"The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption" - Reality TV World Message Board Forums - "The Players, The Game, The Editing

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"The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"

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VerucaSalt 1568 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"	02-15-11, 07:41 PM (EST)
"The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"
Better late than never I say Returning players always adds a dynamic to Survivor with a double edged sword. Is the player valuable because a jury would not give them a million dollars when they have played that many times before (in this instance) or do players want to get rid of them immediately so they don't even get close to the end for fear that they COULD actually win by a jury who may be impressed they got that far? Rob and Russell are very interesting characters to have as Rob truly evolved into a very heroic individual and his personality has become increasingly popular. Many love Rob now and may, in fact, be a bit star struck by him. Russell, on the other hand, has certainly built his own reputation and it stands to reason that most of the contestants may want to just get rid of him even if he is someone who could end up being very beneficial in sitting with at end game. With Redemption Island, the twist of being able to return to the game will also throw the show into a tailspin and editing will play a crucial role in those that can re-enter the game as short term players normally do not receive loving hands in the shape of their edit. It is my understanding that the player voted off gets to compete against the next voted off and the victor then has the opportunity to return to the game. Below are the "characters" and I would love input from those who are still interested in what this thread is about - dissecting the editing of the characters to determine their longevity and how they fit into the overall story the show wishes to convey. Rob Mariano- A character who has raised his own bar. Extremely popular and I would hazard a guess that his fellow tribemates (while worried about his advancement) can't help but follow his lead. Rob has shown himself to get along with both males and females but he trends towards women so it would not be surprising should he former partnerships with the female variety. Some of the men may demonstrate the usual ego fare and want him gone. Andrea 21, student: "I've been raised on a farm my whole life," she says, "and I've been hunting since I was 12 and fishing and camping, so I'm not too worried about the elements." Grant 29, yoga instructor: "I played professional football for the San Diego Chargers, the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans." Francesca 36, attorney: "There's a mean girl inside of me," she says. "I terrorized some girls in elementary school." Ashley, 25, nurse: "I really think pageants get a bad rap sometimes," she says, "but in all honesty, it really takes a lot of mental toughness." Kristina 46, law student: "I'm a complete package," she says. Natalie 19, professional dancer: "Of course I'm going to use my girly instincts," she says. "I can be flirtatious and I hopefully will know when to stop." Matt 22, pre-med student:"Out here when people feel alone and isolated," he says, "I have a warmth towards people that I think they'll respond to and want to keep me around and probably trust me." Phillip, 52, technology executive: "I have a terrific smile and when I really let it pop, you look at that smile and it disarms you," he says. Logically, we must always place the oldest in harm's way by virtue of age; this also goes for anyone who is too bossy or sick or lacking physicality to help their tribe. Phillip is the oldest which could be problematic by virtue of his age and Francesca and Kristina are the oldest women. Logically, these three need to be watched for possible short term player status although we cannot discount many elders who were long term players if they hitch themselves to the right wagon. Francesca's own words sound possibly like an issue waiting to happen and she may ruffle some feathers Russell - I probably don't even need to say much about Russell and more than likely, the only reason he may stand the test of some time is from intimidation and perception that he may be attractive to sit next to at the end of the game. That being said, this is not a full cast of returning players who all had targets on their back for various reasons and I would hazard a guess that Russell is not going to do as well as he thinks he will. Julie 50, firefighter: "I'm newly divorced. I have 100 percent custody for two children and I'm paying alimony, I'm paying child support and my house is in foreclosure," she says. Krista 25, pharmaceutical: "I competed for three years in the Miss Alabama pageant and then two years in the Miss Alabama USA pageant," she says. Mike 31 – former marine "The great thing about Survivor, though, is nobody's shooting at you," says the Iraqi vet. "I'll take that over going on deployment to Iraq any day." David 31, defense attorney: "I think I'm going to have to start the game taking myself down a notch," he says. "It sounds awful to say it but I'm going to have but I'm going to have to bring myself down to their level." Sarita36, visual effects producer: "It's a good group," she says of her costars, "so that of course makes me excited but also like, what's the catch?" Stephanie25, waitress: "I'm always right even when I'm wrong," she says. "I always get my way just because I know how." Ralph 44, farmer: "I'll make you laugh your ##### off," he says, "because I say things not proper." Steve 51, former NFL player: "I played for the Cowboys, the Baltimore Colts, the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Raiders," he says. It will be interesting to see how Russell showcases himself with these contestants as this group certainly seems a bit more diverse and perhaps combative. Russell has always utilized women in his quest for the end so I doubt that would change in any way. These women know Russell very well though so I don't think he will be able to lead them around on a leash. Julie is the eldest female so she may have issues in staying power and depending on how Steve and Ralph fit with the rest of the tribe, they need to be careful as the older males and despite Ralph indicating that he is a hoot and a holler, perception is everything and his sense of humor may be more annoying than humorous especially since he embodies a caricature we have seen before which has not always been successful. David emotes arrogance so it will be interesting to see how he and Russell get along and if there is a battle of the egos between the two
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Table of Contents

  Subject     Author     Message Date     ID

RE: The Players, The Game, The Edit... Scarlett O Hara 02-15-11 1

RE: The Players, The Game, The Edit... michel 02-15-11 2

RE: The Players, The Game, The Edit... dabo 02-16-11 3

RE: The Players, The Game, The Edit... Outfrontgirl 02-16-11 4

the duel twist Outfrontgirl 02-16-11 5

Episode #1: Editing Thoughts michel 02-19-11 6

   RE: Episode #1: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 02-22-11 8

       RE: Episode #1: Editing Thoughts michel 02-22-11 9

episode 1 Outfrontgirl 02-20-11 7

Episode #2: Editing Thoughts michel 02-26-11 10

   RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-01-11 11

       RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts dabo 03-01-11 12

       RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts michel 03-01-11 13

Episode #3: Editing Thoughts michel 03-05-11 14

   RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-05-11 15

       RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts michel 03-05-11 17

   RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts Belle Book 03-05-11 16

   RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-06-11 18

       RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts michel 03-06-11 19

           RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-06-11 20

               RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts Corvis 03-06-11 21

Um, michel? kiki_k 03-11-11 22

   RE: Um, michel? dabo 03-11-11 23

       RE: Um, michel? kiki_k 03-11-11 24

           RE: Um, michel? dabo 03-11-11 25

               Next time on...The editing thread: michel 03-11-11 26

                   RE: Next time on...The editing thre... kiki_k 03-11-11 27

                       RE: Next time on...The editing thre... Travel_Queen 03-11-11 30

                   RE: Next time on...The editing thre... Flowerpower 03-11-11 28

                   RE: Next time on...The editing thre... Brownroach 03-11-11 29

Episode #4: Editing Thoughts michel 03-11-11 31

   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts tmontgomery71 03-12-11 32

   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-12-11 33

       RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts michel 03-12-11 34

   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Belle Book 03-12-11 35

       RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts michel 03-12-11 36

   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-12-11 37

       RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts michel 03-13-11 38

           RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-13-11 39

               RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts michel 03-13-11 40

                   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Flowerpower 03-14-11 41

           note Outfrontgirl 03-17-11 46

   Sweet! suzzee 03-15-11 42

   RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts Outfrontgirl 03-17-11 47

Episode 5 Thoughts... PepeLePew13 03-17-11 43

   RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... dabo 03-17-11 44

   RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Outfrontgirl 03-17-11 45

   RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... michel 03-18-11 48

       RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... kiki_k 03-19-11 49

       RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Belle Book 03-19-11 51

       RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Flowerpower 03-20-11 56

           RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... michel 03-20-11 57

               RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Flowerpower 03-20-11 58

   RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Philip Outfrontgirl 03-22-11 59

Rob vs. Rooster PepeLePew13 03-19-11 50

   RE: Rob vs. Rooster michel 03-19-11 52

       RE: Rob vs. Rooster PepeLePew13 03-19-11 53

           RE: Rob vs. Rooster dabo 03-19-11 54

               RE: Rob vs. Rooster PepeLePew13 03-19-11 55

A Look Back michel 03-22-11 60

   RE: A Look Back HitmanPayne 03-22-11 61

       RE: A Look Back Travel_Queen 03-22-11 62

           RE: A Look Back HitmanPayne 03-22-11 63

   Eagerly awaiting your insights Chillicrab 03-25-11 64

       RE: Eagerly awaiting your insights michel 03-26-11 68

Post episode 6... Flowerpower 03-25-11 65

   RE: Post episode 6... dabo 03-25-11 66

   RE: Post episode 6... michel 03-26-11 67

       RE: Post episode 6... Flowerpower 03-26-11 69

       RE: Post episode 6... parathor 03-27-11 74

           RE: Post episode 6... HitmanPayne 03-27-11 75

               RE: Post episode 6... michel 03-28-11 77

                   RE: Post episode 6... suzzee 03-30-11 80

       RE: Post episode 6... suzzee 03-30-11 79

   RE: Post episode 6... suzzee 03-30-11 78

Nash Theory as applied to Redemptio... KObrien_fan 03-27-11 70

   RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redem... michel 03-27-11 71

       RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redem... KObrien_fan 03-27-11 72

           RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redem... michel 03-27-11 73

   RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redem... Flowerpower 03-27-11 76

   RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redem... CTgirl 04-04-11 106

Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-02-11 81

   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts parathor 04-02-11 82

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-02-11 84

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Flowerpower 04-02-11 86

   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Flowerpower 04-02-11 83

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-02-11 85

           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Flowerpower 04-03-11 92

               RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Outfrontgirl 04-04-11 95

   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Georjanna 04-02-11 87

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Outfrontgirl 04-03-11 89

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-03-11 90

   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Chillicrab 04-02-11 88

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-03-11 91

           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Outfrontgirl 04-04-11 93

               RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-04-11 97

                   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Corvis 04-04-11 98

                       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-04-11 103

                           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Corvis 04-06-11 107

                               RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-06-11 108

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Outfrontgirl 04-04-11 94

           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts dabo 04-04-11 100

           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts suzzee 04-04-11 101

               RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-04-11 104

       RE: Episode #7: Thoughts Chillicrab 04-04-11 96

           RE: Episode #7: Thoughts dabo 04-04-11 99

               RE: Episode #7: Thoughts michel 04-04-11 102

                   RE: Episode #7: Thoughts dabo 04-04-11 105

The Merge: Thoughts on the Story: michel 04-09-11 109

   RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... Outfrontgirl 04-10-11 110

       RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... michel 04-10-11 112

           RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... Outfrontgirl 04-10-11 116

       RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... Flowerpower 04-10-11 114

           RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... michel 04-10-11 115

   RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... Scarlett O Hara 04-10-11 111

       RE: The Merge: Thoughts on the Stor... michel 04-10-11 113

EP9 Godfather edit Krautboy 04-15-11 117

   RE: EP9 Godfather edit Flowerpower 04-15-11 118

       RE: EP9 Godfather edit Travel_Queen 04-15-11 119

   RE: EP9 Godfather edit Flowerpower 04-16-11 120

       Fantasy Games dabo 04-16-11 121

       RE: EP9 Godfather edit michel 04-17-11 125

           RE: EP9 Godfather edit television 04-19-11 157

               RE: EP9 Godfather edit michel 04-19-11 159

   RE: EP9 Godfather edit michel 04-16-11 122

       RE: EP9 Godfather edit Flowerpower 04-16-11 123

       RE: EP9 Godfather edit kiki_k 04-17-11 124

           RE: EP9 Godfather edit Round Robin 04-18-11 126

   Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 127

       RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-18-11 128

           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 134

               RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-18-11 139

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 143

                       RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 156

                           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 161

                               RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 165

                                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 169

                                       RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-19-11 173

                                           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 176

                                               RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-19-11 178

       RE: Andrea's edit PepeLePew13 04-18-11 129

           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 135

               RE: Andrea's edit PepeLePew13 04-18-11 138

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 140

                       RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-18-11 142

                           RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-18-11 146

                               RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-18-11 147

                                   RE: Andrea's edit Outfrontgirl 04-18-11 150

                                       RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 151

                               RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-18-11 152

                                   RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 158

                                       RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 160

                                           RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 166

                                               RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 170

       RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-18-11 130

           RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-18-11 131

           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 136

               RE: Andrea's edit PepeLePew13 04-18-11 137

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 144

               RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-18-11 145

                   RE: Andrea's edit PepeLePew13 04-18-11 148

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-18-11 149

               RE: Andrea's edi Outfrontgirl 04-18-11 153

                   RE: Andrea's edi dabo 04-18-11 154

                   RE: Andrea's edi michel 04-19-11 155

                       RE: Andrea's edi Corvis 04-19-11 174

                           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 177

                               RE: Andrea's edit Corvis 04-19-11 180

       RE: Andrea's edit parathor 04-18-11 132

       RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-19-11 162

           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 163

               RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 167

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 171

                       RE: Andrea's edit Brownroach 04-19-11 175

                           RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 179

               RE: Andrea's edit dabo 04-19-11 168

                   RE: Andrea's edit michel 04-19-11 172

Nietzche's Übermensch michel 04-18-11 133

   RE: Nietzche's Übermensch dabo 04-18-11 141

       RE: Nietzsche's Übermensch michel 04-19-11 164

Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: michel 04-22-11 181

   RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: dabo 04-22-11 182

   RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: kiki_k 04-23-11 183

       RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: dabo 04-23-11 184

           RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: kiki_k 04-23-11 185

       RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: michel 04-23-11 186

           RE: Episode #10 Editing Thoughts: kiki_k 04-23-11 187

               Matt's Edit michel 04-24-11 188

Episode #11 - Observations: michel 04-30-11 189

   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Flowerpower 04-30-11 190

       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 04-30-11 191

           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Flowerpower 05-01-11 194

               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-01-11 195

   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-01-11 192

       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Flowerpower 05-01-11 193

       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-01-11 196

           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-01-11 197

               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-01-11 198

                   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-02-11 199

                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Flowerpower 05-02-11 200

                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-02-11 202

                           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-02-11 203

                               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-02-11 204

                                   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-03-11 206

                                       IMHO dabo 05-03-11 207

                                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 209

                                           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-03-11 210

                                               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 211

                                                   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-03-11 213

                                                   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: PepeLePew13 05-03-11 214

                                                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: kiki_k 05-03-11 215

                                                           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 218

                                                               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: kiki_k 05-04-11 220

                                                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Outfrontgirl 05-03-11 216

                                                           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 219

                                                       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 217

   RE: Episode #11 - Observations: suzzee 05-02-11 201

       RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-02-11 205

           RE: Episode #11 - Observations: Round Robin 05-03-11 208

               RE: Episode #11 - Observations: michel 05-03-11 212

enough is enough dabo 05-04-11 221

   carry on dabo 05-04-11 222

       RE: carry on PepeLePew13 05-05-11 224

           RE: carry on Naked 05-05-11 225

               RE: carry on dabo 05-06-11 229

                   RE: carry on Naked 05-06-11 230

                       RE: carry on PepeLePew13 05-06-11 231

                           RE: carry on Naked 05-06-11 234

                   RE: Enough michel 05-06-11 232

Week 12 dabo 05-05-11 223

   RE: Week 12 kiki_k 05-05-11 226

   RE: Week 12 Outfrontgirl 05-05-11 227

   RE: Week 12 Flowerpower 05-05-11 228

       RE: Week 12 Brownroach 05-06-11 233

   RE: Week 12 michel 05-07-11 235

       RE: Week 12 kiki_k 05-07-11 237

   RE: Week 12 kiki_k 05-07-11 236

       RE: Week 12 Flowerpower 05-07-11 238

           RE: Week 12 Outfrontgirl 05-07-11 240

   RE: Week 12 michel 05-07-11 239

       RE: Week 12 dabo 05-08-11 241

           RE: Week 12 Outfrontgirl 05-08-11 242

               RE: Week 12 michel 05-08-11 243

                   RE: Week 12 dabo 05-08-11 244

                   RE: Week 12 parathor 05-08-11 245

                   RE: Week 12 Outfrontgirl 05-08-11 246

Week 13 Flowerpower 05-14-11 247

   RE: Week 13 kiki_k 05-14-11 248

       RE: Week 13 dabo 05-14-11 249

       RE: Week 13 Outfrontgirl 05-14-11 253

           RE: Week 13 michel 05-15-11 254

               RE: Week 13 Round Robin 05-15-11 255

               RE: Week 13 Outfrontgirl 05-15-11 256

                   RE: Week 13 michel 05-15-11 257

   Thoughts on the Penultimate Episode michel 05-14-11 250

       RE: Thoughts on the Penultimate Epi... Flowerpower 05-14-11 251

       RE: Thoughts on the Penultimate Epi... Scarlett O Hara 05-14-11 252

           RE: Thoughts on the Penultimate Epi... michel 05-15-11 258

A Few Observations michel 05-16-11 259

   RE: A Few Observations PepeLePew13 05-17-11 260

       RE: A Few Observations Naked 05-17-11 261

           RE: A Few Observations parathor 05-17-11 262

           RE: A Few Observations Travel_Queen 05-17-11 263

               RE: A Few Observations michel 05-17-11 265

           RE: A Few Observations michel 05-17-11 264

               RE: A Few Observations CTgirl 05-17-11 266

                   RE: A Few Observations NedraSue 05-17-11 267

                       RE: A Few Observations dabo 05-17-11 268

                       RE: A Few Observations michel 05-17-11 269

                           RE: A Few Observations Naked 05-17-11 270

                               RE: A Few Observations michel 05-17-11 271

                               RE: A Few Observations dabo 05-17-11 272

           RE: A Few Observations samboohoo 05-18-11 273

               RE: A Few Observations iltarion 05-18-11 274

                   RE: A Few Observations michel 05-18-11 275

                       RE: A Few Observations iltarion 05-18-11 276

                           RE: A Few Observations michel 05-18-11 277

Post-Mortem michel 08-04-11 278

   RE: Post-Mortem sportsjoe 08-08-11 279

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Messages in this topic

Scarlett O Hara 3082 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Car Show Celebrity"
02-15-11, 08:44 PM (EST)

1. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"

Good day Veruca! I couldn't resist jumping in feet first when I saw the "0" posts number.
Count me as a Boston Rob fan. I thought it was telling in the vidcaps to see the team that gained Boston Rob all clapping while the team that got Russell just kind of stood there. I think most any fan of Survivor would be familiar with Boston Rob.
I don't count Russell in the same class as Rob and look forward to the day when Russell gets voted out and hopefully, that will happen this season!
You called the cast diverse. To me, it seems more of the same. We have three lawyers, two former NFL football players, a couple of beauty pageant participants, a couple of farmers, a few students, a technology exec and a marine. Where are the creative types? The architects, advertising execs and so forth?
Also, the addition of the Redemption Island theme will take the show in an entirely new direction. The old recipe of Reward challenge followed by camp life followed by Immunity challenge followed by Tribal Council is gone. From now on, will we see the Daws competing in only one challenge - a combined RC/IC, only to make room for the Redemption Island "Duel" footage? This is a major twist in the layout of the standard formula and I find myself already missing the two challenge format. I hope they have made the right decision! Time will tell. Looking forward to following along this thread this season!

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
02-15-11, 09:10 PM (EST)

2. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"

Hello Veruca! I'm glad to see you back.
I'm not so happy about this season however. I haven't done howework on the players, I don't have any pre-season impressions so I'll have to let the edit guide me.

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
02-16-11, 01:55 AM (EST)

3. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"

Welcome back! Not much to go on since the first ep has yet to air, but I think it notable that preview promos are giving little away. Each new face is getting a little attention, otherwise they are just going heavy on the Rob v Russ duel and the Redemption Island gamechanger. Hype overload, repetitive hard sell more than they've done for any previous season, attention to the individual players seems a very back seat "oh, yeah, let's do some of that also, viewers need to be able to put names and faces together" afterthought.
Another observation comes from my son, who doesn't pay very much attention to Survivor anymore but still knows what goes on, who says: "Why are they having Rob and Russ back, neither of them can win, the new players won't vote for either of them." I think that he's onto something there, it isn't a good idea to mix first-time players and returning all-stars, neither Rob or Russ may have a chance of winning no matter what they do.

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
02-16-11, 03:32 AM (EST)

4. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor Redemption"

Yay, Veruca is back!
Jeff also did a cast assessment and made comments in the TV Guide preview segments, but I don't offhand know where they are transcribed. I haven't even finished the TV guide preview yet, nor have I watched all the cast videos.
I think what you said about the elders in Rob's tribe is right on. They all three admit to being the types who could ruffle feathers. In fact, I am just going to lump them together as BIG targets.
Kristina has another quote where she says she has a very big mouth.
Francesca says she is all mouth.
Phillip has, per Jeff, some plan to communicate his Special Forces training.
Also, I hate to say it, but the African-American men have not done well in recent seasons -- with the exception of Russell Swann and Jaison. I really think that there is an experience and culture gap between them and the mactor types, and it is not really very fair that EPM casts ONE black guy and ONE black girl. Tyrone was bounced quickly for being bossy, and Phillip is going to be pushy.
Matt, or Fabio v.2, also has a sports background (doesn't he?), and I could see him getting along with and not threatening Rob. Jeff calls him an introvert.
Grant -- Aras v.2, another question mark. I have to see him in the game. No clue how yoga guy and Rob will get along, or how football guy and baseball guy will hit it off.
Ashley and Andrea -- sorry to lump them together as they are individual enough other than being blonde, but I do think they have got what it takes, and so do they, and so does Jeff. They are both farm girls. Ashley is a nurse, a business owner, an athlete, a pageant winner, and she is gorgeous. Unless she really ticks people off, I think she could do well, and Andrea as well. Both will work hard. Andrea has just watched all the seasons again.
I think these two girls have the most sheer Survivor game going in of their team, in terms of really knowing the game and putting their heads into it.
Natalie, the other pretty young girl, I have no feeling for yet. I see no reason for them to boot her early though.
On Russell's team, we have Natalie v.2 in the form of
Krista, blonde southern pharmaceutical rep. She seems way less fragile than Natalie. In her interview, she did not like Russell, but she seems like the one he would go for. Even though Jeff says he wants Andrea to break the pharm rep mold, pharm sales people have done well in this game. Natalie and Stephenie ... and I'm likely forgetting a few.
Sarita looks great to me. She has a hippy background and it seems like a colorful life that has made her tough. Unlike the other older women, she didn't make the speech that she knows she has a big mouth but she isn't going to hold back. I hope she gets a good edit. I like her hat.
Julie, because she is a leader in the firehouse, seems like a candidate for Betsy Bolan of the season. Maybe she will do alright, but I fear she will fall into the bossy mold.
Stephanie-- well Jeff comes out and says that she's the obvious first boot. He doesn't even extend her benefit of the doubt. In her interview, she says she has a very opinionated mouth. She also says she respects Russell. Hmm.
David -- may be diabolical enough to appreciate Russell's usefulness. Smart like Dave Ball, but less quirky? I'm hoping I like David and that he lasts, because he doesn't seem like a cookie cutter contestant to me.
Steve is one who said he didn't like Russell, and I could see them being enemies. He seems like the Tom Westman of the group, a guy who could win if they had no returning players. Perhaps Gary Hogeboom is a better comparison than Tom, but Steve has a commanding presence.
Mike is clearly very competitive. Jeff said he keeps asking about the rules. Question mark as to whether he'll be targeted as a threat early on or kept for his obvious qualities as a challenge star. (At least I think he would be a star.)
Rooster -- I'm up in the air. Jeff loves Tom v.2, of course. He seems nicer than Tom, but he's equally incomprehensible when he speaks. A good ol boy to work with Russell or someone Russ won't respect?
I figure there are going to be roughly 3 or 4 players on each side who will not make the merge. Nothing has been said about how many episodes or when the merge is, but I feel it will not be late if there is any chance for RvR to materialize and go head to head on the merge tribe. Scratch that if Russell or Rob goes early, but if not, I think producers would be trying to facilitate putting the two together.
Anyhow, if there are 3-4 players each tribe who won't make jury, and they don't swap (which they could), and one tribe doesn't dominate and pound the other (which could happen), I think the people who are older and have the self-professed big mouths or alpha personalities are very much at risk to be the casualties. Both Rob and Russell prefer more passive, malleable partners.
See, I'm leaning towards Rob being embraced, and Russell being somewhat appreciated. In Guatemala, both returnees made the merge, as we all remember, and one made F2 of course. These people don't seem foolish enough to take Russell to the end, but when one tribe has the benefit of an experienced player, provider, etc.., wouldn't the other tribe be at a disadvantage to immediately show the veteran the door? I think they would.
I am rooting for Bahston Rahb, I admit it. I was so bummed when he got taken out early in HvV, and this is his almost for sure last shot.

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
02-16-11, 03:44 AM (EST)

5. "the duel twist"

>>> It is my understanding that the player voted off gets to compete against the next voted off and the victor then has the opportunity to return to the game.
Burnett explained it in his teleconference. The first duel will be Ep 3, after two votes. The duel loser is out of the game for good. The winner is not back in the game, but continues to live on RI, dueling the next votee to arrive.
I am going to post what you might call a "rule spoiler" -- as it says nothing about who does well nor contains any names. Call sheets left in a hotel indicate that there is a duel fought when the F5 person is voted out. Most think that is the last duel, and the person comes back in and there is then another F5. Apparently the Israeli version of the game was played this way.
There MAY be someone who comes back earlier. I don't know. What Burnett does say is that theoretically, the first boot could win all the duels and come back in near the end and win the game. Makes it sound more like there's only one redemption. To me that sounds like a LONG wait for a payoff on the duel.
But, and this is important, what is of note is that the jury is seated in order of the players who lose duels during that phase of the game. Making merge probably doesn't guarantee that boot (or the next) a jury seat, not if an earlier votee beats them in the duel.
So, not only can someone voted off win the game (but whether that is likely I don't know at all, as Lil sure didn't have a shot in Pearl Islands) -- but it is no longer SAFE to vote off your allies pre-merge with the thought that the backstab won't have consequences. That person could survive on RI and be a jury vote.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
02-19-11, 08:16 PM (EST)

6. "Episode #1: Editing Thoughts"

Playing With Amateurs
The opening reminded me of both Heroes vs Villains and Australia, Jeff sitting precariously at the back of a flying machine. I didn’t get any visual hints; the camera did not focus on one member in particular when Jeff mentioned key words in his intro.
We did have some early confessionals:
Phillip: “I’m the CEO of my own software company but are there more layers to me? Absolutely. I’m a former federal agent. That’s right: Special Agent Sheppard. That was my first and middle name for years.”
(I found it hysterical that the editors weren’t buying it, placing a question mark on screen after Federal Agent.)
Matthew: “My faith is everything. My entire life revolves around it. I pray every day as I strive to be more like my Savior.”
Ralph: “They will call me a redneck. One crazy, stupid bastard! We never had a dumbass win the game, have we? Maybe it’s my turn.”

We can easily guess why Phillip received an early confessional but we’ll have to keep track of Matthew and Ralph who really didn’t need to be shown but gave us a clear read into their character. Their stories weren’t developed in this episode so we can expect they will somewhere down the road. Ralph gave us a possible winning quote while Matt set himself up for a journey.
Right after the intros, we had a first confessional from our future booted player:
Francesca : “We’re on the beach and I saw the mat and I thought: This is really happening.”
Normally, I wouldn’t waste time on the booted player but one of them will be returning down the line so let’s keep an eye out for special treatment. However, I doubt Francesqwoi will make a sweep of the duels so I won’t record all her quotes. This confessional showed her somewhat overwhelmed, a good indication of what was to come.
Mike: “While I was in the Marine corps, I spent two deployments, went to Iraq twice. I think I’m gonna win just because of my background. I think I’ve trained for something like this.”
This is another very personal introduction containing a possible winning quote. Of course, the editors love the soldiers but we can put Mike on the short list of players to watch. There seems to be more men than women on that list.
As Jeff welcomed them to Survivor, the camera went immediately to Matthew, raising his arms in victory.
Rob was greeted by applause, Russell by “OH no” from Mike and Krista.
Stephanie : “OMG! It’s Russell. I don’t even know on which team he’s going to be but I’ll stare down Russell. When I stare down Russell, he’ll know that “she’s got a little evil inside of her” because if I’m not the one person that he picks to take to the end then, no matter what, I’m going to be out. I’m going to be out.”
Note that the first confessional that contained strategy came from a person who didn’t give us any insight into her personality, unless you count “a little evil.” I don’t think that bodes well for Stephanie.
After Jeff made his sales pitch for the returning players, commenting on how great they were, we heard Franciskwa saying: “They’re sizing us up as if we’re prey”. Those unnecessary words meant she was singling herself out of the “heard”. If that wasn’t enough, she explained that Rob and Russell were “two of the most famous trouble-makers in the history of Survivor.”
To answer the prayers of Andrea (we could almost hear her saying “please, please, please”) for Ometepe and Stephanie for Zapatera, Rob picked Orange, Russell picked Purple.
When Jeff explained the Redemption Island twist, it was Matthew’s surprised reaction that we heard first. Will he the one coming back from the island? The camera also panned to Kristina, Krista, Ashley, Francesca and David while Jeff explained the living conditions on the island, leading me to believe these people will spend time there. Russell was the one shown when Jeff explained the duels. Will he win some or is that where is game will end? After that the cameras showed Mike, Grant, Steve, Boston Rob before we went back to Russell when Jeff said the words “out of the game for good”. (if only!) Mike and Steve seemed to get the focus when Jeff mentioned the return.
Russell: “Redemption Island does not scare me one bit, it’s a vacation. Yeah! Put me on that island and see what happens. I’m gonna win the challenges and come back and take some heads off.”
Interesting how the editors focused on Russell’s take of the island. I believe that it will be his Waterloo.
Francesca : “When Jeff told us about Redemption Island…it makes Rob and Russell being here more complicated.”

This led to the first commercial. We will have to remember the players that had early confessionals, especially Matthew, Ralph, Mike and Stephanie. The ones without confessionals (and that includes Rob) have a small question mark in front of their edit: Why were they ignored?
Zapatera
Russell: “As soon as I walked to the camp, I was so grateful to be back to get my title of Sole Survivor. The first two, I was a schoolboy. This one, I’m bringing it. This is gonna be the new me: I’m gonna be the leader to my tribe. When I sit them down and take control of the camp, I’ll become the leader of the camp.”
Note that Steve hugged Russell after saying: “The Power of Purple”. Will Zapatera dominate?
Russell, with Krista’s help, called a meeting to tell them how tough Survivor really is. He also promised not to sabotage the tribe.
David: “I think that anybody who doesn’t think Russell is dangerous is foolish. He played the game twice and ended up in the finals twice. He hasn’t won and it’s no mystery why he hasn’t won, it’s the way he chose to play the game both times. He’s too aggressive; he wants the blood on his hands.”
Another leader emerged:
Ralph: “When I seen a big box of nails and all that, I loved it. I can’t wait to get started. I’ve camped, I’ve built cabins, I’ve done all this kind of stuff. If they listen to me, I believe we can build a decent shack. Some of them don’t know what is going on but I don’t want to let them know that.”
Note again that Steve was heard saying: “We’ve got it all” which could be another sign of Zapatera’s dominance.
We also had a little conversation between Mike and Ralph, Zapatera’s two players with a personal story.
Mike had another confessional: “My first impressions? Very good impression. I think we’ve got a bunch of worker bees which is good. As long as we can win and stay away from the immunity challenges, we will do damn well.”
(OK, Mike may not know the concept yet but he has been featured up to now!)
Steve and Krista were the silent players that we were given as examples of worker bees, which I’d count as a good sign for both, at least over the other silent members of the cast. Mike and Ralph’s partnership in building the shelter was once more shown, especially with Mike asking: “Ralph, tell us what you need.”
Note that, at this time, we had a shot of Stephanie looking at people and Russell just walking around, reminding us that there were schemers inside the group of worker bees.
Ometepe
Matthew: “Things are going really well right now. It is such a blessing to have Rob here. With his history in construction work and his experience being here with his laid-back approach, he’s bringing a lot of harmony to this tribe. We might as well call it camp-harmony right now.”
Natalie: “I’m so glad that we have Boston Rob. He is amazing! I’m having so much fun with him and I feel a sense of comfort. I think, if Russell was here, we’d all be on edge because he’s nuts. He would have been crazy.”
This confessional probably served to introduce us to the young players’ alliance on Ometepe but it also served as introduction to a new kind of crazy because Phillip was about to start giving directions to the ladies.
Fransaskatchewan: “The most annoying person so far is Phillip...”

Andrea: “Apparently my hatching isn’t the correct technique. I don’t have really the best aim so I’m just going at it. I live on a farm so I know how to use an axe and I know how to use a hammer. I think he just likes to play the father role so I’ll let him do that.”
Andrea shared a laugh with Ashley.
Phillip gathered all the women to tell them he was a federal agent, that his word was good and that he could help them determine who was lying once they get to the merge.
Fransasqua: “One of the best things about Phillip is the comic relief that is provided by the fact that he thinks he used to be a federal agent is a big secret bombshell that he has and he’s holding and that would blow everyone’s mind if they knew. It’s hilarious. Who cares?!”
Kristina: “We have a whole basket full of stuff and nobody is looking for the immunity idol which is kind of weird because you’d think it’s somewhere in our stuff.”
Rob noticed her snooping around so he asked her about it after getting Andrea to go help Matt. He told Kristina that he’d help keep people away.
Kristina: “Everything is new and everyone is trying to get their footing, it isn’t easy. The fact that Rob knows I was looking for the clue worries me a little bit because I don’t want to come off like this big strategizer and turn people off so, hopefully he’s the only one that understood what was going on. It drives me crazy. I want it!”
With a shot of the women all working on the palm fronds for the shelter, we heard Rob telling Phillip that the 5 girls would vote against the 4 guys. Phillip understood and added: “I definitely want to be working together.”
Rob agreed saying he liked Phillip’s work ethic and that they would talk later.
(So, was Phillip on a secret mission for Rob?! His mission: infiltrate the small group of “terrorist” armed with a weapon of ASS destruction and expose them at tribal council!)
Phillip: “When you look at this game, and a lot of people get super paranoid. The thing about me and any Sheppard: No. Rob is sizing me up. I like to think we are two male lions that are checking each other out. We’re doing a little dance but there will come a point where that is going to take over.”
Phillip went to Kristina asking for her help to keep the young girls from blabbing too much and adding that Rob told him to watch out for the girls’ advantage in numbers. Phillip added: “He’s going to try and divide and conquer and he’s going to play me as the fool and I’m going to play along but I’m going to stick to the girls.”
Zapatera
Russell was off to get water with his newest partner. He asked Stephanie what she thought of the tribe.
She said the other tribe looked more physical. The first part of Stephanie’s confessional was inserted here. Right after, Russell told her that they had to be on the right team and that she was that girl for him and that they simply needed to get to the merge.

Stephanie : “Russell and I were looking for the tree mail and he came up to me and I got all nervous because I thought “prom date”… “Russell is so sneaky, He was like: Let’s form an alliance which is great because he made it to the top three every time he played. Of course I said yes.”
As Stephanie walked back in camp, the cameras followed her and gave us a hint that this new couple may not last long.
We heard a woman’s voice (Sarita who hasn’t been identified on screen yet) saying: “He’s getting the girls.”
David, who was with Sarita, answered: “Please don’t let that happen.”
Sarita added: “We don’t want that to happen. We got to get Russell out of this game immediately.”
David went to Mike who didn’t see Russell as a threat. David disagreed completely, saying that Russell had his hooks on Stephanie. He added: “He does it every time: He gets a cute little girl and turns her into the villainess and I’m not going to let that happen.”
Mike: “I like David. David seems like a nice guy and he’s pretty savvy. David told me that Russell had his hooks in Stephanie. Any pros of having Russell around have quickly evaporated. He’s just going to spread paranoia and be a cancer of the tribe. There’s nothing to be done yet except for the task at hand which is get Russell gone as soon as possible.”
Note that this confessional could have been given to Sarita who definitely would have needed one. Or it could have gone to David, reinforcing his early role as the strategist. Instead it went to Mike who, after getting a personal story, a connection with the fun character of the tribe, then got into the strategic part of the story. The confessional painted David as a positive player but Mike’s story is starting to look very good.
Ometepe
Kristina: “I don’t want to have Rob stick around that long. I like the guy, he’s a great guy but he’s dangerous to have on the tribe. The guys are in awe of Rob and he’s going after the young girls because they are easy pickings.” (Ashley was shown almost flirting with him, playing with his hair while Natalie and Andrea giggled.) “So whatever I do, I think he’s going to be the one I focus on really quickly. If there is an idol out there, I will do everything to find it, I’ll do it. If anyone can find one on this tribe, it’s me.”
So she went on the hunt while the editors used a musical score and visuals of the sun and the sandy beach that reminded me of a Sergio Leone movie. She soon found it and found a secure spot to hide it again. Then she observed Rob walking on the beach with Matthew, Natalie, Andrea and Ashley in tow, almost like his disciples.
Kristina : “The immunity idol means power. I’m probably going to tell somebody about it but I haven’t decided yet. I could make this big giant splash of move and get rid of Rob tonight if I wanted to. I really could. The faster he goes, the better.”
Fransascat and Phillip were on board to put Rob’s name on the chopping block.
Phillip: “I’m a great process person so if you came to me and said you want to form this alliance and we want you to be a part of it and we want you to vote out Rob, I’m going to hear it for what it is and then I’m going to step back and I’m going to go through how you got there. It’s called corroboration.”
He told Kristina that she only had 3 votes so he wanted to know who the other votes were.
(Isn’t that what a spy working for Rob would do?!)
The three got into a fight over his attitude.
Fransasquatch: “I don’t know how it happened, how I got sucked with the old annoying guy in the fuchsia briefs. He is such a pain in my ass. Did I mention we were in an alliance together? How awesome!”
The Immunity Challenge
Despite Jeff’s claim that Rob was an amazing puzzle maker, Ometepe couldn’t overcome the advantage that an extra man on the first part of the challenge had given Zapatera.
Russell stepped forward to get the idol from Jeff as Rob looked on, disappointment crooking his jaw. After Ralph kissed the idol and Julie received flint from Jeff, Russell seemed to taunt Rob by showing him who had the idol.
Russell had a confessional as he left the challenge area: “We are stronger than they are, we are faster than they are, we are smarter than they are. I know how Boston Rob thinks and right now he’s thinking: “OH! Crap. I’m stuck with a bunch of weenies.”
Ometepe
Day 3
Ashley had a confessional: “We lost the first challenge today which totally sucks. In a way, I don’t know if other people feel this way but I feel like we let Rob down. It’s weird but you want to please your leader, I guess but it sucks that we have to go to tribal council tonight.”
Kristina told Francesca that she had the idol and wanted the vote directed towards herself to blindside Rob.
Francesca was happy to hear that but tried to direct the vote to Natalie, the weakest player they had.
Kristina : “Voting Natalie is better for the tribe, voting Rob is better for me. I don’t know, maybe. I would love to vote out Rob tonight.”
Kristina asked Rob who he wanted to eliminate but he simply told her he didn’t know. She left with a frown on her face, knowing what that meant.
Rob : “Originally, I wanted to vote Francesca off because the very first time I met her, she stood up on the mat, looked at Jeff and said: “I don’t want to play with him because he’s too sneaky.” She knows my game so I don’t want someone like that on my tribe. After thinking about it some more, the second we landed on our beach, Kristina was the one looking through all the supplies, looking for the immunity idol. She’s dangerous. She knows strategy and she knows to go out there and to work for it. To me, I don’t need somebody like that with me.”
Rob told his 5 allies that he saw Kristina looking through the stuff and that she probably had the idol. Andrea said she had seen the same thing. Matthew looked surprised and the camera focused on him through a lot of this discussion. Rob told them to split the vote: The guys voting for Francine…Francesca…Ashley suggested to call her Fran which was simpler but not as much fun. The women would vote Kristine(!). He begged them not to screw this up because of what happened during his last season. Andrea was shown laughing at the memory of Tyson’s move.
Back in camp, Phillip still wanted to know who the other votes were so Kristina showed her the idol.
Kristina : “I’m extremely nervous telling Phillip about the idol…I didn’t trust the guy so I hated telling him but I just had to tell him…Hopefully he will keep a lid on it but that is a risk…”
Phillip : “It might not be in the tribe’s best interest to get rid of Rob but is it in the interest of Phillip Sheppard and Company who came to play a game and make some bold moves? I think the longer Rob is around, solidifying those girls and the whole thing, I’m weakened so I need to get rid of him now. Bam. Good bye Rob and you’re looking at the new leader of our tribe.”
The Phillip Sheppard Show
As the players approached Tribal Council, a lion was heard in the darkness, an obvious reference to Phillip’s earlier comment about two lions fighting it out, except this wasn’t a fight!
Rob told Jeff they went straight to work, that Phillip set the tone, that everyone chipped in and that they have a pretty good shelter.
Phillip said he made suggestions rather than being a leader.
Asked if Phillip was leader, Matthew said that Phillip lets you know if you are doing something that is counter-productive and that it wasn’t “very well received on the first day”.
Francesca said they would vote to keep the tribe strong so that implied a woman would go.
Kristina said she didn’t feel safe.
Rob knew that, even if the guys could be getting a free pass, he could be walking away and that there would be nothing he could do about it.
Francesca said Redemption Island added a layer of complexity to the game, saying: “If Rob got voted out tonight, which he isn’t going to, he would be fine and we all feel there would be a very good chance he is going to come back.”
That caught Phillip’s ear and that launched the festivities: “Francesca and Kristina asked me to cast my vote for Rob.”
Francesca denied it. Her interruption irritated Phillip but rejoiced Jeff and Rob.
Phillip went into a rampage: “Jeff, I am a former special agent so if I make a statement to you, I will do everything that I can to adhere to that and I will not betray you. I will go down on a sinking ship until I hear something different and I heard something different so my vote is going to be for Francesqwa.”
Kristina leaned over and whispered to vote out Phillip, adding for everyone that Phillip was a bit unstable.
Phillip was up in arms: “She wanted me to go along with them because she has an immunity idol.”
That was funny news to everyone and Jeff got Kristina to admit she had it and that they were planning on voting Natalie instead of Rob.
Rob got Kristina to show him the idol, making a deal with her: “Give me the immunity idol and you’ll stay.”
She couldn’t do that.
Rob gave his troops the plan by saying: “It might save you for 3 more days but I’m going to do what I said I was going to do with the people I said I was going to do it with.”
Jeff called this an amazing Tribal Council and, for once, I agreed with it.
Rob voted Francesca saying: “It feels so good to play with you amateurs; you give away so much. You don’t even know to keep your mouth shut.”
Brazingly, Kristina kept the idol. She probably knew that Phillip was good for his word and would vote Francesqua.
The Story
The Theme that struck me during this first episode was underlined by Rob’s voting comment. Some players made rookie mistakes while others showed they knew what they were doing. Both tribes were shown building good shelters so that will not help us this season but we did have some hints that Purple will be the stronger team. Indeed, there are some stories, conflicts, which seem long term in that tribe while Ometepe seems much more short term, all contained in the Phillip Sheppard show.
The Characters

Going with the perceived theme, I will rate the players according to what we were shown about their game knowledge.
The Undrafted Free Agents
I’ll put in this category the players that haven’t been given an introduction yet, namely Grant, Julie, Krista, Steve and Sarita. It’s very possible that a nearly invisible player makes it far, one or two always do, but the edits of these 5 are seriously lacking.
Grant: We know he is in Rob’s alliance so that should tell us he knows the game and that he has been picked up to play in the majors but the camera almost separated him from that group. He wasn’t in the shot of Rob walking on the beach with his disciples, he was mostly off screen when the group of 6 decided to split the votes and he was the only Ometepe without a confessional or a Tribal Council intervention.
Julie : She wasn’t shown in any way, barely an extra so she doesn’t have a story.
Krista : We saw her greeting Russell even if she didn’t really want him on her team and we saw her working in camp so I have more hope for her story to emerge than the first two but we will have to wait and see.
Steve: Like Krista, he welcomed Russell with open arms and his words were used to let us know that Purple was a strong team. It wasn’t much but he has time to grow.
Sarita : She only had a small role so we can say that the scouts haven’t recognized her talent yet but her scene was vital to Zapatera’s story. We often get these unknown players making a sudden splash later in the game so I wouldn’t count Sarita out yet. Of the undrafted players, she seems to have to most to offer.
The Rookies: They received differing amount of “playing time”; some made good use of it while others showed their limitations, making rookie mistakes.
Fran : Being the first player ever to Redemption Island, she’ll probably get a Janu-type treatment. Let’s wait and see her win a duel before eliminating her completely.
Phillip : I’d really like to believe that Phillip had been acting as Rob’s secret agent because that would be hilarious but his confessionals about fighting lions make it obvious he won’t be working with Rob. He’ll probably be sacrificed in order to get rid of Kristina’s idol but I do hope Ometepe can win a few challenges to give time for Phillip to bring the laughs.
Stephanie : I’d categorize wanting to be Russell’s girl as a rookie mistake. The cameras showed us that her tribe wasn’t blind to the strategy so, without an idol, there is little chance she can advance. I’ll take her talk with Russell about needing to make it to the merge as an indication that they don’t make it together. However, the game could change very quickly so she could prove me wrong.
Kristina: Finding the idol demonstrated the knowledge of a veteran but once she had it, Kristina was shown making a rookie mistake, letting the wrong person know she had it. What we saw was a very likable person that now faces an insurmountable task. We could be looking at the edit of a Victim so it will be important to see which players in Rob’s alliance are spared the blame of her elimination. Up to now, we only have Natalie because she was mentioned as the target.
Ashley : The confessional she had immediately after the challenge loss could be an indication that she will narrate Ometepe’s journey but it’s too early to tell. She commented on the theme of Rob versus Russell, saying that she was unhappy to have let her leader down but others had confessionals about the tribe.
Natalie : She was one of them, saying how happy she was to have Rob around. We even heard her asking Rob what to do which he answered by saying: “You know what you are doing” so that is a good point for her.
Andrea : For a rookie, we saw a player that had studied some film and was somewhat prepared. She knew about Tyson’s dumb move, she knew Kristina was looking for an idol and she knew not to get in a fight with Phillip but to let him “show” her what to do with an axe. That confessional had a small personal touch, the audience getting to know she’s a farm girl. She also showed us that she knew having Boston Rob was much better than Russell.
Matt: He could be the narrator of Ometepe but I see him more on a journey as he said, to be closer to his savior. Quite a big task but a prolonged and victorious stay on Redemption Island, with a possible monastic angle, could serve the purpose. Of all these rookies, Matthew is the one that has the biggest upside, the most potential for rookie of the year because of the personal side to his story.
The Pros : In addition to the returning veterans, these players showed that they know the game and know what to do out there.
Rob : This was probably the driest episode Boston Rob had in his 4 seasons. No laughs, no personal touches, just discussions about strategy. I’d say his future doesn’t look too bright even if he is leading a solid alliance of 6.
Russell : For a grizzled veteran, a new man, Russell kept his same game plan except, this time, people are prepared for it. Sometimes veterans have to learn new moves or know when to retire. I think that his edit showed us that this will be one season too many for him. His first confessional was about Redemption Island so, as stated above, I think that will be his Waterloo.
David : He wasn’t about to let Russell dictate strategy. With Sarita and Mike, he plans on stopping Russell. The man with a plan doesn’t have a personal story yet and he was featured during Jeff’s talk about Redemption Island so we will need more information on him before considering him as a contender.
Ralph : Speaking of contenders, Ralph had a very good episode. We know he is a character; he quite naturally became the tribe’s leader immediately after Russell claimed he wanted to be leader and he got a connection to another strong, likable player in Mike. Are they in an alliance? We didn’t see it formalized which can be a very good sign because we just know it had to be discussed.
Mike : This leaves us with the player that gave me the best first impression. Certainly, Mike had two comments that made us realize he isn’t a seasoned pro (his talk of winning in order to avoid the immunity challenges and saying that he didn’t consider Russell a threat) but we saw that he learned quickly. He is now a player with a personal touch, that of a proud soldier no less, he is aligned with likable characters and he has a plan. That makes for a pretty strong content for only one episode.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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02-22-11, 05:07 PM (EST)

8. "RE: Episode #1: Editing Thoughts"

Hi Veruca! Hi everyone! I thought that it was a great episode, and a great premiere! I am not going to go over the blow by blow, but I sure appreciate that michel did, as I may use his post to refer to it. Great observations there, btw, michel!
First of all, you all probably know that I am a Boston Rob fan. I remember watching in the first few episodes of Marquesas, and I thought he was a little punk, I didn't like him at all. But, boy, did I change my way of thinking. As time went by, he really grew on me, and I really appreciated the way he played the game. He's clever, he's a physical threat, he's got a great mind, he's certainly snarky and entertaining, but the thing I liked the most is that the guy is FUN. He makes the most of his situation, and he brings others along for the ride as well. He also gracefully lost, he respected his opponents and gave them their props. Well done, BR!
All-stars certainly highlighted the real Rob. Remember, we all called them the "Happy Chappy's", because of Rob. They flourished, with food, with shelter, and with down time.
I surely hope that my love of Rob doesn't cloud my perspective on the season. But, I have to tell you, after episode one, my juices are flowing....Rob is looking GOOD, imo. I also know that someone else, JIFFY, shares my love for Boston Rob, which also makes me wonder if this stellar editing is just "Rob-Love". Time will tell.
This season the whole game is supposed to be about redemption. Now, with RI, great players and strategists will get there second chance to get back in the game. For me, the first confessionals were interesting, talking about themselves...Phillip, Matt, Ralph...perhaps the characters. The one that stood out to me LATER, after I'd seen the episode was Matt's.
It tells about him, how his faith is everything...he's a GOOD boy. Substitute Rob in there now...
“My faith is everything. My entire life in this game revolves around Rob. I pray every day as I strive to be more like my hero, Rob.”
I arrived at this transition, as this is how Matt seemed to play the game. As long as I do what Rob tells me to do, I'm good, I want to be more like him....I felt that this confessional could be made "Rob-centric", and that's what I saw...in retrospect.
Additionally, I also saw Grant, Andrea, Ashley, Matt, and Natalie all have Rob LOVE. Ashley, Matt, and Natalie even had "Rob Love" confessionals. Andrea and Grant showed their Rob Love with their actions. They all seemed to be happy that Rob was on their tribe, and gave the seasoned veteran the benefit of the doubt. They were eager to please him and bummed when they let him/the tribe down at the challenge. Now, why am I so happy? Because we all know that Rob is a leader. I will note that even in the Insider videos, posted on the CBS site and transcribed on the boards, so NOT a spoiler, Rob notes that if there is one thing that he's learned about his game from his past experiences and that is that he HAS to be the leader. He can not, try as he may, be a follower. So, in this tribe full of folks that want to follow him, he can be the leader. I also know that in games with 1 or 2 definite leaders, the leader will win. In a game full of alphas/leaders, a follower will win. So, with a fine set of young, athletic, faithful disciples, Rob should make it to the merge, IF his tribe can win some challenges. With the group that is there and Rob's challenge prowess, I have alot of faith that they can persevere. At the merge, there could be some fireworks. But, I am encouraged after this first episode. I think Rob has some substance.
Now, for my observation regarding the other tribe. I think that tribe may have quite a few alphas....we darn sure know that RussHell is. And, with his confessional, I’m gonna be the leader to my tribe. When I sit them down and take control of the camp, I’ll become the leader of the camp.”, he tells us so. Other possible leaders: Mike. I think he did get a stellar first edit for his tribe. I can't decide if this is because he's really going to be something special, or is it because I think EPMB and company really love him. Jiffy referred to him as Captain America. He's the all-American Naval Academy, 2 tour Marine, leader who is physically and mentally sharp, he's the ideal Survivor player...
The other players, like Ralph, Steve, David, Stephanie, and even Sarita all strike me as potential alpha types, either from their actions in the first episode, OR, from their pre-show comments, bios. Time will tell. At any rate, I do feel like while Rob was a target in the very first episode, and his tribe lost, he's still sitting better than RussHell.....
I also got a real "man" feeling from this first episode. The females were either seen as supporting characters, or as schemers to foil the status quo...I don't know what to make of that.
Phillip is a silly character, not there to really win, but for the adventure. His tribemates can see this, imo. Kristina is a dead woman walking, imo. Rob was correct in his TC confessional, that playing with amateurs was fun because they didn't know how to keep their mouths shut...yes, Rob got a fantastic introduction, imo.
Alot more character development to come, especially as many received no confessionals. Also, with the intro this year, our stars didn't have a chance for a first confessional. Russell's first Confessional was in regard to RI, so yes, I'd say he'll spend some time there. Rob didn't have a confessional until strategy time. Too many others got confessionals to tell the initial story, so I am going to add that Rob has alot of time yet to tell us his perspective.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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02-22-11, 07:15 PM (EST)

9. "RE: Episode #1: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 02-22-11 AT 07:24 PM (EST)
I really enjoyed reading your comments, FP!
You know, you may have something there in regards to Matt seeing Rob as his Savior. RussHell was painted as the Devil in Samoa and he hasn't changed, so who better than "Jesus-Rob" to oppose him!
I did mention that the scene of Rob walking on the beach with Matt and the girls looked like he was leading his disciples. If that is how the editors are painting this story then the winner will be someone close to Rob but "Jesus-Rob" himself will probably fall on Day 33!
ETA: Too bad that little reptile running on water didn't show up right before a scene with Rob. Maybe that would have been too obvious!! Let's keep track where and when it shows up next.

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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02-20-11, 06:00 AM (EST)

7. "episode 1"

Right off the batt, they gave all the confessionals on the helicopter to men. I didn't like that at all.
The intro gave me the impression that Matt could win. I hope this is misdirection. He seems nice enough, but I don't like contestants who talk about Jesus. I was thinking Matt would be a fun enough guy until he opened his mouth and sounded like Chase.
Last season they were very transparent, giving the first confessional to the winner. I hope they are doing something else this time. If a woman wins, they could possibly throw in a Samoa type editing where they don't show her right away.
In response to the Waterloo idea, I agree to an extent, but must also point out that every player shy of the Final 4 will experience an RI duel as the death knell of their game. That includes Russell, unless he gets much closer to the end than is likely, given his initial reception. Russell's fate is not necessarily any more tied to RI than the other players' fates.
I was going to write something on all the players, not just Matt, but I ran out of energy. My two favorites going in -- other than BR -- were Ashley and Andrea. Ashley didn't have a whole lot going on in Ep 1, and even Andrea had less than I expected with her country girl background.
However, the story that needed to be told was of the alliance fiasco of the three, so those on Rob's side didn't get much highlighting. It was odd that Grant was so invisible, and that seems to bode not so fantastic for him. However, he could still do reasonably well. I thought it possible they were showing him separated from Rob's flock because they wanted to create suspense about a possible fourth vote. He may not have been as marginal as they made it look. We'll see.
Mike made a good impression on me, and I also found David and Sarita interesting. Steve I hope to see more of as I do Matt.
Ralph and Phillip both seem to me the kind of characters that Probst loves -- outrageous, kooky, not the norm. I am not sure he has any other potential than to be exploited as a colorful character. I think he's a fish out of water and the same with Julie. Zapatera has some savvy players on it (David, Sarita, Steve, Mike, Russell, and quite possibly Krista), and I don't see these two worker bees making it into the core of the majority alliance.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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02-26-11, 07:39 PM (EST)

10. "Episode #2: Editing Thoughts"

Jeff told us that previously, 16 castaways were airlifted to a remote beach in Nicaragua where “they were surprised by two of Survivor’s most villainous rivals.”
Matt’s surprise when Jeff mentioned Redemption Island took a new meaning now that we know the outcome of episode #2.
Jeff went on telling us that, “at Zapatera, Russell lost no time aligning with the pretty young tribe mate…
But everyone else, immediately figured out what Russell was up to.”
<Mike was heard saying he wanted Russell gone pronto>
“At the Ometepe tribe, almost everyone fell under Boston Rob’s charismatic spell.”
<Matt said they were in camp-Harmony>
Kristina… “joined forces with Phillip and Francesca to get him out.
When Kristina found the hidden immunity idol, her plan seemed fool-proof but, at tribal, Phillip turned on his allies and spilled the beans on his entire tribe.
Francesca was voted out.”
The only editing manipulations in this straight-forward summary were the use of the word “villainous” to describe Russell and Rob both as well as the few scenes of Matthew. Jeff could have said two of Survivor’s biggest rivals, a more neutral epithet, especially for Rob who was supposed to have shed his role of villain. That and the few reaction shots from harmony-loving Matthew prepared us for the episode’s stunning turn.
This episode introduced us to…
The Perfect Partners
We had a quick scene of Francesca at Redemption Island. Despite seeing that she still has hope to return, none of her quotes seemed like foreshadowing future events. If she lasts, we will have time to revisit what she said.
Ometepe
Kristina (laughing at herself a bit): “Tribal council didn’t go exactly as I had hoped. It would have been perfect if I hadn’t mentioned anything to Phillip at all about having the immunity idol. I lost a battle but it’s not the end of the game. I still have the idol in my possession and I am so grateful that I didn’t play that thing. I am so happy.”
Rob in interview as we see him go off to talk with Phillip: “I know for a fact that Kristina and Phillip were lying but it doesn’t take a genius FBI man to figure that out. You just have to look at their faces and watch their lips moving. This guy Phillip, FBI, special agent, whatever, he is a piece of work. He told me that I own his vote for the rest of the time he’s here until he goes to Redemption Island. I don’t know if he’s delusional; I think he’s a good hearted guy, I do. He just might not all be there. Let that be a lesson to you: Government job…Stressful.”
We saw Rob solidifying his alliance of 6 and putting the target squarely on Phillip.
Rob’s confessional continued: “With the exception of Phillip’s little twist where he decided to out Francesca, things went pretty much according to plan. It seems as if this group of players knows how to follow directions. Phillip did it to himself; he’s an idiot.”
Ometepe
Day 4
Phillip: “When I went hunting for the crabs, you find yourself going back to that primal state. There’s a part of you that comes to a point where you realize that, here in Survivor, you are going to be tested in so many ways. When I revealed to the girls that I was a former Federal agent, it was designed to let the girls know that I am a trustworthy person. At tribal Council last night, Francesca maligned my character. I was definitely impacted emotionally because (choking up) one of the things about me is that I love my country. Having worn the uniform; I swore that I was prepared to protect and defend. To have her try to take some of that pride I have…it hurt me, it made me angry. I have a lot of emotions going on. I think that the best lesson I got from last night for me personally, besides the game aspect, was: I still love Phillip Sheppard. He’s a good guy and that’s OK.”
Note that this hunt went for quite a while because Phillip isn’t wearing the same shoes when he catches a crab as he did when he started. Having this funny scene intertwined with a Heroic-type confessional is extremely strange. It certainly endeared Phillip to many viewers but did it make us hate those that were watching and laughing at him? I suggest it doesn’t because the audience had to be doing the same thing.
Zapatera
Day 4
Ralph was turning into a rooster and Mike called him a legend as Russell observed.
Russell: “These fools that I am dealing with, they ain’t too bright and, poor ole Ralph! That might be the dumbest player to ever play…he may be the dumbest person on the face of the Earth besides being the dumbest player to play Survivor. These ain’t All-Stars I’m dealing with. It’s pitiful but I got a good player with me. Stephanie is a good player. Now, all I need is Krista. Three worked for me before, I believe it just might work for me again.” After telling Krista to keep an eye out for a HII clue, he had another confessional: “I’ve come to realize that I can’t trust nobody but my people. Krista and Stephanie are my alliance. My two girls! That’s it. I believe that’s all I have right now. I have to go all out so my plan is to find the idol. You’ve seen me play before. You know what you’ve seen? You’ve seen my find idols. It’s how I play this game.”
Steve and Mike observed Russell on his search but no one was paying attention to Ralph who was just picking rocks.
Ralph: “I was picking up a few rocks and I just happen to look in that stump and wondered what’s a rock doing in there? I pulled it back and there was the idol. I can’t believe I found it that easy! Russell; he’s the king at finding idols but that was simple as wiping your hiney with toilet paper. So, Russell, eat your heart out, man!”
Haven’t we always said that the idols were too easy to find in Russell’s seasons? We just never quite put is as bluntly as Ralph did! The confrontation has been built up between these two characters and its resolution cannot be too far down the road. Either Russell or Ralph is being set-up for a hard fall. All our editing experience tells us that Russell should be the one to take that fall because he’s the one that denigrated Ralph. The problem is, however, that we are talking about Russell, someone that the editors have chosen as their star for two seasons. So much so that is trash-talk is seen as strategy by the audience.
Ometepe
Day 5
Matthew and Andrea were relaxing and talking, Matthew saying he was happy not to be on his own.
Andrea: “Matt is really cute and good to look at but we’re close and I think we have a little bit of loyalty going on.”
Rob: “Matt is trying to play the good guy but Andrea knows what she wants. If she can have her puppy dog along for the ride, she’s gonna walk ‘em, she’s gonna walk ‘em all around this island but, for me, that’s not good because I know how strong a pair can be in this game like Amber and I. Now, I’m thinking about who I’m going to sit next to in the end.”
Rob had a talk of his own with Natalie who called the pair dangerous. Rob went on: “I think Natalie’s a perfect partner at this point but it’s going to be hard though. It’s going to be literally picking the girl up, putting her on my back and I’m gonna drag her ass to the end and, hopefully, they are going to give it to me in the end.”
Rob said the vote should be either Phillip or Andrea to keep the tribe strong. Natalie said it sounded good.
Natalie: “I’m going to make big moves but I really trust Rob. I think making big moves along with him will be smart.”
The Challenge
Zapatera was surprised to see Francesca was the one voted out because, as one of their women put it: “she was strong but they are dumb”. Imagine their surprise next week!
Jeff knew to ask for Phillip’s reaction to Ralph’s confident claim of getting the idol back. Phillip told us it brought out the animal in him. I guess that’s why those two were paired off for a showdown in the end. There was a funny exchange after this:
Phillip: “I will outlast any man over there!”
Amused, Jeff asked: “What about the women?”
Phillip, sternly: “That’s for another day. We’ll see.”
Stephanie wasn’t impressed.
Was Zapatera told off-air that they had to sit a man to even things out? If not, then sitting out David is puzzling for his chances in this group. This was described as combination Immunity/Reward so why sit a man in a physical contest unless he’s not feeling well?
For the challenge, we saw that the pool was too small for Grant, that he could be as strong a swimmer as Ozzy if there are more water challenges.
Note that Ashley, Andrea, Sarita and Julie were the chosen swimmer for the women. They wanted to show their athletic abilities but it didn’t exactly work: Andrea did a belly-flop and Sarita didn’t impress anyone.
Stephanie proved to be a better lock-picker than Natalie and that is what essentially cost Ometepe the challenge yet we didn’t hear no one blaming Natalie. That was a good sign for her because it probably was brought up, especially during Phillip “debriefing”.
Phillip and Ralph did all the throwing, leaving Krista and Kristina in the role of ball retriever.
After Zapatera won the challenge, we saw Matthew walking over to them to shake Steven’s hand. That gesture didn’t escape Rob who was shown asking Grant: “What is he doing?” Note that Ralph was seen holding out his hand to Matt but stopping and looking back in Jeff’s direction, as if told to stay away by the host and rules enforcer. Matt left and returned to his side with a disgusted gesture in Jeff’s direction.
Rob: “Matt shaking the opposition’s hand after we lost, was despicable. When we just got our asses kicked, not once but twice, back-to-back, I’m not going to the other team to give them hugs and kisses.”
Russell made sure he’d get the basket of goodies to bring back to camp and he didn’t ask for help to carry it!
Zapatera
Day 5
Russell: “We just won the challenge so I grabbed the basket because I know that, if there was going to be a clue, it was going to be in that basket. As I’m walking, I see the clue sliding out of the flippers. I didn’t say anything to anybody after I arrived and the clue; I just put it in my hand. I know this game, this isn’t my first rodeo.”
The others, particularly Mike again, were congratulating Ralph on his awesome shooting demonstration.
Ralph: “When we come back to camp I seen Russell with a little rolled up piece of paper. I say to myself: He has got that daggone clue out of that daggone basket. Russell; he is going to pay the price because it is not Russell’s game. This is my game!”
Julie was heard (!) agreeing with Ralph: “From now on, we take the reward.”
Russell went off with his girls to read the clue and laugh at Sarita’s poor swimming skills. Stephanie even borrowed a line from Courtney, saying that Sarita “sucks at life.”
Mike: “After our victory, Sarita came and told me that in the fishing gear that we won there was a clue. Russell stuffed it in his pocket, Ralph saw it. He knew. That’s what comes from experience because he knew the clue was in there. The guy is the most untrustworthy character I’ve ever met in my life. You preach over and over that this game is about trust and who you can go deep with but, if we’re in this together, show me some faith and share the clue”
So, there were some unseen discussions between Russell and Mike to go deep together. We had only been shown Mike acting against Russell but there was/is something hidden between them. And how will Mike react if he finds out that Ralph had the idol all along? Isn’t that an even bigger show of distrust?
During Mike’s confessional, we saw Russell handing to clue to Stephanie and Krista to read. (He had asked Parvati to read JT’s note, so this is another indication that he may just be unable to read.)
Russell: “I have three people, three votes. Is Russell counting himself or does he have a third, unseen ally? That could be the key to Zapatera’s next vote. “That’s all I need. I’ve never had numbers but I always make it to the end. I don’t need no stinking numbers? All I need is trust, loyalty. That’s how I play this game.”
Mike joined the threesome at the water-well and agreed that Sarita was weak. It was only when Ralph came in that the talks became confrontational. Ralph directly asked Russell if there was a clue in the basket.
Ralph said it was their clue since they all won it.
We saw David joining the group.
Russell denied there was a clue.
Russell threatened: “You are either with me or against me…I don’t like how you are coming at me. I know how to play this game. Are you trying to tell me how to play the game?”
Ralph replied: “This ole boy here does too”. He walked away.
Ralph: “He’s got it. That’s all right, I already have one. I didn’t need it. I’ll play his game. I’ll show him how smart I can be. Right on!”
Russell: “What the hell was that? Ralph went off. He says he knows how to play this game. He’s like: “I know how to play this game too. Really? You just done that? To me? To Russell Hantz? And you know how to play this game?”
Redemption Island showed us that Francesca received her luxury item, a journal.
Ometepe
Rob: “We get back from the challenge and once again we have to endure the pre-tribal council before tribal council.”
Phillip said they should be proud of their effort and apologized for not performing as well as they did. Note that nothing was said about Natalie losing their lead.
Rob stepped up and said they win or lose as a team.
Rob: “Phillip blew the challenge, plain and simple, but when we just got our asses kicked twice, Matt goes over to congratulate the other team. Matt is trying to play the good Christian, the good social game and the end game on day friggin’ five! Wake up, brother.”

Kristina (wearing the idol around her neck): “Tonight, I am playing the idol. I don’t have a choice. They still have enough votes to vote off whoever they want so there’s no way they are going to take a chance and not give me the majority and let me slip by again. So, I’m playing it for sure which is really sad.”
With Grant and Ashley, Rob sealed Matt’s fate. (What was that tarp that Rob had over his shoulder?)
Grant (the editors choosing a good time to give us the opinion of an ex-NFL player): “It’s not something you want to see when you are in the heat of the moment of a challenge you just lost: Your team mate going over and shaking hands. I don’t know. There’s a time and place for those things and that wasn’t one of those times.”
Rob: “The first plan was to vote for Phillip or Andrea but Matt is getting four votes. I didn’t want to play Survivor like this, I really didn’t. I wanted to keep my team strong. I get it; Matt’s playing Survivor, he’s playing textbook but he’s playing with me!”
Andrea (in confessional after talking with the other five): “The plan is to split the votes: The guys vote for Phillip, the girls for Kristina. We’re assuming that Kristina will use her immunity idol and Phillip will go home.”
Rob: “As far as Matt and Andrea are concerned, we are going to split the votes 3-3, the girls are voting for Kristine, the guys are voting for Phillip but, in actuality, none of that is happening: Myself, Ashley, Natalie and Grant are voting for Matt. And Kristine, she better play that idol. If she does and, with Andrea and Matt, it’s a homerun.”
Matt: “Every day, Rob impresses me. It is unbelievable how well he can talk to people, play this game and see what they need and fulfill that need. It’s absolutely amazing.”
Rob was walking with Phillip, telling him he would be fine, warning him about going on a tirade, making it appear as if he knew he was going home but waiting for Rob to put his hand on someone’s shoulder to know who would be the target.
Rob: “Phillip’s a tough cookie. I have to wait until one minute before tribal council. I may even have to wait until Tribal council to tell him who to vote for because Phillip likes to talk a lot. This will be a good test to see if Phillip does what he says he’s going to do. If he does, he can start to earn his way back into the rotation. If I get there tonight and Phillip starts telling everybody what I told him, Phillip will be sent packing.”
Tribal Council
Kristina explained that she had a feeling that she didn’t need to play the idol the last time.
Phillip explained about the gorilla and the lion and how he felt about his family and the US.
Rob said he understood how Phillip felt.
Matt said Phillip was an asset but in this game it could happen like that.
Phillip said that he wouldn’t lay down and die in Redemption Island.
Matt said they wondered how many people were coming back from RI and when.
Jeff didn’t answer that.
With that, in a very Judas-like move, Rob caught Phillip’s attention and put his hand on Kristina’s shoulder.
Kristina played her idol.
After Jeff revealed the vote, Andrea was stunned while Matt simply said it was good work and to have fun.
Jeff congratulated them for their vicious blindside.
In Redemption Island, Matt said Rob had set him of to have the biggest comeback in Survivor history.
The Story
In this episode, the two big rivals explained their games to us: Russell wants to have 2 completely loyal allies and thinks he can take any majority alliance. Rob’s game consists of having one perfect partner inside the strong alliance. That puts their partners, Stephanie, Krista and Natalie, in a very strong position if not in the game then in the edited story. If one of them is going to be the star of the season, then I prefer Natalie’s chances because Rob’s plan spoke of going to the end, Russell of making it to the merge And, maybe it was a hint but Phillip told us that outlasting the women would be a different matter than outlasting men.

The Characters
Matt: I had mentioned that his portrayal in the first episode looked like the prelude to a prolonged, monastic stay on Redemption Island and his words about the biggest comeback in Survivor history was a continuation of that. I will keep an eye out for Matt and certainly not count him out just yet.
The Players without a story
Julie: She seems to be against Russell, saying they had to keep the reward baskets away from him but until we see her vote or have a confessional, we don’t know where she stands. It certainly shouldn’t be in the winner’s circle.
Sarita: Once more, she was relegated to the one observing Russell and telling Mike about his actions. We didn’t learn anything about Sarita except that she was considered weak in the challenge. She could be sacrificed in order to keep Zapatera winning.
Grant: I believe his confessional served only to make Rob’s decision palatable. After all, if an ex-NFL player (even if he could get a question mark after that job description because he didn’t play many games in the NFL!) says that what Matt did was unacceptable then it makes the vote understandable.
Steve: Besides showing he can compete, Steve’s story is still sitting on the bench.
David: After a brief stint in the big leagues, it seems that David was sent back to the minors. As I wrote above, unless Jeff said that Zapatera had to sit a man, it was troubling that he was the one designated to sit out a challenge that was for both reward and challenge. If Zapatera could sit anyone and they chose him then it would be bad for David’s game: Just like Sarita, he could be sacrificed despite the tribe’s divisions. If Jeff’s comment were edited out, it would be bad for David’s edit: The editors didn’t care to protect him from being seen as weak by the audience.
Ashley: This rookie is still with the big team but her role is very limited. Much like a player that comes in during the 8th inning just for defensive purposes, Ashley is only asked to come in when it’s time to vote.
The Opposing Forces:
Kristina: Just like her confessionals in this episode, it seemed that Kristina’s story was simply connected to the idol. I doubt she will be seen as a victim when she is voted out, just a necessary move by the tribe. She has shown a nice personality and an ability to laugh at herself in this game but I doubt she can make it back in the rotation unless there’s a switch coming up.
Phillip: Coach used to have confessionals that sounded epic while others were shown laughing at him but Coach was mostly talking about his own grandeur. Phillip has a nobler story to tell, even if he talks about himself in the third person. Must be that stress! The editors seem to be telling us that it’s ok to laugh at Phillip but that he is a good guy. I’m really interested in seeing how his story develops.
Ralph : Is this the edit of the new Fan Favorite? There’s no doubt that Ralph could be set-up to fall to the legend of Russell, the editors making him look more surrounded by allies than he really is but, for now, I see him outwitting Russell, sending him to Redemption Island where his story will quickly end. Ralph’s own story seems much more promising but, again, we have to see Zapatera’s first tribal Council. Ralph is hard to understand but his last confessional, where he said he had “one” made me wonder if players could think there is more than one idol available.
Mike: He seems determined to vote out Russell but is that editing manipulation? Why would he say he was expecting that they were “in this together”? Maybe Russell had said that about the whole tribe but let’s not forget that Russell’s true alliance at the start of Samoa was with the guys, Ben, Mick and Jaison. The dumb blondes were being kept around to vote as he wanted.
Andrea: There is a nice consistent edit about this player that was just thrown out of the majority alliance. We’ve had enough confessionals about her to make her likable to the audience. Had she been ignored, she could have been voted out next and people wouldn’t care. Why did the editors care enough about Andrea to introduce us to her? They’ve made her into a likable underdog which is always a big character in Survivor lore.
The Big Sluggers:
Rob: So much for the “Jesus-Rob” angle to the story! If Rob is going to have any god-like qualities it will be that of a vengeful god. I will note however that Matt’s elimination was thoroughly explained to the viewers. It seemed that the editors wanted us to feel that Rob didn’t have a choice. We heard him say that he didn’t want to play like this (even if that was exactly what he did to Hunter and Cesternino) and we heard Rob say that he had a plan to get to the end. Much more than the first episode, this one made me think that Rob will win his duel with Russell but that should be the extent of his victory. This isn’t his game. We heard that said about the previous returnees, BJ and Stephenie. We heard it said about Russell. It should be also the way potential jurors would feel about Rob even if he got there.
Russell: Is Russell being edited to be out-Russelled? He’s shown saying his game is about having a small group of loyal players and using the idol to make it to the end but we hear him repeatedly bashing the one person that found the idol without a clue, Russell’s own big claim to survivor fame.
The Perfect Partners
Krista: She really should be in the players without a story but Russell put her in this group and we know Russell Hantz: The women he chooses outlast him! If Zapatera decides to keep Russell for his muscles, Krista could be the one sacrificed. That is about all her story tells me thus far.
Stephanie: She was still a big part of the story but we didn’t hear it from her point of view so it seems she is more part of Russell’s story than having one of her own. We’ll have to wait to see if she does or says anything to get out of Russell’s shadow and if they do something about those stinking numbers. Right now, I see her as sinking with Russell’s ship.
Natalie: Speaking of saying something to get out of a big player’s shadow, that’s what Natalie’s confessional sounded like. It was short but it was very well placed, coming right after Rob told us she was his perfect partner to take to the end. If Natalie’s role would have been to serve only as Rob’s puppet, we wouldn’t have heard that confessional. Players that do poorly in challenges but that don't receive blame from others are usually spared by the editors for a reason. She told us she’d be doing some big moves so I’m keeping an eye out for her story.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-01-11, 02:18 PM (EST)

11. "RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts"

Wow, I am surprised that we haven't had more reaction to such a shocking episode. Boy, color me surprised...! Again I won't go over alot of things that I noted but may refer to michel's astute obersvations. Rob firmly took control over at Ometepe, as the narrator, director, dictator...I don't know what to make of an episode where we only heard once from him, to one where he was so dominant with confessionals. As a BR fan, it has me worried. I couldn't help thinking that Rob may have just cut off his own foot, by getting rid of Matt. Regardless of Rob's rationale, which we certainly heard....he doesn't trust the couple, as look at he and Amber. He's(Matt) too good, playing the social game on day 5, etc. It did seem as though Rob gave the final choice of Andrea or Matt to the group though, and Grant chose Matt. Grant was seen noting Andrea's challenge performance....that may bode well for BR, I don't know.
Matt is being set up for Redemption Island, and his solitary life I think, which may bode well for him there. We have been given alot more of Matt than Francesca, so I would favor Matt for succeeding over Francesca on RI.
Couldn't agree more, Rob's savior image went right down the toilet. He seems like he does however have his eye on the prize and he's playing to win. I found myself re-thinking his previous game play and soothed myself with noting that he did target Hunter and Rob Cesternino early as well, as michel noted, but this was swift, bold, and ruthless, which I don't think Rob was before. Is this what you call changing your old game up, or adapting? Seems like it's time for damage control and unification, and it seems that is what we see Rob attempting in the preview promo. Will it work? It seems as though he does have Phillip's vote, yet he's been so erratic, I don't know if he can be depended upon, as Rob noted. Regardless, when this episode ended, alarm bells were going off for me concerning Rob's longevity.
Now, at the challenge there was some interesting narrating by Jiffy, paired with selective close-up shots of the daws....When Jiffy spoke at the challenge, where the loser will face TC, and one will go to RI....He specifically said, Someone will be going to Redemption Island, zoom in on RUSSHELL, with DAVID on one side of him, and ROOSTER on the other side of him, all three in the frame. ...and will have to face off, zoom in on STEVE alone, against Francesca, after he says this the camera zooms in on KRISTINA then JULIE, in a duel.
This makes me believe that Russhell, (David/Rooster), Steve, Kristina and Julie will all be at RI sooner rather than later...hmmmm? I also found it intriguiging that all of the ones zoomed in on during this narration were ALL from Zapatera....hmmm?
AS we have seen before, there were many zoom ins on Matt at the end of the challenge when Jiffy is talking about having to go to TC. When they shot them leaving, Matt was featured.
AS far as drama that is mounting....definitely we are being set up for a RussHell vs. Rooster show down. Rooster found the idol without a clue, he tells RussHell that "this ole boy knows how to play this game, too", while RussHell calls him the dumbest player, person ever...seems to me that Rooster has scored one, zero for RussHell. RussHell is made to look like a fool, Rooster has bested him at his own game, and we see RussHell revert back to the same game he's always played. He's not adjusting/adapting, as it appears Rob is with a vengeance. Will this spell disaster for RussHell or will the same game plan work the same way it has for his past 2 seasons? Time will tell. The editing is making me think that RussHell will be going down. Could be misdirection, I don't know. Rooster has already told us that "he's a dumb a$$, will he know what to do with the idol?
The editing also makes me feel that camp Zapatera is somewhat polarized. RussHell and "concubines" on one side, everyone else on the other....don't know how divisive it is yet though, as many of Zapatera's tribe remains hidden.
I also liked Natalie's confessional as well, right after Rob said he was going to carry her all the way to the end. It gives me hope, IF she gets there, doesn't it stand to reason at this point that Rob will be there too?
Grant seemed like a GREAT presence in the challenge.

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-01-11, 03:07 PM (EST)

12. "RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts"

To some extent I believe CBS/SEG are trying to recapture some of the season 1 sense of the game, which the Redemption Island twist permits in that it is a genuine game changing twist. That makes for difficulty trying to get a real handle on what we are being shown as the familiar comfortable is getting shaken up.
Factionalization is the focus in these early episodes, though, that is still a normal in the game. People naturally form into factions in real life, how they do it in the game is no different except that it is amplified, intensified, within the parameters of the game.
On Zapatera the factionalization has occured along Russell's "you're either with me or against me" approach, it was virtually built in given his history and the familiarity the players do have with him. (Intrinsically each player is actually for him or herself, Russell's game approach merely simplifies the process for himself and, consequently, the other players as well.) We've seen a Pro-Russell faction develope and an anti-Russell faction develop, but some of the pieces have been left as unknowns. Which faction will emerge dominant will remain unknown until Zapatera has their first Tribal.
On Ometepe Rob was able to create a strong faction, his Solid Six, and emerge dominant over the anti-Rob faction of Kristina, Francesca and Phillip on the fence. But then he turned around and dismantled that Solid Six, fearing Matt's long game would work against him. He now has a Solid Four, enough to remain dominant in Ometepe short term. Andrea may still make it a Solid Five, her options are limited. Phillip has been positioned to move into a vacated spot in Rob's faction but Rob really doesn't know what to make of the guy. Kristina was left entirely out instead of being cultivated to add herself and the HII to the group, played the HII instead, so now it just has to be found again. Natalie is really the only player Rob has secured, the others may start to question Rob's leadership and motives if they don't start winning.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-01-11, 07:24 PM (EST)

13. "RE: Episode #2: Editing Thoughts"

FP, you are right, I was hearing a lot of echo in here. Glad you and Dabo joined in. Nice job noting those mentioned when Jeff talked about RI again. I copy/pasted my episode #1 remark of RI and your recent addition:
"it was Matthew’s surprised reaction that we heard first... The camera also panned to Kristina, Krista, Ashley, Francesca and David while Jeff explained the living conditions on the island... Russell was the one shown when Jeff explained the duels. After that the cameras showed Mike, Grant, Steve, Boston Rob before we went back to Russell when Jeff said the words “out of the game for good."

"Someone will be going to Redemption Island, zoom in on RUSSHELL, with DAVID on one side of him, and ROOSTER on the other side of him, all three in the frame. ...and will have to face off, zoom in on STEVE alone, against Francesca, after he says this the camera zooms in on KRISTINA then JULIE, in a duel."
Now, noting that Matt and Francesca were seen during the first talk of RI, it gives importance to those shown. I especially consider those shown both times because they include Kristina and she just HAS to go there soon, no?! The others with double appearances are David, Steve, Ralph and Russell.
As for Rob's decision, I'm starting to reconsider my first reaction. I still think it would have been better to vote Andrea but Phillip is a really big guy that could be helpful in brute strength challenges. And, for Rob, he is a very loyal vote. While Phillip's mouth is dangerous, I don't see him as a loose canon as far as the vote goes. The move to get rid of Matt is bad for Grant and Ashley because now Rob has 2 closer allies if it comes to those 5...as long as they don't go down to 5 as quickly as Ulong...or Mara'amu!!

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-05-11, 06:26 PM (EST)

14. "Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

Jeff told us that “18 people entered the game but 2 had played before…
…At the Zapatera tribe, Russell told everyone that he had changed…”
<We hear a new confessional by Russell where he swears he is trying to gain trust only to stab them in the back>
“He lied. Then he made an alliance with the two youngest women on the beach and went hunting for the hidden immunity idol.
But it was Ralph who found it.
Despite the loss, Rob was still in control…
<We hear Matt saying he is amazed at how well Rob plays the game>
But then Rob took his game to an even higher level so he convinced Phillip to be a decoy and pretend he was being voted out…
…and he let Kristina think that, if she didn’t play her immunity idol, she would go home.
At tribal council, everything went as planned…
…allowing Rob to break up a potentially powerful alliance between Andrea and Matt.
Matt was completely blindsided. Now he heads to Redemption Island to take on Francesca in a duel, leaving Andrea wondering where she stands with Rob.
Jeff was already telling us that Rob is a much better player than Russell. Russell couldn’t change his game but Rob was able to take his to a higher level and there isn’t even a question whether or not he made the right choice in voting out a strong player. From this interpretation, we can deduce that Ometepe will flourish under Rob’s leadership.
This episode could have been titled:
Cutting Out the Cancer

Redemption Island
Night 5
Francesca: “Matt got blindsided. I thought that seeing any part of Rob’s alliance tonight was an impossibility.”
Matt: “I feel sick to my stomach right now…I guess I just trusted Boston too soon. It’s brutal…but, at the same time, what an opportunity: To be the underdog and come back from Redemption Island and finish this game with a million dollars.”
Ometepe
Rob: “Tonight couldn’t have gone any better. Not only do we blindside Matt, we were able to get Kristina to get rid of her idol and Phillip was a loyal soldier. Tonight, I’m sitting in a good spot on this tribe but tomorrow, when I get up, I need to get Andrea feeling OK about everything because she is smart enough to know that we double-crossed her and she will definitely hold that resentment.”
We went back to Redemption Island to see Matt and Francesca reading tree mail telling them to get ready for battle.
Zapatera
Day 6
David: “Tree mail today, basically said that 2 people from the tribe were going to go to Redemption Island. Steve and I ended up to be the two to go to the duel. I’m not exactly sure what to expect but I’m glad that Russell, Stephanie and Krista didn’t have the opportunity to go so they don’t have an idea of what’s there.”
Ometepe
Andrea: “We picked marbles and Ashley and I get to go and watch the duel between Fran and Matt so I’m pretty excited. It’s probably more about seeing Matt because we were really close. I think that if he realizes that I wasn’t the one that voted him out, he can come back and be an asset for me to have.”
Rob: “We had to send two people to what we think is Redemption island. We’ve got Andrea and Ashley both going over there. What I don’t want is Andrea getting smart and talking to Matt, her island boyfriend. I just don’t want her getting any ideas.”
Note the obvious cut during Rob’s words of “Andrea getting smart” {cut} “and talking to Matt”. Was there something else that Rob didn’t want, like Andrea talking to Ashley? Whatever it was, this confessional was placed after we heard Andrea saying she wanted to do exactly what Rob feared. It’s uncertain whether that means the couple will eventually get their revenge on Rob or if he will be able to come out on top again. Either way, I see it as a sign that there will be a showdown between Rob and Andrea. If Matt is part of that showdown as he appears to be, then that can only happen well down the road because I don’t think anyone will be returning from RI before the merge. The camera angle gave Rob an air of superiority, maybe even arrogance, which wasn’t necessarily to his advantage.
The Duel.
We only had a raised eyebrow from Steve when Jeff mentioned that Matt was the second competitor.
Andrea said: “I didn’t vote for either of them.”
Matt mentioned he would have a great underdog story if he came back and made it all the way to the end.
Steve (after the challenge): “Going to Redemption Island was an eye-opener, there might be an opportunity here. There might be a curveball for Russell to tell him that Francesca won the challenge and sent Matt home.”
Ometepe
Ashley told everyone that Matt was pissed and wanted to come back to get his revenge which got a surprised look from Grant.
Rob: “Redemption island is real. I mean, there’s a chance that Matt could run the gamut over there and get back into this game. Andrea will go back to Matt before she’ll stay with me. I know that. So, I got my work cut out for me with Andrea.”
We next heard their conversation, Rob telling Andrea that it wasn’t only his decision, that all 4 voted for Matt. He assured her that Kristina and Phillip were going before her. She mostly stared at him with sad eyes.
Andrea: “I talked to Rob and he assured me that I’m still part of their five even though I’m probably in a very sticky position. Right now, strategically, it’s smart to stay with them and make sure they don’t think that I’m scheming but I just don’t believe them. So, I need some way I can mix things up because, deep down, I am still really pissed about what they did, that they took my good friend away.”
Rob better be careful not to believe the sad woman behind blue eyes.
A shark accompanied us to Zapatera where Steve was telling Russell, Sarita, Mike and Julie that “the black chick ended up pulling the thing off, the blond guy, he’s gone.”
Steve: “We came back from Redemption Island and we told Russell that Matt was sent home. So, whenever we vote Russell out, he’s going to see Matt who could be quite a challenge for him and, hopefully, we will never see Russell again.”
As soon as Russell walked away, Steve told his group that Matt had won and they made a 6 way pact.
Russell: “I know it is 6 to 3 so right now the most important thing is finding the idol…”
Ralph: “Russell and them is looking for the idol as hard as they can look but he’s not going to get it because I’ve got it. I ain’t saying nothing about it. It’s not Russell’s game anymore, it’s my game.”
Stephanie came up with the idea of making a fake idol.
Stephanie: “The great thing with Russell is that he has a great résumé with immunity idols that he’s found on his own. So, we are going to fake that we have an idol and I’m hoping that people believe that I am protecting the idol but right now it’s just a blank check with no money in the bank account.”
Steve noticed that she seemed to be holding gold in her bag.
Steve: “We knew that Russell and his little harem got the first immunity idol clue. Stephanie is carrying her bag around acting like she has the idol in there. Russell is always plotting and scheming. You just don’t want the guy around. He’s going to do everything he can to backstab you so, we have to got to sure we do everything that we can to stay on our toes until the cancer is cut out.”
Zapatera
Day 8
Mike: “Russell has got some funk going on with his armpits. He shaved them up and now he has pus filled rash…He sits in the tent with his concubines and does nothing. He’s like a black hole.”
Steve mentioned that they could throw a challenge even if it hasn’t been a very successful move.
Steve: “There isn’t anything bigger at this point than getting rid of Russell. He’s an irritant and we cannot have him laying around and potentially biting anyone of us.”
Steve made his proposal to the rest of the group. David was hesitant, Julie hated the fact that it could get Ometepe on a roll.
Julie: “They are thinking of throwing our next challenge. I am just torn about that because I like to compete and I can deal with Russell.”
The group finally agreed to wait for the challenge and give a thumb’s up to signal they were throwing it.
The Challenge
Despite the comfort items, Sarita immediately gave the signal: Thumb’s up!
David: “There’s definitely a big trade-up between keeping Russell around and getting a tarp but the plan right now is to throw the challenge. Hopefully the end result is worth it.”
Ralph and Sarita sat out.
Rob told his tribe he’d do the puzzle.
Julie was told to miss the bucket.
Julie: “It’s a decision I am not really feeling right with.”
Jeff noticed that Julie missed the bucket while Zapatera was slowing down, Steve apparently wearing out.
Rob had a big head start and David didn’t come close, Russell and Jeff noticing he was barely working.
Russell : “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they threw the challenge…I’m dealing with a bunch of bitches.”
Somewhere, Marisa must have been smiling, asking “how dare they sabotage the tribe?!”
Ometepe
Day 8
Rob: “We won today’s immunity and reward challenge and, normally, that would put me through the roof happy, but now, we have those little things called hidden immunity idols. Now, I know enough that there’s probably a clue to that hidden immunity idol somewhere hidden within our reward. It’s almost as if there was no time to celebrate because everybody is looking for where the clue could be. The game is always on. In the past, I ignored the hidden immunity idol. Well, that didn’t turn out too good for me. This time around, I decided: Maybe I could learn something too. So, I’m starting to look for them and I’m starting to be diligent about it. I went through everything and it was nowhere. I look over and I see Phillip’s fat ass bending the chair, about to break it. I looked down and the hidden immunity idol clue was right underneath his ass. It’s sown inside the fabric of the chair. How lucky was that? Had Phillip not been so fat, that chair wouldn’t have been bending as much and I wouldn’t have told him to move. The clue basically could have read: “The hidden immunity idol is somewhere.” It could be anywhere. I’m happy I found the clue because I know nobody else found the clue but I don’t plan on telling anybody about the clue ‘cause I want the idol for me.”
Zapatera
Day 8
Ralph: “Well, it was a thrown challenge because we do got to get Russell out, quick as possible. Russell thinks he runs the show and he don’t. He’s not my boss and he’s not bossing me.”
Mike was shown saying they had to stick to the plan.
David: “The plan tonight is to give three votes to Russell and three votes to Stephanie in the absolutely remote event that Russell did find the idol. If things work as planned, tonight Russell will go home.”
At that instant, the camera focused on Russell’s “Keep Hope Alive” tattoo. He was telling his girls that it was dumb to throw a challenge when you are only 2 up.
Russell : “I think they threw the challenge. It makes me sick to my stomach because you have to win right now. You can’t give Boston Rob momentum, not in this game.”
I noted that this was quite a reasonable confessional. Russell, undoubtedly had some personal resentments towards being the target to the point of having a challenge thrown but the words we heard weren’t about his personal plight, only the tribe’s. I think this tells us that the audience should not consider this a good move; that Zapatera will not come out of this well.
Stephanie: “At tonight’s tribal council, we were thinking that the votes will be split 3, 3 and 3 because they would want to flush out the idol and get rid of one of us. All it would take is for one of their six to flip on them and vote with us so we would get the majority of the votes.”
This is also a well thought out confessional, Stephanie not making any emotional outbursts. It’s not hard to imagine that the editors had the material to show her angry side at this time but we only saw her calculating side. Again, that is not good for the story of the Zapatera 6.
Russell ordered Stephanie to go talk to “the old lady.” Stephanie made a very compelling argument.
Julie: “This is a game turner right here, this vote. So, it’s a lot of pressure. I have thought it out both ways. Should I go with Russell? Should I trust him because I know how good he is? ”
Stephanie confidently reported to Russell that Julie was on their side, that they were about to do the biggest blindside ever.
Russell decided it was time to talk to Julie himself. He told her he’d have her back and that the vote should go against Ralph.
Julie seemed surprised that Ralph was the target. Did this change her mind? I know that, when you are asking for someone to flip, you should at least ask how they want to vote. Simple courtesy, simple logic. But, just like he did with Laura, Russell had to impose his will.
Russell: “If this happens: Game on! This will be the biggest move, bigger than any move I ever made. It will be a shocker.”
Tribal Council
Asked about coming to TC, Ralph said: “It’s good and it’s bad. I was told we had two parts in our game…We got two teams in the same team.”
Steve: “There are six of us that are pretty rock solid and then there is another three led by Russell.”
Sarita: “It has a lot to do with Russell and his legacy. Russell had given this great speech how he was going to play differently, but that turned out not to be the case so there was a huge fissure in the tribe.”
Russell: “The problem is that everybody perceives me as that legacy where I would try to lose by burning socks, pouring water. I am not playing that game. I came to win challenges, not to lose challenges. From where I stood, it felt to me that a lot of people gave up on the challenge. It felt that they threw the challenge.”
<Steve was shown shaking his head in faked disbelief.>
Mike: “I’d say today we didn’t go 100%. We definitely wanted to win but, if we lost, we got some fat on this tribe that we need to trim off.”
Julie: “Personally, I would like to merge with as many people as possible, weak or strong, whether we get along or not. I think we need to go into the merge with numbers.”
Stephanie: “I think the majority of the tribe forgets that we are in the game of Survivor. This is Russell. He’s played the game. He would be a huge part of moving forward. He’s done it, twice. One way or another, there are going to be back-stabbings made so, if you want to become best friends right now, that’s fine, but your best friend, to the left of you or to the right of you, is going to turn around and stab you in the back…”
David interjected: “What she fails to realize is that we came back and told the group…”
Stephanie: “I’m still talking, thank you.”
David: “Ooh! Feisty!”
Stephanie: “Having numbers in the merge is what you need to take over the other tribe. We were two people above them so, throwing the challenge today wasn’t strategy, it was plain stupidity. That’s all.”
Jeff told Steve that an incohesive group of 9 is an advantage over a tight 6 that is down at the merge.
Steve: “It stunk not winning today.”
Jeff: “So, you are saying, absolutely not, you guys didn’t throw the challenge.”
Steve: “We did not throw the challenge. I worked my tail off and I think everybody else did too.”
Jeff turned to David: “So, you got your ass kicked by Rob.”
David: “Rob beat me.”
Stephanie: “Really?”
David: “Just because the hands aren’t moving, doesn’t mean the mind isn’t working.”
Asked what was scary about Russell, Sarita said: “It’s a sickness almost. It’s a huge black cloud over everything that we do. He does nothing at camp…”
Stephanie interrupted by saying: “Oh, my God. I’m going to lose my ___. I can’t hear HER saying that Russell doesn’t do anything. He gets firewood. Don’t say he doesn’t do anything. Wake up.”
Jeff turned to Ralph who, apparently, said: “She doesn’t do anything at all to help catch fish but she’s eating it.”
Jeff made a big prediction: “You are so divided that you are in trouble come the merge.”
Before the vote, Russell said he still had hope, that “it never is what it seems.”
We heard Sarita’s confessional as she voted against Stephanie: “You are so misguided and so rude.”
It took two votes before finishing the job but Russell was sent to Redemption Island.
As he grabbed his torch, Russell said: “I’ll be back. Be ready.”
Ralph rejoined: “I’ll be ready.”
Stephanie, glaring at Julie, menaced: “Storm’s a coming.”
Jeff left them with these final words: “You just voted out one of the most successful players in the history of Survivor. The question is: Will this decision come back to haunt you?”
The Story
This episode showed us a tribe in division going against one that is much more united. Even if Zapatera cut out its cancerous cell, we can already see that the disease has spread. They couldn’t admit that they threw the challenge which could irritate Julie. Ralph put a lot on the line by keeping his idol a secret and they still have a feisty competitor causing some worries. In comparison, Ometepe’s own problems are much more benign. Certainly, if they don’t take care of them, they could infect the whole body of the tribe but it seems that Andrea and Kristina are staying quiet. In short, it seems that the edit is favoring Ometepe over Zapatera, Jeff telling us that they are led by Rob at the top of his game while Zapatera is in trouble. I will be very curious to see what next week’s recap will tell us about Zapatera’s decision. I expect it will be presented very negatively. Of special interest was the fact that Zapatera’s move was mostly presented by players we hadn’t met: Steve and David presented the move, Julie was the key while Sarita was their voice at Tribal Council. They were much more in evidence than Mike and even Ralph.
The Characters

On Redemption Island
Russell : We know the promos will feature his battle on Redemption Island and his final words match with his opening episode confessional that RI would be a vacation but it feels like the end for Russell because of…
Matt: He has what feels like a long term story. He told us that he is looking forward to the role of underdog; that he wants the comeback story and he seems to be on a journey story since his opening confessional. We even heard him say how terrible the living conditions were on the island, how it was tough to be alone which makes the audience feel for this good guy’s story. Of course, Matt could be part of the attempt to sell the concept of Redemption Island to the viewers but, if he goes on a winning streak, he has all the right winning quotes.
The Outsiders
Kristina: It seems her story was simply that of holder of the idol. We had no comments from her after a tribal council where she thought she’d get votes and must be questioning her position in the tribe. To me, that means she will be Ometepe’s next vote, doubts centering only on whether or not she can find a second idol. In that sense, we‘ve already seen her digging around camp.
Krista: Her thoughts don’t seem important.
Stephanie: Before her outburst after Sarita’s words at TC, Stephanie’s portrayal was quite positive in this episode. She defended her leader but she went about it in a clinical fashion. What she said “made sense” as Julie admitted. She seems to be Zapatera’s next vote but there might be something else to her story. She could outlast one of the Zapatera 6.
Andrea: Of the 4 outsiders, Andrea offers the best long term prospects. Her future may require a winning streak or a tribal switch but she does seem to have legs. Her presentation could simply be to sell the concept of Redemption Island, giving it more potential than what we actually get to witness, but it sounds that she will reunite with Matt and cause Rob some problems.
The Followers
Sarita: On the surface she appears to be safe and she was well-spoken at TC so why haven’t we heard more from her? I think what we saw is troubling for her future. She was the one that was shown raising her thumb to throw the challenge and what she said at Tribal Council must have irritated all those that are of the opinion that Russell is “a huge part of moving forward”. Note that we’ve heard that she was weak in challenges last weak while, this week, Stephanie implied that Sarita doesn’t work in camp.
Julie: She was key in voting out Russell yet we hadn’t met her and we barely got to hear her thoughts on this most crucial vote. It told me that Julie’s role was confined to give us a bit of suspense for this episode. We weren’t told what could possibly have made her change her mind. Was it that she didn’t want to target Ralph? I doubt she will get a bigger episode than this one before it’s her time to go.
Ashley: She went to Redemption Island with someone that had been her ally but whom she had betrayed just the night before but we heard nothing from Ashley except when she told the tribe that Matt was pissed and was seeking revenge. She seems safely within Ometepe’s core alliance so she should go far. Far enough to fall when the vengeful Matt returns? Maybe.
Grant: He had even less airtime, his only close-up was to show his surprise that Matt wanted vengeance. It gave me the feeling that he will also suffer Matt’s wrath. Will it be at Redemption Island or after Matt returns?
Phillip: Regarding strategy, many say it is dumb to accept the fifth spot in an alliance but I always say that, this early, it is only important to be in the alliance. Numbers can always shift and a fifth could suddenly become the swing vote. All this to say that I do not know exactly what the editors were telling us when Phillip gave his word of honor to Rob who was only offering him the fifth spot. It could be to tell us that Phillip doesn’t understand the game but I think it bodes very well for him. In a season where the amateurs have to learn not to give up too much, he has regained his cool.
David: By choosing to let us hear his confessional at the challenge, saying he was throwing it, the editors told us that he openly lied at Tribal Council and didn’t do it very well because no one believed him. That isn’t the way the eventual winner would have been portrayed. He has received a more consistent character development than Sarita, Julie and Steve but there is something lacking in David’s portrayal and that is a personal touch.
Mike: There are two schools of thought on Mike’s edit in this episode: On one hand, he was sparred the blame of getting rid of Russell who is a very popular player (in certain circles!) and he wasn’t mentioned as doing anything to throw the challenge. The audience could almost believe he was simply not giving his 100% which would be excusable if everyone else was giving zero effort. On the other hand, Mike is being confined to the role of narrator of Zapatera, his confessional this time centering on Russell’s rotting flesh. I’m not ready to choose which side I think his story will go, therefore I see him as the only Zapatera with a shot to pull off the win.
Natalie : Rob’s perfect partner was ignored in this episode but since she wasn’t chosen to go to Redemption Island and this was the episode where a huge character on the opposite tribe was being voted out, I don’t think it matters to her long term prospects. It was probably sufficient that she was shown doing her job in the challenge.
The Leaders
Steve: From the role of an extra, used only to cheer for Zapatera, Steve was pushed into the role of mastermind, getting the first confessional about throwing the challenge, denying it at TC, even showing complete disbelief at the mere thought. If Steve was going to get to the end playing such a devious game, we would have gotten to know him. It takes time for the audience to appreciate a puppet-master and Steve is still an unknown character that simply couldn’t stand Russell. His role in throwing the challenge was underlined by Jeff’s words: “Steve is “wearing out.”
Ralph: Did Ralph talk to Julie before Tribal Council? If he was aware that Russell had made an offer to Julie that she wasn’t intending to take, then it would explain why Ralph didn’t play his idol. But, whether or not he knew how close he came of being voted out, the audience had to see him as a dumb player who didn’t see it coming. That’s not good for a potential winner.
Rob: I don’t want to raise the hopes of his fans too early but this could finally be Rob’s season. Jeff’s comment that he “took his game to a higher level” was a great endorsement but Rob wasn’t done yet: He elevated it again by finding the clue in what was the funniest scene of the episode. He also showed that he was aware of the needs of others, solidifying his deal with Phillip and reassuring Andrea. The cute girl with the sad blue eyes could derail Rob’s train but he seems to be on top of that, already preparing to deal with her revenge. It is good that Rob was shown always playing the game. No time to joke on the beach with Sandra this time: He didn’t rest on his laurels after TC, he understood the dangers of sending Andrea to observe the events on RI, he was on top of the challenge, he didn’t waste time celebrating. It wasn’t only the game that didn’t stop, it was HIS game that didn’t stop… and it didn’t stop improving.

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03-05-11, 07:21 PM (EST)

15. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-05-11 AT 07:22 PM (EST)
Great observations, as usual, michel! I love reading your take on things, mine is a little different in areas. Just wanted to jump in here and ask if you noticed the "Happy Chappy" music that played when "Camp Ometepe" was featured.....I love that happy music...
ETA: I will be back to post all my observations soon!

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03-05-11, 09:36 PM (EST)

17. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

While I certainly remember the "Happy Chappies" (that scene in the boat with Kathy was TV gold) I don't remember the melody itself. I did recognize that Ometepe was portrayed as a happy tribe though. If they are bringing out an All-Star musical theme, that's even better for Rob's future.

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03-05-11, 09:07 PM (EST)

16. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

Some of what you said, I agree with -- especially the part about the Troll's duel with Matt being the end of the Troll! I won't be able to watch right away thanks to American Idol but when it comes out on YouTube, I'll watch!
I still think Boston Rob will still be sent to the jury before the finals, but this could be his season. At the very least, I think Andrea and Matt will give him problems.

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03-06-11, 10:46 AM (EST)

18. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-06-11 AT 10:51 AM (EST)
As I noted above, michel, I love your posts and your take on things. You are so thorough and you do try to see the end game through the weekly episodes. With so much that is foreshadowing and misdirection, I feel like I am a little lamb being led to the slaughter....so hard to decipher which is which. I felt good about last week because, all things considered, RussHell, Stephanie, and Rooster were all valid boot candidates. RussHell and I am sure Rob were and will be hard to nail down as to their boots because they are the "stars". In RussHell's seasons I recall him having SO many confessionals, so disproprotional to everyone else, so it's hard to use what he says as evidence for anything. I suppose to a lesser degree Coach, and now Phillip will fall into a similar category.
Anyway, right off the bat, with Jiffy's introduction, it was clear to me that RussHell was being snuffed that night. Jeff compared the 2 that had played before, Russell said he would play a more trustworthy game, "he LIED". He got the 2 little girls and he started out searching for his idol. But, we already knew the idol would never fall into his greedy little hands, so therefore he would be unable to wield its power. Toast.
On the other hand, there is the opposite, Boston Rob. Despite the loss, Rob was still in control.... This was huge, because we have seen all over the promos things like this...
We also hear how Rob took his game to the higher level...everything went as planned....broke up a powerful alliance...As michel noted, while RussHell did not change his game, Rob did and took it to the higher level.
Jeff spelled out the episode in his intro to the episode. Now we just got to sit back and watch his demise happen, savoring every minute...
The episode starts out with Matt heading to RI, telling us how he trusted Rob, but at the same time, now he has an opportunity to finish this game with a million dollars. As everyone has noted, that's what we call a winning quote! Who knows, he is getting the Jesus edit this season....I'd say bodes pretty darn well for Matt...as Veruca would say, he's got some legs...
Then we see Rob giving kudos to the academy award winner, Phillip, along with Grant and he tells him he's 5th? I agree, I wouldn't have spelled it out that way to Phillip, but again I don't know if he is the sharpest tool in the shed....but it did raise a flag for me. Rob also tells us he has to do his damage control and talk to Andrea, "who's gonna feel like we double crossed her, she's gonna have resentment...I need to get Andrea feeling ok about everything..."
I agree, Boston Rob is in this game 100%. No time to relax on the laurels yet, he's got alot of work ahead of him.
Then we see the tribes get their stones to pick who gets to go to RI and observe the RI duel. Steve and David, Andrea(who cannot hide her elation), and Ashley. Andrea told us why she was excited....it's probably more about seeing Matt. If he realizes I wasn't the one that voted him out ....if he can come back and be an asset for me to have... Then, as michel noted, immediately after Andrea's confessional about Matt down the road, we have Rob's confessional...We had to send 2 people ....I don't want her talking to Matt, her Island boyfriend, I don't want her getting any ideas. I thought this was significant.....as soon as Andrea divulges her ideas, we get Rob noting that he is totally aware of her ideas...I'd say this bodes better for Rob than Andrea....If Rob had never commented on it, as if he was in the dark, it would have boded better for Andrea and Matt.
They go and see the RI duel and return to report the news. Andrea's comments throughout the RI experience..."I didn't vote for either of them" were telling to the other tribe....
Steve got the first confessional regarding RI for his tribe, and he noted that it was an eye-opener, a curveball, an opportunity....definitely think we will be seeing Steve at RI at some point.... Interesting that Steve tells RussHell that Francesca won, then tells everyone the truth as soon as RussHell leaves. Seems like Steve is emerging as the leader over at Camp Zap...?
Over at Ometepe, Andrea reports Matt's success and Ashley tells the tribe like it is....so he can come back and get his revenge....shot to a surprised Grant. I, too, found that reaction shot of Grant may have some significance down the road should he and Andrea meet up again, could they take Grant out....?
Then we hear Rob, identifying the problem very astutely...Andrea will go back to Matt before she’ll stay with me. I know that. So, I got my work cut out for me with Andrea.”
Then we see Rob taking care of business. I thought this scene was the climax of the drama over at Ometepe...Rob and Andrea. When Rob spoke to Andrea, the little doe-eyed spurned woman, there was the sound of a rattlesnake....and to me, it was as though Rob WAS the rattlesnake, and he would strike the little doe down...He was trying to soothe her, she asked if she was still in their group, and Rob couldn't say the word alliance to her....he stopped short. Then she asked if Kristina and Phillip were before her and he reassured her. I get the feeling that these two will clash in the future, but I feel like Andrea is the one not to be trusted, that she is the wolf in sheeps clothing....she wants back in, but she'll turn on Rob and company as soon as her boyfriend returns, or perhaps find another path to redemption...BUT, I feel that Rob is smart, he's bigger, he's more experienced, and he has some sharp fangs...we'll see. I would be interested to hear what anyone else thought of the rattlesnake percussion and what they thought it meant. Maybe it was just to intensify this scene?
The rest of the drama at Zapatera played out. Steve deceives, doing what he said he hated about RussHell. Don't think that bodes well for him. Then RussHell tells it like it is, he knows how this game works....off to find the idol, desparately. Rooster tells us he ain't gonna find it because he has it....so Stephanie hatches another plan. I agree, Stephanie is a little player. Her only downfall is that she may be a bit too much in your face.
Confessional by Mike was just to support the polarized team. Then Steve suggests throwing the challenge, Julie is dubious. To cut out the cancer, the irritant....clearly, I don't think throwing a challenge is ever the best thing. And I feel like this may be no different. RussHell is what holds the Zaps together in my opinion. He creates unity in the Zap 6. There are alot of alphas at Zap....I think Steve is, Rooster is, Mike is, David probably is in a subtle way, Julie is probably as well, Stephanie is...Once RussHell is gone, they will start at each other. But, will they lose anymore IC's? They are clearly one strong tribe.
At the challenge they indeed threw it. David was called out, and had to defend himself, and I don't think he was happy about that, but he did it anyway. Julie expressed doubt, and then we saw later she was the one singled out by RussHell to try and flip. In the end, she stayed true. We were never shown, but I wonder if Rooster confided in anyone at all....Julie, maybe? I don't know. Clearly, he kept it to himself as they indeed split the vote. But, Rooster appeared quite confident.
After the challenge at Ometepe, happy music, Rob narrates that they had won the RC/IC challenge but now we have the HII somewhere in our reward. He notes accurately that the game is always on. He is seen SEARCHING everywhere, and then notes Phillip, gets the sleeping lion out of his chair, and finds the clue! Rob says, "I want the idol for ME!" Rob is in the game, 100%, and he is indeed giving this final chance all that he has. In the last season he played, he disregarded the clues and the idol....not anymore. Again, Rob is shown to have lived and learned.
I do think Zap has alot of problems ahead....they look very united now that the cancer is gone, but something is going to upset the apple cart and I hope that it's sooner rather than later. I love David. He seems like he could definitely be one to watch. I like Julie as well. I still stand firm, in a tribe with alot of Alphas, the follower will persevere...Sarita....I dunno.
In the end Jeff told them they were in trouble because they are so divided, come the merge. Stephanie told them a storm was coming....hmmmm. The way Stephanie is star struck, even though she is on the outer periphery of the Zap tribe, I wouldn't be surprised if she survives to the merge, that she jumps right onto Rob's coattails.
As for Ometepe, yes, there WAS happy music when they cut to Ometepe. Just as there was at Chapera when Rob was there, the happy Chappy's, just as there was when Ozzy was in charge at the Favorites tribe in Micronesia. Perhaps it signifies more tribal unity or harmony as Matt pointed out. But, frankly, I see some very complex problems brewing at Ometepe. Andrea is indeed a woman scorned and she's going to try her best to survive till Matt can return so they can meet their revenge. Phillip is a horse's patoot and a real wildcard. Sure, he promised Rob his vote but he's a loose canon. Kristina is on a rampage to get that hidden idol once again, and offers Andrea another path to strike at Rob and company. Also, it appears to me that Ometepe is indeed the weaker tribe. I can't help but to get a feeling, a vib like the Aitu Four- Ozzy, Yul, Sundra, and Becky with Rob, Grant, Ashley, and Natalie...It seems like they have ALOT to overcome. But, clearly Rob is fighting with all that he has, his past experience, his might, his extra weight, everything to be the leader of his tribe....and so far, it's working.
It will be very interesting to see what unfolds post RussHell at Team Zap. Regarding RI, clearly Matt will shine. RussHell is toast. Nice homage to Survivor tatoos in one of the promos this week...RussHell's will notably be added....Keep Hope Alive.
ETA: I wanted to comment on Andrea's edit. I feel really torn about it. I almost feel like this is her peak to her story arc...I feel like she and Matt will indeed be reunited again, but could it be at RI? I could easily see her out soon, where she must duel her Island boyfriend. That is one way to get rid of at least one of the two people that are gunning for you. Rob has told us over and over that he knows she can't be trusted, so I can not think of one reason that he wouldn't be gunning for her sooner rather than later.
I also like the way Rob addresses the outliers in his tribe...Kristina, Phillip, and Andrea. He is covering all bases. I think he will survive to meet the Zaps up close and personal. I do think, however, that at this vantage point, the cards are certainly stacked against him....

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-06-11, 01:25 PM (EST)

19. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

I enjoyed reading your observations, FP. Thank you for the nice words and all I can say regarding the foreshadowing and the misdirections is that I don’t look at anything else but the episode until I finish making my post. I participate in the ECST to see what the initial reactions are and if they correspond to mine. Then I slowly rewatch the episode, scene by scene, looking for tie-ins to previous episodes. Promos and Insider clips only come after I post my observations. Less clutter!
Since there aren’t many people joining in, permit me to come back on certain points and explain further my own. First you write:
“…immediately after Andrea's confessional about Matt down the road, we have Rob's confessional...We had to send 2 people ....I don't want her talking to Matt, her Island boyfriend, I don't want her getting any ideas. I thought this was significant.....as soon as Andrea divulges her ideas, we get Rob noting that he is totally aware of her ideas...I'd say this bodes better for Rob than Andrea....If Rob had never commented on it, as if he was in the dark, it would have boded better for Andrea and Matt.”
I really cannot predict what that tells us because Andrea’s two confessionals ran too long, contradicting each other as far as enabling us to decipher her role. To explain what I mean, I’ll copy both next to each other:
Confessional #1: “We picked marbles and Ashley and I get to go and watch the duel between Fran and Matt so I’m pretty excited. It’s probably more about seeing Matt because we were really close. I think that if he realizes that I wasn’t the one that voted him out, he can come back and be an asset for me to have.”
Confessional #2: “I talked to Rob and he assured me that I’m still part of their five even though I’m probably in a very sticky position. Right now, strategically, it’s smart to stay with them and make sure they don’t think that I’m scheming but I just don’t believe them. So, I need some way I can mix things up because, deep down, I am still really pissed about what they did, that they took my good friend away.”
Look at the 2 end sentences that I bolded. Agreed that editors could have easily chopped off both those endings? Now, if they chopped off the one from confessional #1, I’d say Andrea isn’t a real player, she is just there to make friends and Stephanie told us that Survivor isn’t a game to make friends. Conclusion: Rob will eat her alive. If they had chopped off the end of confessional #2, I’d say Andrea is quite the calculating player and she is thinking far down the road: Conclusion: Rob is in trouble. But we have both endings. It gives a lot more depth to her character but it leaves us with an insoluble question at this time: Which one will prevail? Did I tell you that I prefer to have questions than have the answers given to me?!
Then, I am not sure what you meant by the following:
“Andrea's comments throughout the RI experience..."I didn't vote for either of them" were telling to the other tribe....”
I’d agree with you if we had heard Steve or David saying: “That Blonde girl isn’t in their alliance so we can use her” but we heard nothing of the sort. I looked at the scene again and, after Andrea said those words, the camera went directly to Matt. We didn’t get to see a knowing glance, a nod of approval from Zapatera’s side of the bleachers. To me, that means the comment was strictly part of the Andrea-Matt-Rob story and we can’t make any assumption that Zap will use this information. I know there is an Insider clip from Ashley where she says Andrea threw them under the bus but that wasn’t part of the edited story. Integrating it just adds confusion, I think, because Ashley’s invisibility tells us that what she thinks is not relevant to the story.
Good catch on Rob being unable to say the word “alliance” to Andrea. I had missed that. Andrea told us she didn’t believe him so was that what gave it away? Did Rob make a rookie mistake? All I can say is that the rattlesnake you heard was, in my opinion, Rob himself. The sound is heard just as he’s saying I’m sorry to Andrea therefore I felt the scene was telling us that Rob accomplished what he set out to do. Andrea didn’t completely believe him but he has brought her back in the fold of the tribe...for now.
You wrote:
“Rooster appeared quite confident.”
I do wish we knew more about this but, as they say, ignorance is bliss. It could be that simple and I think that’s what the audience was meant to see. If I am wrong and it was strictly for the suspense of the episode then we will need a scene or a confessional from Julie or Ralph telling us that they had talked, that Ralph knew what was going down. Even Fabio got to tell us he wasn’t that dumb and the story tried very hard to make him look smarter than he was. Ralph still looks dumb and his unnecessary intervention at TC didn’t help his case.
“I see some very complex problems brewing at Ometepe.”
That is precisely why I see them as the end-game tribe. I only find troubling that Grant, Ashley and Natalie are so invisible but I’m still counting on them emerging now that the Rob vs Russell story is ending. And, btw, I don’t see Phillip as a loose canon where his vote his concerned. He may say the wrong thing but he will vote as he promised. Code of honor. I’d think that, whenever Phillip’s odd behavior is featured, it will be to make us think that he will be the next to go, hiding what will be the obvious choice. I’m voting Kristina as the next boot from Ometepe!
As for Andrea’s story arc, maybe it will end soon but I feel she has legs. It’s a story that began in episode #1 when we saw Andrea praying to get Rob on her tribe and when Matt told us about Rob’s amazing skills. It wouldn’t feel right to end in such an odd way as having both competing against each other on RI. Although if it does go that way and one of them eventually returns to the game then Rob is toast, editing-wise. Rob, to win, needs to be shown has having the characteristics of both a Hero and a Villain which he is having right now. Booting the sweet Andrea at this stage would be hard to edit as anything but pure evil.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-06-11, 01:51 PM (EST)

20. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-06-11 AT 01:52 PM (EST)
Wow, michel, you are amazing with your take on things. I know I am somewhat of an emotional arm chair watcher. You are probably right with Andrea...I just get this survivor vibe from Matt, and if he comes back into the game with Andrea there, it could spell real trouble for Boston Rob and gang. If Matt is defeated at RI, and doesn't make it back into the game, then Andrea would do well to keep the peace with Rob and gang at Ometepe. But to hear her plotting to get back with Matt somehow really makes me look at her as I noted, the doe-eyed, wolf in sheeps clothing. To me, she's just using her feminine ways to communicate with Matt and then to fool the Ometepe's into believing that she's with them...granted, she was blindsided as well, she is allowed to feel betrayed. Definitely she has a story at Ometepe but I don't know if she has one with the Zaps...If Andrea is not out next, I agree, Kristina is not long for the show. Her only development in the story is tied to finding the idol. It saved her the first show, but if she doesn't find it now, she's toast.
Great point with Rooster...don't know how to read him yet. And, you make a great point with Insider clips, Jiffy's blog, etc....so many factors to consider. It's hard to just stick to the episode info. Rooster told us that "this ole boy knows how to play this game too", and by gosh, he did best RussHell. At this point I feel like I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. So, I am leaning toward him to not quite be the dumb a$$ that he professes he is....time will tell. Is he really ignorant, or is he confident?

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03-06-11, 05:25 PM (EST)

21. "RE: Episode #3: Editing Thoughts"

It's been fun reading all of these posts.
The one thing with Rooster I keep coming back to is his confessional in episode 1 where he said maybe it's time for a dumba** to win Survivor. That would be a heckuva winning quote.

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03-11-11, 00:47 AM (EST)

22. "Um, michel? "

You promised to post your thoughts on the confessional from last night that clued you into the F3 -- not to be a you-know-what, but I'm dying here!!

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03-11-11, 01:03 AM (EST)

23. "RE: Um, michel? "

I'm betting it is a Rob confessional. No reason, he just had the most of them and the longest ones as well.

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03-11-11, 01:16 AM (EST)

24. "RE: Um, michel? "

LAST EDITED ON 03-11-11 AT 01:20 AM (EST)
That's a good bet, dabo. Also, FloPo mentioned the picture of Rob/Natalie/Philip on the TC bridge as "maybe having some legs" in the episode spoilers thread last night, so I'm thinking we (as in you & FloPo) may have it.
I just want to say to michel: you don't have to wait until your entire editing post is ready (which I realize involves a lot of work & I do appreciate) -- you can spill now in this thread if dabo & FloPo have it right.

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03-11-11, 01:25 AM (EST)

25. "RE: Um, michel? "

So true.
michel, we don't mind if you do it in installments.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-11-11, 03:39 AM (EST)

26. "Next time on...The editing thread:"

Ometepe
Day 9
Natalie: “This morning, while everybody was trying to sleep, Phillip was up at the crack of dawn, sweeping. He’s just a pain in the butt. He is so annoying and he’s so weird.
This confessional, coming immediately after the repeat of Natalie’s confessional that Rob was amazing, reminded me of one from episode #1 of Survivor: China: “I seem to be marooned in a land of flight attendants and Sunday school teachers. Like, come on! I live in the city. People who live in New-York don’t act like this. This is like my own private hell. It’s exactly the kind of people who I don’t like…”
Todd and Amanda had been the ones shown on screen when Courtney was delivering this rant so she was giving us China’s final 3. Similarly, I felt that Natalie was telling us who would be there with her all the way to the end: Rob, who says he wants to drag her there, and Phillip whom she will have to endure all the way! Phillip? Is it possible? The episode will give more hints that tell me it is!
Promos don't always make it on the show but this is the first draft

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03-11-11, 03:57 AM (EST)

27. "RE: Next time on...The editing thread:"

XOXO michel -- thanks for the "sneak peak." Seriously, I was dying here!
So, dabo got the Rob confessional part wrong, but FloPo got the Natalie/Phillip/Rob picture on the TC bridge "having legs" right.

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03-11-11, 06:49 PM (EST)

30. "RE: Next time on...The editing thread:"

LAST EDITED ON 03-11-11 AT 06:49 PM (EST)
I very rarely comment on this thread because I don't have the same insight into editing as the experts here...which I throughly enjoy btw. I could feel your anticipation of Michel's reveal..and I thought I knew the confessional, but I was at home off for a few days, and my password was at the office..so I couldn't comment!
Okay, so here is the confessional that I thought he meant.
Rob: and I'm paraphrasing because I don't know the exact quote
"everyone wants Phillip gone, but maybe that's exactly why he should stay" ..with a classic Boston Rob smirk.
Along with the skinny Phillip I saw on TMZ..I think that Rob and Phillip go all the way. Not sure of the third person..maybe Matt.

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03-11-11, 07:35 AM (EST)

28. "RE: Next time on...The editing thread:"

LAST EDITED ON 03-11-11 AT 07:35 AM (EST)
Just for you, michel...
This picture was squeezed in the middle of a Redemption Island Montage....so, are these the three that send them ALL to RI? Time will tell...See Phillip in his shirt to the left of the frame, Boston Rob with his wife-beater and hat in the middle, Natalie, with her long brown hair on the right...food for thought. This cap came out in promos for ep 3.

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03-11-11, 02:34 PM (EST)

29. "RE: Next time on...The editing thread:"

I definitely think Phillip is a good bet to go all the way.
Rob I feel is getting the same edit as in All Stars -- and I think his head is into playing it the same way, with all the references to how he got there with Amber. So will he make the endgame again? Maybe, but I don't feel quite as sure.
Natalie at this point is one of those contestants who could leave next or could go all the way. She needs to be fleshed out a little more.
Matt is someone else I think from his edit could get to the end, depending on how RI pans out.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-11-11, 11:25 PM (EST)

31. "Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

Previously, on Survivor, Ometepe was doing fine because of Boston Rob
<Natalie: “I’m so glad we have Boston Rob. He is amazing.”>
Rob found a clue to the hidden immunity idol.
The only speed bumps on his road to the end were Phillip, who was unpredictable…
…and Kristina, who was a clear threat.
Meanwhile, at Zapatera, Russell was playing a familiar game. He searched for an immunity idol and he formed an alliance of three…
…But Ralph had him beat on all fronts.
He found the hidden immunity idol and he got himself into an alliance of 6.
Ralph’s crew was so determined to get Russell out; they actually threw the immunity challenge.
<David was the one that we heard Jeff calling out as “really slowing down”
Russell told us he was dealing with a bunch of bitches.>
At Tribal Council, the Zapateras did what no other tribe had ever done before: They voted out Russell.
His allies are left to fend for themselves while Russell’s life in the game hangs by a thread…
The recap was more neutral than I expected towards Zapatera but it ignored most of their members. Ralph was the one named as a real player so we have to consider that he is the only one that matters in the group of 6. In particular, David’s future looks bleak, being named as the one responsible for losing the challenge. Jeff didn’t need to remind us that Stephanie and Kristina were on the block but he presented their plight in a slightly positive manner. We didn’t hear that they were lost without Russell, we heard that they were forced to fend for themselves which opens the door to the possibility that they just might succeed.
On Ometepe, I found two very important clues:
- Rob seems almost certain to get to the end because those speed bumps aren’t truly worrisome.
- Andrea wasn’t presented as a threat. Why the omission? Was it simply that Andrea wouldn’t be a boot target in this episode? Does it mean that Andrea will never really amount to a threat? Or, more interestingly for her, does it mean that the showdown we were told to expect last week will unfold at a much later date?
Redemption Island
Matt: “Russell Hantz walked into my camp. I figured I’d see him sooner or later but first off? It’s a bit of a surprise.”
Russell: “This is the first time I’ve ever been voted off. I was pissed off, I wanted to b*tch-slap every single one of them. The whole time they were lying to me…He’s a rookie so he’s going to be nervous as hell doing the challenge against me.”
I noted that the words that we heard from Matt were signs of calm confidence. It’s his camp and he expected to stay long enough to see Hantz sooner or later. We also heard Russell telling Matt that the tribe threw a challenge so the editors are using Russell’s point of view to underline Zapatera’s negativity.
Ometepe
Day 9
Natalie: “This morning, while everybody was trying to sleep, Phillip was up at the crack of dawn, sweeping. He’s just a pain in the butt. He is so annoying and he’s so weird.
This confessional seemed very important to me. Normally, we would have gone to Zapatera after the first commercial break, to see the aftermath of their history-making decision but we had to get a character story on Ometepe instead. That is very enlightening editing manipulation.
Natalie’s confessional, coming immediately after the repeat of her original comment where she said that Rob was amazing, reminded me of one from Survivor: China: “I seem to be marooned in a land of flight attendants and Sunday school teachers. Like, come on! I live in the city. People who live in New-York don’t act like this. This is like my own private hell. It’s exactly the kind of people who I don’t like…”
Todd and Amanda had been the ones shown on screen when Courtney was delivering this rant so she was giving us China’s final 3. Similarly, I felt that Natalie just told us who would be there with her all the way to the end: Rob, who says he wants to drag her there, and Phillip whom she will have to endure all the way! Phillip? Is it possible? The episode will give more hints that tell me it is!
Then it was Rob’s turn to comment on Phillip: “Saggy-bottom panties. I could go 39 days without seeing that.”
Just the first of the hints that we will indeed see Phillip for 39 days!
Rob: “Phil is a piece of work. I mean, who comes on Survivor and wears pink tighty-whities with the stuff just hanging out and flopping around everywhere. It’s not only disturbing, it’s actually disgusting. It’s like your dad should have bought a new pair months ago; you don’t want your friends to come over to play and seeing that.”
We saw Phillip in action, hunting crabs while Ashley and Natalie looked on, disgusted in one scene, laughing in the next.
Phillip: “These young people out here, they don’t understand me. They don’t know if I’m a criminal or a school teacher, they don’t know how to take me so I’m a little frustrated out here. Given that this is a social game, it’s a huge disadvantage for me. So, there has to be another side of me that emerges, the guy that is undercover because I’ll tell you this much: I’m prepared to do what I need to do to win a million dollars.”
So, now we not only hear that Phillip can last to the end, he’s actually giving us winning quotes! He’s right about one thing; I don’t know how to take him but seeing him win would be disturbing and weird! Emerging from the fog of editing we see someone, used for comic relief and shown both as a “Dumb Player” and a “Heroic” figure that is allowed to deliver some very insightful views on his position in the game. On the level of complexity, I think Phillip goes further than even Coach who never considered what could hurt him in the game as clearly as we just heard from Phillip.
Zapatera
Day 9
Stephanie: “Last night, Russell went to Redemption Island so now, Krista and I are here, stuck with all these gubbers and not really having any fun.”
Krista: “At this point, I’m bummed but I got to put my game face on because one of us is going home unless we find the immunity idol.”
Interesting that the editors decided to stop by Stephanie and Krista’s portion of the beach rather than go directly to the shelter where resided the players that had just accomplished what no other tribe had ever done. I take it has another clue that the girls will not be the next two voted out of Zapatera but will find a way to fend for themselves. Of course, it would have been much better to show them being more active than just sun tanning. However, in a game where paranoia is so high, maybe being relaxed is what will pierce the Zapatera6’s armor.
Ralph: “When I found the immunity idol, I was planning on nobody knowing. When Stephanie and Krista left the camp, I thought; shoot! Right now is a fine time to let them all know.” <We see him digging out the idol, to show everyone and Sarita can’t help but jump for joy> “Man! They all was tickled to death so now I think I have got them all captured to take me and them buggers the game (?). I didn’t want to see them stray off from me. When you got a catch, you hang on to it.”
Mike: “We have the power right now. We are controlling this tribe but I would not be surprised if we saw Russell back in this game. Now that we have the idol, if he comes back, it will be very difficult for him to go deep into this game.”
Things are looking very good for Ralph’s crew, aren’t they? Well, this is Survivor so something bad is about to happen. When or how? That cannot be answered yet but Ralph revealed more than he wanted already, simply because the girls, sun tanning, had them worried. “Giving Away Too Much”, the rookie mistake, is the theme we have been working around since episode #1 so it isn’t a good sign for Ralph that he opened his mouth and went against his own plan. As for a tribe having long term connections, we had Mike focusing on something that will not materialize.
Ometepe
Day 10
Ralph read tree mail and said he’d like to go see the duel, asking if Kristina wanted to go along. Everyone agreed.
Phillip: “I definitely want to visit Redemption Island because of my background {cut}as a special agent with the US government, {cut} I’m looking for a little intel to help me {cut} to win this game.”
Did the tribe, meaning Rob, make a mistake by allowing Phillip to go on his recognizance mission and letting him do it with the other outsider, Kristina? We will get the answer later but now, we have to note that we received another winning quote from Phillip. What is interesting is that the confessional seemed fabricated: The sound quality varied and Phillip was only on screen during the “federal agent” and the “help me to win this game” parts so, it leads me to believe that it wasn’t the trip to Redemption Island that he said was going to help him win this game or get far into it but that it might very well turn out to be how the editors present it.
Zapatera
Sarita: (in interview after we heard her say that Ralph had to go to RI and he suggested she should go also) “I am so excited to watch this especially with Ralph by my side. If I am able to watch Russell walk off and go home, that would be my million dollars almost.”
Isn’t it convenient when players eliminate themselves? This tells me that Sarita will not see the actual million but will have to be content with this small victory. I noted that Stephanie and Krista were shown not complaining , Stephanie even biting her lip, when they certainly wanted to go encourage Russell. I saw it as a sign that they didn’t give away too much.
The Duel
Russell: “This duel is going to be… Good versus Evil type thing… If this was the real world, I’d be rooting for Matt…”
This means that we, in the real world, should root for Matt.
Matt: “Russell Hantz is definitely the biggest villain in Survivor history, hands down but I am fighting to honor my God and, because I want it so deeply and so truly, I think I’m gonna come out on top..”
Somewhat surprisingly, we didn’t get any reaction shots from Ometepe as they saw Russell was the second “gladiator”. They didn’t give anything away to Zapatera.
We heard Sarita saying “Come on, Matt” and, when he took the lead, Ralph gave her a thumb’s up sign. When his first attempt fell short, we saw their distress.
Matt won what Jeff described as a million dollar duel, giving us pause to consider just how much foreshadowing this will be. Since we are encouraged to root for him I’d say that Matt will return to the game. Will that be the extent of his victory? That is the big speed bump on Rob’s road to the end.
As everyone clapped and Russell was gracious enough to shake Matt’s hand, Kristina gave the comment that most of the audience was thinking: “Holy mackerel.”
As Jeff said: “Russell, brand new for you, you are out of this game”, we saw a tear roll down the villains cheek, humanizing him more than ever before in 30 episodes. Even the cold-hearted Sarita (as she had been presented) was touched.
The scene lingered, letting us hear his final comments which I think could be very important: “I respect this game too much to go out this way. You know, people like my tribe that throws a challenge just to get rid of me just because I’m Russell, not even worried about Boston Rob and his team and numbers. It’s hard to be a professional quarterback and have pee-wee leaguers on your team because I have to run the ball, to catch the ball and to throw the ball and do everything.”
Ralph interjected: “I don’t think so. We done great and Russell wouldn’t show us the clue to the hidden immunity idol but that’s beside the point. I’d already found it fifteen seconds at the game.”
Russell: “That’s dumb talking. He says he found it fifteen seconds in the game, can you show me the idol?”
Ralph started going through his back but Sarita stopped him by whispering: “Don’t do this, Ralph.”
Ralph, wizening up a little too late, dropped his bag and said: “I faked ya!”
Jeff was amazed but Russell was laughing as he addressed Ometepe: “He has the idol. He is such a good player he is telling you everything he has right now. Take him out, it will be easy.”
Jeff asked: “So, you’re saying your story about finding it fifteen seconds in was a lie.”
Ralph, thinking he was smart, answered: “Could be, could not be.”
The Federal Agent (?) knew better: “It was not a lie. I earn my living discerning whether or not someone is telling the truth or not and you have an idol. You will probably have an opportunity to use it if I have anything to do with it.”
As if that wasn’t enough intel, Russell told Phillip that Sarita was in charge while Mike and Steve were a team as well.
Phillip was glad he came.
Russell added: “See Jeff, I had to stay in this game somehow. Through these two, I am staying in this game. Now if their tribe wins and take out these dummies, more power to me.”
Russell in his final confessional which was addressed directly to Sarita and Ralph as the camera indicated: “It’s just terrible when you come here with people that didn’t come here to play the game. They were here maybe for fame or just for the money…Matt, I give him props: He beat me and I hope he goes all the way.”
Now we know why the recap was so neutral towards Zapatera’s decision: Russell would deliver himself the message of negativity that the audience should feel for this tribe. We got to hear plenty about their poor game strategy and how they didn’t come to play the game. The audience was meant to be touched by his words because even Sarita felt sympathy for the villain. If we thought that Ralph had given away too much before by revealing his idol to his allies, what should we think now that his opponents know? And, think about Russell living Survivor vicariously through Phillip. That is another hint that Phillip goes far, that Ometepe will answer Russell wishes and take out these dummies. The editing certainly established an upcoming conflict between Phillip and Ralph, the two atypical characters of the season. Now, will Matt also answer Russell’s wishes and go all the way?!
Phillip: “Thanks to Russell, I learned some very interesting things today. I’m going to use that to help me. After all, it is the game of Survivor: Outlast, Outwit, Outplay. That is what I am here to try to do.”
I’ve lost count on the number of winning quotes that Phillip delivered in the first half of this episode alone!
Ometepe
Rob was organizing a beach day, inventing a “little royal treatment game”.
Rob: “While Phillip and Kristina were away at the duel today, I started thinking that I need to find the hidden immunity idol before Kristina finds it again. I already have the clue and I had a good idea it was on this side of camp, I needed to get everybody out of camp for the day. So, I created this game called royal treatment where the winner gets whatever they want.
I’m trying to think how I’m going to get away from everybody after I’m the one that planned this whole beach day? So, I tell ‘em I’m having a little trouble moving things down in that area and it feels like something might be happening.
I bring them to the nice part of the beach, where the sand is really nice and immediately Grant heads into the ocean. Perfect! I don’t even have to look Grant in the eye, I don’t have to make an excuse, they will cover for me. So, I tell them it’s time; that I have to relieve myself.
I knew I had a limited amount of time so I high-tailed it back to camp. It’s like: Game on! Where is this thing? The clue basically told me it’s somewhere on the island. What a great clue! I’m looking everywhere…At this point, I’ve already been gone for fifteen minutes, I need to get back to the beach, otherwise it is going to look suspicious. You know, there are about 40 trees in our immediate area and, after looking at maybe 38 or 39, I finally looked up: Bingo! We have a winner. Maybe I learned something since last time! As for my plans for it? Right now, I’m not sure. One thing I do know is that, with this immunity idol, this time I’m going to make it 39 days and win!”
As for the Royal treatment game, we saw Rob’s last shot just miss the target.
Grant: “You blew it!
Rob: “I was going for the win.”
Phillip isn’t the only one with winning quotes which makes this episode so much fun. Rob tells us that we have a winner, that with the HII he will last 39 days and win. The two big characters on Ometepe serve as distraction for each other! Now, the results of the Royal Treatment game will surely give pause to many editing analyst. Rob was said to have blown it and we saw Andrea raising her arms in victory. So is she going to sneak in at the last minute and seize victory from the two big guys? My answer later in the Character analysis.
Zapatera
Sarita and Ralph returned to camp, telling everyone that Matt won. She would also tell them that Russell found his “Russellness”!
Steve, with his “see ya, punk!” was shown as the one most happy at the news.
Julie: “I am stoked that Russell is out of the game. I still can’t believe it. Our plan worked. I am so relieved that he isn’t going to come back and get me. Yay! He’s gone.”
Julie is also shown to be stuck in the moment, looking back rather than looking forward. Is she the one that Russell’s concubine will use as target when they try to crack the alliance? Julie’s relief seems to have come too early. Stephanie’s “storm’s a coming” sounded like pretentious bravado but I still think something will develop.
David: “Stephanie and Krista showed some emotions that indicated they were still in camp Russell, which I can understand. I think the fact that everybody else dancing on Russell’s grave added insult to injury.”
Mike reflected that Matt sounded like he was tough, wondering why Ometepe got rid of him.
Stephanie, amusingly, replied: “People do dumb stuff like throw challenges when they are ahead.”
Krista and he got into a discussion about synergy and chemistry, Mike ending it by saying; “You got to lose one at one point to get rid of the plague.”
The camera was on Stephanie as he said that, which, in light of Zapatera winning this challenge, makes me think Mike will regret not getting rid if her! Although, the editors could be simply telling us that Stephanie will be the next boot. Things could be that boring but I still hold hope!
Ometepe
Phillip was building his scenario, telling Kristina that their intel could be good enough to move her up the totem pole.
Phillip: “Rob told me we were in an alliance but I have a feeling that he told Matt the same thing. I’m like the odd man out so, is it better for me to have Kristina stay in the game? If I can pull one other person, then she would be very valuable to me.”
Kristina (who had told Phillip she would let him use his experience in covert matters, told us): “Phil told me that he will withhold the names of the people until Rob took us to the merge and then he will reveal the names kind of like blackmail. The specialist thinks he is running the show but the specialist is just one big wind bag. I’m going to sit back and let him dig his own grave.”
Phil told everyone that Russell was sent packing and had a meltdown.
Natalie, maybe to let us know her head was in the game or simply as a background voice, asked if Russell mentioned anything about idols.
Phil said no.
Once more we get mixed signals for Phillip. On one hand, he’s aware that Rob lied to Matt so that he could be lying to him also but then Kristina tells us what we know; he is a big wind bag. Did anyone notice that Rob, although shown, didn’t comment at all when he heard the news that Russell was gone? We only had the smallest of smiles. Rob is playing the game, not wasting time dancing on Russell’s grave
Walking on the beach, Phil told Rob and Grant that he hadn’t told the real story. He said that he could tell Rob who had an idol and that Russell revealed the alliances on the other side. In return, he wanted Rob to do something for Kristina.
Rob replied that he should give the information anyway because they were in an alliance.
Rob: “Phillip starts lobbying for Kristina all of a sudden. I’m like: “Hey! Dumbass, aren’t you in my alliance? Aren’t you working for me? Now, you’re telling me who I grant favors to. Big mistake Phillip.”
I’d say that’s why the mafia is always ahead of the federal agents! You can’t blackmail the Robfadda!
Phillip told them of Sarita’s role (at least how Russell presented it) and that Ralph had the idol.
Rob: “If he felt secure why would he ever want to keep Kristina? So, Phillip knows where he’s standing.”
Grant: “As far as Phillip goes, after this, there is no trust whatsoever. I don’t know how long it’s going to take but this can’t go on much longer.”
Grant and Rob agreed they had to get rid of Phillip who was shown sleeping as innocently as a child.
Zapatera
Krista read tree mail which included: “Sending a tribe mate away is never in your plan.”
Now, was that message written especially for the viewers, telling them once more that throwing challenges is not a good plan?
Steve was confident that Ralph, the master builder, would bring them to victory.
Julie: “I am a little superstitious and I do believe in Karma so it is so important for us to win this one. We threw that last challenge and I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us. We have to win this today.”
The Challenge
Krista was the player that officially sat out the challenge but, in effect, David, Natalie and Andrea didn’t participate, the guys handling more than one task.
Note that Julie was chosen in a very athletic task, holding her own against Grant and that Stephanie was allowed to work on two task: Assembling the planks and untying the knots. Ashley untied the knots for Ometepe.
Ralph, the star of the challenge, got on top of the table to crow in victory.
Zapatera
Mike: “This victory truly was exponential. I’ve never been this hungry in my life. I haven’t thought about sex in two weeks. All I’m thinking about is food.”
Ralph: “It was wonderful…I sucked stuff out of my fingernails even if they haven’t been cleaned since I got here…”
Sarita and Mike agreed they had the stronger team.
David: “There definitely is a good mood rolling through the camp. We got food in our bellies. I don’t wish ill upon the other tribe but I’m glad we’re not sitting in their shoes, trying to figure out what we are going to do about tribal Council tonight.”
Maybe it was just a figure of speech but why would David think Zapatera would have problems figuring out what to do about tribal Council. Isn’t it decided already?
Ometepe
We heard musicians imitating the sounds of crickets after Phillip finished his “good effort” speech and asked if anyone had something to add.
Rob: “We can’t win a challenge. It’s tough already and Phillip? He never wants to shy away from a moment in the sun. At this point, there is an utter malice towards him that is palpable.”
Next, we saw Phillip instructing Natalie and Ashley on the proper way to pour water.
Ashley (her first confessional of the season): “Phillip, I cannot stand him. I can’t even look at him, that’s how bad I can’t stand him. I think we are all on the same page but, we got to go to Tribal tonight so may as well make the best of it. I just hope Phillip goes home!”
You may ask why was Natalie’s earlier confessional a clue to the final 3 and not this one? The answer, at least in my opinion, is that Ashley has no end game connection. This confessional was chosen simply to create suspense for this episode. Natalie’s earlier one wasn’t necessary to the story.
Kristina: “Going to Tribal Council tonight, I feel it’s either me or Phillip…”
Natalie: “Kristina is kind of acting weird. She isn’t frantically searching for the idol which is very strange. It could mean that she has it, it could mean that she hasn’t. I don’t know.”
Natalie told the group about her suspicions concerning Kristina. A discussion ensued which Rob fueled.
Rob: “Apparently, Kristina has been snooping around about the idol. She is dangerous. As much as everybody else hates Phillip and doesn’t trust Phillip, he’s less of a threat to me than Kristina…I don’t want to give away that I have the idol so I let them think that Kristina has it so we are going to split the votes: 3 votes on Kristina, 2 votes on Phillip and, if everybody do as they are told, Kristina will be voted out.”
Ashley and Grant were afraid that Phillip was a ticking time bomb.
Grant: “The plan is that, at Tribal Council, we get rid of Kristina but I think it’s a mistake. Phillip is such a loose cannon, we just don’t know what he is going to do.”
Rob: “Grant, he wants to get rid of Phillip tonight and those girls are obsessed with getting Phillip out. It quite conceivably could be that somebody within my alliance might be willing to flip and vote out Phillip.” Showing us whom he trusted, we immediately had a scene of Rob talking to Natalie telling her that, if Ashley and Grant stay on board, they have nothing to fear. Rob’s confessional continued: “Hopefully, these guys <Ashley and Andrea shown> get nice in line like they should and do as they are told. If not, then I’m not in control of my tribe after all.”
Rob told Phillip that they would be voting Kristina.
Phillip: “Sure enough, Rob wants to vote Kristina. Clearly, he’s not a man of his word. I need to take control of my own fate and, at tribal council be ready to make the moves that you need to survive. Who knows? I could be the real target. Everything can happen in the game of Survivor.”
Tribal Council
Kristina said she still felt on the hot seat: “I started out on the wring side of the numbers…I’m a fighter… I want to stay.”
Natalie was asked how she felt about second chances which will be important down the line this season.
She said: “Second chances are great. I think Kristina is a really nice person.”
Grant said everybody was pretty laid back so you could get a second chance.
Rob said: “To be fair, I think Kristina just joined this tribe. For the first 8 days, she wasn’t a part of us.”
Kristina said “the tribe should vote out who they consider to be the weakest link. I think weak in this case might be disruptiveness…I think Phil’s a little disruptive.” (her only potential ally!)
Phillip: “I’m actually a doer. If you don’t do your share and show up just before dinner time, I’m going to be a little disruptive to you.”
Kristina: “I do a lot of stuff around camp.”
Phillip: “I have a history with the tribe. They know what I am about. It’s what I call the Sheppard stamp. And the Sheppard stamp is, being one of twelve, having my mother pass at a very early age, having to work through High School, deciding I was going to join the US army and getting an honorable discharge, receiving the second highest medal you could get in peace time. Doing what? Doing field sanitation. What a glorious job but, you know what? I did it to the best of my abilities…I think, between Kristina and I, I earned the right and respect of my tribe members.”
This could have been a “heroic” send-off to an ex-soldier, giving him his dues but we know Phillip wasn’t being sent home, it wasn’t his honorable discharge from Survivor. That puts a lot of weight on the argument that he will go all the way. It was, in fact, a very dangerous jury plea! Marty would say that he has as great a story of human drama as Jane.
Kristina asked for the opportunity to show she could be trusted and help the tribe.
As Kristina walked off, the camera showed us three players; Natalie, Phillip and then Rob.
Jeff concluded the evening’s festivities by saying: “Running out of time was clearly a theme for this tribal council and, if you don’t start winning, time is going to run out for this tribe.
The Story
There are no certainty in editing but I strongly feel that the so called stronger tribe will not succeed. Mostly because of what Russell told us about this group and the fact that they were ignored at the start of the episode. A conflict was set up between the two big new characters and it seems that Phillip was favored over Ralph who “Gave Away Too Much”. The question is whether or not Stephanie and Krista can crack the Zapatera 6. I think we received enough hints that they won’t be the next two to go but will they both survive?
On Ometepe, I would think that the 6 remaining players all make the merge. Andrea and Phillip are the most at risk, game-wise but both have stories that could carry them further. Ashley and Grant are at risk, editing-wise, neither allowed making a big connection with the audience but they are safely inside Rob’s alliance. Of course, a flip could explain why either one gets voted out.
The Characters
Krista: Hearing her interview makes us hesitate between which one of Russell’s ex-allies would go first but Krista has been much less developed than Stephanie so, if Krista stays, she won’t make an impact down the road.
Ashley: I’m not sure why she didn’t have a confessional before this episode but her first one was only about the immediate situation. It’s good though that someone inside Rob’s alliance isn’t an invisible character anymore.
Grant: Grant seems to be very close to Rob, being always there when Rob talks to Phillip. Rob thought that Grant would be harder to fool than the girls but then Grant wasn’t aware of what was going on while he played in the ocean. Grant is simply a member of the alliance but now everyone has a role which is good for the whole alliance.
Julie: She was stuck in the moment, her story confined to Russell’s elimination just as it had been from the start.
Steve: Despite being the one pushing to throw the challenge, Steve was completely ignored throughout the episode, reduced to an unnamed member of Ralph’s crew, the one that called Russell a punk even if the audience had been reminded how much Russell respected the game. If anyone was meant to receive the epithet of dummy, it was Steve and nothing in the editing seemed to redeem him.
Sarita: Her words about wanting, hoping to see Russell sent packing turned against her when she was seen touched by Russell’s profound deception. Anyway, Sarita has already received her million and they don’t give two.
David: There are some indications that he could be Zapatera’s Shambo or their Eliza. Twice he hasn’t participated in a challenge but we haven’t heard any reasoning behind it. In a tribe that values strength, which Zapatera obviously does despite their decision to throw a challenge, David must feel uncomfortable to see that they count more on Julie and even Stephanie in challenges. So, like Shambo, will he simply decide to join the other side or, like Eliza, will he become his alliance’s own target. His words about not liking to see his tribe dancing on Russell’s grave indicates that he will talk to Stephanie and Krista but will the girls use him or report back on him? Either way, I don’t see a nice ending to David’s story.
Stephanie: She certainly could be the next one voted out of Zapatera but she could also be the last one standing from that tribe. There was always some care given to her edit and seeing her biting her lips when Sarita decided to go to Redemption Island to witness the duel, tells me that Stephanie can play the game without giving away too much. That would be quite a feat considering she was introduced to us as someone that couldn’t control her mouth.
Mike: I still can’t completely rule out all of Zapatera. Mike, for one, was mostly spared the blame of throwing the challenge. He is the tribe’s narrator so we can figure he will last a long time. With his talk of synergy, he could be the one that emerges if I’m reading this story wrong and Zapatera manages to keep their control on the game.
Ralph: After a brilliant opening summary, Ralph seemed to go against the main theme of the season, revealing much more than he should have. Ralph still has some great editing characteristics but I’m leaning in the opposite direction.
The Theme Players
Matt: I imagine that Russell would be as happy to see Matt win it all as he would seeing Phillip using the intel he provided. That said, I think Matt’s victory will simply be to return to the game, make it to his promised land. We had to be connected to Matt to accept that he could defeat a character that was liked by many, respected by many more.
Andrea: I found it interesting that Andrea wasn’t mentioned as a threat to Rob or even as a boot option. Did she manage to get under the radar? There is a possibility that she becomes the one person that Phillip turns. The other possibility is that her character fades away, only to return to the forefront when it’s her time to be eliminated. The camera showed her on screen when Rob was saying his allies had to fall nicely in line and she did. She didn’t give anything away to Rob but she didn’t give us any reason to think she will find a way to get revenge.
Phillip: Phillip gives away so much that it's like he isn't giving anything away! The secret agent man seems destined to last the 39 days, whether his underwear hold up or not. Can he win? I think we will hear many quotes telling us he is doing his best to win, we will get mis-directions that will lead us to believe that he could get the jury vote but I think all will be mirages, tricks to make us fear that he could just pull it off.
Natalie: As stated above, it felt like Natalie told us who would join her on the long road to the finale. With just enough character development and even a chance to expose her strategy, her story could carry her to the win. Judging by the way the votes have gone over the lest few seasons, we will probably think she will get the majority of the votes but I think that’s why she was partly hidden up to now: We, the ones addicted to analyzing editing details, are meant to see her as a potential winner and, later, the audience will start thinking she could win it all. Leaving her in the background of the action could make her the surprise winner but, judging by the lack of connection we’ve had with her, I see her as coming up a vote or two short, to the relief of all those that don’t appreciate coat-tail riders.
Rob: So, despite all his other winner’s quotes, did Rob tell us he would be coming up short in this game as he did in his “Royal Treatment” game? I think that we, as viewers, weren’t supposed to take that game seriously: It didn’t matter that Rob came short because we never even heard who actually won. We had an indication that Andrea might have won but no one said she did.
More importantly, in all my years of analyzing editing I have not witnessed as heavy a manipulation as not showing Rob’s interview, reacting to the news that his nemesis had fallen. Rob had to gloat, had to say something that would have been mean to Russell in an episode where the viewers were suppose to understand Russell. Instead, we had a quiet Boston Rob who didn’t give away anything on this matter to his tribe or the viewers. This, along with everything we have seen so far, tells me that Boston Rob will be the Sole Survivor of Redemption Island.

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tmontgomery71 6 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 02:13 AM (EST)

32. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

>Boston Rob will be the
>Sole Survivor of Redemption Island.
>
>
Thus the ultimate "Redemption" after having tried and lost 3 times before. I could live with that (his comments keep me laughing). I actually like him now.
There have been Survivor series before that pretty much spoon fed us the winner...usually when it is someone the viewers can root for. Right from the beginning when they exited the helicopter...everyone was thrilled to see Rob. Russle...not so much. We were told that Rob is an okay guy, someone you would want on your team.
While some of his decisions are questionable (Matt?), he is very attune to everything around him in this game. He is using everything he learned in prior series to make sure he doesn't make a mistake. He is redeeming himself by realizing the value of the idol, and keeping it to himself once he found it(something we all know a smart player should do). He is trying to make Kristina and Andrea feel better about their place in the tribe. He works hard around camp, but does not claim leadership, a change from his first series as a survivor.
Does anyone else on the show have this kind of subtle but revealing edit? The only one that comes close is Matt (who seems to be on a journey). The others are really just supporting characters.
Of course, what do I know...he might reveal the idol next week, and then I will know he is doomed.<G>

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 09:58 AM (EST)

33. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

michel: Of course I LOVED your assessments! Just don't know if I can call a winner at this point, but, no doubt about it, I LOVE your take! I wanted to also note that when you watch the video on the insider clips at the CBS website, the one of Rob when he searches and finds the idol, located here.
The clip goes through his entire beach plan, royal treatment game, then him high-tailing it to find the idol, and it ends with his throw to the target, landing square in the bullseye and then abruptly stops with his shell in the bullseye....with him saying, One thing I do know is that, with this immunity idol, this time I’m going to make it 39 days and win!
I agree, this was a very important quote from Boston Rob, maybe I did learn something from last time! One thing he does know is that this time he's going to make it 39 days and WIN!
Love it! I'll be back for more later, thanks so much...

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 12:11 PM (EST)

34. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

The problem with clips on CBS is that, for the last few seasons, they make them unavailable to Canadians. (They must think we aren't good enough to watch their site.)
So, you mean to say that, on first cut, they wanted to have the image stop with Rob making the winning throw and then decided to show it bouncing out? Doesn't that tell you that, in the end, it would have been too much of a clue?! Yes, it could go the other way, it always does, but I'll stick with my version... for now.

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Belle Book 2394 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 01:37 PM (EST)

35. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

Well, it's certainly possible and I wouldn't be upset to have Boston Rob win as he's nicer than he was in Marquesas and he certainly learns from his mistakes! But I think we should wait and see until we reach the merge, at least.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 01:50 PM (EST)

36. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

Belle, I agree that waiting for the merge is a more prudent choice.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-12-11, 10:15 PM (EST)

37. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-13-11 AT 10:29 AM (EST)
Michel, as always, I really enjoy reading your interpretation of the editing. It is amazing what you underlined this episode, especially your comments on the editing of Rob. You noted specifically about the lack of response from Rob regarding the boot of Russell, especially that the Zapatera tribe had made him their first boot. Clearly, whether Rob was happy, sad, worried, etc, we know he must have had a reaction....I can't help but wonder if we will hear something in regard to it in a future confessional. I agree, however, that the omission of any such reaction makes me feel that Rob is out to win this game and is focused on that one goal.
First off with the intro, Jiffy underlines for us again...BR was the undisputed leader, found the clue to idol...Kristina is desperate to find it... Right off the bat, in retrospect Jiffy summed up the entire episode, right here in the intro....BR was the leader, had the clue, the 2 speed bumps are Phillip, unpredictable, and Kristina who is a clear threat...I don't want to have Rob stick around that long. Jiffy gave us the boot and the boot decoy....we need to pay attention in the future to his intros!
Meanwhile at Zapatera, Russell was playing a familiar game, made an alliance of 3, and looked for the HII. But Rooster found the idol, this is not his game, it's my game, he formed an alliance of 6, and Ralph's crew was so determined to get Russell out, they threw the challenge...Jeff calling out, "David really slowing down". At TC, the Zapatera's had done what no other tribe had ever done before...and voted out Russell. I agree with michel, it was encouraging for Stephanie and Krista, his allies, that they are left to fend for themselves. Interesting the Jeff appoints the Zap6 as "Ralph's crew". Now it's do or die time for Russell at RI....at night see shots of Russell walking up to the RI shelter and Matt. I think it was CTGirl that these vidcaps in the promos of RussHell in the dark did not bode well for him, and they were right. Russell was in the dark, and we know what happened...the good, light, triumphed over the evil black.
Russell enters and Matt is surprised, he tells Matt how they lied to him about the girl beating Matt, and his whole tribe threw the challenge just to get him out. Clearly this is a crux of what is to come....foreshadowing, imo. Russell's words on RI may become a prophetic...we all know that throwing challenges never amounts to anything good...I loved when Matt ended their first conversation...."Blindsided by Rob, now bunking with Russell!" As us seasoned veterans know, we have to always expect the unexpected with Survivor....a possible theme this season as well...spoken by the naive "rookie", who is figuring it out as he goes along.
Cut to Camp Ometepe, and I agree, usually we get a scene from the camp that has just booted someone off at TC, so this is interesting that we start with the Omes..."At the crack of dawn we are awakened to the sound of Phillip sweeping, he's so annoying, and he's so weird"....I absolutely love how you sandwiched this confessional in with the praise of Rob, and then Natalie commenting on the Phillip who may indeed be sticking around for a long time to come...great insight there, Michel! I love it, that the one she finds the most annoying could be riding Rob's back the whole way through as well.
Then we get a shot of Rob, and he and Grant laugh at Phillips saggy bottoms...interesting that Rob said he could go 39 days with out seeing that....same holds true for Rob....he may just go the whole 39 days SEEING that! Then Rob has a confessional regarding Phillip....Who comes on Survivors with his pink tighty-whiteys, with his stuff hanging out, it's disturbing, it's disgusting, ...Notable that Natalie and Rob were the two commenting on how annoying and disturbing Phillip is, which could foreshadow that they'll be annoyed for the entire time...
Then Phillip's confessional which shows Phil has an accurate assessment...These young people out here, they don't understand me, they don't know if I'm a criminal or a school teacher, the don't know how to take me. So, I'm a little frustrated out here. Given that this is a social game,it's a huge disadvantage for me, so, there has to be another side of me that emerges, the guy that's undercover. Because, I will tell you this much, I'm prepared to do what I need to do to win a million dollars. Definitely, a winning quote from Phillip, as well as the accurate assessment...
Cut to Camp Zap, at dawn, and the girls are laying at the beach, Stephanie and Krista....talking about how Russhell is going to kill it at the RI Challenge. Stephanie has a confessional how they are now stuck there with all these goobers, having no fun. At this point Krista is bummed, because one of them is going home unless they find the HII....Interesting that Krista says one of them is going without the HII.
Rooster and Steve are walking and Rooster says them girls are deadly, Steve says let's just keep our eye on them, Rooster tells him he has it under control. He was going to keep it a secret, but when Stephanie and Krista left the camp, it was a fine time to tell everyone...I think, how deadly are they with only 2 of them...or those girls are deadly, is that foreshadowing?
Ralph says, "Right here, it is"....gets it out, Sarita jumps for joy, Ralph says, They all was tickled to death, so now, I think I've got 'em captured, to take me and them further into the game.... We see Mike hug Rooster. Interesting that then Rooster says, They wanted to stray off from me, when you've got a catch, you gotta hang on to it. See Rooster with the Zap 6, points at David, "David, I told you all I had it under control", David nods, then we get a confessional from Mike, "We have the power right now...but I would not be surprised if we saw Russell back in this game. However, now that we have the idol, if and when he comes back, it's going to be very very difficult for him to go deep in this game." I also get narrator vibes from Mike, which could infer he may get into trouble come merge time.
Cut to Sunrise, Ometepe, day 10, we see Phillip getting mail..."The early bird gets the worm, in this case he gets the mail. He would like to go and asks, "how about you, Kristina, would you like to go?", and she says if everyone wouldn't mind, I'd like to go. *I can't help but wonder if Robfadda set this up....gave Phillip some directions, a task...wake up early and get that mail, then come back and run reconnaissance for me at the RI, and TAKE Kristina with you! Or, perhaps this was all Phillip's idea, as he told us he was looking for "one other", and perhaps he targeted Kristina to go with him...I dunno.
Confessional with Phillip saying he definitely wants to go to RI, he's looking for a little intel, to help him to win this game...another winning quote. Then we see camp Zap, and a big hairy turantula is climbing around which has got to be an ominous sign, as Sarita says to Ralph, "you're going!" and he tells her she needs to go to, and she agrees. As Steve turns his back on the camera, I notice that he has a bandage on his back!? Sarita claps that she's so excited, and we see Steph and Krista looking solumn in the foreground...Sarita tells us witnessing Russhell going home would be her million dollars almost....clearly Sarita is not winning this game. Off they go.
Cut to RI and Russhell tells us about how Matt is a good kid, but right now, it's not the real world, it's Survivor. Matt says Russell is the biggest villain, but he's fighting to honor his God, so he thinks he'll come out on top....foreshadowing. Jeff tells us the challenge, it plays out, "Matt stays alive", and Russell is overwhelmed with emotion. I thought CBS certainly gave him a stellar ending. And to his credit, after the emotion he rallied to plant a few more Russell seeds...called out that Rooster has the idol, "she's in charge", and Mike and Steve are tight. He will live on through them (Phillip and Kristina). Tells them that Rooster is dumb and to take him out. Phillip tells them that he knows he has it, "You'll probably have an opportunity to use it if I have anything to do with it." Phillip was glad he came, thanks for the info! Russhell thinks that his tribe didn't come to play the game, but to find fame or money. Matt's journey to get back in this game continues...Phillip has the last confessional, "Russhell gave him some interesting info, and he's going to try to outwit, outlast, outplay, it's Survivor, and that's what I'm here to do"....another winning quote for Phillip!
Meanwhile, back at BR, let's just have a beach day today, some targets on the beach, a little royal treatment, the winner gets what ever they want. He has the clue he needs to find the idol, how will he get away, he tells them he has constipation, takes them way down the beach, sets up camp, Grant goes into the ocean so he doesn't have to look him in the eye, the girls will cover for him, runs back to camp, the clue says it's somewhere on the island, in a tree, under a rock, in the sand or in a log....what a great clue! Searches everywhere and the last tree he comes to, he looks up, and ding ding ding, we have a winner, maybe I learned something since last time, as for my plans for it, i'm not sure, one thing I do know is that with this II, this time, I'm going to make it 39 days and WIN!....then we see him on the beach playing in the target game and his stone lands directly in the bullseye and then bounces out, and he tells them...."I'm going for the win". I feel like they should pay attention to Boston Rob! He's going for the win!
Camp Zap, they return...Sarita says, "that was crazy" and Steph and Krista are there...first they start the challenge, Matt won, Julie confessional that she's thrilled "stoked" that Russ is out of the game, their plan worked and he can't come back and get her....Sarita continues that it was sad then he found his Russellness and just basically threw back the covers on everything about our camp, we see Steve kiss his thumb and say "see ya punk!", and Steph and Krista defend him, "now you've gone too far". David says he understands, everybody else was dancing on his grave, and that they added insult to injury....showing that he is sympathetic to them. I can not help but feel David will join in with Steph and Krista at some point. And, if they are to survive, it needs to be sooner than later! The editing just has me associating David with the harem girls...?
Then we see Mike, Krista and Steph talking later about Russhell...Mike says that Matt was tough, and he was amazed they got rid of him, Steph notes that people do dumb stuff when they are ahead, Matt argues that the tribe is much stronger because he was breaking down the synergy in our tribe, Krista says, synergy is the last thing you should worry about in a game of numbers, Mike disagrees, when you are battling the other team, you have to do something to get rid of the plague...thinks it's the most important thing. Sounds like Mike is drinking the Ralph and Steve kool-aid.
Meanwhile, cut to Ometepe and Phillip and Kristina are approaching camp and tells her that this is good enough intel to move Kristina from last to 4th...let me go to Rob. Rob, told me we are in an alliance. I have a feeling that he told Matt the same thing. if I can pull in one other person, it would be very valuable to me. Kristina is going to sit back and let the specialist dig his own grave, he's just a big windbag....
Phillip says you missed a doozy, Russell went home, he cried, it was really weird and you do hear Natalie ask, "he didn't say anything about idols, like if he had one or anything?". Then we have Phillip, Rob and Grant walking down the beach...Phillip will tell them what happened, Russell had such a meltdown that he named who the leader is over there, Rob: Who's the leader? Phillip:I'm gonna run through the list, Rob: Huh?, Phillip: Just listen! Let me tell the story, Rob: tell the story, Phillip: He started naming who had an idol, then Russell named two alliances, Now, do you think if I reveal all that information to you by name, that you would be able to do something for Kristina? Rob: I think you should tell it to us anyway because we are in an alliance, I don't know what Kristina has to do with this?
Confessional, Rob: Phillip's lobbying for Kristina all of a sudden, I'm like, hey, dumb #####, aren't you in my alliance, don't you work for me? Now you are telling me who I should grant favors to? Big mistake, Phillip. Totally get that Rob is in control and he will make sure people do what he wants them to do, make no mistake...as michel noted, you cannot blackmail the Robfadda!
Phillip: If you have this information at your hands, would it help her chances...
Perceptive of Rob to note that Phillip must be feeling insecure in order to go to bat for Kristina...so Phillip knows where he is standing....and Rob is accurately assessing everything. Grant then has a confessional that notes Phillip has to go, we can't trust him. Grant and Ashley are just there to communicate the drama that develops as time goes by at Ometepe. In the alliance, but not the major players...the accessory players.
With the challenge news, Ralph gets a nod from Mike, as the master builder.Julie then has a confessional underlining Karma, and what goes around comes around, so she really want to win this challenge today....with the mention of Karma, I think we have more foreshadowing....maybe not today, but definitely coming.
At the challenge, Jeff explains it and Krista sits out. The most notable thing for me at the challenge is that once again, as michel pointed out, David did nothing. They didn't use his mind or his body, in a physical challenge Julie is higher up than he is, and so is Stephanie. This, imo, does not bode well for David within the Zap 6. At the end of the challenge it seemed that Steve or Mike prompted Rooster to "get up there and crow!" Jeff gave the idol to Stephanie and she gave it to Rooster, who kissed it. She gives it to the new leader in their tribe? A self proclaimed dumb a$$? And, I agree, crowing after the win is definitely going to come back in bite you in your dumb a$$. As soon as they lost the camera panned to Kristina, but when Jeff told them to head back to camp, I've got nothing for you, it showed the other boot choice, Phillip.
Mike and Rooster got the confessionals and told us about the reward. Again, narrator vibes for Mike. Then David had another sympathetic confessional: I don’t wish ill upon the other tribe but I’m glad we’re not sitting in their shoes, trying to figure out what we are going to do about tribal Council tonight.” This is the second sympathetic confessional for David...couple this with him either being passed over in challenges completely, or told to throw the challenge altogether, and I can't help but question whether David is the one that will figure out something to nip the alpha Zaps in the bud, and he'll do it enlisting Stephanie and Krista....I may be wrong, I just think there is more here than meets the eye. Soon he will be sitting there trying to figure out what to do about TC tonight...
At Ometepe, there is more "Phillip is annoying" confessionals and scenes. Ashley's first confessional, also underlines Phillip being weird and annoying, really nothing of substance. There are back and forth confessionals about what to do, and what they want to do, Rob wants them to split the vote because they don't know if Kristina has the idol or not, so 3/2 Kristina/Phillip.
At TC the only notable thing for me was Rob underlining that Kristina is the one to go, not Phillip, and we saw the votes go the way he told them to go...in other words he's in control.
Kristina is voted out as planned. I agree, this episode showed progression at Ometepe and it underlined that Rob is playing the game 100%. He's working his plan and planning his work. No time to lose sleep over RussHell, who is out of the game. We see him be successful at what he sets out to do as well, whether it's finding the hidden HII, or controlling the vote. In contrast, Rooster seems to be the new leader of the Zap tribe and apparently Zapatera is comfortable and happy just to get rid of RussHell. The dumb a$$ thinks he's in control, it's his game, and he's shown us that he is living up to his moniker when he exposed to the Ometepe's that he indeed has the idol. "I have it under control", because he's confided in his tribe that he has the idol. For me, this whole episode underlined that the leader of Ometepe was in firm control, while the self proclaimed person in control at Zapatera is clearly not. And, I think we'll soon see how he loses control...
I do see Phillip as Michel and Brownroach, as a long term player, annoying but long term. I also think that the harem girls could last longer, but if one were to go first, I'd bet on Krista as I think Stephanie has more to offer....we'll see. I also think if they are integral to upsetting the apple cart that they could do it in cahoots with David. We'll see! I also want to add that the editing is making me think that something David will do down the road is significant to the story...will he conspire with the harem girls to switch things up in the hierarchy there, OR, will he choose another option down the road when and if they merge?
ETA: I also wanted to note that it was very interesting how Andrea completely disappeared this episode! I would say that this could mean one of two things...1. She will last much longer to be reunited with Matt, perhaps...her story will pick up later and so for now she has some lasting power, or, 2. Her story is really over, and it was completely wrapped up in Matt and him being voted out.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-13-11, 02:45 PM (EST)

38. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-13-11 AT 03:19 PM (EST)

Nice post, FP. It appears we see it mostly the same way. There are support out there for Matt, Andrea, Natalie, Mike, David and Sarita so we still need to be open to all possibilities even if I feel strongly for Rob's story.
It strange to think of Russell has receiving a Victim's edit because that usually goes to likable characters but Russell does have numerous fans, just not on this board. I've always said that players that vote Victims do not win the game so that would doom the Zap 6. I totally agree with your view on their Karma. It didn't hurt them this time but there is still more TCs before the merge.
I just finished watching the episode once more, not writing as I watch, just looking for connections. I think I found two interesting ones:
1- When Ralph says: "You have a catch you need to hold on to it", the camera gives us a close-up of David. That's even before Ralph addresses him and says "See, I told you I had it under control."
This tells me that, indeed the fracture comes from David. Does he organize a successful coup or does he get booted for it? I know that in the vidcap thread, I was leaning for his boot but his sympathy towards the Omies connects him with them and maybe was the start of a post-merge story. If his coup isn't successful, that only gives the concubines 1 week's respite but they'd still be 2 against 5. On the other hand, remove David this week, Krista the next (Zap goes down 6-6 and need the better challenge competitor in case there's another tribal immunity) and we could merge at 12. Steph, Russell's minion, becomes Rob's tool. THAT? Would be quite a story.
2- What was the first creature seen in the Omies' opening sequence? A Holler monkey, woken up by Phillip's sweeping. What did we see on our screen when Rob said: "we have a winner"? The Holler monkey who had been observing him on his search. Now, whom does that monkey represent? Phillip? Natalie? The audience? The monkey was looking for intel just like Phillip but Natalie was the one asking if Russell mentioned anything about idols so she is curious also. The monkey was trying to sleep just like Natalie but I'd find it strange to associate a young girl with a monkey...Guatemala's Holler Monkey represented Judd but sometimes a monkey's just a monkey.
If Rob keeps his idol a secret between himself and the monkey (the audience) then he is our winner. If he reveals it to either Natalie or Phillip, it will be food for thought. If Rob reveals it to everyone or simply wasstes it, then I have nothing!

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-13-11, 07:18 PM (EST)

39. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

Nice response there, michel. I agree, David's arc is growing, imo. Whether it be now to conspire with the harem girls, or perhaps for later, when he may consider throwing in with the Ometepe's...With all of the mistakes Rooster is making, I expect him to go down sooner rather than later. The harem girls offer numbers to any that may want to shake up the hierarchy. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see something happen in this up and coming episode.
The promos are hyping all about control this season. We saw that the word control was stamped over the pic of Rob/Matt falling in to the pool/Russell, implying who had control, Rob or Russell? Now we hear Rob talk about, if they voted the way I want them to then I have control of my tribe, if they didn't then I no longer have control....as it turned out, the vote went as he planned, he has control. Rooster is the contrasting leader that is telling everyone he's had it under control, but we know he doesn't....that's why I get an ominous feeling toward the Zap 6, not the harem girls.
And, I also have associated the howler monkeys with the Ometepe tribe, I love that you think it may represent the audience. With the way Rob has been playing, I expect he will hold the HII close to the vest, as he would his beloved poker hand.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-13-11, 09:27 PM (EST)

40. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

I haven't considered control as a theme but I agree there has been enough mention to consider it as a recurring theme. How would you phrase it? How has it been presented?
Last season, those in charge were shown making mistakes and I took that as a big indication that Fabio, mostly being out of the loop, would win.
This season, it's been a positive thing to have. Zap is divided, Rob keeps his tribe in line. I'd phrase the Theme: You have to control the vote.
Going from that, Rob owning Phillip's vote is pretty big, as is the fact that he told us his group is better at following instructions than Tyson.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-14-11, 07:56 AM (EST)

41. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

Well, I don't know if it's going to be a recurring theme through the entire season, but they sure have hit us over the head with it through the beginning of the season. Clearly, they use it to contrast the two leaders of the tribe...

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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03-17-11, 09:04 PM (EST)

46. "note"

Forgive me please for making a correction on a small point, but it was repeated three times ...
>>> A Holler monkey
They are howler monkeys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howler_monkey

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03-15-11, 01:47 PM (EST)

42. "Sweet!"

Michel and FloPo your comments and observations are A#1+++. Outstanding. I just don't have time to make a lot of comments but on the whole you've given me some great tips about what I see and what I really should see .
Anyway I always stop by to read this thread by the next episode.
Bravo!

A Tribe masterpiece

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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03-17-11, 09:30 PM (EST)

47. "RE: Episode #4: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 03-17-11 AT 09:38 PM (EST)
This has given me a lot to think about.
I am trying to look at it neutrally in so far as emotional attachment goes. The only ones where I can't succeed are Philip and Rooster. I don't like to think of either one winning; they are too extreme.
On Boston Rob -- I would be happy if he won. I would love to see him sustain this level of play. OTOH, it is in the post-merge that someone like Rob is going to be in big trouble if he cannot run the immunities.
Amber had a great position with Rob, because Rob was BAD to people in All Stars. Rob has now turned his edit around, so it is no longer a good way to win, riding his coattails. If Rob makes it to F3, he has a great chance of winning. Therefore if any of these people are there to play, they will get him out prior to F3 so that they can argue "I am the one who made the move to take out Boston Rob."
Winning quotes and quotes of longevity -- I really don't take any stock in these. Ten years ago, Richard's statement was an anomaly. Now, everyone pumps themselves up by saying they will win. The fact the quotes exist is meaningless. The question is whether the editors have a reason to use the quotes.
Remember that Burnett thought it was risky to use Hatch's quote, as a giveaway, but he decided it was safe because it was so unlikely that Richard would win. Point being, it was never considered a great idea to show the actual winner stating "I will win." It has been done a number of times now, but we also see people make these statements who fall short.
Likewise, when Rob or Philip says "39 days" that is a great indicator of a positive mindset, but not an indication to me that it comes to pass. I think there is no question that Rob has been edited as someone who could win, deservedly. Because of Rob's history with the game, and his status with this season, I think that he is going to get that edit as long as he lasts (unless he does something terrible).
Phillip is going to get a ton of attention because Jeff loves him. He is Jeff's Coach this season. He's what i call the "use him for all the entertainment value he's worth" character, as is Rooster. So ... it's hard for me to read that in terms of longevity.
If Phillip gets to the merge intact, then I absolutely can see him getting dragged to the end as the goat, as he CANNOT win this game. More than likely, those girls will be on the jury, and they will never vote for him to win. Won't happen. Looneytunes players do not win Survivor.
Right now, I cannot tell whether all this Philip footage is there to milk him because he goes out in Ep 6, or because he has longevity. On Wednesday that will be clear.
I do think that an Ometepe will win, and most likely they will dominate the post-merge.
Krista's statement that she doubts any of the Zaps will make it to the end sounded like a prediction we should take to heart, along with all the other ominous signs for Zapatera.
If Rob does not win, it truly is hard to find a candidate this season. Grant is the type who could win, but his lack of confessionals early on are not a good sign.
Ashley and Natalie are both shown in quite a negative light.
Phillip is deluded. He can strategize all he wants, but he's not realistic about how much he's not embraced. He only gets it a little bit, but they are in your face with how they feel about him.
That leaves Andrea, Matt, Rob as the best contenders.
I had discounted Matt's chances to win if he were to come in near the Finale, as just too absent from the game, but if they do a return soon, then he would be in the game for a long time ...
What a golden moment for Matt, that he gave Rob the chance to state his case for booting Matt ... what did Matt say, while I'm working? He did not supplicate to Rob to be given another chance with the alliance. He said, to paraphrase, look, I was loyal, you had me, and you cut me. Now explain yourself, and I'll forgive you.
Rob did not shine at that moment, in the face of Matt's amazing directness. He dodged the question. He should have said something like, I saw you with Andrea, and that alliance threatened me because of what Amber and I did together. But he didn't.
Matt was way superior to Rob there. Matt was like the exiled king giving Rob the backstabbing prime minister a chance to explain his wicked deeds.
I choose MATT ... (subject to revision)

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PepeLePew13 21775 desperate attention whore postings
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03-17-11, 04:54 AM (EST)

43. "Episode 5 Thoughts..."

LAST EDITED ON 03-17-11 AT 12:04 PM (EST)
There were several things that immediately jumped out at me from an editing POV in this episode.
- Andrea had a *huge* jump as a player in this game, she looks like she could be a serious endgame player. It wasn't just her bit with Special Agent Magenta Butt that highlighted her ability to break down the game but also we were shown a big contrast between her and the other two girls (Natalie and Ashley).
- Several interesting wildlife imagery here in this episode, particularly with the frog twirling around and then showing a big jump while Stephanie was talking about what to tell the other tribe when she and Krista got to RI and being willing to flip sides. At the IC, while the tribe was criticizing Sarita's decision to put Stephanie as the caller/puzzle solver instead of David, we saw a vulture picking at a carcass. We also saw a tortoise covering up eggs while keeping the buzzards at bay right before the Zapatera pre-TC scrum started up.
- Another bit of interesting imagery - there was a small piece of rope hanging over the edge of the Zapatera hut but the way the camera was placed, the rope appeared to be like a hangman's noose superimposed on David's face. Not a good sign for him at all!
Edited to add these images: For the second one, you decide if the editors are trying to hang David or if they're just showing what David thinks of the shenanigans within his own tribe...

By contrast, we saw Steve several times with the noose off to his side and Mike once with it off to the side, again. But for David, it's directly on top of his face.
- Julie talked repeatedly about hoping the decision to throw the challenge to boot Russhole doesn't come back to hurt the tribe, and we saw Mike accidentally drop a pot of water on the fire immediately after Julie said the word "karma". ... "You put the fire out!" = Zapatera being put out of the game as a tribe?
- Sarita might be headed for a fall, soon. We saw the tribe repeatedly saying "David should have been the one to call" instead of Stephanie. But nobody stood up to contradict Sarita before the challenge started (other than David), only deciding to play Monday Morning Quarterback after midway through the challenge. We already got an inkling that Sarita might have gone as far as she needs to in this game with her million dollars being watching Russhole leave the game. We saw Ralph sidling up to Sarita during the puzzle portion and saying "That's why we needed David". The expression on Rooster's face as he said this to the back of Sarita's head said it all for me - it seemed to be a contemptuous expression.
- IC was a bit like the ole coconut chop in revealing the totem pole pecking order within the tribes. Grant was leading the way for the Ometepes, then Ashley, Andrea, Natalie and there was Phillip bringing up the rear (surprised Rob didn't have Natalie second behind Grant), while Rooster led the way with Sarita behind him, then Mike and David before Krista brought up the rear.

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
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03-17-11, 11:18 AM (EST)

44. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

Rob is really having a lot of fun with diversionary tactics, big part of his game to keep the heat off himself, and now he sees value in keeping Phillip the Annoyance around as a diversion. Misdirection, as long as they are annoyed with Phillip they aren't paying attention to other things.

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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03-17-11, 08:45 PM (EST)

45. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

Terrific comments, Pepe! A lot to think about, thanks.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-18-11, 09:45 PM (EST)

48. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

It's nice to see other posters here. Pepe, I see you also caught that noose in front of David. I liked your interpretation of the story.
Here's how I saw things:
“Previously, on Survivor, by day 10, the two big dogs, Russell and Rob, were running in opposite directions:
- Rob found a hidden immunity idol and, even though they had lost 3 out of 4 challenges, he held blind allegiance over everyone in the Ometepe tribe except Kristina and Phillip. <We hear Phillip saying: “I need to get rid of him now. Goodbye Rob”>
- Russell could only muster loyalty from two on his tribe, Krista and Stephanie, and he couldn’t even come close to finding an idol. The rest of the Zapatera tribe was so down on Russell, they agreed to throw a challenge so they could send him to Redemption Island where he faced Matt in a duel.
Matt not only defeated Russell, he reduced him to tears. Suddenly Russell was out for good.
At the last Tribal Council, Rob’s position kept getting better as he got his tribe to vote out his biggest opposition.
Now, Kristina heads to Redemption Island where she’ll face Matt to see who stays alive.”
Obviously, there are two ways to look at this recap: Jeff is setting up Rob for a big fall or he is telling us just how successful Rob will be. Both are valid alternatives but I continue to favor the path that leads to Rob’s victory. For one thing, Russell was an early boot so, running in the opposite direction could mean making the finale. Did Jeff give it away? For Rob to be our winner, we’d need to see some obstacles set in his path, some doubts in the viewers’ mind. The insertion of Phillip’s confessional accomplished that. The episode would give more.
Ready To Flip
Ometepe
Night 11
Last week, after starting on Redemption Island, we had visited Ometepe instead of Zapatera. This week, it’s very noteworthy that we didn’t even go to RI but visited Ometepe once more. I don’t think there is any question left that the winner is on this tribe.
Phillip: “Tonight, Kristina went home after a 4-3 vote; 3 for me, 4 for her. It’s not too surprising; I expected it because there’s a very close alliance with Boston Rob and several others in the group. They’ve been running the show from the get-go. I’m kinda like the odd man out over here even though I bring a lot to this tribe. A couple of people are going to have to wake up and realize that.”
Rob, after telling Grant and the audience about the bad night he had sleeping next to Phil: “Tribal Council is always a miserable night. On top of it, Phillip is bugging everyone, including myself. He is completely off his rockers, walking around in his pink panties. Nobody trusts him. As long as Phillip is aggravating everybody so much, it takes all the heat off of me so, in a way, maybe he needs to stay.”
Zapatera
Steve: “Day 12. The spirits of the tribe are high. As long as we keep excelling in the challenges, everything is coming along as planned. Our 6 is rock solid and my vision would be to try to reach out to those two girls. There’s always hope to bring Krista and Stephanie in. If we can show them that we are a solid family, that there’s no back-stabbing and it’s a safe place to be, I think they would want to hang tight with us going into a merge.”
Mike read tree mail and decided it would be one of the 4 that hadn’t already gone that would make the trip this time. That led to Stephanie and Krista picking the right numbers to go together.
Julie: “Now that Russell is gone, Krista and Stephanie are not even a threat. They can go do whatever they want, they can talk about whatever they want, we really don’t care. There are just pawns in this big game. They can’t do any damage to us.”
Those three little scenes showed a very naïve group of players. Steve still has hope to get close to Russell’s girls, Mike gives them a chance to go to Redemption Island even if it was obvious that precious intel could be gained there and Julie was so short-sighted that she couldn’t imagine the girls causing trouble. The Zapatera 6 are toast.
On cue, Stephanie told Krista her plan to reveal that they hate their tribe.
Stephanie: “We are hoping to send the message to the other tribe that there are two girls ready to flip. We can cause havoc and chaos and all sort of craziness at the merge.”
With this confessional, Stephanie punched her ticket to the merge…and maybe well beyond.
The Duel
While working on his puzzle, Matt asked Rob why he had been voted out, calling him a rascal in the process.
Rob said it took more than 1 person to vote someone out.
As we had been prepared to see, Matt won and eliminated Kristina.
Rob gave him a thumb’s up.
Then we had another interesting exchange:
Matt: “I told both of those guys that I wanted to go with them to the top three…Hopefully, I’ll hop back up on the Ometepe tribe.”
Stephanie: “I like that he says he would stick with his tribe. I wish I felt the same he did because there’s still a clear division.”
Jeff: “You mean in your tribe?”
Krista: “Yes, us two on the bottom.”
Stephanie: “They may think they have the numbers but I think yellow might look good on me.”
Jeff: “Wow! Rob, Grant: That never hurts to have two people saying: Listen, we might be willing to merge with you.”
Rob: “Doesn’t hurt if they are telling the truth.”
Stephanie: “I’m telling the truth.” She then gave Rob her best smile.
Rob answered with another thumb’s up.
After Kristina’s tearful departure and Matt’s goodbye wave to his old tribe mates, we saw Rob apparently telling the girls: “Hang in there.”
I say apparently because we never heard those words as they were captioned on screen at the same time as Stephanie’s upcoming confessional began. The editors wanted us to connect him to Stephanie and her survival. As for Matt being an asset to Andrea, we have to wonder if Matt won’t try to get back with Rob instead.
Stephanie: “I didn’t just plant a seed in Rob’s mind, it’s more like I took a sequoia tree and put it in his brain. This is the only thing I have to hold on to stay in this game.”
Ometepe
Day 12
Phillip: “Rob and Grant stepped away to go watch the duel at RI so I had a funny kind of day. For me, it’s like I can’t make an impression on these ladies. It’s frustrating for me. These girls remind me of crabs, particularly Natalie and Ashley. I have a very difficult time trying to approach them. They are quick to move away. They see me coming and they don’t want to have a conversation with me. They definitely remind me of crabs. Andrea is a little bit more approachable but she is cautious. She doesn’t want Rob or Grant to know that she is talking to me even though they’re the ones that sent her closest ally, Matt, to Redemption Island.”
Interesting that this confessional had to occur after Phillip had talked to Andrea because, how else would he know she was cautious and didn’t want Rob and Grant to know about their conversation. These talks are either the basis of the vote that will defeat Rob or they are more doubts as to his chances of success. I noted that we had a shot of Andrea chopping something and looking like she could chop her thumb instead. That’s twice now that we’ve seen something like this. Could it be to foreshadow Andrea getting injured and being medevaced?
(If not then all I can say is: Kids, do not hold your thumb out like that when chopping with a knife!)
Ashley: “We miss the boys. Rob and Grant are like our big brothers so it’s weird not having them around. We have to fake it to make Phillip feel as part of the group, we have to fake it so Andrea feels comfortable. There’s a lot of faking going on but it’s the name of the game.”
Andrea: “My relationship with the girls? There’s a level of frustration that’s growing a little bit because they don’t do that much. It’s a little agitating to me because I want to keep going but I also have to hang out with them so it feels like us three girls are together. They are sweet girls but, the girls, their conversation goes to superficial stuff, like “How’s my hair? Talking about stuff like that. Right now, I don’t feel safe. Oh! We have our five, we have our five but, if I had it my way, I would want to get rid of Natalie and Ashley before Phillip but I can’t really bring that up without putting myself on the chopping block.”
With Andrea seen working before this scene and throughout this confessional, tending fire and picking up branches while the two other girls were sun bathing, we were told which one was the better survivor. Ashley already had too thin a story but Natalie suffered from this direct comparison. If Ashley and Natalie think they are faking it we heard that Andrea also knows she has to hide her frustrations and hang out with the girls for appearances.
Phillip and Andrea had a moment, the Federal agent saying: “I like you a lot. I feel you are the best female worker here.”
Andrea: “You can’t forget the social game so you can’t be working the entire time. You have to socialize too.”
Phillip: “I haven’t connected with the younger ladies except you a little bit…”
Andrea: “Tell me: As there been any point in the game where you tried to throw me under the bus?”
Phillip assured her: “Never.”
They continued confiding but at one point, Andrea said: “Matt is long gone.”
What could that mean?
Despite this, Phillip added: “If Matt comes back, I can see you, me and Matt being in an alliance. Rob back-stabbed Matt and I’m just waiting for my time. That’s what is frustrating for me: They don’t realize that this guy has a history of throwing people under the bus when it suits his needs.”
Phillip: “I made some real synergy with Andrea today and I think that, in the future that would hold something both for she as well as I. To fully understand my relationship with Rob is: The king is a dictator and I’m a lord and I’m waiting for my opportunity to replace the king.”
In the middle of this confessional, we saw Rob and Grant returning, Rob saying that Kristina had won before confessing that he was only kidding. Andrea couldn’t hide her reaction: “Don’t do that.”
So, is Matt-Andrea-Phillip the alliance that will overturn Rob? We know what happened to Phillip’s first alliance of three so let’s wait before crowning one of them king of Nicaragua. For now, we simply note that it makes another end-game connection for Phillip and doubts for Rob.
On the way back to Zapatera
Day 12
Stephanie: “Redemption Island was beautiful because we got to speak and Boston Rob heard us loud and clear unless for some reason he lost his hearing because before leaving, he told us to hang on and that’s what we are going to do: We are going to hang on. This is our objective right now and hopefully things go our way that’s the only thing I can do right now because my head’s on the chopping block and I don’t want my head to go rolling.”
As she said this, we saw a little frog perilously trying to hang on to a branch as it crossed from one side of our screen to the other, obviously symbolizing Stephanie’s attempt to cross from one tribe to the other. The frog made it.
Zapatera
Day 13
Krista (after listening to Steve speak in sports clichés): “Since Russell has left, there’s been zero talk of strategy. Everything has been: We did awesome at this challenge. You did great. It was all you” I mean, that’s all anyone’s talked about. They just aren’t playing the game. When the game makes them play it, they are going to be very disappointed.”
Just then, with Krista in the foreground, Sarita in the back, David was seen using a machete to chop some wood. Now that Krista is gone does that mean that Sarita is next? It could very well be. That’s the one player David would like to chop as we were soon to discover.
Mike: “Krista and Stephanie, they are kind of on the outskirts of our tribe. They are definitely conspiring together. They were part of Russell’s alliance and they’ve remained very tight. There definitely are some risks but I don’t see it playing into the game too much at this point.”
That’s a fourth “we are naïve” comment from a member of the Zap 6. Then, as the tribe talked about going for the victory, we had an image of David with a piece of string hanging in front of his face. It looked like a hangman’s noose. So, is David victim or executioner? Both?
Julie: “I feel that the tribe is a little overconfident right now. There’s reasons for it but we threw that challenge and I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us. Once you start winning, you get on a roll and, to stop that roll, I’m a little superstitious when it comes to that. I want to keep everyone in check until actually we win. Then we could be cocky or whatever but right now it’s kind of bad Karma.”
Two things to note: The editors obviously used a confessional from Julie that was given before the last Tribal Council because Zapatera already won a challenge after throwing the challenge. The bad Karma will stick to this tribe because, just when Julie’s interview ended, we saw Mike dropping the pot of water on the fire, Ralph even noting: “You put our fire out!” Will Zapatera fall because of a stupid move by Mike?
The Challenge
Steve and Julie sat out the challenge.
Rob was Ometepe’s caller and puzzle solver.
Stephanie, as designated by Sarita, did the same for Zapatera.
Sarita: “If you were calling out the directions, you were also the puzzle maker and Stephanie is good. She’s a linguist, you could tell. I knew she was going to be great to call things out. She’s bossy as all heck so that was definitely the job for her.”
David: “I’m not God’s gift to puzzle world but I am certainly more qualified to be doing a word puzzle than Stephanie. Sarita’s trying to be fair, Sarita is letting everybody have a chance, everybody’s playing but this isn’t a pee-wee soccer league.”
Rob: “I’m good at puzzles so this could be a turning point for this tribe. There’s no way they can take this win from us.”
I don’t think Rob’s words were meant to apply to only this challenge.
During the challenge, Ralph, who had never shut up, confusing Stephanie, finally was given instructions to get Zapatera’s last bag only to get the traditional: “No, your other left!”
Rob was given an early lead but he wasted time opening his bags.
Stephanie didn’t mess around untying the knots.
The camera showed us a letter that had fallen to the ground, making us think Rob would come one short but he noticed it in time and completed the puzzle first.
Before that, Jeff made a comment that really had me thinking: “This is a Hero or a Goat role. When you put yourself as the caller and the puzzle solver, you better be right.”
Did Jeff just tell us that Stephanie will indeed join Rob only to become his goat? Or maybe the goat will be Natalie because the camera went looking for her when Jeff said the word goat.
The sideline discussion from Zapatera was also interesting:
Sarita, looking very worried: “She’s got it. I’m not even worried about her.”
Later, as Stephanie slowed down, Steve said: “I wish David had been caller. I don’t think she’s smart enough for this.”
Ralph, directly to Sarita: “That’s why we needed David.”
Mike, to David after Rob had tasted victory: “Should’ve had you do that puzzle.”
Ralph: “Yep, David should have been there.”
As Ometepe carried off their tray of pastry, I was reminded of Randy but no one decided to mock the other team this time.

Julie: “Even though we lost today in the challenge, we really won. It’s going to be between Krista and Stephanie. Those two are on the chopping block tonight.”
Note Julie’s departure from her bad Karma line. It makes us think she is forgetting something here which isn’t a good sign for her and her tribe.
Ometepe
Everyone was eating: The monkey, the crab, the vulture (a lot of those this season), the grasshopper and, of course, the castaways who were savoring their pastries.
Ashley: “Oh! My God! The chocolate donuts! I can’t even choose a favorite. Like, I love muffins and those muffins were apple cinnamon or something and they were sooo good!”
Hearing Ashley’s Oh! My God! Reminded me of someone: Amber in Australia of course. So, is Ashley the new Amber? No but a confessional by Natalie about those donuts could have made that connection. Natalie was once more ignored. A little vignette from her would have been a nice touch to give to a potential winner.
Phillip: “We got a win today! You get to see my beautiful whites more often.”
Ashley: “Phillip was like: “I’ll trade a donut if someone gives me a massage. I wouldn’t give you a massage for a dozen donuts, buddy.”
Grant: “I pick up the coffee after everybody is distracted by the food. I swirl it around a little bit, I smell it and I see what could be a little roll of paper. Sure enough, Rob saw the same thing. What do you do? You got all your tribe hanging around but nobody caught it, I don’t think.”
Grant handed the bottle to Boston Rob.
Rob: “Grant set a block up for me. I was going to take it out and put it down my pants but if I do that it would be too obvious that I have it on me. How can I get that whole thing over there, so that I can make him come back to the camp? So, when Grant turned the other way, that set a pick for me and I went around the outside. It was like a well choreographed football play!
I’m going to switch this with the clue that I already have. I’ll give them the clue I already have and keep this one. We have to move.
Today is a good day. What can I say?! Not only did we win immunity and reward but I got very lucky and had someone hand me the clue to the hidden immunity idol and I went to hide it for him. Unbeknownst to Grant, I ran to the stash that had my original clue that I had buried and switched it with the one we had in our coffee. That first clue was so ridiculous! Something about the idol being in the sand, under a rock, in a tree! There’s no way to find anything with it…
When Grant first came up to me, I wasn’t sure if he had seen me in the woods so I had to pretend like I was nervous. I mean, this is really all for nothing because I already have the immunity idol but it’s fun for me. I have to entertain myself out here. I had to hustle but you got to hustle if you want to make a dollar! Everybody knows that.”
Zapatera
Sarita tried to defend her rationale, explaining that David stresses out under pressure.
That just ignited David’s fury. He freaked out saying he doesn’t freak out.
Steven: “It’s absurd for Sarita to go with her decision that Stephanie was the right person. Everybody knows that we have a very strong attorney that he lives doing puzzles. That’s his thing. I’m more disappointed in the whole team than at Stephanie, for a couple of strong personalities not to step up.”
Mike: “Stephanie and Krista made their bed on day one, literally and metaphorically, right next to Russell. So, I can’t see either of them as someone that I can trust. With Stephanie’s floundering today at the puzzle, I might put her on the chopping block number one.”
Julie and Sarita went for a walk. They agreed they didn’t trust Stephanie but Julie added that Stephanie could turn around while: “With Krista, I don’t even want to waste my breath. I don’t like her.”
Sarita agreed.
Julie: “I’m hoping that we can still reel Stephanie in but Krista? Nah! They both have targets but Krista has the bull’s eye on her.”
Sarita added that she didn’t trust Stephanie, Julie and David because he is a lawyer.
Sarita: “If it was entirely up to me, David would be going home tonight but Stephanie and Krista? They played their hands early on so now they are two dead ducks sitting on a lake, waiting for the gunshot.”
Stephanie and Krista were talking to each other.
Stephanie said that she didn’t understand why they wouldn’t keep a healthy person in place of Steve.
Krista added that they had to continue to fight both at camp and on Redemption Island because the others weren’t playing the game and it would come back to bite them in the end.
That certainly sounded like a prophecy.
Krista: “The sad thing is that there’s really no scrambling… It’s either me or Stephanie going home. They are so locked tight <Mike shown yawning> in their comfort of: “Let’s just get through this one and then we know we’re safe.” They don’t think about what if, after this vote, everyone makes it to the merge? They are not thinking about that and who is going to stick around to the end… If I had to put money on it, I’d say that none of them are going to make it to the end. I just wish I was going to be around to see it.”
Tribal Council
Krista: “After Russell left, it seems like there’s been no game playing. It’s like the Brady bunch went camping and they invited the two neglected step-children to come along.”
Sarita: “I think it’s funny because we have been playing it so fast and furious that we unseated one of the best players in survivor history. We want to stick and see if we can take it all the way.”
Krista: “But playing the game means you don’t stick with six through the entire game. You go down to 5, to 4. then 3.and then 2 and then you have to play.”
Mike: “You haven’t played that strategic game because you haven’t had those conversations…You have been abrasive this entire time to everybody.”
Jeff: “You are implying there are no sub-alliances within this group.”
Krista: “I think if there are any, it is in pairs. You obviously have Mike and Steve who have been tight from the beginning. Then you have Julie who has become comfortable with Steve. You have Sarita and Ralph and they seem to be together. I don’t know where that leaves Dave but it seems to be twos so with me and Stephanie here; that could be a big four. If I was in that six, I would be jumping on one of us.”
Mike: “What she doesn’t know is that in our six, there’s been lots of talks of strategy.”
Steve: “I would have preferred somebody else making the calls today. I wasn’t able to say anything but I would have thrown down to have David make the calls and do the puzzle.”
Asked if it would be fair to vote her out since she failed, Stephanie said: “I just have to rely on my record with them. I did my best in every other challenge. I know I have. I just have to make sure that they realize it.”
Stephanie added that, with Redemption Island, they still had to keep the faith in each other alive.
As Jeff went to tally the votes, the two girls held hands, obviously unsure what the tribe had decided.
After sharing a hug, Stephanie told Krista to hang in there.
Jeff sent them back to camp by saying: “The good news tonight is that you had an easy vote. The bad news is that Krista didn’t go quietly. The question is: What kind of damage did she do to the alliances within this tribe?”

The Story
It is quite noticeable that everyone in Ometepe is getting more airtime, something that was an early worry for Rob’s success. With the way the scenes always seem to be cut by going to Ometepe first, even ignoring Redemption Island, the winner most likely resides on that beach.
After being portrayed as a tribe that didn’t respect the game, Zapatera was now seen as a naïve tribe, one that didn’t see that the girls could cause damage. As for the vote itself, was it edited that way to keep a surprise or did no one approach Stephanie to tell her she was safe and start building a bridge? The two girls really looked surprised when the first vote was read so, unless Stephanie is a good actress, she didn’t know. Jeff, wicked as ever, was sure to use the plural when talking about alliances in the tribe. Something will break within the Zapatera 6. After naiveté, we should see paranoia.
The Characters
At Redemption Island
Krista: Her last words in camp and her interventions at Tribal Council sounded prophetic and told us of Zapatera’s fall but she also said: “I wish I would be around to see it.” That could have been left in to hint that she will return from RI and make the jury. Let’s wait until she beats Matt first.

Matt: I still see Matt returning to the game, the doubts we saw in the preview could be a way to connect him even more to the audience. However, for the first time, I am not so sure. Despite calling Rob a rascal the two seemed to come to terms, Matt apparently making his peace with the vote that sent him to RI so his story could be getting to an end. Even if he returns, Matt sounded more like he’d rejoin Rob instead of plotting against him.

The Doomed Tribe
Julie: One of the featured “Naïve Players”, Julie forgot about her fear of bad Karma when she said that losing a challenge was like a win. She doesn’t think that Stephanie is a threat, even hopes to bring her back in the fold. Julie will pay for her loss of focus.
Mike: This other Naïve Player was the one that put out the tribe’s fire and he stood up to Krista at TC. It seems that his episode #1 weird comments were really to tell us that this guy doesn’t get it.
Steven: Is Steve in trouble physically? We heard Stephanie saying that they should keep a healthy person instead of him but we haven’t seen anything besides his decision to sit out the challenge. Steve also showed that he is one step behind the action when he borrowed the slogan “We are Family”. He also seemed to have been outvoted by Julie and Sarita when it came to deciding between Stephanie and Krista.
Ralph: Now that his conflict with Russell has been resolved, Ralph disappeared only to be shown complaining about Sarita’s decision. A dumb##### could win the game but, with the “No, your other left” comment, Ralph became a Dumb Player and those never win.

Sarita: Has there ever been so much indications to the next person voted out? Sarita’s story is over. We saw David chopping wood immediately after her face had been shown on screen. The whole tribe complained about her decision and she was the one that had a confessional targeting David, a member of the Zapatera 6.
David: He could be the alternate boot target and the imagery of the hangman’s noose in front of his face doesn’t exactly bode well for him. The executioner could be executed himself shortly after getting Sarita’s head.
The Flipper
Stephanie: Her words before, during and after the duel gives her a direct connection to Rob so I feel she punched her ticket to the merge. With his own girls having lacklustre stories, could Rob pick her as his goat? That’s what Jeff’s words about the role of Heroes and Goats hinted. It would be quite a story if, after relying on Russell, Stephanie made the end game by riding on Rob’s back. Is it too good to be true? Probably but she should make the merge and outlast the rest of her tribe.
The Good Beach
Ashley: Even if she received more airtime, Ashley still remains a character without a plan or a personal story. All we know is that her life would be perfect if it wasn’t for Phillip.

Grant: He is finally shown as Rob’s right hand man but he is also clearly one step behind. He is more a source of entertainment for Rob than a competitor. Outside of that, we haven’t really been introduced to Grant as an individual.

Natalie: Her story is either on hold until she makes a move with Rob or it is regressing to the point that the camera looked for her when Jeff was talking about a goat. She could make the F3 if she doesn’t let Stephanie steal her spot but hearing Andrea saying that she should be voted out before Phillip wasn’t a good sign. Andrea also called her lazy, saying she didn’t do much which often is a death-kiss on Survivor.
Phillip: He continues to create doubts around his plans and those doubts serve much more to make us fear for Rob’s future than for Phillip’s success.
Andrea: Andrea is shown as a smart, cautious player that was clearly separated from the vapid girls on her tribe. Does she have enough dimensions as a character to represent a worthwhile winner? If she makes it to the end and organizes Rob’s dismissal, I’d say she certainly does. On the other hand, we have seen what happens to likable women that make deals with Phillip. Or will Andrea get injured and have to leave the game? Despite her earlier claim, she doesn’t appear to know how to handle a hatchet or a knife. If I could make a quinella bet, she’d be on the ticket.

Rob: If hustling is the way to make a dollar, Rob hustles about a million times more than anyone else so that should be enough to claim the final prize! Kidding aside, this episode showed us that Rob has doubts surrounding his chances to make it to the end. The lack of doubt was what had told us that Marcus couldn’t win.
More importantly, Rob isn’t portrayed as a one-dimensional Hero because some of his actions are presented negatively, like his refusal to explain himself to Matt and his lie to Grant.
With doubts surrounding his road to the end, the possibility that he will wind up sitting next to someone nice which would create doubt around his ability to get the votes, I still see Redemption Island as the story of Rob winning. The Sweet Taste of Victory would be overdue as he himself said after winning Ometepe’s first immunity challenge.

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kiki_k 1199 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 00:10 AM (EST)

49. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

LAST EDITED ON 03-19-11 AT 00:14 AM (EST)
Thanks, michel! I'm on the same page as you with all of it, for the most part, especially Matt coming back from RI. And, even though he's a tad too "religious" for my taste (I don't like it when people pray for victory on a game show) he is such a sweet kid that I think his coming back will bolster Jeff's claims that we will love the RI twist -- I see the public being happy that Matt comes back in. As to Stephanie -- I do see her making it to merge, but after she teams up with Rob to scr@w Zap, I think her story is over. She might outlast the rest of the Zaps, but only if Rob lets her. I definitely don't see him allowing her to make it to F3 (as there will be more Zaps on the jury than Ometepes & I don't see Rob taking that chance with the jury).
One thing I wanted to remind you of -- when Rob said he had to "hustle to make a dollar" it immediately reminded me of Sandra -- she used that exact word both times she was on Survivor (about how she is coming on Survivor to "hustle and make my money"). And of course, she won both times. *Might* be a good sign for Rob.

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Belle Book 2394 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 03:21 PM (EST)

51. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

I'm still cautious about Boston Rob winning. As I said, the merge will tell the tale -- or maybe even the next vote if his tribe has to go to TC again.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-20-11, 12:11 PM (EST)

56. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

LAST EDITED ON 03-20-11 AT 01:06 PM (EST)
Here are some points I saw...The introduction by Jiffy highlighted the two different directions that the "stars", Russell and Rob, were taking. Nice shot of Rob running... Regarding Phillip, we got this: Phillip in confessional...”I need to get rid of him now, CLAP, good-bye Rob” Then we see an immediate picture of a little tree frog who is ready to jump. This is symbolic that Phillip is going to “jump”
I see the introduction this time as a way to highlight the different directions....they appear to be polar opposites. Rob is running toward the end game, and Russell just ran right out of the game. I think it was indeed a positive introduction for Robfadda. He has two that are not aligned with him, he took out Kristina, now, is it time to deal with Phillip? It's the next big conflict for Robfadda to meet...
With michel's astute observation...Last week, after starting on Redemption Island, we had visited Ometepe instead of Zapatera. This week, it’s very noteworthy that we didn’t even go to RI but visited Ometepe once more. I don’t think there is any question left that the winner is on this tribe....at this point, I have to agree. I do indeed believe the winner is at camp Ometepe.

Confessional - Phillip: Tonight Kristina went home after a 4-3 vote, her and me. Not too surprising, I suspected it. There is a very close alliance with Rob and several others in the group, they have been running the show from the get-go. I’m kind of like the odd man out, even though I think I bring alot to this tribe. And, soon, a couple of people are going to have to wake up and realize that. (See Phillip working to stoke and revitalize the fire as the others are going to bed).
This scenario sets up episode 6 nicely. Phillip knows that he is the “odd man out”, and that he needs to MAKE some others see that he is valuable to the tribe. How does he go about doing it, by the looks of it, he’s going to call out the lazy spa girls. It appears that he is going to hit his tribemates over the head that he is a harder worker at camp than the girls. But, is this what they value? Hard work at camp vs. challenge worth.
Then we see a bucket of crabs (this is what Phillip will later compare the girls to!), and Phillip going to lay down in the shelter, where Rob asks him if he’s wearing his underwear. And, Phillip gives Rob a little pat on the back...(Would he like to be giving him a little "stab" in the back?)
Cut to Morning of Day 12, and Ashley is carving the mark in the tree to count off the days they have been there, with Andrea looking over her shoulder...(is this symbolic? Would Andrea like to replace Ashley?)
Then we cut to Phillip stretching his legs in his underwear, with “kooky” music in the background and Rob is talking-complaining about him to Grant...”Phillip stuck his freakin’ leg, like his knee, in my back, like just to be an a$$ last night, as they are taking the laundry off the clothesline. Grant asks Rob, “do you think he’s a little upset about TC last night?” “I don’t know”
Let's examine this kooky music that surrounds Phillip. For me, it does work to diffuse the threat that we are being led to believe that Phillip is for Rob by the editing. Is it misdirection?
Confessional - Rob: TC is always a miserable night, all around. On top of it, Phillip is bugging everyone, including myself. He’s COMPLETELY off his rocker, walking around in his pink panties, (note the kooky music in the background again), nobody trusts him. As long as Phillip is aggravating everyone so much, it takes all the heat off of me. So, in a way, maybe he needs to stay!
With this profound statement, as long as Phillip is around, people have a greater target than me to aim for....very, very profound observation by Rob, and it's the next question to settle at Ometepe. This observation is underlined by them cutting here to go to the Survivor Intro and theme song...
After the Intro, there are beautiful shots of sea life, fish and rays, then we get Steve's insight in confessional: “Day 12, the spirits in the tribe are high, as long as we keep excelling in the challenges, everything is going along as plannned.”
We see happy family life at Zap with the Zap 6 all fishing together, Julie kisses Ralph, and Steve continues...“our six is extremely rock solid and my vision would be to try to reach out to those 2 girls, (see Steph and Krista going in to the surf), there’s always hope to bring Krista and Stephanie in.” See them cooking 2 fish on their bar-b-que.
Steve continues, “If we can show them that we are a solid family and that there’s no back stabbing (see Krista and Steph eating the fish as he says backstabbing), and that it’s a safe place to be, I would think that they would want to hang tight with us, going into the merge. (We hear Steph saying that it’s the best tasting one yet!) Also, note that the tribes are thinking ahead to the merge.
Steve is looking at Survivor through rose-colored glasses, is it a safe place to be? Isn't the object to outwit and outplay to outlast? We also hear that he is looking forward to the merge. Steve is very naiive. Will he be blindsided because of his naiive assessment?
Immediately after Steve is done with his confessional, we see the little green tree frog again, noting to us viewers that someone IS going to jump....specifically it followed a shot of Krista and Stephanie, and the confessional from Steve that they need to stay in the “solid family”.
Next Mike reads tree mail regarding sending 2 to RI, Stephanie and Krista get to go, and Julie tells us her thoughts on that...Julie: “Now that Russell is gone, S and K are not even a threat. They can go do whatever they want, they can talk about whatever they want, we really don’t care, they’re just pawns in this big game”....This is a very negative confessional, in that Julie is totally discounting them, and I might add that she is probably speaking for the tribe. So the tribe is discounting them....doesn’t bode well, imo, for Julie and Zaps. Never discount anyone in a game, especially when they have already mentioned the merge.
They pack to leave, Ralph yells, have fun, and Julie finishes her confessional...”they can’t do any damage to us.” I say, famous last words....that is just what they are setting out to do, do you damage.
Cut to the tree frog climbing up, preparing to launch! And we see K and S, “what are we going to tell them? That we are Russell’s girls and that we hate our tribe?”
Stephanie utters the title of the episode....We hate our tribe. This is the highlighted event of this episode, they hate their tribe and they are going to make like a tree frog and jump, and RI is going to be the vehicle that lets them deliver their message, get the ball rolling, or as Russell has told us, planting the "Russell seed".
Steph: I am hoping to send the other tribe a message, that they have 2 girls that are ready to flip, so we are ready to cause havoc and chaos, and cause craziness at the merge....cut in the tree frog as he LEAPS, jumps...foreshadowing the jumping of these girls.
RI Duel: K and S seat themselves, then Rob and Grant, then the competitors arrive, Matt battles against Kristina. Welcome...Matt has won both duels, do or die situation, have to win, loser goes home...race to collect pieces, use them to complete puzzle in a shape of a cube...one shot...starts...winner stays, loser goes home....3x3 cube, get all cubes up here then work on it...Matt has his pieces, Kristina now has hers, pieces are not light...Kristina makes progress, Matt makes progress, Matt is very close but wrong, starting over completely, now Kristina is like a true gladiator...
Matt addresses Rob...”Rob, you rascal! Why’d you vote me out for no reason? I still don’t know why, it might calm me down if I knew why?"...Jiffy asks, “Rob, why did you vote him out?” “It doesn’t take one person to vote someone out, Jeff, you know that." Rob's answer was edited...in that I think more was said, but the editing led us to believe that Rob answered another question without showing his hand, as the experienced gambler that we've known him to be. The editing is showing Rob is really SMART.
The RI challenge continues...Kristina has new energy....Matt thinks he may be closer, has it, out of nowhere, Matt stays alive! Matt goes immediately to face Rob and Grant...”I told you!” and Rob/Grant clap and give him the thumbs up...then he hugs Kristina.
“Matt, congrats, you are still in this game! As he shakes his head yes...Jeff: “alot going on at the end of that challenge as you are talking to Rob and Grant about why they voted you out (this confirms that dialogue that happened between Rob, Grant, and Matt was indeed edited out, something is covered up that we don't know about)...did you learn anything? Matt says that he told both of those guys that he would, that he wanted to go with them to the top 3, I wanted you two guys to win (?), so hopefully I’ll hop back up to the Ometepe tribe.” It sounds like maybe Matt was bargaining with them, noting his plans to come back to Ometepe, pledging something to them, perhaps? Insightful, or, has Matt learned from a prior mistake...is he now playing the seasoned veteran? Time will tell. I thought this was a good sign for Matt and his longevity in the game.
Matt turned to tell Rob and Grant, “I told you!...What did Matt tell them? Was a deal struck right here between Rob, Grant and Matt? I don’t know, but I do feel there was editing here.
...then Steph says, “I kind of like that he says he would stick to his tribe...I wish I felt the same he did, there is still a clear division. Jeff says, “in your tribe”, and Krista continues, “us two together, on the bottom”. Steph says they may think that they have the numbers, but I say, yellow might look good on me, K says , “me, too.” Jiffy notes, “Wow, Rob, Grant, it never hurts to have 2 people say, we might be willing to merge with you.” Rob replies, “It doesn’t hurt if they are telling the truth”. Stephanie or Krista reply, “I’m telling the truth”, Rob and Grant both look over at them, and Rob gives them a thumbs up. And to punctuate the pact, we get a symbol type percussion sound. Then Jeff says so long Kristina, who wants to keep her buff, but has to throw it in the fire. The spectators applaud her, sad music, and she is gone....
Jeff says, Matt, for the third time, you have seized the moment in the your quest to grab the million dollars, and a chance to get even or rejoin. Grab your stuff and head back and await your next opponent. Jeff tells the spectators to head out. Rob comes down the steps and tells them to “hang in there”. Steph has a confessional, “I didn’t even plant a seed, it’s like I took a sequoia tree and I put it in his brain. This is the only thing I have to hang on to to stay in this game...see them leave. Dramatic music plays as the camera zooms out of the arena. Cut to commercial.
Notice that Steph is getting all the important confessionals, clearly she's the one that will indeed jump from Zap to Rob at the merge and everything is in place. Krista is the doomed one, imo.
Cut to Ometepe in the AM, Phillip, watching the girls who are talking about rice, how they don’t usually eat rice...Ashley and Natalie, they talk about making it in the microwave in 90 seconds, as they are talking we see Andrea working and chopping something...
Phillip in confessional: Rob and Grant stepped away to go watch the duel at RI. For me, I can’t make an impression on these ladies, it’s frustrating for me.” Then we see a monkey looking down from the tree. Then we see Phillip out crab hunting and his confessional continues...”these girls remind me of crabs, particularly Natalie and Ashley. I have a very difficult time trying to approach them. They are quick to move away....we see a crab go back into his hole as Phillip approaches with his spear...when they see me coming, and they don’t want to have a conversation with me about it....see him throw the spear. They definitely remind me of crabs. Andrea is a little more approachable. She’s cautious, she doesn’t want Rob or Grant to know that she’s talking to me, even though they are the ones that sent her closest ally, Matt, to RI.
Then we see Andrea and Phillip at the fire, she’s commenting on wet wood, and Phillip says it’s going to be okay.
Ashley in confessional: “We miss the boys. Rob and Grant are like our big brothers. We have to fake it to make Phillip feel like part of the group, We have to fake it so Andrea feels comfortable. There’s alot of faking going on, but that’s the name of the game...Clearly, Ashley feels quite secure in her alliance of 4, which excludes Phillip and Andrea. With this confessional, I can see Ashley voting for either Phillip or Andrea, albeit she can't stand Phillip.
Then around the fire, Ashley says, “the sun is coming out, it’s almost time for our beach day! We see Andrea there too with Nat as well.
Andrea tells us in confessional: “My relationship with the girls, there is some frustration there, because they just don’t do that much. Then we see Andrea and Ashley under the waterfall shower...with Nat. She continues with confessional, “it’s a little aggravating to me because I want to get stuff done and keep going. I kind of have to keep hanging out with them, so us three girls are together. They are sweet girls, but the conversations usually go to superficial stuff, like, oh, how’s my hair, then we see Nat and Ashley lying on a blanket in the sand on the beach talking about nothing really, as we see Andrea collecting firewood. She says that on Ometepe, they say we have our five....but if I had it my way, I’d like to get rid of Natalie and Ashley before Phillip. (This tells us that Andrea is being told that she is part of the alliance of 5 by the four). “But, I can’t really bring that up without putting myself on the chopping block.
So, Andrea is still an outsider, she would like to move up the hierarchy by replacing Ash and Nat before Phillip, because she discounts Phillip. This sets up another option for Andrea...as Phillip has hinted at also, that Andrea and Phillip could align to target Ash or Nat.
Then we see Andrea in her bathing suit at the fire, with Phillip sitting next to her...he tells her, To win Survivor, I think you got a good shot. *Even though Phillip speaks this and he's "kooky", I still think it's very positive for Andrea...she has a good shot to win this, and we all know it's a positive when others talk about you....but, otoh, is Phillip just buttering her up to make a move to gain an ally...sure looks like it. She says, “thank-you”. Phillip continues, “I like you alot, you are the best female worker here”.
Andrea says, “I appreciate that, it’s a little frustrating being here when there’s like stuff to always be done, you still have to play the social game, so you can’t be working the entire time, you still have to socialize too...Phillip says, “well, look at me, I’m stuck, I’m so frustrated in this game because I haven’t connected with any of you younger ladies, you, I’m having a tiny bit of a conversation, but, the other two, they can’t engage me.” Andrea says, “so, can I ask you something?” “Sure”, “There hasn’t been any point in this game that you didn’t throw me under the bus or do anything against me? Phillip looks her in the eye and states, “Never”, she says, “Never?”, he replies, ‘Never”.
Andrea says, “OK, I wasn’t like suspicious, I’m just curious, but it’s hard to trust anyone out here”. (Andrea is accurately assessing things and as Phillip notes later, she's very cautious) Phillip says that, “Only Rob and Grant, and you guys are pulling all the strings. I sleep by myself, nobody snuggles up with me, and I get to have that shayshshsh”...she says, “what’s that?”, “I’m sure you and Matt talk about shshshshsh,” She says that Matt’s long gone, “I know but at one point you used to talk with him about the game, strategy, whatever, I’ve never done that with anyone in the game. I’m going to put this out there. How about you, me, and Matt form an alliance. Cause I felt like Rob backstabbed Matt and I am just waiting for my time. It’s just frustrating for me, they don’t realize that this guy has a history of throwing people under the bus when it suits his needs. (Phillip doesn't sound so kooky now, does he?) This could be ominous for Phillip...as long as he was kooky he wasn't threatening, but if he can make some headway with allies, I'd say he won't be so kooky anymore and could then be considered threatening.
Later, Phillip in confessional: I made some real synergy with Andrea today...and, I think that maybe, in the future, that will hold something for both she, and I. Immediately after his mention of the future hope we see Grant and Rob returning from RI...they walked up smiling and Rob teased, “Kristina won”, and they said, WHAT?

With a reaction shot from Andrea, and then he said, "no, just kidding, Matt won"....and Andrea said, “Don’t do that!”
This was a very subtle insertion of something that didn't have to be shown, but I think was because it underlines to Rob that Andrea is still very much emotionally tied to her island boyfriend and will definitely reunite with him, should he be returned to the game....I have no doubt that Rob is foreseeing this as a real possibility at this point. He definitely sees Andrea as a threat to HIS future...imo.
Phillip then continues with the confessional. "Rob is a dictator, and I am a lord, and I am waiting for my opportunity to replace the king.” And, he smiles. This is a direct threat, he notes that he's WAITING for his opportunity, he's waiting for Matt to get back as well, he's also noting this future possibility, just as Rob is. Who is the bigger threat to tie up with Matt....Subtle Andrea, or Lord Phillip?
Cut to day 12 at Zap, and Steph gets more juicy confessionals about jumping to Rob, they are going to heed his advice, and "hang on". Note: Steph was doing most of the talking, planning, and she told us their ideas and the events in confessional, not Krista.
Then we cut to Steve giving them advice as there is no "I" in team, I note that there is a shot of the "noose" rope with Steve also...Then we get Krista's vantage point, that since RussHell left there is no talk of strategy....then to highlight this point we hear Steve and Mike talking about how things must suck at the other camp now...Krista continues... "Everything has been you did really awesome in the challenge. No, you did...No, it was all you (See Rooster and David talking and smiling now), or, that’s all that everyone’s just talking about, OR, (see Julie sleeping when she says,) they are just not playing the game." This was a very telling confessional highlighted with the visuals of the Zap 6 members....sounds like Krista is indeed being prophetic.
"And, when the game makes them play it (see Sarita in the background now), they’re going to be very disappointed". See David chopping and hear Steph say, would you like some fresh tortillas today, sir? She says this to K, to avoid hanging out with the tribe, excuse yourself by making a meal...then you don’t have to hear all the boring stories you’ve already heard 95 times.
Confessional from Narrator Mike: K and S, they’re kinda on the outskirts of our tribe, I know that they are definitely conspiring together, they were part of Russell’s alliance. They’ve remained pretty tight from there, so, there definitely are some risks, but he doesn’t see it playing into the game too much at this point.
Cut to the fire and shot of David with the noose rope right over his face, as we hear Steve say in the background, “We’re gonna go hard, there’s only victory today, guys”. The noose over David’s face says that David is going to hang...hmmmm? We saw later that David was hung out to dry by Sarita, who assinged the Challenge tasks.
Only victory.
Julie confessional: I feel like the tribe is a little over-confident right now, and there’s reason for it. But, we threw that challenge and I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us. Once you start winning, you get on a roll and it kinda (shot of David) and once you stop that roll, I’m a little superstitious when it comes to that stuff...so I want everybody to keep things in check...see the fire burning....until we actually win, then we can be cocky or whatever, but right now, (she makes a face), it’s bad karma....then immediately we see Mike trying to put the pot of rice and water over the fire, and he spills it and it burns him and puts the fire out! Rooster screams, “he’s put the fire out!“ The scene ends with a shot of the doused fire...and you see the black clouds a coming, I’m reminded of “a storm’s a coming!” A very ominous sign for Zapatera.
Clearly, Karma will come back to bite them...for throwing the challenge to boot the experienced RussHell...a very very ominous prediction for Camp Zap.
Cut to the Challenge, where the tribes are now assigning the tribemates...Sarita, as RussHell noted before, seems to be the one in charge. She makes the assignments, and no one but David questions her at the time...
See Sarita assign Stephanie the caller and puzzle solver, David in confessional says, "I’m more qualified, this isn’t like a peewee soccer league", he had questioned this assignment right off the bat. While the Zaps are questioning, we see the contrast, that Rob is confident, “I’m good at puzzles, there is no way they can take this away from us”....It seems to me that whenever Rob makes a statement like this, and it’s shown to the audience, it’s pure gold - you can take it to the bank. Rob is shown, once again, at being a great leader and confident in his own game, and able to quide his tribe.
We see the challenge, and it seems that Rob and Steph are both doing pretty well, Ralph says, hey what about me...Ralph stop talking...Grant gets two bags, Ashley has one, “Ralph stop till I address you, move to your left, your other left"...Grant has the last bag, Andrea and Phillip were totally ignored and didn’t get any bags...very telling. They are the low men on the totem pole. Grant is Rob's right hand man, Ash got one, and Nat was'nt involved either, but Rob's carrying her on his back.
Rob works on bags first, Jeff notes that he’s one of the best puzzle solvers...BR and Stephanie, both volunteered for this job, Steph has all her bags open, Sarita’s not worried. Jeff notes that this is a hero or a goat role, you better be right....Steph and Rob, Rob had a missing peice...Rob seems to be flying through it...hear STeph tell her tribe to shut up, Steve whispers to Julie, “I wish David had done this, I don’t think Stephanie is smart enough for this”, then we hear Rooster whisper something similar to Sarita...Rob wins reward and immunity...first person he hugs is Grant...then Phillip comes up to hug him with the others...
Then we see the black chicken of death chewing on a carcus as Krista walks by in the frame, followed by Rooster. Krista is toast, imo. Congrats Ometepe, and he hands the idol to Andrea...interesting. Is this foreshadowing for life for Andrea?
“TC tonight, someone will be voted out”. Zoom in on Krista as Jeff notes, “And, will be sent to RI, where they will have to duel.”..Before they have even cleared the Challenge area we hear a confessional from Julie: Well, even though we lost today in the challenge, we really won. This is going to be between K and St. Those two are on the chopping block tonight. As we see them walking away....cut to commercial. Another ominous confessional for Julie. I get the impression that they are way too cocky and over-confident, and we all know that when you think you are in charge and confident, that it will definitely come back to bite you...remember, it's called "Karma".
Back at Ometepe:
At Ometepe: We see a bird - a crane, a white headed monkey, a crab, and a cricket and they are ALL eating....then we see the Ome’s stuffing their faces with the donuts...they are so happy, Phillip is screaming, YUMMY! Phillip is happy in confessional, Ashley is happy, and wouldn't give Phillip a backrub for a dozen donuts...it does appear that a nice little conflict between Ashley and Phillip is brewing...note that Ashley is really the one seen complaining the most about him.
Then we get the action at Ometepe...
We see Grant lift up the coffee, open the jar, and say, “that’s coffee, smell that”...Grant in confessional: Sure enough, I pick up the coffee after everyone is distracted by the food, I swirl it around a little bit and I see a little piece of paper, Rob saw the same thing, as Rob grabs the coffee from him...., Grant continues in confessional..."But what do you do, you have all of your tribe around you...but nobody saw it, I don’t think"...
Then, Rob starts with his confessional..."then Grant set a block for me, I was gonna put it down my pants...but if I do that, it’s too obvious, I have it on me"...Grant says, “let’s head for the well”, Rob continues: "so, when Grant turned around he set a pick for me and I went around the outside"...Ashley is watching him go though...
We see Rob then relaxing on the beach in confessional saying, “just like a well choreographed football player!" Then we see Rob and Grant heading to the well, Grant opens the coffee and hands Rob the clue, he puts it in his pocket in his pant leg...
Then Grant gives Rob another canteen, and Rob says, "They think I’m going to get water...it’ll seem sneaky", as Grant takes back the coffee container. He tells Grant he’s going to go hide it...Grant comes back with the open coffee container and tells them to smell this, dude...cut to Rob who has opened the new clue and read it, looking behind him...and he says that he is going to go switch this with the clue that he already has, then he tells the camera man, “that we gotta move” as he takes off running...In confessional he says, “Today is a good day, not only did we win immunity, and reward, but I got very lucky and had someone hand me the clue to the HII, and I just went to go hide it from him...unbeknownst to Grant." We see Rob dig up the old clue, he swaps them out, as the white headed monkey looks down on him. "That first clue was so ridiculous, it says something about looking in the sand, and under a rock, maybe in a tree, dig for it, climb for it, who knows? There’s no way they are finding anything with it"...
Then we see Grant back with Rob...he shows Grant the clue and Rob notes, "when Grant first came up to me, I wasn’t sure if he saw me up in the woods", they decide to bury it and start running..."so, I had to pretend like I was nervous....I mean this is really all for nothing, because I already have (we see them bury it and step on it) the HII, but it’s fun for me, I have to entertain myself somehow...I had to hustle...but, you have to hustle if you want to make a dollar...everybody knows that!" I think, you have to hustle if you want to make a million dollars! This, too, could be considered a WINNING QUOTE! Another very positive sign for Robfadda....not only is he good but he is LUCKY. He also is clearly the one survivor out of all of these folks here, at Ometepe, and at Zap, that is shown HUSTLING. I do believe that Robfadda has a valid shot to win this game, and I am getting more confident that he will make the final 3.
Then we cut to Zapatera, and a buzzard flying overhead as a mother sea turtle is burying her eggs in the sand...trying to protect "her family". The buzzards are surrounding her and trying to get them....then we see the Zap 6...Steve says, this is the puzzle guy, as he untangles the net, Stephanie did a great job, but it just wasn’t her position...Sarita says, “I think, in her defense, and this was my rationale, obviously David is the puzzle guy, but David under pressure is really stressful, and David snaps back...”don’t even go there with that...me under pressure, as Sarita tries to interrupt, but David says, shhhh, just let me finish, just let me speak...me under pressure may not be the way you want it to be handled, but I don’t freak out, I do very well under pressure, my entire life is based on being under pressure...it just doesn’t jive well with your personality, maybe? That may be...then Sarita defends, “I’m just saying my perspective on the her, because normally I would’ve given the puzzle to you....but then, maybe in the future...and David interrupts, “there are no buts, I am the only one doing puzzles from here on out, period, point blank, no question.
Steve confessional: It’s absurd for Sarita to go with her decision that Stephanie’s the right person...everybody knows that we have an attorney that lives for doing puzzles, that’s his thing. I’m more disappointed in the whole team than in Stephanie. For a couple of strong personalities not to step up - I hope he includes himself in those strong personalities...then the dark chicken of death buzzard flies away...Could this be the downfall of Zapatera...none of their strong personalities are going to step up when they need to?
Back at the shelter area...I think I hear Mike say, “here’s the problem, we are one up at this point (first focused on Sarita), then he’s seen talking to Steve and Julie, “we need to string a couple victories together...we need to be really really smart about who we put where.This was just a personnel problem. Then Mike in confessional: "S and K made their bed, literally and figuratively on day one, right next to Russell. So, I don’t see either of them as someone I can trust. You know with Stephanie...she’s floundering today at the puzzle. I might put her on the chopping block, number one...then we see the buzzards taking flight..." Mike is the narrator...building suspense for TC.
Then we see Julie and Sarita on the beach walking. Julie asks Sarita, “so, what do you think, do you think Stephanie can come around?” Sarita says, “No, I don’t trust her one bit.” Julie says, “I don’t want to give up hope on her, but Krista, I don’t even want to waste my breath. Yeah, I don’t like her...”
Julie in confessional: I’m hoping that we can reel S in, but Krista, they both have targets, but Krista has the bullseye on her.
Then Sarita continues....”I mean her and Krista, and then David...I mean even if I could try to trust David, he is a lawyer, at his very core, he’s so out for himself."

In confessional: Sarita: If it was entirely up to me, David would be going home tonight - see David collecting firewood. But, S and K, they played their hand so early on so now it’s like they are 2 dead ducks, sitting on a lake, waiting for the gunshot...she a white headed monkey jump up and leave....
Then we see K ask S if there is any way, any thing that they can do, Steph replies...”with these dumb a$$ people? No.” I just don’t understand why they would get rid of a perfectly healthy person to like continue with Steve. Steve’s not beneficial around camp, Steve’s not a good athlete.” this is very telling, a ex-pro Football player is not a good athlete...well, what good is he to the tribe if he is poor at the challenges...dead weight? Ominous for Steve, imo.
Krista says that she believes there is a will and a plan and if it’s to be one of them tonight, then there’s nothing we can do about it, so we have to continue to fight on RI and continue to fight here, because they’re not playing the game. So, eventually it’s all gonna come back and bite them in the end....see a tarantula crawling around...that definitely can’t be a good sign...Krista's words are prophetic.
Michel had great notes at TC, Krista was spot on, my favorite quote of hers was that she predicted that none of them (Zap 6) would be there at the end, she only wishes she could be there to see it....WOW! Also loved that she called out the sub-sets in Zap and David was the odd man out! It seemed like everything she said in this episode was prophetic, will this statement be as well...I think it might.
My take on this episode:
1. Zapatera is WAY too cocky and confident, setting them up for a very big fall. I think it will start with Sarita, who already won her prize...seeing RussHell voted out was like her million dollars.
2. The next conflict to be resolved, one way or the other, at Ometepe is Phillip. We were shown that he and Kristina were the only ones not pledging their "allegiance" to Rob. He took care of Kristina, will he take care of Phillip? Or, will it be Andrea, who is poised to be reunited with her island boyfriend? If Phillip goes, I think this will bode well especially for Andrea. If Andrea goes, then Phillip as a threat is weakened.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-20-11, 08:04 PM (EST)

57. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

Nice post, FP. I wanted to point out though that Phillip doesn't say: "To win Survivor, I think you got a good shot." I'm not sure exactly what he says but I think it's "for you to stay alive, I think you got a good shot." I listened to it 5 or 6 times but can't make it out. If it was a big clue, I'd think the words would have been captioned on screen. Now that would have been a "Woh! Andrea!" moment.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-20-11, 09:28 PM (EST)

58. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts..."

I could've been mistaken, michel. I'll go back and listen to it as well...and yes, when there is mumbling and it's important, I think they do caption it on screen....like they did when Rob said Kristina won...no, just kidding! Ha!

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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03-22-11, 00:06 AM (EST)

59. "RE: Episode 5 Thoughts... Philip"

LAST EDITED ON 03-22-11 AT 00:07 AM (EST)
Philip
My musnings on why Philip appears to have so much story -- I think it's because Jeff loved the character and wanted to play it for all it was worth while it was around. In Rob's first season, there was a big promo about Rob's use of the Godfather techniques just before he went out, 7th boot. This had been building for several episodes. The promotion and focus did not mean he had a big season long story -- rather that Rob was almost gone and they needed to milk him to the max.
I notice that Rooster is also a larger than life character, but they backed off on the constant focus after setting him up. I think they have a little more time to develop him. Philip's story has been in our face every week. so my guess is that he is out of here next, plus only has one round at RI. As we saw with Jimmy J's facetime overdose last season -- so Philip has literally been in our faces, and his tribesmates, such that it has seemed like the Former Federal Agent? show.

Once Philip is gone we will start to get to know some of the other characters.
Coach was another larger than life favorite, but he did last until the penultimate episode, and I seem to remember we got a little Coach downtime along the way, which then went full tint for his boot.
With Philip, there's been no rest. Intensity like that has to burn out.
Robfaddah
As for Rob, I think he will have a good run, but if he did win, I think they could have and would have made it a bit more subtle. My guess is that the winner is not all that thrilling, and they will keep us enthralled with Rob as long as they can. Unless the winner is Matt, Rooster, Stephanie or Philip, I don't see this season focusing on the winner as the protagonist.
My speculation is that the winner profits from all the work of Boston Rob.
Although we see that Rob has learned a lot from past mistakes, he still repeated the old move of taking out an alpha male or strategic rival -- first Hunter (breaking up Hunter and Gina), and then Rob Cesternino. In HvV, he attempted to take out Russell, and that failure ended his game.
He took out Matt prematurely. He could have let Matt alone until Matt actually contemplated making a move against Rob. Matt was completely innocent, and Rob made a mistake. As with his original tribe of Mara'amu, the loss of a strong fit male led to a tribe of dwindling numbers.
Whatever Rob may say about how a group took out Matt, the deed rests on Rob, as we saw in the arena. Matt getting the Chosen One edit, that can't bode well for the chances of the guy who betrayed his trust, can it?
Re Matt and Rob's conversation at RI, we know from Jeff's blog that it was a long conversation, but they only left in the one line from Rob. Personally I did not admire the line they used. They showed Rob sidestepping the question. That might fly with some questioners, but Matt is clearly a direct guy who would appreciate a very forthright answer.
Rob chose to gloss over rather than accept his responsibility, and to me I think we are meant to see Rob losing the opportunity to bring Matt back into the fold. I think that Matt will eventually take Rob down. Whether Matt will do more than that I don't know, but I think he'll be the end of Rob, quite likely assisted by Andrea.
ETA for typo

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PepeLePew13 21775 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 08:43 AM (EST)

50. "Rob vs. Rooster"

LAST EDITED ON 03-19-11 AT 09:04 AM (EST)
On another site, someone postulated that Rob would be the winner and his "proof" was that it goes full circle from Rob's first season that he will beat Rooster in the final 2 this time around. I'm certainly not ready to go *that* far as it's a preposterous theory, but am filing this editing idea away for after the merge/tribal swap, just in case.
In Mario Lanza's original Funny 115, we have this entry Rob Mariano, the Rooster Hunter where he fell flat on his face trying to hunt down a rooster on Day 1 of the Marquesas season.
Now, fast forward to this season. While I'm not ready to jump on michel's theory that Rob wins this season, I can imagine the editors having a little fun with this one and angling for a way for Rob to have a "showdown" with Rooster and defeat him at some point to neatly wrap up a 9-year editing storyline. We saw the same type of thing happen in HvH with Scerri saying "hi Colby!" out of the blue during a challenge.
Just thought it'd be worth keeping an eye on in case the editors have a sense of humour and there might be something to come in terms of that storyline.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 06:12 PM (EST)

52. "RE: Rob vs. Rooster"

Thanks for bringing this over Pepe. I always enjoy to read parallels between old seasons and the current one. One thing's for sure, this season's Rooster can't fly!
There are connections already between Rob and Rooster: Both have HII, both talked about controlling their tribe. Rob got info at RI, Ralph gave info. I wouldn't be surprised if Rob got rid of Ralph right after the merge. That would be a great parallel because that's where Rob himself fell in Marquesas. I simply don't see a Rob-Rooster F2.
BTW, you're generous calling my impressions a theory.

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PepeLePew13 21775 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 06:36 PM (EST)

53. "RE: Rob vs. Rooster"

Heh... Theory, impression, idea, guess, crystal-balling - any of them would work here.
Agreed that I can see Rob gunning for Rooster after the merge because Rooster spilled the beans on the HII. Idiot.

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 06:43 PM (EST)

54. "RE: Rob vs. Rooster"

Rob may not have known chickens can fly but...
I'm pretty sure both Rob and Ralph know there can only be one rooster in the henhouse.

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PepeLePew13 21775 desperate attention whore postings
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03-19-11, 06:52 PM (EST)

55. "RE: Rob vs. Rooster"

All this talk... I just had to head over to Youtube and watch the WKRP episode for the umpteenth time -- "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
Maybe Rob will pick Rooster up during a challenge soon and test to see if he can fly...

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-22-11, 08:06 PM (EST)

60. "A Look Back"

I always find it interesting to look back at episode #1 after we've gotten to know these players a little more and one thing stood out. Russell's first confessional: “Redemption Island does not scare me one bit, it’s a vacation. Yeah! Put me on that island and see what happens. I’m gonna win the challenges and come back and take some heads off.”
We know that this turned out to be completely wrong. It got me thinking: What if all the strategy talks were meant to be ironic? This one certainly fits the bill:
Matthew: “Things are going really well right now. It is such a blessing to have Rob here."
As did Francesca's: "It didn't occur to me that I could be the first one voted out. I was thinking the person I vote out would come back..."
So, looking at the other strategy confessionals:

Ralph: “They will call me a redneck. One crazy, stupid bastard! We never had a dumbass win the game, have we? Maybe it’s my turn.”
It doesn't look like it will be his turn, but we've had many dumbasses lose the game.
David: “I think that anybody who doesn’t think Russell is dangerous is foolish. He played the game twice and ended up in the finals twice. He hasn’t won and it’s no mystery why he hasn’t won, it’s the way he chose to play the game both times. He’s too aggressive; he wants the blood on his hands.”
What if David gets voted out because he aggressively targets Sarita? The pressure is certainly building.
Mike: “My first impressions? Very good impression. I think we’ve got a bunch of worker bees which is good. As long as we can win and stay away from the immunity challenges, we will do damn well.”
They threw a challenge so there's already irony in this but what if Zapatera gains the numbers advantage at the merge and still goes down?
Natalie: “I’m so glad that we have Boston Rob. He is amazing!
If this hypothesis has merit then she'll regret having said that before the end.
Phillip: “...Rob is sizing me up. I like to think we are two male lions that are checking each other out. We’re doing a little dance but there will come a point where that is going to take over.”
Despite the continuing rivalry, it seems that Phillip and Rob will remain close to the end.
Stephanie : “OMG! It’s Russell. I don’t even know on which team he’s going to be but I’ll stare down Russell. When I stare down Russell, he’ll know that “she’s got a little evil inside of her” because if I’m not the one person that he picks to take to the end then, no matter what, I’m going to be out. I’m going to be out.”
Interesting that Stephanie has been given the first touch of longevity now that Russell is gone. She wanted Russell on her side but I think she'll go far with Rob instead! She won't be going out soon.
Of our present top two contenders, it's interesting that neither Andrea nor Rob gave us confessionals that looked too far ahead. Nothing that could be looked as ironic ...unless Andrea does hurt herself with her poor chopping technique.
Then there's this:
When Jeff explained the Redemption Island twist, it was Matthew’s surprised reaction that we heard first. Will he the one coming back from the island? The camera also panned to Kristina, Krista, Ashley, Francesca and David while Jeff explained the living conditions on the island...Russell was the one shown when Jeff explained the duels
In those 7 players, 5 have already been sent to RI. It suggests that Ashley and David will make the trip there soon.
During the opening helicopter scene, I wrote that the camera didn't give us any hints when Jeff mentioned that there will be 1 sole survivor winning the money. Could it be because the winner wasn't in that chopper?

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HitmanPayne 53 desperate attention whore postings
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03-22-11, 08:10 PM (EST)

61. "RE: A Look Back"

Lurking around numerous boards, People seem to believe that Phillip will be the actual boot with Ashley/Nat as the Decoy boot. I seriously hope this board is correct and Ashley is gone. Phillip makes the show more exciting to watch!

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Travel_Queen 123 desperate attention whore postings
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03-22-11, 09:41 PM (EST)

62. "RE: A Look Back"

I agree, Phillip is fun to watch. I also think that Rob finds him entertaining as well and not as annoying as the others might. Rob is on a quest, he is not going to let a little annoyance of a middle aged delusional pink panty wearing man derail that.

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HitmanPayne 53 desperate attention whore postings
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03-22-11, 09:47 PM (EST)

63. "RE: A Look Back"

Besides, Rob knows he has Phillip's vote, and from what we have seen on the show, he hasn't spoken to Ashley that much. (Or the editors refuse to show us whenever he has spoken to her.

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Chillicrab 47 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
03-25-11, 10:47 AM (EST)

64. "Eagerly awaiting your insights"

Love the way you guys break down and analyse the show's editing and eagerly waiting.
Michel, I am really hoping that you are right and Boston Rob wins this time. Rooting for him even though did not like him in previous seasons and during amazing race cuz this time he has been very focused and playing very hard and is still very entertaining, but feel very guarded about his prognosis. His hard work might get him to the end and he might end up doing what he said Russel did twice, just get to the end and someone else collected the million.
Reason from this recent episode's editing:
1. Jeff's commentary:
"Rob just misses the winning point for Ometepe" when he only going for the steal of the purple ball, when there was actually no similar comment when Grant just missed the orange winning ball just before that which would actually seem more pertinent, notwithstanding the fact that he did get 4 of the 5 balls(all orange) while the only one Rob got was the one he "steals from Zapertera".
Then Grant misses again, Rob is commented to have the purple ball "got in and out".
2.Rob and Grant feeling that they have been "busted by the principal" ?? all his devious play gets busted??
Please tell me if I off base and I will happily return to lurking and rooting for a Rob win.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-26-11, 05:45 PM (EST)

68. "RE: Eagerly awaiting your insights"

Hi Chillicrab and thanks for the nice words. I do address your points in the post below but I really can't say that you are off base. Editing is all about creating impressions so the impressions you got were real. I just interpret them differently but only the votes will tell us if my interpretation is right.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-25-11, 12:09 PM (EST)

65. "Post episode 6..."

Sorry, michel, I had a little time off today, so I got this done...
Notes on Episode 6 that caught my attention
Previously, Matt is the only one to find redemption at RI. At Ometepe, Phillip is driving everyone crazy, so Rob wants to keep him, he needs to stay! Since throwing the challenge to get rid of Russell, the Zaps are losing their mojo, the bigger targets are Krista and Steph. Now Steph has to scramble to avoid being the next one sent to RI. Start at RI and we see Krista...they pray, you’re not sneaking under the radar, blondie, you aren’t either, Blondie!
At Camp Zap...it sucks that Steph and Krista wrote your name down, Steve. Steve narrates, to his surprise, a cold slap of reality, he discusses this with Steph. He’s the one that was digging deep...she doesn’t want to bash people, and she’s aware that she’s at the bottom. Steve says, it’s a gut check...he’ll vote her out next. Cut to Intro.
Cut to happy music and the girls talking about another beach day, Ash has another appt. with Natalie, they have a spa day, clipping leg hairs and fixing eyebrows. Rob’s making a day bed, Andrea’s helping, Phillip is fixing the fire...they aren’t lazy, why not be more comfortable...then we hear Andrea ask for a “braidy braid”, and then Grant teases he needs some french braids for his dreads...and Rob teases, I’ll take care of those braids, pass me the scissors!, Grant tells him, he’s not touching these babies, and Rob teases, I’m going to get you while your sleeping! This scene shows us that they have fun in their down time...the only stick in the mud is Crazy Phillip...he’s the odd man out.
Matt on RI in competing in the duel....some of Jiffy’s comments:
Matt gets by one of the tougher spots, he gets by another one! Matt, has a tough spot to navigate, CLOSE to the finish, Matt very close, Matt stays alive! This narration of events by Jiffy is interesting. Could this be some foreshadowing...Matt gets "close to the finish", he'll "stay alive" when he re-enters the game, perhaps...
Andrea’s confessional post RI, regarding her observations of Matt....EXTREMELY important confessional. This shows that Andrea is not set on one track to the end, she’s adapting her game....
Krista, gave him her luxury item, a bible, on her way out, and they were so close. And then, my, like, whole image of Matt like changed...I had a really good bond with him, but obviously, he bonded with Krista just as well. So, even though initially I wanted Matt to stay in this game as long as possible, he could be very dangerous as well.
You know, I was not sold on Andrea making it to end game. I thought she could indeed be one of the likely ones voted out, especially if Ome’s were to lose in this mid game point. But, with this confessional, I’m sold. Andrea’s game is looking better and better. She’s shown us that she can adapt. First, with her ally getting the boot, she assimilated in the best way possible. She put on a strong, happy face, she worked hard, she competed hard, and she layed low, while plotting ways to get further....Matt returning, ?Phillip...But, her observation here tells me that she is really working on more than one path to the end, all her eggs are NOT in Matt’s basket. She’s really being developed and I think it bodes well for her to be in the circle of end game players. Well done, Andrea, keeping the open mind!

Then cut to zap and the little turtle scrambling to the water for his life...then we see Sarita, with her toothache and Julie's thoughts on her, “drama queen princess”. Rooster talking about Sarita....gouged her gum, “who in god’s name would be worrying about your back teeth? Why can't Jiffy show ROOSTER the love, he's a riot! LOL.
David, if it’s me and the 5 of them, I’ll shoot myself, Sarita is the weakest, and will try his best to save Steph, to sacrifice Sarita...tells her to talk to everyone individually in the tribe to save herself...has to suck up to people she hates...
Cut to Phillip, gathering wood and walking past the relaxing 3 girls on the blanket, and Grant in the chair, while Rob is stretched out on his new “day bed”....ranting ensues, regarding the clouds a coming. The calm before the storm. Notice there are parallels with the storm clouds, too. Steph noted at Zap TC after Russell that the storms a coming, now we hear Phillip noting that the storms a coming!
Ash doesn’t like how he dictates, Phillip notes that they don’t give him any credit, he’s not going to kiss their butts, Rob says to Grant, they are 19/20 year old girls, they aren’t going to do anything! Grant gets it, and he’s not going to tell them what to do.
The boys pull their weight, Andrea makes the rice, she goes gets water, girls get off your butts and get working, get used to it beauty queens....Ashley will walk away, so Phillip will follow her....Ash says someone needs to diagnose him, it’s just annoying, I’m done with him....foreshadowing. Is Ash speaking for the entire tribe here, are they all done with him? We hear Ash say, “your’e not my dad, Phillip!”
Rob, the leader of the tribe, and perhaps Ash's surrogate dad here, needs to take immediate action. He thinks this fracture is going to end up splitting this tribe...The best thing we need to do is to keep winning and not get rid of anyone (We will hear someone on the Zap tribe utter these same sentiments later!)...he goes and talks to Phillip, he needs to squash this thing...he understands that he doesn’t want to take it anymore, he’s been in that position, he gets it...but, at this point I think the most important thing has to be team unity. Rob in confessional tells us he had to play Arafat in like a peace process, to bring the tribe back together again. Phillip was right, I mean, the girls weren’t doing anything, but, the less they do, the happier I am. I don’t want them to be working hard and giving us a reason to write their name down to win a million dollars at the end of this thing. I want them to annoy the crap out of everyone as much as possible.
Then there is a shot of the fire getting low and we hear Rob, “who’s in charge of the fire? It’s not the way I like it...as he mocks Phillip! Guysssss, he’s not gonna be very happy...! As he smiles...and, we see Phillip heading down the beach. Rob really has a great sense of this game....he seems to be doing everything right...
Then we hear the rattlesnake noise and they are back at Zap and Steph is telling us her point of view, she has to suck it up to Steve, but we hear the rattle snake again. I wonder if the rattle snake means that whatever you see on the screen, it’s not happening....Steve telling her it’s ok, but really it’s not, he’ll vote her out. What ever is appearing to happen on the screen, isn’t?
Steph plants the seed of Sarita as the weakest.
The Challenge:
Anyone notice how Ashley is the one to bring the idol in, and the one to collect it?
When Jeff asks Mike about the animosity, when he gives his answer we see a zoom in of Natalie and Andrea perking their heads up and paying attention....a nod to these 2 ladies that “are paying attention” to what’s going on in, and being said about the game.
Interesting to note that while Ashley and Phillip were not paying attention to the other tribe, Rob and Grant were as well, but Nat and Andrea got the zoom in.
This picture tells us who is paying attention and who isn't...telling?
Then Phil tells Jiffy that he’s using both animals today, and then asks Steve what he thinks of that, FOREARM and he just flips him off....LOVED that reaction! Football players are great at talking smack!
The challenge is about launching and catching balls. Clearly, the Ometepe’s had the strategy in this game. They placed Grant at the closest mark to the launcher, and then most likely told Nat to fire SHORT, and Grant would run up to get the ball....it worked! Rob got one that went far, but Grant got 4 shallow shots. Once again, the Ometepe’s show that they can FOLLOW directions...notice that Rob wasn’t given credit for being the strategizer, but neither was anyone else. It would have boded well to have seen Grant come up with that strategy and then execute it as well, but we didn’t see that. It boded well for Rob, if he indeed didn’t come up with that strategy...Regardless, it showed me that the Ome’s are on the same page, following one leader, where the Zaps have too many opinions...to many cooks in the kitchen and therefore can’t unify.
I think I noted this in the very beginning of the season. Rob is an alpha and has to take the drivers seat. The one that keeps bucking that system is Phillip...but, we’ve been shown Rob’s rationale to keep him, and he has been edited to be somewhat...crazy, crazy, crazy....so we don’t take him too seriously. But, Jeff warned us in his tweets, if we don’t watch out for him later, he could screw up somebody’s game....will Rob start to take him seriously? Seems that is what could be decided next episode.
Rob is likely to be the one leader in a tribe full of followers, while at Zapatera, there are too many leaders and not enough followers...spells disaster for the Zapatera tribe. Rob, if he can control Phillip, could well outlast the Ometepe’s, if one believes in game theory. And, somewhere in the pre-game press, Jiffy noted that Rob understands game theory...hmmm?
Also, at the challenge, when Jiffy noted, “First tribe to 5, wins immunity”, the camera was panning over the Ometepe tribe. When he said, “Losers, (now panning over the Zaps, specifically Julie, Steve and ending with Steph), I will go to TC, someone will be voted out of this game, and go to RI”, see Steph, “where someone will be going home....”
When Jeff asked “who will sit out?”, Sarita raised her hand, Jeff said, “didn’t even think about it”, underlining that Sarita is the weakest one in the tribe.
Some of Jiffy’s dialog from the challenge:
Natalie goes short and Grant connects
Julie in and out...
David’s in the air, Andrea makes a dive for it
Natalie goes short, Grant connects
Natalie Grant connection is working
David is deep to Ralph, no point
Mike is trying to hold Grant, he can’t do it
Natalie goes short to Grant, he connects again!
Good strategy between Natalie and Grant...
Mike ripping shirt off, Nat short to Grant, in and out, misses
Stephanie goes deep, Rob right there for another point, Rob steals one...
Mike trying to slow Grant down, not particularly successful...
Grant rips off what’s left of his shirt...
Natalie goes short, no, in and out
Rob just misses the winning point for Ometepe
David tells his tribe to keep your eyes open...
Steph goes deep, Boston Rob, in and out
Natalie goes short, Grant wins the fifth and final point!
Can't help but to ponder...Will Natalie be short of the win? Will Julie be in the game, then out? Will Andrea make a dive for the win? Nat and Grant will have a good strategy to get to the end? Will Nat be out just before Grant? Will ROB STEAL ONE and finally win, or will he just miss the win? Will Steph go deep, on RI, or will she dig deep to stay in the game? Will Grant be out at F5? Lots of fun things to ponder with Jiffy dialog at challenges!
Phillip is the first to hug Grant, then Nat, but it’s like the hug that counts is the hug from a big, proud, Boston Rob, who thumps him on the back...their leader, their surrogate dad.
When Jeff says that, “someone will be voted out of this game”, Sarita seen, “and be sent to RI”, then Stephanie seen. The 2 boot candidates. Steve narrates the challenge...what they need, not lip service, like Steph, or uptown girl, like Sarita...there lies the choice for the night.
The Reward:
Happy, hungry Ometepe’s...the food, the best reward that Ashley tells us about...San Juan del Sur. Rob sees the clue, decides to let someone else find it....he gets the confessional, and tells his vantage point. So, Grant sticks his hand under and grabs the note and gives it to him...they check out the view, Phillip sees it, the principal caught them...Rob tells Phillip that they can look at it “back at camp”
Phillip tells us that he’s been in an alliance with Rob and Grant for some time, he calls them “Stealth R Us”, Rob’s the Mentalist, I’m the Specialist, and Grant is the Assasin....Remember boys, “Stealth”. But in confessional he talks about how he caught Rob and Grant trying to hide the clue, hell has no fury from a gorilla and a lion, when he thinks he’s been provoked...and we hear the lion’s roar...If you are going to make an alliance with me, than you better adhere to it, because I’m all about integrity...I served my country for duty, honor, country...and, when you try to trash on that, me and the US have got something for you...I could dwell on a place of negativity right now, based on what I just saw, but, I’m not gonna do that. I’m going to smile, and when the time comes, I’m going to kick a little a$$ around here... It ends with the lions roar. Phillip is shown to be ridiculous, imo, CRAZY.
Back at Zap: David confessional about the loss, he’s lobbying for Steph, Sarita is the team mom, we need a contributer...Mike says that we just were not meant to win....Steve and David talking about putting the best six to win. Sarita sees what’s going on, she’s not going to campaign, because she’s the most loyal and they all know that....
Steph is scrambling, creating doubt. Julie tells her the guys like her better than Sarita...but Sarita is loyal. Steph is a strong woman in a little body.
Steph notes, “They will lose every single challenge if they don’t keep me! “ Wow, what foreshadowing!???
Then we have David, I mean Charlie Sheen, as he says...I’m sick of losing, there is only ONE thing that we need to focus on....WINNING....d’uh!
Trust comes later...Steve thinks they are both very weak, both get a 1 out of 10...David, I mean Charlie says, fundamentally, I disagree....All I care about is winning, like seriously, all I care about is WINNING...d’uh.
Dark clouds swirling..., just like at Ometepe, clouds/storms a coming. What a contrast between the 2 tribes. Rob has seen it all before and the seasoned veteran takes it all in stride. Laziness, craziness, it's all good....for me. Where as the Zaps have no idea, how to handle the losses, the craziness, or the storm...We see them all have differing opinions, they are melting down, and starting to oppose each other. Their true "Russellness" is rearing it's head!
Then, narrator Mike, gives us the options, he’s not totally opposed to keep her around, if she can show them that they can trust her....
Cut to TC: See the tarantula...David starts with the throwing the challenge, hows the regret, we are paying the price...Ralph...I think I could’a done better if I had been shooting. Sarita, would like to have participated, Steph said she was shaking in her boots about having to get in that physical challenge...she didn’t want to be able to get in there and not be able to follow through....So, you didn’t want to get in there so you couldn’t be a goat....she argues she would have been fine, Steph says, BS...Steph isn’t buying it, she’s a complainer, she doesn’t want to be here, Sarita tells her you are way off base. Steve...maybe Steph’s spunk alone is worth staying here? Steve notes that Steph is a warrier, does alot around camp, Steve says that Sarita is trustworthy, but she’s an uptown girl, I’d like to see her do better in challenges and more work around camp....Charlie, I mean David says, right now we need to focus on WINNING! D'uh! Interesting that Rob also noted that they need to focus on winning. Because Rob is the leader and has gotten rid of the other alpha threats, and is containing the only one left, Phillip, he has harmony. David, otoh, also processes like Rob and correctly identifies that they need to win, but he has too many other alphas that think they know best...trouble?
The vote....2 votes Sarita, rest for Stephanie. Steph says she’ll kick your ##### on RI. David is hopeful, but Steph is toast and we hear thunder....and a snake....Well, I think that this TC exposes David as the ODD MAN OUT....d’uh, winning....In a tribe where happy family is valued, clearly, loyalty is more valued. On that note, it sure is looking like David will be the next man down at camp Zap.
So, in sum, I think Rob, Andrea, Natalie, and Grant are going very deep in this game, together. They are the ones that are paying attention. Each tribe is shown to have an odd man out. Crazy Phillip, who is a real spoiler when it comes to spa days, and David, I mean crazy Charlie, who was the only one that didn’t go along with the group consensus at TC. I do think this episode would set up a very nice double boot, next week. We’ll see.

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-25-11, 01:10 PM (EST)

66. "RE: Post episode 6..."

Andrea's confessional is critically important. Even though it plays on the surface as a juvenile boyfriend/girlfriend piece of Disney movie nonsense, the wheels are turning. We don't really know everything she is thinking, but she is processing where Matt stands and we should as well. All of Matt's information about Zapatera comes from the sour grapes of the boots, he may have critical information. He may know who to go to over there if a misfit alliance is possible, he may want Andrea in on that. He may come back in on Ometepe's side, which wouldn't be a problem for Ometepe only a problem for Rob if Matt wants to unseat Rob. Wheels turning.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-26-11, 05:31 PM (EST)

67. "RE: Post episode 6..."

FP, nice of you to have us started this week. Sorry if I repeat anything you said but as I told you, I like to write fresh.
This is what I saw:
The recap, this week was more a season’s recap than just about the previous episode. They usually do this after their annual hiatus but I don’t know why Probst had to do it this time.
I noted Probst saying that Matt was the only person finding redemption at Redemption Island and the focus on Zapatera’s negativity following the thrown challenge.

Interesting that Matt is said to have already been redeemed. Shouldn’t that have come from a successful sojourn on the island and a return to the game? Probst made it sound like Redemption was simply a way to stay in the story a little longer. Therefore, it sounded like the end of Matt’s story could be approaching.
Redemption Island
Matt and Krista started talking about God.
Krista (in confessional about Matt but really about Zapatera): “He has such a positive attitude; refreshing you could say. I feel he has more substance than half the people on my tribe…”
Zapatera
Day 14
Steve: “To my surprise, Krista and Stephanie both voted for me.”
He asked her why and she told him he wasn’t contributing enough to the tribe.
Stephanie: “I was trying to be delicate…cause I don’t want to be sent to Redemption but right now I’m at the bottom. I hate sucking it up with people who are complete *bleep*.”
Steve: “It’s crazy because I come from 13 seasons in the NFL but it’s a gut check…Her vote last night, I consider stupid…She’s basically tying the noose around her neck. If we end up going to tribal, she’s out.”
On screen we saw that Steve told Stephanie: “I think it was another poor move you’ve made in alliances.”
Very interesting development: Steve was right; what he said about Stephanie is true. She has made poor moves in choosing her alliances but her story doesn’t seem to be ending with the upcoming vote. The recap told us that Zapatera was the negative tribe and Krista’s confessional corroborated it. Then we hear that Stephanie will need to redeem herself. That perfectly ties her into the Theme of the Season and we already know which path she would choose. She should find a smarter way to bring Zapatera down.
Ometepe
Day 14
Ashley: “Natalie and I started a little spa day…Rob is building stuff, Andrea is pretending to help…I’ve worked hard all my life…”
Soon everyone joined in the spa day…everyone except Phillip of course.
He wanted the girls to stop and go check on the fire every 30 minutes or so.
Andrea quickly said that she always checked the fire.
Phillip knew that but the others had to contribute also.
Phillip: “If I go to Redemption Island before Natalie and Ashley, there’s something wrong with the game because those two girls are on a beauty pageant. They don’t get off their butts and they don’t give me any real credit. It’s like when somebody who don’t like dogs pets a dog...I’m their red-haired step-child. These two girls must go…the pageant is over.”
We heard Natalie saying she had a headache while Ashley said she had a stomachache.
This sequence makes it very hard for the outcome to be anything but Phillip outlasting at least one of the girls and then maybe the other’s story can be redeemed. The editors wouldn’t have let us hear that there was something wrong with the game if he went out before both. Or, if they had, they wouldn’t have given us corroboration by showing just how weak the girls truly were. There would have been a hint that Phillip was wrong.
Redemption Island
The two Blondes went to their tree mail and found Krista’s luxury item. It was her Bible and the two bonded over prayers.
Matt: “Krista is different from the other competitors I’ve faced. We both have been struggling from not having a faith community…It makes it tough to compete against her.”
This confessional completes Krista’s redemption and puts further negativity on her old tribe. She’s definitely not the abrasive girl we were told. As for Matt, I see another warning sign: If he thinks this firecracker is a tough competitor wait until he goes up against the strong woman in a small package.
The Duel
Andrea and Natalie were the observers for Ometepe, Julie and Mike represented Zapatera.
Krista started off quickly, retrieving her bags first but Matt didn’t panic, telling Probst to be quiet and, when Krista lost her ball, he completed the maze first.
Before she left, Krista gave her Bible to Matt. He thanked her with a big hug while Andrea looked on, a hint of jealousy in her eyes.
Matt: “Krista gave her Bible to me…That book breathes life…I can never thank her enough.”
Since Matt told us that he was on a Journey to be closer to his Savior, are we to infer that he has come as close as he possibly can now that he has His words? I think that was the symbolism behind his original confessional and I really think his journey is over.
Andrea (with a touch of bitterness in her tone, especially in the way she pronounced Krista): “Krrista gave him her luxury item, a Bible, on her way out and they were so close that my whole image of Matt changed. I really had a good bond with him but obviously he bonded with Krista just as well. Even though I was initially thinking that I want Matt to stay in this game as long as possible, he could be very dangerous as well.”
Unfortunately for Andrea, if Matt’s story is over, a big part of hers also ends. For one thing, her words about Matt resonate clearly with what Rob told us about him: Matt’s ability to make friends makes him dangerous. Could Andrea help Rob eliminate Matt if he returns? Or does that simply make her understand, even trust, Rob a little more?
Zapatera
Day 15
Sarita had a toothache.
Julie: “Poor Sarita…She’s kind of a drama queen princess.”
Ralph: “Sarita is too fancy of a girl to play this game. By cleaning her teeth with a piece of dirty stick she gauged her gum. That’s really a good way to get out of the game on your own.”
Julie told Mike that Sarita was driving her nuts because she was too high maintenance.
David wanted to find a way to unseat Sarita in the alliance and replace her with Stephanie. He said: “If it’s me and the five of them, I’m gonna shoot myself.”
David: “Stephanie is a capable competitor in the challenges…If there is a way for me to get Stephanie to be more part of the group and ultimately keep her, I would do that to sacrifice Sarita.”
Stephanie : “How do I suck up to people I hate? Why didn’t I learn this in school?”
Even if trust is the only way to play this game, the editors tried very hard to make us believe that keeping Sarita over Stephanie was a bad decision. That must mean something. To me it means, once more, that Zapatera is doomed.
Ometepe
With a storm approaching, Phillip was collecting more wood. He expressed his frustrations that Natalie and Ashley hadn’t given him the assistance he had asked for. Ashley didn’t like the way he had asked. She thought he was dictating.
Since he wasn’t going to get the love he so clearly wanted, Phillip decided that he was finished playing Mr. Nice Guy.
Rob couldn’t understand why Phillip was getting so angry.
Ashley told Phillip about the problem she was having with his attitude: “Why do you talk to the girls a certain way but you don’t say anything to the guys.”
Phillip replied: “The boys pull their weight and so does Andréa.”
“Andrea” Ashley corrected him.
Phillip threatened: “You’re going to see a new attitude from me.”
Ashley, not backing down: “New attitude? We’ve seen it.”
The Gorilla: “Well, get used to it, beauty queens.”
Miss Maine: “Thank you Phillip. That’s a compliment.”
The Lion: “You don’t do anything.”
Miss Maine: “I’ll walk away.”
The Step-Child: “Walk away and I’ll follow you. You want me to follow you, I’ll follow you.”
Natalie was surprised by these words, suddenly realizing she wasn’t the youngest kid anymore!
Ashley gave us a confessional, saying that someone needed to diagnose Phillip because she thought he was mental.
Phillip was still going at her, as if interrupting her confessional.
Rob: “I think this fracture is going to end up splitting this tribe. The best thing for us to do is to keep winning challenges and not get rid of anyone. I need to take Phillip aside and I need to squash this thing right away. I have to play Arafat in the peace process to bring the tribe back together. Phillip was right; the girls weren’t doing anything but, the less they do, the happier I am. I don’t want them to be working hard and giving us a reason to write your name down to win a million dollars at the end of this thing. I want you to annoy the crap out of everyone as much as possible.”
If you break this scene down, it really tells us why Rob would, could, win the million dollars at the end. With all three girls shown as he told us that the girls weren’t working, Andrea was lumped back together even if Phillip tried to separate her. The obvious focus however was Natalie as she was the one shown when Rob said “annoy the crap”. Rob was shown working, we know he helps them win the challenges that they need to win and he’s also the diplomat (although comparing himself to Arafat wasn’t necessarily the best choice).
Zapatera
Having thought about the best way to proceed, Stephanie finally decided to simply apologize to Steve for voting for him.
Steve didn’t know if she was playing the game or if the apology was really coming from her heart which is another example of the naiveté that surrounds this tribe.
The two agreed that Sarita was the weakest of the tribe.
Stephanie: “I would love to go into a challenge where I could show off everything I’ve got and Sarita is slacking, I pick up her slack and we win and everybody is happy. I need to drag her down and bring me up”
What was Sarita doing at this time? Still worrying about her teeth.

The Challenge:
West-Coast Offense
Despite the hype from Probst and all the pre-game boasting by macho men Mike, Phillip and Steve, this challenge turned out to be a dud.
For Zapatera, Sarita immediately raised her hand to sit this one out.
Natalie was the hot quarterback with a 67% completion percentage including 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Boston Rob, like a great defensive back, knocked down many passes and even had an interception for a score.
Grant caught all 4 TD passes and was the game MVP.
It was a massacre but we did hear one interesting comment from Jeff: “Rob just misses the winning point for Ometepe.”
Just like the ending of Rob’s Royal Treatment game, this was a blatant hint that Rob will come up short. So blatant that I see it as misdirection, another doubt put in Rob’s winning story. Rob isn’t playing to win a royal treatment or even playing for Ometepe. He is playing to win the game and every episode shows that he is raising his game. The upcoming reward challenge would show us that once more.
The Reward
We joined the winning tribe as they celebrated their victory.
Ashley was again chosen to give the obligatory confessional about the feast which is puzzling. Why go to her once more and neglect both Natalie and Andrea?
Rob: “Right away, I spot the clue underneath the lobster tails. At this point there are not really any reasons for me to get it so I realize that if I can’t get it without anybody else seeing that I got it, I’m going to let one of them get it. So, Grant sticks his hand in there and grabs the note.”
Rob smartly suggested that they check out the view but Phillip noticed that something was fishy.
As soon as they are away from the table, Rob told Grant to look at the clue so they could make sure that the idol wasn’t at the reward location.
That’s when Phillip walked up and asked: “What do you got there boys?”
Rob: “Phillip sees the note and there was a little bit as if Grant and I were back in school and we get busted by the principal.”
Rob told Phillip that the idol was back at camp.
Phillip: “I have been in an alliance with Rob, Grant and myself. In fact, I call ourselves Stealth. I’m the specialist, Rob is the mentalist and Grant is the assassin. And, yet, today when Rob and Grant found a clue for an idol, they tried to hide it. Well, hell hath no fury like a lion and a gorilla when he thinks he’s been provoked. If you plan to make an alliance with me, you better adhere to it because I’m all about integrity. I served my country…When you try to trash on that, me and the United States got something for you when you try that. I could dwell in a place of negativity based on what I saw but I’m not going to do that. I’m going to smile and, when the time comes, I’m going to kick a little ass around here.”
With the accompanying growling Lion sound effect, that was a great confessional by Phillip and more doubts in Rob’s chances but we just saw that, even when Phillip brings out the Gorilla and the Lion, he can still remain on the bench and do nothing like he did in the challenge. Sound effects are just a lot of air.
Zapatera
Returning from a crushing defeat, the vote was going to be between Stephanie who, according to Steve, gave too much lip service and Sarita who was too much of an uptown girl.
David told us he didn’t want to have a team mom playing the game so he would lobby for Stephanie.
Mike, talking to the tribe, said that they had to win but that they got smoked.
Interesting that, as Mike spoke about being smoked, the camera angle showed the tribe sitting in a cloud of smoke from their fire. It suggested that Zapatera will get smoked again.
Sarita: “I’m not going campaigning because I’m the most loyal person my tribe will ever see and they all know that.”
Stephanie decided she’d better scramble so she told Julie that the weakest player was Sarita.
Julie gave Stephanie a hug, saying: “You are a strong woman in a little package.”
Stephanie: “If they don’t keep me, they are going to lose every single challenge.”
The 5 discussed the vote:
David: “We have to focus on winning. Trust comes later.”
Julie: “Stephanie is stronger in the challenges, Sarita I have more trust in, so, it goes either way with me.”
Steve: “They are both really weak; I give them both a 1 out of 10.”
David countered: “I disagree. All I care about is winning.”
Mike: “If Stephanie goes, we know we will have to put Sarita. Sarita has been cruising. Stephanie has more fight in her.”
Tribal Council
David started by saying that they regretted throwing a challenge and giving Ometepe momentum.
Ralph: “The problem with the challenge was that we had men open but the ball wasn’t coming our way. If I had been shooting, we could have done better.”
Sarita said she would have liked to have been in the field catching.
Stephanie didn’t let that go by without intervening: “She was shaking in her boots when she found out that we were going to do a contact sport. But I’m fine with her sitting out because I don’t think she’s that great during challenges.”
Sarita said that at least she didn’t say she could do it and then not being able to follow through.
Probst replied: “So what you’re saying is that you were glad to sit because then you couldn’t be a goat.”
David agreed: “She knew she was the worst but she knew she wouldn’t play any part in the failure.”
Sarita denied this, saying she would have been fine to be out there.
Stephanie told it like it is: “Bull___. She is the biggest complainer. She doesn’t want to be here.”
Sarita said Stephanie couldn’t be more wrong.
Steve analyzed the two women, saying Stephanie was a warrior at heart and works around camp while Sarita, even if she was a trusted confidante, was an uptown girl who hadn’t gotten her footing yet in the wilderness.
Probst sent them to the voting booth saying this was a big vote.
Stephanie was sent to Redemption Island, promising she would see Sarita there and kick her butt.
Probst sent them back to camp to reflect on whether or not they had made the right choice.
The Story
This episode showed us that Zapatera wasn’t about to live down the stigma of throwing that challenge. The editors want us to believe that they are having bad Karma and the images showed that they were under a cloud of smoke. This team also has very few long range stories. Everything was about this episode and winning challenges.
Ometepe, while being seen as a tribe that has problems with unity all centerimg around Phillip, does have those long range stories.
The Characters
On Redemption Island
Matt: There has been so much investment made in Matt that it’s difficult to say that his story is over but that’s the impression we got when we saw his happiness after receiving Krista’s Bible. It did bring him closer to his Savior. Can he continue or find another story? Certainly but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him failing in the next challenge. If Matt returns, it seems everyone sees just how dangerous he’d be. Being that much of an underdog is bad for his chances in the game but would be great for his story.
Stephanie: The reason I wouldn’t be surprised to see Matt fail is that Stephanie also received a lot of investment and now she has the long term stories of wanting to flip to Rob and defeat Zapatera, Sarita in particular. Of course, just like Krista, her role could be limited to convince Matt to stay with Ometepe. That duel will be interesting. However, contrary to Matt, if Stephanie returns, we’ve heard enough that she’s made bad choices and has a poor social game that it would be doubtful she could win. But she could cause damages which is another of her hooks into the future.
The Failures - These Players have shown serious flaws when it comes to a winning edit:
Sarita: This high maintenance, uptown girl still hasn’t found her footing in the wilderness. Rarely has an episode been so awful on a player.
Julie: We once more had a glimpse into Julie’s indecisiveness when she didn’t know which way to go.
Mike: His story got smoked.
Steve: He received a gut check but we saw that he really doesn’t do much for this tribe.
Ralph: It’s possible that Ralph learned a lesson at Redemption Island and decided to keep quiet but that can’t explain why his story’s been dropped like this. We still hear him but every thing is short-sighted. His story was strictly connected to Russell and his Hidden Immunity Idol. It will pick up again after the merge when his rookie mistake of giving more information then he had to will come to bite him.
David: His contribution to the episode was much more to serve Stephanie’s story and to manipulate the viewer into thinking that trust wasn’t the most important thing. He has been too neglected in the first 5 episodes to suddenly become the underdog we are supposed to root for. Maybe just enough that we’d want to see him outlast Sarita but not much after that. His position on the candidates’ leader board looks untenable.
Ashley: Despite Phillip’s disdain being equally spread to both Natalie and Ashley, we see the editors piling all the negativity in Ashley’s corner. That tells us that Ashley cannot last very long. On the other side, she gets a very nice treatment, especially during rewards when she gets confessional that could help the edits of players that appear to have more longevity. As a hypothesis, I suggests that the editors learned something and they didn’t want to destroy Ashley’s character the way they did to many young women. If things go as expected, there would be time to redeem Natalie later on.
Grant: Rob’s story always overshadows his.
Natalie: Seeing her on screen when Rob said he didn’t want the girls to work, he wanted them to annoy everyone certainly killed her winning chances. We should see her story pick up towards the end of the season just in time for viewers to say: Here we go again. Someone that didn’t do a thing will win. But that should be the misdirection. Not enough was said about her performance at the challenge to warrant saving her from the failed stories.
Phillip: Twice in this episode, Phillip brought out the Gorilla and the Lion, both times he went quietly along. Like Gregg in Palau, his threats against Rob will come to nothing. Unlike Gregg, he will make us laugh and cringe all the time. Until when? Can Rob carry him to the F3? That would be a truly stealth maneuver.
In Contention:
Andrea: She told us that she wanted to pretend to be with the girls but her hair-braiding scene made her look much closer than what is really healthy for her story. Being included in the non-workers during Rob’s key confessional isn’t good either but Andrea is separated from the lazy girls and she has a long term hook. However, if Matt falls where does that leave Andrea’s story. And did she fall in line with Rob when she told us that Matt would be dangerous.
The Leading Candidate:
Rob: Phillip and the girls argue, Rob ties it in to his winning strategy. Grant finds a clue to the idol; Rob tells us that he let him have it. Phillip threatens to bring him down, Rob tells us he’s ready to play peace keeper and bring the tribe together. Someone with too much of a story makes people think he can’t possibly win but this makes us realize that a good way to hide something is often to put it in plain sight.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
03-26-11, 10:23 PM (EST)

69. "RE: Post episode 6..."

Someone with too much of a story makes people think he can’t possibly win but this makes us realize that a good way to hide something is often to put it in plain sight.
2 words, michel...Wooooo Hooooo! Loved this statement, and I am beginning to whole-heartedly agree! And, don't forget the title of the season...Survivor: Redemption Island!
I agree, I had been considering Grant as a possible winner. But, it does seem that Rob is often 2 steps or more in front of him. I would love for Rob to take Grant to the end, however, and have Rob win it on his argument. If Grant is later edited as learning from the master, Rob, than uh-oh. But, so far, I just don't see it. I also think Andrea is end game as well...I am, at this point, favoring Matt to come back into the game, but you could be onto something regarding he and Stephanie.
Great read, michel! Thanks...

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parathor 97 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 05:52 PM (EST)

74. "RE: Post episode 6..."

A point (pit?) to ponder:
Ashley, lounging around (not doing work) with a blonde and a brunette... Ashley said she was getting a spa treatment with her legs and eyebrows, but we're only shown her armpit getting plucked.
Flash back a few episodes to Russell, laying around (not doing work) with a blonde and brunette, and his infected armpit needing some attention.
That can't be a coincidence, can it?

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HitmanPayne 53 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 05:54 PM (EST)

75. "RE: Post episode 6..."

I pondered the same thing on the Sucks board, but they just brushed it aside as nothing.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-28-11, 08:00 PM (EST)

77. "RE: Post episode 6..."

Hi guys. That observation made me smile. I don't know if it points to an Ashley boot or not but if it does, I'll remember this comment. I'm sure Ashley would not appreciate being compared to Russell!!

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03-30-11, 11:12 AM (EST)

80. "RE: Post episode 6..."

ewww, the season of the armpit close-up. Where's the blur

A Tribe masterpiece

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suzzee 3203 desperate attention whore postings
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03-30-11, 11:10 AM (EST)

79. "RE: Post episode 6..."

That was really some well thought out observations michel. I think I'm going to agree with you about Matt and his redemption story. After the episode I "felt" that his story is complete. I don't have the feeling of waiting for his next chapter to begin. Yup, could be wrong but I don't think I'll miss any more of Matt this season.
If he were to win at RI then I'd feel that he would have to had some sort of reawakening to plan what he had to do after RI ended. I think if he would end up rejoining then Andrea's confessional about him and Krrrista wouldn't have been shown. Matt has never had any confessionals about what he was going to do after RI. Stephanie has plenty.
Ohhhhhh Robbbbb! He directs Omatepe like a symphony conductor, genius. He's got my vote this time around.
Again, nicely done michel, so enjoyed it.

agman makes me hot

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suzzee 3203 desperate attention whore postings
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03-30-11, 10:51 AM (EST)

78. "RE: Post episode 6..."

Bravo! Nice job FP, you got a little psychic in ya? Seriously you've made a logical leap from the editing, I can see all those points coming to fruition as we move along to the merge. Good read for a morning cup of coffee. thanks

A Tribe masterpiece

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KObrien_fan 8212 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 08:41 AM (EST)

70. "Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

I haven't had nearly the time to post much lately, but there is too much going on with this season for me not to get in here and write some thoughts down. I wanted to wait til this point in the season also to see how the RI twist would affect the editing.
This season has several key themes, Rob vs Russell and Redemption Island are the 2 major ones. You think Rob vs Russell is over? It's not, Rob is continuing to employ strategies that Russell could not execute.
Nash theory of equilibrium condensed: if 4 men in a bar are all interested in the one woman in the bar but only one man makes a play on her, she will end up with that man, because he was the leader by making the first move. If 3 out of 4 men hit on her they are all leaders and cancel each others moves out, she is most likely to end up with the one guy who waits his turn patiently and didn't do anything but sit there.
Jeff has said that Nash theory of equilibrium plays an important role in survivor. Rob, a student of the game, knows that if he is the lone leader with all followers, he has the best shot at winning the game. Ometepe has one leader, Boston Rob, the rest are all loyal followers. This tribe is considered an "N" tribe by Nash, it has the perfect balance and is in equilibrium.
Zapatera is an "L" tribe, leaderless since they banished Russell who would have gladly led them if they allowed it. The consensus was to overthrow their leader early and they are now paying for that decision, they are a tribe in chaos.
Vecepia is a perfect example of a follower in a season of leaders who was loyal to her leader at the time they were in charge. She followed the lead of Hunter, then Rob, then John, then Kathy, until it was time to overthrow Kathy herself for the win.
In this season so far as edited, we hear Phillip say he is biding his time til he can overthrow Rob, we see Andrea actually biding her time patiently, we see Grant and Natalie trusting and following Rob blindly, we get the sense that Ometepe will pick Zapatera apart one by one until they are gone after the merge.
At that point Rob is left standing with his loyal followers and he keeps making the calls to eliminate them one by one. I see Rob as having the best shot to win this season. All the themes point to it.
Let's look back at some of the earlier episodes with more depth to support this. In Episode 1 we get the players reactions when Rob and Russell step off the helicopter, most were happy to see Rob including a very jubilant Matt. Lot's of sour reactions to Russell, only Stephanie seemed to be happy to see him and we hear her say in confessional that she wants to align with him.
When Jeff is describing Robs bio of survivor history, the music has a bell ringing in the background to highlight key points, the words "proven" and "played the game 3 times". We are shown Matt nodding in agreement when Jeff says that Rob can be helpful in challenges and in camp life. Jeff is basically telling them that Rob is a leader. Russell doesn't get the dinging of the bell to note any of his bio, nor the nods of approval from his tribe.
Francesca states "they are sizing us up as if we were prey" and "they weren't brought back here just to help us out", Rob takes note of this statement, he knows he will need to get rid of her early. We should take note too, they weren't brought back here just to help their tribe, one of them was brought back to win the game, ie: personal redemption.
After introducing the redemption island twist Matt is shown as incredulous and states "what?" and then Russell has his confessional about RI being a vacation and to put him on that island, he welcomes it. Francesca's next confessional is her reaction to the twist, "even if we vote Rob or Russell out of the game they could come back". Both statements will end up ironic if Rob never spends a day on RI.
Next scene is at Zap's beach and Russell explains in confessional that the first 2 times he played he was a school boy and that this time he was going to be the leader of his tribe, he would set them down and work with them. Then he is shown giving a leader type speech to pump up his tribe, we see David in confessional not buying it for a minute.
Rob takes the leader role in an unassuming laid back fashion, partly because his tribe is elated to have him there. Matt says that having Rob's experience is a blessing, Natalie is thankful to have Rob as the leader, others are shown with their body language to accept him in that position. Ironic again in that Russell says he will do it but Rob actually does it.
Of note early on also was the theme of aggressive vs being laid back. David mentioned that Russell didn't win either season because he was too aggressive and turned people off, Francesca regarded Philip as too aggressive around camp and that it was going to turn people off, Kristina commented after Rob saw her looking for the clue to the idol that she didn't want to come off as this aggressive strategizer and turn people off, Matt spoke of Rob and said that he loved his laid back attitude.
Rob didn't win his all star season because his game play was too aggressive and he turned people off, even though his camp life at Chapera was very laid back. This season we are seeing a very strategic Rob who is making all the right moves, yet not using that gruff aggressiveness that we saw in his past. In Episode 2 Matt was in awe of how skilled Rob was at telling people exactly what they needed to hear, not just what a person wanted to hear, but delivering it in a manner that they needed to hear it in.
Rob sized his tribe up and knew that Francesca and Kristina were going to be threats to his leadership, he needed and wanted loyal followers. When Matt went to the other tribe and shook hands, to Rob that was a big sign of disloyalty. When Matt was voted out, he wasn't pissed at the blindside, he applauded it as great game play, if anything I think it made him respect Rob even more. I truly believe that if Matt comes back in the game he will come back and rejoin Rob and Ometepe, he will show his loyalty this time. I also think that when Matt gets voted out again it is because Rob gets Andrea on board with the vote, the premonition came from Andrea witnessing Matt bonding with Krista.
Further proof is Rob's only confessional of episode 1 “Originally, I wanted to vote Francesca off because the very first time I met her, she stood up on the mat, looked at Jeff and said: “I don’t want to play with him because he’s too sneaky.” She knows my game so I don’t want someone like that on my tribe. After thinking about it some more, the second we landed on our beach, Kristina was the one looking through all the supplies, looking for the immunity idol. She’s dangerous. She knows strategy and she knows to go out there and to work for it. To me, I don’t need somebody like that with me.”
Zapatera wanted to get rid of Russell at the first possible chance. They struggled with tribe strength vs taking Russell out, but when they saw that he had his hooks in Stephanie, they knew it had to be done. When the first possible opportunity to get rid of Russell didn't materialize, they threw a challenge in order to speed up the process. Ironically enough, this will be their downfall as a tribe.
In Episode 1, Kristina wanted to get rid of Rob knowing what a threat he was to her. Philip also stated that in the best interest of the tribe they should keep Rob but in Philip's own best interest he knew he needed to get rid of him. He said "the longer Rob is around and has time to solidify those girls and that whole thing, I'm weakening, so I need to get rid of him now. Goodbye Rob, and you're looking at the new leader of your tribe."
Ometepe had one chance to get rid of Rob and they couldn't execute. Ever since that time, Rob has been gaining strength as a leader while neutralizing his opponents and drawing in his loyal followers to make them even more loyal. He has been playing a strategic yet laid back, not overly aggressive game. In true Nash fashion, Rob is the sole leader of his tribe. At the merge, I don't see anybody that has the charisma or leadership to execute a coup d'état. Rob will have his minions work for him to keep him in power, and he will keep that power right to the end.
And in the end, Rob will have executed the strategy that Russell himself proclaimed he would use, he will have found his own redemption without ever having to visit redemption island, Survivor sure loves its irony.

I'm not sure who came first hosting games, you or Tribe, but you are both nefarious! - CTGirl

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 11:46 AM (EST)

71. "RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

Well hello, KOB! It has been a long time.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the season. Game theory has always been a favortie way of mine to look at Survivor and you certainly nailed Rob's gameplay.
The one thing I would say however is that Zapatera has more of a M-tribe feel than a L-Tribe. Russell wanted to be leader but Ralph seized it immediately. His repeated: "I have it under control" confirms that he sees himself as leader. Next, Russell himself designated Sarita as leader and we saw her leadership when she decided Stephanie would make the throws. The editing has also shown us that Steve thinks of himself as leader. It was under his influence that Zapatera threw the challenge. Finally, David would like to be the leader because he thinks he's the only one to understand what Zap needs. Julie and Mike are their only followers.
Really, L-Tribe or M-Tribe doesn't change much, both being doomed to fail. The problem could come after the merge if Rob has to work too hard to get rid of the remaining Zap leaders. If he has to become too aggressive, he could open the door for a follower to earn the votes in the end.
My biggest fear regarding Rob's edit is that Matt could be seen as a Victim. Winners don't eliminate Victims, they eliminate threats and dumb players. Jeff did present Rob's move as elevating his game but, with each win at RI, Matt becomes more likable and, in retrospect, Rob could be viewed as having bullied him out of the game. If you read my posts, you know I don't think that's the way the story will go because I also see Rob as the winner but who knows?
As for theme, what do you think of Rob's voting confessional in episode #1? "I love playing with you amateurs. You give away so much" sounds, to me like the best way to judge a player's winning chances. It certainly has played with the RI revelations. Andrea doesn't give away much. As far as I'm concerned, she's the one that could upset Rob.

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KObrien_fan 8212 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 12:13 PM (EST)

72. "RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

Hi Michael-
Yes I considered calling them an M tribe but didn't only because while they all say they want to be leader or declared as leader by themselves or by someone else, the editing is that they are a consensus type group, sort of like the way the womens Yasur tribe was in Vanuatu. Ami, Twila, Eliza, Scout all could have been seen as leaders in the early going, but they were voting as a consensus to rid the tribe of drama and "appeared" to be leaderless. And like you pointed out, M or L it makes no difference because both tribe types are chaotic by nature.
I have read many of your posts/thoughts and you do a great job of mixing in animal imagery, music, and all types of editing to draw your conclusions, good stuff. I do also like Rob's quote from Episode 1 about playing with amateurs.
I think that at some point Matt will come back from RI but that he will rejoin the Ometepe core, Rob will have that loyalty talk with Matt and tell him what he wants to hear to get drawn back in. Having secured Matt, plus I believe that the numbers will be in Rob's favor at the merge, plus he has a hidden idol that nobody but him knows about, it all bodes well.
Being a leader in Survivor by the Nash definition is as much to do with the charisma to get people to follow you when it comes time to make a big move. Philip has been shown to fail at his attempt to oust Rob, partly because of his supposed past as a man of his word. Philip will want to get rid of the Zapatera core before going after Rob, in order to take over the helm and realistically giving himself a chance to win, but by then it will be too late.
I think Andrea will be instrumental in getting Matt booted the 2nd time when the time comes. I think Rob has had more of a winning edit than Andrea, she will be important to helping him stay at the top, and you are right if Rob starts getting overly aggressive it would lead to his downfall. I just don't see it happening.

I'm not sure who came first hosting games, you or Tribe, but you are both nefarious! - CTGirl

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 01:51 PM (EST)

73. "RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

I just wanted to add that, according to Chris, Leann was the leader of Yasur. It certainly wasn't edited that way! The edit is what we have to go by but if we only knew what was really going on out there.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
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03-27-11, 08:37 PM (EST)

76. "RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

LAST EDITED ON 03-27-11 AT 08:40 PM (EST)

KO'brien! GREAT to see you back here and especially in the editing thread. I could not agree with your assessments more, and WOW, you really know how to explain it all! What an awesome presentation, and I think you have nailed it, as michel has as well. All along I have noted the comments regarding leaders and followers and game theory, yet I am not nearly as versed in it as you are. Rob even stated in his assessment of himself, pre-game, that his only problem was that he was a leader, if he's in the car, he has to do the driving...it's him, and that's the way it is. Rob definitely handled the 2 people that stuck out to him as bucking his style and got rid of them. I thoroughly agree with your assessment of Matt as well, and I would love to see it all come to fruition as you note. I agree that the confessional Andrea had the last episode was huge, in regard to seeing Matt in a different light, perhaps.
The seasoned veteran has played his tribe like a well tuned violin. I can't wait to see them pull together, under his guidance and direction, once they merge. I look so forward to it. I agree also that Zap has too many chefs in the kitchen....having Russell there unified their group. With him gone they are in deep trouble. Too many folks with their own opinions on how to fix things...they are in serious trouble.
Thanks so much for the fantastic assessments and for your very thorough and eloquent post....I admire your grasp of it all! Great to see you, stick around!
PS. ETA: I also wanted to mention that at one point in the game, perhaps in the introduction, Jiffy noted that Rob was a master at game theory...so far, I'd have to agree with him, and on my final note...GO ROBFADDA, GO!

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CTgirl 6363 desperate attention whore postings
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04-04-11, 08:01 PM (EST)

106. "RE: Nash Theory as applied to Redemption Island editing"

Hi KOB! I'm so glad you're back this season!
I was catching up on the editing thread today and was thrilled to see your post especially because you mentioned game theory. I had been out walking my dog recently and thought to myself, I wish someone would post about Nash and how they see this season. I had ESP, I just didn't know to look for it!
Rob certainly is looking good at this point in the game (which would make me very happy!). Andrea is the only one who could give him a run for his money. My impressions of Matt might change if they start fleshing him out. He's rather one-dimensional right now and I would not be surprised if Andrea helps Rob vote him out again.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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04-02-11, 03:40 PM (EST)

81. "Episode #7: Thoughts"

During the recap, we heard that Zapatera’s lone night of pleasure after throwing a challenge to get rid of Russell turned into days of misery: Tribe unity crumbled.
David’s relationship with Sarita got so bad that he joined forces with Stephanie to try to vote Sarita out.
At Ometepe, Rob had an Immunity Idol in his pocket along with most of his tribe but Phillip had a love/hate relationship with Rob. When Rob tried to hide a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol, it was all out war.
The Ometepes won their third out of the last four challenges.
The Zapateras went to Tribal Council where David and Stephanie voted for Sarita but everyone else voted for Stephanie.
We heard Jeff’s final words of the last TC: “You made the decision to go with someone you could trust instead of someone that might have done better at challenges. We’ll know soon enough if you made the right call.”

We continue to hear the danger that Phillip represents for Rob but repeating it makes it sound even more like a false alarm. There has to be some doubt placed in Rob’s winning chances so the editors manufacture that doubt through Phillip. As for the other tribe, the repetition of Jeff’s admonishment after the last TC was telling us that they would indeed regret to have kept the weaker Sarita. Right then, we knew they had reserved their seats for the upcoming TC.
Zapatera
David: “I didn’t want to make any bones about where I stood. I did what I had to do and I wanted to let my position known. If it’s the end of me then, so be it.”
Sarita: “Tribal is never good but tonight was especially bad. I found out our gang of six did have a major hole in it. As I suspected, David had gone over to the dark side.”
Steve: “This is the six we wanted back in day 1 but there is a big rift between Sarita and David. Dave is showing that he can be a bit of an antagonist. If David can be man enough and put his ego and pride and emotions aside for the bigger cause of the team. If not, there could be problems.”
Redemption Island
Matt: “Stephanie came in and her mouth has been going a mile a minute. I want to go to the duel and win this one. I told God that I would be out here as long as he wants me to be out here. I’m here for the long haul.”
Finally we hear something from Matt that looks ahead to the future of the game.
Ometepe
Day 17
Phillip: “There’s another duel. Rob and I are going to go. I just don’t trust Rob anymore… Miyamoto Musashi, a very famous Japanese horseman, once wrote a book called the “Book of 5 Rings”. In that book, he says that what you want to do, which is so difficult, is let your enemy move first. Rob’s weakness is that he likes to be extremely controlling and he wants to control me and all the other players but nobody’s controlling me.”
In China, Todd was edited as following the teachings of Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”. Could we be seeing where Phillip’s edit is headed? Musashi was a samurai who often fought with swords of wood. Phillip uses wooden spears to hunt crabs. Musashi was said not to worry about his appearance, never taking baths in case he’d be caught without his weapons. His appearance was uncouth and wretched. Doesn’t he sound a bit, a lot, like our Phillip? We have been so busy laughing at Phillip; did we miss the warrior inside? Maybe Jeff’s warnings aren’t false alarms after all.
Rob: “Phillip wanted to go to the duel but he isn’t allowed to go without a chaperone so I got to baby-sit his ass for the day. Phillip has a big mouth, he likes to talk and he can’t be trusted. He’s dangerous because of his stupidity. He’s probably the most unaware person I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
Coming after a confessional where Phillip sounded very aware, especially about Rob’s game, this confessional should concern us about Rob’s future.
The Duel – Mental Fatigue
When Matt immediately flipped two “Skulls”, Stephanie was heard calling him “Golden Boy”.
After Matt won, Stephanie said: “I feel like there are people here that don’t deserve to be here. Sarita is one of them. Ralph, if you want to play the game, you have to get rid of her because she is your weakest link. I know you’re think David because he was the only one that voted with me against Sarita, but he’s the only guy that can do puzzles. Do you want to take that responsibility? Rob: Look out because they are going to try to take you out just like they took out Russell. Watch your back and I wouldn’t trust anyone on their tribe. Try to get this guy (Matt) back but good luck because he’s been here a long time”
Clearly, we had overestimated Stephanie’s long term possibilities but, like Krista, her words resonate with foreshadowing. She seems to have laid out how the game will unfold even without her.
Phillip, responding to Jeff: “I am very impressed with Matt.” Turning to Matt, he added: “In the old days of the samurai they had something called the Bushidu code. It’s what the samurai lived by. What I have seen in you; you are truly a samurai warrior.”
Rob: “Little Phillip couldn’t keep his mouth shut. I’m telling you; when the merge comes, Phillip is ready to make a big move and, by big moves, he means: Let’s get Rob out.”
This latest confessional is better for Rob because he is showing awareness. As for Phillip, he seems to have already given the samurai edit to Matt. The samurai is very loyal to his Shogun, his leader. Rob, by making the first move (remember what we learned from the book of 5 rings) and sending Matt to Redemption Island, could have turned his former loyal soldier into a ronin. Can he win Matt back? Suddenly, that seems to be the crux of the season.
On the way back to Ometepe
Rob: “We were on the beach and Phillip asked me how much if any I wanted to tell the tribe what went on. I wasn’t upset that Phillip suggested we don’t say anything to the tribe… I was hoping for it, actually praying for him to say something like that to me so I can use it as ammunition. An opportunity presented itself for me to throw Phillip further under the bus.”
When they did arrive, Rob told them it had been crazy, crazy, crazy and that Stephanie told him they were gunning for him.
Rob: “I took all this information and relayed it all to the tribe because I wanted everybody on the same page. I wanted everybody to know that the target’s on me so that they feel safe, number one and, number two, I need to keep everybody else against Phillip.”
Rob then told the tribe that Phillip had wanted to withhold some information and that he would be flipping at the first opportunity. As he said this, the camera focused on Andrea, showing us that she was with Rob on this, smiling and nodding just as much as Grant, Rob’s number one ally.
Rob: “With all the attention focused on Phillip and everybody using him as a punching bag, I’m free to maneuver and do what I need to do. If we lose, there won’t be any blindside. I’ll go right up to Phillip and when he asks who we are voting for, I’ll say: “You know Phillip, you are going home.” I’ll frontside him!”
Just then, our aspiring samurai fell from a tree, not a very positive way to picture him!
Including this scene seems to indicate further that Matt is the Samurai, not the bumbling Phillip.
Zapatera
Returning to the shelter, Ralph and David disagreed when it came to talking about Stephanie’s rant, David saying it wasn’t done in an egregious manner as Ralph was indicating.
When David walked away, Ralph said that Matt would stay with the other side and he added that David would go the same way.
Ralph: “I think Dave will float anyway. If we merge, he will go just like that (snaps his fingers). He’s a lawyer and lawyers; you gotta look at ‘em that way. They think they’re a lot better than everybody else.”
Steve: “The 30 year old attorney, David, is telling the 45 year old Ralph, Mr Outdoorsman, that we should go fishing. David is getting tough to stomach.”
Sarita: “David…I find him selfish and egotistical.”
Ralph: “David, he might be smart but it doesn’t take smart to win this game. It just takes somebody who knows to runeuver around and play the ball. In the world of Survivor, he’s got to go.”
Ometepe
Day 18
The girls, Natalie in particular but Andrea and Ashley as well, were defending Rob’s share of crispy rice that Phillip coveted.
Phillip: “Everybody likes the brown crispy rice but Rob likes it in particular. I asked if I could have a little scoop, a teaspoonful of the crispy. “No, no, no, you can’t it’s all for Rob…How asinine is that? I’m sick and tired of the fact that Boston Rob, because he is Boston Rob, he gets deference to every thing. Just because they sleep in his underwear every night…and that’s not speaking figuratively. They are sharing his underwear, his socks, his bed, so they want to pay him deference on every thing. Let it be known that the first opportunity I have to eliminate him, I will. With all due respect, I’m a 52 year old man and the senior member of this tribe. I don’t know which world they come from but in every other world; I would be given the deference just because of my age. I’m certainly entitled to it if we are going to call this a tribe. I get the red-headed step-child treatment. Am I feeling part of this tribe? Hell, no! Am I giving 100%, 110% to this tribe? Hell yeah! I’m sick of it. I’m not quitting, I’m here to stay but I want to be on record that there is a division in this tribe, not of my making, of their making.”
Natalie was shown at the end of this, a hint that Phillip was mainly talking about her. It really sounded like a childish argument though, not Samurai-like.
BTW: If you wanted Rob’s portion of rice, you should have put fafaru on it!
The Challenge
Ralph and Julie were a little too anxious to know what would be the reward.
Jeff told Natalie that the reward would include non-alcoholic beverages, reminding us just how young she is.
Jeff also pointed out that no one would sit out since the tribes were even.
Rob found a neat trick to get the bag out of the corkscrew whereas Sarita had problems. Unfortunately, the trick didn’t work so well after the first time, the thrown bag getting tangled rather than swinging through. Zapatera took a lead at the second station mostly due to Phillip having problems with obstacles and David taking over for Sarita.
Jeff said: “Rob was going the wrong way with the bag, he was hung up.”
We didn’t hear that Rob was helping Phillip to get to the end.
We heard Sarita asking for help to untie bags (Stephanie’s specialty!)
Grant, the football player, showed that he was good at Basketball also, sinking all of Ometepe’s six shots.
Jeff pointed out that things were going from bad to worse for Zapatera.
As the helicopter approached, Phillip gave us a confessional: “Some tribes advance boldly, weak tribes grow agitated but superior tribes like ours: We find a way to win! And we did.”
He kissed the idol.
Rob as the chopper circled the volcano: “This is my fourth time on Survivor and I’ve been on a lot of rewards but I’ll tell you what I’ve never done is landed on top of an active volcano. Definitely one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.”
Grant: “I’m sitting on the edge of a volcano, bro’. I could fall in and never be heard from again! What is special about it is that we get to do it as a tribe together and just enjoy it.”
Phillip: “I’m actually having an incredible day today. We have a numbers advantage and for me, I haven’t always felt that I was totally inclusive with the group but today, having a wonderful meal and surviving with the tribe, I find it hard not to be tribal in my thinking, community in my thinking. Right now, I’m on top of the Earth.”
Rob: “I’ve been on enough rewards to know that whenever you win one, there’s going to be a clue. It hit me: The cookies are cylindrical shaped; the clue’s got to be in there. Sure enough, in the center, there’s a clue wrapped up like a cookie. It really doesn’t matter what it says because I already have the idol. I might as well just throw it away in the volcano. Bye-bye!”
The reward was very interesting in what it didn’t show: The girls’ confessionals about the view and the food and the players’ thoughts on the clue. Is anyone looking besides Rob? I’m sure they are so the question becomes: Are those confessionals hidden to make us see them as Dump players or are they starting to figure out that Rob has the clues and the idol?
Zapatera
Mike: “Today was an awesome challenge but the outcome completely sucked. That’s 3 losses in a row; all three for food. We are starving out here. We are tired of going to Tribal. After tonight, it’s going to be 6 of them and 5 of us. Not a good situation with a looming merge.”
The vultures were already feeding on the carcass of Zapatera’s turtle.
For some reason, Sarita praised David’s puzzle-making abilities even if she said that she thought she was as good as he was.
Sarita: “…David is a loose canon…I feel Dave could do well on Redemption Island against “Boy Wonder” which means he would come back like a hell-on-wheels after me...”
David: “I feel like more nervous than I have in the past primarily because I don’t know if the tribe has seen the light in terms of keeping strength. Last time, no one was interested in focusing on strength; they were focusing on trust…”
Mike: “Initially, we were going to target David but Sarita struggled at the challenge. David… he is a little harder to trust and, if we are merging any time soon; who do we want to be with us at the merge? We’re in a little bit of a tail-spin. We have a couple thousand feet before we crash and burn but we have to figure a way out of this tail-spin.”
Tribal Council
Ralph: “It was pretty close today.”
Jeff: “Can I pipe in? David; complete this sentence: Excuses are for…”
David: “Losers.”
Ralph: “I’m a loser then.”
Reminded of their record since throwing a challenge, Julie said: “It is bad Karma. At the time, we thought our tribe was way stronger than the other tribe and we thought we could spare throwing one challenge. We still think we are stronger than the other tribe.”
Jeff: “…Maybe the problem is you are not as cohesive.”
David: “That’s exactly what the problem is. It’s a lack of unity here. When we were banded together against Russell it was something we had a similar goal. The other tribe; it looks like they are all friends…”
Ralph: “I don’t know what cohesive means.”
Put in a hypothetical situation by Jeff, Ralph added: “I’d rather have the ones that work harder and don’t get along because they others that do get along, all you have is yak-yak-yak.”
Steve: “I respectfully disagree. I believe any coach would rather have a group that gets along…That’s why Krista and Stephanie are gone: They were the dissenters among the group.”
David said he had given his word to Stephanie so he knew he had a target on his back.
Sarita said she trusted in the six and was surprised David voted for her.
David: “I did what I thought was best for the tribe.”
When Jeff went to collect the urn, we had a shot of Steve shaking his head, telling us that the tribe was already regretting the decision.
When Jeff read the 6th vote, we heard Sarita saying: “I wish I’d brought my stuff.”
David answered: “Don’t get too confident.”
Sarita left the TC area with a bag that looked full so which stuff was she talking about?
Jeff: “If there was any question about whether or not this was one cohesive group, tonight’s tribal council certainly answered it: No!”
The Story
With all this talk of the merge and questions of cohesiveness, we heard all we needed to know that Zapatera’s tail-spin will indeed result in the crash and burn of their tribe.
The introduction of the Book of 5 rings into the story might be only a one-time deal and could have no consequences down the road but I prefer to keep it on the back-burner and look at what will happen when Matt the Samurai will rejoin Rob who, as leader, is like the Shogun. It will also be interesting to see if anymore parallels are made between Phillip and the Japanese warrior Musashi.
The Characters

Sarita: We heard often enough that she was weak in challenges so it would be extremely doubtful that she could beat Matt. Her story has always been too thin to expect that she would have any impact down the line.
Mike: As narrator, Mike told us the choice facing the group and how they were in a tail-spin. Therefore, the decision was put on his shoulder and we cannot help but question its validity. Now is the time a tribe needs loyalty and, if you are going to eliminate a loyal player, don’t blindside her. Redemption Island means that she could return so why anger her? With the coming merge, Mike will be a big target as he is the strongest man without an Immunity Idol on the minority tribe.

Steve: Steve is still presented as the tribe’s diplomat but being the shooter during the last challenge could have put a target on his back if Ometepe noticed and decides he needs to go. Nothing in Steve’s confessionals ties him to any future story-line.
Julie: Her story is still restricted to Russell, the thrown challenge and the Bad Karma it brought the tribe.
Ralph: He told us he was a loser.
David: Did anyone get too confident about David’s future possibilities and his possible flip to the other tribe? I certainly didn’t. David’s confessionals and his interventions to the tribe have always told us that he is still a Zapatera even after all this. No matter what, he was still only thinking about the good of the tribe, not about what would be good for David. If he does make a move, it will not profit him. That is what we have seen up to now.

Ashley: She didn’t get any confessionals during the reward, proving that the story of the season is between the Ometepe men.

Natalie: She was front and center during the rice incident and that squarely portrayed her as loyal to Rob. If this turns out to be edited as a Japanese saga then Natalie will die for her leader.
Grant: He had a short confessional during the reward but I would rather have heard someone mentioning that Ometepe’s recovery was because of his exploits. He has been as valuable to the Ome’s victories as Tom was for Koror but he certainly doesn’t have Tom’s edit. No one has mentioned that Grant was a man’s man, the editors haven’t given us any signs of the respect he should be getting. In fact, Zapatera’s TC gave more credit to Ometepe’s easy going nature which was much more a sign of respect for Rob because of the obvious reminder of the Happy Chappies.

Andrea: This time, the cameras didn’t separate her from the other women of Ometepe. I’d suggest that all we saw as her story, the hints she would use Matt to get even with Rob or her comment that he was long gone, were part of Matt’s story, not hers. Now that Matt is on the brink of returning, she has faded in the background, leaving center stage for the true warriors to do battle. It will be interesting to see her merge episode but, right now, Andrea’s story has fallen off the pace of the leading peleton.

The Case for Phillip: Is he a true warrior? That is the biggest question I have. All the jokes about his underwear and his appearance are now not only comic relief but a parallel to the great Japanese warrior himself! All our editing experience tells us that Phillip cannot win but his dual edit: Gigantic farce / heroic patriot could be immediately redeemed if, at the reunion show, Jeff simply tells us: “Look at where he is sitting now!” This is the season of redemption, we heard that it could be time for a dumbass to win and Phillip himself told us he would outlast every man on Zapatera. Can he outlast them all? I’d really enjoy seeing that ending and there are slight indications that we could see it. There certainly are enough doubts surrounding his chances!
The Case for Matt: In episode #1 with Matt’s reaction shown front and center when Jeff mentioned the season’s twist and theme, we had an indication that Matt would not only go to Redemption Island but could be the one returning from the ordeal. Over the weeks, our impressions grew as we saw a good guy, confronted by tremendous odds, survive one challenge after the other. The editors, to their credit, gave us doubts when they made him cross swords with Stephanie, another player that appeared to have hooks to the post-merge game.
Not only did his latest victory restore our confidence in his return but it could have opened up a new story line for him. His victory over Stephanie showed us that praying was indeed a winning strategy. “Golden Boy”, “Boy Wonder” we heard him called by others just as he told us he was there for the long run. Then, Phillip gave him an introduction to a new story, that of a Japanese Warrior. Will Matt’s return show him as a true samurai, loyal to the death to his leader or did Rob’s first move against him turn him into a ronin?
The Case for Rob: We have seen the editors building the case for a Rob win since the beginning of the season. Even this episode showed us his maestria of the game, not giving anything away at Redemption Island when Stephanie told him they would be gunning for him. We did get some warning signs when he didn’t seem to realize that there was more to Phillip than plain stupidity.
Also of concern is the fact that we haven’t heard any Ometepe member asking about the whereabouts of their idol. There has to have been discussions about it but none were heard except where Kristina was concerned. It is impossible from where we sit to know if that manipulation is to show just how much Rob controls his troops or to hide a fomenting revolt. The decision to hide those discussions could have been made because the talks come to nothing or to prepare a huge blindside.
As of now, the solidity of Rob’s edit is in its balance. Rob isn’t presented as an over-confident player headed for a fall because we hear his worries. He clearly knows that the target is on his back so that separates him from those failed front-runners. He isn’t shown as being detestable to others in camp so we aren’t being given any reasons why he would lose a final vote. He now must deal with a player returning from Redemption Island and this is the only thing that could bring his downfall. He has never before been confronted with a situation like this and neither have we: How does a likable Outcast fare in this game?
The key to deciphering the season’s outcome will come from Rob’s interaction with Matt. During his boot episode, I didn’t get the impression that Matt was portrayed as a Victim which is one of the big reasons I think Rob wins. However, Matt’s sojourn on Redemption Island has gained him many fans, people who could now see that he was a Victim and deserves reparation. If Matt forgives Rob then we will know Rob wins. If we hear that Matt needed to redeem himself then it still looks good for Rob. If we hear that Matt feels wronged by Rob; that he sees through Rob’s appeasement tactics, we will have to revise our position.
For now, the Book of 5 Rings is about finding the Way of Strategy and only Rob’s strategy has been shown as an effective way to play the game.

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parathor 97 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Hollywood Squares Square"
04-02-11, 07:29 PM (EST)

82. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Awesomeness as usual, Michel!
What are we to make of Steve mentioning the age/respect connection between David (30) & Ralph (45)? ...(in conjunction with Phillip's similar issue about the girls not respecting his age).
Phillip was redeemed later in the episode (by his own admission)... and David ended up victorious by outlasting Sarita. Is this just a coincidence, or something we should look out for? Respect your elders, like, seriously? Or move aside, old people (Rob?), because the new kids know more than the elders?
This is the first episode in a while that has given me concern for Rob's chances.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-02-11, 08:56 PM (EST)

84. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

"What are we to make of Steve mentioning the age/respect connection between David (30) & Ralph (45)? ...(in conjunction with Phillip's similar issue about the girls not respecting his age)."
I don't know because I hadn't made that connection. One thing I wouldn't say though is that Phillip was redeemed. That word, this season, is too important. Phillip was simply assuaged by the victory, an angry lion that was finally fed. Maybe that tells us once more that his roar is worse than his bite.
Rob didn't have the best episode. His confessional about Phillip's stupidity isn't very good for his chances and Jeff not mentioning that Rob was helping Phillip get to the end (how loaded would that have been?) during the challenge was an opportunity missed to make Rob look like a team player. The viewers did get to see it but usually it's reinforced by the narration.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-02-11, 09:26 PM (EST)

86. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

I don't know, parathor....I had quite a different take. I tend to agree with michel who noted perhaps Phillip's bark is worse than his bite. For me, he seems so petty and juvenile even. Plain and simple he's jealous. He's seen as complaining about what the others are doing in the name of Rob....saving the crusty rice for Rob, and not letting him have any...and Rob wasn't even there. His bone to pick at that moment was with the girls. We know that he wants Rob out. Then, when it's time for RI, Rob asks to go. And, we are shown that Rob doesn't trust Phillip to not do what Steph and Krista both did....This action, and the confessional tell me that Rob is worried, and judging from Phillip's confessionals, I'd say that Rob is dead on smart.
Then Phillip suggests to Rob that they deceive the rest regarding what was said at RI...Rob was smart in that regard as well....keeping it all above board. What Rob turned around and did to Phillip, by telling the others that Phillip wanted to withhold the info from them is more than likely exactly what Phillip would have done to Rob, if Rob had agreed with him...Again, I saw Rob was a step ahead.
Then Phillip complains about being the elder in the tribe, which he thinks is more deserving...I see Phillip as petty and complaining and jealous. Then, at the challenge, we see Phillip lagging behind, and it's Rob that stays to help him finish hard. At the Reward, Phillip was so happy with the experience that he was pacified. To me, he's all mouth. And, I think one of these days, his mouth will be his demise.
Personally, I found Rob to be at the top of his game with the merge looming. But, we all know that there are many, many hurdles to jump if Rob is to make it to the end.
Interesting to note that the season is really turning out nicely with Rob in control of his tribe, and Matt, the RI returnee, heading back into the game. Wouldn't the producers be thrilled if these two could indeed make it to the end and find real redemption!

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-02-11, 07:40 PM (EST)

83. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Excellent assessments, michel. You raised alot of good points. Clearly, there are things that go on in both tribes that are edited out...their omission is to help tell the story. I agree, Grant and the girls must have talks about the idol at Camp Ometepe, and yet we don't get to hear it....Rob is being edited as the master manipulator...he's effectively hid the idol, or has he? How would we know if he's even mentioned it to any of them, if it's not shown to us? Right now, all we can assume is that he's kept it secret. Also, with the merge on the forefront, I can't help but to wonder what they all talk about in relation to mixing...
So much of this show is hype and misdirection as well. We get the Andrea is mad stuff, and we are shown it...with the time that's passed is she still harboring resentment...she seems very meek to me and I don't know if she's capable of making big moves, unless she throws in with someone else that sticks their neck out...
Regarding Matt, Jeff has hyped if he gets back in the game, despite his religion, I think he'll want to get redemption and gun for Rob....but I don't know if I buy it. It will be very interesting to see how Matt assimilates back into this game. Especially after hearing all of the carp that Kristina and the girls from Zap must have given him. I would think that he'd lean heavily on Andrea's assessments.
We have also heard from Rob, that he was born at night, but not last night....he doesn't trust Matt one iota...I did get a feeling that Rob had made a bad move, and I was sad...but, I recall that he gave the others, Grant, Ashley, and Natalie the choice of Andrea or Matt, and Grant said specifically that Andrea was good in challenges, and he said it should be Matt...I am sure that Matt will go back with the Ome's for now, but I certainly expect to hear confessionals from him regarding how he can't trust him...
This merge should be good!

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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04-02-11, 09:09 PM (EST)

85. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Thank you FP.
I had been seeing (or maybe hoping to see) Andrea as a wolf in sheep's clothing but she seems to really be a sheep. There's still hope but she's had some very weak episodes and is totally dismissed from the recaps.
As for Matt, my impression of him is that he will want to forgive Rob, will be inclined to fall back in line. Remember how he praised Rob for knowing exactly what to say to everyone: What if it turns against Matt and he falls for Rob's lines just long enough to be voted out again?
I sure hope the merge is good because this season, outside of Phillip and Rob, has really been boring, so much so that it was the theme of my episode 6 summary.

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Flowerpower 5592 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-03-11, 11:17 AM (EST)

92. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-03-11 AT 11:18 AM (EST)
Michel, I agree. When Matt was voted out and we heard reaction confessionals from Andrea, and from Rob as well, I, too, looked at Andrea as the wolf in sheeps clothing, and I was afraid that Rob would grow complacent and ignore her. I looked at her as quite dangerous. But, with time, I think that Andrea was just as blindsided as Matt, clearly, and those were reaction shots. With time, and her re-assimilation back into the tribe, she's definitely gained favor. I wouldn't put her as Rob's number two, but she has gained more than Phillip.
I think Andrea had put most of her marbles in Matt's basket, and when he was out, she was lost. But, with time she is more secure with Rob. I don't think, at this point, she would choose Phillip over Rob. And, I think this is what she'll convey to Matt, on his return. I agree with you as well on what your ultimate prediction of Matt's return will be as well. I think he will want to forgive Rob too...it may take a little more time for him to reach that point, but, nevertheless, I think he will.
However, all of this serves to create doubt as to Rob eventually winning this season, and as we all know, the winner has to be able to perservere all obstacles and hurdles to make it to the end!

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 04:14 AM (EST)

95. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

This seems right on about Andrea, FP.
I do not think that Matt will be Rob's man again. He is Christian, and forgiveness is good, but he's also a young guy who is very bright (pre-med), social, knows his way around the block, has watched the game.
Rob blindsided him successfully because by all normal strategy a hunky guy in Rob's core alliance should have been safe at the second TC. I think Matt will be more like "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I doubt he will ever trust Rob again. Will he sell Rob on his loyalty, I believe so. It's Matt's best move.
If Rob loses this game, I think it will be Grant or Matt or both who take him down (possibly with Phillip), and not a Zapatera. Definitely with Matt there was a theme with his RI stay that he would get back in and have revenge on Rob.'
If he tried to do it now he would be used for that and then disposed of, as everyone on Ometepe but Andrea and Phillip would be mad, and maybe Andrea as well, and Zapatera's would find him dangerous.
It will be interesting to see if any of the players get over the tribal division this season. Last season they intermingled and it changed the game, but there was a swap. With no swap, it's less likely they will forget the rivalry. Because of that division, Matt is pretty much homeless other than with Rob. I expect he will bide his time.
Rob is playing a great game, but also using people and conniving, and I don't for a minute think that Matt will be oblivious the way Grant and the girls seem to be.

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Georjanna 722 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Reality Show Commentator"
04-02-11, 10:25 PM (EST)

87. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Michel,
Redemption Island, in several ways, reminds me a great deal of Gabon.
One of those ways is (to use David's word) the "groupthink" of the Zapatera Six. Their method of non-leadership reminds me of the Onions. And of Marcus' hilarious attempt to instruct a very hierarchy-minded Susie in the finer points of Hydra-dynamics.
Another is what I think is a growing similarity - not in their detail but in their direction - of the portrayals of Phillip and ... Bob. Although we did have an 'I'm on top of the world' moment from Phillip in the last Episode.
Note: The aftermath of Wednesday's IC also produced two other scraps of dialogue that I really enjoyed.
One was Phillip's amusing 'way to help out' to Rob and the other was Rob's thought-provoking quip - 'We almost lost you, Phillip' - as Ometepe made room for the red-headed stepchild in the center of their victory tableau.
Anyway ...
Please believe me when I say that I'm not suggesting that Phillip was the Sole Survivor of Redemption Island. At least not yet. And probably never. But I do wonder if you also see (hear or feel ... ) a bit of a connection between the edits of the two Seasons or between the edits of the two characters.

As always, with my thanks for yet another great read.

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-03-11, 02:31 AM (EST)

89. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

That's a nice point about the top of the world, Georjanna. Phillip isn't going to win, though. He couldn't in any universe get the votes for Sole Survivor. They think he's crazy. Jurors don't like to vote for crazy.
As for Andrea -- as you mentioned, a Taurus. Not an impulsive sign.
Taureans are faithful friends but staunch enemies if you make them go there. They prefer stable strong alliances.
People have been talking about Andrea jumping around, but Taureans don't jump. Like bulls, they might charge, but normally they like to graze placidly in the field. They do get jealous easily, but they don't really like to be seething with emotion.
I see Andrea as someone who was looking for a strong alliance, but then got shaken up when Matt got booted. Ultimately she didn't want to make a move with Francesca, Kristina, Phillip. Look how the first two ended up.
If she stops feeling safe, then she will probably regroup, but it takes something substantial to upset a Taurus. They have a great liking for the status quo. Why would she get mixed up with Zapatera right now? There is no reason. Better for her to strengthen her sub-alliances and bide her time.
I'm sure she wants to get out from under Rob's dominance at some point, but I expect she'll wait until it makes sense or until such time that she senses the knife is hovering over her back from the core Ometepe alliance.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-03-11, 10:53 AM (EST)

90. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-03-11 AT 10:55 AM (EST)
Georgianna, I'd need you to explain further your comparison between Bob and Phillip because I can't think of two more opposite stories. Bob received complete respect from everyone. He was given the 5th spot in the alliance and was so happy with it that he'd go take a nap when the Onions were planning. He won because everyone liked him. I have a hard time seeing a parallel with our secret agent!
As for Marcus, he was leading effectively but Gabon was messed up by one tribal switch after another. Remember, they were letting Ace think he was in charge but they had their core alliance and even the outsiders, Paloma and Kelly were against Ace, not Marcus and the Onions.
What killed Marcus' edit was that Jeff was always praising the Kotas, not Marcus individually. Even in this challenge where Marcus was in Tom's role:
The only praise was given to Bob when Dan said: "I wish I could do that when I'm 57."
Jeff has given all the praise possible to Rob so again, I'm not sure I see a parallel between the two seasons.
I'll have to listen again to the end of the challenge because those are two interesting nuggets that I didn't hear. "We almost lost Phillip" surely hints that Rob will keep him around!

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Chillicrab 47 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
04-02-11, 11:35 PM (EST)

88. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-04-11 AT 04:06 AM (EST)
(Edited because I somehow mess up the bold and the 2nd half of the post did not show. Forgive this amateur)
Wow Michel, excellent.
A couple of things stood out for me that I was hoping to see if what others think.
The summary at the beginning, Rob says, “By me having this, I know nobody else has this” and not with the, “I want this for me” we heard previously. Is this the extent that Rob is going to use it effectively?
After
Phillip: “There’s another duel. Rob and I are going to go. I just don’t trust Rob anymore… Miyamoto Musashi, a very famous Japanese horseman, once wrote a book called the “Book of 5 Rings”. In that book, he says that what you want to do, which is so difficult, is let your enemy move first. Rob’s weakness is that he likes to be extremely controlling and he wants to control me and all the other players but nobody’s controlling me.”
Immediately thereafter, Rob tells Phillip, “You’ve got to bring your shirt” for the RI duel, Phillip asked, "I do?", then obediently stops unbuttoning his shirt and walks behind Rob. Reminded me of an old man I knew with Alzheimers who kept saying he was the head of the family, was in charge but would obediently follow the caretaker. That along with the seemingly childish outbursts with the brown crispies , should Phillip really get the Emmy or Oscar that Rob and Mike wanted to hand him in Episode 2. Is he for real?
Phillip is
a. a loose cannon as Rob makes him out to be
b. pretending to be a loose cannon
c. a loose cannon trying not to be and trying to apply strategies not really managing to?
Grumpy childish old man vs learned old man biding his time then forgetting what he wanted to do when the time comes?’
Agree the falling off the tree does not bode well for him, perfect goat if you can control and drag him to the end without being kicked. Just wondering how much of his presence is for entertainment and how much going to affect the endgame of the real contenders? Was watching it with someone who does not read these boards, after the challenge, she commented that Phillip was an ungrateful grump who talks big. He didn’t know which way was forward was until Rob yelled, “Behind you Phillip” and he goes, “oh this way”. Rob had to drag him through the string maze and push his ##### over to help to him complete the course.
“Some tribes advance boldly, weak tribes grow agitated, superior tribe like ours, we find a way to win, and we did.” Ometepe carried Phillip, the least he could do is return to the fold.
Another thing, after the challenge, as they were walking back to the mat, there were some jubilant remarks that couldn’t really made out exactly, then a very distinct voice of Rob was heard saying, "I thought we lost you there". Is that a hint? Rob and followers do not lose Phillip as Phillip will ultimately not make the big move he talked about all this time?

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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04-03-11, 11:10 AM (EST)

91. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Thank you Chillicrab.
You bring a nice point about Phillip's dual edit with that "bring your shirt" comment. I had noticed that; when he told Ashley he would follow her, Natalie's reaction was telling us: "My gosh! I'm not the child here after all!"
As for your question, I'd say C) is closest: I see Phillip as a loose canon but not realizing he is. He's failing at strategy but stumbles into a fall-back position not always of his making.
You know, if the stars align properly, he could get votes in the end if he doesn't step on too many Zapatera toes and if he faces the spa girls. Faced with choosing between those lazy beauty queens and a hard worker, the jury would always give him votes. With 3 Omes at the end, the Zaps would be in the jury's majority. Even Rob could be faced with a "it's not his game" rebellion.
How will Phillip get there? He is on a very lucky streak already!

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 02:02 AM (EST)

93. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

>>> Faced with choosing between those lazy beauty queens and a hard worker, the jury would always give him votes.
Model Jenna Morasca beats great survivor skills Matt 6-1. Only Butch votes for Matt.
Matt was not nearly as crazy and he didn't wear baggy salmon undies, and he wasn't twice as old as the jury age average like Phillip would be.
They edited out most all the complaints in Gabon about how Bob was tedious around camp. Phillip's annoying traits are being magnified. He won't win the jury.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 08:05 AM (EST)

97. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

There are many differences between the two situations (if we have a Nat/Ash/Phil F3):
1- Ashley and Natalie could split the votes from their friends.
2- Zapatera hasn't been kind to young girls.
3- Jenna had mingled with most of the jury BEFORE the merge and she knew to get rid of Rodger before he poisoned the jury. (BTW, Butch was the only one she hadn't met!)
4- Phillip hasn't annoyed ANY of the Zaps yet.
5- Phillip is likely to say bad things about his tribe which could be music to the Zapateras like Sandra bashing Russell was for the Heroes.
6- People out there thought Matt was about to kill them.
7- Matt was Rob Cesternino's puppet. If Phillip orchestrates a move against Boston Rob, that could greatly impress the Zaps.
8- With Zap making up majority of the jury, I suggest you check your math regarding the average age of potential votes for Phillip. Phil wouldn't get votes from Grant and Rob but he could get the votes of the elders from Zap. Maybe that's why we heard his rant about age deserving respect. That was how Zapatera operated.
Phillip isn't likely to win the jury vote but we do not KNOW that he doesn't. Redemption Island could possibly see the biggest redemption story! That's the beauty of not being spoiled, the only saving grace of this season.

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Corvis 2741 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Survivor-themed Cruise Spokesperson"
04-04-11, 10:00 AM (EST)

98. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

I don't think Phillip has a prayer of getting the jury votes, but then stranger things have happened.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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04-04-11, 06:16 PM (EST)

103. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-04-11 AT 06:39 PM (EST)
I'm certainly not saying he's a sure winner in that F3 but I don't see Steve, Julie, Ralph and Mike voting for the spa girls over someone who works.
Other differences between Jenna and the spa girls:
9- Jenna won 2 crucial immunities to get herself to the end, gaining some respect in the process. If Natalie and Ashley both make the F3, one for sure, maybe both, will have coasted to the end.
10- Jenna used strategy:
a) when she picked her tribe, using what Dave told her to pick the 3 guys that hated Rodger.
b) Convincing Deena to vote out Rodger before jury duty started.
c) Going with Alex instead of Deena which weakened Rob until Alex opened his trap.
d) Giving up her immunity necklace to Heidi, making sure Christy would be voted out.
e) Making a F2 deal with Matt, thus making the cweepy guy so sure he'd be in the F2 that he didn't compete for immunity. Jenna only had Rob to beat.
We haven't seen anything yet from Natalie and Ashley.
11- Jenna only had problems with Jeanne, Joanne, Rodger and Christy. Only Christy made jury. Natalie and Ashley have been called lazy by Phillip, Andrea and Rob all of which would either be on the jury or using the girls' laziness to build his case.
12- Season's 6 main theme was: "Beautiful girls rule the Amazon". (Remember how all the guys, including Rob, where shown salivating at the thought of being with the cute women and Jenna had the quote about wanting to beat the men) This season is mostly about Redemption and who needs it most?!!

ETA: In Gabon, the main theme was "Good vs Evil" so they had to hide Bob's annoying traits to make him look like the good guy. Redemption needs one to be seen poorly first, good later. Different seasons, different themes.

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Corvis 2741 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Survivor-themed Cruise Spokesperson"
04-06-11, 09:16 AM (EST)

107. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

You have made the most compelling case for Jenna, one of the least deserving winners ever, that I have ever seen.
However, I think much of what you attribute to her as strategy was simply luck. I don't think she did much of anything out of strategy - mostly what she did was out of bitchiness.

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-06-11, 07:33 PM (EST)

108. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-06-11 AT 07:33 PM (EST)
Luck, certainly, every winner gets some. Jenna did know what she was doing out there which is a lot more than we can say about Fabio!

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Outfrontgirl 5965 desperate attention whore postings
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04-04-11, 02:12 AM (EST)

94. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 04-04-11 AT 02:12 AM (EST)
Chillicrab ...
I like your list of possibilities.
I see Phillip as a guy who is attuned with all the concepts of strategy, communications, and the game. Problem is, the guy who markets hyper-awareness is a walking parody, because he has no self-awareness of how he fits into the picture.
He is simply unable to see himself through the eyes of the others. He imagines others seeing him as he pictures himself. He is not unobservant. Rob is wrong to think so. Phillip has a blind spot when it comes to his own social game, and he has a blind spot when it comes to understanding why Rob and Grant value and tolerate the girls.
You ask whether he is entertainment or has a meaningful role? Hard to tell, but Coach had both. (I didn't find him entertaining, but Jeff did.) Coach was full of hot air, but Coach DID change the outcome of Tocantins. Coach's odd philosophy is what saved JT from being toast as soon as Joe left, barring immunity.
Phillip could change the game, but like Coach, he has little or no shot at becoming respected by the other players. They will all try to use him. Unless, there are people on Zapatera who feel simpatico with him -- Julie or Ralph or even Steve.
I look forward to seeing whether Zapatera starts pissing and moaning now that Phillip is their tribemate. Lol, they thought David was annoying!
"Sometimes it's not enough to know what things mean, sometimes you have to know what things don't mean." — Bob Dylan

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 12:59 PM (EST)

100. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Well, they get along with Rooster. For all the behind the back garbage we've seen at Zapatera, Russell was the only one who took a shot at Ralph (breaking his own vow to keep that sort of nastiness out of his game from now on).
I keep coming back to Rooster because he was one of the three stories presented at the beginning of the premiere (Matt and Phillip being the other two) prior to Rob and Russell being introduced to the game. But since Russell was voted out Ralph's story seems to have gone missing. He's now on the outs with the rest of his tribe, and not the forgiving kind. Will he find a ready friend in Phillip?

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suzzee 3203 desperate attention whore postings
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04-04-11, 01:44 PM (EST)

101. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Phillip = Rupert (in Rupert's later appearances)
He seems to need acknowledgment and validation to the extreme and really gets pissy when he doesn't get what he needs from his tribemates.

A Tribe masterpiece

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
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04-04-11, 06:23 PM (EST)

104. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Nice comparison, Suzzee. Even in his first appearance, Rupert had a lot of "my island", "my dream" quotes to make us realize he had some problems with reality! Or remember his tantrum when Shawn lost "HIS" spear! A very favorable edit hid some of his weirder traits in S7 and entitlement only made them grow in S8 and S20. Yet, Rupert wins jury votes in each of his seasons if he gets to the end.

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Chillicrab 47 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
04-04-11, 04:17 AM (EST)

96. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

My burning questions that was supposed to be in 2nd part of the my questions from my post earlier is:
Will Golden Boy Matt on his Saviour's Will will turn the other cheek and forgive Rob?
After the duel, Matt was captioned saying(? to Boston Rob) , " Yeah I won another one."
How do you interpret this?
Winning quote?
Thumbing his nose at Rob? Hence Phillip's use of the Book of 5 Rings used to justify Matt becoming a ronin and turn on Rob as Rob had made the first move?

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dabo 21403 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 12:35 PM (EST)

99. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

Random thought here: Matt has now been edited into filling the vacant spot Russell held at the outset, Rob v Russell has now become Rob v Matt. Rob won that already by outlasting Russell, but that was a default win that Rob had little to do with, just surviving within his own tribe. In this contest between Rob and Matt it isn't a matter of whether one of them wins Survivor, just which one can outlive the other. (It would, of course be a great dramatic dynamic to take to Final Tribal, but for production if it simply lasts awhile it is good story.)

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michel 7632 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
04-04-11, 05:55 PM (EST)

102. "RE: Episode #7: Thoughts"

dabo, I agree it should be Rob vs Matt but it hasn't been mentioned once yet. The story is Rob vs Phillip and the question that the editing has suggested is: Which side will Matt choose? Not between Ometepid or Crapatera. No, that seems to have been determined already. It's whether Matt goes to Rob or Phillip that is the question. And Matt's Christian edit could be to prepare us to see him forgive Rob.

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