S28.E09: Sitting in My Spy Shack

[HurricaneVal]

Spencer flat out told the no-brains that if Tony goes to Final Tribal Council, he will get Spencer's vote, then Tasha spoke up and agreed, and Jeremiah (<snerk> Jeremy) nodded his head.  Did they show the jury?  Were they nodding?  Tony will not be a goat.  Why don't people in his alliance see that?  Trish is good at reading people, and now that she no longer has a personal target to pick at, she's not as annoying as she was a few weeks ago.  She's playing a great game.  Except for her blind loyalty and support for Tony.

 

Was LJ massively hung over?  He looked more than just bitter...he looked ill.  And not handsome at all.  Very disappointing.

 

Jeremiah was awfully stone-faced during the letters from home segment.  He was handed a folder, but maybe he doesn't have any loved ones who sent him a letter?  Or there's bad blood with his family?  It was more than just the typical macho "keeping stoic in the face of an emotional situation" strategy.  I found it very strange.

 

Barring a miracle, Tony is going to win.  Right now, with the SHII(T), he's pretty unstoppable.  Now that "Jeremy" is gone, he doesn't really even need it anymore--the other side just doesn't have numbers now, and I don't see anyone on the no-brains alliance flipping at this point. 

 

I hope Tasha keeps her immunity challenge run going, like Kelly from the first season, and makes it to FTC against all odds.

[David T. Cole]

Please don't make me hold a tribal council Leighdear and TexasGal. Hug it out.

[riley702]

As an aside, I've almost completely weaned myself off of TWOP (except for the Sitcom Survival Challenge in The Rec Room, which I'll keep up until either it finishes or TWOP shuts down the forums), so I'm happy when I come on here and see so many posts.

 

 

Same with me.  I feel like my posting the same thing in 2 different places that have overlapping members just seems attention-grabbing...*LOL*   

 

Man, I'm right there with you guys. I AM still reading both sites, and the word-for-word duplicate posts are personally annoying. Is it that hard to write something original on each site? I think I'll be happy when the TWoP forums go dark.

 

Another thing I believe is that Tony found his special idol before the previous week's TC.  That would explain the "bag-o-tricks" that he bought to the LJ vote.  I think that the "finding it" scenes were carefully spliced into this episodes timeline. 

I think you're right. But it looks like Tony will be flogging his "bag o' tricks" from now until he finally plays it. And I'm not looking forward to his attention-whoring antics.

 

I thought it was ridiculous when Tony got offended that Trish called him out on playing both sides. Like, dude, why shouldn't she call you out? Did you actually think you'd be able to get away with all this without someone saying something? I mean, the answer is clearly yes, but still.

I don't understand why this happens repeatedly on this show. People getting offended when others want to win, too, and then call you out for hurting their game. Why is it so hard to understand that alliances need to be mutually beneficial?

[Turtle]

 

Another thing I believe is that Tony found his special idol before the previous week's TC.  That would explain the "bag-o-tricks" that he bought to the LJ vote.  I think that the "finding it" scenes were carefully spliced into this episodes timeline.

Excellent point.  I'm inclined to agree.  

 

The stupid special HII is, well, stupid.  This season was going so well, with people actually playing and strategizing, and blindsides, and fun tribals.  Something like this ridiculous power ruins all of that.  Allowing it will completely ruin at least one person's game, if not several.  It may be "part of the game" that they now have to strategize around, but it is *impossible* to strategize around!  The regular HIIs are annoying enough, but at least there's a way to mitigate the damage, or cause someone to waste it.  With this stupid thing, Tony is now guaranteed to get to F4, if not F3, and there is nothing any of them can do to stop it.  I hate it.  

And I do not believe for one minute that Tony found that idol without a little bit of help.  That opinion may be based somewhat on my hatred of this idol, and of my disgust that it was Tony who found it. 

 

It is interesting that some of his alliance think Tony is the goat.  Maybe that will change now that Spencer told them that Tony will get his vote.  Won't matter though, because they can't vote Tony out!  So annoying.  (I'm actually a little bit embarrassed about how angry I am about this special HII.)

 

I do think Trish is playing a really good game, albeit a quiet one.  Although I do not understand why they all still trust Tony after the LJ vote, especially after he told them he kept it a secret because he couldn't trust them!   "Hey, y'all, I don't trust you to tell you what I'm doing, and I worry you'll screw it up, but you can keep on trusting me."  "Oh, okay, sure!"

[Kromm]

Spencer flat out told the no-brains that if Tony goes to Final Tribal Council, he will get Spencer's vote, then Tasha spoke up and agreed, and Jeremiah (<snerk> Jeremy) nodded his head.  Did they show the jury?  Were they nodding?  Tony will not be a goat.  Why don't people in his alliance see that?  Trish is good at reading people, and now that she no longer has a personal target to pick at, she's not as annoying as she was a few weeks ago.  She's playing a great game.  Except for her blind loyalty and support for Tony.

Well, except that we (or they) don't necessarily have to believe Spencer.  He has ample motive to LIE about that--because if saying that made his alliance turn on Tony then the No-Brains may well have saved their existence in this game.

 

In the end they may well give Tony their votes (it's likely in fact). Or not--they could hold grudges we haven't heard about, or have some brainstorm where they want to give it to the "nicest" person left at the end, or the person they think is pulling strings, or some other criteria.  Either way, I think it's a bit much to assume that saying that really should have changed anyone's mind.  Because the alliance doesn't know what the new Idol does, even if they're assuming Tony has it now.  They likely assume there are at least a few more chances to get rid of Mr. Spy Shack.

[Miss Scarlet]

When talking about blindsiding LJ, Tony said "I didn't break promises. I did it for a reason," ...which is still breaking promises.

[Alapaki]

To paraphrase the Dr. Strangelove movie, Spencer, "the HII is only a deterrent if people know you have it!!!"

 

If you keep it in your pocket until everyone's voted, and then play it (or give it to Jeremiah for that matter), there's a 50% chance you guess right.

 

But if you wear that shit around your neck when you walk into Tribal Council and make it damned clear that you're playing it to keep yourself safe this week, then after everyone votes hand it over to Jeremiah, you have a chance to be a hero (and give yourself something big to brag about if you make FTC).

 

Sure, maybe they call your bluff and vote for you Spencer, so handing your HII to Jeremiah would end up with you being eliminated.  But if Tony's alliance succeeds in knocking one of your alliance off, you're probably dead-man-walking anyway.  But everyone's been so risk-averse with HIIs that my bet is there's no chance they vote for you if they know you have a HII.  

 

Or, you pull my favorite gambit and tell the other side you're playing your HII, but refuse to reveal whom you, Tasha and Jeremiah are targeting.  Them tell them that unless they vote out Tony, they run the risk that they're the target.

 

The one thing I wouldn't do, Spencer, is :

 

Spencer flat out told the no-brains that if Tony goes to Final Tribal Council, he will get Spencer's vote, then Tasha spoke up and agreed, and Jeremiah (<snerk> Jeremy) nodded his head.  Did they show the jury?  Were they nodding?  Tony will not be a goat.  Why don't people in his alliance see that?  Trish is good at reading people, and now that she no longer has a personal target to pick at, she's not as annoying as she was a few weeks ago.  She's playing a great game.  Except for her blind loyalty and support for Tony.

 

 

Because even if you're lying, Jefra and/or Kass might believe you.  And that might make them think they actually have a chance to make it to FTC (instead of being obvious #4 and #5 in the alliance) by giving them an argument to use on Trish and Woo against Tony.

[ShadowDenizen]

The stupid special HII is, well, stupid

 

You mean the "Tyler Perry Presents- SUPER SPECIAL HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL"?

Edited April 25, 2014 by ShadowDenizen

[Eggman]

So, I take my accusations back.   From an interview with Jeremy...

I turned that jungle inside out trying to find that thing and it’s amazing to see where he found it.  It was a tree that I never looked around.  Mad props to Tony for finding it.

 

Other interesting interview links at the bottom of that one.

[FineWashables]

I stopped posting on TWoP the same day I read their announcement about shutting down and saw a post that referenced this site.  Once I saw who was running PreviouslyTV, I started posting as often here as I can to try to help build conversation on the boards.  Glad to see so many others immigrating here as well.  Let's help get the momentum going.  

 

I need to talk Spy Shack now (and not just because I don't want to be dinged for wrong thread!).  I laughed harder at that than I have at anything else this season.  My first thought was that Special Agent Pink Panties would have been so proud.  We've never seen anyone do that before.  Kinda genius.

 

Joining in on calling shennanigans on Tony finding a buried idol as easily as if it had been in plain sight.  I wonder if the editing just left out a few hours of digging because otherwise, come on.  I can't even find where I parked my car sometimes.

 

Despite what she's said in her confessionals, I never saw any evidence before that Kass knows how to read a room.  She just seems so completely self-absorbed I didn't believe she could have much insight into other people -- plus, she apparently trusts Tony.  So I'm kinda amazed that she figured out that Spencer had an idol.  And: The papayas look like Morgan's boobs!  Pretty damn funny there, Kass.  That said, you're so deliberately unlikeable that you're hard to root for, so I won't.

 

Final three should be -- and this has nothing to do with who I like or dislike -- Tony, Tricia, and Tasha.  I think they're playing the game better than anyone else.  

[Wandering Snark]

 

Joining in on calling shennanigans on Tony finding a buried idol as easily as if it had been in plain sight.  I wonder if the editing just left out a few hours of digging because otherwise, come on.  I can't even find where I parked my car sometimes.

Hah! And yeah, I felt like it was all "Oooh how about near this tree?? *looks for approval from production* Maybe... down here in these roots?? *looks back again* Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll dig right here by this crazy tree. *digs* OMG!! I got it!!"

 

And a shout-out to all former TWoP'ers :-) I double posted the first week but am only here now, thanks for the hospitality The Man Formerly Known As Glark!

Edited April 25, 2014 by Wandering Snark

[RescueMom]

I stopped posting on TWoP the same day I read their announcement about shutting down and saw a post that referenced this site.  Once I saw who was running PreviouslyTV, I started posting as often here as I can to try to help build conversation on the boards.  Glad to see so many others immigrating here as well.  Let's help get the momentum going.  

 

 

I kept reading there and have only posted a few times since coming here.  I was never a prolific poster over there but have been trying to post more here!

[dolphincorn]

I was enjoying Tony's antics up to this episode because the editing seemed to be hinting that he was going to get what was coming to him for being so overconfident.  Now I'm a little perturbed, not because he's going to be safe for a while, but because he's clearly being touted as a candidate for the inevitable season where Rupert, Ozzy, Boston Rob, Russell and Coach return to lead six tribes of mostly-forgotten contestants in a battle for twelve hidden immunity idols, including a new one with special powers that can save the person who plays it from being eliminated on Redemption Island by sending them to a second Redemption Island.

Edited April 26, 2014 by dolphincorn

[Kromm]

Heh.  Apparently there IS a bit of a meme (I hadn't seen much).  On another board (this isn't my work), I saw this one, for example:

 

[90PercentGravity]

Should have been "Tyler Perry's Spy Shaq."

[Wandering Snark]

And they didn't change the credits at the bottom of the poster... *nitpicking*

[Kromm]

And they didn't change the credits at the bottom of the poster... *nitpicking*

They didn't properly blur the edges of the heads into the background properly either, so it was already flawed even without that!

[Gweilo]

Do we know whether Spencer's played immunity idol will be re-hidden?  Because as far as I can see there's possibly a glimmer of hope for him and Tasha if one of them wins the reward challenge, gets a clue and finds the re-hidden idol and informs everyone they're going to play it at tribal.  If the other wins individual immunity then they could spend the afternoon causing a bit of chaos, as the other group would have to pick off one of their own and Spencer and Tasha might be able to exploit it somehow.

[Kromm]

Do we know whether Spencer's played immunity idol will be re-hidden?  Because as far as I can see there's possibly a glimmer of hope for him and Tasha if one of them wins the reward challenge, gets a clue and finds the re-hidden idol and informs everyone they're going to play it at tribal.  If the other wins individual immunity then they could spend the afternoon causing a bit of chaos, as the other group would have to pick off one of their own and Spencer and Tasha might be able to exploit it somehow.

There's no way to know, I think, because we have no idea if the Tyler Perry Idol is holding that "immunity" space (they always seem to want to have at least one immunity Idol in play constantly, if its mid-season), or if they truly consider it something totally separate.  

[Kromm]

[Superpole2000]

Or, you pull my favorite gambit and tell the other side you're playing your HII, but refuse to reveal whom you, Tasha and Jeremiah are targeting.  Them tell them that unless they vote out Tony, they run the risk that they're the target.

 

That would have been a strong move. Great idea. Of course, Tony still would have survived because of the all too powerful and ill conceived idol of invincibility.

 

I hope we get a few non-balancing immunity challenges in future episodes. I don't find it particularly exciting to watch people try to balance. I'd sooner watch them play rock, paper, scissors.

[Wandering Snark]

Quite a week when TPTB have created three saints by having interceeded from above and making them chosen to be risen above all the rest... St. John XXIII, John Paul II, and now the infallible St. Tony from Jersey.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Wandering Snark

[Guest]

So, why is this idol being called the Tyler Perry idol? I must have missed something.

[Kromm]

So, why is this idol being called the Tyler Perry idol? I must have missed something.

http://survivorfandom.com/survivor-2014-spoilers-tyler-perry-idol-twist-38661/

[Guest]

http://survivorfandom.com/survivor-2014-spoilers-tyler-perry-idol-twist-38661/

Can he just stick to making ridiculous movies and not make Survivor any more ridiculous than it can be on its own?

 

Though it is kind of interesting to me that the general consensus is the new idol sucks, when for awhile, Yul was often held up as best player ever when he had the advantage of an idol with exactly these powers.  I guess perceptions change as we see different ways the HII is used.

[Wandering Snark]

Well it took them how many seasons to realize that Redemption Island sucked? Obviously they just love the HII concept and were looking to even expand not diminish their power. Maybe this "step too far" will finally make them see that the HII's suck.

[Alapaki]

I never read that article before, and I too was wondering what all the Tyler Perry talk was about.  I don't want to take the thread OT, but . . . 

 

Are we just supposed to pretend this isn't how the HII worked for its first couple of seasons?  Or is there some additional special power to it this time (for example, does Tony get to single-handedly decide who gets eliminated on the bounce-back)?

[KimberStormer]

I think it's actually slightly less powerful, actually, in that Tony can't give it away.  But I think maybe production has indeed forgotten that this is how the idol used to work, or anyway why they changed it.  Because it totally sucks.  (I have indeed always held it against Yul, but I don't like Yul anyway.)  In a way it's less annoying because he's in the majority anyway, but on the other hand, now he can never be blindsided.  Sighhhhh

[Wandering Snark]

Well, he can be blindsided with it but it won't work the first time. Then they just have to vote him out again the next TC, hoping he doesn't win immunity between. If it's an "all-girl" alliance they might not get that second chance if one of them is voted out on the first try though.

[nutty1]

They need to flush that idol out ASAP! Someone will be "sacrificed" in the process, but hey, what can you do? Then the next week, they have to vote him out.

 

I wonder if the idol can only be used up to the 5 to 4 TC?

[riley702]

Usually that's the point at which idols can no longer be used. I'd like to see them go earlier - maybe F6, but that's not going to happen.

[Way Wes Jr]

Show starts in an hour and a half.  (Vacation + ultimately disappointing episode = late rankings.)

1. Tony (8)  Yeah.  You found the Yul/Terry idol.  (And you can’t give it away)  Welcome to (at worst,) the final five.

2. Trish (6)  You’re playing the best game out there, (arguments for Tasha accepted,) but since you’re an “older” female production/editing will never give you the proper credit.  (Hell, we can tell you’re playing the best game DESPITE god-awful editing.)

3. Kass (3) Naa-ah. </goat sound effects>

4. Jefra (4) Same reasoning as last week.

5. Woo (7) Tony will cut you loose before you can II run your way to the final.

6. Tasha (2) Did you (and Spencer, and Jeremiah,) even try to swing Kass to switch?  You could have tried the estrogen alliance pitch while you had Jeremiah around to balance out Tony and Woo.  But, even though you’ve won two II’s in a row, sexism means that

7. Spencer (1) ...will be the primary target.  That, and he has been playing an active game as well.

GONE Jeremiah (5)  Tony and company decided that, if Spencer had an HII, he wouldn’t use it on you.  They were right.