Excellent point, and that would be the reason past players have chosen not to play the power of veto.

As for Matty, he's in trouble at the merge no matter what. There is no room at the Kota inn for a challenge monster - look at the way he slayed the course last episode even on no food. He has no hope with the Onion alliance. Even Dan doesn't want him. Dan wants to be Kota although they won't let him.

Post-merge, Matty will get picked off immediately sans immunity, unless Dan is still in the game and not immune, IMHO, which might get him a reprieve, because Dan is a challenge threat and they don't like him. Whether Matty knows that I can't say, but I think Matty needs a shield.

Making nicey nice only goes so far when you're a prime target. Business is business.

LAST EDITED ON 10-25-08 AT 04:57 AM (EST)

This Insider clip is of a Marcus - Charlie strategy session. And their take on who could best help the two of them co-op (or con?) Matty - Dan or Randy - is interesting.

Particularly if Matty should be the one to win the upcoming Individual Immunity Challenge and exercise the option to confer Immunity on a Kota tribemember.

Because it would seem that Randy has convinced Marcus that he is the best man to assign to Matty-control. But, if Matty hands Immunity to (his buddy) Dan rather than to (his buddy) Randy, it would seem to me that Randy would appear to Marcus and Charlie to be far less useful to their grand scheme while remaining a physical and social threat to it: and would therefore become - given that the consensus on Kota is that Susie is relatively harmless - the duo's most immediate boot candidate.

ETA: Then too, there's this. And I don't think that Marcus is going ... just yet. But I also thought that Crystal would leave before Kelly.

Interesting insider clip so Randy has already been working on making his way into the onion alliance and pushing Bob out of the vegetable bin!

I do think Matty will probably win II this week and will sit in on Kota's TC as in the past seasons. I'm not sure what he will do. He may do something easy and just give II to Susie or Randy. He should give it to Dan.

However, something that Matty said to Ace this past episode and the fact I think Ace will be the downfall of Matty, is it won't matter if Dan is still there as a shield.

I'm thinking that the merge will not be at 10 but at 9 like Matty said he was worried about when making his deal with Ace. If Crystal goes this week as we think will happen, then next week it's Uthong with just 4 left. If merge is late, who do you think Ace will get rid of: Sugar his shield and sweetheart, Ken the skinny guy or the powerhouse Matty. Matty will stick by his 5 million swear on his gf's life and vote for Kenny but Ace will turn on him.

But even if the merge is at 10, from the insider clip Marcus and Charlie say Matty is the most athletic out there, so even if Dan is still there (which I don't think he will be I think he is gone this week) the Kota majority with Ace and Sugar too probably will oust Matty if he doesn't win II at F10.

I got the impression that Marcus is playing it fairly neutral with Charlie where Dan is concerned. Marcus was saying something to the effect that "we have Dan, Bob or Randy" then Charlie said something like "Bob or Randy" pretty much dismissing Dan.

What struck me though, is that Marcus seems to present his ideas without making any decision and letting Charlie make the call (like dumping Dan) I wonder how much of this is Marcus the easy going nice guy or Marcus the manipulator letting Charlie think he's doing more of the stratagizing while at the same time leading him where Marcus needs him to go.

Agman camouflaged me for S17

Marcus is a Libra (like Aras and Yul, to name Libra winners), and Libra men play easygoing nice guy so well. They have devious minds but they can hide them behind charm.

Sure I think Marcus would like to avoid having the leader tag on his forehead, even though he can't help himself much of the time. Charlie has a huge crush on Marcus and Marcus knows he owns Charlie (unless Marcus betrays him, and then look out).

(Marcus so reminds me of the Jack Shepherd character. He just fell into the superior being doctor glue-that-holds-tribe-together-makes-them-strong role from Day 1.)

The thing that stands out most to me is that after this double elimination episode there will be 10 castaways left ... time to merge. Those that are clearly playing the game will be positioning for the end game, and who to sit on the jury, and they will try to eliminate a strong competitor now.

* Tensions rise at Fang when one castaway is careless with the tribe's rice supply.

I can't see this as Sugar; considering she has gorged herself on fruit, she can live without the rice. I see it as just another way Ace screws up and makes himself a target.

* The tribes compete in a cutthroat round of a childhood game in an effort to win a lavish reward.

A shower and massage would feel nice about now.

* Surprise letters from home bring even the toughest castaways to tears.

And Sugar will cry enough for those that don't need a tissue.

* A shocking twist is revealed that gives one castaway the chance to change the game for the opposing tribe.

* A nail-biting challenge ensues when the tribes learn that they'll be battling for individual immunity and will both vote out one of their own at two separate Tribal Councils.

I think the nail-biting will be the closeness of the challenge, probably with Marcus and Matty in a dead heat. Although I would like to see the winner writing on the parchment at both TCs, I see the POV in play. I think Marcus will win, but since I'm not sure that he and Ace are real close, he may give the IN to Crystal. I think this because in his interview, CG seemed to know Ace better than Crystal, so they may have spent time together at Losers Lodge.

I think the last 2 clues are in reverse order, and it's after the IC that the winner finds out the power of the IN.

* The tribes compete in a cutthroat round of a childhood game in an effort to win a lavish reward.

Childhood game ... could it be dodgeball?

for some reason I think it's musical chairs!!

Musical Chairs is the first thing I thought of, too. And it would certainly liven things up a bit (and this Season needs it!) if they brought in a troupe of native drummers to provide the marching music.

I'm giggling just thinking about how absolutely absurd the whole thing could be.

At the very least, we might finally get to hear Susie cuss.

G

My guess would be a game of keep away with the way they are throwing the balls and not letting someone get it but when they do the one that threw the ball would be eliminated from the game.
Just my 2 cents.

LAST EDITED ON 10-26-08 AT 09:54 PM (EST)

Thanks!

I've made a note:
1)Come home.
2)Check status of resident retiree's pension fund.
3)Set table for two, if applicable (See - 2).
4)Introduce something edible to the cheap thrill of microwaving.
5)Proceed directly to Vidcap thread.

But I'm really disappointed. Musical Chairs - Gabon-style - would have been a lot more fun.

ETA:

6)Re-check Vidcap thread.

Because it appears that the barrel - rolling thing is the II Challenge. Wonder if Tina (Exile Island) will make a cameo appearance?

G

I did the same thing G!! It's Monkey in the middle!

I still like my musical chairs idea better too!! Your drums idea makes it even better!!

We should write EPMB!

We should write EPMB!

You draw up the petition and I'll sign! But, even if we prevail, a golden moment of Survivor history will still be lost.

There is just something so perfectly, hilariously lunatic about a bunch of filthy, half-starved, half-clothed Americans marching dutifully around a set of chairs in the middle of a Gabon jungle in a vain attempt to put too many sore behinds on too few sad seats while a band of clean, well-fed and beautifully costumed tribesmen drum their pace - a sort of 'Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun' quality - that simply could never be duplicated on some idyllic isle.

And I think that JP is so out of Africa ...

i hope your right i also think Crystal will not be voted out this ep am hoping Ace is the one voted out

LAST EDITED ON 10-30-08 AT 04:01 PM (EST)

I'm posting this not having read the updated vidcap topic (next), so I may be missing something huge. But I have read the SOTS, and I noted the missing web teaser (thank you Brownroach), and went to Phoenix to get the order:
(what follows is the same observation I put in the SOTS thread)

Here is the teaser list VG got from CBS before they deleted them:

Tensions rise at Fang when one castaway is careless with the tribe’s rice supply.
Paranoia prompts one castaway to scramble for an alliance, alienating his tribe in the process.
The tribes compete in a cutthroat round of a childhood game in an effort to win a lavish reward.
Surprise letters from home bring even the toughest castaways to tears.
A shocking twist is revealed that gives one castaway the chance to change the game for the opposing tribe.
A nail-biting challenge ensues when the tribes learn that they’ll be battling for individual immunity and will both vote out one of their own at two separate Tribal Councils.

The paranoia clue that screams DAN is prior to the RC, if sequential. Which means that his mentioning Marcus as a target has ZIP to do with whether Marcus is vulnerable, because it's before the individual immunity is awarded.

Why would Dan do something dumb like target Marcus to Bob when for all he knows they aren't even going to TC? Um, because he's Dan.

Likewise, I think all conversations at Fang on who is vulnerable do not reflect the immunity, because they won't know who has it until they get to TC, if Marcus wins it.

The shocking twist clue is not necessarily switched in sequence with the last clue, because the immunity twist may be revealed when Jeff explains the IC, even though the actual chance to change the game doesn't occur until TC.