In Osten and Shawn's chat. Check out the following question.

Q: After seeing the show on TV, did you see anything for the first time that surprised you?
Shawn: Yeah, I never knew that Rupert had such a dislike for me in the beginning of the show and felt threatened by Burton and myself.
Osten: Yeah, last night at the challenge when we had to make a pole to grab the keys, we had to use twine, but the Outcast team used twine and their little armbands.
Shawn: Yeah, good point.

What an unfair advantage? Why did the outcasts get to use more than they were allowed to? Perhaps MB and JP wanted them to win the challenge. Maybe they now have too much control on the game. Did anyone else see this???

• RE: Outcasts used armbands!,dabo, 11:23 AM, 11-04-03
  • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,pdragonfly, 11:29 AM, 11-04-03
• RE: Outcasts used armbands!,fishtank, 11:38 AM, 11-04-03
  • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,KObrien_fan, 12:06 PM, 11-04-03
  • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,O2dawg, 12:28 PM, 11-04-03
    • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,Loquatrix, 01:34 PM, 11-04-03
      • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,katethegreat, 01:47 PM, 11-04-03
        • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,Joyful, 02:33 PM, 11-04-03
      • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,pmspml5, 01:54 PM, 11-04-03
    • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,lojik98, 05:59 PM, 11-04-03
    • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,nailbone, 12:30 PM, 11-05-03
  • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,Tiggertramp, 05:17 PM, 11-04-03
    • RE: Outcasts used armbands!,KObrien_fan, 05:47 PM, 11-04-03

No, I didn't see that. But the Outcasts were disadvantaged anyway by having six members when the other tribes only had five, so this just sounds like sour grapes. Did Jeff tell Drake and Morgan but not the Outcasts that they couldn't use whatever they had on hand, including their buffs etc.?

Yes, I read that too. Was wondering if the armbands gave them some elasticity that the regular buffs couldn't.

We all know by now that MB wanted the return of someone (maybe his favorite?) into the game and since he put together that whole village (totally faked), why wouldn't he rig the game?

Noone told them they couldn't use "whatever" to win the challenge, i.e., Christa's hair ribbons, anybody's buff that wasn't being used as an article of clothing. This is just another example of Osten's (and the rest of the Morgan tribe's and the Drake tribe's to a lesser degree)lack of creativity, a condition made much worse for Morgan by the early boot of Lil, one of the most creative thinkers this season. If survival of the fittest was only based on speed then the cheetah would be the dominant animal on the planet, if on strength, then the elephant or the whale or some such. Actually, survival relies most of the time on the ability of the participant to come up with creative ways to outlast one's competitors, to use and devise the tools necessary to control one's environment.
IMHO it's time for Osten to quit making excuses and own up to the fact that he didn't quit because he lacked strength or speed, but that he lacked the heart and soul of a winner and the ability to think outside the box.

I agree with you Fishtank, surviving is based on many things, only one of which is being able to think and react to ones surroundings. If Morgan or Drake didn't use all that they had to win the challenge, then it is their own loss and stupidity.

Fishtank, you are so right. I remember seeing the PROMOS for that last episode and seeing all these pieces of cloth hanging in each cage, and thinking that they must have to use them for something. Drake and Morgan had plenty of the cloth to use for tieing their pole, they just werent as SMART as the outcasts.
You can see one of the blue pieces of cloth behind Ryan.

And this from Osten's chat:
Q:What did you guys do after you left SURVIVOR? I'm assuming you couldn't go home right away.
Osten: After we left the island we went on a painful and nauseating trip up and down Panama.
Osten is going down as the WHINIEST, weakest, biggest loser in Survivor history. I wonder who he blames in the rest of his life for his failures?

>Fishtank, you are so right. I
>remember seeing the PROMOS for
>that last episode and seeing
>all these pieces of cloth
>hanging in each cage, and
>thinking that they must have
>to use them for something.
>Drake and Morgan had plenty
>of the cloth to use
>for tieing their pole, they
>just werent as SMART as
>the outcasts.
>You can see one of the
>blue pieces of cloth behind
>Ryan.

The difference is that the Outcasts came into the challenge *wearing* their extra bits of cloth, as far as I recall. They all had on purple ribbons in addition to their buffs. Thus, while there were other bits of stuff hanging in the Morgan and Drake cages, the Outcasts were handed an advantage by having greater pre-awareness of the items available to them to use as ties for the pole. They were probably thinking "Hey, we can use these handy bits of ribbon that we have been given" even as Jeff was telling them how the challenge was to play.

Clearly, the design was for the Outcasts to win this one, by hook or by crook. As several people theorized in last week's threads, there would be little to no point in having this twist if nobody from the Outcast tribe were to make it back into the game. I think we can all simply accept that they were going to win (or at the very least, come in second) by fair means or foul, and go on with our lives. ;)

I noticed the Outcasts using their cloths, too. The problem is, we don't always know every rule on each challenge. I have consistently gotten the impression the Jeff gives them more instruction than we see. For instance, Michelle was fussing at Lil, "Don't lean out of the cage" or something like that. So there was probably some rule to that effect. Another example - when Rupert stole the shoes, he left the tennis shoes behind. His choice, or was he forced to? I believe we just don't get to see ALL of the discussion. I've noticed this many times. Therefore, if the issue wasn't discussed what ELSE you could use, Outcasts were smart to use whatever was at hand, and Drake and Morgan could have noticed and followed suit, but they didn't. I still believe that the Outcasts were a) meant to win (pointless otherwise) and b) unfairly allowed back in.

By the way, the fact that they had six to five is not necessarily a disadvantage. So one more key turned in a lock in the final cage, but also one EXTRA set of hands and brains to build the stick, grab it, think, etc.

The problem
>is, we don't always know
>every rule on each challenge.
> I have consistently gotten
>the impression the Jeff gives
>them more instruction than we
>see.

I agree with katethegreat. Jeffy was talking about why he disliked Jon so much and he said that when he was showing Andrew and Jon the route for the cannon pulling challenge he was trying to explain how it worked and Jon would not shut up and it really annoyed him. I think there is a lot more explaining of the rules and guidelines for the challenges then we see.

Actually when I rewatched the show - the outcast used the rope they were tied with and the light purple you see on the above cage - each person who had the armband on or head band on still had it on at the end of the challenge. The only exception to that was Burton - whos headband fell off. I have never seen any survivor use their buff - I do believe that they have to have it on at all times.

The hanging peices weren't the peices they used. They used a lot brighter purple color. It's the same color that the fabric they all have on is. Also, sure, noone said they couldn't use anything they wanted to, but you didn't see all of Drake pick up/break the cage so that they could just climb out and get the keys.

Jeff said "In the second cage you'll find rope and sticks use them to make a pole." He didnt say "Use whatever the F. you feel like, you're dirty, disgusting losers anyway.

>
>And this from Osten's chat:
>Q:What did you guys do after
>you left SURVIVOR? I'm assuming
>you couldn't go home right
>away.
>Osten: After we left the island
>we went on a painful
>and nauseating trip up and
>down Panama.
>Osten is going down as the
>WHINIEST, weakest, biggest loser in
>Survivor history. I wonder who
>he blames in the rest
>of his life for his
>failures?

And also his other quotes where he talks about not learning anything about himself in this experience, and not having any regrets, etc. How can one person be so whiny and pathetic, and so cocky all at the same time?

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Prince of Passion, Royal Liaison to Illicit Activities, SB Video Historian (StS) o-

I watched a program on Bravo about reality TV shows where they talked to people from Survivor, Big Brother, Real World etc. and I remember Alicia from Outback stated that Jeff tells them the directions to a challenge once, what you see on TV is what you get, nothing more. So at times when they are confused like the guys in the Amazon last season when Daniel kept putting his feet down on the end of that first immunity challenge.

So, I agree that the outcasts were just plain resourceful with the strips of fabric, although it can not be denied that they had a bit of an edge with better sleep and a simple hard burning desire to make the others eat it. They were pissed. If it were me as an outcast I would move heaven and earth to stick it too them.

Just my 2 cents.

Tig

I agree Tig, the Outcasts were clearly more resourceful then either Morgan or Drake. The Drakes and Morgans did have articles of clothing on them that could have been used (like Christa's hair ties), they just plain didn't. I don't believe that MB or Jiffy gave separate instructions to the Ghosties, but maybe they were thinking better just because of the sleep factor.

When the Ghosties came into the challenge, they knew they were going to compete, but they thought it was for reward, they had no clue what was in store for them any more then the Drakes or Morgans.

The GT did have extra hands to build the pole, but they also had extra hands that needed to be untied, so I think the 2 offset each other. (And some speculate that they had one extra brain, um you mean... Nicole?)

In any event, Drake was leading and their pole broke. They had to repair it and couldn't quite get it back together. Morgan brought up the rear from the start, but were in the last phase of the challenge when the GT won it. It was a very close challenge, it could have gone to any of them.

I don't believe it was rigged, but I do believe the ghosties had an advantage from being better rested and meager as the rations were, they had more then both tribes.