S30: Ponderosa

[truthaboutluv]

Hali's video is up.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfOt73B64C4

 

The thing I found most interesting about this video was learning that Hali seems to think Shirin flipped on them twice. So maybe Will is playing a much better game than editing is showing us so far if the NC's really don't realize he's completely flipped on them. Or maybe Hali is the only one who hasn't realized yet but that makes no sense for how close she and Jenn are. If Jenn realizes it was Will, she would have told Hali.

[peachmangosteen]

Well, Hali (and the rest of NC) is stupid so that helps a little to remove the sting I'm feeling after that episode. She read everything completely wrong lol.

 

She seemed drunk to me, like as soon as she arrived at Ponderosa somehow, which greatly amused me.

[ProfCrash]

I think she is going to be fun at Ponderosa. She seems nice enough and like a good person. But her comment about not seeing yourself after you have not seen yourself in the longest time since you last saw you self was a little bit surprising.

 

Love that she went straight for the whiskey. Love that she could see why she was on No Collar and not White Collar. She owns up to her poor game play and has a pretty good critique of where she failed. She sounded much more intelligent at that point.

 

She is going to be cool to watch

[fishcakes]

The fact that she had a choice of whiskies but picked rotgut Jack Daniels automatically makes me think less of her. And where on earth did the 'Merica tank top come from?

[peachmangosteen]

And where on earth did the 'Merica tank top come from?

 

I didn't even notice that at first. Did the Ponderosa crew make those or something? How embarrassing.

[BigRedCheese]

I think all whiskey sucks, it all tastes like Drano to me (and my dad was a whiskey/scotch drinker, and he only bought the "good" stuff, so I've tried that too), but if she likes it, I'm glad they had a selection for her to choose from.

[ProfCrash]

I think they try and have all the players favorites. She picked up the Crown Royal and said she would have some for Will.

[LadyChatts]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8YDSMiOOUE

 

Here's Joe's video.  He lost more weight than Hali.  My heart really broke when he started crying about not making the family visit.  At least Joe can know that he was voted out for being a threat, and not for some of the other reasons that will cost the people that follow.  It will be interesting when Will makes it there, since he flipped on them.  Joe and Hali seem to understand why, and they touch on why the girls alliance went nowhere (people were afraid, and that caused Sierra to flip back, Carolyn didn't want any part of it, and that caused Tyler to flip back).

[LanceM]

As expected Hali seems like a very good host in Ponderosa this year and her thinking Will didn't flip didn't last long. Looks like Ponderosa could be a fun time this season. But anyway Joe seems to have a lot of passion for the game and was very sad that he didn't make the family visit where i guess his Dad was supposed to be there. He said he had considered playing the idol himself, wearing it around his neck in a hope to shift the target on to Jenn. 

Edited April 16, 2015 by LanceM

[ProfCrash]

Ponderosa should be good this season, well until Dan or Rodney get there. Rodney might be fine but Dan is going to be an ass.

 

While Hali realized that Will flipped, I don't think that they really know why Will flipped. I know in Hali's interviews she was surprised at what Nina had to say when she was voted out. I don't think that Joe, Jenn or Hali realized how they were perceived by Nina, Will, and Vince.

Edited April 16, 2015 by ProfCrash

[BigRedCheese]

Well, Vince told her lies about what Jenn and Hali were saying about her (he said exaggerated, but that's just a nice word for lying), so it's no wonder they didn't know why they were being perceived that way by Nina.

[ProfCrash]

Agreed but Hali said that she had talked with Nina a bit before the show started to air and Nina never mentioned the crap Vince had said. So Nina took Vince's words to heart and held on to them. Another reason to not like Vince. It will be interesting to hear from Will if part of the reason he never forged a close bond with Jenn, Hali and Joe is because of what Vince had been feeding Nina and Will.

[Special K]

Again, in Joe's clip it's revealed that they're not showing us even a fraction of the strategizing/machinations going on out there!  Why, editors, why!?!

[viajero]

These Ponderosa videos are making me like Hali even more than I already did.

[pricklypear]

I've decided that if Jenn is the next to be booted, I would like nothing but full hour-long episodes of Life At Ponderosa for the remainder of the season. That would be fun to watch! :-)

[Special K]

I've decided that if Jenn is the next to be booted, I would like nothing but full hour-long episodes of Life At Ponderosa for the remainder of the season. That would be fun to watch! :-)

 

Yeah, I'm worried that I might become more invested in what's happening at Ponderosa than in the actual game.  It's happened before!

[Jobiska]

I liked Hali's pipe cleaner projects.  I wonder if they've always had craft material at Ponderosa and this is the first we've seen of it (the 'Merica shirt also a product of this maybe?) or if this is new to S29 Ponderosa.

I also had a chuckle at the thought that maybe they provided arts and crafts stuff for the free spirit no collars, and the first white collar will get--I don't know--clipboards and legal pads?  And what would the blue collars get?  a game of darts maybe?  (Whatever the producers think is a good stereotypical product!)

I also liked Hali's sign on the door saying this is not the last Survivor will see of Joe.  I felt his emotions were genuine, but also wonder whether he was savvy enough to be setting himself and his dad up for a future Blood v. Water!

Edited April 16, 2015 by Jobiska

[LadyChatts]

http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/V01In57M46Yij3Kz_qvnfArNsMPZmdio/survivor-ponderosa-jenn/

 

Hali made her a chicken crown.  Both Hali and Joe wish she had cared more, since they actually wanted to be there and would have fought for it.  I agree with them completely, but frankly, given that people that are left, I would have broken the rules and voted myself off.  Seeing Jenn at Ponderosa is the Jenn I missed having.  These 3 seem to be having so much fun, that I really wish the actual game could be this cool.  If only.  So many 'what ifs' this season.  Jenn thinks Tyler will win, and I remember Joe saying something similar last week.  And Hali is apparently channeling 'The Dragonz' (Coach's band from HvsV Ponderosa) by making up a song.

 

I'll feel sorry for these 3 next week.  Whoever gets voted off is going to put a damper on the place.

Edited April 23, 2015 by LadyChatts

[LanceM]

This eight and half minute clip was far more entertaining than the actual show tonight. The three of them are clearly having a good time out there and it will be interesting to see who joins them next week and whether or not it will be a complete buzzkill.  I had to laugh at Hali making up a song about Merica, I am only disappointed we didn't get to see the whole thing.

 

I also have to laugh at the fact that Jenn only lost 0.2 lbs out there and she didn't even eat any of the chickens.

Edited April 23, 2015 by LanceM

[KimberStormer]

No one will ever make of Ponderosa the Valhalla that The Dragonz made of it, but these three are making a good attempt.  I'm glad that Hali is bringing back the Ponderosa Band concept, though I guess she's a one-woman band and Joe and Jenn are just watching.  I envy their youthful pig-pile in the hammock, still love them all.

 

Jenn is right, I think; you don't have to strategize and that doesn't mean you quit.  If it did then almost the entire casts of the early seasons would be quitters.  And I agree with her that fitting in to this crowd is not worth the million.  I sort of can't believe that some people think Russell was worse; I would so much rather hang out with Russell than almost anyone left on the island...

[LadyChatts]

Nope, no one can ever beat that.  Micronesia and HvsV are two of my favorite Ponderosas ever.  Coach, Courtney...how I miss thee.  I wish they had started doing Ponderosas sooner.  I can only imagine what it was like during Guatemala when Judd got voted off and probably went on a rant, or Panama when crazy Shane and Courtney arrived.  I would have liked to have seen a pre-Ponderosa in Palau, just because it was almost one entire tribe there, minus 3.  I can only imagine the reaction each week to continually seeing your tribe filter in.  I still wish they would do a pre-jury Ponderosa.  Anyone know if there's a particular reason?  That'd be even more interesting, since they likely wouldn't know who was showing up.

 

I never really realize until Ponderosa time hits how hard it is for the early jurors.  They have so much down time, and it's got to be agonizing for someone like Joe that wanted to play so bad to know that the game is still going on out there without him.  Also, Jenn lost no weight.  I used to cringe at the sight of ribs sticking out and skin hanging, but good grief, they need to quit feeding these people so much!  And actually, Jenn didn't even get the big food rewards early on.  Yet Joe did, and so far he's lost more weight than the 2 girls.  I wonder if she's a smoker in real life.  I only say that because I remember all the way back to Borneo, there was an un-aired challenge (it was an extra on the DVD) where the contestants looked in a mirror and guessed how much weight they lost.  Sue had lost nothing, but said she smoked and wasn't surprised.  Could her being a vegetarian have anything to do with her non-weight loss?  Anyway, just give them a shower and a big bed, and we'll essentially have Big Brother.  In fact, why not just move them all into Ponderosa and only have them come out for the challenges.  They can have a big bonfire and make s'mores.

Edited April 23, 2015 by LadyChatts

[loki567]

Yeah, I was wondering how in the world Jenn didn't lose weight. Although I thought her body right there looked fantastic. I hoped she doesn't binge in Ponderosa or she might have come out of the whole Survivor experience GAINING weight. 

 

I really like the fact they've gone back to longer Ponderosa videos with more group scenes. I didn't like the individual style thing that they had been doing in Cagayan. 

[Mreid]

Here is Jenn's ponderosa video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMmHHFDTiCY   

[KimberStormer]

Yes.  I hate those awful Ponderosas where the current residents don't even greet the new arrival, just glare from the bar.  These hugs and signs and elaborate displays of their favorite food/drink and homemade chicken crowns are so refreshing after that.  Go Hali!  You're a new star Ponderosa Host.

[ProfCrash]

I love the signs and the crowns and the hugs and the fun. You can see the difference in their personalities. Hali so wants to be in the game or doing something. Joe wants to be back in the game but seems to have accepted he is not. Jenn could careless and just more of a free spirit. She is more of a stupid rebel, the what can I do and not get caught or in trouble. She is probably the best example of a "no collar" on the show. Hali really is more of a white collar.

 

Things could get interesting when some of the more vile people are voted off.

[ByaNose]

Yeah, I think the next person at Ponderosa might be a buzzkill. Of course, it might be Sherrington or Mike so they might get another 3 days of fun. It must be fun to get a free all you want drink & eat vacation. Hali, Joe & Jenn are on their own spring vacation & it's all on TV, too.

[Wings]

Jenn loses 0.2 pounds?  What?  This makes no sense.  I would like to hear exactly what they were eating.  Joe lost 15.  Something is a miss here.  

 

We are only seeing the "victims," from the same alliance, so far.  When people start arriving and greet the person responsible for the demise it could  be different.  

[ByaNose]

I guess Jenn ate a lot at the auction.

[wonald]

Jenn seems to have the body type that stores a lot of fat. She has ballooned since last year too.

 

[hyukx3]

where is jenn?

[truthaboutluv]

I'm pretty sure she's the one on the far left, in the black tank top.

[hyukx3]

no wayyy

[wonald]

Way.

[hyukx3]

no wayyyyyyyyyy

[Wings]

Ha ha ha!   My guess is that she dieted to get down to where she was on the show and did that drastically so her metabolism was skewed.  When she stepped on the scale she said she thought she had gained.  Words from someone who battles their weight. 

 

The auction has to be reworked.  It is not interesting to watch people wait for the advantage and draw a rock.  We had this last season.  

 

Just hide the advantage in the food.  Put something made out of rubber in it, too big to swallow, then collect the clue from Jeff when you find it.  

Edited April 23, 2015 by wings707

[LadyChatts]

I agree about the auction.  It was never one of my favorites, but I really hate that the advantage is stuck in there and the contestants purposely wait for it.  Why not use the advantage during a reward, hide it like the II clue.  Or better yet, hide it around camp.  Also, I didn't like how people were able to get refunds last night.  When has that ever happened?  

 

I've seen a lot of photos of Jenn post show and she didn't look that heavy.  I wonder if she is one of those people who just has up and down issues with her weight constantly.  I think she looked great at Ponderosa, just surprised that she lost almost nothing.  

Edited April 23, 2015 by LadyChatts

[ByaNose]

I've see their Twitter post and most of them are all friendly. I'm not sure how much Ponderosa plays into or not. The only one I haven't seen (nor really looked) is Caroylyn. Granted she's older than everyone, too. Anyway, I've seen Jenn in other event pictures and she doesn't look heavy at all and I'm wondering if that is someone else next to Mike. Hali (and, Joe) really went the extra mile for Jenn at Ponderosa. I wonder how much of that was already done beforehand? Is there that much time in between her being voted out, confessionals, medical and then her truck ride to Ponderosa? It could be hours, right?

[pennben]

 

I love the signs and the crowns and the hugs and the fun.

 

I loved the chicken crown!  And I loved that Jenn loved it. These guys are so much fun in Ponderosa.  I hope it stays that way when others show up.  Usually, the first folks out set the tone, so hopefully that holds true this year and we can have some fun from the season here, if not on the actual island.

[wonald]

         Um, I would think she is pretty recognizable by the typical dour expression she always wear but here is a closer up pic from the same day. Same outfit plus jacket. I think Jenn knows how to wear her weight well in most of her pix but no hiding in a tank and shorts.

 

[KimberStormer]

I think you've got that backwards.  It's just one unflattering picture.  As US Weekly etc love to show us, even beautiful stars can look terrible if you take a bad picture of them (and want to use it as evidence that they're doing drugs/dying of cancer/have totally let themselves go because Harry Styles cheated on them/celebrities are ugly anyway and it's all a fake/etc/etc)

[wonald]

The number of unflattering pix of Jenn seem to be more than just one but whatever. To put it in Jenn parlance: Jenn sucks hard, whether she is 133 or 233 lbs.

[joshmaeks]

Who cares how much Jenn or anyone weighs? I love talking about this show, but being nasty about how much anyone weighs is over the line. Time to take a look in the mirror.

[ByaNose]

Ponderosa is really swanky & I love the pool. I'm sure they had a blast. I always wonder if non jury members have as much while there. I'm sure there's still lots of partying but some are out so early & removed from the game & the process of being apart of the jury.

[BigRedCheese]

I don't think she looks unflattering in those pics, in fact, I think she looks pretty damn cute. She seems like a natural beauty to me, but I guess everybody has their own standards of beauty, so to each their own I suppose.

[Miss Scarlet]

Jenn's ponderosa video is fun, but I don't buy her take on the quitting/not quitting part. She's trying to make it fit into her NC/free-spirit "image" by saying that she's just a non-conformist who didn't want to play Survivor the way everyone else does and says that not strategizing is the not same as wanting to quit the game. But the thing is she did actively strategize last episode. She actively strategized to get voted out (saying that the more she says she wants to go home the less likely they are to vote her out, trying to win immunity so that she could give the necklace to Joe and get voted out). I think she just doesn't want to admit that the reason she wanted to quit is because she couldn't handle not being in a power position anymore and because she wanted to hang out with Hali. She's image conscious and knows that those reasons would be seen as dumb. 

Edited April 23, 2015 by wudpixie

[LanceM]

Shirin's video is up

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oSLx98mv-U

 

She is very happy to be at Ponderosa because it is place of love rather than back at camp with "them". They agve her a great reception giving her a lei and a #1 fan crown. She is not too happy with Sierra and Tyler for not doing anything to stand up for her. I also think it is funny that they want Mike to get voted out next because they don't want to hang out with any of the others.

Edited April 30, 2015 by LanceM

[LadyChatts]

I love the #1 fan crown from the gang.  Jenn said she wanted only her or Mike to get voted off and doesn't want the rest of them to join them.  Not too much to this one (not enough Joe for my liking anyway).  Shirin does a lot of talking about her past and the blow up at camp, with Mike coming to her rescue while everyone else stood around and did nothing.  I guess Sierra was one of the culprits that did nothing and then wondered if Shirin was mad at her.  Yeah, next week should be pretty interesting.  They are going to get someone there they hate, unless Mike totally fails and doesn't play his idol.

Edited April 30, 2015 by LadyChatts

[pennben]

Okay, I hate to say this, but I can see how Shirin can annoy the bejeezus out of people (non-stop talking is my nails on chalkboard).  Still nothing she has done calls for how she was treated by some. 

[NurseGiGi]

Okay, I hate to say this, but I can see how Shirin can annoy the bejeezus out of people (non-stop talking is my nails on chalkboard).  Still nothing she has done calls for how she was treated by some. 

I agree with you wholeheartedly.  The nonstop talking that she does would drive me nuts and I would have to distance myself from her but there's no excuse for the personal attacks.  She seems to be a little OCD with her lists but then again you should see some of mine.

[SlackerInc]

Still love me some Shirin.

 

I haven't seen anyone comment on the Ponderosa production values: is it really just me, or haven't they gone up massively this season?  My recall of them in the past was that they weren't much above being a barely edited dump of what looked like camcorder/cell phone video.  Now they have gorgeous cinematography, filters, fades, etc.