I'm going to squeeze in a short review of last week's debacle.
It's now clear that Sherri's plan to drag Shamar to the Final 3 was pure fantasy. He was never going to
make it. I'm not denying he was legitimately hurt, but he's the first
Survivor to hurt himself while laying in the tent. I think this guy was
going to get medically evacuated at some point no matter what. I've
seen abrasive people make it to the end, but it is very rare for people
who won't get out of the tent to make it to the end. I thought the love
his alliance showed him last week would pick him up, instead he used
the leverage to get Sherri to bring him his meals. Atrocious.
Shamar single-handedly blew the reward by lying on the platform and telling people to stand on his back. That is incredibly inefficient.
If they had won the reward, the protein from the chicken dinner might
have pushed them over the top in the immunity challenge. Instead, they lost both challenges and two people. The decision to keep Shamar over Hope steamrolled into a disaster.
Seeing
as Sherri engineered this debacle, it's fitting that she now appears to
be on the bottom of her alliance, if not her tribe. Her defense of
Laura ("we haven't been winning any challenges anyway") was rightly rejected - even Julia wanted to side with the guys. Sherri voted with them because she had no choice.
The Fans are down 9-6, have no idol and there's no sign of a re-mix of tribes. They need the Favorites to implode, and luckily for them, Mount Brandon is close to erupting.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites II, Ep. 3
I've been the commissioner of a fantasy baseball league since 1999. There is one owner who has quit the league at least four times.
It's the same formula: he has a heated argument (often with multiple owners), he loses, and then he quits. I wait a while, and then I get an owner who wasn't really in the argument to e-mailhim and tell him everyone in the league wants him to come back.
It has always worked. Four times he has quit, four times he has returned. Every couple of years, he needs the league to show him a little love. He's our Shamar.
After the Fans lost immunity, there was no talk of giving Shamar what he wanted and voting him out. Shamar didn't ask for it either. All that had been said the day before had been forgotten. Once Shamar heard from the ladies in his alliance that they wanted him to stay, the quit-talk was over. I say "the ladies", because I don't think Shamar cares what Matt or Mike thinks. Matt had his run-in with Shamar on Day 1 and right before the last challenge Mike offered to slap hands with Shamar as a good luck gesture and got totally dissed.
Obviously, I think things aren't right with the alliance and Shamar has major problems in his immediate future. He had a decent idea hinting to Hope to vote for Eddie, but the execution was awful. It was too cryptic for Hope to figure out what he meant, and it got back to his alliance and caused a panic in Laura, who was already sick of him ("the part of Shamar that was fun is completely gone"). With Mike and Matt not having much of a relationship with Shamar, how long can Sherri protect her "Phillip"? Boston Rob protected Phillip to the Final 3 because he reasonably controlled him. I don't think Sherri can control Shamar. Phillip would never go against a BR order and plant ideas in the head of the next person going home. Phillip would never disrespect a member of the alliance. Sherri might be forced by her alliance to let Shamar go or lose her alliance altogether.
Other Thoughts:
- Brandon has been handed a gift, and he can't see it. Because he (deservedly) earned a reputation for loyalty in his first season, the main alliance might replace Corinne with him. But, Brandon is suspicious of the messenger (Andrea) and the fact that they might be trying to placate him because he threatened to pee in the rice. He has a reasonable suspicion on that last point, which is why you shouldn't go around threatening to pee in the rice. His wild talk has created the situation that he finds himself in - one where the alliance's offers might be reasonably tainted. Great gameplay, Brandon! You've given everyone a reason to mislead you and a reason to distrust everything said to you! Genius!
- Malcolm has been removed from the closer role (he did little of the tossing in the challenge) and found the idol. He also has an alliance with an older woman who knows he has the idol. It's identical to last season (except for the fact that his initial tribe is winning). If there is going to be a war between Corinne and Andrea, and Corinne loses (which is probable), Malcolm can probably escape unscathed (I doubt he would give the idol to save Corinne). I was very skeptical of his chances this time out, but he looks set to go deep into the game again.
- I would like to know more about how close Laura was to bolting her alliance.
- If Hope had understood Shamar's cryptic message and voted for Eddie, she'd still be in the game.
Good episode. I'm liking this season. I can't wait for the Andrea/Corinne collision and to see whether Brandon melts down and does something incredibly stupid. Where's Coach when you need him?
It's the same formula: he has a heated argument (often with multiple owners), he loses, and then he quits. I wait a while, and then I get an owner who wasn't really in the argument to e-mailhim and tell him everyone in the league wants him to come back.
It has always worked. Four times he has quit, four times he has returned. Every couple of years, he needs the league to show him a little love. He's our Shamar.
After the Fans lost immunity, there was no talk of giving Shamar what he wanted and voting him out. Shamar didn't ask for it either. All that had been said the day before had been forgotten. Once Shamar heard from the ladies in his alliance that they wanted him to stay, the quit-talk was over. I say "the ladies", because I don't think Shamar cares what Matt or Mike thinks. Matt had his run-in with Shamar on Day 1 and right before the last challenge Mike offered to slap hands with Shamar as a good luck gesture and got totally dissed.
Obviously, I think things aren't right with the alliance and Shamar has major problems in his immediate future. He had a decent idea hinting to Hope to vote for Eddie, but the execution was awful. It was too cryptic for Hope to figure out what he meant, and it got back to his alliance and caused a panic in Laura, who was already sick of him ("the part of Shamar that was fun is completely gone"). With Mike and Matt not having much of a relationship with Shamar, how long can Sherri protect her "Phillip"? Boston Rob protected Phillip to the Final 3 because he reasonably controlled him. I don't think Sherri can control Shamar. Phillip would never go against a BR order and plant ideas in the head of the next person going home. Phillip would never disrespect a member of the alliance. Sherri might be forced by her alliance to let Shamar go or lose her alliance altogether.
Other Thoughts:
- Brandon has been handed a gift, and he can't see it. Because he (deservedly) earned a reputation for loyalty in his first season, the main alliance might replace Corinne with him. But, Brandon is suspicious of the messenger (Andrea) and the fact that they might be trying to placate him because he threatened to pee in the rice. He has a reasonable suspicion on that last point, which is why you shouldn't go around threatening to pee in the rice. His wild talk has created the situation that he finds himself in - one where the alliance's offers might be reasonably tainted. Great gameplay, Brandon! You've given everyone a reason to mislead you and a reason to distrust everything said to you! Genius!
- Malcolm has been removed from the closer role (he did little of the tossing in the challenge) and found the idol. He also has an alliance with an older woman who knows he has the idol. It's identical to last season (except for the fact that his initial tribe is winning). If there is going to be a war between Corinne and Andrea, and Corinne loses (which is probable), Malcolm can probably escape unscathed (I doubt he would give the idol to save Corinne). I was very skeptical of his chances this time out, but he looks set to go deep into the game again.
- I would like to know more about how close Laura was to bolting her alliance.
- If Hope had understood Shamar's cryptic message and voted for Eddie, she'd still be in the game.
Good episode. I'm liking this season. I can't wait for the Andrea/Corinne collision and to see whether Brandon melts down and does something incredibly stupid. Where's Coach when you need him?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites II, Ep. 2
This episode's immunity challenge presented an example of another advantage the Favorites have over the Fans - personnel management.
The Favorites have seen each other play before (except for Malcolm), and know everyone's strengths and weaknesses (which might explain why Malcolm is still closing - his tribemates haven't seen his season yet, so they are just learning that he can't close). Anyhow, it didn't matter. In addition to the inherent disadvantage of not yet knowing their tribemates' strengths and weaknesses, the Fans do not know how to communicate, Shamar threw a tantrum during the discussion regarding assignments, so they wound up with the wrong people on the wrong tasks. They had three men pulling the raft (Shamar could have pulled the raft single-handedly), which was the least important leg of the challenge (something the Favorites knew, which is why they hid Cochrane there). Instead, they should have included at least one of their top male athletes on the diving team (the Favorites wisely chose Erik). Men have up to 50% more lung capacity than women and can hold their breath much longer, which is why men have dominated diving throughout the history of Survivor. (Has any of these so-called Fans seen the show before?). Of the three women they did send diving - only Sherri showed any effort. I'm not sure the other two could swim. It was a complete disaster.
As for the vote, the cool kids seemed overly nonchalant about the strength of their alliance outside of their core four. They knew they were alienating themselves with their cliquish behavior, so you'd think they would try to work more angles then they did. Eddie looked generally surprised by the vote - did he really think their strategy was a slam dunk because Shamar misbehaved in camp? Why would someone agree to be the 5th or 6th wheel to an ultra-tight four-person alliance?
Allie might have spoken fewer words on air than anyone ever to play Survivor. She had some spirited closing remarks after getting booted, but before that we hardly saw her say anything. Reynold told her Matt's voting with them, and I guess she thought it was enough. Passive.
Laura called the four-person alliance the "pretty people". There was real contempt in her voice, as if they were making her feel like she was in the loser clique in high school. Laura is attractive and bright, therefore, if the core four was making her feel that alienated, they must have been sending out horrible vibes. Of course, Laura might also have a chip on her shoulder, but I'm guessing this was more of the alliance's fault seeing as Laura wasn't the only one complaining.
All tolled, outside of the core four, this tribe is not communicating well. Shamar is not a leader and can't be lead. They are making horrible assignments at challenges. There is a distinct mistrust and anger within the tribe, and a lot of this can be attributed to the main alliance. And, I'm not sure the problem can be fixed.
The bottom line is this: Survivor is a social game, and every member of that four-person alliance is guilty of atrocious game play. They are also guilty of atrocious arithmetic. When you have ten people in your tribe, you need SIX people in your alliance. Four people and two afterthoughts do not equal six. The afterthoughts (if they know they are afterthoughts, which this group made clear) will not be loyal. A four-person alliance with two afterthoughts is still a four-person alliance.
Allie, we hardly knew you, but you deserved to go.
Other thoughts:
- Laura calling out Reynold's idol helps Reynold - no? Isn't Reynold better off now that everyone knows he has it without announcing it himself, which could sound like bragging?
- Brandon, calm down. You're acting like a friggin' lunatic. You're only 21. You have your whole working life ahead of you, and you're making yourself unemployable. Who the heck would ever hire you after the way you've been acting? Shamar has been a loudmouth, but it's partly for show. You're serious. You're not acting. That's what's scary about it.
- Two people this episode (Brandon and Michael) made the argument that it was somehow cruel to vote Francesca out first. I don't buy it for one second. I'm not saying there aren't any ethics in Survivor, I just don't think they include giving Francesca a free pass the first vote. No one owed her anything. The people who suggest they did owe her something are asserting a false moral superiority. I was not impressed by it.
This was a pretty good episode when you consider there was only one challenge. I'm enjoying the season thus far.
The Favorites have seen each other play before (except for Malcolm), and know everyone's strengths and weaknesses (which might explain why Malcolm is still closing - his tribemates haven't seen his season yet, so they are just learning that he can't close). Anyhow, it didn't matter. In addition to the inherent disadvantage of not yet knowing their tribemates' strengths and weaknesses, the Fans do not know how to communicate, Shamar threw a tantrum during the discussion regarding assignments, so they wound up with the wrong people on the wrong tasks. They had three men pulling the raft (Shamar could have pulled the raft single-handedly), which was the least important leg of the challenge (something the Favorites knew, which is why they hid Cochrane there). Instead, they should have included at least one of their top male athletes on the diving team (the Favorites wisely chose Erik). Men have up to 50% more lung capacity than women and can hold their breath much longer, which is why men have dominated diving throughout the history of Survivor. (Has any of these so-called Fans seen the show before?). Of the three women they did send diving - only Sherri showed any effort. I'm not sure the other two could swim. It was a complete disaster.
As for the vote, the cool kids seemed overly nonchalant about the strength of their alliance outside of their core four. They knew they were alienating themselves with their cliquish behavior, so you'd think they would try to work more angles then they did. Eddie looked generally surprised by the vote - did he really think their strategy was a slam dunk because Shamar misbehaved in camp? Why would someone agree to be the 5th or 6th wheel to an ultra-tight four-person alliance?
Allie might have spoken fewer words on air than anyone ever to play Survivor. She had some spirited closing remarks after getting booted, but before that we hardly saw her say anything. Reynold told her Matt's voting with them, and I guess she thought it was enough. Passive.
Laura called the four-person alliance the "pretty people". There was real contempt in her voice, as if they were making her feel like she was in the loser clique in high school. Laura is attractive and bright, therefore, if the core four was making her feel that alienated, they must have been sending out horrible vibes. Of course, Laura might also have a chip on her shoulder, but I'm guessing this was more of the alliance's fault seeing as Laura wasn't the only one complaining.
All tolled, outside of the core four, this tribe is not communicating well. Shamar is not a leader and can't be lead. They are making horrible assignments at challenges. There is a distinct mistrust and anger within the tribe, and a lot of this can be attributed to the main alliance. And, I'm not sure the problem can be fixed.
The bottom line is this: Survivor is a social game, and every member of that four-person alliance is guilty of atrocious game play. They are also guilty of atrocious arithmetic. When you have ten people in your tribe, you need SIX people in your alliance. Four people and two afterthoughts do not equal six. The afterthoughts (if they know they are afterthoughts, which this group made clear) will not be loyal. A four-person alliance with two afterthoughts is still a four-person alliance.
Allie, we hardly knew you, but you deserved to go.
Other thoughts:
- Laura calling out Reynold's idol helps Reynold - no? Isn't Reynold better off now that everyone knows he has it without announcing it himself, which could sound like bragging?
- Brandon, calm down. You're acting like a friggin' lunatic. You're only 21. You have your whole working life ahead of you, and you're making yourself unemployable. Who the heck would ever hire you after the way you've been acting? Shamar has been a loudmouth, but it's partly for show. You're serious. You're not acting. That's what's scary about it.
- Two people this episode (Brandon and Michael) made the argument that it was somehow cruel to vote Francesca out first. I don't buy it for one second. I'm not saying there aren't any ethics in Survivor, I just don't think they include giving Francesca a free pass the first vote. No one owed her anything. The people who suggest they did owe her something are asserting a false moral superiority. I was not impressed by it.
This was a pretty good episode when you consider there was only one challenge. I'm enjoying the season thus far.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites II, Ep. 1
In the original Fans vs. Favorites, the returning players completely dominated. There were three key elements: the returnees were a strong group; they had existing relationships; and the quality of the Fans was atrocious (so atrocious that this season marks the first time any of that group of ten Fans has returned, and Erik's claim to fame is pulling one of the dumbest moves in the history of the game). So, the first Fans vs. Favorites turned into the Globetrotters vs. the Generals.
This incarnation feels more like Fans vs. Misfits. There are a lot of low quality players returning. When Probst was introducing them as they came off the chopper, I got the feeling the Fans didn't know who some of them were (I heard crickets when Corinne was introduced). Therefore, having won the first immunity challenge, should we give the Fans more of a chance?
I'm reminded of a scene from the classic sitcom, Taxi. Tony's brakes fail and he almost gets into an accident. He storms into the garage furious with management over their cavalier regard to driver safety. The other drivers vote Tony shop steward - he meets with Louie, and totally blows it (Louie manipulates him into doing nothing). The drivers recall him as shop steward and open the floor to new nominees.
Jim: I nominate Tony!
Alex: Jim?!?!? Why would you nominate Tony?
Jim: Alex, there is no substitute for experience!
And, that kind of sums up how I feel about the returning players. Yes, some of them were terrible, but I've seen many people improve significantly in their second appearance. Yes, they lost immunity, but they dominated both challenges (it's just that Malcolm couldn't close the immunity challenge - something he was prone to doing last season). I still believe the Favorites/Misfits will be stronger long-term.
But, there are warning signs. I thought Brandon could improve his second time out, but he looks shaky. He's repeating his same antics from his first season, i.e., targeting strong women he is attracted to (Mikayla last time, Andrea last week). He has no father figure to lead him this time the way Coach did last (unless you count Phillip, who needed his own shepard in Boston Rob when he played). Brandon is talking about pulling a "Hantz" and seeding chaos. I'm not sure what that gets him. Why doesn't he emulate his uncle and find a hidden immunity? Just a thought.
Francesca deserved to go. If you're aim is to get revenge in your first vote, it will blow up in your face (see the Chinese proverb: before seeking revenge, dig two graves). There was no subtlety to what she was doing. They came back from the challenge and she immediately told 5 people to vote Philip. Awkward.
I'd still bet on the Favorites in the long-term, but it was a bad start for them:
Other thoughts:
- Was it in Philip's contract that he can only return if he wears the pink/purple undies? The producers must have insisted on that?
- Why is Chochran sunburned? I'm pretty sure they get lotion.
- Erik, I'm sorry Phillip intimidated you about having the numbers. Get over it. It's part of the game. He made you an offer you couldn't refuse, and you refused it. Fine. You're allowed to. Stop whining about it ("he didn't eve give me a choice..."). Did you want his offer to include an option where you could vote him out? Exactly what choices did you want Phillip to offer?
- I think Cochran might be a lot stronger this time around. He's still doing the Woody Allen schtick, but he doesn't seem as scared as he was before.
- When I close my eyes while Eddie is speaking, I hear the voice of Dan Ennis' old roommate, Jeff (if you don't know who Jeff is, kindly disregard).
- Shamar is a showboat. He manipulated that whole water/shelter thing to look like the hero. It won't work. I don't have confidence in him to go deep.
- The 4-person alliance of the cool kids among the Fans is likely doomed. That strategy has rarely worked. These people want to play some deserted island dating game - have it on TV - and then go home and enjoy the 15 minutes. This is one of the reasons I'm skeptical about the Fans - between those 4 and Shamar, they have a lot of questionable players.
Overall it was a good episode. They jumped right into a challenge and it never dragged from there. Malcolm's failures in clutch spots is something to watch. We'll see what happens in week 2.
This incarnation feels more like Fans vs. Misfits. There are a lot of low quality players returning. When Probst was introducing them as they came off the chopper, I got the feeling the Fans didn't know who some of them were (I heard crickets when Corinne was introduced). Therefore, having won the first immunity challenge, should we give the Fans more of a chance?
I'm reminded of a scene from the classic sitcom, Taxi. Tony's brakes fail and he almost gets into an accident. He storms into the garage furious with management over their cavalier regard to driver safety. The other drivers vote Tony shop steward - he meets with Louie, and totally blows it (Louie manipulates him into doing nothing). The drivers recall him as shop steward and open the floor to new nominees.
Jim: I nominate Tony!
Alex: Jim?!?!? Why would you nominate Tony?
Jim: Alex, there is no substitute for experience!
And, that kind of sums up how I feel about the returning players. Yes, some of them were terrible, but I've seen many people improve significantly in their second appearance. Yes, they lost immunity, but they dominated both challenges (it's just that Malcolm couldn't close the immunity challenge - something he was prone to doing last season). I still believe the Favorites/Misfits will be stronger long-term.
But, there are warning signs. I thought Brandon could improve his second time out, but he looks shaky. He's repeating his same antics from his first season, i.e., targeting strong women he is attracted to (Mikayla last time, Andrea last week). He has no father figure to lead him this time the way Coach did last (unless you count Phillip, who needed his own shepard in Boston Rob when he played). Brandon is talking about pulling a "Hantz" and seeding chaos. I'm not sure what that gets him. Why doesn't he emulate his uncle and find a hidden immunity? Just a thought.
Francesca deserved to go. If you're aim is to get revenge in your first vote, it will blow up in your face (see the Chinese proverb: before seeking revenge, dig two graves). There was no subtlety to what she was doing. They came back from the challenge and she immediately told 5 people to vote Philip. Awkward.
I'd still bet on the Favorites in the long-term, but it was a bad start for them:
Other thoughts:
- Was it in Philip's contract that he can only return if he wears the pink/purple undies? The producers must have insisted on that?
- Why is Chochran sunburned? I'm pretty sure they get lotion.
- Erik, I'm sorry Phillip intimidated you about having the numbers. Get over it. It's part of the game. He made you an offer you couldn't refuse, and you refused it. Fine. You're allowed to. Stop whining about it ("he didn't eve give me a choice..."). Did you want his offer to include an option where you could vote him out? Exactly what choices did you want Phillip to offer?
- I think Cochran might be a lot stronger this time around. He's still doing the Woody Allen schtick, but he doesn't seem as scared as he was before.
- When I close my eyes while Eddie is speaking, I hear the voice of Dan Ennis' old roommate, Jeff (if you don't know who Jeff is, kindly disregard).
- Shamar is a showboat. He manipulated that whole water/shelter thing to look like the hero. It won't work. I don't have confidence in him to go deep.
- The 4-person alliance of the cool kids among the Fans is likely doomed. That strategy has rarely worked. These people want to play some deserted island dating game - have it on TV - and then go home and enjoy the 15 minutes. This is one of the reasons I'm skeptical about the Fans - between those 4 and Shamar, they have a lot of questionable players.
Overall it was a good episode. They jumped right into a challenge and it never dragged from there. Malcolm's failures in clutch spots is something to watch. We'll see what happens in week 2.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Priorities
President Obama said the following in his Second Inaugural Address on Monday:
Betraying future generations on the climate = BAD. Leaving them a $20 trillion debt = OK.
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.
Betraying future generations on the climate = BAD. Leaving them a $20 trillion debt = OK.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Survivor: Philipines, Post-Mortem
It has been my observation that the more returning players there
are in the game, the crankier the jury seems to be. I think returning
players carry higher expectations. They are also more likely to feel
betrayed by the actions of other returning players who they might have
had a previous relationship with.
Last season was a cast of all newbies, and the jury had been lied to like no other. But, because the Deceiver (Kim) was so dosh-garn nice about it, the jury couldn't find the will to punish her by voting for a more honest player.
Sunday's jury was not nearly as accommodating for arguably much less deceitful players. What exactly had Lisa or Skupin done that was so horrific? Lisa was reasonably loyal to her tribe. Skupin - less so, but they didn't even pretend to be loyal to him. One could argue the worst betrayal in the game was Kent's attempt to backstab Penner. Either way, Lisa and Skupin were much more honorable than Kim was last season. They burned Malcolm in advancing to the final 3, but Kim burned EVERYONE except the people who made it to the final 3.
The one other jury member who had a legitimate gripe this go-around was Abi. I thought Denise had been way too tough on her a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, Abi wound up voting for her tormentor, while Skupin was being mocked by the likes of Kent and Penner. It was the first time in Survivor history where a player was mocked for NOT getting any votes.
Any jury with Artis and Kent on it is going to be cranky, so maybe the returning players had nothing to do with it - but that jury seemed unduly agitated. And, don't forget that the most unruly jury in Survivor history was the one for All-Stars (ALL returning players). Returning players are generally more entertaining, but they often become rotten apples, spoiling the barrel. Anyway, Denise got a lot more support than I thought she would. I'm not saying I didn't think she could win. I just didn't think she would win so handily (6-1-1). She did hide behind Malcolm and his idol. I get the feeling Kent, Penner and Malcolm lobbied hard for Denise on Ponderosa - and it worked.
Other Thoughts:
Last season was a cast of all newbies, and the jury had been lied to like no other. But, because the Deceiver (Kim) was so dosh-garn nice about it, the jury couldn't find the will to punish her by voting for a more honest player.
Sunday's jury was not nearly as accommodating for arguably much less deceitful players. What exactly had Lisa or Skupin done that was so horrific? Lisa was reasonably loyal to her tribe. Skupin - less so, but they didn't even pretend to be loyal to him. One could argue the worst betrayal in the game was Kent's attempt to backstab Penner. Either way, Lisa and Skupin were much more honorable than Kim was last season. They burned Malcolm in advancing to the final 3, but Kim burned EVERYONE except the people who made it to the final 3.
The one other jury member who had a legitimate gripe this go-around was Abi. I thought Denise had been way too tough on her a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, Abi wound up voting for her tormentor, while Skupin was being mocked by the likes of Kent and Penner. It was the first time in Survivor history where a player was mocked for NOT getting any votes.
Any jury with Artis and Kent on it is going to be cranky, so maybe the returning players had nothing to do with it - but that jury seemed unduly agitated. And, don't forget that the most unruly jury in Survivor history was the one for All-Stars (ALL returning players). Returning players are generally more entertaining, but they often become rotten apples, spoiling the barrel. Anyway, Denise got a lot more support than I thought she would. I'm not saying I didn't think she could win. I just didn't think she would win so handily (6-1-1). She did hide behind Malcolm and his idol. I get the feeling Kent, Penner and Malcolm lobbied hard for Denise on Ponderosa - and it worked.
Bottom Line: that final 3 was much more ethical than an average
final 3, but the jury seemed a tad more disagreeable than usual.
Other Thoughts:
1. Denise's opening
statement was a bit arrogant. I though it noteworthy, though, that she
said she would make no apologies, and then apologized to Abi in the
Q&A. It might have gotten her another vote.
2. I thought Penner had a good season and a bad tribal council. You can make your points without resorting to name-calling (he called Denise a b*tch) or ridicule (he mocked Skupin that he wouldn't get any votes). None of this was on par with Susan's infamous Snakes and Rats Speech from Season One or the temper tantrums Lex and Big Tom threw in All-Stars (I thought they were going to burn the set down, they were so ticked), nevertheless, Penner's antics came across as classless. He recovered a bit in the Reunion Show.
3. In the Reunion Show, Kent was asked about his Penner obsession and played dumb (unlike Abi, who showed a lot of humility, and acknowledged she had room to improve). Instead, Kent decided to weasel out of the question. What a creep.
4. I'm glad Probst addressed the fact that he might have picked on Katie a little too much. That was one of my pet peeves this season.
5. I'm also glad Dawson was able to get one last (cringe-inducing) kiss in.
6. Next season is another Fans vs. Favorites. For those of you who never saw the first Fans vs. Favorites five years ago, the returning players absolutely dominated. At times it was humiliating (Globetrotters vs. Generals-type humiliation). I think part of the problem is the returning players were particularly capable, and the fans included two of the dumbest people ever to appear on American television (Erik and Jason).
2. I thought Penner had a good season and a bad tribal council. You can make your points without resorting to name-calling (he called Denise a b*tch) or ridicule (he mocked Skupin that he wouldn't get any votes). None of this was on par with Susan's infamous Snakes and Rats Speech from Season One or the temper tantrums Lex and Big Tom threw in All-Stars (I thought they were going to burn the set down, they were so ticked), nevertheless, Penner's antics came across as classless. He recovered a bit in the Reunion Show.
3. In the Reunion Show, Kent was asked about his Penner obsession and played dumb (unlike Abi, who showed a lot of humility, and acknowledged she had room to improve). Instead, Kent decided to weasel out of the question. What a creep.
4. I'm glad Probst addressed the fact that he might have picked on Katie a little too much. That was one of my pet peeves this season.
5. I'm also glad Dawson was able to get one last (cringe-inducing) kiss in.
6. Next season is another Fans vs. Favorites. For those of you who never saw the first Fans vs. Favorites five years ago, the returning players absolutely dominated. At times it was humiliating (Globetrotters vs. Generals-type humiliation). I think part of the problem is the returning players were particularly capable, and the fans included two of the dumbest people ever to appear on American television (Erik and Jason).
7. I get the feeling that Malcolm will be
returning to Fans vs. Favorites. The producers really sold him this
season, even though he lost. My instincts tell me he is not nearly as
nice of a guy, or as good of a player, as the cut he got. They have really sold players twice in the past (Rupert as superhero and Russell as supervillain), and both
had been invited to return the very next season. The producers were
making sure they stood out to the audience in their own ways.
Furthermore, Jeff asked Malcolm if he would play again. Jeff does that
when he knows something. One other point: Fans vs. Favorites has
already been filmed, which means no one would know who Malcolm is. I
bet he did poorly. When he was on stage in the Reunion Show, he looked
like a guy who had lost twice.
8. I hope the Favorites they bring back are
all players who have appeared only once before. I don't need to
see multiple retreads. I also hope they pull people from early
seasons. For example, I've always wanted to see Ian or Greg (from
Palau) play again. Heck, if you want to go old school, Greg from season
1 is one of my all-time faves. But, they will probably rely on recent
seasons (they've played 5 seasons since Heroes vs. Villains) so they
should have a decent supply of one-timers from that player pool. From
last season, alone, they could take: Colton, Kim, Kat, Sabrina, Tarzan
or Troyzan. From the season before, they could take Russell's nephew
(Brandon) and Woody Allen (Cochran). From Redemption Island: Philip and
Matt. From Nicaragua: Marty, Fabio and Holly. It looks like in the
coming season it will be 10 Fans vs. 10 Favorites. I hope they think
outside the box when bringing back former players. I don't need to see
the kooks again (Phillip and Tarzan). I'd much rather see the competent ones get another chance.
Overall, I thought it was an above-average season that ran out of steam towards the end. Six on a scale of 1-10.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Survivor: Philipines, Going into the Finale
I don't have too much to say about the last two episodes. Yes, they tried to create some drama about
whether Lisa would break her word and blindside Malcolm. I don't know
if she would have, but it was made moot by his two immunity wins. The
bottom line is this: the final four alliance held. It formed at seven, and methodically voted off Penner, Carter and Abi.
As for tonight, they all seem to think it will be three at the final tribal. If so, how are they going to fill a two hour show? Previous seasons that have had a final three, also had five survivors entering into the final episode. It sounds like they are going to fill the hole with a reward challenge. If so, the first hour tonight could really drag. I'm guessing this is happening because of Dana's untimely exit. They still had tribal council that episode (after many evacuations they don't). Anyway, they probably didn't stretch things out, they instead decided to just have four at the end and an extra reward challenge.
If all this is true, there is only one immunity left. If Malcolm wins that, he probably wins the game. If he loses that, he's probably gone, and then the voting becomes more intriguing. In that scenario, Lisa might become the favorite. Bear in mind, though, Penner has probably told everybody at Ponderosa about her child star status, and that could effect voting. Also, as I said a few weeks ago, I think Lisa might struggle answering the jury's questions.
Denise has to explain that she did more than hide behind Malcolm's idol. She is articulate, so she has a shot to do that.
As for Skupin - I just don't think enough jurors respect him. When Pete was trying to save himself, he said maybe Skupin will go for his plan because he doesn't think things through. Pete said it matter-of-factly and rather cooly. I got the feeling he wasn't the only one who thought that. Roberta will probably vote for Skupin, and Lisa might, if she were on the jury. But, I don't see where he'll get other votes from. Abi? Penner? Artis? Kent? I don't see it. When he made that pre-merge deal with Penner, his tribe went off on him (and looked like they had fun doing it). Then, again, Skupin might have ultimately been the most likeable person out there. And, if he's sitting next to Denise and Lisa, he might get votes.
All in all, it's a respectable final four. Any one of them would be a legitimate winner. Malcolm and Lisa have probably played the best games so far. But, for some reason, I find myself rooting for Lisa and Skupin over Malcolm and Denise. When I look at Malcolm, I see his early passivity when his tribe crashed and burned. There is something charming about Skupin's cheerful innocence. I look at Denise, and I see someone doing a job. I look at Skupin and see someone on an adventure. As for Lisa, I'm happy for her that she did so well.
Odds of Winning:
45% Malcolm
25% Lisa
20% Denise
10% Skupin
One last question: who will be the most excited person at tonight's reunion show? The winner or Dawson (tonight she gets to see Probst again)?
As for tonight, they all seem to think it will be three at the final tribal. If so, how are they going to fill a two hour show? Previous seasons that have had a final three, also had five survivors entering into the final episode. It sounds like they are going to fill the hole with a reward challenge. If so, the first hour tonight could really drag. I'm guessing this is happening because of Dana's untimely exit. They still had tribal council that episode (after many evacuations they don't). Anyway, they probably didn't stretch things out, they instead decided to just have four at the end and an extra reward challenge.
If all this is true, there is only one immunity left. If Malcolm wins that, he probably wins the game. If he loses that, he's probably gone, and then the voting becomes more intriguing. In that scenario, Lisa might become the favorite. Bear in mind, though, Penner has probably told everybody at Ponderosa about her child star status, and that could effect voting. Also, as I said a few weeks ago, I think Lisa might struggle answering the jury's questions.
Denise has to explain that she did more than hide behind Malcolm's idol. She is articulate, so she has a shot to do that.
As for Skupin - I just don't think enough jurors respect him. When Pete was trying to save himself, he said maybe Skupin will go for his plan because he doesn't think things through. Pete said it matter-of-factly and rather cooly. I got the feeling he wasn't the only one who thought that. Roberta will probably vote for Skupin, and Lisa might, if she were on the jury. But, I don't see where he'll get other votes from. Abi? Penner? Artis? Kent? I don't see it. When he made that pre-merge deal with Penner, his tribe went off on him (and looked like they had fun doing it). Then, again, Skupin might have ultimately been the most likeable person out there. And, if he's sitting next to Denise and Lisa, he might get votes.
All in all, it's a respectable final four. Any one of them would be a legitimate winner. Malcolm and Lisa have probably played the best games so far. But, for some reason, I find myself rooting for Lisa and Skupin over Malcolm and Denise. When I look at Malcolm, I see his early passivity when his tribe crashed and burned. There is something charming about Skupin's cheerful innocence. I look at Denise, and I see someone doing a job. I look at Skupin and see someone on an adventure. As for Lisa, I'm happy for her that she did so well.
Odds of Winning:
45% Malcolm
25% Lisa
20% Denise
10% Skupin
One last question: who will be the most excited person at tonight's reunion show? The winner or Dawson (tonight she gets to see Probst again)?
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