S31: Tasha Fox

[Whimsy]

Meet Tasha Fox from Survivor: Cagayan (Season 28), who returns to play on Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance.

 

Placing sixth on Survivor: Cagayan, this likable strategist impressed fans by winning three Individual Immunity challenges in a row, which solidified her as a true physical threat in the game.

 

You may also remember her strategy of getting the Luzon women together to give Garrett Adelstein the boot after his “open-forum” voting discussion.

 

 

Here is your Tasha Fox topic.

[LadyChatts]

Love Tasha.  And yet, another one I hope doesn't play too hard, too soon in this game.  I liked during the campaign for votes she wanted to stay mum on her strategy for what she would do if she made it back to the game.  Even though I suppose she could have made something up if she was worried it would give people a heads up as to what she had planned.  She keeps saying she's going to come across as being way more aggressive and deceitful in this game.  Since we know AS seasons can have people feeling the bitter sting of being betrayed more than a newbie season, hopefully that doesn't cost her in the end.  I am looking forward to her!

[rose711]

I think Tasha has a pre game alliance set up. So I think she is good for a while.

I feel she lacks flexibility in changing plans and isn't adaptable.she has other girls fighting with her for immunity wins that she didn't have before.

She's not a great player but she could last a long time.

I admit I don't like her attitude, as Kass claimed in RHAP, that God had already chosen her as the winner. That was while she was winning immunities. It can really be a blind spot if she feels that she has already won.

[JudyObscure]

I think Tasha is someone who really does deserve a second chance, her alliance in her season being off the charts inept.

[rose711]

I think Tasha is someone who really does deserve a second chance, her alliance in her season being off the charts inept.

All 3 of them are back, so maybe not so inept.

The thing is, she made the merge, she had the numbers, but her terrible social play with Kass, compared to Trishas strong and perceptive play, really sealed her fate.

Tasha doesn't have a flexible social game. She's already judging people who aren't perfectly following the rules.

If she is playing with the numbers, so she doesn't need a great social game, so she should be ok.

[JudyObscure]

I was thinking of J'tia whose challenge performances made me laugh so hard I would have voted for her return just to see more. 

[fishcakes]

The thing is, she made the merge, she had the numbers, but her terrible social play with Kass, compared to Trishas strong and perceptive play, really sealed her fate.

Tasha doesn't have a flexible social game. She's already judging people who aren't perfectly following the rules.

If she is playing with the numbers, so she doesn't need a great social game, so she should be ok.

 

I agree. Her social game was terrible and she often berated people who didn't play the way she wanted them to. I've said it before, but to me she's the female Terry Deitz, a challenge monster with nothing else going for her. She might even be worse than Terry because at least he had allies who seemed to genuinely like him. I don't think there was anyone in any of her various alliances who she didn't alienate at some point. She'll get far in the game if she has a strong alliance, but I'm not rooting for her. She's unpleasant enough that I'd be happy to see her go out early, even before Kass. Kass is almost in "love to hate" territory for me. Tasha, I just don't like.

 

I was thinking of J'tia whose challenge performances made me laugh so hard I would have voted for her return just to see more. 

 

I would love to see J'tia return, although I'm afraid if she did, the rest of her tribe would probably kill her on day 4. She's the anti-Tasha. Terrible, TERRIBLE, in challenges but otherwise not a bad player and had a good sense of humor about her position in the game. I didn't even mind the rice-dumping once it turned out that she was staying and starving for a few more days.

[wonald]

I always thought that the two most revealing things about her were 1) she was the only one who held a grudge against Tony and voted for Woo which she doesnt take back to this day and 2) how she insisted that she wasnt close to Spencer after the game which hurt Spencer's feeling. I think her inner coldness will always prevent her from forming the close bond that will help you win the game. I think it's interesting that some people think she will be getting the villain's edit this season already.

[Tryangle]

Being in an alliance with Joe, Jeremy, et al could be a nice buffer to keep her around for a while. Her happy dance at Joe's fire-starting was cute, although the prayer references were a bit 'uh-oh'.

[NutMeg]

I was very surprised she admitted on camera that looking at Joe made it difficult to concentrate on yoga - I cried out a mock disapproving "Tasha!" -, especially just after mentioning her friends from church :-)

 

Is this a new Tasha this season?

[ProfCrash]

It could have been worse, she could have been cracking up watching Stephen try and do yoga.

[Mreid]

She is still my pick to win the whole thing I love her! 

[Tryangle]

She is still my pick to win the whole thing I love her! 

 

I like her too, hope she lasts a long way. Hopefully she's able to maintain her current alliance.

Among the women, only Kelly Wigglesworth probably matched her in overall challenge strength/performance, although Kelly's now 15 years older.

 

Not sure how her relationship with Spencer is, but if they both make it to merge they could build up on that as well.

[Hera]

she was the only one who held a grudge against Tony and voted for Woo which she doesnt take back to this day

This just makes me like her more. Jurors can vote for whomever they want and it's not like her vote for Woo denied victory to Tony. I'm glad she owned it and didn't back down.

[rose711]

Looks like she is in a good alliance on the stronger tribe. I feel really good about her chances. I was thinking last night how much different this tribe is than the dysfunctional brains tribe.

[JudyObscure]

I like Tasha but her twist on theology that says sin now, pray later was a new one on me.  Why not just play the game within it's rules which allow lying? 

[Wings]

Christians always seem to struggle with this game.  I know little about it other than everyone seems to have different interpretations.  It can be tiring.  

[Jersey Guy 87]

Christians always seem to struggle with this game.  I know little about it other than everyone seems to have different interpretations.  It can be tiring.  

 

My guess is the majority of people who have played Survivor in the US consider themselves Christians - it is the most common religious affiliation, after all.  Now, people who consider themselves "devout Christians" might struggle more than others, but it's hard to say (in part because they only seem to bring up a contestant's religion when he/she "struggles in the game" because of it).

[Wings]

My guess is the majority of people who have played Survivor in the US consider themselves Christians - it is the most common religious affiliation, after all.  Now, people who consider themselves "devout Christians" might struggle more than others, but it's hard to say (in part because they only seem to bring up a contestant's religion when he/she "struggles in the game" because of it).

 

 

I don't think the majority of US castaways are Christian at all.  Many younger people have broken away from the notion of a celestial dictator.  Things are changing. 

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32710444

[BigRedCheese]

 

her twist on theology that says sin now, pray later was a new one on me

 

I live in the Bible Belt and I hear that kind of thing all the time.

[Guest]

I don't think the majority of US castaways are Christian at all.  Many younger people have broken away from the notion of a celestial dictator.  Things are changing. 

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32710444

Well, it does say it's still 71% of Americans.  Granted, it's probably lower for 20-somethings but I bet it's still over half.  I think a lot of people now who don't claim the "Christian" mantle do still claim to be "spiritual" (if nothing else), too.  And most spiritual people believe in some form of 'do unto others...', so the dilemma applies.  But really only if you can't separate the game from life, which I think most can.  

 

I really hope we never get another big focus on the Christian dilemma of players.  I hated the Lisa season the worst, I think.  

[ByaNose]

And, maybe, the pre confessional (at the start of the show) is a sign of things to come. I forget who the others were but I do remember Tasha's and it will be interesting to see if comes into play this season.

[Wings]

Well, it does say it's still 71% of Americans.  Granted, it's probably lower for 20-somethings but I bet it's still over half.  I think a lot of people now who don't claim the "Christian" mantle do still claim to be "spiritual" (if nothing else), too.  And most spiritual people believe in some form of 'do unto others...', so the dilemma applies.  But really only if you can't separate the game from life, which I think most can.  

 

I really hope we never get another big focus on the Christian dilemma of players.  I hated the Lisa season the worst, I think.  

 

 

I am an atheist with spiritual beliefs and there would be zero dilemma.   I am speaking specifically about Christians. 

[KimberStormer]

I really hope we never get another big focus on the Christian dilemma of players.  I hated the Lisa season the worst, I think.  

 

Aw, but Philippines is an amazing season.  And Lisa tried to keep her religion out of it, it just turned out to be too big of a part of her life to not have it show up in the game.  Especially as it was a bonding thing between her and Skupin, and since they kind of ran that game, plus Burnett and Probst both love to connect with what they imagine is the Real American, it ended up being a part of the edit.  As far as Jesus on Survivor goes, "he'd look like Malcolm and play like Carter" is a pretty good line, and much less obnoxious than South Pacific was in that regard.  (In both cases, though, the specifically irreligious intellectual woman beat the God-botherers in the end...)  I agree with Jersey Guy that the main reason it ever comes up is when it causes a conflict in the game, and a good deal more contestants are at least nominally Christian than are explicitly presented as such.

 

As for Tasha's comment, I don't think it was intended to be taken too seriously, and we probably shouldn't try to hang a theological argument on a slim joke about playing more ruthlessly this time.  (Everyone always says that when they come back, after all.)  I don't think there's any reason to suspect Tasha thinks that God disapproves of lying on Survivor; she specifically mentioned wanting to look good for her community at church, a social group of humans, and in fact I think that is indeed one thing holding a lot of people back, consciously or not, from playing balls-to-the-wall villainous: the nagging realization that millions are watching and judging them while they play. 

[Jersey Guy 87]

Tasha (and Lisa before her, as well as other contestants) seem to work under the mistaken belief that their God gave rules for how to behave in a reality show game.  Virtually any competition involves some element of "lying" to your opponents - basketball players use ball fakes, poker players bluff, etc.  I don't think some religious edict against lying is going to care what you do in the context of a game where deceiving your opponent is understood to be part of the game.

[BigRedCheese]

 

And Lisa tried to keep her religion out of it, it just turned out to be too big of a part of her life to not have it show up in the game.

 

Yeah, it didn't bother me much in her season, she wasn't trying to shove it down anyone's throat, it was just something that bonded her and Skupin. Even at the reunion when Probst asked her about it, she was reluctant to discuss it, I admired her for that. When Coach used it was the worst to me, he insisted that the tribe pray.

 

 

I don't think some religious edict against lying is going to care what you do in the context of a game where deceiving your opponent is understood to be part of the game.

 

Not sure I agree with that, I would think the religious edict would pretty much mean that you shouldn't be playing a game like that  in the first place. 

[Guest]

I didn't hate the Christian dilemma story as much as the sheer amount of time Lisa got to blabber about it.  But it was close.  But I also hated her due to her book about how to humiliate your kids, so I was biased from day one.

[Wings]

deleted because it was about a past season

Edited September 26, 2015 by wings707

[Wings]

.

Edited September 26, 2015 by wings707

[Donny Ketchum]

Love her so much.  Glad she's back.  I hope she does well at this game, though I'm disturbed by her admission post-show that she only wants to work with men, not other women.  I hope she's not turning into one of those jealous-of-other-women types.

[RedheadZombie]

Tasha (and Lisa before her, as well as other contestants) seem to work under the mistaken belief that their God gave rules for how to behave in a reality show game. Virtually any competition involves some element of "lying" to your opponents - basketball players use ball fakes, poker players bluff, etc. I don't think some religious edict against lying is going to care what you do in the context of a game where deceiving your opponent is understood to be part of the game.

For me it becomes irritating when they equate Christian with ethical. Meaning, if you're not Christian, you do not live your life with ethics or morals. I'm Christian, but that arrogance drives me insane.

[Wings]

For me it becomes irritating when they equate Christian with ethical. Meaning, if you're not Christian, you do not live your life with ethics or morals. I'm Christian, but that arrogance drives me insane.

 

 

Thank you, well said. 

[Miss Scarlet]

I get why the narrative she had in Cagayan would make people like her, but I never warmed to her. I'm not a fan of players that make it through the game just with immunity wins. This is not a decathlon. I love the description of her as "the female Terry Dietz" and I think it's spot on. Kass has described her as self-righteous and I definitely see that. I liked how in one of the confessionals she said "last time I was nice Tasha" and they showed a clip of her berating her tribe. Well played, editors. Well played.

[KimberStormer]

This is something I meant to say: everyone always says they want to be more ruthless, but I rarely agree.  Who could Tasha have betrayed, to help her game?  When did she have an opportunity to cut a throat, but was too nice and hung up on what her family and church members would think to do it?  She was on a disastrous losing tribe of morons, and then immunity-won herself along post merge.  I don't remember any time that being nice cost her anything.  But maybe I'm missing something?

[JudyObscure]

Yes, I think, "I was just too nice," comes right after, "I was too much of a threat, "  in the list of face saving excuses for why you played a bad game and lost.

[BigRedCheese]

 

Yes, I think, "I was just too nice," comes right after, "I was too much of a threat, "  in the list of face saving excuses for why you played a bad game and lost.

 

Ha, ha, no kidding, that's what Dan said when he got to Ponderosa.

[Donny Ketchum]

Kass has described her as self-righteous and I definitely see that. I liked how in one of the confessionals she said "last time I was nice Tasha" and they showed a clip of her berating her tribe. Well played, editors. Well played.

Hmm. . . . Nope.  Never saw the self-righteous in Tasha.  No way, no how.

 

And she was nice in Cagayan.  The only one with whom she'd ever lost any patience was Garrett, and she was really shown berating him in that clip, not the whole tribe.  Back then, Garrett was trying to hold "open forums" to discuss whom to vote out just so he could block people from having actual strategy talks.  It was all part of his method of trying to control the tribe, and Tasha knew it.

 

But other than that, she was very nice and not at all offensive.

[wonald]

if tasha was that nice, kass would not have flipped.

[KimberStormer]

But other than that, she was very nice and not at all offensive.

 

Oh yeah, not meaning to say she wasn't nice, just that being nice didn't hurt her.  It didn't, as far as I can tell, affect her game either way.  Sometimes being nice costs you; but I think not Tasha.  She just didn't have the numbers thanks to the Brains being terrible and Kass flipping for no reason (or, more positively, because Trish masterfully manipulated her.) 

[ProfCrash]

This is something I meant to say: everyone always says they want to be more ruthless, but I rarely agree.  Who could Tasha have betrayed, to help her game?  When did she have an opportunity to cut a throat, but was too nice and hung up on what her family and church members would think to do it?  She was on a disastrous losing tribe of morons, and then immunity-won herself along post merge.  I don't remember any time that being nice cost her anything.  But maybe I'm missing something?

I agree. Spencer and Tasha have both said they would have played differently if they had the numbers. Tasha wasn't annoying ont he brains tribe. She was justifiably annoyed with Garrett and his decision to decide as a group who was going to be voted out and then to drop it. That is one way to play the game but only Boston Rob pulled that stupidity off. Tasha knew it wouldn't work out for her and flipped the script.

if tasha was that nice, kass would not have flipped.

Tasha was fine. Kass was annoyed that Tasha and Spencer spent so much time courting Sara and keeping her in their alliance when the merge happened. Tasha and Spencer understood that all it took was one vote to flip the game. They assumed that Sara was the swing vote and worked hard to make Sara feel appreciated so that they would have the numbers. Kass was butthurt that they were allowing Sara to feel like she had the final say. Essentially, Kass was jealous and flipped because she didn't like that Sara was being given extra attention. ie Kass acted lik my three year old son when he doesn't get the attention he wants.

 

In fairness, my three year old sons last bit of tantrum was pissing on the floor next to the toilet because he didn't get the attention he wanted. Actually, Kass kind of did the same thing symbolically...

[Hera]

@ProfCrash's summary is how I remember it too. I have trouble faulting Tasha and Spencer for not realizing Kass would flip, since it was a pretty terrible move for her (unless you assume she had always been playing for second) and there didn't seem to be any indication up to that point that she was anything other than loyal. It's really hard to anticipate what people will do if you can't assume that they'll make the best move they can for themselves. I'll be very interested in seeing if Tasha or Spencer work with her this season.

[Stinamaia]

From what I've seen of Tasha on the show and during the Miss Survivor contest, she has a cute bubbly personality with a nice seasoning of snark. Don't try to make her "angry black woman." I'm talking to you, Survivor Editors.

I was totally surprised over her giggling about Joe's body. That was funny.

[rozen]

@ProfCrash's summary is how I remember it too. I have trouble faulting Tasha and Spencer for not realizing Kass would flip, since it was a pretty terrible move for her (unless you assume she had always been playing for second) and there didn't seem to be any indication up to that point that she was anything other than loyal. It's really hard to anticipate what people will do if you can't assume that they'll make the best move they can for themselves. I'll be very interested in seeing if Tasha or Spencer work with her this season.

 

Agreed, Kass's move was idiotic for anything other than trying to get cast for another season. She wanted the "Chaos Kass" moniker and engineered a way to get it. Babying swing-votes is not new, heck she had to do it herself later in the season. 

 

Tasha was one of the nicest people in her season. She blew up one time when Garrett was literally trying to monitor every gameplay discussion in the tribe, and they were letting him! She got stuck with a bad mix, and lasted a pretty respectable amount of time considering no one would listen to her. What can you do when you try to warn someone of their blindside and they literally won't even talk to you?

Edited October 1, 2015 by rozen

[LadyChatts]

From what I've seen of Tasha on the show and during the Miss Survivor contest, she has a cute bubbly personality with a nice seasoning of snark. Don't try to make her "angry black woman." I'm talking to you, Survivor Editors.

I was totally surprised over her giggling about Joe's body. That was funny.

 

I was surprised, too, but honestly, glad we got that sound bite from her and not someone predictable like Monica or Ciera (as we usually do in these cases).  I do hope her "aggressive gameplay" doesn't end up alienating people in the end.  I'm enjoying her so far, and am anxious to see what she can do once she has to actually start strategizing and going to TC.

[kikaha]

I always liked Tasha and this season is no exception.  Her tribe has won everything so far, we haven't seen much drama over there.  Kinda suspect that is about to change, with the shuffle into three tribes. 

 

Before the season started, Tasha was the person I second-most-hoped would win this season.  (Stephen was first.)   Rooting heavily for her to do well.   

[Skeeter22]

Peih-Gee said in an interview that Tasha yelled out "It should've been Jeff!" When she got up to have her torch snuffed. Why would she do something so stupid and arrogant? She can't expect to always be in power. She only got to the top of the heap because she ended up on the crazy tribe. Surely she sees that they can turn on her in a hot minute, just like Peih-Gee?

[rose711]

@ProfCrash's summary is how I remember it too. I have trouble faulting Tasha and Spencer for not realizing Kass would flip, since it was a pretty terrible move for her (unless you assume she had always been playing for second) and there didn't seem to be any indication up to that point that she was anything other than loyal. It's really hard to anticipate what people will do if you can't assume that they'll make the best move they can for themselves. I'll be very interested in seeing if Tasha or Spencer work with her this season.

Not what happened.

Sarah was being a diva because she was the swing vote and she refused to vote out Trish , which made Kass question her loyalty. Then Kass, Tasha and Sarah are by the water and Sarah, acting like she had to control the vote and had all the power, told Tasha she wasn't sure about working with Kass. Tasha replied, in front of Kass, that Sarah could then just vote Kass out later. Kass saw this as an indication that she was at the bottom of her alliance.

Then, Trish noticed conflict with Kass and Tasha (or maybe Sarah.) Trish went to Kass, though Tony told her not to bother, and said they wanted to work with her and would allow her to pick the target.

Kass picked Sarah. At the time, Kass thought she cod go back possibly to working with Spencer and Tasha, but none of them ever approached her about working out another deal to change sides.

So Tasha didn't have great game play, she discussed voting out Kass, her ally, right in front of her, and then she never attempted to reestablish a working relationship.

I have no doubt that Kass was on the bottom of that alliance and that her flipping got her farther in the game.

Edited October 11, 2015 by rose711

[ByaNose]

Tasha is playing hard. I wonder if she is going to be Tony to his/her Woo? And, if they make the merge with Spencer will the 3 of them work together or will Tasha have to pick a side? It should be interesting.

[LadyChatts]

I think she's playing an even better game than they are showing or that Tasha may even be putting out there right now.  While I am curious why they didn't kick Abi to the curb, it does make sense that they went after Varner (much weaker in challenges, more connections than Abi, much more likely to ditch Tasha/Savage the first chance he gets, probably more of a social threat than Abi).  Plus, we know Tasha wanted Varner out last week.  Why risk throwing Abi's name around, knowing Varner wouldn't vote against her, and that they may drag Woo back into their fold (who would be an idiot to do so).  I believe Tasha has Abi's number and is using that to her advantage for now.  Really hoping she's around for the long haul, because so far the game play is really lacking this season, and I think we are going to get something good out of Tasha. 

[Nashville]

While I am curious why they didn't kick Abi to the curb

 

Tasha/Savage had three options:

1. Booting Varner now leaves their only potential opposition as being an Abi/Woo alliance - and I think we're all in agreement Abi can't get past her emotions enough to maintain a strategic relationship with Woo.
2. Booting Abi now would have left Tasha/Savage against Varner/Woo - a pair much more likely to support each other strategically and create a TC vote deadlock.
3. Booting Woo now would have left Tasha/Savage against Varner/Abi - see #2, same applies.

 

Varner was the only potential linchpin between Abi and Woo; now that Varner's gone, Tasha/Savage totally control the vote - they can either (a) team up with Woo against Abi, or (b) team up with Abi against Woo. 

Depending upon how long they think Angkor will have to survive as a discrete tribe, I'd bet they pick (a) to maintain tribal strength at challenges.

Worse comes to worst, Tasha/Savage vote off Woo next after Abi - which would leave them the last two in Angkor - which would then dictate another shuffle of Tribes.