Survivor

[DrumNFeather]

If you've never watched the "life at the Ponderosa" clips online, they're worth it. Basically it shows the people who are voted off and on the jury going back to the holding area until the show is over where they get to hang out and eat as much food etc...as they want. There are a lot of insights you get from there too because those folks aren't "playing" the game anymore.

[dabrockster]

If you've never watched the "life at the Ponderosa" clips online, they're worth it. Basically it shows the people who are voted off and on the jury going back to the holding area until the show is over where they get to hang out and eat as much food etc...as they want. There are a lot of insights you get from there too because those folks aren't "playing" the game anymore.

location??

[DrumNFeather]

location??

This is a link to Troyzan's, but you can find them all here: http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/vi...a-troyzan-pt-1

[BigPiney]

If you've never watched the "life at the Ponderosa" clips online, they're worth it. Basically it shows the people who are voted off and on the jury going back to the holding area until the show is over where they get to hang out and eat as much food etc...as they want. There are a lot of insights you get from there too because those folks aren't "playing" the game anymore.

I actually like these better than the show sometimes. Tall lanky guy seems like a dick, but the rest seem pretty cool.

[Eddie]

Watching Kat get voted off was awesome. I agree that having her get blindsided immediately after telling everyone how much fun a blindside is was awesome. I loved Kim's description of Kat as the one that would be on a "one year later" show in which the money is gone and she has no idea where she spent it.

I thought it was hilarious that Alicia went from wanting to keep Kat around to wanting her gone simply after watching her compete in the challenge. Is that same perception going to translate to a desire to dump Kim?

Speaking of Alicia - I feel like one of the smartest moves anyone could make would be to take her to the final. She is such a relationship train wreck that I would LOVE to sit next to her at the end. Seriously - would she get ANY votes? I think it would be an easy sell to tell the jury that they should reward competitiveness, hard play, strategy, making tough decisions, etc. But don't reward someone being just plain mean with your vote. Alicia was mean when she didn't need to be.

That said - I would really REALLY like to see her booted. She thinks she is in total control and is winning - and I'd like to see her bubble burst. I think having her get to the final would just convince her (in her own mind) how great she is - even if she lost. The one consolation to having her at the end would be for someone like Kim to say "I brought Alicia because I know she is such a bitch that none of you would ever vote for her. People wanted to vote her off several times, and I saved her because I knew she couldn't win and having her at the end would make it 50-50 for me to win."

I've decided that I'd really like Kim to win at this point. She is running the show and has for some time now. She thinks strategically and is strong. Short of a complete meltdown of the tribe, I don't see her getting voted out any time soon. And in a pinch I think she can use that hidden idol until they are down to the final 4.

Last comment - Christina has impressed me a little. Not that she is a great player, but she must be doing something right to go from perpetual "next person gone" to stick around as long as she has. And this last episode she was so far under the radar that she wasn't even mentioned as an option to vote out at tribal. I don't think she will make it to the final, but if she did she could make a pretty good argument for deserving to win. Who else lasted this long while continually being on the chopping block and with really no alliance to support her?

I think I enjoy this show more than I should.

[DrumNFeather]

It never ceases to amaze me how people just seem to self destruct on this show. This week it was Tarzan...though Chelsea ran a close second. Tarzan actually set a decent plan in motion, but per usual, a) nobody could follow it and b) he acted like a complete buffoon leading up to tribal council. Between wearing Kat's panties on is head and calling Alicia a bitch for winning the immunity challenge, he made the decision easy and all of the planning that was done while the girls were at the reward challenge went right out the window.

It's really funny to see other players think that they are in charge when this really seems to be a "who Kim wants at the end" kind of game right now. We know that she is for sure going to be in the top 4 because she has to play the idol next time but after that, it's up for grabs. If she's smart, she'll take Alicia and Christina to the end with her. While this might irritate Sabrina and Chelsea, I think Kim knows deep down that those two are the only ones that could steal the million from her. Nobody likes Alicia and Christina would get the classic "coat tails" treatment during the final questions/votes.

Now, if Kim wins immunity AND gives the idol to someone (which I could only see being Chelsea) then THAT would be interesting.

[Green Monstah]

It never ceases to amaze me how people just seem to self destruct on this show. This week it was Tarzan...though Chelsea ran a close second. Tarzan actually set a decent plan in motion, but per usual, a) nobody could follow it and b) he acted like a complete buffoon leading up to tribal council. Between wearing Kat's panties on is head and calling Alicia a bitch for winning the immunity challenge, he made the decision easy and all of the planning that was done while the girls were at the reward challenge went right out the window.

It's really funny to see other players think that they are in charge when this really seems to be a "who Kim wants at the end" kind of game right now. We know that she is for sure going to be in the top 4 because she has to play the idol next time but after that, it's up for grabs. If she's smart, she'll take Alicia and Christina to the end with her. While this might irritate Sabrina and Chelsea, I think Kim knows deep down that those two are the only ones that could steal the million from her. Nobody likes Alicia and Christina would get the classic "coat tails" treatment during the final questions/votes.

Now, if Kim wins immunity AND gives the idol to someone (which I could only see being Chelsea) then THAT would be interesting.

I've underestimated Kim. She's incredibly pursuasive and is completely in the driver's seat. Alicia is a fracking moron. She was so worried about getting played by Tarzan that she fails to realize she's getting played by Kim.

[DrumNFeather]

I've underestimated Kim. She's incredibly pursuasive and is completely in the driver's seat. Alicia is a fracking moron. She was so worried about getting played by Tarzan that she fails to realize she's getting played by Kim.

Yep. Exactly.

One other thing...

How about Kat at tribal council with her "bitches" comment? It's gonna suck for her to have to vote for one of them for the million.

The one thing you learn though when you watch those Ponderosa videos is that the players aren't nearly as mad as they act like they are when they come back to tribal council...but it's all part of the show.

[FN Phat]

Alicia is a dummy.

[wuapinmon]

Some observations from last night.

1. Was Kat really crying at Tribal Council last night? My wife and I think she was, but we can't tell for sure.

2. Kat looks almost exactly like my cousin Jenny did when she was that age. It's spooky.

3. My wife noted that she didn't think that Alicia had lost any weight until last night. Alicia remains a fool.

4. Tarzan's not the best at strategy. Calling her a "bitch" among five women was probably the dumbest thing he could've done.

5. This is the least enjoyable Survivor season that I can recall. The Amazing Race is equally boring.

6. Beardface flipping Tarzan the bird was kind of lame.

[Green Monstah]

Some observations from last night.

1. Was Kat really crying at Tribal Council last night? My wife and I think she was, but we can't tell for sure.

2. Kat looks almost exactly like my cousin Jenny did when she was that age. It's spooky.

3. My wife noted that she didn't think that Alicia had lost any weight until last night. Alicia remains a fool.
4. Tarzan's not the best at strategy. Calling her a "bitch" among five women was probably the dumbest thing he could've done.

5. This is the least enjoyable Survivor season that I can recall. The Amazing Race is equally boring.

6. Beardface flipping Tarzan the bird was kind of lame.

I think she was as well.

She definitely has. She's just a full-figured lady and came in a little plump, so it's not as apparent as with Kim and Chelsea.

That dude is an idiot, whatever his name is.

[DrumNFeather]

I think she was as well.

She definitely has. She's just a full-figured lady and came in a little plump, so it's not as apparent as with Kim and Chelsea.

That dude is an idiot, whatever his name is.

If you think back to the beginning of the season. The men came right out of the gate firing and won like 3-4 challenges in a row. Perhaps they just figured they would steamroll to a merge or something, but to a man (except for maybe Troyzan) none of them really had a long term plan in the game. The 5 misfits managed to get Matt out, but that was about it. The only one that had any semblance of a plan seemed to be Colton and his body let him down. Even as you see the men get voted off now like big finger Michael, none of them talk about a failed plan because none of them had one. The women, on the other hand, started playing the game from day one, so it should not surprise anyone that they outwitted and outlasted the men this season.

I will say this. The game is totally different if Colton doesn't have to leave.

[UtahDan]

If you think back to the beginning of the season. The men came right out of the gate firing and won like 3-4 challenges in a row. Perhaps they just figured they would steamroll to a merge or something, but to a man (except for maybe Troyzan) none of them really had a long term plan in the game. The 5 misfits managed to get Matt out, but that was about it. The only one that had any semblance of a plan seemed to be Colton and his body let him down. Even as you see the men get voted off now like big finger Michael, none of them talk about a failed plan because none of them had one. The women, on the other hand, started playing the game from day one, so it should not surprise anyone that they outwitted and outlasted the men this season.

I will say this. The game is totally different if Colton doesn't have to leave.

The problem in this game has been that there are not enough strategic thinkers. It seems like every week someone has an opportunity to shift the game in their favor but is too weak willing or lacks the vision to do it. It happens over and over and over. The good players know at some point that have to take a risk to get into control. But so far no one has done it. I sort of thought Alicia might do it last night but when Kim appealed to her ego (don't look dumb because of Tarzan) the thinking part of her brain shut off.

Now, she might still have a good play to make because I don't think Kim and Chelsea are really going to the end together. Kim is smart enough not to do that. Chelsea probably is too. They are the only two non-followers in the game. Alicia thinks shes not but last night proved how easily manipulated she is. If I am Kim or Chelsea I want Alicia and Christina with me. Christina has done zero and Alicia is not well liked. Kim seems to have Alicia in her pocket and Christina does what those to say, so I would think that unless Chelsea can win immunity that Kim move to take her out next. It is hard for me to see Kim not winning.

[DrumNFeather]

The problem in this game has been that there are not enough strategic thinkers. It seems like every week someone has an opportunity to shift the game in their favor but is too weak willing or lacks the vision to do it. It happens over and over and over. The good players know at some point that have to take a risk to get into control. But so far no one has done it. I sort of thought Alicia might do it last night but when Kim appealed to her ego (don't look dumb because of Tarzan) the thinking part of her brain shut off.

Now, she might still have a good play to make because I don't think Kim and Chelsea are really going to the end together. Kim is smart enough not to do that. Chelsea probably is too. They are the only two non-followers in the game. Alicia thinks shes not but last night proved how easily manipulated she is. If I am Kim or Chelsea I want Alicia and Christina with me. Christina has done zero and Alicia is not well liked. Kim seems to have Alicia in her pocket and Christina does what those to say, so I would think that unless Chelsea can win immunity that Kim move to take her out next. It is hard for me to see Kim not winning.

I agree. It's Kim's to lose.

[DrumNFeather]

Another season of Survivor is now in the books and it had as much drama and intrigue as watching paint dry.

As we all suspected, Kim won with very little trouble. She decided to not rock the boat and vote out either Sabrina or Chelsea to get to the final three instead opting to vote out both Alicia and Christina. When it got down to the final four, Christina sort of just curled up in a ball and accepted her fate rather than try to convince Kim to take her to the end. So, props to the big three, they made it all the way.

Not surprisingly, the questions from the jury, much like the season itself were all pretty lame. Most people just want to know why they got voted out...and as I watch it I think to myself "well, it's because Kim was playing a game and had strategy and you were floating alone with no strategy you dummy." In other words, Leif asked a completely irrelevant question. All of the drama with the questions was supposed to come from Troyzan or Kat. Troy asked a decent question and Kat made it about her heart surgeries (and another one she's supposed to have) which, while noble, doesn't help in determining who is deserving of the million. Tarzan gave a nice speech, I guess, but he sort of continued to be wrapped up in the Tarzan image so he wasn't helpful.

To Kim's credit, she owned up to everything she did and because she had personal relationships with the people she voted off, she had no problem getting votes. She smiled at them as she cut their throats, but since she did it with a smile, she got a pass. Poor Chelsea took all the heat for being the heartless bitch of the season and in the end did not get one vote. Sabrina, who I felt road coattails the same way Christina did, tried to explain her "strategy" as "sucking in the challenges" so that nobody would consider her a threat but...I mean, I don't know. In the end, Kim won it convincingly.

The reunion show for Survivor is always interesting. They give everyone a chance to apologize to each other for being mean or saying racist or ignorant things. There was a lot of focus on Colton/Bill and Colton&Alicia/Christina. They trotted Colton's mom out there to let the crowd know that he knew better and that he'd had a rough go of it in his family...which I think there was a great deal of sympathy for him in that regard. I think we'll see him again, potentially next season.

Season 25 of Survivor will take place in the Philippines where three former cast members who had to be airlifted out for medical reasons will compete with three new tribes. Hopefully it'll be better than this year.