great strategist. He only got the two idols because Todd essentially handed them to him, and then he doesn't even use any to save himself.

My early winner pick of Amanda is looking better and better. She seemed to be the one who orchestrated the whole James blindsiding. I think she's played a solid, if under-the-radar, game.

[Tank]

Yeah, I can't believe he didn't use one of the immunity idols. You could tell he was getting a little suspicious and he still would have had one left. Oh well, there goes the favorite. Now its between Amanda, Todd, and Erik (dark horse).

[DuffMan]

I was definitely ticked off that they gave James the boot. Although that was dumb of him to not use one of the idols. I thought he figured out something was up when Denise made that comment, something along the lines of "you never know, one day you could come here and get blind sided by 4 people".

Out of everyone that's left I would like Eric to win, although he's going to have a tough go of it in order to win.

PG and Courtney are still annoying can they please get the boot!?!?

Finally, what was the surprise announcement that Jeff made to them. I missed the first 10 minutes or so while I was finally beating Assassins Creed.

[Baroquen131]

Skeletor, I mean Courtney, really needs to go. I haven't been able to stand her since episode 1. Ugh ugh ugh ugh.

Yeah, can't believe James was foolish enough to not use the idol. That's been the most memorable moment for me since the blonde "played" the non-immunity idol at the council and Jeff tossed it in the fire.

I think Amanda looks like a good choice too. Things change so quickly on that show though.

[PaulFolk]

Finally, what was the surprise announcement that Jeff made to them. I missed the first 10 minutes or so while I was finally beating Assassins Creed.
It was a reward challenge. They had to answer trivia questions about China. The prize was a visit to the Shao Lin Temple (sp?) for a feast and a Kung Fu demonstration. Peih-Gee won the challenge and picked Denise and Erik to go on the trip with her.

[DuffMan]

It was a reward challenge. They had to answer trivia questions about China. The prize was a visit to the Shao Lin Temple (sp?) for a feast and a Kung Fu demonstration. Peih-Gee won the challenge and picked Denise and Erik to go on the trip with her.

Thanks for the info!


Last night's episode was meh.... and with Erik getting the boot another of the characters that I liked is gone. I was really hoping that Denise would switch over, it would have been a nice surprise and mixed things up a bit. But for some reason she rather be top 4 then top 3. Out of the remaining contestants there is nobody left that I "want" to win, but I would be okay with Amanda or Denise winning. If PG, Todd or Courtney wins I'll be disappointed. Especially Courtney she is so damn irritating if she wins that will be the biggest joke ever!

[NJOriolesFan]

Thanks for the info!


Last night's episode was meh.... and with Erik getting the boot another of the characters that I liked is gone. I was really hoping that Denise would switch over, it would have been a nice surprise and mixed things up a bit. But for some reason she rather be top 4 then top 3. Out of the remaining contestants there is nobody left that I "want" to win, but I would be okay with Amanda or Denise winning. If PG, Todd or Courtney wins I'll be disappointed. Especially Courtney she is so damn irritating if she wins that will be the biggest joke ever!


Denise had to stick to her alliance. The best she could have done was force a tie. If Todd would have won that tie breaker, it would have been the end for her. Denise has to plead to Todd now that she was honorable and stuck to her loyalty when she could have gotten him out of the game. She needs to use that to get herself to the final 3.

[ScottieBaseball]

As far as Courtney is concerned...at what point is her weight going to become a health concern? She's become known as Skeletor in my home. Last night they had a camera shot of her standing with Todd in the distance and I'm pretty sure you could see Todd's silohuette through her abdomen.

[Tank]

So another one of my favorites got voted off. I'm rooting for Amanda now, followed by Todd. I don't like PG or Courtney. I'm right in the middle with Denise, I don't love or hate her. That was a tough decision for Denise to make, we'll see if she made the right one. If she gets to the top 4 she can win Immunity to guarantee herself top 3 right?

And what would have happened in the case of a tie? Whats the tie-breaker? Trivia?

[PaulFolk]

So another one of my favorites got voted off. I'm rooting for Amanda now, followed by Todd. I don't like PG or Courtney. I'm right in the middle with Denise, I don't love or hate her. That was a tough decision for Denise to make, we'll see if she made the right one. If she gets to the top 4 she can win Immunity to guarantee herself top 3 right?

And what would have happened in the case of a tie? Whats the tie-breaker? Trivia?
That's the big question. There hasn't been a tie in a couple of seasons, IIRC, so I'm not 100% sure what the tiebreaker is. Last time there was a tie, they went to a fire-building challenge. If that's still the case, then I definitely think Denise should have switched her vote, because it wouldn't have put her in any danger. She'd risk pissing off the mostly Fei-Long jury, but at least she'd have a better chance of getting to the finals.

I'm still picking Amanda to win, with Todd another strong possibility. But don't count out Peih-Gee as a dark horse. She's done a remarkable job of sticking around. I'd be okay with her winning-- other than her smug reactions after throwing the challenge earlier in the season, she hasn't annoyed me too much. And she has a good strategic mind for the game.

[Tank]

That's the big question. There hasn't been a tie in a couple of seasons, IIRC, so I'm not 100% sure what the tiebreaker is. Last time there was a tie, they went to a fire-building challenge. If that's still the case, then I definitely think Denise should have switched her vote, because it wouldn't have put her in any danger. She'd risk pissing off the mostly Fei-Long jury, but at least she'd have a better chance of getting to the finals.

I'm still picking Amanda to win, with Todd another strong possibility. But don't count out Peih-Gee as a dark horse. She's done a remarkable job of sticking around. I'd be okay with her winning-- other than her smug reactions after throwing the challenge earlier in the season, she hasn't annoyed me too much. And she has a good strategic mind for the game.

Gotcha. I've only been watching Survivor since the one before this one. Before that, the last time I watched was the first 2 seasons. So I don't ever recall seeing a tie. Thanks.

[DuffMan]

Gotcha. I've only been watching Survivor since the one before this one. Before that, the last time I watched was the first 2 seasons. So I don't ever recall seeing a tie. Thanks.


The first few seasons were definitely the best. The Australian one was my favorite. Colby was da man!!! O yeah and Elizabeth was a hottie!!!

[PaulFolk]

Well, that was a boring end to a mostly boring season. Can't say I disagree with their choice of winner. Honestly, I didn't even care who won at that point, since I was sick of all three of them. I'm a little surprised Amanda didn't get more support from the jury-- she was outvoted by Courtney, for Pete's sake. I think Amanda made a bad impression with the jury with her whimpering and apologizing, instead of standing up and being accountable for her actions. If the jury was trying to decide between her and Todd, I think Todd impressed them more with his comments.

Overall, I'd say this one of the 3 worst seasons in Survivor history. The entire cast was remarkably uninteresting and unappealing. And a final challenge of...balancing silverware? C'mon. It's hard to milk a lot of drama and suspense out of comments like "Next dish...the rice bowl!"

[Dipper9]

Well, that was a boring end to a mostly boring season. Can't say I disagree with their choice of winner. Honestly, I didn't even care who won at that point, since I was sick of all three of them. I'm a little surprised Amanda didn't get more support from the jury-- she was outvoted by Courtney, for Pete's sake. I think Amanda made a bad impression with the jury with her whimpering and apologizing, instead of standing up and being accountable for her actions. If the jury was trying to decide between her and Todd, I think Todd impressed them more with his comments.

Overall, I'd say this one of the 3 worst seasons in Survivor history. The entire cast was remarkably uninteresting and unappealing. And a final challenge of...balancing silverware? C'mon. It's hard to milk a lot of drama and suspense out of comments like "Next dish...the rice bowl!"

I thought the "game" itself was decent this year. What made this season uninteresting was, like you said, the lack of character from the contestants. I couldn't find myself getting behind any of them, which is rare after watching them for 12 weeks, or whatever it is. I couldn't put my finger on it until the final tribal council last night. The problem is they were all immature kids this season, with only a couple exceptions. Sorry, but I just can't get behind 20 somethings battling it out like spoiled children, not knowing what its like to work for a living and having this as an oppotunity to get ahead in life. I hope the next cast is a little older and wiser. (Not that I mind watching the young chickies! :D )

[DuffMan]

Was anyone else really annoyed with Denise last night? She seemed to really be whining about I'm a lunch lady you should keep me around b/c of that, if I was around the jury would pick me b/c I'm a lunch lady and I have kids so you guys are afraid. And she voted for Courtney of all people!?

I too thought Amanda would've gotten more votes and would have preferred she won. I don't really like Todd, but I'm not pissed that he won just bummed. Courtney is still a jerk and I'm glad she didn't win.

I agree the last challenge was lame, give me the ones they've had in the past where there out there standing on a platform or holding their arm on something for hours and hours!!! I would also like to see them return to just having 2 in the final instead of 3.

[PaulFolk]

Was anyone else really annoyed with Denise last night? She seemed to really be whining about I'm a lunch lady you should keep me around b/c of that, if I was around the jury would pick me b/c I'm a lunch lady and I have kids so you guys are afraid. And she voted for Courtney of all people!?
Agreed. I thought Denise was more of a fighter than that, but last night she turned into a total whiner. Her "sob story" to Amanda was ridiculous, when she was talking about how everyone else would have these great opportunities after the show and she'd just go back to her family and working as a lunch lady. That was just weak. First of all, she has a husband and kids, so it's not like she has a terrible life. But really, what point was she trying to make? Was she trying to say that...everyone else should just let her win the million dollars because she needs the money so badly? Should everyone else just up and quit the game for Denise's sake?


I too thought Amanda would've gotten more votes and would have preferred she won. I don't really like Todd, but I'm not pissed that he won just bummed. Courtney is still a jerk and I'm glad she didn't win.
I was pulling for Amanda before last night's episode, because she seemed like she always kept her cool in the game, but that changed in the finale. She got a lot more uptight and emotional and panicky, and it cost her. Yeah, I'm definitely glad Courtney didn't win. The live audience was booing her every time she got a vote. Ouch!


I agree the last challenge was lame, give me the ones they've had in the past where there out there standing on a platform or holding their arm on something for hours and hours!!! I would also like to see them return to just having 2 in the final instead of 3.
The problem with the final 2 is that you often end up with one really deserving person against a "patsy" who has no chance of winning. That takes the suspense out of it. At least when there's a final 3, you can make a reasonable case for maybe 2 of the finalists, so the outcome is still up in the air somewhat.

[Tank]

Yeah, I didn't really have anything against Denise until the finale last night. I didn't like her attitude which seemed to almost come out of nowhere.

I was rooting for Amanda, but I think she cost herself the game at the questioning. I thought Todd was a deserving winner though.

I liked this season, certainly better than last season. Next season is going to be fans versus favorites. We'll see how that turns out, I'm a little skeptical though.

And I definitely like having a final 3 over a final 2. Makes it more interesting. I wish Big Brother would do that.

[PaulFolk]

I liked this season, certainly better than last season.
Definitely disagree here. Last season started out terribly with that awful haves-vs.-have-nots twist (what a surprise, the camp with the beds and food won all the challenges), but once they got to the merge, it was a great season. Lots of interesting characters (Yau-Man in particular), lots of huge shocks at tribal council, and a deserving winner (Earl) who was both likeable and a really good strategist, neither of which particularly applies to Todd. Last season averaged out to a good season, but this one was just a mess.


Next season is going to be fans versus favorites. We'll see how that turns out, I'm a little skeptical though.
Yeah, the last All-Star season was kind of disappointing. The problem was that everyone already knew each other (from Survivor functions and such) so it took some of the mystery out of the game. Not to mention that all the previous winners were at a distinct disadvantage because nobody wanted to let them win again. If they had to do another All-Star season, this was a good compromise-- half All-Stars, half newbies. I just hope they picked the right people to return. For instance, I'm not interested in seeing Rob and Amber again. I don't mind them as much as some people do, but enough is enough.

[DuffMan]

Yeah, the last All-Star season was kind of disappointing. The problem was that everyone already knew each other (from Survivor functions and such) so it took some of the mystery out of the game. Not to mention that all the previous winners were at a distinct disadvantage because nobody wanted to let them win again. If they had to do another All-Star season, this was a good compromise-- half All-Stars, half newbies. I just hope they picked the right people to return. For instance, I'm not interested in seeing Rob and Amber again. I don't mind them as much as some people do, but enough is enough.

I read somewhere that the All-Stars they are going to have are going to be in the later seasons of Survivor. So anyone that was in the first all stars won't be in this one. This is good b/c I can't stand Rob or Amber and I think their 15 minutes of fame should've been over a long time ago.

I think I heard that James is going to be on the new one as well, not sure who else is going to be on it.

[PaulFolk]

I read somewhere that the All-Stars they are going to have are going to be in the later seasons of Survivor. So anyone that was in the first all stars won't be in this one. This is good b/c I can't stand Rob or Amber and I think their 15 minutes of fame should've been over a long time ago.
That makes sense. Glad to hear it. I wonder if they're going to allow any former winners to come back this time. Probably not, which is too bad, because Earl and Yul were two of my favorites. We'll see who they choose...

[Tank]

Definitely disagree here. Last season started out terribly with that awful haves-vs.-have-nots twist (what a surprise, the camp with the beds and food won all the challenges), but once they got to the merge, it was a great season. Lots of interesting characters (Yau-Man in particular), lots of huge shocks at tribal council, and a deserving winner (Earl) who was both likeable and a really good strategist, neither of which particularly applies to Todd. Last season averaged out to a good season, but this one was just a mess.

Well thats true. It did turn into a good season. But I still liked this one better.