S40: Adam Klein

[kassandra8286]

Damn, that's hard to watch, lol. I can all too easily picture myself in that same predicament.

[LadyChatts]

On 3/17/2020 at 8:59 AM, Eolivet said:

I actually think it's the opposite: I think Adam was a lot more grounded in his first appearance, and is a lot more aimless and flighty here. His social game is off, he's unfocused, he's making a lot of unforced errors. Maybe that makes him more entertaining, but his game play is much poorer.

I believe Adam in his natural Survivor habitat is calculating. A social gamebot. His first season he bragged about putting on his buff the wrong way to hide his super fandom, even drinking the water before boiling it to show how naive he was. I see none of that here.

This Adam seems lazy. I thought the conversation last episode when Rob had everyone under quarantine (ha ha) spoke volumes. They're shooting the breeze about fried food: "Do you like the mint Oreos? How about the fried Oreos?" Everyone is seemingly participating ... except Adam, who is silent. Now I'd wager Adam's not a huge fan of fried food, but to be shown as silent spoke volumes to me. Adam of "if you're not here to make friends, you're here to lose" doesn't participate in a group conversation? His game is way off.

I don't recognize Adam the player or the person from mvgx. I feel like Adam, with his coconut soup and his getting lost on the way to the well and his complete botching of the Parvati blindside this season, has been personified by this:

 

I'm going with the theory that Adam, like some of the other winners, doesn't know what to do.  His first season worked out a little too well for him.  He wound up on a tribe that dominated early on, which allowed him time to make bonds.  He didn't really have any solid threats post merge.  He formed a bond with Jay, who was probably a big cheerleader for him in the jury.  He was in a final 3 with 2 people that he would have beat even without his sob story.  

Now, it seemed like from the start, anything he tried to do failed.  He got called out for going off with Denise the first day.  He got blindsided in the Ethan vote, and him thinking Rob would go along with the plan to oust Parvati backfired in his face.  No one on his other tribe took his opinions about what to do seriously.  Now he's on a tribe where he appears to be on the bottom again.  And it seems like he can't figure out what to do about it.  We'll see what happens next, but I don't think Adam will find himself in a position like he did during MvsGX. 

Edited March 19, 2020 by LadyChatts

[Hera]

I was neutral on Adam in Millennials vs. Gen X and was put off by the fact that he complained about his edit, which wasn't the slightest bit negative, but didn't portray him as the mastermind he apparently saw himself as during that season. But for whatever reason, I like him on this one. I agree that he does appear to be on the bottom of his tribe right now, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. I think he has a little bit of the Spencer Bledsoe ability to perpetually be a less urgent target than someone else.

[Eolivet]

Now I know why they cut that secret scene last week.

Rob (last week): Adam's so astute.

Adam (this week): Ben and Sarah have an idol, I know it!

His utter lack of a social game continues to baffle me. The absolutely telling (and damning) image of his three other tribemates sitting on a log, eating peanut butter and jelly and Adam standing over them, sort of interrogating them. A literal "no, you can't sit with us."

And this absolutely was not Adam in mvgx. There, he made two large, visible blunders: the Mari vote and blabbing to Taylor about the Will vote at the merge. Otherwise, he played an under-the-radar game. He was not always the social moron he's been portrayed as here, alienating every single person he played with in some way. I have to believe the only reason he's still here is his tribe keeps winning.

But he had a seat at the table in mvgx, and yesterday, there was literally no place for him to sit.

[peachmangosteen]

I love how hapless Adam is this season. It is just about the only truly entertaining thing lol. I initially wanted him to be humiliated this season because I really hated him but now I'll probably feel bad for him when he is inevitably voted out in embarrassing fashion. They are really laying on think how stupid he is playing so I feel like they're setting him up for an epic fall.

[LadyChatts]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I love how hapless Adam is this season. It is just about the only truly entertaining thing lol. I initially wanted him to be humiliated this season because I really hated him but now I'll probably feel bad for him when he is inevitably voted out in embarrassing fashion. They are really laying on think how stupid he is playing so I feel like they're setting him up for an epic fall.

Yeah, as much as I want him gone, he and Ben provide some comic relief.  I loved seeing him get all flustered and upset last night over the idol, and then have to dig himself out of another hole.  I also loved his line 'I am not an idiot guys, and I can't stand it' (or something to that effect).  If he went full on tantrum and started jumping up and down screaming at the top of his lungs over something not going his way, I'd totally root for him to win, because the thought of that is hilarious.

I will say that as much as I don't like Adam, I do kind of feel sorry for him.  As a self proclaimed Survivor super fan, it was probably his absolute dream to come out here and play with former winners.  And from the beginning, since he took that fateful walk with Denise, nothing went right.  He was on the bottom of his tribe, one of his only allies was a guy with a big mouth, he got blindsided by his own alliance because of his own big mouth, so far he's got no big moves cred for his resume, and now he's in a worse spot on his current tribe.  If he makes the merge, I think he'll just get worse in terms of fumbling his game play.  He'll likely feel somewhat rejuvenated that he's getting a second chance to run things-but I think he'll fail miserably.  And I'm here for it.

[Eolivet]

Adam's IG post (private, so no links) wishing Jay good luck on The Challenge last night with a photo of the two of them from Taylor's wedding reaffirms why I liked Adam as a person, even as his game play leaves much to be desired.

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Eolivet

[Jextella]

34 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

Adam's IG post (private, so no links) wishing Jay good luck on The Challenge last night with a photo of the two of them from Taylor's wedding reaffirms why I liked Adam as a person, even as his game play leaves much to be desired.

 

I really like Adam and believe he deserved to win during his original season, but he is behaving in an oddly childish way.  It's like he's throwing little tantrums.  I hope he is able to clue into this when he views the season from the comfort of home and makes adjustments.  He is a motivational speaker in the cancer community I believe and this won't bode well for him in that regard (although this may be a nonissue in a post-COVID world).

[ByaNose]

I think it’s hysterical that Ben annoys & frustrates Adam to no end. I’m not sure if it’s because he wants to work with Ben or that Ben just doesn’t like him. I’m not sure why Adam is soooo annoyed by Ben but I’m here for it. LOL!!!! 

[Hera]

I am also here for how much Ben gets under Adam's skin. It reminds me of sibling dynamics: it doesn't matter if you would have chosen each other, you're stuck with one another, regardless.

[BK1978]

I was not a fan of Adam his first time around (I really wanted David to win) but I don't remember finding him annoying.  I find him highly annoying this season. 

[Jextella]

1 hour ago, BK1978 said:

I was not a fan of Adam his first time around (I really wanted David to win) but I don't remember finding him annoying.  I find him highly annoying this season. 

David was awesome.  Going on the likeability scale, David trumped Adam and Dom trumped Wendell.

[grandmabegum]

As a friend, I can safely say that David still is awesome.

[Eolivet]

As a part of this shady Twitch poker channel in the Virgin Islands producing poker and "lifestyle content," Adam went on a trip around the world (presumably paid for by the shady Twitch poker channel) with several other poker players/shady Twitch channel "hosts," which was filmed and put on YouTube.

The "premise" of this trip was they would flip an oversized coin every day to decide whether they got a lot of money or a little money in a given city that day. It was dubbed the "Coin Flip Trip."

Now I know where he got (or stole) the idea.

[KimberStormer]

I have no idea what's going on this season but I follow a couple Survivors and heard Adam finally got voted out in humiliating fashion, which provides a nicely warming brimstone to my cold black heart.  I would like to encourage everyone to bully him on social media since I am not on any social media and cannot do it myself.  Although the list of winners that I dislike is long (and includes almost everyone in this cast) there is only one that I truly despise and it is Adam.

[Eolivet]

I encourage everyone to read the recap of this week's episode and relive it again, some more, but I do take issue with this:

Adam won his original season, Millennials vs. Gen-X, by being something of a scrambling busybody who was able to hop from alliance to alliance to get to the end, mostly because he was playing in a game full of people who were playing the exact same way.

Not ... exactly. Adam got into a huge post-merge alliance and sat back while they picked each other off, mostly laying low and (presumably) working his social game with those not in his alliance. Ultimately, his core alliance group dominated, and he ended up being able to siphon off who he needed to in order to win.

I do agree he landed in a group of players who took nothing personally, and lucked out in that sense.

And when you look at even this episode, he still had people who had his back. However koo-koo bananas Adam was, he had both Jeremy and Ben speaking up to shift the target from Adam to Michele in the split vote. The editing implies had he kept his mouth shut when the group brought up Sophie, he could've been fine. But he knew better: Sarah was a threat, and he had to speak up. Which sealed his fate.

Adam had his torch snuffed because even after the Ethan blindside, even after the mvgx merge, he could not stop reverting to gamebot mode. Because while he would -- and has -- cut off the head of his best friend to win the game, most people would rather keep their friends in, regardless of threat level, and vote somebody else out until it comes down to the end.

And that, more than the insane fake idol attempted play, is Adam's legacy this season for me.

[AncientNewbie]

As a last ditch effort and a Hail Mary, the Lectern Gambit will never be Plan Voodoo but I can't blame him for trying. I think if he could have kept his monologue to confessionals or at least somewhat internal he could have made it longer, but it was good content as he freaked out week after week.

[LadyChatts]

10 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

I have no idea what's going on this season but I follow a couple Survivors and heard Adam finally got voted out in humiliating fashion, which provides a nicely warming brimstone to my cold black heart.  I would like to encourage everyone to bully him on social media since I am not on any social media and cannot do it myself.  Although the list of winners that I dislike is long (and includes almost everyone in this cast) there is only one that I truly despise and it is Adam.

As someone who couldn't wait for him to go, I admit I was kind of sad to see him leave.  I'm sure his move was embarrassing to him, but I don't think I'd go as far as calling it a humiliating fashion.  He took a huge gamble, and it didn't pay off.  The looks on everyone's faces that were still in the game looked nervous for a split second.  How stupid would he have looked had he thought there was an idol there, didn't go for, and suddenly someone else discovered it really was on.  He'd be kicking his own ass over on the jury bench for being an idiot.  However, while I didn't want him to win, I've found his TH hilarious, and his bickering with Ben was like watching a bad sitcom that you can't turn off.  What makes it funnier is that Ben actually thinks he's some big shot threat in this game, but he's about as bumbling as Adam was.  As I said, I don't care that Adam is gone, but there are others I was ready to see go before him.  And I didn't expect to be saying that.  But seriously, he was a threat to no one.  Just don't tell him the plan so he can't blow it, and you're fine.  He had no allies.  He's not a physical threat.  And the deafening silence when Adam asked everyone if they were writing his name down I don't think was a good look for them.  And Tony said something like 'should we even go up to vote.'

I think Adam's biggest downfall was he played too hard, too soon, and couldn't keep his mouth shut.  He wanted to be calling the shots and making the big moves, wanted the likes of Rob and Parvati gone, but he should have just sat back in the beginning and gone with the flow.  At least he admitted he made some crucial errors.  Dare I say I wouldn't mind him getting a third chance?  As long as he doesn't win.  I'm just hear for the TH.

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by LadyChatts

[loki567]

I think his "idol play," or should I say podium play? is a good example of why I love Adam as a character. He has such a natural, undeserved confidence in himself that makes for some great Survivor moments. 

My biggest pet peeve about Survivor players are those people who let indecision completely rule their games and they're not willing to do anything at all. Adam does not have that problem. Despite his game being blown up multiple times with numerous messy confrontations, he never played scared.

There's a lot of people who would stay glued to their seats during that TC because they wouldn't want to risk the humiliation. Adam jumped up and tried for the hail mary. 

[ByaNose]

15 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

As someone who couldn't wait for him to go, I admit I was kind of sad to see him leave.  I'm sure his move was embarrassing to him, but I don't think I'd go as far as calling it a humiliating fashion.  He took a huge gamble, and it didn't pay off.  The looks on everyone's faces that were still in the game looked nervous for a split second.  How stupid would he have looked had he thought there was an idol there, didn't go for, and suddenly someone else discovered it really was on.  He'd be kicking his own ass over on the jury bench for being an idiot.  However, while I didn't want him to win, I've found his TH hilarious, and his bickering with Ben was like watching a bad sitcom that you can't turn off.  What makes it funnier is that Ben actually thinks he's some big shot threat in this game, but he's about as bumbling as Adam was.  As I said, I don't care that Adam is gone, but there are others I was ready to see go before him.  And I didn't expect to be saying that.  But seriously, he was a threat to no one.  Just don't tell him the plan so he can't blow it, and you're fine.  He had no allies.  He's not a physical threat.  And the deafening silence when Adam asked everyone if they were writing his name down I don't think was a good look for them.  And Tony said something like 'should we even go up to vote.'

I think Adam's biggest downfall was he played too hard, too soon, and couldn't keep his mouth shut.  He wanted to be calling the shots and making the big moves, wanted the likes of Rob and Parvati gone, but he should have just sat back in the beginning and gone with the flow.  At least he admitted he made some crucial errors.  Dare I say I wouldn't mind him getting a third chance?  As long as he doesn't win.  I'm just hear for the TH.

 

His opening his to mouth to Rob was a major downfall. It was a good plan but Rob was the last person to tell. He never recovered after and there was BEN. LOL!!!!

[Guest]

On 4/9/2020 at 5:49 AM, KimberStormer said:

I have no idea what's going on this season but I follow a couple Survivors and heard Adam finally got voted out in humiliating fashion, which provides a nicely warming brimstone to my cold black heart.  I would like to encourage everyone to bully him on social media since I am not on any social media and cannot do it myself.  Although the list of winners that I dislike is long (and includes almost everyone in this cast) there is only one that I truly despise and it is Adam.

Wow. Hoping this was just said facetiously.

[Eolivet]

I've given Adam a lot of grief for his move, mainly because he doesn't appear to be a Tyson-type moron who can't do math. He won his initial season by laying low and being allergic to big moves. But if, per the episode thread, he was convinced of an idol at tribal council by something he saw on Survivor South Africa? For a self-dubbed super-duper fan to go out on an all-winners' season by overthinking, by watching too much Survivor, in essence by being too big of a fan? I could not think of a more glorious downfall.

[violet and green]

His facial expression this season are gold. Gold! 

On 3/20/2020 at 9:59 AM, Hera said:

I was neutral on Adam in Millennials vs. Gen X and was put off by the fact that he complained about his edit, which wasn't the slightest bit negative, but didn't portray him as the mastermind he apparently saw himself as during that season.

That's really interesting. I found him intensely annoying in MvGenX and am still sulking when I remember to about his win. But this edit has been so extreme - I guess it doesn't pay to bitch about your edit if you ever plan to come back.

[AncientNewbie]

On 4/9/2020 at 4:12 PM, LadyChatts said:

Dare I say I wouldn't mind him getting a third chance?  As long as he doesn't win. 

I'm somewhere between ambivalent and apathetic on Adam but if there's an arc about him learning from this and channeling his enthusiasm, he could be a contender on the right season.

[Eolivet]

Bringing this over from the episode thread:

I don't think that Tyson saying Adam won't be able to handle losing is foreshadowing, or maybe I just hope that it's not. Adam is sort of annoying, but he doesn't seem like a bad person and I'd hate to think that the game is so important to him that he'd let not winning it ruin his life.

Am I the only one who thinks Adam should raise the flag? And in fact, thinks it would be much healthier for him than staying in the game? To truly accept Survivor is over for him and just leave, close that chapter and move on with his life.

Adam clearly had a lot of anxiety about going to the Edge of Extinction (he cried he didn't want to go there earlier), and I don't think it was about losing the game. Being in Fiji clearly makes him think about his mother (he said as much when he went back with Jay, and David  a few years ago). Last week, he was the only person who seemed traumatized by the family visit. Being with his dad seemed more therapy session than reunion. (contrast Wendell's loving reunion with his own dad)

To be fair, I don't think Adam would dream of "quitting" if it was normal Ponderosa, where he got voted out, got to decompress, get a haircut, drink a beer and be part of a jury. But that's different than living in deprivation with no game-related distractions, surrounded by nothing but traumatic personal memories.

And when Adam has been on the jury, he's looked tuned out. Rob and Parvati and Wendell snicker and elbow each other and make comments, and Adam just sits and stares. He doesn't need to be on a jury, he needs therapy, a hot shower and the chance to sleep off the last month, in that order.

Raise the flag, Adam. It's time for you to go.

[ByaNose]

49 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

Bringing this over from the episode thread:

 

 

Am I the only one who thinks Adam should raise the flag? And in fact, thinks it would be much healthier for him than staying in the game? To truly accept Survivor is over for him and just leave, close that chapter and move on with his life.

Adam clearly had a lot of anxiety about going to the Edge of Extinction (he cried he didn't want to go there earlier), and I don't think it was about losing the game. Being in Fiji clearly makes him think about his mother (he said as much when he went back with Jay, and David  a few years ago). Last week, he was the only person who seemed traumatized by the family visit. Being with his dad seemed more therapy session than reunion. (contrast Wendell's loving reunion with his own dad)

To be fair, I don't think Adam would dream of "quitting" if it was normal Ponderosa, where he got voted out, got to decompress, get a haircut, drink a beer and be part of a jury. But that's different than living in deprivation with no game-related distractions, surrounded by nothing but traumatic personal memories.

And when Adam has been on the jury, he's looked tuned out. Rob and Parvati and Wendell snicker and elbow each other and make comments, and Adam just sits and stares. He doesn't need to be on a jury, he needs therapy, a hot shower and the chance to sleep off the last month, in that order.

Raise the flag, Adam. It's time for you to go.

I think Adam is too big a fan to quit. That said, I thought it was odd that the editors included Tyson saying it and it being discussed about Adam. It was kind of random and it must mean something...….………..I guess.

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I think Adam is too big a fan to quit. That said, I thought it was odd that the editors included Tyson saying it and it being discussed about Adam. It was kind of random and it must mean something...….………..I guess.

I definitely think Tyson’s comment about Adam was foreshadowing, but not for anything as severe as an Adam walk-off.  I more suspect something in the vein of an Adam emotional breakdown - minor breakdown, not “time to institutionalize the little bastard” - with all the other EoEers going group hug on him and each relating their various personal twists on a basic “cheer up little buckaroo” theme, while violins play WAY TOO FUCKING LOUD in the background....

[Eolivet]

@peachmangosteen traumatized me with the Ben-without-a-beard picture in Ben's thread, so turnabout is fair play. Now everybody who dares can watch Adam do try-hard karaoke to "Uptown Funk," which has traumatized me for years:

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1rmxPOazjEbJN

[peachmangosteen]

Wow. Wow. Nope.

[Nashville]

Not even gonna look.

[fishcakes]

I'm not looking either. I'm super curious and want to look, but I feel like life is already too hard right now.

[LadyChatts]

The day Adam stops being Adam is going to be a sad day.  I definitely needed that.

[ProfCrash]

Can't make me watch it.

Adam is not a bad person but another one of my least favorite winners. But I can say that about most of the players since the introduction of 9,000 advantages and idols. I just want to return to the old school game. But that is never going to happen. 

THeir victories seem so contrived. 

[Jextella]

2 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

The day Adam stops being Adam is going to be a sad day.  I definitely needed that.

Agreed!

Adam seems to be all about the "fun" - which I love.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Jextella

[LadyChatts]

2 hours ago, Jextella said:

Agreed!

Adam seems to be all about the "fun" - which I love.

I don’t like Adam as a winner, but I think I’d love hanging out with him.  Especially after a few drinks.

[Jextella]

57 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I don’t like Adam as a winner, but I think I’d love hanging out with him.  Especially after a few drinks.

Same!  Adam would be a hoot! Especially with drinks involved!

Although I think Adam deserved his win - same with all of the winners - including Ben.  I take the Boston Rob approach..."You won.  The end." (or something like that).

So long as production doesn't manipulate a players performance in any way, that is.  It'd be the end of the show for me if that ever came to light. 

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Jextella

[HeShallBMySquishy]

On 4/10/2020 at 6:32 PM, tracyscott76 said:

Wow. Hoping this was just said facetiously.

It wasn't. They meant it. There are still plenty of people who feel that way about Adam, even four years on.

On 4/27/2020 at 7:57 AM, Eolivet said:

@peachmangosteen traumatized me with the Ben-without-a-beard picture in Ben's thread, so turnabout is fair play. Now everybody who dares can watch Adam do try-hard karaoke to "Uptown Funk," which has traumatized me for years:

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1rmxPOazjEbJN

Thanks for posting this! I stumbled across that back in 2017 and it still makes me smile. One of the reasons I like Adam is that he doesn't seem to care about looking goofy; looking at his IG, they are not filled with ridiculous flexing or posing selfies, or selfies manipulated with fifteen filters, or those transparent "I just woke up like this!" selfies. Plus, he doesn't appear to be trying to become an "influencer" like Nicole Franzel, nor has he popped up on ten other reality shows.

Also, now I'm going to have "Uptown Funk" stuck in my head.

Adam was the first reality TV show person that I ever followed afterwards on social media, and others have commented in the episode threads on how intently he listens. From Sunday Burquest, during a pre-Winners at War interview: "He is a good listener. I learned that about him right away, when you are having a conversation with Adam he is dialed in and he actually pays attention to what you are saying, this served him well in the game. He’s a very likable guy (although he is very opinionated and isn’t shy about sharing his thoughts)."

He reminds me a lot of someone that I used to know, someone who can strike up conversations just about anywhere with anyone, like, waiting in line or something. Not a lot of people have that ability, but Adam does.

[Nashville]

Still not gonna look.

[HeShallBMySquishy]

Just leaving this here. Go Adam! HAHA