S47.E01: One Glorious and Perfect Episode

[ZeeEnnui]

Oh, good another season of Peachy massaging his god complex rather than being like every other guy going through a midlife crisis and buying a sports car in an obnoxious shade of neon. If you want to be a therapist so badly, go get a degree but I guess he can't "save" the world by giving us speeches about "communities" from a camera-free office in Beverly Hills. 

Speaking of people in desperate need of therapy (and a chill pill), Andy is our unhinged new island buddy. I can't be the only one who wanted to crack a coconut over his head when he asked for APPLAUSE for cracking a coconut. I empathize with people with anxieties -- we all have them to varying degrees -- but don't go on a reality show to work them out! I know someone like him who is constantly going around to people, "No one likes me" etc. And guess what, saying stuff like that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because now they don't. Good job (queue undeserved applause). I CANNOT believe anyone would keep Andy around over Jon. You know someone smart, funny, and unlikely to have a psychotic break over coconuts. 

Also, I don't know why the red team was having such an issue with Rome. Oh no, not someone trying to play a game called Survivor, I thought we were on a show called Peachy's Community. Not Rome trying to win an advantage. Vote him out!!! SMDH. 

[Lantern7]

One good thing about following the series is that Erik Reichenbach will cover it with his cartoons. Here's his take on the first episode.

[bankerchick]

11 hours ago, ZeeEnnui said:

Also, I don't know why the red team was having such an issue with Rome

For some reason, searching for an idol in the first few days seems to be a game killer.  I dunno.  Once the shelter is up, what the hell else is there to do?  I don't understand why everyone isn't hunting.  Having said that, Rome appears to be a bit of a whack job and maybe he's already alienated some people.

[Nashville]

13 hours ago, ZeeEnnui said:

Also, I don't know why the red team was having such an issue with Rome. Oh no, not someone trying to play a game called Survivor, I thought we were on a show called Peachy's Community. Not Rome trying to win an advantage. Vote him out!!! SMDH. 

I’d guess players are terrified of what might happen should their tribe go to TC, so they feel motivated to be proactive and try to have a desirable eviction option (i.e., anybody else) prepped and ready for such an eventuality - and in the earliest days of the season (when folks haven’t yet had a chance to get to know each other) they’re scrambling for ANY rationalization to put a target on their compatriots.

In such an atmosphere, early days idol-hunting is basically handing your tribe mates a paint brush and helping them make certain the bullseye on your back is properly centered.

[KittyMom4]

13 hours ago, ZeeEnnui said:

Also, I don't know why the red team was having such an issue with Rome. Oh no, not someone trying to play a game called Survivor, I thought we were on a show called Peachy's Community. Not Rome trying to win an advantage. Vote him out!!! SMDH

 

1 hour ago, bankerchick said:

For some reason, searching for an idol in the first few days seems to be a game killer.  I dunno.  Once the shelter is up, what the hell else is there to do?  I don't understand why everyone isn't hunting.  Having said that, Rome appears to be a bit of a whack job and maybe he's already alienated some people.

I was annoyed with this attitude as well, it's been happening the last few seasons where either anyone looking for the idol is immediately put on the chopping block or if someone DOES find one, they feel it necessary to share the news with anyone or everyone, because if it's found out after the fact, again, on the chopping block. 

Isn't the point to find the idol so you have immunity which, (as Jeff ALWAYS points out) equals POWER?

I say good for anyone who is actively hunting an idol and doing whatever it takes to get further in the game with actual strategy rather than relying on alliances that disappear quickly or a social game that can also turn on a dime.

[Rodney]

21 hours ago, bankerchick said:

For some reason, searching for an idol in the first few days seems to be a game killer.  I dunno.  Once the shelter is up, what the hell else is there to do?  I don't understand why everyone isn't hunting.  Having said that, Rome appears to be a bit of a whack job and maybe he's already alienated some people.

19 hours ago, Nashville said:

I’d guess players are terrified of what might happen should their tribe go to TC, so they feel motivated to be proactive and try to have a desirable eviction option (i.e., anybody else) prepped and ready for such an eventuality - and in the earliest days of the season (when folks haven’t yet had a chance to get to know each other) they’re scrambling for ANY rationalization to put a target on their compatriots.

In such an atmosphere, early days idol-hunting is basically handing your tribe mates a paint brush and helping them make certain the bullseye on your back is properly centered.

19 hours ago, KittyMom4 said:

I was annoyed with this attitude as well, it's been happening the last few seasons where either anyone looking for the idol is immediately put on the chopping block or if someone DOES find one, they feel it necessary to share the news with anyone or everyone, because if it's found out after the fact, again, on the chopping block. 

Isn't the point to find the idol so you have immunity which, (as Jeff ALWAYS points out) equals POWER?

I say good for anyone who is actively hunting an idol and doing whatever it takes to get further in the game with actual strategy rather than relying on alliances that disappear quickly or a social game that can also turn on a dime.

I think the problem was that Rome was on his own and hadn't made any allies yet.  He seemed to have isolated himself in hunting for the idol and hadn't made an ally to help out or in whom to confide.  If he was going to do something like that, then he could've at least pulled in a trusted ally first to protect him and distract the others to not know that he was gone.  That way, his sneakiness wouldn't have been as noticeable.

But he went off with what seemed like no allies at all, leaving the rest of Lavo to bond instead.  So now he's on the outside.

So it wasn't just hunting for the idol that put him danger.  It was doing so with no support that did.

Edited September 25 by Rodney

[Scatterbrained]

The Clothing:  I suspect that the show is providing the clothing.  I read something similar, somewhere else, in the past.  This season there are too many layers and some outfits are highly coordinated and “put together”.  My guess is there was a room full of clothing of one of the primary colors and contestants could pick their outfits or pieces.  I think that’s why Teeny went on and on and on about her pants,and Jeff interrupted her.  She might have picked them, but her choices may have been very limited.

Andy: borderline personality disorder and total predator.  

Beauty Queen and Wolf totally think they are running the show.  
 

 

[Apocalypso]

I think that the reason Jon went instead of Andy is that it was clear to see that Andy was a potential tool to be manipulated, and Jon was not.  But I think they'll find out when they try to use the tool, that it has a big crack on the handle and they might hurt themselves.

[dkb]

On 9/19/2024 at 1:26 PM, fishcakes said:

They were ready to vote out Andy, and Jon trying to save Andy (because ???) only moved the target to himself. He broke a basic rule of Survivor that if no one is targeting you or a close alliance-mate, just shut up, smile, and nod. But I hope they someday do an Early Boot returnees season and he gets invited.

 

The show definitely presented it as it was all Jon's fault - the girls were including him in a majority vote for Andy, and Jon wanted to make a move or do "something."

Now, if all your speculations about them knowing how popular he is and what he does in the real world is true, then he had every right to feel threatened. But as presented on the show, he messed up himself. 

On 9/19/2024 at 2:15 PM, princelina said:

I guess I'm mean then too, but Rachel didn't bother me.  I know the girl won last year, but if I was on a tribe with someone who expected me to stay up all night with them soothing their anxiety I'd be trying to vote that person out pronto!

She still went with him and listened to him though! Why was he getting upset that she correctly was letting him know that maybe it's not a good idea to be seen as super close or having a connection right of the bat.

There was a few moments when I was kind of scared for Rachel, because to me it seemed like Andy had created a relationship in his mind with Rachel and was getting pissed she was not responding they way he envisioned.

On 9/19/2024 at 2:18 PM, watch2much said:

Andy's insecurities are off the chart.  My immediate thought was "how the heck did he get chosen"?  I feel sorry for him because it's only going to get worse for him.

^This. If his anxiety is this bad day 1, how did he get through the interview process to be on the show? 

On 9/19/2024 at 2:42 PM, JudyObscure said:

 

Your English is lovely, much better than mine,  but we're not being "strict," with Andy, we're being  "critical," of him.  You'll find we tend to be critical of lots of people.  We don't hate anyone, we just think their behavior is fair game if they go on this show. Next week it will be someone else.  I like that you're defending him, he does have a great smile.

💯

On 9/19/2024 at 3:14 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

I get feeling sympathetic toward Andy, and I do have some empathy toward him.

However, it's not like Andy was caught in a situation outside his control. He went out of his way to sign up for this. He had to know that the situation entails such things as backstabbing and lying, physical hardship, lack of sleep, lack of food, being held up to public scrutiny/ridicule, etc.

 

@Chicago Redshirt your whole post just perfect encapsulation of what I felt about Andy.

 

I totally empathize with Andy, I have anxious thoughts myself, but I would never put myself in a situation like Survivor then. I understood when he was giving his voice overs and talking heads, I understood what he was going through but I was shocked he verbalized them to the rest of the cast. 

 

Before the Andy stuff, I was actually thinking how low key and regular this cast seemed overall, and then Andy not sleeping at night and Rachel, and coconut scenes happened and I was like, "Andy, no no no."

 

Survivor always gets me in the end - haven't posted/watched it for a few seasons but here I am again. (Did watch last season though, and oh Bhanu)

[dkb]

On 9/23/2024 at 10:50 PM, ZeeEnnui said:

 Speaking of people in desperate need of therapy (and a chill pill), Andy is our unhinged new island buddy. I can't be the only one who wanted to crack a coconut over his head when he asked for APPLAUSE for cracking a coconut. I empathize with people with anxieties -- we all have them to varying degrees -- but don't go on a reality show to work them out! I know someone like him who is constantly going around to people, "No one likes me" etc. And guess what, saying stuff like that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because now they don't. Good job (queue undeserved applause). I CANNOT believe anyone would keep Andy around over Jon. You know someone smart, funny, and unlikely to have a psychotic break over coconuts. 

You said it better than I could.

My cousin literally started watching this season because she listens to Pod Save America, and knows Jon from it. I was laughing so hard when he got voted out first.