LAST EDITED ON 09-27-12 AT 10:14 AM (EST)

Episode 3 Discussion/sneak peak/descriptions

• RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",crispy06, 10:15 AM, 09-27-12
• RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",crispy06, 05:40 PM, 09-27-12
  • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",tribephyl, 07:51 PM, 09-27-12
  • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",SpotTheDiffference, 10:50 PM, 09-27-12
  • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",michel, 07:31 AM, 09-28-12
    • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",dabo, 12:05 PM, 09-28-12
      • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",PepeLePew13, 02:20 PM, 09-28-12
        • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",byoffer, 02:46 PM, 09-28-12
    • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",PepeLePew13, 02:15 PM, 09-28-12
  • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",byoffer, 02:58 PM, 09-28-12
    • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",crispy06, 04:13 PM, 09-28-12
  • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",Bebo, 06:47 PM, 09-30-12
    • RE: S25 Ep 3 Title: "This isn't a 'We' Game",suzzee, 11:07 AM, 10-01-12
• Jeff's EW Thoughts on Ep 3,Bebo, 10:41 AM, 10-04-12

Jeff's EW tease:

The pressure is on Matsing (Russell’s tribe.) There is so little wiggle room that if they lose another immunity challenge the entire tribe is danger of being decimated. Imagine being on this tribe and seeing your entire shot at winning going down in flames only two episodes in…that’s what is at stake.

AN INJURY-PRONE CASTAWAY INCURS A FRESH BATTLE WOUND DURING AN INTENSE IMMUNITY CHALLENGE, on “SURVIVOR: PHILIPPINES,” WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3

CHEAT TWEET: An injury prone castaway incurs a fresh battle wound during an intense challenge! #SURVIVOR 10/3 Will they survive? http://bit.ly/Qg5JuC

"This Isn’t a We Game" — An injury prone castaway incurs a fresh battle wound during an intense Immunity Challenge. Meanwhile, a wary castaway considers an unlikely alliance when one tribe member brings an invaluable gift to the table, on SURVIVOR: PHILIPPINES, Wednesday, Oct. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Castaway with an injury is Skupin for sure.
Unlikely alliance could be either about Lisa/Pete or Penner/Dana?Not sure.

An injury prone castaway incurs a fresh battle wound during an intense Immunity Challenge.

JP again gives this clue away with the "Michael bleeding from the head" comment made during the promo.

Meanwhile, a wary castaway considers an unlikely alliance when one tribe member brings an invaluable gift to the table.

Invaluable Gift, to me, means Hidden Idol.
Penner was dumb for looking for the idol versus making social inroads to start, but now that he has found the idol he has some power back in his hands and will be on the hunt for an alliance.
Anyone on Kalabaw would be an unlikely alliance partner with Jonathan. (BUT seeing as how Jeff has been the most vocal opponent of returnees, he would be the MOST unlikely.)

Though, truthfully, neither one of the clues given have "TC bound" tribe being hyped.

Just throwing out names for the unlikely alliance, but RC and Lisa, anyone? With all of Abi's threats during the last episode, I wouldn't be surprised if RC tries to make a backup plan.

Right now, the only one with a gift is Penner. The others have a piece of paper. And the missing plaque is bound to get noticed so Penner doesn't even have a choice of keeping it secret. (Dumb Producers) He took a liking to Dawson in the previous episode so maybe she's the unlikely alliance even if I'd think Penner would be more likely to align with the guys.

Agree that Penner is the likely one with the gift to bring to the table. Thinking this may point to the first Kalabaw TC, as Penner doesn't want to play the HII but uses it as an in politically to get himself an alliance going.

Another possibility -- just throwing the thought out there -- RC and Abi cannot figure out the clue, but RC is now wary of Abi, sees Lisa's desperation, approaches Lisa with the hand of friendship.

It's been awhile since the HII was actually part of a constructed decoration where its absence might be picked up on by others. China, if I remember correctly. I don't think it is a dumb production move so much as a calculated decision and something they can't do very often. They want the HIIs in play, being used in the game for power.

LAST EDITED ON 09-28-12 AT 02:34 PM (EST)

To me, it's a brilliant place for a HII. Rip it off, and the sharp-eyed folks will eventually realize that 'something' is missing from the top of the box, and paranoia or gamesmanship sets in. See how Penner brushed his hand on the top of the box as if to try to make it less noticeable that someone has ripped it off? If I'm not mistaken, he casually put some kind of a red cloth on top as well (although that might have been his buff).

I agree. Further, this location of the HII is a bit of a reward for those who work around camp. The clue was given with the rice, so only those who are helping with food would find it.

LAST EDITED ON 09-28-12 AT 03:43 PM (EST)

Right... think back to the two times we were shown Penner digging around for the idol and then found it -- who was there both times and saw him acting odd? Dana - she was with Kent and Dawson when Dawson asked "what are you looking for?" and Penner said he lost a contact, and she was on the path when Penner was whooping it up. Penner may realize that Dana might be asking some questions about his actions or she may be the one who approached him, and he then offered up the "gift".

Could the "unlikely alliance" be across tribes? Could Penner find a way to use his knowledge of the location of the Kalabaw HII to share that with, say, Skupin (or Russell) to try to build an across-tribe alliance for later in the game?

This is a little different than when Todd shared the HII location with James (Todd and James had been tribe-mates) but perhaps Penner has some pre-show friendship with Skupin or Russell. (Do we know if any of the returnees are friends???)

I don't know that its 'unlikely' for Penner to form an alliance with Skupin or Russel. At this point all three of them are vulnerable, Mike ot a lesser extent. So an alliance between them would not be out of the question. However, it's still early in the game...I think Penner tries to get something going with one of the two people who were most vocal about getting him out-Jeff or Dana.

>an invaluable gift

Given how much we've been hit over the head with Lisa's isolation and questioning whether she is cut out to play this game. It would be huge for her to have a chance to be included in the tribe and could be considered an invaluable gift.

Yes, Penner's idol is a concrete gift, but we've seen people with the HII leave anyway. So it could be argued that it's not invaluable. But an outsider in the camp, an obvious target for the first boot from her tribe, being brought into an alliance is invaluable.

Another invaluable gift is the gift of alliance from Pete who she was shown agreeing with as far as voting Skupin out. To Lisa it would be a lifeline especially since she was shown being so down and out last episode.

Beatings Are A Fact Of Life

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/10/04/jeff-probst-epsiode-3-survivor-philippines/

As Squid pointed out in the ECST, Jeff practically spells out for us that it's yet another loss for Matsing next week:

EW: Lots of shifting allegiances this week. What can you tell us about the next episode?

PROBST: The story remains the same — Matsing. Russell’s tribe. They are on their way to becoming an extinct tribe. If they don’t win, how mad will Russell get?

Russell could get pretty mad, since he knows he'll be gone when they lose IC. And since he knows he's going, he'll have nothing to lose by letting it all out.