S35.E07: Get to Gettin'

[Nashville]

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

Good thing it wasn't a drinking game with all the times they said Outback or I wouldn't be able to type. 

Shyou meen id wazzn’t?  *urp*

Personally I thought the product placement, heavy-handed as it was, was pretty damn effective; Hell, *I* wanted a steak.

 

4 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

Show's only just started in my timezone.  Did Probst mention anything about at least the jury for Jessica?

12 people voting = still a little too early for Jury, unless TPTB are shooting for a F3 Finale.

So the Virgin didn’t make Jury; her game, much like her sex life, never really got into gear.

Because Jessica *is* a virgin, in case you hadn’t heard.  

And it’s very important we know that.

And are reminded of that.

Repeatedly.

 

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I have determined that Ben is a passive aggressive douchenozzle.  Cole was right.  If something bothered Ben, why didn't he just say it?

Uhhhh, I dunno; because being upfront about feelings of interpersonal conflict in Survivor can be a knife in the back of your strategic game, maybe...?

 

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

 Cole admitted that he didn't realise what he was doing.  If Ben had pointed it out to him, then maybe Cole changes.  Instead, Ben kvetches about it to everyone except Cole.  

I call bullshit on Cole claiming ignorance.  Cole knew exactly what he was doing, and was going to keep right on doing it until called on it.  Cole can take his wide-eyed “Who, me?” routine and shove it up his self-centered ass.

 

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

Meanwhile, on that tribe with no food, everyone is eating sugar direct from the spoon, and Devin sticks the entire spoon into his mouth and lovingly caresses it with his tongue.  

To be fair, I think everybody else had already partaken and Devon was getting the very last leavings of the sugar - so nobody else would be using that spoon afterwards....

[KimberStormer]

Well, the very instant that Jessica's name was brought up I knew exactly what was going down; the only question I had was who Joe would waste his idol on.  Such is the fate of those who watch Too Much Survivor, you spoil your own self, because you've seen it all before.  I am, however, surprised at myself, for being so angry at you guys for your glee at seeing Jessica go.  I didn't realize I liked her that much, but I guess I do.  (As a tailor, here's a tip about reality TV: they make you say "as a virgin/NFL wife/whatever" in the confessionals, and splice it in if you don't.  I honestly can't believe people still blame the players for this, much like I can't believe people still blame them for their clothes.)

A lot of the shine comes off Ben this time, I must say.  Who knows if that was the right move -- I'm too tired to think it out -- but he was playing with his emotions this time, and his emotions were dumb.  Cole really got to him in a weird way, it seems.  If it's really just over the food stuff, that's super weak Survivor playing.

However, more and more I am appreciating Chrissy as a classic Survivor Villain.  I think the editors know how we think, so they're sure to include Chrissy bringing up the name of every woman she votes out.  Or maybe she's just actually terrible the way we all think she is.  Go ahead and be evil, Chrissy, I don't mind.  Take, I beg you, take that role, by force, from the little wiener who wants it so bad, Ryan.  Make him your sad, ineffectual court jester/scarecrow and I will love you forever for it.

(I also secretly loved the absurd Outback plugging, because it was super nostalgic for me.  Remember when Sandra was like "shit if I don't get this Survivor money at least I'll get something from Outback Steakhouse" in HvV?  Hopefully this stuff will end before they're forcing contestants to endure the excruciating "reward" of Adam Sandler movies, though.)

 

5 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Thanks for whipping out and cashing in your idol for nothing, Joe! Did Tony ever use an idol and then receive no votes?

Of course he did, because Tony is an idiot who is worthless at Survivor.  He threw his stupid self-congratulatory idol off on LJ (and LJ, not to be outdone for stupidity, did the same back to him) while Trish quietly flipped Kass and saved his moron ass at the Cagayan merge.  Oh but Tony's such a genius, he won because he won the coin toss at the auction!  GREATEST OF ALL TIME

4 hours ago, Eolivet said:

Ninety percent of Survivor winners are in the majority in the first vote at the merge.

So, congratulations to ... Ben, Lauren, Devon, Ashley, Ryan, Chrissy or JP.

I wonder if it will hold true this year, since the vote was so close. I suppose we'll see.

Ughhhhhh dysphonia to my ears.  I knew what Ryan was getting at, his little Adam Klein moment.  Chrissy, please, please, crush his dreams.

1 hour ago, GaT said:

When Mike said he thought he was the only person playing the game, & now that he found out that other people are playing it too, everything is so much harder, I nearly threw a large object at my TV. You thought you were the only person playing the game? REALLY??? Just you?

Cole has become self aware, a little late I think. 

Dr. Mike: still the worst, somehow the smuggest out there, in this Season of Smug.  I was really sad to see Jessica go (somehow I find some measure of charity and kindness even for virgins, I guess) but in the larger sense I didn't care who won this battle of nitwits, because there were people I like and people I dislike on both sides.

Edited November 9, 2017 by KimberStormer

[Charlesman]

As a Joe hater, that was a satisfying tribal. 

 

And Dr Mike's imitation was dead on. Deuces. 

[Nashville]

So... any bets on who will eventually discover the Secret Clue in the pack of nails...?  :>

[navelgazer]

I was getting so sick and tired of The Virgin, I was glad it was her that left and not Chrissy.  As a middle-aged woman, I like having someone in my age group to root for (who isn't totally cray like dear old Debbie).  I could go with a threesome of Ben, Lauren, and Chrissy to the end of this thing, except if that happened I think Ben would win in a landslide. 

[OutOfTheQuestion]

5 hours ago, princelina said:

Haha I know right?  Although Mr P and I were having fun with remarks like, "As a virgin, he makes my lady parts tingle" and "As a virgin, I'm not good at handling balls" throughout the rest of the episode :)

"As a virgin, I didn't enjoy my first time.............at Tribal Council."

[Star Aristille]

4 hours ago, ByaNose said:

JP wasn’t even in the episode, and I think he was only one who didn’t get a confessional.

Desi, sadly, also didn't get a confessional.  Which you'd think she'd have gotten at least after she won immunity.  But for some reason, the show didn't give her one.

[SVNBob]

5 hours ago, ByaNose said:

They all assumed that Joe & Cole had an idol. She was the planned backup vote. It’s sort of like when Figgy got screwed when she hooked up with Taylor.

Maybe it's because I'm also re-watching another season at the same time, but my reaction was that they got rid of the 3rd Horseman.  It was the right play then; it was the right play now.

[spiderpig]

yak yak yak yak yak

(zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...)

Elapsed Time immunity challenge

(zzzzzzzzzzzzz...plus too many close-ups of dirty feet)

Chrissy squeaked by again.

Why are all of the Survivors looking like scarecrows except Lauren? Ryan looks like a coathanger.

[cherrypj]

1 hour ago, SVNBob said:

Maybe it's because I'm also re-watching another season at the same time, but my reaction was that they got rid of the 3rd Horseman.  It was the right play then; it was the right play now.

That’s exactly right: if you know there’s an idol and you think it might be shared, vote for a third person. 

[Suzysite]

8 hours ago, enoughcats said:

That segment, IMO, will go down in history as product placement that leaves anyone who saw it .....wanting it.

Oh my goodness. I was cursing my rural area for not having an Outback Steakhouse.  That looked so good.  Amazing advertising strategy.

I laughed out loud when Joe wasted his idol on nothing. 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Suzysite

[SuburbanHangSuite]

2 hours ago, spiderpig said:

yak yak yak yak yak

(zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...)

Elapsed Time immunity challenge

(zzzzzzzzzzzzz...plus too many close-ups of dirty feet)

How about I DVR'd the show and fast-forwarded and I still dozed off during Tribal.  I opened my eyes just as Jess's torch was snuffed so I had to rewind to see the bulk of TC.  That ain't good.

UGH.  Tony Joe and his, "you ain't 'bout that life" and "deuces."   I guess he's representin' the hood?  NOT.  And AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that he played that idol.  Jackass.

I love me some Outback but I don't know if I could've immediately done beer and margaritas on an empty stomach.  But one of their Blackberry Sangrias?   Yes, please!

Edited November 9, 2017 by SuburbanHangSuite
Joe isn't Tony, although he's trying to be

[jay741982]

4 hours ago, Nashville said:

So... any bets on who will eventually discover the Secret Clue in the pack of nails...?  :>

Someone I can't stand or don't care for like Chrissy, Ryan, Ben, Lauren, Joe 

4 hours ago, navelgazer said:

I was getting so sick and tired of The Virgin, I was glad it was her that left and not Chrissy.  As a middle-aged woman, I like having someone in my age group to root for (who isn't totally cray like dear old Debbie).  I could go with a threesome of Ben, Lauren, and Chrissy to the end of this thing, except if that happened I think Ben would win in a landslide. 

Ugh that F3 sounds hideous. Espically with Miss "I'm the most dangerous player and I automatically don't trust any woman" conceited arrogant ass

[himela]

I think Ben never considered voting out Chrissy. The edit was made that way so we think he would. But I feel I'm missing something. Ben is mad at Cole for eating food and not sharing etc. Why did he say he didn't trust him? I mean, what does trust have to do with the stupidity Cole is showing? I feel we are not shown something.

Ben had no reason to betray so many people from his old tribe plus he had no reason to become No 6 or 7 after the five healers. I'm very scared that the way the editing goes from episode 1 Ryan and Chrissy are in final two or three and one of them wins. Such a disappointing season while there are some great people. Poor Desi was great, she won the IC and she didn't even have a confessional. Poor Jessica who was the victim of all this only talked about her being a virgin AGAIN in her confessional. I think the editors have not found a way this season to balance the way to make us understand what is going on but also not give out the final two. I think the Australian Survivor editors were amazing this year with this matter. I will say no more for people who have not watched it yet but they did a great job with keeping the audience guessing till the last moment.

[Haleth]

8 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Hopefully, Chrissy will be a little off her high horse next week. I don’t think she was expecting a vote let alone multiple votes.

Ha!  The self proclaimed Queen of the Social Game got a wake up call.  Smug is not subtle.  You are not beloved by all, honey.

7 hours ago, TVFan1 said:

I must be in the minority that actually liked Jessica and wanted to see her actually play the game.

I liked her the one episode where she realized telling Cole secrets was not in her best interest.  Then her virgin lady parts got the better of her and she stuck with Cole anyway.  Then she became a bore.

6 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

I'm guessing a final 3 of Chrissy, Ryan and Ben which is shitty

I wouldn't mind that if Ben ran away with the vote.  As much as I wished he had voted for Chrissy this time, it really was in his best interest to keep her smug face in the game.  And to keep annoying Cole there too.

2 hours ago, SVNBob said:

Maybe it's because I'm also re-watching another season at the same time, but my reaction was that they got rid of the 3rd Horseman.  It was the right play then; it was the right play now.

That was one of my favorite Survivor moments ever.  A joy to behold.

6 hours ago, blackwing said:

If something bothered Ben, why didn't he just say it?

Because that's a good way to become a target yourself?

I was really surprised Joe was so out of the loop (or maybe just paranoid) that he thought he was in trouble and burned his idol.  No doubt he'll find another.

And Outback Steakhouse sucks.

[Bryce Lynch]

9 hours ago, princelina said:

Haha I know right?  Although Mr P and I were having fun with remarks like, "As a virgin, he makes my lady parts tingle" and "As a virgin, I'm not good at handling balls" throughout the rest of the episode :)

I think "As a Virgin..." should be the title of Jessica's new show, or maybe a podcast.  She could give the virgin perspective on current events, politics, sports, pop culture, etc.

For the record, I think it is great that she has been saving herself, but I was also tired of hearing about it.

[mojoween]

Ok I'll be that person...lava cake is terrible and all those closeup shots of medium rare steak were super gross.  Oh and I also hate bone-in rib-eye.

Sorry Outback.  I would have been all over a Bloomin’ Onion though and I have no idea why they did not provide their most famous product.

[blackwing]

Upthread it was mentioned that Desi was one of the only ones who didn't get a confessional.  But she did actually get to speak this episode, Jeff asked her what it was like to trudge those five steps up the hill at the non-reward challenge.   

I don't understand why that tribe of Joe, Desi, Ashley and Devin had absolutely no food.   Why not?  Looks like they made zero effort to find any (at least, based on what was aired).  The tribe with JP gathers coconuts.   The tribe with Cole and Mike tries to get fish.  Why wasn't this third tribe trying to fish or gather fruits and plants?   Ashley mentioned the mysterious chickens from the reward challenge.  Did we even see anyone ever eating eggs or talking about killing a chicken?  I must have missed it.  

I noticed the clearing for the challenges is a perfect rectangle carved out of the forest.  I'm sure it's been there from previous seasons, but the show really cut down all those trees just to make a perfect rectangle?

Cole is a bad player.   The plan was supposed to be for the five plus Desi and maybe Joe to target Chrissy.  Was Cole supposed to be the one to approach Joe?  He did it so poorly.   He told Joe he was a target and that made him paranoid.  Maybe the others were planning on voting out Jessica regardless but I think Desi should have been the one to let Joe in on the plan.

I think Ben let his dislike of Cole affect his game and he made it too personal.  Regarding making himself a target if he said anything, I disagree, I think there were bigger targets.  And Cole seemed to take it good naturedly.  He is dumb but not vindictive.  He's too naive for that.  

Like Lauren said, she and Ben had a good thing going with the five, add in Desi, use Joe for this vote, and they would be in a good position.  They had made strong bonds with the five.  Instead they chose to go back to Heroes/Hustlers.  I feel it was a bad move.  Ben thinks he has a bond with Chrissy but she is clearly more with Ryan now than him.  They are just going to get used.  Especially Lauren.  She's clearly at the bottom of that H/H alliance, she has no one she is particularly close to.

[ghoulina]

The merge! Now I get to be even more confused! Haha, seriously....I even drew a little diagram showing who voted for whom, and connected people to their current and previous alliances. This game can be so fun, but it hurts my head. 

I wasn't surprised to see that Ben voted with Chrissy/Ryan/Devoin-Chrissy/JP/Ashley. I always thought his connection with Chrissy during those early days at Heroes was genuine. However, I WAS surprised that Lauren went along with it. I guess it makes sense, though. She probably didn't want to be the only Hustler on a tribe of Healers. Even if they got their way, she'd end up being low man on the totem pole. 

I didn't really have a preference for who went home. I found myself not minding Chrissy as much this week. I just really like Ben, so I want him to succeed. I do think Chrissy was smart to target Jessica. Joe has flushed his Idol, so he can go any time. Chrissy basically orchestrated that entire plan. Even if she sometimes rubs me wrong, she's playing very well. 

I wouldn't have been sad to see the back end of Cole. He just looks so dirty to me. not "island dirty" like the rest of them.....just gross. And his whole apology to Ben was just a last ditch attempt at safety. I don't like the excuse of, "I didn't even think of it that way". Exactly!!! You basically just admitted you don't think of others. Spare me. 

And he normally eats 8,000 calories a day? Does he then work out for 5 hours????

Good on Desi for winning the first II. I predicted that when the challenge started. It was nice to see two girls finish strong. 

So are we just going to annihilate the Healers one by one, or will see alliances changing week by week? I hope the latter, only because it's more interesting. But, I wouldn't mind seeing Cole and Joe going next. 

[ghoulina]

6 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

A lot of the shine comes off Ben this time, I must say.  Who knows if that was the right move -- I'm too tired to think it out -- but he was playing with his emotions this time, and his emotions were dumb.  Cole really got to him in a weird way, it seems.  If it's really just over the food stuff, that's super weak Survivor playing.

I don't think it was really just the food stuff - although, those incidents have highlighted how self centered Cole is, and you can't really play with someone like that. But, also, Cole is just a moron with a big mouth. Him telling everyone about Jess's advantage was a huge eye opener. If you went forward with him, you'd constantly have to be wondering if he was going to spill the beans or do something idiotic to ruin your game. I think he went with the people he played with first, and knew to be calm and pragmatic. 

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

I liked her the one episode where she realized telling Cole secrets was not in her best interest.  Then her virgin lady parts got the better of her and she stuck with Cole anyway.  Then she became a bore.

That was my issue with Jessica. I think she put her lust/infatuation/crush with/on Cole over her game. And he's not even that cute, IMO!!!!

 

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

wouldn't mind that if Ben ran away with the vote.  As much as I wished he had voted for Chrissy this time, it really was in his best interest to keep her smug face in the game.  And to keep annoying Cole there too.

He's going to need to find a way to get rid of Chrissy sooner rather than later, though. I know it's still early, but I see her winning if she makes it to the end against any of them. I'd like to see Ben and Lauren stick together, maybe team up with JP/Ashley to get rid of Chrissy/Ryan/Devon after they get rid of the Healers. 

[Lamb18]

I like Chrissy. I can see why many don't, but she came into the game with two disadvantages: being a woman and being over 40. If this was a marathon, it's as though she's starting the race a couple of miles behind the starting line and she has to work harder to catch up and surpass the others. She's playing hard and, so far, successfully to stay in the game. But she has to play to her strengths and weaknesses. She's not physically strong enough to rely on that to carry her through, so she has to compensate in playing social game and pretending to like everyone. The biggest risk with that strategy is that is the betrayal people feel when voted out. But as an actuarial, she's probably weighing the risks and rewards continually.

Regarding Jessica and being on jury, there were 12 people coming into the merge, right? I'm remembering Ben, Chrissy, JP, Ashley, Ryan, Lauren, Devon, Mike, Joe, Desi, Cole, Jessica. So if there are 3 people at the end, it seems you would have a 9-person jury. But maybe there will just be 7 or 8. It would be kind of cool if the show surprised us and had 2 at the end. I'm sure most castaways are counting on a 3-person final tribal.

Regarding Cole, to me he has the social awareness of a baby or toddler.  A baby's or toddler's world viewpoint: ME! ME! ME! EVERYTHING IS ABOUT ME!!! They grow out of it. But I don't think Cole ever has. His attitude: I'm hungry, I'm going to eat, I don't give a crap about anyone else or making sure there's enough food for everyone. I want to eat NOW and as much as I WANT!! And I think that's what really bugs Ben. He's had to be around a lot of men and women in tough situations and part of survival means looking out for others and thinking of what's best for all. From what I've seen, Cole seems to have no awareness of those concepts.

Note: I looked up the season in Wikipedia just to make sure I had the numbers right and I saw that Katrina lives in a city just 6 miles from me!

[Hanahope]

10 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Jessica got screwed with her association with Cole. They all assumed that Joe & Cole had an idol. She was the planned backup vote. It’s sort of like when Figgy got screwed when she hooked up with Taylor. Why does the woman always get screwed first?!

Because they presume that a man would not give an idol to a woman, but to another man.  Call it the 'bro-alliance' or just the assumption that like gives idol to like, it does seem that many times when a man finds an idol and gives it to someone else, its another man.  Frankly, Joe is the kind of person that would always play it on himself rather than another.  He will assume he's the target.  He was certainly right the first time.

I can't believe that Cole didn't see the note in the nails.  I hope someone does eventually.  It was a very different place to hide it.

I wonder if the Outback merge feast was better for the survivors or not.  usually it seems when they have a merge feast, they have a decent amount of extra food left over that they eat over the next few days/week.  But with the Outback feast, could they order extra food to take back with them?  Yeah, they could order extra food to eat there, but it wasn't clear if they took 'doggie bags' back to the camp.  That said, it was a pretty good product placement.  And yeah, where was the bloomin onion?

[Wings]

7 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

here's a tip about reality TV: they make you say "as a virgin/NFL wife/whatever" in the confessionals,

Yes they do but why on earth would she mention that to production in the interview process?  This is not The Bachelor where than info may tip the scales in her favor, it is not necessary on this show.   I wouldn't tell them I slept with my husband on the day we met.  

7 hours ago, Nashville said:

So... any bets on who will eventually discover the Secret Clue in the pack of nails...?  :>

Joe, he is the only one looking!  

2 hours ago, himela said:

Ben is mad at Cole for eating food and not sharing etc. Why did he say he didn't trust him? I mean, what does trust have to do with the stupidity Cole is showing? I feel we are not shown something.

I think trust has a lot to do with him not sharing. An ally has to have your back and if they are not sharing food that is a red flag. And it was clear he was lying when he said he had not realized that was bad behavior.  His sucking up to Ben was transparent.  And he is not that bright.  

Edited November 9, 2017 by wings707

[Special K]

Cole eats 8,000 calories a day?  Who is he Michael Phelps?  And while I can objectively see that he is good-looking there is something about his mouth that repels me.  He purses his lips in a kind of a stern matron manner.  Petty, I know.  Also, he is an infant.

Jessica, there is a reason the universe wants us to lose our virginity before we turn 30.  It’s just too embarrassing for the rest of us to listen to you tee-hee, "as a virgin..." etc.  "I thought only boys could break your heart..."  Just ugh.

That Outback challenge reminded me so much of that time that old guy (Joe?) ate all that steak, and it blocked up his colon so badly, it cut off his urethra, and he couldn’t pee and was at risk for lapsing into kidney failure.  That has got to be one of the randomest med-evacs in Survivor history.  I thought maybe Joe would suffer the same fate with three steaks.  I would have laughed and laughed.  Survivor:  Bowel Obstruction Edition.  Though I should say they do have a urologist on hand...

Mike’s imitation of Joe at TC – loved it!  Deuces, suckah!  Still don't hate Chrissy, but I don't mind if she drops down a notch or two in her own estimation after that TC.

Desi is one of those survivors who will just more and more beautiful.  She does not look the least bit ragged or tired.  Loved that she won that IC (great challenge, too) and loved her delight at winning. 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Special K

[ItsJessMe]

Desi has the most amazing balance.  The minute I saw the challenge I knew she'd be a top contender.  Every balance beam they've had, she has just walked across it like she was strolling through her living room.  Amazing.

[ByaNose]

4 minutes ago, ItsJessMe said:

Desi has the most amazing balance.  The minute I saw the challenge I knew she'd be a top contender.  Every balance beam they've had, she has just walked across it like she was strolling through her living room.  Amazing.

and, she also has the most amazing skin and teeth. She doesn't even look like she's having any hunger issues.

[survivinmt]

I was so glad to see both Chrissy and Joe lose their smugness if only for this TC. Maybe they will have a little more humility in the future, but probably not. Joe has already won in his own mind. And Chrissy can't picture anyone beating her - so same thing.

Does it bother anyone else about Dr Mike's glasses being so ? dirty? foggy? scratched? Why in the world do they always look like he has a tiny window of clarity right in the middle and the rest is completely opaque?

My favorite is Devon. I think he is smoking hot sitting at Tribal Council with his listening ears on and concentrated look. Plus he just seems like a nice guy.

[Oholibamah]

I love how Desi is among the most infrequently featured in the episodes, yet routinely gets the most positive mentions here. If TPTB are listening, take this as a sign that we also like to watch nice, normal people amongst all the crazy!

Really hoping the Healers can make a comeback with Mike's Idol and pulling Lauren back in. I can't stomach an endgame with Ryan, Chrissy, Ben, JP and Devon. Because I'm sure Chrissy wouldn't let Ashley get anywhere close.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Oholibamah

[ItsJessMe]

3 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

and, she also has the most amazing skin and teeth. She doesn't even look like she's having any hunger issues.

right!  Those teeth are gleaming white!  (She also always seems to be cleaning them with a stick of some kind).

[Special K]

3 minutes ago, survivinmt said:

Does it bother anyone else about Dr Mike's glasses being so ? dirty? foggy? scratched?

YES, oh my god!  But then I think, what is he supposed to wipe them off on?  His grimy shirt or buff?  I guess he could run well water over them and let them air dry?  But his are the WORST glasses I've ever seen on this show.  Every time I see them I take my own glasses off and wipe them!  :)

[Dominii]

Okay, I think this bothers me more than anything else about Survivor -- the filthiness of some of the contestants. I realize that they're out there without soap and shampoo, but that is no reason to forego scrubbing themselves and trying to stay as clean as they can. When Cole was talking to Ben, I noticed that Cole's hands and face and every other exposed part of his body were crusted and black with dirt. His fingers were so black that it looked like he had never even attempted to wash them. These were the same fingers that were dipping into jars at various times and being placed in his disgusting dirty mouth. I'll bet he stinks like a landfill too. If I were there I'd stay far, far away from him. Cole is like a box of plague; you never know what disease you're gonna get!

I'm not really liking any of the contestants very much this time, except for Desi and Devon and maybe Lauren. Let's hope none of the terrible three (Ryan, Chrissy and Joe) win this time. Ben can get voted out anytime as well, and good riddance!

[simplyme]

3 hours ago, himela said:

But I feel I'm missing something. Ben is mad at Cole for eating food and not sharing etc. Why did he say he didn't trust him? I mean, what does trust have to do with the stupidity Cole is showing? I feel we are not shown something.

I think the editors have shown why no one should trust Cole: as soon as he has any information, he tells someone. Repeatedly. In situations where I can see no possible benefit to him.

I mean, just this episode, Jessica warns him to stop eating cinnamon sticks, and she and Lauren tell him not to say anything but just stop, and what does he do? He goes to Ben. Mike warns Cole that his name and Joe's came up. What does Cole do? Go to Joe and tell him everything, including about his alliance of five that Joe isn't part of. (He even led part of that talk with, "Please don't use this against me.")

At this point, I'd want Cole allied with the other guys. You'd always know any plans Cole knew.

Unpopular opinion, but Joe continued to grow on me, probably because I don't have to actually spend any time with him. He appeared to actually attempt to make Cole think, immediately pointing out the problem with Cole's 5-person alliance: "Ben's gonna flip on you."

I also don't think it was necessarily stupid for Joe to play his HII. Most of the time people come to TC with a plan. They may not change it on the fly. Lots of times they don't. If you know your name has been brought up, it's definitely better to play it and be wrong than not play it and get voted out.

And I have to agree with @SVNBob that as much as I wanted to see Jessica stay so I could maybe see her play without Cole, this was the right strategic move for the Heroes/Hustlers. Great third horseman comparison, too.

Edited November 9, 2017 by simplyme
Posted midsentence. Oops.

[Special K]

2 minutes ago, simplyme said:

I think the editors have shown why no one should trust Cole: as soon as he has any information, he tells someone. Repeatedly. In situations where I can see no possible benefit to him.

So true.  He is like a toddler -- whenever someone says "don't" he immediately does whatever it is!

[ByaNose]

I like Ben. He seems like an ordinary guy but not a caricature. If he didn't have those random tattoos (random to me) he would be almost perfect. LOL!! I'm still not sure if he will make the Finals though. He's been gettting a good edit and seems nice enough. So far he hasn't shown that he's a challenge threat. He might be holding that back. Maybe, he makes the Final 4 and then they cut him.........................maybe. He's a hard one to read with his edit. IMO!

[enoughcats]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

the show really cut down all those trees just to make a perfect rectangle?

I doubt that. I'd expect that area to be used for tourists to have 'authentic' pig roasts or something similar that needs space.  

1 hour ago, Hanahope said:

I can't believe that Cole didn't see the note in the nails.  I hope someone does eventually.  It was a very different place to hide it.

Loved, loved, loved that way that was edited and highlighted. 

17 minutes ago, ItsJessMe said:

Those teeth are gleaming white!  (She also always seems to be cleaning them with a stick of some kind).

Years ago, Tania Aebi did a round the world voyage.  We read her book and then saw her family name on a book about Timbuktu, and that one was written by her father.  Her father talked about the excellent teeth of the people out in the desert who would sit around cleaning their teeth with sticks. (Funny how some things get remembered.)

[Rachel RSL]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

The self proclaimed Queen of the Social Game got a wake up call.  Smug is not subtle.  You are not beloved by all, honey.

Didn't they say they were voting for her because she was smart? I don't think anyone has complained about her on a personal level, have they?

I feel like I'm watching a version of Survivor from an alternate timeline or something lol because I just don't see what other people are seeing. I don't see Chrissy as being obnoxious or smug or any of that.  I see a smart, strategic woman who is playing the game hard. And her social game obviously is good because whenever there's been a split in a tribe, the majority seem to side with her.  I also don't think her voting out Jessica had anything to do with her hating women, as was suggested above. It was clearly the right thing to do strategically. If you know an idol might go to one of two people, you do the smart thing and vote out their next in command - which was Jessica.

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

Yes they do but why on earth would she mention that to production in the interview process?  This is not The Bachelor where than info may tip the scales in her favor

 Saying that you're an adult virgin will tip the scales for getting you on any reality show.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Rachel RSL

[Gummo]

Jessica, maybe if you weren't a virgin, you wouldn't have spent every waking moment obsessed with Cole and -- gasp! -- SEX, and could have actually, y'know, played the game? Crazy idea, I know.

The producers/editors really need to give us more context for what's going on. WHY was that tribe (I already forgot which it was) starving and out of food? Couldn't they fish? Were there no coconuts, no fruit of any kind growing around them? Were they idiots who managed their resources badly, or was it circumstances beyond their control? Without contexts, I didn't know whether to feel sorry for them or despise them.

Glad to see Joe burn an idol for nothing, though I have to admit (dammit) that he had a good attitude about it -- "might as well start fresh," I think he said as he handed it over. Count me in among the Smug Chrissy haters, too, though part of it is production's fault -- calling a 'financial adviser' a hero? How does that work exactly? "Chrissy saved my life by moving my mutual funds into a mixed portfolio of long-term growth stocks and utility bonds, otherwise my children would have received 5% less on my investments"? I mean, that's Sully Sullenberg levels of heroism there!

I do kind of like Dr. Mike -- he's funny and playing hard and that usually wins me over. Cole can go anytime, he's selfish, clueless, conceited and has no social game that I can see. Ryan's a little weasel, but not a malicious little weasel, so I'm interested to see what he does next. I blow hot & cold on Ben. Liking Devon, Desi and Ashley. 

I thought the Outback reward was one of the better sponsorship tie-ins, and it sure looked like a MUCH better feast than they usually get -- it was actually a (more or less) balanced meal! 

ETA: Cole is also a HORRIBLE player. He can't keep a secret for five friggin' seconds.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Gummo

[Bouffe]

16 minutes ago, Gummo said:

Count me in among the Smug Chrissy haters, too, though part of it is production's fault -- calling a 'financial adviser' a hero? How does that work exactly? "Chrissy saved my life by moving my mutual funds into a mixed portfolio of long-term growth stocks and utility bonds, otherwise my children would have received 5% less on my investments"? I mean, that's Sully Sullenberg levels of heroism there!

I do kind of like Dr. Mike -- he's funny and playing hard and that usually wins me over. Ryan's a little weasel, but not a malicious little weasel, so I'm interested to see what he does next. 

I thought the Outback reward was one of the better sponsorship tie-ins, and it sure looked like a MUCH better feast than they usually get -- it was actually a (more or less) balanced meal! 

I think I remember reading somewhere that Chrissy was put in the Heroes because she left her career to be a stay at home mom, with everything that it entails. 

I like Dr Mike too. He's really out of his element, by his own admission, and that also contributes to me liking him. And I agree about Ryan. He plays hard and can be annoying about it, but he is not malicious or anything.

22 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Didn't they say they were voting for her because she was smart? I don't think anyone has complained about her on a personal level, have they?

I feel like I'm watching a version of Survivor from an alternate timeline or something lol because I just don't see what other people are seeing. I don't see Chrissy as being obnoxious or smug or any of that.  I see a smart, strategic woman who is playing the game hard. And her social game obviously is good because whenever there's been a split in a tribe, the majority seem to side with her.  I also don't think her voting out Jessica had anything to do with her hating women, as was suggested above. It was clearly the right thing to do strategically. If you know an idol might go to one of two people, you do the smart thing and vote out their next in command - which was Jessica.

 

I agree about Chrissy. I don't like her, but I don't hate her. I do think she is smug - and I don't like that on men or women - but as you said, she plays the game hard. She is not falling back into the typical older woman role on Survivor, and I can certainly appreciate that.

[simplyme]

5 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Didn't they say they were voting for her because she was smart? I don't think anyone has complained about her on a personal level, have they?

Exactly. The exit interviews I've read, most people seem to get along fine with Chrissy.

What Chrissy said in her TH at the beginning of the show was that she "is dominating the social game of this tribe." It can be interpreted as her bragging, but I took it as a somewhat analytical statement. She went on to explain the comment. She said she was on a tribe of three, and she pointed out that both guys had a better relationship with her than with each other.

In other words, she was actually the dominant social player on the tribe.

Granted, generally societally we don't like to hear people say things like that about themselves, especially women. If someone else had said it,  it would have been ok. For her to say it, it came off as tooting her own horn.

I do think Chrissy made a misstep by doing the math when Jeff asked at the challenge. That's what put the target on her. But I also think she is very much about giving production what they want, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff asked the question knowing she could answer and she answered because she knew production would like it.

[seacliffsal]

I think Chrissy let a bit of her smugness show when Jeff asked how much longer the remaining IC contestants were lasting than Ryan who went out in 2 seconds.  She immediately piped up with the answer which served no purpose other than showing everyone else how much smarter she was than everyone else.  She was showing off in front of everyone else without realizing it would remind them that she was smart and therefore was a threat.  She needs to be careful as I doubt that the others will forget.  Right now though there are probably bigger targets.

Also, Joe made SUCH a deal the first time he used his idol about his amazing ability to read people and therefore he knew he needed to use the idol on himself and not Desi.  His use of the idol this time will undermine the narrative that he was starting to create for himself about his ability to read and manipulate others.

And wowza-as soon as Jessica thought she was the Queen of the show, she was out...

Oh, and i totally want to go eat at Outback now.

Edited November 9, 2017 by seacliffsal
Because Outback...

[ljenkins782]

4 hours ago, himela said:

I think Ben never considered voting out Chrissy. The edit was made that way so we think he would. But I feel I'm missing something. Ben is mad at Cole for eating food and not sharing etc. Why did he say he didn't trust him? I mean, what does trust have to do with the stupidity Cole is showing? I feel we are not shown something.

I'm guessing that the not trusting him part goes back to when he told everyone about Jess's advantage. He'd also previously told a lot of people about Joe's idol, but I don't think Ben was there for that. Either way, he's correct that trusting Cole is a bad move, he appears to be both loose-lipped and rather dim on the strategy front. 

Quote

I can't believe that Cole didn't see the note in the nails.  I hope someone does eventually.  It was a very different place to hide it.

Lol, I can. I am surprised that no one found it though, they should know from past seasons that something would be hidden at the merge. I was waiting for a note in the napkin or at the bottom of a margarita at the Outback commercial, but something hidden among the newly gifted supplies makes sense too.

Quote

That was my issue with Jessica. I think she put her lust/infatuation/crush with/on Cole over her game. And he's not even that cute, IMO!!!!

Those two honestly looked like brother and sister to me, which made it creepy to watch them flirt. Very Flowers in the Attic. 

Besides the virgin talk (which sounded particularly shoehorned in this episode, whatever she was talking about at the time seemed utterly unrelated to virginity), she seemed to refer to bad experiences with men an awful lot. Kinda curious about what has happened to her in life that she seems to have such a negative view of men.

Quote

 

Didn't they say they were voting for her because she was smart? I don't think anyone has complained about her on a personal level, have they?

I feel like I'm watching a version of Survivor from an alternate timeline or something lol because I just don't see what other people are seeing. I don't see Chrissy as being obnoxious or smug or any of that.  I see a smart, strategic woman who is playing the game hard. And her social game obviously is good because whenever there's been a split in a tribe, the majority seem to side with her.  I also don't think her voting out Jessica had anything to do with her hating women, as was suggested above. It was clearly the right thing to do strategically. If you know an idol might go to one of two people, you do the smart thing and vote out their next in command - which was Jessica.

 

Chrissy's not bothering me too much either. Jessica was a smart vote, not only because of the idol possibility, but also because she was the most likely to be able to play the social game. Joe and Cole are both irritating large swaths of people and will probably continue to draw negative attention to themselves, but Jessica was pleasant and appeared to be fairly smart, so she was ultimately more dangerous. She got screwed by association, if she wasn't linked to Cole (and Joe by association), I don't think her name would have come up first.

[princelina]

7 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I think Chrissy let a bit of her smugness show when Jeff asked how much longer the remaining IC contestants were lasting than Ryan who went out in 2 seconds.  She immediately piped up with the answer which served no purpose other than showing everyone else how much smarter she was than everyone else.  She was showing off in front of everyone else without realizing it would remind them that she was smart and therefore was a threat.  She needs to be careful as I doubt that the others will forget.  Right now though there are probably bigger targets.

Well she knew her actuarial skills would come in handy on Survivor :)

[Bryce Lynch]

13 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I think Chrissy let a bit of her smugness show when Jeff asked how much longer the remaining IC contestants were lasting than Ryan who went out in 2 seconds.  She immediately piped up with the answer which served no purpose other than showing everyone else how much smarter she was than everyone else.  She was showing off in front of everyone else without realizing it would remind them that she was smart and therefore was a threat.  She needs to be careful as I doubt that the others will forget.  Right now though there are probably bigger targets.

Also, Joe made SUCH a deal the first time he used his idol about his amazing ability to read people and therefore he knew he needed to use the idol on himself and not Desi.  His use of the idol this time will undermine the narrative that he was starting to create for himself about his ability to read and manipulate others.

And wowza-as soon as Jessica thought she was the Queen of the show, she was out...

Oh, and i totally want to go eat at Outback now.

Good point about Chrissy showing her smugness and showing off.   I think, for the most part, she has been saving the smugness for talking heads.  Showing that side was probably not good for her.

Another good point about Joe the Mentalist.  He obviously couldn't read the room in this TC.

All that was missing from Jessica's "Queen Bee, about to be voted out" edit was a smug "hammock of death" scene.  

The steak did look really good.

[Hanahope]

There's no Ponderosa video I could find, so its still a mystery as to whether Jessica is a juror or not.

[Lantern7]

1 minute ago, Hanahope said:

There's no Ponderosa video I could find, so its still a mystery as to whether Jessica is a juror or not.

Probst said nothing, so I'm assuming Jessica did not make the jury. She gets the Varner Award: a small statue of Jeff aiming a rocket launcher at his foot. 

[Rachel RSL]

I don't see how Chrissy answering Jeff's question makes her smug or a show-off. He asked for someone to do the math and then paused for an answer. It's not like she stood up, raised her arms in victory and sneered at the other people when she answered. She simply...answered. 

ETA: By the way, I'm not particularly a Chrissy fan. I don't dislike her but she's not my favourite or anything. I'm just not seeing the things other people are.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Rachel RSL

[iMonrey]

It's really disappointing that after the merge the two targets end up being a couple of non-entities. I was hoping it would come down to either Joe or Cole but instead everyone turned their attention to two girls who were a threat to nobody. I guess I can see the strategy in taking out a number but it's not very interesting. Meanwhile we're stuck with Joe another week.

It's been my consistent experience that people who identify themselves as "smart," and talk about how "smart" they are all the time, are . . . not smart. Smart people don't go around bragging that they're smart. People like Joe, on some level, know they aren't very smart and are so self conscious about it they compensate by bragging about being smart, like they feel like it will fool people into believing it. Because they're dumb.

[Whimsy]

Reminder- no preview talk. Any mention of the preview gets removed. 

[green]

On 11/9/2017 at 0:36 AM, blackwing said:

I liked Jessica and I'm sorry she's gone.  If Joe hadn't displayed his idol and brazenly invited the other team to guess what he would do, they would have all voted for him and she would still be there.  AND we would have gotten rid of the Queen of Smug.  Curse you, Joe.  Seriously, does anyone think he would have played the idol for anyone other than himself?  No chance in hell.

I have determined that Ben is a passive aggressive douchenozzle.  Cole was right.  If something bothered Ben, why didn't he just say it?  Cole admitted that he didn't realise what he was doing.  ...

 

No.  They already agreed before tribal they were going to vote out Jessica because they thought Joe had another idol and maybe Cole.  Also Cole blabbed to everyone he was a target so if he didn't have an idol and Joe did there was a chance Joe would give it to Cole.  But Joe/Cole would never dream Jessica would get votes.  She was the perfect target.

And Ben would have been stupid to bring up something like that to Cole directly or Cole would have tried to get him voted out at the first tribal they went to.  And NOT realizing what he is doing means he is perhaps the most selfish and unaware person to ever appear on Survivor.  Add the endless blabber mouth crap and he is a total 100% negative to have in your alliance.

On 11/9/2017 at 2:26 AM, KimberStormer said:

... here's a tip about reality TV: they make you say "as a virgin/NFL wife/whatever" in the confessionals, and splice it in if you don't.  I honestly can't believe people still blame the players for this, much like I can't believe people still blame them for their clothes.) ...

 

Had to re-paste this because it cannot be said enough.  She is a virgin endless on the show because it came out in a pre-casting interview where they are asked all sort of personal questions and has been used to edit her endlessly ever since.  When even early, classy TAR (season 4 in this case) could do this crap ("As NFL wives we find windmills pretty") a less classy show like Survivor will do this even more.

On 11/9/2017 at 9:21 AM, Hanahope said:

Because they presume that a man would not give an idol to a woman, but to another man.  Call it the 'bro-alliance' or just the assumption that like gives idol to like, it does seem that many times when a man finds an idol and gives it to someone else, its another man.

No, it was because Lauren told them both Joe and Cole were targets.  Then Cole went around blabbing to everyone he was a target including Ben.  If Joe used it on anyone other than himself it would HAVE to be on Cole at that point. 

The whole strategy pow-wow on the beach where Chrissy, playing brilliantly as always, suggested going after Jessica was because she was off the radar and the Healers alliance wouldn't expect her to get any votes at tribal.

22 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Didn't they say they were voting for her because she was smart? I don't think anyone has complained about her on a personal level, have they?

I feel like I'm watching a version of Survivor from an alternate timeline or something lol because I just don't see what other people are seeing. I don't see Chrissy as being obnoxious or smug or any of that.  I see a smart, strategic woman who is playing the game hard. And her social game obviously is good because whenever there's been a split in a tribe, the majority seem to side with her.  I also don't think her voting out Jessica had anything to do with her hating women, as was suggested above. It was clearly the right thing to do strategically. If you know an idol might go to one of two people, you do the smart thing and vote out their next in command - which was Jessica.

I agree 100% with the above.  Chrissy has been the best player so far.  I don't see her as smug.  I saw Boston Rob as smug but he was a funny smug on purpose so that didn't bother me.  But I don't see Chrissy in the least as smug.  Confident, which is nice to see an over 40 woman in Survivor being.  But not smug.

And she doesn't hate women.  Where the hell did this come from.  She is highly analytical and made the right call regards Jessica with the idol worries.  I think she simply sees people as people and doesn't judge by gender.  And good for her.

22 hours ago, Bouffe said:

I think I remember reading somewhere that Chrissy was put in the Heroes because she left her career to be a stay at home mom, with everything that it entails.

 

There were no 5 "Heroes" to start the season.  So Survivor just stuck Chrissy on that tribe and made up some silly reason after the fact and probably told Chrissy to use it if asked.  It was NOT Chrissy's call to be a "hero" and I'm sure she was as surprised as anyone she ended up on that tribe.  She is a natural born "hustler" but I guess they couldn't turn someone like Patrick into a "hero" even remotely.  Or Lauren.  "I "heroically" catch fish for a living, yar."

Speaking of Lauren there was no edit to explain why she voted how she did.  Logic says you don't become the 6th or 7th wheel in an alliance of "healers."  But this is the first time we saw that she, not Ben, had the stronger pairing with Doc Mike.

But when I saw she was part of the big beach pow-wow when they decided they were going to vote out Jessica to avoid being blindsided by idol play I said, whoa, we weren't shown how she ended up there though it was a big giveaway to see here in that group for the final voting decision for that alliance.  I guess the scene with her and Ben talking quickly where she said "let me know" regards who they were voting for was a tell too.

Edited November 10, 2017 by green

[green]

20 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

It's really disappointing that after the merge the two targets end up being a couple of non-entities. I was hoping it would come down to either Joe or Cole but instead everyone turned their attention to two girls who were a threat to nobody. I guess I can see the strategy in taking out a number but it's not very interesting. Meanwhile we're stuck with Joe another week.

 

We would have been stuck with Joe anyway since he played the idol.  Thus the smart vote of avoiding this problem.

Joe and Cole have both been edited as major characters which is better to have them stick around for longer anyway.  Joe brings the crazy play and Cole brings the stupid.

So who was the second girl?  Chrissy was the only other woman discussed and voted for.  How is Chrissy a non-entity?  I mean we were shown early that Devin might be in trouble but he has enough of an edit not to be a JP-style non-entity and he isn't a girl the last I looked.

And Cole and the advantage he missed in the nails was an hilarious bit of footage.  I agree with some other posters above that given Joe's history he probably will trip over the leftover nails and find the damn thing though.

Edited November 9, 2017 by green