S33.E05: Idol Search Party

[JudyObscure]

Quote

6 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

I don't have any problem with Figgy either, though I am less surprised when people hate young pretty women for no reason, this world being what it is.

I think people hate young, pretty women for the same reason they hate old, ugly men.  Right from the first, I disliked Paul and Figgy both for bragging and acting entitled.  

On the other hand, I just love young, pretty woman Michaela, who is giving it her all, while at the same time struggling with some issues.  Her face has no gating system and she has a very hard time dealing with anything she sees as, "unfair."  I want to bring her home and help her through life but I know she would bristle at the very idea.

David is everything I like, too.  He's flailing through the game the same way he flails in the water, never giving up in spite of mistakes and near drowning events.  When somebody asked if he was trying to throw the game and somebody answered that, no that was just him, I laughed for the rest of the show. He has the skinniest arms I've ever seen on a man.  I want to bring him home, too.

I actually  really like almost everyone this year!

[green]

On 10/18/2016 at 11:07 AM, Tara Ariano said:

Quote

Another castaway is voted out of the game.

That about summed up this episode.  Not the most exciting one.

7 hours ago, Michel said:

I would like someone to explain what's so likable about David.  Because right now, I'm not seeing it for the reasons that one of the saner heads here has pointed out -- he's not good at challenges, terrible with every person with whom he deals but Ken, and does very little around camp.  Again, I.  Just.  Don't.  See.  It.  And even worse, I feel like the editors are trying to force me to like him, and that tends to turn me in the exact opposite direction.

I honestly feel sorry for those of you who do like and enjoy him.  He's obviously not gonna win with his edit (those who get the weasel edits never do), so why invest that much in him?

Why wouldn't I like David?  He obviously is a fan who loves the show as opposed to a lot of this cast and others being nothing but mactors.  And he came to play the game the best he could whether he messes up or not.  Invest in him?  I didn't know we could buy stocks in players???  And don't feel sorry for me, dude.  He is giving me mucho entertainment value this season. 

And with 15 players left now I seriously doubt we go more than one more turn before the merge.  At which time his lack of athletic ability becomes an asset.  Worst case his tribe loses next time and he plays his idol then the merge and he disappears at that point while the super immunity threats are taken out first.

7 hours ago, GaT said:

I'm sure Taylor & Figgy ended up on the same tribe completely by chance with no producer interference at all. I'm sure.

Yep it was by chance.  There would have been just as much drama for the producers to milk had the star crossed lovers been separated instead.

7 hours ago, loki567 said:

It's not so much if it benefits the show but Dave has connections in the entertainment industry. It's possible that he has friends in Survivor's production. So it could be a f

 

Really?  You don't think almost 90% of all the "pretty faces" aren't mactors with greater connections than a mere writer who only wrote an episode or two on some comedy show was it.  But the reality is that neither the mactors nor David have any real connections with a show like Survivor.  Maybe the mactors with casting agents but that is about it. 

David isn't some industry insider type.  He is just a dime a dozen struggling writer type.  Now casting him was a smart move because if you have a wordsmith aboard they can help as one of the season's "narrators" so that was probably what he brought to casting when they were looking for the non-mactor fillers.  But casting doesn't have connections with writers per se and they are the ones who do just that ... the casting.  I can't see a reality show production team having any real connection with any writer.

Edited October 20, 2016 by green

[simplyme]

I thought the tribe swap made for some fascinating new tribe dynamics. Loved it.

Probably unpopular, but I really like Jay. He not only seems to have a killer social game, but he's handy around camp and good at challenges without being a bossyboots challenge-hog. He knows how to work as a tribemate and teammate. He swam twice to get the buoy left behind by Sunday and hit the water to retrieve buoys Michaela shot that missed. I have more difficulty seeing Chris allowing the shooting role (or swimming or... anything, really) to go to someone else to spread the load. I think the big reasons more people don't cheer for Jay are his early association with Taylor and Figgy (ew, and hopefully waning) and the fact that he seems to have cottoned that if he gives the generational rah rah crap in his THs, he'll get more play.

Oh, CeCe. I made the mistake of hoping for you last week, and this week you got a swimming challenge and then basically did nothing we saw to shore yourself up with anyone. Goodbye.

I think Zeke combined fanboying with a way to bond with the obviously physically strongest member of the dominant-in-numbers faction of his new tribe. It worked.

FigTayls. *eyetic* *eyetic* Alone, I can see good points in each. Together? Jesus.

Jessica telling Ken about the Legacy: My first thought was, "Uh, what? Why wouldn't he immediately vote you out for it?" Then I realized if he votes her out, she'll give it to someone else. So telling him as a sign of trust actually works.

Bret away from Chris: We can see that he may not be Einstein, but he has a kinder feel with the Millennials. Or maybe someone warned him about Michaela and her machete. :)

As other's have said, Michaela's comment about her family was insightful. She's a fighter. Love her so far.

Oh, as for why to like David? He has a sense of humor about life and himself, and even when he screws up, he doesn't stop trying. I have a lot of appreciation for people who may not be physically gifted but suck it up and just keep doing what they can without deteriorating into bitterness.

Edited October 20, 2016 by simplyme
Allowinging is not a word

[NaughtyKitty]

CC was useless and clueless and I am glad she was sent packing.  I think she thought she was on a Star Wars reality show.  “Millennium” indeed

I didn’t realize how much I really like Ken and David until I was so stressed about the merge.  Even with David’s abysmal challenge performance. I agreed with the contestant that wondered if he was throwing it on purpose.  Did you see the buoy hit him in the face?  Oy!

I also didn’t realize that I really like Michaela.  She is smart, strong, and beautiful.  I hope she goes far.  Although she does act like a petulant child sometimes.

Although I don’t like Michelle, girlfriend is crazy smart.  They need to watch out for her.  I thought her move on CC was going to work.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, loki567 said:

It's not so much if it benefits the show but Dave has connections in the entertainment industry. It's possible that he has friends in Survivor's production. So it could be a friend doing another friend a favor.

And considering Dave has been the biggest character and narrator through the first five episodes, along with making the biggest move of the season so far, there's a very clear benefit for production to have Dave stick around. 

I just find it very suspicious that now instead of rooting around in trees, we now have idols left out in the open with almost literal bullseyes painted on them. Really? Dave was the only one to notice those both times? 

I think it makes a lot more sense that they let the game unfold naturally, then edit the footage to make the best story.  I don't think it's logical that they decide before playing which cast member will be the most interesting to feature, help them survive, then feature them in the edit as they planned from the start.  If that was their M.O., why pre-select skinny, geeky David as The Chosen One?   

We literally were shown Sunday and Cece not finding a target-painted idol that was right in front of them.  We saw others walk right past the first one on the beach, too.  I don't know how they'd get that footage if it didn't happen.  

[Slider]

At first I thought Zeke was just trying to find something to use to grab Chris's attention, but then he name dropped Quail Springs Mall!  Dude is a legit Okie! He's a North Sider, but he's an Okie.  (South side for the win!)  I hope the duo of Chris and Zeke go far.  I love it when people who are completely different find common ground and build skyscrapers.  

Count me with the Jay fans.  Not big on his association with Figgy and Taylor, but hopefully the tribe swap will help with that.  

Michaela is a bad ass!  That is all.

[Rough Draft]

Despite the dumb theme, I'm enjoying this version of Survivor quite a bit. The most interesting thing about it (for me, at least) is that there are no real villains, which is quite a departure from recent seasons. I mean, if a hapless "power couple" like Figgy and Taylor or a relatively inoffensive pair of bros like Chris and Brett are as evil as it gets, that's actually kind of refreshing.

I liked Michaela before, but after this episode I'm kind of in awe of her. I really wish that her confessional last night was evidence of a winner's edit, but I'm afraid her overly frank way of expressing herself and the fact that she's a challenge beast will make her a big target after the merge.

Simplyme's point about Jay being a good player is excellent, and something I hadn't really considered before. The editors could be making him a central figure, but they appear to be keeping his story low-key. I don't know if that's good or bad for his chances, but it'll be interesting to see what develops.

I kinda wish the merge would happen soon, and that Chris/Dave/Zeke/Michelle would blow through the game as a strong alliance. It would be great to see such a diverse group working together. If they could link up with Ken and Michaela it would be even better, but that would be too big an alliance to work, I guess.

Oh, and thank you SlackerInc for teaching me a new term: "jolie-laide" (I had to Google it). I'm gonna steal that and use it a lot!

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

OMG my heart was pounding so hard.  I was certain my girl was going home.

I thought for sure Michelle was going home too and I was thinking to myself that you would be so disheartened by it!

Quote

This season has had a few good moments, but so far, it's been pretty boring, and the cast unlikable.

I feel the exact opposite. I absolutely love this season so far and in general I think this is one of the best overall casts in while. There is not a single person who is so odious that I am actively praying for them to be booted. It's such a breath of fresh air to not have a hardcore misogynist in the cast!

This ep was probably not that interesting or exciting, but I enjoyed the heck out of it. Watching CeCe try to swim was hilarious. And then we got to David's challenge plight and honestly that was some of the best comedy I've seen this year. Chris' dejected "Oh my God" and Zeke's "Is he throwing this?" had me rolling. David punching himself in the face with a buoy, throwing it over the other side, and then having to flop into the water to retrieve it. I mean! Every single thing about all that was straight-up awesome.

Michaela is one of the best casting decisions in awhile. I am in awe of her. She's just fantastic on almost every level. I want her to go far simply because she is a great person that I'd really like to be friends with.

I would've liked to have seen more reaction from David, Ken, and Jessica over the last TC. All we got was Jessica apologizing to Ken. I wanted to know what Ken and David and Jessica and David had to say to each other. I'm afraid that them not showing it means that the Ken/David partnership won't factor into the game anymore, which sucks because I liked that duo.

I have no problem with FigTayls. I'm with @KimberStormer in not understanding how people are getting 'evil douchebag' from Taylor. He just seems like such an unassuming, sweet guy to me. Sure, he's dumb as hell, but dumb doesn't bother me unless the person is also an asshole. And Figgy cracks me up. I'm sad her and Michaela didn't land on the same tribe though because I'm still pulling for a frenemies alliance between those two.

Edited October 20, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[NutMeg]

This season is so extraordinary is that there is really no one I don't like. Sure, there are a few people I could see voted out without losing sleep over it (not that I ever do, but, you know), and Cece was one of those. She seemed nice and all, ad maybe she strategised as hell and we never saw it (just throwing this out there but without any conviction). Others that seem dispensable at this stage, because either they have no story or we already got their story? Sunday: if she's suddenly front and center, she's gone! Ditto for Taylor, if the best we've seen of his is his being love struck, even if he has mad strategic schemes behind the scenes, he's being edited as an amateur. But still, that leaves a lot of (other) likeable people, to fulfil anyone's criteria of what likeable means! It's really been a long time since there was no designated or self appointed villain, and just for this, I'd say thanks a bunch, TPTB, and as this takes place in Cambodia (right?) I'll bow to you with my hand nicely held to my chest. 

[blackwing]

9 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

Taylor is obviously a humongous dumdum but I still don't see anything to hate about him.  He's thinking with his hormones, which are leading him in completely the opposite direction from what would be smart -- Taylor, being put together with Figgy and Adam is like the worst possible result for you, my man.  But heck, I understand it; I certainly have done the exact opposite of what is smart in my life, wafting on some pheromone trail of "you look like bad news, I gotta have you" as a different Taylor once sang.  And Survivor Taylor obviously means nobody any harm and doesn't, so far as I can see, have a mean bone in his body.  It's not like we've had a string of wonderful casts of lovely people lately and he is bringing things down.  We've had Dan, Will, Rodney, Jason, and Scot, and God knows what other horrors; comparatively Taylor is a saint.  I don't have any problem with Figgy either, though I am less surprised when people hate young pretty women for no reason, this world being what it is.  She also was foolish not to want to get split up, and fooling herself if she thought she could fool anyone about her and Taylor, but at least she had the sense to realize it wasn't such a great idea to be openly canoodling.

I don't think either of them are evil people, but I greatly dislike both of them.  It has nothing to do with them being allegedly pretty.  I for one think that Figgy is nowhere near as pretty as she thinks she is.  Sure, she's pretty compared to Hannah and Jessica, but she is far from the bombshell she thinks she is.  In the world of Survivor contestants, there have been far prettier contestants than her.

The reason why I dislike them is because of their attitude that they are a supposed "power couple", even though they have done pretty much next to no strategising in this game.  The root of my dislike of Figgy is when she was potentially on the chopping block, and her attitude was "oh well, what can you do, we're millenials, whatever".  The root of my dislike of Taylor is that he seems obsessed with Figgy to the point where his entire mission in this game is to portect her.  And I truly loathe the "FigTayls" nickname he has given them.  I hate those cutesy shipper portmanteau names that seems to have sprung from sites like TWoP and Bennifer and Brangelina and whatnot... but this is one of the worst.

As far as this season's theme, I hope we can hear less about it now that the tribes have split and shuffled.  I'm not sure I understand why Jeff thinks the theme is so novel that he has to keep commenting on it.  It's basically Worlds Apart.  Generally, all of the Millenials are No Collar in terms of their attitude towards life, and despite the fact that there are people like Brett who is a cop and would be a Blue Collar or model Ken who might be considered No Collar, the general stereotypical hardworking attitude of the Gen X that is being thrust upon them makes them more like White Collar.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

This ep was probably not that interesting or exciting, but I enjoyed the heck out of it. Watching CeCe try to swim was hilarious. And then we got to David's challenge plight and honestly that was some of the best comedy I've seen this year. Chris' dejected "Oh my God" and Zeke's "Is he throwing this?" had me rolling. David punching himself in the face with a buoy, throwing it over the other side, and then having to flop into the water to retrieve it. I mean! Every single thing about all that was straight-up awesome.

 

Plus there was this--  Cece: "Michelle wants to vote you out, David.  She says because you're weak and you're clumsy."  David: "That's what every girl says about me!"

I laughed too at in Michelle's pitch to Cece to keep her over David she listed "I weigh more than him" as one of her justifications.  Heh.

1 hour ago, NutMeg said:

 and as this takes place in Cambodia (right?) I'll bow to you with my hand nicely held to my chest. 

Fiji, I think.  

I think FigTayls is the only portmanteau I've liked.  Heh.  

I think GenX is being portrayed like blue collars... worked hard for everything they ever got and expect no appreciation, just doin' my job, ma'am.  

Edited October 20, 2016 by Guest

[Wings]

7 hours ago, Trick Question said:

Not sure I follow Jessica's logic in telling Ken about the legacy.  If I was Ken, I'd be like, "wait, so you'll give me an advantage if you're voted out?  Sweet!  Guess I know who I'm targeting next."

That was my first thought.  There is zero advantage to sharing that info with another.  Ken must be pretty happy to know it is coming his way, though!  

So Michaela, you think Jeff got the tribe split wrong?  Is that because you have to make a new camp and you don't deserve it?  And you think Jeff is responsible for the 3 tribe split?  Or did you object to the random method for the breakdown?   I like the girl but that touch of entitlement is off putting. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by wings707

[Lamima]

At this point I think I now have folks I like and folks I don't...but things can change (last BB my faves and hates were always changing).

So on the tribe (not sure what it's called or it's color) that went to TC last night, I like Dave as a player. I think he'd get on my nerves or skeek me out within a nanosecond in real life. But I like that he's always thinking ahead...playing chess. I think he's brilliant in that respect. I do not like Michele and she is a player too. I just don't know why I like Dave but not Michele. Maybe because he's an obvious weasel and she's a snake in the grass hiding behind a good Christian girl. I guess Dave is hiding behind the image of a clumsy irritating dork but taking the leap from there to weasel isn't as YUGE as sweet Christian to lying conniver.  Dave is going from negative to negative while Michele is going from positive to negative. I don't know...maybe I am over thinking. Zeke and Chis...meh.

On the green tribe that had to start new, I LOVE Michaela. She reminds me of my fave Survivor, Joe Anglin. She's salty where he was not but they both have that dig deep and get it done mentality. I feel like she is doomed though, just like Joe was. Once they get down in numbers the others will be gunning for her. Can't go to the end with her. But I would LOVE to see it be her. Jay...at first I didn't like him and when DD-17 was gushing over him the past couple weeks I would roll my eyes and think 'WWWHHHHYYYY?!?!?!?!'. But I liked him on his new tribe. He can get things done and maybe can play smart without FiggyTayls. And DD is gushing over him even more now, great! But him getting things done brings me to the GenXers...why the heck couldn't they get a few more capable ones on the show, like Ken. Sunday and Bret get a big thumbs down in this department. I wouldn't care if they were next to go. Hannah and Will, not liking them much either. I wish this team would lose the IC next because they have many folks to clip.

Oh, but wait...I want blue team to lose IC next so we can finally, for the love of God, be done with FiggyTayls. Please please please.!!!!! Taylor is a numnut! Did he come to play and win $$$ or not????? And Figgs is NOT 'soooo hot'. Barf! Love Jess and Ken and Adam. Probably wouldn't much like them in real life, much like Dave. But Adam reminds me of DS-19 so I can't help but be rooting for him and Ken is a worker. Hope he can keep his moody-ness in check. Jess needs to snap out of it and get to playing.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Lamima

[NutMeg]

About the draw for tribes, this is a pet peeve of mine and if it was done the way I'd like I'm sure people would be crying foul and unfair - that said, I would like random draw to really be random, not one basket for men and one for women. I'd like the possibility of some freaky result, like in All Stars, when only one person changed tribe (clearly, not possible here, but you get the idea), or a tribe with only men or women, or a lone man or woman, or all big bad Gen X and a poor millennial, or the reverse, not some predetermine 2F-3M, 2F-3M, 3F-3M  (I just checked the episode post to be sure and yep, that's what we got). 

[tvfanatic13]

Lamima, what do DD-17 and DS-19 mean?

[iMonrey]

If the show wants to do dumb gimmicks like "GenX vs. Millennials" then maybe they should let it play out for more than four weeks. Nothing has really happened in those four weeks that would suggest a fundamental difference between the two tribes aside from their ages. And now the whole gimmick is meaningless.

I was initially a little put off by Michaela because I thought it was dumb of her to mouth off to Figgy on Day 1, but she sort of won me over with her comment about wanting to flip off Jeff Probst. I only wish she had. 

[Lamima]

16 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

About the draw for tribes, this is a pet peeve of mine and if it was done the way I'd like I'm sure people would be crying foul and unfair - that said, I would like random draw to really be random, not one basket for men and one for women. I'd like the possibility of some freaky result, like in All Stars, when only one person changed tribe (clearly, not possible here, but you get the idea), or a tribe with only men or women, or a lone man or woman, or all big bad Gen X and a poor millennial, or the reverse, not some predetermine 2F-3M, 2F-3M, 3F-3M  (I just checked the episode post to be sure and yep, that's what we got). 

Plus it bugs me that he starts at one tribe and then goes to the other and the last girl and last guy get the only one left so not really choosing. Why not something more random where everyone gets their selection at same time. Like they all roll a die and 1-3 go one tribe and 4-6 go to another (or evens and odds).

14 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

Lamima, what do DD-17 and DS-19 mean?

Oh sorry, from another forum...DearDaughter and DearSon

Edited October 20, 2016 by Lamima

[azshadowwalker]

@Rough Draft I thought Figgy was the evilest evil that ever eviled? Always be wary of being an attractive, young woman whom a guy crushes on. You will simultaneously be too attractive and not at all attractive. Much better being a useless, skinny white dude who helps his team lose every challenge. (No, I don't sympathize with hapless dudes just because they are hapless dudes. I like actual competitors. High school was over almost 30 years ago.)

Edited October 20, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Charlesman]

9 hours ago, Trick Question said:

Not sure I follow Jessica's logic in telling Ken about the legacy.  If I was Ken, I'd be like, "wait, so you'll give me an advantage if you're voted out?  Sweet!  Guess I know who I'm targeting next."
 

 

Exactly what I was thinking, too. How did she think this would help her? She could have at least lied a little and changed it up a bit... "I found an advantage clue in the Day 1 scramble that I can share if I make it to the end, and I'd like to share it with you" would have been at least a little more helpful to her situation. Not "I have some major edge that you can have if I get voted out."

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Lamima said:

Like they all roll a die and 1-3 go one tribe and 4-6 go to another (or evens and odds).

But there's no guarantee that half will roll odd or 1-3.  It's actually more likely to not be evenly split.  

I'm fine with the way they do it.  I didn't think it was fair in prior seasons when one person was screwed by being the only guy in an all-girl tribe or the only person split from their original tribe.  I like a more level playing field.  

[Tara Ariano]

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

Survivor Says Goodbye To Generation X

But also says goodbye to Millennials, as the tribes mix it up and form three completely new tribes.

[simplyme]

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

That was my first thought.  There is zero advantage to sharing that info with another.

That was my initial reaction, but I've since rethought it. Jess was able to use that info to rebuild her bond with Ken. She didn't just say, "Thanks," she also put her trust in him. And from what we saw in Ken's TH, it worked. He trusts her again.

The other thing is that if Jess suspects or believes Ken has any hand in voting her out, she'll change who she gives the Legacy Advantage to. So Ken now knows she has it and he has her trust and vote, but if he tries to get rid of her for an advantage that won't kick in until Day 36, that advantage will likely go to someone else. However if he hangs in there with her and she happens to go out before him, it will likely go to him. As they get closer to Day 36, he can reevaluate his options, but for now just the two of them knowing and keeping her in game is wisest.

Jess gains a close ally and stays in game. There's no incentive (that I can see) for Ken to tell others about Jess having the Legacy. It's better for him if no one even knows it exists except the two of them, and if she goes out first he has the greatest chance of getting a secret weapon. If he backstabs her, there's a decent chance she'll figure it out and he'll lose the advantage to someone else (as well as losing an ally).

So while I normally would say she shouldn't have told anyone, in this scenario I think Jess used the info well and probably gained more than she'll lose. Probably.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, simplyme said:

but if he tries to get rid of her for an advantage that won't kick in until Day 36, that advantage will likely go to someone else.

But only if Jess knows or suspects he was involved in her ousting.  He could get her out without her knowing he was involved and get the advantage.  Not that I think he would.  It might be entertaining, though, if someone did it at some point, though.

[simplyme]

3 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

But only if Jess knows or suspects he was involved in her ousting.  He could get her out without her knowing he was involved and get the advantage.  Not that I think he would.  It might be entertaining, though, if someone did it at some point, though.

Bush baby eyes, redux.

My evaluation is that it's too risky to actively try to get an ally out without them suspecting or finding out you had a hand in it, but who knows if Ken's evaluation matches mine.

And that's why I love this show. :)

Completely unrelated, but I swear I could hear music in my head while watching the orange team during the Immunity Challenge. It sounded like the background music for the old silent comedies when actors would do a series of pratfalls... Zeke's confused "Is he throwing this?" made me howl.

[LadyChatts]

3 hours ago, blackwing said:

I don't think either of them are evil people, but I greatly dislike both of them.  It has nothing to do with them being allegedly pretty.  I for one think that Figgy is nowhere near as pretty as she thinks she is.  Sure, she's pretty compared to Hannah and Jessica, but she is far from the bombshell she thinks she is.  In the world of Survivor contestants, there have been far prettier contestants than her.

The reason why I dislike them is because of their attitude that they are a supposed "power couple", even though they have done pretty much next to no strategising in this game.  The root of my dislike of Figgy is when she was potentially on the chopping block, and her attitude was "oh well, what can you do, we're millenials, whatever".  The root of my dislike of Taylor is that he seems obsessed with Figgy to the point where his entire mission in this game is to portect her.  And I truly loathe the "FigTayls" nickname he has given them.  I hate those cutesy shipper portmanteau names that seems to have sprung from sites like TWoP and Bennifer and Brangelina and whatnot... but this is one of the worst.

As far as this season's theme, I hope we can hear less about it now that the tribes have split and shuffled.  I'm not sure I understand why Jeff thinks the theme is so novel that he has to keep commenting on it.  It's basically Worlds Apart.  Generally, all of the Millenials are No Collar in terms of their attitude towards life, and despite the fact that there are people like Brett who is a cop and would be a Blue Collar or model Ken who might be considered No Collar, the general stereotypical hardworking attitude of the Gen X that is being thrust upon them makes them more like White Collar.

Completely agree with your thoughts on FigTayls/TayFigs/FiggyTayls.  I don't think Figgy is that pretty to begin with, but looks have nothing to do with me not liking someone.  I just find her annoying.  I found her annoying pre-show before the showmance.  I think Michaela is beautiful, and she's my #1 right now.  When I think about it, I don't really dislike Taylor or Jay.  I think if it wasn't for being blinded by love, Taylor would be more tolerable.  If not for the bromance, maybe Jay would be smarter.  I think Jay's kind of underrated right now, but I hope he isn't just counting on him and his bro to run this.  Because he did the whole "minority tribe! We've got the numbers!" comment, he went down a peg, but I can see why he'd think that.  I don't believe Taylor is a power couple with Figgy, no matter what they believe.  We'll see how the power couple does when people come to their senses, one of them gets their torch snuffed, and the other sits stunned on their TC tree stump asking why it went wrong.  One thing I can appreciate about this season, is that there doesn't seem to be hard core alliances set in stone (aside from Figs/Tayls/Jay).  I feel like people are more open at keeping their options open.  I'm glad CeCe wasn't kept around just to give GenX another number, since they are down.  I know CeCe wasn't exactly aligned with Chris to begin with, but so many past seasons, she would have been kept (challenge liability or not), so the tribe could have that number.

Agree about the theme, though somehow I think this season will be different when it comes to the swap/merge, and we won't hear the end of it.  Jeff seemed too gung ho about it.

Edited October 20, 2016 by LadyChatts

[survivinmt]

I hope we get to hear from some of these people before they go. There has got to more to Taylor than Figgy-fatuated and what about Will? The one time they gave him some screen time to think about voting between Figgy and Mara he seemed kind of insightful or least thoughtful. Hopefully we will get to hear from them sometime.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, simplyme said:

Bush baby eyes, redux.

My evaluation is that it's too risky to actively try to get an ally out without them suspecting or finding out you had a hand in it, but who knows if Ken's evaluation matches mine.

I could envision a situation where he knows all he has to do is flip his own vote secretly and Jess goes-- no pre-planning or scheming required.  Though I wonder if the willing of the advantage can be changed after your ousting.  Could she do the math and figure out Ken flipped and re-will it to someone else or is she stuck with her Plan A?  I would imagine she can change her mind up til the last second so it'd be risky unless there were enough other potential flippers to hide behind.  

Hell, may as well make the bush baby my profile pic.  American Gothic got cancelled.  

Edited October 20, 2016 by Guest

[ghoulina]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

If the show wants to do dumb gimmicks like "GenX vs. Millennials" then maybe they should let it play out for more than four weeks. Nothing has really happened in those four weeks that would suggest a fundamental difference between the two tribes aside from their ages. And now the whole gimmick is meaningless.

I agree. I'm actually one who doesn't mind the themes; sometimes I even enjoy them. But it's so irritating when they toss is aside after a few episodes. Let it play to the merge!

 

18 minutes ago, survivinmt said:

 

I hope we get to hear from some of these people before they go. There has got to more to Taylor than Figgy-fatuated and what about Will? The one time they gave him some screen time to think about voting between Figgy and Mara he seemed kind of insightful or least thoughtful. Hopefully we will get to hear from them sometime.

 

I want more Will! He seems like a sweet kid. 

[Haleth]

There's a Will?

[piequinn35]

What's the name of the boy millennial with annoying voice? Is it Will? 

Aw crap I wished Figtayls got separated, I was thinking Figs will dump Tayls for Ken hahaha! Don't like her at all!

Ken & Tayls are good with challenges and Michaela too!

[Wings]

1 hour ago, simplyme said:

That was my initial reaction, but I've since rethought it. Jess was able to use that info to rebuild her bond with Ken. She didn't just say, "Thanks," she also put her trust in him. And from what we saw in Ken's TH, it worked. He trusts her again.

The other thing is that if Jess suspects or believes Ken has any hand in voting her out, she'll change who she gives the Legacy Advantage to. So Ken now knows she has it and he has her trust and vote, but if he tries to get rid of her for an advantage that won't kick in until Day 36, that advantage will likely go to someone else. However if he hangs in there with her and she happens to go out before him, it will likely go to him. As they get closer to Day 36, he can reevaluate his options, but for now just the two of them knowing and keeping her in game is wisest.

Jess gains a close ally and stays in game. There's no incentive (that I can see) for Ken to tell others about Jess having the Legacy. It's better for him if no one even knows it exists except the two of them, and if she goes out first he has the greatest chance of getting a secret weapon. If he backstabs her, there's a decent chance she'll figure it out and he'll lose the advantage to someone else (as well as losing an ally).

So while I normally would say she shouldn't have told anyone, in this scenario I think Jess used the info well and probably gained more than she'll lose. Probably.

This makes a lot of sense.  I agree.  I neglected to think this through after my initial horror subsided.  :>) 

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, piequinn35 said:

What's the name of the boy millennial with annoying voice? Is it Will? 

I love Will's voice.  It's so deep for a teenager.  I wonder if you're thinking of Adam?  His is kind of high.  

[ghoulina]

Maybe Zeke? Zeke has kind of a high, nasally voice. It doesn't bother me, but I can see how others might find it annoying. 

[Lamima]

Adam or Zeke...guessing Adam is who they mean.

[PerfidiousAmber]

16 hours ago, jumper sage said:

19 hours ago, TaraS1 said:

When Figgy was flipping her hair and Taylor was telling her how hot she was, I desperately hoped that Jeff would suddenly pull up in his "emergencies only" boat and be like, "Nope. Get the fuck out of here, both of you."

Best post of the night!

I totally agree!

[Jobiska]

I thought it was amusing that they went to the trouble of laying out a whole, and large, challenge just to be the setting for Jeff to tell them they were swapping into three tribes.  

There was again a large group of flying foxes, and this time two green iguanas at tribal (or "at" tribal).  I would enjoy it if the wildlife kept massing in larger and larger numbers and just watching the humans flailing around like idiots.  

Speaking of the tribal trappings, at the very end, on a squarish thing at front that I don't think was the square firepit, I just caught a glimpse of a cannibal fork (https://museumvictoria.com.au/fiji/images/mn012031_lg.jpg).  I mentioned it to my son and said "I have one" (from when my folks lived there) and he said "they're for eating people?" And I said "Well, now they're for tourists," and he said "They're for eating tourists???!!!!"  

(Pretty sure he was being deliberately obtuse there).
 

[piequinn35]

I know Adam, Tayls and Zeke! the other 2 boys I really don't care about them and I find one has an annoying voice! I looked at the thread and I found this - Jay... 

[peachmangosteen]

20 minutes ago, Jobiska said:

I thought it was amusing that they went to the trouble of laying out a whole, and large, challenge just to be the setting for Jeff to tell them they were swapping into three tribes.  

Yea, I thought that was strange. I wondered if maybe they did, in fact, do a challenge as two tribes that just wasn't shown, but that doesn't really make sense. But I don't understand why they created a challenge and set it up for nothing but a second of suspense before the tribe swap.

[PerfidiousAmber]

What I really liked at the tribal council was that David refused to be baited by Probst's sly questioning if there may be more than the seemingly cut and dried Gen-X vs Millennial, and convincingly pretended that the three Gen-X'rs were all on the same page. Now that's how you keep your mouth shut at tribal to avoid sudden disaster. I also liked Zeke's (whom I persist on calling Mr. Magnum PI in my mind every time I see him) well spoken appeal to the Gen-X'rs. He as well didn't give anything away.

[Ms Blue Jay]

If Adam is the one who made fun of Taylor and Figgy to the camera, which I think he is, then I am a fan of his.  I like Adam and I like David and I also mix them up.  It's weird.

I have nothing against Taylor and Figgy.  As a viewer, especially.  I think they are both pretty, inoffensive people (just personal opinion).  However, I think if I was on the island I would find them annoying because I tend to think certain things are magnified x1000 and way more boring or annoying or WHATEVER on that island all day than what we see on screen.

When Adam gave that confessional, I laughed out loud.  It was just so real.

Adam seems like a sarcastic nerd or something.  David seems like.... a different kind of nerd.  I feel like I'm watching an adventure show when I watch him (which I realize, I am.)  He's the out of the elements guy.  It's pretty cool.  Michaela is the tough as nails Survivor and David is the out of element Survivor.  There's a lot of good personalities, I think, like Zeke and Ken.  Ken is just so earnestly himself, so serious.  I just think Taylor and Figgy have seemed boring on camera so far so not sure what to think.  The camera seemed to concentrate a lot on Hannah early but I don't hear from her anymore.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[SVNBob]

On 10/19/2016 at 11:19 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I don't understand why they would plant a new idol for the Gen-Xers to find when they knew they were going to split them into 3 tribes.

Two reasons:

First, unless its the individual phase and there's still an unexpired HII in play somewhere, they always rehide HIIs after they get played.  There has to be one "available" per tribe.  To that end, I agree with the speculation that there is now also a third HII somewhere on the new tribe's beach.

Second, they didn't rehide the Gen-X HII.  They re-hid the Takali tribe idol. As in, if David hadn't found it again before the swap, anyone on the new purple tribe could have found it.  In theory, Adam could have found 2 HIIs on different beaches.

[waving feather]

I would say that on average, the people they cast on this season, the Millennials are smarter than Gen-Xers. I often find myself agreeing with the logical thinking of the Millennials, as opposed to the emotional decisions of the Gen-Xers (so far). My two favorite players right now are Michelle and Jay. They are both kind of low-key but I can see they are good (both socially and in challenges). Jay actually came out of nowhere and surprised me. Michelle has that look in her eyes that you don't really see in girls her age and I love that! She's a skinny badass.

Edited October 21, 2016 by waving feather

[303420]

My husband asked me if Survivor was good. I told him that the eviction was unremarkable but the episode itself was great!

First, although there's no guarantee that the swap would have happened the exact same way had Jessica gone last week instead of Lucy, playing "what if" as if it did entirely vindicates David's move last week in my opinion. Swap Jessica for Lucy in Takali, and instead of a tight two who are delighted to take in outsider Adam to break up another tight two, you've got Ken and Lucy, who are unlikely to want to work together. To the extent that this protects Ken, David's closest ally, it's good for David.

I loved the Chris and Zeke bromance. I found myself surprised to find out that Zeke was all into his college football team, and it's a good reminder not to succumb to stereotypes. I work to critique and dispel sex/gender identity/sexual orientation stereotypes, and I still made assumptions about Zeke. I love that the Okie boys are bonding.

I loved seeing Chris show some strategic chops! Good for him, realizing that he's on the bottom of the three and exploiting a bond to flip the script. That's Survivor, baby!

[Guest]

On 10/20/2016 at 7:34 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I just find it very suspicious that now instead of rooting around in trees, we now have idols left out in the open with almost literal bullseyes painted on them. 

The first one was inside a shell, then one in a coconut and one in a large hollow branch, I think?  That's kind of new.  I don't recall them having to find ways to pry open or smash everyday jungle litter to get an idol in the past.  

I like the change.  I cringe when they reach into dark crevices.  At least getting into a glued-shut coconut is probably not going to result in a snakebite or scorpion sting.  

David was right that he had a big advantage by knowing to look for the little painted sign.  

[ljenkins782]

Quote

She also was foolish not to want to get split up, and fooling herself if she thought she could fool anyone about her and Taylor, but at least she had the sense to realize it wasn't such a great idea to be openly canoodling.

Ha, my immediate thought on this was not so much that it was strategy, but that she saw a much hotter new option in the tribe (Ken) and would rather present herself as a single than a couple. That scene where Taylor was trying to tell her how hot she is, she barely noticed him at first because Ken was shirtless and bending over the fire. 

Quote

I think Adam Will team up with Ken and Jessica and hopefully, vote off Figgie and Taylor!  They are insufferable. 

The swap landed Adam in a much better spot than he was before. Ken is the perfect GenX'er for him to align with and he's got such an easy sell for getting rid of either Figgy or Taylor. Plus, he's got his idol.

Quote

I see zeke joining with Chris and David and getting rid of Michelle,  but I'm not as hopeful on that one. Something about Michelle rubs me the wrong way, and I'm afraid she'll be around for a while. 

Michelle OTOH, got a bit screwed with her group. Zeke is one of the last millennials she would have wanted to end up with, since he doesn't trust her from the Mari vote, and now that Zeke's sort of found an in with the GenX'ers via Chris, she might be in some trouble if they go back to TC.

I also thought it was a bit unwise of her to call David out by name at TC. She knew CC was the target and the other most likely target was herself, so either she'd be gone or CC would, no need to bring David's name into it. There's little chance he's ever going to trust her now. 

Quote

 

I liked CC.  They should have booted Michelle, but I understand the challenge angle.  Michelle is smart.  A good gamer, a good schmoozer and she has a lot of allies.

But they don't know what we know so I don't want to judge too much.  I like David too and think he navigated that pretty well.

 

Yeah, I think keeping CC would very likely have meant being back at the next TC, so I understand why they cut her loose. Michelle was definitely the bigger threat strategically and socially, but there's so much game left to be played, just trying to avoid TC for now is probably a solid idea. 

Quote

Not sure I follow Jessica's logic in telling Ken about the legacy.  If I was Ken, I'd be like, "wait, so you'll give me an advantage if you're voted out?  Sweet!  Guess I know who I'm targeting next."

Right? The fact that it's Ken, who does seem trustworthy, might be her saving grace but I question the logic of telling anyone about that particular advantage and especially the thing about willing it to someone else if she gets booted. I suppose it could be something that an alliance could use down the road, but it's a long way to day 36 and they both have to get there for it to be useful to them as a duo. 

I mean, she already got saved, that was a done deal, so I'm not seeing what she gained by that. Earning Ken's trust back? Ok, but he didn't know that she was withholding anything, maybe she could have shared a personal secret or just given him a sincere speech. I don't know, that kind of information just seems best kept to yourself. 

ETA:

Quote

Probably unpopular, but I really like Jay. He not only seems to have a killer social game, but he's handy around camp and good at challenges without being a bossyboots challenge-hog. He knows how to work as a tribemate and teammate. He swam twice to get the buoy left behind by Sunday and hit the water to retrieve buoys Michaela shot that missed. I have more difficulty seeing Chris allowing the shooting role (or swimming or... anything, really) to go to someone else to spread the load. I think the big reasons more people don't cheer for Jay are his early association with Taylor and Figgy (ew, and hopefully waning) and the fact that he seems to have cottoned that if he gives the generational rah rah crap in his THs, he'll get more play.

I'm starting to like Jay too. The "tri force" BS plus his confessionals had put me off of him, but he seems like a decent guy. I liked him fist-bumping with Chris and calling him the Hulk or whatever he said before they competed against each other last week. Plus, his "Meet Jay" video from the beginning had an interesting bit about his stepfather being a "master manipulator" so he learned from the best, there's clearly some kind of baggage there and I always find those dynamics kinda fascinating. 

He's definitely a challenge beast, but doesn't seem to be trying to draw a lot of attention to himself (ahem TAYLOR, who can't seem to do anything without a giant splash, backflip, etc).

Edited October 21, 2016 by ljenkins782

[meep.meep]

Because I always seem to notice different things.....the belly flops continue!  Collectively, this cast are the worst divers ever on Survivor.

Did they have to swim out to the challenge?  Because a couple of them nearly died *during* the challenge, and then had to swim back to the shore.

Michaela rocking the challenge!  But, was I the only one worried when she was jumping 4 feet in the air after every basket?

I think Jessica's decision to tell Ken about the legacy idol was smart and trust building.  If he shanks her, she gives it to someone else.  But, if he works with her and she goes first, she probably gives it to him.

[millennium]

On 10/20/2016 at 0:10 AM, LadyChatts said:

He already has.  This season has had a few good moments, but so far, it's been pretty boring, and the cast unlikable.  

   Normally I have something to add to the conversation but the season is so lackluster that I just go blank.  Given that there are only two pages of comments at this point, I suspect I'm not alone.

[fishcakes]

4 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Yeah, I think keeping CC would very likely have meant being back at the next TC, so I understand why they cut her loose. Michelle was definitely the bigger threat strategically and socially, but there's so much game left to be played, just trying to avoid TC for now is probably a solid idea. 

I haven't thought this through at all, but I almost wish David had used to the idol to get rid of Zeke in order to force Chris to stick with him and CC. At least based on their last challenge performance where CC and David were comically bad and Michelle was completely useless, they would most likely go back to TC next time, but chances are Michelle would go. And if they went back a third time, then Chris would get the boot. Maybe they get lucky at some point and win an IC or maybe they get Ulonged, but I think overall David (and CC) would be better off whittling down the numbers of millennials and getting rid of Chris who's probably never going to be an ally unless forced.

I'm not invested in this theory at all though, since I'm finding this season and the players pretty dull. I definitely don't want more of the abusive garbage fires they've been casting over the last few seasons, but all these people seem so blah. No one is heinous, but so far no one inspires me to root for them either.

[hincandenza]

2 hours ago, fishcakes said:

I haven't thought this through at all, but I almost wish David had used to the idol to get rid of Zeke in order to force Chris to stick with him and CC. At least based on their last challenge performance where CC and David were comically bad and Michelle was completely useless, they would most likely go back to TC next time, but chances are Michelle would go. And if they went back a third time, then Chris would get the boot. Maybe they get lucky at some point and win an IC or maybe they get Ulonged, but I think overall David (and CC) would be better off whittling down the numbers of millennials and getting rid of Chris who's probably never going to be an ally unless forced.

I'm not invested in this theory at all though, since I'm finding this season and the players pretty dull. I definitely don't want more of the abusive garbage fires they've been casting over the last few seasons, but all these people seem so blah. No one is heinous, but so far no one inspires me to root for them either.

I'm sure David considered it, but really it would have been too much gameplay and also had a high chance of backfiring (he'd need Michelle's vote, but has no trust that she wouldn't just go to the new buddies Zeke and Chris and say "Let's get out CC, and also David is trying to betray you, you should trust me instead").  Using the idol with Jessica was kind of brilliant: he thwarted a majority vote and suddenly had the majority (4 -3) prior to the tribe shuffle.  Had the tribes not reshuffled, David was set to coast to the merge with a power alliance of a grateful 4; even now, if he makes the merge he'll have 2 pretty solid allies waiting for him.  But when it's 3 tribes and only 5 in your tribe, might as well let a pre-merge burden like CC go and not ruffle any feathers.

Thinking about the last two comments, I think the problem is "Survivor" itself with the recent trend of multiple switches and tribal mixings.  See, they've been casting the abusive garbage fires so much, the frequent switch-ups/merges were kind of necessary because it got awkward to watch people get bullied relentlessly with no respite; at least the switch-ups meant the person you bullied could suddenly be in the drivers seat the very next vote.  This season people seem much less the bullying and "hashtag: chaos" types and appear to be mostly just playing the actual game; as a result, the early switch-up works against the natural gameplay of Survivor.  Especially with the theme- which divides only by age but otherwise has the usual cross-section of gender, occupation, and personality type- it would have made the most sense to do a traditional old-school two separate tribes with a single merge when 10/11/13 total are left.  No one would expect it, and it would amp up the strategy among shifting alliances (while also allowing for the outsiders to use the numbers to improve their fates, especially post-merge).  By shifting up so much, it's become kind of pointless to be too strategic- which is sad, because that's why we watch, no? 

As an aside, it's why I scoff at people who think the producers are putting their thumb on the scales for certain contestants, or that there's some kind of "problematic" voting because x/y/z arbitrary grouping is being 'targeted'.  The cost to the show if they were ever found out to be rigging things, compared to the potential benefit of "boosting" some famewhore none of us will remember in a year, is so unbalanced as to be laughable.  They've been doing this for a decade and a half, they know they don't need to meddle since like pro sports the drama is built into the game.  That's not to say the editors don't have a field day in creating/enhancing certain narratives, but at least they're editing from the perspective of knowing who won, who went far, and who imploded.

[LadyChatts]

3 hours ago, millennium said:

   Normally I have something to add to the conversation but the season is so lackluster that I just go blank.  Given that there are only two pages of comments at this point, I suspect I'm not alone.

I think part of it is the last three seasons we had a fan voted returning player season, and the other two seasons featured the likes of Jason, Scot, Dan, and Rodney.  I sure as hell don't miss those personalities, and would take a boring season over one that is all about bullying.  We haven't been able to see much game play from the millennials, and the game play from GenX hasn't been the most exciting (Dave saving Jessica has been the most exciting moment so far).  That said, I'm still hoping when the merge happens, it gets interesting.  These personalities seem boring, so I hope they don't just settle into one alliance and the merge and pick the other side off.