S32: Julia Sokolowski

[peachmangosteen]

I'm not sure how good I think her social game is simply because Cydney and Aubry seem really put off by her. It seems a bit disproportionate to her just playing both sides so I wonder how she was talking to/interacting with them. Although maybe they just expected her to fall in line with them and wait her turn to be voted out and just got mad she didn't do that.

[fishcakes]

I haven't noticed Cydney's feelings about her, but you're right that Aubry does seem to really dislike Julia in a way that goes beyond the game. I wonder what that's about.

[Guest]

I can see really disliking someone who pretends to be loyal to your alliance but whom you know is leaking all your intel to the opposing alliance.  

[peachmangosteen]

With Aubry's seemingly disproportionate anger towards Julia and Cydney calling her "Traitor Julia" I'm thinking what likely happened is Julia told the women she was with them until the end when they came up with the Nick plan and then the very next day she started working with the guys in a very non-subtle way. Which if so then honestly that really is terrible game play, but it does make my case that she just made a really quick decision and didn't plan how to actually execute it.

[Nashville]

Agree. I don't see her flirting either; it's more like she's playing the little sister looking for guidance with Douche and Douche but being more authoritative with the women. Really, I think her social game is killer, but where she falls down is that she's not stealthy at all, and I'm not sure why. I kind of think it might be that she's at that age where it's hard to rein in your ego; she's a smart person who doesn't assume that other people are also smart and can figure out what she's up to. If she came back in two or three years and played again, I suspect she'd be much more of a force to contend with.

Any parent who has ever raised teenagers can tell you this is not unusual in the least. ;>

[Jersey Guy 87]

Despite playing both sides hasn't Julia voted with the girls plan (or at least what she was told was their plan) every TC?

[Jobiska]

I also think Aubry chooses her words for dramatic and humorous effect in her talking heads and may not be going around muttering "Traitor Julia" under her breath all day.  I don't think she thinks she herself is actually a deranged llama or the bride of Cochran (or whatever that quip was) either.

(I mean, she doesn't trust her, and I think with reason, but I personally don't think she's as angry as some have perceived).

Edited April 25, 2016 by Jobiska

[ByaNose]

I would also like to add that Julia isn't losing weight. I like my Survivors to lose 20,30 & 40 lbs. Of course, that's just me being very shallow.

[peachmangosteen]

On 4/25/2016 at 11:52 AM, Jobiska said:

(I mean, she doesn't trust her, and I think with reason, but I personally don't think she's as angry as some have perceived).

There is a confessional on youtube from the episode after Nick's boot where she seems pretty angry with Julia. And she talks about her in a very condescending manner imo. It actually really rubbed me the wrong way and I like Aubry much more than I like Julia. And no it didn't come off to me the way her 'deranged llama' and 'female Cochran' retorts did.

Also, Aubry wasn't the one who referred to Julia as 'Traitor Julia.' That was Cydney.

All this reminded me of how oblivious Michele is to Julia's intentions. I am still so pissed editing has completely hid their relationship from us.

[LanceM]

I have a feeling they downplayed that relationship because Michele ends up siding with the others and votes Julia out probably in tonight's episode.  I have a feeling Michele is going to say the title of the episode that this is a "me game and not a we game" which kinds of ties into what she said during Nick boots about trying to figure what was best for her and Julia going forward in the game. Now for Michele it is going to be all about what is best for Michele's game.

Edited April 27, 2016 by LanceM

[LanceM]

Nice interview with Julia.

http://parade.com/473514/joshwigler/survivor-kaoh-rong-julia-sokolowski/

And it was palpable? We know how Aubry mistrusted you based on her confessionals; you could feel it while you were out there?

Absolutely. Absolutely. I definitely felt the same way toward her, too. But the thing is now, I look at Aubry’s game, as I’ve watched the show air, and I think it’s phenomenal. I think she’s so strategic and so amazing. Aubry was able to acknowledge my game. She’s been able to acknowledge my strategy, and she considered me a huge threat. That’s where my youth shines through: I’m not able to say that about her out there. I just have bitterness for her out there. But I have a lot of respect for Aubry.

I want to get your take on Michele’s game. There’s a lot of interest in her chances based on what I’m seeing online, and I’m curious to get your perspective of her as a player, and not just as a friend.

I do genuinely think I was the much bigger threat than Michele right now, and through the majority of the game, I was driving, while Michele was in the back seat. I hate to say it, but I think I had a lot of control over Michele. Maybe getting rid of her tight alliance is what she needs in order to drive and become a power player. I think both her and I were dragged by Anna for a little bit, because she was our strong leader in the alliance, and then I think I took those reins once we merged. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity now for Michele to shine.

 

Oh and this made me laugh, mainly as I myself had made a few trips to Canada when I was 18 and 19.

You kept your age close to the vest throughout the game. How hard was the lie to uphold, and ultimately, what was the reason behind that decision?

But one of the hardest times was when we were at the merge and we won the Chinese reward, and I couldn’t drink, because I’m not old enough. Everyone was like, “Why aren’t you drinking?” And I was like, “Oh, I don’t wanna get sick!” [Laughs] And then once I told everyone after, they were all like, “Oh! That makes sense. I get it now.” Another thing: I grew up in Vermont, so I used to go out in Canada all the time. They would all make fun of me because I had so many stories about Canada. “Why is this girl obsessed with Canada?” Well, because I’m legal there! [Laughs]

[ByaNose]

She's got a great head on her shoulders.Very smart and intelligent. I think she even had more game than Parvati in her first season. Hopefully, she'll get to play in a few more years if (god willing) Survivor is still around.

[KimberStormer]

Given the frowny-faces on the votes for her (and not even Michele's, her frowny-face was on her own face!  with tears!) and her reception at Ponderosa, I would say Julia had a hell of a social game.  It was also nice to see she she was self-aware in trying to not be the young-woman Survivor stereotype of getting voted out first or getting dragged to the end.

[azshadowwalker]

On 4/24/2016 at 7:20 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

Scot even referred to her as "our little Julia" or something, talking about her feeding them intel.  She smiles at their stories and laughs at their jokes and huddles in the shelter and chats.  I would just call that a good social game (though possibly bad, since the women saw too much of it), not really flirting.  I don't blame her for playing that way.   

I certainly don't, either, even if it didn't work out for her. Scot also has a weird thing with young women that's more about him than them, though. Didn't he say he was trying to be like a father to Alecia? Really odd, since Alecia has a dad with whom she seems to have a good relationship. That would indicate to me that he is kind of creepily paternalistic when it comes to young women. Maybe Alecia was more vocal in her disdain, while Julia read the room and decided to play the game and ignore it. I don't fault either of them for their choices in that regard. I find him really gross, though. 

Edited May 2, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Guest]

I don't like him but he didn't strike me as creepy.  He has teen daughters, so I can see him feeling fatherly to these young women during their ordeal.  Their dads weren't out there to help them and Cambodia sounds like it sucked.  

[ForeverAlone]

Julia herself said she viewed Scot as a sort of father figure, so her warm feelings toward him were not faked for gameplay purposes. 

[peachmangosteen]

For me Scot sometimes comes off perfectly fine and even lovely and then other times he comes off straight-up creepy. When he used that classic abuser line at TC and his demeanor after the women didn't fall part when he hid the tools/put out the fire were both legitimately scary imo.

[JudyObscure]

There was something about Julia's questions at Final Tribal,  that came across  so condescending and snide.  Part of it was that she was standing there all plump and gussied up, looking like a kewpie  doll, and the final three were sitting there starving, dirty and exhausted after playing so hard the last few days.  It made it even harder to see her be so superior in telling them all what they did wrong.  

Add in her pointedly not speaking to Cydney at Ponderosa and I end up with a very poor opinion of her.  I'm not even sure her sorority is going to be as proud of her as she thinks they are.

Cydney may not only be the youngest Survivor ever, she may hold the record as most immature.

[Special K]

7 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

There was something about Julia's questions at Final Tribal,  that came across  so condescending and snide.  Part of it was that she was standing there all plump and gussied up, looking like a kewpie  doll, and the final three were sitting there starving, dirty and exhausted after playing so hard the last few days.  It made it even harder to see her be so superior in telling them all what they did wrong.  

Add in her pointedly not speaking to Cydney at Ponderosa and I end up with a very poor opinion of her.  I'm not even sure her sorority is going to be as proud of her as she thinks they are.

Cydney may not only be the youngest Survivor ever, she may hold the record as most immature.

Watch her Jury Speaks video and you'll get a full extra helping of smug.

 

Edited May 19, 2016 by Special K
didn't add media properly

[LadyChatts]

It's official.  Really do not like this girl.  Hopefully it's her age.  She comes across as being better at this game than she really was.

[JudyObscure]

Quote

Watch her Jury Speaks video and you'll get a full extra helping of smug.

Thanks a lot Special K, now my acid reflux is back. ;) 

Funny how she could have played each person's game so much better than they could yet her own game of blatantly running back and forth from one alliance to another, got her voted out long before them.

[Special K]

Shockingly (or maybe not), Nick's Jury Speaks video provides a suitable tonic to Julia's (and maybe also for your reflux JudyObscure!)

It's not groundbreaking, but it could be required viewing for future jury members.  Basically, it's "our job is to swallow our pride and fulfill our obligation -- and even if I think I played better, they got farther, so I guess they did play better."  No power-mongering, no pettiness, no bitterness.

Nick as the voice of maturity and common sense! 

[pamplemousse]

What a classless, obnoxious brat. Please never return to the show. Although being a classless, obnoxious brat almost certainly guarantees she will return. SMH.

[piequinn35]

She and Foley will be back as "villains".

 

hope not :/

Edited May 19, 2016 by piequinn35

[LanceM]

Finally had a chance to watch her jury speaks video and based on the comments here I expected to like strangle Mark the Chicken or something because I have to say what the hell did she do wrong? She critiqued the players that were left in the game and that's it. That is what she is supposed to be doing. What did she say that was so offensive? So she didn't respect the game Aubry was playing? And this is horrible, why?  For this she is being compared to Dan Foley??????

Legitimately confused.

Edited May 19, 2016 by LanceM

[simplyme]

I just laugh because Julia says she's going to base her decision on who played the best game, except she clearly dislikes Tai and Aubry and her analyses of their gameplay is pretty much just whatever she can rationalize.  "Aubry had to hold Joe's hand.  That's weak."  Uh, that's an alliance, you moron.  Julia was in alliances, too.  Did that mean her game was weak?  Or only Aubry's because Aubry got the loyal old guy that no one saw as a threat?

I don't think Julia is Foley, but she has no self-awareness.  None.  How dare Tai make decisions she didn't like!  I get the vibe that she (and others, honestly) kind of wanted Tai to be the cute little old guy pet who went out early but was well-liked, and because he refused to play that role, then gosh, he just didn't play a good game.

[Blissfool]

Julia looked twice her age at the reunion. 

[azshadowwalker]

Or maybe they saw Tai claim to be that wonderful lover of all things, who then went around destroying camp resources, who cried when he didn't get his way, and who tried to push people around when he had a little power. Kind of like people viewed Dawn. As a phony and a hypocrite. 

Alliances are usually people who work together, not one person who has to be told everything and doesn't even think about playing his own game. Alliances are between actual players, not a player and a walking Special Advantage. Joe wasn't a player. 

[KimberStormer]

I haven't watched Cydney's Ponderosa (where I understand Cupcake & the Benchwarmer & Julia shunned and refused to speak to her), probably won't because that kind of thing makes me miserable; it sucked in Gabon and it sucks now.  (And two black women being on the recieving end of the asshole silent treatment is a remarkable, terrible thing.)  I'm happy to say that sucks of Julia, and any criticism of her on that basis is totally deserved.  She's young, but most people, I hope, have outgrown such antics by their high school graduation.

But I see nothing wrong with this Jury Speaks.  "Smug" is always a difficult case to make on me -- I see Terry Dietz as smug, I see Kass as smug, but I don't see Ciera, Kelley Wentworth, or almost any of the people who have gotten this particular criticism online.  Anyway, it's funny to see that basically everything Julia says here is something I've said myself on this forum.  It seemed to me, too, that Tai did everything basically at random, flailing wildly.  It seemed to me, too, that Aubry played too reactively, without enough long-term thinking; like when she freaked out over hearing her name come up on the merged tribe, or allowing Cydney to change the vote to Cupcake.  And I too was frustrated/annoyed by Joe being nothing but a second vote for Aubry, and I don't think she can really take credit for winning him over or whatever, it was purely based on tribal loyalty.  I suspect that people generally play the way that they think the game should be played, and as I've said before, Julia was the only one who played the way I like best, making a plan for the endgame and working to achieve it, so I'm not surprised she critiques people the same way I do.

I don't see Michele's voting for Julia as as big a deal as Julia does, but I see where she's coming from -- I also don't like people who are loyal all the way, and I can see how that was at least kind of a declaration of independence for Michele, cutting off Julia to give herself a better chance in the game.  I also don't see Tai's wasted advantage as embarrassing exactly, because voting off Michele was probably the right move there, but again I can sort of see it, because being that blind to what the tribe is doing is definitely bad news.  It certainly freaked out Tai, rightfully so.  I don't agree with everything she says, but I honestly don't even see what problem people could have with this video.  But that's reality TV for you!