I'm not completely sure what to make of the following information, but thought I would share the information in hopes that we all might be able to discuss it and determine what, if anything, we can deduce from it.

After watching the Survivor I DVD, I noticed that still photos were shown for only 4 contestents --
Sonja (First voted off),
Sean (Last voted off before final four),
Gretchen (First voted off after the merger, last voted off before final nine -- yes, I know they are synonomous, but I think we may need to think both ways here ), and
Joel (Last voted off before the merger).

I began to wonder if the photos shown during the credits this time have any special meaning to them.

So, here is the list of the survivors (in credit order), along with their photo/no photo status in the credits for Survivor II:
OGAKOR:
Colby -- Photo, no border, shown before clips.
Maralyn -- No photo.
Keith -- Photo, no border, shown before clips.
Mitchell -- Photo, no border, shown AFTER clips.
Jerri -- No photo. Very short sequence.
Kel -- No photo.
Amber -- Photo, no border, shown before clips.
Note: name is shown while fire is on screen.
Tina -- Photo, no border, followed by photo with border,
shown before clips.

KUCHA:
Michael -- Photo, border, shown AFTER clips.
Alicia -- No photo.
Rodger -- No photo.
Elisabeth -- Photo, no border, shown before clips.
Kimmi -- Photo, no border, shown before clips.
Nick -- No photo.
Debb -- No photo.
Jeff -- Photo, border, shown before clips.

With the exception of Mitchell, the others voted off thus far don't have their photo shown in the opening credits. Mitchell's borderless picture is shown AFTER clips.

In Survivor I, the only person who had more than one photo shown was Sean. In Survivor II, the only person who has more than one photo shown is Tina.

So, the questions I have for discussion are:
Do the still photos have any meaning this time?

Does border/no border mean anything?

Does before/after clips mean anything?

Perhaps a combination of the two mean something?

How does this information match with other "spoilers"?

Is this just a waste of time?

• RE: Photos shown during the credits -- possible spoiler???,Minstrel, 05:58 PM, 02-19-01
• RE: Photos shown during the credits -- possible spoiler???,Elwood, 09:30 AM, 02-20-01
  • RE: Photos shown during the credits -- possible spoiler???,Elwood, 08:21 AM, 02-24-01
    • Speculation,Elwood, 08:30 AM, 02-24-01
      • RE: Speculation,ACPS65, 11:47 AM, 02-24-01
      • RE: Speculation,Kokoro, 11:02 PM, 02-26-01

Whether intention or not, MB is good at editing. He may have learned a lot from S1 and could be tossing us red herrings. After all, he knows "we" know a lot about S1 now. One of the things we know is not to take spoiler information by itself. We need to associate it and disect it to find the links to time. CJ is one on this board attempting to do just that.

A waste of time? Maybe, maybe not. But can we afford to omit any spoiler without examination? Kel is gone early and he carried a razor to shave with. Not likely we would get much from trying to assess beard growth from him. But notice Keith and Mitch did not shave even after Kel possibly left his razor behind for the tribe. We just don't know.

But then, MB didn't cut out Maralyn's photo yet. There probably is an amount of time CBS wants to run the photos for the opening. For example, the very beginning runs "16 survivors exiled in the outback" and they show pics even of bootees. But as the intro continues, photos are possibly more recent to time in the outback. The fact that we see virtually only faces, is the big problem. Clothing does us little good. So, unless we pick up on a hat or "war paint" or beard, etc., we have little to go on and it's harder to conclude from. Again, it's the time line that helps the most. Obviously, these pics are not all from the same time or even relative time, but just how much "in the future" are they.

I do notice that post introduction pics tend to be more current relative to the episode and that the previews to the next show help tie down other time lines. But again, MB is a master at editing. The fact that the tribe members only have a few changes of clothes for which offer a small number of variations, makes it more difficult to identify time lines. That is why weather, and surrounding "background" in a pic is helpful.

Richard in S1 was usually "mixed up" in the order. But usually the theme was tribes. Once the merger hit, there didn't seem to be a definite relationship to bootees. It's not like other television shows or even film where the top stars are listed first and down the pecking order. This is a game/mystery where the outcome is supposed to be unknown to the viewers. But the editing for introductions and all, are done by CBS with the knowledge of the outcome. MB is good at creating the suspense and speculation while tossing us false clues, etc. Hidden somewhere is the truth.

So far, I have not found the introduction pics to be of much help any more, but with the merger approaching, that could change. I'm still looking for someone to hold a pink hat or for someone else to wear the head dress and if Tina gives up Mad Dog's hat. Now that could be on introduction pics!

Well I noticed that some of the intros had the contestants pics surrounded by a black border, and for EP 4, here's what I found:

Name - Black Border?

Colby - Yes
Maralyn - No *week 3*
Keith - Yes
Mitchell - Yes *week 4*
Jerri - No
Kel - Yes *week 2*
Amber - Yes
Tina - Yes

Michael - No
Alicia - No
Rodger - No
Elizabeth - Yes
Kimmi - No
Nick - No
Deb - No *week 1*
Jeff - Yes

Now the only possibly pattern I can find from this is that odd numbered weeks the person booted didn't have a pic with a black border, while even #'s they did.

But...I wonder...can anyone with any episode other than 4 check and see if they are the same from week to week? I accidentally erased my 1-3 tape (well, accidentally rewound it and recorded week 4 on fast speed OVER weeks 1-3) otherwise I would.

But I'll for sure check this weeks EP, and note whether it changes or not (black borders) and who gets the boot.

Okay, the order or presence of a black border did not change for the intro to EP 5. From the pattern (odd weeks a person without a black border got the boot, even someone with one did) it was down to Jerri, Michael, Alicia, Rodger, Kimmi or Nick this past week. Not that that was much of a help, since I was torn between Jerri, Kimmi or Alicia (went with Jerri..doh), and was a good case for Rodger, too.

Anyways, if the pattern continues to hold true, this weeks bootee will be from the following group:

Colby
Keith
Amber
Tina
Elisabeth
Jeff

I'm just tracking this week to week, and seeing how long the pattern holds. To sum up the intro sequence, here's the order:

Colby
Maralyn - 3
Keith
Mitchell - 4
Jerri
Kel - 2
Amber
Tina
Michael
Alicia
Rodger
Elisabeth
Kimmi - 5
Nick
Deb - 1
Jeff

Here are the two groups:

With a black border shot:

Colby
Keith
Mitchell - 4
Kel - 2
Amber
Tina
Elisabeth
Jeff

Without a black border shot:

Maralyn - 3
Jerri
Michael
Alicia
Rodger
Kimmi - 5
Nick
Deb - 1

As time goes by, this will be disproved by only one episode, but I'll track it each week to see what's what. If one of the black border shot people don't go this week, then obviously it was just a coincidence that the first 5 ended up like that.

But maybe Tina does go this week?

And here's some speculation based on the above:

EP 6: Ogakor votes off Tina (someone hurt at Kucha, possibly Mike, but Kucha wins IC so he stays - the accident could possibly happen after IC, but before they vote?)

EP 7: Colby wins IC. Kucha's vote off either Keith or Michael (depending on how hurt he is)

EP 8: Colby doesn't win IC. He's gone.

EP 9: Keith wins IC. Kuchas ditch Jerri

EP 10: Keith gone. (or possibly Michael)

EP 11: Nick wins IC. Alicia gone.

EP 12: Bye Amber (Nick wins again).

EP 13: Nick loses IC. Voted out (Rodger, Jeff and Elizabeth still around).

EP 14: If Jeff wins IC, Rodger goes. Otherwise Jeff goes.

Elizabeth wins it all.

Now, that was pure speculation, so take it for that, but I'll keep track of this black border thing (until it's disproven).

Speaking of credits....there's a really good article on survivorsucks.com under "News" about them and what spoilers they may contain....sorry if this has all ready been brought up.

Final Four: Alicia Calaway, Jeff Varner, Elisabeth Filarski,
Michael Skupin

Heeeyyy this is pretty damn obscure, but I love it ^-^
It's possible that the black borders were just added absent mindedly ie. they were given the boot list and just went down the list in order and so this could be very good in narrowing the field every week and it tells us that the winner is a yes and the runner up is a no.

<<6: Ogakor votes off Tina>>
Why would they go and do that? Not that it's impossible (heh she probably will be kicked this week based on my luck in picks)
but this is pre-merger and the two strongest and most likely candidates to go are both yes men. IMHO it's between Colby and Keith this week.