LadyChatts

S39 will likely film from end of March/beginning-middle of May, and S40 end of May/beginning of June-mid July. IIRC, from what Redmond use to say about casting, calls start going out in January. Not sure if it's the final casting calls or if that's when they first narrow their pool down. This will be the first season that Canadians can apply to, so I'm anxious to see how many of our friends north of the border get on. In the past few seasons Redmond mentioned them having trouble with casting, but I believe that boiled down to the theme. I don't know if S40 will be some big alumni season of sorts, but I'm curious what recycled or semi-recycled theme we'll get for S39!

I was actually surprised by the reaction to Natalie's ouster. There were many who were disappointed. Yet, she voted for Lyrsa? What exactly was Lyrsa supposed to do? Natalie dug her own grave. I found her weirdly entertaining (I still can't figure out why), but she really lost me over demanding Nick give over his jacket for his place in the game, then comparing it to sales. That said, I would have rather seen Angelina go home over her. It would have been interesting to see Natalie's reaction to Mike flipping and Angelina being the one leaving. I am sorry for the comments Lyrsa is getting. Those are downright terrible. She's playing the game, and again, voted for the person who also voted against her. S35, considered one of the worst seasons ever by fans. Joe was very much a bully and wannabe villain who supposedly relished all the backlash he got. So maybe he's just jealous that this season is already getting a positive reception four episodes in. I'm honestly not surprised by his remarks. And frankly, I find adult bullies much worse than kid bullies.

What's interesting about Nick is that he was almost the first boot. I always like to think about how the chain of events likely would have been altered if Pat hadn't been medevaced, and Nick was successfully the first boot. If the Davids lost the second IC, would Jessica have gone? What would the tribe swap have brought? Would Mike have still found an ally, and would Goliath Strong turned into Naviti Strong 2.0? I can't say I liked him the first couple of episodes, especially throwing Gabby under the bus after the Jessica vote. I think he's a slightly obnoxious over player, but I've grown to like him. He's got a personality I like, and I am very glad he stood his ground about his jacket and called Natalie out for being a bully and threatening his chances in the game. I am happy he's playing the game (I love when anyone is playing the game, and not playing just for jury or to be a character), but like a few others this season, I worry he might be over doing it and that'll end up costing him.

I don't like her, either. I haven't since her opening lines during the first episode. I can't even say she's an enjoyable villain, if that's the angle they are pushing. I love that she was left jacket-less.

I'd say that Alec or Elizabeth would be the most vulnerable. Alec if Kara totally throws him under the bus, especially if she says he wanted to get Davie out initially. However, it might make more sense to the guys to stick together. In addition, Kara is right that Alec looked like the night in shining armor for saving Davie and Elizabeth (and getting them an advantage in numbers). I don't know where he sits with his original Goliaths at this point, especially because 'Goliath Strong' appears to be dead, at least for now, so maybe they won't care that he flipped and bring him back into the fold. Still, it appears that bonds are forming at the Green tribe, and Nick/Mike have an alliance going on. I'm not sure why Alison would want Dan targeted, unless she thinks he's too big of a threat and that the merge might be around the corner. Plus, maybe she finds out about his idols (or second idol-not sure if she knew about the first). She might also be concerned he'll hook back up with Kara, then have Angelina, John, and possibly Christian with him. The tone of her conversation made it seem like they lost and she was more reassuring Gabby, but it could be she was reassuring her going forward that they'd get the men out. I am very excited to see the reaction to Natalie getting voted off. They better deliver!

Next week's preview looks interesting. Alison (finally getting some screen time) looking to align with Gabby-does that mean that Green loses the IC or is Alison planning ahead? Same thing over at Orange-Elizabeth and Davie's apparent tiff coming on the loss of an IC, or something else? I would worry in Elizabeth's case, because I believe Carl and Davie are tight, so all they would need is Kara or Alec (both of whom have nothing to lose). I do wonder what happens because she did look upset. Maybe someone came to her and said Davie threw her under the bus or was throwing her name around?

Alison sighting tonight! I almost thought that meant she was getting voted off lol If you're that invisible and suddenly make an appearance that wasn't always a good sign.

The thing about Dan is he doesn't seem super bright, and I feel like he's going to either get voted out with both idols, misplays the idols, or give them to someone and they get voted out with them, ala Scot and Jason during Koah Rong.

Amateur weather chaser Natalie sitting there in the rain and not even being fazed by it pelting her makes me wonder if she's stared down tornados and screams at hurricanes, and if they retreated. Alec: “I look at them as extra votes”. Yeah, extra votes who have the numbers. I loved Kara’s mad face and clenched jaw at the RC to indicate she was not a part of the Natalia vote. I love Elizabeth, but I love squirrels too. So I’ll pretend she didn’t talk about squirrel hunting with a sling shot. I’m proud of her regardless for getting the winning basket. Also happy to see a happy, smiling Gabby! Hope her attitude improves in the game and she can put a more positive foot going forward. I don’t want Christian to just carry her and her being remembered for constantly crying on the beach. I wish they’d leave Fiji for the weather alone. I can’t even say them having to evacuate is exciting or different anymore. Been there, done that (and will be doing it again I’m sure). I’ll say it again that I think the editing is way more balanced this season than last season. I’m enjoying it way more. And of course Dan would find another idol. But the sight of Christian looking through the trees was pretty funny. Also, it will come as a surprise to Dan that a lot of people know about his first idol. Contrasted to Davie, who has kept his idol to himself.

The editors are doing an AMAZING job this season because that was a blindside I did not expect! And I am still laughing at Angelina’s parting words to Natalie about the jacket. After Naviti strong last season I am so thankful that people are willing to flip the script. Bonus points that Lyrsa survived. I worried that she’s been invisible for the last two episodes, then suddenly got screen time, and talked about wanting to make the merge that she was going. I think I now have to be a Mike fan. Also, Angelina started the whole jacket-gate, and she got off easy. I haven't liked her since the first episode. I feel like she's a little mean girl that likes to get her own way but not do the dirty work. Though I don't think she would have had to push Natalie too hard.

I know with JP, he was careful with what he said and how he acted because of his profession. He didn't want to do anything that would embarrass his department or jeopardize his job. I think that some people might hold back more for reasons like that, but it could also be just luck of the draw. Get on a season with big characters or showmances or big twists/moves, and if you don't fit into any of those, you're likely to get overshadowed. On the flip side, I can see some castaways refusing to play along with theme in their TH or perhaps not giving the answers or reactions that are expected, so they get ignored for that. I was really annoyed reading exit interviews last season, because it sounded like so much more was going on behind the scenes. I don't know why they made Dom and Wendell such a focus post-merge. Or rather, I don't know why they felt like they had to ignore everything else going on. I always wonder if contestants on these shows expect a purple edit or if they worry about it. If I were a big fan of the show and finally got cast, I'd be crushed to have everyone tune in every week, only for me to be MIA.

Me too. And the thing about the last TC, is that Natalia was so sure that Elizabeth had the idol. And that might have been because Davie said she was off looking for it, so if that planted a seed, then good on him. And he was quite convincing on his idol hunt with Elizabeth, without remotely letting on that he knew she wasn't going to find anything. I'm quite impressed with how he's playing so far. I hope he makes the merge so we can really get a glimpse of what he's capable of.

I don't mind seeing the suffering, either. I was just making a point that for those that hate seeing the suffering, it's not like they can't edit it out. But that's the experience. I actually agree with your point about Gabby, and I love seeing how people struggled early on and then become triumphant in the end (whether that's the case for Gabby or not, I don't know, but I do hope winning the challenge gave her a boost of confidence). Location can play a big part in how miserable a cast is, weather wise. Obviously they aren't leaving Fiji for the foreseeable future, if ever, so at least the fall seasons we'll have to deal with cyclones and rain and soggy castaways. I also agree with you on Jenna. It could be that she took the place of one of my favorite Survivor players ever, Kelly Goldsmith, who was Jenna's alternate. But Jenna's mother wasn't doing well when she was filming Amazon, and with how bad she was when she went to film AS, I have mixed feelings. I don't blame her for leaving by any stretch, just question whether she should have gone in the first place.

To be honest, yes :) All they need to do is watch the show to see what they're in for. I'm well aware that watching is different from experiencing, but there's ways to determine if they're up to the challenge. While it's a far cry from sitting in cyclone induced rain, if they can't handle sitting under a tree in their backyard in pouring rain for 24 hours in their bathing suit in cold temperatures, they probably can't handle Survivor. I love Survivor, and while I look at the likes of Courtney Yates and Will Simms and think 'why can't I do it if they can'...in reality I know I'd be begging to get voted off before the game started. If I wanted adventure and roughing it, I'll find some off the beaten path motel that looks like a relic from a 70s horror movie. I know shelter building, fire making, fishing, etc., are (or should be) Survivor know-hows, and I'd equally suck at those, no matter how many Youtube tutorial videos I watched, so yet a few more reasons I'd pass. Sorry, but I'll always be in the camp that quitters who couldn't hack the elements took something away from someone that wanted to be there, and maybe actually tried getting in the old fashioned way. Besides, plenty of recruits have done just fine. I'm fine with legitimate quits, or the understandable as was mentioned above. People who just didn't want to be there anymore, they don't deserve to be part of the experience anymore, like being on the jury and voting for a winner. I'd be fine if they were un-invited from the reunion, even if they did play some big part in the season up until their quit. As I mentioned, I'm old school when it comes to Survivor. I don't care if they have to suffer. They aren't going to die, and as we saw in the premiere, if it gets too rough, Probst comes to the rescue. They can edit this show however they want, so they don't need to focus on crying and shivering and ugly close ups of swollen feet and cuts and bruises.

I don't have a problem with people quitting for medical reasons. In Bi's case, she might have been pulled sooner or later , and she did have her life outside of the game to consider. I can't exactly fault a quit like Kathy from FvsF (didn't she threaten to cut her finger off if they didn't pull her?) I think what bothers me most about quitters like Na'Onka, Kelly, and Osten, is that they took the game away from people who wanted to be there. With how long Survivor's been on, there are contestants who have been waiting years and applying since the show was still in single digits to be on. So I'm annoyed for them, especially if there were better gamers than those we got left with, or if people end up getting screwed because of a quit. Then again, I'm an old school Survivor fan that longs for the days when the contestants had to suffer in the rain and were excited by getting one hatchet or one candy bar as a reward. There was no Jeff to the rescue, and if he did have to come to the rescue, he wasn't happy.

I'd love that final 3, because so far, all of them are playing the game. I worry Elizabeth and Christian are playing maybe too hard, but no one seems to be picking up on that. I think Christian is trying to come across as a super intelligent nerd that subliminally suggests things to people in hopes they'll decide on their own to vote his way. Similarly, I don't think anyone has really realized just how well Elizabeth is at getting into people's heads and ears without them realizing what she's doing. Davie seems to be laying low right now but definitely is observant and seems to be a few steps ahead of where he needs to be. I hope no one ever finds out about his idol, and that Carl doesn't tell anyone about his advantage (though if he tells Davie then he would be crazy to tell Carl he has an idol). I'd love to have a season where at least one idol and advantage are finally a surprise!

I like him as a Survivor player and personality. Which I didn't really expect from his bio, even if it was one of the more interesting ones this season. I volunteered at animal shelters through the years, and have adopted all of my fur babies from there. So I have a soft spot for shelter pets, especially those in kill shelters, and can not begin to fathom why anyone would spends hundreds to thousands of dollars for a puppy from a breeder. Even ethical, humane breeders I kind of side eye because that's the sole purpose of their dog. So I do see what you're saying @ProfCrash, and I've had people in similar circumstances that needed hypoallergenic dogs. I guess it would really just depend. I do know that while there's the general consensus that shelters are filled with pit bulls or pit bull mixes (dog breeds I feel get a bad rap just because), but sometimes all it takes is research. There are rescues devoted strictly to certain breeds. It might take some driving to get to them, and again, some research, but if people can, I hope they consider the adoption route first if they have that alternative. I agree that if a white person said something like that (or I'll go as far as saying if Davie said it about another race), it likely would have caused more a stink. However, I think I know what he was saying-just that he was never exposed to a lot of white people growing up. I grew up in a predominately white area, and in my whole high school (which wasn't very large), there were 4 black kids total. Funny thing is, I ended up becoming best friends with a girl that lived in a small city about 20 minutes from my hometown, and their demographics were the opposite of ours-it was many more black/Latino families where she lived. Needless to say both of us grew up with stereotypes about the other's towns.

Hopefully they watch what they eat next time (or not so much). When it comes to those asking to be voted off, I think they should either have to quit or just stick around and suffer. It's quitting by default. I'm glad there's the rule now that if someone quits during the jury phase, they reserve the right to not let them be part of the jury. I'll never forget Marty's expression in the jury box when Kelly and Na'Onka quit, and him saying he wanted to still be there playing.

I'd love it for Christian to go on an immunity run. The nerdy types usually don't (besides Cochran).

I always felt like Janu was kind of given a push to quit/ask to be voted off quit to save Stephenie. She likely would have quit sooner rather than later anyway, so why not get her out when there's someone who wants to be there and has a great story line? Someone who was possibly an almost vote-me-out-quit that I remember was Shawna from Amazon. She asked to get voted out by her ladies before the tribe swap happened, then perked up when the boys joined the tribe. It's probably one of the funniest 180s I've ever seen. What always annoyed me with Chet is that I liked Tracy (someone I feel should have gotten a second chance by now), and she did anything and everything to keep him around. Then he goes and quits, and I understand he had a good reason, but it still annoyed me. I always wanted to see Bruce get another chance to play. The one thing about Sue is that Rich was gone from the game when she quit, but I don't know if that was something triggering for her, or if she felt no one was taking it seriously. It's been so long and that's not a season I care to watch again for a variety of reasons, so I can't remember all the specifics besides Hatch being Hatch and Sue's rant to Jeff (justified rant, I should say). I can go both ways on her but I give her more of a pass than any other quitter that quit for no reason other than they just didn't want to stay anymore. And I'll always consider the 'vote me out' quitters just that, quitters. They deserve the Osten treatment.

I agree about her game play. I don't think she had much. It was awkward as hell watching her stand there while Kara and Elizabeth found something to bond on, and she looked like ants had just invaded her picnic. I know editing plays a huge role, but it seemed like she wasn't even trying. I will say she had one of the best exits ever, so there's that at least. Here's some excerpts from her interview with Parade. She did mention that the Goliath's didn't like the name or what it stood for because they knew the Davids would be the underdogs worth rooting for, that they would probably be made to look bad, and that many in the Goliath camp did have their own uphill battles to get where they are in life. I'm still kind of confused how some are considered Goliath's, but I might scare myself if I ever truly understand who winds up where. https://parade.com/709848/mikebloom/survivor-david-vs-goliath-natalia-azoqa-on-what-grinds-her-gears/

I don't know if there will ever be a Ponderosa as fun as HvsV or Micronesia. I think WA was a fun one at first, but a lot of the fun footage was edited out (Joe, Jenn, Hali, and Tyler did a music video that, from photos, was probably a good old fashioned fun train wreck) and then turned into a downer with the drama and just the boring castaways showing up. Elizabeth did flip the camera off in the group photo, so maybe she's got a much looser side to her. She may decide to live it up before going home to her kids.

This at least explains the random Davie vote. https://ew.com/tv/2018/10/18/survivor-natalia-azoqa-david-vs-goliath/

The posters at Sucks knew there was a third tribe, they just didn't know who was on it for sure (and I failed to read that they didn't know if Kara was with green or not, and that Carl may have been exiled). I think the coconuts in the preview was throwing people off since it was green string.

I don't either, and I don't see where she's been flaunting in the game. And if she is conservative, who cares? I don't really see how any of those examples means she can't be fun. I was judging more by her personality, which I'm enjoying the most out of any of the ladies so far. Natalie I'm intrigued by, but the other ladies are just invisible or one note.