NutMeg

Now that I've read he's linked to Sierra, I really love that he lists equine therapy in his hobbies - of course he does! Can't see him as a winner of Survivor, but I like his enthusiasm for his life and I get why he keeps coming back, Survivor has mostly served him well and he does on it what he likes doing best.

I'm wondering if the pressure to continue in the game might be more "social" the earlier you are voted out. By "social" I mean the thinking that the people that are important to you might expect you to go further in the game.

And when circumstances are not optimal for them, they fall like flies. See for instance Guatemala, where the larger, stronger men were in real physical trouble after a hike with no water. The women were all fine, by the way. Even the not so young, or fit, or strong ones. Weaker sex, some still say, but they're using a flawed measuring stick. 🤬

When I got my first job after uni, after orientation we were all given keys to company cars (the pay was bad before commissions but at least cars and gas were provided back then, as we were going to ride a lot) and told to go to a place 30-45 min drive away, in kind of suburbs to another city, for the start of training. I hadn't driven since I took my driving exam, so it was quite the adventure for me... Still, I got there alright, even though very stressed. But the worst was the return journey. Having never driven, and living in a big city, I just assumed following the signs to it would easily get me home. Huge mistake. There's a huge ring around the city, which I hadn't realized, having passed my driving licence in another country. So I found myself in the northern part of town, which has the image of being seedy/dangerous, but I had no idea and kept on driving, hoping that at some stage I would see signposts I would recognise (my life had been very much limited to the south part of the city, where everything - college, apartment, friends, etc. were located). At one point, I had to stop at a red light, and when time came to start again, I got so stressed that I couldn't manage to work the handbrake and accelerator at the same time, (yes, it was a manual drive), there was a bus honking behind me and I felt like a total fool. Then this guy came to my window, I don't know what I blubbered, I may have burst into tears, but apparently I invited him to drive the car for me... He got in, got the car out of blocking everyone, and drove all the way across the city to get me home. Along the way I got that he was a Portuguese immigrant, that I felt my pain as if I was his daughter, and that at some point I poured my heart out to him too. I'm now ashamed to say that I was so relieved that I just thanked him and went home. And later got to realize with big regret that I had no idea how to reach him, to thank him fully, to tell him how much his help had meant to me, to see if there was anything I could do in return. Remembering this story was triggered by something I read in this thread, but really, it should have been written in the gratitude thread. I'll always be grateful for that stranger who stepped in to help when I needed it. --- Epilogue: the next day, I woke up an hour early and took the train. Came back with a fellow coworker who showed me which entrance to the city to take while driving. All was smooth sailing afterwards, at least as far as getting back home went.

I feel you! I had the same experience while booking high speed train tickets for an Italian trip ;( Also, I hate how, if you check flight prices to somewhere, they get more expensive each time you check.

Brian!!! I was thinking of him and trying to remember his name, you're right, he was one I would have liked to see again too. I'm with you on Bobby Jon too 🙂 The way his relation with Jamie evolved was very interesting and is not often seen. Also, it was so nice to see him finally on a tribe that could win after the miser feast he went through in Palau! And of course, there was Danni, who was an absolute joy to watch.

Not only were there good villains, there were also heroes, like cowboy hat Brandon, Cindy the zookeeper, Margaret the nurse, Amy the cop, many more interesting professions, a magician assistant, a golden boy 😁, dehydrated beefcakes while so called weak females were mighty fine (hard to watch, but with all the talk about the young buff guys of course being stronger than a 40 year old woman that I'm reading in the episode thread, I couldn't resist), good sarcastic characters, etc. About Stephenie being bad luck, I'm pretty sure someone said that about her in a latter season, must have been HvV, or was she in another one I'm forgetting?

Ah, you got me there, great find! I'm pretty sure this is not from this season, though. Was this a TH when she had a secret idol? Is she really a cuter, female version of Russell who gets happier with each idol secretly found?

I don't remember her at all from the first episode, but based on her profile here her young years sure were unusual. I'm curious now to see where it goes for her.

Ah, @Eolivet, but while Malcolm is good at challenges, he's not been the creative physical beast that a Joe or an Ozzy can be. And mostly, I don't see him as a "chill hipster dude", which is mostly where you and I differ :D. I see him as a slightly nerdish person who being wrongly typecast as a chill hipster dude 😁

I'm not the original poster, but I think that yes, it's possible. We as a society are of have been made aware of how it can look to target minorities based on skin colour, ethnicity, handicap, sexual orientation. However women still remain targeted more than men at the beginning of most seasons, and older people more than younger (again, most seasons), at least in the initial stage. So a woman who is older than the rest of the tribe still faces a huge hurdle when that tribe goes first to tribal council. Wether it's because they are "bossy", "a mom", "weak", these are often justification, any woman above 40 can easily be perceived in a way that fits at least one of these narratives. Strong and not nurturing? Bossy! Talk her mind but physically weak? A mom!! Speaks her mind and take care of things around camp? Will be weak in challenges!!! I don't thing it's "bigotry against middle age women", more like an easy consensus that most of the tribe is likely to rationalise in some way, so easy target.

@Mark2, I'm late here and was going to add Guatemala, which I see @MissEwa already did. It's a great season, with a very interesting cast, and also one of the few that's land based, in a Mayan area no less, so it has a very different vibe than most just based on this. I've never understood why Malcolm is included in that category, except for the most superficial of reasons, his look and long hair. As I see it, he's really playing the game, on all planes (strategic, social, physical), while the Ozzy archetype and his later avatars (Joe, mostly, that guy Erik of the stick, maybe) don't, really, or if they do, it's with lukewarm success at best. Malcolm only looks the part, it's not who he is!

As a season opener (which I too forgot about and watched the next day), this wasn't too bad, even though it left me thinking that in the last few seasons I used to get a better feel of everyone after the double length first episode. About the returnees, I don't really mind them, and I like that they all have more weaknesses that strengths as Survivor players. Aubry might or might not gel with her castmates. I see David probably doing better at the social game, but both carry the returnee stigma. Joe is still Joe, having the time of his life, he's really an Ozzy type, without the drive to win, it seems to me. As for Kelley, I don't know what to think really, I liked her well enough her first season, but I tend to prefer players who have fun playing, and I don't think she enjoys herself in the game, plus she grated a bit in this episode. There were a few cute or surprising moment. The swimming lesson, which backfired immediately though. David acing the balance beam on his first try, who would've thought? Ditto Aubry. David being moved that he's asked for advice on how to build the shelter. Regarding the challenge, I half listen to the instructions: were they told they had to climb to ropes using only arm strength? Because last time I tried, I could climb a rope relatively quickly, but I always use my feet too - arms only and I can't climb for dear life. I started liking Reem at the end, when she hoped her family and friends don't also find her overbearing, so I'm happy she's still in the game somehow. Although, as someone already wrote, I don't like this extra island because it will limit the time we get of the players at camp (I remember a season which felt like it was just one challenge after the next).

I watched the four episodes yesterday, and wow, where to start? There was of course the criminal himself, and how he seemed to believe until almost the very end that he could convince everyone that he was innocent. But more striking to me was the ineptitude, for lack of a better word, of police forces. From not signalling to all other states that there coud be a killer on the lose ("maybe he had died, or just stopped killing", really!?) to not even having a way of knowing who he was when he was apprehended under a false name. I was also thinking of the victims, and feeling for people close to them, relatives and friends, that must be hard for them watching that horrible guy trying to charm the audience and never once showing any remorse. Weirdly enough, there's a peripheral thing that creeped me more than anything: the faces of death row inmates grinning in the handheld mirrors - brrrr. Stuff of nightmares. I made a conscious effort to think of happier images before drifting into sleep :(

Yes indeed, why??? The added sugar everywhere makes it really hard to pick healthy foodstuffs...

I love al beans, lima included, but it's all about how to cook and season them, and not about forcing them on someone who is adverse to them. (only quoting you because of the topic and not because I disagree with you)

It seems she comes from a good but clumsy place, knowing what you like but not the fine prints. I hope you explained to her your likes and not, for the future. As for people having issues with suscriptions, I relat ! I did, many times, complain about the service, and got a rebate. But most infuriating is that not having problems/complain means you get to on paying full price while new users have it much cheaper. This goes for a range of services, including credit card companies.

I know the feeling! I went through the same exercise last year when moving back from Asia and, after the initial anxiety about the idea of sorting, it became easier and easier to put up for donation or to throw things. I was really letting go, in all senses of the term. It actually was exhilarating! Which reminds me that I should start again, because there are clothes and books that I didn't intend to keep but that were packed by the movers and that are now in my closets/on my shelves for no good reason. But it is harder to get motivated without a pressing reason, at least for me. I love the result of sorting/organizing, I'm just a big procrastinator in that regard :)

I think Christian's good social game is a surprise to the viewers, the players and of course production. Because there is the stereotype that a brilliant intellect is balanced by bad social interactions, so surprise and shock when the opposite happens, and therefore a good social game is deemed brilliant because it's not horrible as was first expected. And yes, I'm with you that production is shoving the Christian concept or character down our throats, and he's not just playing along but giving them material to support it. I like this vey much, it works in so many contexts others than the one you replied to here, I'm sure I'll use your wording sometime, somewhere :)

I don't think meat shield is the right expression, but I do see why Davie would want to keep Christian around for the moment. As I see it, Christian is really not good at the strategic part of Survivor. He doesn't see dangers coming his way until someone spells it out for him. His gameplay is entirely reactive (to events/circumstances created by others). However, because of his brilliant intellect, he's perceived by his opponents as being the strategic mastermind who's behind moves that really were thought out by some combination of Davie, Nick, Carl, etc. But he's not - maybe he would be able to strategize, but it's like it's something he doesn't think of doing unless he really has to, and it's mostly to join others who bring him in on their plan. So, as long as Christian is around, he's the figurehead mastermind that crystallises the attention of former Goliaths. It's like he's a smokescreen strategist that helps to conceal the most effective strategic brainpower. Also, we don't know who Davie is close to in this game. To be fair, we don't know who most of them are close with, as this episode showed. But maybe Christian, having been saved once more by Davie, is more likely to vote with him than Gabby would have been. "More likely" doesn't mean sure thing, but the odds are still better that those of Gabby voting with Davie. Otherwise, that tribal council made me picture Julius Caesar, whispering sadly, "tu quote", then whipping a necklace from his sandal and trowing it to Brutus' face. The reel rewinds, blood goes back in, wounds heal, Caesar is up and walking backwards, the idol has worked its charm.

The last season is a bum, which is a shame because the series was so good until then. I think the main problem was the acceleration of the time frame. Maintenon was a huge presence on the court in Louis' later years, but here we have all the protagonists in the prime of their life, and introducing her is just a huge dimmer on everything - court life, previous favorite character falling in the background, and acting like they have been defeated by life for no clear reason, story turning to religion wars, so new characters that add nothing to the story to the detriment of old loved characters which are suddenly relegated to the side line. Such a mess overall.

What a treat - I watched the last two episodes in a row! So refreshing to see an idol played with the long term view of saving a minority from being pagonged. Instead of Davie saving only himself when he thinks his turn has come to be voted out, he's now opened himself more options down the road. I can't wait to see how this little tribe that can will leverage the vote stealing (+extra vote!), which could turn a 7-5 minority into a 5-7 majority - much more promising / easier to use than the nullifier. I'm also enjoying seeing these players come together, each bringing something to the table: advantage 1, advantage 2, hidden immunity idol, talent for creating a distraction, mad skills at tribal, and what have you. Much more fun than multiple talking heads of the mastermind of the season patting himself (it's usually a him, isn't it?) on the back while twirling an imaginery mustache! I can't believe I started the season not liking Nick much, wary that I was in advance about alliance naming. How wrong I was - he's seriously impressive. Nick was so cool and collected here, taking care of business without breaking a sweat, while Davie appeared cool and collected but was super excited and nervous and Carl was bursting with excitement at being an integral part of such a fun alliance. Christian's acting skill at TC was very good too. I've also changed my mind on Alec. I no longer think he's only looking to make big moves even to his detriment, and am now open to the possibility that there is a logic behind the initial apparent madness. Angelina is cracking me up. She's a mix of astute observations (on Dan, on men/women perceptions), blatant/awkward gameplay, bouts of genuine and fake indignation; she reminds me very much of a character in a movie, or maybe a cartoon, I wish I could put my finger on who it is, but I find that she's a hoot - and by far the most entertaining woman of the season.

Fantastic real life skill, and I'm still both puzzled and amazed that it made one and only one appearance on Survivor. One would think a sewing machine would be more helpful than Doritos. Just thinking of all the contestants' clothes left behind, and even at beginner's level, you could make crazy patchwork pillows and (later) quilts. While KimberStormer would be busy sewing clothes, I would be scouring the area for down, feather, moss, anything to make a nice filling for those clothes or pillows. (And who knows, maybe if the cameras are following me I'll happen about - O-M-G - a HII!!!!). Always remember, people who use the same source of sewed clothes tend to vote together :)

More precisely, she knew (and said it very clearly during the season) that if there was a man sitting next to her at the end, he would most likely get more of the credit, or sympathy of the jury, or what have you, and that is why she needed to build a female alliance.

I side eye Jessica for killing Halloween as Louis was looking forward to it. Jess, it's one night of the year!