LadyChatts

So with Survivor on hiatus I'm going back to binge watching some old seasons until the fall. I never finished Vanuatu and just got through the car reward challenge (aka the car curse challenge) and it made me realize that Ghost Island missed the ultimate opportunity in reversing a curse by not bringing back the car reward and everyone whose downfall it led to. I know they haven't had a sponsor in many years, but it would have been a fun blast from the past. It also made me think about the challenges, since I'm often a critic of how I think they've gotten boring and are too similar. In the earlier seasons the challenges seemed just as basic and simple, but something about them still feels better than the challenges we have today. Maybe it's just a variety or that they had more elements to them.

https://youtu.be/z6RSKfBCceQ So Seabass and Jenna are moving from IG to vlogging on Youtube now. For anyone who cares, their first video involves how they first met and their Survivor experience. It was mostly Q&As from fans. Apparently they have tattoos of the seat numbers on their flight to Fiji where they first felt their connection. They sat together and talked the whole way over, which is funny since right before saying that they mentioned they weren't allowed to talk to each other (and I believe that's always been the rule). They seemed disappointed their relationship wasn't shown more on the show. Seabass and Jenna started their couples IG last summer, were posting on each other's IG in a way that made it obvious they were a couple, were in each others IG videos when they were together, and showed up at charity events-all before their cast was even officially revealed. I'm going to guess that could explain a lack of edit and why TPTB are coming down hard on the S37 castaways that posted on SM right after getting home. No surprise but they are totally down for doing another reality show as a couple. Maybe not as surprising either, but Seabass is helping Jenna move cross country to Florida and managed to back her car twice into poles.

Joe was just in one of Sierra’s IG live videos a few days ago, so I would think filming just began in the last few days. Going by Wikipedia and past spring season filming dates it should have started around the first of June.

I always thought what broke the auction was them throwing advantages in there. Of course people are going to accumulate their money and wait until that pops up. I don't see why they can't just go back to what they did before: food, both good and bad items, and a letter from home or something. Lord know they have enough opportunities to give them idols and clues and advantages elsewhere in the game. And I never thought that what Mike did was worth them cancelling the auction over. I thought Probst lived for those kind of moments. I had forgotten about that during SJDS.

Or David. If they’re smart they’d vote Joe out first because he would likely opt for this twist. Let him get the shelter, fire, and food ready.

I’m going with the theory that Big Brother will in fact be an all star season and names are getting thrown around under the premise they are going on another reality show to throw people off when they are suddenly MIA this month. However if this is true then HA!

Hmm. They really need to get out of Fiji so we can stop with these stupid themes. So basically we have an unfair fire making tie breaking challenge at the final 4, now someone who was voted out long ago can come back and take someone's spot at the very end? At least Big Brother has its limits when twists can be used until. So now instead of trying to focus on two/three tribes we'll have that plus the island of misfit castaways to focus on. http://insidesurvivor.com/rumor-season-38-theme-and-title-34310

As far as I can remember, Rob and Russell just drew buffs and went with whatever tribe the color was. I don't remember them having a role. So I love Joe, but anyone want to bet he gets helped by production in finding finds the most idols? Either that or Wentworth would be my guess. As I mentioned, David has me the most curious about his game play and whether he'll still be this so-called fish out of water or whether he'll have a more strategic side.

They did for Cook Islands, because they were divided by race, and Exile Island, which was divided by age/gender (and lasted exactly one episode). TPTB probably know that if they put their captain in a tribe with 4 other people, the odds of that person lasting the first vote are slim. So I would assume they'd do two tribes so there's more people, but I guess that will depend on the theme. I'm not sure what the captain role will be, if anything. Putting a tribe together?

It's not that I mind endurance challenges, I just think there are too many. I like a balance. If they are trying to make it fair, there are other challenges they can do that don't rely on pure physical strength that can be equal for everyone. I still miss the auction and the coconut style pecking order challenges. One challenge in Vanuatu was a RC that was trivia about Vanuatu. Every time someone answered right they could snuff out a flame of an opposing player. Once that person had all 3 of their flames snuffed they were out. Eliza wasn't happy she was the first female taken out and got butt hurt thinking she was at the bottom of the ladies pecking order. And the pecking order challenge totally turned Marquesas around.

What I remember most about Aubry from her second stint was giving an eye roll to Debbie as she tried to convince her to join her alliance (but basically saying she wasn't getting any further than 6th), and then when she recounted the conversation to Andrea I believe it was, she gave Debbie a two finger salute. Aubry falls into one of two categories returning players find themselves in: in her case, she was a big character her season with a lot of hype, fan favorite, Probst favorite, and was beat by a polarizing winner in a polarizing finale. Then she comes back very recently in a returning player season with 3 of her other castaways (one of whom she didn't get along with), and has a lot of high expectations surrounding her edit. If I were in that case, I'd rather be in the other category, or what I like to call the Sierra/Wentworth/Hali category: you have no where to go but up because you made no impact your first time around. Of the 3 mentioned, and I know I always lump them together, I think Malcolm is the only one who would ever have a chance of winning. Ozzy and Joe are alike in that they are good at comps and love the overall Survivor experience when it comes to the survival aspect. From a social standpoint, and a strategic standpoint, they each have their own issues to overcome there. Joe's a good meat shield and good to keep around if you want to win challenges. So is Ozzy. Beyond that I think Joe is overall more likable, but I still don't think he'd have it in the bag at the end. Maybe because he got graced with being compared to Malcolm and Ozzy that just made him a threat based on association. If Ozzy won it might be more of a respect aspect, because he's played for so long and is from what I consider the golden era of Survivor. ETA: Also, I am curious if this will in fact by 4 tribes or if there will be 2 captains per tribe.

He and Sierra have been dating for about a year now, not long after he broke up (or whatever you want to call it) with Kelly. I don't know if he and Kelly were dating, friends with benefits, or just partners trying to launch that TV show Mana that they came up with. Looking at Kelly's IG account, I think she's still trying to make the Mana thing happen for herself, as she's always tagging different TV networks in her photos. Her and Joe seemed to stop being together and posting about each other around the time Game Changers premiered. Kelly seems very liberal and Joe very conservative, so I always wondered if political differences played a part. Something has to make Joe a threat to be voted off. If people thought they could beat him in the end, they would keep him around. I actually question if he would have won SC. His first season hands down, but looking back at his second run, I'm not as convinced he would have won. It likely would have depended who he was up against. I still think he'd be a strong candidate to get voted out pre-merge this time, unless Probst really flexes his muscle about trying to keep providers and camp workers more beneficial. Aubry i thought fizzled out her second time, so I'm curious what this round will bring out in her. I think she's a safe bet until the merge. David I'm most curious about. Kelley could either go deep or go out early.

I just don't think Joe can ever win this game. Unless it is outright rigged or he winds up on a tribe of fangirls. I like him, but he's too much of a threat. I think he was better eye candy in his early seasons. Looking at pics/videos of him, he needs to stay out of the sun just a little. But I still like the guy. Wonder if Sierra will be his loved one visit? These are all Probst favorites but the choices make sense. Kelley/Joe/David/Aubry make me wonder if this theme will be like a repeat of a theme Big Brother used for their 11th season-high school cliques, or populars/jocks/off beats/brains.

David isn't a surprise, but didn't expect the other three. I'm predicting at least one of them is pre merge, and my guess would be Joe. I hope not, though, because I love the eye candy he brings. I like all 4 of those individuals so I have no complaints. I can't say there aren't others I would have picked or liked to have seen over them, but it could have been worse. Would love to see Kelley go far again. My hopes aren't high for S37 so I'm hoping this season delivers. I think the Ghost Island concept would have made more sense for a season set up like this.

I'm wondering if we'll see anyone from S37. Would follow the trend of contestants playing back to back.

I would have loved to have seen more of the dynamics in general this season. Looking back I get why the focus was so centered on Dom and Wendell, but it seems we really missed out on so much more that might have made things suspenseful or explained votes. I never knew that Laurel was close to Kellyn to the point of wanting to save her, and that's why she didn't flip with Des. I never knew where alliances stood once Morgan was voted out, other than Dom/Wendell/Laurel/Donathan. And I also don't remember it being quite so bad in other seasons directly focusing on a core person or couple of people (not named Russell Hantz anyway). Even last season, where I literally can't remember half of the cast, seemed to show more dynamics.

I’m assuming it’ll be recent seasons-probably from MvsGX to GI, with maybe a multi returning player from GC coming back (please not Culpepper). Some of the people I might expect to see are Michael, Stephanie, Ali, Patrick (only because Probst mentioned wanting him back), Devon, Jay, David Wright...honestly the men stick out to me more in recent seasons than the women, which shows how skewed the editing is.

If it's 4 tribes they will be switched up in two episodes anyway. Jeff was really gung ho on some of the pre-jurors from HHH, so I wonder if maybe there will be one PJ and one merger on each tribe?

Having only 4 is annoying. I'd rather half and half or a full season. Maybe this was why Stephanie was MIA from the reunion? Even though she was premerge I could see them inviting her back at some point. Wonder if this is a bad sign as to how S37 turned out.

I’m not a big fan of his from his TAR stints, either, but I’m always curious to see how people do crossing over from one show to another.

I like the fact that he isn’t going to try and hide his past. Maybe he’d get recognized and it’d blow up in his face anyway if he did try to lie, but I’m curious to see if that hurts him regardless. I think it might depend whether the Goliaths are star struck or feel intidimated by his success.

Stephanie seems like a big enough fan that she wouldn't do something as stupid as ruin her chances of ever returning (for a pre-merger I think she could) and lose out on a reunion show appearance, even if she would have been ignored. I was kidding when I said she was the leak, but it did have me curious why it was all crickets. I get why no one in the cast would feel it was their place to say anything, especially if it was a personal issue.

Laurel clearly overestimated her position in the game. She was obviously caught off guard being called a coat tail rider to Dom and Wendell. She said she was controlling votes and making moves. She thought she was going to get possibly 4 votes. So while she may have made a decent argument why she kept them, clearly she just seemed wishy washy to the people that wanted her to flip. While it may not have been in her best interest, who knows. It might have gotten her voted off next, it could have thrown the game into chaos.

I don't think Donathan voted the wrong way. Here's a quote from him from an interview: http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/24/survivor-finale-donathan-hurley-ghost-island/ If anything I'd still say they purposely made it a tie before I'd say Donathan voted wrong. It's possible Dom just robbed Donathan the wrong way in the last few days. He could still defend him on the jury but vote for Wendell.

I don't really know if this counts as a spoiler or not but here's some tidbits with some of the new cast. I already don't like Christian from reading this: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/survivor-david-goliath-mike-white-john-hennigan-cast-season-37-1114211