S31: Previews and Speculation

[Whimsy]

Here is your Season 31 speculation thread. This thread contains NO spoilers and are pure guesses. We will be keeping an eye on who participates in the Spoilers thread to make sure spoilers disguised as speculations are not brought over.

 

[Trick Question]

My picks to win the season: Kelley, Monica or Varner.  While we admittedly saw little of Kelley in S29, I feel she was held up as enough of a threat by the other players that the 'blood vs. water twist ruined my game' excuse actually applied to her.  The question is whether she'll be able to more covertly hide the fact that she's a shrewd player this time around.

 

Players I would be shocked to see win: Kass, Vytas, Kimmi, Terry, Shireen, Andrew Savage, Kelly, Keith.  This could be a fool's errand since returning players can often greatly improve the second time around, but I have a hard time seeing any major adjustments coming from Keith, Terry or Kelly.  Kimmi is kind of a wild card.  Shireen and Kass seem like no-gos based on personality.  Vytas and Savage seem cut from the same cloth as 'obvious leaders' who will play the game too hard and end up getting themselves ousted.

[Ned Merrill]

I am looking forward to this season like no other. I am fairly certain of this: either Abi-Maria Gomes or Kass McQuillen will be the first player gone. These returning players are not going to mess around, and unlikability is going to be a heavy burden.

 

I definitely think that the older players (pre-Season 20) will have an advantage. They are overall a more mature group, and they have had a long time to think about what went wrong. The newer players are going to be pumped-up, but I believe their egos will prevent serious, game-long alliances from forming. Jeff Varner spilled the beans (or did he) about possible pre-game alliances, but he is too savvy to share his real thoughts (IMO). Of the old school group, my picks to go deep are Andrew Savage, Kelly Wiglesworth, and Terry Dietz. Jeff Varner will be a physical liability in the early challenges, which I expect to be very closely-contested. I like Stephen Fishbach a lot, but he has too big a target on him. I have a hard time getting a read on Kimmi Kappenberg and Monica Padilla, and I get a sense that Peih-Gee Law will have difficulty forming a strong alliance.

 

Of the newer players, my choices are Vytas Baskauskas, Kelley Wentworth, and Tasha Fox to make the Jury, at the very least. It appears that Terry and Vytas are bonding, and they may pick off the big physical threats, like Spencer Bledsoe, Woo Hwang, and, later, Joe Anglim. I believe Jeremy Collins is a true wild-card, who was crippled from the get-go on his SJdS: B v. W season by defeating his wife, leading to her eventual elimination. Keith Nale will probably go early because he is not the strongest physical challenge performer, while Ciera Eastin may last longer. I will be interested to see if Shirin Oskooi can keep a low profile long enough to do serious damage.

 

My prediction for the Final Three: Tasha Fox, Andrew Savage, and Kelly Wiglesworth.

Sole Survivor: Tasha Fox

[KimberStormer]

I definitely think Kass will be targeted early, but not because of unlikeability.  Unlikeability is a plus in a goat.  However, making random unpredictable moves the cornerstone of your game to the extent that you coin your own hashtag and put "chaos" in it is a big big minus.  Phillip is not an easy guy to get along with, but that didn't hurt him--Andrea, Cochran et al knew he was a dependable vote (to the extent of not deviating from flight plan despite knowing for sure it would send him home at the hands of the 3 Amigos) and a dislikeable, dependable vote is a nice thing to have.  But Kass, like Sugar, is probably going to be seen as not worth it to keep around. 

[Ned Merrill]

I quite agree that unpredictability is possibly the most unenviable trait a Survivor contestant can possess. However, I do not see this group setting up the long game and tending goats in the first 9-12 days. I evaluated relative tribe strength two ways: by comparing 'counterparts' (players with the same strengths and weaknesses), and by rating players 1 thru 10 and comparing 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc. In both cases, I  came up 5-5. It will be all-hands-on-deck for what I expect to be brutal, endurance-based challenges in the early going. Anyone who lags behind AND is an irritant around camp is going to get a quick trip home.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Ned Merrill

[phlebas]

Imagine you're a returnee for Season 31 from one of the first 29 seasons.  You were watching season 30 and saw the crap that Shirin went through with Dan and Will and whomever else.  More importantly, you saw the reaction from the Survivor fans on social media, RHAP, and other places. Then you go to the reunion to find out if you made the cut, and they go into it all again (it had only been about a month or so since the original episode aired, after all). It occurs to you that season 30 is most likely to be remembered for that.

 

A few minutes later, you find out you're going back in for season 31!

 

Then soon after, you find out Shirin is coming with you. She seems pleasant enough, if a little overenthusiastic, but all you know about her is that she was in the middle of one of the most uncomfortable moments in Survivor history, and feelings are still running high.

 

Does this change the way you interact with her in Cambodia? Do you try to get her out early because she's a distraction and an unknown (compared to the other players you may have known for years and talked to before you left), and hope that any of the fervor people had will have cooled by the time this season airs? Do you deliberately try to ally with her?

[ProfCrash]

Shirin has been interacting with the Survivor community since the season began. She attended a Rob Has a Podcast live broadcast and met a good number of folks there. The joke is that it was her cousin. I think as long as she didn't talk about the season that was on she was fine to be there but there has been a lot of winking and joking about her attendence.

 

Shirin handled most of happened with good grace in interviews and her social media interactions. She was pretty calm and treated it as a way to raise awareness and money for domestic violence. It doesn't hurt that long before the blow up there was a pretty long list of sexist behavior in the season, that blow up was just the cherry on top. Dan did manage to add more to the sundae but that is Dan for you.

 

I would also point out that on the show and Ponderosa videos 90% of the cast was already at the "That is just Shirin being Shirin." and didn't even seem annoyed with her. There are three folks who bash her pretty regularly, Joaquin, Dan, and Will. I discount their impressions. We saw Mike, Jen, Hali, and Joe change their opinion towards Shirin and just shrug her off. Carolyn has been pretty mum, I think she is somewhere between the two camps and smart enough to keep her mouth closed.

 

I think Shirin's reputation among the Survivor community is pretty solid and people see her as a geek who loves the show and was a bit too enthusiastic. The various posts, tweets, and pod casts I have heard leave me with the impresion that she does not have to worry too much about how the Survivors perceive her.

 

I get myself in hot water with these type of assertions, but I think that there are issues that we see as huge that the players don't. A fair amount of the Dan/Shirin stuff that aired Shirin said she didn't have any memory of and it was funny seeing it air. We get the abridged version of their 39 day adventure. Obviously the Will/Shirin fight they all remembered. But pretty much everyone has defended Dan as not being even close to the ass that we saw. No one has said he didn't do those things but they are saying that what we saw was the exception to the rule. The past players all know that and I think take what they see with a grain of salt. They understand editing and how much is cut. What is huge to the viewer, based on what we are shown, is brushed off by the contestants who have a better feeling for the entire picture.

 

So I think Shirin will be fine. I don't think she is a target. She does not appear to be a challenge beast and she is not all that chaotic. She was loyal to her alliances. She was far too enthusiastic and in full geek mode. I suspect that everyone out there expects that she will contian that better this time. First, she has already played so the novelty is gone. Second she knows how she came across and knows she has to alter that. She is smart enough to find ways of containing herself.

 

I think your Abi's and Kass's are in danger. Abi is her own type of annoying and pretty easily led. Pete managed to sabatoge an alliance with Abi and RC with ease. I would not trust Abi knowing how easy it is for her to turn on you. All you have to do is create the perception that someone is doing her wrong and she can turn on that person. I wouldn't ally with someone who I would have to be worried about 24/7. Toss in her attitude and I think I would want her gone fast.

 

Kass called herself Chaos Kass. She gave herself that nickname. She relished it. She gave talkign head interviews about enjoying the chaos she was creating. She insulted people. She drove her own alliance to talk llama to her. She is not loyal, thinks that she is smarter then everyone, won't help you win most challenges, and brags about being a shit stirrer. That is a target.

 

Joe, Spenser and the other alphas are targets because, well, they are alphas. Joe is a target because he is a nice alpha that people like socially. Spenser is a target because he is a young, strategic alpha.

 

I think Shirin is fine. There are plenty of other targets for better reasons then being overly enthusiastic and her past story line then Shirin.

[phlebas]

I agree with pretty much all that.  And that is a good point about Shirin interacting with the other Survivors between the filming and the broadcast.

 

But I think what the other cast members who were around her 24/7 (and around Will/Dan 24x7 for that matter) are irrelevant. While there are a few Fairplays out there who would and did relish the public outrage (if that's the right word), I think most people wouldn't want to be viewed as the thickheaded misogynists Will and Dan were depicted as. Whatever actually happened with the Dirty Thirty, you never know how the edit will turn out.

 

Maybe it manifests in different ways, if it manifests at all. But given the reunion and how that went down and season 31 beginning immediately, I would be surprised if it wasn't on anyone's mind.

 

Or maybe I need to drink more coffee before I turn my computer on in the mornings :)  At last it's almost upon us.

[ProfCrash]

I think that the folks that were selected have already established that they are not stupid enough to play/treat people/discuss things the way Dan, Will, and Joaquin did. That is not to say that some of them might have sexist attitides but I don't remember them for that.  They each have their weaknesses as people but none of them strike me as total douchebags. Obnoxious, yes. Douchebags, no.

 

I think Shirin's comment about making her first million by 25, or whatever the age was, stood out for many of them. But they should have already known she was well off based on the information that was in the press before Season 30 started. That comment might reinforce that she has money but I don't think it was new to anyone.

 

I don't think anyone is going to take Shirin far because of what happened with Season 30. They are all pretty well aquainted with how quickly people move past the individuals in the show and what they did. They are also pretty well aware of the fact that the only people who are going to recognize them are Survivor fans and most of those folks are not going to be responsible for their economic well being. These are all veterans who know what the aftermath of the show looks like. They have seen the good and the bad and are aware of how that will effect their lives.

 

I don't think anyone is going to treat Shirin with kid gloves, she has been pretty clear that she doesn't need them to. I think that they will be more concerned about her ability to stratigize. I think that they know that she didn't have much room to work with last season so I don't think anyone knows how she would play from a position of power. Same goes for Spenser, Tasha, and Kass. Spenser has flat out said he would have been seen as more of a dick if he had been in an alliance that was winning. Shirin has commented that we didn't actually get to see her play the game because her tribe was losing and then she was in a minority alliance.

 

I think it would be a different scenario if it was a fan vs favorites format. Fans who have not played before might alter their play but people who have played in the past and understand how the show works when it is shooting, after it is done, and after time has faded away will have a very different approach.

[peachmangosteen]

Based on the first ep I'm gonna make a wild guess at the winner: Kelly Wentworth. 

 

I'm also gonna guess Varner is gonna flame out spectacularly very soon.

 

And I think Kimmi might be a dark horse. But that might just be wishful thinking because I have her in my draft.

[LadyChatts]

Kelley Wentworth gives me the same vibe I had about Mike last season.  She's gotten some positive pre-game hype from Probst, Parvati, and other anaylsts that were there when the season started filming.  Even while the campaign was going on, I got a feeling Kelley was going to come out and prove why she deserved it and that she can play.  Her idol move last night was great.  

 

I think Tasha playing too aggressive is going to bite her in the butt.  Jeremy will probably be the first one to bail on his alpha alliance.  I hope Varner is around for the long haul, but flip flopping, being undecided, and having to integrate himself into the new school way of Survivor may be his downfall.  I think PG, Abi, Stephen, and Kass are the most in danger of leaving next.  Possibly Spencer or Shirin if Jeff does want to go for getting out the new school players, but thinks they need Spencer for challenges (especially if they lose again).  

[Lantern7]

Given that the tribes are going to get redrawn into three next week, I figured this would be a good time to start a speculation thread for Second Chance.

 

Personally . . . wouldn't it have been a better idea to start with three tribes? Did we need to see TKO vote out two people who weren't Abi-Maria? In other news, I hope the twist favors Spencer. Part of me hopes he gets to flip off his old tribe that tried to vote him out.

[NutMeg]

Is this the first time we fo for more tribes rather than less?

 

I actually like the twist but I want it to be totally random, even if we end up with lopsided tribes, I just want to see the interactions between there people and lopsided or not these should be interesting.

[Way Wes Jr]

With nine women and nine men, Jeff will present them with specific bowls to choose from - 3/3 on each tribe.  

 

Huge (potential) lifelines for Spencer and Stephen.  Hopefully Abi will end up on a tribe that doesn't want to keep her as a FTC goat.

[NutMeg]

From your lips/fingertips to the players' ears, Way Wes :-) (last part of your post, obviousy!)

[ProfCrash]

I would love to have Abi go next week. Would be soooo thrilled with that development.

[Way Wes Jr]

I am going to be stalking this and the media threads looking for new tribal division info.  All.  Freaking. Week.

[LadyChatts]

I actually am glad they are doing it this way, for once.  On a regular season, I like the 3 tribe format because it gives us a better chance to get to know everyone.  People here may have just been expecting the tribe swap into two tribes down the road.  Now it throws them for a loop.  Spencer and Stephen could get the upper hand.  Since Bayon never went to TC, I don't know if Stephen really would have been on the block or not.  But Spencer may have very well been gone if Ta'Keo lost again.  

 

Here is Jeff's teaser for next week (I like how it alludes to the fact that yes, some people may have already been aware that this was happening):

Okay, time to tease us up. You all have contracted down in tribes before, but I don’t recall ever expanding. What can you tell us about next week’s shift from two tribes to three? 
When you bring back returning players, it’s extremely tough to ever surprise them. So we had a few ideas in our hopper and we hoped that at least a couple of them would surprise at least a couple of players. I wouldn’t be surprised if several players considered the idea of a two-to-three tribe switch — but you never know for sure, and when it finally hits, it’s pretty powerful. The obvious impact is that it completely changes the game, and for some I will tease that it will be a MAJOR setback.

I love these moments because it pushes people to find a new way. How do I get back in the game? Tribe switches are one of the few parts of the game you can’t control. It’s the “luck” portion of the game. By simply drawing the right — or wrong — buff your game moves in one direction or the other. That’s why there is no “fool proof” strategy. Survivor requires you to constantly adapt — 24 hours a day for 39 straight days. Exhausting … and life-changing. See ya next week!

 

[peachmangosteen]

I am going to be stalking this and the media threads looking for new tribal division info.  All.  Freaking. Week.

 

I'm fairly sure there will be a promo that will completely spoil the new tribes. They always do that.

 

This is spec that's sorta based on a rumor I think I heard so I'll tag it.

I believe I heard there was a med evac this season. I'm thinking it's gonna be Ciera. She looked like shit at the IC and sat out because she was sick. But as I was thinking this I realized that the med evac rumor might've been about next season lol.

Edited October 1, 2015 by peachmangosteen

[peskipiksi]

Oh, I hope Spencer and Fishbach team up...!

[Hanahope]

I know the show has had to focus on Takeo for the first two episodes, but so far, Kelley, Jeff and Terry are getting the best edits so far, which suggests they go fairly far in the season.  Kelley's focus could be explained by her getting the idol and Terry based on his helping Abi which switched things up this last episode, but Jeff is doing most of the "narration" of the season's story, so that looks good for him. 

[LadyChatts]

I think it is going to go one of two ways for Jeff: either they are setting him up for the win or to go extremely deep and just get unlucky, or he's in for one heck of a blindside.  So far, he seems to be the main wheeler and dealer, he's flip flopped, and he's a bit of an instigator.  At some point people may consider him too risky to keep around, or may think he's playing a great game and be rewarded for it, and therefore get blindsided.  I don't think they need to worry about him being a threat in the challenges, however.  I don't like Terry, but I adore Jeff and am really rooting for him to make it at least to the merge (I'd love to see him at Ponderosa every week).  Kelley I warmed up to in the first episode.  I wasn't a fan before, but I'm liking her so far.

[Nashville]

Kelley I warmed up to in the first episode. I wasn't a fan before, but I'm liking her so far.

I felt badly for Kelley her first time out, in BvW. I got the vibe she had some significant potential for game; her father, however, had a near-uncanny ability to alienate other players (especially other female players).

His bad people skills painted a 40-foot-tall target on himself, Kelley was tied to him - however unwillingly - by virtue of the blood tie, and it was pretty obvious Kelley was the much more effective (and therefore dangerous) player of the pair - so exit Kelley stage left.

I was glad to see Kelley getting a second chance to show what she can do, without Dad's interference.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Nashville

[pennben]

I adore Jeff and am really rooting for him to make it at least to the merge (I'd love to see him at Ponderosa every week).

 

Yes, please!  If Varner can't win, and I'm guessing he can't, please let him make it to jury/Ponderosa.  He's just such a fantastic character here so far, I don't want to lose him either.

[Hanahope]

On the other tribe, we've had 'story' out of Stephen, Jeremy, Savage, Kass and Keith and Tasha, so those are probably the one that go deeper than the rest.  We'll see how the next episode goes.  After so many seasons of Survivor, its getting easier to pick out the "winner/long-term player" edit.

[wonald]

We had 'story' out of Keith and Tasha? Not seeing it.

[KimberStormer]

After so many seasons of Survivor, its getting easier to pick out the "winner/long-term player" edit.

 

I don't know anymore.  The past few seasons the editing has not been so clear, to me anyway.  Brenda and Erik were erased from existence like Marty McFly's siblings despite going deep, and in Brenda's case, being part of a significant and bizarre storyline.  The only people who got any attention at all pre-merge in San Juan Del Sur were the first and second jury members; even Natalie was mostly invisible much of the time.  Worlds Apart set up loveable heroes and despicable villains (not even love-to-hate villains, but horrible tedious boringly evil people) and then sent the heroes to Ponderosa and left us stuck with the horrible boring people for weeks.  Tony and Mike and Cochran were obvious winners, sure, but that was mostly because the editors weirdly refused to let us consider their rivals; nothing in the edit would suggest Dawn or Sherri or Erik or Kass or Woo or Will etc had any chance at all.  (I believe this is true of Tyson as well.)

 

It's hard to say what the editors are doing, or think they're doing, or why they're doing it, to me.  I can sort of see some of it (despicable villains make Mike a better winner, triumphing via immunity wins as America prefers!) but mostly I can't.  I'd say things looked good for a lot of those people too, but I'd never swear to it anymore.

[NutMeg]

And let's not forget the edits of Josh and Jeremy, which at the time seemed to imply they'd go far.

[peachmangosteen]

And let's not forget the edits of Josh and Jeremy, which at the time seemed to imply they'd go far.

 

That's what has me unsure about the edits now. Josh and Jeremy were quite literally the only people with any edit at all in SJDS and yet they went right at merge. That really shocked me. 

 

This particularly has me wondering about Jeff. I feel he's getting that Josh style Narrator edit and normally I would've assumed that meant he went far but now I'm wondering if he's gonna flame out and go sooner rather than later.

[Oholibamah]

I can't predict the winner from the edit. If you'd told me Mike was the winner after his awful scorpion eating/puking scene in the first weeks, I would've laughed. I guess in the last third you can tell better.

Has anyone with a true villain edit ever won? It seems like they save the villain edit for blindsided people, since we all love a good villainous blindside, or the people who there is just no other way to show them, like Russell.

Brian and Jenna, back-to-back no less. But those went over so poorly that I think they started presenting their winners through rose coloured glasses. You could make arguments for Rob and Tony, but they were presented as loveable masterminds, not as pure evil.

[KimberStormer]

I had a dream last night that Shirin told me they'd decided Varner was going home next.  She had a chart drawn out in charcoal showing the reasons why and how each person was going to vote.  I was aghast at getting spoiled.  Now that I'm up I remember that Shirin is already out!

[LadyChatts]

I might throw in Parvati and Sandra as villain winners.  Though I'd argue they were more likable villains than Brian or Jenna.  And had stronger game play (especially Parvati).  I believe Brian earned his win, though also got lucky with who he was saddled with.  Plus, Thailand was a godawful season that he seemed the most logic choice.  In a better season I wonder if he wouldn't have gotten such a negative edit.  Jenna was just plain lucky.  I'm still mystified how she pulled it off.

 

I had a feeling about Mike early on, but thought there was no way.  He was getting such a negative edit early on, and it really wasn't until Joe got voted off that I thought his edit started turning around.  Of course, they made him look crazy and paranoid to his tribe, while to the viewers, he was making perfect sense.  They really set his win up great.  I figured either he was winning or would be out at the final 4, but would be the sentimental favorite that didn't win.  However, Jeff had said that the winner was going to be very well liked, so that took out a huge chunk of possibilities once we got down to the final 7.  I thought it would be between him and Carolyn, yet Carolyn disappeared halfway through after playing a strong game, then suddenly was out of the wood work again.  Also, I remember nothing about Natalie until about mid merge.  I remember the previous TC where I'd see her and be like 'who is that again?'  It's so early, I think it is going to be hard to really tell edit.  I remember people thinking Jenn had a winner's quote last season when she went on that RC to see the sea turtles hatching and compared their odds to her odds in the game. 

[susannot]

I felt badly for Kelley her first time out, in BvW. I got the vibe she had some significant potential for game; her father, however, had a near-uncanny ability to alienate other players (especially other female players).

His bad people skills painted a 40-foot-tall target on himself, Kelley was tied to him - however unwillingly - by virtue of the blood tie, and it was pretty obvious Kelley was the much more effective (and therefore dangerous) player of the pair - so exit Kelley stage left.

I was glad to see Kelley getting a second chance to show what she can do, without Dad's interference.

Agreed. In Kelley's first season I thought, and posted here, that she had game. She really deserved the second chance. Glad to see that others here are picking her for the win.

[Lantern7]

Here's a preview of the episode. I don't think we can glean who goes where. I'm hoping something bad happens to Andrew . . . like, Lillian and Ryan Shoulders sneak up behind him and whack him with machetes. Or maybe Jeff breaks his big head.

[LadyChatts]

https://youtu.be/EYn0JR18T6g

 

Here is the challenge preview for this week with the dream team.  This looks like the one that was in the background when CBS spoiled Varner making the swap to Angkor.

 

Jeff seemed to be making a point of emphasizing this swap being a "major setback" for people.  We know tribes swaps can affect someone's game, but I think this tribe swap may be a different kind of game changer than we are used to (I'm still expecting Savage to have his destiny repeated and be ousted because of being on the wrong end of numbers; so not exactly the Outcast Tribe 2.0, but close enough).

 

Surprised there aren't any press photos out yet.

Edited October 6, 2015 by LadyChatts

[peachmangosteen]

Surprised there aren't any press photos out yet.

There are. They're super generic and don't reveal anything at all though.

[LadyChatts]

http://survivorfever.net/vc_s31_promo_ep4_10_10.html

 

Promo captures (this is from the RC).

[peachmangosteen]

Oh geez, Andrew vs. Jeremy vs. Terry. That will be insufferable. Is there any way they can all lose? 

[LadyChatts]

Could something exciting finally be happening next week?  The episode is titled "A Snake in the Grass" which we know from the previews is a soundbite from Kimmi.  We saw Monica in her third confessional of the season talking with Spencer, who has his sights set on getting Kelly out.  Monica doesn't want to do that, and I wonder if they are turning this into a Monica vs Kimmi showdown.  I don't know if Kimmi is talking about Kelly in that soundbite or not.  In addition, I wonder if Varner mouthing Kimmi and Monica's names to Kelly will come up next episode, if Bayon is indeed headed to TC.  

[Way Wes Jr]

Not so much speculation as wishful thinking, but with the Angkor beach being so awful, how about a double elimination episode next week?  Something along the lines of, "First place gets immunity, second gets to watch the first tribal council before going to their own."  That'd get us to 14 players, which seems to be the shows, "go to two tribes" point on three tribe seasons.

[wonald]

Not so much speculation as wishful thinking, but with the Angkor beach being so awful, how about a double elimination episode next week?  Something along the lines of, "First place gets immunity, second gets to watch the first tribal council before going to their own."  That'd get us to 14 players, which seems to be the shows, "go to two tribes" point on three tribe seasons.

 

E5 is often the time for a double boot in a 20 person season.

 

CBS's press release:

 

 

“A Snake In The Grass” – One castaway embraces a new, more personal style of play for his second chance. Also, one castaway risks ruining a good thing by going against her own alliance, on SURVIVOR, Wednesday, Oct. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

CHEAT TWEET:  Would you play it safe or vote against your alliance?   One castaway must decide on #SurvivorSecondChance 10/21 8PM http://bit.ly/1LQQIBd

 

[KimberStormer]

I'm still wondering what the "slow burn" emergence of a "new style of playing" that Jeff Probst is so "curious how the viewers will react to" is.  He intimated that it had already started happening, I think in episode one!  But so far the burn is very slow and I haven't noticed anything especially out of the ordinary.  I could speculate something about Abi being a very weird kind of Ox (the goat-who-runs-the-game), because unlike past oxen like Russell and Dawn, she has no plan, no actual alliance, no thought for anything but how she feels that very moment; but that would be a pretty weird thing for Jeff to single out, and anyway we have indeed seen it before in Sugar.  (Except for Kelley Wentworth going Parvati-style amazing and winning the game, my only other real hope for enjoying the season is that Abi can be Sugar, and systematically destroy all the self-appointed chessmasters who see her as a pawn.  I realize that I will be the only one on this forum left watching, if that happens, but I will be loving it.  Sugar is one of my Survivor heroes, but I could wish that we had gotten a more "look how badass she is" kind of edit, rather than a "cute sweetheart trapped with assholes" edit.)

 

Someone on another thread noticed that everyone who has been voted out since Vytas voted for the person who went out previously.  Sort of a curse, something more fitting to the Pirates of Pearl Island than to Cambodia.  But I don't think that could be what Jeff was getting at....I'm at a loss.  This mystery is extremely interesting to me, though.  Jeff didn't seem super-into it, and yet this is the first time a mid-season hype interview has successfully made me more curious to watch than I would have been.

[kikaha]

(Except for Kelley Wentworth going Parvati-style amazing and winning the game, my only other real hope for enjoying the season is that Abi can be Sugar, and systematically destroy all the self-appointed chessmasters who see her as a pawn.  I realize that I will be the only one on this forum left watching, if that happens, but I will be loving it. 

 

You won't be the only one.  I'll watch, too, and get a huge kick out of it. 

 

If Abi goes far this season, after nearly making F3 her first time around, will be fascinating to listen to the various analyses and dissections of her game.  I'm really eager to hear everyone's thoughts, because so far she seems to break the mold of most past players.  As you said, she is creating her own, new category. 

[kikaha]

(Except for Kelley Wentworth going Parvati-style amazing and winning the game, my only other real hope for enjoying the season is that Abi can be Sugar, and systematically destroy all the self-appointed chessmasters who see her as a pawn.  I realize that I will be the only one on this forum left watching, if that happens, but I will be loving it. 

 

You won't be the only one.  I'll watch, too, and get a huge kick out of it. 

 

If Abi goes far this season, after nearly making F3 her first time around, will be fascinating to listen to the various analyses and dissections of her game.  I'm really eager to hear everyone's thoughts, because so far she seems to break the mold of most past players.  As you said, she is creating her own, new category. 

Erased this myself: accidentally posted twice. 

[LadyChatts]

I'll be here too.  Very rarely have I ever tuned out for a Survivor season (Redemption Island and Caramoan are it).  Hurricane Abi making it to the end and watching everyone who had chances to get rid of her, but either put their faith in her or figured she'd be an expendable goat down the road get totally destroyed and then chew her out for their own stupidity would be so worth it.  Especially because she'd likely give it right back to them and totally shoot down the fact that they weren't the Survivor geniuses that they thought they were.

[Trick Question]

So if I had to guess, the medivac'ed player isn't from the Angkor tribe.  Jeff's buddy-buddy "hey, it's Probst" would lead me to believe he's waking up his pal Savage and company informing them that someone from one of the other teams is now out of the game.

[willpwr]

I'm thinking it has to do with Terry, not Savage. If I recall correctly, no medivac's this season.

[peachmangosteen]

The promo definitely suggested it's someone from Ta Keo since they had Kass saying, "It's worse than anything you can imagine." 

 

I know Terry's son had health problems. Was that before/after this filmed or was it maybe during and so Terry would have to leave for that reason?

Oh wow, I just looked at the promo images for the next ep and there's major spoilers in them. I don't wanna go to the spoiler thread since I know there's a boot list out there now and I absolutely want no part in that, so I'll just discuss it here under a spoiler tag.

 

Pics. Another tribe swap, I guess, with Kelley, Kimmi, Stephen, Jeremy, Keith, Tasha, and Joe being Bayon. There's 15 people left though and they wouldn't go to two uneven tribes, so I guess maybe someone has to leave early in the ep and then they do a swap with 7-7.

Jeff's EW tease for the ep: "Oh, man, there is so much. I don't want to give much away. Major emotion. Major reversal. And a lot of gross stuff to eat. How's that? Great questions!"

Edited October 22, 2015 by peachmangosteen

[pennben]

 

I know Terry's son had health problems. Was that before/after this filmed or was it maybe during and so Terry would have to leave for that reason?

 

Regarding this question only (and I'm only posting here because you seem to want a spoiler for this, but not other spoilers)

Terry is pulled from the game by his family due to his son's health issues. I assume, based on previews and other timing spoilers, it happens next episode.

 

I promise to not post other spoilers here or otherwise post here because clearly I'm spoiled by the spoiler thread.

Edited October 22, 2015 by pennben

[ProfCrash]

There is not much coming out of the spoiler thread itself. Mainly speculation....