S38: Spoilers & Speculation

[LadyChatts]

Speculation on Sucks this week is that Manu wins the RC, and Wendy is already injured when she competes in the IC (press photos appear to show her ankle wrapped).  Also, to the surprise of no one, it appears Keith does join Reem at EOE.   

Not sure about the results of IC, but over at Kama Ron still has his advantage ala carte, which has to be used by the end of the third TC.  His 3 options were get an extra vote, give himself immunity, or steal the other tribe's reward.  My guess is he'll go for the first two over stealing the other tribe's reward.

Wendy's ankle and Joe/Aubry looking like sitting ducks are probably going to be huge misdirects.  Here's Jeff's teaser for this week:

https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/28/survivor-jeff-probst-edge-of-extinction-episode-2/

Quote

We’ll get our answer as to Keith’s destination next week. What else can you tease about the next episode?
Oh, so much fun! One player reveals they’re a bigger schemer than some might have guessed. And E of E reveals a bit more. Nothing is gonna be easy.

Since we saw Aurora talking to Joe and Aubry in the preview at the end of the last episode, I wonder if this could point to her.  She might turn the tables on Eric and Gavin wanting Joe/Aubry gone and blindside one of them instead, if they go to TC.  

[TVFan1]

2 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Speculation on Sucks this week is that Manu wins the RC, and Wendy is already injured when she competes in the IC (press photos appear to show her ankle wrapped).  Also, to the surprise of no one, it appears Keith does join Reem at EOE.   

Not sure about the results of IC, but over at Kama Ron still has his advantage ala carte, which has to be used by the end of the third TC.  His 3 options were get an extra vote, give himself immunity, or steal the other tribe's reward.  My guess is he'll go for the first two over stealing the other tribe's reward.

Wendy's ankle and Joe/Aubry looking like sitting ducks are probably going to be huge misdirects.  Here's Jeff's teaser for this week:

https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/28/survivor-jeff-probst-edge-of-extinction-episode-2/

Since we saw Aurora talking to Joe and Aubry in the preview at the end of the last episode, I wonder if this could point to her.  She might turn the tables on Eric and Gavin wanting Joe/Aubry gone and blindside one of them instead, if they go to TC.  

Is Wendy going to remain in the game and be okay since her ankle is wrapped up?

[LadyChatts]

2 hours ago, TVFan1 said:

Is Wendy going to remain in the game and be okay since her ankle is wrapped up?

Not sure yet.  Some think she may drop out down the road if the pain becomes too great.  Speculation is the hurt ankle is just being hyped up in the previews as to whether she’ll get pulled from the game, but there will be a normal TC and vote.  

[ProfCrash]

5 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Not sure yet.  Some think she may drop out down the road if the pain becomes too great.  Speculation is the hurt ankle is just being hyped up in the previews as to whether she’ll get pulled from the game, but there will be a normal TC and vote.  

We have seen some sprains before but I cannot remember anything that bruised or swollen.

[peachmangosteen]

13 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Speculation on Sucks this week is that Manu wins the RC, and Wendy is already injured when she competes in the IC (press photos appear to show her ankle wrapped). 

Where can we find the press photos? I used to see them on Inside Survivor, but they don't seem to post them anymore.

13 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Since we saw Aurora talking to Joe and Aubry in the preview at the end of the last episode, I wonder if this could point to her.  She might turn the tables on Eric and Gavin wanting Joe/Aubry gone and blindside one of them instead, if they go to TC.  

Even though I want all the returnees (Joe, in particular) gone, Aurora leading a blindside of Eric/Gavin could be fun. Stupid probably, but fun!

[Bucket]

From the interview with Jeff posted above. 

"But this is why Survivor continues to fascinate." 

 "We are really enjoying being able to be more playful and the audience response is very encouraging."

I often wonder if Jeff is hosting the same show I am watching. I believe a parallel universe situation is happening here.  Am I just tired of Survivor or I do read too much science fiction? 

[LadyChatts]

6 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Where can we find the press photos? I used to see them on Inside Survivor, but they don't seem to post them anymore.

Even though I want all the returnees (Joe, in particular) gone, Aurora leading a blindside of Eric/Gavin could be fun. Stupid probably, but fun!

Survivor Sucks has them in the MESS forum in various threads (the two challenge threads, and I think the Solving Riddles and Story Arcs topics).  So they're kind of spread all over there, but I don't know where else to find them; I believe Inside Survivor lost their press credentials or something.  

We know Ron has the advantage-would they have shown that if it doesn't get used?  It has to be used this episode or else it's no good.  Assuming he doesn't steal the other tribe's reward, if Manu does win that, then he'd have to use it at TC.  Maybe he's who Probst is talking about, and he uses the extra vote which results in someone being voted off (hey, two seasons in a row where someone actually uses that correctly).  While I totally get where Gavin and Eric are coming from in regards to voting off Joe/Aubry (even though, again, I think it's more for resume building and a big move from Gavin's perspective), I like them and don't want them to leave yet.  I wish G/E had wound up on Manu because they could go crazy targeting Wentworth and David for all I care.  I won't lie that I'd kind of like to see Eric or Gavin get blindsided.  On the other hand, I'd love it if Joe did get voted off, and Eric/Gavin were all smug about it, only to watch his Man Bun show up on the horizon when the EOE twist is revealed.  All that talk about getting rid of Joe/Aubry I feel like is leading somewhere.  I don't feel like Joe hasn't had much of a story yet, unless it takes place on EOE and he wins his way back into the game.  For such a well know player, I'm just surprised there hasn't been much to his edit yet.  

Quote

We have seen some sprains before but I cannot remember anything that bruised or swollen.

The worst I can remember was Missy during SJDS.  It was end game and she wasn't pulled, likely for that reason.  That does look very nasty, so I don't know what they'd do.  We know she competes in the IC, supposedly already injured, but we don't know where the rest of that footage happened.  Could be a situation like Bi last season, where she tries to tough it out but decides she can't or just gets a mercy vote off.

Edited March 3, 2019 by LadyChatts

[nutty1]

Is Lauren supposed to go far? They seem to be showing her a lot.

[LadyChatts]

So I posted in the previews thread a link about Victoria/Ron talking about getting rid of Joe...while Joe was right there.  And Victoria didn’t see him.  Though it’s unclear whose going to TC tonight, I’m thinking Kama loses based on the previews and the fact that Ron has until tonight to use his advantage.  Given Jeff’s comment about a surprising schemer, maybe he was poking fun at Victoria getting caught, but maybe he meant Ron.  He could use his extra vote if it looks like there’s a split to get rid of either Aubry/Joe or someone else like Victoria.  I’d be slightly surprised if Joe or Aubry go tonight because it seems too obvious.  Aurora maybe trying to scheme can backfire on her, too, if she tries ousting someone else.  There’s a couple of screenshots on Sucks from Ron’s SM accounts (one post which he deleted) which makes him seem very excited for tonight’s episode.  Since he’s been a non entity so far and has an advantage, my guess is that might change the vote tonight.  Aurora/Joe/Aubry against the rest, so we’ll see who else they get on their side.  Maybe they can convince Victoria that she writes down the name of a person she wants to keep.  If she can’t notice Joe behind her when she’s talking about him and then still openly say she is thinking about voting him out, she might buy that.

If Manu loses I’d be shocked if Wendy doesn’t go.  

Edited March 6, 2019 by LadyChatts

[TVFan1]

If Manu loses another immunity challenge, they will be down to 6 players to Kama's 9. I would like to see Kama at tribal council and see who is with who. 

[LadyChatts]

There’s so much focus on Kama this week in the previews.  Maybe they just don’t have anything else to show at Manu, or else Wendy goes as a predictable boot and they are just trying to make it look exciting.  The clip of Ron and Victoria talking about Joe is before the IC.  

One thing that’s been picked up on at other sites is that some of the shots from Kama are out of order from when they happened.  A confessional from Aubry episode 1 was said to actually have been from one of her pre show videos.  There’s been a couple of other instances picked up where things weren’t in order as well.  Now, that’s not exactly new in Survivor, but maybe they are making this look more dramatic than it is.

[LadyChatts]

I think this was posted already, but I’ll post it again since it applies to Chris.  He had an IG post that he ended up deleting, where he was seen wearing a red buff (supposedly the merge buff).  There could be other explanations, but obviously many believe this means he ends up winning his way back into the game at the merge.

[peachmangosteen]

8 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I think this was posted already, but I’ll post it again since it applies to Chris.  He had an IG post that he ended up deleting, where he was seen wearing a red buff (supposedly the merge buff).  There could be other explanations, but obviously many believe this means he ends up winning his way back into the game at the merge.

I hope so. He's adorable! Plus, I picked him to be the returner from EoE in the pool I'm in so I want those points.

ETA: Oh, I had a question. Do the people who don't get back in the game the first time have the choice to stay on EoE and try again or do they just get booted?

[azshadowwalker]

21 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

ETA: Oh, I had a question. Do the people who don't get back in the game the first time have the choice to stay on EoE and try again or do they just get booted?

The earlier information I read indicated that they can stay out there and try again. 

Found it earlier in this thread: 

Edited March 7, 2019 by azshadowwalker
Add link to post

[Special K]

I'm calling it here that Chris makes it through EOE, wins his way back into the game and wins the whole thing.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Special K
I clearly can't type

[LadyChatts]

Funny thing is, we've been saying how EOE is tailor made for someone like Joe, but Chris is quite the challenge beast, and I know will give it more than his all to return.  I can't wait to see the old Manu's face when he comes waltzing in (especially Wardog).  I hope Reem makes it too, just for laughs.  

[peachmangosteen]

8 hours ago, Special K said:

I'm calling it here that Chris makes it through EOE, wins his way back into the game and wins the whole thing.

When I was picking my team for a fantasy pool I was lazy so I just picked off their pictures. For some reason, based solely on his pic, I got the vibe that Chris was gonna win so I picked him. 

[enchantingmonkey]

14 hours ago, Special K said:

I'm calling it here that Chris makes it through EOE, wins his way back into the game and wins the whole thing.

I came to say the same thing, especially after reading that whoever wins this season was an early boot.  And if it's true that everyone who doesn't quit the game will be a part of the jury, that gives Chris time to befriend all who go to the IOE after him.  

Chris has the physical skill to win his way back into the game and the charm to win their hearts.  

[peachmangosteen]

8 hours ago, enchantingmonkey said:

And if it's true that everyone who doesn't quit the game will be a part of the jury ...

I missed this. I assumed that it'd just be the people voted out after the traditional jury stage that would be on the jury. (ETA: Although, thinking about it now, I knew that you could continue on EoE even if you failed the first chance to get back in so I should have known that everyone that stayed would be on the jury.) So, potentially, the jury could include 15 people. That's ridiculous. This theme is so stupid lol.

Edited March 8, 2019 by peachmangosteen

[ProfCrash]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I missed this. I assumed that it'd just be the people voted out after the traditional jury stage that would be on the jury. (ETA: Although, thinking about it now, I knew that you could continue on EoE even if you failed the first chance to get back in so I should have known that everyone that stayed would be on the jury.) So, potentially, the jury could include 15 people. That's ridiculous. This theme is so stupid lol.

It pretty much guarantees a bitter jury. Even worse, the Jury is not going to have time to chill at Ponderosa and let go of the game because anyone who stays will be on EoE until the final 5 or 6 (can't remember when they get the second chance to get back into the game). So they are all going to be chilling and bitching about the people left in the game while starving and being cold. And there could be two people voted out in the final 3 because you have the merge returnee and the 5/6 returnee. 

I so want one of the returnees to make it to the finals the traditional way and be slaughtered by a bootee because it might actually kill off the returning playing idea for good.

[LadyChatts]

If the rumors are true, that's why it's a controversial ending.  I had heard that EOE didn't play out how they expected.  Supposedly, they assumed that the castoffs would be attempting to get the other players to quit so they'd have less people to deal with in returning to the game.  Instead, people bonded, and the twist kind of flopped.  In addition, they are able to bond with the potential winner, and totally discount someone who actually managed to stay in the game and make it to the end (which is supposed to be the whole point).

As to the tribe swap this week-kind of weird if true.  Posters at Sucks, based on photos and other evidence, believe that the NuKama is basically old Kama-Gavin, Aubry, Joe, Julia, and Ron.  Which makes me wonder, do they really want a returnee booted pre-jury to go to EOE, since that whole twist was set up for them?  Joe and Aubry didn't get a life line here at all.  It's also worth noting that there was a bonus clip of Ron this week, where he talked about his secret advantage.  Apparently, he was allowed to will it to someone at Manu if he wanted.  Instead, he kept it to use it for strategy purposes, since no one knows it expired (either hiding it and letting someone find it, or using it to get people to work with him).  Considering he was openly talking with Victoria about booting Joe, in front of Joe, not sure he can pull it off.    

Edited March 8, 2019 by LadyChatts

[TVFan1]

I've been hearing rumors that Kelley or Aubry make it to the final 3 and they don't win. Did anyone else hear this?

[peachmangosteen]

48 minutes ago, TVFan1 said:

I've been hearing rumors that Kelley or Aubry make it to the final 3 and they don't win. Did anyone else hear this?

I feel like I remember seeing both possibilities mentioned here very early on, which was when I stopped reading the tread for awhile because I was afraid they were legit spoilers and I don't wanna know concrete things lol.

6 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I so want one of the returnees to make it to the finals the traditional way and be slaughtered by a bootee because it might actually kill off the returning playing idea for good.

This is the best case scenario for me and it does seem like it's what's going to happen based on all the different rumors going around. I feel like the audience will be so irate over that kind of ending and it'll be fun to a) watch people be pissed and b) watch Jeff try to make it seem good.

[marys1000]

On 3/8/2019 at 12:18 PM, LadyChatts said:

If the rumors are true, that's why it's a controversial ending.  I had heard that EOE didn't play out how they expected.  Supposedly, they assumed that the castoffs would be attempting to get the other players to quit so they'd have less people to deal with in returning to the game.  Instead, people bonded, and the twist kind of flopped.  In addition, they are able to bond with the potential winner, and totally discount someone who actually managed to stay in the game and make it to the end (which is supposed to be the whole point).

OMG, what a goat rope of an idea

[jay741982]

On 3/7/2019 at 10:06 AM, Special K said:

I'm calling it here that Chris makes it through EOE, wins his way back into the game and wins the whole thing.

And how fucking stupid would they would be if they didnt get him out the first chance they get?

[LadyChatts]

So the tribe swaps are still up in the air, but it's sounding like it isn't going to be much of a swap.  The posters at Sucks think it is Kama staying all Kama (possibly Ron, Julie, Julia, Gavin, and Joe), Manu staying all Manu (right now believed to be Wendy, David, Kelley, Wardog, and Lauren), and the new tribe being 4 Kama with 1 Manu (believed to be Rick, along with Eric, Victoria, Aubry and Aurora). 

If this proves to be true, either someone royally messed up the buff draw, they want to protect certain contestants, or they were over this season at this point and didn't care.  Joe, David, and Wendy are screwed with this line up if this is true.  Rick could be in an interesting position, if Eric/Victoria want to get out Aubry, and Aubry/Aurora stick together.

I wonder if Wendy frees the chickens after the tribe swap, since she knows she's screwed.

ETA: So this week is a 1 hour episode, but the following week (the 20th) is a 2 hour episode.  Have we ever had a 2 hour episode this early that wasn't the premiere?

Edited March 10, 2019 by LadyChatts

[peachmangosteen]

10 hours ago, jay741982 said:

And how fucking stupid would they would be if they didnt get him out the first chance they get?

Maybe they don't have a chance. I could see Chris going on an immunity run if he returns.

9 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Have we ever had a 2 hour episode this early that wasn't the premiere?

Not that I can think of. Weird.

[jay741982]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Maybe they don't have a chance. I could see Chris going on an immunity run if he returns.

Not that I can think of. Weird.

If he returns at Merge, I don't see him winning all the challenges in a Row. Maybe if he goes back in at F6 or F5 which that would fucking suck.

[LadyChatts]

I wonder if Chris could possibly win the game and that’s where the controversial ending comes from.  Wins his way back in, gets voted out right away, goes to EOE where he wins his way back in at the final 6, immunity wins his way to the final 4, makes final 3 and wins.  He’s a likable enough guy where I can see people bonding with him on EOE and then voting for him-especially if he’s up against a returning player.

Edited March 10, 2019 by LadyChatts

[peachmangosteen]

I could easily see him winning to come back at merge, getting voted out again, and then winning again to come back at F6/5. Then he'd only have to win one/two ICs and/or the fire-making challenge and he'd be F3. That's so awful that I have to love it and I hope it happens lol.

[marys1000]

18 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

I wonder if Chris could possibly win the game and that’s where the controversial ending comes from.  Wins his way back in, gets voted out right away, goes to EOE where he wins his way back in at the final 6, immunity wins his way to the final 4, makes final 3 and wins.  He’s a likable enough guy where I can see people bonding with him on EOE and then voting for him-especially if he’s up against a returning player.

That might be controversial but sounds like something that would help. a little,  redeem this boring season depending on how it goes down.

[azshadowwalker]

On 3/9/2019 at 8:51 PM, LadyChatts said:

ETA: So this week is a 1 hour episode, but the following week (the 20th) is a 2 hour episode.  Have we ever had a 2 hour episode this early that wasn't the premiere?

We might have once upon a time, but it was back when the show was still on Thursday and conflicted with the NCAA Tournament. No real reason for it now. 

[LanceM]

They have dome this before have two separate episodes in one night during the season.  I think they did it either last season or the season before that.

[LadyChatts]

I just never remember them doing it this early except, as @azshadowwalker mentioned, it was for another conflict like the basketball games.  I'm wondering if it's the merge episode (it'd be episode 5 & 6 according to my DVR).  With EOE they might want the extra time because they'd have to have the challenge for that person to return, on top of everything else happening.  And I'm sure a lot of time will just be spent on people's reaction to the twist and whoever comes back into the game.

Either that or the second half of the season is more exciting than the first half has been, so they're trying to speed it along.  The tribe swap might be boringly predictable with boots.  Who knows, Manu might keep up their losing streak.

Edited March 12, 2019 by LadyChatts

[ProfCrash]

20 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

We might have once upon a time, but it was back when the show was still on Thursday and conflicted with the NCAA Tournament. No real reason for it now. 

Normally NCAA games a Thursday/Friday, Saturday/Sunday. The first week has four play in games now and those might very well be Tuesday/Wednesday so that those teams can play on Thursday/Friday.

[ForeverAlone]

At this point, I have to wonder if the reason we are getting so much EOE coverage is that the winner really does come from there. If so, it forced the producers to cover more than they might have otherwise. It certainly seemed like Chris was getting set up for his overcoming the odds and his personal demons to win the game (or at least come back in and be a force to be reckoned with), but at this point, it is hard to tell. 

[ProfCrash]

I think they have to show it because these folks are going to be on the Jury and we the winner comes from EoE.

And the Kama crew are boring.

And the players for this season are really bad players. From Wendy's impulse control play that is manic, to Victoria and Ron discussing voting out Joe with Joe sitting next to them, to Joe's believing he is aligned with Ron who just 3 days ago was discussing voting out Joe with Victoria with Joe sitting next to them, to Dan's voting out a strong player needed for challenge wins.

Seriously, they managed to find all the decent strategic players and put them into Nerds vs Jocks last season and took all the awful players and put them on this season, probably so one of the returnees that Production loves has a good chance at winning. So I am hoping that an exiled player wins because it will be so much fun to watch the explosion. I just want them to show me the footage from Production when they realized that their precious returning player is sunk by their stupid twist.

Yes, I am getting my entertainment from the implosion and not the show.

Well, Wendy makes me laugh. and the awful game play by everyone makes me laugh.

They should have brought back Fabio because he would totally fit in with this season. Maybe the dude who lost to Tony whose name I can't remember but was an awful player who couldn't even handle lying with a script laid out for him by Spenser.

[PhoneCop]

7 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

Maybe the dude who lost to Tony whose name I can't remember but was an awful player who couldn't even handle lying with a script laid out for him by Spenser. 

Woo.

Was that F6 list of Aubry/Joe/Kelley/Julia/Rick and either Gavin or Lauren debunked? Because that might point to Rick being the last Extinctionite standing, not Chris.

[peachmangosteen]

44 minutes ago, PhoneCop said:

Was that F6 list of Aubry/Joe/Kelley/Julia/Rick and either Gavin or Lauren debunked? 

I hope so because that sounds horrible lol.

What exactly has been said, in the media or by Jeff, about how EoE specifically works? Have they not let on how it works at all?

Edited March 14, 2019 by peachmangosteen

[LanceM]

I don't know the only bad player I see still in the game is Wendy.  I mean Joe has always been a mediocre player so no surprise here that he is still a mediocre player.As far as voting out Chris? Why is that a bad move when the tribe knows that a swap is coming?  Challenge strength is meaningless at this point. I also don't see a big deal about Victoria and Ron saying that Joe and Aubry are a pair when everybody on that tribe knows Joe and Aubry are a pair.  This is not new information. But anyway, looking at next week we see Victoria telling Aubry that they should team up with Wendy and vote out Eric.  Yet in her secret scene this week she talks about how Wendy is the obvious boot but if she had her way they should take out Aubry. So either something happens to change her mind or she is just BSing Aubry to try to get her comfortable so they can blindside her.  

Edited March 15, 2019 by LanceM

[LadyChatts]

It's possible Rick could still come back from EOE at a later point (or Chris).  The fact that Chris had a photo of him in a red buff was either him trolling the fans, or being super excited that he makes it back after being blindsided as a third boot.  It seems that the only end game spoilers so far are not true, with the possible exception of the winner being controversial due to the twist.  However, it's possible a newbie wins out over a returning player just so the newbies can give a symbolic FU to the producers for creating the twist (which clearly was meant to benefit the vets) and having returning players in the game.  I love Joe and Aubry and want them to stick around, but I'm kind of glad that some newbies are rebelling against returning players for once.  

Even with edits I'm confused whose long term, and the story lines are interesting, considering what's been left out and showing up in the secret scenes.  I know having returning players takes a lot away from the newbies and re-directs story lines to center around them.  Right now, I think Joe, Victoria, David, maybe Wardog, Aubry, and Wendy are vulnerable.  

[SVNBob]

I think this is the appropriate thread for this speculative ramble.

I am thoroughly convinced that there's going to be at least two people who end their game, and they're going to do it in both of the available ways; the Path of No Return and the Surrender Sail.   And the evidence of this has been in all the episodes thus far.

We know that Survivor doesn't like to spend time on things that don't affect the results of events or the "story" of the season.  Recall them not showing Parvati finding an HII back in FvF, because she didn't bother actually taking it.  Or the occasions we've been told by players that certain challenges had more rounds than we were shown on TV.  Or every person that's ever had a Purple Edit.  If it doesn't matter to the game, it hits the editing room floor.

Yet we're getting constant references to the Surrender Sail.  Since we were introduced to the actual EoE, there's been a point of someone making note of the mast and/or reading the sign about how to end their stay on EoE.  If no one takes this option, they wouldn't bother with showing that.  We'd have been shown the bottle scene still, and just been left with the impression that the mast is the EoE version of tree-mail.   But since we know about the real nature of the Surrender Sail, that means someone has to use it at some point this season.  Mark my words, someone is absolutely going to raise that sail before the end of the season.

Same thing the Decision Point itself.  Again, if everyone decides to take the chance, then they wouldn't bother showing us there was a choice to be made; they'd just show them arriving on EoE, torch in hand.  Which means that the Decision Point has to come into play at some point.  Someone is definitely going to decide they've had enough and take the endgame path.   Now, this might not be until post-merge, when they think they'll be heading to Ponderosa and the jury, but it will happen.

I've also started wondering if the person who returns to the game at the merge is the one that eventually decides to take the Path of No Return.  They'd know how hard EoE is, and may not want to go through that again.  Which would make them choosing the other path more likely.

[ProfCrash]

I thought I had read earlier that David chooses to go straight to Ponderosa and skips EoE. Or am I misremembering?

[peachmangosteen]

2 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I thought I had read earlier that David chooses to go straight to Ponderosa and skips EoE. Or am I misremembering?

I hadn't heard that, but it seems there are a lot of rumors floating around for this season.

I don't think they'd 100% not show the sail or the decision point if they didn't come to fruition. They're a part of the whole EoE thing so I feel like they'd show it no matter what. That's the whole twist! But I do agree that it's likely someone will leave EoE (the rumor is it's Wendy, I believe) and that someone will forgo going to EoE all together.

Edited March 15, 2019 by peachmangosteen

[Nashville]

9 hours ago, SVNBob said:

Mark my words, someone is absolutely going to raise that sail before the end of the season.

Same thing the Decision Point itself.  Again, if everyone decides to take the chance, then they wouldn't bother showing us there was a choice to be made; they'd just show them arriving on EoE, torch in hand. 

Actually, there’s one specific reason Production would do so: PR marketing value.  

To keep Survivor looking like a vital and exciting entity in the eyes of the viewing public (and more importantly, in the eyes of advertisers), TPTB constantly push a party line which states participation in Survivor is the height of desire; participants will fight tooth and nail to stay in the game, and if evicted will go to any length and endure any trial/tribulation imaginable to return.  TPTB want viewers to see the contestants hunger for the prize and hunger to stay in the game, because that kind of drive is exactly what hooks the viewers - what gets them emotionally invested in and rooting for individual players.

This is exactly why...

• Peachy constantly pounds on the “Survivor is life-altering” theme.
• Every medivac is accompanied by multiple shots of a tearful contestant insisting “But I still want to play”, even when Doctor Joe is telling them to do so might threaten life or limb.
• Production will ALWAYS exploit ANY opportunity to show the contestants given an option of playing or quitting, and ALWAYS choosing to play.
• Voluntary quitters/DORs become 1984-ish “unpersons” in the Survivor universe - blotted from existence, never to be mentioned again. 

...because TPTB hardcore pushes the “People WANT to play Survivor” message

- which makes people WANT to watch them play

- which creates an audience advertisers will pay beaucoup bucks to get in front of.

[LadyChatts]

6 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I thought I had read earlier that David chooses to go straight to Ponderosa and skips EoE. Or am I misremembering?

Supposedly David’s IG account had some activity while filming was going on.  People figured by the filming schedule he was pre merge and might have just come home.  

There was also a rumor that he was medevaced but I haven’t seen anything else to support that.

Edited March 15, 2019 by LadyChatts

[SVNBob]

12 hours ago, Nashville said:

Actually, there’s one specific reason Production would do so: PR marketing value.   

To keep Survivor looking like a vital and exciting entity in the eyes of the viewing public (and more importantly, in the eyes of advertisers), TPTB constantly push a party line which states participation in Survivor is the height of desire; participants will fight tooth and nail to stay in the game, and if evicted will go to any length and endure any trial/tribulation imaginable to return.  TPTB want viewers to see the contestants hunger for the prize and hunger to stay in the game, because that kind of drive is exactly what hooks the viewers - what gets them emotionally invested in and rooting for individual players.

This is exactly why...

• Peachy constantly pounds on the “Survivor is life-altering” theme.
• Every medivac is accompanied by multiple shots of a tearful contestant insisting “But I still want to play”, even when Doctor Joe is telling them to do so might threaten life or limb.
• Production will ALWAYS exploit ANY opportunity to show the contestants given an option of playing or quitting, and ALWAYS choosing to play.
• Voluntary quitters/DORs become 1984-ish “unpersons” in the Survivor universe - blotted from existence, never to be mentioned again. 

...because TPTB hardcore pushes the “People WANT to play Survivor” message

- which makes people WANT to watch them play

- which creates an audience advertisers will pay beaucoup bucks to get in front of.

Fair points, all of that.  You're absolutely right about all of it.

[LanceM]

So according to Anthony, one of the moderators over on the Survivor Spoiler reddit (and occasional poster here) Wendy is getting voted out pre-merge and quits EOE. He is unclear though whether this means she goes directly to Ponderosa or raises the sail on the island.  Given that the merge is most likely at F13 if this spoiler is true Wendy will be voted out next episode.

[LadyChatts]

I'm thinking this week we will have a predictable boot (in this case, Wendy) and an actual blindside (Eric, Victoria, Wardog, Joe or Ron).  

Next week the episode title said something about a twist so I'm assuming that's the merge/EOE reveal.

ETA: Here's the episode title/description for this week:

Quote

“It’s Like the Worst Cocktail Party Ever” – The castaways’ mental toughness is tested on the Edge of Extinction, and targets begin switching from one castaway to another when weaknesses are exposed, on a special two-hour episode of SURVIVOR, Wednesday, March 20 (8:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Edited March 17, 2019 by LadyChatts

[LadyChatts]

So the theory on Sucks this week is that NuKama loses the first IC.  They are shown being behind in the challenge, although where they are behind is a part where the tribes are stacking balls on top of each other, so it's possible any tribe could almost have it and then their stack falls.  For the second RC, NuManu is the only tribe shown having a sit out bench, which would mean Kama would have lost a member in the first IC.  Given what we saw with Ron/Joe last week, I can believe Kama loses at least one IC this week, and it's likely one of the guys going.  Who goes between Ron and Joe I don't know.  Ron would be a bigger blindside than Joe, imo, since he was the one shown saying that he wanted Joe to think they were working together but he planned to vote him out.  Also, there was a secret scene of Ron talking about his now-useless advantage and that he might pretend it's still good, to either get people to work with him, or bury it and have someone find it.  They could have showed that on the show, but didn't, so I'm guessing it doesn't happen, which could also be leading to a Ron boot.