S37.E03: Truce or Dare

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

TBA

Airs Auguts 25th.

[AntFTW]

I love Berna! Nelson's still an idiot though ☺️

I'm sad to see Tacha go. She's a good personality.

Esther screaming in her interview with the green screen effect as they were jumping into the ocean was hilarious!

I heard Bettina's laugh in the background as Tori and Ed were talking in the beginning lol

[mojoween]

“My strategy today is to not die” is really good every day advice, I think.

Hughie puked and Ashley kissed him on the lips which is way grosser than puking.

I love how Corey was talking to that kid from Poland and Corey was like “I’m so screwed” and the Polish kid was like “…yeah”.

I’m glad Tommy was DQ’d because that shit was scary.  However.  “Can I have pants?” was funny.

[AntFTW]

I fail to understand why people vote for themselves.

[Lantern7]

Another fun episode marred by an early departure. Tommy seemed like a nice guy, even though he more or less stumbled into $1 million on Survivor. Naturally, in a field loaded with dumbasses, he's the one that gets the head injury. I can imagine him having IOTI flashbacks, all, "Nah, Dan, don' touch me. Please don' touch me." Oh, and I heard he's starting a new job as a vice-principal, so this might be the last we see of him..

The worst part of Tommy leaving was that I had the hope that Kelz would be brought back into the game, and that he's immediately target Josh. Nope . . . Kelz's putdown of the chump gets erased in the cold open, and the two guys sent into the Lair (Jeremiah and Corey L) don't have to battle. Instead, we get Tacha and Berna. I rooted for Berna mostly because her losing would have made Ashley more of an insufferable bitch than usual.  But she wins,, Tacha gets sent home, and Nelson gets creepily excited that his fling is still in the game. And Berna sticks with CT as her partner, which was the smart move.

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

I fail to understand why people vote for themselves.

I'm thinking Tula was all, "Bugger this, I've no partner, I might as well go in." Tommy is the second partner she's lost.

Hughie actually dove into the water! Given that Tommy got concussed and Michele-with-one-L got cut, I think he was right in being a baby about that. I like that Ashley is stuck with his weird ass, and she'd have to go into the Lair to try and replace him. Also, you know a mission is dangerous when TJ calls a team back for the DQ. Normally, we'd wind up with quitting and Teege going off on a rant about how people won't try to play on his show.

[aghst]

The daily and the elim8nation were both good, mostly up to the players, no natural advantages for anyone.

Tori got talked into choosing Berna but she bumbled, making Tacha a promise she couldn’t keep.  Tacha calling her out as she was leaving raises her profile as a target.

Devin thought Berna was a threat but why would he care, it’s the vet women who should care.  Maybe the montage of Berna working out hard was suppose to show she’s a threat.

Tori was wary of  Michele because she performed well despite a bloody nose.  Maybe should have gone with her own instinct.  May be why she hasn’t come close to winning big money.

Interesting that CT wanted to foil Devin’s plan too.  So there are fissures in the vet alliance, though CJ highlighted the fact that they kept sending all rookies into elimination.  Cory says the rookies don’t know what hit them.  No it’s pretty obvious to pretty much everyone what’s going on.  If Cory wasn’t a vet, he might not hough.

Berna at some point started calming down, comfortable up in the air.  Most people might get wobbly knees or struggle with their balance after repeatedly falling off.  The coaching also helped.

 

 

[crimson23]

I am sick of Tory already. You'd think she would have learned something from last season about talking too much.   Not a champion, but still thinks she is better than everyone.  She was a much better player when she was with Jordan. 

[AntFTW]

This season is already better than the last two seasons.

[RedbirdNelly]

Tori's social game is so bad. It's like you want to cheer for her as a strong woman but she is so clumsy. 

I was hoping they had a large stable of replacements so we'd get yet another new player when Tommy left. He was sweet with Big T. I like Big T, but she also should understand she has played both sides so it's understandable people are wary. 

Nelson's confessionals were just yuck. Stop calling yourself daddy, etc. Just stop.

[AntFTW]

2 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Tori's social game is so bad. It's like you want to cheer for her as a strong woman but she is so clumsy. 

I like Tori. The problem is that she doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up… and because of that, that makes her terrible at strategizing.

If Michele is a threat to you, pick Michele. Michele was a fish in that Challenge. Why let Devin convince you into picking Berna, someone you see as less of a threat? (Although, I want Michele to stick around 😁)

Also, I understand that Tacha and Jeremiah shit the bed in that Challenge, but for me, that wouldn’t make them easy targets to vote for. I’d want them to stick around. Vote for the pair that beat everyone else except “the agency.”

2 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Nelson's confessionals were just yuck. Stop calling yourself daddy, etc. Just stop.

Well… Nelson is kind of an idiot though

Edited August 26, 2021 by AntFTW

[peachmangosteen]

The only thing I took away from this ep was confusion over why Tommy was naked.

[MMLEsq]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

Also, I understand that Tacha and Jeremiah shit the bed in that Challenge, but for me, that wouldn’t make them easy targets to vote for. I’d want them to stick around. Vote for the pair that beat everyone else except “the agency.”

I think poor performance is a reason that seems fair and less personal, so it's harder to argue against it and its easier for the majority of the group to rally around it.  However, if a vet team had DQ'd, the vets would have come up with a different reason to choose another team, of course.    

[AntFTW]

25 minutes ago, MMLEsq said:

I think poor performance is a reason that seems fair and less personal, so it's harder to argue against it and its easier for the majority of the group to rally around it.  However, if a vet team had DQ'd, the vets would have come up with a different reason to choose another team, of course.    

I don’t disagree with that. As soon as Tacha and Jeremiah DQed out of the game, I figured they were gonna be the house vote because that’s the easy choice along with the fact that they are a rookie-rookie team. Them being a rookie-rookie team makes it easy for the vets and them being DQed makes it easy for the other rookies in the house.

 

Also, I just learned Jeremiah’s name last night. I had zero idea of who he was.

Edited August 26, 2021 by AntFTW

[AntFTW]

Spoiler

I’m noticing in Aneesa’s interview over this episode and last episode that she’s wearing this black wrap or shawl or whatever you call it… IIRC, it looks like she gets injured in the season trailer and I’m wondering if she’s covering up the injury in her interviews.

 

[AncientNewbie]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

Well… Nelson is kind of an idiot though

Which is why I love this show. So many competitive reality shows try to feature their casts in the best possible light while this is "screw it, more tequila." Even the ones that get usually protective edits still get shown as dumbasses when the show calls for it. 

[aghst]

3 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Tori's social game is so bad. It's like you want to cheer for her as a strong woman but she is so clumsy. 

 

3 hours ago, AntFTW said:

I like Tori. The problem is that she doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up… and because of that, that makes her terrible at strategizing.

If Michele is a threat to you, pick Michele. Michele was a fish in that Challenge. Why let Devin convince you into picking Berna, someone you see as less of a threat? (Although, I want Michele to stick around 😁)

Tori seems low drama and well-liked by others.  Seems chill, often smiling.

Yeah she may not ever be good at the mental aspects of the game.

The more she goes without winning, she may turn bitter and entitled, kind of like how Cara Maria started out pleasant.

Tori did try to fix Jordan, who's like the opposite of her personality-wise.

She may be a bit of a martyr.

[joanne3482]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

The only thing I took away from this ep was confusion over why Tommy was naked.

I rewound because I was confused about that too. I think what happened is that while being towed by the jet ski, the pants were pulled down by the force of the water/waves. Then when he was struggling to get up on the shore after the swim the pants were tangled around his legs and he was so confused by his concussion, he didn't have the wherewithal to pull them up. When he was laying on the beach he seemed to have them so I'm assuming they were tangled around his legs and he just removed them altogether in his confusion. 

I think those that vote for themselves do so as a burned vote. They know they aren't getting voted in so this way they aren't making a statement. Which, to me, means they should get voted in next time just for being cowards. 

[ImpinAintEasy]

Are we sure Emmanuel isn’t Jordan in disguise sneaking onto a show that has seemingly suspended/banned him?

Good episode. That elimination is a keeper. The better competitor won. I hope Josh has to compete in it later this season. That’d be hilarious to see his clumsy ass try and attempt that. 
 

Ashley being stuck with Hughie continues to be funny. I actually think being with him will allow her to skate deeper into the game than if she was with a stronger partner. 
 

Edit has been good for Michele and Emmanuel(totally not Jordan). I think they’ll make it far. 
 

CT has been nearly invisible in the early edit. 

[LaurelleJ]

There are so many people in the house, I can't keep up. Like who are Jeremiah and Tacha? I think I remember Tacha but I just didn't know her name, but Jeremiah was new to me. Perfect excuse to throw them in, they didn't even finish the challenge. At the same time, perfect excuse to keep them around, they could have been considered a layup team. 

Ashley's partner throwing up before the challenge made me laugh, and then she kissed him afterwards, yuck. Before the mission, I thought yeah maybe she wants to encourage the vets to send him in so she can get another partner, but then he performed well. Good for him.

How in the word did Tommy lose his pants?? Haha to the person who said "no fair, he was using three legs", I laughed so hard. AND he's a 4th grade teacher?? So sad to see him go, really liked him. 

I wonder how long the ladder challenge between Tacha and Berna lasted. I would have lined up all the poles in the pile before starting. I wonder if they were allowed to do that. And I totally forgot that Berna was CT's partner, at first I was really confused as to why he was cheering her on so hard. It's harder for me to pay attention, whoops. She absolutely made the right choice sticking with CT. I would actually like to see CT and Michelle as partners though, I think they would be a strong team. She and Cory L just missed Tori and Ed, so they are ones to watch out for, especially since Michelle busted her face and didn't even know. 

Josh is yelling at someone next week, yay. Ugh. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by LaurelleJ

[AntFTW]

7 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Like who are Jeremiah and Tacha? I think I remember Tacha but I just didn't know her name, but Jeremiah was new to me.

I only remember him in the launch special. He was in the car with Aneesa and Tory flirting. I only remember that because I remember seeing Aneesa’s and Tori’s legs draped over him while he sat in the middle… but I haven’t seen him since that I can recall until this episode 😂

7 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Perfect excuse to throw them in, they didn't even finish the challenge. At the same time, perfect excuse to keep them around, they could have been considered a layup team. 

Exactly 

Edited August 27, 2021 by AntFTW

[AntFTW]

17 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

I wonder how long the ladder challenge between Tacha and Berna lasted. I would have lined up all the poles in the pile before starting. I wonder if they were allowed to do that.

Listening to the Challenge podcast, they said it lasted over an hour. Tori mentioned that the GoPro cameras they wear on their chest kept hitting and knocking the poles down as they were climbing so about 45 minutes in, production removed the GoPro cameras and that’s when Berna calmed down and finished the elimination challenge.

Edited August 27, 2021 by AntFTW

[AntFTW]

2 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

And I totally forgot that Berna was CT's partner, at first I was really confused as to why he was cheering her on so hard. It's harder for me to pay attention, whoops. She absolutely made the right choice sticking with CT. I would actually like to see CT and Michelle as partners though, I think they would be a strong team. She and Cory L just missed Tori and Ed, so they are ones to watch out for, especially since Michelle busted her face and didn't even know. 

Tori mentioned on the Challenge podcast that she told Corey L that it was likely it was gonna be him in elimination and asked him who would he like to partner with. At first, he mentioned he wanted Michele but he feels bad choosing Michele because he doesn’t wanna put her into elimination again. Per Tori, Corey L says if she’s not gonna throw Michele in to give him a strong competitor “like Berna.”

Edited August 26, 2021 by AntFTW

[LaurelleJ]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

Listening to the Challenge podcast, they said it lasted over an hour. Tori mentioned that GoPro cameras they wear on their chest kept hitting and knocking the poles down as they were climbing so about 45 minutes in, production removes the GoPro cameras and that’s when Berna calmed down and finished the elimination challenge.

All your posts were so useful, thank you! I keep forgetting about the challenge podcast. Nice to see it is on iTunes!

[CrazyDog]

I'm still liking this season a lot. That elimination challenge was a nice counter to the occasional brute force challenges they do, but

3 hours ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

Good episode. That elimination is a keeper. The better competitor won. I hope Josh has to compete in it later this season. That’d be hilarious to see his clumsy ass try and attempt that. 

Ashley being stuck with Hughie continues to be funny. I actually think being with him will allow her to skate deeper into the game than if she was with a stronger partner. 

I would love to see the big dudes try to do this challenge. 

Hughie is so drama-filled, but I am enjoying him. I loved Ashley giving him crap, and then he outperformed her in the challenge. They are such an odd couple. 

I really love Berna. Athletic, mature, a good competitor.

The workout montage was great - some of them like Berna and Nelson being all badass, and then the others, chilling and gossiping by the pool, like Ashley and Kyle. If I were a challenger (ha), I'd love to imagine myself as the fitness badass, but I'd totally just be sprawled by the pool watching everyone else sweat it up.

[aghst]

I think the main reason to work out is to build up stamina for the endurance part of the Final.  That's assuming they can do it over at least a 2-3 week period.  Other thing is probably rest, good sleep patterns, to be in good condition when it's time to do the Final.

I don't know that strength training will help that much.  You're not going to add much muscle or mass in a few weeks or however long they stay there before they do the Final.  Strength and mass won't help in Final but maybe it would help if the last couple of eliminations are Hall Brawls or some other elimination which gives advantage to bigger and stronger players.

Nelson is strong and he trains hard.  But he will never beat someone like Fessy in a Hall Brawl because he can't add the amount of weight and strength go against Fessy or someone even bigger than him.  Certainly not in a couple of weeks.

So all the workouts are theater or maybe for the benefit of TV.

 

 

[LaurelleJ]

Oh yeah, forgot to add, even though it is only the third episode, I am pleased with the eliminations so far. Glad that we have three different ones, and that they are not hall brawl. 

Also shout out to Devin for predicting  that it was going to be a female only elimination and that they weren't going to bring big T a new partner. At least that's the way it was edited, maybe someone else brought it up. 

[AntFTW]

2 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Oh yeah, forgot to add, even though it is only the third episode, I am pleased with the eliminations so far. Glad that we have three different ones, and that they are not hall brawl.

Same here! I think they brought their A-game on the eliminations this season. I love the variety in elimination games. In season 35, the eliminations were boring. In season 36, I didn't care for the rotation of the same games with slight modifications. I love a good Hall Brawl but one per season is fine with me.

[MaggieG]

15 hours ago, CrazyDog said:

Hughie is so drama-filled, but I am enjoying him. I loved Ashley giving him crap, and then he outperformed her in the challenge. They are such an odd couple. 

I liked Hughie this episode too. He was terrified but got it done. And then he called Ashley "Cruella" during the deliberations 😂

I probably shouldn't have laughed at this, but I kinda giggled at Tacha clinging to Jeremiah in the water and then clinging to the wall

The rookies didn't play this right, they should have banded together from the beginning and made the same arrangement that the vets made, not to vote for each other.  

[AncientNewbie]

21 hours ago, aghst said:

So all the workouts are theater or maybe for the benefit of TV.

Potentially, because it's certainly eye candy material. But some of it is also maintenance as Nelly, Corey, etc are big guys already and are likely sticking with their at-home routines to an extent. Only CT can swill coffee, watching over his glasses like grandpa, and then show up out of the blue for a final, after all. 

[AntFTW]

7 hours ago, MaggieG said:

The rookies didn't play this right, they should have banded together from the beginning and made the same arrangement that the vets made, not to vote for each other.

The only rookie that got that memo was Michaela.

[Eolivet]

Ed is a find. He's the player that Jay wanted to be: undersized, but athletic, smart, witty and self-assured. Or he's Paulie with way more brainpower (and guts).

I was not a huge fan of Michele on Survivor, but I'm kind of loving her here. Competitive, but strategic and social. Last episode, her going up and apologizing for taking someone else's partner is the kind of move that probably won her that million dollars.

Tommy was ten times more interesting in his three Challenge episodes than his entire Survivor season, too.

Oh man, Josh is a seasoned veteran. I can't. I still feel like someone's going to tell me that it's Opposite Day.

[peachmangosteen]

10 hours ago, Eolivet said:

Ed is a find. He's the player that Jay wanted to be: undersized, but athletic, smart, witty and self-assured. Or he's Paulie with way more brainpower (and guts).

Is Ed undersized? He's short but he, well, looks steroid-y lol. His body type gives me more Paulie. 

[aghst]

That could be body building thing, not necessarily functional strength.

He might have heart but in Hall Brawl, he could still face someone who has more weight on him and strength trains.

But when he touts his Ivy League degree, while sounding like someone from Mayberry, people might see him as a threat and get him out.

Tori is eventually taken out towards the end so if they stay together, they would be targets.