S40.E07: We're in the Majors

[ByaNose]

So what editors cornflakes did Wendell piss in? Of course, Wendell is saying pretty much all of this but they’re really banging the negativity over our (my) head. Is the edit going culminate is Wendell’s big fall in the next couple of episodes? Jeez! Show is going in hard on Wendell since it has no one else (maybe Adam) to pick on. IMO!!!

[ChicksDigScars]

1 hour ago, tracyscott76 said:

Yeah, that was ick. He ate it up, too. And yet earlier, she was indignant when he was talking down to her, when he thought SHE was talking down to him. That is a weird dynamic they've got going there.

 

And called him "babe" during the puzzle challenge. Stop thinking with your twat, Michelle. He's just not into you anymore. Wendell is only into himself. 

This entire season is circling the drain. All the interesting players are sitting on EOE.

 

 

 

[Dominii]

1 hour ago, susannot said:

And Rob, can there be any more of a signal that he will come back in?  I hate it.

Dude, I LOVE it!!!  It would be such poetic justice to the other dicks left in the game if ol' portly (lol) Boston Rob were to whip all their asses!  Plus, I've always liked the guy.  He's arrogant, but not in mean-spirited way like Tyson or Wendell.

Kudos to Sandra for leaving.  She's pretty old now, and she's still queen.  She can retire gracefully and have no regrets.

Yul made a big faux pas talking about the fire tokens.  The guy's so much smarter than anyone else -- how could he have made such a rookie mistake?

So now I'm not really rooting for anyone, except Rob if he gets back in the game.  What a bummer!

[LadyChatts]

4 minutes ago, Dominii said:

Dude, I LOVE it!!!  It would be such poetic justice to the other dicks left in the game if ol' portly (lol) Boston Rob were to whip all their asses!  Plus, I've always liked the guy.  He's arrogant, but not in mean-spirited way like Tyson or Wendell.

Kudos to Sandra for leaving.  She's pretty old now, and she's still queen.  She can retire gracefully and have no regrets.

Yul made a big faux pas talking about the fire tokens.  The guy's so much smarter than anyone else -- how could he have made such a rookie mistake?

So now I'm not really rooting for anyone, except Rob if he gets back in the game.  What a bummer!

What I don't get about the fire tokens is that Yul's plan was because of Michele.  She was complaining that she gave Wendell one of hers, and now wouldn't get it back.  I just wonder if Michele was dead set on keeping Wendell, so Nick didn't have a choice-force a tie or vote out Yul.  I get that Yul probably overplayed his hand with the tokens, but I felt like it was Michele that prompted the conversation in the first place.  

[Wandering Snark]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Adam talks too much, which is no surprise. I like you as a person, Adam, but your ability as a player kind of sucks. Shut up and stay quiet, for your own game.

"Talk less. Smile More."

1 hour ago, Growsonwalls said:

I think Wendell and Michelle are in the "broken up, but still kinda sorta like each other and want to push each others' buttons" stage. Which when you're out on the island together means they totally want to shag.

Well if the poor Nick comes back from getting water and the tribe flag is over the shelter, he knows to not come a knockin'!!

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

I wonder how things would have gone had they made this season an Old School vs. New School season

I think there is a plethora of hints that this will happen. Especially as Probst loves to talk about how "his game" has "evolved" so much and he'd have a vested interest in putting those Old Schoolers in their place...

2 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I get that Yul probably overplayed his hand with the tokens, but I felt like it was Michele that prompted the conversation in the first place.  

I think that convo just opened the window to them saying.... "Holy shit, Yul is TOO smart and too good to keep around when we have a chance to get him out." It was a view into how much he's analyzed the game and it freaked her out. So Yul goes home... unfortunately.

I feel like we are now watching "Survivor All-Stars, B-Cast" now with 100% less "big targets"!! It's not exactly how I envisioned this one going. And that gets back to why I think Old School v New School will happen. Because this? Didn't work.

[Dominii]

1 minute ago, LadyChatts said:

I get that Yul probably overplayed his hand with the tokens, but I felt like it was Michele that prompted the conversation in the first place.  

I agree.  I think Michelle still has a crush on Wendell (for God only knows what reason, ugh), so she made Yul look like a sneaky conniver so she could keep her ex with her longer.  Even more of a reason to hate  her!

[princelina]

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

I don't even remember Wendall from his season. Could he have been popular then because now he just seems like a tool.

Mr. P and I remember liking him 🤷‍♀️

10 minutes ago, Wandering Snark said:

Well if the poor Nick comes back from getting water and the tribe flag is over the shelter, he knows to not come a knockin'!!

Hahahahahahaha!  You're killing me 😄😄😄 

[ratgirlagogo]

2 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

Something about old school vs. new school: it's not that the game has changed so much as the old schoolers are in a different phase of their life. Almost all have family and kids. None of them are super-active on the reality TV show circuit anymore. Survivor was something they did in their life, not The Biggest Thing That Ever Happened Ever. Your mentality just changes. 

Basically I agree with this.  I think they're willing to come back, but maybe not to worry about winning as much.  Especially with this bunch of old schoolers - hell, they ALREADY won before.

[TVFan1]

Wish Sandra stuck around EOE, I wanted to see her part of the jury, but it won't happen now. I respect her for leaving the game because of the slim chance she gets back in. She still is the Queen.

I don't understand the Michele / Wendell relationship. Wendell seems like such an ass towards her, and she doesn't vote him off. Why? Him being around could be bad for her game. I hope not, though. Yul would have most likely stayed loyal.

Like how Rob found three fire tokens On EOE after Tyson was gloating about him finding the only token hidden there. Tyson isn't as great as he thinks he is.

 

[Steph Sometimes]

Nooooo! Sweet, smart Yul. 

When Wendell was talking back to Probst, it made me think (fondly) of Penner.

And Penner makes me think of Yul, so I'll say noooo! 

I find myself really liking the foursome of Denise, Jeremy, Tony and Kim (however long that's lasting). And the duo of Sarah and Sophie. The rest can suck it. I came in really liking Wendell, but not much anymore. And I hate both Michele and Ben (I like to imagine Aubry or Cydney and Chrissy or Devon in their places on this season). Adam is a little more tolerable and amusing to me so maybe he can suck it a little less. 

And I'm just going to assume that Rob's getting back in because that's how this show works. I'm still rooting for my girl Natalie though.

[Somanydogs]

Sandra is no longer the self-proclaimed "queen" 🙄.  She is a quitter.  When things got difficult and she realized that she couldn't keep sitting out difficult challenges, she bailed.  Bye bye.

[whiporee]

Wendell and Michelle have plotted this whole thing out. Not saying they plotted out the entire game, but they talked about what they would do if they were together. And instead of being "together" if they were in the same place at the same time, they decided to make it look like there was animosity. Tonight it was pretty obvious that Wendell was over the top in his mansplaining, and then he has to make amends so the world doesn't hate him. And his condescending conversation with Michelle that just happened to be within earshot of Yul, which just happened to have him plotting, which just happened to turn simple little Nate against Yul. There's no way anyone's former BF talks to them that way -- especially when everyone is on edge -- without a blowup of some sort. But Michelle just let him go with it. Her reflexive "babe" when he was doing the challenges. The fact that neither has really said anything specific about the other in a confessional, and Michelle continuing with this vague "broke her trust," yet tonight saying they only went out a little while. It's all too convenient a  storyline not to be contrived. 

I doubt they are still together -- maybe they are -- but they didn't part on bad terms and my guess is this animosity is just an act to throw suspicion off each other -- they become a very safe keep-around because everyone knows they don't like each other. But they really do and it's worked so far. 

[BK1978]

3 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I hope keeping Wendell around comes back to bite Michele.  I don't know when he got to be so unlikable.  I barely remember him from his first season, so maybe he was unlikable then but they protected him with the edit.  Those two can go anytime.  I'd say Adam, but at least him digging himself in a hole and trying to get out is comedy.

As TRACYSCOTT76 said I think it was more because Dom was painted as the asshole of the duo.  Now I am not sure if Wendell was one as well but I do not recall him being portrayed as such.

3 hours ago, LanceM said:

Probst has really got stop with the "the game is too fast" for the old schoolers nonsense. No Probst the old schoolers are getting voted out because they are outnumbered. Simple as that. The new schoolers are also much closer to each other outside the game because they ahve all played recently and are still trying to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

I hate that Yul bought into the game too fast bull.  What the hell does that even mean?  How is it too fast?  I am just so sick of hearing it.

3 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I think Wendell benefited from Domenick being there in his first season. They were the dominant pair, but Domenick was more...out there, I guess, and drew most of the negative attention, right or wrong.

Just want to co-sign what you said and I do think that is the reason.

2 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Sandra thumbs her nose at the triple crown and checks out for a vacation on CBS's dime.

 

If she is the only one that leaves the game I wonder what they do with her.  Do they send her on a vacation somewhere?  Do they just send her home?  That is interesting.

2 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I feel somewhat robbed they didn't bring JT back.  The idea of him, Ben, and Adam on a tribe feels like a weekly 3 Stooges episode.

Russell Hantz said on his YouTube channel that JT did something to piss off the producers and he will probably not ever be back.  He did not go into details about what JT did.

[Primetimer]

Just posted:  With each of the old school winners exterminated, Primetimer's Joe Reid says they may as well have called it "Survivor: No Country For Old Men"
https://www.primetimer.com/features/survivor-has-exterminated-its-elders

[Steph Sometimes]

12 minutes ago, BK1978 said:

Russell Hantz said on his YouTube channel that JT did something to piss off the producers and he will probably not ever be back.  He did not go into details about what JT did.

He was partly responsible for Malcolm getting voted out?

Oh wait. No. That's what he did that pissed me off. Never mind.

[Daisy]

Again. I don't know EoE because I didn't watch that season. but for me - and I've said this the minute the first variation of this was created (basically because Jeff was all "my favourites get voted off, let's do some sort of bracket, vote in system!!") the game has been, and always will be, for me: 

"The Tribe has Spoken, get your torch etc."

The tribe spoke, the torch got snuffed, and Sandra's out. 

What Sandra's doing is opting not getting back into the game. That's all that EoE is. A chance to get back in and she doesn't want to get back in because she got voted out. 
And probably the only reason why she didn't be all "you know i'll stay and just lay in the shelter is because a lot of the quests are "you all do it together." 

I know Sandra (and a lot of other people) tend to get a lot of flack for sitting out challenges, or not being good in swimming or whatever - but i do think (and i point the finger right at Jeff) - the game used to be MORE about "big moves" "big challenges" etc. they now all stuff them into this big American Gladiator/Ninja thing. a lot of the classic challenges could still be cheap to do, fun to watch and not have to require beating your body up.
 

This isn't "Oh I know this is Pneumonia, i'm sitting here nekkid, even though i had no reason to sell my clothes," Osten who wanted to quit the first time he saw a pelican. Or 

"I'm bored now, i wanna quit." (many other people). t

 

his was. "I don't really see the point of me trying to get back out of the game, when I already got voted out, and I know I won't win." (which. let's be dead honest. she wouldn't. I know this is a total YMMV, but that's where my two cents lay

-----

 

In regards to the Jeff v Chris - i did forget about that, but now that it was recalled yeah. blegh. but this is why Jeff shouldn't really have a say because a lot of his "say" = bad, bad choices imo. 

I do remember that Jeff said that a "All Winners" season would be boring, and truthfully - it's gonna, only because personally they didn't do it right. Honestly, they should have totally split it with 20 winners the first 20 seasons, and 20 winners (well 19), from the last.  the split was too great and of course al lot of the survivor royality/and more remembered got voted off. like this was so evident in All Stars having 3 tribes i don't know why they thought to do it again (or at all. it's so dumb). this season needs a HvV turn heel sooo badly and I don't even know if the cast here have it in them to do so. 

but i do think (as someone stated above) the seeds are completely being planted to do a legit old vs new school (probably no winners), but seeing people from seasons 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (and some teens) vs the other ones. (i know that John + Neleh (and like i said Vee), Coby etc, have all stated that they'd love to go back, but they've never gotten the call. )

So call them. 

 

to circle back to the episode at hand. 

if Michelle's big thing is to show that she can win and deserved it x2, she's doing a piss poor job at actually proving it as most of her decisions is trying to get Wendel to like her. Which truly goes to show love is Blind. 

[LadyChatts]

Quote

If she is the only one that leaves the game I wonder what they do with her.  Do they send her on a vacation somewhere?  Do they just send her home?  That is interesting.

Typically pre-jurors go on a trip somewhere, so I'm guessing that's what they'll do with her.  I wish they had just made her a part of the jury.  Everyone else probably will be, so who cares if she left?

Quote

I hate that Yul bought into the game too fast bull.  What the hell does that even mean?  How is it too fast?  I am just so sick of hearing it.

My thoughts: it involves massing scrambling, big moves, resume building (in episode 1, because you know what you do day 3 is going to matter day 39, if you make it that far), finding idols, and advantages.  It's like old school, which to me is more chill, relaxed, not as much scrambling, more strategic and social game play. 

Quote

He was partly responsible for Malcolm getting voted out?

Oh wait. No. That's what he did that pissed me off. Never mind.

Since production can probably be petty with what they get pissed at people over, I'm going with that.  Even if it's not it, I'll pretend.  

Edited March 26, 2020 by LadyChatts

[Richness]

If I wanted another episode of awkward relationship drama on a tropical island, I'd watch Ex On The Beach. Neither of them are looking good, and I want both of them gone quickly. *sigh*

[Growsonwalls]

Another possible reason Arabs wasn’t invited: the show has bad blood with his brother Vytas.

[tinkerbell]

I rewatched the challenge.  Yes, Sophie has shorts on, then off, then on, then off again.  I wonder what the heck was going on. 

[Hera]

4 hours ago, whiporee said:

Wendell and Michelle have plotted this whole thing out. Not saying they plotted out the entire game, but they talked about what they would do if they were together.
…

I doubt they are still together -- maybe they are -- but they didn't part on bad terms and my guess is this animosity is just an act to throw suspicion off each other -- they become a very safe keep-around because everyone knows they don't like each other. But they really do and it's worked so far. 

I was wondering something similar. Especially since the early part of the game involved splitting up pairs (Jeremy/Natalie and Rob/Amber), pretending not to be a tight pair is the only way not to get targeted for being in one. In particular, their argument at tribal council seemed over the top to me.

On the other hand, I could sort of see why Nick and Michele were saying about having more flexibility down the line if they go with Wendell rather than Yul. I think Yul might be a frustrating ally to have if the move you want to make isn't one of the two or three things he has deemed rational and/or if you can't explain your strategy in logical/game theoretic terms. And Michele in particular may have worried that Yul might drop her post-merge. Her strategy conversation with him seemed much more surface-level than it did with Wendell or Nick.

As for the other two tribes, I am totally on board with the Denise/Kim/Jeremy alliance. Those three plus Yul were my (and a lot of other people's) picks for the Survivor fantasy game on this forum. I also really love how much Ben seems to irritate Adam. I'm not sure why Adam didn't seem to consider that Sophie might have an idol, but well done to her for avoiding suspicion.

4 hours ago, Daisy said:

"I don't really see the point of me trying to get back out of the game, when I already got voted out, and I know I won't win." (which. let's be dead honest. she wouldn't. I know this is a total YMMV, but that's where my two cents lay

Mine too. Plus, Sandra is on the record as thinking Edge of Extinction is bullshit. Leaving straight away shows some integrity, even if it was forced by her lack of physical game (and I doubt that the show would ever air her talking trash about EoE). Edge of Extinction could effectively be vetoed by an entire cast if everyone just raised the mast as soon as they arrived.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Hera
Fixing typos.

[kav]

The scene with Parvati and Ethan on Extinction was very moving.  

Edited March 26, 2020 by kav

[lawrbk]

6 hours ago, princelina said:

I hope so too!  Clearly he's a dick and she's the kind of girl who likes to chase guys who are dicks.  She gave him a fire token to make him happy with her? And then that little chin tickle she gave him after they voted off Yul?  Barf.  I don't mind Adam.

By a mile!  I'd love to see the new-schoolers win a slice of pizza for a reward 😄 

Add me to the list of peeps who would like to see a different challenge than "bag of puzzle pieces" - how about a good old fashioned "how well do you know your tribemates" quiz, or one where they get to break each others urns?

God I miss those days. And they were ripe for drama too. I especially remember Neleh and Pascal seeing where they stood after one of those break/chop someone’s urn/coconut and flipping the game. 

[simplyme]

7 hours ago, LanceM said:

Probst has really got stop with the "the game is too fast" for the old schoolers nonsense. No Probst the old schoolers are getting voted out because they are outnumbered. Simple as that. The new schoolers are also much closer to each other outside the game because they ahve all played recently and are still trying to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

Actually, the old schoolers got voted out because they turned on each other. They were originally outnumbered 6 new school to 4 old school on each tribe, but that wasn't insurmountable in any way. 

On Sele, Natalie was voted off first, and it wouldn't have been that hard for the 4 old schoolers to pull in one more vote had they stuck together, but Danni went rogue and targeted Parvati. 

On Dakal, Sandra teamed up with Tony and Sarah (technically two new schoolers). Yul teamed with Sophie, Wendell, and Nick (three new schoolers). Yul and Sandra talked about who to target, and once Tyson heard his name, he threw Amber (who he'd kind of been allied with) under the bus. 

As to the new schoolers being much closer to each other... Do you have any proof of that? I had the opposite impression, that the old schoolers overall were closer and knew more people. Ethan, Rob, Amber, Parvati, Tyson, and Sandra all have pretty looooong-lasting relationships, plus friendships with the older new schoolers like Tony, Sarah, Jeremy, and Kim. It was really only Yul and Danni who were out of the loop. I mean, sure, clearly Wendell and Michele knew each other, and I'd guess maybe had met Adam and Nick? But that's still nowhere near the years and numbers of connections most of the old schoolers had. 

And this is why I can't get upset about all the old schoolers being on EoE: because they pretty much did it to themselves. I don't think adding another 2 people from the first 20 seasons would have changed that. They still would have targeted each other.

Also, whoever asked, Sophie is now the earliest winner not on EoE. She won season 23.

[30 Helens]

I don’t know who has relationships outside the show, so I have no opinion on new-schoolers being closer than old-schoolers. Last week, I posited that old schoolers weren’t doing enough to adapt their strategies to a new style of play, and that’s why they were being picked off. I still think there’s some truth to that, but I think there’s more to it.

To newer players, the old schoolers are legends. They are the ones the new-schoolers tried to emulate when they first played.  To now have the opportunity to not only play alongside your idols, but to best them, has got to be an enormous ego boost.  They talk of old-schoolers being bigger “threats”.  But they’re all winners, so they’re all threats.  Old schoolers are being voted off because beating a legend makes people feel legendary.

Re. Wendell: I don’t think he’s coming off as a tool. I think he’s coming off as somewhat reserved, and maybe a little frustrated about being drawn into relationship drama when all he wants to do is play the game. I like that we’re not getting a bunch of confessionals from him that focus on his feelings about Michelle. He may not be coming off as charming as before (which tells me he’s not winning this one), but I still like him.

As for Sandra: I call that quitting. She knew what she was signing up for. I agree that she had no chance to win. But that doesn’t excuse walking away when things get tough. Contrast her attitude with Ethan’s— he has little to no chance of winning, either. And staying could even be detrimental to his health. But he’s seeing it through to the end, because that’s what he committed to do, and that’s the kind of person he is. That is what I call a winner.

[simplyme]

2 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

As for Sandra: I call that quitting. She knew what she was signing up for. I agree that she had no chance to win. But that doesn’t excuse walking away when things get tough. Contrast her attitude with Ethan’s— he has little to no chance of winning, either. And staying could even be detrimental to his health. But he’s seeing it through to the end, because that’s what he committed to do, and that’s the kind of person he is. That is what I call a winner.

I think both Sandra and Ethan's responses are perfectly in line with what we've seen of their personalities and experiences. This is how I sort of look at them and why they might have made the decision they have so far:

Sandra is extremely pragmatic. She's about the money. No chance for the money any more? Then there's no point to her staying. It would be wasting time for no income when she could be doing something else.

Ethan really wanted to come back and play Survivor once more. This is a man who fought to live now getting a chance to relive something he did when he was young and pre-cancerous. Quitting for him would be ending his dream of playing Survivor again prematurely.

So two very different people. Two very different motivations. Raising the EoE flag means very different things for the two of them, so of course they made different decisions.

[30 Helens]

I think you’re absolutely correct. But I still think that makes Sandra a quitter.

[simplyme]

5 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I think you’re absolutely correct. But I still think that makes Sandra a quitter.

Fair enough. 😊 These boards are big enough for both opinions!

[violet and green]

I hate all that Queen stays Queen stuff, so part of me hopes a woman wins this season and that kinda spoils that statement... But not if that woman is Michele!

My God! Shut up! And sulky, petulant Wendell can put a sock in it, too.

I was really hoping Tyson would sneak Ethan a chunk of his peanut butter supply. Glad Rob found the tokens. Hehehe.

Almost all the interesting, witty, good-humored people are now on Extinction, so I wish they'd spend more time there than with the dull whining exes or Adam droning away. What is with this season that former little sparklers like Nick are just so flat?

Wendell appeared better-natured on his season - but he had Dom and his playfulness to  bounce off, and is clearly a happier chappy when things are going his way. I thought Dom should have rightly won, anyway. I am chomping at the bit for either Wendell or Michele to get whacked, so I don't have to endure this drag of a 'storyline' for one more minute.

This season is so dull; the tribals, bar last week's, are so dull. I hate everyone! 

Except Tony, Sarah, and Sophie. I want the whole of Extinction revealed as the ones going forward in a mad Probstian-world justified twist, and Adam and Wendell and Michelle to be sent off droning away on a small raft.

[JudyObscure]

5 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

I rewatched the challenge.  Yes, Sophie has shorts on, then off, then on, then off again.  I wonder what the heck was going on. 

This show has been obsessed with women's asses for far too long.  I'm sick of them making them all walk around on camera in their underpants, then choosing to paint shorts on the ones they don't particularly like while following the ones they do like  down the beach for long, embarrassing tracking shots.  When the camera starts following  Parvati, I know I have time to go to the kitchen for a snack.

40 minutes ago, violet and green said:

I hate all that Queen stays Queen stuff, so part of me hopes a woman wins this season and that kinda spoils that statement... But not if that woman is Michele!

So much agreement.  For all Sandra knows the final challenge might be holding a stack of cups and saucers, or they might have both a woman and man going back in, or it could be that human "concentration" challenge.  Heck, with the obnoxious new thing of people giving tokens to their friends outside the game, she could possibly win while doing absolutely nothing.

Michele is not only annoys me by chasing Wendell, her high, adenoidal voice makes me want to poke knitting needles in my ears 

[SuburbanHangSuite]

10 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

 

A few thoughts:

- I'd love to see an IC that isn't "a bag of puzzles." Jesus. Remember the "old school" challenges that were much more creative?

- Wendell and Michelle are that annoying couple that breaks up a party with their loud annoying arguing and just as everyone is peaces out of the party they're in the bathroom having makeup sex. 

 

 

10 hours ago, princelina said:

I hope so too!  Clearly he's a dick and she's the kind of girl who likes to chase guys who are dicks.  She gave him a fire token to make him happy with her? And then that little chin tickle she gave him after they voted off Yul?  Barf.  I don't mind Adam.

Add me to the list of peeps who would like to see a different challenge than "bag of puzzle pieces" - how about a good old fashioned "how well do you know your tribemates" quiz, or one where they get to break each others urns?

 

9 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Yeah, her whole 'I just wanted to see you shake in your boots' was stupid.  I think she's looking for something from Wendell, and that's why she doesn't want to vote him off.  Whether it's an apology or what I don't know.

I'd like the new schoolers to play without idols, advantages, twists, and minimal scrambling.  I also miss the days of skimpy rewards.  Even when castaways got blankets and pillows it was like two, not a whole bedroom set.  And their food rewards were usually gone within a couple of days (besides the chickens).  Now food rewards last them longer.  

I really want a throwback coconut chopping challenge.  That totally turned the tide of the game in Marquesas.

Add me to the list of viewers who are longing for a different type of challenge.   Princelina, get out of my head!  I was just thinking of the days of, "Which tribemate is the most annoying?  Reveal..."

LOVED those challenges for how they played into the social aspect of the game (and for how mean they were!). Maybe we'll get some of those post-merge.

The puzzle overload is annoying but that being said, my heart was in my throat for that last second win by Denise & Jeremy.  The way I screamed, "YES!" when that final piece clicked in place...

Rob--You are the best that's ever played.  Batting .750  for fire tokens!

Sandra is a quitter.  Who knew?  She had kind of grown on me after her Russell Hantz Smackdown but this season reminded me of why I never really cared for her.  

Wendell and Michelle can't be gone from my screen soon enough.  LadyChatts, you know what Michelle wants from Wendell and it ain't an apology---unless "apology" is your euphemism for dick.

Edited March 26, 2020 by SuburbanHangSuite
spelling!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Hera said:

I'm not sure why Adam didn't seem to consider that Sophie might have an idol, but well done to her for avoiding suspicion.

 

I think Adam and Ben just have so many issues from earlier that they inherently distrust each other. And Adam's "idol-dar" reading on Sarah isn't TOTALLY off, since she has an advantage of her own and knows about Sophie's idol - so she may be giving off vibes that he's just reading slightly incorrectly.

And Sophie's just so cold as ice, cool as a cucumber, impassive as a stone (except when she wants you to drop your stack), that she's not giving anything away. And I might be slightly in love with her XD

Edited March 26, 2020 by tracyscott76

[Josh371982]

10 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I miss the days when there'd be such a satisfying blindside or moment in an episode that I'd watch over and over again.  This season I have no desire to watch back.

Yul was the last one I was truly rooting for.  It seems like all the new schoolers got the pre-game alliances, or are intimidated by the more legendary old schoolers.  At this point, I'm fine with Tony, Sarah, or Sophie winning.  Second tier would be Jeremy or Nick I guess.  But I can't stomach the thought of any of the others winning.

I hope keeping Wendell around comes back to bite Michele.  I don't know when he got to be so unlikable.  I barely remember him from his first season, so maybe he was unlikable then but they protected him with the edit.  Those two can go anytime.  I'd say Adam, but at least him digging himself in a hole and trying to get out is comedy.

Tastes vary cause I can't stand Tony and would hate seeing him win again. Bummed about Yul but I'll never root for that ultra annoying piece of crap and wont support anyone helping Tony in the game 

[Lamima]

9 hours ago, North of Eden said:

 

I don't even remember Wendall from his season. Could he have been popular then because now he just seems like a tool.

Wendell was tight with Dom. They were ride or die. But Wendell also kept that chick, forget her name (was it Lauren?) in his pocket. She too thought she was ride or die with Wendell. But that season the jury ended in a tie between Dom and Wendell and we found out what happens then. The 3rd, no votes person, gets voted to the jury and they are the sole deciding vote. So......Wendell won. Michelle is playing the ?Lauren? part this season. Though Wendell was actually nice to ?Lauren?. Edit...her name was Laurel.

I think Michelle is in love with Wendell. And she is such a terrible player that she puts her feelings for him above the game. But I also suspect his douche-y-ness towards her is just a show. To throw folks off that they are really a duo. Cause he wasn't like that on his season.

So sad to see Yul go. He was my fave on that tribe and one of my faves still left in the game.

Can I also say that Rob is the one true sovereign of Survivor...the King. Not Sandra, as she noped on out of there. Meanwhile, there is the portly fella (Rob) shooting up that hillside and pocketing 3/4 tokens (or whatever they were...I MAY have been imbibing a tad too much last night and didn't catch all the details). Oh, and, it was said something about Sandra still remains queen as she bailed out. To that I replied (out loud and with a slur)..."unless one of the ladies wins this season". Because then there will be 2 queens...2 gals with 2 wins. And, for fuck sake, it had better not be Michelle. But I am getting that kinda edit. Her and Wendell in F3. 

So I still like Adam. Also like Sarah. Like to see their whole tribe stay in the game longer as I don't mind any of the 4. Like Jeremy and Denise. Hope Wendell, Michelle and Tony are next 3 out as they are my least fave. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Lamima

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Lamima said:

Wendell was tight with Dom. They were ride or die. But Wendell also kept that chick, forget her name (was it Lauren?) in his pocket. She too thought she was ride or die with Wendell. But that season the jury ended in a tie between Dom and Wendell and we found out what happens then. The 3rd, no votes person, gets voted to the jury and they are the sole deciding vote. So......Wendell won. Michelle is playing the ?Lauren? part this season. Though Wendell was actually nice to ?Lauren?.

 

Laurel.

[alexa]

I agree with others that Jeff makes no sense when he says the older group can't keep up with the game.  I think it is the being outnumbered, plus they are obvious targets.  I think if they were in a good alliance with people that wanted to work with them, they would do fine....they have the art of Survivor down--it just requires the right elements.

I think Yul didn't do himself any favors at the tribal council--going into so much detail, that even if they hadn't planned to vote him, they would have done so anyway.  He is probably a good example of one that doesn't have good gameplay for the current situation, unfortunately.

I completely understood why Sandra left.  She was voted out, doesn't have anything to prove, and she knows she would never beat the others at any upcoming challenges to get in the game.  Might as well head out to some comforts at that point.  

 

[Whimsy]

10 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Loved “portly” Rob (per Tyson) finding three out of four fire tokens while self-described “amazing” Tyson found one.

Tyson has a very dry sense of humor.  I really don't think that he thinks he's "amazing".  He was making fun of himself along with making fun of Rob.  

10 hours ago, LanceM said:

Am I the only who is more interested in the players on EOE? lol. I especially liked the scene between Ethan and Parvati. I wish they had focused more on that duo while they were still in the game.

I'm WAY more interested in EoE at this point. 

10 hours ago, susannot said:

And Rob, can there be any more of a signal that he will come back in?  I hate it.

I love it!!  Only reason I have any interest left in this season, tbh. 

10 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I did notice that when the Edgers all took off running for the tokens, and Parvati (I think) exclaimed "are we just going to leave the rice on the fire??"...you could see someone hanging back, which I think was Amber. It tickles me to think that the mom of 4 instinctively removed the rice while everyone else just booked out of there XD

There was no need for Amber to take off.  She knew Rob has a big advantage over her in that department.  I would've done the same, if in that situation. 

9 hours ago, willco said:

I don't blame Sandra for quitting. But that just makes me think even more than she Rob weren't really roughing it when they were advisers. Or she got paid really, really well for her time !

Same.  I always thought that was totally fake last season, but her comments this season confirmed it for me. 

9 hours ago, Dominii said:

Dude, I LOVE it!!!  It would be such poetic justice to the other dicks left in the game if ol' portly (lol) Boston Rob were to whip all their asses!  Plus, I've always liked the guy.  He's arrogant, but not in mean-spirited way like Tyson or Wendell.

Kudos to Sandra for leaving.  She's pretty old now, and she's still queen.  She can retire gracefully and have no regrets.

Yul made a big faux pas talking about the fire tokens.  The guy's so much smarter than anyone else -- how could he have made such a rookie mistake?

So now I'm not really rooting for anyone, except Rob if he gets back in the game.  What a bummer!

I love, love, love Rob.  I am excited about him possibly getting back in the game.  I want him to dominate to get back in and then dominate over those "new schoolers".  Still don't think he'll win, but I still want to see that.  ETA:  I really love Natalie, too.  I am very impressed by her.  I wish two people could make it back in the game. 

6 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

I rewatched the challenge.  Yes, Sophie has shorts on, then off, then on, then off again.  I wonder what the heck was going on. 

 

52 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

This show has been obsessed with women's asses for far too long.  I'm sick of them making them all walk around on camera in their underpants, then choosing to paint shorts on the ones they don't particularly like while following the ones they do like  down the beach for long, embarrassing tracking shots.  When the camera starts following  Parvati, I know I have time to go to the kitchen for a snack.

I think they reshot for coverage.  I don't think they spent money and time to "paint" shorts on Sophie because they don't like her.  If that was the case, they would've done it for the entire challenge.  I think this was just a huge editing fail.  I did completely side-eye Parvati's panties, though.  I know that normally the producers have a huge say in what they wear so I'd like to know whose decision that was so I can hold them in contempt.

[skybolt]

I'm not sure what to make of Sophie's disappearing / appearing shorts. I can't imagine Jeff asking all 3 tribes to redo portions of the immunity challenge to get more camera angles after one team was already eliminated. My guess is that they stopped the challenge midway through the first time around due to equipment failure. They then used footage from both takes for whatever reason. 

Wendell needs to take one for the team and make out with Michelle. He'll likely wake up the next morning with 3 additional fire tokens gift wrapped for him.

Although I'm super disappointed that all the old schoolers got voted off, I do think that Yul and Sandra did it to themselves. Both individuals seemed keen on wanting to work with the new schoolers and got burned doing so. Yul voted off Amber, Tyson and Parvati. 

Right now I'm basically rooting for either Tony, Kim or Sarah to win it all. I'm not opposed to Sophie, Nick, Adam, Denise or Jeremy winning either. However, I can't stand Michelle, Wendell and Ben.

 

[skybolt]

Although I really like Natalie, I think her beast mode status was vastly exaggerated competing against herself and weaker players like Amber and Danni. I give her full credit for earning the one fire token with the number lock. However, all she did to earn the first fire token was climb up a hill by herself. The second one was earned by luck, since she couldn't figure out the water well clue (I'm sure Tyson would've been all over that). The 4th token was hard earned, but I'm sure all the Survivors (except maybe Sandra) would've accomplished that task. Since Tyson and Rob arrived on EoE she's been invisible.

[AncientNewbie]

9 hours ago, whiporee said:

I doubt they are still together -- maybe they are

 

I follow them both on IG (because I have no real friends, ok?) and they don't seem to be a couple (she has a new former castaway beau), but they don't seem unfriendly. But I would buy (1) playing it up the the camera and (2) villain edit for Wendell because this season is short on that sort of drama. 

I love Tyson and Rob talking heads, because both of them play such distinct characters for the show that I find funny. Rob is all bombast and Tyson is dry snark and they both love playing it up. 

I liked Yul, and I like the Penner connection, and I will miss him but I know a fair number of quantitative professionals who are somewhat inflexible once they get a plan in place. Not saying he is that way, but if I were a castaway and someone was laying out five moves ahead and sounding committed to that strategy, I'd be concerned. Because these people all know that someone's "get us to the end" strategy always is more keyed on "get me to the end" because that's the game. 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by AncientNewbie

[DannyRugg]

I guess I'm the only person watching who enjoys Ben. Yeah he made a couple of mistakes early on, but he's a powerhouse in the challenges and I enjoy his quirky humor, such as changing his voice when talking to nutty Adam. I know I will now get totally slammed.

[skybolt]

12 minutes ago, AncientNewbie said:

 

I follow them both on IG (because I have no real friends, ok?) and they don't seem to be a couple, but they don't seem unfriendly. But I would buy (1) playing it up the the camera and (2) villain edit for Wendell. 

I also think that the show is struggling to find real game play or drama to show with the remaining group. They're basically stuck with showing more of EoE, Adam's scrambling, Tony's shticks and the Wendell / Michelle drama. Last week's game play by Denise was a breath of fresh air, but not the norm. Kim, Sophie and Nick are good players, but don't necessarily always make for interesting TV. Ben kissing up to whomever is in charge gets old as well.

I do think that some of the new school players are not currently playing a far reaching game. The narrative thus far has been to eliminate the old schoolers, which are considered bigger threats. However, by doing that we already see Adam struggling to find his footing. Nick will likely be next since Wendell and Michelle will likely stick together, while Sophie and Sarah turn on him for voting out Yul. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by skybolt

[AncientNewbie]

@skybolt, you posted right when I was editing to make that same W point about lack of action. 

I know I'm in an unpopular opinion here, but I liked Michele's gameplay. Well, other than the faceplant part...but the social game after they lost* was quality "oh, anyone but little old weak me" and the boys lined up. 

*Editors, if the immunity challenge ends at 8:40 with a clear favorite to go out, we know that's not happening. 

[SuburbanHangSuite]

9 minutes ago, DannyRugg said:

I guess I'm the only person watching who enjoys Ben. Yeah he made a couple of mistakes early on, but he's a powerhouse in the challenges and I enjoy his quirky humor, such as changing his voice when talking to nutty Adam. I know I will now get totally slammed.

Awwwwww....no Survivor shaming allowed here.  LOL.  

Ben doesn't bother me at all.  Truth be told, I like him way more than Adam or Sarah.  I can't stand either of them.  

[ProfCrash]

13 hours ago, LanceM said:

Probst has really got stop with the "the game is too fast" for the old schoolers nonsense. No Probst the old schoolers are getting voted out because they are outnumbered. Simple as that. The new schoolers are also much closer to each other outside the game because they ahve all played recently and are still trying to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

I think the players of hte old game understand the new game just fine. Yul was bit in the ass because he vocally over thought the relevance of the fire tokens. If he had kept his nerding out internal, he would have been fine. The vote was Wendell until Yul started laying out the fire token strategy. Yul freaked out Michelle and Nick and made it clear that he was thinking of the bigger game in a much more detailed way then I think the others were.

Sandra did the same thing last week. She was thinking ahead in a way that probably freaked out Denise. And Sandra was dissing Denise's game to Denise. It was bad social play. Sandra had no way of knowing that Denise already had an idol but Sandra gave control to a person who had every reason to demonstrate that she should not be underestimated. Sandra's best play would have been to play the idol on Denise without telling Denise it was coming and to cast a vote for Jeremy.

But the newer players have been much more involved in a social scene and social media scene together than the older players. There are more established relationships and probably more inherent trust. The older players have been far less involved with that scene.

I would also argue that the older players have more of a target on their backs because they are the ones seen as establishing many of the strategies being employed by the newer players. The older players have larger reputations because of that and that makes them a bigger target. 

12 hours ago, vb68 said:

But you can surely leave as a Queen like Sandra did. She's absolutely right. She has nothing left to prove.

I do not understand at all why Michelle was never an option to leave.

I have no problem with Sandra leaving. She sits out challenges because she sucks at them. It is that simple. Why sit on a beach with little food and probably no chance of getting back into the game. I don't understand why more people don't leave EoE. Why increase your pain when you are not likely to get back into the game. Natalie, Rob, and Tyson probably have the best shot of winning a challenge. Amber, Dani, and Ethan have no real chance to win a challenge. I think they are crazy to still be out there. 

12 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Loved “portly” Rob (per Tyson) finding three out of four fire tokens while self-described “amazing” Tyson found one.

I love Yul so much (one of my favorite winners ever) but if I were on Survivor, I’d vote him out too — he has so many positives and is a massive threat.

I did laugh my ass off at that. Even better, Rob got three tokens and no one knows it. Tyson announced finding his. 

11 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

I would have liked to see Brian Heidik come back and play and see whether he can still dominate the way he did. 

ETA: looks like Brian is no longer married to Cece and has remarried and has three more kids:

https://www.instagram.com/the_master_closer/?hl=en

No, Brian never needs to come back. He is an asshole and I believe has had some legal trouble. And he thinks that his shit doesn't stink. He is in the Russell and Micheal camp for me, I never need to see them on my screen again.

 

[AncientNewbie]

3 minutes ago, ProfCrash said:

But the newer players have been much more involved in a social scene and social media scene together than the older players.

 

You will see Nick Wilson comment on every former castaway's posts (well, I never did an exhaustive search...) It isn't the "having you over to play with my kids and playing professional poker regularly" bond of some of the real friends, but in terms of name recognition and interconnection, I bet Nick could talk to any one of them about anything in their life and it started as just being an online presence and not (I'm guessing) actively farming for information for a social game. 

[Bouffe]

12 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

I think Wendell and Michelle are in the "broken up, but still kinda sorta like each other and want to push each others' buttons" stage. Which when you're out on the island together means they totally want to shag.

Yep, that's the vibe I'm getting from her. He seemed annoyed with her most of the time. I do wonder about what another posted mentioned, that perhaps they planned this "strategy" so they don't get targeted as pair that needs separating? No matter the outcome of the game, I'd like the reunion show to quickly address that.

11 hours ago, North of Eden said:

As Yul's name appeared on the radar I could almost hear the groans of worry across TV Land. I'm guessing a lot of viewer interest just dropped exponentialy. 

Clever editing with Rob and finding the fire tokens. Appreciated them doing something different.

Disappointed Yul went to EoE, but his analytic way of seeing the game was seen as the huge threat that it is. It was probably better for Nick's and Michele's game to stick with Wendell, although I feel Yul would have been more loyal to them than Wendell will/would be.

And yes on the Rob/Tyson edit! Totally fooled me, and I loved it.

12 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

It was so close to being a perfect episode, with some classic Rob shenanigans and cocky charm (or charming cockiness) and some relatively light-hearted, no harm no foul gameplay on two out of three tribes. The only sour note was Wendell (and I don't think you can pin all of his sourness on being around Michele anymore).

Rob IS a cocky player. I think many players are cocky as well. I think the main difference, as you pointed out in this post, is that Rob is a charming cocky player. No one else, in my opinion, has that going on for them. I think that's a huge part in why so many love Rob (and maybe why many also hate him LOL)

11 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I feel somewhat robbed they didn't bring JT back.  The idea of him, Ben, and Adam on a tribe feels like a weekly 3 Stooges episode.

That thought made me laugh out loud! JT was not the brightest player but I always enjoyed watching him. Adam, not so much. He's condescending, and I dislike the "whoa is me" kind of play he's got going on.

10 hours ago, Dominii said:

Dude, I LOVE it!!!  It would be such poetic justice to the other dicks left in the game if ol' portly (lol) Boston Rob were to whip all their asses!  Plus, I've always liked the guy.  He's arrogant, but not in mean-spirited way like Tyson or Wendell.

Yul made a big faux pas talking about the fire tokens.  The guy's so much smarter than anyone else -- how could he have made such a rookie mistake?

Tyson and his dry sense of humour really crack me up sometime (other times it infuriates me until I realize he's just joking). 

I feel Michele and Nick's minds were already made up on who to vote out, but Yul certainly didn't help his case at tribal council with all of his talk about lying more than before, fire token and strategy, etc... I kept saying out loud "shut up Yul, shut up..."

9 hours ago, Steph Sometimes said:

When Wendell was talking back to Probst, it made me think (fondly) of Penner.

I find myself really liking the foursome of Denise, Jeremy, Tony and Kim (however long that's lasting). And the duo of Sarah and Sophie. 

And I'm just going to assume that Rob's getting back in because that's how this show works. I'm still rooting for my girl Natalie though.

I LOVE Penner. He was such a treat to watch! His wit was something else.

I do not like Sophie as a player, but I kinda like the Sophie/Sarah duo. I've always liked Sarah, so at this point, and until a player from EoE returns to the game, she's the one I'm rooting for.

Nathalie is awesome and athletic, but doesn't she already have 3 tokens? Perhaps she took things a bit more lightly this time around, since she knew she couldn't outrun Tyson (and surprisingly Rob as well).

4 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

To newer players, the old schoolers are legends. They are the ones the new-schoolers tried to emulate when they first played.  To now have the opportunity to not only play alongside your idols, but to best them, has got to be an enormous ego boost.  They talk of old-schoolers being bigger “threats”.  But they’re all winners, so they’re all threats.  Old schoolers are being voted off because beating a legend makes people feel legendary.

As for Sandra: I call that quitting. She knew what she was signing up for. I agree that she had no chance to win. But that doesn’t excuse walking away when things get tough. Contrast her attitude with Ethan’s— he has little to no chance of winning, either. And staying could even be detrimental to his health. But he’s seeing it through to the end, because that’s what he committed to do, and that’s the kind of person he is. That is what I call a winner.

I think your explanation of why old schoolers are getting voted out first by the new schoolers is bang on. The student beating the teacher, so to speak. I think there's a lot of truth to that theory.

And while I understand why Sandra quit (I call that quitting too, but not at the same level as other quitters), I was disappointed she did. It's true she has pretty much zero chance of getting back in the game, but no one has any idea of how they can return to the game. You'd think she'd stick around and find out. And I would have love love loved to see her on the jury.

4 hours ago, simplyme said:

I think both Sandra and Ethan's responses are perfectly in line with what we've seen of their personalities and experiences. Sandra is extremely pragmatic. She's about the money. Ethan really wanted to come back and play Survivor once more. This is a man who fought to live now getting a chance to relive something he did when he was young and pre-cancerous. So two very different people. Two very different motivations. 

100% agree with your post. 

1 hour ago, Whimsy said:

There was no need for Amber to take off.  She knew Rob has a big advantage over her in that department.  I would've done the same, if in that situation. 

I love, love, love Rob.  I am excited about him possibly getting back in the game.  I want him to dominate to get back in and then dominate over those "new schoolers".  Still don't think he'll win, but I still want to see that.  ETA:  I really love Natalie, too.  I am very impressed by her.  I wish two people could make it back in the game. 

See, if I was in Amber's spot, I'd go out there and fight tooth and nail to help my husband get back in the game (since he has a better chance at it than she does). That'd be an even bigger motivation for me to push myself.

And yes, I love Rob too, and I hope that he gives everyone hell if he doesn't win this. GO Boston Rob, GO!

[Bouffe]

22 minutes ago, DannyRugg said:

I guess I'm the only person watching who enjoys Ben. Yeah he made a couple of mistakes early on, but he's a powerhouse in the challenges and I enjoy his quirky humor, such as changing his voice when talking to nutty Adam. I know I will now get totally slammed.

I don't super love him, but I don't mind him at all. That bit with the changing voice was funny!

[Dominii]

2 hours ago, Whimsy said:

Tyson has a very dry sense of humor.  I really don't think that he thinks he's "amazing".  He was making fun of himself along with making fun of Rob.  

I don't see him that way at all.  He's your basic asshole like so many guys I've known throughout my life.  Not funny, not cool -- just a total douche.

[skybolt]

I agree with others that Michelle never had any intentions of voting out Wendell. The only reason she did that last week was because she knew Parvati was being voted out and wanted her tokens. She then promptly gifted one to Wendell. Nick wants to avoid drama at all cost and was willing to rationalize voting out Yul in his mind to avoid the 2-2 vote. Yul's best strategy was to stay loyal to Wendell, since I do think he would've voted Michelle out. 

Moving forward, I have a hard time seeing Michelle voting out Wendell, unless he sits down and tells her that he hates her guts and doesn't want to have anything to do with her. If he just tells her to keep things professional for now and we'll re-evaluate our relationship after the game (basically lying to her), she will stick with him no matter what.