S37.E02: The Chicken Has Flown the Coop

[Pazlovejoy]

Does anyone know when this season was filmed? There were a couple of deadly cyclones in Fiji in April 2018 and I wondered if we just saw one of them.

I really wanted to like Natalie just because we are in the same demographic. She's making it so hard.

[MisterBluxom]

6 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

......

As much as the tribal winnings has gotten bigger over the years, at least the weather can make players miserable and visibly shiver.

......

Can anyone tell me what Lantern meant by "winnings"? I kept thinking maybe he/she meant to type "whinings" and maybe made a typo.

The only thing I can think of is the deluxe fishing kit. Was that it? Because it had that deluxe "Survivor Pole"?

I seriously question (not really seriously but what other adverb could I have used?) JP's mind. He made a big point out of that pole? It was a deluxe Survivor fishing kit because it contained a "spear pole" or some kind of pole?

I get the feeling JP not only thinks Survivor is the single greatest achievement of the human race, but whenever he utters the word "Survivor", everyone in his presence should fall to the ground and chant in unison, "Survivor Survivor Survivor".

6 hours ago, Melina22 said:

It makes me rethink the accuracy of Natalie's comment in the first episode that her employees would take a bullet for her. 

She must have meant they'd take a bullet to escape her.

[LadyChatts]

1 hour ago, Pazlovejoy said:

Does anyone know when this season was filmed? There were a couple of deadly cyclones in Fiji in April 2018 and I wondered if we just saw one of them.

I really wanted to like Natalie just because we are in the same demographic. She's making it so hard.

This season filmed March-May, so that may have been one.

[MisterBluxom]

13 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Gabby: Do you want to play with me?

Christian: In the sand?

I love him lmao! He seems to be having a blast.

I like most of the Davids, but I especially like the “sub-group” that flipped the vote. I like Lyrsa so I’m happy she stayed.  Still annoyed by that guy who keeps making and naming alliances. Just stop, dude. 

This season is already head and shoulders above last season. It really helps when they let us get to know the people before they start swapping tribes.

 

I get the feeling that Lyrsa either strongly suspects or knows the real reason people want her gone is because she is a Lesbian. One can never be certain about such things. But I hope that both of them make it far in the game and every day that guy gets more and more angry until he finally erupts in a torrent of anti-gay stupidity. That is my bizarre idea of fun.

Edited October 4, 2018 by MissBluxom

[MisterBluxom]

8 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

<snip>

.........

When he looked in that pocket (as Mike White watches in his strange stoic silence), I thought "oooh, they're gonna hate this on the forums."

 

I was wondering what stoic Mike would do if someone had approached. Maybe he would raise one eyebrow? Maybe both eyebrows? I suppose it will have to remain a question for the ages.

Actually ...... if he is as talented as I've been giving him credit for, he would leave his eyebrows frozen where they were and he would raise the rest of his face instead. Wouldn't that be a neat trick?  Talking about some kind of talent there!

Edited October 4, 2018 by MissBluxom

[mojoween]

@Ms Blue Jay The game was on the iPad until Survivor was done (I looked up just in time to see Aaron round the bases!).  Not even a Yankees do or die game can push Survivor to a later time, heh.

Jessica may have been blindsided by her ouster but Davie looked like someone ran over his puppy.  Bi too.  I want to like her but there’s something about her that comes across not so nice.

I want to see the discussion at camp that ends up with everyone who has enough hair sitting around getting perfect braids put in (plus war paint for everyone).

[ratgirlagogo]

3 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

Yeah me too, I miss the old school days, back when they gave them rain coats and canned goods.

LOL.   I love this article, thanks for linking it.  The show's been on so long now that people's memories exaggerate the camp conditions in past seasons.

[ratgirlagogo]

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

I love how he swerved after attempting to speak with Natalie where you would think he might say “she’s been married for 24 years can you believe someone can live with her?” but instead said “she ain’t changing.”

He said, "she's been married for 24 years, so someone loves her just the way she is.  She ain't changing."   That's very insightful, especially since it's of course not inconsistent with a lack of self-awareness.

[DEL901]

10 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

He said, "she's been married for 24 years, so someone loves her just the way she is.  She ain't changing."   That's very insightful, especially since it's of course not inconsistent with a lack of self-awareness.

Her “everyone loves me” and “my staff would take a bullet for me” makes me think she’s a bully boss who requires her ass to be kissed.  Of course everyone says these things.... so they can keep their jobs.

[Bryce Lynch]

3 hours ago, GaT said:

 

I am completely baffled as to what game Natalie is playing, "don't vote out the old person who can't win"? What is her endgame then? Then she rejects being told how people feel about her. I just don't understand what she's trying to do.

The only thing that I can think of is that she is aggressively trying to be the Goat.

[Nashville]

9 hours ago, mojoween said:

No come on now.  Misery is part of the game!  Peachy is going soft.  A tarp?  Please.

I kind of got the Production was more worried than usual about current and future weather considerations, so Probst’s largesse may have had mercenary motivations.  Production may be concerned about potentially having to collapse the normal downtimes between challenges to make up for shoot days lost to weather - in which case TPTB may also foresee the cast requiring additional nutrition and fortification against the elements, to be physically capable of keeping up with an accelerated shoot schedule.

 

Quote

Christian has creepy eyes.  He did make me laugh though with his absolute glee at the blindside.

THIS in truth was my favorite part of the episode.  Christian didn’t move a muscle and didn’t utter a peep, but I loved his holy-shit-are-we-actually-pulling-off-a-letter-perfect-Survivor-blindside expression; it was pure undisguised joy.  I kept thinking it was a good thing Christian was leaning out so far nobody could get a direct look at his face, because it was a dead giveaway.  :)

 

9 hours ago, dkb said:

Gabby - "Do you want to play with me?"

Kristian : "In the sand?"

I was rolling, that was hysterical.

Echo echo.

 

Quote

Dan is really naive isn't he -- re idol in his jacket. 

I suspect Dan was patting himself on the back thinking his Purloined Letter approach to idol-hiding was just SOOOO clever... except maybe not.  Dumbass.

 

Quote

Only Bee took longer on the ladder this episode then Alec. Last immunity challenge it was Carl? I think.

Truth be told, I’ve been sorta surprised at how underwhelming Bi’s performances have been on the physical legs of the challenges so far.  Given the MMA part of Bi’s resume, I was expecting her to drive MUCH harder on the physically formidable aspects.

 

9 hours ago, vb68 said:

I was really confused on why Lyrsa is considered the weakest woman on the tribe. I don't get that.

Socially weakest, maybe, although I have to say - when Jessica/Bi/Gabby were having their chatfest about Lyrsa being the “weakest” I did get a definite Cool Kids Clique / Not Pretty Enough To Be One of Us vibe, even though nobody was saying anything particularly mean.  I just got the feeling at that particular point, “weakest” = “different”.

 

Quote

I hope Natalie finds a way to stay. She seems like she could be something of an original character for this show. I'm sure she's very difficult to deal with, but I'm a little tickled to see an older alpha female who does give a F- what people think of her.

I’m not particularly fond of Natalie’s game right now.  Natalie’s entire “what dumbass wants to get rid of old no-threat me?” strategy is WAY more suited to post-Merge individual gameplay than the early-days activities of alliance-building and “$TRIBE Strong” relationship reinforcement.

 

9 hours ago, Melina22 said:

It makes me rethink the accuracy of Natalie's comment in the first episode that her employees would take a bullet for her. 

Maybe - if Natalie is standing behind the employee in question, and she’s the one holding the gun.  ;)

 

8 hours ago, Alice Mudgarden said:

What was with Gabby's needy insecure girl routine when talking to Christian?

"Do you like me?"

"Do you want to play with me?"

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Do you think I'm really pretty?"

"Do you mean it?"

"Do you swear you mean it?"

Pretty sure Gabby believes she’s truly the weakest member of her tribe, in terms of brute force physical strength in comps - and I can’t necessarily say I’d disagree with her.  So I can see how Gabby might get her #blindside wind up over continued chitchat of ridding the tribe of its “weakest” player, even when it’s Lyrsa-directed.

[Bryce Lynch]

I am hoping that Gabby's needy, insecure, little girl talk was a ploy to make sure Christian was really with her.  Otherwise it was kind of pathetic.  

[Haleth]

7 hours ago, Melina22 said:

I know what you mean, and yet I can understand why it keeps happening. A lot of the challenges require brute force, especially early in the game, which puts all but the very fittest, strongest women at a disadvantage. I don't know what the solution is, other than to only have challenges where strength isn't a factor. That doesn't seem like a great solution either, though. 

I can't look at Lyrsa and Christian and think the woman is weaker.

 

4 hours ago, GaT said:

I am completely baffled as to what game Natalie is playing, "don't vote out the old person who can't win"? What is her endgame then?

She's expecting to go to final 3 and have the other 2 take a bullet for her.

Honestly, I was only half paying attention this episode.  What made Jeremy get the idea that Dan had an idol and that he was hiding it in his jacket?

[Bryce Lynch]

2 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

He said, "she's been married for 24 years, so someone loves her just the way she is.  She ain't changing."   That's very insightful, especially since it's of course not inconsistent with a lack of self-awareness.

ITA.  I thought that was a brilliant and hilarious insight by Jeremy.

It seemed like he was going to finish the thought with the cliched "...so there must be some good in her." But, he totally subverted it with, "She ain't changing."

it is a very, interesting insight on the potential toxicity of unconditional love.  

[Lantern7]

3 hours ago, MissBluxom said:

Can anyone tell me what Lantern meant by "winnings"? I kept thinking maybe he/she meant to type "whinings" and maybe made a typo.

I meant “rewards.” And it’s “he.” ?

Me reading through the forum: ”Wait, someone is bisexual? How could I miss . . . oh, one of the women is named ‘Bi.’ How could I forget?”

Edited October 4, 2018 by Lantern7

[Bryce Lynch]

10 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Jeremy is on my hit list for going thru Dan’s jacket and finding the HII. I hate that, I wish they wouldn’t allow that. 

I miss old school survivor. Congratulations you survived a cyclone, here’s fire and a tarp.

I don’t know if voting off a somewhat athletic 19 year was smart. 

I like Elizabeth, she reminds me of Jessie from Toy Story. 

Hah! Elizabeth is totally Jessie from Toy Story.  She also reminds me of Maggie from Million Dollar Baby, sweet, but tough.  I like her, too.

[MisterBluxom]

19 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I meant “rewards.” And it’s “he.” ?

Me reading through the forum: ”Wait, someone is bisexual? How could I miss . . . oh, one of the women is named ‘Bi.’ How could I forget?”

Nice to meet you, Sir!

[MisterBluxom]

44 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Hah! Elizabeth is totally Jessie from Toy Story.  She also reminds me of Maggie from Million Dollar Baby, sweet, but tough.  I like her, too.

I have to think that by allowing that, contestants can easily be made to worry about one more thing. It really has nothing to do with the game. Nothing to do with the entertainment value. That kind of conduct can easily lead to all kinds of stupid, violent and dangerous shenanigans.

Surely JP must be aware of the comments made by so many viewers. It's very difficult to imagine why the dork continues to just sit on his hands and does nothing about this.

He needs to clarify the situation - one way or another and if he should be foolish enough to decide that it's OK for one contestant to go through other's possessions,  then maybe there will be a backlash and we will finally get a new host with some good sense. I know that's just about impossible since he is the Exec Producer. But I've really had it with JP. Most people don't seem to mind him as much as I do. But I think the sudden huge increase in his financial status due to the popularity of this TV show has gone to his head and made him a little Cray-Cray. (I hope that I'm correct in that "Cray-Cray" is the slang expression the cool kids use today to say "crazy"). So many new expressions and so many of the kids today think they are "way cool".  But so many kids today are just "Wrong Wrong".  It's not cool to disrespect other peoples' property. Just ask yourself how you feel when someone does that to you.  Not cool!  Not OK!

Edited October 4, 2018 by MissBluxom

[Lamima]

10 hours ago, Alice Mudgarden said:

I don't care about whether or not it worked, I just thought it was annoying.

well alrighty then

[Lamima]

6 hours ago, GaT said:

 

I am completely baffled as to what game Natalie is playing, "don't vote out the old person who can't win"? What is her endgame then? Then she rejects being told how people feel about her. I just don't understand what she's trying to do.

I thought she was aiming for a Phillip role (with Rob). Be that annoying grating jerk everyone wants out and some big gamer will secretly partner with her and take her to the end. 

[Bryce Lynch]

4 minutes ago, Lamima said:

I thought she was aiming for a Phillip role (with Rob). Be that annoying grating jerk everyone wants out and some big gamer will secretly partner with her and take her to the end. 

Could be.  I have a feeling she is just being her obnoxious, un-self aware self, but it could be a Philip strategy.  It looks like John is on board to try to be her Rob.

But, I don't think it will work.  Philip, as batty and annoying as he was, did work hard to be part of an alliance, making up the stupid code name for "Stealth R Us".  

Also, Rob had a cult leader like hold over the morons in his alliance, so he was able to protect Phile.  I doubt John will have that sort of influence over all the alpha dogs in the Goliath tribe.  

[jay741982]

7 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

Well that was fantastic.  So far I am enjoying this cast quite a bit.  First off I need to single out Elizabeth, who pulled something of a Michelle Schubert move here to save Lyrsa, though with somewhat less of a direct hand in it than the legendary Figgy Save.  (Legendary to me, anyway.)  But she knew the effective move was to go to Gabby, and it totally worked to save her number and keep herself in control -- and better yet, it left Gabby and Christian thinking they were the masterminds, instead of painting a huge target on Elizabeth's back.

So many people were so entertaining, though.  I freaking love Natalie.  She is hilarious.  Slamtown: "You're on the chopping block.  Don't say nothing."  Natalie, to literally everyone: "You're targeting me??  How dare you, everyone loves me.  I'm going to destroy you."  I never thought I'd enjoy any reference to a Survivor tribe theme in my life, but when she said "You're thinking like Davids right now, you've got to start acting like Goliaths!" I was just loving it.  If she's not a Survivor legend by the end of this I'll be very disappointed.  Davie of the Davids is wonderful and I love that he's taking on the provider role and that it netted him the idol.  Jeremy is so entertainingly manic and makes an amazing comedy duo with the Harpo-like Mike White, who never responds to anything he says but just stands there with a vaguely pleasant look on his face.  (For all that Natalie is dedicated to doing the opposite of what one should do on Survivor, Jeremy also handled her in the exactly wrong way.  Telling someone they're not self-aware can't possibly work, because they're not self-aware.  He should have led her to changing her behavior indirectly, not told her outright.)

@MissBluxom's theory was looking very strong tonight.  Not only did Nick get a million-dollar quote tonight, but his strange alliance-naming idea certainly seemed to pay off in a big way in terms of getting Christian solid on his side.  For a STEM nerd Christian was pretty eloquent and articulate at tribal with his thing about roller coasters and exhilaration.  It did seem that poor Gabby went totally off the rails, even heading towards Dawn-style emotional strong-arming, "oh my god, it's me, I know it's me, just tell me, I know it's me but just tell me it's me, you know it will destroy my family and leave us desperate but I just need to hear it from you, just tell me, be honest, just tell me it's me" but luckily not quite there.

I did know for sure it was Jessica with the way they edited her and Bi at tribal -- here's an out-of-context shot of her looking vaguely smug!  what a bitch!  she's about to get HASHTAG BLINDSIDED! -- and I am as always sorry to see the babyfaced blonde go home first, as I feel solidarity with my fellow babyfaced blonde sisters on Survivor.  But I am happy to see it since it was a real blindside indeed, and the getting there was delicious.

Yeah me too, I miss the old school days, back when they gave them rain coats and canned goods.

When he looked in that pocket (as Mike White watches in his strange stoic silence), I thought "oooh, they're gonna hate this on the forums."

Imagine thinking you're voted out for being a threat when really it's because you were the lynchpin of a powerful alliance!  What a dumb blonde bimbo.

Was She? I didn't see it. I just saw a Pretty girl getting targeted and that was the lame excuse 

[AZChristian]

1.  David was a shepherd before he encountered Goliath.  Folks on the David team are NOT appearing to all be sheep.

2.  I would "take a bullet" for Natalie.  If it were in a gun and I was holding the gun and pointing it at her.

3.  The actual Mason-Dixon line is the northern and eastern border of Maryland.  In spite of what we heard on last night's show, it does not touch Kentucky, although it represents the dividing line between the North and the South during the Civil War.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

He said, "she's been married for 24 years, so someone loves her just the way she is.  She ain't changing."   That's very insightful, especially since it's of course not inconsistent with a lack of self-awareness.

(Jeremy?)  I find this guy entertaining as hell.  I don't have this passionate hate for Natalie at all.  Again, it's entertaining.  There's always going to be square pegs who don't know how to fit in.  She thinks highly of herself, so what.  I bet at least half the cast does.  Those smug Goliath girls in braids who all have one man that they say is wrapped around their finger.  I'd rather watch Natalie than that.  Good thing the editors agree so far.

I love how Jeremy wavered between, "I'm here to help you" and when she didn't respond the way he wanted, "I'm going to do everything in my power to vote her out."  LOL it was very sitcommy.

Check this out from former winner Jeremy last night 

Edited October 4, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Bryce Lynch]

7 hours ago, KimberStormer said:

Imagine thinking you're voted out for being a threat when really it's because you were the lynchpin of a powerful alliance!  What a dumb blonde bimbo.

It seems like a least half the contestants think they were voted out because "they were a threat".   I think with Jessica it was closer to the truth than with most who make that claim.

Also, at that stage, where there had been no TC's yet, it is really hard to know why you were blindsided.   As one of the Mason-Dixon guys (can't remember which) mentioned, tribe dynamics are really something of  a mystery until the first person gets voted off.   A person who pretty much all the tribe said was weaker was kept around, so her "I was a threat" theory isn't too unreasonable from her perspective.  

[ProfCrash]

A few thoughts

Gabby: I think she was worried about being voted out since Lyrissa (sp) was being targeted for being the weakest player. Gabby is clearly weaker then Lyrissa and if the vote was going to be based on strength, Gabby was in legitimate danger. She was feeling insecure and turned to the one person she felt that she could confide in and make sure she didn’t go home.  And it worked. 

Christian/Nick: OK, what is it with the stupid alliance names? That is a Big Brother thing not a Survivor thing. Mason Dixon line? Really? Just uuuggghhh. I don’t have a problem with Nick per se, he figured out he was going to be voted out but didn’t know why. It was his lack of working around camp but I don’tt hink he get that. Christian is obviously a nerd who fits every part of the stereotype. I also think that he is thrilled that someone wants to work with him and would jump on any alliance offer. He is far too interested in playing the mastermind role and it is going to bite him in the ass.

Be: I don’t have a problem with her or her performance. I suspect she was sent up the first obstacle because the number of real athletes on the David teamis, well, one. And her skills do not translate to balance and makign a ladder. I think what she said was fine and accurate. That siad, the Davids had better figure out the physical element to this game or they are going to be crushed. 

Jeremy: He searched an idiots coat that he left out in public with something clearly in the pocket. No offense, but that was totally fair game. It does not even have the “well, they allow them to go through bags” caveat to over come the ickiness of searching someones things. I liked his attempt to talk to Natalie even thought it went no where.

Natalie: Really? Someone pulls you aside to tell you that you are in trouble and your response is to go nuclear? And your argument is that the tribe shouldn’t vote out the weaket player on the tribe during the tribe phase? Her argument to stay was that she was the weakest player. Ummmmmm

Idol Owner/SWAT Cop: I can’t remember his name and I don’t feel like looking it up. Kara told him to bury it or hide it better and he said no. Then his idol is found. Yeah, that is some series stupidity there. Seriously stupid. And arrogant. 

That is about all that I have got.

[jumper sage]

25 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

3.  The actual Mason-Dixon line is the northern and eastern border of Maryland.  In spite of what we heard on last night's show, it does not touch Kentucky, although it represents the dividing line between the North and the South during the Civil War.  

THANK YOU!  I was running to get out my historical atlas.........................

I hate at the beginning when I don't know anyone's name and can hardly keep track of tribe members.  Basically, I have no idea what any of you all posted.

• Natalie is the older woman on Goliath who wouldn't do any work on day 1 when building the camp?
• The guy who found the idol, and let 2 other people know, and it was found by the guy hanging out with School of Rock Mike is also on Goliath?  When he found the idol and called the girls over I was screaming at the TV, "You never tell anyone you have an idol, especially so early in the game".
• So the guy who found the idol, who was then found out about the idol via coat rummaging has a "friendship" with one of the girls he showed the idol too and now another girl can use that as leverage?
• The 3 girls who have 'guys wrapped around their little fingers' are all on Goliath?

@ProfCrash - thank you for putting some perspective on the Davids.

ETA:  I guess the goings on in the Goliath tribe had me mesmerized so I took a bathroom break during the Davids camera time.

Edited October 4, 2018 by jumper sage

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

[Natalie’s] expecting to go to final 3 and have the other 2 take a bullet for her.

As I said before - little early in the season to try deploying THAT strategy, dear.

 

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

Honestly, I was only half paying attention this episode.  What made Jeremy get the idea that Dan had an idol and that he was hiding it in his jacket?

Nothing in particular; in the immediately preceding TH Jeremy stated he intended part of his gameplay strategy to include going through everybody’s stuff.  Jeremy was simply taking advantage of an opportunity to do so undetected. 

[Special K]

I know it's early, but I'm loving all the oddball, mutt-and-jeff alliances, all the more so if they're semi-secret.  Elizabeth and Lyrsa.  Jeremy [?] and Mike White.  Mason-Dixon.  Wrestler and Natalie. Also loving all the higher-than-normal number of people of color and with such a variety of personalities instead of the usual tropes.

Elizabeth has the most open, innocent, happy face I've ever seen.  Almost like a doll.  And yet, she masterminded that blindside.  I'm never a fan of the nose rings, because of the evocation of both slavery and farmyard beasts of burden, but IMO Lyrsa's nose ring is especially doing her no favors. 

Jeremy is some kind of awesome in his commentary.

Natalie is one of those people who brags to her friends about her bad-assery in smacking down a waiter or store clerk over some perceived slight, and all their friends say "You go, girl!" The cluelessness of her interactions and actions this episode was pretty hilarious.

I'm calling it here that Christian is going to reveal himself to be handsome as the show progresses. 

[himela]

I love Gabby (my winner pick) and Christian alliance and oddly enough I had predicted it before the season started together with Elizabeth, they make a really smart and strategic team. Christian is one of the most authentic people I've known and in the most lovable and akward way.

Natalie really thinks that she should not be voted out because she is the oldest woman? What kind of sexist bizareness is that?

Seriously though, davids need to start winning something. I liked the same challenge for both reward and immunity, it gives us more time to get to know the players.

[blackwing]

I hate when people go through other people’s things.  I know it’s allowed but I think it’s awful. So Dan would have been better off burying his idol?  It’s always been said that once an idol is found nobody can take it away.  So if he had buried it and someone else digs it up by chance, thinking they have found an idol, what happens?   Does production step in and say “that idol has already been claimed”?  Has this ever happened before, and has it ever been aired on the show?

Natalie looked pissed that she was sitting out the challenge.  Did anyone make out what she said when she raised her hand to indicate she was the one sitting out?  I wasn’t sure if she was saying “go girl”, “old girl”, “go Goliath”.  

Not sure where the “Lyrsa got targeted because she’s a lesbian” is coming from.  Did she say somewhere on the show that she’s a lesbian?   I didn’t know that she is.  And I don’t see why that would have anything to do with it.    I would have targeted her for the reasons she herself explained last week... people think she is weak because she is short and a little chunky.   I didn’t care for her repeatedly saying that “I won the challenge last time” making it look like she was the only reason why they won.  Um, no.  She was part of the two-person team that won the challenge.  And really, that challenge was won on the slide puzzle by the neurotic guy.  

I can’t be too unhappy about David losing a generic blonde.  She didn’t seem like she was doing much.  

[Bryce Lynch]

10 minutes ago, Special K said:

I know it's early, but I'm loving all the oddball, mutt-and-jeff alliances, all the more so if they're semi-secret.  Elizabeth and Lyrsa.  Jeremy [?] and Mike White.  Mason-Dixon.  Wrestler and Natalie. Also loving all the higher-than-normal number of people of color and with such a variety of personalities instead of the usual tropes.

Elizabeth has the most open, innocent, happy face I've ever seen.  Almost like a doll.  And yet, she masterminded that blindside.  I'm never a fan of the nose rings, because of the evocation of both slavery and farmyard beasts of burden, but IMO Lyrsa's nose ring is especially doing her no favors. 

Jeremy is some kind of awesome in his commentary.

Natalie is one of those people who brags to her friends about her bad-assery in smacking down a waiter or store clerk over some perceived slight, and all their friends say "You go, girl!" The cluelessness of her interactions and actions this episode was pretty hilarious.

I'm calling it here that Christian is going to reveal himself to be handsome as the show progresses. 

 

Several people have compared Elizabeth to Jessie from Toy Story 2 & 3, so your doll comparison is on point.  She is a smart doll, though.

I HATE Lyrsa's nose ring.  To me the fashion statement that one makes with that thing is "I wan't to make everyone who is forced to look at me as uncomfortable as possible."   

Love Jeremy's commentary and his interactions with tribe mates.

Totally agree about Natalie.  She is a boorish bully, who has probably been encouraged by other boorish bullies and sycophants. 

[MisterBluxom]

5 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

He said, "she's been married for 24 years, so someone loves her just the way she is.  She ain't changing."   That's very insightful, especially since it's of course not inconsistent with a lack of self-awareness.

Yes it is! Insightful indeed! I'd love to have that guy represent me if I was ever charged with a crime. But ... come to think of it, since he is a criminal lawyer, the only way he could ever represent me was if I was charged with a crime. So ........ maybe it would be better just to forget the whole thing. Yikes! Sometime I catch myself saying the dumbest doggone things!

[KittyMom4]

6 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I HATE Lyrsa's nose ring.  To me the fashion statement that one makes with that thing is "I wan't to make everyone who is forced to look at me as uncomfortable as possible."

I am of the same thinking, those types of nose rings are unappealing on both men & women. Of course I don't understand why anyone wears any kind of jewelry on this show, I'd be afraid it would break or get lost during one of the challenges. 

[Special K]

18 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I HATE Lyrsa's nose ring.  To me the fashion statement that one makes with that thing is "I wan't to make everyone who is forced to look at me as uncomfortable as possible."

Totally agree.  Though I'm even more uncomfortable having to look at gauges in ear lobes.  <<shudder>>

[MisterBluxom]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I hate when people go through other people’s things.  I know it’s allowed but I think it’s awful. So Dan would have been better off burying his idol?  It’s always been said that once an idol is found nobody can take it away.  So if he had buried it and someone else digs it up by chance, thinking they have found an idol, what happens?   Does production step in and say “that idol has already been claimed”?  Has this ever happened before, and has it ever been aired on the show?

Natalie looked pissed that she was sitting out the challenge.  Did anyone make out what she said when she raised her hand to indicate she was the one sitting out?  I wasn’t sure if she was saying “go girl”, “old girl”, “go Goliath”.  

Not sure where the “Lyrsa got targeted because she’s a lesbian” is coming from.  Did she say somewhere on the show that she’s a lesbian?   I didn’t know that she is.  And I don’t see why that would have anything to do with it.    I would have targeted her for the reasons she herself explained last week... people think she is weak because she is short and a little chunky.   I didn’t care for her repeatedly saying that “I won the challenge last time” making it look like she was the only reason why they won.  Um, no.  She was part of the two-person team that won the challenge.  And really, that challenge was won on the slide puzzle by the neurotic guy.  

I can’t be too unhappy about David losing a generic blonde.  She didn’t seem like she was doing much.  

She did say that she was a Lesbian. But she only said that in a private one-to-one with a camera crew. So, no one else should have heard that.

I tried to write a single sentence explaining just how and why it's wrong to treat people in a prejudicial way based attributes such as their race, religion, sexual preference, body size (like they are very short or very fat or very anything else), age, voice defects (like a stutter or a lisp or a deformity)  ....  but the list just kept getting larger and larger and there was no way I could put it all into a single sentence. Shit! What does that tell you? It made me stop and ponder what the Heck is going on.  Am I truly that messed up?  I never realized the list was so large or my tolerence was so small.  I suppose it was a good lesson.  I know a little bit about it because for most of my life I was extremely overweight. When I was aged 10 to 12, every day I would bicycle home from school and about a dozen kids who lived on my street would line up as I pedalled past them, they would chant, "Fatty Fatty 2 by 4 can't squeeze past his kitchen door." (or something similar).  I don't remember the exact words. They also used to call me "Tub of Lard". This went on for a full two years. I lost all the weight by my mid 20s. But it was real hard to forget something like that and it made a very serious negative impact on my psyche.

Shit! This message board is certainly a lot less expensive than therapy. Thanks!   :) :)

Edited October 4, 2018 by MissBluxom

[peachmangosteen]

Fantastic episode. Great start to the season. I'm trying to temper my expectations though because I thought last season started out great as well and then it just went into a slow decline until it was both boring and enraging so.

Natalie is amazing. Just full on hilarious in every way. And Jeremy, OMG, what a laugh riot! The combo of him being ott and hilarious while Mike just stands there seeming to vaguely maybe listen to him (yet not really lol) is perfection.

Gabby is a neurotic mess and boy do I relate lol. That would so be me if I was on Survivor. I hope she can pull it together.

Elizabeth is a dark horse I think. Such a kind face and manner, yet she masterminded this blindside. I look forward to see what she does.

I really wanted to like Jessica and Bi, but they both were giving off strong, "You can't sit with us" type vibes when they were telling Gabby Lyrsa was going. It was not a good look. Also, Bi can have several seats on talking about who's weak when she completely botched part 1 of the IC. She looked like she was barely even trying through most of it.

Carl continues to not say/do much but look 100% done in the background of every shot. Hilarious!

Davie is a delight and I am so pumped he found the idol. I hope he can recover from this blindside.

It pains me to not root for/like the 3 Goliath women, but they are just awful. If they organize a blindside of either of the two dumbos over there though (Alec and Dan) then I will like them for a minute. I do enjoy Alec and Dan and their naive dumbness though. I think John is another dark horse. I would be interested to see if him and Natalie can really form a solid alliance.

Edited October 4, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, Nashville said:

Socially weakest, maybe, although I have to say - when Jessica/Bi/Gabby were having their chatfest about Lyrsa being the “weakest” I did get a definite Cool Kids Clique / Not Pretty Enough To Be One of Us vibe, even though nobody was saying anything particularly mean.  I just got the feeling at that particular point, “weakest” = “different”.

YES!  I think you nailed it.  I couldn't articulate it , but yes!  I think so too.  I was hoping to like Carl and Bi but if they're like that.... ugh.  They followed along this Cool Girl that everyone seems to think decides what Carl and Bi does, and wow, why?  And Bi was soooooooo shocked all the nerds didn't go along with her plan?  I know it's all editing, and I know it's just the tiniest snippet of camp life, but that's the story I was fed and I revelled in it.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, jumper sage said:

• Natalie is the older woman on Goliath who wouldn't do any work on day 1 when building the camp?
• The guy who found the idol, and let 2 other people know, and it was found by the guy hanging out with School of Rock Mike is also on Goliath?  When he found the idol and called the girls over I was screaming at the TV, "You never tell anyone you have an idol, especially so early in the game".
• So the guy who found the idol, who was then found out about the idol via coat rummaging has a "friendship" with one of the girls he showed the idol too and now another girl can use that as leverage?
• The 3 girls who have 'guys wrapped around their little fingers' are all on Goliath?

Question 1 - Yes.
Question 2 - Looked it up.  That's Dan, he's a cop.  And yes.
Question 3 - Yes, a pretty blonde girl.  Kara.
Question 4 - Yes, and they were all in braids.

This is Canadian site, not sure if it works for you.  Or you can use the CBS one.

https://www.globaltv.com/survivor/cast/

[ProfCrash]

6 hours ago, MissBluxom said:

She did say that she was a Lesbian. But she only said that in a private one-to-one with a camera crew. So, no one else should have heard that.

I tried to write a single sentence explaining just how and why it's wrong to treat people in a prejudicial way based attributes such as their race, religion, sexual preference, body size (like they are very short or very fat or very anything else), age, voice defects (like a stutter or a lisp or a deformity)  ....  but the list just kept getting larger and larger and there was no way I could put it all into a single sentence. Shit! What does that tell you? It made me stop and ponder what the Heck is going on.  Am I truly that messed up?  I never realized the list was so large or my tolerence was so small.  I suppose it was a good lesson.  I know a little bit about it because for most of my life I was extremely overweight. When I was aged 10 to 12, every day I would bicycle home from school and about a dozen kids who lived on my street would line up as I pedalled past them, they would chant, "Fatty Fatty 2 by 4 can't squeeze past his kitchen door." (or something similar).  I don't remember the exact words. They also used to call me "Tub of Lard". This went on for a full two years. I lost all the weight by my mid 20s. But it was real hard to forget something like that and it made a very serious negative impact on my psyche.

Shit! This message board sure is a lot less expensive than therapy. Thanks!   :) :)

 

 It is wrong to treat people in a prejudice manner no matter what but that does not mean that you stop having judgemental thoughts. God knows I have a ton of judgemental thoughts, particularly when it comes to weight, but I keep the thoughts to myself and remind myself that I don’t know an individual persons story, or if they are happy with themselves, or if they are doing something to make themselves happy and that all that matters is that they treat people well. I suspect that it is a problem that I remind myself of this frequently but not so problematic because I have a good number of friends who have never heard me say something stupid and judgemental.

Humans judge other humans, it is a part of our experience. I fall into the camp that what matters is how you treat people and not that you might have had a judgemental thought. I’ll be worried if I choose not to hang out with a person because of a stereotype or my internal judgement.

No one should have made fun of you for your weight but we know the world is not perfect. A game like Survivor encourages those judgements. You need a reason to vote someone out and it is easier when someone fits your stereotype and you have a “good reason” for judging them. Christian was called Big Bang because of a stereotype. the SWAT Cop is preening because of how he has been judged. The Goliaths are all preening because they have been judged by the show to be Alphas. The Davids are intimidated because they have been judged to be Betas. It is why I hate the themes, they tend to lead people to buy into stereotypes and focus on those issues.

This theme is obnoxious but it has brought a whole slew of people that we would have not seen play together had it not been for the theme. The David’s are the folks we would normally only get one or two of these folks on the show. I hope that they listen the Be and move away from accepting the theme deffinition of who they are and win some challenges.

Edited October 4, 2018 by ProfCrash

[jumper sage]

48 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I hate when people go through other people’s things.  I know it’s allowed but I think it’s awful. So Dan would have been better off burying his idol?  It’s always been said that once an idol is found nobody can take it away.  So if he had buried it and someone else digs it up by chance, thinking they have found an idol, what happens?   Does production step in and say “that idol has already been claimed”?  Has this ever happened before, and has it ever been aired on the show?

Is this true?  I would like it to be.

1 minute ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Question 1 - Yes.
Question 2 - Looked it up.  That's Dan, he's a cop.  And yes.
Question 3 - Yes, a pretty blonde girl.  Kara.
Question 4 - Yes, and they were all in braids.

This is Canadian site, not sure if it works for you.  Or you can use the CBS one.

https://www.globaltv.com/survivor/cast/

Thanks @Ms Blue Jay

19 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Carl continues to not say/do much but look 100% done in the background of every shot. Hilarious!

I love attention to detail like this and will look for it next episode.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Special K said:

Elizabeth has the most open, innocent, happy face I've ever seen.  Almost like a doll. 

She looked like she was wearing a full face of makeup!  Like blush, and all.  I couldn't stop staring.  So weird.  Really good genes, I guess, unless they let her pack makeup along with that hat.  I didn't know hats were allowed.

1 hour ago, himela said:

Natalie really thinks that she should not be voted out because she is the oldest woman? What kind of sexist bizareness is that?

It's like she wants to have a strategy of being ignored and flying under the radar, but her way of going about it is to scream at everyone that's what she's doing.  So funny.  "Just ignore me!  Let me fly under the radar!"

I miss a separate reward challenge!  

Edited October 4, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I can’t be too unhappy about David losing a generic blonde.  She didn’t seem like she was doing much.  

Actually... from the reasons quoted for targeting Jessica, it kinda sounds like (from the aspect of cultivating alliances) Jessica was one of the hardest-working people in the tribe.  Jessica was targeted primarily because she was the linchpin figure in several loose alliances/associations.

 

31 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Natalie is amazing. Just full on hilarious in every way.

In the same sense a train wreck is hilarious - yeah, sure.  :D

 

Quote

And Jeremy, OMG, what a laugh riot! The combo of him being ott and hilarious while Mike just stands there seeming to vaguely maybe listen to him (yet not really lol) is perfection.

I have high hopes entertainment-wise for these two - assuming, of course, Jeremy doesn’t crack wise at the wrong time/person and put a barn-sized target on his back.

 

Quote

Gabby is a neurotic mess and boy do I relate lol. That would so be me if I was on Survivor. I hope she can pull it together.

Judging from oh, I don’t know - my ENTIRE LIFE, maybe - Gabby is exactly the type of woman to whom I am normally attracted.  Or who is normally attracted to me.  Whatever.

 

Quote

Elizabeth is a dark horse I think. Such a kind face and manner, yet she masterminded this blindside. I look forward to see what she does.

I’ve been an Elizabeth fan ever since she managed to let a bird fly past every CBS photo editor in creation.  I like that attitude.  :)

 

Quote

I really wanted to like Jessica and Bi, but they both were giving off strong, "You can't sit with us" type vibes when they were telling Gabby Lyrsa was going. It was not a good look.

Exactly the same thing I was talking about earlier; both Jessica and Bi seemed personally invested in keeping communication with Gabby down to the minimum of words necessary to keep Gabby pointed in the direction they desired.  Not a good look for either Jessica or Bi, and I’m happy Gabby decided to jump ship.

 

Quote

Also, Bi can have several seats on talking about who's weak when she completely botched part 1 of the IC. She looked like she was barely even trying through most of it.

Yup, in spades.  The ladder climb portion of the challenge seemed to focus primarily on simple agility and physical flexibility - so shouldn’t an MMA fighter have been a natural at it?  Kinda sucks, because I halfway wanted Bi to do well.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Nashville

[Special K]

1 minute ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

She looked like she was wearing a full face of makeup!  Like blush, and all.  I couldn't stop staring.  So weird.  Really good genes, I guess, unless they let her pack makeup along with that hat.  I didn't know hats were allowed.

Yeah, Elizabeth has amazing skin.  There was one moment in TC, where she looked positively beatific.  Like the Virgin Mary or some damn thing.  

And on the makeup front, which I believe they don't have, why does it seem that Lyrsa always has smudged mascara under her eyes?  Maybe it's just dark eyelashes?

[Ms Blue Jay]

29 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I really wanted to like Jessica and Bi, but they both were giving off strong, "You can't sit with us" type vibes when they were telling Gabby Lyrsa was going. It was not a good look. Also, Bi can have several seats on talking about who's weak when she completely botched part 1 of the IC. She looked like she was barely even trying through most of it.

Pretty much.

29 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Davie is a delight and I am so pumped he found the idol. I hope he can recover from this blindside.

One of my favourite parts of the episode, but I admit I forgot about it.

[Bryce Lynch]

3 minutes ago, Nashville said:

 

In the same sense a train wreck is hilarious - yeah, sure.  :D

 

I have high hopes entertainment-wise for these two - assuming, of course, Jeremy doesn’t crack wise at the wrong time/person and put a barn-sized target on his back.

 

Judging from oh, I don’t know - my ENTIRE LIFE, maybe - Gabby is exactly the type of woman to whom I am normally attracted.  Or who is normally attracted to me.  Whatever.

 

I’ve been an Elizabeth fan ever since she managed to let a bird fly past every CBS photo editor in creation.  I like that attitude.  :)

 

Exactly the same thing I was talking about earlier; both Jessica and Bi seemed personally invested in keeping communication with Gabby down to the minimum of words necessary to keep Gabby pointed in the direction they desired.  Not a good look for either Jessica or Bi, and I’m happy Gabby decided to jump ship.

 

Yup, in spades.  The ladder climb portion of the challenge seemed to focus primarily on simple agility and physical flexibility - so shouldn’t an MMA fighter have been a natural at it?  Kinda sucks, because I halfway wanted Bi to do well.

I'm not sure, but I think Bi's lack of height might have been a big disadvantage in the ladder climb.  They had to reach down to the previous rung to pull it out.  That might be harder for a shorter person.  

[MisterBluxom]

22 minutes ago, ProfCrash said:

 It is wrong to treat people in a prejudice manner no matter what but that does not mean that you stop having judgemental thoughts. God knows I have a ton of judgemental thoughts, particularly when it comes to weight, but I eep the thoughts to myself and remind myself that I don’t know an individual persons story, or if they are happy with themselves, or if they are doing something to make themselves happy and that all that matters is that they treat people well. I suspect that it is a problem that I remind myself of this frequently but not so problematic because I have a good number of friends who have never heard me say something stupid and judgemental.

Humans judge other humans, it is a part of our experience. I fall into the camp that what matters is how you treat people and not that you might have had a judgemental thought. I’ll be worried if I choose not to hang out with a person because of a stereotype or my internal judgement.

No one should have made fun of you for your weight but we know the world is not perfect. A game like Survivor encourages those judgements. You need a reason to vote someone out and it is easier when someone fits your stereotype and you have a “good reason” for judging them. Christian was called Big Brother because of a stereotype. the SWAT Cop is preening because of how he has been judged. The Goliaths are all preening because they have been judged by the show to be Alphas. The Davids are intimidated because they have been judged to be Betas. It is why I hate the themes, they tend to lead people to buy into stereotypes and focus on those issues.

This theme is obnoxious but it has brought a whole slew of people that we would have not seen play together had it not been for the theme. The David’s are the folks we would normally only get one or two of these folks on the show. I hope that they listen the Be and move away from accepting the theme deffinition of who they are and win some challenges.

Very well said. I enjoyed reading your post. It was very thought provoking.

[truthaboutluv]

The second they showed the two votes for Lyrsa, I knew Jessica was going to be blind-sided. The editing on that one wasn't very subtle at all. Can't really say whether I think this was a good or bad move because I actually don't think it'll have that much impact on the game in the long run. I may be wrong. I do think right now the Davids' bigger concern is trying to win challenges and I actually think their biggest problem is strategizing before the challenges. I don't think they're making the best choices on who they put where.

Like I think it was obviously a major mistake putting Bi on the ladder because that person needed strong upper body strength to handle and place each slab of wood, to construct the ladder and then pull themselves up. I know she's an MMA fighter but I still think someone else, maybe Nick, would have been better for that. That's why the Goliaths put that guy (is it Dan - the one obsessed with the Kara chick) on the ladder. Granted the Davids were able to catch up thanks to the balancing the puzzle part, but I do think they need to be smarter in how they tackle the challenges since yes, obviously, the Goliaths are so much bigger than them. 

Bless Sam (again, is that his name? The lawyer guy on the Goliaths) for trying to get through to Natalie but as he eventually realized and stated, the woman has been married for over 20 years, so someone clearly loves and accepts her as she is, so she's not going to see any reason to change and more importantly, she clearly lacks any self-awareness. The fact that Natalie truly thought she got along with everyone and they all liked her and that she was "quietly just laying back" when to the contrary, it was obvious that everyone disliked her, she was anything but quiet and always had an opinion, was mind boggling. That conversation between her and that guy was one of the funniest conversations ever on this show because she was just so clueless and bless his heart, he was trying. 

I really do hope Goliaths lose next week because I never like seasons where one tribe keeps losing, because tribal council is where you truly see the dynamics and maneuvering of a tribe. So while all the strategy talk and whispers and throwing people name out in the Goliath tribe is fine, it means nothing if we don't get to see that put to test with their having to vote someone out. I'm not worried though that there could be a potential Pagong if the Davids keep losing and we get to mid-season with them significantly down in numbers, because I don't see any tight bond/alliance/Goliath strong attitude with the Goliath tribe, like there was last season with some of those annoying people. I think these people will all happily turn on each other in a heartbeat. 

I liked Gabby last week and was all for a nerd showmance between her and Christian but that weak, little girl voice and whinging she pulled with him in last night's episode really turned me off. She all but came close to baby whispering, "Christian, tell me you like me best..." Ugh. Nothing offends and turns me off more than to see a woman play the helpless, cutesy, weak victim to a man. Spare me. Although I did laugh out loud when she told Christian if he wanted to play with her and he thought she meant to play in the sand. Bless Christian. Him I still like and god help me, I kind of like the alliance between him and Nick. But Nick has got to get over that damn obsession with naming alliances. Although admittedly Mason-Dixon Line isn't so bad. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[MisterBluxom]

24 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

She looked like she was wearing a full face of makeup!  Like blush, and all.  I couldn't stop staring.  So weird.  Really good genes, I guess, unless they let her pack makeup along with that hat.  I didn't know hats were allowed.

It's like she wants to have a strategy of being ignored and flying under the radar, but her way of going about it is to scream at everyone that's what she's doing.  So funny.  "Just ignore me!  Let me fly under the radar!"

I miss a separate reward challenge!  

 

Natalie reminds me of a character in one of the Uncle Rhemus tales. Remember the story about the "Tar Baby"?

She sits down in front of you and dares you to say something negative to her. But between the time you first open your mouth but before you can get any words to come out, she "reminds" you (actually it's a warning more than a reminder) of something but what she's really doing is somehow threatening you that if  you say anything nasty at all to her, bad things will happen. Bad things will happen to you and bad things will happen to the tribe. She never said anything explicit to that end. But it sure did feel like a terrible threat to me. I might just be imagining it. Or she just might be very experienced in the art of threatening someone in such a way that it don't sound like a threat. I don't know.  But, in one way, she is very good.  Of course, in another way, she's a real mess. I would never want to have anything to do with her in the real world. She is one very scary lady.

Edited October 4, 2018 by MissBluxom

[Alice Mudgarden]

3 hours ago, Lamima said:

well alrighty then

In seeing your response, I realized in the written word that came across differently than it was in my head. I was way more casual and conversational there. The Big Brother live feedsters know what I mean haha.

Apologies for the tone mix-up!