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S35.E13: Million Dollar Night


Whimsy
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Sometimes I'm not aware of who I'm rooting for until that person loses.  I've never liked Ben, yet I was devastated when he lost because he had one letter upside down.  Combined with the fact that he's the underdog and everyone is against him, and I found myself cheering when he beat Devon in the fire making challenge.

Chrissy really had to work hard for me to dislike her so.  Typically, the fact that a 47 y/o woman is a challenge beast and has the confidence to strut around in a bikini would have me cheering.  Instead, I find her extremely unlikable, and focus on how much I dislike her implants.

I was raised in a blue collar family, and I find that I typically root for the blue collar players.  Not always, but probably the majority.

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Given that I could not stand Chrissy and her "heroic mother" speech continued to simply annoy, I am still not pleased, even with the final 3. Ryan sucked, Chrissy annoyed and Ben found all the many hidden idols...so many, that I lost count. It was not an interesting season. And we never saw the amazing game play from Mike we were told existed. 

Too many lavish rewards, too many idols, too many engineered twists. The producers have improved the show into a bore.

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Welp, I’m pissed. Even though the winner played an awesome game, the wi. Was manufactured by the “twist” that had no business being there. I’m not as disappointed as Kho Rong, but this was nothing like Jeremy’s win, even though it was patterned after it. 

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Just now, Paws said:

Welp, I’m pissed. Even though the winner played an awesome game, the wi. Was manufactured by the “twist” that had no business being there. I’m not as disappointed as Kho Rong, but this was nothing like Jeremy’s win, even though it was patterned after it. 

I loved Jeremy.

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1 minute ago, RedheadZombie said:

I loved Jeremy.

Me too! I was so excited during second chances I almost couldnt sleep and needed to look up spoilers to make sure he’d win. 

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31 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

I have to move my post to another thread but I thought announcing the winner was part of the episode and the reunion came afterwards.

Nope. Jeff always announces the winner at the top,of the reunion. 

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I would have loved a Lauren win, but after she blew it, my allegiance shifted over to Ben who I'd had a soft spot for since his scene on the beach about That Which Must Not Be Named.

So I watched these eps with a lot, a lot of swearing! Watching Chrissie win puzzle challenges and then Ben lose his win in that last challenge over one overlooked detail, and almost winning it back and then Chrissie winning it, and then the Shitty Advantage she won along with it... I really loved the ups and downs, and given this was not my favorite season by a long shot I think they managed to bring the drama and fun into that edit.  I found myself actually gurning like an idiot I was so happy at one point.

I loved how Ben sprinted off into the darkness the moment he got back from his last Hidden Idol save at Tribal, to go and find another one... Such fun! Just seeing the dismay on Chrissie and Ryan's faces was worth the price of entry, as he pulled out yet another hidden idol, etc etc. Ha!

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59 minutes ago, MKL122788 said:

What a crappy ending to Survivor.

First off, in every final 3 season ever, idols were only allowed until day 36, which is the final 6 elimination.

I’m pretty sure idols were always allowed until the final 5. 

Edited by nutty1
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4 minutes ago, nutty1 said:

I’m pretty sure idols were always allowed until the final 5. 

There are a few times I believe idols were used in the F5 in seasons ending in the Final 3.

I think Rob Mariano played one in his highly suspicious season that he didn't need.. I recall Natalie getting out Baylor in the Final 5. I think once Tyson played one for Gervase. I don't remember if that was in the first F5 or the second, but I am fairly certain it was a Day 36 idol.

Sandra played her idol on Day 36 on the last day she could play it in the F6 in HvV. Most of the time, the final idol day was Day 36.

Only a few times has a Day 37 idol been allowed. Even fewer times played. And never has an idol been reintroduced on Day 37.

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9 minutes ago, MKL122788 said:

Only a few times has a Day 37 idol been allowed. Even fewer times played. And never has an idol been reintroduced on Day 37.

I thought Adam found his idol on Day 37 (final 5). Speaking of "good stories production really hoped to see rewarded" ...

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5 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

I thought Adam found his idol on Day 37 (final 5). Speaking of "good stories production really hoped to see rewarded" ...

Yes, but it was reintroduced after Jay played it on Day 35. He went home on Day 36. So while the idol wasn't found until Day 37, it was reintroduced before that.

This is the first idol that has been played at a F6 and reintroduced on 37.

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1 hour ago, Rowan said:

I have never been so pissed after an episode of Survivor. I don't love Chrissy, but THAT was straight up bullshit. As if they didn't keep the Ben in the game with all the hidden idols, now they don't even let them legit vote  him out. Man, I've loved this show, but it just jumped the shark for me. 

Totally agree with you.  Not a fan of Chrissy, but this last "advantage" was CLEARLY to give Ben a chance to win the entire season.  In any other season after Chrissy won that immunity - which she won fair and square - that Immunity win would have been a guarantee that Ben would have been out of the game at that point.  Instead, I was immediately thinking how they were going to manipulate the game to keep him in.  And I say this as a big fan of Ben's.

I won't agree that any of his idol finds were manufactured though.  

Edited by Ms Blue Jay
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Just now, Rachel RSL said:

I still can't believe that, not only did they not allow people to vote at the most crucial voting time of the game, they're actually going to do it again next season. (Heh, the first half of that sentence happened in the episode and the second half of that sentence happened on the reunion. D'oh!) What's the point of creating alliances and having a good social game and having a solid strategy when it's all going to come down to who can make fire? I doubt Devon would have won but he should have been in that final 3 and Ben should have been voted out. That's how the game has worked for 34 seasons...you vote people out. How can TPTB possibly think this is a good idea? And this is right after Devon had just made that great game move by writing don Mike's name to save himself. I was impressed with that. 

I wonder if they're doing it next season just to say 'hey, we didn't do this because of Ben.'  What's going to happen is that people are going to be more about getting dragged to the end, less about playing the game.  That's the strategy for a lot of contestants already, but knowing you could be guaranteed final 3 without doing anything and make the case for being a goat?  I mean, what happened to them saying they were going to automatically go to rocks instead of a tie breaker from last season?  That doesn't work, so they can it without every really seeing how it would pay off, but with twists like these, no, let's just manipulate the outcome more.

Devon was the only one in the finale was a working brain.  I felt sorry for the guy, and I do think he had a decent chance of winning.  They could still prop Ben up and his history of PTSD without him winning.  They did with Zeke when he was outed as being trans last season.

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Dull season, interesting ending. Once again, the series is drowning in twists. You'd think Burnett would have gotten the hint after a fan favorite got bounced in the stupidest way imaginable. I can't take away from Ben's win, but all of the gimmicks corrode the series and whomever wins it.

Seriously: Ben found two idols. Ben bailed himself out at two consecutive Tribal Councils with said idols. How the fuck does the tribe not follow him around from the second they return to camp?!? Honestly, sleep if shifts in you have to. Make sure he's not looking even when it's dark. Have eyes on him from the second dawn breaks. Four against one, the four has to act against the one as a single unit. Make sure he doesn't have an edge, win immunity instead of him, then chuck him over the top rope. How is that complicated?!? For the others' stupidity alone, Ben deserved the win. They were as dim as the three numbskulls that didn't make a move on Rob or Amber in S8.

Let's see . . . not liking the open-air debate, because "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" is dated as hell. Not liking that the winner of final immunity being able to choose somebody to advance to Day 39. It also sucks for the schmuck chosen, because he might as well have "GOAT" branded on the forehead. Try this: instead of Ryan getting the bye, he gets a small advantage in making fire against Devon and Ben. Hey, it's another gimmick. Why wouldn't it work?!? Oh, and the Day 38 twist will be/has been used in S36. Once again: why does this series have a permanent place with CBS despite diminishing returns, while fans of The Amazing Race constantly sweat their show's future?

ETA: I don't think Ben got the game gift-wrapped. I just figure that he won because of the gimmicks, as opposed to idols marked "FOR MARINE USE ONLY" marked on them. With all of the twists, I don't thin we would have been satisfied with any winner. Even if Lauren got the win, she probably would have benefited from the twists, and the win would have an asterisk, which should apply to Ben. But I like him. Or at least tolerate him.

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Ben is an asshole. Please don't let him win.

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Oh, boy, the final four "twist" is back next year.  Sigh.

I don't know that I like this jury free for all discussion thing.

Ah, here we are, Ben brings out the Marine corps and PTSD cards.

Cole is coming off as much more intelligent at the final than he ever did during the competition.

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Ryan a superfan, yet can't make fire?  Joe Anglim won my heart not with his good looks or kind nature, but with his Day 1 remark that "when I found out I was cast, I googled it and practiced until I could do it."  FTR, I enjoyed this season and was happy Ben won.

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4 minutes ago, princelina said:

Ryan a superfan, yet can't make fire?  Joe Anglim won my heart not with his good looks or kind nature, but with his Day 1 remark that "when I found out I was cast, I googled it and practiced until I could do it."  FTR, I enjoyed this season and was happy Ben won.

I remember during Rodney's Ponderosa, Joe said he was trying to keep his cool because he wanted to tell Rodney that this is Survivor and he should have done his homework.  I tend to agree, not that practicing would do me one ounce of good, but I would definitely be trying to make fire, practice swimming, running, puzzle making, you name it.  I would probably still find myself on a pre jury trip somewhere, but I'd like to say I at least tried.

Edited by LadyChatts
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The only way to watch the finale thase days is to use the DVR and start an hour late so you can FF through Jeff’s unnecessary hype and repetition of what we just saw.  And when will the producers learn that no one has any interest whatsoever in what some rando in the audience has to say about what we just saw.  

The little aside for the more popular players wasn’t a bad way to get their time in and do some audience service.  On the whole though, entirely too much filler in the episode.

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2 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I remember during Rodney's Ponderosa, Joe said he was trying to keep his cool because he wanted to tell Rodney that this is Survivor and he should have done his homework.  I tend to agree, not that practicing would do me one ounce of good, but I would definitely be trying to make fire, practice swimming, running, puzzle making, you name it.  I would probably still find myself on a pre jury trip somewhere, but I'd like to say I at least tried.

Exactly!  You never know what will be your "million dollar moment", but you know that fire, swimming and puzzles will figure in somehow!

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2 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

I have to move my post to another thread but I thought announcing the winner was part of the episode and the reunion came afterwards.

You are right.  Silly to discuss the finale without the finale.  And Probst did his usual take the urn from Fiji and appear in LA without any commercial break.  He also did live stand-ups throughout the finale so seeing him live in LA doesn't make it the reunion.  Reunion means a return of the players.  AFTER the game is over.  The winner is part of this final episode.  No way can you not discuss this in the finale thread.  You'd have to be a lawyer-trained and spend an hour trying to talk around the final scene in the finale.

Editing said Ben was winning all along so no surprise.  The surprise was production had to throw in a last minute advantage to give him a chance for same.  He played a terrible game other than finding idols.

And at final tribal when he starts with home and marines and need the money crap there suddenly was the gentle plinking piano over it with violins coming in half way through to swell his scene and make us all love love love this guy.  Didn't work.  Just made me so pissed.  Man they shoved that guy down my throat all season long to the point that I can't stand him at all.

Chrissy out played him except for the dirt digging bit.  And twice he just kind of "accidentally" found a clue to the idol just when he decided he was giving up looking?  Yes he did look long and hard but those clues somehow magically appeared after he failed to find the idol and decided to give up?  Please.  And of course Chrissy's advantage was really Ben's advantage.  I've never bought into conspiracy theories ever on Survivor ... until now.

Hopefully Chrissy will be asked back since she was the real star player and was screwed over by production this season.

Edited by green
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In thinking about the new twist, it got me thinking about past final 3 scenarios and even outcomes that might have turned out very differently had they done this twist.  Somewhere Yau Man is yelling that he gave up a car as part of a deal to make the final 3 in Fiji.  

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Upon being presented with that "advantage," I think Chrissy's best move was to just pick Ben. Rob him of the opportunity to also be a fire-making badass.

I enjoyed this season. I liked seeing superfans play. 

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2 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

That last advantage was fucking ridiculous and if I were a conspiracy theorist I would say it was concocted just to keep Ben from getting voted out. And I fail to see how that was, in any way, an advantage for Chrissy, it basically screwed up her game.

So I am not the only one who witnessed yet another misogynistic Probstesque ending?  I was all like WTF?

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I am Shocked, shocked, that things were unfairly  manipulated and votes denied so that a gruff man with some demons would win over an east coast blonde woman known for her smarts. Shocked I tell You!

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19 minutes ago, 303420 said:

Upon being presented with that "advantage," I think Chrissy's best move was to just pick Ben. Rob him of the opportunity to also be a fire-making badass.

I enjoyed this season. I liked seeing superfans play. 

We really enjoyed this season. It's easy for some to be social, others are painfully shy. That's why I love survivor, and if I played, I would never play the mom card..nevah!!

I'd hope I would never be shrewish either..

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1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

Count me in the apparently very small camp of those who enjoyed this season's surprises, extra advantages, and twists.  I thought it put a bit of freshness in Survivor (I've watched every season) so I don't blame the producers for having some fun with it and producing more "gotcha" moments.  But my favorite moments in the season were Ben's tribals when he produced idols no one knew about.  Loved it every time!

You're not alone!  I adored Ben, the entire season, and Chrissy made my skin crawl.  And I found all the twists fresh and fun.

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21 minutes ago, jumper sage said:

So I am not the only one who witnessed yet another misogynistic Probstesque ending?  I was all like WTF?

 

16 minutes ago, Paws said:

I am Shocked, shocked, that things were unfairly  manipulated and votes denied so that a gruff man with some demons would win over an east coast blonde woman known for her smarts. Shocked I tell You!

I don't think the producers would rig things for Ben and Ben alone. I mean, maybe an investigation is in order, but I don't think Burnett would get into trouble. I will note that I can't think of a better ending for Probst. You know he had been fantasizing being so close to Ben . . . the cowboy hat poking his forehead, the whiskers scratching his face, and him constantly thinking, "Don't call him 'Colby,' Don't call him 'Colby,' Don't call him 'Colby' . .  ."

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I've watched every season but 2, and with that twist "advantage" to help Ben, i'm done.  Never watching another episode again. That's like something the NFL would do if they didn't get a desirable Super Bowl matchup - rig it to where the more popular team wins (see SB XL, where they helped their beloved Steelers beat the Seahawks).

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