S30.E11: Survivor Russian Roulette

[laurakaye]

Dan had so many fine moments in this episode!  It's impossible to choose my favorite!

 

1. Hawking up great gobs of spit while insisting to Shirin that "I'm listening!"

2. Devouring 3/4 of a hamburger - I'm sorry, a CHEEEESEburger, in one rapturous, ecstatic, revolting bite

3. Whispering to Rodney during the IC: "You want it, baby!  You know you want it!"

4. Adoption > domestic violence

5. Telling Shirin that he was sorry about what happened while desperately trying to arrange his facial features into something resembling compassion (that must've hurt)

 

Who do I want to win this season of Survivor?

 

1. Ozzy (Cook Islands)...still bitter

2. Mike, but only if he promises not to talk during the entire reunion

3. Sierra's left eyebrow

Edited April 30, 2015 by laurakaye

[GaT]

Sierra's eyebrows are a mystery for the ages.  I have to try and come to terms with the fact that I will never understand what is happening with them.

They scare me. I think she had them tattooed, but it's a really bad tattoo & you can see both the tattoo & her real eyebrows at the same time & it's creepy.

[laurakaye]

They scare me. I think she had them tattooed, but it's a really bad tattoo & you can see both the tattoo & her real eyebrows at the same time & it's creepy.

 

Her eyebrows are becoming Joker-esque.

[escatefromny]

Aiiiii there is a bonus clip with Disgusting Dan which is longer than any other (the editors must loath him) and is chock full of his usual crap and delusions:

* His group won the award challenge because they were 3 men and only 1 woman, oh, and Carolyn sucks.

* Reward trip was so great because of the "people" who were all great, including him. (Jackass, two of the three you were with voted for you the very next day).

* Mike has relied on "luck" to win challenges.

* He loves his "there is no Mike in team" line.

[Guest]

I guess because I've seen her blond eyebrows growing over her brown tattoos since week 2 or so, but I don't notice them much anymore.  Unlike Lisa's weird double eyebrow situation that was all I could look at by the last few weeks.  

 

It moved, but barely. I noticed sweat dripping from his fingertip. If I am going to be in a challenge that will require me to hold onto a steel bar like that, first think I'd do is coat my hands in sand or dirt. I am wondering if that's what Mike did. I'd have to look at closeups again to see if his hands look dirty or not. The guy just has perseverance like nobody else.

Ah, maybe you're right about them rubbing their hands in dirt.  We were commenting on the dirty state of their hands, which just showed up more the more they sweated.  We noticed it on Rodney and Mike.  Smart.  

 

I think Mike did well because Crossfit is good for developing various strengths, unlike the 'just barbell' work someone like Rodney probably does, plus Mike NEEDED to win.  He was also praying or something toward the end.  His lips were moving fast with his eyes shut.  Not that I think a deity helped him out, necessarily, but I think diverting your mind from your pain can.  

[Apocalypso]

Just a small thing no one has mentioned yet.  I didn't record it but my husband also noticed this so I'm pretty sure it happened.  At TC, I believe after Mike made his big wave, Jeff named everyone who was vulnerable, and he left out Carolyn's name.  We know and he undoubtedly knew she had an idol.  I wondered if Jeff intentionally or accidentally did this or if anyone of the players noticed.  

Edited April 30, 2015 by Apocalypso

[ProfCrash]

If you want a good laugh, watch Dan's bonus clips. There is one where he discusses how he is juggling in the game. He has to make the people on the jury want to vote for him while advancing his own game. He has to make moves so they respect his game but make them at smart times. He says all the right words, he understands the game in theory, but then he seems to think that he is accomplishing these goals.

 

I don't know that I would say that Dan is a top five awful person to play Survivor. There have been some pretty awful folks. Corrine and Russell are at the top of my list. Lisi was pretty hideous. I would have to go back and rewatch seasons, something I don't do, to relive my anger to be able to make a list. Dan is pretty freaking awful but he is a different type of awful....

 

Dan went out there wanting to be the super fan and was pissed when he wasn't. He went out there wanting to be the smartest Survivor player and was pissed when others knew the game as well as he did. He went out there wanting to have the sob story, I think he sees his being adopted as the storyline of the season that would equate to the not being able to have kids, Mom of how many adopted kids, and all the other more sympathetic storylines we have seen. He was pissed when Shirin took that away.

 

The worst part is that Dan still tries to be that person. He is actively trying to one up peoples storylines. You can see him thinking in his head that they are calling Shirin and Max super fans but I am the super fan. They are calling Shirin's life hard but my life was hard. They are calling Tyler the mastermind but I am the mastermind. He honestly is so desperate to have some type of specific storyline that he actively tried to take over storylines he saw building.

 

He was so desperate to be on the show that he stated that he would be remembered. He was so desperate to be remembered that he acted like a total ass. The problem is that I think that the ass part is actually a reflection of who he is as a person. So is the desperation. I don't know what he is desperate for but I think he needs to talk with someone to figure it out.

 

I don't like Dan but I don't think he is a Corrine or a Russell. I think he wants to be remembered like Corrine or Russell. Hell, I think he wants to be remembered like anyone. He is so freaking desperate. He wants to be liked (so he won't flip). He wants to be cool. He wants to be something.

 

And the sad part is, we will remember him for all the wrong reasons but he won't stand out like Corrine, Russell, or Brian H as someone who is that awful. He won't stand out like Coach, Philip, Johnny Fairplay as someone who is a character. He won't be remembered as a Rob C or a Stephen as someone who was the mastermind behind a winner or generally well respected game play. He sure as hell is not going to be remembered as a winner.

 

He will be consigned to the awful players box who is something of a joke because his play was so bad with a faint wiff of rememberance because he was such an asshole. And that is going to kill him.

[peachmangosteen]

Just a small thing no one has mentioned yet.  I didn't record it but my husband also noticed this so I'm pretty sure it happened.  At TC, I believe after Mike made his big wave, Jeff named everyone who was vulnerable, and he left out Carolyn's name.  We know and he undoubtedly knew she had an idol.  I wondered if Jeff intentionally or accidentally did this or if anyone of the players noticed.  

 

Carolyn won the IC for the women.

[backformore]

I still don't understand what was the turning point on Mike's game and suddenly he is perceived so negatively even by people who used to adore him like Dan and Sierra. Dan saying they won the reward cause there was no Mike comes as a surprise to me. I get that Mike trying to win the advantage at the auction and then yelling at everyone was a weak moment from his part but was that enough for people to totally turn on him? Or were they maybe expecting for an opportunity to do so? Mike freaking brought the blue collars to the position they are now, how can they betray them so easily without even giving him the right to defend himself? We still miss some pieces of the puzzle and I am afraid we will never get the whole picture.

 

Right -  all Mike did was - 1) consider backing out of an agreement at the auction, then decide to honor the agreement.   He was weighing the pros and cons of it in terms of the overall game, and flirted with the idea of doing something in his own best interest.  2)  Overheard others talking about scheming against him, and then "ACCUSED"  them of doing so.    That was the weird thing.  He heard it, we heard it, but somehow saying that he heard it was betraying his allies?   

 

In reality - they made up reasons.  The actual reason they are against Mike is because each one of the people left knows that they only have a shot at winning if they, as a group, get rid of Mike. 

 

 

Dan went out there wanting to be the super fan and was pissed when he wasn't. He went out there wanting to be the smartest Survivor player and was pissed when others knew the game as well as he did. He went out there wanting to have the sob story, I think he sees his being adopted as the storyline of the season that would equate to the not being able to have kids, Mom of how many adopted kids, and all the other more sympathetic storylines we have seen. He was pissed when Shirin took that away.

I think you nailed it.    Dan is used to being that "smart, experienced, voice of wisdom", used to being listened to, probably because he surrounds himself with people who will listen to him.   He's in a situation where there are people who don't take him as seriously as he takes himself, and he's blowing a lot of hot air trying to gain the role that he thinks he deserves.   Dan's story is that he's the blue collar guy who faced hardships in life to overcome obstacles and gain all this "wisdom"  about how things work.  He wants to be that wise old guy who everyone else respects and goes to for advice.  (not just on Survivor, but in life).  It's a role he's playing , in the drama he makes up in his own mind.   

 

He's having trouble facing the fact that other people have gone through tougher things, have had more success, and may actually be smarter, than him.  The grey bushy hair and beard are supposed to give the impression of wisdom and experience - instead, they just make him look old and weak.  (and I can say that because I'm older than him, I still am blown away that he's 48) 

Edited April 30, 2015 by backformore

[ihartcoffee]

I am annoyed by Dan every time his opens his mouth.   I'm glad to read everyone else is as well.   There is something about him - the way he says EVERY   WORD   AS   THOUGH    IT  WAS  AN IMPORTANT PRONOUNCEMENT   - drives me up a wall.  There's no variation, he truly thinks that everything he says carries weight.   He is arrogant, bombastic, over-estimates his own intellect.  In his mind, he is always the smartest one in the room, (or on the island) and everything he says is of the utmost importance, everyone MUST listen.  

 

Imagine him at a restaurant -   "I'm going to tell you something.  You can take it or leave it.  (Dramatic pause)   Order.    the.    steak . (nodding, stroking beard)  The reason you should order the steak is -   that if you don't, (pause)  you're a fool. A FOOL.  (bugging eyes out for emphasis)   An absolute FOOL.   Some people order the fish - they're idiots!   Anyone who thinks that FISH is better than STEAK!!   IDIOTS!  I mean really!!!!   What are they thinking??  Bottom line - you can't go wrong with steak."

I freaking love your post! Dan is so annoying, hope to see him blind sided. Soon!

[Snaporaz]

I wonder if Mike should have gone just one step further and handed the idol to Shirin (with the pre-planned understanding that she not use it). I get that there would be the risk that she still gets voted out and takes the idol with her, but if Shirin actually had the idol in her possession, I think the others would have been more reluctant to call the bluff. If it had worked, Mike and Shirin stay in the game, one of the 6 is voted out, Mike still has the idol, and they've exposed the divisions in the alliance. It also might have had the unintended consequence of Carolyn burning her hidden idol to save Tyler.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Snaporaz

[henripootel]

Tyler confessional about going through Dan's bag sounded really scripted to me.  Something about the phrasing was off and he sounded rehearsed.   It just reeked of producer manipulation.  

I agree but I think we have to parse this out.  I think what we saw may well have been a re-shoot, which as producer manipulation goes, I feel meh about.  Such things will look staged cuz they are, but that doesn't mean the original impetus to steal was producer manipulation.  

 

That said, I kinda wonder how these 'underhanded shenanigans' come about.  A hidden clue that nobody else is supposed to know about, is that in bounds?  I'd find it out hard to believe that somebody would steal without asking first, I mean who knows what might get you kicked off the island.  Even if I'd watched previous seasons and knew that people had stolen before ... I'd ask, just to be on the safe side.  Having been assured 'well, we won't stop you, and we'd like to film it', I'd feel assured that I just got green-lit to steal.  

 

Any speculation on how this new wrinkle in the game (an extra vote) works as far as stealing?  I'm guessing the extra vote vests in Dan, not in the piece of paper Dan holds, so stealing it from him or destroying it won't take it away from Dan.  The Extra Vote Certificate doesn't work exactly like an HII though because somebody laid hands on it (and wasn't immediately told to put it back), nor like an HII clue because it isn't clear that Dan can do the sensible thing and destroy it (to keep it secret) without destroying his extra vote.  Odd object, the EVC.  

[Neerbeena]

I think I'm supposed to be rooting for Mike as the underdog and number one target surviving by sheer will but I'm not feeling it like I did Spencer/Tasha in Cagayan, Malcolm in season 25, and Ozzy in his last season.  I wanted those guys to find idols and cheering them on to win immunities but in Mike's case I was really pissed he won that immunity challenge---which probably means he'll be the one who somehow lasts until the end.

 

There is something unpleasant about everyone that's left but if I had to choose it would be Rodney or Tyler as the lesser of several evils.  Rodney has said some asshole things but he seems to get along with everyone and they seem to like him and Tyler is so chill which I like.  Carolyn bugs me, Sierra is nothing, and Dan is just loathsome.

 

I was hoping the predictable pagonging of the NCs and Shirin would be avoided but it happened despite the drama.  It looks like everyone knew before the TC that Mike had an idol and was threatening to use it for Shirin so that's why they threw in those votes for Dan to offset Tyler's and get a revote.  

[sadiegirl1999]

I wonder if Mike should have gone just one step further and handed the idol to Shirin (with the pre-planned understanding that she not use it). I get that there would be the risk that she still gets voted out and takes the idol with her , but if Shirin actually had the idol in her possession, I think the others would have been more reluctant to call the bluff.

 

 

Ooooooo I wonder if you CAN do that? Hand Shirin the idol (she "holds" it b/c she's a fan and keeps it during the vote), everyone goes and votes, Jeff says...if anyone wants to play the HII now would be the time to do so and Shirin just sits there.

 

OMG...

Edited April 30, 2015 by sadiegirl1999

[needschocolate]

I lulled myself to sleep last night by playing this TC scenario in my head --- Mike shows the HII and hands it to Shirin.  Shirin thanks him and puts it around her neck.  The six all have looks of "oh crap!" on their faces, after realizing they need to vote for one of their own and they has no chance to discuss it.  They vote.  Jeff says, if anyone has a "Hidden Immunity Idol, now it the time to play it." Shirin stands up, takes the idol off her neck, and hands it to Mike saying, "thanks again, but I don't think I will need this." Mike keeps his idol, Shirin and one of the six goes home.  (ETA: Hey, Snaporaz, I like the way you think)

 

From then on, as long as either Mike or Shirin win immunity plus the possibility of Mike/Shirin using the immunity idol (making both of them safe) means the six (or 5 will have to target one of their own to keep themselves safe. 

 

I think Mike's plan worked.  If he had given Shirin the idol, he'd be in the same position next week but without the HII.  This way the six have started turning on each other already and will continue next week whether Mike wins immunity or not.  He's put them on the defensive instead of himself.  Smart move.

 

I think it was a great plan, even if it didn't work out as I hoped (see first paragraph above).  With Shirin gone, and Dan and possibly Sierra realizing where true loyalties lie, Mike might get back into an alliance.  If Dan uses his extra vote wisely (an unlikely scenario) there is a chance that Tyler goes home next and and then there is little to stop Mike from riding the immunity wave to the end (I think Caroline has a chance to win any challenge that typically favors women - like standing on a small perch).. 

 

I tend to be of the opinion that you should keep you HII secret and use it to blindside, but since Mike is now an alliance of one, even if he doesn't win immunity next week, the six will have to split the vote, targeting one of their own. 

 

I just don't see why Dan and Sierra think flipping to Rodney's side was better.  There must be a reason that they aren't showing.  Big surprise with this season.

 

Dan and Sierra didn't flip to Rodney's side, they were always allied with Rodney - The Blue Collar Alliance. 

 

Some have mentioned that Dan thinks flipping is bad and yet he has flipped, but I don't see where Dan has flipped.  He is no longer loyal to Mike, because of the move Mike tried to make at the auction.- it was Dan that he said "no, you go first" to.  However, Dan has stayed loyal to the other Blue Collars (Sierra and Rodney).  Yes, Dan is in an alliance with Tyler, Will, and Caroline, and he hasn't voted against any of them, so he is still loyal.  Of course, once they get down to the six, Dan will have to vote for one of his alliance, an it would probably be Caroline, Tyler or Will but that doesn't mean he flipped. 

 

We know that Dan is not part of the Core 4 and that Dan would have a better chance of making it to the end if he (and Sierra) would have believed Mike and they would have joining with Shirin, Jenn and Mike last week and voted out Tyler/Caroline/Will/Rodney, but Dan doesn't realize this.  I find it rather fitting that Dan says that "Flippers never win" but he will lose because he never flipped (and by "lose" I mean he won't make it to the Final - Dan has no chance of actually winning the million)

 

Disappointed that nothing came out of Tyler going through Dan's bag.

 

No one but Tyler and Caroline know about it as of now (as far as we were shown).  My guess is that it comes into play next week when Tyler has to explain why he voted for Dan.  Tyler will likely say that Dan was a threat because of the extra vote and Dan will get into a huff because Tyler went through his bag. 

Edited April 30, 2015 by needschocolate

[scowl]

He was not serious; he was mocking her.  Nasty man.  

That's exactly how I read it. Dan was saying that he too experienced unimaginable tragedy by being an orphan, however like all great men he was able to rise above it. Now his life is full of love and fulfillment, unlike Shirin's life which is full of sadness and self-pity, and that's why no one loves her.

 

In other words he was agreeing with everything Will had shouted at her.

[scowl]

I thought Rodney should have cold-cocked Dan after his bag fell.  I have no doubt that Dan's "encouragement" had the opposite effect.

Well, he should have if Rodney had won and Dan started taking credit for giving Rodney the necessary encouragement which permitted him to win. Much like Homer Simpson exclaiming, "Working as a team was my idea!" 

[blackwing]

I particularly loved how Dan apologised to Rotney when Dan was eliminated.  "I'm sorry.  I gave it my best."  Like Dan has any chance of winning any kind of physical challenge.

 

I'm puzzled as to why we have had no more references to the Joe idol.  It's been 6 days since Joe departed.  Have none of them been searching for this?  Nobody except for Mike knew that he had found the original Blue idol until last night's tribal.  As far as they should have known, there could have been at least two idols out there.

 

I hope Mike finds the Joe idol.  It is supposed to be in a "sea of green" and "floating".  I think it could be tied to a big rock just offshore and floating in a bed of seaweed.

Edited April 30, 2015 by blackwing

[candall]

Here's a contribution on "what has Shirin done to make them hate her?"  from my own life.  From the ages of 8 to 14, I went to an 8-week summer camp every year.  One summer I was the designated target for bullies.  Never mind how horrible it was--my point is that I was pretty much a regular kid on the popularity scale in my home locale and in other temp situations like "summer camp," (including that summer camp, previously, with basically the same set of people.)  It was as though one of the older girls looked around on Day One, arbitrarily picked me to torture and everyone else just jumped on board.

 

I'm still befuzzled by the psychology of gang behavior, but I can say with some authority that Shirin doesn't necessarily have a whole backlog of bad behavior that's been edited out.

*****

In other news, I'm still thumbs up on this season.  I agree that some of the personalities are revolting, but the first six weeks had quite a bit of game play that didn't involve ejector seats for the chubs, the grannies, the POC and the non-D cuppers, so all hail.

********

Re Sierra, I wonder if she regrets wimping out on the woman alliance?  We'd be watching a whole different show if she hadn't, (but I can't calculate whether she'd be better off.)

*******

Finally, I'm SO sorry they weren't able to Looney Tunes barrel roll across the finish line.  That would have been hilarious!

[Turtle]

Loathe Shirin and her "I'm a victim"  guess what sweetie - there are a lot of victims in the world - but you will NEVER know it because they keep that to themselves.  Unless, of course, they are using it to manipulate others to get what they want or for some sympathy.

I completely disagree that Shirin was playing the victim - she *was* a victim- or trying to manipulate anyone by discussing her past. She was viciously attacked on a very personal level. At Tribal, Jeff explicitly asked her about the event and what about it was so upsetting. When we've heard her discuss it other times, she generally uses a relatively neutral tone of voice, suggesting to me that she has done a lot of healing but recognizes it is part of her past and that there's no reason to hide it. Moreover, these people are together 24/7 with nothing to do but talk about the game and and spend maybe 10 hours every few days at challenges and tribal; I'm sure they end up telling each other almost everything about themselves just out of sheer boredom and lack of any stimulation.

[ProfCrash]

Last nights tribal showed how Shirin normally discusses the abuse. She is pretty straight forward. If she was trying to "Play the victim" we would have heard about it long before we did. She mentioned it only because she was attacked on such a personal level. Essentially, she was telling Will she wasn't on her own because she drove her family away but that she was on her own because her family was abusive and she choose to leave that environment. She was upset because he choose to attack something that is deeply personal even if you don't know the back story.

[laurakaye]

If I missed this, forgive me - but has ANYONE in the BC tribe ever questioned who has the WC's immunity idol?  Or do they all assume it went away when Joaquin was voted out?  I mean, it's kind of a big deal, yes?  All it would take is one look at Carolyn's perpetual smug expression to figure it out.

 

And does anyone else think that Dan spent weeks practicing his sound-bites and facial expressions in the mirror before he went off to Survivorland?

[ghoulina]

I thought Rodney should have cold-cocked Dan after his bag fell.  I have no doubt that Dan's "encouragement" had the opposite effect.

 

Right??? It was creepy as hell. I have visions of him as some serial killer, whispering into a woman's ear. Dan just gives me the most squicky vibes ever. 

[ljenkins782]

The episode was just okay, but I LOVED that TC. That was a brilliant last-ditch effort, though I agree with the people above who think Shirin could have hung it around her neck while the voting occurred and then declined to play it. That would have been within the rules.

 

I'm truly surprised that Tyler was one of the group that fell for it. I understand it was his name being thrown around, but I would have expected both him and Carolyn to see through that gambit. I don't particularly like either of them (am REALLY starting to loathe Carolyn), but they are cool-headed players. I'm interested to see how/if he recovers from this one AND if Will gets any heat for this. I'm not sure how Will's flip-flopping votes never seem to be questioned. 

 

I would also like to hear the reasoning behind Will's vote since there wasn't time for the alliance to strategize and choose where to throw those votes. What made him flip and how did it happen to be the same person Tyler was voting? 

 

I loved Mike chirping out "but Dan still got 2 votes!!" as the rest of the alliance was celebrating Shirin's departure. Of all the people in the big group, he was probably the best one to be on the receiving end of those votes. Rodney would have been paranoid too, but he's in a much, much more secure position than Dan. 

 

I really need Dan to be spectacularly blindsided because I just can't with this guy anymore. He's the double whammy of being both boring AND loathsome. Even when he's not actually being an asshole (those few minutes here and there), he's dead boring and irritating.

 

As for the adopted child vs abused child, I couldn't even understand what the hell he was talking about. Besides the fact that those 2 things are not at all comparable, he was rambling on about his mother being the only family he had. So, birth mother or adoptive mother, or what? 

 

Mike was irritating me when he was on top but I'm firmly rooting for him now (half due to lack of other options and half due to a natural inclination toward underdogs.) On a purely shallow note, he is looking hotter every week but I'm not sure what's different. 

 

I think Mike did well because Crossfit is good for developing various strengths, unlike the 'just barbell' work someone like Rodney probably does, plus Mike NEEDED to win.  He was also praying or something toward the end.  His lips were moving fast with his eyes shut.  Not that I think a deity helped him out, necessarily, but I think diverting your mind from your pain can.

 

This, plus I'm pretty sure Rodney's muscles are enhanced by something other than working out. I noticed Mike's lips moving and he looked completely zeroed in on something other than the bar most of the time. 

 

I'm glad he's got at least one more week thanks to the idol because I feel like they might be coming up on a 'playing field leveler' immunity challenge where luck or puzzle skills could allow someone else (likely not Dan OR Will ;) to take the necklace. 

 

All in all, I'm intrigued by the turn even if I hate most of the people left. Mike has a far better chance than Shirin did so at least there's some hope there.

 

ETA:

 

I thought Rodney should have cold-cocked Dan after his bag fell.  I have no doubt that Dan's "encouragement" had the opposite effect.

 

OMG, my thoughts exactly. If I was trying to concentrate and I had some jackass nattering in my ear NON-STOP, it would make me crazy. Mike is lucky no one was rooting for him with that kind of "encouragement." 

Edited April 30, 2015 by ljenkins782

[ratgirlagogo]

 

 

That said, I kinda wonder how these 'underhanded shenanigans' come about.  A hidden clue that nobody else is supposed to know about, is that in bounds?  I'd find it out hard to believe that somebody would steal without asking first, I mean who knows what might get you kicked off the island.  Even if I'd watched previous seasons and knew that people had stolen before ... I'd ask, just to be on the safe side.  Having been assured 'well, we won't stop you, and we'd like to film it', I'd feel assured that I just got green-lit to steal. 

Any speculation on how this new wrinkle in the game (an extra vote) works as far as stealing?  I'm guessing the extra vote vests in Dan, not in the piece of paper Dan holds, so stealing it from him or destroying it won't take it away from Dan.  The Extra Vote Certificate doesn't work exactly like an HII though because somebody laid hands on it (and wasn't immediately told to put it back), nor like an HII clue because it isn't clear that Dan can do the sensible thing and destroy it (to keep it secret) without destroying his extra vote.  Odd object, the EVC

I think it works exactly like the rules around the HIIs as far as that goes - you can look in someone's bag or discover it in a hiding place,  but you still can't steal it.  If you DO steal it the producers will replace it - this is what happened in One World when Bill found Colton's HII and threw it into the ocean.  We had a long discussion thread about all this back at TWOP.    The weird thing about all that to me is that apparently these discoveries happen without ever being shown on the show - as on One World where the Bill vs. Colton thing never appeared on the show.  You'd think the producers would ALWAYS want the audience to be able to see that a player had become aware of the other player's advantage, since that would change one's strategy.  

 

I thought Rodney should have cold-cocked Dan after his bag fell.  I have no doubt that Dan's "encouragement" had the opposite effect.

I know!   It's amazing that Rodney was able to maintain any kind of concentration with that endless flood of inanities washing over him.

 

I think Mike's maneuver was actually a great idea -  he stood up for Shirin in a way that cost him little and will probably get him her vote.  He showed Dan where he actually stands, and Dan is going to freak out.   Plus the double-vote is going to really panic the others now that they realize that they've pissed off Dan - and by the way that was really dumb of Tyler given that he KNOWS about the double-vote.

 

And does anyone else think that Dan spent weeks practicing his sound-bites and facial expressions in the mirror before he went off to Survivorland?

No, I don't.  I think he spent YEARS on it.

Edited April 30, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[ElleryAnne]

And does anyone else think that Dan spent weeks practicing his sound-bites and facial expressions in the mirror before he went off to Survivorland?

 

 

I don't doubt it at all.  And when he first started talking to Shirin about the incident with Will (just before his two-faced talking head clip), I had the impression he was doing that entire  "Gee, I didn't know, I'm so sorry that happened to you" spiel specifically because he'd tried it out in his own head a couple of times and wanted to look just right for the camera.  Of course, when he was doing his confessional, he defaulted back to smarmy pompous douche mode. 

[ProfCrash]

Mike has a lock on Hali, Jenn, Joe and Shirin's vote. I would be shocked if Mike was in the finals and he did not get those four votes. I suspect that Mike will get Dan and Sierra's vote if they end up on the jury.

 

I think Dan and Sierra think that they have a final three with Rodney, Blue Collar all the way. I think that finding out that Rodney is tight with Tyler/Carolyn/Will and that he helps to take out Dan and Sierra will insure that Rodney does not get their votes. Dan will be butt hurt because Blue all the way and Rodney flipped and Rodney's flip makes Dan look like an idiot.

 

Sierra seems to have a pretty good relationship with Mike and is likely to hold on to the Blue all the way. Rodney's awful behavior at the beginning of the game pretty much guarantees that Sierra does not vote for Rodney.

[Special K]

When he's trying to appear nice, Dan ALWAYS looks like he is using every ounce of his energy to arrange his face in a way that will look appealing/sympathetic. It's like it takes all he has to continually reconstruct that mask over his natural asshole face.  It's also why he looks like a cartoon to me.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Special K

[Turtle]

I would also like to hear the reasoning behind Will's vote since there wasn't time for the alliance to strategize and choose where to throw those votes. What made him flip and how did it happen to be the same person Tyler was voting?

I thought that was interesting too. My guess is that everyone except Dan knows that Dan is the low man on that six-person totem pole. I'm hoping they show a lot of the fallout from this tribal next week because I'd like to find out why Will voted for Dan, as well as why no one else in Tyler's core alliance tried to protect him by voting for someone other than Shirin.

[KarateKate]

Again with the hidden school yard pick!??! There is a lot of strategy/relationship insight to be gained from seeing that. Grrr, maybe give us a graphic before the commercial to show how it went down. Or maybe cut a minute of Dan's idiocy.[snip]

I completely agree! Much like individual reward challenges where you get to pick someone (and someone else, and someone else) to go with you, or the "3 smash/cut" challenges, the Pick'em was always a way that the players - and viewers - saw some telling relationships. And it is so easy to edit it down to even a 15 second or so montage (Each person saying the next's name), so I have to assume TPTB are deliberately obfuscating the state of the relationships. Especially in a season where we really are seeing some quick-fire vitriol without seeing the building of ire.

 

 

I wonder if Mike should have gone just one step further and handed the idol to Shirin (with the pre-planned understanding that she not use it). I get that there would be the risk that she still gets voted out and takes the idol with her, but if Shirin actually had the idol in her possession, I think the others would have been more reluctant to call the bluff. If it had worked, Mike and Shirin stay in the game, one of the 6 is voted out, Mike still has the idol, and they've exposed the divisions in the alliance. It also might have had the unintended consequence of Carolyn burning her hidden idol to save Tyler.

I see that as much more likely to work to get people to swap votes, but I don't see Shirin NOT playing the idol if she had it given to her. Sure, her bridge would be burned with Mike, but I don't know that she would have been confident enough to not play it. 

This was an episode of Mike Hail Mary's - from the last ditch barrel dancing to the HII gambit.

[Alapaki]

Right -  all Mike did was - 1) consider backing out of an agreement at the auction, then decide to honor the agreement.   He was weighing the pros and cons of it in terms of the overall game, and flirted with the idea of doing something in his own best interest.  2)  Overheard others talking about scheming against him, and then "ACCUSED"  them of doing so.    That was the weird thing.  He heard it, we heard it, but somehow saying that he heard it was betraying his allies?

 

 

I think it was a little worse than that.  

 

Apparently a certain group of them (Carolyn, Dan and Mike, at the least) went into the Auction with a pre-arranged agreement to save up all their money for the "advantage prize" and then allow the random chance of the draw determines who got it (and, most importantly, depriving the remaining NC+Shirin alliance of getting it).

 

When the Letters from Home came up, they then made another agreement to reinforce their original agreement by each spending an equal amount on the Letters, thus leaving them still tied, and still leaving the recipient of the "advantage prize" to random chance.

 

The way Mike began getting off the bleachers ("no, after you, please, go ahead") made everyone immediately suspicious.  He then lied directly to Tyler's and Dan's faces about not intending to back out.  

 

In that context, deciding to pull him money back and sit down was a huge betrayal on Mike's part.  [We know why he did it, but he apparently never ran that by Dan and Sierra before the Auction, which was idiotic and frankly inexplicable given Mike mostly solid gameplay up to that point].

 

At that point, deciding to change his mind and bid on the Letters (thus allowing everyone else to get their letters) really did him no good.  If anything, it made him appear not only deceptive, but also transparently ingratiating and manipulative).

 

From what we saw, he only brought up the fact that he overheard Rodney with Carolyn/Tyler/Will plotting against him after the Auction, when he'd already screwed up and was in obvious damage-control-mode.  By that point, he'd lost alot of credibility, so it's not hard to understand Dan and Sierra doubting him and assuming he was just trying to throw Rodney (who happens to be a potential FTC threat) under the bus falsely.  

 

I think events since then should have lent Mike's report about that Rodney scheme more credibility.  But at this point Dan is so fucking stupid that he's not paying attention.  And even if Sierra realizes it, as I said above, her and Mike's lone two votes aren't enough to change anything.

[Dewey Decimate]

I know Mike has his faults, but I found him kinda hot holding on in that immunity challenge.  And maybe also in the reward challenge when he mentioned doing cross-fit.  Yeah, I'll show myself out now.

 

Don't leave - I'll join ya! Although it goes against my brain, I'm loving Mike more and more. His scratchy cooing to the little chicken on her way down Poultry Death Row was so sweet. I'm not a believer, but was cheering him on in what I assumed to be silent prayer during the IC. He's been my first hard Survivor-crush in a while; I totally get the objective attraction of the Malcolms and the Joes and the Ozzies, but something about them never quite set me a-flutter. Mike does.

[laurakaye]

I'm puzzled as to why we have had no more references to the Joe idol.  It's been 6 days since Joe departed.  Have none of them been searching for this?  Nobody except for Mike knew that he had found the original Blue idol until last night's tribal.  As far as they should have known, there could have been at least two idols out there.

 

I hope Mike finds the Joe idol.  It is supposed to be in a "sea of green" and "floating".  I think it could be tied to a big rock just offshore and floating in a bed of seaweed.

Excellent point!  For that matter, both Tyler and Mike have the clues to this as yet undiscovered idol - why on earth would they both not be looking for it?  We know Mike doesn't sleep anyway, I'd think he would've found it by now.  And then Tyler would simply take it out of Mike's bag.

 

Also, the fact that Tattletale Tyler hasn't yet told anyone that Carolyn has an idol fascinates me.  Such restraint on his part.  Next week's preview of him cowering like a big baby in front of Dan's wrath had me LOL-ing.  As much as I hate the players this season, I cannot look away and breathlessly await every new episode.

[Guest]

I thought Jenn said she freed all the chickens before she left?

 

It's kind of thoughtful of them to plan chicken dinners on the nights half the people are off on rewards.  

 

I actually think this bunch might be among the smarter (game-wise) we've had.  But I guess smart game play isn't all that fun to watch so they're letting Dan have his Villain Hour, with a side of Will and Rodney for good measure.  

[Alapaki]

I thought that was interesting too. My guess is that everyone except Dan knows that Dan is the low man on that six-person totem pole. I'm hoping they show a lot of the fallout from this tribal next week because I'd like to find out why Will voted for Dan, as well as why no one else in Tyler's core alliance tried to protect him by voting for someone other than Shirin.

 

 

I think both Tyler and Will were protecting themselves in case Shirin actually did play the HII.  

 

Mike announced that he was voting for Tyler.  I don't think there was any reason for Tyler to doubt that.  

 

Mike said that Shirin would vote for someone other than Tyler.  It's reasonable for Will to assume that Shirin would be gunning for him.

 

If everyone else voted for Shirin (essentially calling Mike's bluff) but Shirin did play the HII, then it would be a tie between Tyler and Will and on the revote one of them goes home.  

 

But by throwing their two votes to someone else, even if Shirin played the HII their target would go home on a 2-1-1 vote.  

 

As for why they targeted Dan?  Well, Tyler and Will are both in an alliance with Carolyn and Rodney (I don't believe either of them was serious about the F4 talk with Dan on the Reward Challenge Boat).  So it was either Dan or Sierra.  Tyler knew about Dan's extra clue so that would put the target on Dan over Sierra.  As for Will?  He may just be stupid enough to think that Dan is a greater threat than Sierra.

[Dobian]

 

Yes Mike!  Way to save Shirin and throw them into turmoil!

 

 

Yeah, I was like, what did I just watch?  You sure turned the tables on them, Mike.  Shirin was all set to go to the jury and then...oh wait, Shirin went to the jury.

 

The only interesting thing left on this show is watching the evolution of Carolyn's face into one of those apple dolls.

 

How much worse can this season get?

Edited April 30, 2015 by Dobian

[Zuleikha]

With Shirin gone, and Dan and possibly Sierra realizing where true loyalties lie, Mike might get back into an alliance.

 

But so what? It's a minority alliance in terms of numbers. An alliance only helps if it can outvote people. With Dan's extra vote (that I'm not sure Mike even knows about), Mike can now potentially force a tie and have pure luck decide who goes home. More likely, either Dan or Sierra will get voted out directly because both of them seem willing to flip on the other to have a sure thing over rocks. Carolyn, Tyler, Rodney, and Will have no reason to flip because they are in a great position up through final 5 or final 4 depending on immunity competitions. Carolyn's got her HII to give her even more backup.

 

Because he still has the HII, Mike can lose one immunity challenge and make it to the finals, but he has to win every single other one. No one has a reason to flip to him because not only does he have nothing to offer in terms of protection, but he's now an obvious social threat as well. He has the four NC votes on lock against everyone else out there.

 

Giving Shirin the HII would have been risky, yes. But it also could have gotten someone out of the opposing alliance with potential for a flip to matter. Get one of Carolyn/Will/Rodney/Tyler out and Sierra/Dan flipping back gives them control of the game again. It wouldn't be a sure thing, especially with Dan's reluctance to turn his back on the Carolyn/Will/Rodney/Tyler grouping but there would at least be a clear, compelling argument to Dan that he'd have a clear shot at a Blue Strong final 3 with Shirin being dragged along for numbers to f4. 

[Sampson]

I know, shallow thought here.

 

So if the current progression of voting out people cutest to ugliest continues, that leaves us with Rodney, Will and Dan in the FTC?

[needschocolate]

I honestly don't get why people dislike Caroline.   I don't understand the basis for calling her "smug."  I know she found the idol back on White Collar and I know she flipped on White Collar and/or the Women's Alliance, but that doesn't seem enough to garner so much dislike. I don't hate her, I don't like her, I have no real feelings about her at all - I don't know her. She seems like such a non-entity to me.   I thought last night's episode was the first time she spoke on camera since the merge.  But there seems to be an almost universal dislike of her by the viewers.  What have I forgotten or blocked from my mind? 

 

I think Dan and Sierra think that they have a final three with Rodney, Blue Collar all the way. I think that finding out that Rodney is tight with Tyler/Carolyn/Will and that he helps to take out Dan and Sierra will insure that Rodney does not get their votes. Dan will be butt hurt because Blue all the way and Rodney flipped and Rodney's flip makes Dan look like an idiot.

 

I am not sure Dan will realize that Rodney's flip makes Dan look like an idiot - Dan has looked like an idiot many times without realizing it.  However, if Rodney flips, Dan will not vote for him to win, because he has to prove that "Flippers never win."

[dbro]

If I missed this, forgive me - but has ANYONE in the BC tribe ever questioned who has the WC's immunity idol?  Or do they all assume it went away when Joaquin was voted out?  I mean, it's kind of a big deal, yes?  All it would take is one look at Carolyn's perpetual smug expression to figure it out.

 

 

You'd think the producers would ALWAYS want the audience to be able to see that a player had become aware of the other player's advantage, since that would change one's strategy.  

Well, I think it is a big deal and in a related vein I had the exact same question last week seeing absolutely zero edit of anyone probing the nature of Dan's advantage. 

[laurakaye]

I can't wait to hear Dan's douche-splaining when he finally reveals that he has that extra vote.  Since he is in love with the sound of his own voice, and prefers the dramatic, oddly-punctuated monologue instead of regular conversation, it's sure to be a good time.

[SFoster21]

ljenkins782, Mike looks hot cause Joe is gone.

[Alapaki]

I honestly don't get why people dislike Caroline.   I don't understand the basis for calling her "smug."

 

 

For me, it's that she always seems to have a sour-puss on.  And she just seems annoyed that everyone else is still there.  Also, it's like she simply can't comprehend why anyone would dare make a move that might help themselves, and not her, win.

[Dobian]

I can't wait to hear Dan's douche-splaining when he finally reveals that he has that extra vote.  Since he is in love with the sound of his own voice, and prefers the dramatic, oddly-punctuated monologue instead of regular conversation, it's sure to be a good time.

 

Dan is the worst liar ever on that show.  He always launches into that weird "I'm being so sincere" enunciation, it's comical.  I would have to look away when talking to him to keep a straight face.

[fishcakes]

Mike announced that he was voting for Tyler.  I don't think there was any reason for Tyler to doubt that. 

 

Mike said that Shirin would vote for someone other than Tyler.  It's reasonable for Will to assume that Shirin would be gunning for him.

 

It was the opposite. Mike said that Shirin would vote for Tyler and that he was going to vote for someone else (although ultimately he voted for Tyler too). This makes it slightly more chaotic because there's no obvious person that Mike would go after, so it makes them all nervous.

 

I'm not sure how Will's flip-flopping votes never seem to be questioned.

 

 

It's because he lies about it after the fact. In Shirin's EW interview she said that Will blamed Hali's (and presumably Joe's) vote on her and claimed he was still voting with the NCs, which must be why Hali thought Shirin had flipped on them. If next week Will lies about having voted for Dan and tries to put it on Mike, Mike may say he voted for Tyler, and everyone else will say they voted for Shirin, still leaving one vote unaccounted for. If they think Mike is lying and really voted for Dan, then who put the second vote on Tyler? If they believe Will and think he's just mistaken about who Mike voted for, then who put the second vote on Dan? They'll know one of the six other than Tyler voted for either Tyler or Dan, but they won't necessarily know who unless Will admits it. So actually I hope Will does lie because it will make these obnoxious creeps completely paranoid and maybe make them turn on each other earlier than expected, which I would enjoy watching.

[Special K]

I honestly don't get why people dislike Caroline.   I don't understand the basis for calling her "smug." 

 

I think it's because, in the absence of any other information, mostly what we see is her sitting at TC with a smug, superior look on her face.  You could do a montage of those moments, probably.  She probably just has Resting Smug Face.  Or maybe it's Resting I-am-Safe-Because-I-Have-a-Secret-Idol Face.

 

As somebody said elsewhere (JudyObscure, maybe?) I'm disappointed because I wanted so much to like her in the beginning and she's the kind of scrappy (older), strong woman I normally would root for.  But she or the editors haven't given me much of anything to root for.

[riverheightsnancy]

For myself, I found Colton & Alicia's treatment of Christina (I think those are all the names involved) in a previous season to be much worse than Dan. If I remember correctly, no one stepped in then either. I also loathed Corrinne & Nahoinka (sp?) as well. Dan is like that Uncle that is super needy and is always the most knowledgeable person in the room. I totally think his behavior is grounded in extreme low self-esteem and neediness. Mike for the win. 

[blackwing]

I honestly don't get why people dislike Caroline.   I don't understand the basis for calling her "smug."  I know she found the idol back on White Collar and I know she flipped on White Collar and/or the Women's Alliance, but that doesn't seem enough to garner so much dislike. I don't hate her, I don't like her, I have no real feelings about her at all - I don't know her. She seems like such a non-entity to me.   I thought last night's episode was the first time she spoke on camera since the merge.  But there seems to be an almost universal dislike of her by the viewers.  What have I forgotten or blocked from my mind?

She never smiles.  She always looks very harsh.  She has that perpetual "my shit don't stank" attitude.  She is self-righteous.  She thinks she is way smarter than she actually is.  I mean, how can you NOT notice a 3 inch long rolled up tube of paper floating in your soda bottle?  She also always act so superior to people she thinks she is above.  Her interactions with Shirin showed a lot of unnecessary disdain.

[Boilergal]

When did being a victim become a bad thing, something to hide or be ashamed of? Every crime has a perpetrator and a victim and the perpetrator is the bad one. There's nothing wrong with telling people that you were once the victim of abuse or mistreatment or a crime. It doesn't mean manipulation it means, this is my history.

 

Being a victim is nothing to be ashamed of, but what would be the motivation of sharing the intimate details of your victimization with a large group of people that you met 10- 20 days ago (outside of a victim support group)?   Much like Rodney using his murdered sister in early episodes to get sympathy from Jenn.  It's a manipulation to make yourself more sympathetic. 

[Calamity Jane]

I can't quite make myself watch this episode yet, especially after reading here everything that happened. I've pretty much lost all interest in who will win at this point.  And the last chicken is gone?   Perhaps I will skim through, mostly just for the wildlife -- the crabs, the monkeys, the sloth, Sierra's eyebrows.