S31: Abi-Maria Gomes

[LadyChatts]

"People who played with Abi in the Philippines declined the opportunity to play this season because they did not want to play with Abi. Apparently it was more then just RC."

Regardless of what I think about Abi, I'd put anyone who declined a second chance for other than legitimate reasons (and I don't consider this to be such) at the very end of the line for consideration in future returnee seasons.

 

Totally agree.  They can't suck it up?  Given how the tribes were divided, they likely wouldn't have even wound up with Abi at first.  She also got voted on a season that was a fan vote (I didn't vote for her consistently, but she did get some of my votes).  I don't regret that decision.  Abi has survived 3 votes so far, 2 of which almost resulted in her ouster, and 2 of the very people who voted with her in the first vote are now gone.  Maybe her only game play is to be a goat.  I don't like seeing goats rewarded or make it far, because it is super annoying.  But Kass said that was going to be her strategy, to come across non threatening and to just be the goat in someone's alliance.  I don't know Abi in real life, I didn't like her on her original season, I don't know if this is really her or if she is playing a character for screen time and to get ahead in this game.  If people keep her around because they think she is beatable in the end, even though she's been unpredictable, then she deserves it and they deserve to pay for it by having her be the reason they get voted off.

Edited October 9, 2015 by LadyChatts

[Special K]

I dunno.  I'm sure she is "acting up" on the show, but if so, it's to get air time.  Maybe that's what you mean by "attention."

 

And she seems so miserable!  Even when she's gleeful ("you wrote my name down twice!") it seems filled with misery and malice.  I am watching this season wondering why she bothered.  I don't feel that way about anyone else on this season.  If what we are seeing is not a fair representation of who she is, then she must have pissed off someone in production, a la Dan and Purple Kelly.

 

I'd actually like her more if she just owned her scorched-earth approach as a strategy.  I never thought I'd say this, but Russell Hantz is easier to digest -- at least he enjoyed being eeeevil.

[Zuleikha]

I don't buy that what we're seeing isn't a fair representation of who she is. Too many players are saying the same things about her. There have been some contestants where other players vouched that the editing wasn't a fair representation. That's not what's going on with Abi. It may be that she is able to keep this side of herself in check outside of the stress of the game, but it's still part of her. And I'm honestly skeptical that she really keeps this side of herself in check. cooksdelight, it doesn't sound like your relationship with her is of the type where you two have needed to work out conflicts. 

[cooksdelight]

I always refer to Survivor as a game show. Because, really, that's what it is. Just a slightly different setting. I've been to The Price Is Right, and if you want to get picked as a contestant, you have to act outrageous in front of the director when he pre-screens contestants before you walk inside the studio. If you just stand there and answer his questions, you won't get picked. But if you jump up and down, wave your arms, scream like a banshee..... you are more likely to be one of the few. And who acts like that every day?

Even on a day when Abi felt sick and hoarse and probably wished she could stay in bed, she was gracious and hospitable.

Not me, I'm a grumpy bitch when I'm sick.

[BigRedCheese]

 

it pains me to see people calling her crazy, and Denise's remarks are really wrong

 

If it makes you feel any better, I wish her no ill will outside of the game, but she is acting crazier than a sh*t house rat while the cameras are rolling out there, and no, it isn't just editing, they couldn't show it if she didn't do it. From what I've been reading, it seems they're actually being kind to her in editing, pretty much everyone that has played with her, in her first season, and in this one, says that it's much worse than what they show. I would love to see the charming girl from the post boot interviews that owned up to her bad behavior, and said it was only because she tore her acl, but unfortunately, that girl didn't show up. Denise, and all the other players describe what they experienced, just as you are describing what you have experienced. Denise isn't wrong, and I assume you're not either. I have no doubt she's perfectly lovely in daily life, but this is a board dedicated to Survivor, I appreciate she acts differently on your lunch dates, but that's not what I'm watching. 

[rose711]

I always refer to Survivor as a game show. Because, really, that's what it is. Just a slightly different setting. I've been to The Price Is Right, and if you want to get picked as a contestant, you have to act outrageous in front of the director when he pre-screens contestants before you walk inside the studio. If you just stand there and answer his questions, you won't get picked. But if you jump up and down, wave your arms, scream like a banshee..... you are more likely to be one of the few. And who acts like that every day?

Even on a day when Abi felt sick and hoarse and probably wished she could stay in bed, she was gracious and hospitable.

Not me, I'm a grumpy bitch when I'm sick.

This doesn't apply to survivor. They need narrators, challenge monsters, thoughtful strategists and a variety of people. I agree that people want camera time, but most people manage to do that through wit and charm, not tantrums.

Abi looks like a fool with her erratic and unjustified emotional play and I think she has turned many previous fans against her. I'm starting to see many posts of how tired people are of her negative actions.

It's too bad she decided to portray a character for screen time. She isn't benefiting her game.

I don't buy the excuse of how the conditions impact her, she isn't in any different circumstances than anyone else. It sounds like her laziness means she has even an easier time. That was something Peih Gee complained about her.

It's great she wants to help charity, but isn't that just more of stroking her unstable ego as if she is a player that matters? Her ego relating to the show is massive. She's my poster girl for fame who're, and the competition is fierce. (Compare her actions to Kelley Wentworth, another fame who're, but one not playing like a nut case.)

She should enjoy this one be cause she will not win another fan vote.

Edited October 11, 2015 by rose711

[phlebas]

I'm fine with believing Abi is a kind and generous person in the real world. I'll likely never meet her, so I'll defer to those who have. 

 

It's the cartoon villain Survivor Abi that I find boring and repugnant. I don't wish anyone any lasting harm, but I would find a humiliating blindside (sorry, #blindside) satisfying television. 

 

Since almost none of us have any other experience with Abi, it's easy to think of her as That Person.  (Also: forgive me, cooks, but since you DO have experience with Abi Actual, your perception of Survivor Abi may be skewed from what the rest of us are working with.)

 

I hope Abi has a long and happy life, surrounded with friends and loved ones. I also hope she gets kicked out of Survivor in an embarrassing and humbling way and CBS loses her phone number.

[NutMeg]

Abi Maria is not a firecracker, she's a freaking time bomb.

 

And once in a while, in this game, there are people who know how to behave around, and even even how to use, a time bomb.

 

First, they have to recognize that it is a time bomb. Then they must get familiar with that specific time bomb. Understand how the time bomb works. Understand what triggers will get it to explode and what could delay an explosion, or get it to happen in a specific direction.

 

So far the only example that comes to mind of a successful way to handle a time bomb is Rob's with regards to Phillip (aslo impressive in the context of this thread is that said time bomb learned from his first time experience!)

 

Trish was a reasonably good time bomb holder of Kass, but maybe she lost track of other dangers. Rob never lost track of any danger. Andrea also seemed to have some of the necessary skills to manage a time bomb (Phillip again) both in their first season together (but she was more of a deputy handler) and in the second season, but by then the time bomb was much less lethal. 

 

Now in the case of this season, I'm not sure where Jeff is along the steps that makes one a good time bomb user. Time will tell! 

 

Interestingly, in both Phillip's and Abi's cases, these time bombs target most women, and seem to respond well to a male time bomb expert. (Kass was different and didn't seem to be gender oriented either way, as I recall, but my memory of that season is not the best).

[phlebas]

I like the time bomb comparison.  In Abi's case, the timer has a faulty connection and will go off whether the timer says 00:01 or 00:24 or 54:22.

[marys1000]

IDK, I feel bad for the contestants that get what I consider bad edits.  All people have social weaknesses.  Survivor probably hits some more than others and so can really exaggerate them in a 39 day pressure cooker.   I can be a little insecure, get my feelings hurt a little more than some.

Introvert blah blah blah.  But in day to day life 99% of the time it doesn't really show up.  On survivor?  I expect I'd be a hot mess.  Not only does someone get a little hurt, or paranoid or whatever but then everyone else jumps on it and talks about it and blows it out of proportion as game play making the person (in this scenario me) more hurt, more paranoid. 

Seems like lots of people have not liked being with Abi on the show.  There has to be some validity to their feelings but I also don't feel qualified to say this is the real day to day Abi.  Seems like this sort of show really brings out some of her underlying insecurities and I can only feel sorry for that. 

[BigRedCheese]

 

Seems like lots of people have not liked being with Abi on the show.  There has to be some validity to their feelings but I also don't feel qualified to say this is the real day to day Abi.

 

I don't think anybody thinks this is Abi in daily life, I voted for her in every vote because she convinced me in her interviews that her bad behavior was because she had a torn acl, and she would be completely different if she played again. She was charming and funny in her interviews, she came across as very contrite, that's why regret every vote for her, and have apologized to anyone playing with her that might read these boards for my part in helping get back out there. I thew some votes to Kass and Keith because I thought they might do some crazy stuff, which is ok in small doses, but in Abi's case, I feel like she sold me a bill of goods.

[phlebas]

So many people who know Abi in person have nothing but good things to say about her.  But we've seen this same paranoid, neurotic, vindictive demon in two seasons.  As sweet as Real Abi may be, she also has that in her. I guess we all do, and Abi lacks a filter when she's bored and hungry.

 

I wonder if Shii Ann is somewhere, watching Abi and thinking "oh, THAT'S a Shii-Devil"

[NurseGiGi]

I don't buy that what we're seeing isn't a fair representation of who she is. Too many players are saying the same things about her. There have been some contestants where other players vouched that the editing wasn't a fair representation. That's not what's going on with Abi. It may be that she is able to keep this side of herself in check outside of the stress of the game, but it's still part of her. And I'm honestly skeptical that she really keeps this side of herself in check. cooksdelight, it doesn't sound like your relationship with her is of the type where you two have needed to work out conflicts. 

Yes, I don't buy it either.  Those same traits that we are seeing on Survivor are still there in every day life it's just that some people are able to hide those things until the right trigger comes up.  I've seen her being very nasty to people, mostly to women, and I expect that in bigger doses in real life those characteristics still come through.  A few nonstressful lunches won't typically trigger that sort of behavior, either.  

 

After her interviews I was willing to give her another chance because I can believe that a torn acl combined with the stresses of Survivor could make you act in a way that you normally wouldn't.  But this time around she doesn't have that excuse and she's shown us what she's really like.  I really, really regret throwing a vote her way.

 

ETA:  Abi is a mean girl of one.  On steroids.

Edited October 13, 2015 by NurseGiGi

[Guest]

I don't think anybody thinks this is Abi in daily life, I voted for her in every vote because she convinced me in her interviews that her bad behavior was because she had a torn acl, and she would be completely different if she played again. She was charming and funny in her interviews, she came across as very contrite, that's why regret every vote for her, and have apologized to anyone playing with her that might read these boards for my part in helping get back out there. I thew some votes to Kass and Keith because I thought they might do some crazy stuff, which is ok in small doses, but in Abi's case, I feel like she sold me a bill of goods.

 

She was that way in her marketing-to-get-votes-to-return interviews?   All I watched or read was her pre-show interviews in Cambodia and she wasn't like that at all.  She kept saying she was going to be a villain again and be proud of it.  

 

With a side of "and Woo is so hot, good thing I'm single now".  I guess she decided that angle wasn't going to fly, or Woo told her.

[Nashville]

If Abi is that good of an actress, then:

A. Give her an Oscar.

B. Make sure she never comes near another TV camera ever ever again.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Nashville

[ItsJessMe]

She and I became friends as a result, I took her out for lunch for her birthday... it pains me to see people calling her crazy, and Denise's remarks are really wrong... but, to each his own.

 

Denise's remarks are not wrong, they're just different than ones you would make.

[cooksdelight]

Wrong in the context that I know backstory stuff that tells me otherwise. End of story. :)

[ProfCrash]

You know Abi's backstory. Based on Denise and Malcolm's comments, their back story is different. Based on what we are seeing and hearing from this season, Denise and Malcom seem to be telling the same story.

[ItsJessMe]

and you know backstory from Abi's point of view only, and none of us is the most reliable narrator about our own lives and how we come across to others.

[cooksdelight]

No, not Abi's point of view only. Very far from it.

One of my very best friends in the world lives in Cedar Rapids, IA.

[NutMeg]

So, will she (FINALLY) be voted out next week or is another twist going to save her? Wish there was a bookmaker quoting odds. I love this seaon but hate *me-me-me-and-only-me* Abi. Sheesh... 

[kikaha]

I wasn't clear what Abi said in the preview for next week.  I thought it was, "if he writes my name down one more time, she is dead to me."  i.e. I thought she said two different genders. 

 

If so, the "he" must be Woo -- unless they have another shuffle, and Spencer joins her tribe, in which case she might be talking about him.  But with no tribal changes, the "he" is Woo and the "she" is Tasha?

 

Any insights or clarifications?   

[ToastnBacon]

This is worth watching, I'd forgotten a lot of it.

She hasn't been half as bad this season, not yet.

[BigRedCheese]

 

Denise and Malcom seem to be telling the same story.

 

Not just Denise and Malcolm, everyone that has played with her is telling the same story, even the ones that like her say she turns into a crazy person out there. I don't believe that there's a massive conspiracy to portray Abi as a crazy person, I think she acts like a crazy person when she's out there, I'm sure she's lovely when back home around friends.

[EVS]

In her first season, I posted that Abi reminded me of my sibling with borderline/narcissistic personality disorder. I posted that she was very charming and people are naturally drawn to her, but spend an extended period of time with her and you will see a very different side. Cross her in any way, and it is scary how quickly she can turn vicious. It doesn't take much to 'flip the switch'. Someone (I think it was in the 3rd episode thread) used the example of saying 'good morning' to Abi. I have used a similar example myself to describe what it is like dealing with my sibling. You are constantly walking on eggshells. Yet people who only know her socially or casually think she is wonderful because she is to them, and that we are horrible people and she is a victim. She lies very convincingly and believes her own crazy lies. You feel like you are living in the twilight zone because you know what she is saying is completely different from what happened but she is so convinced and convincing that you can't defend yourself. It is exhausting.

I'm not saying that Abi has a personality disorder. I don't think it is fair to diagnose someone based on what you see on a tv show, but I do think that people can present different sides of themselves in different situations and I think some of what the other contestants are saying about Abi is similar to what I described above. It may just be because she has a side to her that is not very nice, or even nasty, and the stress of the show is bringing it out. I think the hunger, sleep deprivation, etc brings out the worst in a lot of people.

[blackwing]

I refuse to believe that Abi's persona on the show is all an act. I understand that editing can make someone seem worse than they really are, but people who have actually played the game with her and been with her 24 hours a day have said she is even worse than she is portrayed.

It's all very well and good to act nice at a charity function or any kind of event where she is only there because of her status as a pseudo celebrity from having appeared on Survivor. It's easy to laugh and be cheerful when people are there to see you and talk to you.

But I don't buy at all that her insecurity, paranoia, vindictiveness, desperation and neediness are all an act. The Abi on the show is a walking time bomb. People walk on eggshells around her lest they set her off. I think that's how she really is.

With all due respect, cooksdelight, you didn't know her outside of the game before you met her. You met her as a fan of the show. She knew you were a fan of the show, and of course she is going to be nice and gracious and want her fans to continue liking her. It'd be very different if both of you worked in corporate America at the same company. I'm trying to picture her as an entry level accountant at a big firm like Deloitte, where she is one of 25 people all starting work right out of college on the same day. Somehow I think she would behave the exact same way she is depicted on the show. She'd do her best to undermine her co-workers, kiss up to the bosses, and basically be paranoid anytime she thinks someone is saying anything bad about her. And of course she'd view the other women as her main competitors. The men are there to curry favour from and flirt with.

[Skeeter22]

Not everyone handles stress, exhaustion, and paranoia well. Survivor intentionally places the contestants in difficult situations for the purpose of creating drama. I see no reason not to believe that when Abi is at home, in a relaxed environment, she's a lovely person. Nobody has claimed that Abi is terrible outside Survivor. Even Denise acknowledged that the very few interactions she's had with Abi outside the game have been perfectly pleasant. I remember when Philippines was airing, the prevailing opinion at TWOP was that Abi was the devil, until she arrived at Ponderosa. She was suddenly completely reasonable, personable, and genuinely apologetic.

I don't think the nice Abi that people know outside the game is fake. I think she's just a person who can't handle the stress that Survivor creates. Her bad side is real, but I don't think it's somehow more real than her good side. When someone who played Survivor with Abi says she was a terror, I believe them. When someone who knows Abi in real life says she's delightful, I believe them too. I don't find those opinions contradictory, and I'm certainly not in a position to dispute someone with first hand experience.

[Jobiska]

I agree to a point that the stresses of the game take their toll.  I have been snappish and rude and self-centered when hungry or in pain.  The difference is as soon as I realize I've done that, I apologize.  Abi is pleased to continue to needle Woo, or Peih Gee, or whomever she has in her sights, and only cares about her own feelings.  

Like EVS describes of a family member, and I think I mentioned upthread, I too have a family member I love dearly but around whom I have to walk on eggshells in case the irrational side comes out.  I will fully admit my hot buttons here are why I find Abi one of the most uncomfortable Survivors I've ever had to watch; my issues are my own, of course, but she is saying all these passive-aggressive things, and she thinks it's cute, in my opinion.

[KimberStormer]

Just clicking around a little on that video has brought back my weird fondness for Pete.  He could somehow handle her in a different way from other people.  I suppose it could be because he's a supreme dick himself, as seems to be the prevailing opinion, but I'd like to believe it's more because he actually liked her.  He knew she was a fantastic goat, but he also liked her.  I'm a romantic, I suppose!

 

Man, I want to watch Philippines again.  I'm just watching a minute where Abi and Lisa have a bit of a confrontation at tribal, I believe about the fact that in the previous tribal Lisa told them about Malcolm's idol, which pissed Abi off for no reason whatsoever except that she's Abi.  Jeff asks if Abi "showed grace" (I dunno where that weird locution comes from) about it afterwards, and Lisa says the people on the other side (Denise, Malcolm, Penner) were more gracious than her Tandang peeps.  Abi is furious, and Jeff asks her about it; Abi says Lisa just said that the other side was more "protective" of Lisa than she was.  A little hard to explain, hope you could follow that; but anyway, it shows how to Abi feelings and the game are one and the same thing.  Lisa felt they were nicer, therefore they were her allies, they were protecting her, etc.  There's just no separation between the emotion of the moment and the game entire, not only for herself, but in her mind, for everyone else as well...it's very interesting.

[marys1000]

Not everyone handles stress, exhaustion, and paranoia well. Survivor intentionally places the contestants in difficult situations for the purpose of creating drama. I see no reason not to believe that when Abi is at home, in a relaxed environment, she's a lovely person. Nobody has claimed that Abi is terrible outside Survivor. Even Denise acknowledged that the very few interactions she's had with Abi outside the game have been perfectly pleasant. I remember when Philippines was airing, the prevailing opinion at TWOP was that Abi was the devil, until she arrived at Ponderosa. She was suddenly completely reasonable, personable, and genuinely apologetic.

I don't think the nice Abi that people know outside the game is fake. I think she's just a person who can't handle the stress that Survivor creates. Her bad side is real, but I don't think it's somehow more real than her good side. When someone who played Survivor with Abi says she was a terror, I believe them. When someone who knows Abi in real life says she's delightful, I believe them too. I don't find those opinions contradictory, and I'm certainly not in a position to dispute someone with first hand experience.

Great post.  Exactly.  Somehow Survivor really pushes her insecurity buttons => paranoia....whatever psychobabble in a narrow and extreme way

[Special K]

Man, I want to watch Philippines again. 

Agreed. 

 

Watching that video, it is abundantly clear how Abi turns on women in particular and it's pretty uncomfortable to watch her paranoia.   But, Abi aside, it was so nice to see Denise (one of my favorite winners ever), Penner, and that perfectly fine specimen Malcolm.  I even found myself nostalgic for Skupin and Lisa and RC.  That was a good season.

[ProfCrash]

Lisa played a better game then she was given credit for. She fell into the trap of playing a game that did not match her personality. She did the backstabbing and behind the back stuff but couldn't emotionally handle that game play. I see her like Dawn. The type who understand the dark side of the game and feel like they have to play that way in order to have a chance at winning but can't emotionally handle it. So when they have their break downs it runs people the wrong way but those breakdowns are real because what they are doing is so different then who they are. It is a tough place to be.

[Special K]

Lisa played a better game then she was given credit for.

 

I agree with this.

[innocuouspuff]

Joining the 'family members with narcisisstic/borderline personality disorder' club. (An awful club so sorry, guys!) Yes, Abi definitely throws up behaviours I recognise. (People have called her a sociopath and that's the same spectrum of problems, but the most dramatic end of it. I personally wouldn't go that far.) Folks with bpd or npd can absolutely make friends in the short term or in the bar. Eventually those friends see the problems and drift away, joining the ever-growing category of People Who Have Wronged Me For No Reason, Woe, I am So Persecuted and Misunderstood.

The behaviour of Abi's that sticks out as being a red flag (in theory as I wouldn't definitively diagnose anyone either) is her inability to see past how things make *her* feel. It's more than selfishness as she doesn't even seem aware of the existence of other concerns. Don't you care that Woo wrote her name down? Twice!?

Edited October 16, 2015 by innocuouspuff

[NutMeg]

Lack of empathy?

[innocuouspuff]

Hmmn, both yes and no. (I was the only one in my family willing to research this topic, in case that's not abundantly obvious.) Lack of empathy is definitely a symptom and it's related but this is also about the emotional over-reactions. One of the ways I've seen it put is that to a borderline personality there is no real difference between what's happening and the emotions that they're currently feeling. To them their emotions *are* the sum of what's happening and they're genuinely not able to perceive anything else.

So if we're trying to explain Abi-Maria through this framework, I see it in the way she honestly can't seem to think about the game at times. Her feelings are all that exist in the universe. Woo made her feel bad, Peih Gee and Shirin made her feel bad, and therefore they *are* bad. With no ability to see things from their pov and almost no room left for prioritising other criteria in order to try to win a million dollars. Which is supposedly why she's there.

[NutMeg]

Thank you, that's a very interesting explanation of NPD.

 

And I'm not inferring from it that Abi suffers from this disorder, just as I won't say someone has a severe case of the flu because he/she sneezes.

 

But it is very interesting to learn so many things from people who have researched the subject - although I'm very sorry about the situation that made you learn about this disorder.  

[BigRedCheese]

People are misdiagnosed even by their own doctors, so I don't think it's a good idea to try and diagnose a stranger based on what we see on a reality show. I know Abi acts crazy when she plays Survivor because I see her do it, and everyone that has played with her has said it's much worse than what we see. Beyond that, I have no idea if she has a mental disorder, is creating a character, or just doesn't deal well with stress.

[innocuouspuff]

Sure, I wasn't going to bring it up for that reason but then discovered I wasn't the only one who'd noticed the similarities of certain behaviours. It's just a theory for discussion, no more or less likely than "Abi is an evil genius and this is all a part of her master plan". Which I would also be happy to talk about, if anyone:s got analysis for that one. :)

Edited October 17, 2015 by innocuouspuff

[Guest]

I read this page about it out of curiosity.  

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9741.php

It said 5% of women and 8% of men have it at one point or other, it's more common in single, young adults, black men and women and Hispanic women.

 

Everything considered, I think the majority of people drawn to appear on reality tv could have it, to some degree.  

 

I still suspect Abi's playing up that part of her personality for the cameras, though.  That would explain why she's nice in Ponderosa and otherwise before and after the game.  No cameras to record her ME-ME-ME act.  

[innocuouspuff]

So just in the interest of clarity, the emotional regulation problems that are pinging me with Abi are more a symptom of borderline personality disorder. Which is related, but different. Reality tv does skew to the self-involved but I think Abi's dramatic mood swings and overreactions are a little more unique. For whatever reason.

[Zuleikha]

I still suspect Abi's playing up that part of her personality for the cameras, though.  That would explain why she's nice in Ponderosa and otherwise before and after the game.

I don't think she's playing it up because she seems so genuinely to not understand why people have problems with her behavior. I think she understands that the temper explosions are an issue, and she's clearly worked on minimizing those. I can't actually remember her losing her temper with anyone yet. Unfortunately, I don't think she understands that the equal (or maybe even more severe) issue is the way that she constantly takes offense to reasonable conversations/activities and that that's exhausting for other people to be around.

 

I always think back to Abi-Maria talking aboug giving Peih-Gee the benefit of the doubt while telling everyone Peih-Gee had the bracelet... I really, really think in Abi's head she WAS giving Peih-Gee the benefit of the doubt. She remained in an alliance with her, after all. Peih-Gee was not dead to her. Instead, Abi just jumped down Peih-Gee's throat for anything Peih-Gee said, no matter what it was. Then, she was hurt that Peih-Gee didn't like her.

 

I have no problem believing Abi's behavior is a result of stress/paranoia... after all, in Survivor everyone really is out to get you in a sense. That's why I can completely believe she's a lot of fun to hang out with when she's not stressed out. But I am so skeptical that should she be in a situation where conflict arises, she'll behave in a significantly different way. I just don't think she has the ability to see her own contribution to a conflict.

[rose711]

So far Abi is the only player to be seen to move from a power position in Ta Keo to a solid position with the more powerful Bay on tribe. And it looks like she will be the only one. All the rest are gone and Terry looks to maybe be on the outs if Kelley has anything to do with it.

She isn't getting any credit for that. She may be erratic and emotional but she is arguably playing the "best" as in most successful game so far.

She and Woo are the only two who have been to every tribal council and she has been on the right side of the vote every time. The others like Kelley and Jeremy have not had to face elimination every single week. So, we can only guess how they will fair. Tasha is doing well too, but she had two weeks of no tribal.

Edited October 17, 2015 by rose711

[Jobiska]

Any contribution I've made to this or comparison to people I have known has not in any way been meant to diagnose Abi, just to share why watching her makes me feel so uncomfortable.  I don't have a Russell in my life.  I don't have a Brandon in my life.  I don't have a Will in my life.  I've had mean girls like Jenna/Heidi seemed to be back in the day, but that was long ago and didn't affect me as much as the irrational seeming switches in conversation that leave you wondering what just happened.  So I'm just saying why she is one of my least favorite to watch.

[Guest]

So far Abi is the only player to be seen to move from a power position in Ta Keo to a solid position with the more powerful Bay on tribe. 

But she's on Angkor, which isn't more powerful than anything?  

[Whimsy]

Let's cease from armchair diagnosing a reality show contestant. We all know these shows are heavily edited and very frequently contestants are asked to exaggerate characteristics to make good tv. We can discuss Abi, obviously, but it's not fair to diagnose her in any way.

[rose711]

But she's on Angkor, which isn't more powerful than anything?

She's in the powerful Bay on alliance we saw of Tasha, Joe, Jeremy and Savage, the one that left out Stephen in the first episode.

Woo may have moved into that alliance too, but he wasn't ever in a power position in Ta Keo.

[Guest]

Are you saying that because she's voting with Tasha and Andrew right now they've taken her into their original Bayon alliance for post-merge purposes?  

 

How could Woo who has never been on Bayon and never voted with the former Bayons on Angkor also be in a Bayon alliance?  I'm unspoiled.  And so confused.  

[Zuleikha]

She's in the powerful Bay on alliance we saw of Tasha, Joe, Jeremy and Savage, the one that left out Stephen in the first episode.

Maybe. We don't know that. Just because Tasha/Savage are using her for a vote now doesn't mean they won't stab her in the back pre- or post-merge. 

 

I do want to give Abi some credit for always being in the majority vote, but at the same time, she's been there because she's been a pawn. Also, her flips have been more emotion driven than strategic. I'll give her more credit if Tasha/Andrew keep her over Woo should Angkor go to TC again before merge or if they do truly bring her into a strong Bayon alliance. But right now, I feel like it's too early to say whether she's actually improved her position in the game.

[KimberStormer]

Not really a pawn.  Abi's personal feelings are the only reason Shirin and Peih Gee were the targets.  Certainly emotion over strategy, but she drove those votes, one way or another.

 

I actually think Andrew and Tasha will keep her over Woo.  Challenge strength is currently all but irrelevant to them (the only thing that I would care about challenge-wise, if I were in their shoes, was getting rewards for short-term comfort), and when they merge will be a bad thing, not a good thing.  In terms of which is better for loyalty, assuming either Abi or Woo make it to the merge or whatever recombinant tribe agglomeration may occur, is pretty much a coin toss to them, I would guess.  I doubt they have really quite grasped how dangerous Abi is, and on the other hand no matter what Woo says he has little reason to stick with them if any better offer is made anywhere (Jeremy, for example, could scoop Woo up in a split-second.) 

 

Tasha and Andrew have already won, as far as Angkor is concerned.  They don't need to win there any more.  Although I strongly dislike them both, I don't think they're stupid enough to not see that, and to be thinking down the road, when I am very afraid it is going to be a Probstian dream scenario of ALPHA MALE VS ALPHA MALE as Andrew, Jeremy, Terry, and Joe battle for immunity so they can vote each other out.  Having another strong dude in there is not good for anyone.  (Even Tasha, who must surely know she has Andrew forever thanks to their Angkor sojourn and his dumbosity.)  Meanwhile, like I say, I doubt they have quite grasped Abi's volatility, and may think they can control her; although of course they will cut her loose before they vote for each other, I bet they don't vote her out next.

 

Of course all this depends on Angkor losing again, which would seem inevitable, but tbh if I were on one of the other teams I might seriously be considering throwing the next challenge.  Everyone must know that Andrew and Tasha are not going anywhere, so making them lose just gets rid of non-threats Abi and Woo--there's bigger fish to fry in their own camp.  Good time to take out Terry before he can go on another famous immunity run, for example.