LadyChatts

Funny how Dan didn't even enter my mind as being clever enough to pull something off like that. It could be him since he saw his name come up over and over again this past week. Even though it would have been more worth it if he actually got voted off, it did warm my heart just a little to see him sweating there, thinking maybe it was him. So that could make sense. I feel like if it were Joe, that basically gives away next week. Still, I don't know if Dan could pull it off. Unless he took lessons with Bob early on. He's been a fan forever, so I wouldn't be surprised if their paths crossed at some point. And given that most fake idols were crappy, yet still played (Eliza's "It's just a f****** stick' goes down in history as the best fake idol ruse ever) maybe if he got someone gullible enough. If it is Dan, I hope it doesn't work. Seriously, the last I want is to see that cocky ass smirk return to his face. Why do you toy with me show?

Next week's episode, titled 'Livin' on the Edge'. Given how Mike acted this past episode, I'm thinking that quote might apply to him. Since Joe is the resident artist, could the fake idol be his doing? And if that's the case, I guess that pretty much gives away the fact that he loses the IC. Or is the fake idol one he plants on him so people believe that he has it. I just hope, if Mike is the culprit, that anyone but the 3 NC (I'm including Shirin as part of the 3 at this point) finds it. They've suffered enough, and as one of their fans, so have I. Throw me this one at least! Mike made such an issue being targeted this week, so I wonder if he's the one behind it. Since Joe is an artist, he could probably make one look more believable than someone else.

That's the theme for the season. I believe there's far more examples of people not getting a good read on the situation out there than I can remember. Of course, I know it's easy to sit at home and criticize when you're just watching, but even I'm lost this season. According to Hali, it seemed like the only reason Tyler didn't want to work with them was due to Carolyn not wanting to. So while I think it might definitely be the age/personality difference, I wonder if there is some young vs old mentality out there at work this season, except it is going in reverse of what it usually does. I'm still a Joe supporter, and I know it has to suck to be on the losing end of an alliance and be that much of a target. Jeff himself said they'd be sorry for letting him get to this stage. But even the girls were ready to vote him off. However, I'm disappointed with his social game. I expected more. I do realize there may be more going on, and that there really was nothing he could do. At the very least, I'd like him to just keep on winning, if for any other reason than to be the thorn in everyone's side. I also hope that if/when he does lose immunity, he has an idol, if there is another idol to be found. Otherwise he might as well say good bye after the challenge and head off to Ponderosa while it's still light out.

Heh, i started off this season saying how it was so much better than SJDS, and even at it's worst it was still better than last seasons group. Well, the start of this season seems so long ago, as promising as it was. Much like them thinking it was a good idea to duplicate the BvsW format because it worked so well the first time, I guess they were looking for more magic in duplicating Cagayan (except instead of B/B/B they just substituted in collars). How about a normal season again, 3 tribes, all new castaways, but no themes. That in itself would be a refreshing start.

Hali surprised me in her day after vid, where she mentioned her strategy going in was entirely different than what she realized the game was. I think overall as a season, no one has really been playing a great game. The former blues are lucky they still had their numbers that gave them an advantage, and that they could bring over people who didn't want to play with the youngin's. I don't know if anyone has a good game out there as much as it's all about luck. I hate to say that Rodney may actually be the smartest one out there looking at the end game. I really don't want to even think about him making it to the end, although I can't believe he will win. I have to say, this cast does seem close outside the game (certain groups do), but in the game I'm wondering if they were all really getting along that well. They just seem to be phoning it in at this point.

I like the theory of Joe having the idol, but when have they ever not shown someone finding it? Unless his idol find leads to the biggest blindside in Survivor history, which would be pretty darn hard at this point, that they keep it a secret. I wonder if the remaining NC will finally figure out next week Will is not with them. I am really frustrated by the editing season. I don't know why they are hiding so much. I would think some of the things not being shown would actually make for great TV. What do we have now? Some boring, some not so boring challenges, Rodney and Dan with their sexist and arrogant ramblings, and TC. I can't believe they'd be leaving out so much game play going on. They've never done it before. It's why I wonder, maybe the cast just imagined everything in their heads. No one seems to have a clear grasp of what's going on out there as it is, so maybe they convinced themselves that this is what really happened.

I wonder if Joe knows that Mike found it, or assumed he did since Mike made a big deal of pretending Joe had it. I can't believe that they wouldn't target Joe, idol or not, but it would be pretty funny if Mike's plan backfired on him. In any case, I believe there was more to the idol hunt involving Joe than we were shown. Joe, Jenn, and Shirin are the only good things left about this season. I find myself only caring when those 3 are on. Challenges last night were a snooze, except for Dan being told he was wrong twice.

Mike never really got a horrible edit. I mean, when he's up against Rodney, Dan, and even Lindsey the loud mouth who attacked his religion, you didn't have to do much to look good. He certainly wasn't perfect. But I've seen his edit getting better and better as the season has progressed. Now even though he's in the majority alliance, he still feels on the outs, he found the idol and cried about it, and he will likely down the road be the first to un-seat his rival Joe (just a hunch I have with how this is going, but I certainly hope I'm wrong). And I fully believe he'll be the one that takes charge of the game, gets rid of Rodney, and goes to the end with Dan and either Sierra or Tyler. There's been too much on the show about a blue collar winning, just from that tribe alone, so I feel that we may in fact get an all blue final 3. Which is really depressing. ETA: Here's Jeff's 'tease' for next week. http://www.ew.com/article/2015/04/08/survivor-host-jeff-probst-latest-worlds-apart-episode So I guess that translates to another boring and predictable episode. Since Jeff is filming in Cambodia right now, I wonder if he's getting much of the reaction to this season at all.

It's a little scary that it may not be so much giving them a negative edit or creating a character, but that this is the absolute best TPTB had to work with what they had. Rob C. was a great character. Rich was a great character. Courtney was a great character. Dan? He's a disgusting human being. I'm sure his motive is probably to be so well remembered that he'll be asked back for a future season. He's being remembered, but I don't know if that's what he anticipated. I really don't believe Dan thinks there's anything wrong with what he's done. He's probably the toast of his town, but there's a big world out there. It's times like this when I don't like Probst hosting the reunion show, because he'll likely gloss right over it. I do hope Dan gets grilled in his post show interviews. Has anyone checked out his twitter handle? chxdigme. Yeah, he probably believes it. ETA: SpecialK, according to post boot interviews with Lindsey, Rodney was a lot worse than they showed. She claims he said a lot of racist and bigoted statements out there.

Joe's definitely the new Ozzy. Challenge beast, very likable guy, bad social game. On one of the online vids where Joe talked about his choices, it almost sounded like he was playing strategy, at least with Tyler. I think anyone would have enjoyed the experience, so not sure why Shirin won out. With Carolyn and Will, it did seem more like he was taking them along as credit for how tough they'd been. Perhaps he thought a simple act of kindness would be enough, or it would make the other people sweat back at camp. So I guess I take it back, that I don't understand his logic. I thought something else Jenn said was interesting: that Joe was more or less a problem for everyone out there. The way she said it kind of surprised me, that he was screwing up the game for everyone. Frankly he's doing what he needs to do for his game. I wonder if she feels if he finally got voted off, if people would back off her and what's left of her alliance. When he apologized to Hali after she was voted off, I thought for a minute maybe he flipped on her. I knew he couldn't be that dumb. In another vid where Joe talked about his back to back to back wins, he mentioned going into TC with his majority alliance. I'm guessing at that point he thought he had Tyler, Carolyn, and Sierra on his side.

Lol I don't know how Joe's hair still looks that good. I will say that both this week and last week, when they returned from tribal and he had his buff around his head with his hair sticking out, it reminded me of a Halloween wig I once had as a kid. But I go one day in the rain and my hair grows because of the frizz. He's out surviving on an island in all the elements, and his hair still looks like it could be in a shampoo commercial. I don't know how concrete the Hali spoiler was, but it was starting to look like a possibility. I am hoping that maybe there's still a chance a NC makes it to the final 3, but my guess is it'll probably be the NC by default, Shirin. I have a sad feeling SF was also off this week with their boot, and that Jenn is likely the next to go. This season seems to be really scarce on spoilers. IIRC, last season at least the final 6 was spoiled. Unless it was a guess, but I remember cringing at the thought of Misty and Jon still being there. I don't mind spoilers; it makes the week easy when I know what's going to happen.

Iconic? Oh for the love of...I wonder if they were just so excited that a blue collar, representing middle America, the 'people who follow the rules and made this country from their bare hands' beats out a white collar professional and what they think will be viewed as the leech on society, the no collars. I'm sure they didn't anticipate the blues not being very popular. It's actually depressing that that is what we have to represent the working class. So if Mike found the blue collar idol, does he realize that obviously isn't the clue for the merge idol? At least I'm assuming it wasn't the merge idol. It didn't seem to fit with the clue description, and the other camp idols were found in trees. I'm hoping that the merge idol is still out there, Joe finds it, and that's the "game changing moment" described by Probst. Otherwise, all I can think of that he meant by that is Mike uses his idol to avoid a blindside and goes to the end. Hey, it's a game changer! He would have been voted off and now he's won (speculation on that part obviously, but I'm leaning more and more towards that). Yeah, been there, done that. Saving yourself with an idol isn't the game changer it once was. All it means is we're stuck with Mike and his minion Dan another week if that happens.

It's possible I guess. With the cast we have, and for the first time in 30 seasons its a group of 10 finalists that I feel I know so little about overall, it's hard to know exactly what they are thinking or if they are looking at the big picture. I don't know if Tyler/Carolyn would turn on each other, and Rodney may figure that if one of them makes the jury, they will vote for the other. So why not take that one vote away that they are likely guaranteed. Will has betrayed his NC, but other than that hasn't done anything in this game and he could certainly make a good case in the final 3. At the very least, he could probably make a more compelling argument than Rodney. I just question if Rodney wins that final immunity, and there's a chance he may, will they all expect him to take them to the finals? Someone is always on the bottom, so will one of the 4 be sorry they maybe didn't make a move sooner and actually guarantee themselves a spot in the final 3. It's Survivor, so sometimes there never is a good option, and it is always about risks. I know Joe is an athlete and loves the competition, but I do have to feel sorry for him that it really is a do or die situation, that he can't ever take a breather at those challenges and at least go back to camp feeling good if he loses. I think his competitiveness probably would win out whether his head was on the chopping block constantly anyway, but to know that you automatically have to win or else has got to really increase the pressure. Especially this early in the individual game. I realized tonight how much this season has gone downhill for me when I'm actually missing Max, Vince, Joaquin, and Lindsey.

What was Mike's deal tonight? I get not wanting Joe (or anyone else) to find the idol, but good grief, man looked ready to self-combust. Since when does he feel in so much danger? He's got the numbers on his side, unless he deems himself a threat and feels a blindside coming on. But if that's the case, why not try and do something about that now. I knew he was going to find the idol. The only ones really showcased in the hunt were Joe, Mike, and Tyler. So it really was no big deal, not the craziest idol hunt ever, other than Mike's reaction to finding it. Mike is a very complex character. I really don't know what to make of him anymore. I have to say I'm disappointed he found it. He better hang on to it, because if Rodney gets his way, he'll need it. I'm still saying he's getting the winners edit, or at least final 3. As much as Rodney wants to blindside him, I have a feeling he will have missed his chance when he finally gets around to it.

I think what I liked best about Dan's IC loss is when Probst was checking the puzzle, Dan kept his arms up in triumph. And then had to be told he had it wrong. It seemed like it took him twice to get it wrong for others to realize what it was. For the record, I used to suck at those types of puzzles. I remember having them as a kid, and it always seemed like one piece would not go where it was supposed to. Probably didn't help that I gave up after 5 minutes.

That's what I don't get about Rodney's final 4 plan. First of all, Rodney is the perfect person to sit next to in the final 3 because he can't win. So I can see why Tyler and Carolyn would want to align with him. Will I believe is along for the ride. But what's the plan when they get to the final 4? Split the vote, draw rocks. Does anyone wonder who won't be making the final 3 out of that quartet? I half wonder if they are hearing final 4, but not remembering one more person has to go home.

Right now, I think Sierra, Mike and maybe Tyler or Carolyn have the best chances of winning. I would say Joe, but I have my doubts he can keep his immunity run up to get to that point. Sierra I'm curious about, but I find myself liking her less and less each week. I guess it's just her sliding back under the radar, and not seeming to have any strategy. That we're shown, anyway. She just seems wishy-washy, and that may be what costs her. I wonder if her dislike for the men on her former tribe is really just a ploy to play the other alliance, make them think she's with them, and then turn and vote along her blue lines. I have my doubts Sierra will flip at this point. She might be playing the smart strategy of keeping people around that she knows have no chance of winning, but what happens when she gets down to the final 7. Assuming Rodney's final 4 plan is legit and doesn't fall apart, she's going to be in trouble.

I would be absolutely shocked if Joe was not on that list. The only way I could see that happening is if he declined the offer. However, I am a little nervous about him being on right after his season aired. Joe hasn't had much of a social game, but a lot has been made of his challenge ability. And he does seem like a very nice guy. But I worry he will be a very early boot, just to get him out of the way for later. A few seasons down the road, maybe someone would come along to take the pressure off of him a little bit. I just don't want him to return, get booted very early because he's deemed a threat, and then never get another chance again. I mean, it can always be the hand you're dealt, too, so he may just wind up on the wrong side of numbers like this season is going for him. Since I'm not feeling great about Jenn's chances, I wouldn't be surprised if she's on there.

I can see why Hali was shown more of a sympathetic figure towards Nina and Shirin. I was sort of surprised why Hali was put on the NC tribe because she was a law school student, but it started making more sense as the game went on. And looking at her instagram/twitter, she definitely seems to live a no-collar life, law school aside. But yet another reason why I think this theme was a bad idea. There's a video I posted in Joe's thread, and also one on the website, where both Jenn and Joe talk like Will is still with them. I found that interesting, as I figured they'd all talk back at camp and figure it out. Considering how excited Shirin was at the last TC when Jenn played the idol, why would they think she had flipped? I was also surprised that none of that was brought up at camp, either. I guess Will won't be able to hide much longer. Maybe he's better at this game than I give him credit for. I will miss Hali greatly, and I'd love to see her get another chance again. I think her game was just getting started, and since she had an entirely different take on it when she first came in, I'd like to see what she can do a second time.

At this point, I don't know what I'd rather see. I absolutely loathe Rodney and Dan to the point that I've hated very few contestants on this show before, but I don't know who I'd rather see get served first. Rodney has no chance of winning, and as much as I hate agreeing with him on anything, he sort of seems to have a somewhat decent approach to this game. Not so much the social part, but he knew what would happen if they didn't vote Joe off when they had the chance. He also realizes that maybe laying low now isn't a bad idea. Since he thinks he has a solid 4 alliance, that really isn't too bad of a plan. Why draw more attention to yourself? That's assuming of course that a plan of Rodney's will actually work, and I don't want it to. There's still 2 idols in play, that no one knows about (except Tyler with Carolyn). But I don't know if I want to see Rodney blindsided, or his 4 get down to the 7 and blindside Mike/Dan/Sierra (who I have to believe will sense something at that point). It's one of those scenarios you don't want to even get to, but if you had, which is more satisfying. If Joe loses the next IC, he's gone. But if he wins, I have a feeling Jenn or Shirin are going to be sent packing, then we'll probably see some scrambling after that.

Here's a secret scene involving Jenn getting stung by a scorpion. Poor Jenn. First a bee sting to the region, then this. On top of being stuck with Rodney and Dan, no wonder she's ready to throw in the towel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4XnIStYFFY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WXKcsqq1M0 I thought this video from Jenn being upset with Joe over the reward was a little interesting. I can understand everyone being upset at not getting picked, and while I understand Joe's logic, it might have been smarter to bring along people in his alliance. At the very least, if one of them had seen the idol clue, it wouldn't have been made so public to Mike. What intrigues me here is Jenn calling Joe sketchy and saying he hadn't really talked to her and Hali since the merge happened. I was actually surprised he didn't pick at least Jenn, who he seemed the closest to out there. Why can't we see more of the goings-on like that instead of 10 minutes of looking for an idol, and Dan and Rodney being...well, Dan and Rodney. I did find it amusing that there's such a frantic mentality about beating Joe in the challenges, like its some sort of test you have to pass to reach adulthood or something. Mike and Dan maybe should have slowed down, and they might have had a better chance in the challenges tonight. At the very least, I hope Joe can hang in there, or that he gets some sort of Hail Mary from another contestant to save him, because that will be the most predictable boot in Survivor history.

I was the one who said he was trying to woo her, but I think the other posters were right that he was playing school yard bully. It's hard to know with Dan, though. I mean, he gave an apology that wasn't an apology to Sierra, but apparently thought that was good enough. So I thought maybe that was his weird way of trying to earn points with Shirin. At any rate, where does Dan think he stands with his tribe? He isn't part of Rodney's final 4 alliance. If Joe, Jenn, and Shirin are the next to go, and I'm forced to watch the remaining snakes, rats, and idiots, I guess it will be interesting where loyalty lies. Would Rodney stick with his 3 blues, or turn on them and stick with his current alliance; Mike didn't tell anyone he had the idol, so if he keeps that under wraps until a tribal when he needs it, that will probably blindside someone (hey, maybe that was foreshadowing tonight-Rodney plans to target Mike, but Mike has the idol and uses it, thus blindsiding Rodney). Or maybe he's too loyal to even Rodney so he blindsides someone else out of the game. And could Dan be on the receiving end of a blindside (I'd like it to be him and Rodney, but I'll take either getting blindsided). At any rate, Dan got extremely lucky that he landed on the tribe that he did. He would have been long gone by now had that not happened. And he got lucky having Mike being a leader and calling the shots. Dan's just his lap dog.

This could be exactly what Probst meant. But again, he seems to think differently than a good percent of viewers when it comes to what makes the show good. Maybe he just figured Dan would be some big old fat guy that's a huge super fan and people would find his sense of humor charming. Even though I don't believe it's humor as much as that's how Dan really is. Of course he could always have known that viewers would get repulsed by him and think that's what made great TV. Dan is the very poster child for people looking for love-if he can find someone that puts up with him, there's hope for anyone out there. What I don't understand are all the people being so tight lipped this season. On another season, no one (especially no woman) would put up with Dan or Rodney's BS. They would give them a huge tongue lashing. No one seems to be doing that this season.

Very surprised (but extremely happy) that Jenn survived the vote. I figured they would take her as a bigger threat than Hali. At any rate, I think I looked as depressed as her, Joe, and Shirin sitting there when Hali got her torch snuffed. Unless someone flips, and flips fast, they are done for. Right now its 7-3, so they would need at least 2 people to flip to their side to make it even, 3 people to take the majority. So at this point even Tyler/Carolyn flipping might not save them. The only thing that'll get me through next week is to believe something good will happen to change their fortunes. At this point even the odd men out on the other side may run out of options.