S29.E01: Suck It Up And Survive

[Primetimer]

In which we begin a new season of Survivor by tearing families asunder!

Read the story

[RandomWatcher]

As I mentioned on Twitter, can the other Twinnie be voted out next week? And the guy, forget his name, who broke his glasses? I would never do that. I can't see crap without them.

[peachmangosteen]

Great premiere. I'm really excited for this season. Which is probably not a good thing because now I'm gonna be super disappointed if it ends up sucking. I need to lower my expectations! It almost has to be better than the last season of Big Brother though, so it has that going for it.

 

I'm disappointed to read Wes loves Russell and made some woman hating comments because I enjoyed his stupidity in this ep.

 

I tentatively really like Val, John Rocker's gf, and Miss Michigan. I hope they don't disappoint me.

 

I liked the Twinnies on TAR. Although it is completely understandable to me that them stealing another team's money was too far for some. Not upset to see Nadiya go though because damn girl, educate yourself! What awful comments. So stupid. She should be embarrassed.

 

I liked Dale until he was whining about Nadiya using the U-Turn. Yawn. Now, if he'd brought up the money stealing, fair enough, but the U-Turn? Really? Get over it. Also, I thought it was so stupid to break his glasses, but then we found out they were just reading glasses so now I'm annoyed at him for acting like it was some big deal that he broke them.

Edited October 1, 2014 by peachmangosteen

[FineWashables]

Thank god Survivor  is back!  This looks like a good season.  So grateful that for once the cast doesn't look like they were chosen from an Abercrombie catalog.

 

So John Rocker interviews: "People say that I'm a racist and a bigot.  I am not a bigot."  Am I the only one who laughed at that?

 

Nadiya's error was to keep harping on how she and her twin are two halves and she feels incomplete alone.  Lousy strategy.  She needed to say "My sister has to go."  Now at least we don't have to hear them yelling Tweeeeeneeeee.

 

Dale has no idea he has an idol, does he?  Found it funny when Nadiya was sitting by the fire interviewing that Dale has to go because he brings nothing to challenges, while meanwhile in the background we see Dale working like a dog to carry a huge bundle of fronds.  

[cooksdelight]

I don't remember the details of TAR episode where the Twins stole money from another team. If only I could go back in time and look it up on TWOP.

I put a link in Nadiya's thread.

[ramble]

Whew! Count me is another one who is so glad a Twinnie is gone. Can't wait for the second one to leave. They make my eyes twitch.

My kiddo started laughing at the guy talking about his hot European modeling jobs. She pointed out that most models, even European ones, had abs & his were in hiding.

When the boyfriends started talking about being huge fans of Survivor & having watched the show for years it made me nervous. It seems like those type of contestants sometimes trip themselves up with their own knowledge. Here's hoping that's not the case. I'd like to see fans go far.

Speaking of fans, I found it interesting that the Boston firefighter said he had tried out for Survivor for 10 years. That is some serious dedication. I liked him & liked his wife as well. It didn't bother me that he was protective of her, because I got the impression that it wasn't ugly possessiveness, but genuine caring & feeling bad for beating her in the challenge. I don't care how competitive someone is, I think it probably feels bad to beat your spouse & know that they might possibly be elimated before they even get the chance to really play the game.

Seconded on the souless eyes of the immunity idol being creepy. Even with Probst's stupidity, I'm glad Survivor's back,

Edited September 25, 2014 by ramble

[truthaboutluv]

Speaking of fans, I found it interesting that the Boston firefighter said he had tried out for Survivor for 10 years.

 

 

I think Trish from last season said the same and talked about how her family had even told her to give it up because she'd tried for so long. Incidentally she was from Boston too. Must be something in the water there.

Edited September 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[blackwing]

Dale has no idea he has an idol, does he?

Are we sure it's an idol?  He seemed certain it wasn't.  I doubt the idol would just be sitting out there on the lid.  Val's clue specifically said there is a idol HIDDEN at your camp.  That wasn't exactly hidden.  There was a clue to the well.  It told her to dig and had a picture of the water.  And if it works like other seasons, there would be a pouch and a note that they have found the idol.  I think the Idol could be actually IN the well.  Why didn't the other tribe find the thing Dale found on their own well?

 

I can't really blame Dale for playing the game, but I was disappointed how easily the other guys jumped on "yeah, she's distrustful, she used the U Turn!"  It's Survivor, ALL of them are probably distrustful.  Meanwhile, you have John Rocker, who 1) is probably richer than all of them combined, and 2) has in the past made some questionable comments and shown that he is not a friendly guy.  If they were going to judge Nadiya based on her TAR performance, why not judge Rocker for his past?  Wes could have easily said something about him to the other guys.

 

Wes' dad (Russell?) looks perfectly normal and yet Wes looks like his head got squashed by a rock.  His features just look squashed.

[ghoulina]

"We are such fans of Survivor, for our first Velntine's day, he bought me flint!" I thought that was hilarious and adorable. (Reed bought Josh the flint i think)

 

I loved that too, and it instantly put them on my mental list of people to possibly root for. I need more than one episode, but I found them likable as superfans who aren't obnoxious about it. 

[peachmangosteen]

I doubt the idol would just be sitting out there on the lid.  Val's clue specifically said there is a idol HIDDEN at your camp.  That wasn't exactly hidden. 

 

Wasn't the idol just a piece on the rice bin once? So I think it's possible that's the idol. I hope it is just because it'd be funny since Dale doesn't even know it's the idol and anyone who goes to EI and gets clues will go nuts trying to find something that's not there.

Edited September 25, 2014 by peachmangosteen

[Puffaroo]

Wes misspelled Nadiya's name EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS WEARING A NECKLACE THAT READ "NADIYA" FOR THE ENTIRE EPISODE.

 

That's enough to put him on the bottom of my list.

 

He's clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  I like his father, though.

[wonald]

I don't understand why people are insisting that Dale found the HI. Dale specifically said that it didn't have any note attached to it. When did the HI ever NOT have a note attached to it saying "Congrats, you found the HI"?

 

The EW video of Probst with Dalton Ross minutes after TC has lots of info not shown in the episode. One is why Josh voted for Baylor.

[cooksdelight]

I doubt the idol would just be sitting out there on the lid.

I will never forget laughing my ass off at Russell Swan when it was RIGHT THERE on the lid of the rice bin in the Phillippenes, and he couldn't figure it out. If Val couldn't find it by digging around the well, my guess is that Dale has it in his pocket. I think the producers/editors want us to wonder.

[pfk505]

I'm guessing you weren't reading TWoP during their original season on TAR so you don't know about all the outrage over the fact that they continually referred to the Beekman Boys as "the gays" & were the only team to do so. They didn't refer to any other team by their sexual orientation, just the Beekmans. Add that to Nadiya's comments about counting Josh as "one of the girls", and I don't think it's only "oversensitive, overly paternalistic types" who find her remarks offensive.

I was reading it then and I found it just as ridiculous as this.  The actual people involved aren't offended, but us people on the internet are going to feel offended for them, because they obviously need us to do so.  She made an assumption about a person based on a stereotype, something we all do (unless we are being woefully dishonest with ourselves).  It was not a bad assumption, nor an altogether inaccurate one (the point Nadiya was making, I think, is that Josh could clearly relate to and work with both "sides" of an already gender-divided tribe).  She was not making disparaging remarks about his physicality or his intellect, only that she was glad she felt she could work with him, probably because she is friends with gay people in her real life outside the game.  The editing makes it sound ham-fisted but all the hatred she seems to be getting over it strikes me as massively uncalled for.  And, of course, nobody complains when people make stereotypical assumptions about pro athletes, southern outdoorsmen, or thrice-divorced housewives do they?  It's only gay people and other persecuted groups who require your sympathy.

[wonald]

When the HI was on top of the rice basket in S25, there was writing on it that ID'd it as the HI.

 

Rocker saying that he was Wetteland was some of the funniest thing I've seen on Survivor.

[Wildcard]

 

The EW video of Probst with Dalton Ross minutes after TC has lots of info not shown in the episode. One is why Josh voted for Baylor.

 

I watched and didn't see if they had a reason why Josh voted for Baylor. One theory that people brought up is that Josh/Baylor thought that by voting for Baylor - it would make it look like Baylor is on the outs with the women - and have less of a target on her back.

 

One of the things that impressed me with Josh is that when he determined he was the swing vote, he didn't talk about how he had all the power in tribe. He understood that it was a very tricky position to be in.

[fishcakes]

The actual people involved aren't offended, but us people on the internet are going to feel offended for them, because they obviously need us to do so. 

 

After she said it to him once in a private conversation, he did a confessional where he clearly indicated he was offended, so I'm pretty sure he was not pleased when she said it repeatedly at TC.

 

She made an assumption about a person based on a stereotype, something we all do (unless we are being woefully dishonest with ourselves).  It was not a bad assumption, nor an altogether inaccurate one.

 

On the contrary, I would say that assuming a gay man is "one of the girls" is an entirely inaccurate assumption.

[omophagia]

I wasn't sure 100% sure if the "Blood vs Water" format would work with a cast of new players, but this turned out to be a pretty strong premiere. I still feel a bit guilty about accepting Probst's casual homophobia and misogyny as a given-- both were in full flight less than 10 minutes into the episode-- but an interesting cast and some well-crafted challenges are what I want from the early episodes in any season, and this delivered more often than not.

 

Rocker did what I expected him to do and blamed "the media" for using his well-documented public bigotry to brand him a bigot, as though he hired the same PR team that all of the vile people from Big Brother 15 did; at least he didn't get much screen time. I wasn't familiar with The Twinnies-- I bailed on The Amazing Race after the season with the "hippies"-- but I can totally get on board with someone getting voted out for making such tin-eared comments about another castaway after talking about the importance of a social game and about how TAR taught her so much about not judging others. Survivor gives its players so many more options for self-sabotage than most other reality competitions, and that definitely happened to Nadiya.

[wonald]

I watched and didn't see if they had a reason why Josh voted for Baylor.

 

You need to watch it again. Basically, Josh said that he changed his vote to Baylor because of something she said at TC.

[bluebonnet]

I was reading it then and I found it just as ridiculous as this.  The actual people involved aren't offended, but us people on the internet are going to feel offended for them, because they obviously need us to do so.  She made an assumption about a person based on a stereotype, something we all do (unless we are being woefully dishonest with ourselves).  It was not a bad assumption, nor an altogether inaccurate one (the point Nadiya was making, I think, is that Josh could clearly relate to and work with both "sides" of an already gender-divided tribe).  She was not making disparaging remarks about his physicality or his intellect, only that she was glad she felt she could work with him, probably because she is friends with gay people in her real life outside the game.  The editing makes it sound ham-fisted but all the hatred she seems to be getting over it strikes me as massively uncalled for.  And, of course, nobody complains when people make stereotypical assumptions about pro athletes, southern outdoorsmen, or thrice-divorced housewives do they?  It's only gay people and other persecuted groups who require your sympathy.

I personally call people out when they are stupid.  Nadiya's casual homophobia was ignorance in the extreme because she didn't pick up on the fact that it was offensive to the person she kept saying it to and then she didn't wonder why she was being questioned about it at TC.  If you make an offensive stereotype out of ignorance rather than malice, ok whatever.  But to keep doing it despite being called out for it is ridiculous.  She was super proud of the fact that she specifically thought a gay man should be identified as a girl and further elaborated by saying she'd never consider a straight man to be a member of her own gender.  Yeah, I'm not going to let her off the hook there.  If the point she was making is that Josh was willing to work on both sides, then she could have said that.  Of course, we're getting an edit they want us to see so we have no idea what else she might have said.  All we have is that she would never consider a straight person a member of the opposite sex.  

[Kromm]

So is Nadiya going to Exile Island? I didn't hear Probst say anything about it.

One twinnie gone. Good start.

There's no Exile Island this season, other than as a place to stash people after the reward challenge to disadvantage them come voting time.

[Daisy]

You know what's really interesting? Nadiya kept going "One of the girls," Josh goes "if there's one thing I hate...but I'll go along with it." but I think that would have been something had Josh said, "I just need to say something - i get what you mean, and I'm with you and everything, but I don't like being referred to as one of the girls." 

 

Simple, sweet, not confrontational.

 

I didn't even see it as casual homophobia or what a lot of people were calling it out to be, because Lordy, have I been called one of the guys" because I'm a tomboy, love my sports, and all of that jazz. Two of my guy friends, one whom is gay, one whom is not. has always been referred to as one of the girls - because they hang out with my good girlfriends all of the time.. As well as - usually on Survivor, (Colton non withstanding), a few  of the gay guys on the tribe do tend to gravitate towards the women. off the top of my head: Brandon (season 3) comes to mind (there was Chett who hung out Tracey and the rest on FvF (season 16). etc). Again - it's not excusing the behaviour, if it was intended to be wrong, and maybe this is a "the more you know" moment. 

Nadiya's comments saying that if he was straight I may not say it, didn't help her and maybe that's where it's coming from -but for me, it simply is seen as a turn of phrase. (I don't know them on TAR so maybe it's simply just linked to her seemingly homophobic behaviour there) that's my two cents on that. 

 

I have to say this was a very enjoyable premier. But, boy howdy  - one of these days someone is going to go to Jeff and call him out on his everlasting bullcrap, or simply chew him out and it will be a glorious day indeed. "Move, woman?" not even "Val, you've got to pick it up" not "Val, you have to hustle!" not "Val - move it, you're falling behind." but "Move, Woman?"

 

May the Brandon/Taj idea of an Exile Island alliance take place here. (and actually stick) that will be great. 

 

 I like everyone. I really have to say. I have a grasp on all, everyone is funny, and genuine and there's no "I'm gonna be a douche so i can get ALL the camera time"

[blackwing]

You know what's really interesting? Nadiya kept going "One of the girls," Josh goes "if there's one thing I hate...but I'll go along with it." but I think that would have been something had Josh said, "I just need to say something - i get what you mean, and I'm with you and everything, but I don't like being referred to as one of the girls."

I agree.  It was an assumption she made that was wrong and perhaps said out of ignorance, but I never heard him saying anything to her about it.  He had a Talking Head where he talked about how Reed knows the thing he hates most is to be likened to a girl just because he is gay.  But he never said anything to Nadiya about it.  He kind of just nodded and then had a TH where he admitted that he liked being able to play both sides.  He easily could have just said, "I am with you girls and I will vote with you, but just because I'm gay doesn't mean I consider myself a girl."  He didn't.  If she said it a couple times and he didn't say he found it offencive, then I don't blame her for not being able to read his mind.  

[wonald]

From the casting previews, I thought it was going to be a sucky season. But after watching E1 . . . . I still think it's gonna be a sucky season.

 

I'm a Luddite so rarely have the opportunity to watch in HD. Do the survivors usually have such bad skin or is there an unusual number of rosacia this season?

[meep.meep]

 

Looks like the bugs are really bad where they are, as I kept noticing people swatting around their heads and arms.

Watch Probst at the initial assembly - he's got about 15 flies circling him constantly.

 

The bugs may be the reason why so many players look like they have rosacia.

 

I don't mind blood vs water, but it was easier last time when only one of each pair was a new face.  I still don't know who is partnered with the guy who said his father was terminal.

[Artsda]

One twinnie down, one twinnie to go!

 

Forgot exile and redemption are different. Glad to see that they won't do the family battles to return back into the game. 

 

The first couple competing from Boston got annoying real fast. Especially the wife, she's really mouthy and couldn't back it up in the competition.

[Special K]

I give Josh credit for keeping his offense-taking over the "one of the girls" business to himself and not confronting Nadiya.  He's a Survivor fan.  He probably knows that in the first few days, ANY reason to have something think negatively about you can get you voted off.  Better to keep your own counsel.

 

 

 

[needschocolate]

A little "giving the benefit of the doubt" (sorry, I know very few names this early)---

 

Val's husband ---- Maybe he was playing into the "protect my wife" storyline because it was a better explanation than - "I feel bad that my choice to be a hero to my tribe means that my wife's chances to go far have now been reduced" and "I sent the oldest guy to EI because he is the oldest guy and would probably be voted out anyway. My  plan is to form an alliance with the women, so I can't send one of them and it would be dumb to send one of the younger guys because I may want them to think that I am in an alliance with them sometime."

 

The woman who was divorced 3 times ---- maybe she married those three husbands because everyone kept telling her than he would be the best thing for her and her family, even though her gut said that he wasn't the right guy.

 

The model ---- maybe his abs are lacking because he gained some weight to be on the show - I think Jonathan Penner did the same thing. 

 

Nadiya --- I got nothing.  I can't come up with any reason explaining how her comments weren't really offensive.

 

There's no Exile Island this season, other than as a place to stash people after the reward challenge to disadvantage them come voting time.

 

That is what Exile Island is -  the place they stash people after the reward challenge.  The place where they stash people after they are voted out is Redemption Island

Edited September 25, 2014 by needschocolate

[gesundheit]

For those wondering why the players were already dressed in their team colors before the "random tribe selection," it's because the teams were automatic. Every loved one was on the opposite team from their loved one, both teams were pre-determined this time.

 

What Nadiya said and repeated was insensitive. Even Probst called her out on it. It doesn't mean she hates gay people, but it's tremendously insensitive and tone-deaf and Josh was offended by it, and showed himself a shrewd player by not saying one word to her about being offended. Even if you explain it to the offender politely, it's awkward, and he needed her to think he was 100% with her.

[illini1959]

As a TAR fan, I was also glad when the first "Twinnie" was voted off. Didn't like them then, don't like them now.

I'm wondering why we have to watch everyone run around in their underwear - again? Is it too much to wear swim suits?

Edited September 25, 2014 by GenL
Entire posts don't need to be bolded.

[blackwing]

I don't mind blood vs water, but it was easier last time when only one of each pair was a new face.  I still don't know who is partnered with the guy who said his father was terminal.

That was John, the University of Michigan football player who wore a blue dress shirt, right?  He's paired with his girlfriend, Miss Michigan.  As far as what her name is or which one she is, I have no clue.  There's several women I can't distinguish at all.  That one, the one who I think is old guy Dale's daughter, and the three times divorced mom.  It's really unfortunate that I don't even know the name of John Rocker's girlfriend and that the only way I can recognise her is by her enormous fake breastesses.

[Bad Example]

I don't find Nadiya hateful, just tone deaf.  That said, it was just stupid, stupid Survivor play.  "So, Josh, do you want to vote with this group where you're the "odd girl out", so to speak, or do you want to vote with this group where you don't have a reason to believe you're at the bottom of the alliance?"  

 

I thought Dale was smart.  I don't think he cares about the Twinnies on TAR, he just provided reasons to vote someone out to people who were looking for them.  

 

Like Turtle, I've been in Atlanta a long time and was here for Rocker's idiot remarks, but I'm going to give him the opportunity to change my mind about him... although one wrong word and he's dead to me.  I was impressed by his "let my team climb me" move.

[BluenoserGal]

 

For those wondering why the players were already dressed in their team colors before the "random tribe selection," it's because the teams were automatic.

Maybe, but that doesn't explain why one of the ladies had on ORANGE nail polish.   I mean, come ON.     There's nothing random about the tribe selection any more, if there ever was.

[Lantern7]

Quick thought . . . are the colors blue and orange because they belong to the Mets, and therefore the show wants to piss Rocker off? Nah . . . probably a coincidence, especially since that's a far lighter shade of blue than the Mets use, but I think it's funny.

 

Also, I think the athletic guy's name is "Jon," with no "h."

[fishcakes]

I can't really tell the women apart either yet. Except for Val and the twins, they're all blondes with long hair. Rocker's girlfriend's hair is a little darker; to me, she looks like a slightly less debauched Carmen Electra.

 

I don't think the Blood v. Water format works as well with all unknowns. I really liked the first BvW because it answered questions like how sheltered a person would have to be growing up to think marrying Rupert was a good idea, and it showed a different side of people that we already felt like we knew. When it's all new people that we don't care about one way or the other yet, it doesn't make it more interesting to add in a relative that we don't care about either.

Edited September 25, 2014 by fishcakes

[le bordel chaud]

I like having an all newbie Blood vs. Water because it means there aren't any pesky pre-game alliances. However, I find the concept incredibly overwrought. I love my family but it's still just a game. The reward challenge was so heavy handed I thought Jeremy winning meant his wife Val was being sent to her death. Sheesh!

I don't have any faves yet, but I am mostly pleased with the casting. Lots of colorful characters.

I'm happy my favorite show is back but it seems to be getting more misogynistic every season and harder to enjoy. I think a lot of this has to do with Jeff Probst and he needs to get called out on it.

Edited September 25, 2014 by delicatecutter

[gesundheit]

Maybe, but that doesn't explain why one of the ladies had on ORANGE nail polish.   I mean, come ON.     There's nothing random about the tribe selection any more, if there ever was.

I'm not sure I understand, then. It wasn't random, they didn't tell us it was. They knew in advance, that's the structure of this season. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue?

 

Here's a nice little assemblage someone put together of ignorant and racist things that John Rocker has said recently. All the quotes toward the end of the article are from 2013 or 2014. I'm annoyed that they selected him and are giving him another stage, but it's certainly easier to pick someone to root against right away!

 

I'm really liking the format this time. Bringing back players gets old, but a full new set is always hard to kind of lock into for a while, you know? This sort of already has a built-in narrative because of the various connections between the loved ones, so it's sort of the best of both worlds.

Edited September 25, 2014 by gesundheit

[ElleryAnne]

I'm not sure I understand, then. It wasn't random, they didn't tell us it was. They knew in advance, that's the structure of this season. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue.

 

 

I think the issue may be that the show implied some randomness when Jeff had everyone draw bandanas.  It looked like each team took a packet, and presumably each took a bandana from the packet and then "found out" what team they'd be on - i.e. which twinnie would be blue and which would be orange/yellow, for example.   But if production tells them in advance what outfits to wear, then the randomness is fake.

[gesundheit]

I think the issue may be that the show implied some randomness when Jeff had everyone draw bandanas.  It looked like each team took a packet, and presumably each took a bandana from the packet and then "found out" what team they'd be on - i.e. which twinnie would be blue and which would be orange/yellow, for example.   But if production tells them in advance what outfits to wear, then the randomness is fake.

Oh, I see. Thanks! I missed that the colors were supposed to be either/or.

[Turtle]

He easily could have just said, "I am with you girls and I will vote with you, but just because I'm gay doesn't mean I consider myself a girl."​

 

 

But -- why in the world should he have to??  Why would there be any need to clarify that a gay man is not a girl?  

 

Overall, I think I'm looking forward to this season.  I'm glad to see a lot of different people from different backgrounds, and the first two challenges were pretty good.  

[Mulva]

For a moment, I thought Dale was going to pull out that icon at the tribal council.

Watching Twinnie get the first boot was fun. Here's to the other one getting booted next.

[iMonrey]

I'm curious if any actual gays here are offended by Nadiya's comments, or if it is just the oversensitive, overly paternalistic types who see offense everywhere and all the time?

 

It didn't bother me, because there have been contestants before who were only too happy to identify themselves as "one of the girls." I don't think it's all that offensive an assumption. I think the difference is that she embraced him because of it, instead of shunning him. That's the only thing that really speaks to any indication of homophobia.

 

This is my first season since the Michael Skupin redux (how many seasons ago was that? 2? 3?) and I have to say, it kind of  . . . didn't suck? More 'regular' people than usual, anyway. Although, I don't really see the point in bringing in teams of two and then splitting them up into separate tribes. Is is just supposed to be extra drama, like how Natalie will react next week when she learns Nadiya was voted out? Otherwise, who cares? Does that give Natalie's team incentive to vote her off next, or does it make them more likely to keep her, knowing she has no alliance partner upon merge?

 

Don't know from John Rocker, so not offended by him either, yet. His girlfriend looks like a real piece of work though.

 

I still couldn't even get through one episode without yelling SHUT UP JEFF PROBST. God, his running commentary through all the challenges drives me right up the wall. Since both Survivor and Amazing Race are CBS shows, why can't they swtich hosts for just one season? Phil Keoghan's tribal councils would be awesome.

[MarquisDeCarabas]

 

John Rocker is a hilariously stupid. When the kid from Louisiana asked his last name, he came up with Wetteland. John Wetteland was a relief pitcher, like Rocker, but pitched for the Yankees at about the same time that Rocker was pitching - they were contemporaries in the same job. Wetteland was the Yankee closer right before Mariano Rivera.

So Rocker tries to hide the fact that he was a professional baseball pitcher by falsely giving the name of ... a pro baseball pitcher? Best line of the night.

 

I laughed sooooo hard.

 

I'd like to believe that Wes knew Rocker was an ass (cause his dad sure thought so) and was lying about him being cool to get on his good side, but I'm really not sure.

 

As he's just one of the girls.  In my experience if gay man calls himself one of the girls it's usually a defense mechanism of some sort.  Like he's trying to appear non threatening to whatever alpha males are around, or it's an attempt to not be isolated and to try and bond with someone so I'm one of the girls include me in your group.

 

I mean what she said is essentially, you're gay you're not a man.  She doesn;t mean it in a hateful way, I don't think she is even away that's what it comes off as to some, but that's probably how Josh sees it given his comments.

 

I wish they gave us a better look at the idol clue so we can see if the thing on the water well is in fact the idol.  I'm pretty sure it is though.

[Tryangle]

New season, same Probst. Whatcha gonna do. Unless an actual contestant calls him out on his crap, of course.

 

Unless a guy tells you he wants to be thought of as one of the girls, it's not flattering to tell him you consider him one.

 

I think Etta and Turtle, among others, summed up how I felt when this was said. I do agree that some that Nadiya wasn't trying to be offensive.

 

I thought Rocker's companion is his girlfriend ... not his wife.  Did she get any of the "talking heads" segments?  I don't remember.

 

Early in the episode, she was talking about standing on her own two feet... at the same time they were showing Rocker picking her up and carrying her over something. Chuckle-worthy, perhaps.

[FineWashables]

Having praised the casting directors for choosing "real" people over gorgeous people this time, I will now be a total hypocrite and snark at their looks.  Because I'm so perfect, ya know.

 

 

Wes' dad (Russell?) looks perfectly normal and yet Wes looks like his head got squashed by a rock.  His features just look squashed.

Wes looks like a troglodyte.  Or a cartoon character from The Croods. Which might be the same thing, I don't know.

 

The model doesn't need to worry about people recognizing him based on his fabulous good looks.  

 

What's with John Rocker's low-hanging nipples?  Gross.

 

John Rocker's girlfriend appears to be in the sex industry. Yes, I know she's got a business selling tanning spray, but what was she doing 15 years ago?  Stripper, I'd guess.

[Pattycake2]

I was very surprised that Nadiya was the first to go.  She's physically strong and works well under pressure.  They may miss her in the challenges.

[blackwing]

I thought Rocker's companion is his girlfriend ... not his wife.  Did she get any of the "talking heads" segments?  I don't remember.

She's his girlfriend, not wife.  They introduced her as his "longtime girlfriend".  I believe she did get a TH, or at least a voiceover.  It was after the one longhaired douche bro volunteers, "ya know, I'm kind of a famous model, you might have seen me around in stuff".  And then she basically TH's "pfffffftttt.  My boyfriend is John Rocker, his fame/infamy can squash your 'fame' like the bug you are."

 

I was very surprised that Nadiya was the first to go.  She's physically strong and works well under pressure.  They may miss her in the challenges.

Agreed.  She was probably the physically strongest of the women.  Not sure why everyone held her appearance on TAR against her.  Was it a "you've already had your chance" decision?  If anything, being on TAR is an asset.  It taught her how to think on her feet and react well in time-pressured competitions.  If they wanted to boot a woman, it should have been one of the invisible useless ones.  

 

I do think Dale should have been the choice.  He said he was a farmer and used to working hard.  I didn't see it.  While others physically toiled at scratching the poles to make fire, he claims he sat there for 3 hours with his glasses, and that was his contribution.  He made it sound like such a sacrifice.  "I sat there for an hour and a half with one lens, and then an hour and fifteen with the two combined!!"  He could have had one of the women work the lens while he, the experienced farmer used to physical labour, went about proving his self-professed physical strength and worth.  But noooooo, he wanted all the "credit" for being the firestarter.  He's an ass, I hope he goes next.

Edited September 25, 2014 by blackwing

[Lingo]

Count me in as a big Twinnies fan on The Amazing Race. Sure they're loud, and they argued with each other a lot, but their arguing was always good-natured, and I just admired how they tackled every physical challenge with fearlessness and enthusiasm. I wanted them to win both seasons and was very disappointed when they lost first in the all-star edition. And I'm also disappointed that Nadiya went off first here. As for her calling Josh a 'girl', that was very disappointing. I've heard many gay guys call themselves girls, basically in jest.... and that's as far as I'm going to try to defend her there. I'll remain a fan of Natalie until she says something equally ignorant.

U-Turning and even money-stealing doesn't bother me at all, it's just part of TAR, where alliances don't make much sense anyway. If Dale has a problem with them, then I have no use for him. I think he said the Twinnies were, um, "distrustful" (??) in a camera interview, which would seem to indicate that's his real opinion of them, not just some excuse he gave to the men to vote her off first.

I also don't think Dale has the idol, just a piece of a clue to its location. In every previous season, the actual idol came with some sort of note saying "This is the idol, these are the idol rules" -- even the ones that were disguised as ordinary objects. They can always change the rules, but I don't think they'd change that rule. Plus I thought I read that the idols this season would be buried so they'd be harder to find. PLUS, if it actually were the idol, the soundtrack would probably have given us a hint (probably something comically plunky to indicate that Dale is an idiot).

The "random" selection of teams WAS probably staged, but I'm guessing it was a recreation of a real random selection they did prior to filming. The producers have pre-selected the teams in prior seasons before (e.g. the first 4 seasons!) without staging a fake on-camera tribal selection, so it doesn't make sense for them to start faking it now. I think for some reason they wanted it to be random again, but they also felt it important to be wearing their tribe colors, to make it easier for the viewers -- who have to learn 18 new faces (originally 20!) as well as all the relationships -- to get to know everyone more quickly.

Josh's vote seems really dumb to me. He's trying not to alienate anyone, but if they figure out how he voted he'll probably alienate everybody (especially Baylor). Nobody likes a floater.

I know this is a dumb thing to say, and maybe also offensive, but did it strike anyone else that Reed and Josh look like a thirty-years-younger Joe and Bill (team Guido from TAR 1)? Especially Josh? Just me then?

I thought I had more to say but now I can't remember. Oh well!

[rlangmit]

 

I don't remember the details of TAR episode where the Twins stole money from another team.  If only I could go back in time and look it up on TWOP.

 

The recaps are still available!

[Lingo]

I don't really see the point in bringing in teams of two and then splitting them up into separate tribes. Is is just supposed to be extra drama, like how Natalie will react next week when she learns Nadiya was voted out? Otherwise, who cares? Does that give Natalie's team incentive to vote her off next, or does it make them more likely to keep her, knowing she has no alliance partner upon merge?

 

That's the idea, yes.  There is (1) the pain of having to compete against your loved one, and knowing that your actions did or may have contributed to their ouster.  And, well, I was going to list a second point, but really it all boils down to that.  Which sounds cheesy and manipulative, which it is, but it really did work in the first BvW season, and led to some surprising strategy decisions.  In this case it probably does increase Natalie's chances, because the others are more likely to target someone who still has a partner.  In other cases, a group may vote out a particular member just to inflict emotional pain on a threat on the opposite tribe in the hopes that it will knock them off their game.  Then after the merge, there comes the possibility that you may feel you have to vote out your loved one in order to give yourself a real chance of winning (which, SPOILER, actually happened).  Then of course we can always hope to see if a pair can actually make it to the end as the final two (or 2 of the final 3), which I don't think will happen in a million seasons, but then again I never thought a winner would win again!

 

With the previous season, with Redemption Island, there was even more potential for loved-one drama, because (1) you would actually witness the Redemption Island Duel that eliminated your loved one, which always led to tears, and (2) there was the possibility that you would be in the duel with your loved one and eliminate them yourself, which leads to even more tears.