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"The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island"
VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
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05-02-06, 08:01 AM (EST)
 
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"The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I see that the wonderful posters around here have made the previous thread nice and fat. With this season's crew, I think there is a lot of talk ahead and thus, a new thread  For reference sake: http://community.realitytvworld.com/boards/DCForumID2/6259.shtml http://community.realitytvworld.com/boards/DCForumID2/6328.shtml The editing thread is a joy to contribute to each week and when I started it, those of you who post were unbelievably kind to me by acknowledging that I watch the show and post my thoughts without any other information but what I view. I have always maintained that I certainly do not expect other posters to view the show this way and I realize that some like incorporate the editing with other analysis. I am always grateful that you know how I watch the show and although I know none of you personally, your consideration to me is unbelievable considering you owe me nothing! With that said, in the most unlikely manner, I was told information that (for myself) prevents me from posting any further analysis after watching the episodes. It is amazing how once you know something, your thoughts can change and one attempts to fit square pegs in round holes. I would not feel comfortable posting my "editing thoughts" knowing this may occur so I will stand steady on my thoughts until this point and I am happy to at least see that our collective thoughts at the beginning of the season with respect to longevity and storylines have essentially panned out. I will still be posting the editing tweaks and show progression as that "is what it is." If Cerie is inserted with different clothing in a scene she shouldn't be there is no bias but I won't be discussing the meaning behind same I hope though that we can still maintain this thread without any direct discussion about information as the new season is always right around the corner and I would like us to continue to keep this thread centered around the editing of the game and the players. If it becomes a thread just posting "information" then it won't be the amazing thread it is On that note, Thursday is coming soon and I am looking forward to everyone's continued thoughts in an extremely eventful season 
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PepeLePew13 26135 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-02-06, 10:49 AM (EST)
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2. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Is it okay to post Early Show observations here and interpret what it means without giving anything away?I watched Courtney's Early Show interview over the weekend and she was asked to give one-word answers when given the name of one of the five remaining contestants. Terry - "powerful"
Cirie - "devious"
Danielle - "fake"
Aras - "ummm... (long hemming-and-hawing) confusing"
Shane - "vibrant" Without thinking of who has been rumoured to be leaving next and going solely on impressions gained from hearing Courtney say these words, it jumped out to me that Danielle and Courtney apparently didn't have a chance to hash out their differences or give Courtney a chance to understand why Danielle acted the way they did. As in they may not have crossed paths in Loser Lodge. I also found Courtney's use of "vibrant" for Shane to be very interesting. Does it indicate they had time to put aside their annoyances towards each other as in time together on the jury since we were shown these two hurling epithets at each other practically the entire show?
 
A Tribe siggie
"Tsk, tsk. Pepe's messing with the newbies again." Spidey, 3/30/05
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Brownroach 15341 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-02-06, 11:56 AM (EST)
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4. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
WOW was my reaction too. I just want to say, VS, that even if you feel you are in possession of a spoiler of sorts, it need not affect your editing analysis, not least because outside spoilers are incorrect much of the time. I don't post a lot in the editing thread but I know that most of the people who do also read and post in the other threads and are aware of the spoilers that are floating around; and I don't see it hampering their ability to analyze the editing objectively. There are already spoilers about the next couple of episodes out there, so yours isn't the first. Were it earlier in the season I could see you feeling like it "ruined" things, but you've come all this way relying on insights into the editing. I would think a continuation of what you've observed so far isn't completely unmanageable now. 
Bridge for sale to highest bidder. Call 1-800-BRroach.
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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-02-06, 12:43 PM (EST)
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6. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I second BR's sentiment...please reconsider VS if only to write about the coconut chop challenge 
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Flowerpower 7262 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-02-06, 02:27 PM (EST)
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7. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I definately agree, and as the season winds down, we are figuring out that some of the spoilers were a bit misguided...and I think there is a little controversy regarding who is spoiled for the very end game as well. So, by all means Veruca, all of the players left are indeed end game players. Take the show and edit AWAY! 
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phatl 2 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
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05-02-06, 12:08 PM (EST)
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5. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I am very disappointed at this turn of events. Maybe starting ext season this thread could be started in the fanatic forum since there is no spoilers allowed... just a thought.
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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-02-06, 05:26 PM (EST)
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8. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Hello VS, I'm happy to hear from you. I also admire your sense of ethic. You write that we don't owe you anything, let me disagree. In my case, you have transformed a show that is mostly enjoyable but still only a TV show into much more. It has become a hobby, a study in story telling, of character interaction and gameplan analysis. It's a source of discussion for which I've received nice comments (thanks Emydi, OutFrontGirl and Flowerpower) but don't deserve them as I have learned from you and them. I only see a series of pictures and hope to read the "right" story.You see stories in each picture. I echo BR and the others saying that I hope you continue with your analysis. However, what you feel is best for your post is fine. You certainly don't owe us anything. 
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mavs_fan 299 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
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05-02-06, 11:27 PM (EST)
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10. "Thank you" |
As seasons have passed, I've found myself spending less and less time reading spoilers and turning instead to this thread. (although I do read some of the spoilers).For me, you and the other edit analyst have kept a show that has become fairly predictable in terms of strategy (ie. vote off the strong, pagong the other tribe etc...) interesting with the story arc's and consideration of WHY we are shown the things we are. I fairly rarely post in the edit thread because as you say, when you know the spoilers - those that pan out and those that don't - there's a tendency to try and put square pegs in those pesky round holes. So, thank you for what you've brought to the table, and I hope to be reading your insights in the future.
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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
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05-03-06, 07:47 PM (EST)
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11. "RE: Editing" |
My appreciation to everyone who posted such a kind response. Let’s be clear, with my penchant for long winded postings you will not get rid of me that easily or the last few episodes but I will remove my opinion in the course of the episode breakdown and with such insightful analysis from all of you I will be one of the first to come in to read same regardless! To those of you who just "lurk" I will reiterate that our thread has no wrong or right answers; only amazing discussion that requires many opinions!Pepe, Insider discussions, interviews and the like are very helpful. I look forward to hearing what Jeff says in pre interviews and what the Insider reveals. I think any information that lends to the outcome is relatively easy to discern and that is the information I tend to avoid. Your posting of the descriptions of the players is very interesting and something that may elicit great discussion as potential jury voting. I fail miserably in that area much like attempting to guess weekly boots but the descriptions are thought provoking. The dynamics of Casaya are being fleshed out more which is of no surprise since one storyline was essentially Casaya as Jeff noted a long time ago. emydi, for you my dear (who am I kidding; for me as well lol) the pecking order challenge for that episode though I will forego the entire episode since we are well past it. Interesting observation upon arrival at this challenge upon the camera showing the challenge scene, the camera pans on the names on the blocks with the ropes to cut….Danielle, Terry, Aras….. then fades out This challenge was interesting for two reasons. We saw some fashion of pecking order and we learned what others think of each other. A bonus! Also interesting is that there seemed to be an intent to hide some contestants’ answers. Question #1: Who does the least for the tribe? Cerie, Aras, Terry, Shane all select Danielle
Courtney selects Bruce
Bruce selects Courtney
(Answer: Danielle) Cerie hits Terry
Aras hits Terry
Terry hits Aras (“with some gusto”)
Shane hits Terry
(As Jeff said, no surprises there and Terry is out) – Pecking order obviously starts and ends with Terry Question #2: Who never shuts up? Cerie and Shane select Courtney
Courtney, Danielle, Bruce select Terry
Aras selects Bruce
(Answer: Courtney “Oh Wow”) Shane hits Bruce
Cerie hits Bruce
(No surprise there either) Question #3: Who mistakenly believes they are running this game?
Cerie and Bruce select Aras
(Interesting that Cerie has no problem putting Aras on her card)
Courtney and Aras select Shane (not too surprising, Aras has never been one to hide his thoughts and Shane has followed Aras’ lead so Aras would not worry about his answer)
Shane selects Danielle (Danielle? Really? The seeds of animosity were to brew here)
(They did not show Danielle’s selection)
(Answer: Shane)
Jeff: “News to you?”
Shane: “I haven’t perceived to think I’m running this game” Aras hits Bruce
Courtney hits Shane (no real surprise. Shane is a safe hit for her and probably was the natural selection for her without even thought)
(Bruce is out) – Bruce, we knew was at the bottom of Casaya totem pole and Aras led that charge Question #4: Who would you trust with your life? Shane selects Aras (again, not surprising as we have seen Shane change his mind and make decisions based quite a bit due to Aras)
Courtney selects Terry
Aras selects Cerie (A very close partnership that we have seen progress but never explicitly stated that they have a two person alliance; it was grouped with Shane)
Cerie selects Bruce (not entirely shocking. Like Courtney with Terry, Bruce is someone who showed them survival) (Danielle, interestingly again not shown with her selection) Jeff: “How does that feel Cerie?”
Cerie: “Thanks guys”
(Answer: Cerie) Aras hits Courtney (Courtney not part of his plan. Aras’ pecking order revealed some more) Question #5: Who would you not trust to watch your back? Cerie selects Shane (Ahhh, for the three person alliance we have seen revealed, very interesting selection and we all know the clear pronouncement of alliances are usually accompanied by a nice large wrench!)
Courtney and Aras select Terry (not surprising) (Danielle again, along with Shane not shown and with this question one would expect Terry to BE the answer they would select as well!)
(Answer: Terry) Courtney hits Danielle (interesting selection but I don’t think there was much behind this other than spreading the wealth. Big note that Aras, the person that has been discussed much earlier in the season that he would win this game by Courtney and Danielle isn’t hit)
Aras hits Cerie (Aras is not about to touch Shane which is smart, but waits on touching Danielle?) Question #6: Who is the biggest poser? Shane, Cerie, Danielle select Shane
Courtney selects Bruce (Courtney: “What’s a poser?”)
Aras selects Courtney (Answer: Courtney. Again, I did note that in questions without a big “impact” they did not show Danielle’s answer which is curious but the above question does not have major implications) Aras hits Danielle (Aras had a definite plan in his selections, he is spreading the wealth and one must give him proper praise for this. In this type of challenge, you ultimately reveal secrets which can cause upheaval; he made sure he did not do this. Let’s also note however that he knew Cerie promised him a reward and most likely Shane would take him as well so he need not really worry if either of these two win and it would take the pressure off of him to choose) Question #7: Who is the moodiest? Cerie, Danielle and Shane select Courtney
Courtney and Aras select Shane
(Answer: Shane) Courtney hits Shane (Won’t hit Aras? Wouldn’t hit Danielle?)
Shane: “You are the only one that’s hit me twice, your life has changed”
Jeff: “Except the fact that you are not really running the game”
Shane, of course, explains this is about camp
Courtney: “Give me a break, playing a game!”
(Bruce adds two cents about helicopters and spas)
Courtney: “Come on Bruce”
Shane: “Why would you hit me twice?”
Courtney: “I didn’t know…”
Aras: “Let’s rise above it, this is a game, it is a meant to splinter us….”
Terry: “Yeah, it’s meant to splinter you guys…” (smiles)
Aras hits Danielle and wisely says: “Danielle, I love you but I know you can’t get me back” (Those types of statements also make my eyebrow raise as potential foreshadowing) Question #8: Who most easily succumbs to intimidation?
Courtney selects Bruce
Cerie selects Cerie
Shane selects Courtney
(Aras not shown interesting enough. I would have been curious to see his choice since Courtney is a wise answer)
(Answer: Courtney) Shane hits Courtney
Jeff: “Shane and Courtney down to their last ropes” (more eyebrow raising foreshadowing) Question #9 Who is the most annoying person out here?
Jeff: “Everyone says Courtney except Courtney”
(Courtney picked Terry)
Courtney: “By being the right answer for everything yeah” (on being surprised) “Makes me feel great”
Cerie is hysterical Aras hits Courtney who is out
Shane hits Aras
Shane: “Please don’t put me out”
Cerie: “Shane, sorry”
Shane: “Why?”
Cerie: “I promised Aras, I won’t hit him”
Shane: “You did?”
Cerie: “Yeah”
Shane: “You told me a lot too” “Cerie’s just like under the radar (Cerie’s look was enough to tell the audience she got “snagged”) “I am just having an emotional breakdown” Question #10: Who would never survive on their own? Aras selects Terry (and no audience member or contestant would dare believe he meant it lol)
Cerie selects herself
(Answer: Cerie) With that Cerie wins (with a little help from Aras) Terry: “Did you do that on purpose Aras?”
Aras: “Me? I don’t think you could survive a day in the wilderness!” Terry gets exiled…..”I’ve come to expect all bad things for right now Jeff until something changes (more narration from Terry) Cerie advises she promised Aras from day one and has to keep the promise and much to Shane’s dismay picks Danielle citing that she promised Danielle before she promised Shane Shane: “I’m not worried about Aras, I’m worried about the Danielle call, I think you made the wrong decision” What was suspicious to me was that in the questions that were potentially revealing, they did not show Danielle’s answers though we are able to assume which of her answers were incorrect. However, the questions that were deep rooted with hidden meaning were left to our imagination with Danielle’s answers. With that, Aras was impressive with his “wacks” and how he essentially helped to set up the final result and his strategy behind same was somewhat impressive. The seeds of discord were also planted in this challenge with Danielle and Shane and Shane and Cerie (though she smoothed things over) and the heightened challenge with Terry and Aras increased as well. We obviously also saw Cerie’s selections and who she has a bond with and who thought was bonded more with her. A note: Most of this pecking order challenge post was done after the episode and obviously prior to the episode following with Courtney’s removal so while you are only just now reading this after the facts of that episode and the one after, bear in mind this was done just after the viewing so forgive any obvious outcomes I do still hope that the potential foreshadowing of words uttered by Terry “through” the final four does come to fruition and so far that is holding up. I do note the increasing competitiveness between Terry and Aras that has building literally from the time they both “manned” their respective tribes. Alas, the significance of the “wink” may be a mystery never solved though at the very least one of the members is still here. It appears that our thoughts of Shane’s reiteration of his son will bear out with the arrival of same as well. Cerie has been a very effective narrator thus far and I am waiting the outcome of her words uttered in the first episode as well. In fact, we may all want to revisit our thoughts after the first episode to see what was being established for the long term. No need to reply since this novelette is already outdated and my thanks for the indulgence
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miyagimayday 14 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Got Milk? Spokesperson"
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05-04-06, 00:18 AM (EST)
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13. "RE: Editing" |
Dear VS, just want to tell you that your analysis is one of the things I look forward to each week!!! ================================================================
This is from an article in the TV Guide about "Survivor's Final 5" and gave the odds of them winning (also Comments made by Jeff): Terry: Strength: Physical prowess. The former Navy fighter pilot won four immunity challenges in a row and found the hidden immunity idol (in 20 minutes). Weakness: "There is a grudge against Terry growing by the day," says Survivor host Jeff Probst. Odds: 10:1 Cirie: Strength: Social savvy. Shane predicted she would be one of the first two to go, but she flew under the radar and let the rest of the Casaya tribe battle it out. Weakness: Limited athletic ability and "she is too likable for any sane person to take her to the final two," Probst says. Odds: 4:1 Aras: Strength: Like Terry, a physical threat. And, according to Probst, second only to Cirie in playing nice (and smart) with others. Weakness: Likability. Probst believes that winning immunity is Aras' only real shot because "it is unlikely anyone would bring him to the final two." Odds: 3:1 Shane: Strength: His ability to irritate. "He is loved by the producers," Probst says, "but not by his tribe mates. He'd be a great final two companion." Weakness: Loyalty. "Normally, that works in your favor," Probst says, "but he is ripe to get burned." Odds: 5:2 Danielle: Strength: Fitness and relative calmness. Oveshadowed by the antics of Shane and Courtney, she is a solid player. But she's offended a few people, too, says Probst, so "she may be a good choice to take to the final two." Weakness: Those offended may come back to haunt her. To win the game, Probst says, you need votes, "and I'm not sure she can get them." Odds: 2:1
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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-04-06, 02:30 PM (EST)
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19. "RE: Editing" |
just by reading them, BR they seem to be current quotes (or at least quotes made by Jiffy at this stage of the filming of the show...) Danielle hasn't really offended anyone whose vote it would cost her until the Courtney boot. I find these very telling....Cirie no way gets to F2 and she knows that...she's trying to be the better choice for Terry or Aras by being there at F3 Shane is ready for another bamboozling Aras WILL win F3 immunity imo and probably F4 immunity too Danielle...from my analysis anyway, it looks as if Danielle may be on the short end of the votes (at least with Aras sitting next to her)
Terry...they'll finally get him at F3 when HI (which was only good through the F4) is no longer in his back pocket..
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Outfrontgirl 6830 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-04-06, 00:19 AM (EST)
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14. "RE: Editing" |
VS,
I'm so happy you did this challenge! I also was waiting for your dissection of it and disappointed it was not to be.Aside from the pecking order and strategy revelations, I find this challenge intriguing because the player's answer that he reveals may be a different answer than what he marked down, even though he knows whatever he answered privately is one of seven votes weighted in selecting the right answer. This could happen for (at least) two reasons: either a player thinks more of the group would disagree with him than would agree, or the player wants to get it wrong. In addition, the assumption that the privately written answer is candid may be wrong, as someone may be throwing unlikely answers into the mix for reasons of his own. (his meaning his/her throughout). Re Danielle, I am wondering if she didn't get anything right; did she even get a chop? (did I miss it?) Are the number of chops shown on TV equeal to the actual chops made, or do they leave out some chops? Her answers could have been left out because they were wrong AND caused no reaction. After all they have to compress things where they can. I ask because it would be a more unusual editing choice if she did get right answers and chops but they were still not shown. I have a feeling that Danielle has watched this show and knew better than to make waves in this challenge so she threw it from the get-go. Courtney, OTOH, I believe played to win and gave her answers candidly, but seemed not to recognize this venerable challenge and thus was genuinely surprised that it was hurtful. Her technique contrasted with Aras' "equal opportunity" chops because she hit Shane twice as if no one was counting or reacting. Terry and Bruce -- it didn't matter as they had no shot, but from what we know of their characters I assume they were playing candidly. Shane, Cirie, and Aras appeared to be playing to win or in Aras' case to come in second. It appeared to me that Aras wanted to stay in it long enough to control who won, which he managed to achieve. He also understood that if you chop someone who still gets a chop that's a good way to get out of the game. Aras missed the "who talks all the time" question but I remember JP saying Bruce does talk incessantly and it's hard to take, so that I think Aras was trying to get that one right. Other stuff that interested me: no one held back from writing down Courtney in order to spare her feelings. Several questions had three or even four different answers revealed. These people seem to be all in their own private Idaho or something. You'd think there are two top answers to each question, but no. One has to wonder if Bruce would have wised up after ending up second on the bench, given the chance. It appears to me that Bruce was going home that TC in any case so that his concerns about leaving the game prematurely were moot. I'm sure glad he didn't risk his health more than he did in order to tough it out just long enough to get his official torch-snuffing two days later. It's always fascinating to see them fall for this challenge yet again. I think Aras and Danielle are the only two who didn't bite. Cirie did know better but she wanted a reward so bad I think she had to over-ride her better sense as it was the only one she had a shot at winning. This challenge makes me hear the last line of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" in my head. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn.
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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
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05-06-06, 10:28 PM (EST)
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21. "RE: Before the final four" |
Well the irony that one member from each of the original four tribes is certainly not lost on all of us and I must say that I am impressed that Shane's "journey" played out as hopefully expected. For what it is worth, the growth of Shane was readily apparent and nicely sealed with a visit from his side story of his son.With that..... The Recap One item I have surmised especially this season is that the recaps have been accurate in how the situation actually unfolded. Recall Shane telling Terry who his final four were and the speculation that he told Terry this to trick Terry. The recap the following week advised us that Terry tricked Shane into revealing his final four instead of the assumption that Shane was misleading Terry. There have been other instances of this as well so I will take the premise that Cerie herself enlisted Aras and Danielle in the Courtney elimination. A nice and powerful shot of Terry alone in the water with the sun setting down on him (make of that what you will)
Cerie "He's working ya'll bad"
Terry felt the pressure to crack the Casaya bond (Aras) (Danielle and Cerie)
Terry (conf) "It is imperative to make some allies..."
At the reward challenge, Terry, Danielle, Courtney win. Terry makes a bid for a three way alliance...
Terry "I would do anything to get us to the final three"
Courtney "I'm 100% behind you" Shane "We're gonna vote off Danielle
Cerie "But then, there's still Courtney; it'll be you, me and Courtney"
Shane "Me and you'll both beat Courtney" Shane's plan made Cerie suspicious Cerie conf "If he could take Courtney to the final two, he may just win a million dollars so Courtney to me is more dangerous now than Terry around" At the IC, once again Terry was unbeatable
Jeff "Terry wins his fourth straight immunity" (Aras) Cerie (to Danielle) "If you want to be here tomorrow, you, me and Aras have to vote Courtney" Cerie enlisted Aras and Danielle in her plan to get rid of Courtney Cerie (conf) "Shane wants to take Courtney to the final two, I think Terry wants to take Courtney to the final two; some kind of way Courtney's going..." Courtney and Terry thought the plan was to get rid of Aras and Shane was sure Danielle was next to go.... At TC, Shane, Terry and Courtney were shocked at the results. Tribal Council Aftermath Aras (to Shane) "Danielle was going to vote for me too"
Shane "How do you know Danielle was going to vote you too?"
Aras "Cerie sniffed it out and I wasn't even in it" (Cerie has his back per Aras) For purposes of consistency, Shane's confessional was split up amongst the scenes with Shane and Cerie discussing the vote but the entire confessional is noted here and obviously occurred after Shane and Cerie had their discussion Shane (conf) "I thought we were all gonna vote Danielle out and without me knowing, Cerie, Danielle and Aras voted Courtney out so I was shocked. (At this point the scenes of Cerie/Shane shown with a Cerie confessional) It would have been easiest to take Courtney to the final two but Cerie assured me our alliance is still good (shot of Cerie/Shane after TC at fire) so there's five of us left now (shot of Danielle) Danielle goes next and then we're the final four" Shane "You're not trying to pull a fast one..."
Cerie "Come on now!" A New Day Aras "How calm is this camp?" (How calm indeed?)
Shane "I wonder why" Shane, Aras, Danielle and Cerie are shown sitting around the fire when Terry is honed in although curiously it appears that there is a figure sleeping next to him Terry (conf) "Last night was the fifth failure for me in trying to get numbers on my side. Danielle and myself, we were gonna take Courtney to the final three. We shook hands on it, looked each other in the eye and I was lied to (Danielle shown) As far as I'm concerned, Danielle's next on the chopping block and that's fine with me. Not my problem anymore" (Terry, almost comedically, has been shown approaching every single member of Casaya and has failed. Curiously, Aras is the ONLY person (and the purported leader?) with whom Terry has not negotiated any terms. The aura of competition between these two started from the beginning and has increased tremendously. What is so fascinating IF, in fact, Terry has never approached Aras is the difference and potential downfall that may happen with Terry. Last season we heard Danielle state that she would look to the one in control to help her case. Aras, in fact, may have been the one member of Casaya that could have assisted Terry if an agreement was reached. Aras himself knows he is a potential target and it could have been beneficial to him as well. The element of Terry's nature and personality may have prevented this (nothwithstanding that Aras may have turned him down also) The Loved Ones and Allocation Interesting to note the approach of the contestants with Shane, Cerie ahead and Danielle, Terry and Aras bringing up the rear. The camera panned in the trio of Danielle, Terry and Aras. At the challenge mat as well, only Danielle, Terry and Aras are closed in upon Jeff: "Playing for love (Shane, Cerie, Aras, Terry: "Oh man" Danielle)
Jeff: "Shane, first one out" (the closeup of his Boston tattoo shown)
Jeff: "Danielle moving on, Aras moving on, Terry gets the third slot"
Danielle shown jumping up and down psyching herself up; Terry watches
Cerie: "Come on Aras!"
Jeff: "Aras moving on, Terry moving on, Danielle out of the competition"
Jeff: "A showdown between Aras and Terry" "Terry and Aras coming to a meeting point; who's going to get there first. They are stuck, they are fighting for it. Terry's gonna get through first"
Jeff: "Terry and Aras neck and neck again"
Jeff: "Aras out of it" Notable message of the continuing battle between Terry and Aras. Aras is usually the predominant visual we get when Terry succeeds in a challenge. Aras and Terry do have a direct link with each other for story purposes despite the lack of meeting of any minds with respect to advancing. They have been tied together by the editing this season through the hidden idol, the competition and their heading up of their tribes Terry allocates his visits with Shane joining him, Cerie having her husband at camp, Aras receiving a hug and Danielle with nothing but a 20 foot distant communication and Exile Island. Obviously Shane and his son revealed a most touching scene together with Cerie and her husband not far behind. Terry in true form was more "together" but obviously touched. Aras and his mother's hug was probably a standout in light of Aras requesting multiple dinners on the table when he got home. Danielle had a visually nice impact as well and her mother's "Be strong" with her reply "I will" was noted also prior to her send off to EI. The Exiled One The visuals at Exile Island are always nice to see and I enjoy the high shots when the contestants stand upon the skull. Danielle raising the flag on top of the skull is a nice touch for the opening. Danielle (conf) "I was so disappointed to have my mother like five feet in front of me... that really sucked" (Chops coconut) "Maybe this is Terry's head right now, it's all good, he'll get his" (Foreshadowing?) "Terry, he's out for me, he's pissed off because I basically ruined his strategy plan to take Courtney to the final two and you know what, I don't care, I was really pissed I couldn't see my mom but at the same time I'm not gonna sit and cry about it" (Drinking coconut juice) "How do you like that huh? Don't have to share this with anybody!" Nice little Exile Moment. However, it was a necessary scene in light of the dynamics that caused it to occur. She was the only one "shafted" and by rights this needed to be told on how she felt. Interesting again how the Casaya members are tied to Terry regardless that he is not part of their group whatsoever although what was most significant was the tie specifically shown of Aras and Terry and Danielle and Terry. The outcome of Casaya literally depends on Terry and the outcome of Terry literally depends on Casaya. I would say the contrast of her taking the lack of reward with a stiff upper lip was nicely contrasted with Aras' later mood about it although it mainly Terry’s words that set Aras off more than anything. Cerie's Journey Cerie came to us afraid of what lurks beyond leaves and telling the audience she wants to see how far she could go. This was the essence of her journey and it was clearly panned out with the arrival of her husband. Much like Shane's journey beginning and ending about his son; Cerie's journey (if you will) was testing herself amidst an environment that is alien to her and that intimidated her. She has now proven herself and her husband was there to solidify this. Regardless that she wants the money for her family, the main premise was her family to be proud of her and to not disappoint them. This journey reached its pinnacle and we had established Cerie's narrative edit had longevity but not end game. Cerie completed her arc with her husband to give her the praise of all that she has accomplished Cerie "This almost makes me feel like I kind of underestimated myself and now you can do anything" (With that, editing has summed up the underlying reason for her being there) The Loved Ones Terry more or less narrated the actual reward while Shane’s edit specifically revolved around his son which is no surprise. Terry (conf) “Beautiful house,,,, it was all there…” Trish (conf) “I was surprised at the condition Terry was in. I can’t get wait to get beard off him and get him back to his hot looking studly self” (As if Terry’s wife needed to convince the audience that Terry is a “man’s man” lol) Shane tells his son how his “journey” began with his desire to quit and then tells us that having his son here made him that much more grateful he did not quit. Terry (to Trisha) “THIS is what Exile Island’s all about and the hidden immunity idol” (More verification that the island and the idol is a HUGE part of the story of this season) Trisha “It’s a good thing to have” (No doubt! Again, those words “THROUGH the final four”) Terry “It’s a very good thing to have!” Terry (conf) “We started talking about the game…. Immediately she started investing her whole mind into what I was going through…” Trisha (at the table) “I’m starting to feel like it’s going to end up being all men” (Foreshadowing or irony?)
Shane “We’re gonna take out Aras; me and Cerie, when it gets to the four probably”
Trisha “But Danielle’s gone”
Shane “She knows she’s gone” (Obviously, THIS was irony)
Trisha “If I were here, I’d look for the idol”
Shane “But the idol is in his bag….”
Trisha “He hasn’t told me, I’m serious” Shane (conf) “Thing that was really weird, Terry’s wife, Trisha is more competitive than Terry so she was the one who wanted to talk about strategy; what a lovely woman but unbelievably competitive” Another warm moment with Shane and Boston (less we forget his pivotal story) Terry (conf) “I didn’t give a crap about the bed, it was who I was sleeping with that was extremely wonderful… just the snuggling… warm warm feeling” Cerie and Aras benefited nicely with HB there as we know from Cerie she put him to work Cerie (conf) “We need to reserve our energy so he needs to help us” HB (conf) “I’m so proud of Cerie… words can’t even express how I feel. It’s wonderful that she would come on here and take this risk for us. She’s my hero” Cerie (conf) “Having HB at camp brought back why I’m here. I’m not just here for me. I’m here for us as a family. I want HB to have a better life. I want us to have like a wonderful life!” (Again, a shining moment for Cerie and how far she has come. Literally her expressions from earlier this season to not have her family be disappointed came to fruition with her husband telling us and Cerie that she was his hero. Interesting contrast to Terry’s wife. No mention from Trisha about her husband IN the game and what he is doing; there is no ending to that. Recall last season and how Judd’s wife emotionally discussed wanting him home and so forth.) The Homecoming Cerie and Aras greet Shane and Terry with Cerie thanking Terry. Terry advises the choices were so clear to him…. Cerie (conf) “When Terry and Shane returned… Terry was explaining his reasonings for delegating the time the way he did” (What was very interesting is how we heard nothing from Cerie and Shane on their opinion of the delegation. Obviously they both were thrilled with Terry’s choice but the battle was solely from the mindset of Terry and Aras; we were not meant to be swayed either way by anyone else which is curious because quite often we hear from others regarding a situation and their opinion and the intent of this is to manipulate the audience into then agreeing with the person that gets the most support) I would then ask whoever wishes to answer, who did you support in this “argument” with Aras and Terry. I am also interested if you are single or married (if you wish to disclose same). I would then ask if you support Aras, would you still if Terry did not say the word “only” (Note that in between the conversation was confessionals by Aras and Terry. For sequencing purposes, the “debate” is listed in its entirety) Terry “That’s what it came down to, Danielle was 24 years old and it was only her mom”
Aras “24 or not 24, everybody out here wanted to see their family just as bad. You wanted to see Trisha and I wanted to spend a night with my mom and to like think, well it’s just a mom, that rubs me the wrong way when you say that”
Terry “When you get married, in my viewpoint, there is no choice. If I had a choice to see my wife or a choice to see my mother, I’m seeing my wife”
Aras “Dude, 33 days man and that is my rock! Everyone’s got their rock and what you are saying is that that rock is more important than that rock. My mom is huge to me”
Terry “When you have a wife you’ll know this; when it happens to you, it’ll happen” (Of course, our reaction shots from Cerie are thrown in for good measure yet nary a word from Cerie, who IS married and Shane who has a son were never told to us) Aras (conf) “You won your reward, congratulations, you to be with your wife. I didn’t get to be with my mom so have a little bit of sympathy and understanding. The least that I would expect from a 46 year old man who talks about his age over a 24 year old all the time is respect. That doesn’t register with Terry. What he’s doing is feeding my fire and the more he does it the more I want to beat him” Interesting fighting words and again, foreshadowing to ponder? One item to note is that while Aras may have appeared petulant to some, he does, in fact acknowledge what Terry is attempting to do and is aware of how he reacts to it. It does lend a better understanding that literally Terry gets under Aras’ skin Terry (conf) “Here I have some 24 year old kid lecturing me my mom is my rock and she means as much to me as your wife to you. I like the fact that Aras is came unglued. It showed a part of him that I had not see and maybe a little crack that I can take advantage of” Notable contrast between both confessionals. Terry as per the norm, is all business after his “rant” as his edit as shown throughout the series. Aras, on the other hand, has his “rant” then is analytical as to why and how the events affected him. Truly these two confessionals summed up these two characters fully) The Immunity Challenge – Starring…. Terry, The Necklace and One Last Time, Shane! Danielle arrives back from EI with a nice hug from Aras Danielle “It was awesome (Terry shown) the weather was beautiful so it made my experience a lot more enjoyable than the first time” Jeff takes the necklace with the camera honing in on Aras which occurs quite often when the necklace is around and especially when Terry wins it. Jeff “After four straight individual immunity wins by Terry, the immunity necklace (Shane) is backup for (Danielle) grabs (Aras) Jeff “…..guaranteed a spot in the final four (Aras, Shane, Terry) that is a one in four shot at a million bucks (Danielle shown then with her hands over her mouth) The challenge literally focused on Aras and Terry with Shane’s comical antics interspersed. This challenge was another symbolic visual of the building issue with Aras and Terry. Jeff “Terry getting closer with each bucket”
Jeff “Aras and Danielle right behind him”
Jeff “Terry getting close enough where he can reach down and grab it
Jeff “Aras getting close enough where HE can reach down and grab it
Jeff “Is it close enough for Terry? No”
Jeff “Not close enough for Aras either”
Jeff “Terry right on the money, raising his flag quite a bit”
Jeff “Aras fighting back, not giving up”
Jeff “Aras getting closer, Terry almost there…… Terry wins immunity for the fifth straight time (shot of Aras again shown) Terry back flips, Shane jumps in, Danielle front flips, Cerie “no diving for me thank you” and Aras jumps in last. Jeff “You are undefeated (Danielle) in individual immunity challenges (Aras) For lack of anything else, you will note that the visuals focused on Aras and Danielle the most which makes sense considering the episode focused on the information of Terry angry with Danielle and the issues between Aras and Terry Terry (conf) “Winning the immunity challenge today was huge because it just doesn’t win me the fourth, it vaults me into the final three (Those pesky numbers again!) I have the hidden immunity idol. I don’t even have to show up to the next immunity challenge, what a relief. I’ve had the hugest target on my back; now the pressure is off” (Again, the emphasis that has been placed on the hidden idol needs to come to fruition. This idol, with the emphasis on “through” should, if editing has any place in Survivor,u happen for Terry at the final four Tribal Council. With the emphasis also building with Aras and Terry in competition which has been drilled into us and escalating let’s recall that moment everyone remembers when Jeff said to the contestants in the first episode (repeating from the first thread with the original commentary in) Jeff (showing the idol) “There is nothing more powerful than what?”
Aras “Immunity” (Again, perhaps nothing but Aras was shown saying this)
(Then again, what do I know, I focused on the wink as well lol) The Pre Tribal Council Mish Mash Danielle shown sitting alone with Terry asking Shane if Danielle is not feeling well or something Shane “I think she’s depressed cause she knows she’s next” “She’s a princess at home. She gets anything she wants from her daddy or the boyfriend” (Ask yourself if you are meant to agree with Shane’s character or not?) Terry “What do you think Shane? You and me in the finals?”
Shane “My guess is that it’s gonna go down that way, yes”
Terry “That would be cool” (And in true Survivor editing, it doesn’t) Shane (conf) “The plan was for me Aras and Cerie to take out Danielle tonight and I’m in a great space. I set myself up so that I’m safe and I feel like things are gonna be solid…” and later “I think I set myself up that I am safe and I feel like at this point I can beat anybody – I felt like I could. I mean I feel so comfortable, as comfortable as you can out here” Terry (conf) “After what happened at Tribal Council the other night; Danielle, she blew me off so I wouldn’t feel too bad sending her off and from what I know, she’s going anyway” and “I would love to take Shane to the final two, not that he doesn’t work but my case speaks for itself, going out fishing, cleaning up the camp…. That would be a no brainer even for a heavily loyal Casya jury (May mean nothing, may mean something; just one of those comments that always make the eyebrow go up) Later… Aras “Shane had my word and he lost it”
Danielle “Shane thinks I’m going home; it’s so funny how he thinks he knows what’s going on and like he’s in control and everything. He doesn’t know anything”
Aras “Yeah” Aras (conf) “I was in an alliance with Shane but I found out he wanted to take Courtney to the final two and so that pretty much puts me off the hook. I no longer feel any obligation (this probably occurred earlier when Aras got the information from Cerie) Note that the confessional continues after Cerie and Aras speak but it is at a different place so the two conversations are indeed separate but spliced together Aras (conf) “I’ve done a really good job in setting Shane up for a situation like this. Shane thinks I am his puppy dog. He thinks he could tell me to do this and I’ll do it. Up until this point I have which really makes it easy to do things pretty inconspicuously” In between the two confessionals Cerie and Aras are shown walking with Aras telling Cerie that “Danielle’s good” Danielle (conf) “I know that Shane is looking to get rid of me and I’m looking to get rid of him. Terry’s out for me, he’s pissed off (Terry) I have a strong bond with Aras and Cerie; Cerie especially (We then see Cerie making sure Danielle gets her food – a little ironic considering Shane’s earlier comments about her being a princess) I trust Cerie with my life like I really really do; it’s so key in this game to have one person at least that you can trust so I’m pretty confident right now in my alliance (thereafter a snake crawls by) (Both Aras and Danielle have advised us that Cerie is trusted by them completely. Cerie is now in a bit of a situation, forced to choose at some point. Can Danielle trust her with her life or can Aras be guaranteed that Cerie is watching his back?) Shane and Cerie then have their conversation which, of course, we see the outcome of that! What IS important to note is that we were specifically told by Shane that he would vote out Aras. This is important in terms of editing that regardless that some may feel that Aras should have spoke to Shane directly about what he learned from Cerie; the intent by Shane to get rid of Aras was shown to us. This is subtle manipulation for the audience to perhaps “forgive” Aras for voting out someone he was aligned with. Whether one personally thinks Aras was wrong, the editing intent was done on purpose. IF we were supposed to view Aras as a complete “backstabber” that portion could have been edited out and all that would be shown would be Shane asking if Cerie and Aras and Danielle were “f---ing” with him thus, making Shane completely the victim. The sequencing of Cerie’s confessionals is put below however note they are from different time periods and possibly from different episodes although that is merely speculative. The area she spoke was different, the voice was different in the voice over portion as well. What caught my interest was our narrator, Cerie, discussing her “thoughts” on Danielle and Aras and their “threat” status. I did question why she did not mention Terry at all. Terry, who appears unstoppable was not mentioned by Cerie in her concerns in getting further in the game; one would think she would question how she would fare against Terry as well considering Austin and Sally were LaMina’s, Bruce and Terry were close and Courtney may view Cerie as a backstabber as well as Shane. Yet Danielle and Aras were the two Cerie discussed with us Cerie (conf) “Shane thinks that me, him and Aras are going to vote for Danielle when in all actuality me, Aras and Danielle are going to vote for Shane. (Next part voice over) Aras and Danielle, those are the two people I’ve had the longest alliance with. (Next part on the beach, different time) At the same time this is still a game and you have to look at it logically because I think Danielle will be able to beat me in the final two. Courtney could hold true to Danielle’s friendship and I think Bruce kind of had a love affair with Danielle and I don’t know if her and Austin bonded at Exile Island when they almost died so Danielle is a threat” (Next part which occurs later after Shane congratulates themselves and identifies himself, Aras, Cerie and Terry as the final four. Cerie is now sitting sideways with a tree limb to her left) “I love Aras but I’m gonna do everything, everything that I can do to get myself further in the game so it is safe to say that someone’s gonna be surprised tonight; there’s gonna be huge fireworks, bigger than the fourth of July” (This was just a completely curious statement and really seemed out of context with what was occurring. Why would Cerie discuss Aras as if he would potentially be leaving. The issue was Shane to leave with Danielle being the supposed target. Danielle being discussed by Cerie fit the circumstances since Cerie could have easily gone along with Shane’s plan yet the Aras discussion did not seem to fit here at all and the ONLY precipitation to this confessional was this uttered by Aras) Aras “I’ll tell you what, he (Shane) can’t defend against this one” Tribal Council What a fun one that was wasn’t it? The jury arrives and Cerie, Aras and Shane are shown. Courtney gives her kiss of death with Cerie’s reaction shot……. Terry “It’s always a tough charge when you are put in an almost God position (Aras shown) but the initial thing for me obviously was my wife followed by Shane and then HB got to go see what Cerie was up to. Uh, you know I’m afraid if I offended anybody but I think it all worked out (Danielle shown) okay” Cerie “He (HB) was thankful for the experience but ready to go home (Sally laughs) He is like a city guy but for him to get to see (Aras and Shane) what we go through left him extremely proud; he said I was his hero” (jury shown with all smiling except Courtney) Shane “It was, yesterday was unbelievable, magical vacation (Courtney smiles) with him (Terry smiles) We were just hanging being dad and son and as I watched the sun go down I just thought to myself there is absolutely no where else on the planet earth I would rather be (Terry smiles) Jeff “Terry wins again, five straight (group shot, Cerie smiling at jury, Danielle looking at jury for their reaction, Aras smiling at Jeff and Shane listening to Jeff) Aras, there is an obvious competition between you two…” Aras “For me, it just becomes more fun in a competitive sense (Terry rolls eyes and smiles) you can look at it any way you want. Every time it’s a crack at him. The thing of it is with Terry is that he knows this, that it just takes one crack and he’s done” (Again, one of those comments that make the eyebrow go up) Jeff “At what point do you stop saying just one crack and he’s done (jury shot, Austin smiling at Sally and Courtney serious) and start saying Terry’s looking pretty good right now” (Terry then shown looking in jury’s direction and smiling then winks) Aras “This is the way I look at it is that the challenges is just one part of the game, you can win all the challenges you want. If you don’t win people over you don’t win the million dollars” (Terry smirks and rolls his eyes up) (If the show should end with this statement by Aras being accurate, what a beautiful line of foreshadowing for the end game) Shane then talks about his honesty and that his integrity is 100% (Danielle reacts to this with a smirk) Danielle (after a tongue stuck out from Courtney on trust)“When you feel like you lose trust in someone or someone’s doing something sneaky (Shane) or talking about voting you off first, then you make a move (Aras) that’s how I look at it. You have to make moves in the game to further yourself (Cerie) that’s the whole point of the game isn’t it? (Another foreshadowing moment by Danielle herself to come?) When then here Shane’s reasoning as to his demeanor at the challenge and that he feels in a way he is being carried because he would make an attractive final two partner Shane “…..maybe more easily than like Cerie, who’s a mother of three and an unbelievable person or Aras who’s the golden boy who, at any point could levitate home….” Danielle (about being worried) “I’m scare, I mean I’ve been away for two days… there could be other alliances formed (Aras) or whatever. I can only wish and pray. I don’t feel comfortable” Jeff “Once again (Aras) this hidden idol has yet to come into play (Shane) Aras shown voting with “Sorry brother”, Shane walks up with the jury laughing. During Shane’s vote call out, Cerie and Danielle were featured more than Aras visually. The jury and Terry are shocked, Danielle smiles a bit and Shane directs his closing comment visually in line with Danielle. Shane’s fire is out, Aras shown, Terry salutes him, Aras makes a hand gesture with Cerie and Danielle serious. Jeff “The last two Tribal Councils someone’s been voted out, the person has been absolutely shocked (Terry shaking head) (Camera shows Terry, Danielle and Cerie during the next six words) so if trust wasn’t an issue (Aras now shown for the last 8 words) it certainly will be from here on out”
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miyagimayday 14 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Got Milk? Spokesperson"
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05-07-06, 01:50 AM (EST)
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22. "RE: Before the final four" |
Dear VS, GREAT stuff as usual!!!!!!! Enjoy reading it very much!!
To answer your question: firstly of all, I am single.
I think Terry's "allocation" decision was right. HOWEVER(!!) I hate his reasoning!!
Because they (Danielle and Aras) are young and it's just their moms so they are less derserving?! Sure, marriage is important, but that alone does not justify who is more deserving or not! And you can't tell other people to judge the situation with your own values!! A person's mom is not less valuable than somebody else's wife or husband. A mom and a spouse are too things extremely important to people...and there's no way you could tell somebody their mom is less important than somebody else's spouse. ("When you are married, you will know this...", all I can say is WTF!)
The reason I think Terry made the right decision is because well, Terry did win the challenge and of course he had every right to choose to be with his wife; as for Shane, I don't really think there is any other reason needed. Cirie's choice might be more argueable.
I think Aras was not mad at Terry's decision but his reasoning. So I think you can say I sided with Aras. (Again, "Shocker"!)
To answer the second part, If Terry uses different reasons or doesn't give any reason at all (I seriously don't understand why he felt the need to "explain" himself), then I won't disagree with him, and I don't think the argument would've taken place.
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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-07-06, 12:01 PM (EST)
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24. "RE: Before the final four" |
I agree with Miyagi (and WELCOME!! Keep posting)I WAS married (jerk)and have a long term man now (great--looks like Chad and Chris from AI 5) and I had Two moms (foster also who are now both gone too soon) and I don't think I could say which one of the 3 would be more important (except for ex who is nothing) you should not quantify it and def not use THAT as your reasoning but Terry really can't help himself def. on Aras' side here And Terry really can't help himself but be arrogant which is turning off people and imo Aras' words about "challenges don't win you the million $" at TC will be prophetic I also think that Aras' words about only needing one challenge win will be too...We have been set up for a huge competition btw ARas and Terry and I agree with OFG that it will be played out on the playground (in last 2 IC challenges) and not before the jury. Aras' edit is of one trying to find himself and his coming of age..usually this type of edit (like Cirie's proving herself to family) is not one of a winner. The way they've set it up this time tho in order for Aras to "come of age", he HAS to beat Terry and if he does...he'll win it...and imho the editing shows that he will win it. Danielle has turned into the F2 goat ironically after helping to vote out Cirie's F2 "goats" in Courtney and Shane and Terry will be the also ran that for many (not me ) deserves a place in F2 ala Lex Kathy Rob C and Ian i.e. finishing at F3.
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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-07-06, 12:31 PM (EST)
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25. "RE: Before the final four" |
Great post Veruca. I see you are in play-off form! I took good note of that editing trick you pointed out about letting us hear Shane planned on getting rid of Aras and how it could make us forgive Aras. Subtlety is everything! To answer your question, I’m single but not only 24 (!) and if you read my post, you’ll see I think the edit favored Aras. I didn’t like hearing what Terry said even if the choices he made were right. Which side did you take?This week, I think we saw: IF OPPOSITES ATTRACT, DIFFERENCES DIVIDE. After last Tribal Council, Jeff had told us it had become an individual game. This episode showed each player’s isolation and how they are opposing each other. The first confrontation shown was the shocked Shane and the calm Aras. These two had been together from day 3 even if their personalities are so different. Aras was able to deflect Shane’s questions, explaining how Cirie sniffed out an attempt at mutiny. Shane thought he had the mental edge on Aras and Cirie and could decide the way the game would unfold. Aras had abandoned Shane but had to keep it quiet to the end. We then turned to Cirie and Shane. They were both seen as schemers from the start. Their methods however have been completely different. Shane demanded loyalty and proposed his boot options, letting the team decide. Now that the game is individual, his method proved deficient. Cirie’s method of setting up each vote so that the voters feel it is in their best interest, was the winning strategy. Cirie was shown listening to his complaint and then calmly explaining her actions. Shane had been shown to lose his venom when his opponent doesn’t react emotionally to his attacks. Cirie had the mental edge he thought he had won. Even if she felt uncomfortable, she appeased Shane, pulling the fast one he dreaded. It kept him out of the loop for three days, even saying he was happy that the loopy broad was gone. Cirie was masterful! The RC revealed the confrontation between Terry and Danielle. Danielle proved she had fight left in her by winning the first two stages of the RC. In the end, the fighter pilot didn’t have long to wait to extract revenge from the player that had ruined his “numbers” last time. No matter how he later presented this, sending her to exile island was already planned. It wasn’t his problem anymore. She was disappointed at not getting close to her mother but the way it was presented to us, they still had a nice moment. Hearing their whispers almost made us privvy to their thoughts. I found it powerful!
Danielle had a calmer stay on exile island this time. Chopping the coconut was done with a little extra gusto, thinking of what she wanted to do to Terry’s head! She assured us Terry would get his. She wasn’t about to let Terry see her disappointment. “It was awesome” she told Jeff when asked about her exile. After the IC, she was seen alone relaxing in the water and on the beach. Those visuals have often been used to explain why a tribe decides to boot someone. In this case it was to reinforce that she has a bond with Aras and Cirie. She can trust Cirie with her life. She had a surprise in store for Terry. Will she also have the last laugh?
This episode did have two polar opposite players come together. Terry and Shane shared a perfect reward and concluded an agreement. It was made to get further in the game. It didn’t unfold that way. Shane told us Terry’s wife was the biggest competitor in that family. Her prediction that the three men would face in F3 had Terry smiling and Shane hoping. Shane, who previously, had been ready to kill anyone who would flip over to Terry, now saw the advantage of going with the enemy. He should have heard what Terry thought of his chances even going in front of a loyal Casaya jury. Terry was very proud of his work at camp, fishing, cleaning and collecting firewood. We weren’t shown much of this. It seemed that if it was the case he planned to present to the jury along with his victories, we’d have heard comments from some players.
In the end, Shane committed survivor suicide by putting a target on his back with his talk at camp, imposing his boot choice and starting to appear more like a threat to win votes than ever before. The way he was presented going up the hill and asking to be told if some crazy voting tricks appeared was comical on second viewing. I guess he went out of his blackberry’s reception area! Terry had received assurance from Shane that Danielle was leaving. He was shown confident when leaving for the vote. Since Danielle was leaving anyway, he even votes Aras, not letting up on his rival. His dejected look at Shane’s exit showed once more how isolated Terry is in this game.
Two very different players had been left at camp for the night. Cirie encouraging Aras during RC wasn’t enough to break Terry’s challenge domination. Her husband was used to do the chores so that the two survivors could rest in their primitive surroundings. Cirie had an important realization that she had underestimated herself for 35 years and that she could do anything. Could this be in opposition to her statement at the very first TC where she simply wanted to go as far as she could? Veruca, tells us it is the end of her story and, yes, a nice ending it is. But are WE underestimating her now?
Cirie and Aras have actually been the closest allies in the group. The leader and the one that was next on the chopping block are opposites in so many ways yet they’ve gotten along from the start. Even so, if we are assuming a F2 pact, it could be acting with temerity. Cirie had wanted to get rid of the Hidden Idol even though she knew it meant Aras would leave the game. For all the ties between them, it seems that they could go against each other when it is in their own interest. Could Aras’ confessional about how he lets Shane see him as a puppy dog, and agreeing with him, also apply to Cirie? He set up Shane perfectly. Are his plans to get rid of her at F4 to have the strongest opposition against Terry? Does he want to keep her to take Terry’s choice away if he again wins the crucial F3? Does he want to face her in front of the jury? This part of the game has been hidden to us. The confrontation we had been waiting to see since the merge finally showed some sparks. It started after the victors returned from reward. Terry was shown putting his foot in his mouth. He said that his choices were so clear to him and that for Danielle, she was 24 years old and it was only her mom, not realizing Aras was in the same situation. Then Terry and Aras had dueling confessionals. Terry’s confessional turned a sensitive issue into a plan to improve his game. He saw Aras had a weakness and maybe he could use that crack. Aras talked about his emotions and how Terry disrespected his true feelings for his loved one. Showing what Terry said is not the way a winner would be shown in a social game. He thought Aras was lecturing him when all Aras wanted was sympathy and understanding. He was happy that Aras came unglued and saw it as an advantage in his plan, the same plan that has already been repeatedly shown to fail. Aras talked about his emotions and how Terry’s insensitivity will feed his fire.
Aras grew from that confrontation, Terry stayed the same. It seems we put too much weight in a possible Aras-Danielle connection. I think there weren’t any F2 pacts in this tribe. In a tribe like no other, they simply actually liked each other as we heard in Insider. They are friends and maybe some of us were romantic fools (!) trying to make a match. They do have a nice conversation after Aras went to join her in the ocean. Then Danielle lets us know that Shane only thinks he is running this game. How come she didn’t get that question right in the pecking order challenge? They agree on the vote and we knew these two would carry it out.
The editors have presented Danielle as being dumb. She has made some very smart moves in this game including the pecking order challenge (Thanks VS for including your analysis). Trusting Cirie and Aras has given her the opportunity to reach F4. Now she says she is ready to make a move since that is the point of the game. In the preview, we saw her planning to join Terry. Going outside Casaya has proven deadly to the others. How will she fare? Cirie is aware of other players’ possibilities. We weren’t sure she was voting Danielle until her vote was read. She counted Austin, Bruce and Courtney on Danielle’s side. Could Courtney’s grimace at TC have helped her decision? Cirie seems like someone no one would want to face in the end but who will Outwit her? I have a question: Jeff rated her as one of his 5 all-time favorites. How high do you rate her? To answer my own question, I wouldn’t have her that high, but certainly top 16, meaning every cast should have a Cirie! Terry’s series of failures are becoming his own theme. All his confessionals have been about the numbers. The only time he talked about his performance outside the challenges, he turned into Shane’s jury outlook and a count of jury votes. It seems the numbers that he talks about are not looking good for his chances in the end
Aras says the competition against Terry is fun to which Terry rolls his eyes, mocking him. He also says that challenges are only one part of the game, that if you don’t win people over, you don’t win the million dollars. If this story has a morale, it seems that those words would be it. I really liked the way Emydi put it about this "coming of age" story could finally be the winning one!
Shane was a survivor like no other. I really enjoyed his craziness and spend a lot of time analyzing his “performance”. In the end Boston had the best line: “He’s just a kid!”
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Surviette 124 desperate attention whore postings
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05-07-06, 04:07 PM (EST)
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27. "RE: Before the final four" |
Emy, I don't watch TAR in the same way, either, but I often find myself attempting to decipher some of the comments, as VS has taught us here!It's funny I was going to begin my post discussing the exchange between Aras & Terry over spreading the love, but my tape ran out & I couldn't rewatch......thanks so much for posting everything, VS. Although I COMPLETELY understand Terry's rationale, I find myself siding with Aras. I think if Terry were the winner, we may not have even witnessed that part of the conversation. We would have most likely heard more from Shane & his, undying, gratitude. Can you imagine the wrath of Shane if he had been denied a decent visit with Boston? Terry was attempting to be as sensitive as possible. It was a no brainer to give Shane time with his son, both from a humane point of view, as well as an earn points with the jury point of view. I really sense Cirie has reached the end of her journey. The past two episodes seem like her swan song. As well, she had such a look of gratification, that it seems final. I don't think that she'll necessarily leave as the F4 sweetheart, though. Shane commented that he & Aras carried Cirie. I think after the past 2 boots even Shane would agree Cirie outmaneuvered him. Also, when Jeff explained the power of HII, in episode one, there was a strong reaction shot from Cirie. And we are still possibly awaiting for a 2 vs 2 to occur. Regarding Danielle, I agree with Michel that her "I love you" to her mom was very powerful. It was kind of diminished with the "princess" comments & I wonder how sneaky Cirie has been to win her over with mothering. Danielle has been discussed as a F2 opponent, as well as where she sits with the jury members. Cirie summed up all of Danielle's relations with the current jury members. Also, an early confessional was something like " those people who don't talk and look other people in the eyes are the ones who get left behind." She has played that part well...seemingly always in the loop. I have been married like......forever. I am also a mother of sons. I would most definately choose my husband over my mother. At the same time, I would be deeply moved (& shocked)if a son of mine wanted to spend time with me so badly that he would defend my honour to the enemy. For that, Aras scores big points...probably just as the editors have hoped. I think Terry thinks he has learned something about Aras. As Michel states, Aras has grown from this. Aras has learned something about Aras, which may be enough to make him more powerful in the end. I find if extremely funny to have Shane leave directly after Courtney. I can't wait to see them both make funny faces at the final four.  
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Velcrohead 33 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
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05-08-06, 09:37 AM (EST)
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28. "RE: Before the final four" |
LAST EDITED ON 05-08-06 AT 09:40 AM (EST)VS, it would be remiss of me not to properly acknowledge your ongoing dedication to this thread however compromised you may feel posting with information to the game’s outcome you were made privy to. It should go without saying, of course, but your insights are a treat. It certainly serves as a rallying call to the less articulate amongst us! I did enjoy the tête-à-tête between Aras and Terry. I mentioned before about the gladiatorial theme that you could apply to the two yet it wasn’t until this episode that their rivalry spilled outside the battle arena. Indeed, there was probably grudging respect for a while—the recognition that each was the other’s biggest threat—but now things have become less ‘professional’ and decidedly more personal. It’s interesting to note that the line “you’re starting to offend me” from Aras that was included in the previews was actually cut out from the episode. It leads me to think that the row was far more intense then we were shown and certainly less civilised. Regardless, the scene seemed to be edited for us to side with Terry whilst, perhaps, highlight Aras’ occasionally snappish behaviour (remember the time with Bruce and his Zen garden?). The conclusion I would draw, however, was that Terry ended up an idiot at best and a jerk at worst. Like miyagimayday says (welcome to the thread, stay a while!), had he just kept his mouth shut, most likely the whole thing would have blown over. That he was placed in a difficult position was readily understood by everyone without it needing to be justified. You can argue that the degree to which Aras took offence was on the excessive side but not the umbrage itself. Which begs the question: who, ultimately, showed more social savvy? Tie that in to Aras at TC talking about the need to win people over to win a million dollars irrespective of how many challenges you win and suddenly it’s an easier call to make. Michel, you have been both generous and kind with your feedback on my ramblings. I am more than happy to return the compliment and say you hit the nail on the head with your assessment of our protagonists. Shane wanted unfailing loyalty but got loyalty with strings attached instead. The confidence he had in himself and his alliance was a façade and, on some level, he probably knew it. Constantly seeking reassurances was a manifestation of his insecurities. How many recent examples had we seen of him needing to be placated? There was Cerie after her not picking him for the reward challenge, with Courtney and having her back(side  ), with Aras needing to ‘convince’ him that he was in the three, with Cerie and Aras after the Courtney boot and, most recently, the off-the-cuff, “no tricky votes, he’s on the ridge tonight….if I’m gone tonight, just let me know…..” As regards this: It seems we put too much weight in a possible Aras-Danielle connection. I think there weren’t any F2 pacts in this tribe. You’re almost certainly right given the mounting evidence—and dare I say it, especially with what is purported to come—but my stubbornness refuses to quite let go. There is still something that I just can’t qualify with those two. There has been little real strategy interaction between them (compared to when they’re with Shane and Cerie) and yet it’s precisely what has been left unsaid that I find intriguing. It reminds me of the editing that kept Tina and Colby’s pact hidden in Australian Outback. What I would say, and with apologies referring again to a previous post of mine, is if there are any true F2 alliances, they involve Aras. He seems to have bedded himself in with Shane, Danielle and Cerie. Shane’s revelation that he wanted him out, in his own words, “let him off the hook.” Now that the game has reached the scrambling phase, something obviously has to give, but I do wonder who he had truly planned to stick with all along. To answer your question as to how I rate Cerie, I’d say highly. She would have been hugely enjoyable to have on my tribe, and even more so, my side. If I could sum her up in one word: disarming. Surviette, please allow me to say thank you for the shoutout in the previous thread. I too, think Cerie’s story arc is complete. Seeing her husband and the reminder as to who and why she’s playing the game (for) is the final validation. She is the sitting duck of the remaining four and it’s hard to see how she would extricate herself from that situation. One thing’s for sure, if she somehow manages it, I’ll be cheering! As for Shane following Courtney, well, ‘twas always thus and always thus shall be.’ It was entirely appropriate, really. They’re like two dogs chasing their own tails — and each other’s as well! Imagine how deprived we would have been without their histrionics! VH
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Rasta 210 desperate attention whore postings
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05-08-06, 01:01 PM (EST)
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30. "RE: Before the final four" |
To answer VS' question, I supported Terry over Aras (although he could have chosen his words better during his explanation). I'm married, with a young daughter, and fully understood what Terry was trying to say to Aras. I also think Terry's allocation was 100% correct.Look at it this way, in Terry's mind spending time with HIS wife was more important than seeing HIS mom. To Terry, the choice is clear. This isn't meant to diminish the love between Aras and his mom. Not at all. Instead, Terry simply feels that Aras has yet to find his life-partner. Once he does, Aras will understand. Particularly once he becomes a parent. My first F4 analysis... In a typical winner's edit, we're shown someone to cheer for. Then we're shown a dark side to help round out the character. If not a dark side, then at least some reason to fear for their longevity. Have we seen that pattern from any of the F4? Terry: Since the merge, Terry has had a generally negative edit (other than in challenges, of course). He's been shown as arrogant; unpersuasive when seeking allies; and clueless of the game's social element. (This might be accurate editing, but I think it's caused more by out-numbered circumstances than by Terry's true nature.) Despite his obvious physical dominance, Terry hasn't received the winners edit. We should have seen something positive for him on the social side. The RC was a perfect opportunity, yet once again Terry comes off poorly after his confrontation with Aras. This doesn't bode well for Terry. Danielle: She hasn't won anything individually. She's not at the center of an alliance. She hasn't made any social power plays. She's been shown as lazy around camp. Classic UTR player. Definately not a winners edit. Cirie: She's been our narrator all season: we've watched her grow. She and Aras are the power alliance, yet Cirie was the one who got rid of Courtney and Shane. We are meant to cheer for her, yet fear for her longevity based on her physical attributes. This is possibly a winners edit. Yet, it would be an upset if Cirie were to win over the physically dominant Terry, or the golden boy Aras. Aras: He played an important role in getting to the merge 6-4, but it was really a team effort (Bob Dog, Shane, Bruce, Courtney and Danielle all contributed in the challenges). Since the merge, he hasn't been able to beat Terry. Yet we are supposed to believe that he can (and will) get the upper hand. Aras has been the unquestioned leader of Casaya (except perhaps in the mind of Shane). Last episode, we saw two instances where the editing points toward Aras: (1) the confrontation with Terry, and (2) justifying his turn against Shane. There is no doubt that Aras is getting the winners edit at this point. Absent the artful editing, Terry would be the favorite to win. His physical dominance has got him to F4. The HII will guarantee F3. He'll be the favorite to win the last IC. He has two La Mina votes on the jury, a possible "respect" vote from Bruce, and a couple of possible "backstabbed" votes from Courtney and Shane. Unfortunately for Terry, the editing tells a different story, and points instead to Aras. The true unknown variable this season, however, is still the HII. Even though it has yet to be played, it has clearly affected the game. Has it also changed the way the game is edited?
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architecturegirl 227 desperate attention whore postings
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05-08-06, 11:43 AM (EST)
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29. "RE: Before the final four" |
Well! Glad to see we've all gotten into posting again, we had a few sparce weeks. Glad to see the post VS!
As for your question about the Terry/Aras argument - as usual I find myself reacting differnt than most apparently did. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just "different". I'm single, but in a long-term relationship. I definitely sided with Terry on the argument. I felt that Aras was just being whiny and that Terry was doing his best (although we all know tact is NOT his strong suit!) to nicely explain his reasoning. Every one on that beach, and in the audience knows EXACTLY why Danielle and Aras ended up where they did on Terry's pecking order - and well, its their own fault. I thought Danielle was shown much better than Aras in this light. Understandably upset, but understanding why it went down like it did, and accepting and moving on - not throwing a hissy fit. Which is exactly what Aras did. Obviously, its never good to diminish the importance of anyone's loved ones - but were I Terry, I likely would have presented the same reasoning, while acknowledging that from someone else's view it was flawed, you're not given a lot of time to think about it.
In this game you cant simply write someone off as unimportant, and treat them as if you could care less about them & their opinion. Both Aras and Terry now treat each other this way. Aras paid for it by being on the bottom of Terry's list for the reward (or any time he would have this sort of option), and Terry will likely pay for it either with a lost vote - or Aras voting him off given the chance. I cant see either of them choosing to keep each other around, nor can I see either of them voting for the other. Not a smart move on either end. Never write off 1/7th of the jury as unimportant!
As for Michel's question about Cerie - I'm not quite sure how high I'd rate Cerie on my list of Survivors - but she's definitely up there. She deserves all sorts of respect for getting as far as she has, making the relationships she has and making great strategic moves without making a target of herself for it. Kathy O'Brien, Colby, Rob C, Chris, Danni and Sally are my favorite survivors ever. (Hmmm... interesting that only two of them are winners...) Danni mainly gets my respect for managing to overcome huge odds by creating relationships - a lesson Terry should learn!
I do agree though that Cerie's story arc is ending - although I hadnt consciously thought it. She has been playing incredibly smart - and I dont think we'd otherwise deduce that she was on her way out if it werent for the summing up of her over-riding theme.
I'm not sure how Cerie was planning to vote when she walked in to tribal council - if she changed her mind when she saw Courtney's actions and heard some of Shane's comments - but I will say this - if she was going to vote Danielle - Shane wrote his own death warrant by saying he'd be a perfect F2 foil! At the very least he removed any doubt from her mind about her vote. Stupid boy...as OFG so eloquently said - When will they ever learn?
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Brownroach 15341 desperate attention whore postings
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05-08-06, 02:09 PM (EST)
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31. "RE: Before the final four" |
(Cerie is now sitting sideways with a tree limb to her left) “I love Aras but I’m gonna do everything, everything that I can do to get myself further in the game so it is safe to say that someone’s gonna be surprised tonight; there’s gonna be huge fireworks, bigger than the fourth of July” (This was just a completely curious statement and really seemed out of context with what was occurring. Why would Cerie discuss Aras as if he would potentially be leaving. The issue was Shane to leave with Danielle being the supposed target.VS, you weren't the only who saw this remark as very odd in context, but I think I may have an explanation. I don't think Cirie mentioned Aras in the sense of possibly voting him out (though that was the impression it created). I think Aras was pushing for the Shane vote, whereas Cirie, as noted, also saw a benefit to getting Danielle out. She may have been saying that though normally she would go along with Aras (she "loves" Aras), she wasn't sure she would go along with him on this vote because she needed to look out for herself. The rest of her sentence makes sense with that: someone -- i.e. either Shane or Danielle, based on Cirie's decision of what was best for herself -- was going to be surprised at tribal council.
Bridge for sale to highest bidder. Call 1-800-BRroach.
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architecturegirl 227 desperate attention whore postings
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05-08-06, 02:54 PM (EST)
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33. "RE: Before the final four" |
LAST EDITED ON 05-08-06 AT 03:03 PM (EST)LAST EDITED ON 05-08-06 AT 03:01 PM (EST) I agree with you guys. I also felt that Cerie was commenting about the approaching tribal council and that she wasnt going to do what Aras was expecting, yet I was confused because I didnt think that the editors would let us see what the swing vote would actually be. Thats part of the reason that I really felt that Shane shot himself in the foot with his F2 foil comments. I think she changed her mind. For one, her confessional comments sounded like she had been wavering, but came to a decision. Her vote at TC doesnt jive with this though, so she must have changed her mind. Between Courtney's obvious antics and dislike with regard to Danielle, and Shane's comment - Danielle no longer seemed quite so dangerous, and Shane made himself sound much moreso. I'd be interested to find out if she did change her mind at TC. That would also explain why she was so adamantly re-assuring Shane. She's pretty shrewd, and I cant imagine her being stupid enough to think Shane wouldnt hold that against her. Obviously she couldnt have told him he was going, but I she's good at dealing with people - she could have handled it differently, in a way that she could later reason away to him - she's done it several times now. Therefore I think she thought she was being honest with him at the time, and then he himself changed her mind. In reality she might have been safer with Shane still around, at least slightly more likely to get to the final three. Both Danielle and Shane are better F2 foils than she is, but Shane was probably more likely to be loyal to her than Danielle. Thats just conjecture though, we'll never know.
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Surviette 124 desperate attention whore postings
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05-09-06, 03:57 PM (EST)
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34. "RE: Before the final four" |
I agree Shane was loyal, to a fault, but I think he had a good shot at winning, rather than being useful "only" as a F2 foil. I think Cirie saw the many dangers of keeping Shane, so far noone has recognized the danger of keeping her! Cirie's downfall, however, will probably be that goofy idol. To answer Michel's question, Cirie rates top 5, but she could never be more entertaining than Brandon.  Cirie's comment about fireworks, had me thinking Shane was leaving and he would be dramatic. In that regard, I think the confessional was appropriate. VS are you questioning Cirie's comments about Aras, because it might be from another episode? If it is a stolen scene and it is from next time, then Aras does become vulnerable, unless Cirie is discussing her strategy before the IC. I can't rewatch that part of the show, but maybe there is some identifiable feature that could be recognized later (other than, the voice sounds different ). AG, in an earlier post, you point out how Danielle reacted better than Aras, over the love allocation, and that Aras was paying for how he treated Terry. I had forgotten how Terry was isolated from Casaya and really he owes them no favours considering how they have treated him. He did treat Danielle with more respect than he has shown Aras, though. He is definately trying to push peoples' buttons and his work ethic and IC performances, notwithstanding, may not earn him votes if he does end up at F2. VS, I neglected part 2 of your question concerning the use of the word "only". Qualifying with the word "only" can automatically lower the rating, but if Terry omitted that word, then he would still be implying "only"....I think. Aras says he just wanted a little sympathy. I tend to agree. So far these two have "only" been playing the game for money. When real loved ones are introduced and used as pawns in the game, then it does become personal. VH, you said it would have been hugely enjoyable to have Cirie on your tribe. Do you speak hypothetically?
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CutsyTootsy 1795 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Herbal Healing Drugs Endorser"
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05-10-06, 03:14 PM (EST)
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35. "RE: Before the final four" |
LAST EDITED ON 05-11-06 AT 08:29 AM (EST)I wanted to start by saying that I'm glad you're still here and giving your insight VS! When I'm watching the show- I think more about the editing for the show- thanks to you- so I'm glad you're still coming to add your input! As for the Terry/Aras "argument" I would side with Terry. I don't think he was the most tactful about it, but I still agree with him. I'm married, w/ kids. Thanks again for your insight. I hope to see you post again after the next episode.
A Syren original!
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cadfile 176 desperate attention whore postings
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05-11-06, 04:43 AM (EST)
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36. "RE: Before the final four" |
Before adding my 2 cents I also wanted to say how much I enjoy these editing threads. Focusing on the stories and the editing it makes a rather dull show with manufactuered drama into something a bit more interesting.These threads help me sort out in my own mind the overall story and places of the characters. I will say that the post-merge end game is far more interesting when looking at it this deep. Last episode reinforced my view that Terry is totally alone in the game and he has yet to see it. His only reason for remaining in the game is winning the challenges. He either has foiled his own plans to gather "numbers" or he has wrongly aligned with the wrong people - like Shane (who was also out of the loop). I think Terry actually thought Shane was indeed in control of the others. He has reacted to other's actions and made it into revenge and that never enders you to others. I am still conflicted about the F3 and F2 senarios involving Terry though he, Danielle, and Aras are the main players at the end. Do the two men take the other to F2 out of respect for the competition? I doubt that Terry would take Aras but Aras might take Terry because Aras has played an excellent game and to me he seems to know that to win the money he needs a goat sitting next to him at the final TC. Terry has been seen as arrogant, selfish (not using the HII when he could have with Sally and even Shane), and alone. If he controls F2 he loses no matter who he picks and I really think he would be shocked that he lost the money. The jury wouldn't vote for Terry because he won all the challenges would they? It hasn't worked yet. 
Poopytrim
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Rasta 210 desperate attention whore postings
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05-11-06, 10:00 AM (EST)
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37. "RE: Before the final four" |
First of all, I agree with the consensus that Cirie's story has reached its conclusion. Our giggling narrator defied the odds to make it this far. Her family visit documented how far she came. When she said "Now I know I can do anything", that was a sign that she's done.Second, Danielle's edit has been weak. She hasn't done anything (no challenge wins, no power plays, nothing). She's a piece of furniture in a tight bikini. That type of edit will usually result in an early exit, yet she's STILL HERE (and presumedly in the F3)! One of two things will happen with Danielle: (1) she'll have a breakout episode tonight setting the stage for a surprise win, or (2) she'll continue to do nothing setting the stage for F2 jury fodder. Third, the Terry-Aras conflict continues tonight, but will climax in the F3 IC. Despite Terry's popularity (on the CBS polls), I think Aras has received the more positive edit. (How many times have we heard the phrase "through to the final 3" from Terry? I think that's as far as his physical dominance will take him.) I expect Aras to win an epic showdown with Terry at F3, then take Danielle to the F2. One final thought regarding Courtney's wink in Ep.1, wouldn't it be ironic if Aras beats Danielle 4-3, with Courtney casting the deciding vote?
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architecturegirl 227 desperate attention whore postings
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05-11-06, 12:59 PM (EST)
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38. "RE: Before the final four" |
VERY interesting about the wink and Courtney's vote Rasta - VS, this could justify your fixation about the wink!
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Brighttail 31 desperate attention whore postings
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05-11-06, 01:07 PM (EST)
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39. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
LAST EDITED ON 05-11-06 AT 01:15 PM (EST)Looking at the editing I see two possible outcomes. 1. Terry v Aras
2. Aras v Danielle People are speculating with the editing that Terry is headed for a huge fall as he his ego has been over inflated with all his immunity wins. Interestingly enough, there is a new therory that Terry wins Immunity and gives it to Aras in a last minute deal. At first I was like, "There is NO way Terry would give this to Aras because he has voted against Aras at every TC." However reflecting and going back over the tapes there is one line that stuck out for me that I haven't seen anyone actually quote, tho they have brought up the notion. Terry actually stated, "If you are going to be the best you have to beat the best." For me this is huge. Terry has done something no other survivor has by winning all the immunity challenges to date. He is a proud man, if not a bit arrogant. So with this information I could truly see him actually make a pact with Aras to get to the final 2. I think this could be for a few reasons. 1. He knows with Aras on his side if the final Immunity would alomst be a guarantee that either Aras or Terry would win. 2. If he were to go with Aras to the F2, he could legitimately say to the jury that he could have taken Aras out but that is not how he wanted to end the game, he wanted to be here with the best and give Aras his due props. 3. What type of win would it be to go up against Danielle in the FT who coasted on everyone's coattails? I think this vote would end up in a 5-2 or 6-1 victory for Terry. In the end, the survivor title rarely goes to the one who truly deserves it. I think if Brian, Richard and maybe Ethan of those who truly earned it in my opinion. (Colby should have, but he was stupid and maybe Terry will fall in that trap) In this case I would like to see Terry end up in the F2 because he has so far beaten all the odds. So I think MB is either editing him as the hero for the biggest fall or as possibly the best person to have ever played the game by beating all the odds (massive immunity run and a jury filled with 5 opposing tribe members). Edited:
One final note, this could be the icing on the top of the best season of Survivor MB ever had. What could be better for the series to have one person win all the immunities, beat all the odds with a target on his back since the merge, to come back and win it all with a jury that is stacked against him? To me that would be MB's ideal finish for this season and Terry would be the namesake, Sole Survivor who Survived everything from a position that was stacked so much against him. A win by Danielle in my opinion would cheapen it because she would have survived by default. If Aras and Danielle goes he might have more of a case if he was the one who FINALLY took out Terry by winning the Final Immunity challenge but even then, Aras really hasn't done much special.
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Surviette 124 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson"
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05-11-06, 04:57 PM (EST)
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42. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I am convinced, sorry VH, that every alliance has been revealed. Jeff reminded us the game is now individual. I can't forget Tina's attempt at a solo effort and her telling the audience she would be mourning her son "ALONE". I think the win is a solo effort. The only reason I tend to discount Terry, though, is there seems to be a lack of story. Yes Terry is amazing, he is a powerhouse and he is the bearer of the HII, which has become an intriguing addition to the game. Aras hasn't been able to beat Terry. Both players have sent the other to EI, in order to weaken the other for the IC. That's about the extent of Terry's strategy. Aras' strategy has worked thus far. He was simply brilliant in the pecking order challenge and it was effective because it sent Terry seeking alliances that never panned out. Notice how he stopped trying to sell Cirie a dictionary? At the merge we were given a sense of LaMina's isolation from the others. Terry became the sole survivor of LaMina. We felt some of his frustration going up against the odds. His discovery of the HII was "cool", but he hasn't even used it, so I do hope he plans to finally give it to someone, or else his strategy skills really do suck. There has been a steady increase in frustration over Aras' determination to beat Terry. If Terry were to continue to dominate, then why would we be made to feel Aras' frustration?
Rasta, I can't believe the results of the CBS popularity poll! But then, BJ & Steph were both extremely popular with the viewers. After seeing Courtney's "kiss of death", as VS astutely puts it, we should fully be expecting a concluding wink. We've seen Terry wink lots, but I bet Aras looks even cuter! VS, we hope you're thrilled with the continuing fattening of your thread!
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miyagimayday 14 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Got Milk? Spokesperson"
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05-12-06, 02:31 AM (EST)
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45. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Dear Emydi and Velcrohead, thanks for the welcome I hate tonight's episode!
Okay, the only reason I hate it is because that stupid "to be continue..." segment! Urrrrr.....
I think it was a great episode.
Finally someone de-throned "the King"! Hee!
The episode was quite entertaining. Two "kindergarten kids" are fighting throughout the first half of the episode! HA!
Both of Aras and Terry definitely showed their immaturality!
Like Aras stated: It's the EGO!
However, the tone of the episode favors Aras, I think. He admitted that he shouldn't said that, he apologized for it, and he made up with Terry. Then he made one of these "thoughtful" statements again: this game brings you closer to the people even you don't like them.......(sorry, no Tivo to remind me  , but hopefully it's something along these lines...:p)
The scene at the beginning of the episode was "childish" as well. Many of Terry's comments really showed his "Need-to-feel-like-a-leader" attitude. I am amazed that he had the potential to piss off "Mama Cirie"! One of the comments that really got me was when he said something like "This is something you would slap your kids if they do this"...Huh! Again! Terry is making "assumption" on other people based on his value (Like last episode if you recall). Dear Terry, you slap your kids does not mean other people do it too!
However, his attitude was "saved" by all other three ganging on him (to the general audiences anyways). What I find the most interesting part was during TC===Jury's face! Yes, I am talking about Courtney!!! Never liked her while she was in the game, but love her as a jury!! HA! Her reactions were just too funny. Based on her reactions, I am 95% sure that she would never vote for Danielle if she makes to the final 2.
LMAO
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Brownroach 15341 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-12-06, 10:42 AM (EST)
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47. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I lvoed last night's episode! Even with the cliffhanger.I don't know if it clinches Aras's ultimate victory, emy, at least for me. What it did do was give a lot of extra dimension to Aras, Terry and Danielle, imo. Cirie got a lot of play too but there wasn't really anything new (which suggested, in conjunction with last week's ep, that her story is indeed over now). I thought Danielle came off very well last night. They've accelerated a perception of her as someone who is very aware of how to play the game, in contrast to the overt rivalry between Aras and Terry.
Bridge for sale to highest bidder. Call 1-800-BRroach.
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imrastro 4 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
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05-12-06, 12:26 PM (EST)
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49. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Hi.Just a small thought. A Few episodes ago Aras made the comment at Tribal that it wasn't enough to win immunity, people had to like you to win the game. At the time he directed the comment to Terry. I have felt all along, however, that Terry wasn’t being set up for either a win or the final two, so it made me wonder. The comment would be foreshadowing if Terry failed at final two because he was disliked. But if he’s not there at all, why include it? Unless it foreshadows something for Aras. Having said that, my gut reaction to the editing is that Aras is being set up as the winner. Also, concerning Courtney: I thought her tribal antics were annoying and actually quite stupid. If you want to support Cirie, why show the whole group that? You make Danielle all the more desirable for final two. Was this (and others negative reactions) shown to throw us off by making us think that Danielle was disliked? I really have no idea, but this posting thing is fun.
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Rasta 210 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
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05-12-06, 04:39 PM (EST)
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50. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
The guest on today's Survivor Live was Bob Dog, who was definately anti-Danielle. His take on the F4 was something like this:Cirie: the best social player, but nothing on the physical side Terry: the exact opposite (the best physically, but weak socially) Aras: the most well rounded Danielle: the "ultimate coat rider" If he were on the jury, he said he'd vote for Terry over Aras (who sold him out), or Cirie (although he really likes her), and definately over Danielle.
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Surviette 124 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson"
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05-12-06, 04:57 PM (EST)
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51. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
I must say, Terry sure does throw a lot of numbers around. He says he has to just behave like a 46 year old... WT?...stay calm, etc. And, that he didn't come to make friends with 24 year olds. He seems to take a lot of pride in his age and uses it to patronize others. The kicker is when he tells Mama Cirie (who's 35) she's like one of his kids. I thought by day 33 the contestants begin to appreciate the most important things in life and they stop sweating the small stuff. It's not like Cirie purposefully tried to trip Terry up. He tries to get an apology out of Cirie. Ha! He assumes she slaps her kids, which I guess he doesn't view as disrespectful. Then, he practically demands an apology from Aras who made a comment that didn't really seem all that bad compared to King Terry's comments about slapping children for not putting things back! There.....my rant is over!Miyagi, I enjoyed your posts. One reason I appreciate the cliff hanger is that no matter what happens, Cirie will be a part of the final episode, which airs on Mothers' Day. If it isn't just a new trend, then it is a marvelous gesture. Imrastro and Emy, I agree Aras is receiving a positive edit and that he is on a personal journey. He is growing in leaps and bounds and might end up twice the 46 year old that Terry professes to be. Oops. It is Aras who explains that he knows how he has been treating Terry. He doesn't approve of his own behavior. He tells Terry he has never heard him put down women and he apologizes 100%. OTOH, back on EI, Terry tells Danielle that Aras might be "cracking" and Terry doesn't really own up to much, it's always qualified. Either we haven't received a clear picture of Aras' behavior, or Terry is misguided. For example, during the RC, we see Terry initiate a direct push on Aras' chest. Then, Aras pushes him back, ram style. Aras' actions seem justifiable, but Terry's don't. Unfortunately, we don't know whether Aras threw the first punch. Even Jeff told the guys to go easy. Maybe Aras should have demanded an apology. Aras also came out looking better after the challenge because every time Terry opened his mouth, he was sounding like a very poor loser. One of the comments during the RC was " Danielle is causing a roadblock between Aras and Terry." Foreshadowing? I agree, BR and Emy that Danielle is definately in play mode. Too little too late to get that idol, but I still think she's a smart player. We haven't seen the physical dominance she has promised, but there is still one more IC. What I like most about watching Danielle, is her positive attitude. The discussion between her and Cirie over the possible tiebreaker was very civil. Both women respect each other. Cirie, as Aras states, has come "full circle". What a difference between this TC and the first TC. Her story is over and she is now okay with leaving. Happy Mothers' Day, Cirie, and all the other wonderful Moms out there!
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Velcrohead 33 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
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05-12-06, 05:41 PM (EST)
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53. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
So we have the groundwork laid for the fire challenge tie-breaker in which Cerie successfully builds one at camp whilst at TC Danielle brags that she’s “great” with it now. Based solely on those two pieces of editing, which convinced you more as to who will ultimately emerge triumphant from the fire-challenge? Or put another way, which did a better job at selling the misdirection?
Reconciliation between Aras and Terry presages one voting for the other in the final jury vote. By extension, this would mean one is knocked out at F3 and the way it has been set up highly suggests that that would be Terry. Why? Well, apart from the editing that’s been well-covered already, there is the irony of Aras winning the one IC he genuinely had to for survival, versus Terry’s success bar the one he needed the most....to boot Aras (who was protected by Casaya numbers previously so Terry couldn’t quite get at him, however much he tried). And how can we ignore Terry’s argument with Cerie and the crescendo to Aras at reward. The upshot? Terry shown to be intransigent and unapologetic (and at TC he says he’s “going to be more patient with my wife, kids, friends and family”....but not others, apparently ) whilst Aras performed an act of contrition. Ding, ding, ding!
Perhaps, ultimately, it comes down to: Terry, who feels he has nothing to prove - the husband; the father; the patriarch; the air force pilot; the worldly-wise, the been there-done that-got the T-Shirt; the multiple-challenge winner AND Aras, who feels compelled to prove himself to others - the young man trying to become a man and a leader. Aras winning the million would be the logical culmination point of his tale. For Terry, it would be another feather in his cap but it can’t be considered truly satisfying in the classic storytelling sense. There was never any discernible progression or pattern with him; no beginning, middle or end nor any real troughs and peaks. Terry’s existence was coupled with the HII and, in the end, it didn’t even come into play! I digress, through. If you consider Terry and Aras to have been involved in a duel throughout, the natural conclusion happens when one defeats the other on the battlefield for the final time – a fight to the death, as it were. This would be in F3 because beyond that, their fate rests with others. The aftermath here would constitute the final jury vote and whether the bested properly acknowledges the victorious as a matter-of-fact and with no reproach. I would guess that if Aras and Danielle were the two left, Terry would afford Aras that respect. After all, Terry’s motivation for trying to carry Danielle to the end is based on who conceivably is the easier candidate to defeat. Courtney was the first choice, followed by Shane. Danielle is the next on that list. It has nothing to do with how deserving he perceives her to be, which, in all likelihood, isn’t that much anyway. How deliciously wicked would it be for Terry, though, if: three strikes....and, you’re out!
However much the preview caps suggest a classic case of misdirection – that since she has the bigger fire, she’ll win the tie-breaker against Danielle and, of course, doesn’t – Cerie’s story has come full circle already. In the first episode she remarked, “now that I’m here, I want to do more.” Last night’s speech book-ended things nicely, the accomplishment of a self-professed ‘couch potato’ in what she managed to do and how long she lasted. There were shots of Bruce and Courtney who seemed genuinely touched by it all. I’m curious she made no reference to wanting to win a million dollars, just that she “had a great time, I’ve experienced things I could never experience…..once in a lifetime…and I’m OK.”
BR, I must confess I had a different reaction with regards to Danielle last night. The only play available to her was to vote for Cerie once Aras won immunity. Even if you include her discussion with Terry on EI prior to IC, the whole notion of voting out Aras was instigated by Terry, and this happened a while ago in any case. Don’t forget that Cerie had to put her straight before when she appeared to waver. Overall, I’ve been rather perplexed by Danielle’s edit. It’s been a whole lot of….nothing. She’s hasn’t won a single challenge, immunity or reward, as Rasta noted in an earlier post, and there is precious little evidence of her having demonstrated initiative. What she has done well, nevertheless, is make herself a third wheel to Aras and Terry, priming herself to capitalize on their fallout. And making it to F3 is, effectively, a free pass to F2 for her; if she doesn’t win immunity then either Aras or Terry will choose her by default. Sounds like a brilliantly devised strategy but I think it just happened to fall into place in spite of her machinations.
Whatever the outcome on Sunday, I think it’s been a pretty satisfying season.
VH
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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-12-06, 06:59 PM (EST)
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54. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
VH, your commentary once more is very nicely stated. The fact that the HII hasn't come into play could very well reflect Terry's end game.
I do however see some growth in Danielle's edit that BR and Emydi alluded to. (Thanks Emydi for the TAR editing comment. It was fun to do and maybe you can give a final assessment)
Surviette: Your comment about Cirie and Danielle's civil reaction at being targets made me realize: This year "the big boys decide" therefore they couldn't do anything about it.This week the episode showed that: NOW IT’S PERSONAL! The confrontations have become very personal. Aras had some nasty confrontations with Terry. The one shown last week’s pales in comparison. Right at the start, he comes to Cirie’s defense, saying to Terry, “Don’t ruin our night, tonight. Don’t come in Final 4 territory and ruin it for everybody else…We could have come back here and celebrated our Final 4, but you knocked Cirie right away.” He is the rational one of the two and forces Terry to retreat so that the 3 Casayans are left to celebrate. It was interesting that even in this scene, the three sat together across from Terry who was clearly ostracized.
Both challenges came down to a Aras-Terry confrontation. Both were won by Aras but they had completely different endings: The reward challenge was an excuse for Aras to mock Terry and make derogatory comments. This was definitely not to Aras’ advantage even if he was right because Jeff says “if the locks don’t open, you’ve counted wrong. You can head back out and correct your MISTAKES.” However, even if “Terry is crying on the course” and “every time you don’t win, you complain about it” are comments that might have felt good at the time, it showed him as a poor sport. It may have given a few chuckles to some viewers but was certainly unappreciated by many. Aras had a nice reward with Cirie and some reflexions on the game and how the win affected him psychologically. He realizes he hasn’t showed much love and compassion since it is all about ego. The immunity challenge was also closely fought even if less physically disputed. This however ended with Aras going to Terry to congratulate him on a nice performance. Maybe the hatchet could’ve been buried right there but Terry brought up Aras’ comments when they were back at camp. Aras understood he had crossed the line and sincerely apologized. The combatants can finally attack the final challenge with the proper frame of mind and show good sportsmanship. Back at camp, Aras was impressed by Cirie’s fire making skills and coached her nicely for the challenge that seemed destined to ensue. The tribal council showed him with confidence and ready to carry the momentum to the end. Was his vote for Cirie the result of a promise, a way to thank her for her loyal services or a way to take Danielle away from consideration if Terry wins final reward? If he saw an advantage for himself in keeping Cirie then he does understand this game.
Terry finally received some depth to his character. We saw he understood he had crossed the line with Cirie and thought it best to retreat to the shelter. He showed emotions at the comments Aras threw in his face. It could’ve appeared he was a sore loser, instead it showed he had been affected by the words used. His trip to exile island finally gave him an occasion to reflect that the competition with Aras was unhealthy. He then sets a plan in motion that had a chance since it was mutually beneficial. Both he and Danielle understood Aras and Cirie are set up to win. He had said he could take F4 immunity off but thinking about it with Danielle, he saw it was as important as all the others. This time, his promise was more valuable than a 2 week vacation. This time, he also proved that the idol was the real thing and not just an “item” he had in his pocket!
When he approached Aras and demanded the apology, I first thought he was going to go over the line again, but he explained his reasons clearly and drew the conclusion that without the apology, they simply would have no relationship. It was the sensible thing to do. Bringing up flight attendants showed the game can cross into personal lives at times. It was best to put it to rest and they shook hands, which we saw worried Cirie.
More importantly, the smile and the wink he gave as encouragements to Danielle in the fire challenge was the most emotions he showed for someone else since Dan’s boot. The reaction to Shane’s boot was more about his precious numbers being lost once more. This time, his emotions surfaced as he wished her luck. He also joked about not being sure himself he had the idol! A late change in characterization usually precedes the exit as it could be the end of Terry’s story. The valiant fighter has made peace with his young challenger and sees a worthy successor. He will still have a lot to give in the final challenge but his reign of invincibility (and his time?) has passed. When Jeff said the hidden idol had no more power, the camera showed Terry and an ominous sound was heard. Has Terry also lost his power?
Is Danielle in the final 3? It seemed the editors showed more of her strategic thinking. Some view her as stupid but she has done what so many have failed: Until the end, she knows she isn’t there to make friends, only allies. She has mostly kept her emotions in check despite living in a tribe that was an emotional roller-coaster. Now that Aras has shown his hand, it is time for a new ally. The plan was nicely set and we saw how she wanted to have that idol, ready to work Terry over even after Aras had won the necklace. What would she have done if he had given it to her? Going to Cirie and Aras to show them so they could vote Terry out would’ve been something to see. Producing it at TC to boot Cirie would’ve made her case even worse to the jury. The story has put her squarely in between both combatants. It would fit that story if she does win the fire challenge and continue on in the middle of things. Cirie didn’t back down when Terry started browbeating her. She doesn’t slap her kids and she isn’t one of Terry’s kids either. She tells Terry to talk to her as he wants to be talked to. Aras came to her defense but she had already shot down the fighter pilot. Preparing her first fire to impress Aras seemed to show she wasn’t taking it too seriously since she never had to start one on her own (!). But realizing how the vote could breakdown made her eagerly listen to the instructions from Aras. Now she wants to surprise Danielle with her newfound abilities. Survivor has showed her she underestimated herself and that she could do anything. We know she still isn’t a camp life expert! Whenever she does something, she laughs in amazement at her success. If all this is indeed the closure of her story, some tears appear bound to follow.
Maybe the story is a little different than what I see and she does succeed once more. The finale would then be once more “everyone against Terry”. But then why the small but discernible editing changes in the other three characters? Her tribal speech also lended itself more to final words since she said she had a great experience. Danielle talked about being able to do more than she could before. It seems we are going to witness one of the most physically strong F3 ever. Some F3 were seriously lacking in competitive skills. Also, no one should see an advantage in giving up to let someone else decide. The winner of the Final challenge should also win the money. It seems the editing victory has already been claimed by Aras, the only one that has consistently been shown as the most complete player.
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mimo 563 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Reality Show Commentator"
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05-12-06, 08:56 PM (EST)
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55. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Michel, I have to agree with almost all of your eloquently stated logic. I do think, however, that Terry's complaints after losing the RC rules were extremely petulant, making him look worse than Aras (who simply called him out on it.) During the challenge Terry starts talking how long Aras is gone (as if to point out that Aras was breaking the rules), then when he realizes he didn't understand the rules exclaims that they weren't well explained. (Because, obviously, how else could he possibly have lost??)Aras' subsequent comment on what would Terry do next, "say something derogatory about women", actually resonated with me. I've had the impression all along that Terry did not respect women, and Aras' comment, in my eyes, rather than making Aras look bad, reaffirmed my suspicion that Terry may have mysogenistic tendencies. This impression was further strengthened by Terry's comment when he had the discussion with Aras to the extent that "he even treats flight attendants well". Thus to pilots (aka Super Terry), flight attendants (predominantly women) are at the bottom of the food chain??? To me, this episode further showed the chinks in Super Terry. Aras (despite some smug repetition of his "call the whaaaa-mulance, Terry's crying on the course") showed character growth. Cerie (who emerged as the master strategist in the previous episodes--who would have guessed???) seemed to have her story completed. Whereas Danielle seems may have more story to be developed. I think I've enjoyed this season the most and I can't wait to see the resolution of all this. 
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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
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05-13-06, 07:43 AM (EST)
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57. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
Another season coming to a close and my thanks to everyone who has contributed to the editing speculation and it is always nice to see new people pop in and hopefully stay for awhile. This was indeed a very intense episode with character curves thrown in although hints of this progression were being told quite some time ago. This was a very colorful season with many unique characters. I am sure that the editors had a field day with these contestants and they were used along with their stories to provide many distractionsThe Recap Aras (to Shane) “Cerie sniffed it out”
Aras and Cerie covered their tracks after duping Shane by ousting Courtney At the Reward Challenge Terry wins and makes his picks.... Danielle “This is Terry’s head right now” Danielle fumed on Exile Island
Terry, Shane and loved ones enjoyed quality time together, Cerie’s husband was out of his element and when Terry and Shane came back the tension between Terry and Aras began to build. Aras “He’s feeding my fire. The more he does it, the more I want to beat him” At the Immunity Challenge, it was another showdown between Terry and Aras
Jeff “Terry almost there”
Jeff “Aras fighting back, not giving up!” Shane and Terry were convinced Danielle was next to go but Cerie, Aras and Danielle had other plans
Cerie “Shane thinks that me, him and Aras are gonna vote for Danielle when in all actuality (Aras/Shane hugging) me, Aras and Danielle are gonna vote for Shane” And at Tribal Council, Shane was completely blindsided and ejected from the game (Terry with hand over eyes, Danielle with small smile) Tribal Council Aftermath or Should I Say Recess Is Over? Probably one of the more “interesting” final four celebrations to come across our television screens in Survivor’s history I daresay. Quite a bit of childish behavior being demonstrated by Terry notwithstanding that if we are to put ourselves in his shoes since the merger, he probably has been made to feel very uncomfortable. Regardless of same, the intent in THIS particular scene was not painted favorably mostly for Terry. With the dominance Terry has shown in adverse conditions this less than positive aura painted over Terry (especially directed towards a very likeable edited Cerie) tends not to bode well for Terry. The irony of it all is the emphasis that has been placed on Terry’s age along with maturity scenarios (i.e. choosing the wife over the mother) and yet we see in this regard, age is merely a “number” Cerie (voice over conf) “We get back from Tribal and it’s pitch black....I put my torch the best place I could find” Terry “Who dropped their thing right in the middle of the way?”
Cerie “I did right there”
Terry “Is this where it goes?”
Cerie “I didn’t know we had a specific place”
Terry “You’d be slapping your kids around if they dropped their stuff”
Cerie “I don’t slap my kids” (close up of Aras shown walking towards camera)
Terry “Verbally then” Cerie(conf) “Here comes Captain American... “ The scene then continues at the fire..... Terry “If you didn’t know I was right behind you then fine”
Cerie “Terry, I can’t see you.... I don’t know where you want my torch to be”
Terry “This is like one of my kids you know”
Cerie “I’m not like one of your kids” (another shot of Aras - interesting on both occasions “kids” mentioned, Aras shown)
Terry “You’re not, you’re not and that’s why I expected a little bit more. Make an attempt...”
Cerie “I don’t care what you expect. I expect more outta you” (Aras/Danielle listening)
Cerie “Make an attempt to talk to people like you wanna be talked to”
Terry “The least you could have said was hey, I’m sorry”
Cerie “I didn’t know you were right behind me. I don’t have to say that. What are you talking about?” (Danielle shown) “Sorry King Terry...”
Terry “Alright Cerie, don’t get so upset”
Aras “Don’t ruin our night tonight Terry... don’t come in the final four territory and ruin it for everybody else” “You yelled at Cerie for putting her stake where she wanted to put it....”
Terry “Right in front of me where I was walking...” At this point a confessional by Terry is made but to keep the continuity, the conversation will be shown continued Aras “We could have come back here and celebrated our final four but you knocked Cerie right away...”
Terry “Alright that’s fine, maybe I’ll go to bed and you guys can have your little final three situation alright? It doesn’t matter to me”
Danielle “Oh man” Terry goes off to sleep....
Aras “Congratulations, final four”
Cerie “I know!”
Aras “The three of us did it...”
Cerie “He’s just pissed off because his other option Shane is now gone”
Danielle “Yep...” (Remainder of her words were indecipherable) Terry (conf. beginning in between fight and ending now) “After a few minutes, I became the pin cushion and all three ganged up on me how inconsiderate it was of me to tell Cerie not to drop a piece of equipment right in front of me” (Interesting to note that Terry advises us all three did this yet Danielle was never shown actually participating in this “ganging up” “I didn’t come here to make friends with 24 year olds (Danielle/Aras shown) they haven’t made it easy for me; targets been on my back, been the underdog the whole time....” “You know what, if no one talks to me for the next five days, I could give a ----. I’m winning the million dollars and that’s all!” (I never do like declarations such as this in such this manner) The Reward Challenge - School Yard Fighting Continues This was a fabulous challenge. While I am not a proponent to these types of displays, one can’t help get tickled when we view it happening however. This challenge was mostly about this escalating rivalry with Aras and Terry naturally and neither of them were to be shown positively. Terry had a bone to pick and Aras (as he told us in prior episode allowed Terry to feed his fire) Jeff “Terry and Aras off to a quick start”
Jeff “Cerie playing defensively, nice move”
Jeff “Danielle, jammed up”
Jeff “Danielle trapped, got everybody locked up now, now Cerie’s making up time”
Jeff “Aras gets a lot of momentum now”
Jeff “Terry and Aras mixing it up; back and forth”
Jeff “Terry now with the lead, Aras takes it back, now Terry has it”
Jeff “Cerie coming down to be a roadblock”
(We also see an image of Terry at the lock station stumbling with his tile)
Aras “D! Let me through, let me through”
Jeff “Aras working with Danielle to get more of a lead”
Jeff “Aras getting blocked by Danielle”
Jeff “Aras wants Danielle to block Terry; Danielle’s causing a roadblock”
Jeff “Who’s working against who? Who’s helping who?”
Jeff “Cerie blocks Terry now... Aras and Terry neck and neck, two battering rams”
Jeff “Suddenly, Cerie and Danielle have a shot”
Jeff “Danielle, all alone now. If she’s right she can win it” We then see Terry question the rules of the game in the midst of the challenge....
Aras “Someone call the whambulance, Terry’s crying on the course!”
Terry “I didn’t take over your role” The challenge ends with Aras winning....
Terry “Good on you (to Aras) you got whatever he said. I missed it”
(Aras and Danielle slap their hands together and shake) Terry is now shown questioning Jeff about the rules....
Terry “Let me get this straight.....” (Aras and Danielle smile at each other during this”
Aras “I got a question. Terry, every time somebody else wins are you gonna say you got hosed?”
Terry “This is the first time I lost (Cerie shaking head/smiling) so there ya go Aras”
Aras “Are you serious cause every time you don’t win something you complain about it”
Terry “Right back at you”
Aras “You have no respect for anyone else out here”
Terry “Keep it up”
Aras “What are you gonna do? Say something bad about women; do I have to worry about that?”
Terry”There ya go; that always works, that’s a real mature comeback” (Danielle shown) Aras takes a deep breath, Jeff calls him over, he picks Cerie, they hug and he exiles Danielle and Terry Aras “Sorry D” (He winks and VerucaSalt groaned)
Danielle “I know”
Aras “Sorry T”
Terry “Gotta do what you gotta do” The final shot was again Cerie and Aras at that hug with again, Aras winking The Panama Canal Cerie and Aras obviously have come a long way from the first days when Aras told Cerie that she would be perhaps the first off their tribe but going back further, Aras did select Cerie in the tribe pick and an obvious close friendship has been developed. Again, for the sake of sequencing, Aras is shown in confessional in and out of the scenes and this is essentially the entire confession (Aras conf) “Winning my first individual reward challenge was really big for me psychologically... (In between Cerie is excited and the conversation further down about the final four and final two is shown along with the replay of the reward challenge and what Aras said) ....it was huge to beat Terry at the challenge but for me, what I try to practice is love and compassion and I haven’t practiced love and compassion with Terry recently. It’s been ego, it’s been all my ego.... (after this Exile Island’s scene is shown) ....(discussed canal) "the locks are what allow you to raise or lower depending where you are in the canal...” Aras “Three cheers, final four and hopefully both of us making final three”
Cerie “I know. Final two, why you joking”
Aras “Yeah! Final two” (And we know how these types of statements fare) Cerie “You could fit my house in there!”
Aras “If you couldn’t fit your house in there, I wouldn’t let you win the million!” Aras “The situation with Terry is, I see him whining and I’m like Oh Terry’s a whiner, I made fun of him....”
Cerie “What was he saying?”
Aras “Jeff, Aras should be back by now, he’s looking at two in one trip and I yell out somebody call a whambulance, Terry’s crying on the course” (Cerie laughing hysterically)
Cerie “This game is terrible”
Aras “It is, you got to take people out” (Cerie nods) (We then visit those on Exile Islands but for sequencing sake, the remainder of the reward is as follows) Cerie (conf) “The canal was unbelievable. Right now I’m closer to Aras than anyone out here; I have been for 34 days now. We are just taking it all in and thinking how nice it would be if the two of us made it to the final two” As they sit on the yacht we then hear Cerie say in voiceover “Here’s to the final four, hopefully the final two” Cerie and Aras then arrive home and we get to witness Aras’ stomach “ailment” and then the clear foreshadowing of Cerie building and making her fire which was obviously meant to grab our attention as the music built while she was attempting to do it prior to Aras awaking with continuous shots going from Cerie to Aras sleeping until he woke up Aras (conf under tent) “Wow, I’m impressed” and the “nail” in Cerie’s coffin?
Aras ”Now she’s come full circle” (What a lovely way to finalize a wonderful journey from the self proclaimed “couch potato”) The Exiled Ones Danielle “I hated that challenge today”
Terry “You know what, that rivalry is starting to get a little unhealthy... (next portion is a voice over while Danielle is shown) .....the last couple of days, he’s been getting really really emotional...”
Daneille “Yeah”
Terry “....and I don’t know if he’s cracking or what” Terry then goes into a lengthy confessional however it is spliced up as he is in two different setting with different clothes but for continuity I will put it all together Terry “I have not made disparaging remarks against he women here...” Conversation continues but it is later in their stay presumably. Danielle has her down now Danielle “Say you win the next immunity...”
Terry “That would be a must if us two wanna get to the final three”
Danielle “Then, yeah, you would win and Aras and Cerie would probably vote me”
Terry “And you’ll have the hidden immunity idol”
Danielle “Yeah, cause we won’t be able to use it after that anyway”
Terry “Right”
Danielle “And then I can vote Aras off and Aras would be the one to go”
Terry “Unless Cerie has some wild hair and want to vote off Aras too”
Danielle “I doubt it, they have, like, a bond” Danielle (voice over conf) “Aras ended up winning the reward challenge and he got to pick one person; he chose Cerie therefore that tells me that it’s the right time to align with Terry. It’s gotten to the point where it’s like I’m gonna try to use him, I don’t care about being his friend; I’m not here to make friends (at this point we now see Danielle in the confessional which tends to tell me the following was spliced to her words prior) “I’m here to win the million dollars...” “....Terry has the hidden idol... this time I held it in my hand; it’s 100 % and I know he’s possibly gonna let me use it” Terry “We’re gonna do this thing, shake and look each other in the eye”
Danielle “No, no I’ll be, I’ll swear on it now”
Terry “We are gonna go to the finals, you and I, no matter who wins the final three. You and I will go to the finals; that’s the way we’ll do it”
A snake is then shown
Danielle “Can’t let Aras win the next immunity”
Terry “No”
Danielle “He cannot win” Terry’s confessional.... Terry with no shirt in front of tree conf. “Aras is kind of a hot head these days; his emotions... he’s really wearing them on his sleeve. What ticked me off is I was trying to get a final ruling.... and out of his mouth came you always argue when you lost then he said well what are you gonna do make a disparaging remark about women. (Voice over) I wasn’t appreciative of that, I’ve got to act just act like a 46 year old; try to calm it down” The next portion of the confessional he is wearing his red shirt on the beach but it continues from the voiceover “Hopefully they’ll be one more immunity challenge and either myself or Danielle will win it and he’ll be gone” Interesting contrast of Aras/Cerie conversation and Terry/Danielle conversation. Cerie and Aras affirm their final two push as does Terry and Danielle. Is this perhaps in the world of editing then enough to solidify neither pair will happen at the final two? This is what we do normally see happen so we can reach our own conclusions as to how the final two will take place. Revealed announcements and plans do not bode well in the world of Survivor editing and both pairs showed us their announcement. The Immunity Challenge Another “nail biter” or so the editing wants us to believe as the continuous “rivalry” continues to be implemented and I do question if that is the crux of Aras and Terry’s stories. We most certainly know that a huge part of Terry’s edit was his straightforward thought process on simply winning, moving ahead, winning, moving ahead and then he meets “the biggest competitor” in Aras. Aras has beaten him; is this “rivalry” now come to a close? Of note, we see Cerie and Aras put their arms around each other upon Terry and Danielle’s arrival further cementing this unlikely friendship and the facial reaction of Danielle upon Aras’ exclamation how he felt great. Jeff “Terry and Danielle gonna have to make up some time”
Jeff “Cerie is quickly falling out of it”
Danielle “Why is this not working???”
Jeff “Danielle having trouble” and Danielle “I don’t get it”
Jeff “It’s Terry and Aras, immunity on the line...”
Jeff “It’s down to Aras and Terry”
Jeff “Aras is getting close, Terry getting closer”
Jeff “Aras wins immunity” (and much like when Terry would win with Aras being the pivotal visual, Terry’s face is honed in on upon Aras’ win) Aras goes to Terry puts his arm around him and they touch hands, Cerie and Aras hug and a shot of Danielle “Damnit” The End Of A Story? Terry “We need to talk. The comments you made yesterday after the thing were undefendable by me in front of everyone like that. They were false, uncalled for and really slanderous. I need from you either an apology and we can talk about where you are coming from or we don’t have a relationship for the next three days...” (Again, there is a question whether this is the crux of Aras and Terry’s story at this juncture. Let’s not forget how different these men are but placed in the leader position of their respective tribes. They come together and the aura of competitiveness is clearly shown. Do we see the conclusion of these two men with different backgrounds reaching a closure? If so, then it isn’t necessary for both to battle to the end. These are the questions one has to ask in attempting to define the editing. I am not going to give me own conclusion on this matter mainly simply laying more foundation for story editing) Aras”When I made that comment I knew it was going to get to you but I apologize and I crossed the line that I didn’t want to cross so I apologize 100%..... I treated you unfairly and I take full responsibility for that” Aras’ confessional is in its entirety although it was split up amongst their discussion which I put in its entirety above. Aras, throughout this season has been shown reflecting a lot on his actions which is actually a good thing. One must question (again) on the edits of characters. Was his character shown as a reflection of a journey of growth. We will recall the very first episode and his “hand” exercise. Since that time Aras has used game play over yoga practice but we have heard from him quite often reflecting upon his actions. Is the edit of Aras solely for the purpose of how he has grown or of a young man who had to adapt to the environment he chose to play in to win the game? You be the judge. My one issue about Aras is that I do not recall his discussing with the audience his quest for the million or “winning the game” and that is something that the editing tends to put forth on a victor so we will see in retrospect if Aras’ time on the island was about his personal growth or something more Aras (conf) “Terry was really upset that I made a comment to him after the RC about him.... um and you know what? I didn’t feel good about making the comment I made” and “Going through this experience is something that really brings you closer together regardless of how you feel about someone’s personality. Hopefully, Terry and I, through our conflict help each other grow” Note that it is helpful that again we hear from Aras explaining himself, it would have been positive for Terry if we heard from him after the apology and we did not Strategy and That Dreaded Tie We hear the exchange with Cerie and Danielle on the prospect of a fire making tie breaker.... Danielle “The challenge today Aras won and now Tribal Council is going to go a little bit differently than we planned. Aras has the necklace and Terry has the hidden idol and my guess is that Aras and Cerie are probably going to vote for me and then me and Terry vote Cerie so we are assuming it will probably have to be a tiebreaker...some sort of fire challenge we are guessing...” A shot of a snake is shown.... Danielle “I’m telling you right now it’s gonna be a 2-2 vote, me and Cerie” I adore when this show attempts to elevate the tension through visuals and sequencing. We then see Danielle and Terry discuss fire with flint which then shoots back to Aras and Cerie with Aras coaching Cerie on it then back to Danielle and Terry with Terry coaching and back to Aras and Cerie doing the same. The two rivaled men “coaching” their partners back and forth. If neither of them can be IN the competition they are still involved in having their “seconds” beat each other Aras “Hey, have fun when you do it, don’t worry about the result, you made it so far already” (A big difference in the scene we saw. Aras advising Cerie not to worry about the result is the one ingredient that has been reflected in Terry the entire season. The result is crucial. We also know about commentary about “enjoying” and “adventure” and so forth)
Cerie “I don’t wanna go home!” Another nice dual confessional of the two women prior to the TC Cerie (conf) “I have mixed emotions about tonight. I feel nervous... but at the same time I think I’ll be fine in a fire making challenge. I have only seen Danielle make fire with flint one time (and we have seen her make it on Exile Island) and I think I am just as good as she is. I want her to think that she has the upper hand” Danielle (conf) “I’m pretty confident that I’m good at starting fires and I haven’t seen Cerie do that at all so I don’t think the fire is her thing but then again... I’m confident but you never know so I’m gonna have to be prepared. You always have to have back up options” and “The hidden idol, tonight’s the last night it can be used so I’m gonna work Terry” and “I’m gonna work him until we go to Tribal Council to try and give me that hidden idol and we’ll see what happens” A nice little cliffhanging thrown in just for the potential of a surprise at Tribal Council Danielle “Say the vote is two for me and then we voted Cerie”
Terry “Right then it’s a tie and you go”
Danielle “If I use the idol....”
Terry “If you had the idol on you then Cerie would automatically be out and you and me and Aras would go”
Danielle “If you give it to me and it’s two for me an two for Cerie and I pull out the idol, I’d be fine?”
Terry “Yeah, you’d be fine” Ultimately this little exchange did not come to fruition but naturally had to be put there so we could believe it MAY happen Tribal Council With More Stars On The Jury What probably stood out for most of us were the reaction shots mostly by Courtney with a Shane thrown in most seemingly directed at Danielle. Favorable editing from the jury went mostly to Terry and mostly neutral when Cerie and Aras spoke. We question in the editing why things are put on our screens and why some are not. I would only put forth that the intention was deliberate to show the disdain by Courtney (mostly) at Danielle. There really would only be one valid reason to go to the trouble to show this Jeff “You got to be proud (Cerie) going to the final four (Danielle) with one person representing (Terry) each group (Aras)” Jeff then asks Aras about his and Terry’s battle and any “momentum shift” in winning the challenges Aras “Yeah, I think there’s been a momentum shift (interesting that the shot then “shifted” to the jury), I know every single time you say Survivor’s ready (Danielle) I have a chance to win so I always had the faith if I kept knocking on the door eventually it would open up” Jeff “Terry it’s the first time without the necklace, vulnerable?”
Terry “No”
Jeff “You don’t feel vulnerable”
Terry “Right” (Danielle glances at jury supposedly and the jury is smiling) Cerie then tells Jeff that they suspected Terry had the idol and “that would be the ONLY reason that Terry should feel safe” (Interesting choice of words - we know that Terry and the idol were crucial for each other in one of the stories played out over time. Symbolism at its best of the “power of the idol” now we question the symbolism of it finally leaving Terry’s hands; literally now is he no longer safe?) Jeff then asks if the hidden idol topic came up and Danielle advises it is up to the person that has it and “we don’t know if they 100% have it” Jeff “The “they” is Terry?” (Terry smiles)
Danielle “We are assuming Terry has it (Terry smiling) but obviously if he uses it he’ll use it on himself”
Aras “In my opinion I’m 100% sure Terry had that hidden idol. Now whether or not it’s still in his pocked or in someone else’s pocket (Danielle, Cerie) that we don’t know but it is a risky call if you have that and give it to somebody else and put yourself on that chopping block so we’ll see what happens”
Terry “I’m not sure if I have it or not” (I do happen to love Terry’s comments at Tribal Council and his expressions, they make for a fun council) Jeff “If it is your last night, have you changed?” Cerie “I have lived my life underestimating myself (Aras) and to see the things that I’ve done and how long I lasted... if this is my last night I had a great time.. (Courtney shown smiling) and I’m okay” (Aras smiling) Danielle “I just think I’ve grown to be more patient (Shane amused) with different personalities (Courtney sticks out her tongue) I haven’t done this crazy change but I think I’ve mentally grown stronger (Aras) and like Cerie wasn’t an outdoorsy type of girl (Bruce smiling) and I can scale fish, great with fire now (Cerie). If you wanna do something get up and do it and make it happen cause it can happen, it’s easy” Terry “If it is (me) I proved to myself that I could hang it out there with the best of the competition (waves arm in Aras’ direction) The other thing I realized is that I’m human, I’m gonna make mistakes but I’m gonna learn from them (Shane/Courtney smiling) and I’m going to be more patient with my kids, my wife (Danielle) my friends and family (Bruce smiling) and uh, I’m gonna take that to heart and take it back home with me, try to practice that” (Shame we couldn’t hear something from Aras despite being safe as the above statements are extremely reflective and provide a nice take on how these three may fare at the end of this game which I would discuss more after the final show) The Vote Again, center stage went to Courtney and her obvious reactions to Danielle’s two votes which indeed serves a purpose in it being shown..... Jeff “It (the hidden idol) no longer has any power (aj would have loved the metallic swish that occurred upon those words with the quick shot to Terry right then and we again will question how symbolic this idol truly was) Danielle and Cerie take their places to commence their challenge and the ending results in a scorpion, skull, snake, skull and some “rodent” type animal which someone can identify if they want.... The previews then show our four with one winner (Danielle) will be (Cerie) crowned (Aras).......”Unbelievable” (Terry’s back flip into the water from the perching/water challenge) My apologies to those who posted before me as you know I often map out my thoughts prior to any readings and again, if my statements are repetitive then not only do we agree but imitation is that sincere form of flattery! I am looking forward to our post finale discussion since we always learn more about the editing in retrospect to learn for the next time!
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Outfrontgirl 6830 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-13-06, 07:02 PM (EST)
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58. "RE: The Final Showdown - The Players, The Game, The Editing - Exile Island" |
VS, this was beautifully gone over (as usual) and very helpful.Cirie's full circle was made VERY clear. She's done.
Terry is cracking ... he's never going before the jury. There's been way too much discussion of his chances with the jury. He's nearly done. Although for much of the season I've felt that Aras would win, I'm leaning towards Danielle now. I don't quite see which 4 votes she gets, so I am not 100%, but things you said that make me go hmmm ... My one issue about Aras is that I do not recall his discussing with the audience his quest for the million or “winning the game” and that is something that the editing tends to put forth on a victor so we will see in retrospect if Aras’ time on the island was about his personal growth or something more Yes, he has been on a journey, so I have to wonder if "growth" is his consolation prize. The season has been dominated by men who don't think of women "deserving" the title but only as Goats, so it would be very ironic if once again a woman wins. Danielle has not backstabbed anyone except Courtney. She has been shown playing the game to win but not bragging about having it in the bag. She has been shown weighing her options and making moves. Aras has been shown getting caught up in his battle with Terry and forgetting to really strategize although he did show strategy when he cut Shane. Last episode Aras was cocky and Danielle was playing thoughtfully and calmly. All good for D. Challenge quotes they could have omitted:
Jeff “Aras getting blocked by Danielle”
Jeff “Aras wants Danielle to block Terry; Danielle’s causing a roadblock”
Jeff “Who’s working against who? Who’s helping who?”
Jeff “Cerie blocks Terry now... Aras and Terry neck and neck, two battering rams”
Jeff “Suddenly, Cerie and Danielle have a shot”
Jeff “Danielle, all alone now. If she’s right she can win it” Danielle is supposed to be helping Aras (why? he exiles her) but then the focus of these calls shows a scenario where the battering rams are so caught up in each other they give Danielle an opportunity to win. Obviously she did not win the RC, but this could be prophetic of the endgame. The previews then show our four with one winner (Danielle) will be (Cerie) crowned (Aras).......”Unbelievable” (Terry’s back flip into the water from the perching/water challenge) Yes, "winner" is on Danielle but it's easy to miss because Aras is last one shown in that statement with "crowned" so the viewer is left feeling that Aras may win or the unbelievable challenge hog Terry. I also find it fascinating that no one has discussed the eventuality of Danielle winning. We have heard people say Aras, Terry, Courtney, Shane, Cirie, but never Danielle. This reminds me of Tina and Colby. OTOH Aras could be the next Ethan. In S3 the other players did say that Ethan's gonna win this if we don't do something and they didn't ... and he did. However, I don't recall at any time that the editing in S3 showed KimJ in the strategic light such as we've seen with the emerging Danielle. btw, Bob Dawg and Danielle hated each other the whole time so his opinion of Danielle means very little in terms of the overall perception of her play. My question is, who does Survivor Sal vote for? A woman, after Sal was treated so dismissively by the men's club, or Aras, for having the fortitude to shoulder the leader role?
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Velcrohead 33 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
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05-15-06, 05:14 PM (EST)
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60. "Looking Back on the Season" |
Any end of season reflections should first begin with a huge thanks to VS for her time, commitment and patience. Of course, this has also been a collaborative effort and I am grateful for everyone’s contributions to this thread – what a pleasure it has been to read all your insights. Any retrospective will, to an extent, be based on trying to make the editing fit the outcome. Still, rewatching the season opener was surprisingly helpful in paving the way – the clues were there so long as you knew where to look. For now, some brief observations on Aras: I don’t recall how much was made of it at the time but in Jeff’s voiceover introducing Exile Island there is a background image of a man under a setting sun, leaning down, seemingly performing a stretching exercise which could have been further construed to be some yoga routine. It was subtle, probably not to mention coincidental, yet the symbolism it evoked in light of the end game was a nice touch. Going back to the mental exercise with the hands, it seemed the significance, if any, was the idea of a spiritual side to Aras. In fact, it’s easier to think now that it’s context was more a message of Aras being able to get others to do things, however silly (or “harebrained” as Nick called it) they appear. In one of the latter tribal councils, he remarked that “if you don’t win people over, you don’t win a million dollars.” And that was on the money was it not? Leaving aside the methods, he did succeed in getting people on his side. His persuasive nature won him allies in the game and, ultimately, it was suitably reflected in the jury vote. Aras’ two biggest singular indiscretions involved Bruce (calling him out at TC in the aftermath of Zen garden-gate) and Shane (the betrayal of his F5 boot), and sure enough their votes went against him. With Terry, it was easy to suppose the same given their increasingly heated confrontations. And yet what swung things back in his favour can be chalked down to Danielle reneging on her ‘promise’ that she and Terry would take each other to F2 and Terry’s recognition of an ‘ultimate competitor’. The apology from Aras sealed his respect…..and his vote. Remember what Jeff said when assessing Aras: I liked what he was trying to achieve. It's a nice change of pace to see so many people try to play the game with integrity, still play and play hard. Honesty and integrity are words that are bandied about in this game, to be worn as a badge of honour. How interesting it is, though, that jury members have a tendency to believe themselves as having adhered unfailingly to those principles and that the more bitter they are, the less willing they become to acknowledge it in F2 protagonists. The reason for bringing it up is to tie it in with a resentful Shane at TC telling Aras that he had to be judged on his actions and not his intentions (and did I enjoy that train of thought which somehow carried to him being ‘President of the Planet’ ). So was Shane right and, by implication, did he call Aras out as a hypocrite for claiming he played the game with integrity? Well, whilst trolling through the original thread, I came across a poser from Outfrontgirl in response to Jeff’s comments: However, all this about "trying" seems to say he did not wholly succeed in his goal of going far while doing the right thing. Question I have, did he not go far enough, like Ian or Rafe, or did he go all the way but he was unable to be 100% well-intentioned/ethical on his journey? The answer, rather presciently, turned out to be the latter; if not exactly 100%, well-intentioned nevertheless and certainly a journey. As Aras himself said, it was a ‘rite of passage’. Overall, there was a lot to like about Aras and, on a personal note, this has been one of the few seasons which I feel satisfied with the outcome. Yes, he was occasionally pompous but then again all 24 year old males believe they know it all. I know I did.
VH
P.S. The one glaring error was Cirie’s boot order who we all know -- in keeping with the traditional fate of fan’s favourites -- should have gone at F3, not F4!
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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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05-16-06, 05:50 PM (EST)
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63. "RE: Looking Back on the Season" |
I would like to echo VelcroHead's thanks to Veruca.
VH your analysis of Aras is very telling and bringing OFG's question was very "à propos"! Here's my take on the season and the players who left their mark.To analyze the way the editors chose to tell the story, I thought it best to look back at how the players were presented in the first episode. The ones that stood out, in approximate order of importance:
Bruce who worked hard.
Danielle doing the first challenge and being between Courtney and Sally.
Aras who led the boys in a friendly energy-field exercise.
Courtney who showed compassion for a dead turtle (and a wink!).
Shane who targeted Bruce.
Dan who was friendly with everyone and ready to make an alliance.
Terry who won the first challenge and took leadership.
Cirie who schemed and strategized to save herself. We had written right then that the other players hadn’t left much of an impression and even if Nick, Austin and Sally made the merge, they weren’t a big part of the story. In fact only Dan didn’t make the jury and being an astronaut may explain why CBS wanted to expose him early on. Of course, his alliance with Terry also explains it, as it showed Terry’s gameplan immediately. The cast had many strong personalities this season so they didn’t need to manufacture the edits. We had our hero, our “players on a journey” and our villains. The story unfolded as “the crazy Casayans against Terry” very naturally from the start. What can be taken from the first few episodes that could help us again identify the long term players in another season? What was different between Courtney’s edit and Danielle’s? What favored Aras over Terry? Besides the first show, what did we see from Cirie that favored her over Sally? VS had very precisely noted how pairs of players were formed coming out of the four teams and how each pair had a dominant player. That indicator didn’t fail but it is doubtful pairings would occur again so clearly if they don’t start 4x4. Of the first episode notables, Dan and Bruce were the first we ruled out as possible end players.
Dan’s story was all about enjoying the experience and keeping the tribe together. As soon as we saw that he and Terry were actually fracturing La Mina into the Boys’ club against the young women, we knew he wasn’t going to carry his story line very far. Having the “right stuff” gave him more airtime than his showing warranted.
Bruce was shown because he was an honourable man but his edit was flat. He was an outsider who never really returned from exile. We had figured he’d be next off Casaya before he was singled out in the pecking order challenge. That he wasn’t voted out didn’t change anything. Of the players that made the merge, Nick never emerged from the fog the first episode had left him in. He was never a factor.
Austin’s oratory skills were used by the editors but it was more to present Terry’s story than his own. He continually paid hommage to his leader. He couldn’t outlast him.
Sally did emerge from her relative obscurity at the start. As VS pointed to, her story was about breaking the famous Boys’ club. When we didn’t see her going to her original Bayoneta buddies after merge, we knew her story wasn’t going anywhere. By the third episode, aside from keeping an eye on Austin and Sally, we were left with Courtney, Shane, Cirie, Terry, Danielle and Aras as the players who the story revolved around.
About that time Courtney’s edit started a downward spiral. She lost her status as narrator inside the alliance to Aras. When it continued for a few weeks, we could cross her off our radar. She wouldn’t win this game but would she be the final 2 opponent? A dream F2 opponent is only good if you plan on winning final immunity. With Terry in the game, Cirie was smart to see that and declare Courtney too dangerous to keep. In retrospect, Shane’s “dream F2” confessional opposed to Cirie’s “more dangerous than Terry” one, almost served as a lesson to future players (an editing analysts!)She re-emerged late in the game but it was to show her artistry and give her a nice send-off. Shane gave us a lot of reasons to scream at the screen but mostly he was fun to watch. His edit was too negative and so over the top that he couldn’t be considered a contender even if he thought he had a chance. He was such a character that we would have seen him quite a bit even if had made an early exit but we were always made aware of his plans contrary to players who exited earlier. When editors show your gameplan, it is usually a sign a player will be there late in the game.
Cirie could have won this game if Terry gets booted at F4. In a sense, she was the real victim of the hidden idol and she had been shown being afraid of the new twist in the first episode. She had great social skills and the cunning abilities of the best schemers. We saw real development not only in her edit but in her personality. She was the narrator outside the alliance and that was a sign she’d make the merge. Then we saw her snuggly ensconced in the alliance and continuing not only to narrate but to decide events. She wasn’t given the million but her edit showed her as the real life winner. We saw her story ending when her husband told us he was proud of her. That she wasn’t voted off but that a challenge spelled her doom, seemed fitting. This was the “proving myself” edit that endears a player to the audience but has never won. Terry was shown as “Captain America”, one of the strongest players ever. His edit lacked definition, his confessionals all being on the same theme. In fact he was practically repeating them word for word in each episode. We only saw glimpses of his emotions in the last few episodes and not all were positive. From frustration to arrogance, the hero did have apparent flaws. Even before merge, his portrayal wasn’t quite that of a winner. If he tried to copy Tom’s victorious ways, his story certainly wasn’t as emphasized. We were shown other players laughing at his alliance attempts and that is never a good sign especially since we heard his plans and they weren’t good deals. Danielle was between Courtney and Sally at the start, she stayed in the middle almost throughout, ending up in the middle of a war of “macho men”. She’d been targeted to flip from Casaya to La Mina even offered the Hidden Idol. Why did her edit lead us to believe she wouldn’t win? She always seemed to have a dual edit, sometimes making a strong power-play, sometimes following the leader. In a sense, the recap episode told us the biggest difference between first and second: Danielle was made to look dumb in talking to Bobby while Aras was shown to have taken the leadership to stop a losing streak and save Casaya. She outlasted other Casayans because she was shown to have more options and playing a clinical game when it came to making choices. She didn’t have what it took to topple the leader. She had the million dollars quotes but it was time for a change and complicate things a bit for us! Aras had an edit that showed him growing throughout the season. He was part of a tribe that didn’t know what to do in Viveros, then he told who was going home because he wanted to be honest but he appeared arrogant instead. He argued with the respected elder of his tribe and he got outflanked by other members when deciding the second boot. Yet we always saw him explaining himself, apologizing and learning from those experiences. He started to take more importance in the decisions of the tribe. He usually told Jeff the role his teammates would have in challenges, and who would be the exiled player. Shane would first propose the boot option to him. He often appeased Shane and calmed everyone’s temper at the pecking order challenge. He accepted the risk of the idol and the challenge offered by Terry. His words to Danielle after his accident on day #39 summed up his experience: “That’s life, you fall, you get back up and you try again.” In this season of “the battle of the Titans” the only way he could accomplish his journey, as Emy said, was to win the game. It was a consistent edit of a young man coming of age and this time it was the winner’s story. It was a very good season and hope to read everyone’s analysis again next season. Thank you again Veruca. See you in the Cook Islands!
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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
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05-17-06, 08:44 AM (EST)
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64. "RE: Looking Back on the Season" |
Yet another season is over and one of the more "character" laden seasons it was... astronauts, fighter pilots, nicotine addicted psychosis, yoga, martial arts, spiritual bohemians, couch potatos, female lumberjacks and so forth. This was probably the most diverse group of people en masse on Survivor and with that, big stories, big edits, big characters and a plethora of analysis were sure to follow Velcrohead and michel, always nice to see your commentary and so glad you posted "post season" on your final thoughts. Obviously, I need not to add anything further on both your summations. Per the norm, I simply go back and review and repeat those "editing" items that we can mull over for future seasons. Although the editing each season is "tweaked" to fit the journey of the season, there are some concepts in the editing that usually stand the "test of time" I have always viewed Survivor as a story. The contestants are the tool to help tell whatever story is being presented. The story has always been (to me) the "star" and the characters play the supporting role. Like all stories, those characters who have no end result purpose will have a certain edit and those who are part of the long term story will have another type of edit. If the themes are identified and are prevalant to our eye, we may be able to identify those with longevity. Items that I take note of in the world of Survivor editing have proven to be fairly consistent. None of these items are written in stone, they are merely blueprints for the editing and at any time can change. There are some novelettes within the "big stories" (if you will) in each season and for the most part we can usually see a type of conclusion occurring around the merger for these novelettes. Some dominating characters may also be visible solely to help progress an end game player's story but often distract the audience into believing they are the victor. The final two foil is someone we all try to determine as the story progresses and sometimes that "character" is even "larger" than the winner; other times they are not but for the most part the winner is ultimately justified in their win through the editing over the final two foil. Mind you, this can be often be misleading because audiences are subjective and if you do not like the winner, you may feel they are not justified in their win, PERIOD. The final two foil is not necessarily the "bad guy/girl" or the "good guy/girl". But the story does attempt to ultimately give the winner a measure of justification for their win regardless of how one feels about the winner. Sometimes the final two foil is solely meant to distract us and other times it is simply that person who is the most valuable to take at the end. We already know quite well how to flesh out the "characters" and a fine job you all did this season Those people are thrown at us because of some identifying personality or "shtick" and quite often one dimensional. It is really only how their character evolves or dissolves which tells us if they have longevity. Many of these "characters" do have longevity and usually at a certain point, their edit takes on an adjustment (it may be subtle or it may scream at us) and that usually signals the beginning of the end of these types of "caricature characters." The longer term players normally have either a consistent amount of face time (which may or may not be extremely visible) or a steadying increase of face time to help build their end game story. While many felt that Guatemala's Danni had no presence, there indeed was an escalation for her and visually she was manipulated from the beginning not too mention her ties to the various themes. Therefore, face time and confessionals are extremely important. Sometimes we make mistakes in believing the AMOUNT of confessionals and face time is important. It is not the AMOUNT but the CONTENT AND CONTEXT. The edit of the winner can be very subtle or readily apparent but that person is tied to the stories that season and will be included somehow and quite often when they don't necessarily have to be included. The long term players are usually also spoken ABOUT at some point and are also shown vulnerable at some point. In other words, we don't just hear from them but we can also hear about them from other players. The long term players will tell the audience at some point and in some aspect about the end game and their strategy. Moreso in this season than others, players spouting boot lists and/or solid alliances and so forth is always something to be suspicious of as routinely the boot list is never in that order and the numbers and people mentioned in that alliance normally does not occur. Alas, quite often the one that the audience "roots for" does not win either. We have seen fan favorites over the years leave the island before the audience wants them to do so. Obviously a "favorite" is subjective but quite often the contestant who is overwhelmingly popular (and in the same design, a contestant who is repugnant to viewers) will not win. We are manipulated into cheering when the "bad one" leaves and boo when the "favorite" is eliminated. Misdirection is editing's four letter word Obviously sometimes a rose is just that. Logic does play a part in this show but quite often the editing is designed to manipulate the audience with the intent of surprising you What a wonderful editing tool as the show is that much more engrossing To wrap up my usual "too long to read" post.... ....what do we make of all this? My repetitive words... The BOTTOM LINE is that there is NO BOTTOM LINE. Editing is adjusted every season and NOT necessarily to the audience's liking either My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all who post their amazing insight and wonderful observations and speculation and for those of you that just like to pop in as well . This thread continues to make my Survivor watching an incredible experience as I felt from the moment I first watched this show that Survivor is an amazing story with characters and plot lines that are enhanced even more so upon reflection.
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Rasta 210 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
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05-17-06, 01:48 PM (EST)
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65. "RE: Looking Back on the Season" |
Thanks for another great season of editing analysis. This thread has really enhanced the Survivor experience for me, and I look forward to it in the fall.One quick question (or actually a request): Would you consider creating an "editing newsletter" that could be emailed out to interested readers each week? The reason I ask is due to the numerous (and highly accurate) spoilers found in this forum. I generally try to avoid spoilers, which is obviously hard in an Survivor Spoilers forum. Unfortunately, this is the best (and perhaps only) place where the editing is so meticulously analyzed. And sometimes those pesky spoilers find their way into the thread. Anyway, it's just a thought. Thanks again, VS. And thanks to everyone else who's contributed this season.
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Surviette 124 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson"
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05-18-06, 11:48 AM (EST)
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66. "RE: Looking Back on the Season" |
VS, I echo the heartfelt thanks for all your time sharing your exceptional insight! The constant teaching & learning that occurs in this editing thread is what really enhances the whole Survivor experience for me. Plus, the family of posters here are a wholelottafun....where's Rosie? Rasta, it is unfortunate that source spoilers leak into this thread. I think it, mainly, happens when newbies stumble into this thread. There is a great deal of reading material, which if you haven't followed from the start, is difficult to get through with a thorough understanding of the nature of this spoiling tool. I tried to remain true to this thread, but I meandered to the HII thread & ended up spoiled after all. Anyway, you could try reading only VS's posts, but then we would all miss your feedback. One idea is for VS and anyone else with "safe" threads, to put the request for no source spoilers right into their "Topic". Thanks, everyone, for a most enjoyable season!
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