S34: Sandra Diaz-Twine

[Jabu]

Hi.  I'm from Pearl Islands and Heroes vs. Villains.  And I won both of them.

She has no regrets, and having won both seasons, she shouldn't have any!  Let's see if she can get number three, but I doubt it.

[loki567]

The Queen... who's probably going to get voted out first... but still, the Queen! 

[Queena]

The Queen indeed, can she win again? I'm rooting for her behind Cirie! 

[Trick Question]

If Sandra wins a third time, I might have to stop watching Survivor.  No future event could possibly top that for sheer joy.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, Trick Question said:

If Sandra wins a third time, I might have to stop watching Survivor.  No future event could possibly top that for sheer joy.

Right!

I've taken to deciding whether or not I like anyone this season based on what they have to say about Sandra tbh.

[Lantern7]

I'll be rooting for her, even if Probst slaps her with paint to make sure everybody else knows the identity of the only two-time champ. She is good, sarcastic people. I wonder if she'll have time for a partner/sidekick like Courtney in S20. Heaven help everybody if she and Cirie wind up on the same tribe.

Here's an article on her. Apparently, winning for a third time is her primary goal, while keeping JT and Tony from matching her would be a close second. I should be upset that she's risking her health and sanity again, especially since she's put up with the two biggest scumbags in the show's history, but I can't help but admire her guts.

[enlightenedbum]

She and Cirie fill similar roles (never let them in front of a jury, tribe mom, not super useful in challenges unless they're pure brawn against tiny little girls in Cirie's case) so I'm not sure they're natural allies.

[KimberStormer]

I must admit I hope she is out early.  Partly because if she's out quick then people will forget about it soon and it will hurt her legacy less than if she is out later, and partly because I am petty and just do not like the way Sandra plays, much as I love Sandra herself.  Even if she wins again, which would force me to grudgingly concede she is indeed the best ever (by a huge margin), I can guarantee I won't enjoy watching her do it, and will instead be sad watching people playing aggressive and exciting Survivor lose.

[nightwing877]

Well on the plus side her being voted out will only increase her chances for an all winners season, she will be less of a threat, with having already been voted out. Parvati and Boston Rob will be out first on an all winners. But if people remember that they can get her out. Better off. 

Still why does it ruin her legacy. She still was the first player to win twice, it doesn't ruin her record at all, just because her third go has a red flag against her name now. Much like players who went 2, 3 or 4 times just to even win once. 

I am guessing she might only make it to late pre-merge and be booted close to the merge. I don't think she will be as lucky to make the merge at all. JT will likely better than her or Tony, and get by because people will remember his game in season 20. 

[Hera]

I am also hoping she wins a third time. I love that she is the only winner to have a 100% track record on multiple outings, and I'll be sad if that particular statistic gets ruined. If a previous winner doesn't win this season, she'll still be the only person who has won twice, and she'll always be the first to do it. I think a major problem for Sandra is that it'll be hard to get people to underestimate her this time around. I know there are people who claim she lucked into both of her wins, but I doubt that anyone who actually plays with her will discount her like that. Even if anyone she plays with thinks her previous wins were all luck, I'd be wary of someone that lucky.

[azshadowwalker]

If you keep getting "lucky" in this game, you just might be doing something right. 

[fishcakes]

On 2/9/2017 at 2:44 PM, peachmangosteen said:

I've taken to deciding whether or not I like anyone this season based on what they have to say about Sandra tbh.

Ha. I've been doing that too. I was completely neutral on Caleb until he made his assy comment about Sandra, and then I decided he needed to go early.

[303420]

On 2/9/2017 at 4:17 PM, Lantern7 said:

I'll be rooting for her, even if Probst slaps her with paint to make sure everybody else knows the identity of the only two-time champ. She is good, sarcastic people. I wonder if she'll have time for a partner/sidekick like Courtney in S20. Heaven help everybody if she and Cirie wind up on the same tribe.

Yep. Another Sandra Fandra here. I don't know if it's possible in any universe for a two-time winner to get within sniffing distance of the end, but if anyone can do it, it's Sandra. You go, hermana.

I also think Sandra and Cirie would be amazing together. My nightmare is that they turn out to rub each other the wrong way and then they Sandra and Cirie each other. That would be sad. 

[enlightenedbum]

Oh, it's Pearl Islands completely insufferable when she has power Sandra.  Great.

I so much prefer hilarious insecure making fun of assholes Sandra.

[susannot]

She f-ing takes out Tony!!  No matter what, I love her.

[MerBearHou]

I didn't remember her being so arrogant and unpleasant.  I would LOATHE being around her.   Highly, highly impressed with herself.  It drives me nuts when the big schemers are so irritated and offended when someone else dares scheme strongly.  Queen, my ass.  Will dance a little happy dance when she gets the boot.

Edited March 9, 2017 by MerBearHou

[LadyChatts]

I loved Sandra!  Disappointed she took out Tony, who I also love, but she was fun to watch this episode.  I loved the scene at TC where something was crawling in her hair (probably why I'd always wear my hair up around there-not because of the heat, but to keep the bugs out).  She had some great moments. 

That said, her parting shot to Tony was uncalled for.  It's not like he isn't allowed to target her.  

Edited March 9, 2017 by LadyChatts

[azshadowwalker]

I was fine with her parting shot at Tony. Knowing he was on the way out, he sat there and tried to blow up her game at TC. Pure bitterness on his part. Besides, if he wasn't such a paranoid idiot, none of it would have happened. He thought he was a superspy, but freaked out over hearing his name. If he was actually good at what he was doing, he would have heard them say he wasn't a threat to them. He went after her for no reason except that he is an idiot. 

[Lantern7]

Tony learned a hard lesson: if you come at the queen, you'd best not miss. And no, I never got around to seeing The Wire.

I'm thinking Sandra got lippy on account that she figured Tony would be stuck to her throughout the game, like Jon and Russell were in her first two runs, and she had to celebrate. Like I said in the episode thread, I think her goal would be Day 22. While Parvati has played in all but three days in her stints, she can't claim to have 100 consecutive days under her belt. If Sandra can do that and outlast JT, I'd say her legacy would be unreachable.

Potential good news: teaser for next week means that she might be on the same tribe as Cirie, which might make for an epic team-up. Or they could fight even as they freefall into a volcano. While I'm thinking about it . ..  Sandra has never had a twist happen to her. Two seasons, four tribes.

[Vyk]

2 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

I was fine with her parting shot at Tony. Knowing he was on the way out, he sat there and tried to blow up her game at TC. Pure bitterness on his part. Besides, if he wasn't such a paranoid idiot, none of it would have happened. He thought he was a superspy, but freaked out over hearing his name. If he was actually good at what he was doing, he would have heard them say he wasn't a threat to them. He went after her for no reason except that he is an idiot. 

This.  I have never understood why you love Tony so much, @LadyChatts.  He is a hot, paranoid mess who goes after people for no reason other than those he comes up with in his head, and he was lucky to win Cagayan in spite of that, not because of it.  He tried to get Sandra out for reasons that weren't even there and rightly paid for it.  Sandra had every right to celebrate, and I don't even think doing it so publicly was that bad, considering that several of the other tribe members seemed to be loving it.  At least Jeff, Hali, and Troyzan were.

[LadyChatts]

I find him entertaining, much like I do Sandra.  Ultimately, I want people who play the game, but can also be entertaining.  It's why I wish those two could have teamed up and worked together, as they may need each other.  I guess I should rephrase that I don't think her parting shot was uncalled for, I just don't know if I thought it was necessary.  However, Sandra seems to know she has a target on her back, so she may not care.  I suppose she'll stay the queen if she's the last winner standing, so we'll see if that happens.  

Had Tony not let his paranoia get the better of him, who knows.  I still think he might have been gone.

[Vyk]

15 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I find him entertaining, much like I do Sandra.

He's really not, though.  At all.  Like, not an ounce.  Nope.  Not even a smidgeon.

[LadyChatts]

I know he isn't for everybody, but I like him.  That said, I'm glad that Sandra is still there over him.

[loki567]

That arrogance is a big part of what makes her a great player. People need to believe you're strong in order to want to work with you. I mean how many often is a weak female player able to effectively stare down an alpha male alliance? Sandra has absolute confidence in herself. I think people read that about her and respond accordingly. 

It's a shame that Tony and her weren't able to form a super alliance of targets but Tony's craziness was probably giving her Russell flashbacks. And I love that within the first fifteen minutes of the season, once again it was, "Sandra, go chase down the crazy idol finding guy again." 

[jb0495]

I don't get all the Sandra love; I think she got lucky with her wins. I always see her and think, seriously SHE is who won Survivor twice? Wish she had been voted out and I didn't like that they condensed all of Tony into one episode :(

I wish Tony had kept his mouth shut, I wanted to see him work with Malcolm. 

[kikaha]

Good playing by Sandra in the immediate term.  She kept herself safe, for this vote, and got rid of a strong player.

Real bad playing for the long-term, though.  She's showing the other players, in living color, why she is dangerous.  Proclaiming herself queen only made that worse.  

It will really surprise me if she goes deep this season. 

[peachmangosteen]

I think she knows there's really no chance she can win this season. I mean these people would have to be absolute idiots! She mentioned in her pre-show interviews how she wanted to make sure no one could tie her record, so I suspect she'll go hard to get rid of JT next. I hope so!

[Constantinople]

1 hour ago, jb0495 said:

I don't get all the Sandra love; I think she got lucky with her wins.

Everyone gets lucky with their wins.

[cherrypj]

11 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

Everyone gets lucky with their wins.

Shit yes. If you watch this show enough, you'll realize that. Getting lucky twice, though? That's got to be a little bit skill.

[blackwing]

I've never really liked her, I guess I've never really liked her gameplay.  She has been really good at deflecting attention from herself in the past, but I think this time around, people know her game.  Will be interesting to see how long she lasts.  In most seasons, the older, out-of-shape woman that is a physical liability often goes on the chopping block early.  And she is abrasive to boot.  Especially knowing she has won twice, and somehow always gets people to rally around her, I'd be voting her out in a heartbeat.

[Hera]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

And she is abrasive to boot.

She definitely comes across that way in confessionals and at Tribal Council. I'm not sure that she actually is all that abrasive around camp. She doesn't shy away from confrontations, but I suspect she's fine to live with on a day-to-day basis. The person people identified as making camp life stressful was Tony.

While I would love to see Sandra win a third time, the fact that they're showing talking about being "the queen" so early on makes think that her story this season is going to be about how she gets deposed. I hope I'm wrong, but that's my hunch.

[Special K]

1 minute ago, Hera said:

She definitely comes across that way in confessionals and at Tribal Council. I'm not sure that she actually is all that abrasive around camp. She doesn't shy away from confrontations, but I suspect she's fine to live with on a day-to-day basis. The person people identified as making camp life stressful was Tony.

While I would love to see Sandra win a third time, the fact that they're showing talking about being "the queen" so early on makes think that her story this season is going to be about how she gets deposed. I hope I'm wrong, but that's my hunch.

She won't get deposed.  Her "crown" is being the only two-time winner.  She only has to get JT out and the "crown stays on her head."

As unlikely as it is, I'd like for he to burnish that crown with a third win, too!

[Hera]

Oh, I agree that she's the queen as long as no one else wins a second time, but I think for purposes of the story they're telling, the person who gets Sandra out (if it happens) will credited as the new monarch. In fact, I would fully expect confessionals that say just that.

[Special K]

14 minutes ago, Hera said:

Oh, I agree that she's the queen as long as no one else wins a second time, but I think for purposes of the story they're telling, the person who gets Sandra out (if it happens) will credited as the new monarch. In fact, I would fully expect confessionals that say just that.

If that happens, I will call it an alternative fact.

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I think she knows there's really no chance she can win this season. I mean these people would have to be absolute idiots! She mentioned in her pre-show interviews how she wanted to make sure no one could tie her record, so I suspect she'll go hard to get rid of JT next. I hope so!

So Sandra is playing purely for spoiler purposes- screwing with other winners' games and lives so she can hang on to bragging rights for another year or so?

Notice the look of shocked surprise which totally failed to cross my face.  :P

[loki567]

She specifically said she wanted to keep winners around as other targets and she seemed very receptive to Tony's first pitch before he lost his mind. There's no way she's just playing spoiler. 

[Special K]

Tony is really an idiot.  He and Sandra would have been unstoppable.  For a while anyway.

[azshadowwalker]

My only criticism of Sandra is her friendship and obvious alliance with Troy. I guess I have some shitty friends, too, though. 

I have exactly zero problems with her as a person or as a player. She is relatively quiet and easy to get along with unless pushed, then she's blunt and confrontational. Maybe I see some of myself in her in that respect. Much more likely to listen than to speak, but not someone who can be intimidated or who won't say exactly what she thinks. 

[LadyChatts]

Could be worse.  She could have had a clean shaven (and now creepier looking) Dan Foley at her premiere party like Sierra did.

[Rachel RSL]

4 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Shit yes. If you watch this show enough, you'll realize that. Getting lucky twice, though? That's got to be a little bit skill.

Sandra definitely has skills that we don't always get to see. From everything I remember reading about her past seasons, apparently she has a really good social game. People just like her. We don't get to see a lot of that though because her "mouthy" moments are the most entertaining so that's what the editors focus on.

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Shit yes. If you watch this show enough, you'll realize that. Getting lucky twice, though? That's got to be a little bit skill.

This! Every winner can attribute luck as a big part of their winning. But I'd say if you can win twice then luck probably has less to do with your wins than many others.

[pamplemousse]

She's abrasive to assholes who absolutely deserve to have her and more people be abrasive towards them. I totally support her talking shit to Tony as he was on his way out, he blew up his own game and nearly hers with his insane paranoia. Megalomaniacal dipshit deserved it and more, and so did Fairplay and Hantz when she was nasty to them too. I don't mind her calling herself the Queen, just like I wouldn't mind any woman of her age range without much physical/athletic strengths who has won twice calling themselves Queen. Plenty of people on the show who have accomplished less have been much more grandiose, delusional, and up their own asses.

[enlightenedbum]

She's also abrasive in that she bullied the shit out of the people who were not in the Rupert/Sandra/Christa power clique in Pearl Islands.  Until they turned on Rupert, at which point she petulantly ruined everyone's food.  She kind of sucks when she's in power.  When she's not, she's hilarious because she aims for the biggest asshole.

I also suspect Courtney moderated (!) her worst impulses.

[violet and green]

She really looks as if someone has done a silent but deadly in the vicinity and she's trying to work out who.

[NutMeg]

On 3/9/2017 at 1:38 PM, Lantern7 said:

While I'm thinking about it . ..  Sandra has never had a twist happen to her. Two seasons, four tribes.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Still, she's one of the most fluid players and so far has not only reacted well but also took advantage each time the rug was pulled from under her.  It's like she plays judo Survivor.

21 hours ago, loki567 said:

That arrogance is a big part of what makes her a great player. People need to believe you're strong in order to want to work with you. I mean how many often is a weak female player able to effectively stare down an alpha male alliance? Sandra has absolute confidence in herself. I think people read that about her and respond accordingly. 

It's a shame that Tony and her weren't able to form a super alliance of targets but Tony's craziness was probably giving her Russell flashbacks. And I love that within the first fifteen minutes of the season, once again it was, "Sandra, go chase down the crazy idol finding guy again." 

You make a great point about her absolute confidence. I'll add that I think she mirrors people: she "bullies" bullies, trash talks trash talkers, strategizes with strategists, snarks with snarkers (and in talking heads), etc. It's quite amazing that she is one of the few people who's been able to be herself and speak her mind (although maybe not all of it), so there are no resentment towards her from other players. Except the Russels and Tonies of the game who think they are the only masterminds allowed and are much better at dishing it than at taking it. Still, her willingness to confront people who make others nervous in endearing, to me as a viewer and, I have no doubt, to the players witnessing it.

ETA that I was also thinking that Tony was bound to have triggered Russell memories for her, which was a very good reason to vote him out asap rather than wait to be Danielle-d.

10 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

My only criticism of Sandra is her friendship and obvious alliance with Troy. I guess I have some shitty friends, too, though. 

I have exactly zero problems with her as a person or as a player. She is relatively quiet and easy to get along with unless pushed, then she's blunt and confrontational. Maybe I see some of myself in her in that respect. Much more likely to listen than to speak, but not someone who can be intimidated or who won't say exactly what she thinks. 

I wouldn't have expected a Sandra/Hali/Troy alliance, but I'm now quite open to it. Makes me better disposed towards Troy, even! :) and if Kim and al. are rooting for him, he cannot be as bad as he was edited, can he? (besides, as the oldest player, he looks pretty good!).

I fully agree with the rest of your post. Sandra doesn't look for a fight, but if attacked, she retaliates. And I love that about her.

Edited March 10, 2017 by NutMeg

[KimberStormer]

Being abrasive was always Sandra's game, though.  She's rude, she's confrontational, she's blunt, she's loud.  You love her, but you are sure everyone else hates her, nobody really gets Sandra but you.  You think she's hilarious.  So you'll take her along, a goat who makes you laugh.  Then you find out, whoops, everyone else loves her too.

What made me laugh last night is everyone saying "This is exactly how she won before!"  But, uhhhhhh....no it wasn't.  She was never the leader before.  She didn't put together alliances in 15 minutes.  She's playing a much different game this time, so far anyway; she's really playing as The Queen.  I sort of love it, but let's see if it works.

[enlightenedbum]

Yeah that drove me nuts too.  I guess those seasons are too old for these morons to have watched them.  I think Sandra engineered two boots out of the 31 in her two seasons: Burton's and Coach's.

Edited March 10, 2017 by enlightenedbum

[Lantern7]

30 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

You make a great point about her absolute confidence. I'll add that I think she mirrors people: she "bullies" bullies, trash talks trash talkers, strategizes with strategists, snarks with snarkers (and in talking heads), etc.

So you're saying she's Scrooge McDuck? Tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties? I can dig that. Cannot see her diving in a vault of her money, though.

[NutMeg]

20 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

So you're saying she's Scrooge McDuck? Tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties? I can dig that. Cannot see her diving in a vault of her money, though.

Haha, no she's nicer that him, but I see her diving in anything if it's part of the game. It's funny how she's describing winning Survivor as how she wins her money, and still has never been a famewhore. But now I have a mental image of Sandra, in her me time, diving into a vault of money :) Would she dive clumsily, or would it be the perfect Ozzy dive though?   

[azshadowwalker]

Definitely clumsy. She is not a physical threat. ;) 

As for influencing votes, if people had listened to her in HvV, Russell would have been out on his ass. That was lost because Rupert and JT had their heads up his ass. Of course, the fact that she tried and failed probably helped her in the end. It was specifically something brought up when Rupert cast his vote for her to win, and I am sure others had it on their minds, too. That "failure" was on the fools she was playing with, not her lacking a sense of proactive play. 

Edited March 10, 2017 by azshadowwalker