S37.E04: Time to Bring Out the Charmpocalypse

[loki567]

1 minute ago, Bryce Lynch said:

So, would they have send 2 people to Exile Island and have them race each other as well as the tide to find the advantage coconut?

That would have been interesting although it still would have screwed the numbers up when they had to join a tribe. 

Hell, maybe the plan was a four tribe split with one person on Exile. 

[peachmangosteen]

4 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

So, would they have send 2 people to Exile Island and have them race each other as well as the tide to find the advantage coconut?

LOL I don't know. Probst said something about there being a twist that they are gonna save for another season since they weren't able to use it due to Bi's quit. 

[ghoulina]

18 hours ago, Gummo said:

To be fair, Jeremy, even if he was right, was quite insulting and obnoxious about it.

Opinions obviously vary; but I didn't find him obnoxious the first time he spoke to her. I thought he was sincerely trying to help her. I also imagine one could go from zero to obnoxious rather quickly with Natalie; the woman has absolutely no self-awareness and is as stubborn as a bull. 

 

17 hours ago, Matty said:

I think Kara was in on the vote. Pretending she didn't know when Natalia turned around and pointedly asked her. I think she wanted to stay in Natalia's good graces. I don't know why since Natalia won't be on the jury. Maybe so she can stay in the Goliath's good graces when they merge into one tribe. She can tell them she was loyal to Goliath throughout the game and voted for Davey when Natalia got the boot.

This is the only thing that makes sense to me. It just seemed really odd that Kara and Natalia ended up having different votes. It was obvious, to me, that Kara deviated from the original plan after hearing what Alec had to say. But she didn't want to completely turn against her friend. And I can kind of understand that logic; because I did wonder how the Goliaths would take Alec's "betrayal". 

[peachmangosteen]

Just now, ghoulina said:

This is the only thing that makes sense to me. It just seemed really odd that Kara and Natalia ended up having different votes. It was obvious, to me, that Kara deviated from the original plan after hearing what Alec had to say. But she didn't want to completely turn against her friend. And I can kind of understand that logic; because I did wonder how the Goliaths would take Alec's "betrayal". 

According to Natalia, the plan was for Kara to vote for Davie and for her and Alec to vote for Elizabeth because she was convinced that Elizabeth had an idol.

[Jextella]

This was kind of a fun episode.  I loved that Gabby had a hand in winning a challenge.  That's gotta be a big confidence booster.  

I also loved the blind side.  I liked that Alec stood up to Natalie.  Although it will likely bite him in the rear.

Glad Carl got a break on Exile Island.

I liked Bae calling the Davids a band of misfits.  It's kinda true!

Edited October 19, 2018 by Jextella

[ghoulina]

1 minute ago, peachmangosteen said:

According to Natalia, the plan was for Kara to vote for Davie and for her and Alec to vote for Elizabeth because she was convinced that Elizabeth had an idol.

That's nuts. We didn't even hear one word of Idol talk. I hate when production just assumes we don't need to hear certain information. 

[marys1000]

So...did Davey and Elizabeth split up or are they still in an alliance or what?  

[MisterBluxom]

2 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Having trouble remembering - so Carl is a David, Davey is a David, Elizabeth is a David.  Alec, Kara and ? are Goliaths.  Is it even then on that team now or do David's now have the numbers?  Does this mean Alec has totally jumped ship to the David's or was this a one off defection?  It will be interesting to see if there are ripples from this. 

 

I'm finding it bizarre how so many of these people seem to have grabbed ahold of Jeff's description of "Davids" and "Goliaths".   In a way, they remind me of cult members.  I've heard several of these people say things like, "Well, I'm a David and ... when you're a David, you have to go the extra mile. You have to ...".  They talk as if being a "David" is something real instead of something that was just made up by Probst or one of his minions.  Strangely, I don't recall hearing many people refer to themselves as "Goliaths",  although some of them have called other people "Goliaths".  Very bizarre. It's not just that it's confusing to think of someone as a "David", but I find it insulting that anyone would decide they could sum up a person's entire character and personality by calling them a single word - a "David".

If I was a contestant, I know that I would not be happy about that. I'm sure that I'd be fairly angry that anyone would characterize me by a single word - let alone a name. What happened to the idea that name-calling is not cool?  Even worse, I  can't believe these people seem perfectly willing to go along with Jeff and call themselves by whatever name he has assigned to the tribes. Why, you ask? Well consider that I am a Boogaloo and when you're a Boogaloo, you're a Boogaloo all the way. (remind you of West Side Story?) It's Boogaloo for life. Boogaloo through and through.  Doesn't that sound stupid? It sounds incredibly stupid to me. David is just a softer name than "Boogaloo".

OK. Now trying to revert to a serious discussion, if I was a contestant and Jeff tried to pull this shit in a public conversation with me, I think I'd begin to tell  him, "Well, Jeff, I appreciate you characterizing me as a "David". But lemme tell you something.  I actually tend to think of myself as a "Jeff". Even more than just a "Jeff", I prefer to think of myself as a "Probst". You see, I was going along in my hum drum life when all of a sudden - out of the blue - I got this tremendous stroke of great fortune and found myself on this island with an opportunity to make a whole pile of money and ... "    I would then continue in the most insulting way I could   ...   denigrating Jeff by comparing him to someone who wins a lottery or comes into sudden wealth and then loses it all and then loses his mind.  I would continue until he either shut up or forced me to shut up.  Admittedly, it's far more likely that I would be the one doing the shutting up.

But I hope that I do have a point.  I just can't understand how this man can take over a national TV show and then use it for the most extreme example of self-aggrandizement I've ever seen. You may well say that I'm just jealous of Jeff. Jealous of his sudden wealth and fame and you would be correct, of course.  But the thing that really bothers me is how he seems to use his wealth and fame to essentially wander around crying out, "Look at me! Look at me! Ain't I something? Ain't Survivor wonderful?"  To be sure, I could be all wet about Jeff. Or maybe I just don't understand him.

But it just seems to be ... that he is using all of his wealth and fame to compensate for everything that he failed to get during his childhood and that has damaged him somehow. I think he is a fascinating case in human psychology and that he somehow took a sudden turn into a very strange dimension. If Rod Serling was still alive today, I think he would be having a whale of a time with Jeff.

OK.  I want to apologize to all of the fans of this show who love Jeff and are unhappy with my comments about him.  I appreciate you have every right to your opinion about Jeff and that you are really enjoying the show - especially this season.  Well, me too! It is a great season. Ain't it? One of the best ever.  I just hope you will understand that Jeff really bothers me and I just don't understand why he bothers me as much as he does.

Edited October 19, 2018 by MissBluxom

[Jobiska]

I don't mind crying.  Unfortunately, when Gabby cries, she sounds whiny, which is very grating, but I still like her in general.

I totally get that Gabby and John both are calm and collected when they're doing something they know they can do (Gabby during the last two challenges, and what John was saying about being insecure during small talk type social situations).  I am very familiar with this phenomenon--I am an extreme introvert/socially anxious person yet if I have a role where I know what I'm supposed to do, all that drops away (well, mostly, ha).  I wish that Gabby could find this side of John!  

I can see why they picked the slightest women to be the passengers/callers, and they all did well.  I've noticed on the "call from a high stand to faraway blindfolded people" that usually the male callers do best because I assume the frequency of their voices is easier to pick out/carries further.  I certainly notice it more while watching.  But in this case that didn't matter because distance wasn't a factor.  However, I wouldn't necessarily go with these callers if they did a platform one.

 

[RedbirdNelly]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

Opinions obviously vary; but I didn't find him obnoxious the first time he spoke to her. I thought he was sincerely trying to help her. I also imagine one could go from zero to obnoxious rather quickly with Natalie; the woman has absolutely no self-awareness and is as stubborn as a bull. 

 

100% with you on Jeremy. I read it the same way. I thought he was trying to be helpful and then realized she could not be helped. And his reaction to that just tracked me up. In the next show, when he got voted off, things got out of hand. But the original conversation seemed sincere.

[Rough Draft]

23 minutes ago, MissBluxom said:

I just can't understand how this man can take over a national TV show and then use it for the most extreme example of self-aggrandizement I've ever seen. You may well say that I'm just jealous of Jeff. Jealous of his sudden wealth and fame and you would be correct, of course.  But the thing that really bothers me is how he seems to use his wealth and fame to essentially wander around crying out, "Look at me! Look at me! Ain't I something? Ain't Survivor wonderful?"  To be sure, I could be all wet about Jeff. Or maybe I just don't understand him.

But it just seems to be ... that he is using all of his wealth and fame to compensate for everything that he failed to get during his childhood and that has damaged him somehow.

I have never understood all the Jeff Probst hate on this message board. I think he does a good job and I can't imagine anyone else being half as good at hosting.

And in my opinion he not guilty of any of the charges included in this quote.

[truthaboutluv]

I have to say, as much as I like Christian, I did laugh at Gabby's going on about how charming he is. Because I'd describe Christian more so as kind of adorably awkward but Gabby made him seem like this awesome charmer. I guess to her he is. Those two have a very charmingly awkward relationship. It's kind of endearing.

[ljenkins782]

2 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Kudos to you all that are trying to figure out the nullifier.  Even the detailed descriptions are beyond me.  I agree with whoever said that Carl has so far seemed out of the loop.  He is also not a superfan or fan?  He seemed like he knew how to use it when he read it which surprised me.  I wonder if the crew had been there explaining it to him.  Anyway good luck Carl trying to make that work for you.  I figure he'll need help so it may be an alliance effort. 

Natalia.  Probst was talking about how she was an instant cast because they liked her direct style blah blah and that she would be a candidate for a return.  That being a good player doesn't mean you won't go home early.  Anyway while I certainly understand why people were glad to see her leave I feel the opposite.  At least she was playing.  At least Jeremy was playing.  They gave us something to watch.  While the Mike's of the season are just......a big zero.  Sure, whatever you say.  I'm really disappointed in Mike.  I think he could have saved Jeremy and sent Natalie home fairly easily without too much blowback, but he, and others, are just...... waiting for the game to come to them. 

Natalie.  Its an interesting question to ask yourself.  Do you push back on her bossing you around and have conflict, or do you just let her continue to annoy everyone so they want to vote her out instead of you?  I also wonder if its white people not wanting to engage black woman.   

Not necessarily. His reasoning could well have been that Jeremy was the bigger threat down the road. No one is giving Natalie the million dollars after the way she's bossed everyone around while sitting on her butt. It won't be fun around camp, but Natalie sticking around is either a solid target for another vote where Mike himself might be in danger and need a shield or a goat to drag to the end.

As for Natalie, I do feel like race may be playing a role in why no one pushes back on her bossiness. I'm trying to think back to some of the bossier white women and I feel like they got axed pretty quickly and I don't remember anyone (outside of Richard Hatch) being able to sit back and direct other people to do all of the work without any blowback.

I'm a little surprised that Natalia didn't confront Natalie, she seemed like the most likely person to blow up, but even she held her tongue and just talked shit behind her back. 

[Eolivet]

1 hour ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I think Alec's move may not benefit him long term--definitely high risk given David will have numbers--however, Natalia made clear she was not tight with him. It's not like he would end up post-merge with a strong bond with her.

See, this is the Naviti Strong mentality that I cannot stand (from the tribes themselves, not this comment in particular). What are "the numbers?" The numbers are people you trust, who you can align with to have your back. The numbers are not "wearing the same color laundry as me from day one." And "the numbers" aren't static, they're constantly shifting.

I guess ultimately the Dom/Wendell/Laurel/Donathan foursome was a combination alliance, but that combination was always working with other Navitis, not a mixed group. It was just like Laurel and Donathan were brought into the Navitis, and then Pagonged the other Malolos.

The most recent example I can think of with no original tribal loyalty post-swap was mvgx. People formed new alliances, and stuck with them over their "day one" tribes (Zeke with David, Adam with Jessica and Ken). Heck, the David/Ken/Hannah/Adam foursome that went to the end didn't form until the merge. Hannah and David never even met until the merge, and he drew rocks for her. It can happen!

So, I hope Alec does work with "the Davids." Maybe his interests align better with Davie's and Carl's and Elizabeth's than they do with Dan's and Kara's and Angelina's. Who knows? But I wish that contestants would remember Survivor is ultimately an individual game, and sticking with a "side" might help their "side," but it doesn't necessarily help them. And ultimately, it's a person -- not a tribe -- that wins the money.

[RedbirdNelly]

1 minute ago, Eolivet said:

See, this is the Naviti Strong mentality that I cannot stand (from the tribes themselves, not this comment in particular). What are "the numbers?" The numbers are people you trust, who you can align with to have your back. The numbers are not "wearing the same color laundry as me from day one." And "the numbers" aren't static, they're constantly shifting.

I guess ultimately the Dom/Wendell/Laurel/Donathan foursome was a combination alliance, but that combination was always working with other Navitis, not a mixed group. It was just like Laurel and Donathan were brought into the Navitis, and then Pagonged the other Malolos.

The most recent example I can think of with no original tribal loyalty post-swap was mvgx. People formed new alliances, and stuck with them over their "day one" tribes (Zeke with David, Adam with Jessica and Ken). Heck, the David/Ken/Hannah/Adam foursome that went to the end didn't form until the merge. Hannah and David never even met until the merge, and he drew rocks for her. It can happen!

So, I hope Alec does work with "the Davids." Maybe his interests align better with Davie's and Carl's and Elizabeth's than they do with Dan's and Kara's and Angelina's. Who knows? But I wish that contestants would remember Survivor is ultimately an individual game, and sticking with a "side" might help their "side," but it doesn't necessarily help them. And ultimately, it's a person -- not a tribe -- that wins the money.

I agree with you. I'm not a fan of the Naviti strong stuff. But, I think it was an especially risky move for Alec given that exile guy is joining the tribe. As opposed to it being a 4 person tribe with 2 and 2, it's guaranteed to be 3 and 2. It's possible he has bonds with the David people to stick with them. It's also possible they just say "thanks for the one vote and we think you are stronger than our other option so you are gone." Thus, I was impressed Alec made the move at that moment. At the next vote (for any of the 3 tribes), there will not be a new person added to their tribe so I expected Alec to think about it but wait until the next round. I may be giving Alec too much credit (maybe he just voted based on how annoying N was), but I think he factored in the lack of trust with her and then decided it was worth taking a chance.

[ratgirlagogo]

4 hours ago, Eolivet said:

I don't know if it's because they're starving, but very few Survivor alliances have had names, right? (or names we've seen). I'm only remembering the Four Horsemen. Parvati's Micronesia alliance didn't really have a name, right? I've only ever called the Aitu 4 "the Aitu 4." (oh god, now I'm remembering Triforce, ugh). But I feel like named alliances number in the 1-10 range for a show that's been on the air for now 36+ seasons.

How soon you all forget the classic Stealth R Us organized by Special Agent Philip Shepherd!  But no there haven't been that many. Does Russell Hantz's Dumb-Ass Girl Alliance count?

 

4 hours ago, RescueMom said:

Did Parvati’s alliance call themselves the Black Widow Brigade during the show, or was that coined after? I do remember the Three Amigos in FvF2  as well.  But alliance names were pretty few and far between until Nick came along!

I'm pretty sure I remember Parvati herself coming up with that one.  

 

3 hours ago, marys1000 said:

I thought the funniest line was Davy "I've never actually talked to many white people" (paraphrased

He said "Caucasians" which is even funnier, since it is the super-careful word black people use who don't deal much with white people and think calling people "white" might be considered an insult.  

[RedbirdNelly]

the other thing I liked about Alec's move is there is some thought behind it and a possible upside. I'm not a fan of people making moves just to make them (Chaos Kas? no thanks)--but I admire having the guts to make a move that may not work. If he goes home, I don't think it means it was the wrong one.

[princelina]

1 hour ago, MissBluxom said:

I'm finding it bizarre how so many of these people seem to have grabbed ahold of Jeff's description of "Davids" and "Goliaths".   In a way, they remind me of cult members.  I've heard several of these people say things like, "Well, I'm a David and ... when you're a David, you have to go the extra mile. You have to ...".  They talk as if being a "David" is something real instead of something that was just made up by Probst or one of his minions.  Strangely, I don't recall hearing many people refer to themselves as "Goliaths",  although some of them have called other people "Goliaths".  Very bizarre. It's not just that it's confusing to think of someone as a "David", but I find it insulting that anyone would decide they could sum up a person's entire character and personality by calling them a single word - a "David".

If I was a contestant, I know that I would not be happy about that. I'm sure that I'd be fairly angry that anyone would characterize me by a single word - let alone a name. What happened to the idea that name-calling is not cool?  Even worse, I  can't believe these people seem perfectly willing to go along with Jeff and call themselves by whatever name he has assigned to the tribes. Why, you ask? Well consider that I am a Boogaloo and when you're a Boogaloo, you're a Boogaloo all the way. (remind you of West Side Story?) It's Boogaloo for life. Boogaloo through and through.  Doesn't that sound stupid? It sounds incredibly stupid to me. David is just a softer name than "Boogaloo".

OK. Now trying to revert to a serious discussion, if I was a contestant and Jeff tried to pull this shit in a public conversation with me, I think I'd begin to tell  him, "Well, Jeff, I appreciate you characterizing me as a "David". But lemme tell you something.  I actually tend to think of myself as a "Jeff". Even more than just a "Jeff", I prefer to think of myself as a "Probst". You see, I was going along in my hum drum life when all of a sudden - out of the blue - I got this tremendous stroke of great fortune and found myself on this island with an opportunity to make a whole pile of money and ... "    I would then continue in the most insulting way I could   ...   denigrating Jeff by comparing him to someone who wins a lottery or comes into sudden wealth and then loses it all and then loses his mind.  I would continue until he either shut up or forced me to shut up.  Admittedly, it's far more likely that I would be the one doing the shutting up.

But I hope that I do have a point.  I just can't understand how this man can take over a national TV show and then use it for the most extreme example of self-aggrandizement I've ever seen. You may well say that I'm just jealous of Jeff. Jealous of his sudden wealth and fame and you would be correct, of course.  But the thing that really bothers me is how he seems to use his wealth and fame to essentially wander around crying out, "Look at me! Look at me! Ain't I something? Ain't Survivor wonderful?"  To be sure, I could be all wet about Jeff. Or maybe I just don't understand him.

But it just seems to be ... that he is using all of his wealth and fame to compensate for everything that he failed to get during his childhood and that has damaged him somehow. I think he is a fascinating case in human psychology and that he somehow took a sudden turn into a very strange dimension. If Rod Serling was still alive today, I think he would be having a whale of a time with Jeff.

OK.  I want to apologize to all of the fans of this show who love Jeff and are unhappy with my comments about him.  I appreciate you have every right to your opinion about Jeff and that you are really enjoying the show - especially this season.  Well, me too! It is a great season. Ain't it? One of the best ever.  I just hope you will understand that Jeff really bothers me and I just don't understand why he bothers me as much as he does.

I don't think you are jealous of him but perhaps are overthinking this :). It is his job to hype his show, carry out the theme, heckle the contestants during challenges and guide the conversation at TC.  He likes his job and does it with enthusiasm.  It's not like he's carrying on in church pulpits or on the news every night :D

 

55 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

How soon you all forget the classic Stealth R Us organized by Special Agent Philip Shepherd!  

Haha I totally did forget that - thanks for the laugh!!

[blackwing]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:14 PM, ByaNose said:

I am sorta surprised that people are listening to Natalie in the first place. I too would have stood up and said if you know how to do it......then do it!!! Sometimes it backfires and makes you look bad but it seems everyone is on the same page about Natalie. Why are they even giving her the option to sit around and bark orders from her throne? So odd.

Didn't she actually even say to Angelina, "wait a second, don't go anywhere, you're not done yet".  Would have been awesome if Angelina then just hiked up her dress and took a pee right there in front of the fire.

15 hours ago, backformore said:

I hate that the men are allowed to be somewhat modest, but the women seem to be wearing underwear much of the time.   bathing suit bottoms are not shorts, and bras are not shirts.  I'm not a prude, but it seems that TPTB want women to be as unclothed as possible.   In some cases, it seems humiliating to be on TV in bikini bottoms, a shirt, and shoes or boots.  I don't think the women, for the most part, are choosing to be half-undressed while competing in challenges.  

I get that production chooses their outfit, but did they really choose no pants, shorts or skirt at all for Elizabeth?  Unlike other seasons, this isn't an underwear season, is it?  Couldn't she choose to wear whatever she landed on the island in?  And many of the men choose to walk around in just underwear (usually tight boxer briefs) all the time to the point where in the past their crotches used to be blurred out.

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

According to Natalia, the plan was for Kara to vote for Davie and for her and Alec to vote for Elizabeth because she was convinced that Elizabeth had an idol.

That makes zero sense.  If Elizabeth did indeed have an idol, how would throwing one vote on Davey help?  The two votes for Elizabeth get eliminated.  Davey and Elizabeth vote out Natalia.  Natalia still goes home.

[MisterBluxom]

2 minutes ago, princelina said:

I don't think you are jealous of him but perhaps are overthinking this :). It is his job to hype his show, carry out the theme, heckle the contestants during challenges and guide the conversation at TC.  He likes his job and does it with enthusiasm.  It's not like he's carrying on in church pulpits or on the news every night :D

 

Haha I totally did forget that - thanks for the laugh!!

I think you made some very good points there. Thanks for sharing your POV. I will give it some thought. (but not too much thought)  :)

[blackwing]

Regarding Jeff saying they were going to merge even before Bi made the announcement... he clearly knew she was dropping out, because he called on her to make her announcement.  Now I guess he is saying this "twist" that was planned would be saved for another season?

Some options for the two "leftover" people:

1) 1 person goes to exile, 1 person gets put on one of the tribes and that tribe just has an extra person.  Why not?  Life isn't always fair.

2)  1 person draws the exile buff, 1 person draws no buff and goes home immediately.  So sad, too bad.  Lost the game by random draw.  Shades of the purple rock.

3)  The two people compete head to head right there.  Winner goes to exile, loser goes home.

Will see what happens in a future season.

[MisterBluxom]

3 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Didn't she actually even say to Angelina, "wait a second, don't go anywhere, you're not done yet".  Would have been awesome if Angelina then just hiked up her dress and took a pee right there in front of the fire.

 

 

I wonder if people completely ignored Natalie when she ordered them to do something. How many times would they have to do that before she stopped ordering them? Or would she lose her mind? There is an interesting news story on most of the major news organizations today about some man who played an unwelcome game of "footsie" with a female passanger. When a Flight Attendant spoke to him about hit, he lost his mind and freaked out. The Flight Attendant described it like this. "He went from zero to 60 in a split second."

Do you think Natalie might react like that?

[NutMeg]

17 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Regarding Jeff saying they were going to merge even before Bi made the announcement... he clearly knew she was dropping out, because he called on her to make her announcement.  Now I guess he is saying this "twist" that was planned would be saved for another season?

Some options for the two "leftover" people:

1) 1 person goes to exile, 1 person gets put on one of the tribes and that tribe just has an extra person.  Why not?  Life isn't always fair.

2)  1 person draws the exile buff, 1 person draws no buff and goes home immediately.  So sad, too bad.  Lost the game by random draw.  Shades of the purple rock.

3)  The two people compete head to head right there.  Winner goes to exile, loser goes home.

Will see what happens in a future season.

Or 4) two people go to exile, two tribes go to Tribal Council - which would explain why there was only one reward. And the tribe that finished second has first pick of returnee from exile island.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I hate that the men are allowed to be somewhat modest, but the women seem to be wearing underwear much of the time.   bathing suit bottoms are not shorts, and bras are not shirts.  I'm not a prude, but it seems that TPTB want women to be as unclothed as possible.   In some cases, it seems humiliating to be on TV in bikini bottoms, a shirt, and shoes or boots.  I don't think the women, for the most part, are choosing to be half-undressed while competing in challenges.  

The men are wearing what appear to be network-issued boxer briefs. Apparently the censors got tired of blurring out their crotches (and sometimes forgetting to) when there was a little too much junk jiggling.

I agree with your point about the women and do not hesitate to believe the network wants them as scantily clad as possible.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

The men are wearing what appear to be network-issued boxer briefs. Apparently the censors got tired of blurring out their crotches (and sometimes forgetting to) when there was a little too much junk jiggling.

I agree with your point about the women and do not hesitate to believe the network wants them as scantily clad as possible.

I would have to agree that they generally want certain contestants as unclothed as much as possible... there's nothing to suggest that they don't want Jeff's Fantasy Alpha Males as shirtless as possible.  I'm a bit surprised that Dan the SWAT cop seems to wear his shirt all the time and that Jeff hasn't demanded that he wear it less.

I don't believe that TPTB went through and purposely gave Elizabeth bad pants so she'd have to walk around in her underwear.  She's not exactly the hardbody young babe that people would want to see in her underwear, especially given all the "I wish Elizabeth would wear pants" comments sprinkled throughout this forum over the past weeks.  I would have thought they would have reserved the "oops we lost your pants" selection for someone like Kara, Bi, or the blonde that went out first.

Edited October 19, 2018 by blackwing

[green]

20 hours ago, preeya said:

Will someone please tell Angelina to change her pants. Those grey discolored tights are hideous.

She can't any more than Elizabeth being able to change her attire.  It is production that selects the clothing or lack thereof, not the contestants.  In Elizabeth's case she was probably assigned a pair of jeans which would rip apart her skin when soaked and worn on  a rainy, humid island.  Sorry but it has been annoying to read people "ordering" her to wear something other than her underwear.  I am sure she would LOVE to do just that but it is not an option for her.

And yes production could choose horrible to wear in these conditions jeans.  They did for the guy trying to do the dig under for the Davids on that first island challenge too.

 

18 hours ago, backformore said:

I hate that the men are allowed to be somewhat modest, but the women seem to be wearing underwear much of the time.   bathing suit bottoms are not shorts, and bras are not shirts.  I'm not a prude, but it seems that TPTB want women to be as unclothed as possible.   In some cases, it seems humiliating to be on TV in bikini bottoms, a shirt, and shoes or boots.  I don't think the women, for the most part, are choosing to be half-undressed while competing in challenges.  

Production including Probst and Burnett are all heavily of the male gender and still live back in the 1950's it seems.  So yeah it is humiliating to women to be used that way.

 

8 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

Nick has named three alliances, one with horses with Elizabeth, Mason-Dixon and the new rock star one. Nick has a thing for naming alliances. He needs to go for that reason alone. But he can leave after Natalie. I needed her voted out when they first had the opportunity.

Aside for the psychological reasons cited above where this makes perfect sense it is just plain fun.  I'm really liking Nick's hilarious overplaying and want to see him make up alliance names for every person left on Survivor.

 

7 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Not sure why everyone is giving Bee a pass on quitting.  All she had to do was sit out a challenge and let them vote her out.  Why quit?  Or just sit out challenges and help her alliance maintain voting numbers.  You don't have to quit unless you think you need immediate surgery on that tendon or something.

She could damage it further if she stayed.  And her staying would NOT have helped the Davids had it not been a "drop the buffs" day.  They were already down numbers and she would have had to play.  And with the tribe switch she would have had to play for her new tribe too since the numbers would have probably been even.  It would have been stupid to stay period both for herself or her tribe(s).

 

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

So, would they have sent 2 people to Exile Island and have them race each other as well as the tide to find the advantage coconut?

 

No, Jeff said he had an extra buff he removed and put aside after her announcement and before the draw so one tribe would probably have had an extra member.  I'm guess the extra buff he put away was green since that tribe had to start over with building the shelter from scratch etc.

Also when was the last time that there was only ONE reward for the two tribes that avoided tribal council.  Methinks the winning tribe may have had the choice between the reward and somehow deciding the fate of the extra tribe member.  Maybe "capturing" someone if not on their tribe already or sending them to another tribe if they thought the extra person would have helped out some people from an old alliance there numbers wise.

 

2 hours ago, NutMeg said:

Or 4) two people go to exile, two tribes go to Tribal Council - which would explain why there was only one reward. And the tribe that finished second has first pick of returnee from exile island.

Yeah I agree in general with this except that there was an extra buff in the pile BEFORE the new tribal pick according to Probst thus my guess above.

Still liking the future Comptroller of Slamtown (I'm sure John will be blown away by Christian's resume) and his Mayor.  Also still like Nick and his alliances of many names and hope he and Mike end up back with Christian/John/Gabby after the merge in a new mega-alliance of the Slamtown School of Nerd Rock or something.

I don't think Alec screwed up his game necessarily.  Rather he is trying to build an alliance.  Who really cares about Davids and Goliaths other than Probst and Nuclear (Goliath Strong) Natalie.

Edited October 19, 2018 by green

[babs1226]

I, for one, am happy that a "goliath" got voted out when each new tribe had a majority of them.  I'm sick to death of players being voted out just because they are the minority tribe.  After all, it's not a tribe that wins the game, it's a solitary player.  It's much more enjoyable for me to see strategic play that doesn't automatically put tribe first. 

[violet and green]

8 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Anyway good luck Carl trying to make that work for you.  I figure he'll need help so it may be an alliance effort. 

Given Mike has already blabbed to Nick (quick bout of tiny air guitar, Rock Stars!) that Dan definitely has an idol, it could be great news for the Davids in some future scenario, if they can share their intel... Maybe Carl and Nick will be Keep on Truckin'.

[EllipticalAddicted]

I think the contestants are told by the producers to use references to their initial tribe categories as much as possible.   They need to reinforce the theme of each season.   Haven't we heard before that they choose the cast first and then come up with a theme and categorize the players after that?   

 

Another thing the producers do is to allow the contestants their bathing suits only after the merge.   As a professional, I would find it intolerable for my associates to see me parading around in my underwear for half of the season.   

[meep.meep]

Maybe the tribal names are just something they latch on to during those long days with nothing to do.  I really noticed it with the Blue Collar tribe back when.

7 hours ago, Jobiska said:

I don't mind crying.  Unfortunately, when Gabby cries, she sounds whiny, which is very grating, but I still like her in general.
 

I think Gabby's crying is totally strategic.  She only seems to cry in front of men.  So they will say "there there, I'll make it all OK"

And Elizabeth arrived in blue jeans.  She wore them to tribal.  They are probably incredibly uncomfortable most of the time.  I think Carl is also wearing jeans.

[green]

55 minutes ago, EllipticalAddicted said:

I think the contestants are told by the producers to use references to their initial tribe categories as much as possible.   They need to reinforce the theme of each season.   Haven't we heard before that they choose the cast first and then come up with a theme and categorize the players after that?   

Another thing the producers do is to allow the contestants their bathing suits only after the merge.   As a professional, I would find it intolerable for my associates to see me parading around in my underwear for half of the season.   

Yeah they are forced to reference their theme endlessly in the confessionals.  What does being a "professional" have to do with this though.  Any human being would feel this way.  As a blue collar person I certainly would.  Maybe more so since working class people are at the bottom of the food chain and have been ordered around and often humiliated all their lives.

 

27 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

And Elizabeth arrived in blue jeans.  She wore them to tribal.  They are probably incredibly uncomfortable most of the time.  I think Carl is also wearing jeans.

Okay then there we have it.  Thanks for confirming that was what production forced her to wear.  Either rub and rip the flesh on your leg raw wearing damp, soaked denim or save your legs.  Physically suffer constantly and open up your legs to infections or go with the underwear.  She had no choice.  This is totally on production.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Thank you for reminding me about Davie's quote about not knowing many white people.  That was so cool.  I rarely get to see that kind of person represented on television - I personally have a lot of friends who are racial minorities who were the only one, or one of the only few people of their race or ethnicity in their entire elementary and high school - and I include myself.  I find that interesting too, but it's definitely a life I'm familiar with.  Very cool for Davie to say, "I've only grown up with black people". It's something I'd like to hear more about.

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

And Elizabeth arrived in blue jeans.  She wore them to tribal.  They are probably incredibly uncomfortable most of the time.  I think Carl is also wearing jeans.

I feel confident I remember Carl running around Exile Island in jeans, yes.  

Regarding what @cooksdelight said about the suitcases and what production does, couldn't I get around this nonsense by ONLY packing t-shirts and sweatpants and sweat-shorts?   (And NOT jeans, or weird white pants, and weird white leggings, or suits). Because that's totally what I'd do.  (And yes, I do realize that every one of my posts outline me fantasizing me being on this show.)

Edited October 20, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[LanceM]

8 hours ago, MissBluxom said:

If I was a contestant, I know that I would not be happy about that. I'm sure that I'd be fairly angry that anyone would characterize me by a single word - let alone a name. What happened to the idea that name-calling is not cool?  Even worse, I  can't believe these people seem perfectly willing to go along with Jeff and call themselves by whatever name he has assigned to the tribes. Why, you ask? Well consider that I am a Boogaloo and when you're a Boogaloo, you're a Boogaloo all the way. (remind you of West Side Story?) It's Boogaloo for life. Boogaloo through and through.  Doesn't that sound stupid? It sounds incredibly stupid to me. David is just a softer name than "Boogaloo".

 

 

Well according to Natalia the Goliaths were not happy at the theme and the tribe they were on:

 

"We were all not happy. We didn’t want to be portrayed as the big bad guys with these high-paying jobs, coming into Survivor to crush these Davids who worked their whole lives and struggled. That’s how it came across. No one wants to be portrayed like that. We worked hard too to get where we are. I didn’t have any help from my parents. But clearly, you have other stories on the David tribe where it’s evident they had a rough start that I didn’t have. "

[princelina]

I figured out this week that the reason I am uncomfortable looking at Elizabeth is because her shirt, hat, and bandanna-looking buff combo make her look ready for the rodeo, and then they zoom out and it's like, "Where's your pants?"  She's just so dressed on her top half :D

[susannot]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Thank you for reminding me about Davie's quote about not knowing many white people.  That was so cool.  I rarely get to see that kind of person represented on television - I personally have a lot of friends who are racial minorities who were the only one, or one of the only few people of their race or ethnicity in their entire elementary and high school - and I include myself.  I find that interesting too, but it's definitely a life I'm familiar with.  Very cool for Davie to say, "I've only grown up with black people". It's something I'd like to hear more about.

I feel confident I remember Carl running around Exile Island in jeans, yes.  

Regarding what @cooksdelight said about the suitcases and what production does, couldn't I get around this nonsense by ONLY packing t-shirts and sweatpants and sweat-shorts?   (And NOT jeans, or weird white pants, and weird white leggings, or suits). Because that's totally what I'd do.  (And yes, I do realize that every one of my posts outline me fantasizing me being on this show.)

 

I also found Davie's comment very interesting.  Especially since he followed up his comment about not having talked to many Caucasians by saying "Not that I don't want to."  Cool guy.  I enjoy him and want him to last long or win the game. 

I have often wondered whether producers troll message boards like this and assess reaction to contestants.  Judging from our little board, there was a strongly positive reaction to Christian, Gabby, and Davie over the first few episodes.  Lo and Behold, they each received lots of screen time in Ep. 4.

 

ETA before someone tells me:  I know that the season is in the can before it airs on TV and nothing we say here can influence it in the slightest degree.  Oh well.  I can fantasize that my millions of words about Survivor have meant something.

Edited October 20, 2018 by susannot

[Machiabelly]

44 minutes ago, princelina said:

I figured out this week that the reason I am uncomfortable looking at Elizabeth is because her shirt, hat, and bandanna-looking buff combo make her look ready for the rodeo, and then they zoom out and it's like, "Where's your pants?"  She's just so dressed on her top half :D

Your smiley face may mean you are joking but that actually makes a lot of sense. 

If she was always in her bra and panties you would subconsciously think that it's just how she is and is comfortable that way...but dressed as she is you feel like you have interrupted her while she is getting dressed, so it's uncomfortable. 

[meep.meep]

2 hours ago, LanceM said:

 

Well according to Natalia the Goliaths were not happy at the theme and the tribe they were on:

 

"We were all not happy. We didn’t want to be portrayed as the big bad guys with these high-paying jobs, coming into Survivor to crush these Davids who worked their whole lives and struggled. That’s how it came across. No one wants to be portrayed like that. We worked hard too to get where we are. I didn’t have any help from my parents. But clearly, you have other stories on the David tribe where it’s evident they had a rough start that I didn’t have. "

"Nobody roots for Goliath"   W. Chamberlain, famous basketballer

[MisterBluxom]

2 hours ago, meep.meep said:

"Nobody roots for Goliath"   W. Chamberlain, famous basketballer

May I suggest a slight improvement on, "Nobody roots for Goliath"?  Care to take a guess what it might be?

"Only Philistines root for Goliath!"

Edited October 20, 2018 by MissBluxom

[Nashville]

19 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I love the concept of the nullifier, but they made it way, too weak.  It seems highly unlikely that it will be used successfully.   You would have to know (or guess) who has the idol, that person would have to be your enemy in the game, and you'd have to correctly guess when they are going to use it.

The only positive is that if the nullifier becomes a regular thing, perhaps idiots will stop blabbing about the idols they find.

I'd prefer a nullifier that could be used after any idols are played.  Or at least let the player write down as many names to nullify idols for, as he wants, when he votes.  

My basic feeling about the Nullifier is it will have right about as much impact as the Cloud Power App did on the most recent season of Big Brother.  ;>

[peachmangosteen]

14 hours ago, meep.meep said:

I think Gabby's crying is totally strategic.  She only seems to cry in front of men.  So they will say "there there, I'll make it all OK".

Ugh, I wish. But I feel fairly confident that Gabby is just super neurotic lol. As to only crying in front of men, she's actually only done it in front of Christian, I believe, who she clearly likes the most and feels the most comfortable with, so it makes perfect sense.

13 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Regarding what @cooksdelight said about the suitcases and what production does, couldn't I get around this nonsense by ONLY packing t-shirts and sweatpants and sweat-shorts?   (And NOT jeans, or weird white pants, and weird white leggings, or suits). Because that's totally what I'd do.  (And yes, I do realize that every one of my posts outline me fantasizing me being on this show.)

I'm pretty sure then they'd just go buy you what they want you to wear. I actually think I've seen where former contestants have said this.

Edited October 20, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[Skycatcher]

On 10/19/2018 at 9:31 AM, Bryce Lynch said:

I love the concept of the nullifier.........

 you'd have to correctly guess when they are going to use it.

 I think this procedure effectively nullifies the nullifier.

[meep.meep]

10 hours ago, MissBluxom said:

May I suggest a slight improvement on, "Nobody roots for Goliath"?  Care to take a guess what it might be?

 

  Reveal hidden contents

"Only Philistines root for Goliath!"

Wilt Chamberlain died in 1999 and I quoted him.  You can't "improve" a direct quote.

What you put in the spoiler box is not a spoiler or an improvement.  I don't like guessing games either.

[ghoulina]

On 10/19/2018 at 11:59 AM, truthaboutluv said:

I have to say, as much as I like Christian, I did laugh at Gabby's going on about how charming he is. Because I'd describe Christian more so as kind of adorably awkward but Gabby made him seem like this awesome charmer. I guess to her he is. Those two have a very charmingly awkward relationship. It's kind of endearing.

I thought that was such a fitting observation, coming from Gabby. Christian, while awkward, did a fine job of meshing with the Goliaths, while she felt totally on the outs. Their relationship IS really cute. 

 

17 hours ago, LanceM said:

 

Well according to Natalia the Goliaths were not happy at the theme and the tribe they were on:

 

"We were all not happy. We didn’t want to be portrayed as the big bad guys with these high-paying jobs, coming into Survivor to crush these Davids who worked their whole lives and struggled. That’s how it came across. No one wants to be portrayed like that. We worked hard too to get where we are. I didn’t have any help from my parents. But clearly, you have other stories on the David tribe where it’s evident they had a rough start that I didn’t have. "

Wah. Then don't go on Survivor. 

[fishcakes]

8 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

22 hours ago, meep.meep said:

I think Gabby's crying is totally strategic.  She only seems to cry in front of men.  So they will say "there there, I'll make it all OK".

Ugh, I wish. But I feel fairly confident that Gabby is just super neurotic lol. As to only crying in front of men, she's actually only done it in front of Christian, I believe, who she clearly likes the most and feels the most comfortable with, so it makes perfect sense.

Gabby seems to play up her insecurities for sympathy, much the same way Dawn did, although in her defense she does seem to do it only with Christian or to the camera, whereas Dawn evidently did it with everyone. I really liked when she was mewling about how she didn't fit in with the cool kids and felt so vulnerable and Christian said something like, "they feel vulnerable too, they just don't show it," which I thought was a very nice way for him to tell her to stop thinking her feelings make her so special. The dumb thing about it is that, the show's theme aside, where is she getting the idea she's on a tribe with a bunch of cool kids? Dan is a big dumb slab, John seems fairly awkward once you get past the eight-pack (granted, I have not had the easiest time getting past his eight-pack because ... lord have mercy), and Alison has been invisible so I'm not sure what to think of her yet, but she is a doctor, which means she's probably spent more than a few Saturday nights with her nose in a science book reading about bacteria. The only person I see isolating Gabby is Gabby. Bi's exit interview kind of confirms this for me too; Gabby's take on it was that the cool girls were freezing her out, but Bi said that Gabby was her main alliance and she blames herself for not doing enough to make Gabby feel secure. I get the sense that no amount of coddling would make Gabby feel secure because she is really attached to this idea of herself as the outcast.

Contrast her with Christian, who is just like, "oooh, we're in Slamtown now! I want to maintain the accounts!" He's just doing his thing and not feeling sorry for himself. Also I got a huge kick out of how Jeff tossed him the map to their new camp, and Christian was so surprised and pleased with himself for catching it.

Edited October 20, 2018 by fishcakes

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I'm pretty sure then they'd just go buy you what they want you to wear. I actually think I've seen where former contestants have said this.

This is disgusting and I'm upset!  The show totally is sexist then, if they wouldn't let a woman lounge around the island wearing sweatpants.  That's so, so gross.  Thanks for the info @peachmangosteen

Edited October 21, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[SVNBob]

15 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

As to only crying in front of men, she's actually only done it in front of Christian, I believe,

There's a "secret scene" posted in John's thread where he does a TH about the new tribe.  In it, he mentions that he hadn't heard one complaint from either Christian or Gabby (or his fellow oldGoliaths for that matter).  And he specifically calls Gabby "tough".

So it would appear that she is saving her more neurotic moments for her closest ally (Christian) or when in private (THs).

[Fretful]

On 10/19/2018 at 7:55 AM, peachmangosteen said:

Probst said they were dong the swap then regardless. Now, that doesn't really make sense, but that's what he said.

This actually does make sense if you think about the nullifier.  The way it stands only one person went to exile.  That person HAD to be male (because there are separate baskets of new buffs for men and women), so only a male could get the nullifier.  If Bi hadn't left then two people, one male and one female, would have gone to exile and had access to clue. It would have been a lot more fair.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, SVNBob said:

There's a "secret scene" posted in John's thread where he does a TH about the new tribe.  In it, he mentions that he hadn't heard one complaint from either Christian or Gabby (or his fellow oldGoliaths for that matter).  And he specifically calls Gabby "tough".

So it would appear that she is saving her more neurotic moments for her closest ally (Christian) or when in private (THs).

To be fair:

Gabby strikes me as one of those people who has learned to keep her outward persona tightly wrapped and in control around others, then lets her guard down and vents all her frustrations in private when no one else can see or hear them.  Unfortunately for Gabby, though, in Survivor there isn’t any such thing as “in private”; everywhere you go there’s somebody chasing after you with a camera, and at the first sign of tears or strong emotion they’re sticking that camera in your face and saying “what are you crying for tell us what’s bothering you let all the folks back home know what’s so upsetting was it this was it that why why why and would you look directly into the camera please....”

So the THs end up being Gabby’s “vent space” - and I get it, that’s Survivor, if you don’t like it you shouldn’t have signed up for the show, blah blah blah.  But Gabby isn’t complaining; she’s simply venting - and by Production’s design the TH is the closest thing to “private” any of the contestants have.  So I don’t fault Gabby for the emotional outbursts.

[peachmangosteen]

14 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Gabby seems to play up her insecurities for sympathy, much the same way Dawn did ...

 

I don't see this at all, but admittedly it might be because I really relate to Gabby's neuroticism lol. I just don't see Gabby as this master manipulator using tears as a strategy.

7 hours ago, SVNBob said:

There's a "secret scene" posted in John's thread where he does a TH about the new tribe.  In it, he mentions that he hadn't heard one complaint from either Christian or Gabby (or his fellow oldGoliaths for that matter).  And he specifically calls Gabby "tough".

So it would appear that she is saving her more neurotic moments for her closest ally (Christian) or when in private (THs).

OK, yea, this is what I figured.

And +1 to your post, @Nashville.

Edited October 21, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[fishcakes]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

I just don't see Gabby as this master manipulator using tears as a strategy.

I don't think she's doing it to manipulate anyone; if she were, she'd do it with everyone. But it seems like she really likes the view of herself as the nerdy outcast -- even though there's no evidence that anyone else thinks of her that way -- perhaps because it's a good excuse for her when things don't go her way. At worst, she's doing it to manipulate the audience, knowing that people root for an underdog, but I doubt she's doing it consciously; it's probably just how she operates in her normal life. She reminds me of Cochran in his first season. He was so insecure and weirded out about his place in the tribe that he screwed himself (because post-merge his original tribe would have kept him over Ozzy in a heartbeat, and the first thing that fool does when he gets to the merge is is flip) but when he came back the second time, he settled down, stopped acting as if everyone was about to stuff him in a locker, and won. I would like it if Gabby could get it together and stop acting like everyone is desperate to vote her out because that's likely the thing that will get her voted out. Also, it's just a really self-involved viewpoint, which bugs. I want to shake her say, "no one is thinking about you but you!" which is actually a pretty good place to be in in this game. If you can't be a physical threat, then you have to rely on being a strategist, and if you're a strategist, you don't want anyone to notice until it's too late.