S33.E12: Slayed the Survivor Dragon

[Tara Ariano]

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Two tribal councils are held and two castaways are sent to the jury. Immunity is on the line in a classic game of "Survivor" pinball.

[jsm1125]

Sunday got Jefra'ed. Did she even get a confessional this episode? Jessica was overjoyed that she went home.

Adam's edit confuses me. Probst called his idol transfer to Hannah unnecessary, but we saw Jay get a lot closer to him this episode. That scene where the two of them cried over their mothers' illnesses warmed my heart. Having said that, and I'm sure I'll get daggers thrown at me for this, Jay saying an interview that this means that Adam isn't a weasel is a bit odd, as if having a gravely ill parent precludes one from being a weasel. Not that I think Adam is one, however.

Edited December 8, 2016 by jsm1125

[LadyChatts]

Will's boot was no shock.  Sunday?  Didn't see that one coming.  I would have thought Bret, and that Sunday would goat her way to the final 3.  That said, while Will going wasn't a surprise, I really was at a loss who was going second.  I didn't think it would be David based on the edit, but who knows.  I really like the longer episodes when there are two boots, but considering who went home, I'm glad it was only an hour.  I guess TPTB figured it wasn't exciting enough to warrant a two hour show.

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Sunday got Jefra'ed. Did she even get a confessional this episode? Jessica was overjoyed that she went home.

I'd really like to know what beef those two have.  Strictly because of how they voted against each other throughout the game, or something more?

Edited December 8, 2016 by LadyChatts

[Haleth]

Just goes to show what meh players Will and Sunday are. They have to share an hour. 

The pinball/puzzle game looked fun. 

I don't know how David keeps surviving certain death.

[pinkelephant3]

Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable? made me really want Adam to not win it. 

[riley702]

Hannah's an idiot and so is everyone that voted with her. For example, how did that help Adam?

[simplyme]

Well, two ICs, two TCs, and the big accomplishment appears to be flushing Jay's idol. Other than that, they voted out two goats and kept the threats.

I wanted to smack Adam, Hannah, Brett, and Sunday for their lack of strategic focus.

[riley702]

Just now, pinkelephant3 said:

Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable? made me really want Adam to not win it. 

Nope. Not just you. Although Jay choking up really made me like him more than I ever did before.

[enlightenedbum]

People seeking to make "big moves" ignore an obvious problem earlier in the game, which with limited numbers now becomes an enormous problem.  Vote the obvious challenge monster out whenever he doesn't have immunity.  Because you might not get another chance.

And then they punted twice instead of taking out the only people who are doing any thinking.  I think Adam's dumb and comically over aggressive and the cancer card is gross, but at least he understands how to win.  Hannah is thinking more about being the goat than she is winning.  That Sunday vote is like punting on third down.  From your opponent's five yard line.

Edited December 8, 2016 by enlightenedbum

[LadyChatts]

Looking at him pre-show, who knew that David would be the one considered such a threat.  I like David, but truthfully, I've never gotten why he's seen as one.  I don't know how he and Ken keep hanging on, but I'm glad they do.  And Jay may not have been happy with Adam helping Ken during the IC, but I sure was.  Had anyone said pre-show that this would be the final 6 we ended up with, I never would have believed it.  I'm guessing David, Jay, or Adam win. 

So long Will!  I'll never get super fans having that condescending attitude when one move goes their way, and suddenly thinking they are unstoppable-without looking around and realizing that they don't exactly have anything in the bag yet, or enough numbers that nothing could go wrong.  The way this game has been flip flopping, I'd be on my guard at all times. 

[simplyme]

1 minute ago, riley702 said:

Hannah's an idiot and so is everyone that voted with her. For example, how did that help Adam?

Adam screwed himself the first TC when he decided that he didn't like Will "having power" so it was more important to vote Will than David. Dumb. Will wasn't a threat. David is.

[NYGirl]

I am enjoying this season so much that I don't want it to end!!  The end came so fast.  I'm still rooting for Ken but I'm now focusing on Jay.  Talk about playing the game...I'd like to see him win.  I still don't know why David is surviving every single week.  It just amazes me.   I liked the way Will thought he was the "boss" of the game and then poof he was gone..lol

Hannah is an idiot

Edited December 8, 2016 by NYGirl

[weightyghost]

Losing WIll as he swaggered around camp, believing he was in control after making a single move was beautiful. 

Losing Sunday who was settling in for the useless 3rd finalist and having a relatively solid final six for the end, the cherry on top.

[LadyChatts]

1 minute ago, enlightenedbum said:

People seeking to make "big moves" ignore an obvious problem earlier in the game, which with limited numbers now becomes an enormous problem.  Vote the obvious challenge monster out whenever he doesn't have immunity.  Because you might not get another chance.

And then they punted twice instead of taking out the only people who are doing any thinking.  I think Adam's dumb and comically over aggressive, but at least he understands how to win.  Hannah is thinking more about being the goat than she is winning.  That Sunday vote is like punting on third down.  From your opponent's five yard line.

My first thoughts when Hannah targeted Sunday was a) she really isn't strategic at all; and b) she figures only one goat is making it to the end, so why not her.  Next to Sunday, I can't say she's done a whole lot in this game.

[truthaboutluv]

Hmm, seems like old panicky Hannah may be making a case for herself at the end there. I know we didn't see how it happened but they sure made it look like she was the one pushing the Sunday vote/plan to Adam who was very reluctant. That she got him to change his mind when he was so dead set on David, understandably, is interesting. I think the only goats left in the game are Ken (as pretty as he may be to look at) and Bret. Except Ken has whatever that advantage is so he very well may make it to the F3. 

I honestly thought for a moment that Jay would not play his idol, which would have been ballsy as fuck and the right thing. Like he said, he should have gone with his gut. Although I had a feeling it would be played once the recap mentioned him being the only one left in the game with an idol. Jay and Adam's relationship is interesting. They sort of kind of don't like or trust each other but then sort of kind of do like each other. The scene of them talking about their moms was nice. 

I knew Will was toast the minute they showed him bragging so much about being in control. The editing was not the least bit subtle on that one. The puzzle challenge was interesting. I did like Brett saying it was fun though it was hard. I don't think Jay is done. He's smart and he's clearly strong in challenges. I think he can come up with the big immunity wins to get himself to the end. Who else will be there is interesting. You would think it would not include David considering how much everyone insists on wanting him gone but dude has been like teflon so far. He just keeps escaping elimination.

[PaperTree]

Cool! A double.

I have a bad premonition J is going to win this whole thing.....

Boom!  Will goes down.  One big move too many, kid.

Adam acting smart again knowing J needs to go, while telling him what he wants to hear.

Brett/Sunday.  David/Ken.  Adam/Hannah.  and Jay in between.

I like this challenge concept.  Klunk!  Adam helping Ken is going to screw himself.

"The Tempting Goat"  Perfect defination of Sunday.  Baaaa.

NO.  Not the cancer Mom card!  WTF editors! (Since everybody with an internet connection knows the sad truth)

Tribal.  Is perception reality???  Always so hard to tell the difference.

The last idol emerges... and the goat goes home!  Yippee!

Hannah is the last woman standing.  Can she navigate to the final and win?  In spite of her neurotic outbreaks, (editors), I think she may get to the finals.  Maybe it's the Vodka talking....I really enjoy the uncertainty this season.

[Haleth]

3 minutes ago, riley702 said:

Hannah's an idiot and so is everyone that voted with her. For example, how did that help Adam?

It helped him by freeing up the spot at the final TC that would have been occupied by Sunday.

I don't remember a season when there has been so much strategizing. Adam, David, Jay, and Hannah are going to hurt themselves with how hard they are playing. 

[Rachel RSL]

This may be my favourite season ever. They cast actual fans and they're all playing hard. They even know to get rid of the goat! And they're all relatively nice and likable people. It just goes to show that you don't have to cast a Russell or a Dan Foley to get a dramatic season. As a fan, I find it so refreshing to have a season where there isn't a hateful person who was clearly cast because they're an asshole.  

I absolutely love the relationship between Jay and Adam. I wish they both could win. But I also want Ken, David and Hannah to win. I don't know, I'd be happy with any of them winning at this point except Brett.

Pretty pretty Ken won a puzzle challenge! He has a brain! Nice of Adam to watch Ken's ball (hee!) towards the end there.

[wallflower75]

Just now, riley702 said:

Nope. Not just you. Although Jay choking up really made me like him more than I ever did before.

My feelings for Jay have been up and down this season--but it occurred to me tonight that the main thing I didn't like him for was the whole Taylor eating food incident, and really reflected my feelings of dislike for Taylor than for Jay himself.  Jay's emotional reaction to Adam telling him about his mother got to me, too.

I’m starting to get a vibe that Jay is this season’s Mike Holloway.  He’s on his own, he can’t get any alliances together, had an immunity run broken up and had to use his immunity idol…well, okay, in the end he technically didn’t but he thought he did…hmm.  Granted, by Worlds Apart's endgame Mike was the only one left I could stand, while this time I have rooting interest in a couple other of the survivors, but I won't be surprised if Jay goes on another immunity run and wins the whole darned thing.

[ElleryAnne]

I must like Jay more than I realized, because I was relieved when he played his HII.  And then I was bummed that he played it unnecessarily. 

Sunday killed her own chances at TC: "Sure, people may think I'm a goat, but I think I can get votes."  Claiming to be someone who might be seen as not deserving to be there, and then adding that you'll get votes for it is, unsurprisingly, not the kind of argument that makes people keep you around.  Bye, Sunday.

Will looks happy to have played, even as part of the jury.  Jessica still looks pissed to have been voted off.

 

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Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable?

Playing it as a card? Despicable.  But I didn't get the impression that Adam was doing that.  He sounded like he was just caught in a sharing mood with someone he has a love/hate bromance with.  A month into the game, emotions and thoughts of home can get to a person.

[Rachel RSL]

7 minutes ago, pinkelephant3 said:

Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable? made me really want Adam to not win it. 

I don't think he pulled a cancer card.  He had a private conversation with Jay, who he had just lied to again, and was explaining why he was playing so hard.

[wallflower75]

Just now, Rachel RSL said:

I don't think he pulled a cancer card.  He had a private conversation with Jay, who he had just lied to again, and was explaining why he was playing so hard.

I will consider Adam "playing a cancer card" only if he makes it to FTC and talks about it then.

[riley702]

2 minutes ago, ElleryAnne said:

I must like Jay more than I realized, because I was relieved when he played his HII.  And then I was bummed that he played it unnecessarily. 

Me, too! Weird, I was certain I hated him.

2 minutes ago, ElleryAnne said:

Jessica still looks pissed to have been voted off.

And that pisses me off. You lost. Be graceful about it.

[weightyghost]

2 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable?

If Adam was on the verge of going home, definitely. But it was Jay that was. Jay gave Adam his brother, so I get they have that bond. I feel like keeping his mom's cancer to himself as eaten him up over the last 35 days so I'm surprised it took this long.

[LadyChatts]

I will say this about Sunday and Will's boots: I'd like to think that this is a turning point where being a goat doesn't automatically mean you get dragged to the final 3.  It'd be nice to see everyone playing as hard as they could, without being okay just getting dragged to the end, and expecting a win.  I highly doubt Sunday would have received one vote.

[Rachel RSL]

5 minutes ago, ElleryAnne said:

 

I must like Jay more than I realized, because I was relieved when he played his HII.

 

Me too. I actually surprised myself by saying out loud: Play it! Play it!

[riley702]

6 minutes ago, Haleth said:

It helped him by freeing up the spot at the final TC that would have been occupied by Sunday.

Only in the sense of "anyone but me". But Sunday had zero chance of winning, and Adam does still have a chance. Or at least did. Not taking out David when he had a chance may very well bite him in the butt.

[LanceM]

Hannah's thinking was strategically sound. It was the Cirie strategy from Panama. If someone on your tribe is planning on bring a goat to the final that means they are not bringing you.  You solve this dilemma by voting out the goat. 

[simplyme]

5 minutes ago, ElleryAnne said:

  Jessica still looks pissed to have been voted off.

She seems pretty cheerful at Ponderosa. I think she may just have some sort of RBF that I previously attributed to her conjunctivitis.

[truthaboutluv]

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Am I the only one who finds pulling the cancer card to be despicable? made me really want Adam to not win it. 

As others said, I didn't see Adam pulling the cancer card. He and Jay were sort of having a moment and Jay was trying to convince him how important the game was to him and I think Adam just got emotional thinking of how important it is to him and he just needed to share in that moment. Hell I'm more cynical because my first thought was that was stupid on his part because Jay could use it to convince others to vote him out because the jury is never going to vote against the guy with the very sick mother. 

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I must like Jay more than I realized, because I was relieved when he played his HII.

I like him okay but wouldn't care if he was booted but I knew he would be wasting the idol because the editing made it clear that the vote was really either David or Sunday. 

Edited December 8, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[wallflower75]

Jessica just screams bitter jury member to me.

[Lantern7]

Not the best season. Far from the worst. Whatever.

Kinda hoping the older lady would get hurt, so that Probst could yell, "SUNDAY, BLOODY SUNDAY!!!" And that's all I got. Of course Hannah would be the last woman standing. It's been that kind of season.

Rooting for David. He and Hannah are my kind of people, but he has a legit shot. He's like a cockroach with a patchy beard.

I liked the second challenge. I'm guessing the players couldn't face the table.

Three Millenials. Three Gen X. One obnoxious Boomer.

ETA: And another idol got wasted. That's three . . . gotta be a record.

[simplyme]

1 minute ago, Lantern7 said:

Three Millenials. Three Gen X. One obnoxious Boomer.

They should use this as the tagline for the finale.

[KaveDweller]

Anyone else think it was weird for Hannah to suggest to Adam they owed Will for saving her? Adam played his idol for her! She owes him too.

[Rachel RSL]

7 minutes ago, weightyghost said:

If Adam was on the verge of going home, definitely. But it was Jay that was. Jay gave Adam his brother, so I get they have that bond. I feel like keeping his mom's cancer to himself as eaten him up over the last 35 days so I'm surprised it took this long.

You quoted me but that wasn't me who made that comment. I was responding to that comment. I agree with you.

But I also won't consider it to be Adam pulling a cancer card if he does mention it at final TC (if he gets there). I mean, that's what's going on his life. It's the main reason he's there.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Rachel RSL

[mojoween]

That wasn't Will.  That was Leif Garrett.

I am so not ready for this season to be over.

Sunday voted Jay, Bret voted David with Jay.  How odd.

[truthaboutluv]

2 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

Anyone else think it was weird for Hannah to suggest to Adam they owed Will for saving her? Adam played his idol for her! She owes him too.

I honestly kept waiting for Adam to say, "um I played my idol for you. You weren't going home whether or not Will had flipped".

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Sunday voted Jay, Bret voted David with Jay.  How odd.

Not really. She thought they were splitting the votes to flush out Jay's idol and boot David. So Adam and company probably told her to vote Jay, he would play his idol and then David would go home. Except they voted for her. Bret also wasn't in on the plan and figured they were splitting the votes. 

Edited December 8, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[wallflower75]

3 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Three Millenials. Three Gen X. One obnoxious Boomer.

Shhh...don't tell Jeff he's a Boomer!  You'll break his heart!

[Lantern7]

Forgot to ask: who had the title quote?

[LadyChatts]

2 minutes ago, wallflower75 said:

Jessica just screams bitter jury member to me.

I'm willing to cut Jessica a teeny bit of slack, because of how she was voted out.  I get that it's the game, and ultimately she did it to herself.  Honestly, I don't think going to rocks was such a bad idea at the time.  She had no way of knowing Will was planning to flip, so she wouldn't have been at the bottom of another alliance.  She does seem more cheerful in Ponderosa, so maybe it was the sight of Sunday, or she's just trying to put on a mean face to the castaways.  

As for this season, ultimately it'll rank somewhere in the middle for me.  Much better than last season, WA, and SJDS, and I've loved the game play this season.  But there's just something there that isn't clicking for me to call it one of the greatest.

[wallflower75]

Just now, LadyChatts said:

I'm willing to cut Jessica a teeny bit of slack, because of how she was voted out.  I get that it's the game, and ultimately she did it to herself.  Honestly, I don't think going to rocks was such a bad idea at the time.  She had no way of knowing Will was planning to flip, so she wouldn't have been at the bottom of another alliance.  She does seem more cheerful in Ponderosa, so maybe it was the sight of Sunday, or she's just trying to put on a mean face to the castaways.  

As for this season, ultimately it'll rank somewhere in the middle for me.  Much better than last season, WA, and SJDS, and I've loved the game play this season.  But there's just something there that isn't clicking for me to call it one of the greatest.

I debated whether or not to edit my original post after reading that Jessica seems cheerful at Ponderosa.  I know that so much of my perception of Jessica is based on what the editors show us--and they rarely show us Jessica when she doesn't look seriously PO'd.  So it's possible (heck, it's more likely probable) that Jessica isn't as bitter as advertised.

[Haleth]

It's possible jury members are instructed to look stern.

I wondered who had the title quote too.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Haleth

[sadiegirl1999]

I really feel like this has been the best season in quite some time.

It really is possible to cast nice people who aren't assholes or bullies. These people are playing hard and I love it.

Even the challenges seem to be fresh and different. I absolutely loved that maze/puzzle. Genius!

[LanceM]

Jury members look however the editors want them to look. Remember they usually have am hour or two of footage to choose from and they are notorious for just sticking reactions in places where they didn't actually occur.

[brilliantbreakfast]

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I'm guessing David, Jay, or Adam win. 

I'd be happy with any of these three.  David and Adam are ferocious strategic players, with David having the advantage of a decent social game (and the undying loyalty of Ken, which does make them the Fischbach/JT of this season).  Jay is a challenge monster and seems to have a really good social game.  Any of these three would be a worthy winner.  Anyone else, and meh.

[Rachel RSL]

Yeah, I distinctly remember during the Andrew Savage blindside, they kept showing close ups of Tasha looking serious and pissed off but in the wide shots of everybody, she had a huge smile on her face. So I doubt that Jessica always has that sourpuss expression on.

[enlightenedbum]

I still think Ken is getting an edit that explains exactly what he did to win (kinda like Natalie White) that will make much more sense in retrospect.

25 minutes ago, LanceM said:

Hannah's thinking was strategically sound. It was the Cirie strategy from Panama. If someone on your tribe is planning on bring a goat to the final that means they are not bringing you.  You solve this dilemma by voting out the goat. 

Difference is Cirie wins against anybody else on that season in FTC.  So it made sense for her to remove someone who was a lock to make FTC because that was genuinely dangerous to her game.

Who can Hannah beat?  I contend that when the Sunday vote happened, the only triplet where Hannah wins is Hannah, Brett, and Sunday.  Jay, David, and Ken beat her for sure.  Adam probably beats her.

[ShadowSixx]

Will played too hard. He really believed his own hype and thought he was going to run the game. I had a feeling that he was going to go home based off the editing and good riddance. He deserved to be voted out.

If I was Jay, I would no longer listen to Adam. Adam didn't tell him that they were voting him out he just said that he needs to play it. That's another notch on Adam's resume because he got Jay to flush out the idol.

Goodbye Sunday, you were a non-factor, boring, didn't add anything, and forever attached to Bret. Bret and Sunday really could have made themselves out to be powerful swing votes but they just attached themselves to other people controlling the game like idiots. 

Bret with his whining that if Will or whoever made it to final 3 with him, he might as well eat cake or whatever he said. He might as well do it now because there's no way in hell he's winning if he made it to final 3.

Jay, Adam, & Dave have a strong shot at winning. If Ken, Bret, or Hannah make it to final 3 they better have a damn good speech prepared for the jury. I'm thinking that nobody on the jury should really be bitter.

I really wouldn't mind if Jay, Adam, or Dave won because they played really well. My first choice is Dave, then Adam, then Jay.

[LadyChatts]

15 minutes ago, brilliantbreakfast said:

I'd be happy with any of these three.  David and Adam are ferocious strategic players, with David having the advantage of a decent social game (and the undying loyalty of Ken, which does make them the Fischbach/JT of this season).  Jay is a challenge monster and seems to have a really good social game.  Any of these three would be a worthy winner.  Anyone else, and meh.

It'd be great if those 3 were the actual final 3, because I would have no idea who would end up winning (unless the jury gives it away by being super bitter to two of them, while heaping praise on the third).  I just don't see how Hannah, Bret, or Ken could pull off a win, unless they all wind up in the final 3 together.  I'm thinking Hannah may realize next week that she made a mistake not targeting a bigger threat, unless she thinks she'll get dragged to the end.  The problem with Hannah is, I think she's going to end up talking too much, and talk her way right out of the game.  Bret has been nearly invisible all season, and he hasn't done much, either (if anything).  And Ken, my pretty Ken.  It pains me to say it, but he's pretty lousy at this game, too.  Nice guy, and has a great story regarding his daughter that might tug at the heart strings.  But ultimately, he doesn't have a lot on his own Survivor resume (except for potentially getting himself ousted when he blew Will's plan up).

No one on the jury seems bitter.  The only one who might be is Zeke, but he seems to have enough respect for the game, and even in his final words, knew he played his hand too soon.  Possibly Jessica, but I think Michelle being the first juror set a good tone at Ponderosa.

Edited December 8, 2016 by LadyChatts

[North of Eden]

No big surprises.

In fact the best moment was at the very end when at long last we got to see joy on Jessica's face with arch rival Sunday bit the dust.

Not the best of seasons as all like the one with all the drama of medical evacs and Caleb nearly cashing his chips in.

Can be redeemed by Ken winning this thing and riding off into the SURVIVOR sunset with a million to better his little girls life.