S36.E12: A Giant Game of Bumper Cars

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Jeff explains why he got choked up and the Chelsea (lack thereof) edit: http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/10/survivor-jeff-probst-ghost-island-episode-12-choked-up/amp/ 

[fishcakes]

All of the women were nodding along to Kellyn's rant about the reward, but I'd bet that's because they were hoping she'd shut up about it sooner. She was being a ridiculous baby about the whole thing and trying to somehow make it all Wendell's fault that she didn't get to have lunch with her brother (who, based on the way they were describing their relationship to Jeff, don't even like each other all that much) when it was Sebastian's choice to exclude her. Honestly, can she just leave now? When things are going her way, Kellyn is obnoxious, but Kellyn as the underdog is insufferable.

 

10 hours ago, Josette said:

 I thought Jeff did say that Sebastian would choose which woman to send unless someone wanted to give up their reward to go. 

That's what I thought too, but I just rewatched that part and although Jeff initially told Sebastian that he was in control of who went, he then said Sebastian could either go himself and give up the reward or offer it to one of Dominick, Wendell, or Donathan, but that if he didn't choose among those three and himself, the power would shift to the women and they'd choose, but it wasn't clear if they women could only choose among themselves or among all eight. Also, I'm not sure how the women were supposed to choose since, obviously, if your choice is go to Ghost Island for a certain advantage or go back to camp with nothing, then each of the women would choose herself and there would be a four-way tie. So, rocks, I guess, although Jeff didn't say that. They've been doing a lot of this, "if A, then B, but if not A then C, but only if it's unanimous, otherwise D" in the last couple of seasons, and it's annoying because it's just complicated for the sake of being complicated; none of it really impacts the game.

Because of the firemaking at F4 twist, Laurel and Donathan are better off sticking with Dom and Wendell to the end. If one of Laurel or Donathan win the F4 immunity, they give the second immunity to the other and force Wendell and Dom to make fire. If one of Dom or Wendell win, I'm 95% sure they would give the second immunity to either Laurel or Donathan (probably the latter). But if they'd gone with Kellyn, Chelsea, and Angela, my guess is that once Dom and Wendell were gone, those three would have welcomed Sebastian back into the OMG Shut Up Already About Naviti Strong alliance -- which I'm basing partly on how quickly Kellyn shifted the blame for the reward picks to Wendell from Sebastian -- and Laurel and Donathan don't even get to F4. I mean, it kind of sucks for them to be in an alliance with two people who they probably can't beat at FTC, but if they hadn't been in that alliance, they'd be gone already. At this point, I think their best bet is to stick and hope that the jury is more mad at Dom and Wendell than at them.

Edited May 10, 2018 by fishcakes

[Bryce Lynch]

14 hours ago, Wandering Snark said:

I think Donathan was trying to have his cake and eat it too. It seems he told Wendell they were cool, but wanted to also try to 'shake' him enough to possibly freak out and play his idol. He could go all 'Dude I was soooo talking about our blindside of Chelsea! What did you play your idol for?!?' and kind of not been held responsible as he did vote with him in the end. It was a bit odd though, he really does talk a LOT of shit in tribal.

I do, however, think they choked on not getting Wendell out (assuming that if that were the plan Donathan wouldn't have done all that talking to set him on edge) as they had a reason to bring others along in their voting plan today as people were pissed about being left back at camp. It's a shot they're bound to regret not taking.

And Sebastion you can love your sister, just don't ya know... LOVE your sister. Creepy vibe there, as I thought was the vibe of 'We know we're 2nd place in her life to her serving the country and we're down with that.'

Yeah, I also was a bit weirded out by the way SeaBass talked about his sister.  They reminded me a little of Robyn and Rueben from "Jessica Jones", though they did not quite give off a Cersei and Jaime vibe.  :)

Edited May 10, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Guest]

I think it's great if a couple can talk daily for 20 years but her choice of words- "Agonizing!  I've been in agony!"- and her tone of voice, like her life was in danger by being apart, rubbed me wrong.  She just came off very dependent and weak.  Even her stance after the hug was odd.  It's like she was too meek or weak to even hold her head up.  Weird.  

 

[Bryce Lynch]

14 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think it's great if a couple can talk daily for 20 years but her choice of words- "Agonizing!  I've been in agony!"- and her tone of voice, like her life was in danger by being apart, rubbed me wrong.  She just came off very dependent and weak.  Even her stance after the hug was odd.  It's like she was too meek or weak to even hold her head up.  Weird.  

 

I didn't see it, so I can't really judge.  But, generally, I understand more over the top emotion involving a husband and wife or parent and young child.   Those are relationship that are supposed to be very close and constant.   It is the siblings and adult children and parents blubbering that irritates me most.  

[greyflannel]

15 hours ago, mojoween said:

Every year the loved ones episode often inspires the same “what the fuck you’ve only been separated for a month why are you acting like they are terminal” reaction and every year I 1000% know I would be exactly like Kristin when I laid eyes on my husband, whether I were a Survivor or the loved one.  I am weak and I own it.

Malcolm!  *hearteyes*

“[The immunity challenge] was a battle!” Uhh, they held sticks for half an hour, Peachy.  It wasn’t exactly the Royal Rumble out there.

Fine Chelsa! is gone whatever.  Now get Kellyn please.

I totally agree, BUT I would try to keep a lid on it a bit and not lay such a huge guilt trip on him like she did. Great job supporting her husband:-P

[FrauBlucher]

15 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

His expression

hahahaha I saw that too... they only showed it for a second but it kept me laughing for quite a while :D

[kathyk24]

Kellyn had the right plan just the wrong target. If she had targeted Donathon or Sebastian her plan might have worked. Laurel could have told the girls about Wendell and Dom's idols they would have trusted her. I can understand voting out Chelsea since she had won immunity challenges.

[survivinmt]

Really, Donathan, for HIS own game, should have voted Wendall. Even if he had caused a tie it would have been a MOVE. Someone has to do something about the idols.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I (thankfully) missed most of the Family Luv (tm) blubbering, including Mrs. Domenick.  The over the top emotions always annoy me, but I see nothing wrong with the fact that a husband and wife have never gone a day without talking.   It isn't possible for a lot of couples, but if it is, I think it is great that they talk every day.  

It’s not that much of a stretch.  My job used to take me on the road about a week out of every month for some 20-odd years - but notwithstanding that, I can still count on one hand the number of days my wife and I haven’t at least talked to each other daily and still have fingers left over, and we’ve been married 32 years.  :)

 

...of course, the contestants don’t have cell service either.

[UGAmp]

I like the family visit but I’m an emotional sap. I would never go on Survivor because I like being comfortable and don’t want to be judged by millions of people but I’m sure the lack of sleep, showering, eating, and basic comforts while being constantly covered in bug bites, sand, and dirt along with being paranoid at all times you’re about to be voted out and always having to be “on” in conversations with folks both in and out of your alliance has to be exhausting. Add on you’re competing in physical challenges on little food and water, you’re probably ready to break at all times, just under the surface. So seeing a loved one who you trust and you don’t have worry about them stabbing you in the back is an absolute relief. I think the loved ones’ reactions can be a little over the top but I’m sure it’s jarring to see the players after losing weight and being dirty/smelly and maybe some happy tears from disbelief they’re still in the game all these days later! That said, I still side-eyed dominick’s wife’s reaction.  He isn’t dead. You’ll see him soon. Calm down, lady. 

I do miss having the loved ones compete. Dare we forget colby’s “Damn it Reed” constant reprimands during that water throwing challenge during HvV. That being said, you always, ALWAYS lose this challenge on purpose so you don’t piss anyone off. Frankly, I wouldn’t try too hard to win any individual rewards so as not to be put in that position of choosing. Group challenge...win! Individual...hope my alliance mate wins and picks me. That said, Wendell made the right move taking advantage of the advantage and it looked like his dad fully supported that. You can chat after the game. Do everything you can to ensure there’s a million dollar check with your name on it while we’re having that conversation though. :)

Glad my dream final four (Dominick, Wendell, Laurel, and Donathan) live to see another day. And while I was sad to see Michael go last week, I forgot I’d still get to see his beautiful face on the jury ever week. Yay! 

[Bryce Lynch]

If it weren't for all the quarantine and other legal restrictions, and logistical nightmares,  I would love to see a PET Luv day on Survivor.  I could much more relate to people blubbering over seeing their dog, cat, bird, turtle, tarantula, etc, that they hadn't seen in weeks, than over their brother or sister.

There could also be a twist that if the tribe is really hungry, they could eat the pets...after the LUV, of course.  :)

8 minutes ago, Nashville said:

It’s not that much of a stretch.  My job used to take me on the road about a week out of every month for some 20-odd years - but notwithstanding that, I can still count on one hand the number of days my wife and I haven’t at least talked to each other daily and still have fingers left over, and we’ve been married 32 years.  :)

 

...of course, the contestants don’t have cell service either.

Has there ever been a communications reward?  Maybe they could give the winner of the reward challenge a cell phone or , if necessary, a satellite phone, until the next challenge.  I bet they'd go crazy trying to win that one, especially the younger ones.  

Edited May 10, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[MerBearHou]

Chelsea is pretty and steady in challenges but man, is she a boring interview.  Did you see her Ponderosa interview?  She just monotones on and on about the same dull things -- not surprised she didn't get much airtime or many confessionals.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I feel like the editors are taking some pretty generous liberties to make these tribals more dramatic than they actually are. Making Wendall seem legitimately concerned for 8 minutes and then he doesn't play his idol? Clearly he wasn't that worried. 

Yeah . . . something screwy was going on there. Either we were given the most deceptive editing possible (wherein shots of Wendell and Dom looking gob-smacked were inserted into the the scene to look like they were in response to Donathan when in fact they were taken completely out of context), or that was some amazing acting on the part of Dom and Wendell. I couldn't figure out what was going on because both Donathan and Laurel know Don and Wendell have idols, so what purpose did it serve to openly brag about their new opportunity with Naviti other than maybe make them flush the idols out? But if Wendell was so confident in the vote he didn't even use his idol what was with the gobsmacked reactions? 

I really think the editors are jumping through hoops at this point trying to make this season seem more interesting than it actually is.

Quote

I don't mind the tears at all, but the new style of Jeff's questioning, "What does this meeeeaaaannn, loved one I call overly familiarly by their first name?" to every. single. person is driving me up the wall. 

This. It isn't the emotion, it's the way Jeff Probst has to milk it for every last drop. "What does it mean to you to have your loved one standing in front of you? Tell me how you're feeling right now! How much does having your loved one here mean to you? Tell me what this means to you! Tell me what's going on inside right now! Explain your feelings to me! What does this mean for you? Tell me how you're feeling right now!"

Cripes. Enough already.

[Nashville]

9 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Has there ever been a communications reward?  Maybe they could give the winner of the reward challenge a cell phone or , if necessary, a satellite phone, until the next challenge.  I bet they'd go crazy trying to win that one, especially the younger ones.  

IIRC a single phone call from home has been a Reward Challenge benefit on at least a couple of occasions; Gervase got to get a call from home in S1, as did Denise in S15.

[Lamb18]

13 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

This. It isn't the emotion, it's the way Jeff Probst has to milk it for every last drop. "What does it mean to you to have your loved one standing in front of you? Tell me how you're feeling right now! How much does having your loved one here mean to you? Tell me what this means to you! Tell me what's going on inside right now! Explain your feelings to me! What does this mean for you? Tell me how you're feeling right now!"

Funny, if I was on Survivor and my youngest brother was my loved one, he would answer Jeff, "Fine." Or he might say, "I feel OK."

[LadyChatts]

34 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If it weren't for all the quarantine and other legal restrictions, and logistical nightmares,  I would love to see a PET Luv day on Survivor.  I could much more relate to people blubbering over seeing their dog, cat, bird, turtle, tarantula, etc, that they hadn't seen in weeks, than over their brother or sister.

There could also be a twist that if the tribe is really hungry, they could eat the pets...after the LUV, of course.  :)

Has there ever been a communications reward?  Maybe they could give the winner of the reward challenge a cell phone or , if necessary, a satellite phone, until the next challenge.  I bet they'd go crazy trying to win that one, especially the younger ones.  

See, I don't think I'd get emotional seeing a loved one.  But if my cats could be brought out there?  Blubbering mess.  And if someone actually had their pet out there, that would tug at my heart strings more than them seeing their child or parent.

I'm totally one of those people who roots for the animals in movies.  I don't care if every person gets killed, just let the dog live!

[Nashville]

17 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Yeah . . . something screwy was going on there. Either we were given the most deceptive editing possible (wherein shots of Wendell and Dom looking gob-smacked were inserted into the the scene to look like they were in response to Donathan when in fact they were taken completely out of context), or that was some amazing acting on the part of Dom and Wendell. I couldn't figure out what was going on because both Donathan and Laurel know Don and Wendell have idols, so what purpose did it serve to openly brag about their new opportunity with Naviti other than maybe make them flush the idols out? But if Wendell was so confident in the vote he didn't even use his idol what was with the gobsmacked reactions? 

Maybe Wendell’s reactions were calculated to make the other contestants think he was certain to play his idol...?  :)

 

17 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

This. It isn't the emotion, it's the way Jeff Probst has to milk it for every last drop. "What does it mean to you to have your loved one standing in front of you? Tell me how you're feeling right now! How much does having your loved one here mean to you? Tell me what this means to you! Tell me what's going on inside right now! Explain your feelings to me! What does this mean for you? Tell me how you're feeling right now!"

Cripes. Enough already.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, but ... that’s still kind of Probst’s job, isn’t it?  Although I totally agree the histrionics (with accompanying swelling of background music) are so OTT as to be tiresome.  They’ve been gone for a month on a game show, folks; t’s not like they’re  POWs getting freed after years of imprisonment.

 

[SuburbanHangSuite]

I was just thinking how relieved I was when I realized that the loved ones would just watch the contest and not participate.  I couldn't imagine how sweet Aunt Patty was going to negotiate that course with her cardigan shrug, bless her heart.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Nashville said:

IIRC a single phone call from home has been a Reward Challenge benefit on at least a couple of occasions; Gervase got to get a call from home in S1, as did Denise in S15.

I think back when Sprint was a sponsor they'd get calls and recorded messages, maybe?  

[Nashville]

4 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think back when Sprint was a sponsor they'd get calls and recorded messages, maybe?  

I do remember when Gervase’s call because (a) his son had been born just a day or two prior, and (b) Peachy made such a big deal about the call taking place on an <productplacement>!!!ERICSSON CELL PHONE!!!</productplacement>.  Remember Ericsson cell phones?  That’s okay - nobody does.  :D

i do miss the Sprint days, though - primarily because they funded the AFP prize for years.

[Oscirus]

47 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Yeah . . . something screwy was going on there. Either we were given the most deceptive editing possible (wherein shots of Wendell and Dom looking gob-smacked were inserted into the the scene to look like they were in response to Donathan when in fact they were taken completely out of context), or that was some amazing acting on the part of Dom and Wendell. I couldn't figure out what was going on because both Donathan and Laurel know Don and Wendell have idols, so what purpose did it serve to openly brag about their new opportunity with Naviti other than maybe make them flush the idols out? But if Wendell was so confident in the vote he didn't even use his idol what was with the gobsmacked reactions? 

I really think the editors are jumping through hoops at this point trying to make this season seem more interesting than it actually is.

They were shocked that he would throw out all that information the way he did. Not only did he expose the girls, but them as well.  Donaton was trying to flush out idols from both sides, but I believe Wendell knows that Laurel has a bad poker face so he was studying her to make sure nothing was going south.

[Hera]

3 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

So Laurel has a shot of winning this by pointing to the fact that she was at the bottom of Malolo and did a good job of building a solid alliance with Wendell and Dom and navigating through the Naviti strong BS. She also has a number of Malolo tribe mates on the jury who might be inclined to vote for someone from their tribe who survived the Naviti Strong BS. Laurel found a crack that they did not and played it well.

After actively sabotaging all attempts to unite the original Malolos and boot a Naviti power player, there's no way Laurel could credibly argue in Final Tribal Council that Libby, Michael, and Jenna should vote for her out of Original Malolo solidarity. And even if she were somehow successful in arguing that, she'd need at least one Naviti vote (or for Donathan to be on the jury and also not mad at her), and for the remaining votes to split evenly between her competitors. That would be interesting to see, actually—a Survivor winner who wins the plurality of votes, but not the majority. However, if that happens, I still don't think it would be Laurel—if she makes it to the end, I see her getting at most two votes—and it's as high as two just because the atrocious editing this season has left me with very little idea about the actual dynamics between the players.

[Bryce Lynch]

12 minutes ago, Oscirus said:

They were shocked that he would throw out all that information the way he did. Not only did he expose the girls, but them as well.  Donaton was trying to flush out idols from both sides, but I believe Wendell knows that Laurel has a bad poker face so he was studying her to make sure nothing was going south.

I don't know.  I think  he was play acting trying to convince Kellyn and her girls that they didn't need to use an idol on Chelsea or anyone else, in case they had one.  IMO, if Wendell was not 100% (or as close as you can get) sure that Donathon was putting on a show for Kellyn and his crew, I think:

a) Wendell would have used his idol.

b) Donothan is an idiot for alienating himself from Wendell and the alliance while voting with them.  

[ProfCrash]

3 minutes ago, Hera said:

After actively sabotaging all attempts to unite the original Malolos and boot a Naviti power player, there's no way Laurel could credibly argue in Final Tribal Council that Libby, Michael, and Jenna should vote for her out of Original Malolo solidarity. And even if she were somehow successful in arguing that, she'd need at least one Naviti vote (or for Donathan to be on the jury and also not mad at her), and for the remaining votes to split evenly between her competitors. That would be interesting to see, actually—a Survivor winner who wins the plurality of votes, but not the majority. However, if that happens, I still don't think it would be Laurel—if she makes it to the end, I see her getting at most two votes—and it's as high as two just because the atrocious editing this season has left me with very little idea about the actual dynamics between the players.

I will agree about the atrocious editing but until I hear someone say that Luarel turned down a final three in order to stay with Wendell and Dom I am going to have some problems buying that her defecting would be a good thing. The reality is that Jenna voted for Donathon rather then Sea Bass when she was voted out. The Malolo's regularly voted with the Naviti's through out the entire game. Malolo plans were rated out by Naviti (Angela rats out Michael's plan) who were in a place to switch. Malolo members voted for Malolo's on a regular basis, Michael, Libby and Jenna included.

Laurel needed someone to give her a reason to leave Wendell and the mixed alliance. No one gave her one, at least that we have seen. No one has said in interviews that they offered her a final three deal and that she rejected it. Donathon has thought about targeting Dom and Wendell but we have not seen anyone give him or Laurel a good reason to flip.

So why the do people think that it is a good idea to flip from a final four, and a shot at final tribal, to a lesser position? Chelsea, Kellyn and Angela were not likely to take Laurel to the final four. Donathon would be a better goat. The Naviti Strong folks were not interested in changing things up or if they were, we never saw.

This expectation that Laurel and Donathon would be better off taking a risk that might lead them to the fifth and sixth position instead of a shot at the finals is crazy. And given the number of times that the Malolo's who were not Laurel and Donathon voted for each other, is pretty darn high.

If some one cam outline a path to the finals for Laurel that does not involve Dom and Wendell and does not rely on winning out with individual immunity, I would love to see it. As I see it, Laurel and Donathon were at the bottom of Maolo and the Naviti Strong hive mind didn't leave room for alliances outside of Dom and Wendell. It is more then possible that I missed something but so far I have yet to see a good reason for them to leave the Mixed Alliance.

[Oscirus]

5 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I don't know.  I think  he was play acting trying to convince Kellyn and her girls that they didn't need to use an idol on Chelsea or anyone else, in case they had one.  IMO, if Wendell was not 100% (or as close as you can get) sure that Donathon was putting on a show for Kellyn and his crew, I think:

a) Wendell would have used his idol.

b) Donothan is an idiot for alienating himself from Wendell and the alliance while voting with them.  

As soon as Donathon said what he did, it wouldn't have mattered. Most people would've played the idol due to what he was saying. That move was intended to smoke out all idols . I think Wendel's basically onto Laurel, he knows when she's being deceptive that's why he didn't play the idol. As for Donathon, he's a bit of an idiot, but I get what he was going for even if it was ham-fisted in it's execution.

[Omeletsmom]

4 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I so hated the remembrance walk. Maybe not so bad if they had just said let's run through a brief scene of every loser so far. . .but the corny way it was done suggesting each person had been killed in the game was too much.

We always called it the Walk of Dead Survivors.

[HahYallDoin]

16 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Yeah, but asking someone how his/her name is spelled is tantamount to saying I'm going to vote you out.  Sounds like a taboo subject to me.

Their names are painted on the banner at camp so I'm not cutting them any slack on misspelled names. 

[Omeletsmom]

2 hours ago, Nashville said:

It’s not that much of a stretch.  My job used to take me on the road about a week out of every month for some 20-odd years - but notwithstanding that, I can still count on one hand the number of days my wife and I haven’t at least talked to each other daily and still have fingers left over, and we’ve been married 32 years.  :)

 

...of course, the contestants don’t have cell service either.

It's not the talking to each other every day that bothers me, it's the seeming inability to function without the other person.  I am biased; DH was in the military for 23 years, so he was often gone for weeks at a time and he often worked very long hours when he was home. Co-dependency like that just baffles me.  You're a grown woman, Mrs. Dom;  just suck it up and deal.

[iMonrey]

Quote

So why the do people think that it is a good idea to flip from a final four, and a shot at final tribal, to a lesser position?

Because neither Laurel nor Donathan has a shot at winning a million bucks against either Wendell or Dom. And because Wendell and Dom are the strongest players left, physically, and therefore the greatest obstacle in getting to the final three. For both reasons, they need to be eliminated. If I were Laurel or Donathan, I'd take my chances against Kellyn, Angela and Chelsea in front of a jury before I'd try to claim a better game than Dom or Wendell.

Quote

 I think  he was play acting trying to convince Kellyn and her girls that they didn't need to use an idol on Chelsea or anyone else, in case they had one. 

I considered that, but they were sitting in front of him so they couldn't see his "surprised" face. Plus, even if the girls really believed that Donathan and Laurel were voting with them, they had to know there was a good chance Wendell had an idol. Since Dom won immunity it didn't make much sense for Donathan to play-act that he was voting with Naviti and alert Wendell to use his idol. Who did the girls think would get voted out if Wendell played an idol? It looked like they put all their eggs in one basket. 

[Nashville]

24 minutes ago, Omeletsmom said:

It's not the talking to each other every day that bothers me, it's the seeming inability to function without the other person.  I am biased; DH was in the military for 23 years, so he was often gone for weeks at a time and he often worked very long hours when he was home. Co-dependency like that just baffles me.  You're a grown woman, Mrs. Dom;  just suck it up and deal.

Agree; I was discussing/disputing solely the notion of talking every day to be inordinately weird, not the over-the-top histrionics.  THOSE were some pathologically clingy shit.

 

15 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Because neither Laurel nor Donathan has a shot at winning a million bucks against either Wendell or Dom. And because Wendell and Dom are the strongest players left, physically, and therefore the greatest obstacle in getting to the final three. For both reasons, they need to be eliminated. If I were Laurel or Donathan, I'd take my chances against Kellyn, Angela and Chelsea in front of a jury before I'd try to claim a better game than Dom or Wendell.

You mean - in front of the Jury containing Dom and Wendell, the two very articulate allies you flipped on to get there?  :)

 

15 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I considered that, but they were sitting in front of him so they couldn't see his "surprised" face. Plus, even if the girls really believed that Donathan and Laurel were voting with them, they had to know there was a good chance Wendell had an idol. Since Dom won immunity it didn't make much sense for Donathan to play-act that he was voting with Naviti and alert Wendell to use his idol. Who did the girls think would get voted out if Wendell played an idol? It looked like they put all their eggs in one basket. 

I’ll take your word for it, because this episode was so forgettable I already don’t recall the majority of TC.  

God, am I going to have to <shudder> rewatch...?

[watch2much]

4 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think it's great if a couple can talk daily for 20 years but her choice of words- "Agonizing!  I've been in agony!"- and her tone of voice, like her life was in danger by being apart, rubbed me wrong.  She just came off very dependent and weak.  Even her stance after the hug was odd.  It's like she was too meek or weak to even hold her head up.  Weird.  

 

my thoughts exactly.  When she said it, I imagined all sorts of crises she had face alone.....but going a few weeks without talking to him????  weird.

[nutty1]

2 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

See, I don't think I'd get emotional seeing a loved one.  But if my cats could be brought out there?  Blubbering mess.  And if someone actually had their pet out there, that would tug at my heart strings more than them seeing their child or parent.

I'm totally one of those people who roots for the animals in movies.  I don't care if every person gets killed, just let the dog live!

OMG, me too!! I'd be happy to see my husband or children, but if one of my dogs ran in, I would lose it. I cannot even read a sad animal story.

On a different note, if Laurel and Donathan switched alliances, the ones benefiting would have been Kellyn, Chelsea and Angela. Unless Laurel or Donovan won individual immunities at the right time, no way we either going to the F3 with those girls.

Edited May 10, 2018 by nutty1

[Dominii]

18 hours ago, PaperTree said:

Mrs. Long Island Dom.  Totally what I expected.

OH. MY. GAWD!!! She is so ridiculous. How can he stand her?

18 hours ago, PaperTree said:

Then later Kellyn says, "There's too much power to the three boys." Which boy is she leaving out?? Or doesn't Donathan count as a man with her?

No, he doesn't. Does he count as a man to you?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feeling awfully mean today...

Why in the hell didn't they vote off Wendell tonite? It was their one chance and they freakin' blew it. Because of this, I'm team Wendell all the way. Win, Wendell, win! Laurel and Donathan deserve to be voted out as soon as possible. Kellyn's ouster has to be a no-brainer, doesn't it?!

If the ladies and Donathan weren't going to to after Wendell, why didn't they vote Sebastian out? He's the misogynistic pig that didn't include one single woman in his playground reward pick. What an ass! Voting Sebastian out would have given them the numbers and they could have (hopefully) picked Dom and Wendell off if those two didn't play idols at opportune times.

So, now that Chelsea is gone, I don't think any of the women should be in F3, except maybe Angela, and she's kinda weird. My picks:

Winner - Wendell

Runner-up - Dom, because of his stupid wife. I know, I know -- it's mean-spirited, but what does his marital choice show about HIM?

I had a mini-argument with my girlfriend about Malcolm. She was in paroxysms about how handsome he is, and it made me a bit jealous. It's stupid, and we laughed about it afterward. Even though Malcolm is (according to my gal) "Chris Hemsworth gorgeous," (are you KIDDING me), it would be so awesome if he were playing now. He could kick their butts and win this thing, and then we'd all be very happy.

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

See, I don't think I'd get emotional seeing a loved one.  But if my cats could be brought out there?  Blubbering mess.  And if someone actually had their pet out there, that would tug at my heart strings more than them seeing their child or parent.

I'm totally one of those people who roots for the animals in movies.  I don't care if every person gets killed, just let the dog live!

 

3 minutes ago, nutty1 said:

OMG, me too!! I'd be happy to see my husband or children, but if one of my dogs ran in, I would lose it. I cannot even read a sad animal story.

Hell if I’d want an airline getting their mitts anywhere near one of my pups.  Animals in airline transport suffer some shit.  When the Army transferred one of my scuba buds up to JBER outside Anchorage, he initially left his cat with his mother until such time as he could get some off-based housing; once he did, his mother shipped the cat up via United.  By the time the cat got there, it was nearly dead.  During the 14+ hours of transport the cat had not received either food or water (which had been included), and had been subjected to some rough treatment; my friend took the cat to the vet afterwards where it was determined the cat was massively dehydrated, half-starved, and had a broken leg.  That was about 1-1/2 to 2 years ago, and last I heard my friend was still wrangling with United over it.

So, no - much as I might want to see one of my buddies, I don’t want them anywhere near an airline.

[MissEwa]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I considered that, but they were sitting in front of him so they couldn't see his "surprised" face. Plus, even if the girls really believed that Donathan and Laurel were voting with them, they had to know there was a good chance Wendell had an idol. Since Dom won immunity it didn't make much sense for Donathan to play-act that he was voting with Naviti and alert Wendell to use his idol. Who did the girls think would get voted out if Wendell played an idol? It looked like they put all their eggs in one basket. 

They didn't have the numbers to split, but this is still a good point. I know 'split up the power couple' was the objective but in this case Seabass would have been a better target. It also makes me wonder if Laurel was ever with them -  surely if she actually wanted to get Wendell out she would have alerted them to the existence of at least one idol. 

I feel like I say this every week but Kellyn is AWFUL. Between that horrid bitter display about Wendell (who, yeah, turned down his family visit, but wasn't actually the one doing the picking, and had nothing to do with Sebastian's choices) and her need to over-explain everything as thought she is the first and only person to have ever played Survivor and had emotions. I still can't get a read on her edit - on the one hand, I feel like production loves her, but on the other she is coming across so, so poorly I can't see how it's not deliberate. 

I didn't like Donathan to start with, and then he grew on me and now I'm back around. He's had a couple of tastes of power in the last couple of weeks and it has gone straight to his head. I would have liked to see some reaction to figuring out that Jenna voted for him though - the double TC means we only got the blowback from the second one.

I'm not usually a grassy-knoll person but that conversation between Don and Laurel about the vote seemed very... scripted. For a pair who have been aligned for a while, it was very expositiony and stilted, as though they were introducing each other to the tribe dynamics for the first time. It was weird. 

I am still curious about Chelsea's edit. She definitely *felt* like she had game, and I think she had more than we were shown (which... wouldn't have been hard). She didn't quit or get idolled out. In fact, if we knew her AT ALL they could have set this episode up as an actually suspenseful showdown, so WHY?

ETA. We've already covered Seabass's vote face, but what was with Angela's faces when they were planning the vote? It was like she was playing into some sort of scary black-widow-type role but... no. Please no. 

Edited May 10, 2018 by MissEwa

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Omeletsmom said:

It's not the talking to each other every day that bothers me, it's the seeming inability to function without the other person.  I am biased; DH was in the military for 23 years, so he was often gone for weeks at a time and he often worked very long hours when he was home. Co-dependency like that just baffles me.  You're a grown woman, Mrs. Dom;  just suck it up and deal.

Which is interestingly pretty much what Angela's barely-adult daughter said she'd always done in her mother's deployments.  

It's odd, too, that Dom and his wife have kids yet she still seems so meek and weak.  In my experience, having kids makes you stronger.  I wonder what she was like before.  Hopefully she's got help at home.  She must, since someone's taking care of the kids while they're in Fiji.  

I'm not sure about Fiji but I know if you take a pet to Hawaii it has to live in quarantine for quite a while before you can take it home.  My sister took a stupid cockatoo there while in the navy in the 80s.  

Edited May 10, 2018 by Guest

[Hera]

1 hour ago, ProfCrash said:

I will agree about the atrocious editing but until I hear someone say that Luarel turned down a final three in order to stay with Wendell and Dom I am going to have some problems buying that her defecting would be a good thing.

It would be a good thing because she can't beat Domenick and Wendell at the end. She herself has said so. And anyway, why do other people need to offer her things? Why can't she be a pro-active player who arranges her own alliances and Final 3/4 deals? Michael, Jenna, and Libby were in no position to be picky about alliances. Once Libby was gone, she and Donathan could have had a Final 4 deal with Michael and Jenna. They wouldn't have even needed to be sincere about it; it could have been there as an option. Use Desiree and Chelsea to get out Kellyn, Angela, and Sebastian, and then take them out (or get Domenick and Wendell to do it via idol bounce-back), and then decide at F6/7 which F4 alliance they want to take to the end—they might even be better off going with Domenick and Wendell since in this scenario, those two aren't necessarily the powerhouses that they currently are.

If all of that seems implausible or risky, remember that Laurel and Donathan could have gone any time before now, if Wendell or Domenick had decided to cut them loose. In fact, if Michael had had an idol, or if he had thrown his vote Laurel's way in the previous episode, Laurel would be gone, despite her F4 alliance and whatever understanding she thought she had with Kellyn. Luck is always a factor in Survivor, and playing to minimize your risk of being voted out at each TC—as Laurel appears to be doing—doesn't guarantee that you won't get votes or the boot.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Hera said:

It would be a good thing because she can't beat Domenick and Wendell at the end. She herself has said so.

Didn't she also say she doesn't trust the girls and does trust the guys?  That matters.  

It's not a foregone conclusion that Dom and Wendell would be in her final three.  If it winds up say Dom has the most blood on his hands and Wendell goes home by Laurel's brilliance, she could eke out a win sitting with Don and Dom, I think.  I'd be tempted to try that before trusting the Naviti women to take me to the end.  

[princelina]

20 hours ago, vb68 said:

I wonder how pissed players like Chelsa get when their name is misspelled. I mean at this point after being trapped with these people for what 30 odd days? Such salt in the wound as you head off.

Well they're not pen pals, and I doubt they spend all day discussing how their names are spelled (or gazing at the banner).  But they should probably be spelled properly when posting here  ;)

 

4 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If it weren't for all the quarantine and other legal restrictions, and logistical nightmares,  I would love to see a PET Luv day on Survivor. 

Didn't we get a bit of that with Tai and his pet chicken?

 

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

This. It isn't the emotion, it's the way Jeff Probst has to milk it for every last drop. "What does it mean to you to have your loved one standing in front of you? Tell me how you're feeling right now! How much does having your loved one here mean to you? Tell me what this means to you! Tell me what's going on inside right now! Explain your feelings to me! What does this mean for you? Tell me how you're feeling right now!"

Cripes. Enough already.

That's why I can't stand the Blood v. Water seasons!

[Guest]

Some people are just not wired for spelling.  I see a word once and typically remember it forever. Others see a word every day and can’t spell it.  I can’t remember names worth a shit, though, unless I visualize the word, while others can remember the sounds.   

[vb68]

28 minutes ago, princelina said:

Well they're not pen pals, and I doubt they spend all day discussing how their names are spelled (or gazing at the banner).  But they should probably be spelled properly when posting here  ;)

I was highlighting the spelling as sarcasm.  I thought that was clear, but I went back and put it in quotations.  

And I think they have enough free time to glance at the banner. They don't need to look at it all day.    

Edited May 10, 2018 by vb68

[Hera]

34 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Didn't she also say she doesn't trust the girls and does trust the guys?  That matters.  

The way she laid out her dilemma, she can't win against Domenick and/or Wendell, but she can't get to the end with the girls. Taken together, that means she can't win, full stop. She may simply be playing for second or third and to tilt the game towards the people she likes best, which is what I'd do if I decided I couldn't win, either.

34 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

It's not a foregone conclusion that Dom and Wendell would be in her final three.  If it winds up say Dom has the most blood on his hands and Wendell goes home by Laurel's brilliance, she could eke out a win sitting with Don and Dom, I think. 

It's true that we don't know who would be at the end with her, but I don't think she could beat Domenick or Wendell if either one (or both) is there with her. I don't know who wins if they're both there (based on the edit, I'm going to say Wendell), but it definitely wouldn't be Laurel. For Chris, the blood on Domenick's hands is a reason to vote for him to win, not something that will be held against him—I suspect a few other jurors will feel the same.

[Matty]

I couldn't believe it when Wendell didn't play his immunity idol. I thought he was going to be just another sad sack that leaves with an immunity idol sitting in his pocket. Of course, to my surprise, he didn't need it after all. I like Wendell and hope he makes it to the final tribal council but for Laurel and Donathan's game I think it was a bad move not to eliminate him last night. Dom had immunity so he couldn't be voted out. Wendell is left and is part of the power couple. I really think that when push comes to shove Laurel just couldn't vote Wendell and go with the girls. She has every right to be leery of Kellen after she put two votes on her. Wendell hasn't betrayed her yet and she just couldn't vote against him. I'm surprised about Donathan but I think he votes with Laurel so that's why he voted that way. Still hoping for a Dom, Wendell, Laurel, Donathan final four and watching them battle it out against each other for the win. Should be interesting. The others can go anytime.

[healthnut]

2 hours ago, nutty1 said:

On a different note, if Laurel and Donathan switched alliances, the ones benefiting would have been Kellyn, Chelsea and Angela. Unless Laurel or Donovan won individual immunities at the right time, no way we either going to the F3 with those girls.

Chelsea said in her exit press she intended to take Laurel to FTC because she believed she could beat her. Says Laurel was very passive, wasn’t involved in strategy (in her opinion anyway), and “was attached to Wendell at the hip”.

[peachmangosteen]

18 minutes ago, Matty said:

I really think that when push comes to shove Laurel just couldn't vote Wendell and go with the girls... votes on her. Wendell hasn't betrayed her yet and she just couldn't vote against him.

I still think Laurel is playing scared, but I agree that part of it is also just that she likes Wendell and feels a bond with him that makes it hard for her to pull the trigger.

1 minute ago, healthnut said:

Chelsea said in her exit press she intended to take Laurel to FTC because she believed she could beat her. Says Laurel was very passive, wasn’t involved in strategy (in her opinion anyway), and “was attached to Wendell at the hip”.

If this is true, Laurel is actually getting a better edit than she should. I don't think she has a chance in hell of winning, but many seem to think she does so the edit has done a decent job making her still seem like a viable winner when she probably really isn't.

Edited May 10, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[BarneySays]

Another boring episode.  There is no doubt that was just bad theater at tribal council.  I think Laurel and Donathan may have actually made the smart move.  If they wait to target dom and wendell, the likelihood of them being sent home as well diminishes.  If they get down to five or six, they can pick dom and wendell off (everyone will be on board with that).  Of course, the variable is the possibility of one of them winning immunity at the eleventh hour, in which case that player is likely to win.  I think we may see a kellyn, donathan, and laurel final three. 

[seacliffsal]

I used to really hate the family visits until I realized that often times they led to personality reveals and shifts in strategy.  Then I became obsessed with them to see who understood the danger(s) of winning, and who exposed themselves.  Now, if pets were involved?  I'd be blubbering while watching.  So, no to pets...

Kellyn really exposed her true self and her sense of entitlement as a result of this year's family visit.  I think she thought that she was everybody's "darling" out there and that nobody would refuse her anything.  Her whole reaction was overblown and then went into revenge (against the wrong person).  This whole scenario is why I have grown to enjoy the family visits.  I also imagine for some family members it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they get to go to an exotic locale (Aunt Pattie).

While Lauren and Donathan may not be able to win, they should still get farther that they would have with the Naviti women and although they may end up not winning a million dollars, they do get incrementally more money the longer they last and they may build enough of a fan base that they are either asked back or benefit in some other way.  There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding whether to change alliances.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, BarneySays said:

Another boring episode.  There is no doubt that was just bad theater at tribal council.  I think Laurel and Donathan may have actually made the smart move.  If they wait to target dom and wendell, the likelihood of them being sent home as well diminishes.  If they get down to five or six, they can pick dom and wendell off (everyone will be on board with that).  Of course, the variable is the possibility of one of them winning immunity at the eleventh hour, in which case that player is likely to win.  I think we may see a kellyn, donathan, and laurel final three. 

OMG! That would be an awful Final 3. IMO!

[Oscirus]

3 hours ago, healthnut said:

Chelsea said in her exit press she intended to take Laurel to FTC because she believed she could beat her. Says Laurel was very passive, wasn’t involved in strategy (in her opinion anyway), and “was attached to Wendell at the hip”.

Wasn't involved in her strategy.  If people want Laurel as their goat, they should've at least tried to bond with her.  Other then Dom, Wendel and to a lesser extent Desiree, it seems that people out there were expecting Laurel to be a mindreader and make the big move by getting rid of her closest ally just to help their game and when she wouldn't do so, then she apparently wasn't playing the game.

Edited May 11, 2018 by Oscirus