tinkerbell

Interesting. I think about what would have happened if Eva had won. The message she thought she was expressing was, "I'm a strong woman who happens to have autism and I was the best player." But, the message that would have come across was more like,"I got other players to care more about me than about their own game. They helped me manage my anxiety, made sure I got enough food, and protected me from being criticized or voted off." She thought her sob story and list of accomplishments would win over the jury, and she would be the obvious winner. When in reality, her "poor autistic girl who relies on others to manage her anxiety" and "strong independent woman who has achieved so much at a young age," left jurors confused about who she really is.

Yes, and importantly, Mitch never singled out another player to help him communicate. If I recall correctly, Mitch talked about his stammer and asked for people to be patient. Eva's emotional manipulation started very early on. She confided in Joe about her autism, and her anxiety, and then instructed him on how he could help her if she got overwhelmed. She even phrased it as choosing him to confide in because she trusted him, Joe said that his experience as a father made him inclined to be the person Eva could turn to for help. Eva chose a relative stranger, praised him as trustworthy, and asked him to hold her hands if he saw she was getting anxious. All of that had the effect of identifying herself as a "special needs" player who needed assistance, and appealed to Joe's paternal instincts. Yes, I saw that too. I also thought her "reveal" speech was rehearsed, as she delivered it exactly the same both times - to Joe and Kyle (and Kamilla?) and then at the tribal council. And it did have that "gotcha!" feeling - like calling out others for underestimating her due to her autism, when that is not at all what happened - she pretty much expected special treatment AND expected some sort of shock for all she has accomplished . I posted this earlier. I would have a lot more respect for Eva if, instead of asking for help and literal hand-holding, she had talked about her autism, let the others know how she copes with being overwhelmed. That way if she was doing some counting, reciting, or other strategies, they would know to leave her be. They can care about her and be compassionate without taking on the responsibility of being her coping strategy.

I did read one of the post-game interviews in which Eva assumed that the vote was going to be a tie, or very close, between herself and Joe. Trying to count votes, figuring out who would vote for her and who would vote for Joe. That was pretty consistent with the way she was acting at the tribal council, speaking as if the decision was between the 2 of them. And the way she was grinning, I am sure she thought that her sob story and list of accomplishments was going to put her over the top. Autistic or not, I never like when contestants are that smug.

And all that you're saying is fine, in normal circumstances. NOT when you're in a contest and the people you expect to help you are supposed to be competing against you for the same prize you want to win.

But i DO know what it is like. And I know that it is more helpful to learn and practice coping strategies than to teach others to hold your hands. If you have autism and/or anxiety, preparing for a show like Survivor needs to involve practicing self regulation strategies. I am not being judgmental. I'm saying that the question should be "what can I do to calm down and focus?", NOT " what can I ask someone else to do?" She chose one person as her helper, on a show where people get voted off one at a time. She should not have put Joe in that position, and she should not have put herself in the position where she was dependent on him.

I believe that phil had a talk with him after the previous tasks where Jonathan was pretty shifty to Anna. Just my opinion, based on phil seeming annoyed with him.

Jeff really wanted Eva to win, didn't he? At one point before a break, Jeff said, after this I want to hear from Eva. I was dumbfounded. We just HEARD from her! When Joe heard that Eva had a PhD, and all her accomplishments, I wonder if he felt used and manipulated.. she had approached him about her autism/anxiety and asked him to learn how to calm her down. Sorry, but at some point couldn't she have learned some coping strategies and self-soothing skills? Breathing, counting, focusing on sensory input, are all helpful for anxiety. Better than adopting a dependent role. she played the helpless female role, and appealed to his paternal nature, and the protective impulses of the other men. Then she brags about her professional accomplishments, like, "look at everything I've done, while being AUTISTIC!" Everyone had been treating Eva with kid gloves, almost like a child. Did they feel fooled? (Not that they woul ever admit it)

I agree. Ask for directions, and if the locals need to look it up on their phone, they can still TELL the racers the directions, and the racers can write them down. It's always been OK to ask for directions - some locals are more helpful than others. But handling a local's phone should not be allowed.

Yes it's right up there with people who think that because of their appearance (young/old/blonde/cute/small) others will underestimate them.

I agree - and even if a local had to check their phone for directions, I think the racers should be not allowed to handle or look at the phones. Who gives their phone to a stranger?

I love that jack and Carson won. They seem to have had the best attitude, having fun, enjoying challenges, and being excited about the race. What really won me over was the encouragement, like "lucky you, you get to be a knight." Their approach was to just see the race as one long adventure, or maybe a quest, and the prize was secondary to the fun.

I wonder if, at some point after the previous leg, Phil or someone talked to Jonathan about how he treated Ana. Because he was saying all the right things today. All of the things he never said before.

Damn weather alert!

I hate that it's allowed. Asking locals for directions, sure. But borrowing a phone? If the racers aren't allowed to bring their own phones, the shouldn't be allowed to borrow phones from locals. I would never hand my phone over to a stranger to borrow. Is that something that people do outside of the race?

You mean the way she ran towards them and gave each guy a hug as though the were returning home from war? Ugh.