S32.E10: I'm Not Here To Make Good Friends

[marys1000]

I'm even more irritated and mad about last week now.  Last week I was constantly thinking "Aubry - go talk to Tai!  He's not comfortable with all that aggressive stuff!  He's like an overripe apple ready to let go of the tree!  Go convince him to come back!  I didn't understand at all why she wasn't.  I also thought it was sort of weak game play to (a) not control Debbie better; and/or (b) use Debbie's telling Julia everything to line up something with fake info.  (Is that what happened with Michelle?)

Live and learn I guess. 

Had she either gotten Tai back or used Debbie they could have gotten out either Jason or Scott and this week they would BOTH be gone and Debbie, my fav, would still be around. 

 

This week was pretty confusing for me I'm going to just press to what is the situation now? 

 

So...Now Tai is in an alliance with Aubry and Cydny and Joe?  Michelle may or may be in that alliance?  So 4 vs. two or three or 5 vs. 2? 

 

Who is on the bottom of the 4 or 5? 

 

Jason is still both an immunity threat (they had opportunities I think they should have taken, just saying)  and still a good goat so he may not be easy to dislodge. 

 

And Julia, I'd rather give Jason's kid a million than give it someone who stabbed our alliance in the back

[LanceM]

Oh please Scot and Jason were planning on cutting Tai soon and Idiot Julia who they would've cut before then ate it up. Michelle even points out in a secret scene that stupid Julia shouldn't assume She could beat those two assholes cause they actually put in work unless previous "goats" . Plus I really hate that strategy . Reward pieces of shit for shitty behavior with a F3 FUCK THAT. Those two were/Are fucking bullies who could drive someone to vote them out for their own sanity. Glad Scot is gone and Fuck Julia acting like a bitter little Bitch in the preview next week.

 

Put in work for what?  Dumping out water, hiding machetes and treating people like crap, casting votes for people who didn't go home? They are the perfect goats.  The edit has gone out of its way to show this too. they have been called bullies. They have been called lazy. Anyone in this game could beat them the final tribal council. I am sorry but Julia was 100% correct in her assessment.

[Dominii]

Ugh, Julia looks really gross right now.  Did any of you notice how incredibly filthy she is?  Her stench must be gagalicious!  It looks like her face hasn't been washed for a week, and she has zits everywhere.  Her tan colored shirt is so covered in grime that it's a wonder she's not puffing out little dust clouds like Pigpen.  The worst are her fingernails.  They are black and encrusted with dirt.  Does she even get in the water EVER?  Get some sand and scrub your fingernails, pig girl!  Wash your face and hair often.  Strip down and scrub your clothes.  You're making me gag just looking at you!  I know you can't be spotless out there in the jungle, but good God, have some pride! 

 

My old dad always said that you can tell a lot about a man's character by the way he takes care of his car.  I think the same can be said about the way he takes care of his hygiene.  Julia needs to go -- don't like her, don't want to watch her anymore.

[peachmangosteen]

Look, it may have been real love for Caleb, but is it so out of the realm of possibility that Tai is somewhat manipulative?

 

It is for me. I think Tai is a terrible player. He's making a lot of erratic decisions. And no he doesn't come off like he's purposefully manipulative at all. And I think he fell ass backwards into ending up the only person with an idol. I doubt he even thought about it when Jason gave Scot his idol.

 

Editors need to tone it down a notch. I figured one of the douchebros was going before the first commercial break. Just way too heavy handed.

 

They probably did that to make sure people kept watching the episode!

 

I think Julia is playing hard, which I appreciate. The problem for Julia is she just isn't that good at the strategy she's using. It's a good strategy, probably the only one she could conceivably employ actually, but she lacks the ability to play it properly.  But good for her that she tried to win rather than just accept her lower position in the game. 

 

Michele continues to be such an enigma. I am struggling to understand why I was so sure she was the winner 2 weeks ago lol. I feel like we'd have a much better idea of her plans if they'd allow us to see her and Julia speak. I'm still so perplexed by editing hiding that relationship. The only thing I can think is ultimately it just isn't that big of a deal and that maybe neither Julia nor Michele makes FTC.

 

I would've also liked to have seen how exactly Aubry and Cydney became such a solid duo. It's even stranger to me considering they weren't even on the switched up tribes together. They only just met each other at merge and yet somehow they became a very tight pair that are dominating the boots now.

 

Oh, Joe. I knew he'd choose the love letters. Such a kind, dumb man! 

Edited April 21, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[ljenkins782]

So much for that free ride to the Final 3 with the two assholes huh Julia? And why was she telling Tai to play his idol? If he played it they couldn't do a super idol at the end.

 

She thought Tai had voted for Aubry as they planned so Tai playing his idol would have bounced Aubry IF Tai had followed the plan. 

 

Tai plays the naive, bumbling innocent but I think he's more manipulative than the players realize.

 

Ha, clearly. His vote for Scot shows that it wasn't a last second change of heart about using the super idol, he knew exactly what he was doing. Between his size and his accent/way of speaking, I think he's slipping under the radar (well, until now). 

 

I liked his confessional about how they talk over him and he didn't feel like an actual participant in the alliance. It clearly never occurred to the two bullies that he was aware of and bothered by their dismissal of his input. 

 

He didn't!  So in the end, they did flush out an idol, and eliminated the "Super Idol" possibility to boot!

I still think that extra vote will come back to bite Tai in the butt, just like it did for Dan and Stephen.

 

That was an amazing move getting rid of that idol without it even getting played. I tend to feel the same thing about the extra vote, it's starting to seem like a "car curse" kind of deal, whoever gets the extra vote gets bounced when they use it. 

 

She was never going to win with her original alliance though. This was her ticket for the win for her but unfortunately  it backfired.  I do appreciate the fact that she is playing to win though even if she falls short. I hate players that that just accept the fact that they are at the bottom of an alliance and do nothing to try to change it.

 

Julia's playing a decent game, she's got her relationship with Michelle and kinda/sorta one with Aubry plus her relationship with the guys (which is now weakened.) 

 

I think she's in trouble now because the key to cruising to the win was having TWO goats next to her, no one left in the game qualifies the way Scot did. 

 

 

Is it my imagination or is Scot out just because they wanted to make a big play? They knew they were going to have to use the Super Idol, which used both idols. Why not just have both of them play the idol they had when Jeff called for idols pre tally?

 

Yup! It was pure hubris on Scot's part, since Tai had an agenda of his own.  Scot was planning to use the idol either way so he wasn't saving it, he just wanted to use it in the most in-your-face way. 

 

Aubry was impressive at the challenge and she seems to be good at talking to everyone, but I was afraid she'd blown it by talking to Tai before the immunity challenge when they didn't know yet who was going to be immune. 

 

Jason continues to be thoroughly obnoxious and that flat Michigan accent just makes it worse (sorry to any Michigan folks here :) ) His speeches at TC could not have begged any harder for comeuppance and I'm so glad he got it. 

 

Based on all of the Ponderosas so far, they are losing a lot of weight out there so I'm a little fearful for Tai. His ribs are about to poke through his skin at this point.

 

 

[Haleth]

It's also worth noting that... if Tai had used the super idol to save Scot, Tai would have gone home in a revote.

I wonder if the Aubry alliance anticipated this.  Could they have realized with Scot using the SII it would leave a tie between Tai and Aubry, making it highly unlikely Tai would give the idol to Scot?  Tai really had no choice but to hold on to his idol and send Scot packing.  In that case it was a really good thing Michelle was left out of the loop and voted for Tai.  

Edited April 21, 2016 by Haleth

[Mreid]

They weren't blindsided by Debbie going home, they were simply better at psychological warfare than they realized.

I meant  they were blindsided because they voted for Cydney but she didnt go home Debbie did. So three weeks straight the person they have voted for did not go home

[Hanahope]

WEll, Tai improved in my opinion of him, he took a stand against the two bullies.  I'm sure he knows that if he gets to the end, he won't have Scot's vote, unless Tai is the only male in the final (as Scot strikes me as the type that would never vote for a woman if he has the choice, and he may respect that Tai blindsided him, something he would never admit of a woman).  

 

I liked that the women all kept up their work in overthrowing the bullies.  Cydney took a bit of a step back (good move), while the others went a bit forward.  Julie showed that she's still more attached to Michelle than the boys(since she voted for Tai instead of Aubry), but she's willing to throw the other women under the bus.  

 

It would have been interesting if Julie had voted for Aubry instead of Tai, as then it would have been a tie vote with Scot and a revote.  I assume Scot wouldn't have been able to play the regular idol at that point, so would Tai have revoted Scot?  Would Michelle take the shot at Scot?  Would Julie have stuck with Jason and voted Aubry?  That would have been a fun revote.

[Special K]

I meant  they were blindsided because they voted for Cydney but she didnt go home Debbie did. So three weeks straight the person they have voted for did not go home

 

And yet they continued to swan around, passively threaten, and lord it over everyone that they were running things.  Delusional.

[azshadowwalker]

Ugh, Julia looks really gross right now. Did any of you notice how incredibly filthy she is? Her stench must be gagalicious! It looks like her face hasn't been washed for a week, and she has zits everywhere. Her tan colored shirt is so covered in grime that it's a wonder she's not puffing out little dust clouds like Pigpen. The worst are her fingernails. They are black and encrusted with dirt. Does she even get in the water EVER? Get some sand and scrub your fingernails, pig girl! Wash your face and hair often. Strip down and scrub your clothes. You're making me gag just looking at you! I know you can't be spotless out there in the jungle, but good God, have some pride!

My old dad always said that you can tell a lot about a man's character by the way he takes care of his car. I think the same can be said about the way he takes care of his hygiene. Julia needs to go -- don't like her, don't want to watch her anymore.

Everyone else is so spotless, of course. How dare a young woman not be obsessed with meeting beauty standards when she is in over powering heat and humidity, digging in sand, sleeping outside. The men with filthy fingernails? Well, they're dudes. No need to fit woman-hating stereotypes. Edited April 21, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[candall]

 

It clearly never occurred to the two bullies that he was aware of and bothered by their dismissal of his input. 

 

The football team never stops to wonder if the towel boy is going to murder them in their sleep.

[needschocolate]

I usually skip over all the "posting while watching" posts at the beginning of the thread (I am in the wrong time zone), but I read them all this time - kind of re-living what I went through watching this episode. 

 

I don't think I could every be one of those people who fast forwards through the episode or skips part of a season.  I have learned from my years of watching Survivor, that if you suffer through the bad parts, the good parts are much more enjoyable.  

 

Is it my imagination or is Scot out just because they wanted to make a big play? They knew they were going to have to use the Super Idol, which used both idols. Why not just have both of them play the idol they had when Jeff called for idols pre tally?

 

This thought crossed my mind too - why use them both as a super idol instead of using them both individually and garuanteeing that they don't go home?

 

If Julia hadn't told them the other 5 were voting for Tai, I can see how not playing the idols makes sense - Everyone knows they have 2 idols, the other 5 wouldn't want to take the chance that the one they vote for doesn't plat an idol and they vote out one of their own instead again.  The goons might not have to play any idols.   This makes even more sense since Jason won individual immunity - all three are protected, no one will vote for them, and they end up not having to play any idols.  

 

However, none of the above applies because Julia did tell them it would be 5 votes for Tai.  So their plan was one of the following - 

 

--- Tai plays his idol for himself, and Scot and Jason get to keep the other idol for their use later, although they were telling Tai not to play it, so it is doubtful that this was their plan.

 

--- They were going to combine the two idols and save Tai.  If this was the case, why not just have Tai play hid idol on himself and save the other idol for future use?  Probably because they were too impressed with themselves and with making a "grand move" 

 

--- They thought that Julia might be lying and that the 5 would vote for Scot instead.  If they thought this was possible, then why not play both idols individually and make sure that Aubry goes home?  Because they were too impressed with themselves and with making a "grand move"

 

--- They weren't planning on saving Tai at all.  Let Tai get voted off with his idol in his pocket (I wonder if there was any discussion of "hey Tai, we let you hold both the idols last tribal, it is Scot's turn to hold them both this time").  This would be a stupid plan because they lose a member of their alliance and next tribal it they are 2 against 5 (or, depending on Julia, 3 against 4).

 

I think every scenario proves that Scot and Jason are idiots with over-inflated egos. 

 

Further proof of their idiocy, since you can apparently hand over an idol after the vote ifit means you will combine it with another idol to make a super idol that you play, then Jason was completely stupid for handing his idol to Scot before tribal.  

 

Joe is...there. If he ever wins an individual challenge I will fall out of my chair.

 

If Joe ever votes for someone other than the first person he is told to vote for, I will fall out of my chair.  

 

Sure, he was voted off but don't count Scot out yet.... he won an NBA Championship sitting on a bench.

 

I vote thsi the funniest comment yet.

 

I liked his confessional about how they talk over him and he didn't feel like an actual participant in the alliance. It clearly never occurred to the two bullies that he was aware of and bothered by their dismissal of his input. 

 

Scot's and Jason's biggest downfall was that they were such fans of themselves that they couldn't see how their actions looked to anyone else.  

[Special K]

 

Scot's and Jason's biggest downfall was that they were such fans of themselves that they couldn't see how their actions looked to anyone else.  

 

This.  And, idol-wise, they fervently believed they could have their cake and eat it too.  That is, keep the idols if they needed them, and use them as a SI if they needed to.  Which I suppose is the devilry of the SI.  Well, the devilry of the SI is getting the other person to save you. 

 

But the fact that the very thing that emboldened them and turned up the volume on the assholery was the thing that cut them off at the knees -- that is some fine classic tragedy.

[Jobiska]

By contrast, one of the women who dropped out early (Julia, maybe?) just appeared to let her disks go and as she was walking to the bench just said "my thumbs".  That suggested to me that she might've inadvertently or reflexively used wrapped her thumb joints around the bottom of the disks to push them back up, and that that was something they'd been instructed was illegal.

I just assumed her thumbs were killing her, and gave out, but then I have terrible arthritis in my thumb joints.  

[NutMeg]

This.  And, idol-wise, they fervently believed they could have their cake and eat it too.  That is, keep the idols if they needed them, and use them as a SI if they needed to.  Which I suppose is the devilry of the SI.  Well, the devilry of the SI is getting the other person to save you. 

 

But the fact that the very thing that emboldened them and turned up the volume on the assholery was the thing that cut them off at the knees -- that is some fine classic tragedy.

I think you're right on the money with "have their cake and eat it too". And it is indeed a fine classic tragedy. That we can also call A whole lot of hubris for nought.

[Alapaki]

I'm even more irritated and mad about last week now.  Last week I was constantly thinking "Aubry - go talk to Tai!  He's not comfortable with all that aggressive stuff!  He's like an overripe apple ready to let go of the tree!  Go convince him to come back!  I didn't understand at all why she wasn't.  I also thought it was sort of weak game play to (a) not control Debbie better; and/or (b) use Debbie's telling Julia everything to line up something with fake info.  (Is that what happened with Michelle?)

Live and learn I guess.

Had she either gotten Tai back or used Debbie they could have gotten out either Jason or Scott and this week they would BOTH be gone and Debbie, my fav, would still be around.

 

 

When the game-play sucked, I welcomed Debbie's antics.  I have to say I didn't miss her last night.  From Aubrey's perspective (whether she was thinking of this or not), Debbie was a loose-cannon who could not be trusted long-term.  She also appeared to have influence on Joe  Now Aubrey seems to have some Jedi-mind-control mojo over Joe and she doesn't have Debbie whispering in his other ear.

 

However, none of the above applies because Julia did tell them it would be 5 votes for Tai.  So their plan was one of the following -

 

 

If they trusted Julia.  They acknowledged to her face that they know she's a double-agent.  And, indeed, Julia's motive was to get them to play at least one of their HIIs.  Historically players have been extremely risk-averse in voting for someone who even may be holding a HII.  I think Scot and Jason were justified in their confidence that their holding two HII which together made a SII (and if no one else knew exactly what a SII meant, that uncertainty would only increase the deterrent effect) would be sufficient to deter at least one of the non-aligned players to join them.

 

For as much of a piece-of-shit that I think he is, Jason perfectly articulated the gambit that you play when you choose to reveal that you have a HII for deterrent effect:  Either you decide who in your alliance goes home, or I do."  

 

Julia's playing a decent game, she's got her relationship with Michelle and kinda/sorta one with Aubry plus her relationship with the guys (which is now weakened.)

 

 

I'm not so sure.  Her Confessionals demonstrate that Julie is wise to the game that is being played.  But I'm not so sure that she isn't just too transparent to the other players.  

 

Further proof of their idiocy, since you can apparently hand over an idol after the vote ifit means you will combine it with another idol to make a super idol that you play, then Jason was completely stupid for handing his idol to Scot before tribal.

 

 

Possibly.  But it depends who he would be allowed to hand his HII to after the vote.  Could he only, at that point, hand it to the person holding its matching twin?  If so, he'd have been losing Scot and handing Tai a SII.  If he could give it to anyone, including Scot, then Scot would still have to accept it, then ask Tai for his half, and the outcome would be the same as last night.  I suppose Jason could've insisted upon Tai giving Scott his HII first. 

[Gummo]

Not much to add to the general jubilation.  There were shouts & screams at the TV in our house, too!

 

We've seen previous seasons where a person or alliance gains a huge advantage and the rest of the players just kind of deflate and give up.

 

Not this time. 

 

The others were immediately conferring and planning on how to neutralize the idols.  No drama, no surrender.  I was really impressed with their attitudes.

 

And Aubry once again proves that, first & foremost, Survivor is a social game.  The Douchebros thought they could just bully their way to the end.  But she understood that the weak link in their alliance was Tai and she knew exactly how to approach him. 

 

Aubry for the win!

[Alapaki]

I think you're right on the money with "have their cake and eat it too". And it is indeed a fine classic tragedy. That we can also call A whole lot of hubris for nought.

 

 

Historically, though, they were justified in that thinking.  Last week I mentioned that the use of the SII was not as powerful as it seemed, because it requires a shitload of gametrust.  Now, in this instance, given their own arrogance but also the track record of the prior two weeks, they considered Tai 100% on board.  

 

That's why I think Aubey should get a great deal of credit for what happened last night.  She recognized that Tai was the most likely weak link holding that alliance together, and she made the right pitch (unlike Debbie).  Some of Aubrey's talk about how she planned to swing Tai was loaded with some psycho-babble catch-phrases, but that doesn't make the underlying concepts she was using wrong.  

 

Edited to add:

 

But she understood that the weak link in their alliance was Tai and she knew exactly how to approach him.

 

 

This posted while I was typing.  I suppose I could've just seconded it.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Alapaki

[ghoulina]

I loved when Scot looks at Tai - and Tai immediately turns to see what Scot wants from Jason.  I thought for certain Tai would cave under the intense staring pressure from the boys and hand over his idol.  But when I saw that he had written Scot's name I laughed even harder.

 

I was so nervous in that moment. I was happy, realizing Tai had decided not to use the Idol, but those stare downs! Those two much larger guys, on either side, I was so afraid he'd crack!

[Jersey Guy 87]

It's also worth noting that... if Tai had used the super idol to save Scot, Tai would have gone home in a revote.

 

Everyone seems to think that but I'm not sure.  There would be five people voting if Scot was saved. Michelle and Joe would vote for Tai.  Scot and Kyle would vote for Aubry.  I have no idea who Julia would vote for, it could go either way.

 

Ugh, Julia looks really gross right now.  Did any of you notice how incredibly filthy she is?  Her stench must be gagalicious!  It looks like her face hasn't been washed for a week, and she has zits everywhere.  Her tan colored shirt is so covered in grime that it's a wonder she's not puffing out little dust clouds like Pigpen.  The worst are her fingernails.  They are black and encrusted with dirt.  Does she even get in the water EVER?  Get some sand and scrub your fingernails, pig girl!  Wash your face and hair often.  Strip down and scrub your clothes.  You're making me gag just looking at you!  I know you can't be spotless out there in the jungle, but good God, have some pride! 

 

My old dad always said that you can tell a lot about a man's character by the way he takes care of his car.  I think the same can be said about the way he takes care of his hygiene.  Julia needs to go -- don't like her, don't want to watch her anymore.

 

Given that Julia is young the lack of a access to real soap,etc. is probably wreaking havoc with her acne.  There's zero she can do about that while playing Survivor.  I see no real evidence that her hygiene is any worse than anyone else playing right now.  But I'm sure everyone else smells really, really nice.

[JoannKB]

Would it have been against the rules for Scot to hand Jason his idol back after the votes had been read (and Tai had denied the use of the SuperIdol)? Or did Scot go home with Jason's idol on purpose?

[ghoulina]

I would've also liked to have seen how exactly Aubry and Cydney became such a solid duo. It's even stranger to me considering they weren't even on the switched up tribes together. They only just met each other at merge and yet somehow they became a very tight pair that are dominating the boots now.

 

I honestly think it's just because when the women started working together post-merge, those two had a conversation and realized they were the most sensible ones on the island. They're both playing a similar sort of game, so I just think it became natural to them pretty quickly. 

[piequinn35]

HII cannot be passed after being eliminated.

"Once the votes are read, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately."

Edited April 21, 2016 by piequinn35

[blackwing]

They still haven't really made the rules of the Superidol clear.  All we saw was that when two idols are joined together, they create a Superidol, which can be used after the votes are read.  When they went into TC, Scott had a regular idol, and Tai had a regular idol.  Unlike the last TC where Tai had both of them and thus had a Superidol, nobody had a Superidol this time.  They vote.  Jeffy says "if anyone has a hidden immunity idol blah blah blah".  Nobody moves.  At that point, my interpretation of the rules would be that neither Scott's idol nor Tai's idol can be used anymore,  Votes are read.  I'd like to know definitively what would have happened if Tai had said "I'd like to give my idol to Scott" and then Scott joins the idols to make a Superidol.  Under the strict interpretation of immunity idol rules as we have seen them in past seasons, I would have said this wasn't possible.  Only a Superidol can be played after the votes are read, and since (I think) you cannot transfer idols after Jeff asks if anyone wants to play one, I would have said none of them had a Superidol.  In order to use it, I would have said that one person would have had to had both pieces prior to the vote.

 

It's very evident that the girls have absolutely no idea how the Superidol worked.  It's also evident that the guys didn't trust Julia enough to let her in on the secret.  All she knew was that Tai and Jason each had an idol.  Others have asked why both of them just didn't play their idols.  They didn't play them because they didn't think they needed to,  As Kyle so arrogantly proclaimed, just the threat of the idols was enough to make the poor widdle girls cower in fright, his psychological warfare worked.  Plus I do think they wanted the theatrical reveal of the Superidol, because that would crush the poor widdle girls' hearts even more to realise that they were helpless.

 

This was one of the more douchetastic bro alliances in my mind ever.  And it was such a delicious blindside.  Arrogant tools who think they are in control and then get blindsided.  To me this ranks right up there with the downfall of Edguardo, Mookie and that other tool.  They too thought they were in control because of an idol and found out how badly they were wrong.

 

I would hope that at this point, Kyle and Julia are done.  Will be interesting to see what Julia does.  She threw in with the boys and I bet she comes running back to the girls with some "I was trying to deceive the boys" ploy.  I hope they don't accept her.

 

Regardless of what happens from here on out, Tai's move in denying the Superidol is certainly one of the bigger moves of the game so far.  I think he has probably solidified a lock on making any future Second Chances season, assuming he doesn't win.

Would it have been against the rules for Scot to hand Jason his idol back after the votes had been read (and Tai had denied the use of the SuperIdol)? Or did Scot go home with Jason's idol on purpose?

This has been answered in the thread multiple times already.  No, he is not allowed to give it back.  When you are voted out with an idol in your pocket, it is gone from the game.  I am assuming it will be reburied, and I am also curious as to whether Neal's was reburied.

[Mreid]

Did Joe get any confessionals at all in the episode?

[Jobiska]

This has been answered in the thread multiple times already.  No, he is not allowed to give it back.  When you are voted out with an idol in your pocket, it is gone from the game.  I am assuming it will be reburied, and I am also curious as to whether Neal's was reburied.

When you are voted out with an idol, it's your souvenir and there is not a replacement.  Both Neal's and Scot's idols were shown in the Ponderosa videos.  They even yin-yanged them together to see what it looked like.

[ByaNose]

I don't think a new idol was put into play when Neal left. He left under different circumstances and a new one wasn't put out. As for, a new idol in place of Scot's I also don't think another will be put out. They will probably just go with Tai's idol since they are low in numbers. So little days and so few castaways. Once again, I know nothing so I could be totally wrong.

[barbedwire]

All I have to say is that I didn't know Tai had it in him.

[Bouffe]

ETA: Who got the title quote?

 

I'm catching up so apologies of someone already answered. It was Tai who got the title quote.

 

Aubrey is growing on me. She was awesome this episode. I want Tai to win but I'd be very happy if Aubrey did. Her spitting like Jason and the fact she hung in there as long as she did...  So awesome. And she's very smart. She sees right through most players.

[Special K]

They still haven't really made the rules of the Superidol clear.  All we saw was that when two idols are joined together, they create a Superidol, which can be used after the votes are read.  When they went into TC, Scott had a regular idol, and Tai had a regular idol.  Unlike the last TC where Tai had both of them and thus had a Superidol, nobody had a Superidol this time.  They vote.  Jeffy says "if anyone has a hidden immunity idol blah blah blah".  Nobody moves.  At that point, my interpretation of the rules would be that neither Scott's idol nor Tai's idol can be used anymore,  Votes are read.  I'd like to know definitively what would have happened if Tai had said "I'd like to give my idol to Scott" and then Scott joins the idols to make a Superidol.  Under the strict interpretation of immunity idol rules as we have seen them in past seasons, I would have said this wasn't possible.  Only a Superidol can be played after the votes are read, and since (I think) you cannot transfer idols after Jeff asks if anyone wants to play one, I would have said none of them had a Superidol.  In order to use it, I would have said that one person would have had to had both pieces prior to the vote.

 

It would be great to have this clarified.  I mean, why make such a formal show of presenting the idol to Tai before last week's vote unless it was required by the rules?  And, if so, why disregard that "rule" this week.  I mean, they didn't know who was going to be targeted, but then doesn't it negate the SI power to wait?  Can JP comment on this?

[Alapaki]

They still haven't really made the rules of the Superidol clear. All we saw was that when two idols are joined together, they create a Superidol, which can be used after the votes are read. When they went into TC, Scott had a regular idol, and Tai had a regular idol. Unlike the last TC where Tai had both of them and thus had a Superidol, nobody had a Superidol this time. They vote. Jeffy says "if anyone has a hidden immunity idol blah blah blah". Nobody moves. At that point, my interpretation of the rules would be that neither Scott's idol nor Tai's idol can be used anymore, Votes are read. I'd like to know definitively what would have happened if Tai had said "I'd like to give my idol to Scott" and then Scott joins the idols to make a Superidol. Under the strict interpretation of immunity idol rules as we have seen them in past seasons, I would have said this wasn't possible. Only a Superidol can be played after the votes are read, and since (I think) you cannot transfer idols after Jeff asks if anyone wants to play one, I would have said none of them had a Superidol. In order to use it, I would have said that one person would have had to had both pieces prior to the vote.

I agree we don't know the rule for certain, firsthand.

But unless there were editing games, it seems pretty clear that both Jason and Scott believed that Tai could give Scot the HII to create a SII after the votes were read.

Both of them had access to the actual instructions/rules firsthand.

So, unless they can't read, I think we have to presume that Tai could've handed his HII over after the vote.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

You Can't Blindside A Blindsider On Survivor
As another rule-bending advantage enters the game, the final eight Survivors ponder flipping on their various alliances.

[millennium]

Jason and Scott's misbegotten strategy gives whole new meaning to "Bungle in the Jungle."

 

I'm glad it was Scott.  He was the more despicable of the two.   Not so much in what he said but because of the way he oozed smugness and hatred, like nature made him bigger than everyone else for a reason and by God he was destined to prove it.   Fuck you, Goliath.

 

All that aside, where can I get a poster of Cydney in her Wonder Woman bikini?

[eskimo]

Well Dara took a huge shit last night.  They must feel so much better.

[iMonrey]

 

Editors need to tone it down a notch. I figured one of the douchebros was going before the first commercial break. Just way too heavy handed.

 

Really? I spent the entire episode convinced Aubry was going home based on the sheer amount of screen time she got. I was certain the show was yanking my chain with any possibility Scot would be voted out and struggled to make it to the end, having to sit through all the smugness of Scot and Jason for an hour. Only that ending saved it for me - and the season as a whole. (I had not seen any spoilers about a blindside though.)

 

In the end, neither Scot nor Jason knew how to play a long-term game. Both behaved childishly and that's what did them in. I have a sense the reason Scot switched his target from Cydney to Aubry is because she didn't immediately fall at his feet when he offered her a deal. She didn't even refuse that deal, she said she'd think about it - and that wasn't good enough for him. He apparently stewed over it until Tai came to him and said he'd spoken to her and she was open to working with them and then he snapped. Not good enough! She must go! What an idiot. His ego did him in. I think if they'd stuck with targeting Cydney Tai would have stayed with them.

 

I have not enjoyed or appreciated Tai all season long. And I'm not sure how well calculated this move was for him, but at this point I'd be OK with him winning this thing. I couldn't have said that up until now.

[ProfCrash]

I think that the Super Idol could have been formed after the votes were read. Scot sat there and asked Tai for the other idol. Tai did not give it to him. Scot nodded his head yes, Tai nodded his head no. Scot said "Really" and Tai commented in the affirmative. Then Scot stood up. Jeff let it play out. Had it not been possible for Tai to hand the idol off to make the Super Idol, Jeff would have called Scot down far more quickly. I cannot believe that Tai would have gone to hand the idol to Scot and Jeff would have said that it was not possible.

 

The plan should have been that Scot and Tai wear their idols to tribal and state that they were playing them and that they were voting for Aubrey. Then the other five can vote the way they did, hoping that Tai and/or Scot choose not to play the idol and an idol is taken out in the vote. Scot, Tai and Jason are safe and Aubrey is gone and the idols are flushed.

 

The only way the Super Idol play worked is if Tai stayed true to their alliance. Kyle and Scot misread Tai's intentions. They thought that he was with them all the way and didn't realize that they way they "included" Tai in deliberations made it clear that Tai was simply a vote and an idol and not an actual equal.

 

Tai played it right, he did not let on to them that he did not like how he was being treated. Aubrey played it right. She approached Tai in a very gentle, non confrontational manner and offered him a different path. Aubrey followed up after Scot and Kyle choose to ignore Tai's idea to add Aubrey to their alliance and wanted to vote her out. The next conversation between Aubrey and Tai was the one were Aubrey was squatting in the grass hiding and the two conversed while keeping an eye out for Scot, Kyle or Julia.

 

I don't think it was the right move for Tai. I think he was better off with Julia, Kyle and Scot and aiming for an immunity win at final four. Both Julia and Tai are going to be burned by the flip flopping. It is possible that Scot will be ok with Tai's decision and not hold it against him. Kyle is not going to vote for Tai, or Cydney, because they betrayed him. He will probably spend a good amount of time bitching at Ponderosa if he gets sent there and could influence Scot's vote.

 

I can see Aubrey keeping Tai around to vote out Kyle and Julia but then jettisoning him in favor of Michelle, Joe and Cydney. Joe has done little to nothing in the game and cannot win. Cydney angered Kyle, Scot and Nick with her change of alliance. Michelle has disappeared from the game. Aubrey managed to get compliments about her game play from Scot and Kyle at tribal. She is in tight with Joe. I think that people will give her credit for flipping Tai. She has made some good moves, done well in challenges (even if she has not won them) and appears to get along fine with everyone. She should compete in challenges against Joe, Michelle, Julia and Tai.

[Bouffe]

It’s not that the idol is void. It's that Scot is not in the game anymore, so he can't give it to anyone. I seem to remember that is the rule.

 

Nope.  As Jeff makes clear every at every tribal council, once the votes have been read (if there's no Superidol in play), the decision is final, and the person who has been voted out must leave the tribal area immediately.  There simply isn't any window of opportunity to do anything other than to say "goodbye" (or, as Jud so memorably put it, "I hope you all get eaten by crocodiles!") after the votes have been read.

 

I think it's a fair rule. and I too think there is no window in between the read votes and the person leaving. However, I seem to remember - no specific example - a few cast members outing alliances or plans as they were leaving tribal council. If this is allowed, shouldn't tossing the idol to someone as you exit technically be allowed, too? Just playing devil's advocate here. :)

[tvfanatic13]

Can someone please remind me why the extra vote advantage backfired in previous seasons.

[blackwing]

Can someone please remind me why the extra vote advantage backfired in previous seasons.

It wasn't so much that it backfired, but it was in the hands of Dan Foley and he's an idiot.  I believe he told everyone that he had an extra vote, in an effort to try and browbeat people into siding with him.  I remember his big "I have the power" confessional as he thumped his hand on his saggy moobs (if he didn't do this, I don't care if I am making it up because it is so something he would do).  I think what happened is that he wanted to vote out Carolyn.  Others wanted to vote him out because of his advantage.  At tribal I believe he even mentioned that he was thinking of playing his extra vote, in an effort to convince everyone to vote out Carolyn with him.  Unfortunately for him, Carolyn played her idol.  I think she wasn't going to, but then she said "I don't want to go home tonight".  Everyone but Mike and Carolyn voted for Carolyn.  Those votes were negated and Dan went home.

[piewarmer]

That was delicious! I may need to rewatch. And there I was, thinking that goth snake with the blue lipstick was going to be the highlight of the episode...

[PerfidiousAmber]

 

LOL, that would have been awesome. Was I the only one who saw Debbie and thought, "Wow, she actually looks pretty nice"?

 

 

No, I was thinking she looked fabulous!

[backformore]

I think the thing of beauty was to put Tai is a situation where he had to choose between saving an ally next to whom he could ultimately win AND risking being eliminated right there and then, OR keeping his safety for himself, with much reduced chances of making it to the end. 

 

Not surprised that Tai folded. He must be crap at poker :)

 

I'm happy with the outcome, because it opens up new possibilities and reshuffles positions in a game where they seemed likely to get sticky.  

I thought he was brilliant.  I don't think he folded.  He did what he had to do in order to survive.  If he had given Scott the idol to play, it was still likely that Scott would turn on him in a second vote. 

Tai's brilliance is his ability to think for himself, while giving others the impression that he can't think for himself.

[Dominii]

 

Everyone else is so spotless, of course. How dare a young woman not be obsessed with meeting beauty standards when she is in over powering heat and humidity, digging in sand, sleeping outside. The men with filthy fingernails? Well, they're dudes. No need to fit woman-hating stereotypes.

Hey, I'm not woman hating at all.  I just think Julia is currently the most disgusting of the bunch, male or female.  I believe she is even worse than Kyle, and THAT'S saying a lot.  When they showed a close-up of her reading letters in the shelter, it was a huge shock to us, especially to my 13 year old daughter!  The filth was incredible.  Look at that part of the episode again, and you'll see what I mean.

 

It doesn't matter what gender you are, take care of yourself.

[PerfidiousAmber]

Why exactly was Julia urging Tai to play his idol so aggressively? Was she hoping to get Aubrey out this way? She is very clumsy with the execution of her ideas.

 

Edited to add:

 

Or was she urging him to play the "super idol" - and again I'm as confused as some of the other posters as to how and when this super idol actually gets formed in order to play it.

Edited April 21, 2016 by PerfidiousAmber

[survivinmt]

I think just about ALL of them knew how the Super Idol worked. I re-watched Tai's explanation of it from a couple of weeks ago at Tribal - and to them its less than a week - and he laid it all out completely and accurately. That two idols can combine and make a Super Idol which can be played AFTER the votes. Don't you think everyone would have followed up with him on that if they didn't understand it or didn't hear him or whatever? They have lots and lots of time and once its said its "out there". Like George's unreturned "I love you" on Seinfield.

 

You can almost always tell who someone will align with. Tai's choices: the BoUT or Aubry. Goes to BoUT with the idea - we can work with Aubry. "Let's vote Aubry out." No say, no advice asked for or listened to. OR Aubry - "what do you want to do?"  Let's see who should Tai go with?

 

I sure like Aubry's comments at Tribal and her grin is very cute. She makes Jeff Probst grin too.

 

I really like this season.  If Scot was as smart as he thinks he is - he should have played the regular idol before the votes were read so that he didn't have to rely on anyone else. To his mind both idols were going to be gone by the end anyway. And since he only has control over ANY of the idols right then, because Jason was foolish enough to give it to him prematurely - playing one for himself was the only way to FOR SURE not go home. Sure it would have broken up the chance for SII to come into play - but he was pretty sure that was happening anyway.

[piequinn35]

I really like this season.  If Scot was as smart as he thinks he is - he should have played the regular idol before the votes were read so that he didn't have to rely on anyone else. To his mind both idols were going to be gone by the end anyway. And since he only has control over ANY of the idols right then, because Jason was foolish enough to give it to him prematurely - playing one for himself was the only way to FOR SURE not go home. Sure it would have broken up the chance for SII to come into play - but he was pretty sure that was happening anyway.

I love it when the reason for elimination was cockiness and overconfidence :)

[hyukx3]

Editors need to tone it down a notch. I figured one of the douchebros was going before the first commercial break. Just way too heavy handed.

Scot should have realized Tai flipped after the votes were read. If Tai gave Scot the idol he would have been voted out on the re-vote. Probably too much for Scot's brain to process at that moment.

 

i dont think scott would be eligible to be voted for on the revote. it be tai against aubry.

[iMonrey]

 

Was I the only one who saw Debbie and thought, "Wow, she actually looks pretty nice"?

 

She definitely looked better with makeup and softer lighting. I still doubt she ever did any modeling though.

 

The real losers this episode were all those ceramic pots. Jeez, what have clay pots ever done to this show?

[backformore]

I think just about ALL of them knew how the Super Idol worked. I re-watched Tai's explanation of it from a couple of weeks ago at Tribal - and to them its less than a week - and he laid it all out completely and accurately. That two idols can combine and make a Super Idol which can be played AFTER the votes. Don't you think everyone would have followed up with him on that if they didn't understand it or didn't hear him or whatever? They have lots and lots of time and once its said its "out there". Like George's unreturned "I love you" on Seinfield.

 

For me, the confusion about the Super Idol is whether a person has to have possession of at least one idol before the votes are read.  Did Scott have to POSSESS the idol in order for the super Idol to be played?   If not, then Jason was a fool to give his idol up to Scott. 

Either Jason is more of an idiot that we think (which is possible)  or the rules of the Super Idol include that it can only be played by a person who had an idol in their possession going in.

[elizacat]

Haven't read the thread yet but just had to post Holy Crap that was frigging awesome!!!!!!!

I hoped but didn't dare to believe it would be Scott.