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(edited)

Jeff Probst is 'enjoying Survivor more than ever' (exclusive)
By Dalton Ross   November 26, 2024
https://ew.com/jeff-probst-enjoying-survivor-more-than-ever-exclusive-8749557 

Quote

So what the heck is going on with the Hostmaster General? It’s simple. The guy is having a blast. “I've never had this much fun,” Probst tells Entertainment Weekly. “You've seen me every single season. I am enjoying Survivor more than ever.”

And why is that, exactly? Why now, in season 47? “It's because I'm more playful and the players are more playful,” the host and showrunner says.
*  *  *
Probst says you can see that playfulness and freedom in the form of some of the negotiations that have popped up this season, like when the Gata tribe brought their chickens back to the host seeking a trade, and on this past week's episode when the contestants shockingly bargained to give up all their Shots in the Dark for a bag of rice.

“The ideas of negotiating continue to open up,” Probst says. “And I love it when a player or a tribe says, ‘Jeff, we have a proposal for you.’ I mean, that just whets my appetite. I get so excited to wonder: What is it you've been thinking about? What is it you want to try to make happen? Because I'm open to it. I have my own barometer for what I think is fair or not fair, or what I think would be good for the game or not good for the game.”
*  *  *
And a lot of that fun and ingenuity he chalks up to the show casting more super-fans. “Really, it's an extension of the fan, because every person who plays Survivor started as a fan. So I feel like the show is getting more and more inclusive of all the fans, some of which ultimately become players.”
*  *  *
“That's what I'm looking for more and more, is people who want to be on Survivor to have fun,” he notes. “Let's play this cool game. We'll do our best to make it a great adventure. And when it's over, you may remember aspects of the game, like something that happened on day 17, but you will absolutely remember the experience and how it changed your life. That's what we're going for.”

Edited by tv echo
  • Like 1

Jeff just identified the huge difference between the 'new era' and real Survivor.  Contestants want to have fun.  Sure, why not?  They don't have to do anything related to, you know, surviving.  Don't want to bother to fish?  No worries, there will be a food reward and you're only there for, at most, 26 days.  Don't want to bother to build a shelter?  No worries, they'll give you pre-cut bamboo and palm fronds and you're only there for, at most, 26 days.  So, sure, lte's just have fun...

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An Underdog Alliance Forms! Who Went Home on 'Survivor 47' Tonight?
Mike Bloom   Nov 27, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/who-was-voted-off-survivor-tonight-week-11-season-47-recap-2024 

Running Out Of Rope - On Fire With Jeff Probst EP 11 | Survivor 47 Podcast
SurvivorOnCBS   Nov 27, 2024


Jeff Probst does not want to do 'a bit' during Survivor vote-offs
By Dalton Ross   November 27, 2024 
https://ew.com/jeff-probst-does-not-want-to-do-a-bit-during-survivor-vote-offs-8752916 

(edited)

Sierra reveals why she acted ‘bitter’ during Survivor Tribal Councils
By Ryan DeVault   Dec 1, 2024
https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/reality-tv/sierra-reveals-why-she-acted-bitter-during-survivor-tribal-councils/ 

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During the first Tribal Council, where Sierra and Sol sat as the jury, they came in dressed up and ready to glare at the remaining players. And it was all planned.
*  *  *
Her post was about Episode 11, where she, Sol, and Gabe Ortis sported serious looks at the Tribal Council.

“Do they tell the jury to come out and look bitter the whole time?!” a fan asked.

“No production doesn’t tell us to come out looking ‘bitter,'” Sierra responded.

“In fact, they’re actually not in favor of it LOL. Sol relayed the impact my glares had on them the first night of me being on the jury, so we thought it would be fun to continue, and to shake em up a bit,” she added.

Edited by tv echo
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Survivor 47 star Kyle Ostwald reveals current status with Sue
The fourth jury member also describes the "emotional overload" of being voted out
By Dalton Ross   December 2, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-kyle-ostwald-reveals-current-status-sue-interview-8752321 

'Survivor 47's Kyle Ostwald Says Sue Was 'Never Ugly' to Him to His Face
The construction worker also clarifies what he told Rome that he claimed would "get him canceled" in his own exit press.
Mike Bloom   December 2, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/kyle-ostwald-survivor-47-eliminated-interview 

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13 hours ago, tv echo said:

Sierra's Ponderosa video:


Sol's Ponderosa video:

Aww, Sol's video was lovely, I wish I could have that kind of positive attitude.

Not a fan of this new version of Ponderosa video though, feels like yet another commercial for the show. Are they running low on applicants or what? Even when I watch the show without commercials on Paramount+, there are still little mini breaks with Jeff encouraging people to apply, it feels excessive. 

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11 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

Not a fan of this new version of Ponderosa video though, feels like yet another commercial for the show.

These are barely snippets compared to the original Ponderosa videos - but a couple of thoughts in that respect:

  1. This may be TPTB’s way of testing the waters for reintroduction of the Ponderosa vids, simply to gauge viewer interest/response.
  2. A little is better than nothing.
  • Like 4

Sierra thinks Andy is a two-faced brat? Sierra who pretended to Andy that they were in an alliance together but behind his back said they'd keep him around as long as they needed his vote but as soon as they didn't he was gone? Okay.

I mean, that's how the game is played so good for her, but since Andy played the same game and she got got, better for him. Being mad about it is a bad look for her.

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3 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Sierra thinks Andy is a two-faced brat? Sierra who pretended to Andy that they were in an alliance together but behind his back said they'd keep him around as long as they needed his vote but as soon as they didn't he was gone? Okay.

I mean, that's how the game is played so good for her, but since Andy played the same game and she got got, better for him. Being mad about it is a bad look for her.

What I think is so funny about this is that Andy practically handed them his vote-off on a silver platter that first boot.  He was completely unhinged and just gave up (all over not getting applause for chopping a coconut?)  It was such an easy vote they didn't even need to discuss it.  It wrote itself.  But instead, Andy just seemed like an easy vote they could control.  And while I am in no way saying Andy is the genius mastermind that he thinks he is, he also isn't the dummy without a thought in his brain that they thought he was.

Also worth noting that Anika, the last pre-merge boot from Gata, mentioned to Sierra on SM that she wouldn't have blindsided her out of the game like Andy.  

 

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(edited)

Jeff Probst explains why gender alliances don't work on Survivor
By Dalton Ross   December 5, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-jeff-probst-explains-why-gender-alliances-dont-work-8756131 

Quote

"Historically, we really haven't had that many gender-based alliances," Probst notes on the podcast. "The Black Widow alliance of Cirie, Parvati, Natalie and Amanda Kimmel was obviously the most notable and most powerful, but generally speaking, I think they don't work because the game is so fluid."

The host says it is not a matter of women or men not being able to get along, but rather other common game factors getting in the way. "It's already a very, very, very difficult thing to keep a group of four or five people together in any situation for any amount of time," Probst says. "So if you initially base it merely on gender, you are giving up so many other important factors. 'Do we even think the same way strategically? Do I trust you?'"

Probst continues: "It can't be 'I trust you because we're the same gender.' Do I think I can beat you even though I know you think you can beat me? So there are just a lot of variables that go into forming a great alliance. And the minute anyone on the outside senses that it could be based on something as visual as gender, I think it just makes it a lot tougher."

The host also says the faster pace and condensed gameplay of the 26-day season plays a factor. "I think gameplay in the new era is very different than the old era for a lot of reasons," Probst muses. "Most noticeably is it's just constantly shifting because the game is now played in moments. And one moment… can change the entire game. It's one of the hallmarks, in fact. You're trying to improve your game every second of every day because every other player is doing the same thing."
*  *  *
Probst then goes on an extended college lecture on mathematician John Nash and the sometimes dueling impulses to pursue a Nash equilibrium while also playing a zero-sum game, and how "If one player secretly sees it differently and they don't really think that the player being voted out as the bigger threat, they think their alliance partner is the bigger threat, then I shift to a zero-sum point of view." And that, the host believes, is when alliances — no matter the gender — turn on each other.
*  *  *
"So to take it all back to a gender alliance," says the host, "if a group of men or women are able to pull off a gender-based alliance, it will be extremely noteworthy because the odds of someone leaving an alliance at any given moment are extremely high, and you don't want to be the one that got left."

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

'Survivor 47's Caroline Vidmar Says She Pushed for the Split Vote That Doomed Her as 'Andy Management'
The strategy consultant also reveals that, despite wanting her out a certain point, Rachel became her number one strategic ally for the second half of the game.
Mike Bloom   Dec 5, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/caroline-vidmar-survivor-47-eliminated-interview 

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You shared all those things with Sue except that she had dirt on her face!
Yes, I did! Every single day. I tried so hard. Rachel did too. Other tribe mates did too. And okay, I would love to clarify this as well. It's not dirt on her face; it's mostly soot. So Sue is incredible, and she would tend to the fire a lot. And the way she would attend to the fire is moving things around in a way where her hands were very sooty. And she would touch her face quite a bit. So we would spend a lot of time trying to scrub it off her face. But it was really caked in there. And there were times too, when she's like, "It's okay, it's fine. We'll leave it." I think she wouldn't have said that if maybe she knew how much was on there. But we tried!


Survivor 47 star Caroline Vidmar says she told Sue to not play idol on her
The newest jury member reveals lots of things we didn't see on the show.
By Dalton Ross   Dec 5, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-caroline-vidmar-told-sue-not-to-play-idol-on-her-interview-8756349

Caroline Vidmar’s ‘Survivor 47’ exit interview: ‘I’m grateful beyond belief’
Marcus James Dixon   December 5, 2024
https://www.goldderby.com/article/2024/caroline-vidmar-survivor-47-exit-interview-grateful/

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

Gabe's Ponderosa video...

(SilencerX)


2024 in Review: The Scenes We Wish We Could Unsee!
By Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Rebecca Iannucci, Vlada Gelman, Nick Caruso, Dave Nemetz, Charlie Mason, Claire Franken
December 10, 2024
https://tvline.com/lists/most-shocking-tv-scenes-2024/survivor-caroline-bites-fish-eyeball/ 

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Survivor
...
We love that the auction has found its way back into the game, but no level of starvation could convince us to chow down on those XXL fish eyeballs. Thanks, but no thanks, Jeff.

Edited by tv echo

David Samson (former President of the Florida Marlins who was bounced first on “Brains, Brawn and Beauty”) told an amusing story that when he upgraded his flight on the way to the Philippines, the rest of the cast who didn’t have the means to do that held it against him and that is part of why he went first.

I was rooting for him to get ousted early when watching that season, but listening to him on the podcast I love has turned me around on him.  He is wicked entitled, though.

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Survivor 47 recap: 2 big torches are snuffed
The final 4 is set.
By Dalton Ross   December 11, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-recap-episode-13-2-big-torches-snuffed-8759496 

The Finale Begins! Who Went Home on 'Survivor 47' Tonight?
Week 13 saw the endgame kick off with two huge votes. Find out who was voted out.
Mike Bloom   Dec 11, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/who-was-voted-off-survivor-tonight-week-13-season-47-finale-part-1-recap-2024 

(edited)

The Beginning of the End - On Fire With Jeff Probst EP 13 | Survivor 47 Podcast
SurvivorOnCBS   Dec 11, 2024

 

Jeff Probst confirms Survivor 47 finale is not a final 2
By Dalton Ross   December 11, 2024 
https://ew.com/jeff-probst-confirms-survivor-47-finale-not-a-final-2-8759981 

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“It really started with CBS asking us months before we shot [the season] if it would be possible for season 47 to do 14 episodes instead of 13,” Probst reveals on the podcast. “They had some things they wanted to try in their schedule, and part of that working out would depend on whether or not we could do 14 episodes. So [executive producer Matt Van Wagenen] and I sat down and broke the finale down into parts and examined if and how we could pull it off.”

That’s when the team decided to break between the two final episodes after

Spoiler

Genevive Mushaluk

was ousted in fifth place, Probst explains. “What we really quickly realized was, if we structured it so that part one got us down to four players, then in part two we could spend a lot more time with our final four as we lead into the final four challenge, and then the fire-making, and then the final three, and then the final Tribal Council. Because typically our finales are so full of content that we end up not having enough time to show all the stories we'd like to show.”
*  *  *
And then, the words my traditionalist, old-school heart dreaded to hear above all others. “It's not a final two, so I don't want to confuse or disappoint anybody. But I will say, it is a tremendous finish to a great season.”

Edited by tv echo
(edited)

Survivor 47 star Andy Rueda says Sue 'wanted my head on a spike'
The ousted player also reveals a threat from Rachel that led to his demise.
By Dalton Ross   December 12, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-andy-rueda-says-sue-wanted-head-on-spike-interview-8760162 

'Survivor 47's Andy Rueda Says He Doesn't Regret Carrying Out 'Operation: Italy'
The Season 47 standout also talks through his Day 3 meltdown, saying he's "obsessed" with his journey.
Mike Bloom   Dec 12, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/andy-rueda-survivor-47-eliminated-interview

Survivor 47 star Genevieve Mushaluk sheds new light on Operation: Italy
The latest jury member reveals a plan was hatched before the reward with Andy.
By Dalton Ross  Published on December 12, 2024 
https://ew.com/survivor-47-genevieve-mushaluk-sheds-new-light-operation-italy-interview-8760318 

'Survivor 47's Genevieve Mushaluk Says She 'Hurt Her Own Feelings' With Her Gameplay
The corporate lawyer also compares her complicated dynamic with tribemate Teeny to siblings.
Mike Bloom   Dec 12, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/genevieve-mushaluk-survivor-47-eliminated-interview

Edited by tv echo

https://ew.com/survivor-47-finalists-reveal-how-they-want-to-handle-jury-exclusive-8753959
 

Rachel and Sam seem to have the best jury strategy, in that just tell them whatever they want to hear.  Teeny gets that it’s a popularity contest first and foremost.  

And then there’s Sue:

Quote

I will divulge all my game play, reminding them that on a human level, all of my relationships were true. But on a game level, I played the game. We all lied. No one should be surprised. I will then mention how I was a beast helping the tribe, a beast in challenges, and then reveal that I’m not really 45, I’m 59 years old. How can you not respect that?

 

16 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

https://ew.com/survivor-47-finalists-reveal-how-they-want-to-handle-jury-exclusive-8753959
 

Rachel and Sam seem to have the best jury strategy, in that just tell them whatever they want to hear.  Teeny gets that it’s a popularity contest first and foremost.  

And then there’s Sue:

I will divulge all my game play, reminding them that on a human level, all of my relationships were true. But on a game level, I played the game. We all lied. No one should be surprised. I will then mention how I was a beast helping the tribe, a beast in challenges, and then reveal that I’m not really 45, I’m 59 years old. How can you not respect that?

Oh dear, she really believes that people bought that 45 thing? I mean, there is the age blindness of the young where anything over 30 is just "old" but come on. Her hands alone are a dead giveaway. 

More than anything, Sue's personality and speaking style are going to be her biggest roadblocks. A compelling speaker or someone with a lot of personal charm could sell those items to a jury, but she's got a somewhat defensive tone naturally and doesn't seem like she can weave a tale that will draw people in. 

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13 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Oh dear, she really believes that people bought that 45 thing? I mean, there is the age blindness of the young where anything over 30 is just "old" but come on. Her hands alone are a dead giveaway. 

I really don’t get what Sue’s strategy is here.  Clearly she thinks they’ll be impressed that they were beaten and outwitted by a 59 year old woman but what difference would it have made if they had known that in the first place?  In this New Era it seems that age doesn’t necessarily mean a disadvantage.  So whatever she’s hoping to achieve from this I think she’s doing to be disappointed.  I don’t know how old everyone thought she was but I don’t buy anyone believed she was 45.

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Sierra Wright from Survivor 47 announces pregnancy
By Gerald Ng   Dec 16, 2024
https://survivingtribal.com/sierra-wright-from-survivor-47-announces-pregnancy

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Survivor 47 cast member Sierra Wright has announced that she is expecting! Sierra took to Instagram to post a reel announcing the news.
*  *  *
Sierra also announced that she got engaged two weeks ago. While her fiance Justin Ammerman is not as active on social media, here is what we know.

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(edited)

I think they're collected from different places like Survivor's official Instagram or an eliminated contestant's Instagram - the latest is Kyle's Ponderosa video...

ETA:
Kyle's Ponderosa video is posted both at Survivor's official Instagram and at Kyle's Instagram here...
ttps://www.instagram.com/survivorcbs/reel/DDpgp09tTQw/ 

Edited by tv echo
(edited)

Jeff Probst promises a 'real battle' at Survivor 47 final Tribal Council
By Dalton Ross  Published on December 16, 2024
https://ew.com/jeff-probst-promises-real-battle-survivor-47-final-tribal-council-exclusive-8761913

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, just give us a general idea of what we can expect in the finale.

JEFF PROBST: The finale of Survivor 47 offers a fantastic two-hour conclusion to a great season, including a dramatic fire-making showdown and a real battle at the final Tribal Council.

What can you say about this final four of Rachel, Sue, Sam, and Teeny — either individually or collectively? 

I think this final four is a great reminder that in any given season of Survivor, any type of person can win. At the start of the season, you would have never predicted this would be our final four because Survivor changes moment by moment, day by day, and only those who can adapt quickly will survive. Rachel, Sue, Sam, and Teeny have all encountered obstacles this season, but they’ve each done a great job of maneuvering their way out of trouble. They now find themselves in the final four, each with a shot to get to the final three and face their jury!
*  *  *
What should we expect from the after-show this season?

I’ll say it again: The reason I like the after-show is because it’s raw. The beauty is in the authenticity that comes with a group of people who have not been influenced by social media and don’t feel the need to defend their game. I especially love the conversations with the final three, because they are literally just beginning their transition back to a normal life, and we get to see it play out in real time.


Jeff Probst Launches First-Ever Official 'Survivor' Card Game
Mike Bloom    Dec 16, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/survivor-official-card-game-the-tribe-has-spoken-jeff-probst-exploding-kittens 

Quote

Survivor games have entered, fittingly, a new era with the release of "Survivor The Tribe Has Spoken," the first-ever official card game for the veteran reality show (though it should be noted card games were also released early in the show's run). Coming to Amazon, Target, and Walmart.com on January 12, it's the culmination of a two-year collaborative effort between Survivor host and executive producer Jeff Probst, and gaming company "Exploding Kittens." According to a press release announcing the game, "It’s the ultimate battle of social strategy, with all the fun, drama, and excitement you expect from the longest-running reality competition show – without having to sleep in the jungle or endure bugs! To survive, players must collect advantages, find hidden immunity idols, form secret alliances, and face devastating blindsides, while surviving Tribal Council eliminations. The last two players standing must make a case about why they deserve the title of Sole Survivor!"
*  *  *
Ranging from three to six people, "Survivor The Tribe Has Spoken" has players stepping into the buff as one of the many memorable castaways from seasons past. The intention of the card game is the same as its on-island counterpart: Vote out your opponents at Tribal Council (with the card box even doubling as the iconic voting urn). Among the assorted cards in any player's possible deck are Reward Challenges, which allow you to scheme with other players; "Sorry for You," which blocks others from taking your cards; and the "Spy Shack," where you can peek at another person's hand and even steal a card. And it wouldn't be a Survivor game without some twists, turns, and advantages, including "Immunity Idols" to save yourself from getting your metaphoric torch snuffed.

Edited by tv echo
3 hours ago, tv echo said:

What can you say about this final four of Rachel, Sue, Sam, and Teeny — either individually or collectively? 

I think this final four is a great reminder that in any given season of Survivor, any type of person can win. At the start of the season, you would have never predicted this would be our final four because Survivor changes moment by moment, day by day, and only those who can adapt quickly will survive.

This is Jeff's very polite way of saying that these four suck.

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Jeff Probst Says the Standout Gameplay of 'Survivor 47' is 'Here to Stay' (Exclusive)
The host and executive producer also talks about dividing up the season finale into a four-hour, two-episode installment for the first time in series history.
Mike Bloom   Dec 17, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-47-finale-preview 

The Survivor 47 jury speaks!
Sierra, Sol, Gabe, Kyle, Caroline, Andy, and Genevieve answer our burning questions in exclusive pre-finale interview.
By Dalton Ross   December 17, 2024 
https://ew.com/survivor-47-jury-speaks-exclusive-pre-finale-interview-8761082 

Survivor 47 finale recap: A victory a year in the making
By Dalton Ross   December 18, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-finale-recap-victory-a-year-in-the-making-8763379

Jeff Probst calls Survivor 47 winner one of franchise's 'best overall players' (exclusive)
The host also weighs in on final Tribal Council and that dramatic fire contest.
By Dalton Ross   December 19, 2024
https://ew.com/jeff-probst-calls-survivor-47-winner-best-overall-players-ever-exclusive-8763881

Survivor Season-Finale Recap: Gone With the Wind
By Brian Moylan   Dec 18, 2024
https://www.vulture.com/article/survivor-recap-season-47-episode-14-finale.html

(edited)

Good interview...

Rachel LaMont reveals the lie she told at Survivor 47 final Tribal Council
The winner also explains what happened after the cameras turned off.
By Dalton Ross   December 19, 2024 
https://ew.com/survivor-47-rachel-lamont-winner-reveals-lie-tribal-council-interview-8763959 

Quote

Jeff Probst told me you were on of the franchise’s “best overall players.” What does it feel like to hear that?

That's high praise. I mean, I did not know that. That's amazing. Gabe asked the question about legacy at the Final Tribal, and I leaned over, I was sitting next to him at the finale and I was like,” I think I was lying,” but I was like, “I don't care.” Of course you care! I think what I meant was I didn't come out here to play a certain way to have a certain legacy. I came out here to play and win, but that doesn't mean that at the end of the day, I don't care about how I'll be remembered. I'm a huge Survivor fan. Of course I want to be somebody that people are like, “She's the worthy winner. She's a good winner. That season was great.” I want that just as much as anybody else. And so to hear Jeff say that just made my morning, Dalton.

Edited by tv echo

Yeah, reading Sue’s exit interviews I think she thought she had a better game than she really did (and definitely thought revealing her real age was going to go over better but that had as much impact as her revealing she had an idol).  Also seemed like a lot of “well if it wasn’t for Kyle I would have had more immunity wins!”  True or not I still don’t think that would have gotten her votes.

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More Parade interviews (Sue's Parade interview was already posted above)...

'Survivor 47' Winner Rachel LaMont Thought She Had Lost the Game at Final Tribal Council
The latest Sole Survivor also says she had blackmailed Andy with her jury vote before taking him out of the game with her idol.
Mike Bloom   Dec 19, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/rachel-lamont-survivor-47-winner-interivew

'Survivor 47' Runner-Up Sam Phalen Thought He May Have Tied the Jury Vote Going Into the Winner Reveal
The NFL beat reporter also reveals how he had conceptualized the 'Operation: Italy' plan before Andy had approached him with the idea.
Mike Bloom   Dec 19, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/sam-phalen-survivor-47-runner-up-finale-interview

'Survivor 47's Teeny Chirichillo Reveals Where They and Genevieve Stand Currently
The final member of the jury also talks about their endgame outbursts at Sam and how that's given them ways to grow.
Mike Bloom   Dec 19, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/teeny-chirichillo-survivor-47-interview

Edited by tv echo
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And here are EW's interviews with the three runner-ups (Rachel's EW interview was previously posted above)...

Sam Phalen says it 'stung' not getting Sierra's Survivor 47 winner vote
The runner-up also reveals the other votes he thought might go his way.
By Dalton Ross   December 19, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-sam-phalen-stung-not-getting-sierra-winner-vote-interview-8763958

Survivor 47 star Sue Smey says it 'sucked' being shut out by the jury
Did Caroline and Gabe do their Tuku tribemate dirty?
By Dalton Ross   December 19, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-sue-smey-sucked-being-shut-out-by-jury-interview-8763627

Teeny Chirichillo reacts to 'exhilarating but infuriating' Survivor fire-making contest
"It was completely horizontal at points, and I look up at his and it is absolutely direct vertical."
By Dalton Ross   December 19, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-47-teeny-chirichillo-infuriating-fire-making-contest-interview-8763962

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This TV Insider interview is interesting - Rachel talked about her biggest moves and Sol giving her the secret advantage and also clarified her Survivor legacy comment to the jury...

‘Survivor’ 47 Winner Ranks Their Biggest Moves of the Season
Kelli Boyle   December 19, 2024,
https://www.tvinsider.com/1167575/survivor-47-winner-rachel-interview/ 

Quote

You had some major successes this season: sacrificing your Shot in the Dark to see if you needed to play your hidden immunity idol; tying the record for individual immunity wins by a female player (four); using your Block a Vote advantage and idol to save yourself from elimination when everyone openly said you were being voted out that night; spying on your competitors under a bush at night to gather useful intel; taking the risk of looking for an idol in front of everyone and not getting caught. Can you rank these moves by how influential you think they were to your win? And if I missed any, please include them.
Rachel La Mont:
The biggest move has to be the way that I played the idol, but that also ties directly into the eavesdropping. Those two are together at the top because I think without eavesdropping, I don’t know that Teeny has turned, and that makes that next vote much more precarious. If I think that it’s 3-3 and I have the Block of Vote, I very well could have gone home. And so me spying and understanding that it was Sue and I against everybody else, truly gave me the knowledge to play my idol in the way that I did and set up that whole thing with the “funeral” and getting everybody to sell my game for me. So that truly has to be at the top of my list.

The immunities second. Obviously, they were very influential. You could probably put them first. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to the end of the game. But I think as far as jury votes and what that kind of did, I think that that was probably second in line. I mean, I had to win a few of those. That Final Five immunity was a clutch immunity. The Final 4 one was truly just for fun. That was a, “I want this record.” I believed I could have gone into [the fire-making challenge] and confidently walked out alive, but I didn’t want to have to do that. I wanted to be able to say that I set my mind to this thing and I was able to achieve it. So that’s got to be the next one.

And then the Shot in the Dark play, which in hindsight, much bigger impact, but at the time, truly a very reactive moment of saying to myself, I am 100 percent sure Gabe is not going tonight, and how do I go back to camp without having written his name down when I don’t know who else to write down? I was like, oh, I can play my Shot in the Dark. I don’t have to write any name down. And then as I’m digging it out of my bag, you see me doing it. I was very in the moment trying to figure out what I was going to do. I realized that if there’s a big reaction, I probably should also play the idol. So I think because that wasn’t something that was intentional and it was something that I figured out on the fly, it didn’t occur to me. I knew it was clever, but it didn’t occur to me that it was going to have this kind of longer-range impact.

And I did not even bring it up at final tribal, because it didn’t feel like something that was that remarkable. You’re very close to it. It’s very hard to see the forest for the trees when you’re in it. And so it just to me felt like there were so many big things that my game had to it, and it felt like drawing on this very macro moment, which as important as it is, I have a lot of those moments and I’m excited to talk more about that in the future when I can. But I had a lot of those moments where I set myself up for success, but those weren’t moments that I felt like would resonate at final tribal when I was very much sparring with Sam in this kind of arena, bringing up this tiny moment felt inconsequential a little bit.
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And the idol advantage from Sol that he sent to you in secret, you had to use it that night, right? So that’s more of a Sol move?
He had to use it. It expired that night, so it had to be used by someone on the other side. But I will push back on the fact that a lot of people are like, anybody at that reward would’ve sent it to Rachel because they all wanted to target the Tuku. It wasn’t true. Sam, Andy, and Genevieve would not have sent me that. You can ask them that. They were not interested in helping me out in that scenario, so my relationship with Sol, when I got off that boat, he was the second person that I hugged and we were connected immediately. We wanted to work together. We wanted to do an undercover thing where we were passing information. He was kind of on the Lavo and dipping into my Gata side, and then I was trying to get in with the Tukus. That was an instant connection, and that is why he sent it to me. So as lucky as it may have felt watching it, it was definitely more attributed to our relationship than anything.
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A big part of your game was about reacting to things as they happened and not trying to manufacture big moves that would take so many things with so many people going right. Did you want to make big group plans like Operation Italy (which was ultimately successful) but had to act otherwise? What was your mindset there?
My mindset was truly that after the Sierra vote out, I basically looked around and every single person left on the beach had burned me. I had essentially no allies. I reconnected with Caroline and Sue very shortly after, and the three of us were very tight for the rest of the game until Caroline was voted out. And then Sue and I all the way to the end. But I very much felt like because I had the idol and then I got the advantage pretty soon after, I could play my game a little bit differently. I knew I wanted to rise towards the end and become enough of a threat that when I played my idol, it would be impactful. We saw that sometimes when you play an idol and you don’t get any votes, it doesn’t really have any impact. And so I wanted to make sure I had some impact there, and I felt like it was just the ability to peak at the right time.

With the five, my move, it wasn’t a flashy move. I have two alliances of three, and I’m bringing that five together to give myself a better shot at the end. And I’m othering Genevieve and Sam and Kyle to get this group to target them as a whole. And it sort of worked. Obviously, Operation Italy disrupted that, but we did ultimately get Kyle and Genevieve out. And so to me, I was more into the subtle, I just want to have more of a pack mentality to control the votes versus this flashy move. Not that I wouldn’t have done that. I mean, I feel like my idol play was relatively flashy.

Oh, the biggest.
I just felt like as far as the group goes, if I’m trying to convince us all that we are these underdogs, it seemed like we should keep our attention over there. Don’t look at me, don’t look at the other people in this group. I’m like, let’s get rid of these guys. And I just had the trinkets in my pocket to ensure that I could get to the end and I could probably elevate myself along the way compared to the people that I was with. So yeah, it is not that I was against flashy moves, it was that I felt like the game that I was playing and the situation that I found myself in just kind of was easier to have a subtle touch.
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Can you elaborate more on what you meant when you said you don’t really care about what your Survivor legacy will be? I got what you meant, but I would love to hear your perspective on it.
When I said that, I meant I was not playing my game in a way to curate a specific type of legacy. And it is not that I don’t care about the legacy I leave on Survivor, of course I do, everyone cares. But I was saying that I wasn’t trying to be anything that I wasn’t or trying to pigeonhole myself in some way to be like, I’m going to be this legend of this. It was that I was just playing the game that was put out before me. I was finding the path to the end where I felt like I had the best shot, and I executed on that. And how that will be received in the long term is out of my control. And I don’t really care. I do, of course, but it wasn’t something that I was conscious of in the game while I was playing it. So comparing me to people like Mike Holloway or Ben Driebergen, I feel like I agree with them on paper. It is very similar of those types of games, but I think that there’s a lot of nuance there. I think that there’s a lot of things I did that set me apart, but ultimately we can’t control that.

Edited by tv echo
18 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Yeah, reading Sue’s exit interviews I think she thought she had a better game than she really did (and definitely thought revealing her real age was going to go over better but that had as much impact as her revealing she had an idol).  Also seemed like a lot of “well if it wasn’t for Kyle I would have had more immunity wins!”  True or not I still don’t think that would have gotten her votes.

Well, hey; if I could just wave a magic wand and get rid of all my IC competitors, I bet *I* would stand a lot better chance of winning too!  🙄

  • LOL 2

Survivor 47's Rachel LaMont Explains How Planning Her Own Funeral Set Up Her Endgame
By Nick Caruso   December 19, 2024
https://tvline.com/interviews/survivor-47-rachel-lamont-winner-finale-exit-interview-1235390121/ 

Quote

TVLINE | You had some good luck in this game, both with Sol gifting you the Safety Without Power advantage and then finding an idol clue in your auction fries. Were you surprised that Sam tried to use that against you?
I was not surprised. I would like to push back on the fact that I got lucky with the Sol advantage. The second I hit the merge beach, Sol and I embrace, and I was like, “I am so happy to meet you.” He felt the same way and we instantly bonded. I knew I wanted to go with Tuku, he was obviously with Lavo and I couldn’t trust Gata entirely, and we agreed to have this secret alliance where we fed each other information and worked together. Everyone’s like, “Everyone would have sent that to Rachel. Anybody on that reward.” No, they wouldn’t have. You can ask them. Andy, Genevieve and Sam would have never sent me that advantage. It was my social skills, my social relationship with Sol that got me that advantage. Look at the Christian Hubicki stat. It was like 0.2% chance of getting that rock drawn in the first place. So even if you consider some of that luck, Sol finding it luck, I feel like it’s a net zero. And yes, getting the clue in my fries was certainly luck and I don’t discount that at all.
*  *  * 
TVLINE | I have to commend you for your acting skills. At the Tribal where you used the Safety Without Power, you were a total boss. It was Oscar-worthy acting! What was that like sitting there knowing you were going to walk right out of Tribal?
I had so much fun that day, Nick! I really did. For once, I felt like I was completely in control. I knew all of the information and it was mine to have a ton of fun with. So if we go back to the Kyle boot, there was not as much suspense there as it seemed on the show. We essentially eulogized Kyle at that Tribal Council and everyone sort of jury-managed him out the door. So that is what gave me the idea for planning my own funeral because I was drawing from that Tribal. “We did this before. Let’s get them to do it again.”

So that allowed that conversation to open up at camp, and got Andy to feed me his game and tell me that he was voting for me. When we get to Tribal, Jeff’s like, “How was your day, Rachel?” I was like, “Well, all these people just told me I’m going home because they can’t beat me.” It forced their hand. They had to now repeat the things that they had said at camp that day in front of the jury. It sold my game to the jury for me and made it so that if I got to the end with anybody left, it was much easier to say, “This person told you they can’t beat me, so how can you justify voting for them over me?” I had a really good time. Watching it back was crazy because I’ve never known if I was a good liar or not. I’ve learned that I’m not good at sussing out other people’s lies, but I’m very good at lying myself.
*  *  *
TVLINE | What was your reaction to Sue’s age reveal?
I was not entirely surprised. I was surprised she was 59. I was not entirely surprised that she was lying. My husband is 41. I did not believe her when she told me she was 45. I thought she was in her early-to-mid-50s. I feel like in that moment, she should have told us she was a pilot! She lied about that the whole game and that was actually very shocking. When she said that after the game, everyone was like, “What?!” I feel like that would have gotten the response that I think she was hoping for with the 59 reveal.
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TVLINE | Any final thoughts or anything you wish was shown on TV?
I would say the only thing that we really didn’t see was how close I was to Caroline. Basically from the night Sierra was voted out, I was with Caroline and Sue, and that threesome was way before the Andy and Teeny one. That’s part of why Operation Italy went the way they did. They couldn’t get me, so they got my No. 1 ally. I felt very sad that there wasn’t a single solo conversation with me and Caroline at all in the show. We were so tight and she was so much fun to work with. We both talk fast and it was just a very fun dynamic for strategizing.


Survivor 47's Sam Phalen Details His Role in Operation Italy and Finale’s ‘Whirlwind of Emotions’
By Nick Caruso   December 19, 2024
https://tvline.com/interviews/survivor-47-sam-phalen-runner-up-finale-exit-interview-1235390109/ 

Quote

TVLINE | Was there anything from that Final Tribal Council that we didn’t see on TV?
There was definitely one big moment where I was able to really explain in further detail Operation Italy through my eyes and my lens, and why I felt like it was such a pivotal moment for me in the game. One thing that I don’t think is necessarily shown on the show is just the intentionality that I had between reward choices and interactions with people in the days building up to it. That the idea of doing a split vote at the Final 7 with a fake idol was one that I had been wanting to do well before the reward was a thing. It was something that I told Genevieve about the day before the reward challenge like, “Hey, our best chance here is to try and find the crack in the five, pull somebody over and pull an elaborate ruse with a fake idol scheme.” So I was really able to explain that and that my choices were very deliberate, and that without winning this challenge, without picking these people, it doesn’t allow the biggest move of the season to happen.

Additionally, I was very pleased with the level of power and insulation that it gave me, where my threat level had just been raised to a point where there was no real turning back from it. You were just stamped and labeled as a threat at that point, and I knew I needed to get my threat level down as quickly and efficiently as possible. The best way I knew to do that was by putting other people above myself, not just talking up Rachel to the other players in the game, [but] aligning with somebody like Genevieve that I knew people were terrified of and would always want out. Andy makes this move and he’s the one flipping on the majority alliance. He plays the most pivotal role in the whole thing, and because of that, he elevates his threat level. But I felt like I was in the one spot, not the flipper, not the one with the fake idol, but the one with all of the information to decide the fate of my co-conspirators at my own convenience, decide what information should or should not get out to the rest of the people in the game, and sort of control that narrative. In doing so, I was really able to make sure that I was not ever going to be the tallest poppy in the field.
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TVLINE | What was your reaction to Sue’s age reveal?
I was stunned. I was actually very surprised. I’m the only one on the entire cast that was actually like, “Damn, Sue, OK!” I did not believe Sue was 45, [but] I thought she looked really good for 59. She performed like a beast in those challenges for 59! She was crushing it. I think I maybe had Sue at like 52, 53, somewhere in that range. When she started her age reveal, she goes, “I’m not actually 45,” I’m like, “Yeah, she’s gonna say she’s 52. Here we go.” Fifty-nine was extreme to me, where I was like, “Wow, that’s kick ass. You’ve got a lot to be proud of here.”

Edited by tv echo
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Jeff Probst Says 'Survivor' Final Four Firemaking Twist Came from a 'Hole in the Format'
Mike Bloom    Dec 23, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-47-finale-final-four-firemaking-reunion-after-show 

Quote

Survivor 47 saw the twelfth edition of the polarizing "Final Four Firemaking" twist. First introduced in Season 35, it eschews the typical vote in the penultimate day in favor of a new one-round structure. The person who wins the final Immunity Challenge, rather than putting pen to parchment, picks one person to join them in the Final Three. The other two people then do battle in a firemaking showdown at Tribal Council. The victor takes up that final spot in the Final Three; the loser becomes the last juror.
*  *  *
"It started from a premise that I felt there was a hole in the format," the host and executive producer says. "And the hole was this: The last advantage of any type that can help a player is a fully powered idol that goes until the Final Five. It can't go beyond five because of math. So once you get to four players, there wasn't anything left in the game that could save you, other than winning individual immunity. And we had several seasons in a row where a very dominant player would get to the Final Four, and if they didn't win immunity, the other three, wisely, would just simply vote them out." 

"I had two problems with this," he continues. "Number one, it didn't feel fundamentally fair from a game standpoint, that there was this one spot where there was absolutely no possible protection, or even the threat that someone might have protection, you just simply vote them out, and nothing can stop you. Number two, from a storytelling standpoint, it's not dramatic. It's almost a foregone conclusion that they're going to take out the biggest threat. And since the audience knows there is no advantage or twist that can change that, there is no drama." 
*  *  *
"There are going to be people who say they just don't like it, and we should keep the game really pure. And I do appreciate that," Probst says. "But our job as producers is to look at this from a big picture, think through where we think we have problems, and then come up with a solution. And that's why it's in there, because we felt we had a problem, and that is how we solved it.

Edited by tv echo
3 hours ago, tv echo said:

Jeff Probst Says 'Survivor' Final Four Firemaking Twist Came from a 'Hole in the Format'
Mike Bloom    Dec 23, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-47-finale-final-four-firemaking-reunion-after-show 

This translates to “people were getting voted out that we liked so we threw something in to try and save them without looking like we were trying to manipulate the results.”  Why not just have all 4 do the fire then?  Seems way more fair and could definitely be more dramatic than what we usually get with just 2 (though this season was pretty good in that department).  It seems though that their solution to anything is just throw more idols, advantages and twists in the game rather than just let it play out naturally or figure out something else that doesn’t rely on more of those.

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