S37.E14: David vs Goliath Reunion

[Whimsy]

Reunion talk

[cooksdelight]

And we get a peek at next season... with returning players. Gah......and another “twist”. For one season, I wish they’d leave out all the twists and idols and advantages and just let them play the game with rice and beans!

[Lantern7]

Apparently, Probst didn't want to spell out the big game-shaking twist for Edge of Extinction. All I can say is that it's a doozy, and it could fail in a spectacular manner. Also annoying: they don't show the one returning player I'm amped to see.

Seriously, though, why is the Reunion always scheduled for 10 p.m.? When was the last time it ran a little past that? At least they covered the heavier hitters, as well as Pat, the first-episode near-fatality. I'm not saying he deserves another shot, but I'd totally understand if he did come back.

As high-horsey as Natalie was, she did have a few good points. Also, I can't remember if she was on the same tribe as Christian. They could have talked for hours, and Christian doesn't feel pain when he talks, so she wouldn't get to him that badly.

[TVFan1]

I think Edge of Extinction is going to be an unpopular season. I'll judge when I watch in the Spring.

[Archery]

I may have missed it, but was there a Fan Favourite prize?

[Nashville]

1 minute ago, Archery said:

I may have missed it, but was there a Fan Favourite prize?

Nope.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

Natalie is still mean and clueless.  Where was Jeremy who told her off at his final tribal?

[TVFan1]

2 minutes ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

Natalie is still mean and clueless.  Where was Jeremy who told her off at his final tribal?

He was banned from the reunion.

[princelina]

25 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

As high-horsey as Natalie was, she did have a few good points. Also, I can't remember if she was on the same tribe as Christian. They could have talked for hours, and Christian doesn't feel pain when he talks, so she wouldn't get to him that badly.

She was a Goliath.

 

1 minute ago, TVFan1 said:

He was banned from the reunion.

Really?  Why?

[leocadia]

When Jeff replayed the jacketgate footage, I was hoping he would follow it up with Angelina begging Dan for the immunity idol.  Repetition = comedy gold.  

[SuburbanHangSuite]

2 minutes ago, TVFan1 said:

He was banned from the reunion.

oh, wow.  Thanks.  I had no idea.  He was one of my early favs.

[LadyChatts]

24 minutes ago, TVFan1 said:

I think Edge of Extinction is going to be an unpopular season. I'll judge when I watch in the Spring.

I think so too, but I felt that way about this season and was surprised.  Still, I'd hate to be following on the heels of DvsG.

[princelina]

Also - Christian at the reunion in his bowtie and jacket - can't you totally picture him looking like that as he makes his way home from the lab and into his house where Emily has cooked a nice dinner?  :)

[LadyChatts]

5 minutes ago, princelina said:

She was a Goliath.

 

Really?  Why?

He left Ponderosa early, because I guess he just didn't want to be away from his family that long when he wasn't in the game anymore.  Not sure if there was more to it than that, because pre-jurors have left Ponderosa before and didn't get banned (except Vytas).

[TVFan1]

5 minutes ago, princelina said:

She was a Goliath.

 

Really?  Why?

He left Ponderosa and went home early instead of staying like all of the pre-merge boots.

[North of Eden]

(Somehow I was in the wrong thread before but now I've found the right one!)

Oh, SURVIVOR don't ever do that to me again...I was on the edge thinking a near-perfect season was about to be ruined when Mike started racking up the votes. The whole night dread was sinking over me as that goon kept getting further and further near the final. Thank God for Nick's immunity run that put him in position to win. I couldn't have taken Mike winning. He said it himself he was playing a character and his mask slipped ever so briefly when he was rude to Allison...I was like, yeah...now there is the REAL Mike...a card-carrying dick.

Wow.,..at the Reunion...Nick is the spitting image of a young Richard Thomas! Good Night John-Boy.

Angelina....the ultimate goat with the zero vote tally! Could it have ended any other way based on the Jury's reaction to her?

Yeah,I guess they are mad at Alec as they edited out any question he may have had for the finalists..

Hah! Being on another network Probst couldn't bring himself to plug Mateo show by name SUPERSTORE....the best and ONLY sitcom I will even watch anymore. Most of them are complete garbage sex-coms now.

Joe for next season? Seriously? That is such tired casting. I thought we were done with bringing back Jeff's favorites until they win.

It must be true love for Emily that Christian has for her because god damn that Gabby is smoking HOT. She's so gorgeous and evervesent...seeing them next to each other at the reunion show I was like how can he NOT be with her? They'd make one hell of an attractive couple. Still hoping for a TAR run by them but if not then tonight Gabby sadly will bid goodbye to our screens forever. She made the season for me so thanks Gabby!

Edited December 20, 2018 by North of Eden

[Eolivet]

I still would love to know where Jeff is getting this idea that Angelina played a "strong game" and she was a "powerful woman." I know he'd never point it out, but I think he was trying to go about it in a roundabout way that it wasn't her force of will that irritated people, it was the begging and the entitlement. Which is sort of a hallmark of a weak player.

Social media didn't hate you because you were a strong woman, Angelina. They likely hated you because in the entire 37 seasons of the show, we've never seen anyone ask for someone else's jacket, like it was their god-given right. The fact that she characterized it as "creativity" and not what people likely saw it for -- arrogance and tone deafness -- is why she will always feel slighted, no matter what she does, and will take nothing from this experience but the self-assuredness that she is right, and everyone else is just jealous haters.

[princelina]

3 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

I still would love to know where Jeff is getting this idea that Angelina played a "strong game" and she was a "powerful woman." I know he'd never point it out, but I think he was trying to go about it in a roundabout way that it wasn't her force of will that irritated people, it was the begging and the entitlement. Which is sort of a hallmark of a weak player.

Social media didn't hate you because you were a strong woman, Angelina. They likely hated you because in the entire 37 seasons of the show, we've never seen anyone ask for someone else's jacket, like it was their god-given right. The fact that she characterized it as "creativity" and not what people likely saw it for -- arrogance and tone deafness -- is why she will always feel slighted, no matter what she does, and will take nothing from this experience but the self-assuredness that she is right, and everyone else is just jealous haters.

IMO it is because she said it and Gabby said it as well in her "as a woman" FTC comments.  People say things until others either believe it or are afraid to contradict it.

[LanceM]

Really? Asking for someone's jacket (to someone that just got voted out) is now like the most evil thing done in 37 seasons of Survivor? Seriously?

I mean we had a male player burn another contestants socks and win the player of the season.

Edited December 20, 2018 by LanceM

[MissEwa]

It's interesting because I agree with a lot of what Angelina said, about how women are depicted on the show as opposed to men, and who gets what sort of credit. I just don't think it applies to her as much as she thinks it does. 

[vb68]

Jeff looks like such an old man when he brings in the votes from the fake jungle in the studio now. Remember when they use to show him hanging out of helicopters and the like?

They really do need to figure out a way to bring the fan favorite vote back. I mean, if Big Brother can do it with ease every year, there's no excuses.

Why are they mad at Alec?

Edited December 20, 2018 by vb68

[cooksdelight]

11 minutes ago, LanceM said:

Really? Asking for someone's jacket (to someone that just got voted out) is now like the most evil thing done in 37 seasons of Survivor? Seriously?

It’s more about the way she goes about asking people for thing. Repeating Natalie’s name until she realizes the woman ain’t hearing here and ain’t forking over her jacket. She did it repeatedly when she wanted something, and God forgive anyone who forgot that she saved the entire world by making sure they got rice. She is one of those people who grates on my nerves because she never realizes how she comes across to others. And she won’t shut up or stop interrupting.

1 minute ago, vb68 said:

Why are they bad at Alec?

He apparently revealed some stuff before it aired, violating his non-disclosure contract, or part of it. I think he was fined by production for it.

[vb68]

3 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

He apparently revealed some stuff before it aired, violating his non-disclosure contract, or part of it. I think he was fined by production for it.

Thanks. There goes any future appearances for him.

I'd say we are very likely to see both Christian and Angelina again. You can tell Probst likes them.

[Silver Raven]

So Angelina being an unmitigated asshole from the first second of the first episode until the very last show is just because she's a strong woman, huh?

[ByaNose]

Angelina is so self anaware and it’s hysterical. It has nothing to do with her being a woman. 

[LadyChatts]

I want to know why it wasn't brought up that Nick and Mike had to help Angelina get her idol (and find her clue, since she lost it in the first place).  And Mike found it one handed while holding a glass of wine.  Unless they didn't want to seem petty.  Seriously, I don't think many people were buying Angelina's crap.  

I'm curious if we're going to find out if they cut out her fireworks at the Alison vote or if she said she changed her mind and realized it was a bad move.  Clearly she was being petty at the at vote and totally wanted to embarrass Alison with the hidden idol.  Curious how she'll spin it in interviews.

[30 Helens]

26 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Jeff looks like such an old man when he brings in the votes from the fake jungle in the studio now. Remember when they use to show him hanging out of helicopters and the like?

They really do need to figure out a way to bring the fan favorite vote back. I mean, if Big Brother can do it with ease every year, there's no excuses.

Why are they mad at Alec?

It’s my fondest hope every year that Jeff will do the old-school cheesy chop-through-the-jungle-with-a-machete, hang-from-a-helicopter, catch-a-passing-speedboat dramatic entrance, just one last time. And every year he disappoints me. Ah well, maybe next time.

Alec posted a photo of himself and Kara on Instagram pre-season, which he is not allowed to do. They were both banned from the reunion at first, but the producers relented and let Kara on. I assume because she made it as far as she did. 

[ByaNose]

11 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

It’s my fondest hope every year that Jeff will do the old-school cheesy chop-through-the-jungle-with-a-machete, hang-from-a-helicopter, catch-a-passing-speedboat dramatic entrance, just one last time. And every year he disappoints me. Ah well, maybe next time.

Alec posted a photo of himself and Kara on Instagram pre-season, which he is not allowed to do. They were both banned from the reunion at first, but the producers relented and let Kara on. I assume because she made it as far as she did. 

And, it was just his Instagram with “Fu*k It” added for extra measure. It’s a shame but if he knew the rules he was dumb for the post. Also, Jeremy wasn’t at the reunion. I don’t know if that was a show schedule or he didn’t feel like he could face the people after trashing them during his exit press. 

[Jextella]

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

Wow.,..at the Reunion...Nick is the spitting image of a young Richard Thomas! Good Night John-Boy.

 

Gawd.  You answered a question that has been plaguing me the whole entire season.  Plus, I can't figure out if I think Nick is handsome or not....something I always wondered about John-Boy.

1 hour ago, MissEwa said:

It's interesting because I agree with a lot of what Angelina said, about how women are depicted on the show as opposed to men, and who gets what sort of credit. I just don't think it applies to her as much as she thinks it does. 

THIS 1000%

My favorite line was Mike saying Angelina's strategy is from outer space.  There really is a disconnect for her in this game. 

[eskimo]

I thought Nick looked like a young Christian Slater. 

[ProfCrash]

6 hours ago, MissEwa said:

It's interesting because I agree with a lot of what Angelina said, about how women are depicted on the show as opposed to men, and who gets what sort of credit. I just don't think it applies to her as much as she thinks it does. 

This times 1000.

Lyrsa, Natalia, Natalie, Elizabeth all played strong games and were better examples of strogn women then Angelina. Hell, Kara did a pretty solid job out there we just didn’t see as much of her in the edit. I suspect we can say the same for Alison. If anyone has the right to bitch about a woman being treated differently then a man, I would say it is Chrissy from a few seasons back, not Angelina.

Angelina is getting that attention from Jeff and others because Angelina talked about it. That is fine and it is good that she talked about it and called it out but the way she played the game is not consistent with those comments. People are mocking her for her bad game play and god knows that happens with men as well. 

I think Natalie has more of a point then Angelina. The editors could have showed a more well rounded game, they did hint at it, but there were problems with how she played. Every Goliath at that one tribal was like “Natalie is abbrassive”, that wasn’t stagged. We saw how she talked to people so I get that but I suspect that more was missing then we know. 

Had Aneglina played a better game and been less entitled, she would get more accolades. In the end, she played a poor game, her moves back fired on her, she was deluded thinking that she was driving the vote when it was Mike, and she just didn’t get that. 

[BetyBee]

I am happy that Nick won.  His backstory is interesting and he seems like a person who is trying to do good in the world.  Plus he went on an immunity run and completely deserved his win.  I agree with the poster upthread that Mike's true character showed when he made the cruel comment to Allison at the tribal. However, he is quick-witted an funny, so I'm not surprised he got a few votes.  I was very sorry to see Christian voting for him, though of course he's entitled to his opinion.  

I work with an Angelina type person and neither Angelina nor her in my real life counterpart, will ever see how annoying they are.  The endless self promoting does work to a certain point.  However, I don't think my real life Angelina would do something as cruel as trying to humiliate someone at tribal to make herself look like a great player.  That's cruel, not "creative". 

The one question I'm left with is why was everyone so determined to vote out Allison?  I never thought she was much of a threat, but the players seemed to think so.    

[Bryce Lynch]

All you Angelina haters are a bunch of misogynists, who can't handle a strong woman.

She climbed 150 feet up an 8 foot ladder (She literally could have died!) to find an idol.

Sure, she needed the help of 2 men, because she lost the clue and was afraid of the 8 foot ladder.  OK, one of those men had a BAC of about 0.25, and found the clue without putting down his wine glass.  But, nothing says "strong woman" like being an incompetent, damsel in distress.

Then, she masterfully used that idol, plus a fake idol, that everyone knew was fake, to turn a routine 3-2 vote in her alliance's favor into a routine 3-0 vote in her alliance's favor.  It was amazing...like making a head first slide, into first base, on a walk.

And, while she doesn't like to mention it, after Jeff rejected what she told him was her low-ball offer (of everything in camp), she "won" rice for the tribe, by agreeing to sit out an immunity challenge, that she DEFINITELY would have won, because it was a puzzle.

That sacrifice threw her off for the rest of the season, as she bombed in all the later puzzle challenges, obviously because sitting out for the rice messed up her puzzle rhythm.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[green]

13 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

I am happy that Nick won.  His backstory is interesting and he seems like a person who is trying to do good in the world.

 

I for one will never buy the constant shtick about how evil sob stories are etc on Survivor.  I would NOT give the money to someone who would squander it away on parties over someone who would use it for good like Nick seems he will.  This stuff matters to me.  He also deserved the win "inside the game" aside from that so it was a win-win situation for me with Nick.  The money going to help him stay in his small town and help people was the perfect icing on the well-deserved cake.  Congrats, Nick!

[ProfCrash]

9 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

All you Angelina haters are a bunch of misogynists, who can't handle a strong woman.

She climbed 150 feet up an 8 foot ladder (She literally could have died!) to find an idol.

Sure, she needed the help of 2 men, because she lost the clue and was afraid of the 8 foot ladder.  OK, one of those men had a BAC of about 0.25, and found the clue without putting down his wine glass.  But, nothing says "strong woman" like being an incompetent, damsel in distress.

Then, she masterfully used that idol, plus a fake idol, that everyone knew was fake, to turn a routine 3-2 vote in her alliance's favor into a routine 3-0 vote in her alliance's favor.  It was amazing...like making a head first slide, into first base, on a walk.

And, while she doesn't like to mention it, after Jeff rejected what she told him was her low-ball offer (of everything in camp), she "won" rice for the tribe, by agreeing to sit out an immunity challenge, that she DEFINITELY would have won, because it was a puzzle.

That sacrifice threw her off for the rest of the season, as she bombed in all the later puzzle challenges, obviously because sitting out for the rice messed up her puzzle rhythm.

slow clap.

Beautiful

[alexa]

7 minutes ago, green said:

I for one will never buy the constant shtick about how evil sob stories are etc on Survivor.  I would NOT give the money to someone who would squander it away on parties over someone who would use it for good like Nick seems he will.  This stuff matters to me.  He also deserved the win "inside the game" aside from that so it was a win-win situation for me with Nick.  The money going to help him stay in his small town and help people was the perfect icing on the well-deserved cake.  Congrats, Nick!

It is nice to know that someone that can handle the money in a good, helpful, and mature way won.  It just feels better that way :-)

[Jextella]

12 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Wow.,..at the Reunion...Nick is the spitting image of a young Richard Thomas! Good Night John-Boy.

 

 

8 hours ago, eskimo said:

I thought Nick looked like a young Christian Slater. 

"Yes" to both!  Sort of a hybrid.

[brilliantbreakfast]

12 hours ago, princelina said:

Also - Christian at the reunion in his bowtie and jacket - can't you totally picture him looking like that as he makes his way home from the lab and into his house where Emily has cooked a nice dinner?  :)

Never has anyone made a bowtie and blazer look so hot.  I have a completely age-inappropriate crush on Christian.  Genius, brilliance, and quirky fashion sense are a hot combination.

Angelina is such an unaware asshole.  If being gratuitously cruel is being a "strong woman," then I am Marie of Rumania. I don't know what she thought she would get out of it, but her beef with Alison, a woman who is Chief Inpatient Resident at UNC Hospitals and who plans to work in hematology/oncology after completing residency with a focus on palliative care, coming from a Wall Street tool, seemed completely uncalled for.  And oh, by the way, Twitter was full of REAL women of color last night saying "WTF" about the obviously Caucasian Angelina trying to convince people she is one too.

Christian was my first choice (though I'm frankly surprised he made it as far as he did, then Davie, then Nick.  So I was fine with the outcome.  But Christian's vote for Mike is baffling.  The fallout with Nick must have been severe and he and Mike must have bonded a lot more than was portrayed.

Edited December 20, 2018 by brilliantbreakfast

[Eolivet]

I loved that they showed who voted for who, because that's always a question I have after the finale. I wish they'd have done it like Australian Survivor, where we actually got a clip of what they said when they voted, too.

They took quite a bit from Australian Survivor (or other Survivors that I didn't see) -- the concept of the idol nullifier (though it was a Tyler Perry super-duper idol nullifier on Australian Survivor), the holding up sand bags challenge, showing who voted for who. I'm sure there's other things I can't remember, but I'm glad to see them switching it up.

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

It’s my fondest hope every year that Jeff will do the old-school cheesy chop-through-the-jungle-with-a-machete, hang-from-a-helicopter, catch-a-passing-speedboat dramatic entrance, just one last time. And every year he disappoints me. Ah well, maybe next time.

Alec posted a photo of himself and Kara on Instagram pre-season, which he is not allowed to do. They were both banned from the reunion at first, but the producers relented and let Kara on. I assume because she made it as far as she did. 

Second point:  Wow!

First point:  He used to do jetskis or something, right?  Hilarious.  

[cdnalor]

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

She climbed 150 feet up an 8 foot ladder (She literally could have died!) to find an idol

I wonder if Jeff would consider doing a comedy version of Survivor using all the Angelina types they've had over the years.  "Angelina's Island" has a nice ring to it (with apologies to Gilligan).

[Bryce Lynch]

36 minutes ago, cdnalor said:

I wonder if Jeff would consider doing a comedy version of Survivor using all the Angelina types they've had over the years.  "Angelina's Island" has a nice ring to it (with apologies to Gilligan).

How about they do an Exile Island type deal, but make it Angelina's Island.  If you get banished, you go to spend the next couple of days on an island with Angelina.

Or how about a choice.  You can either go to Exile Island, with little or no food and shelter or to Angelina Island, where they feed you and give you shelter, but you have to be with Angelina?

[Lamima]

There has been mention, many times, of a crazy/jerky island of returners who were all wacko or jerks. I'd throw Angelina in there. Natalie too. We have Phillip, Russell (his nephew Brandon...maybe a little too much), Shirin, Colton, Johnny Fairplay, NaOnka, Debbie (with all the job titles)....gosh there are sooooo many. Call it unlikable island. Would be something.

[lostmydamnmind]

7 hours ago, green said:

I for one will never buy the constant shtick about how evil sob stories are etc on Survivor.  I would NOT give the money to someone who would squander it away on parties over someone who would use it for good like Nick seems he will.  This stuff matters to me.  He also deserved the win "inside the game" aside from that so it was a win-win situation for me with Nick.  The money going to help him stay in his small town and help people was the perfect icing on the well-deserved cake.  Congrats, Nick!

Same. I'll always remember Jonathan Penner talking about how people like Parvati and Candice should not win that kind of money because it would ruin them. Spot on.

[seacliffsal]

This is super shallow...but here goes: I thought that the survivors all looked really good at the Reunion.  Normally I feel like they over do the make-up gun (set to "high").  This reunion though I thought everyone looked and presented themselves well.  I was particularly happy to see Pat looking healthy and happy (I'm always nervous about the medical evacs [not so much about the quitters...]) and am always glad to see the evacuees at the Reunions (thinking back about how happy I was when Terry gave the update on his son [yes, I know Terry himself wasn't a medical evac, but it was for family]).  

[eskimo]

7 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

She climbed 150 feet up an 8 foot ladder

 And don't forget she also used the 8 foot ladder to climb 4 1/2 feet onto a boulder, to get poked in the butt by thorns as Nick points out the obvious fact that a ladder is not needed to get where she is.  Lmao.  So super smart and strategic, that one.

[ljenkins782]

15 hours ago, princelina said:

Also - Christian at the reunion in his bowtie and jacket - can't you totally picture him looking like that as he makes his way home from the lab and into his house where Emily has cooked a nice dinner?  :)

Not really, it looked like he was playing up his "character" deliberately for a crowd response. I imagine that if he returns for a future season, his show "uniform" will be something similar, just in case anyone forgot he's the geeky professor.

It's interesting because I agree with a lot of what Angelina said, about how women are depicted on the show as opposed to men, and who gets what sort of credit. I just don't think it applies to her as much as she thinks it does. 

Yeah, that's exactly it and it irks me that Jeff fed her a setup to climb up on a soapbox to excuse her own poor behavior. Separating the message from the medium, I agree with all of it, it just has very little to do with why Angelina was getting mocked on the internet. 

Kara should look at herself on the island and realize that she can dial back the makeup a bit, she's quite lovely without the heavy lash extensions and eye makeup. Also not a fan of Nick's blue suit. 

[amazingracefan]

Just saw the reunion and it was way too short, which seems to be the case with this franchise now.  I don't understand the logic behind that, it's like they make it as much just a viewing event for the final episode.

[driver18]

I'm confused... seriously. Am I the only one who saw the part of Angelina's interview where she said that watching back the season she saw what everyone else saw? She understood why people were saying what they were about her, she understood why social media was going after her the way they were? She knew that she was way too extra, that the game plan she'd had in mind "leaning in" too much, being aggressive, she hadn't played the right way and she completely understood why people saw her as they did?  I ask because I keep reading comment after comment that only acknowledges the first part of her interview which I do think has some validity. Women are judged differently, and while she did bring a lot of criticism she received on herself (again, which she acknowledged), I do think it's quite possible that she may have gotten less leeway as she was a female. Which Jeff said as much.

I mean, that did happen though, right? I'm not the only one who saw that second part of her interview? I was dead-tired last night, so who knows, maybe I hallucinated it because seriously, between this thread and the Finale thread absolutely no one else has mentioned it. Just the repetition of her being unself-aware which she totally seemed to be before that part of the interview. That did happen. Right? Right?!

Edited December 20, 2018 by driver18

[Wandering Snark]

9 hours ago, green said:

He also deserved the win "inside the game" aside from that so it was a win-win situation for me with Nick.  The money going to help him stay in his small town and help people was the perfect icing on the well-deserved cake.  Congrats, Nick!

I personally love that they didn't use this as his 'reason for playing' like they would have with most contestants. We never mentioned that he worked with drug addicts in small town Kentucky... that that's why he became a lawyer; to further the common good. To me it all = good guy, good player, good winner.