S36.E15: Live Reunion Show

[ProfCrash]

17 minutes ago, kikaha said:

Suppose they didn't have the fire-making challenge at F4.  How does the game unfold in that case?

I think Dom and Angela vote to boot Wendell.  So the key vote is Laurel.  She can vote to boot Wendell, putting herself in F3, handing the game to Dom.  Or she can join Wendell in voting to boot Angela.  Tie, which means fire challenge between Wendell and Angela.  i.e. exactly what actually happened. 

Laurel is safely in F3 no matter what.  At the same time she's far closer to Wendell than to Angela.  So I think she probably does force the fire challenge. 

i.e this season the automatic fire-challenge may not have changed a thing. 

I don't think Laurel votes for Wendell at the final four. Laurel has a better chance of beating Angela then she does Wendell. Laurel could also hold that when push came to shove, she voted out Wendell. Now it is her quiet, behind the scene game to Dom's more up front game. Instead of being the two obvious power players, it is the behind the scene player vs the up front game. I think Laurel has a better chance against Dom who rubbed some folks the wrong way. I think that Sea Bass voted for Wendell because Sea Bass did not like Dom's more brash style. Sea Bass might vote for Laurel over Dom. 

[akroll16]

Can someone explain the point of Dom picking an urn? I thought there was going to be some kind of advantage but was it just a symbolic thing?

[shelley1234]

I was a fan of Wendell all along.   It was either Wendell or Michael for me, so I've clearly been Team Wendell for a while now.  

I loved that he won and how he won.  Wendell won due to genuine loyalty to another person.  Wendell saved Laurel when there was no perceived benefit to him.   He even thought and said at the time that it might not be good for his game (if only he knew...) but did it anyways because Laurel was someone he wanted to be there at the end.   Dom played an aggressive, arrogant game and Wendell played a loyal game.   And when the final twist turned around, Wendell's game won out.

[ProfCrash]

Just now, akroll16 said:

Can someone explain the point of Dom picking an urn? I thought there was going to be some kind of advantage but was it just a symbolic thing?

Yes, it was a symbollic thing. The reality is that none of those urns were cursed. Woo would not have beaten Kass. Colby knew what he was doing when he choose Tina. Brad was going to lose no matter what. The reality is that those three finals losers were because of their intentional game play and not because of a bad move at the end. 

Colby was not unhappy to lose. He knew when he chose Tina and not Keith he was going to lose. He made that choice intentionally because he wanted to be honest to himself and not cave into the desire to win money.

Woo did the same damn thing. Woo was an awful player and would have lost to a rock if he went to the finals with a rock.

Brad was a bully who mistreated folsk the second he was in power. He had no shot of winning because he is an asshole. 

[kikaha]

Prof C: Laurel knew she couldn't beat Dom or Wendell in finals.  She said that many times, all through the second half of the season.  Her only hope was to boot both of them, and hope she could make it to the end without their help/protection.  So given how close she was to Wendell, I think she chooses him over Dom. 

Shelley: Wendell didn't save Laurel.  All the votes were already lined up against Donathan.  Wendell's move was good strategically, because it impressed the jury.  It didn't change Laurel's status at all though. 

[Wings]

There were two kids dressed in Pink and blue dresses, in the front row, the older in the position you described. @spiderpig.  

I am not going back again, I missed seeing a shot of all together.  Did they even do that?  Not that I would know any of them anyway, just curious. 

[candall]

I once worked in a government office that had to spend every dime of the budget to prevent budget cuts the following year.  The money couldn't be spent on anything good, i.e. salaries, so every year they wasted buckets of money on crap like binders and trashcans no one wanted.

That's the Reunion Show.  Probst doesn't want to dig into a true reunion review, but he doesn't want to lose the status of owning the entire prime time block.   So they string out the finale drivel an extra thirty minutes, and load the rest with filler and schmooze.  WHY CAN'T HE JUST DO A DAMN REUNION SHOW?  It would be interesting to hear the motives and strategy that didn't make the broadcast.

But I guess if Probst were a skillful interviewer, he'd still have a talk show.

[ProfCrash]

1 minute ago, kikaha said:

Prof C: Laurel knew she couldn't beat Dom or Wendell in finals.  She said that many times, all through the second half of the season.  Her only hope was to boot both of them, and hope she could make it to the end without their help/protection.  So given how close she was to Wendell, I think she chooses him over Dom. 

Shelley: Wendell didn't save Laurel.  All the votes were already lined up against Donathan.  Wendell's move was good strategically, because it impressed the jury.  It didn't change Laurel's status at all though. 

I think there is a world of difference when you know you are going up against one or the other instead of both. I want to know how many folks were influenced by the fire makign challenge. Laurel and Angela knew that they could not beat Wendell in fire making because Wendell was one of the fire makers at camp. So when you get to 6 and Wendell and Dom have idols and you know you are going to lose at fire, you know you are facing Wendell and Dom at the final three. 

Laurel could not trust that any of the Naviti were going to take her into the final three other then Dom and Wendell. For all the talk of the women winning the first five individual immunities, Dom and Wendell won the last four individual immunity. Laurel knew she was not going to be in good immunity shape and knew that the other Naviti would vote her out. So she makes a big move, votes out Wendell or Dom and then goes home. What did that get her?

By the time she gets to safer ground, Dom and Wendell have idols and she knows she cannot win fire making against either Dom or Wendell. 

But if the final four is not fire and Laurel reads the room right and knows that Dom ruffled some feathers, she is now playing for a minmum of second and a shot at first. The second place money is better then third place money. If she truely didn't think she could win and she was playign for place, second is better then third. She votes out Wendell.

I want the fire challenge gone or at least for others to take the damn thing seriously and learn how to make fire.

[kikaha]

4 minutes ago, ProfCrash said:

Yes, it was a symbollic thing. The reality is that none of those urns were cursed. Woo would not have beaten Kass. Colby knew what he was doing when he choose Tina. Brad was going to lose no matter what. The reality is that those three finals losers were because of their intentional game play and not because of a bad move at the end. 

Colby was not unhappy to lose. He knew when he chose Tina and not Keith he was going to lose. He made that choice intentionally because he wanted to be honest to himself and not cave into the desire to win money.

Woo did the same damn thing. Woo was an awful player and would have lost to a rock if he went to the finals with a rock.

Brad was a bully who mistreated folsk the second he was in power. He had no shot of winning because he is an asshole. 

You don't think Brad wins against Tai and Troy?  I think he wins in a cakewalk.  And that is who he is up against, if he doesn't choose Sarah. 

I also suspect Woo beats Kass.  Kass alienated too many jurors. 

[shelley1234]

Laurel still gave immunity to her and made sure she was safe.   That's loyalty in my book.   

[Special K]

I have a feeling those two girls in pink/blue dresses in the front row might have been Dom's kids.  One of them was sitting next to Mrs. Dom, who was on the aisle of the first row.

Did we see Nicole?  Wendell's girlfriend?  I couldn't watch the whole show, but only saw him celebrating with family-looking folk (ie not intimate kisses). 

[Koalagirl]

Laurel really thought she would get at least one vote (Donathan), possibly a couple more:

http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/24/survivor-finale-laurel-johnson-tie-ghost-island/

[illini1959]

Count me in with all who think the 'reunion' was a great big fat waste of time.

I don't get why there's the need for all things extraneous when there are multiple players sitting around (you know...the ones we actually watched) doing nothing. Saying nothing. What's the point? 

I hope the powers that be take note of this.

I was for Wendell, too. I really like him and also love the friendship between him and Dom. 

I'd trade all this extra crap for bringing back America's favorite player or something. 

And yeah. Kevin Hart? Really?

That show's already been done and I miss it. Bring back Wipeout.

[mythoughtis]

I enjoyed the reunion show better with the original host. The one who made sure to ask every player at least 1 question.   Jeff could do that, he just chooses not to.  I think he is a producer as well as the host. 

[ProfCrash]

1 hour ago, kikaha said:

You don't think Brad wins against Tai and Troy?  I think he wins in a cakewalk.  And that is who he is up against, if he doesn't choose Sarah. 

I also suspect Woo beats Kass.  Kass alienated too many jurors. 

Kass might have been obnoxious but she played the game and she is capable of making a pretty solid argument. I suspect that her performance for the jury would have been pretty impressive. Woo could barely string together a complete sentance. Woo had to be guided through the entire game and was going to be awful at final tribal. All Kass has to say is "I played the way I did so that I would be seen as the goat and taken to the final. It was the only way to get there." I cannot see Tony or Spencer voting for Woo because they respect the game too much. Hell, I think many of the people who Kass upset would prefer voting for someone who played then Woo. 

Kass vs Woo is not Russell vs Natalie. We did not see Natalie's game play because production did not think it was interesting viewing but the people she played with all said that she was playing the game. Natalie made a good case at the final tribal. She won because she had been playing and because Russell was an ass. Kass was an ass but Woo did not play the game. Woo could not have made a good case at the finals. Seriously, I don't think that there is anyone who Woo played with who thought he actually played the game. 

I think Tai wins against Brad. Tai has the under dog card and he did play the game. But I am seriously biased against Brad who I think is a total asshat. I get he feeling that Brad was not well liked by his cast mates and was not going to be in a good place no matter who he was up against in the finals. But I really dislike Brad so I am less sure of this one. 

[CloudySky]

I went into final tribal torn between Dominic and Wendell. I had been leaning towards Wendall, but Dom making it through 5 with the fake idol bluster earned him the win. The fact that that's what some of the jury got hung up on made me lose any respect I may have had for those people (not a lot). Thank god for Michael. Be mad at Angela if you want to be pissed. She's the moron who blew up any chance the rest of them had by telling Dom.

Both Laurel and Wendell could have explained their gameplay better. It's always frustrating when I can name several things the player did that they are not using to sell themselves. Dom was great in explaining his game and really should have won just due to the fact that Wendell blew it in the end. The tie was due to some butthurt people.

I got Laurel's pitch. She may not have gotten to the end by voting out Dom and/or Wendell. But she's forgetting that she let them continue with their idols...By forcing them to play their idols earlier...they would have still been in the game a few rounds longer and still been targets ahead of her. And without them there to win immunity, she may have had a shot at that necklace.

The reunion show was 17 minutes long without commercials...Probst managed to waste most of that time with a dumb audience gimmic, bringing back two old players who get more unlikeable each time they appear, hyping a show that is basically that other dumb show Wipeout, and the 1 minute he actually spent on the reunion he talked to the most unlikeable player on the island. Nice.

[UncleChuck]

Quote

I think he is a producer as well as the host. 

Yup.  JP is not only "a" producer, he is the showrunner--the executive producer in charge of the production.

[peachmangosteen]

My main takeaway was that the woman sitting with Michael's mom and dad that I assume was his sister looked just like Libby and it severely squicked me out. Unless it was actually his girlfriend, in which case he certainly has a type.

So, no one knows why Stephanie wasn't there?

[kassandra8286]

5 hours ago, MissEwa said:

Jeff "apologised" to James and Erik, in that he was like 'James, you're a bonehead, but you found TWO IDOLS so actually you're a MASTERMIND,

Yeah, and the ridiculous/ironic thing is, James didn't actually "find" either of those idols. Todd gave him one idol and then told him where the other one was located - it was part of that wooden structure thingy back at James' camp. James did have to extract it without anyone seeing him, so props for that, but it's not like he was out there hunting down and finding idols like some sort of pre-Russell Hantz. Sorry, Probst, James is still a bonehead.

Erik looked none too happy to be there. 

[fishcakes]

As much as I liked Wendell all season, I'm a little disappointed that Dom didn't win it. There's no real reason for that, except maybe that Dom was more interesting to watch. They were equally good at the game, but Dom was better at the show.

Did Peachy even talk to Dom? I could rewatch the reunion show to find out, but where will I find the time?

Sia gave Tai $50,000 because he cares for animals and she gave Donathan $10,000 because he cares for his mother and grandma. I mean, I like animals more than people too so I get it, but that doesn't look right.

It has been bothering me all season that I can't figure out who Angela looks like. I feel like it might be a soap opera actress, but I'll be damned if I know which one.

[Haleth]

1 hour ago, candall said:

I once worked in a government office that had to spend every dime of the budget to prevent budget cuts the following year.  The money couldn't be spent on anything good, i.e. salaries, so every year they wasted buckets of money on crap like binders and trashcans no one wanted.

That's the Reunion Show.  Probst doesn't want to dig into a true reunion review, but he doesn't want to lose the status of owning the entire prime time block.   So they string out the finale drivel an extra thirty minutes, and load the rest with filler and schmooze.  WHY CAN'T HE JUST DO A DAMN REUNION SHOW?  It would be interesting to hear the motives and strategy that didn't make the broadcast.

But I guess if Probst were a skillful interviewer, he'd still have a talk show.

Shoot, if Probst doesn't want to do the reunion I'm sure there are any number of former Survivors who would happily take over the duties and actually talk to the cast.

[laurakaye]

If the goal is to make each successive reunion show worse than its predecessor, mission accomplished.

Ghost Island was a huge letdown.  I really hate the new fire-making twist at Final Four.  Also hate the new jury format.

Final Tribal annoyed the heck outta me because while Dom and Wendall each got a chance to speechify at the end, Laurel did not.  Or if she did, it was edited out.  On that note, the only jury members who were allowed to speak were all the men and Kellyn, which also sucked.

Also, the editing sucked all season.  What is the point of casting these people if only half of them have are allowed to have personalities?  

I am a dedicated, loyal Survivor fan since Season One.  I hate that I'm beginning to not care anymore.

I keep hoping for a return to old-school Survivor but I'm beginning to think that's not going to happen.

Wow, I feel like a buzzkill but I had such high hopes for this season.

Edited May 24, 2018 by laurakaye

[fishcakes]

2 minutes ago, kassandra8286 said:

Erik looked none too happy to be there. 

Erik was a like an adorable puppy in Micronesia, but every time we've seen him since then, he's come across as bitter and angry. I'd be happy not to see him again ever. James too, although it was funny when he said he never watches the show any more. I'm sure CBS was thrilled when he busted out that bit of information.

[peachmangosteen]

5 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Also hate the new jury format.

Fucking yes. It completely sucks. I actually like Michael, but maybe they could have capped him off after the 500th time he chimed in so we could have heard from someone else a bit. The whole thing is just so stupid. 

The F4 fire-making thing and the new jury format have really fucked the game and the show up. Honestly, I think they've basically ruined it. But here I am, still watching every season. I hate myself!

[ProfCrash]

1 minute ago, peachmangosteen said:

Fucking yes. It completely sucks. I actually like Michael, but maybe they could have capped him off after the 500th time he chimed in so we could have heard from someone else a bit. The whole thing is just so stupid. 

The F4 fire-making thing and the new jury format have really fucked the game and the show up. Honestly, I think they've basically ruined it. But here I am, still watching every season. I hate myself!

The only people we heard from at final tribal were the people we heard from all season long, the rest were silent. We had the occassional chime in from Chelsea, Jenna, Libby, Des, and Angela. Hell, the only time I really remember hearing from Libby, Des and Chelsea was when they were asked about who approached them by whats her face, Kellyn?

I actually think that question screwed Dom. The Naviti all said that they were approached by Dom and seemed to vote for Dom. The Naviti voted for Wendell. Could it be that the Naviti were holding to Naviti Strong and voted for Wendell since it was Dom who approached the Malolo?

I also think that Donathon forgot that he was voting for the winner when he voted for Wendell. I have no idea how Donathon votes for Wendell after everything he said and did at final tribal. I suspect that Donathon voted the way that he had at every other vote, he voted against someone and spaced that he was suppose to be voting for someone. I suspect that his final vote will be probed in interviews.

[peachmangosteen]

Yea, Donathan's Wendell vote struck me even last night, but now that I've thought about it more it is really odd. He spent the entire FTC championing Dom! There's gotta be something going on there and I hope his exit interviews shed some light on it. Although if it's because he was confused and mis-voted or that the jury planned for a tie I'm sure he won't actually say that and will have some made-up reasoning.

Edited May 24, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[Special K]

Sorry, I haven't watched the reunion -- was there any mention of any of the three couples?

[kassandra8286]

Nope, not a word.

[laurakaye]

16 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

The F4 fire-making thing and the new jury format have really fucked the game and the show up. Honestly, I think they've basically ruined it. But here I am, still watching every season. I hate myself!

My theory has always been that bad Survivor is better than no Survivor.  But these changes, IMO, take away from the basic strategies and relationship-building that winning the game is so dependent on.  If these changes are supposed to lure new viewers, I think they risk alienating geezers like myself.

7 minutes ago, Special K said:

Sorry, I haven't watched the reunion -- was there any mention of any of the three couples?

Not to mention no explanation for Stephanie not being there...but plenty of time on former players, a kid in the audience and apparently Kevin Hart, but by that point I had turned it off.

Edited May 24, 2018 by laurakaye

[SevenCostanza]

44 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

If the goal is to make each successive reunion show worse than its predecessor, mission accomplished.

Ghost Island was a huge letdown.  I really hate the new fire-making twist at Final Four.  Also hate the new jury format.

Final Tribal annoyed the heck outta me because while Dom and Wendall each got a chance to speechify at the end, Laurel did not.  Or if she did, it was edited out.  On that note, the only jury members who were allowed to speak were all the men and Kellyn, which also sucked.

Also, the editing sucked all season.  What is the point of casting these people if only half of them have are allowed to have personalities?  

I am a dedicated, loyal Survivor fan since Season One.  I hate that I'm beginning to not care anymore.

I keep hoping for a return to old-school Survivor but I'm beginning to think that's not going to happen.

Wow, I feel like a buzzkill but I had such high hopes for this season.

Me too sadly.  My husband and I found this season so boring.  He went on the computer towards the end last night, and I started falling asleep, (yea I'm old). I remember watching finales in the past and pacing the room because I was so invested in the players.

[Oscirus]

42 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

The F4 fire-making thing and the new jury format have really fucked the game and the show up. Honestly, I think they've basically ruined it. But here I am, still watching every season. I hate myself

The F4 firemaking is a change I like.It's forcing people to play the game  different, no longer can you coast to the end with a mastermind/jury threat and get rid of him/her at the tribal right before the finals.  The new jury format is just silly as its basically just people advocating for who they want to win the full tribal.

[el diego]

I thought Wendell played a much better end game than Dom, and I think that is evidenced by who voted for who (first 5 voted Dom, last 5 voted Wendell). His move to give Laurel the idol and Sebastian + Angela the steaks might have won him the game in the end. On the surface it seems like Dom ran the whole strategic game, but as viewers we saw that they both ran it pretty equally (editing accuracy notwithstanding). After Wendell won the fire making I thought he had it in the bag but...

I thought Wendell's jury performance was just AWFUL. I haven't watched this show in a while, but I don't remember jury performances really having a huge impact in the end, but here I suspect it did. Wendell really needed a PR person. His gimmick to the jury should have been: I am the ideal survivor. Look at what it entails:

1. Social game: check. Nice to everyone, clean game, likeable.

2. Strategic game: check. Ran the game with Dom. Didn't need to say he was mastermind, but highlight that the moves that were made were his moves. Had an alliance from the start, tried to broker peace with Chris and Dom, when that didn't work formed an iron clad alliance that ran the show. Was able to save his idol to the end and then give it to an ally.

3. Camp life: check. Friendly around camp, made it better for everyone not just to be nice but also as a strategy to curry favour (people love stuff like that).

4. Challenges: check. Won multiple team rewards where he contributed massively. Used it to share the wealth. Won immunity twice towards the end when it mattered.

5. Fire making: CHECK! This would be how I would top it off. In the end was so strong that Dom was scared and put up his best ally for elimination because he knew that I was the real winner. And then I smashed the challenge, because true survivors know that fire making is essential (as dumb as it is that that determines who makes the finale). 

I wish we could know how many jurors had the final jury switch their vote because if I had to guess I'd say at least one, probable more, switched from Wendell to Dom.

ETA: I am not the least bit surprised that Chris voted for Dom. Before the final jury he was the only one I knew would definitely be voting for him.

Edited May 24, 2018 by el diego

[cooksdelight]

I hope they paid Erik to appear, it’s the least they could do since they keep bringing up his mistake.

If Dom had given immunity to one of the women, and saved the other one, going into the fire challenge against Wendell....I wonder what would have happened?

If Wendell won, he’d win it all in a landslide. If Dom won, he’d also win easily. Guess he’ll be kicking himself from now on for not having the balls to try it.

[Oscirus]

Ironically enough, Eric's idol curse has to be reversed since it was used in the exact same way that eric used it.

From reading interviews that tribal with donathon was even worse, with Dom goading donathon by asking him to choose which idol he would use. Wendell likely didn't help matters by pulling out his jewlery ( which he acknowledges in his interview).

[Eolivet]

I for one am psyched for David vs. Goliath. It's a broad theme that leads to all sorts of interpretations of character, and it's a theme that doesn't really inspire tribal loyalty (i.e., not another season of Naviti Strong). I'm sure there are Davids who think they are Goliaths and Goliaths who think they are Davids. It motivates them to mix it up, and create those interesting post-merge alliances we usually see in every season but this one.

This is what I think Millennials vs. Gen X did well -- it was a broad theme, but it was still delineated by something, even if that something was "random age dividers." Similarly, I think David vs. Goliath is going to have people trying to defy the negative connotations of their tribe, and that will even subconsciously incentivize some of them to try to escape those labels. Whereas when you pigeon-hole people by complimenting them that they're Heroes/Healers/Hustlers, you get less of an incentive to flip. And clearly, when you give them no labels whatsoever, most just attach to their original tribe forever.

So, bring on 37! And also: let this be the last we ever speak of Naviti Strong ever again.

[ohmygoshTash]

I agree with most everyone here. Survivor is starting to get boring.

I mean Dom and Wendell deserved to be sitting there because they were the only 2 that had the balls to do anything at all.

The rest of the cast just fell in line and went along with everything and when they gained advantages they wasted them away.

I mean the extra vote could have sealed Dom or Wendell's several times, but no one was smart enough to rally the troops and make it happen. It seemed like this cast never strategized they all just went off on their own.

Then, Angela...ugh barf. What an IDIOT to go and run to Dom about the Seabass extra vote. If they would have taken him out then maybe she has a shot.

I wanted Donathan to win honestly, because he seemed the most sincere. I just like to route for the underdog and I wanted some big moves to happen. But it was just the Dom and Wendell show.

But I am starting to question if CBS actually casts people who want to win the show. Because the way they play seems like they don't want to win, but would just settle with helping another cast mate win the whole thing.

I miss the OLD days where people went hard, like when Sean votes out John on Marquesas and exclaims, "Checkmate, Brah!"

When people had the guts to make moves and take names and turn on their "Naviti Strong" BS alliances.

Yawn...CBS come on. I mean I will still watch it though.

And yes, worst reunion show ever. Can we even call it a reunion show?

[hyukx3]

I feel like ratings are dropping because there are fewer episodes this season I think.

I don't like the show tribe swapping twice. Once is enough. In Survivor 2 Australia, I think is the season with Colby. Back then, 40 minutes of the show would be about them surviving the wild. Then around season 20, you have the dominant alliance steamrolling to the finish. Every time I think about this, I think of Boston Rob's winning season. So on the scale, in the beginning, it was "theoretically" 0% luck and now the show wants to spice things up for the viewers which introduce more of the element of luck, so the scale is tipping more to luck in terms of gimmicks such as tribe swaps (I think it used to be once) and the ghost island.

It's their show and they can spice it up any way they want if they think it does. But you have to balance between giving the element of luck against punishing them due to luck.

About Ghost Island, it is so stupid. I don't understand why they break the urn in succession. I thought they could break it in any order. And then, they don't even work for the advantage, it's just a random draw. At least make it a treasure hunt or a quest or a puzzle or a trial or a clue that pertains to the main island. The show just wants to straight up give people advantages to make it exciting for the viewers, which I feel is only 50/50 effective.

I really like the Aussie edits. I think there were a couple of 2 hr eps and a 3 eps stretch where there's only 1 eviction. They show more of the interpersonal relationships and dynamics and strategy. Part of the reason the Ghost Island doesn't really appeal to me is because of the U.S. edits. They make it harder to care about it anymore season after season. They always misdirect and doesn't really show more of the relationships that help us understand the voting.

 

Colby and Tina were a final 2. Woo and Tony were a final 2. Sarah's one was a final 3. And iirc, all of those finals the finalist eliminated the other person. There was no fire challenge. If you win the final immunity, you were rewarded with the final decision. Wendell couldn't get kick out because of it. I think that's unfair.

 

I know the U.S. edits leaves out a lot of things, so when more people said Dom talked to them than Wendell, I'm gonna take that as my benchmark.

First off, Sebastian is a hippie that is bitter about getting one-upped by Dom.

Kellyn always put on a bad face on the jury. Now I guess that’s towards Dom.

To me, Laurel and Dom played a better game than Wendell. I hate PC culture and SJW and not a feminist but not a sexist, but I think (I definitely know) that the boys were seen as the ones to beat because they were men. Socially, perception is reality; that I think is very true. But Laurel and Donathan needs to have a bit more self-believe.

Doms war against Chris put him and Wendell on the map. But then they were just became figureheads a little bit; figureheads with no power in a sense. Because Laurel saved the boys twice I think. She and Don were the spies, listening to the other group about trying to take out the boys. In those tribals, she could take a bigger credit than the boys. You just need to have the confidence to talk it up in the finals.

The boys need her, but she needed them too, to an extent. The boys still played great. They were the ones they tried to take out and they won the immunity challenges and have idols to back them up. And obviously, Angela doesn’t know how to play the game and helped Dom instead of gunning for him.

Donathan has a chance but he just blurted out that he’s against the boys instead of keeping his intentions hidden. If the perception is the boys are ahead and Laurel and Donathan are behind, then all you need is blindside one of the boys, then you and Laurel would be on top, and the lone boy left (Dom or Wendell) would be seen as powerless now (perception). And then Donathan could argue he played better than Laurel because he’s more active on kicking out Dom and Wendell. His mistake is just blurting out his intentions. He was so paranoid for 2 tribals, convinced that they were gonna vote him out.

On the foursome as a whole, there was no mastermind. Every tribal they win, they all share credit. Laurel could argue she has a bigger share. Donathan could argue he played the best if he managed to oust the Dom/Wendell alliance. But I think Laurel and Donathan just didn’t have enough confidence in their own games, and they didn’t think of my arguments which I think have merits.

Edit wise, we definitely see more of Dom talking to Kellyn and Chelsea. Plus what happened at final tribal, my perception is that Dom does more of the work, then he tells Wendell and then they decide.

We have people like Michael and Chris (surprisingly) that holds no hard feelings about your strategy. Then we have people like Sebastian and Kellyn. Sebastian is just a hippie. But Kellyn, I don’t know why she seems angry at Dom. She called him paranoid when he was warning her that the girls were planning to vote her out, back when they were working together. He was warning her and the conversations were tense, but really, what is her deal? She believes that Wendell was the mastermind? No man, there was no mastermind. The foursome should share the credit.

The thing about Dom is, from my perception, and plus since he plays poker, is that when he go talk to people, he’s trying to get a read; friend or enemy, is something fishy going on etc. Plus he went out and talked to more people, so I think he played harder than Wendell. Wendell just seems to me like waiting for Laurel or Dom to feed him information.

Similarly, for the same reasons, I think Laurel played better than Wendell. She had the option to flip on Dom and Wendell. She was talking to other people. It didn’t work out because Donathan messed up in the end.

Anyway, on the subject of acting, can you really punish a player for acting? The tribal where Sebastian was voted out, what Dom did was acting in every sense of the word. He was playing an angle. After the fact, how can you get mad at him. It’s just strategy.

But on camp life, if you’re worry about people acting to you, act like your friend, if you’re gonna hold that against them, then it’s like you forbade them from talking. I mean, it’s like Survivor winner Cagayan Sarah said, talk is real, emotion is real, tears is real but when it’s game time, it’s time to get cold hearted.

Even if it’s full on acting at camp, can you even punish that? Not saying Dom is a sociopath, but the human emotion element, they brought it up again. So half were like you hurt my emotions so Im voting for Wendell, half were like, Dom played a better game, Im not bitter, you get my vote.

Dom was talking a lot to Chelsea, Im surprised she voted for Wendell. Sebastian is just a hippie. Michael is mature and level headed. Kellyn just seems like a typical (some, not all, don’t kill me, feminist) women that gets bitter when voted out and she took it out on Dom.

When asked about who approach people more, I think Donathan also put his hands up. Im sad to see that he voted for Dom. Because of the edits, Im left guessing here. Dom’s personality, while some would say brash, even so, brashness is not offensive. So what is all the hurt is about, Kellyn? Sebastian, I understand. Because that’s just who he is. Chelsea, Donathan, Angela, I don’t understand.

Hypothetically, if I were Dom, I would ask Angela if she was successful making fire on Ghost island. If not, I could take her to the finals and Laurel and Wendell would do the fire making challenge, knowing full well that Laurel would lose. The pro is that in my eyes, she has more credentials and Angela. The con is that she would vote for Wendell. But then again, Angela also voted for Wendell.

What I would say as Dom is to share the credits with Laurel, Wendell and Donathan. Open people’s eyes that there was no mastermind. Give Laurel massive credits for saving their alliance twice. That would diminish the perception that Wendell played as good of a game as it seems. Conversely, the same can be said about Dom, but if Dom’s the one giving praises, that humility would earn some brownie points I think. Give credits to Donathan too. So everybody is sharing the credits, but differentiate your game from Wendell by saying that you went out and talked to people, you played more of the social game than Wendell, you’re getting out there building rapport, making reads and getting information, whilst Wendell was just waiting for Dom to give him the heads-up.

Anyway, Im disappointed that Dom lost. I was really 51/49 Dom/Wendell but after the final tribal, I was 100% Dom.

[cooksdelight]

47 minutes ago, ohmygoshTash said:

The rest of the cast just fell in line and went along with everything and when they gained advantages they wasted them away.

And they are supposed to be superfans. 

*yawn*

[iMonrey]

Quote

WHY CAN'T HE JUST DO A DAMN REUNION SHOW?

Because they seem to have settled into this format where the entire three hours is a combined reunion show and the season's last two episodes. Jeff talks to the other players before and after commercial breaks so they seem to think that covers it. The problem is that all of this takes place before the winner is announced. And because the last episode now bleeds a whole half hour into the final hour, there's no time left over to get any reactions to the win. Plus they have all this obligatory crap like promoting other CBS shows. 

It's really, really annoying. 

Also, "David v Goliath" sounds like a really, really dumb idea. Much like "Brains v Brawn." Hmm. Who will dominate at challenges? I just don't know!

Edited May 24, 2018 by iMonrey

[piequinn35]

It was Angela's fault, they had a chance to boot Dom with the extra vote, Angela looked really nice at FTC.

In Jeff's interviews, did he like this season very much? Or no because Dom lost?

[Oscirus]

1 minute ago, piequinn35 said:

It was Angela's fault, they had a chance to boot Dom with the extra vote, Angela looked really nice at FTC.

In Jeff's interviews, did he like this season very much? Or no because Dom lost?

probably loved it since its the first time he picked winner in the preseason

[ratgirlagogo]

6 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

Lamest reunion ever. Seriously, lamest reunion ever. 

Word.  I liked Wendell for the win and that tie vote was amazing - but this season was dull and confusing and I'm glad it's over.

 

6 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

his new show looks just like Wipeout (Big Balls!) which I used to love but I don't intend to watch this.

And both TKO and Wipeout are pale imitations of the brilliant Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (one of my favorite shows of all time).

Davids vs. Goliaths sounds ominously like Haves vs. Have-Nots, which I think most would agree is one of the worst seasons ever.  

Edited May 24, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[UncleChuck]

I don't believe that TPTB (looking at YOU, Jeff) cared even a little bit about correcting past mistakes or "breaking curses".

Ghost Island was just a oversized Survivor museum--a chance to relive past seasons so Jeff could remind us all that Survivor has an AMAZING history--like no other show ever!  There was no difference if the player did nor did not choose to play--the show played the old clips win or lose and Ghost Island Museum served its purpose.

It surely won't be long before another nostalgia season gets ramped up, only it won't be correcting past mistakes, but celebrating "historic" Survivor milestones, such as the monumental TC Tie vote of 2018.  Of course, it will undoubtedly be a total bust gamewise, but JP will have a truly great time reliving every great memory.  That future season, like all others, will be endlessly hyped by JP as "amazing".

[piequinn35]

14 minutes ago, Oscirus said:

probably loved it since its the first time he picked winner in the preseason

Didn't he choose Boston Rob as the winner in his 4th time lol

[mishap]

Sigh -- I will watch Survivor as long as it's still on,  but I am not excited about some of the changes that have evolved.  

I'm not really one to 'bring back old school Survivor' because I know that things change and evolve.  But it has changed and evolved too much.  

I don't want to see people starve, but there it nothing anymore about actual surviving.  Where do they get food?  How do they ration their rice?  I don't know if it's because they are too well fed, and too many reward challenges.  There is a lot, but not everyone goes and it's one meal, every 3 days?  I guess I wish the rewards were more tools and equipment that would make surviving easier and more comfortable.  Not just a few hours of feasting , and then I'm sure they feel awful, after they are done.  

I do not like the jury format this way.  I liked the old questioning.  It was so much more fun.  You got to see who was still bitter and more of each player's personality.  I don't even pay very close attention to the jury this way.    I guess production wants to guide the questions, an make sure certain things get asked.   But I liked it better when the jurors could ask what they wanted to ask.  I know they still get to speak, but seems like there were some jurors, last night, who barely said a word.  

I was never a big fan of the reunion shows.  They used to be better, when they would try to talk to almost everyone.  I think they need someone besides Probst to host the reunion show.  

He is leading the jury questions and also the reunion shows, so it's all from his perspective.  I know he does run the show, but there's too much of him running the show.    

I believe Probst is a fan of the show, but we are all fans.  The viewers,  and the contestants.   So a little less Probst would make things more interesting.   Another point a view --- a different perspective.  

[Dominii]

14 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Goliaths will quickly pagong the Davids, leaving plenty of swarthy manly men to dominate the season and make Probst all tingly happy. I can.not. wait.  Yawn.

I couldn't agree more. Why do they have to make it so it's totally skewed on the side of the big strong manly women and men? A guy is most likely going to win again. Why do they keep doing this? Probst's hard-on can't be the only reason, right?

And gratz, Wendell!!! I called it way back when. You were the dude this season.

[ByaNose]

Yeah, this reunion show really, really sucked. I know I’ve said that the last few years but this was really bad. A few minutes with the Final 3 and 24 hours with a Michael. LOL!!! Joking of course but I think Jeff thinks he is looking in a mirror when talking with Michael. I know he loves his alpha males but he was a little OTT with Michael. “Michael what is it about you that..........”.  Jeez! Get a room. I never got all the hype about him. Granted, he was 18, way mature for his age & good looking but I think in general he’s kinda bland. Maybe, it’s just me. Then you have Theeeee Kevin Hart. OMG!!! He’s an international movie star and he’s doing a rip off reality show. In one way it shows the power Survivor still has and it also shows how much Jeff and reunion show sucks. I’ll continue watching because I’m a huge fan. I just have to realize the reunion show will suck and has for many years. I would like to audition for Survivor but I’m over the age quota for this show. I’m 53. That’s basically ancient for Survivor. Season 37 airs in September and I think 38 is starting next week according to Jeff. The time 39 & 40 start I could be dead. LOL!!!!! See everyone in September for the stupid titled David vs Goliath. Never mind that the cast has woman, too. So dumb!!!!!

[Special K]

18 minutes ago, Dominii said:

I couldn't agree more. Why do they have to make it so it's totally skewed on the side of the big strong manly women and men? A guy is most likely going to win again. Why do they keep doing this? Probst's hard-on can't be the only reason, right?

Maybe they'll actually do some non-physical challenges again for a change.  Like the memory challenges or how much they know about each other.

[NutMeg]

5 hours ago, fishcakes said:

As much as I liked Wendell all season, I'm a little disappointed that Dom didn't win it. There's no real reason for that, except maybe that Dom was more interesting to watch. They were equally good at the game, but Dom was better at the show.

Did Peachy even talk to Dom? I could rewatch the reunion show to find out, but where will I find the time?

Sia gave Tai $50,000 because he cares for animals and she gave Donathan $10,000 because he cares for his mother and grandma. I mean, I like animals more than people too so I get it, but that doesn't look right.

It has been bothering me all season that I can't figure out who Angela looks like. I feel like it might be a soap opera actress, but I'll be damned if I know which one.

Answering to the bolded part:

I find myself always a bit disappointed for the one who didn't win when I think both had valid ways to win. So I share your disappointment, and I would probably be disappointed for Wendell if Dominic had won. Weird, but yeah.

Angela could very well be cast in any period drama. I can very well picture her on The Age of Innocence, for instance. She has an amazing face. As do the other F6. Dom, for instance, would look good in both a Renaissance drama or the Tudor series. Donathan has a gorgeous face (mostly when still). Wendell could fit in anything. Even Sebastian looked like he could play a musketeer there at the end (he looked very good in the night vision cam at the beginning of the episode). And Laurel is so versatile, she could play either strong athlete or savvy genius :)   

[Pepper the Cat]

I zoned out. Did Jeff go back to that little girl to see who she voted for?