S38: Preview & Speculation Thread

[jay741982]

On 5/12/2019 at 11:02 AM, Eolivet said:

I can't see Aubry winning, because I'd like to think they would never have made a winner look that ridiculous in the beginning. I mean, there's "boneheaded game move" and there's "make someone look like an idiot." And her tears have seemed more desperate and pathetic than inspiring (and this coming from someone who adored Aubry in Kaoh Rong). But this season makes me wonder ... why.

I will be stunned if Victoria wins, as well, because the number 1 requirement for a Survivor winner is you have to be likable, and she is ... not. Michele, Mike Holloway, Ben -- even Natalie White had at least "game likability" to them -- they were underdogs. Victoria has been in the catbird seat the entire time. She's not even "boring" Sarah on Game Changers who at least received credit for her moves (I still remember her "it worked" when Sierra gave her the advantage). Victoria's received no credit for the Kama moves -- instead, the jury has seen it to go Rick, and to a lesser extent, Lauren.

I also haven't seen any cracks in Rick's armor, like we sort of saw with Dom -- where there were scenes of him being domineering compared to Wendell being kind. Granted, a lot of those were in the finale, so I'll be watching that edit closely. But unless Rick turns into Brad Culpepper, it's between him, Edge of Extinction winner tbd and Lauren for my top three winner picks, storyline-wise.

Victoria's not likeable cause YOU say so? I like her and definitely more than arrogant overrated Producer Pet RICK 

[Eolivet]

On 5/12/2019 at 7:28 PM, MissEwa said:

I don't see Victoria winning either but I don't think she's unlikeable, or even getting an "unlikeable" edit, a la Angelina last season.

I agree with that. I'm sure this is semantics, but I didn't mean Victoria not being likable means she's "unlikable." Just that "likability" is a requirement for a winner. I don't see a lack of "likability" as the same thing as being "unlikable," though I can see that's confusing wording.

I believe you have to know someone for them to have "likability." You either have to know their game (underdog winners like Mike and Michele, to an extent) or you have to know them as a person (those the show tried to paint as swell people, because they weren't their season's main strategists, like Wendell and Adam). I don't know anything about Victoria's unique game, nor do I know much about her as a person. So to me, that's not a winner.

But I do agree Victoria doesn't have an "unlikable" edit. She's not Angelina or Chrissy or Rodney, Dan Foley or Will. She's Chelsea from Ghost Island, and that's almost more unforgivable, story-wise -- seeing as this is the final five and she's been in the majority alliance the whole time.

[LanceM]

I mean lets not get carried away here Victoria has had a confessional in every episode this season except one. She has been visible. She is under edited though as is everyone in the final 5 not named Rick. I mean seriously Rick has 51 confessionals this season while Victoria, Lauren, Gavin and Julie all have between 20-25 each. Thats ridiculous. And I will say this if one of those four not named Rick wins than the editors have done them a disservice.

Edited May 14, 2019 by LanceM

[TVFan1]

This finale will definitely be Rick Devens Central. I can see it now.

[SVNBob]

4 hours ago, Eolivet said:

Just that "likability" is a requirement for a winner.

That's never been true. 

Hatch wasn't really liked back in the beginning.  Jenna Morasca was seen as an immature bitch (who matured a lot very quickly by the time she came back for All-Stars).  Some people can't stand Sandra and don't think she should have won either time (although moreso for HvV).  Parvati and the Black Widows.  Cochran.  Boston Rob.  The list goes on....

About the only winners that had "undeniable" "likability" were JT, Earl, Kim Spradlin, and Danni.  But JT's reputation has taken a major hit each time he returned and done progressively worse.  And Kim gets lots of naysayers that claim her season was a cakewalk castwise once Colton departed.  Earl and Danni are still "likable", since they've barely been heard from since their seasons.

[suebee18]

Maybe the question has less to do with who’s “likeable” or not and more about who is BEYOND boring to watch and listen to. Like him or not (and trust me, we’re all well aware of who doesn’t like him), Rick is more interesting than the other 4 combined! Which is not Rick’s fault. He at least makes the show interesting, the others can’t be bothered to do anything that might make the cameras want to follow them. I mean, really, how many times can we watch Lauren roll her eyes?!

Edited May 14, 2019 by suebee18

[ProfCrash]

We don't know if Victoria or Gavin or Lauren are interesting because we have not been shown them. The Producers decided that Rick was interesting because he gives the sound bites that they like. I happen to find the strategic players and what they are doing more quietly far more interesting the Rick's game play. But I rarely get to see the type of players I like featured because Production think people like watching players like Rick.

Last season was fun for me because we got to see Davie, a more low key strategic player, play. Yes, Christian got a lot of screen time but we saw what Davie was doing that supported, and hurt, Christian's game play. We saw how they could have worked together to go farther and got a an idea of why Davie worked with Carl and not Christian.

I have no clue why we are not getting more of Lauren, Gavin, and Victoria because what we have seen shows that they are playing and strategizing and working to develop plans and the like. But apparently we all need "excitement" and "flash" to care so all we get is Rick.

[ree1778]

1 hour ago, ProfCrash said:

I have no clue why we are not getting more of Lauren, Gavin, and Victoria because what we have seen shows that they are playing and strategizing and working to develop plans and the like. But apparently we all need "excitement" and "flash" to care so all we get is Rick.

Throwing out a name and agreeing is hardly interesting TV, at least to me. It seems like that's all we see these three do. Suggesting someone else in case of a tie vote isn't groundbreaking either. I just don't see any real game play from any of those people. Being on the right side of the vote constantly sometimes means you're a hell of a player, and sometimes it just means you're just going along with the crowd. All they do is decide who to vote out, if it can't be Rick. I don't see any excitement or fun in the way they're playing. I guess it's a personal choice, I just don't care for the quiet strategizing.

[ProfCrash]

Except that we have seen Victoria organize votes before the merge, she blindsided Aubry. We saw Lauren change the vote from Lauren to Aurora last week. So I don't think they are simply tossing out names and seeing things change. I think that Victoria and Lauren are probably more involved in decision making then we have been shown.

Probably because it involves communication and discussion and not getting people to chase you through the trees and news broadcasts.

And arguing that it is boring because "all they do is decide who to vote out" is boring then there is a problem because that is the game. And yes, the last bunch of votes have been focused on Rick because they can see how Rick has played to the jury and that Rick is dangerous. But having a back up plan is important. And going into tribal knowing what you are going to do is important.

That is the game. And they are playing it. And we are not being shown it because they are not behaving like characters.

[jay741982]

7 hours ago, suebee18 said:

Maybe the question has less to do with who’s “likeable” or not and more about who is BEYOND boring to watch and listen to. Like him or not (and trust me, we’re all well aware of who doesn’t like him), Rick is more interesting than the other 4 combined! Which is not Rick’s fault. He at least makes the show interesting, the others can’t be bothered to do anything that might make the cameras want to follow them. I mean, really, how many times can we watch Lauren roll her eyes?!

Your Opinion. Rick doesnt interest me and I'm sick of the Rick show 

[watchingtvaddict]

Are all those voted out going to be on the jury? Is it confirmed? Urgh. I'm so not a fan of this season if that's the case. All but two people still on the show. 

[Bryce Lynch]

On 5/13/2019 at 8:21 PM, jay741982 said:

Victoria's not likeable cause YOU say so? I like her and definitely more than arrogant overrated Producer Pet RICK 

I like Victoria and Rick.   

And who says winners must be likable?  Many have not been.

On 5/13/2019 at 11:49 PM, LanceM said:

I mean lets not get carried away here Victoria has had a confessional in every episode this season except one. She has been visible. She is under edited though as is everyone in the final 5 not named Rick. I mean seriously Rick has 51 confessionals this season while Victoria, Lauren, Gavin and Julie all have between 20-25 each. Thats ridiculous. And I will say this if one of those four not named Rick wins than the editors have done them a disservice.

I think, like him or not, win or lose, Rick has earned his big edit.  He has been on the chopping block (and chopped) come back from EOE, found and played several advantages, made a lot of funny comments, boasted (or fake boasted) a lot, etc.   

If a winner does a lot less interesting stuff for most of the season than another player or players, I don't think it makes sense to give the winner a bigger edit.   

20-25 confessionals means nearly 2 per episode  When you consider that Julie, Victoria and Gavin spent most of the first half of the season in zero danger of being voted off, that isn't so bad.  I don't think anybody is thinking "Who is Julie/Gavin/Victoria/Lauren?"

[Bryce Lynch]

On 5/14/2019 at 7:55 AM, suebee18 said:

Maybe the question has less to do with who’s “likeable” or not and more about who is BEYOND boring to watch and listen to. Like him or not (and trust me, we’re all well aware of who doesn’t like him), Rick is more interesting than the other 4 combined! Which is not Rick’s fault. He at least makes the show interesting, the others can’t be bothered to do anything that might make the cameras want to follow them. I mean, really, how many times can we watch Lauren roll her eyes?!

I wouldn't say he is more interesting than the other 4 combined, but he has done, by far, the most interesting stuff this season. 

But, it is not as if he his getting more confessionals than the other 4 combined. 

[Bryce Lynch]

On 5/14/2019 at 8:44 AM, ProfCrash said:

We don't know if Victoria or Gavin or Lauren are interesting because we have not been shown them. The Producers decided that Rick was interesting because he gives the sound bites that they like. I happen to find the strategic players and what they are doing more quietly far more interesting the Rick's game play. But I rarely get to see the type of players I like featured because Production think people like watching players like Rick.

Last season was fun for me because we got to see Davie, a more low key strategic player, play. Yes, Christian got a lot of screen time but we saw what Davie was doing that supported, and hurt, Christian's game play. We saw how they could have worked together to go farther and got a an idea of why Davie worked with Carl and not Christian.

I have no clue why we are not getting more of Lauren, Gavin, and Victoria because what we have seen shows that they are playing and strategizing and working to develop plans and the like. But apparently we all need "excitement" and "flash" to care so all we get is Rick.

I think Lauren, Gavin and Victoria have all played solid, fairly low key and conservative social and strategic games, and that is what we have been shown.  They haven't been challenge beasts, played a bunch of idols, made a bunch of big moves.  I'm not sure what more the editors should be showing us.

They have subtly shown Victoria questioning certain moves by the group, but going along, and she usually turned out to be right.  They also showed her conning Aubry into not using her idol and getting blindsided.   I wonder if her "I'm playing here too" crack during the challenge last week is at all meaningful.  Could they be showing the winner, calling out Jeff for not paying enough attention to her?

[watchingtvaddict]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I think, like him or not, win or lose, Rick has earned his big edit.  He has been on the chopping block (and chopped) come back from EOE, found and played several advantages, made a lot of funny comments, boasted (or fake boasted) a lot, etc.   

If a winner does a lot less interesting stuff for most of the season than another player or players, I don't think it makes sense to give the winner a bigger edit.   

I think Rick is a great advertisement for why EOE was a good idea for the first half of the season. A person was voted off and they've come back and shown it *was* a good idea to vote them off cos they were funny, likeable to the jury and a challenge beast.  Not sure about the returnee for the finale though. I don't think anyone returning will have enough time to "prove themself" in the game. 

[ree1778]

On 5/14/2019 at 11:07 AM, ProfCrash said:

And arguing that it is boring because "all they do is decide who to vote out" is boring then there is a problem because that is the game

LOL, You're totally right.

I just meant that it doesn't seem to be strategic or have any suspense to it.

[phlebas]

My pick for the people Jeff talks to at the reunion:

• the winner
• Devens
• the four veterans
• Reem
• Wardog
• a random adolescent in the crowd with a winner pick
• Sia

[Special K]

17 minutes ago, phlebas said:

My pick for the people Jeff talks to at the reunion:

• the winner
• Devens
• the four veterans
• Reem
• Wardog
• a random adolescent in the crowd with a winner pick
• Sia

You forgot random non-Survivor-related celebrity starring in a new show that CBS wants to promote! 😉

[phlebas]

20 minutes ago, Special K said:

You forgot random non-Survivor-related celebrity starring in a new show that CBS wants to promote! 😉

DAMN IT.

Add Norm McDonald to my list

[LadyChatts]

I’d throw Ron into the mix.

I hope we get a montage of Wardog’s challenges fails.

[Special K]

15 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I’d throw Ron into the mix.

I hope we get a montage of Wardog’s challenges fails.

With sound effects!
 

[Bryce Lynch]

42 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I’d throw Ron into the mix.

I hope we get a montage of Wardog’s challenges fails.

We need a season with all new players, except for Warthog and Crystal Cox returning as captains.  

[Special K]

45 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I hope we get a montage of Wardog’s challenges fails.

Wardog is why you don't give yourself nicknames.  If he was called just Dan, his physical ineptness wouldn't be anywhere near so hilarious.

[KimberStormer]

Who will give me odds that Rick Devens is back next season?