S01.E09: Circle Of Trust

[Guest]

Quote

A nomination from the previous game puts players at odds. Emotions run high in a guessing game centered on trust. Who will make it to the final round?

 

[Guest]

278 took a "safe" jump in the bridge game but not a "chance" jump.  She's rewriting history here while 287 is explaining her reasoning used in the dice game.  Neither is being honest or genuine in this convo.  

I just noticed 278's photo card.  That's a photo you see on the news or in a true crime documentary.

Whoa.  287 put her money where here mouth is.  Good win.

451 has been watching some whodunits.  Very theatrical, heh.  Good wins.

Playing along on the last round, I choose 016. I am wrong.

Did 287 lie about where she put her box?  Yes, I know that happened on this episode but I don't know names so going back to check won't help.

[jcin617]

2 hours ago, CuriousParker said:

Did 287 lie about where she put her box?  Yes, I know that happened on this episode but I don't know names so going back to check won't help.

Yes, she lied.  She picked Roland, not Amanda as she said.   I wish 016 and 451 had noticed the total panic-pause she took trying to think up another name.

Edited November 30, 2023 by jcin617

[violet and green]

Well, damn. Every single player I was ever rooting for, or the slightest bit interested or invested in, is now gone. By default, I guess I am hoping that 287, Mai, wins, if only for standing up to 278, Ashley, and defending the group decision in the previous episode the others seemed to have amnesia around, that 278 went against defiantly and led to the loss of 301, Trey, who I really wanted to see win the whole thing.

The end game was really horrible. I guess it was in the original show, also. But we had some poignant friendships and a plucky hero to root for who got through. Now there is Phil with the long sleek hair, and some big bushybearded fellow randomly seen in the background  occasionally who is apparently Phil's friend, and Mai. Seeing Mai and a few others trick their closest remaining allies in that last game was not pleasant. At least no-one died.

[methodwriter85]

I mean, really- if you were thinking this show was really rigged, the final 3 should dispel you of any notions because none of them are fan favorites in the slightest. I mean, I don't actively hate them, but all pretty much played under the radar and none of them got a "winner's" edit. At this point I'm rooting for 51. Mai refusing to admit she eliminated Roland when she really had no reason to lie was pretty annoying. 

Edited November 30, 2023 by methodwriter85

[Fake Jan Brady]

Phil's gift box radar was a thing to behold, and I loved the theatrical way he accused the culprits.

[Helena Dax]

Guess I want Phill to win, now. He aced the last game and he seems a good guy, all things considered. I'm meh about the other guy and I still dislike Mai. I wouldn't want that woman anywhere close to me. She's selfish, ruthless and a lying liar who lies. If you want to be evil, at least own it. 

[Meredith Quill]

On 11/30/2023 at 8:14 AM, violet and green said:

Well, damn. Every single player I was ever rooting for, or the slightest bit interested or invested in, is now gone. By default, I guess I am hoping that 287, Mai, wins, if only for standing up to 278, Ashley, and defending the group decision in the previous episode the others seemed to have amnesia around, that 278 went against defiantly and led to the loss of 301, Trey, who I really wanted to see win the whole thing.

The end game was really horrible. I guess it was in the original show, also. But we had some poignant friendships and a plucky hero to root for who got through. Now there is Phil with the long sleek hair, and some big bushybearded fellow randomly seen in the background  occasionally who is apparently Phil's friend, and Mai. Seeing Mai and a few others trick their closest remaining allies in that last game was not pleasant. At least no-one died.

Everything you said here, yes. 287 Mai had the courage to take a hit for what she considered to be a shitty play on 278 Ashley's part - while the rest all seemed to had conveniently forgotten what had happened - in the Bridge game. And worse, they had the audacity to call Mai out for it... seriously? 

Mai had every reason to lie about who she put the box in front of; she's in a final with two others who already have an alliance, she doesn't need to give either of them a reason to feel good about targeting her in the final game, they will anyway. Smart play, smart woman, who stood up for what she thought was right when the rest chose to look the other way (or didn't care) - I hope she wins.

[Fake Jan Brady]

If the final game is a feat of strength, watch out for Sam #16. 

[Cramps]

They must have heard one another getting up and walking around the circle. Even if you couldn’t pinpoint exactly who it was coming from, you could get pretty close! 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Phill was building his audition tape with his performance in the circle.  

I laughed when they all acted like it was a huge deal to watch the number drop from 9 to 6.  Look around the room.  You know there are only three left.  You don't even need to use both hands for counting. 😆

[JH Lipton]

On 11/30/2023 at 12:14 AM, violet and green said:

Well, damn. Every single player I was ever rooting for, or the slightest bit interested or invested in, is now gone. By default, I guess I am hoping that 287, Mai, wins, if only for standing up to 278, Ashley

I was hoping that Bee (the girl with yellow streaks in her hair) would win.  Nope.  Then I switched to Hailey (Bee's friend).  Nope.  Now I'm torn between Mai (for targeting Ashley in the dice game -- but she did a crap job explaining why she did) or Phil, who seems like a nice guy.  Sam is too little too late -- but I have a friend who can't visit her parents, because being trans in South Carolina  is a death sentence and her parents refuse to see her as who she is, so some sympathy there.

[30 Helens]

 

On 11/30/2023 at 3:25 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Mai refusing to admit she eliminated Roland when she really had no reason to lie was pretty annoying. 

She had every reason to lie. Roland was her closest ally left in the game, and if the Loyalty Brothers knew she took him out, she would be an unredeemable villain in their eyes. They’re already aligned against her; she doesn’t need to hand them more ammo. It was a smart move.

22 hours ago, Cramps said:

They must have heard one another getting up and walking around the circle. Even if you couldn’t pinpoint exactly who it was coming from, you could get pretty close! 

I think it would be fairly easy to camouflage the steps, including where they started from, because of all the guards clomping around the perimeter. I was wondering how they could slip out of those chairs, though, without their neighbors hearing even a rustle. Maybe they had the loud music playing in the room as well?

I had to hand it to Phill. For all of Mai’s training, he is the one who really showed his body language skills. Maybe he’s a secret secret agent.

I like all of the final 3 (although Sam was getting a little holier than thou in his defense of Ashley, and that put me off a bit), but I’m rooting for Mai. She’s a smart lady who has been unfairly maligned, and I think she’s played a great game. Targeting Ashley in the dice game was probably her only misstep, but how was she to know the others were going to be such a bunch of Dorys?

[PrincessPurrsALot]

I was surprised that Mai did not have a prepared answer for when they asked her who she gave the gift box to.  It required thought because she also needed to guess who they had each chosen.  I expected her to have thought that through on the way back to the dorm.  I think Mai overstates her mad skillz.  Phill really was great at figuring out who targeted him. 

Mai did a good job of convincing others that she was a strong player and to care about her.  She also did what I call the Cappy plan.  In an early season of US Big Brother, some of the hamsters damn near sacrificed themselves going after the people who got rid of Cappy, someone they had known for a few weeks in the house.  Months later one said they should have watched out for themself and accepted his loss as part of the game. When people started asking Mai to make decisions for them, etc., they elevated her position - she's a leader; she's better at this than I am.  Those thoughts turn her into someone they think somehow deserves to win more than they do and their play suffers for it.

I am fine with any of these folks winning.  I rarely get very invested in winners or losers on TV.  Mai no longer has the people who helped her.  The guys are friends.  However, only one wins.  I'm sure the show runners love having friends remaining in the final three. 

[For Cereals]

I’m rooting for Mai because she called out Ashley and no one else had her back.  I wonder if everyone thought Ashley was being a team player since she gave in towards the end towards and they didn’t see what we saw, although she was vocal about it.  Also still surprised no one thought to just run out the clock and take the last leap.  Anthony Kiedis/Phil is second and 016 is third because we only really just met him and the beard is over the top.

[TomGirl]

If I were in this game as one of the final three, I’d propose to the others that we share the money, with 50% going to the game winner and 25% to each of the other two. That gives the winner a very tidy sum of nearly 2.5 million dollars and the other two a potentially life-changing million plus.  Even if the game “forbids” this, they couldn’t really stop people from doing it.

[Blissfool]

6 hours ago, For Cereals said:

  Anthony Kiedis/Phil 

I see it. I also think he looks like Joseph Gordon Levitt when JGL had long hair.

[Jax7917]

On 11/30/2023 at 4:25 AM, methodwriter85 said:

I mean, really- if you were thinking this show was really rigged, the final 3 should dispel you of any notions because none of them are fan favorites in the slightest. I mean, I don't actively hate them, but all pretty much played under the radar and none of them got a "winner's" edit. At this point I'm rooting for 51. Mai refusing to admit she eliminated Roland when she really had no reason to lie was pretty annoying. 

She did have a reason to lie. If she admitted to choosing Roland, she would have been admitting to stabbing her friend in the back. She was close to Roland. So if anything in the final 3 challenges has to do with going against someone, they would have gone against Mai. I think Mai is the only smart one. She's playing to win the game. These other people are not. It's almost 5 millions dollars. I think Mai is great.

[methodwriter85]

20 hours ago, TomGirl said:

If I were in this game as one of the final three, I’d propose to the others that we share the money, with 50% going to the game winner and 25% to each of the other two. That gives the winner a very tidy sum of nearly 2.5 million dollars and the other two a potentially life-changing million plus.  Even if the game “forbids” this, they couldn’t really stop people from doing it.

Supposedly this is what happens on US Big Brother, where there are a bunch of deals where contestants share prizes for guarantees of final 3's or whatever. No one really plays the game anymore. 

[Mattipoo]

On 11/30/2023 at 3:25 AM, methodwriter85 said:

I mean, really- if you were thinking this show was really rigged, the final 3 should dispel you of any notions because none of them are fan favorites in the slightest.

This is true. Based on early episodes, I would have picked Trey, his mother, and the 2 members of the Gganbu gang (Steve and the older Doctor) as finalists due to their heavy amount of screentime. 

They did have the typical "villain" edits though for Ashley 278 and Bryton. Ashley was especially villainous while Bryton was just a frat boy. Glad they were both eliminated.

Of the remaining 3, I am thinking it will be between Mai and one of the 2 guys (Phil and Sam). Phil/Sam will get into a situation in the finale where one of them has to sacrifice the other, leading to an emotional struggle/conflict. Then the remaining guy competes against Mai and wins it all. Maybe.

[jcin617]

On 12/3/2023 at 12:06 AM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

I laughed when they all acted like it was a huge deal to watch the number drop from 9 to 6.  Look around the room.  You know there are only three left.  You don't even need to use both hands for counting. 😆

Seriously!  There are clearly some things they've been instructed to play up for the cameras:  their "elimination" by dye pack, their "disappointment" / "frustration" when the staff enter to announce a new game, their "surprise" / "disbelief" when the number of players eliminated is shown/counted down, etc.

Edited December 5, 2023 by jcin617

[Meedis]

On 12/2/2023 at 10:06 AM, Cramps said:

They must have heard one another getting up and walking around the circle. Even if you couldn’t pinpoint exactly who it was coming from, you could get pretty close! 

I actually was wondering if they could "smell" any of the contestants and used that as well.   I was impressed with 451 and how he was able to sniff out the ones who gifted him and even though I wasn't pulling for him initially, I hope he pulls the win.    But I wouldn't be mad with any of the three finalists winning.

[Mercolleen]

On 11/30/2023 at 3:14 AM, violet and green said:

. By default, I guess I am hoping that 287, Mai, wins, if only for standing up to 278, Ashley, and defending the group decision in the previous episode the others seemed to have amnesia around, that 278 went against defiantly and led to the loss of 301, Trey, who I really wanted to see win the whole thing.

 

THIS. How did nobody seem to remember that Ashley was the first one to go against the group decision? UGH. Infuriating.

[AntFTW]

451 suddenly got some dramatic flair during the challenge 😂

[AntFTW]

On 11/29/2023 at 11:19 PM, CuriousParker said:

Did 287 lie about where she put her box?  Yes, I know that happened on this episode but I don't know names so going back to check won't help.

On 11/30/2023 at 1:40 AM, jcin617 said:

Yes, she lied.  She picked Roland, not Amanda as she said.   I wish 016 and 451 had noticed the total panic-pause she took trying to think up another name.

She's lucky she didn't get caught in that lie.

Final 3 was 287, 451 and 016. Amanda chose 451 as the person she thought put the box on her desk, but everyone learned it was not 451. However, Mai didn't know if 016 was the one that put the one that put the box on Amanda so she was taking a chance that it wasn't him.

[Black Knight]

On 12/23/2023 at 12:02 AM, AntFTW said:

However, Mai didn't know if 016 was the one that put the one that put the box on Amanda so she was taking a chance that it wasn't him.

As soon as Amanda turned away from her to head out the door, Hallie dropped the act and looked/acted super-guilty. I expect Mai never stopped observing everyone, and so she noticed.

This was a much better episode than the last one, because finally the seven remaining kumbaya idiots were forced to play. (Mai and Ashley, of course, have always played.) Of course, a few of them still wimped out by choosing people they weren't close to, but a few of them didn't.

The difference between Mai and Ashley, the two who weren't part of the kumbaya idiots group, is that while they've both always competed to win, Mai is good at strategy and Ashley is not. As soon as Ashley put the box on Phil's desk, I knew she'd be out, because with his first nomination, Phil had it between Ashley and Rose. With Rose gone, he went for Ashley. He knew it wasn't going to be any of the others. Ashley had enough sense not to put the box on Mai's desk, but not enough not to put it on Phil's either.

I'm rooting for Mai to take it all, because she's the only one who is consistently competing to win. I'm sure the producers would love it to come down to Phil and Sam, especially after that little hand-holding (hmm, Sam said he's gay, but I don't remember if Phil's said anything), but it's quite clear now that they're either not rigging things or they are completely incompetent at rigging things. Almost all of the competitive and strategic players were gone by the final 20, leaving us with a bunch of people who mostly would have fit in just fine on the Pagong tribe in S1 of Survivor. Aside from Mai and Ashley, I had had hopes for Trey and Bee, but unfortunately it became clear that Trey's mom was the one with the strategic sense (I hope his mom smacked him - metaphorically - for making multiple jumps), and Bee the big gameplayer got infected with kumbaya.