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"The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"	09-17-07, 11:01 AM (EST)
"The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"
Survivor China appears to be what some die hard Survivor fans have been waiting for (and perhaps editing fans as well) with a note from Mark Burnett that this latest season reminds him the most of the very first Survivor. Limited to just 16 players again, a two tribe formation and while still attempting to broaden cultural and racial contestants, it appears quite obvious that their foray into that arena is not their emphasis any longer. As always, I am given information to start the thread but in the interest of confining myself to solely the editing of the show, I may have omitted information so please feel free to add anything. Themes, Twists, Turns China, this season's destination, has been "hyped" greatly mostly in part of the location itself as it would be the first time an entire American series is being shot on location. A colorful history with a potential abundance of animal imagery and ancient history and symbolism abounds. Although done before, the contestants will start their game among the locals and participate in a cultural ceremony and will also be rid of their possessions (which begs the question which male will ultimately end up in a skirt!) From what I have been told, Exile Island is no longer a factor (which, although not entirely met with overwhelming praise, did provide some help in terms of editing since contestants exiled that were long term players were shown differently while on Exile Island) and the hidden immunity idols are hidden on each tribe's beach (tied to another twist). While not met with high praise by some either, the end game is still centered around a final three and although this may provide a twist in the editing, thus far it appears that usually only two of that final three are edited stronger. The "third wheel" (to turn a phrase) seems to be shown more as the proverbial coat tail rider which may be another editing aspect to watch for. A new ripple in the Survivor blue print (that expands from Pearl Island) is the winning tribe of a reward challenge may "kidnap" a member of the losing tribe who will remain with them until the next Immunity challenge. The value of that kidnapped contestant seems high indeed as they will possess the clue to the hidden idol on the opposing tribe's location and they are to give this information to an opposing tribe member of their own choosing. The recipient has their own decision to hold that information or share it with their tribe members. What fun is this! Choices abound again and this has the makings of cross tribe alliances which no doubt was done to avoid the dreaded "pagonging" A notable precursor to this season is that each contestant was provided with Sun Tzu's The Art of War in preparation for this season and although there are many interpretations, generally speaking it is one of the oldest books on military strategy expressed in concepts due to it being written in ancient Chinese. Each chapter encompasses one aspect of warfare as follows: Laying Plans, Waging War, Attack by Stratagem, Tactical Dispositions, Energy, Weak Points and Strong, Maneuvering, Variation in Tactics, The Army On The March, Terrain, The Nine Situations, The Attack By Fire and The Use of Spies (translated titles by Giles). Again, while there have been many interpretations about this text, I am solely providing a generic overview of the premise in that Sun Tzu recognized the importance of "positioning" in strategy and how that position may be affected by objective physical conditions and subjective views of those in that environment. Strategy is best employed by a quick response to conditions changing and although planning seems like a wonderful idea, in a competitive environment, the best laid plans..... Far be it from me to claim expertise with respect to the Art of War, however in the brief overview of the book, it appears that "war" in this case is not necessarily about brute force but rather, evaluation of your competition, strength in unity as opposed to size, protecting your "position", adaptation and flexibility, capitalizing on the information provided by other sources and generally speaking warfare is about deception. In light of the fact that this is not a "military setting" it is interesting to note that the Art of War has been utilized in the business world and sports world lending to the premise that the Art of War is more about fighting wars without actually having to do battle, i.e. outsmarting prevents the need for physical battle. Interestingly enough his principles were not only tested on men but women as well and while I am a true fan of the male species, the subtlety that seems to emanate from Sun Tzu's strategies may indeed favor a woman should the outcome of this season be immersed in this "theme" but that is yet to be determined. Tribal Formation As touched on, we will have two tribes Fei Long (Flying Dragon) and Zhan Hu (Fighting Tiger) comprising of eight players each with what appears to be a nice balance of four women and four men on each tribe and although diversity has now become part and parcel to Survivor it certainly is not prevalent this season with this cast. The ages of the contestant appear to be a nice mix ranging from age 20 up until 47. Alas, 47 (male) is by no means old but it may with Survivor as the next closest age is 40 (female) and whether they are looked upon as father and mother figures or dragging their tribe down remains to be seen. The Players We have seen the editors categorize different types of people and edit them in a certain fashion. Men and women on this show are edited quite differently with a strong male usually getting a very prominent and promising (sometimes misleading) edit. However this does not take away from the fact that an "overt" male leader may be a boot candidate as well especially if they are on a tribe that has other strong males who do not wish to be "led." Consequently, many "strong" women do not receive this; they often are portrayed slightly negative (bossy). A subtle female leader tends to be welcomed much more than those who are too "strong" with their leadership skills (Debb, Sylvia and the like) There has been criticism that the more successful women are sadly neglected in their edit which usually tells me to look for OTHER clues to their edit. "Characters" as we know, are often highly visible but without any real dimension. Villains are sometimes forced upon us as is the case with femme fatales and the like. Journey characters often appear quite transparent and quite often they do well enough for the audience to see them reach the end of that journey. Forced edits are normally not end game edits. This is not to say that end game player edits are not manipulated; they certainly are. However, the manipulation is subtle; it would have to be or else it would ruin the "surprise." Manipulated scenes and conversations, unnecessary focus on something that should not be very important have all been utilized in the edit of an end game player. Contestant Analysis As we have learned, sometimes what Jeff does say about a contestant may be telling and sometimes it is misleading. Since I do this every season, these are the comments about past winners, which I like to note just to help encompass how Jeff discusses the characters. On Earl: "That's a good strategy (with respect to Earl advising of a seize or retreat strategy) It's playing to win and as far as I'm concerned, why else are you here" Yul could absolutely win this game; I'd be delighted if he did; a super likeable guy" and"Yul is a player. You underestimate Yul, you'll be going home before he will... He studied the show. As somebody who wants to play this game and have a shot at winning he's studied the show" "I'm not sure what he's (Aras)* bringing. He's bringing a lot of talk. Does he know how to play Survivor? We'll find out. That's all I've got on Aras"* "Danni is someone that I think people are probably going to get behind. She's in great shape. She's tall and she's got a competition background" "Tom is salt-of-the-earth guy. A father. A firefighter. There's no chance of this guy being a villain. You hope he lasts long enough in the game to be a hero. If he does last for a while, he's the kind of guy who could win it, because people are going to look at him and say, You know what, why not him? Everything about him is good." "If Chris is everything he reports to be, he'll do just fine in the game, that's the question. Is he putting on a really this strong "I'll tackle anything bring it on, you can't beat me kind of guy? I don't know. I think he's one of the guys that could either emerge as really strong or fade fast" Also, a guy you know will play the game like Mariano; super exciting to us....." (Recall this is coming off from All Stars) Interesting to note is Jeff’s opinion and literally his representation of each of them were their portrayal. While Earl and Yul were decent guys, their “likeability” factor was not the overriding bane of their edit but rather their knowledge and strategic minds which Jeff stresses. Danni and Tom on the other hand were shown more along the lines of their personality first. Tom the leader and patriarch with really only a few “arrogant” (if you will) moments and Danni, while perceived as “hidden” by many was always shown with a smile on her face with nary a criticism by anyone. Aras is not remarked upon by Jeff in the most positive light and essentially is questioned by Jeff and what he is bringing to the game. Many times through the season, Aras was shown in situations where, in fact, one may question what on earth is this guy doing (hand gestures, telling, discussing who he will boot to their faces, etc.) Chris’s description was also very true to form. He talked a talked and while his strategy could not even compare to the low key and thoughtful approaches that Earl and Yul brought, Chris was certainly wily and is stated as such. Again, this season is met with interesting commentary by Jeff and again note that in any group situation, people gravitate towards one another based upon their similarities whether it be age, gender, race, religion, occupation and the like. However turn about is fair play and some of the most unlikely people can become allies. We also know “typically speaking” some first boot candidates are those who are overly bossy, those who appear weak or sick, the "oldest" (which is entirely dependent on how that person is contributing; one can be the oldest and be absolutely valuable to the tribe whether of a physical, leadership, paternal/maternal, maturity nature) those who are socially not integrating enough or those who may be directly responsible for the challenge loss. Keeping that in mind: *THE FEI LONG (FLYING DRAGON) TRIBE* DENISE MARTIN (40 years old, the eldest on tribe and female in game. Married with children and lunch lady) Jeff says: "Denise is a likable, blue-collar woman with the most lovely mullet. She has it, she tells us, because it fits her life. There's nothing pretentious about her. She's very honest and endearing and a hard worker. I just adore Denise." High praise from Jeff and understandably so. A tough looking exterior with a winning smile, Denise may be that “older woman” who may get along with the men and the women; she most certainly does not appear to fit the slot of the oldest woman who “drags” down the rest of the tribe. It seems hard to believe that such praise by Jeff would mean Denise’s stay in China is short lived. At this time, there is nothing to suggest that Denise would leave early. LESLIE NEASE (38 years old, Christian-radio host, married) Jeff says "Being a Christian-radio host can hurt you if your religious beliefs come ahead of making decisions in this game — say, you can't lie to somebody because of your faith. On the other hand, people might trust you and you could pull the wool over their eyes." and As far as Leslie, a Christian radio talk show host. I think that's a slam-dunk. That plays out in the first four minutes of episode one when she's forced to go inside a Buddhist temple and she's a Christian talk show radio host. Anytime you have any of those hot buttons, if you have a gay person and a homophobe, you have a Christian, somebody that's very religious, we had a woman, I think in The Amazon, that wouldn't touch the Immunity Idol because she says, "I will not bear down to any other idol" or whatever. She wouldn't even touch that. She couldn't get her mind into the fact that this was just a silly piece of wood. For her, you called it an idol. That's money in the bank.” If there is to be an “elder” female (I use the term “elder” loosely) to leave I would be more inclined to believe Leslie would leave. A strong belief in religion can sometimes polarize a contestant unless you find others of similar ilk or if you remain somewhat low key. While we cannot know how vocal Leslie is, radio personalities are obviously schooled in the art of verbal communication and not always a soothing one. One’s convictions may not be appreciated in such a small setting. Jeff’s commentary does not sound altogether too promising and I find it interesting that he is extremely generalized in his commentary about Leslie which may suggest she was not there long enough for him to develop any specific thoughts about her since his focus is more about her religion than actually Leslie herself COURTNEY YATES (26 years old, waitress, not married) Jeff says "Courtney's not the kind of girl who wakes up and says, ‘Should we go catch fish?' She'll say, ‘I need a cup of coffee and a cigarette!' She admits she can be a ##### with a negative attitude. At first, she is off-putting. But there's something oddly appealing because she's being real. She's tiny, but she can take care of herself with her mouth alone." Note the difference in Jeff’s “take” on Courtney (as well as Denise) as opposed to Leslie. Jeff comments on these women and their personalities and what makes them who they are; with Leslie, we hear none of this. Thus, Courtney may not do that horribly despite that her mouth may get her in trouble. It would frankly not surprise me should Courtney and Leslie not see eye to eye and in the same token, Denise and Courtney may get along to a degree. Courtney may be one of those “characters” that we see quite a bit of and it is remains to be seen whether she is flushed out more for longevity purposes or not. AMANDA KIMMEL (23, Hiking guide, pageant winner, not married) Jeff says: "Amanda probably is the most physically fit woman this season, very strong and confident. She's been outdoors a lot and she's not afraid of sticks or stones. Plus, she really knows the show — she's watched every episode — and after 15 seasons, that's an advantage." Positive commentary although nothing honed in on specifically about her persona except for confidence. I'm sure I am not the only one who sees a similarity to Danni, a prior winner. Knowing the show is always a plus and Jeff appears to reflect that Amanda's knowing the show was a positive for her. There appears nothing to indicate that she should go quickly since she is physically capable and may also be well liked by some of the men on her tribe. The young physically fit woman generally does pretty well unless they get ill or are very lazy. While we have no way of knowing if she could fall ill, her physical prowess would tend to negate that at this time and she certainly does not appear to be of the lazy mindset. JEAN-ROBERT BELLANDE (36, professional poker player, not married) Jeff says: "He's a big guy with a big, big personality, exactly what you want a poker player on Survivor to be. Jean-Robert will tell you what he's going to do and you don't know if he'll do it or not, because he's a card player." and "We have a guy this season, Jean-Robert, who actually came in with a pretty interesting strategy which was, I'm going to come in and not be liked. I want people to not like me and then I'm going to become likeable. His reason was, psychologically, and we talked about this to our psychologist and she said, it was absolutely correct. Psychologically if you meet somebody and the first time you meet them you don't like them very well, the minute you get to know them, you do like them. You end up liking them more than you would have had you liked them initially. That was his philosophy. I'm going to be the guy that everybody thinks is a big chump and doesn't pull my weight and is lazy. Then I'm going to start pulling my weight. Then I'm going to become funny and people are going to like me more than they ever would have. That kind of strategy, while not exactly out of "The Art of War," is part of it. It's how do you get to know your opponent and play them in a way that will let you win. I thought it was a pretty good idea" and Jean-Robert, who didn't have a clue about Survivor but was so certain that just the fact that the was a professional poker player would take care of itself. That dude had a quick learning curve. He did. He started realizing, okay, I don't know what the hell is going on out here. The people are all talking behind my back and I don't know what they're saying. Hello, Jean-Robert. You should have watched a couple of episodes, you numbskull." No doubt a character for this season, it stands to reason that Jean-Robert may be "highlighted" regardless of any longevity. Jeff's lengthy commentary about Jean-Robert's "strategy" does indicate that he is there a bit to implement it; however this could also be a first episode confessional which Jeff thought was interesting that may go nowhere. It's a tricky strategy since often those who do not "pull their weight" may get booted immediately and it appears that Jean-Robert may have woken up to this realization and adjusted accordingly. Jeff though does not necessarily give off a "vibe" that all this characterization about Jean-Robert is short lived. The fact that Jeff mentions he “started realizing” tends to make me think that he may be there a bit but regardless, I am sure Jean-Robert will be a frequent face to the viewers despite how well he does" AARON REISBERGER (32, Surfing instructor, restaurant manager, not married) Jeff says: "Aaron is a threat. He's a charming, good-looking guy, and he's got a side to him that's cold like steel. He's a bartender and he told us that he sizes up people fast to get a bigger tip. He'd tell you one thing and there was always something else going on. He's the guy who could be playing everybody." Young, strong males always tend to be a harder call as they tend to fare rather well until merger occurs then they are as obvious as a bulls eye on a dartboard. Normally, they have few problems lasting until that time. I also would have no problem believing that he may find the likes of Amanda attractive as well. As long as this tribe is winning challenges, Aaron should not have a problem although it would also not be surprising should there be some "ego" clashes between himself, Jean-Robert and perhaps James vying for that alpha male role JAMES CLEMENT (30, grave digger/burial service owner, not married) Jeff says "He is without question the biggest guy we've had on this show. He's actually a gentle giant, a very decent guy who works extremely hard. But if you rile him up, he'll let you know what he's thinking. Nothing to indicate any immediate problems and with Jeff's opinion that he is a "gentle giant." James may be exactly what this tribe requires should there be personality issues brewing. No doubt his physical stature will provide an asset but again all strong males should be wary come merger time. Nonetheless, I see nothing to indicate James would go anywhere early on. TODD HERZOG (22, flight attendant, openly gay Mormon) Jeff says: "Todd is a Survivor superfan who's wanted to be on since he was 14. Next to Courtney, he's probably the smallest person here. He's what you look for — a great personality who knows how to play this game." and "This kid couldn't drive when we started. He did know the game. It's because he's been watching since he was a kid. I'll tell ya, in his case, it pays off. He knew going in how to start the game. He had a game plan how an alliance best worked and how you worked people" It will be interesting to see how someone with Leslie's background and Todd get along and with the makeup of the tribe, I see Leslie getting the short end of the stick. Both Courtney and Amanda may strike up a friendship with Todd not only based on his affable nature but it always helps to have one male on the "girl's side" Considering Todd is with three "manly men" he may bond with the women. Jeff's positive commentary that Todd's strategy pays off would indicate that Todd is around for a good portion and while my comment may appear stereotyped, gay men do tend to bond with the women and are not perceived as threats by the men. *THE ZHAN HU (FIGHTING TIGER) TRIBE* STEVE "CHICKEN" MORRIS (48, Chicken farmer, single parent) Jeff says: "They don't make a lot of guys like Chicken anymore. He's an old-school, hardworking guy who knows what it is to build a shelter, get firewood, build a fire, try to catch fish — and then have lunch. If you put him around people who aren't his age and don't have his work ethic, he doesn't understand. He's going to have to adapt and it's not an easy task." Chicken, while no doubt a “character” just by his look alone, may have a big problem early on. He is the eldest and from what is stated, appears to be somewhat shortsighted in the art of “adaptation” which is a big no no in Survivor. Work ethic is appreciated on this show however we have seen the likes of hard workers getting booted despite how much they may contribute. Social skills and adaptability are much more valuable than work ethic; I do not have high hopes for Mr. Chicken although I’m sure he will be highlighted as well. DAVE CRUSER (37, bartender/former model, single) Jeff says "Dave is crazy. To his credit, he's a workaholic but sometimes to a fault. He fully embraces The Art of War from a strategic point of view — like, how to work with his tribe. Dave jumps out in the first few days and he's a delight to watch in his zaniness. You'll remember Dave for sure." I would hope and suspect that if we are to remember Dave for sure, he should be there for a bit although Billy will always be remembered and he was not there that long. Dave sounds like he will certainly be memorable and Jeff’s take matches the fun smile on Dave’s face in his photo shot. Dave may be someone who helps keep the long hours from feeling too long and that is worth a lot on this show. Again, social adaptation is key to survival on Survivor and Dave appears to have what it takes along with having a keen awareness of strategy. He also is at a good “age” where he is old enough to bring an air of leadership but young enough to not appear out of the loop. However, it stands to reason again that any strong male is a contender for a potential problem as merger comes around as well. PEIH-GEE LAW (29, jeweler, single) Jeff says "Historically, Peih-Gee's qualities don't bode well. She's quick with an opinion and she's got a lot of them. But Peih-Gee is a player — she's smart and knows how to work with people even though she may have no idea what they're saying behind her back. She understands you can be bossy and make it work." Interesting summation about Peih Gee. Jeff indicates that “historically” her persona would not bode well yet couples it with her being astute enough to make it work. This seems to indicate that while Peih may not be a favorite on the island, she is savvy enough to get out from under her own pitfalls. We may see a very manipulative young lady which is always fun to watch. She, at the very least, sounds like someone who will work very hard to play the game ASHLEY MASSARO (28, WWE SmackDown Diva) Jeff says "Ashley is definitely fit. She told me in casting, ‘On a daily basis I get thrown from 15 feet in the air and land on my back. I think I can push some coconuts around. Put me on the show.' She's strong and she's mouthy and she spends a lot of time running around in very little clothing." and “Ashley, I think, certainly it's a platform for her but for us, it was a really good character when we met her. She is a ...crazy. She's altered her body in a way that it's hard not to notice her. She's got a wrestler's mentality when it comes to challenges. She's very physical. She said, "I make my living throwing people around. I love this idea." I am never one to look too deep into Jeff’s words initially (maybe just a bit ) but words such as “it was a really good character” makes me suspicious regarding her time on the island. While Jeff’s use of language may just be careless he is already speaking about her in a past tense. Be that as it may, Ashley certainly is anything but subtle and certainly a very strong looking female. I am not entirely sure how the women will feel about her based on her appearance and her personality and while Jeff also mentions other females with a strong personality, he never says that it “works” for Ashley like he says about Peih or that it could be appealing like Courtney and I do tend to put a lot of weight into how Jeff presents people ERIK HUFFMAN (26, musician, single) Jeff says: "Erik is a throwback to old-school politeness. When we cast him, Ethan went through our heads. He's humble, quiet and a nice guy. There was something refreshing about him being exactly what he said he would be." It is always nice to see a nice looking strong male who appears not to have ego issues so Erik may get along well with everyone. Jeff certainly does not indicate a trauma filled trek by Erik and his personality can sometimes go a long way. Considering who he is surrounded with I suspect Erik will be well received by many but again, generally speaking the strong young male is always vulnerable around merger time. SHEREA LLOYD (26, fourth-grade teacher, single) Jeff says "Sherea is a fish out of water here, but she's a fighter. She is another person who will tell you what she's thinking. Sherea and a few others made me see the beauty and power of announcing who you are and being that person, because that makes you identifiable." We appear to have many contestants with quite a lot to say; how this works out while living together remains to be seen. A fish out of water does not necessarily mean short term as we saw first hand with Cerie and I would at least suspect Sherea is there long enough to allow Jeff to form the opinion he has in his last comment about Sherea. However, one can’t look past that someone who is out of their element either physically or socially may not do that well long term. JAIMIE DUGAN (22, college student, single) Jeff says "Jaimie is a sorority girl and she's proud of it. The flip side is that's she's very bright. She speaks her mind and she actually makes some sense. She's very flirty, and she's good at it. I knew early on she was kind of the tribe mediator. She can hold her own — she's definitely not wimpy." Again, Jeff comments that while Jaimie speaks her mind, she makes sense. Compare again to Ashley and only that Ashley is mouthy, he never states a follow up to Ashley in that regard. Be that as it may, I’m not sure on Jaimie’s chances. I would suspect that if other females go before her it may only be because she has shown herself to be an asset physically. A proud sorority girl does elicit stereotypes to my mind and there may be some people on the island who aren’t too fond of that “type” There may be some “flirtation” in her strategy but time will only tell if that would work. Jeff mentioning also that "early on" she was.... seems a bit off to me. While he may be focusing on a specific situation that occurred where she had to play mediatator, I am suspicious that if that is what Jeff needed to comment on that this was the biggest part of her stay MICHAEL "FROSTI" ZERNOW (20, film student, parkour expert, single) Jeff says: "He's a good kid who brings something new. Parkour is a mix of gymnastics and martial arts. When we saw his tape, we thought he could just fly over some of our obstacle walls. We've never had somebody that had his kind of physical gift — he'll do a backflip when he's bored. And he's a sharp kid, too. He gets it." Indicative of someone who could be threatening but does not appear to be so which is always a good thing. He certainly appears to be a potential challenge asset and there may be an automatic “bonding” between himself and Peih by sheer virtue of their Asian culture. While this does not always necessarily happen, those with like cultures or other similarities often bond and provide useful to one another. Jeff’s words are not highly indicative of his standing but there does not appear to be anything to send up warning flags that he is an early casualty As always, I am looking forward to everyone’s additions and information that I may have missed and to a wonderful editing season.
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Snidget 44369 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-17-07, 11:42 AM (EST)

1. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

LAST EDITED ON 09-17-07 AT 11:45 AM (EST)
" Interestingly enough his principles were not only tested on men but women as well and while I am a true fan of the male species, the subtlety that seems to emanate from Sun Tzu's strategies may indeed favor a woman should the outcome of this season be immersed in this "theme" but that is yet to be determined."
It may well be interesting. Chinese philosophy often talks about the ability of the soft, yielding, feminine "Yin" energy to conquer the hard, aggressive, male "Yang" energy. One image to watch for that is commonly used as an example of this principle is that water is the softest and most yielding element, yet over time it erodes away the strongest stone. I study T'ai Chi and that sort of theory underlies a lot of the design of any of internal martial arts.
Chinese philosophy tends to use a lot of metaphors from nature (which could be used cinematically very well the way the Survivor editors edit nature) and that the only thing that is constant is change (which also fits with Survivor very well). That there could be a kidnapped person in every challenge cycle would fit in with adapting to the change rather than resisting it and using it to one's advantage very well.
ETF: grammer/clarity on a couple of sentances.

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Estee 57126 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-17-07, 12:31 PM (EST)

2. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Limited to just 16 players again, a two tribe formation and while still attempting to broaden cultural and racial contestants, it appears quite obvious that their foray into that arena is not their emphasis any longer.
If there's no tribe switches, I'm going to be suspicious.
If we get one solitary animal attack, I'm switching to paranoid.

First a massive coincidence of names, and then a sudden echo of format?

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-17-07, 02:06 PM (EST)

3. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Hello Veruca, it’s nice to hear from you again. For me, the Survivor season starts when you open your thread. I’ve enjoyed your opening remarks about the contestants and the themes and twists of the season. With the “Art of war” being all about deception and surprises such as “appearing strong when you are weak or weak when you are strong” we could be in for a good season.
Jeff said about China: "In the very beginning it's hard. It rained a lot and it was very muddy. I think maybe in the second episode one tribe comes back to their camp and its flooded out," said Probst. "Those kind of things are so demoralizing... It got off to a tough start... The difficulty was the heat and the rain initially. It was blistering hot... There was that, and the fishing was difficult, because these waters have to be fished a certain way and that does come into play. At a certain point there's a Reward Challenge that lets a family come in and show you how to fish."
We may very well see players with health issues. It would be surprising under these conditions that a strong player would get an early boot…but then again there seems to be some bossy people out there!
Probst added: “Reward Challenges allowed the cast to experience some of the cultural elements that the show's location has to offer.
"Viewers will get a chance to see things like the Great Wall; the Shaolin Temple where king fu was born; you'll go to this 1,000-year-old village," said Probst "In addition to this fun show and adventure, you're also going to get a little insight into the culture of China.”
Those rewards usually happen later in the game but if they change it up and do some cultural rewards early, we should note who gets the narration. Stacy and Sundra had their best confessionals on these occasions and those confessionals were the biggest clues to their longevity.
Do you think we should attach as much importance to the portrayal of the kidnapped players as we did to the exiled ones?

I’ve added some other quotes from Jeff on the players to start my own analysis and maybe add to what you’ve already read on them.
Fei Long
Denise Martin is one of the most endearing people we've had on the show in a long time
We don’t have much on her but I agree that she should last a few episodes for her likeability to come out.
Leslie Nease, right away is exposed as somebody who has a strong faith. The question is, will people manipulate her and her faith? Will she use her faith to manipulate others? Where is her line? Will she cross it to win $1 million?"
With the temple incident, doesn’t Jeff tell us right away that she’s unwilling to cross it? I don’t see Leslie lasting.
“Courtney Yates is one of the wittiest and negative people we've ever had on the show, and I really got a kick out of Courtney. I enjoyed her sarcasm, her extremely dry wit. She always had a comment about what was going on and it was almost always funny and simultaneously insightful. Her liability is going to be her size. Can she contribute anything worth keeping her around, or does she try to last long enough to where her size and liability become an asset because nobody thinks she can win so they keep her around? She's in a really interesting position on how to play the game. If I were her I'd just try to bury myself somewhere in the middle and hope I can make it so late that the combination of my personality and lack of physical ability will make me somebody you want to keep around. For me, Courtney was a delight because of her caustic personality."
Courtney looks like a narrator and, as such, seems destined to make the merge and then could fly under the radar. I’d keep my eye on Courntey for a long term player.
“Amanda Kimmel knows the game very well and totally gets how Survivor is played. She's playing to win. Amanda's somebody you look at and might think, 'Ah, she's a little like Amber Brkich. I'll keep her around until I don't need her anymore. Good luck.”
With that and her physical abilities and appeal, Amanda’s potential as a long term player seems high. If indeed the subtlety of the game favors a woman, I wouldn’t be surprised if she wins this thing.
"Jean-Robert Bellande is extremely confident, to the point of cocky arrogance. Part of that is his plan, part of that's his natural personality. In terms of somebody you want to have on a show, he's gold."
Jeff calling Jean-Robert a numbskull reminded me of his “feuds” with Jonathan in Cook Island. I don’t see Jean-Robert figuring in this team’s alliance and lasting long. He will be on screen often but I think his confessionals will be about his situation rather than a tribe narrator. That’s not what I see as a good sign.
“Aaron Reisberger” is very good at knowing what people need, and how to give it to them. That will keep a lot of people on his side. I also think Aaron is probably used to leading, and that will either really work well for him or kill him. But he's not a passive guy."
To be a leader, a player needs time to establish his position. He seems like the least threatening of this tribes big guys and could be the chosen leader by the “weaker” players. With Jeff's words that it could “kill him”, a bad surprise seems to be waiting for him!

“James Clement, the biggest guy and surprisingly, one of the most agile. I thought that James might be a guy who couldn't really stretch or move -- he was just all muscle -- but you see in the very first challenge, he goes up against 'Frosti', this young, hardcore kid, and they go head-to-head, and Frosti's got nothing on James. He will say whatever he's thinking at whatever volume he wants to say it. That was interesting and a bit of a liability for him out there."
All the use of past tense and talks about first challenges doesn’t bode well, as if that was all to talk about. I don’t see James as a first boot but, if this tribe gets a numbers advantage, James doesn’t fit in what I see as the alliance forming on this tribe.
“Todd Herzog knows what to expect. He knows the odds of it being a merge or a loved ones' visit or an auction. He can tell you based on what day it is what we're probably doing back at base camp. It's kind of scary how much he knew about the show. But he's a great storyteller -- and like Jean-Robert -- Todd is somebody you go to all the time because he always gives you something good."
When I speak of this tribe’s alliance, here’s the player who I think will be the gel, the one to make the bridge between the women and one of the strong guys. I could see him letting another appear as leader while he pulls the strings from behind the curtain. It's almost certain that Todd will be a narrator on this tribe and will go far, or else why the need to tell us he knows when the family visit is coming! I really think this guy has a good shot at reaching the end.
Zhan Hu
“Chicken's the oldest guy out there. That's the toughest thing for Chicken the first few days, figuring out the balance between being Chicken -- a guy who knows how to build a shelter -- and being this guy that's playing that needs to blend in with all these young people who only think they know how to build a shelter. That's his big struggle.
I don’t think he wins this struggle and is an early boot.

“Dave Cruser works to the point of exhaustion, then loses his mind, and continues to try and contribute. He's just zany enough to be entertaining and annoying if you live with him. But Dave has a big heart. The guy works so hard from the second he gets out there. He really wants to build something. He really wants to have a group of people. But he's a guy that is going to need to study 'The Art of War' early if he's going to stay long."
I read this and thought of Mike Skupin. I hope his end isn’t as painful. Nonetheless, I don’t see an end game for Dave even if his video seemed promising.
“Peih-Gee has a very strong opinion about everything, and that is going to be her biggest obstacle to get over. She can not not tell you what she thinks, and often it's negative, and often it's delivered in a negative way. What Peih-Gee has going for her is will power. She will not go away. You're going to have to really want to get rid of her to get rid of her. She'll stay on your heels like a puppy."
I originally thought she would be our first boot since we see a lot of her in the promotion and because of these words by Jeff. Veruca’s assessment troubles me but I still don't see a long term game from Peih-Gee.
Ashley Massaro's strength is going to be that she's a strong woman, and I think her liability is that she's one of the "divas" of the WWE, and that "diva" part of her is going to have to go."
There are no mention of Ashley being gold as we’d expect from such a strong personality. No mention of gameplans either. Ashley could be like Christian Okoye in Pirate Master, a star that doesn’t shine long.
“Erik Huffman, in Survivor, was definitely a follower for most of it. He just wanted to get along -- and I was a little suspect that there was maybe something else going on -- but his game was from the beginning, 'I'm a nice guy, and that's how I'm going to play it, and let's see how it does me.
The only Zhan Hu that Jeff credits with a gameplan. Could he be one that profits from the kidnappings and inter-tribe relations, the “crouching tiger” that, instead of fighting, surprises the others?
“Sherea Lloyd is left with only the cloths on her back. She quickly finds herself in her bra and her underwear and is not that comfortable. Then amazingly -- very quickly -- she begins to sort of embrace it. Sherea has a strong point of view, and she loves to talk about it. She loves to mix it up. She loves to go head-to-head with you about anything. It makes good television."
Sherea could be the narrator for Zhan Hu. As such, she could need time to embrace her new surroundings and to show that she makes good television with all the big characters we have. If so, then I’d say Sherea has to make the merge.
“Jaime Dugan factors into the strategy of her tribe quite a bit.”
This rather laconic comment from Jeff makes me think that Jaime makes the merge but then goes down when the game isn’t about tribes anymore.
“Micheal Frosti Zernow, in the very first challenge, he goes up against James and there's this huge wall and it was built with a rope that you're supposed to climb up the wall and pull yourself over. We thought, 'Okay, Frosti might skip the rope. It's a long jump, but he might go for it with his adrenaline.' Sure enough, he leaps off of a platform at this wall and pulls himself up. Right behind him is James, this massive guy who does the same thing. I thought, 'Oh my God, we have some athletes this season.' Between Frosti, James, Aaron, Amanda and Ashley, we've got some pretty physically fit people."
I don’t see anything specific to Frosti’s gameplan and not much on his personality other than being a sharp kid. We know he’s an athlete but what else? He isn’t presented as a long term players.
It seems that most of the narrators and players are in Fei Long. Except for Erik, I don’t hold much hope for our “Tigers”! Too bad, when I saw the tribe names, I was hoping for Fei Long to join the tradition of Pagong and Ulong. Of course, these are only impressions and the editing of the first episode could turn it all around! China is a land of tradition, isn’t it?

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
09-18-07, 03:41 PM (EST)

4. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

LAST EDITED ON 09-18-07 AT 04:30 PM (EST)
I've missed you guys since the crowing of Earl! I'm so excited to start in with you again! Good to see some of the regulars back again. It's my favorite place to go look to see what other die-hard fans are thinking about what the producers are trying to tell us.
Thanks for the insights so far and I think they're right on the money. Michal I also found some of Jeff's comments or lack of comments very telling.
With Frosti, there would be an easy comparison to Ozzy as a challenge maniac and possible person to go far with a little strategy. Jeff's not mentioning anything at all about his gameplay makes it seem as if Frosti won't make it far. I wonder if he'll be an easy target at merge time if he is a challenge maniac. I'd hate to go against him for individual immunity. His youth could very well play against him as well as he won't be as experienced at dealing with everyday "adult" conflicts.
I can't wait to see what Todd ends up doing. Jeff's comment about Todd knowing the odds of when late-game events occur tells us quite clearly that he makes it far in the game. I think VS is right on the money about him being able to sway over to the womens' side of camp and let the alpha males pick each other off first.
Just a gut after watching the clips and reading into Jeff's comments, I think Amanda is our winner. Her knowledge of the outdoors, athleticism and the pageant background personality could take her very far if all the planets align as they're supposed to. She has to be able to backstab while still smiling in pageants, so why should Survivor be any different? She should be able to compete well in challenges if she's so fit and her growing up in MT should make her afraid of nothing. This is no girly-girl here.
I could care less about Ashley. With all the previews highlighting her right now, it makes me think she goes early. They probably don't have enough of her for the rest of the season, so they have to draw in viewers in her market while they can.
Hope it's a good season.
How many of you have already started highlighting your new copies of "The Art of War", too? LOL! I got one at the library originally, then realized there was good stuff in it to quote later.

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Round Robin 2914 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Howard Stern Show Guest"
09-19-07, 08:21 PM (EST)

6. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Ashley might last longer than you think. One of the previews I keep seeing with her in it has her talking about her muscles wasting away from being out there, and I doubt that's something that would come up if she went in the first episode or 2. But her personality and physical prowess could make her a target if her tribe does well or if her tribe goes to TC and is expecting a merge to happen soon.

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mysticjay 28 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beauty Pageant Celebrity Judge"
09-19-07, 02:29 PM (EST)

5. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

I too am ready for another season of Survivor, and of reading this particular thread. Since I've heard that the season has been majorly spoiled, I am not going anywhere near the spoilor forum or any other internet websites. I want to see this season unfold for myself.
I've seen Jean-Robert Bellande play poker on TV, and his personality at the poker table is quite arrogant and rude. Thinks he's quite the lady's man too. Can't imagine he left all that home when he went to China...
Last season I got turned off by the luxury camp, and I'm afraid that colored much of my perception for the first half of the season. I am glad they are going "back to basics" for this season, and my goal is to remain detached from distractions, like the "haves" camp, and just watch the story being told.
Is it Thursday yet?

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architecturegirl 227 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
09-21-07, 10:34 PM (EST)

7. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Hello all! Welcome back to what looks like it will be a good season of Survivor! I didnt do much pre-season research and I agree - I'm going to try to stay away from any and all spoilers this season.
Just a few quick first impressions of the episode now, I'll post more on Sunday when I have some time. I had thought I'd really like PG, and I was a little turned off, but I have a feeling she's going to stick around for a while, and I hold out hope that I'll still end up liking her. I think Ashley got herself a one way ticket home writing PG's name down though - those two will go head to head (PG will NOT let that one slide - LOL!) and I just dont see Ashley winning that one.
I LOVE both James and Denise - neither of which I expected to. I dont think either of them are going anywhere soon. Look at the disparity between Denise and Chicken's edits - he got the hick with an attitude edit and she actually got a very soft, yet not dumb edit. She appears to perhaps be a likeable version of Twila? That could get her really far.
For all of Jeff's liking her - Courtney got a seriously disrespectful attitude edit. She could not possibly win in my opinion based on her mocking the monk at the beginning. I may eat crow on that - perhaps she could be a hated winner like Jenna?
The other person I wanted to comment on is Todd. I like him, but I worry that he seems to be coming in to play hard and his knowledge of the game IS his strategy - Brian anyone? I think it may be his downfall.
I am VERY excited that we seem to have a back to basics season AND a back to basics opening credits! I am psyched to get into analyzing the opening credits - I think there is a LOT to be found in there this season. Of quick note - how more arresting could the shot of the cobra striking right before chicken's shot have been? Guess we already saw that come to fruition! Also - Fei Long's group shot is of the marooning - should be the kiss of death for all of those members, unless we have a tribe switch, and then that gets a little murky (i.e. Danni).
Well I'm looking forward to a good season and analyzing it with all of you!

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-22-07, 01:25 PM (EST)

8. "Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

The Survivors went from Shanghai to the Buddhist Monastery in what was a journey through space and time. After the initial welcoming ceremony, Zhan Hu and Fei Long made their way to their flags. In the “Art of War”, that would correspond to:
The Army on the March
In that chapter , when it comes to the question of encamping an army, Sun Tzu says:
“Camp in high places, facing the sun.
All armies prefer high ground
to low and sunny places to dark.
If you are careful of your men,
and camp on hard ground, the
army will be free from disease
of every kind, and this will
spell victory.”
I wonder if Survivor will use “The Art of War” in its editing pattern (coincidentally, the book has 13 chapters) but this episode was a study in the contrasting methods of making camp. It was easy to see which tribe would earn immunity if we follow the rule that making a good camp spells victory.
Zhan Hu was shown unable to unite and build that shelter. Many camera shots showed that they were encamped on low ground, next to marshes and puddles of mud. Those shots were often taken from ground level as if to reinforce our impressions of their poor camp. The players of Zhan Hu were miserable and Ashley became sick.
Fei Long was shown to work well on the camp and seemed much better equiped to face the challenge even if Jean-Robert told us that he hadn’t slept.
For a tribe that wasn’t going to tribal council, we still had quite a lot of information on Fei Long. For one thing, we made the voyage from the temple to the site of the battle in Fei Long’s boat.

Courtney didn’t waste time making an impression. Those shots of her impatience in the monastery, when the Buddhist monk had to correct her, couldn’t go unnoticed. Some will see her as being disrespectful of the culture, others will see it as a funny sequence of her acting like a frustrated child. Her confessional showed her impatience: “I’m a waitress from New-York city, dude. Do you think I know how to do any of this stuff? I’m not trying to be a monk here. I’m tired; I want to go sit back with a lemonade, I don’t wanna be like bowing 37 times. We bowed for like days, I swear to God.”
In camp we saw just what Jeff meant when he described her as one of the most negative person they’ve had. We saw her having many double-takes and eye-rolls at what she heard, especially when it came from Leslie. She confided: “I don’t mean to be irritated. I seem to be marooned in a land of flight attendants and Sunday school teachers. Like, come on! I live in the city. People who live in New-York don’t act like this. This is like my own private hell. It’s exactly the kind of people who I don’t like, who are like: (Courtney takes a perky tone of voice) ‘everything’s always great. Isn’t it amazing? You did a good job of that’!” A mocking thumb’s up gesture completed her rant. At least she participated, even if only half-heartedly, in the team’s motivational scream.
The impression we got from her was that she will have problems fitting in but I saw a few occasions when other players came to her. The first shot of Fei Long celebrating immunity was between her and Aaron with Aaron walking across the platform to give her a hug even if he had closer teammates. One can seriously doubt how far Courtney can go and see her early presence as nothing more than using a weird character. Lisi and Cao Boi come to mind. I’m still considering Jeff’s words, the conflict that was set up with Leslie and a possible alliance with Aaron, the leader, to say that she may last in this game. She would make quite a narrator if she stays but if she does, she’s not likely to win. I presume that the winner of Survivor: China will have embraced the Chinese culture. Courtney’s probably already unredeemable in that department.
Todd was on our screen when Jeff introduced the “Art of War” by saying it was the greatest book on strategy and would be useful. He was also the one that took the document from Aaron’s hands. How much will he use it? ( For what it’s worth, Leslie and Ashley also looked ready to accept the help while Sherea seemed amused by it.)
From his introduction video, Todd appeared to be a player who wanted to stay in the shadows. He was put on the spot immediately by Jean-Robert. He answered the poker player by telling him: “I really want to be here…I will do whatever to stay…Could you not tell other people that you think I’m sharp.”
That exchange could’ve been the first step in setting up an alliance but Todd told us in confessional: “Jean-Robert was very right. I will do whatever I need to do to win that million dollars. I can’t have someone walking around, saying ‘Watch out for Todd.’ I’m saying watch out for Jean-Robert now. I’m here to win a million dollars. A million dollars…That’s a L-O-T of money!”
Todd, starting on his narration duties, told us that: “We are getting a lot accomplished with our shelter. We are a good tribe, we get along great. We work well together.” During his confessional we saw just how well the tribe was handling the job. Todd seems to know how to get a good edit!
Todd got along nicely with Aaron, proposing he should take the role of commander that the “Art of War” described: “Aaron’s a very strong player. I’m very smart in trying to push the leader role onto Aaron because I don’t want to take that position but also to keep him close to me. I want him to trust me.” Todd was trying to get in the shadows but we saw James looking on with interest when Todd proposed Aaron as leader.
Todd had a very nice introduction episode. Being the smallest guy on the tribe could put him in danger pre-merge but his tribe has bigger guys than Zhan Hu and that can help. Fei Long could lose one without compromising their advantage. If he does become the Fei Long narrator, his road to the merge and beyond should go smoothly. I expect Todd to make it very far.
Jean-Robert was shown as someone who plays his cards with less care than Earl, last season’s poker champion. Exploring the camp site, he confronted Todd, wondering if Todd was really a flight attendant. “You seem like somebody who’s like a little devious to me. I like you but I don’t know…I know you’re sharp.” His tactic, if that can be called a tactic, was explained in confessional: “I’m a professional poker player and one of the strengths I have is an ability to read people. My conversation with Todd was deliberate. I wanted him to know, listen, I know that you’re the clever guy. I’m on to you, don’t come this way and we’ll be alright.” Is that what Jeff alluded to as Jean-Robert’s (JR) tactic of starting out like someone who isn’t liked only to turn it around later?
I still doubt that Jean-Robert has a good future in this game. In another contrast to Earl, we didn’t hear JR saying that Todd’s cleverness could be useful, just as Yau-Man was. JR is the expendable big guy that Fei Long could get rid of if they get a numerical advantage.
Aaron took the lead of Fei Long well before Todd proposed him for the job. From the start, Aaron grabbed the map and the document from Jeff and headed out first of the temple area. Aboard their boat, when Leslie asked if anyone knew what to do, Aaron answered: “Lets just all calm down and take it nice and easy so we go straight instead of spinning in circles.” He was taking it all with a smile. We didn’t hear anyone comment he was being bossy.
During the ride, Aaron had a confessional telling us: “We’re on this lake in the middle of China. We have no idea where we are. It’s like rice paddies and tropical rain forest. I don’t think my tribe, for the most part, knows what’s going on…/…I see myself as the leader but I try to do it as subtly as possible. I don’t want the target on my back.” This confessional was actually filmed on two separate occasions: Aaron had a buff on his head during the leadership part that was absent during the first part. This could be the first sign of a manipulated edit. Despite mocking the tribe’s haplessness, his confessional had a positive tone so that’s something important to note.
It was another good sign for Aaron that their trek to camp went apparently smoothly and ended with a “Home, sweet home”and a “We’ve got a pretty good team.” We were shown that his leadership was effective when any little detail could’ve shown it differently.
Aaron was the only person shown reading a passage from the “Art of War”: “The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerety, benevolence, courage and strictness.” He officially accepted the role of leader that Todd presented him by saying: “It feels weird but I think I can do it.” Aaron told us: "Being in the leadership role, it’s not someplace that I want to be. But leadership is going for it. I’m ready but I’m nervous." It seemed even wiser when he ended the discussion by saying it should be a democracy.
Aaron received a very positive edit. He leads what appears to be a very united tribe, despite JR’s antics. The previews showed that those two will be in conflict next week. How the tribe comes out of it could tell us how well it makes it to the merge. Considering there could be a twist (or a mutiny!) we have to say that, for now, Fei Long appears like a power-house and that suits Aaron’s game beautifully.
Leslie’s story started early when she couldn’t complete the Buddhist ceremony. She explained herself to Jeff: “I have a relationship with Jesus-Christ and the only time I’m gonna put my face on the floor is for him…It felt like worship.” When Jeff asked if she’s worried it could impact the next 39 days, she was honest: “I’m really not. I’m just gonna play the game and be me. If they like me, great. If they don’t, you know, I’ll deal with that.” Even if her talk of religion drew a weird look from Courtney and could be a signal there’s going to be friction between these two (as if we didn’t see that coming!) it may help her integrate with the rest of the tribe.
In camp, one of the first scenes was Leslie commenting on the rain: “The Big Guy upstairs is providing.” That also got a snarky look from Courtney.
We saw Leslie getting close to a different big guy. “I’m worried about James because he’s very quiet.” She talked with James and took the time to listen and see that he needed help socializing. She offered some smart advice by saying: “You be you and we’ll be fine…Ask people questions because they love to talk about themselves.”
Leslie will have a confrontation with Courtney and I think only one of them will make the merge. Leslie appears to have more natural allies than Courntey but it’s too early to tell for sure. Right now, I don’t see her coming on top of that confrontation.
James was easy to notice. His work ethic was quickly appreciated by the women. (It probably wasn’t the only thing that was appreciated!) When Leslie asked him how he was doing, he simply answered by raising his thumb. He was called “Superman” by our radio host who seemed to like him.
This gentle giant knows he’s in a strange situation. To Leslie, he said: “I bury people. I know I could be more sociable and charming.” To us, he confided: “I like that work because I’m by myself. That’s part of my problem over here now. The whole initiation of the social thing, talking and trying to strategize, that’s going to kill me. I’m gonna have to be hustling, pull out the challenges and make them love me.” From then on, James and Leslie were often seen standing together.
We saw James’ surprised reaction when Aaron was proposed as leader. It seems our giant is attentive to newly forming alliances. Will he want in or will he fight for Aaron’s position?

At the start of the challenge, I smiled at the shot of him cracking his neck as Jeff asked “Survivors Ready?” That was a new response to one of Jeff’s tired clichés. His performance during that challenge was impressive, especially coming on the heels of Frosti saying that he was fast, that his training made him an expert at climbing and going over obstacles. James didn’t need training to dominate the course and his opponent. In the cacophony of the challenge celebrations, I heard a couple of distinct “Way to go, James!” He deserved the idol Jeff handed him.
James has valuable skills to stay for a while but his story seems more of someone growing as a person by improving his social skills and getting the love he hopes for. Finding that in a game like this would be something. Maybe not as valuable as the win but something of value still. As far as his worries of fitting in, nothing beats winning challenges!
Amanda was the first player shown during the train ride but she had a very limited role in this episode. We saw her as the first participant in the welcoming ceremony, embracing it with a smile. We heard her first comment on how good she thought her tribe was: “I’m so happy to be a Fei Long member. I think James and Aaron are two of our strongest members. I think we’re going to be a power-house in challenges.”
In camp, she hung around Leslie and she talked with Todd about his job and found it cute. Even if it came from off screen, it appeared to be Amanda that suggested they read the “Art of War” before the challenge. She was the one shown on screen when Aaron read out the qualities of the General, maybe hinting at things to come. Amanda could be in the middle of any (or many?) alliance on Fei Long.
It’s good for James and Aaron to be talked about positively by someone else but it’s also good for Amanda to be the first spokesperson of Fei Long. It gave her a small but positive introduction to the viewers. We certainly saw a lot of her smiles. Hearing many players talk of needing to use subtlety to achieve leadership could be a good sign for a woman who had a very subtle edit. Especially since the only woman involved directly in leadership talk, Peih-Gee, was not subtle at all!
Denise had a touching introduction, being shown crying while reading letters on the train. We then heard her during the welcoming ceremony: “To be in a temple like that…what a great experience. It made me cry, to tell you the truth. It was very spiritual, it was very emotional for me.” Denise got the first “cultural” type confessional. It should be remembered to see if a pattern emerges. We’ll see more from someone Jeff describes as “one of the most endearing Survivors ever.” We didn’t see much more from Denise except for her fall during the maze part of the obstacle race.
Considering she received the only negative comment from Jeff during Fei Long’s run of the obstacle course and her limited airtime, Denise’s long term status remains in doubt.
Fei Long had a solid start and they were shown understanding the Art of Survivor better than Zhan Hu. The portrayal of this tribe was much more positive. It’s not enough to claim this early that the majority of players from this tribe will make it to the end, even less that the winner comes from this tribe but their prospects look much more promising. I know ArchitectureGirl sees less promise due to their opening credit sequence but there could be exceptions!

Zhan Hu were dubbed the lazy, love tribe which isn’t what you want if editing history means anything.
Peih-Gee had a good introduction “Being Chinese, it’s so amazing, coming to do Survivor in China. My grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago. He would have gotten such a kick out of seeing me here, doing this.” It made us notice her and share her emotions.
The next chapter of her story changed somewhat as she became bossy. It started with all the looks she gave Ashley. That was still understandable, considering the Diva’s actions: “I think I’m on the lazy tribe” Peih-Gee confided. “Half the people want to stand around and talk about the most ridiculous stuff I’ve ever heard. I cannot connect with the whackiness out here. I mean, I could probably at home but here…I feel like I’m so serious.” Her negativity increased when she dealt with Chicken who, had he been handled correctly, could’ve been her best ally, the least lazy anyway.
Even the challenge aftermath was more an occasion for Peih-Gee to complain about Chicken. “We have so much work to do” she said in tears as she addressed her defeated tribe. She confided: “We are not going to win any challenges if we don’t have a decent shelter. It’s hard out here, moreso than I imagined.” From there she mainly argued with Chicken who wouldn’t give an opinion on anything. Her attitude didn’t impress Ashley.
Peih-Gee received Jeff’s first TC question: “I thought this would be a piece of cake but there is mud everywhere. Trying to build a shelter is hard because we don’t have the proper implements.” She also raised her arm along with Dave when Jeff wanted to know if anyone was ready to step up as leader. (2 leaders is never good!) “It’s hard because you don’t want to be bossy and you don’t want to tell people what to do. On the other hand, somebody’s got to do it because, if it doesn’t happen naturally, you’re gonna die out here.”
Having a balanced story is a good sign but not when the changes happen so quickly during a single episode. That could be a sign that there isn’t much time to spend on Peih-Gee.
Dave, at first, was shown working a bit on the shelter but mainly, Dave was shown “making noises” and laughing with the one’s Peih-Gee termed whacky. His first real intervention was to comfort Ashley. That scene was to show us how ruthless Dave can be because he followed comforting the Diva by telling us: “I thought Ashley would be a stronger person considering her profession and her demeanor but if Ashley’s health stays the same, Ashley’s going first.” That wasn’t a very positive introduction for Dave.
His role in the aftermath of the challenge was more positive. He comforted a crying Peih-Gee and told the tribe to stand united: “We are still a complete tribe. I’d like to see us function as such. We have unfortunate business to do, tonight. It sucks.” He later talked with Chicken telling him he wouldn’t vote him out. Dave explained: “Chicken is the oldest guy. I have nothing against youth but in this kind of environment, I think we could have a little more experience in our tribe right now. I want our tribe to be strong and it’s time to make stuff happen.”
Dave didn’t hesitate to claim the leadership role that Jeff put up for grabs: “We don’t have time to mess around. I did not want to step into this position at all. But if I don’t step up and kick someone in the butt to do something, I don’t know what’s going to happen but I will step up and do what I can and get this tribe together and proficient and focus on the challenges.” His vote was intended to “trim the least productive people out of it.”
With his last words at TC and his vote against Ashley, one can wonder if Dave has already made a fatal mistake. Ashley, by her vote and her reactions to Peih-Gee, would’ve been one of Dave’s followers. Now, can they work together? The previews aren’t promising. What is a leader without followers?

Ashley, despite having the dumb idea of wearing heavy boots at a meeting with Jeff, started out having fun, telling everybody she had the greatest job ever. (At least she’s not pulling a Gary “Hawkins” on us!) She also showed she was concerned about the shelter as she was the first to butt heads with Chicken over the pieces of rotting wood they had found. She had a positive outlook when she told everybody that “We’re going to have a great shelter.”
Ashley’s first confessional showed her in fighting spirits: “I wrestle for a living. I think that it prepared me a great deal more for this game. There is a competitive nature that you have in the locker room. That’s a great positive that I’m going to have going into this game. I don’t want to go home a loser because I know my fans are going to want me to win.” For fun, she started to dance with Sherea and Jaime under the disapproving gaze of Peih-Gee
We were shown that Survivor is tough by how quickly Ashley went from the life of the party to being completely knocked off her feet. “My first night was pretty rough. I was soaking wet all night. I have chills, like really bad. I have to stay in the game…I hope it passes.” Dave saying she wouldn’t be on the block just for being sick may have helped but we know those words weren’t sincere. (Does she know who voted against her?) At least she had recovered sufficiently to carry the tribal flag out of camp.
Ashley observed Peih-Gee in camp after the challenge and she didn’t think a leader should cry after a challenge loss. She wanted to get the discussion focused on the boot options but her discussion with Erik and others led nowhere.
Ashley was surprised when she was called out at TC for not working. When asked by Jeff if she fit in, she had to concede: “I did for a while but now that I hear everbody speak freely, I feel like that if you broke it down per day, I mean, I was throwing up, I was laying down, and felt like I was going to die. If you put that into the equation, then I would be technically the one that’s done the least amount of work but I don’t think I should be judged on that.”
During her day 2 sequence, the camera made us feel her misery. Was it to humble her or to make her more likeable? I'm leaning for the former but we should be able to see in the next episode whether she will come out of it positively or not. For now, she’s an outsider and that’s never good.
Frosti got the first confessional about the new tribes. Right after Jeff named the members of Zhan Hu (Is it a bad sign that it sounds like Janu?), Frosti told us: “From the get-go, I saw we were a pretty strong team. I’m the smallest and the youngest guy out here, so I gotta prove my worth.”
As soon as he heard the tree mail, Frosti decided it was time to start proving his worth by telling everyone that he’s good at running obstacle courses. He confided: “I’m a parkour performer. Parkour is basically what is the best, fastest, most efficient and safest way to get over anything…Whatever it takes. I gonna use my skills to do whatever I can to get my team over that finish line first, to win.” (Draw-bridges probably aren’t part of parkour training.)
Frosti’s story was, just like Jeff’s initial words, only about this challenge. It can’t be good that he lost it for his team.
Sherea was almost ignored in this episode except to tell us how she was out of her element. That was easy to see with her going through the jungle in high heels! “I’m a southern girl but I’m not an outdoorsy girl. It’s so disgusting, so nasty. It’s way harder than I expected.” We’ve had players confide that they were out of their elements before, most notably Cirie, but in Sherea’s case, her confessional was more of a lament than an embrace of the experience. Cirie laughed at her own shortcomings, not so Sherea.
Her mood improved slightly when we saw her dancing with Ashley but that doesn’t make for a less nasty camp. Prior to TC, Sherea discussed the boot options with Jaime, bringing it down to the bossy Peih-Gee and Chicken.
Sherea wasn’t really part of the story in this episode but she wasn’t even hidden enough to say she may have a growing arc. We saw her weakness, we heard her complaints. That isn’t promising at all.
Erik was shown in some sequences but never really heard except as Ashley’s confidant regarding her vote against Peih-Gee. He was dragged out of anonymity by Jeff’s question at TC about each player’s work: “I think contribution is huge. Especially now that we realize how hard it is to build a shelter. I think we are going to have to hold each other accountable.” (Good thing Jeff wasn’t talking about contributing to good TV scenes.)
I don’t have much hope for Erik after this episode. We’ll have to wait for another episode or two but if Zhan Hu is going to visit Jeff often, he needs to find a way to get out of that tribe and make deals with the other side.
Jaime didn’t really appreciate the Buddhist tradition of leaving wordly possessions behind since it meant she didn’t have a bra. Except for saying she wanted to go search for supplies, we didn’t get any other story line from her. We didn’t hear from her at TC either even if she could’ve been considered another of the weak ones.
For a player on a tribe that went to TC, Jaime was never more than a spectator instead of a true participant. That’s not a good sign.
With Chicken having the first confessional, we can’t use the tool that had proven useful the last 2 seasons. (Damn!) In those seasons, the first confessionals were done by players who lasted far into the game. Will the first to appear on screen be the first to go? Before the first commercial break we saw, in order, Chicken, Peih-Gee, Denise, Courtney, Leslie, Frosti and Amanda. Only Amanda and maybe Courtney appear to have long term potential. Will Zhan Hu be cursed by Chicken’s words and visit Jeff over and over again?
While I don’t know if the next episodes will be edited to borrow a theme from the”Art of War”, we can forecast that the startegy book will be a central theme of the season. With Sun Tzu putting such emphasis on the Commander, the General, I don’t expect we will have a hidden winner. Of the first players to step into the role of the General, Aaron, Dave and Peih-Gee, only Aaron was portrayed as the wise leader. We’ve already seen errors from the others.
Deception is so much a part of the “Art of War” that we can’t forget the leaders that work in shadows such as Chris or Rafe. If so, I think we’ll get very direct confessionals about the winner’s strategy so that we can point to that player and say he or she was the best commander. In that category, and reminiscent of Chris, Todd has already made a good impression by showing he knows how to play this game. Amanda is also in a good position and, if she has Rafe's smarts, could gradually take the forefront. Leslie has one follower in James but I doubt that she’ll find many more. In Zhan Hu, Erik could also qualify if he steps up in the next episodes.
I liked reading and comparing AG's take on the players and I'll be anxiously waiting for more opinions and posts.

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gekidasa 5 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
09-24-07, 02:30 AM (EST)

9. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

LAST EDITED ON 09-24-07 AT 02:31 AM (EST)
I've been lurking here for the past couple of seasons, and I just wanted to say that reading the analysis in this thread has become one of the highlights of Survivor for me.
That said, a couple of things stood out for me when I watched the first episode. In light of Veruca Salt's point about villains being manufactured and force-fed to us, I'm thinking that this is probably what we will see in Courtney's edit. Yes, she made bitchy comments, but it was always in confessionals, and in spite of the eye rolling, we didn't see her actually direct any of her snark at any contestant yet. Additionally, in spite of her comments, I got the sense that her behavior during the ceremony was maybe as likely to due to her really not knowing what do and maybe being a fidgety sort of person than actual contempt towards the ceremony. That's just an interpretation, but it's a little bit suspicious how quickly she's being established as someone unpleasant, which leads me to think she's being set up for the long run.
Another thing I found interesting was Frosti. Prior to watching the episode, from his CBS bio, I sort of expected him to be a second Ozzy. But after watching, from episode 1, Ozzy's prowess was always highlighted, while Frosti's introductory story was him building himself up as a great asset, but then not actually being enough to win it for them.
Finally, I think it's interesting to see Jean-Robert's edit, specially as compared to Earl's edit last year and the insistence on presenting Earl as a poker player. For all that Jean-Robert is a professional poker player, it doesn't seem like he'll be able to bluff his way through Survivor, to judge by the way it was highlighted that Todd is already one step ahead of him.

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CTgirl 8013 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-24-07, 12:49 PM (EST)

10. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

I am glad one of my favorite threads is back! I love seeing everyone’s views on the editing and the Survivor characters. I will leave spotting the long term players to Veruca, michel and others, but here are my impressions from the first show:
“The Art of War” as a theme with the backdrop of Chinese history and culture should make the editing really rich and symbolic. Thanks michel for posting that link. I was struck by two quotes about the strength of Fei Long, Amanda said “we’ll be a powerhouse in challenges,” and Todd said, “we are a strong tribe, we get along amazing.” Sometimes statements like that are ironic, but this time I think it’s a favorable mark on the strength of their “army.” Amanda said that they should read the Art of War scroll and we saw Amanda, Aaron and Todd studying it. We did not see the other team mention it. I wonder though, if Todd’s moving the leader spotlight to Aaron will come back and haunt him down the road. If the overriding theme is war, I would expect a leader to win.
Todd reminds me of Brian Corrigan, a real student of Survivor, although I can’t remember how Brian was edited in the beginning few episodes of Guatemala and how much screen time he got. Another similarity to Guatemala is the appearance of the monkey. The howler monkey was Judd’s symbol of overblown verbosity. Here it might be used as comic relief or a symbol not to take that Survivor too seriously. We saw a monkey in a tree when we heard Dave farting. I doubt we would've seen that clip if Dave becomes a successful leader. We saw a second monkey after Peih Gee said, “I feel so serious,” and then the camera panned back to her. Funny that these two are the self-proclaimed leaders of Zhan Hu!
I agree gekidasa (and welcome to the boards!) that Courtney's “villain” edit seemed a bit manufactured. We didn’t see her having any altercations with her teammates (yet) even though she rolled her eyes at them, and already lots of viewers dislike her!

Summertime by Sharnina

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gekidasa 5 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
09-24-07, 01:03 PM (EST)

11. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

LAST EDITED ON 09-24-07 AT 01:04 PM (EST)
Thank you for the welcome.
Hmmm... I personally think that so far they seem to setting up a potential dichotomy between real leaders and "puppets" or bad leaders. For instance, despite all agreeing that they need a leader, Zhan Hu's leaders are, as you say, self-proclaimed, and from the promos it seems that the conflict will start soon. On the Fei Long side, I think it was very clear that Aaron was being set up as Todd's pawn. I would think it might hurt Todd a bit if he made it to the end against someone that was perceived as a true leader, but isn't the Art of War also about strategy and scheming? In that sense I think he'll be fine.
At any rate, I think the real leaders in Fei Long will be under the radar, and let others take the spotlight, at least in the beginning.

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
09-24-07, 01:47 PM (EST)

12. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

LAST EDITED ON 09-25-07 AT 12:11 PM (EST)
LAST EDITED ON 09-24-07 AT 01:48 PM (EST)
Two things in this first episiode that caught my attention (along with many of the other ideas talked about earlier)...
In the challenge I noticed that Jeff pointed out, "Denise takes a fall for Fei Long!". Is that foreshadowing that she might be the first to go from her tribe? That may be digging hard.
The other thing that piqued my interest was Todd's proclaiming that he was going to win the million. Remember the last time we had a gay man proclaiming to win the million in the first episode of the season? Does anyone else think that this might be the producers telling us that Todd might be our winner?

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gekidasa 5 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
09-24-07, 01:50 PM (EST)

13. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

...I would love it if Todd was the winner.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-24-07, 01:57 PM (EST)

14. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

LAST EDITED ON 09-24-07 AT 02:00 PM (EST)
Hi CTGirl, your question about Brian's edit made me look back into the archives to see what had been said about him after episode #1. From Veruca's post:
http://community.realitytvworld.com/boards/cgi-bin/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=5982&forum=DCForumID2&archive=yes#26
"Brian gave off a vibration that was not positive and while we have those with the character editing of “villain” I’m not so sure how far he is going to get with it. Brian did not let us know with a nudge and wink of he is playing the game; he was mainly extolling his virtues..."
It didn't get better after episode #3 (post #72 in the same thread):
"Brian (after saving Lydia)"That was 100% me!” and “If Lydia went next, I wouldn’t throw a big fit about it, I’ll do anything to make sure it’s going my way”...Brian got shifted on us; we are NOT meant to root for him after this week. He has shown us in only a few minutes that he is arrogant and that his being such a dear person to Lydia was a farce. Last night’s shift clearly paved the way that Brian will not be an end player."
Todd didn't get that same negativity...at least not for now. We'll have to wait to see him in action before and after a TC to know a little more.
Hello gekidasa. Let me extend the welcome. Interesting points. I hope you stay out of lurking and post some more.

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CTgirl 8013 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-24-07, 03:05 PM (EST)

15. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

Thanks for clarifying that. I reread some of the posts from that thread and the one following. Our impression of Brian was much more positive at his ouster (which is what I remember of him) than in the beginning. Both Brian and Todd are Survivor Geeks and that Todd got a positive first episode edit bodes better for him.
I still feel that Todd moving the mantle of leadership onto someone else in front of the tribe is different from subtly maneuvering someone else into leadership. The tribe saw him verbally give up command. I skimmed parts of the Art of War, so from an editing standpoint, there is probably room to crown a leader or annoint a schemer. Regardless, Todd is going to be a fun player to watch.

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Whole Lotta Rosie 104 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson"
09-26-07, 00:02 AM (EST)

19. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

VS, Michel, etal. Good to see you this season. I rarely have much to add until we get to the Nash part of the game, but since it seems that NE and The Art of War have a great deal in common I thought I would get out to an early start. The General and an N-Tribe leader seem to have quite a bit in common.
Fei Long has been established, quite quickly, as in equilibrium with a solid leader. Zhan Hu has not.
Two items I noticed.
Todd’s nomination of Aaron just seemed a bit forced IMHO. I will have to watch it again. Maybe I just haven’t seen a tribe distributed that like before (Todd sitting and Aaron on the pious), but Todd’s comments seemed rehearsed and not natural. I can’t quite explain it but it is like the editors said this is the best shot we have to explain this so this is what we are going to do. Regardless, the scene just bothered me.
As who is the leader, this should prove interesting. From Michel’s comments:
Aaron: I see myself as the leader but I try to do it as subtly as possible. I don’t want the target on my back
Aaron took the lead of Fei Long well before Todd proposed him for the job.
Todd appeared to be a player who wanted to stay in the shadows .
It seems like Todd won out on this proposition, whether right or wrong we will see.
I am not going to play this out too much, because I think the concept of an equilibrium tribe versus a non-equilibrium tribe is a more important than the individual game play at this point, but it will be interesting to see how long Todd is able to play his initial role of puppet master. The ability to shift strategy under NE is always more important than a set strategy.
In contrast Zhan Hu is not a tribe at equilibrium. Just watching the episode would tell you that. I am really interested in the battle between PG and Dave that JP pointed out at TC. They have a lot of material they could have run and they chose this. Whether true or not this is has been edited as a two-leader tribe. This is bad. When Ulong lost, they were a leaderless tribe and they never won, in Amazon it took until Deena (?) took the leadership that they won. Until the PG/Dave (or others) leadership has been decided this tribe could face TC.
From Michel:
With his last words at TC and his vote against Ashley, one can wonder if Dave has already made a fatal mistake. Ashley, by her vote and her reactions to Peih-Gee, would’ve been one of Dave’s followers. Now, can they work together? The previews aren’t promising. What is a leader without followers?
This was buried in the editing, but on first impression Dave was the leader, but the votes went PG’s way.
A couple of other general comments:
I wonder if Survivor will use “The Art of War” in its editing pattern (coincidentally, the book has 13 chapters) but this episode was a study in the contrasting methods of making camp. It was easy to see which tribe would earn immunity if we follow the rule that making a good camp spells victory.
This is a great comment Michel. I would love to see this happen.
I disagree on Frosti to an extent, while he failed at the IC there were no unkind comments post IC. I thought the story was less about Frosti and more about James. James is a phenom, I was stunned by his ability. He could have a very interesting story, plus he has given us the greatest Survivor line of all time.
What do you do.
I dig graves.
Good seeing all of you out here. It should be a fun season.

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CTgirl 8013 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-26-07, 08:18 AM (EST)

20. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

You said what I meant:
Todd’s nomination of Aaron just seemed a bit forced IMHO. I will have to watch it again. Maybe I just haven’t seen a tribe distributed that like before (Todd sitting and Aaron on the pious), but Todd’s comments seemed rehearsed and not natural. I can’t quite explain it but it is like the editors said this is the best shot we have to explain this so this is what we are going to do. Regardless, the scene just bothered me.
It bothered me too. From kircon's Art of War thread: "Be subtle! Be subtle!" Todd wasn't being subtle.

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Gershwin 2 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
09-26-07, 07:23 PM (EST)

22. "RE: Episode #1: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

hello everyone
i have been reading this thread for several seasons now & thought i would finally post something thanks to all of you for all your wonderful analysis over the last several years.
my thoughts on episode one:
i got no clear sense of a winner, but i think the following characters probably have longevity:
Todd - that scene where Jean-Robert the poker player calls out the "devious" one was the best scene of the episode & is very good for Todd (not sure yet about Jean-Robert). He is also shown skillfully anointing Aaron as "the leader" and we get a confessional about how this was a deliberate strategic move. Art of War is a theme this year. Todd will be here for a long time.
Aaron - this edit already reminds me a bit of Aras. the good-natured charismatic leader. lots of confessional time.
Courtney - this could be like a Rocky edit - he didn't even make the merge, but was a major character until he left. lots of time establishing Courtney, pretty much in a negative/complaining manner, no "good" side to Courtney shown. Also though, nobody is shown talking about Courtney, even to complain, so I'm not sure of longevity with her. But she was highly visible.
Jean-Robert is a character i really enjoyed in Ep1. Not sure about his longevity, and it seems episode 2 will focus on him as an outsider (like Billy?) so we'll see how he's edited in the confrontation hinted at in the coming attractions & if he survives Ep2
James I think is a "journey" character who will learn to get over his shyness. should be around for a while but is not a serious player.
Lesley was also very visible, and all of the people I've mentioned so far were on the winning tribe and thus not part of this episode's storyline, so this one tribe may do very well.
the most positive edit on the losing tribe was in my view Ashley the WWE Diva, who we are meant to like. down and out early, but fighting through it, Ashley could be set up for a long journey. but then again the sickness was part of the main storyline, so may not have been such a manipulated edit. i also don't have much sense of how much of a "celebrity" she is and thus would be getting good camera time regardless.
P.G. is shown mainly to be bossy, but with a certain amount of depth to her edit. Seeing her crying in confessional could be good for her. But "bossy" is a horrible horrible tag in survivor. if P.G. gets through early episodes she could do well. it's possible she's being given room to "grow"
Frosti, "the youngest survivor ever" I get a good feeling about. he'll prove he "belongs." i love that the Parkour guy can't beat the gravedigger at scaling walls. it's a great old Survivor stand-by, originating with the chef who couldn't cook rice . . .
Dave is the alpha male here and should figure prominently in the next few episodes, though he will clash with Ashley, and perhaps Ashley will come out on top
Notable that on a tribe that went to tribal council there were two more or less completely invisible characters, Jamie the sorority girl and Erik the Nashville musician. They are not part of this season's story, and I don't think Sherea is either, though she was more visible.
So if I had to guess about a winner based on Episode one only, I'd say Todd or Aaron. But I think that this Episode One was much more subtle. Last season hit you over the head with Earl, Dreamz, Yao Man & Rocky right from the go. This one is spreading the wealth around & I found it harder to read in general. I was pretty sure P.G. was going at TC and Chicken surprised me, so the editing was effective during this episode for me. I enjoy getting surprised at TC! Though I should have known from the scene where Dave says to him "I'm not writing your name down, man" that Chicken was in trouble.

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buckeyegirl 5449 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-24-07, 05:39 PM (EST)

16. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

LAST EDITED ON 09-24-07 AT 05:45 PM (EST)
This thread is what keeps Survivor interesting for me...I may not always post in it, but I read it faithfully every week. As everyone pointed out, this seems to be a "back to the basics" season for Survivor...I couldn't help but think of how MB showed us past winners in Seasons 1 and 2...in season 1 there was Richard Hatch's million dollar quote, and in season 2 Tina Wesson was the only one on the losing tribe not to have a confessional at all. Which got me to thinking that the people who we should watch are Todd who had the money quote this season, Ashley who if I remember correctly said something along the lines of "she'd do anything it took to stay in the game." and Erik who I believe didn't say anything at all. I'd include Jaime in this as she didn't have a confessional either, but she did have a one liner at the beginning of the show, which makes me think that she may have more of a Zoe (from S4) edit.
Edited to add: I was going to add Sherea (sp) to the list of no confessionals, but she was shown in the challenge so that may not apply to my theory. I can't remember if Tina was shown around camplife or in the challenges or not during Survivor 2.

Spookingly made by ARnutz!Ghost by the Great IceCat!

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ohmyheck 1919 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Herbal Healing Drugs Endorser"
09-24-07, 06:41 PM (EST)

17. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

I think Tina was on the winning tribe during the first episode, because Kucha's raft flipped. I don't think Kel or Amber got a confessional that episode either.

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buckeyegirl 5449 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-24-07, 07:27 PM (EST)

18. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

You're right..I forgot about Deb compeletly...for some reason I always think of Kel being voted out first. I used the example of the non confessional because I remember Jeff or MB said that they handed us the winner in episode one with Tina not saying anything.

Spookingly made by ARnutz!Ghost by the Great IceCat!

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
09-26-07, 12:10 PM (EST)

21. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

First show, only Erik or Jaimie went without a confessional.
If it weren't for TC, Erik would've gotten nothing. I can't remember getting anything outside of confessionals from Jaime this episode.
As I counted confessionals this week, I noted that Frosti, Amanda, Aaron, JR, Todd, Dave and Ashley had confessionals that mentioned their strategy in one form or another. All the others were just talking about their experience or the tribe itself.
Chicken 4
Peih Gee 4
Ashley 3
The rest got less than 3 confessionals. Over the years we see more confessionals out of those heading out the door soon. PG and Ashley are well on their way.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
09-27-07, 11:08 AM (EST)

23. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

While I am disappointed in myself for being unable to post anything after the all important first episode, I am clearly very happy that it was entirely not necessary that I do so
I see some "new faces" have joined in and I am absolutely delighted and hope you continue to post. As for the old faces that I see every season, I see that all of you are as insightful and "on the ball" as always
It would be rather ridiculous to post any thoughts in my lengthy way on the first episode considering the second episode is tonight so I will wait until a bit further along and "revisit" the episode as I usually do.
Generally speaking, clearly we have identified those who are more likely than not are edited to be our "characters." Many times, they are not the ultimate victor; however, if fleshed out in more dimension, it is not unheard of. I noted a few "journey" contestants (notably James) and while probably there for the duration (so their journey can come to fruition) their "story" is more about a personal quest they accomplished in some degree. Our clinical players are often quite successful but it is yet to be determined if they are the last one standing. At this juncture, there were quite a few people who kick started their edit while others may need an episode or two to be fleshed out. Consistency is also the key in the edit while rollercoaster edits tend to reflect that person to be more there to make the viewing audience interested.
Looking forward, as always, for the next episode to air and the comments soon after

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
09-28-07, 02:26 PM (EST)

24. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

VS, I've been reading y'alls thread for a long time. You guys are amazing and do a fabulous job of catching the nuances. This looks to be a good season so far. Much better than last year already.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
09-29-07, 08:09 PM (EST)

25. "Episode #2: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

LAST EDITED ON 09-29-07 AT 09:06 PM (EST)
The recap gave a new, close-up view of the hug between Aaron and Courtney after the immunity win of episode #1. Jeff was heard saying an additional line at Tribal Council: “There’s your leader” as Dave raised his hand. He corrected himself as we went back to what we had originally heard: “Now you have two” when Peih Gee also went for the job. Todd was heard repeating his “I’m being smart to push leadership on Aaron”.
This episode introduced the twist imagined for Survivor China. The reward challenge would enable the victors to kidnap a member of the losing team. The idea had been used before in Pearl Island and in Cook Islands but this time, it had an added twist and we would see which players were best suited for:
The Use of Spies
Sun Tzu wrote:
”Hostile armies may face each other for years,
striving for the victory which is decided in a single day.
To remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition
is the height of inhumanity.
Hence the use of spies, of whom there are many types.
Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every
kind of business. If a secret piece of news is divulged
by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death.
The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be
tempted with bribes and comfortably housed. Thus they
will become available for our service.”

The episode started off in Zhan Hu who still appear to be oblivious to the teachings of the “Art of War”. No one has mentioned it yet. What was mentioned by Jeff, especially during the immunity challenge, was how the Tigers aren’t working well together, how they need to keep moving and how they need to get their act together.
Dave started exercising his leadership immediately. Even if everyone had mud up to their ankles, the first objective was to build a fire and even if the tribe hadn’t eaten, the fireplace needed to be just right: “The firepit has to be done right the first time. We can’t have any “oopsies” like we had for the shelter.”
In confessional, he explained: “Last night, the question of leadership came up. I raised my hand and said, heck, I’ll do it. I didn’t want the leadership role but instead of resisting things like that, especially with the people in my tribe, I think it’s actually better to embrace it.”
We saw the disapproving looks from his tribe, Peih Gee, Erik and Jaime in particular, as Dave opposed their suggestions for the location of the firepit: “I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. We’re moving forward. I don’t want to start belaboring that kind of stuff. It sucks out all the time and energy away from getting stuff done.”
To Jaime’s wish of finishing the job fast so that they could eat before the challenge, Dave told her she was wishing too hard. The camera shots taken from behind Dave showed us the wet, disheartened members of Zhan Hu. The scene was accompanied by the sounds of plaintive wind instruments. Despite Dave’s claim that “This is where it starts”, it told us that this team has reached its breaking point.
The next sequence at Zhan Hu had Dave continuing to butt heads mainly with Ashley who spoke for many in the tribe. “Right now, we have enough shelter so the priority now that we have flint is to build a fireplace. It’s an achievable goal and I want to keep the goals achievable.”
Jaime thought they’d do better with food in their stomach but Dave pressed on, rejecting her idea of making just a “baby fire.” Dave also rejected Ashley’s comment that nothing was being done properly: “Nothing here is wasted energy” he replied. “How many fire have you started, Ashley?” Dave was in a fighting mood. “Stop bitching” he told the Diva.
Dave’s strength wasn’t enough for Zhan Hu who lost the reward challenge. Where was he when JR was burying Ashley and James was manhandling Frosti? Was he tied up by Leslie? The camera didn’t show him, sparing his image.
Returning to camp afterwards was an occasion for Dave to gloat because, amidst the water that had flooded their camp, his fireplace had stayed intact. “It shows I had a sound idea and I’m glad I took the time.”
The Immunity challenge required a lot of energy to break down the two doors with the battering ram. Dave ran out of gas and his team lost again.
Back in camp after the last challenge, Dave apologized to everyone: “I let us down today because I lost my footing, I lost my rhythm and I lost my power. Thank you Frosti so much for stepping up.”
In confessional, Dave told us: “I feel really bad. We blew it today and I feel like I let the tribe down. I take full responsibility for the challenge today but at the same time, the last 6 days haven’t been about one challenge. It’s been day in and day out in camp, what you contribute and what your attitude’s like. I feel very confident about how things are going to go tonight. You reap what you sow and I’m pretty confident I’m not going.”
The conflict with Ashley flared up again at Tribal Council. With all the eye rolls that Dave had during that session, it seemed that Jeff’s “therapy”was designed for him! He learned that it wasnt only Ashley who had problems with his leadership because Sherea nodded her approval as the Diva was talking about his faults and Jaime added her own opinion. Dave shrugged when Ashley said her criteria was to vote Dave!
Something tells me that Ashley’s “I’ll be seeing you soon” comment was prophetic. (The first two exits have given us two of the best comments ever!) Dave is used as a character, a bossy know-it-all. He’s not shown as a long term player.
Peih Gee, after a very busy first episode, was relegated to a supporting role this week. Even if Dave rejected her opinion of putting the firepit close to the water supply, she told us: “Dave and I work pretty well together. We do it in different ways, we’re not being competitive like who can be like the leader.”
After some hesitation, she went with Dave regarding the firepit: “You have valid reasons for putting it over there. For me, if you have experience that it will work better over there, I’ll totally go with it. We’ve got a gameplan in place, we can figure out who’s gonna do what.”
She didn’t participate in any of the two rounds of the reward challenge. She tried to guide her team during the puzzle part of the immunity challenge but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Back at camp, she showed her support to Dave, telling him he did his best.
Peih Gee was smart to go easy on the leadership position. I noted that she isn’t part of the booting discussions and that’s something she shouldn’t leave to others. She could slip through the cracks and go far but she hasn’t shown any gameplan. We don’t get any sense that Peih Gee’s doing more than simply getting by for now.
Erik came out of his shell in this episode. He needed to if he was even to be in contention as a long term player. His first confessional told us: “Dave is kinda the leader, the top guy and Peih Gee is just below him. She’s kinda like the balance of power. Dave has a lot of good ideas but if someone questions it or if someone comes up with their own ideas, there’s the sense that he’s probably still gonna go with his idea. It’s gotten to the point where people are fed up and they look at Dave and start thinking he’s not a good leader anymore.” This confessional could be the first sign that Erik will be narrating the dynamics in his tribe, a nice role to have.
His presence wasn’t impressive in either challenge.
After the immunity challenge, we saw that he was in the deciding group of Zhan Hu:
Dave talked with Jaime and Sherea, revealing the core alliance: “If there is such a conflict between Dave and Ashley…If people are talking about Ashley for that reason, then it also makes Dave a target. If we have to pick between those two, you might pick Dave but I still see him as strong.”
Jaime countered: “He sucked at the challenge today. I just want to do whatever’s best for the team. You know the last thing we want is conflict on this team but if those two have conflicts, then we do need to remove one of them. Remove one and the other can stay around.”
Erik is sitting nicely with his allies, Jaime and Sherea. We saw that he was in a position to decide the way the votes went. His coming out episode still left much to be desired and if he makes the merge in a minority, those allies will not serve as shields.

Sherea avoided the conflict of the initial scene by remaining in the shelter. She used Ashley to hide her frustrations at Dave. She wanted to eat also and didn’t want to continue piling heavy rocks but didn’t speak out.
She gave what she could during the reward challenge but it wasn’t enough.
When Dave and Ashley argued about what needed to be done to salvage the camp, Sherea commented: “I do think that Dave is wrong in the way he talks down to Ashley. You can’t boss adults around too much without pissing them off.” It led to Ashley’s confessional about how “Dave is going to shoot himself in the foot. How he isn’t a good leader. He’s the most irritating person on the planet. He’s just SO Patronizing.” It seemed to reflect the tribe’s opinion.
After not saying a word during the discussion at camp, Sherea spoke up at TC: “I know we have a lot of work to do but personally, I haven’t enjoyed a moment since I’ve been here. I hardly know anybody here. I know Jaime, I know Ashley, I’m dying to know Erik a little better but the other three, I couldn’t even tell you their last names.”
When Dave objected that there was a lot of work, Sherea countered: “Did you not hear what just came out of my mouth. Never once have we sat down to know what we want to do with this tribe. How are we going to come together? How are we going to win?”
In the end, we saw how close she was to Ashley as she couldn’t hold back her tears and shot a dirty look back at Dave.
Finally, Sherea decided to speak up. Would it have been better for Zhan Hu if she had stepped up earlier? It couldn’t have been worse for the tribe except she may have been the one voted out. For now, staying away from conflicts is paying off but we aren’t given any ideas on her plans. This season, I doubt someone can win without getting their hands dirty!
Frosti tried his best during the reward challenge but he was no match for James.
Coming back to witness the natural disaster that had hit their camp, we were shown an image of a dead frog as Frosti commented: “It’s as if somebody had taken the water from all the oceans they could find and poured it right on top of us. On the plus side though, Dave’s inferno is still standing up.”
Again, Frosti was mainly a factor only during the immunity challenge. This time however, he almost saved his team when he replaced the staggering Dave.
At TC, Frosti gave Dave his due: “Dave has really stepped up. He was already giving some leadership type demands. At time, I fear he may be doing too much.”
In a tribe in such disarray, Frosti’s calm demeanor and strength is needed. The fact that Sherea included him in the persons she didn’t know tells us a lot about his inability to create bonds. That’s not good when you’re in a tribe that’s losing the numbers game.
Jaime, in Zhan Hu’s opening sequence, was also frustrated by Dave’s actions, especially after he shot down her suggestion that finishing the morning’s work fast and eating before the challenge would make the team rock.
Jaime stopped working on the firepit to tell us: “All I asked was to make a baby fire so that we could make a handfull of rice for everybody. Instead, we’re trying to build an elaborate BBQ pit. I’m not too thrilled about it.” She wasn’t more impressed with Dave when he doused her with mud as he dropped one of the rocks for the fireplace. She talked with Sherea and Ashley: “Don’t you think eating should’ve been our priority?” From then on, Jaime let Ashley deal with Dave.
Jaime tried her best during the reward challenge but she was overmatched by the Dragon’s power. Jaime was the player picked to be kidnapped by Fei Long.
I think the first kidnapping requires special attention so I’ll return to her edit at Fei Long below.
Back at Zhan Hu, Jaime was left warming the bench as the challenge format required only 6 participants. Her encouragements seemed to help Zhan Hu recover from their slow start out of the gates. They were slightly ahead at one point during the puzzle part. That was only an illusion though, the Tigers running into the same dead-end that had cost Fei Long the lead in the first place.
Jaime had the last confessional before leaving for Tribal council: “This thing between Ashley and Dave puts me in a hard place because Ashley is my friend but Dave is really a hard worker. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
At TC, Jaime tried to sugar-coat the situation by smiling at Dave and patting his shoulder as she said: “Dave is over the top trying to prove himself. You wake up and there’s already wood coming. I’m like: Slow down for a second. The tribe gets along well but these two ( she pointed at D & A) clash heads.” Turning again to Dave, she continued “sometimes it’s the way you phrase your demands, it might intimidate people.” She appreciated that Dave asked her to tell him when he’s going overboard.
While all those events were going on at Zhan Hu, we still spent a lot of time at Fei Long . It started right after the first commercial break, we left Zhan Hu and the rain behind. In Fei Long, the air was filled with a nice melody, the brook was slowly cascading and the whole tribe was happily working…the whole tribe? Well not quite! The jungles of China have been invaded by a noisy, lazy animal, Jean-Robert!
The scene that showed Jean-Robert snoring in rhythm with James hitting the bamboo sticks was very funny. This vain man being used mainly for comedic value showed he isn’t going to make it far in this game.
When confronted by Aaron, JR could only offer the feeble excuse that he hadn’t been sleeping. He added: “The wheels are turning here. Believe me, I can contibute probably as valuable stuff with my mind and as soon as we get food and water, I think you’re going to find that I’m able to contribute a lot more.” That got a dubious look from Aaron and a laugh from James. JR adding that “We have a great squad” didn’t appease Courtney or anyone else.
JR explained his “strategy” by saying: “I’m considered like one of the bad boys of poker and I am using a similar strategy in this survivor game. I want to give the perception that I’m a little bit lazy so that, later on, when I am contributing and putting in the work effort, people will notice it and say ‘Hey, this guy is doing beyond his normal capabilities.’ Eventhough it looks like I’m in trouble right now, it’s all part of the plan and it can only go up from here.”
JR did however perform well in both challenges even if Jeff never gave him much credit for his efforts.
JR doesn’t look like a true survivor. He’s a bluffer who got called by Aaron and he didn’t have the cards to back it up.
Courtney is asserting her hold on the narration of the tribe’s story. She’s still as negative as before but, this time, the audience could see that her rants were justified. Her imitation of Jean-Robert was quite funny.
She told us: “Jean-Robert, we all know, is the D student of our tribe. He won’t do anything. He gets up, and then instantly, has to go lie down because he is soooo tired!”
Fei Long winning the first two rounds of the reward challenge meant Courtney didn’t need to participate…and get wet. That seemed to motivate her cheer as much as the win! She also sat out the immunity challenge.
The audience could also agree that fighting in front of Jaime wasn’t the thing to do. Courtney was the one that said Fei Long should hide their plans and disposition: “Jean-Robert and Aaron got into a ridiculous b*tch-fight. Humpfff! In front of the spy?? Really? Are you just gonna give her a map of who doesn’t like who? I mean, could we have a little solidarity for two seconds while she’s here.”
Apparently not because the fight continued.
Courtney, for all her negativity, seems to be well accepted by her tribe. The more Fei Long win challenges, the better her chances are. Leslie may be seen as weaker than her and JR as more expendable. Who would think of booting her after the merge? Courtney looks like someone who will go far.

Denise was shown working with the tribe at the start and listening in on Aaron’s pow-wow but she didn’t speak. Her main contribution was during the reward challenge were she fought off Jaime and hindered Erik just enough to free Aaron who pushed the ball close to the goal. When those four got tied up, Amanda jumped in and scored the first goal.
Denise is not presented as a player or even a full member of Fei Long. It already looks like the pattern will be that we only see her giving touching confessionals and she’ll have a nice exit episode.
James was again seen working at chopping down trees and being attentive during the tribe’s pow-wow. He wasn’t buying JR’s excuses.

At the reward challenge, as Jeff said, “James doesn’t even hesitate, points at Todd” to sit him out. James was responsible for the goal that won the reward. He showed his strength when, like a nose-tackle, he took on the double-team of Dave and Frosti at the start of the secound round. Even if Ashley was giving Leslie a facefull of mud, it left Jean-Robert free to push the second ball. When Ashley moved to block JR, James made his own move, got rid of Frosti and scored an easy point.
His strength was also used on the battering ram of the immunity challenge. He was left out of the puzzle part.
James is the main reason why Fei Long has a 2 player advantage. We consider it a good sign for a player who losses a challenge when no one calls attention to that player. Can we consider the fact that very little was said about James’ dominance as a bad sign? Last week, we heard some “Way to go James” but they were almost lost in all the celebrations. This week, we had Jeff giving him credit but it was far from all the praise Ozzy received. It can suggest that James won’t dominate when it counts, when the challenges become individual. Making the merge seems a certainty but, after that, James will be in trouble.
And now, to the business of spies:
The secret document given to Jaime had a message: “Before making an alliance with a neighbor you must understand his intentions.”
Jaime was in the shelter with JR when he told the tribe he needed more time to sleep. Aaron responded that he already had 2 hours of rest to which JR replied: “Aaron, you’re quick to jump on my a.s.s about everything.” Aaron replied: “I know. We don’t like each other.” Amanda and Todd exchanged a knowing smile at that response. Jaime on the other hand, realizing the conflict between Aaron and JR said: “When I go back to my tribe, I’m gonna tell them I don’t know why we’re not winning. With what I’ve seen, we should be winning.” (Could it be that Aaron was arguing for his team while Dave fights against his?)
Day 5 started with Leslie telling us: “I’ve been really sick. I feel dirty, I feel miserable. It’s just so hard because I don’t have my bible…I’d like to spend some time with God. He has me here for a reason. I’m gonna continue fighting.” She’d soon receive some help: Having to choose who should get the immunity idol clue, Jaime explained her decision: “My strategy, as far as the clue goes; I want to give it to whom I think is their weakest link, just so that I keep their team weaker.”She went with Leslie to find a quiet spot and she gave her the clue.
Jaime was a spy that gave information to a member of Fei Long but we never saw her giving a report to Zhan Hu. In Jaime’s case, her edit during the kidnapping wasn’t worthy of a long term player. Picking Leslie could be considered a smart move in that it could upset Fei Long’s pecking order but will Leslie ever be in a position to reward her spy? A deal with one of Fei Long’s power player may have been more fruitful down the line. Instead, we saw Jaime often sleeping with Jean-Robert rather than talking to others and making plans for later.
On the positive side, we saw exactly what Jeff meant when he said that Jaime figured prominently in her tribe’s strategy. With Erik and Sherea, they are the trio making the decisions. Compared to her two allies, she has an early advantage if the trio needs to make cross-tribe alliances. At present, I only see her as the last standing member of Zhan Hu.

Leslie, at the start of the episode, spoke for the tribe when she confided: “Jean-Robert needs to step it up. What’s up with this guy? He knows he’s on the chopping block…he’s trying to divert it but we’re not buying it.”
Leslie received valuable information from a spy. Being perceived by Jaime as the weakest link of Fei Long isn’t a great sign but we don’t know if Fei Long sees it the same way. Leslie saw the clue as a gift from God. What we saw was Leslie looking around camp, trying to use that information but unable to find the idol.
Despite Jaime’s recommendation not to let anybody know she had the clue, Leslie said: “What I want to do with this information is use it to gain someone’s trust. It would have to be someone who’s witty, somebody who can think. Todd’s very witty and I want to team up with him.” She read him the clue saying: “I want you to trust me.” Todd said he trusted her and she hoped they could use the idol together.
Did Leslie see the possible downfall of her plan? Did she consider how Todd could turn it around against her. She didn’t tell us that she was still keeping an eye on Todd. Hearing his take on the situation made us see her as very gullible.
Amanda’s game plan was clearly shown at the start of the episode. She told Todd: “We should have the strongest players until the merge. You’re my only alliance, you have to have one in this game. I love how we’re playing the game the same way. Like we’re doing what we’re told. We’re doing a lot of work. Obviously Aaron likes people who work a lot.” She agreed with Todd to make Aaron their #3.
Amanda seemed to understand Todd’s designs because she told us: “Todd and I made an alliance that we’re going to stick it out until the end of this because, eventhough Todd, I think, is very devious, I’ve been watching him really closely and I think we have a good alliance so far, at least to the merge. We decided to pull Aaron into our group so if anyone has to take the wrap for anything, it’s going to be on Aaron.”
During the reward challenge, Jeff said three times that Amanda had a free ride, a free shot. She used a good tactic of switching balls a few times until, after leaving Sherea in the middle of the arena with one ball, she jumped on the other ball that was close to the goal. Amanda scored the first point. Realizing her top had been ripped off, she yelled the episode title: “My mom is going to kill me!” I asked myself if, at the end of the game, players will be as oblivious and let her have a free shot at the million!
The old standard of “Alliance revealed never succeed” makes us look at this alliance with caution even if many alliances have proven that the old adage has exceptions. Maybe Todd, Amanda and Aaron don’t make the final three together. If they are to split, Amanda is in a good spot to choose her side. She has been portrayed as someone who came to play and who has a plan.
Todd agreed to the alliance with Amanda and proposed to include Aaron because: “We need someone strong to call our shots. When we make the plans and he speaks them out which puts the target on him instead of us.”
With Amanda, Todd approached Aaron and told him: “Obviously this is about power players, right? And: Who wants to go for this? We need a three…which is us. I will swear to you guys with my whole life. We go to the three…at that point, sad to say, it’s game on.” Todd, Amanda and Aaron sealed the alliance with handshakes.
Todd concluded those proceedings by telling us: “Amanda and I have this game in our hands. We have our alliance. We have exactly what I wanted to come here to do.”
After the reward, Todd was with Amanda and Leslie as they kept an eye on Leslie: “We need to watch our flint and everything else. Keep track of everything because in the “Art of War” it talks about stealing things from your opponents.” That got Leslie to comment that Todd is a sharp kid and he has his head in the game.
Todd received information from a spy within his tribe and realized that Leslie knew too much. Todd was following Sun Tzu’s advice of getting rid of talkative spies when he confided: “I can’t believe she told me. I’m in shock! What was she thinking? Leslie’s sick so if she goes, I’m the only one that knows about it. My goal is to find it quickly and if Leslie leaves, fantastic.”
Although I had seen Todd as having a very positive edit in episode #1, the repeat of his “I’m smart” confessional added to his plan of getting rid of Leslie shows some arrogance. The plan to use Aaron as their shield is good strategy even if very cold-blooded. Speaking so callously about his alliance partners puts Todd very close to the edge. Will he be seen as the master strategist or the villain? Either way, we will see Todd for a long time…especially since he already seems to have memorized the “Art of War!”

Aaron, in the beginning of the episode, shook hands with Amanda and Todd to go to the end together.
Next, Aaron called a pow-wow for the whole tribe: “It’s harder than we thought. Three sleepless nights, everyone’s on edge, everyone’s angry. We have to get into a routine.”
Jean-Robert suggested they all rest to Leslie and Courtney’s dismay.
That riled Aaron who replied: “Jean-Robert, you need to start pulling your weight.”
At the end of the reward challenge, Aaron consulted his tribe and told Jeff that Jaime would be the kidnapped player. After showing her their camp, Aaron confided: “We won fishing gear and a fishing boat and…we picked Jaime to kidnap because she’s sunshine in the tribe. Taking Jaime from Zhan Hu completely demoralizes them.”
Aaron joined in the alliance of Todd and Amanda but he wasn’t privvy to all the discussion. It made him look as the one who didn’t know the intentions of his neighbors. For now, he is still the leader of a tribe that Jeff described as working well together a tribe where nobody was panicking. It reflects well for its leader and his prospects

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mattben 1265 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beef Jerky Spokesperson"
09-30-07, 06:45 PM (EST)

26. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

I'm a long time convert to this Edit thread. Too jaded now to care about the spoiling. Writing, producing, editing, storytelling for ad money: that's where it's at. Keep it up, everyone.

Check out the new siggie from the fuzzy one on the Temple steps.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
10-02-07, 02:01 PM (EST)

27. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

My apologies for redundant opinion or thoughts. I see that once again I am late to the party and had only been able to finish recently. If my thoughts are the same, I must be in good company

Of note, Chicken provided in his exit his opinion that his tribe will not fare so well. Often times the editors pick and choose certain items to show for potential foreshadowing and I will be following this as well. We saw these words come to fruition this week so we may want to file away Ashley’s words upon her exit. Couple that with Dave’s editing this episode, all does not look well for ZH’s “leader”
Previously
16 Americans begin adventure of lifetime (Frosti and Courtney)
At ceremony,
Leslie faced with moral dilemma: “I just couldn’t do it”
Split into two tribes
Heavy storm pounded and Ashley was down for the count
Chicken unimpressed with tribe: “Gave my opinion and no one wanted it”
Todd nominated Aaron as tribe leader “We need someone who is strong and smart”
Aaron: “Feels weird, but I think I can do it”
Todd (conf) “I’m very very smart in trying to push the leader role moreso onto Aaron”
At first IC, FL came out on top and ZH at TC
Jeff: “Anybody here willing to say I am the leader of this tribe?”
Both PG and Dave raise their hands
Jeff: “Now you have two”
Dave and PG volunteered to lead their tribe (Ashley and Sherea were reaction shots)
PG: “Yes!”
In the end Ashley spared
Post Tribal Council
Dave: “The fire has to be done properly the first time…”
Dave (conf) “Last night at TC, questions came up about leadership. I raised my hand to say heck I’ll do it. I didn’t want to be in leadership role but instead of resisting….I think it’s actually better to embrace it”
Dave instructs on where things should be; PG and other female voices discuss their dissension with Dave disagreeing.
Dave: “I don’t want to start belaboring this kind of stuff”
PG (conf) “Dave and I work pretty well together; we both kinda do it in different ways but if anything we’re not being competitive on who can be like leader”
Dave: “If someone can explain something different...”
PG: “No you had valid reasons….if you have definite experience that it will work better over there, I’ll totally go with it”
(Erik shown)
Erik (conf) “Dave is the leader, the top guy and PG is just below him, she’s kind of like the balance of power”
PG: “I think we got like a game plan”
Dave: “We do”
PG: “We can figure out who is going to do what but more important the what is” (note Jamie and PG sharing blanket)
Erik: (conf) “Dave has a lot of good ideas but if someone questions it or comes up with own idea there is sense he is probably going to go with his own idea”
Jamie “If we can get our act together and do this fast this morning and eat possibly before challenge…we’d be rocking”
Dave “…you’re wishing really hard”
Jamie “You should wish hard” (camera is not focused upon but PG is shown nodding to this)
Dave “Okay fine”
Erik (conf) “It could get to point where people start getting fed up and start talking about Dave and don’t necessarily think he is a good leader anymore”(foreshadowing?)
Dave “This is where it begins right here” (note his standing on one side, the group on the other side, heavy music emphasis; this is not a leader that is part of a tribe)
Obviously the impact of this scene is to reflect the building issue of Dave as leader. Interesting to note that while both PG and Dave volunteered for this position, PG was never shown to cause discord or receive any negative attention though it was clearly stated both volunteered. Additionally, we heard Erik describe PG as the balance of power and PG physically surrounded by her tribe mates unlike Dave who clearly drew a line between tribe and leader.
The Art of War - “A leader leads by example not by force” “A skilled commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand if of his subordinates”

Laying Plans?
FL shown with James toppling over yet another tree which at this point, seems to possibly reflect the bane of James’ edit. Strength but no real substance. We see James very successful in all physical aspects but he himself reminded us that socially he is inept. Unless James gets fleshed out some more other than a tribe member who provides much needed physical strength, he does not appear destined for end game. Some upbeat music begins their story with everyone seemingly working hard except JR who is snoring; appropriate reaction shots from James and Courtney and a subtle visual of some saliva collecting at the side of JR’s mouth – we then hear from Courtney a descriptive of JR’s snoring
Courtney (conf) “JR, we all know is like the D student of our tribe; he doesn’t do anything, he gets up and then instantly has to go lay down because he is soooo tired”
Amanda and Todd then meet in private
Amanda “We should have the strongest players until merge” (on screen)
Todd “I will stick with you because you know this game”
Amanda “I want an alliance… you have to have one in this game”
Amanda (conf) “Me and Todd made an alliance that we will stick it out until the end of this because even though Todd, I think is very devious, I’ve been watching him closely and I think we have a good alliance so far at least till the merge”
The Art of War - “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.”
(The awareness of Todd by Amanda, i.e. citing he is devious but knowing he would be a good ally can bode well for Amanda. Unlike, Leslie, who later gives blind trust to Todd with Todd then shown how it is in vain is much different as we see nothing from Todd reflecting this with Amanda. Of note also and in my usual way of asking forgiveness for delving perhaps too much into what is said - Amanda reflects that they agreed to “stick out until the end” yet she advises us it is a good alliance at least “till the merge”)
Amanda “I love how we are playing this game kind of the same. Like we are doing what we are told you know. We are doing a lot of work” “Cause obviously Aaron likes the people who work a lot” (said onscreen)
Todd “Oh yeah. At some point we should be pulling him in number three”
Amanda “Oh yeah”
Todd “Cuz we need someone strong to call our shots. If we make the plans and he speaks them out it puts the target on him instead of us”
Amanda (conf) “We decided to pull him in our group so if anyone has to take the rap for anything than it is gonna be on Aaron”
The Art of War - “All warfare is based on deception”
(Amanda and Todd have shown signs of “Laying Plans” - ultimately their “alliance” with Aaron may come to fail as we have seen in the past alliances revealed do not succeed; at this point, Aaron is suggested to the audience to be used as their pawn, how this plays out for the three of them or even the two of them to reach the end will most likely be a progressing story line)

Todd, Amanda and Aaron
Todd “Obviously this is about power players and who wants to go the furthest, we need a three”
Aaron “Which is us”
Todd “Which is us”
Amanda “I think that’d be smart”
Todd “ I will swear to you guys, with my whole life I’ll go three” (And we know what that usually means!)
Amanda “I will too; cause that is how the game is played, you have to”
Todd “The final three. At that point, it is sad to say but..”
Aaron “I trust you” (shakes Todd’s hand)
Amanda “I trust too” (all shake)
Todd (conf) “Amanda and I have this game in our hands so we have our alliance, we have exactly what I came here to do”
Again to note that this “final three” will probably not come to fruition. I am amused how Aaron is not shown whatsoever with his thoughts on this alliance whereas we did hear from Amanda and Todd suggesting Aaron literally is not part of this story or I would imagine we would hear what he has to say in this regard. Interesting to note is Todd’s confessional about Amanda and himself having “the game in our hands” suggesting a slight “pride cometh before the fall”? Interesting again is that we did not hear any negativity coming from Todd with respect to Amanda whereas we hear it about Leslie and Aaron to the degree that Todd does not state he, Amanda and Aaron have the game in their hands; only Todd and Amanda. I will be interested in learning after the fact whether Todd had any observations about Amanda as we heard her about Todd and why they were not shown
A Pow Wow
Aaron calls a tribe meeting and advises they all have to be on the same page whereas JR thinks they need to rest which is not met with smiles
Aaron “JR you need to pull your weight; this is how I feel, whether I am right or wrong you might want to talk about it”
JR “I know I am not working as much as I want to, it’s because I slept a little bit less than everyone I think”
Leslie “JR needs to step it up, what is up with this guy; he knows he is on the chopping block, it is pretty obvious around camp. He is trying to divert it but we are not buying it”
(Interesting to note that Leslie states he is on the chopping block. They just won and they have not even by editing standards been to the RC yet. This may be an out of order edited confessional which usually tells me that it is out of order to set the stage for someone that is coming soon, i.e. this tribe may be visiting Tribal Council and we are meant to have the stage set for the normal possible boot selections in order to create that surprise
JR “Believe me I can contribute as valuable of stuff with my mind and as soon as we start getting food and water I think you will find I will be able to contribute a lot more”
JR (conf) “I’m considered one of the bad boys of poker; I’m absolutely using a similar strategy…” (this was a chopped up confessional as if you listen closely his voice sounds different so I would suggest that JR may indeed be a potential candidate should this tribe go to Council, there is too much being shown for a tribe that ended up winning this episode) “I definitely wanted to give the perception I was a little bit lazy so that later on when I am contributing….people are noticing hey this guy is doing beyond his normal capabilities”
JR “I know I would like to do more than I am. We got a great squad” (Courtney is not impressed)
JR (conf which is the same area as the second part of the above confessional) “Even though it looks like I am in trouble it’s kinda part of the plan and I can only go up from here” (Again, with Leslie advising he is on the “chopping block” and this line of confessional, it would not surprise me that this is from a future episode edited now to build upon this storyline)
The Art of War - If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant”
Leadership? at ZH
Dave is heard stating their priority is mud bricks as we see various tribe mates lifting them
Dave (conf) “I have specific goals; still have shelter stuff to fix but we have enough shelter…priority is to get a fireplace going; that’s a very realistic and achievable goal today. I want to keep goals achievable”
Jamie “I don’t think they get the idea how much better we’d be with food in our system” (appears to be said to Sherea)
Jamie heard asking if they can start a baby fire
Dave “I would rather get some of it up and then a fire started”
Jamie (conf) “All I asked is to make a little baby fire to make a handful of rice for everybody. Instead we build an elaborate barbecue pit and I’m not too thrilled about it”
With that, Dave splashed mud on Frosti and Jamie
Jamie “Don’t you think eating should have been our first priority today?”
Sherea “Literally, I can’t do physically anything else until I get some food”
Ashley comes over and asks what happened and Sherea tells her
Jamie “It’s almost like he did it on purpose”
Sherea “I can’t go another day without eating, I’m sorry”
Ashley (conf) “We got the flint last night…and we haven’t even attempted to make fire and we’re starving! It just seems like we take the longest route possible to make something happen. I’m losing faith rapidly”
Ashley mentions same to Dave with Dave replying that nothing here is wasted energy
Ashley “So why don’t we start the fire…”
Dave “Let me finish…”
Ashley “….you’re the leader and I’m gonna let you do what you want”
Dave “How many fires have you built sweetheart!?”
Ashley “I’m just saying! I’m tired, I’m hungry”
Dave (conf) “I don’t want to fight with Ashley but if she wants to fight I can give her a fight; the rest of the team is great. Ashley? Uhhh”
More bickering between the two with no one stepping in although we see Erik in vicinity
Obviously this was necessary to play upon the end result of this episode. However it had been built upon that despite Ashley ultimately left, Dave’s “leadership” was not exactly met with support by the others. Dave’s longevity would have seemed to fare better should Ashley been shown as the lone dissenter against Dave however, we saw Jamie, Sherea and Erik commenting on Dave’s style which did not support him
The Art of War - “He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.” “He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.”
Reward Challenge With A Twist
Reaction shots from Leslie and Todd at Jeff’s words that Chicken is gone
Todd is pointed at by James to sit out with no disagreement as he is the smallest.
Aaron, Amanda and Denise go up against Sherea, Erik and Jamie
Along with the obvious fun and massive amounts of nudity, notable was credit going to these women as they are no wallflowers. Also, obviously in this round, was Amanda picking up from the one ball and running naked to the freed ball to score the winning goal first round. This no doubt is to be shown because she won that round and it provided good television also.
JR “Put your shirt on Amanda!”
Amanda “Oh God! My mom is gonna kill me!”
Jeff “Even with no top on, Amanda scores for FL”
JR, James and Leslie go up against, Ashley, Dave and Frosti
Most notable, an admirable try from Ashley as JR smashes her face in the water and she pulls her pants down. Frosti tries to keep James down but James has demonstrated he is a powerhouse and makes the final point. We do see a nice “play fair” moment with JR touching Ashley as if good effort.
A discussion ensues about the kidnapped victim with Aaron announcing Jamie. Dave nods and smiles. Most notable is the exchange between Jamie and Ashley as Jamie is with the FL tribe
Todd collects the gear, Amanda smiling as well as Aaron shown as Jamie is led by Courtney away.
A Disaster
ZH arrives back to see their camp flooded
Frosti (conf) “It’s like somebody took all the water from every ocean and poured it on top of us”
Dave notes that the bricks are still above the water (conf) “I’m really happy I took the time to build the pit…this just goes to show I had a fairly sound idea” (Once again, note that we didn’t hear from anyone else that it was a good thing Dave did this; often times, in terms of longevity, when two people are at odds, we often hear support to validate that person. Obviously Dave was right, his pit stood but the editors did not want to show anyone in confessional agreeing with Dave which ultimately may not bode well for him)
The Sunny Side?
Aaron (conf) “….after the challenge we picked Jamie…because she is a spot of sunshine in the tribe. Taking away Jamie completely demoralized them”
Todd, Amanda and Leslie are together with Todd advising to keep an eye on their items because in The Art of War it talks about stealing things from your opponent (Considering the emphasis this season has placed on The Art of War, it may be suggestive that this tribe was shown in the first episode perusing the book and in the second episode referencing the text - themes are very important on this show so it would make some sense that perhaps the victor may come from the tribe that saw fit to study this book)
Leslie (conf) “Todd is a sharp kid and his head is in the game so I want Todd on my side because I think we work well together” Possibly a misplaced confessional as this sounds more like something Leslie would be discussing at the time she chose to tell Todd about the HII although that is neither here nor there
The Art of War - “Before making an alliance with a neighbor you must first understand their intentions”
JR and Jamie greet each other.
Jamie (conf) “I just got put with different tribe; they picked me and Jeff gave me this to go with it” “The note actually had a clue for the other team and it lets them know where immunity idol is…”
JR once again shown laying down. “You guys I just need to get a little rest please”
Aaron “You’ve been resting for the last two hours; you need more”
JR “You are quick to jump on my ##### about everything you know that”
Aaron “I know. We don’t like each other”
JR “You’re not right about that” (Amanda shown smiling)
Aaron “Well you like me and I don’t like you?” (Todd now shown smiling supposedly back to Amanda as their “planning” is going as planned)
Courtney (conf) “JR and Aaron got into a ridiculous ##### fight and we are all just like in front of the spy! Really?! Are you just gonna give her a map of who doesn’t like who; can we not like have a little solidarity for like two seconds while she’s here!”
(For as much as Courtney was showcased last episode as rather someone who could be quite the “#####” herself, the editing certainly downplayed her this episode. What I found interesting about Courtney is that although she is certainly opinionated and has no issue with criticizing her fellow tribe mates there has not been any negativity assigned to her by the other contestants which normally would send a signal that she could find herself in trouble. Certainly, if the audience raised an eye at her in the temple or commented on her opinions, one would suspect the contestants would as well?)
Aaron dares JR to find out if he is doing a good job by asking people
JR “I didn’t want to do battle with you but you are making me have no choice”
Jamie (conf) “When I go back to my team I am gonna tell them I don’t know why the heck we are not winning because what I have seen, we should be winning”
The Art of War lists five types of spies; it is yet to be determined which one Jamie turns out to be
Rainy Days Still At ZH
Dave again instructing
Ashley “So what should I do?”
Dave “Break up some wood, all this has to be broken down, all that has to broken down”
Ashley “Alright let me do one thing at a time”
They bicker again; Dave apologizes, Ashley still wants to finish and they bicker again as Sherea sits and watches
Sherea (conf) “I do think that Dave is wrong in the way he talks down to Ashley…you can’t boss adults around too much without pissing them off”
More bickering ensues
Dave “Think outside the box”
Ashley “I don’t need your life lessons…”
Dave “I’m outta here, take five”
Ashley “Later”
Ashley (conf) “I believe Dave is gonna shoot himself in the foot; he’s not a good leader because he is the most irritating person on the planet….”
The Art of War - A ruler can bring misfortune upon his army... ...by attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds.
Divine Intervention?
Leslie (conf) “The last few days I have been really sick….it’s just hard because I don’t have my Bible. I know if I can read it and just spend some time with God it would be great but he has me here for a reason so I am gonna keep fighting”
Jamie (conf) “My strategy as far as the clue is I want to give it to who I think is their weakest link just so I keep their team weaker”
Jamie shares with Leslie
Leslie (conf) “I feel like the Lord gave me a gift…..wow this is really a big deal” “I feel really confident that I can find the idol….”
And thus, our idol is shown!
Leslie “I’m looking everywhere….somewhere obvious…I feel like if it was a snake it would have bit me by now” (symbolism at its best) “I’m gonna use this information to gain someone’s trust but it has to be someone who is witty; someone (Todd shown) who can think. Todd’s pretty witty so I want to team up with him”
Leslie “I want you to trust me”
Todd “I do”
Leslie “I have the clue”
Leslie (conf) “I told Todd the idol was here so we are going to team up and use it together and I trust him” (as per the norm, this confessional was in the same area as the earlier one)
A somewhat random insertion of JR coming up to greet them and tripping is then shown which makes me question if in some manner, JR will be involved in this development as this little visual really seemed unnecessary other than Todd telling Leslie that someone was coming. That easily could have been edited out especially since Todd spoke immediately after about Leslie, not JR.
Todd (conf) “I can’t believe she told me; I’m in shock! I would never tell anyone; what was she thinking?” (Amanda, Courtney and Leslie shown) “Leslie’s sick so if she goes, I’ll be the only one who knows about it; my goal is to find that thing as fast as I can and if Leslie gets sick and has to go I am the only one who knows about it, fantastic!”
Todd has certainly been showcased as a cunning player and a sensible one at that. We may end up seeing his statement bear fruit as many time prophetic words are spoken
Immunity At Stake
Jamie returns to her fold with hugs and smiles all around after advising that she was treated nicely while at the enemy camp. Amanda relinquishes the idol to Jeff and the challenge commences with Jamie, Courtney and Leslie sitting out.
Of note was the complete exhaustion shown by Dave with Frosti having to take over the front. Regardless that Dave’s idea of the fire pit was sound and survived the water, his blatant lack of energy would seem to solidify the earlier comments made by Jamie and Sherea that food was important for them. Jeff’s voice overs were positive for the FL team as they are “working together as a tribe” whereas many yells from Jeff telling ZH to “keep moving!” FL is victorious as Todd is shown raising the idol in the air with the ZH tribe returning to camp.
Post IC
Dave (conf) “I feel really bad.... I feel like I let the tribe down”
Dave “Can I say something please. I feel like I let the tribe down because I lost my footing...”
PG comes over and says he tried and hugs him
Dave “And Frosti thanks so much for stepping up...”
Dave (conf continues from same spot) “I take full responsibility...at the same time, the last six days was not about a challenge, it was about day in day out at camp...how you contribute and what your attitude is like”
Dave (voiceover conf) “...I’m pretty confident I’m not going home” (Ashley briefly shown laying down)
Ashley (conf) “I know that Dave is voting for me....at this point I see my options are this I can either confront everybody like a crazy woman....make myself look like an idiot or keep my head together and tell everyone look Dave is a crazy person”
A Pre Tribal Council Pow Wow
Erik “There is such conflict between Dave and Ashley; people are talking Ashley for that reason, that also makes Dave a target. If you had to pick..... I still see him as strong”
Jamie “He sucked at challenge today” “I just want to do whatever is best for the team; you know the last thing we want is conflict on this team (all said in voiceover with the last part showing Sherea) cause that is the one thing we don’t have usually but if those two have conflict then we do need to remove one of them”
Jamie has shown to have strategy legs as both Erik and Sherea nodded in agreement with her assessment and she is perceived to be an important part of this tribe through FL’s eyes. We can also note the potential alliance (although not stated) between Erik, Jamie and Sherea as they saw fit to discuss things together. PG and Frosi were nowhere to be found. Divisions at this camp may already be obvious
Jamie (conf) “It puts me in a hard place because Ashley is my friend but then Dave is such a hard worker....”
Nothing heard from Frosti or PG in this matter and Jamie the only one to show conflict which helped flesh her out a bit to us which tends to bode well for a longer term player. Considering that PG appears to be someone who doesn’t lack an opinion but not shown discussing the issue may just infer that there was nothing she said that shed any doubt. She seemed to get along quite well with Dave so there was no issue to discuss. For any Tribal Council, doubt needs to be created and the discussion among Jamie, Sherea and Erik reflects that.
Tribal Council
A snake greets us as the ZH tribe sits with Jeff.
Jeff mentions “tribe therapy” and there was at least one leader, perhaps two. Frosti asked how it is working out
Frosti “Dave has stepped up and given some leader type demands (a reaction from Dave with the appropriate musical change) .... at times too much”
Dave “It’s a hard habit to kick”
Jeff notes Ashley’s reaction
Ashley “Dave and I have butt heads; our personalities don’t mesh well....” (Dave shown with various facial expressions)
Jeff asks Dave if that rubs him the wrong way
Dave “It doesn’t rub me the wrong way at all; everyone is totally welcomed to ask questions....”
Ashley “I don’t expect Dave to say that is how it’s been”

Jeff asks Ashley if this is just about her or others as well
Ashley “I know other people who have problems with it as well” (Sherea nods) “He talks in circles a lot and wants to be the martyr” (more facial reactions from Dave) “The way he handles that leadership, for me, is intolerable”
Jeff asks Jamie if Dave is trying to prove too much versus lead the tribe
Jamie “Dave is definitely over the top trying to prove himself....it’s like whoa slow down for a second”
Jeff asks Jamie what this tribe needs to do
Jamie “Most of us all get along; these two just clash...I think sometimes the way you phrase your demands it might intimidate people”
Dave “I’ve asked everyone here..”
Ashley “Already, defense mode”
Dave “...please check me, I need it”
Sherea “For me, I know we have work to do but I haven’t enjoyed one moment we’ve been here; I barely know any (PG shown with that crash of music) these people. I know Jamie, I know Ashley, I know Erik a little better but these other people I couldn’t even tell you their last names”
Dave interrupts that they are working hard
Sherea “Did you not hear what came out of my mouth”
PG attempts to argue the point
Sherea wants to know how they are going to get better and advises Dave that every time Ashley has a comment, he comments back
Ashley “And now look what happened, I’m on the chopping block”
Jeff asks Ashley her vote criteria
Ashley “I’m voting for Dave” (everyone amused)
Dave “I expect more than one vote tonight”
Jeff asks Dave how the tribe will be better if Ashley is voted out
Dave “There will be a heck of a lot less eggshells to walk on; I only have conflict with Ashley” (interesting to note that no reaction shots given other than Ashley)
With that Ashley is voted out with Sherea noted to be visibly upset. Jeff seems at a loss for enthusiasm as he simply tells them to go back to camp.
With that, it is clear that while there is discord at the ZH tribe and Dave may not be long to play leader, we saw some development with Jamie. While Jamie was indeed the kidnapped victim and rightfully so shown more in light of that, she was also shown to be the most vocal of the three in discussion on who to boot and was shown attempting to be diplomatic in her opinion at Tribal Council. Dave’s persona was not necessarily positive although he was not voted out as there did not appear much support to the course of the episode for him except for PG. Despite his fire pit being successful, no confessionals or outward positive comments were shown. Erik appears visually an observer with critical comments that seem to parlay the story remniscient of Brandon in Guatemala. He may very well be the story teller of the tribe rather than be integral to the end game itself. Frosti was not integral this episode but I do think there is a bond with PG (which as pointed out prior to the show starting) which may be their cultural backgrounds. PG interestingly was not very highlighted despite her first showing and it appears the editing has downplayed her somewhat this episode as I do think PG and Sherea had more discussion but they focused more on Sherea’s “rant” (simply for lack of a better word) so it will be curious to see why that may be.
As for FL, for a tribe that has met success we saw quite a bit of tribal dynamic shown which does bode well for some of that tribe as there may be plenty of reason to ignore the “winning” tribe. Yet we have seen the budding alliances shown, people perhaps being used and others doing the using. This may be setting up a longer term story for quite a few players on FL. Denise was barely registered this week which does not necessarily mean anything as of yet because as we know some players get a low key development and then slowly progress. At this time, there seems to be issues of Leslie health and possible shenanigans brought on by Todd so perhaps he is the only one who knows the clue. JR’s strategy (as it were) is taking off which may be a fun storyline to watch but the “feel” of his edit seems more caricature then end game developments. Courtney has provided good narration that has not been contradictory to what we are seeing. Aaron, unfortunately, may be part of a storyline but it appears not his own, but rather Todd and Amanda’s. We heard nothing from him with respect to their threesome which may indicate he is simply a tool for their story and game play as opposed to anything directly involving him.

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VolcanicGlass 428 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Daytime Soap Guest Star"
10-03-07, 07:31 AM (EST)

28. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Veruca, I'm really stoked that you are weaving parts of the "Art of War" into your analysis. Nice pull of specific quotes as well. Well done.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-03-07, 11:42 AM (EST)

29. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Veruca, I'll second VG in saying that the way you incorporated quotes from Sun Tzu added a lot of depth to your already fascinating analysis. This, in particular:
“A leader leads by example not by force”
It really seals Dave's fate!!
Thanks for noting the following:
"Amanda reflects that they agreed to “stick out until the end” yet she advises us it is a good alliance at least “till the merge."
I hadn't noticed that Amanda could also be devious! Interesting.
You may find interesting that the scene between her and Todd was spliced together:
During the "We need an aliance" part, Amanda has her buff on her head and Todd is wearing a shirt.

During the "we need to bring in Aaron" part, Amanda's buff is around her neck and Todd is shirtless.

Putting the two scenes together had more impact but Todd and Amanda took their time to think about their next move. I think the way the editors are handling this alliance is a strong sign.

VS, you had another nice catch writing that Leslie's confessional about Jean-Robert could be from a future episode. The choice could come down to Leslie or JR with Todd deciding which way the alliance goes. Could it be that JR falls (as we almost saw him do on the steps) because of this alliance?

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-07-07, 02:57 AM (EST)

30. "Episode #3: The Players, The Game, The Editing."

LAST EDITED ON 10-07-07 AT 03:03 AM (EST)
The recap really focused on the vulnerable players, showing Jean-Robert’s laziness, Leslie starting on her downward spiral while Dave fought with Ashley and lost the challenge. With both women already gone, can the other two be far behind?
The episode started on a new note. Fei Long was the tribe in turmoil while Zhan Hu was working on its issues, trying to reason with its leader to get him to focus his energy on the upcoming challenge. It prefaced the upcoming battles. Zhan Hu learned to:
ATTACK BY STRATAGEM
Sun Tzu said:
”A ruler can bring misfortune upon his army…
by employing the officers of his army without discrimination,
through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation
to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.
When the army is restless and distrustful, trouble is sure
to come…This is simply bringing anarchy into the army,
and flinging victory away.
He will win whose army is animated by the same
spirit throughout all its ranks.
Form a single united body, while the enemy must split
up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted
against separate parts of a whole.”
Courtney, along with Leslie, told us right at the start that the mood was deteriorating in Fei Long. The first two episodes had shown a tribe able to cope with its “D student” but now, the women had enough of Jean-Robert, “the women were just like Ewwww, please don’t!”
After JR was heard saying he needed to keep warm, Courtney confided: “I do get creeped out by Jean-Robert and so is Amanda. Neither one of us likes him. I’m sure that he’s noticed that she and I will go to great pains to not be next to him in the shelter…” (Part of the confessional was in voice-over while the action at night was on fast-forward to underline just how creeped out the girls were!) “yet, he will climb in there and say ‘I need Amanda and Courtney by my side. I need them to keep me warm’ but, come on, I weigh 7 pounds so I can’t even keep myself warm. Get off of me.”
In the reward challenge, both Courtney and Todd were quickly assigned to Fei Long’s bench. We saw Courtney disturbed by seeing Dave do the challenge “à la Hatch”. Covering her eyes, she said “Are you kidding me?” She was shown as Fei Long’s cheerleader, applauding James’ heroics. It wasn’t enough to help her team win.
Courtney was with Todd when they overheard James and JR talking loudly about their tribe mates and their pecking order. She laughed at JR’s crude talk but she had no confessional about it.
The immunity challenge showed just how weak Courtney is. After a few attempts at chopping the ropes, we saw her unable to generate any power in her swings. We saw the frustration in her face and even tears as she apologized to her team. The special effects of freeze framing each of the other players as they aggressively chopped down their puzzle pieces only underlined her weakness. We heard some negative comments about her but they were mainly from JR and James. I don’t think those two are to be taken seriously.
What could be important was Jeff’s remark: “That is why you never quit.” Back in camp, Courtney gave us the title quote: “I lost two hands and possibly a shoulder”. We heard Aaron, Amanda and Todd comfort her. Aaron said: “You did really well, baby doll.” Todd added: “The important thing is that you didn’t give up, which is key. We almost had them in the end.” The scene showed Amanda’s concern and Aaron hugging Courtney.
Courtney has enemies on Fei Long. At Tribal council, when Leslie left, her sad face showed that she is even out of the loop. However, Courtney has friends. Her story seems to develop into one of proving herself, one of the smallest Survivor ever, confronting two of the biggest players ever! What a David versus Goliath story! The problem is that, in Survivor, once Goliath is slain David doesn’t always become king, just another boot. Yau-Man was the latest example. Hearing Todd saying that ”she won’t win things” gives us pause however. Could she win? Even after her negative showing in episode #1? She’s a salvageable character, so we have to consider her. One also has to consider Jeff’s final words “this tribe needs to do a better job in utilizing each player’s unique strengths”. It’s a new theme to the season and it applies perfectly to Courtney!

Jean-Robert imposed his presence in Fei Long’s shelter to the point where we saw Leslie, Courtney and Amanda getting up in disgust in the middle of the night. Leslie let us know that “Jean-Robert doesn’t get the social game of Survivor”. Fortunately for him, she would soon show that she doesn’t get it either!
The challenge loss led JR to discuss the situation with James.
James started by saying the old woman, sister Christian, wouldn’t be able to last very long. The discussion soon became a bashing exercise when James added: “For some reason, you’re all buying that prayer stuff. People who pray a lot, sin a lot. That’s why they pray, ‘cause they know they’re going to hell.”
Both men laughed at that, attracting Todd and Courtney’s attention.
James announced his pecking order: JR, Denise and himself needed to stay.
JR answered: “I’m sort of distancing myself from Todd. I had a bond with him but he’s tuning me out. And Courtney, of course, I’m not in with her but I’m not worried about that because she’s going to be the first to go. Who do we need to vote out first? Leslie or Courtney?”
James replied: “Courtney does a lot of work, She moves stuff.”
JR wasn’t convinced: “What does she moves…like two twigs? Plus you like Courtney. That would be the best, winning the million dollars is one thing but if you can get the million and some ass…Come on James, you like that little 70 pound blonde.” All that was said to the amused looks of Todd and Courtney herself!! Both were silently laughing as JR continued: “OK James I’ll look out for you, so it’s Leslie first.”
After the immunity loss, Jean-Robert listened in on the pep talk to Courtney but wasn’t impressed. He confided: “Losing today’s challenge and yesterday’s challenge reaffirms that we need strength, we need brawn on our team. So I think common sense will prevail and we’ll be getting rid of one of the two weakest women on the squad.”
Jean-Robert also used the last pow-wow before TC to express his opinion to the tribe: “Leslie is breaking down everyday but I don’t know if Courtney can keep it up even if she makes it pass today. I’ve seen more meat on anorexic girls.”
JR pushed that agenda at TC when Jeff asked if they were concerned that Zhan Hu now knows they can win: “I’m very concerned. We have two of the 3 biggest guys but we also have two of the weakest girls…Courtney and Leslie are the ones I’m refering to.”
Courtney remarked, ironically: “This is fun to live with.”
“We have to be careful who we sit out to keep a balanced team each time” JR said.
Courtney replied: “For 9 days, it’s been ‘how can we get Courtney, Todd and Leslie to not play.’ I feel like a little chihuahua trying to run a horse race right now. Everything is mud wrestling and winging people off a boat. It’s like ‘crap, we have to put her in. Where will she do the least damage.’ I’m just tired of being spoken as where I’m going to do the least damage.”
James chimed in: “That’s not what we’re thinking.”
JR tried to amend his strong statement: “It’s not as if I’m saying that we perceive Courtney as weak or Leslie as weak…”
He was quickly interrupted by Jeff: “JR, that is exactly what you said.”
“OK” answered JR, hardly missing a beat. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it. When it comes to the three strongest girls, it is clearly Denise, Amanda and that’s it. We’re playing for a million dollars. We’re not babies in a camp ground. Feelings are going to get hurt. I’m not known for keeping my thoughts back…I’m keeping it real.”
Leslie put the last nail in her coffin by saying that Zhan Hu won because they have heart.
Jean-Robert is quite a character. I see him as a combination of Jonathan and Judd, giving memorable quotes and being the bully. The “chocking walrus” (!!) seems destined to crash and burn. It should be fun to see!
At the start of Day 7, James went fishing with Amanda. He caught a crab and proposed to make a stew. A discussion about how to serve the crustacean ensued. Courtney and James wanted to use the crab to flavor the rice, Aaron wanted to eat the crab whole. “I want the crab stock so I can put it on the damn rice” said James. He added: “I have the damn crab, you didn’t get a crab, you don’t even have a crab toe nail.” The boys were cranky but finally Aaron went with what James wanted since he caught the crab.
As he was shown cooking the meal, James confided: “It’s frustrating with this team because they have a slow learning curve. It’s hard to talk to these guys because they keep bumping their heads…I’m the only one that actually went and read a Survival handbook. I don’t eat outside. I don’t even like plastic or paper cups. I do nothing outside…I know more than them. I feel like Crocodile Dundee out here!”
The reward challenge was another demonstration of James’ power. We heard the sound of the contact when he raced across the plank to tackle Frosti. The Parkour specialist had no chance. James and Fei Long easily won both of the men’s rounds. Each time, James was the only one left standing.
As noted above in the conversation with Jean-Robert, James turned quickly from a shy, likeable man who said he simply wanted to be loved into a very crude, unlikeable man. That sudden turn of events sets up his fall.

Amanda was first shown trying to get away from JR. She told an hesitant James “Yeah, we’re going to eat the crab. Are you kidding me, we better eat the crab!” She observed the ensuing discussion between Aaron and James and shared another smile with Todd, both knowing that Aaron was taking the rap again.
Amanda was walking in the forest, collecting firewood, when Todd came to her about booting Jean-Robert or Courtney. He had just received confirmation from Leslie and Courtney that JR was making life miserable and would be their votes. Amanda wasn’t convinced, telling him: “We have to think about further in the game. She’ll be a vote for us, we need her.” Thinking about the challenges, Amanda still wasn’t sure: “Vote Jean-Robert?” she asked.
She exposed the situation to Aaron: “So, do we get rid of Jean-Robert?” Aaron was opposed to the JR vote “because of the challenges.” He quickly focused the vote on Leslie: “She was talking about there’s 3 Christian on that group. You know people try to find the tie that binds. I want to be around a while. I don’t want to get to the merge and be picked off.”
Todd objected: “Jean-Robert, he’s a poker player, dude. He could easily jump to the other side and pick us off, one by one.”
Aaron said he was more threatened by Leslie jumping.
Maybe symbolically, Amanda was in between Todd and Aaron during their discussion of the boot options. She didn’t have a big episode but she was part of all the scenes in Fei Long. One could even consider it a good sign that we didn’t see much of her in an episode that was so negative for her tribe. For one thing, she didn’t get any of the blame for booting Leslie. Not having a question at TC is rare for a long term player but neither Todd or Aaron received one either, only the 3 targets. It made it a strange TC. A bad sign is that her story seems more an extension of Todd’s. Isn’t everyone’s story an extension of Todd’s?

Aaron, in a recuring theme, showed his lack of wisdom as a leader by getting into another futile argument about the crab.
At the reward challenge, we saw Todd look back at his leader before telling Jeff that the little ones (the “Munchkins” Leslie dubbed them) would sit out. Aaron was responsible for the decision that would come back to haunt Fei Long in the immunity challenge.
After comforting Courtney for her challenge performance, Aaron turned his attention to Leslie. He asked “What’s up with the other tribe?” Leslie told them there were three Christians on the tribe which got concerned looks from Aaron and James. Aaron was even more disappointed to hear that she had told Zhan Hu he was the leader: “You put my head on the guillotine.” Leslie assuring him that they already knew, because Jaime had told them, didn’t appease Fei Long’s leader.
Aaron confided: “Leslie going over to Zhan Hu, being kidnapped, is a major liability for us. You know…she doesn’t think. I don’t know if it’s her heart or what, but it overcomes her brain. What really scares me is, once the merge happens, what kind of bonds will Leslie be involved with. You can’t really trust her.”
Aaron pushed the vote in the direction of Leslie to Todd and Amanda and got his way.
Aaron is clearly in a position of leadership. He made it work in getting the vote to go as he wished. However, we saw once more that he is lacking some of the virtues of the good general when he argued with James. His role has also been revealed to Zhan Hu, making it tough for him to use deceit. He has a hard road to victory but he still looks good to make it far. His best chance is that he is the leader of the tribe that has been presented as having the stronger personalities, the tribe of interest.

Did you notice the look Todd gave Zhan Hu as they picked Leslie to come to their camp? While Fei Long was saying goodbye to their “mom” and Jeff gave her the secret scroll, Todd was looking intently over in the direction of Jaime. He was fully aware that, soon, someone else would have a precious clue to the idol. We had three separate shots of Todd looking as if he was analyzing the situation, sizing up his competition.
When Todd heard JR’s crude comments about the women, he was offended. “I’ll strangle his ass” he told Courtney
Todd then confided: “We were standing twenty yards from Jean-Robert…He was saying that Courtney would be the first to go. I’m like; Dude, she’s standing right here. My attitude towards the two of them is gonna change around camp…You have to take care of taking out the trash and, as far as I’m concerned, James and Jean-Robert are the trash. I don’t care if it’s toworrow, if it’s five days from now or nine days from now. Any more than that, trash gets stinky. They gotta go.”
In the immunity challenge, Todd tried to catch up to Zhan Hu, making quick work of the puzzle and bossing JR around at the same time: “Remove it from my face…What the hell, dude.” It wasn’t enough.
After the Immunity loss, Todd went to work, setting the target on either JR or Courtney. After Aaron announced his intention to vote out Leslie, Todd confided: “I don’t want to be competing, me up against these huge guys. I don’t want to lose my numbers on my tribe by getting rid of them now but down the line, I don’t want them here because they’re gonna beat me and that’s not OK. This game is not just physical. I’m trying to think strategically as well. It does bug me that Leslie was so excited to go to the other tribe. Who knows what she’s plotting with people over there? I want to get rid of Jean-Robert but who knows?”
Is it just my impression or is everyone’s story intertwined with Todd’s? Aaron and Amanda are almost “faire-valoir”, like the straight man who sets up the comedian. Jean-Robert and James are is opponents. You and I know that Courtney HAD to have a confessional about James and JR's crude exchange. Not hearing her comments means that her story against the big guys was seen through Todd's confessional, that it's part of his bigger story. One can even say that Jaime’s story was an extension of his. The way he looked at her after the reward challenge puts her on his list. Most of the themes of the season apply to him:
- He was careful in choosing his alliance.
- He has unique skills that need to be used.
- He told us that Fei Long worked well on making camp.
- He has shown subtlety in planning and attacking.
It’s early to declare him the winner but Todd is the story of Survivor: China right now.
Zhan Hu appeared on our screen just after a water buffalo emerged from the lake. Was it a sign of good tidings for ZH in this episode? Does the buffalo have symbolic value in China? If it is a good sign, we better keep an eye on that buffalo!
Peih Gee observed Dave working and asked him: “Dave, why don’t you sit? I just want you to conserve your energy because I don’t want to lose another challenge.”
Peih Gee confided: “Dave doesn’t seem to learn. He knew that last challenge was just him running out of energy. He doesn’t seem to get it, that he needs to rest.”
After Dave had another outburst, Peih Gee had a key confessional: “I know that it’s a game where it’s everyone for himself but I do have a lot of fate in our tribe. You have to look out for each other if you want to do well in challenges.” It nicely led into the reward challenge where the Zhan Hu women took charge.
The first leg of the challenge showed that Zhan Hu followed a rule of the “Art of War”. While Fei Long divided its forces with Denise jumping on the other boat, Zhan Hu stayed grouped together. The ZH women would continue using that plan and win all three rounds.
Peih Gee was happy to have the pillows. She was happier after listening to Leslie. Peih Gee confided: “We got quite a bit of information from Leslie. It was more like girl gossiping. You can get the same results but you can do it in a happy, nice way.”
We saw Peih Gee’s enthusiasm during the immunity challenge. She was dancing while Sherea and Dave assembled the puzzle, jumping up and down as they dragged it towards the finish line and smiling when Jeff gave them the idol. “It’s going up on our fireplace” she told our host. Dave must have liked that! The scene ended with Peih Gee giving the idol a big kiss.
Peih Gee’s story is evolving. For the first time, she wasn’t only talking about Dave and his idiosyncrasies but was narrating the events in Zhan Hu. She even talked about her desire to have a strong but happy tribe. That role gives Peih Gee a place to the merge which wasn’t evident after her bossy start. We haven’t heard her talk about her own plans so that suggests she’ll go down when her tribe goes down, and be one of the last ZH standing.

Dave to his shame, was shown in the recap being pinned down by the weak Leslie during the reward challenge of episode #2.
In the tribe’s opening sequence, he continued his non-stop work, cleaning the boat, improving the fireplace and preparing his meal. To Peih Gee who had offered to help, he blew a loud kiss and said: “Peih Gee, I heard you, thank you. I’m checking myself constantly. Cut me a little bit of slack.”
Dave confided: “Peih Gee is always on my butt about not getting enough rest. In order to save your energy and have energy for the challenge, you must efficiently expend some. It is a balance. Camp doesn’t sort itself out and if you don’t sort out camp, then challenges will tank. It’s.not.rocket.science!” The last sentence was spoken with gritted teeth and bulging eyes.
The next scene started with Dave having finally decided to rest. It showed the tribe tending the fire but having problems setting the wok. Despite Jaime, Frosti, Sherea and Peih Gee being ready to fix it, Dave had to get up to do it himself. He justified his action by saying: “If you take offense, I apologize, but the amount of time it took me to get up, grab a brick and just do it, versus the time it took to question it…It took so much more time and effort.”
That whole scene seemed put in there to remind us that, despite what would come next, Dave is still Dave. Not only he can’t delegate, he seems to be lacking balance. Taunting James in the reward challenge didn’t reassure us regarding his mental health!
(I was half expecting to see Varner, behind a tree, telling us about “That Idiot Dave”!)
Despite Zhan Hu being a happy tribe, we saw that Dave is far from playing with a full deck of cards. He should be leaving soon. Even Frosti knew that Dave should’ve been happy to be there still.
Frosti objected for once to Dave’s attitude in the opening sequence.
Frosti confided: “Dave is pushing a whole lot of people and he needs to chill out. We were looking at him and Ashley last night and today, of all days, should be the day that he’s happy to be here.”
Frosti demonstrated his strength during the immunity challenge as he attacked and cut those ropes.
Frosti is still a player without a story or a game plan. He has no connection to any of the themes of the season. Add all that up and you get a clear sign that Frosti isn’t a long term player.
Jaime also argued with Dave but kept her frustrations in check.
After her strong showing in the reward challenge, we saw her turn around to talk her team into kidnapping Leslie. She told Jeff who their chosen “victim” was.
Back in camp, Jaime hugged Erik. Keep an eye on these two who are often seen together. Could love be in the air?
Jaime was then heard in confessional: “I was so excited to win the reward. Not only did we get pillows, blankets and a tarp but we were also able to kidnap Leslie to our tribe.”
The good nature of this tribe was shown to us for the first time through the eyes of Leslie. She was impressed that “morale-wise, this camp seems to have a leg up”. Dave told her he’d watch his mouth and would keep his drawers on. Note that his comment still got a disapproving look from Sherea!
The tribe then went swimming, Frosti gracefully doing a flip from the shore into the lake while Dave had a resounding belly flop. “That hurt watching that” exclaimed one of the women!
Jaime started questioning Leslie. She told Zhan Hu everything they wanted to know:
- Jaime: “Do we have a happier tribe?”
- Leslie: “Yes. We just have strong personalities”
- J: “How’s Todd? Is he nice?”
- L: “Yes, he’s like my boy, he calls me momma.”
- Dave: “How’s Aaron? He seems really nice.”
- L: “He is.
- J: “He’s nice, but he controls a lot.”
- L: “He’s controlling but we elected him leader.”
- J: “Is he really smart or something?”
- L: “He just sort of took over.”
Peih Gee then had the confessional reported above.
Leslie also had questions:
- L: “So, you are a Christian?”
- Sherea: “Hu-Hum.”
- L: “And Erik’s a Christian and Jaime’s a Christian…Wow! I’m misunderstood a lot over at my tribe.”
Leslie then told us that Fei Long was a very cynical tribe. (Since James and JR’s talk followed immediately, we got the point!)
Note that beside talking about Aaron which was to set up Leslie’s boot, the only Fei Long player mentioned was Todd. Do you really believe that no one had questions regarding anyone else?
On the morning of Day 9, Jaime was rewarded for planning ahead. Leslie subtly asked her if she could change her clothes and both women walked away from the camp where Jaime received the second clue to the hidden immunity idol.
Jaime confided: “I trust Leslie more than I trust anyone else from the other tribe. That’s why it was good to get her over here. She gave me the clue for the immunity idol so, all together, it worked out really well for me.” Jaime tried but couldn’t figure out the clues: “It must be right in my face” she admitted with some frustration.
Of all the Zhan Hu members, Jaime is the one that has the most connections with the themes. She acted wisely in making an alliance with Leslie and she acted subtly when she decided it was Ashley who had to go. The fact that her plan of keeping Fei Long weak failed and that Todd has his eyes on her indicate where her story could fall short.

The Neglected Ones: The players who don’t have a story or a plan.
Erik was often shown in close up with his head down during the argument the tribe had with Dave. It kept him out of the drama but it definitely made him look weak.
Erik has no story. He may have shown some involvement in his tribe’s decisions but he looks like a flunky, one who will be sacrificed when the game gets individual.

Sherea also stayed out of the drama even if we saw her with a defiant look on her face towards Dave. It prepares the stage for the fall out that the previews indicated but in this episode, Sherea remained quiet.
Sherea let her strength do the talking for her during the reward challenge. The camera often focused on her. Even if Denise and Amanda are strong women, Sherea, with assistance from a feisty Peih Gee and a game Jaime, overpowered them.
Sherea is safe in Zhan Hu but all her aggression won’t be forgotten when she’ll need votes from Fei Long members, either after the merge or after a switch. The women of Fei Long will be waiting for her.
Denise was rewarded for her strong showing in defeat by a hug from Aaron as she climbed back on the boat. We had some shots of Denise reacting to events in camp but nothing to point to the start of a story for the lunch lady.

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Gershwin 2 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
10-08-07, 02:39 PM (EST)

31. "RE: Episode #3: The Players, The Game, The Editing."

i'm noticing that when people get booted it helps you read the previous episodes better. now that leslie is gone, look at last week when she was somewhat featured. since we now know that she was not featured for her own sake, look at how the other stories were advanced through hers.
significantly, there was the sharing of the idol with todd, leading to todd's confessional plotting against her. the way her boot ends up happening is NOT todd's doing, it's depicted as aaron's decision. but we see here how everything is filtered through todd: how he benefits from leslie's absence as now the only one with knowledged of the HII, and also how aaron is the "face" of his alliance with amanda and the one taking the lead publicly. so yes, i absolutely agree that todd is the primary story of this season, perhaps in a rob cesternino kind of way, which would be most welcome to me as a viewer.
i'm also rooting for JR to last a while since i think he's a wonderful character and i'd love to see the poker player side come more into play in conflict with todd. i tend to agree with this thread's analysis that he is not likely to have longevity, though he may have some play yet, as he has certainly been more developed than our poor invisible lunchlady (which means she's probably the next to go, right? like lilianna last year?). also i second michel's emphasis on the fact that courtney didn't get a confessional about that absolutely revolting exchange ABOUT HER! that she and todd witnessed together. courtney may be going sooner than JR.
jamie's story was also advanced through leslie's, and i see her as having taken a nice step forward, along with PG. in that tribe, keep an eye on dave, though - we are being made to have a very specific (negative) view of him, and he has been a main character so far this season, surviving two TCs already. he seems to be getting significant character development. i'm interested in what specifically makes you guys think that he doesn't have longevity? he seems a little like jonathan to me, and perhaps he does have a major role to play somewhere down the road.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
10-09-07, 12:04 PM (EST)

32. "RE: Episode 3 Editing"

VG - so nice to see you . I very much feel that The Art of War is what this story is about this season so I cannot help to let it influence my thoughts on this season. Michel you indicate Todd is the story. This may very well be true (although for me, I am still weeding out the muck from the jewels) Many storylines have Todd weaved through them most definitely. Although we may end up in agreement our arriving at the conclusion would be somewhat different. Should Todd encompass perhaps what The Art of War tries to parlay into Survivor, we would both arrive at the same conclusion through different measures. I have always been more of the mind set that there is an overriding theme that encompasses the storyline and the “winner” per se pulls it all together but that may be more about my penchant that the characters are the “tools” used to tell the story, not the story themselves (I blame literature for this ).
Previously
JR slept while everyone else worked
Aaron comments on JR not pulling his weight
Leslie began a downward spiral
But at the RC, FL remained undefeated and twist revealed
Jamie kidnapped and inside scroll was clue to HII
Jamie gave clue to Leslie lifting her spirits
Dave used all his energy working around camp
At the IC, he had nothing left
Jeff voice over: “Dave is worn out” helping FL win third challenge in row
Dave knew he was in the hot seat
Dave apologizes - constant bickering with Ashley - both in jeopardy (Erik shown)
At TC, the ZH tribe decide to give their hardest worker another chance (PG then Dave shown) and got rid of Ashley
We are still being given hints of the discord at ZH and in particular Dave as evidenced by what was said and what was shown earlier in the show.
Gershwin, I read your thoughts on Dave, specifically: “we are being made to have a very specific (negative) view of him, and he has been a main character so far this season, surviving two TCs already. he seems to be getting significant character development. i'm interested in what specifically makes you guys think that he doesn't have longevity?”
You may have very well answered your own question We ARE being made to have a very specific view of him which is tinged in negativity. I would not go so far as to say he is being shown incredibly negative as some of his thoughts were validated although not necessarily supported. A main character in a story line does not necessarily have to be one that is dominating the screen; many times they are a distraction or are there to set in motion storylines that will be developed. Viewing, however, is subjective and your view is that you feel you have seen him developed. No one can question how YOU view Dave so you are not wrong! The question to ask is - is he being developed for storyline purposes only OR to truly get inside his head and what he is about and how he perceives playing this game? For the most part, Dave’s “story” has been wrapped around how his leadership is not being met with support; we hear specific views about him but really no in depth insight FROM him. His persona is very one dimensional in his thoughts, i.e. PG bugged him, one needs to expend energy to get energy, he and Ashley do not get along, etc. I probably would have more “hope” for Dave should we hear from him as to why he is feeling the way he does, what this type of behavior can do for his strategy and so forth.
As far as the remainder of the recap, JR is mentioned again and clearly there is a budding war between Courtney and JR (which we did not even need to see the previews for next week to guess that) and the HII is brought up for further development.
TC Aftermath
It is suggestive that after such a dramatic TC, we would expect to visit ZH after that TC; instead we were shown some dynamics at FL - shown to help set up what would reflect on their relationships and the ensuing Tribal Council? Perhaps. In the same token, this does not necessarily bode well for the members of ZH as the potential end game player (although not written in stone). It certainly does not hurt to file this away as an editing clue should ZH not produce the winner of this season.
JR is shown with unwanted snoring and snuggling by the women of his tribe. Obviously this is purely to set up the dynamics in camp to reflect that JR is not well received by the women. However, a whole scene dedicated to this instead of revisiting ZH after their Tribal Council may be questionable.
Leslie “JR... ..he like hogs up the bed and the women are like ewww”
James shown admonishing JR jokingly
Courtney (conf) “I do kinda get a creep vibe from JR and so does Amanda, neither one of us likes him. I’m sure he notices that we both go to great pains to not be next to him and yet he climbs in there...” Perhaps a bonding of Amanda and Courtney also hinted at
Leslie (conf) “I don’t think JR gets the social game and if we ever have to go to Tribal Council we don’t have to worry about who will be the first, it will be him”“ (Foreshadowing and irony)
The Art of War - "The sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file."
Breaking Down
FL’s scene of the “crab argument” was more or less only shown again to set up the discord on this tribe. There was heavy emphasis as the episode progressed that FL, while showing their dominance in challenges are not exactly a cohesive tribe. Aaron is showing some shades of arrogance built upon and I believe we even discussed pre-show that there may be male egos clashing on a tribe filled with some alpha men.
Amanda and James are shown securing one crab as JR is shown enjoying the water. Courtney suggests her method of cooking the crab with James in agreement while Aaron is then shown putting a damper on their catch. JR pipes in to Courtney’s response to Aaron with a side long view of Denise nodding her head during JR’s reply that there is only one crab for all these people.
Courtney “So James gets to eat it since he caught it and the rest of us will eat plain rice”
Aaron “We don’t work like that. It’s not like if you don’t grab kindling you don’t get to sit around the fire”
(Leslie laughing)
Leslie (conf) “I know when my husband is hungry he gets cranky....these guys are not getting fed”
Aaron and James continue to bicker with visuals of Todd and Amanda sitting there
Aaron advises he is down with what James wants to do and JR agrees to this
James (conf) “Frustrating with this team cause they have a slow learning curve....am I the only one who went to Barnes and Noble before we got out here? Four hours at Barnes and Noble and I’m like Crocodile Dundee out here!”
The Art of War - It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order
The Worker Bee
Dave shown first thing in the morning cleaning the boat, lifting bricks, etc. whereas those such as Frosti are still waking up for the day. A brief shot of PG shown slightly shaking her head at Dave.
PG “Dave, why don’t you eat” (Jamie and Sherea nearby)
Dave “I will”
PG advises she wants Dave to conserve his energy as she does not want to lose any more challenges
PG (conf) “Dave doesn’t learn; he knew that last challenge was him just burning out of energy and he doesn’t seem to get it, he needs to rest”
PG “Can we chop that for you Dave?”
Dave “No, I’ll do this one, someone do the next one”
PG “Well as long as it gives you energy”
Dave “PG! (Kisses at her)”
PG “Just learn your limits Dave, because (Sherea shown) I don’t know that you’re aware of them”
Dave “PG. PG, I heard you, I am checking myself constantly. Please. Cut me a wee bit slack”
Dave “PG’s riding my butt.... in order to save your energy...you must efficiently expend some. Camp doesn’t sort itself out.....it’s NOT rocket science”
The group is then shown with Dave laying down away from them. Questions are asked about the wok and if it is steady on the rocks. As discussion ensues, Dave cannot contain himself and starts speaking with Jamie then putting her thoughts into the matter as well.
Dave “Do it once, do it right. Get it done. Simple as that” (PG shown) “Just do it!” (Frosti shown) “You can waffle about it or hem and haw all day long or just put a brick on it” (Jamie shown)
Dave then attempts to apologize but then doesn’t help himself by making the apology half hearted (Sherea and Erik shown during his discussion) Frosti tries to explain the position and whether subtle attempt by PG to break up the melee, she is shown interrupting the conversation to have Erik hand her something perhaps to diffuse the situation.
Frost (conf) “....we were looking at him and Ashley last night and today of all days he should be happy he is here”
PG (conf) “I really do have a lot of faith in our tribe; you have to look out for each other if you wanna win the challenges”
The Art of War - "By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds" "Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength."
Dave continues on his own path of self destruction as evidenced by not only the various reaction shots that surrounded this scene but with Frosti’s confessional as well. Like last week, we did not hear anyone supporting Dave except for PG being concerned with Dave’s energy level. Dave did not come off this scene well especially in light of his griping about PG who has taken quite a nice turn in her edit. In this particular situation, her edit was portrayed as validated considering how the audience saw how burned out Dave was for which he even apologized for
The Reward Challenge
Jeff advises that Ashley is voted out with a contrived glance from Dave to Amanda shown
The “little ones” deemed by Aaron are sitting out or as Courtney indicated, the munchkins
The women of ZH demonstrate their tough exterior in the first round
The men are up and Jeff expressed it well by stating this was odd as we saw Dave disrobe and crawl like a cat to be thrown in by Aaron. The FL men make quick work of the ZH men
The women of ZH again prove victorious despite some tough competition from the FL women again this round
The men of ZH unfortunately cannot handle the girth of FL and they lose again
Much like the last challenge, the women are a force; perhaps Jeff’s words “It comes down to the women” may provide prophetic but we will only see after the season is over
The women of ZH score victory for their tribe as Amanda is consoled by JR and Denise is given a big hug by Aaron.
Leslie is “stolen” and not a big surprise if Jamie had any say in the matter and as Leslie makes her way over, a sly smile on Todd’s face is then shown and just for good measure, the same shot is shown again as the scene ends.
Happy Days Are Here Again
A nice hug by Erik and Jamie followed by Jamie’s excitement
Jamie (conf) “I was so psyched….not only were we able to get blankets…we were also able to kidnap Leslie…”
Leslie is given warm greeting and Dave even promises to keep his pants on and his mouth shut.
Leslie (conf) “Moral wise this camp seems to have a leg up, that’s impressive because they already lost two people and for them to still be so excited is pretty impressive”
Jamie asks if they are the happier tribe
Leslie “Yeah. I think we just have strong personalities.
Jamie “How is Todd? Is he pretty nice?” Somewhat interesting that Todd is the one shown singled out and then Aaron
Leslie “That’s my boy; he calls me momma” (Dave shown smiling)
Dave “Aaron seems really nice”
Jamie mentions he appeared controlling
Leslie advises that they elected him leader
PG (conf) “We got quite a bit of good information from Leslie but it was kinda like more fun like girls gossiping. You can get the same results but you can do them in a happy nice way”
The Art of War - "He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven- born captain"
Leslie discusses how she is misunderstood in her tribe due to her religion
Leslie (conf) “It differs a lot over at FL, I try not to talk about it a lot over there, they are very cynical over there and that can be very tough”
Cynicism At It’s Best
James and JR are shown having a pow wow with James advising Sister Christian is not going to last too long and for some reason they are all buying that Christ stuff
James “The ones that pray the most sin the most; that’s why they praying; they know they are going to hell”
JR and James find this particularly funny. At this juncture, it seems that James should have been concerned about his social skills that he mentioned to Leslie; I am fairly certain that James’ words alone have sealed his fate in terms of editing for end game playing.
Courtney and Todd are now shown together as Courtney signals Todd to listen to JR and James
James “You need to stay, Denise needs to stay and I need to stay for awhile”
JR “I feel myself distancing from Todd; I felt like a bond with him right away and now he’s tuned me out and Courtney of course I’m not in with but I’m not worried about that because she’s gonna be first to go”
Todd “I’ll strangle his a--”
Todd (conf) “Courtney and I were cutting this husk for a fire and we were literally 20 yards away from JR and James in full view and they were talking at the top of their lungs how Courtney is going to go first, dude she was right here!”
JR asks James if he would vote Leslie or Courtney
James states that Courtney does work but JR isn’t impressed
JR “What did she move, she moved like two twigs. Plus you like Courtney.”
This is then followed by one of the more memorable quotes of Survivor “a million dollars and some a–“
Courtney “I am never sleeping next to either of them again”
Todd “I can’t believe he said that”
Todd (conf) “Oh my attitude towards them is gonna change around camp” (this next portion is from a different time period as location has changed) “You gotta take care of taking out the trash and as far as I am concerned James and JR are the trash; I don’t care if it is tomorrow, five days from now, nine days from now, any more than that, trash gets stinky, they gotta go”
The Art of War - "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt"
Of interest is that Courtney was not shown giving her thoughts about this matter though it involved her directly especially in light of the fact that Courtney played a big role in this episode and she has shown to be a narrator on this tribe. I don’t necessarily believe this is of concern for Courtney however. I do question if this is more about Todd and how the editors want him perceived though
The HII
Leslie discusses the scroll she received and wants to return the favor to Jamie because they understand each other.
Jamie (conf) “I trust Leslie more than anyone else on the other team” Alas, Jamie no longer has Leslie
We are then shown again the location of the HII. Not much in the way of the idol and Jamie - considering she has been the only one heavily involved with the clues, I will be interested in seeing how others are edited with respect to this.
The Immunity Challenge
Leslie “They were great; talked a lot, laughed a lot” (reaction shots by her own tribe) and then hugs as she makes her way to her tribe’s mat.
Of note (aside from the martial arts editing ) was Courtney’s inability to get her ropes chopped. What I did find interesting is that Jeff has never shied away from being somewhat critical of those who are doing terribly in a challenge. Most notably last season was Jeff’s commentary towards Cassandra you will recall when she was digging in the sand, Jeff was less than positive with her. Jeff only told Courtney there was a long puzzle ahead and to not give up. This may bode well for Courtney’s chances as a long term player when she easily could have been made a mockery even by Jeff’s commentary alone.
ZH wins the challenge with various shots thrown at Courtney looking obviously upset.
IC Aftermath
Courtney shows her war wounds as Aaron, Leslie, Amanda, Denise and Todd give her some comfort; James and JR are seemingly standing nearby.
Todd “You didn’t give up, which is key”
This may very well be Courtney’s story, another episode or two may give it more definition as it could very well just be confined to her dodging a bullet. Courtney’s edit since the first day has taken a subtle turn. We still see the “mouthy” side (so to speak) but the editing does seem to want to portray an air of vulnerability for her and some audience support. Easily, this episode could have been shaped to show Courtney as someone that audience wanted to get rid of just by manipulating the IC on our screen or adding confessionals by people who are well received by the audience reflecting how inept she was, Jeff’s commentary could have been manipulated and even Courtney’s expressions could have been tweaked to show her appearing more idiotic or inept rather than a hint of “feeling for her” as someone her size is trying but these challenges are clearly not designed for someone of her stature.
JR (conf) “...this reaffirms the fact we need strength...so I think common sense will prevail and we will get rid of the one of the two weakest women”
Leslie then tells her tribe about the other tribe: “They are very friendly over there, three of them are Christians over there which is why I think they picked me”
JR “Which ones”
Leslie “Um, Sherea, Jamie and Erik”
JR “What do they think about us?”
Leslie “They didn’t know a whole lot about you, I told them bits about you guys. I said Aaron’s our leader whether he likes it or not (laughs) they knew...”
Aaron “Put my head in the guillotine”
Leslie “No I didn’t, they knew!”
Aaron “They knew?”
Leslie “They knew, Jamie told them, come on!” (during this we see edited shots of JR and James exchanging glances; there is also barely any background music as the whole scene is reflected to appear very ominous)
Aaron (conf) “Leslie being kidnapped...major liability for us; she doesn’t think. I don’t know if it is her heart or what; it just overcomes her brain but really what scares me is once the merge happens what kind of bonds is Leslie gonna be involved with, you can’t really trust her”
A nice little strategically placed confessional by Aaron to reflect the commencement of questioning for the impending Leslie boot and how Aaron may be perceived as the force in ousting her. Leslie was not forced upon us with fire and brimstone in her religious beliefs the way some in the past have been edited. Her convictions were clearly stated but I don't think the general audience came away with a bad taste in their mouth so it stands to reason that the hands shown dirty in ousting Leslie, while not condemned, may not be cheered either
Todd, Leslie and Courtney are together with Leslie advising that was hard for Courtney and Courtney advises she can handle the challenges but not the miserable people in camp.
Leslie “If we didn’t have JR, how would that change your life?”
Courtney “JR and James need to go”
Todd confirms they are going for those two and he leaves them as Leslie advises those two need to be broken up as they cause trouble
Todd and Amanda
Todd “We have to look at the options, it could be Courtney or JR. Are those the two options basically?”
Amanda “We have to think about later in the game”
Todd “Later in the game would be awesome to have Courtney around; she won’t win things” Never underestimate the possibility of irony in this statement
Amanda does question that decision as Todd asks if she really thinks they will lose a lot of challenges without JR.
Amanda “Vote JR?”
Later....
Amanda “So we vote JR?”
Aaron “I don’t want to vote JR out cuz of the challenges”
Amanda “Because of what?”
Aaron “The challenges” (The last two comments, shown in voice over, did not show the speakers of the comments but rather Todd)
Aaron “Leslie was talking about you know, there is three Christians in that group...the tie that binds so I want to be around awhile” Aaron then expresses that at merger he doesn’t want to get picked off (foreshadowing?)
Todd “He’s a poker player dude; he can easily jump over on someone else’s side”
Aaron “Sure"
Todd “and pick us off to get one step further”
Aaron “Right. And I just feel Leslie is more dangerous than JR in that jumping away so I think we need to take her out”
Todd (conf) “Right now it would be between JR and Leslie but further down the line I don’t want to be competing, me, up against these huge guys. I don’t want to lose my numbers on my tribe by getting rid of them now (nice visual of smaller Todd next to larger James) but farther down the line...they’re gonna beat me and that’s not okay”
Todd and Amanda appeared very “on board” to get rid of JR. The exchange with Aaron proved otherwise as Aaron was shown to be the person to instigate Leslie being voted out. I don’t necessarily believe that Todd completely acquiesced in this situation as confessionals shown by Todd do reveal he was not happy with Leslie bonding with the other camp and we can’t forget what he said about Leslie leaving would result in his having the information about the idol. However, whether Todd allowed Aaron to “lead the way” (as Amanda and Todd discussed to keep their hands clean) or whether we were not made privy to more discussion where Todd agreed Leslie was the best choice will not be known until after the fact, thus...
The Art of War - "By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge."
The group has a pow wow without Leslie or Courtney
JR “Tonight we are going to have a vote and the logical choice is to let one of our two weaker players go (Todd honed in on) which is obviously Courtney and Leslie. Leslie seems to breaking down every single day and then Courtney seriously, even if she makes it past today I don’t see how this girl is gonna live, I see anorexic girls have more meat on their bones than this girl has” (Courtney and Leslie arrive)
Todd (conf) “This game is just not physical right now; I’m trying to think strategically as well; (next part done in voice over and probably is from the second confessional that we are shown of him at the end of his statements) it does bug me that Leslie was so excited to go over to the other tribe, who knows what she is plotting with. people over there. I want to get rid of JR but at same time as far as challenges go I wanna keep JR but who knows”
The Art of War - "How to make the best of both strong and weak--that is a question involving the proper use of ground"
Tribal Council
Jeff asks JR if concerned since ZH has shown they can beat them
JR “Very concerned, yeah we might have two or three of the biggest guys but we also have two of the weakest girls (cymbal then Leslie and Courtney) that is just matter of fact”
Jeff asks who they are and mentions Courtney since she is the smallest
JR “Courtney and Leslie have smaller frames here”
Courtney “This is fun to live with” (Leslie shown who isn’t disagreeing)
JR “This is the reality of the situation, we should be really careful who we sit/vote out (Todd shown skeptical) for a more balanced team each time”
Jeff asks Courtney how that feels
Courtney “For the past nine days it has been how can we possibly get Courtney and Todd a and Leslie to not play and I’m like a chihuahua trying to run a horse race so far; every day is like mud wrestling or winging people off boats (Todd) and it is like crap we have to put her in, where will she do the least damage (Todd, JR, Aaron shown) I’m just sick of where will I do the least damage”
James attempts to assure Courtney that is not what is meant
Courtney “But that is how it comes across day after day”
JR “It’s not like I perceive Courtney is weak or Leslie is weak...”
Jeff interrupts to say that is exactly what he said
JR “Okay. Weaker of this group (Courtney shakes her head) The reality of the situation when it comes to three strongest girls, it is clearly Denise, Amanda and then who? We are playing for a million dollars here, we are not babies, feelings are going to get hurt or not get hurt. I’m not know for holding my thoughts back....I’m keeping it real”
Leslie asks to say something: “I spent a night with ZH, I saw not a strong physical tribe but a strong heart, they are united, they do things together, we may have all the brawn in the world (shots of JR, Aaron, James shown) but if we don’t have heart we ain’t gonna make it.......” (James and JR exchange glances)
I do admit that Leslie’s words left me a bit questioning - other than the scene where, in fact, Leslie was with ZH and they appeared happy and enjoying each other; the editing thus far has not really portrayed ZH as this cohesive and wonderful tribe that Leslie was stressing. This does make me question if the perception that is being attempted is more about what FL needs to do to obtain success rather than the ZH tribe. Much like Michel said earlier that he believes items are intertwined about Todd, we may be seeing ZH’s “persona” through Leslie’s eyes to reflect what is lacking with FL. While I may need to review these last episodes, there has been a certain failure in the editing to showcase ZH the way Leslie has. Therefore, is this more about FL and not ZH?
Jeff asks JR if he is concerned
JR “Of course I am concerned it could be me, to be honest with you Jeff the heats been on since day two.....somehow last few days been showing more, been kicking butt in the challenges (Courtney and Todd shown) so tonight my chances are little bit fair....I’m still one of the two or three people in jeopardy and I”m really hoping to make it through tonight”
Aaron and Courtney are heard on their votes, Leslie shown writing hers and Todd shown as the “pivotal” vote. As Leslie gets her votes, the “mom” vote caused Leslie to pat Todd’s knee and he holds her arm.
Jeff “It seems like the big theme from tonight’s Tribal Council, this tribe needs a little more fun (Aaron) and this tribe needs to do a better job at utilizing (JR) each person’s unique strength (Todd and Courtney shown)
At this juncture, I agree Michel there is certain David vs. Goliath attitude emanating from the FL tribe and this may be where that is headed with those such as James and JR and Aaron “slain” while we pull for those like Courtney and Todd who cannot help their size. With Courtney’s discussion of those who are miserable on their tribe, there may be a sense that FL may be shown to grow as a tribe by working better together and “utilizing” those who can provide contributions other than strength. Aaron again is shown as the “defacto” leader with Todd and Amanda subtly pulling the strings (Todd shown directly) Denise, unfortunately, is still being neglected and while I suspect once the “characters” are wittled down somewhat we may see some of her character blossom, she has not been shown integral as of yet to how the outcome may mesh out. It is clear that she is a valuable asset and without the “male ego” involvement should have no problem furthering herself at this time. Amanda, in typical female editing, is in the center of the strategy but only shown subtly; she and Todd have a yin/yang relationship but the thoughts and words from the prior episode should not be ignored yet.
Over at ZH, there are some sorely underdeveloped characters and for that matter, sorely underdeveloped potential story lines. Everything appears present tense as opposed to future stories in the making with the exception of Jamie and the idol. Erik, while visually not forgotten, has not been fleshed out. Sherea’s characterization appears solely to be about the discord she feels towards Dave (also reinforced by others) Frosti has a nice even flow to his characterization but I do not feel any real “meat” to his edit though there is no indication he would leave his tribe any time soon and Dave’s edit feels rather forced to reflect what a leader should NOT be doing; I have no real sense of any strategy on his part other than a polarized view on how a camp should run. PG has potential hints of something around the corner but I sense that her edit may not “take off” until situations are resolved at ZH. We should not forget that she also volunteered as leader and her methodology may be furthered once Dave is neutralized.
WLR - I expect and hope that Nash makes an appearance soon and while I do see some people have introduced themselves, I do hope we see your thoughts on how you see the season progressing editing wise.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-09-07, 06:22 PM (EST)

33. "RE: Episode 3 Editing"

It's always a joy to read your analysis Veruca. Describing Zhan Hu as a tribe trapped in the present and having no future story lines is a great way to put it.
I tend to jump the gun often and you keep me grounded! I was intrigued by this quote:
"Should Todd encompass perhaps what The Art of War tries to parlay into Survivor, we would both arrive at the same conclusion through different measures."
We saw Todd's face on screen as Jeff mentioned the book. Todd took it from Aaron's hands as they left the temple and used it to name Aaron as leader. He then also used the book's teachings to make sure the tribe didn't let Jaime steal anything. Finally, he "killed" the spy that talked too much. He's starting to include a lot of that book in his game, isn't he?
Thinking of "killing" Leslie, the spy, made me consider something. In Fiji, we know from her interviews that Sylvia had told both Rita and Mookie that the idol was in camp. We never saw that scene and never had an indication that Rita or Mookie even knew about it. Why did we hear Leslie telling Todd if he doesn't find it? We know it wasn't to explain her boot. Putting Aaron's head on the guillotine and having Christian friends in ZH was enough. If Todd doesn't find the idol, it makes that scene unnecessary or makes Todd appear dumb which doesn't seem to be the way the editors are going.
Gershwin, I liked your comments. To Veruca's answer as to why Dave should be going sooner rather than later, I could add my take: Everyone on ZH has had a confessional about Dave. Erik's only confessional was to tell us Dave wasn't a good leader. Sherea has had only 2 confessionals up to now. One to tell us the conditions were nasty, the other to say Dave was pissing people off. Besides a couple of early confessionals about parkour, one of Frosti's rare confessional was about Dave being lucky to still be there. Peih Gee and Jaime have had more confessionals but they still had quite a few bad things to say about Dave. All that to say that Dave is a leader without a tribe, an obsessed leader at that. One who can lead his team to defeat. I'd be surprised if he escapes another TC.
As far as Nash Theory is concerned, while I'd like to see Rosie's take, I'll just write for now that we seem to have many leaders. ZH had Dave and Peih Gee designated by Jeff as leaders. If you add Jaime who seems to have a lot of pull on the team's decisions and even if Dave is a bad leader, it would make ZH a tribe with Multiple leaders. Fei Long appeared to be a tribe with one leader but their strange TC made it look as if JR is now also a leader. FL a tribe with 2 leaders? If we do have that many leaders, it makes it good to be a follower!

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CTgirl 8013 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-09-07, 10:14 PM (EST)

34. "RE: Episode 3 Editing"

VS – I love how you are incorporating Art of War passages in your analysis. Two things stuck out at me last episode.
The first was Todd. Last week we saw him practically tell us that he wants Leslie gone so he can keep the II to himself. This week we didn’t hear any confessional about Leslie staying or going or see him agreeing to Leslie’s boot. Instead the editing concentrated on Todd getting rid of the “trash,” James and JR. I wonder if that is going to be his story. He outlasts the big guys but doesn’t see the real competition (like Courtney whom he dismissed as won’t win anything)? For me, the David and Goliath story is Todd’s story and Courtney is a part of it. She complained about being perceived as little and weak, but I think she’ll prove herself in an endurance or mental challenge. Her story to me was more of “the little engine that could.” The difference is subtle. Courtney wants JR gone, but she also wants challenges where she’s not the “least damage.” In confidence, Todd threw down the gauntlet and vowed to eliminate the trash (and his goal was not to eliminate the spy). To me their stories are separate.
The second thing that niggled at me was the sudden flip on how the two teams were portrayed. VS said, I do admit that Leslie’s words left me a bit questioning - other than the scene where, in fact, Leslie was with ZH and they appeared happy and enjoying each other; the editing thus far has not really portrayed ZH as this cohesive and wonderful tribe that Leslie was stressing. This does make me question if the perception that is being attempted is more about what FL needs to do to obtain success rather than the ZH tribe...While I may need to review these last episodes, there has been a certain failure in the editing to showcase ZH the way Leslie has. Therefore, is this more about FL and not ZH? It was a jarring transposition from previous weeks and left me thinking, “what is going on here?” I like your query that this is really about Fei Long. Since Jeff pointedly told Fei Long they need to do a better job of utilizing each player’s strengths, I think they will become cohesive and we will see them dominate again.
Lastly, for fun, I found The Dictionary of Chinese Symbols (written by Wolfram Eberhard, a professor who specialized in the symbolic language of the Chinese). Here are the characteristics for some of the animals we’ve seen and some things to think about when we see them on our TV screen:
Crane: Longevity. We saw a crane while Leslie was blabbing to Zhan Hu (irony?!)
Cicada: In ancient times the cicada symbolized immortality (I think this was a cicada shown grabbing a leaf and scurrying back into his hole after Amanda and Todd talked about voting JR and before talking to Aaron about the boot).
Crab: dried crabs look like tigers and are used to repel bad magic
Water Buffalo (literal translation is water ox): strength; beast of burden. As Michel pointed out we saw a water buffalo right before Zhan Hu went off to win their first of two strength challenges.
Monkey: There are many meanings. One of which is to show mirth (and this fits with an American sense of humor!)
Panda: symbolizes man, strength and courage.
Snake: clever, wicked treacherous (I found it funny that they filmed a snake crawling through Peih Gee’s orange bra while it was hanging over a branch).

surfkitty sig shop 2007

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
10-13-07, 07:55 PM (EST)

35. "RE: Episode 4 Editing"

What a wonderful season thus far
The Recap
Dave's tribemates at ZH urged him to stop working and conserve his energy for challenges The irony of this should not go unnoticed since the vote off between Sherea and Dave essentially came down to this argument
PG/Dave discussion
After losing four challenges in a row Sherea led her tribe to victory.
Leslie is kidnapped
At ZH, Leslie bonded with her fellow Christians (Jamie, Erik shown individually/Sherea shown in shot with Leslie) and she gave Jamie a clue to the HII
At FL, poker player JR continued to bluff his tribe mates by acting weak and tired - "Later on when I am contributing people will say hey he is doing beyond his normal capability"
At the IC (Courtney says she is sorry, James says Damn and shot of JR) FL was frustrated (Courtney chopping) because Courtney was (Amanda shown chin in hand) too weak to hack it. Courtney "How are they doing this??" (Sherea shown) And Sherea was the hero again pulling ZH (shot broadens to show Dave also pulling) straight to their second victory.
A bit of overkill with both challenges highlighting the "heroism" of Sherea. This is nothwithstanding that she did extremely well at the RC but Dave and Sherea were a collective unit for the last portion of the IC and both of them were absolutely necessary to pull those weights to the finish line - this obviously was "thrown in our faces" to encompass ultimately the end of this episode where the argument of "conserve energy at camp for strength in challenges" proved fruitful for ZH this past episode
With FL facing (Aaron to JR to Courtney) their first Tribal Council Courtney attempted to save herself by targeting JR.
Scene then shows Aaron asking Leslie about the other tribe with Leslie advising they probably picked her due to the religious connection
The alliance of Aaron, Todd and Amanda (a bit interesting visually where Aaron is shown separate, Todd and Amanda shown together then Aaron again separate much like what we were told how this alliance is set up. Also interesting is that in this recap all three are said to have been worried whereas last week the focus concentrated on Aaron although the latter statements do still keep Aaron featured) worried about Leslie's bond with the other tribe
Aaron "I just feel Leslie is more dangerous (Amanda shown) than JR" (Todd shown) "We need to take her out"
At Tribal Council the alliance (Aaron shown getting fire with others in shot) got their way (Amanda shown - a bit curious that Amanda keyed in on who got their way). JR and Courtney were spared and Leslie was voted out
The Day After
Of note, here we see the tribe that went to Tribal Council shown at the very least the day after - something again to be filed away for future reference
Two pandas shown very scrappy towards one another. and then a water buffalo (CT your animal review was extremely interesting - two pandas - male/strength/courage and water buffalo - beast of burden/strength) followed by James as our strong male again and the others working around camp specifically JR utilizing his strategy as foretold to us in the recap.
JR (conf) "I thought there was a small chance I could go home last night; I figured I'd be staying. I'm a professional poker player and my game plan is starting to kick in. (Now shown doing the confessional - sitting on dock) I'm one of those people who like to start out in last place, last horse, I'm slowly inching up on the pack and I've kicked ##### in the challenges and my work ethic in the camp has improved and people noticed that...." (Aaron shown approving of JR and James briefly shown with small smile) ...at next Tribal Council I'm not that worried either because Courtney is always the weak link in every challenge (Courtney shown then shot of Todd shown) and if she survives the next Tribal Council, she is the luckiest girl in Survivor history"
Seems to be the possible bane of Courtney's edit - I am not necessarily of the mindset that Courtney would be the last contestant standing however it seems almost obvious that Courtney will do much better than anyone would expect
The Art of War - "In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns"
JR "Don't touch that! Don't touch that!"
Courtney "I'm touching it and it's not that hot. Stop screaming at me. (brief shot of James shown) I really don't like it when you yell at me like that"
JR "I was trying to..."
Courtney "I know that you think you're just raising your voice but I don't like getting yelled at. I'm not getting mad at you so you don't need to get huffy"
Courtney (conf) "Waking up with JR is just how I knew it would be; he's like a cocky son of a #####, he sucks so bad there is no getting out of that"
JR and Courtney then shown completing this discussion with a shot of Denise thrown in as if observing their debate.
Courtney (conf) "I don't give a crap who goes next, I would prefer it be JR because he's so unpleasant and gets in my face, he's like aggressive with me and I'm sick of it" (JR shown then Courtney shown laying down rolling her eyes)
(This last confessional is a different confessional spot than the prior one - I would not be surprised if this is a "left over" confessional from last episode since she is discussing a boot situation and it stands to reason she may have been alternating that she didn't "give a crap" between JR and James or someone else but she would prefer it be JR whereas the prior confessional is more focused on present events occurring, this confessional is about something to happen which fits better with last week. Misplaced confessionals are important because the editors are making a concerted effort to get a point across; thus the "issue" of Courtney and JR may be an important one at a later date)
Leslie's "Unified" Tribe
PG is shown marking the day down so she "won't forget" I found this lone shot of PG completely random and unnecessary but it stood out to me nonetheless
Frosti advises they have mold at the bottom of their rice with Dave and PG involved
Erik (conf) "....large portion of our rice had mold on it, bad news" "We tried to separate it before it got worse"
Sherea tells Jamie she went through it to get the good little parts out of the rice but all through a certain portion was moldy. Dave comes over with instructions with Sherea not having it.
An argument ensues with shots of everyone but PG looking on and not intervening. As noted, Dave's entire "existence" at ZH seemed to have been more about what is NOT working for him as a leader. It is also not surprising that the friction between Sherea and Dave has been expanded since we already been shown this discord in prior episodes.
Dave (conf) "Sherea, she just came unglued on me, you know you got some grounds to say those things if you've done more around camp; I'm doing my best to be a good leader so it's frustrating" (ominous music accompanies this)
Dave "Please do not throw those away" (Sherea ignores him inciting Dave to run after her)
Dave "Sherea! Please do not throw those away"
Sherea "I wish you would come a second time, I mean it"
Dave "Do not toss it!"
More fighting occurs with shots of Frosti, Jamie, PG and Erik shown. Frosti intervenes for Sherea to give him the shells and he will take care of it
Sherea (conf) "The last day or so, Dave, he's been digging himself a grave further and further" (Dave then shown griping) "He's just very condescending how he talks to people...."
Dave and Frosti then shown together in the water
Dave "She's holding onto stuff, I'm not"
Frosti "Mmmhmm"
Dave "And everyone else is on eggshells more because I think Sheree than me right now"
Frosti "People are seeing you as someone who is going off all the time"
Frosti "....we wouldn't be the tribe we are without you but we have to make sure that if you are going to be a leader then you have to be able to work with everyone you are leading" (said on screen)
Frosti (conf) "Dave's put himself in a weird position with everybody; he does help around camp but he's also pissing people off (Sherea) so crazy Dave may have just worn out his welcome"
(Again, Frosti provides some nice narration to the events going on in camp however we get little insight to Frosti as a player and his motivations in the game on any type of strategic level. Narrators do fairly well but unfortunately there is a lack of significance in their confessionals other than the camp dynamics and how the tribe is reacting. They provide the audience with what we need to know but we never truly find out what THEY know or feel)
The Art of War - "Now the general is the bulwark of the State; if the bulwark is complete at all points; the State will be strong; if the bulwark is defective, the State will be weak."
Tribal Council?
Aaron and James return from tree mail with Todd exclaiming over going to Tribal Council. Denise gives us an "oh boy" Aaron reads the mail with Todd next to him as the shot then panders to Amanda then James. They reassure each other no one would be voted out. Excitement shows on Amanda's face and JR's face
JR (conf) "...talking about food (Amanda and Denise shown sitting together) I'm a pretty big eater and the last three days (Aaron smiling) eaten virtually nothing (group shot) to me it's not just exciting, it's necessary. I need to eat something"
Fireworks at Night
A somewhat interesting visual shown when Jeff announces Leslie was booted. Jamie is shown which makes quite a bit of sense but Amanda is then keyed in upon. One would have suspected Aaron of all people to be the main focus but the shot clearly wanted Amanda shown. Visuals have always been important to me in how I view editing and thus far, Amanda has received notable visuals in very deliberate spots. Frosti and Sherea are shown to be a bit surprised at this news as well.
Courtney is chosen to sit out and the challenge commences.
Todd and Denise and PG and Sherea were the first to participate and PG and Todd appeared to be more of the ones in charge of their round.
Amanda and Aaron are then shown against Jamie and Frosti whereupon Frosti gets burned and Amanda and Aaron were clear in their victory.
JR and James go up against Dave and Eric with JR already having issues and Dave clearly frustrated where Frosti is giving directives from the side lines.
FL wins with a burst of fireworks and Dave is the chosen one to kidnap announced by Aaron with visuals of Sherea and PG. Jeff announces ZH gets nothing with a small shrug from PG and we end the victory with again another visual of Amanda following a burst of fireworks.
Rejuvenation
The following happened in the same time period but spliced with scenes so the entire confessional went as follows
Dave (conf) "Oh man I feel like I am on vacation...I'm going to eat well with them today and with the friction between Sherea and I, couldn't ask for a better time to be kidnapped" (Denise shown peeking out from her sleeping area then James/Dave share a moment where James gives him a lime but tells him he told him already about the hugging) "Some on my tribe are definitely threatening to me so that means I have to be aligned with other people so it is a spy mission but a spy mission for me" (We then see Dave get his clue) "This could be a crucial play for me here in terms of who I give this to and how it can come back and help me later."
Dave then approaches camp and asks Courtney what she does. Courtney's description is done on screen with Todd of all people shown (clearly shown to be the "observer"). Dave gets a bit goofy hugging Courtney.
Todd (conf) "Dave is a nutcase" (Dave shown mooning Amanda with James purportedly watching) "He's annoying as hell but I'll do my best to be nice to him right now and give a good impression of our camp"
These two confessionals were two different time periods so again, it was important enough for the editors to find two pieces of material and both from Todd - Todd was elected (sensibly since he received the clue) to firmly establish that Dave is "nuts" but Todd is strategizing regardless.
The Art of War -"The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted spies and available for our service"
Dave "Have you been a fan of this game for how long now?" Said onscreen
Todd "Since day one dude; 16 years old"
A completely unnecessary scene to show but it hits home, Todd is invested in this show; the audience should invest in Todd
Dave (conf) "Todd's a really cool guy; he wants to play the game and I've got a pretty good hunch (note these words were done in voice over then cut to Dave shown speaking - I believe this was all spliced in) I can trust him"
More emphasis on those "trusting" Todd however note that all that blindly trusted him are leaving the game. I do go back to Amanda's words that while she feels Todd is a good partner, she has been watching him
Dave "I have a question for you. Do you believe turnabouts fair play?"
Todd "I do" A watchful monkey shown
Dave then proffers the clue to Todd
Todd "Thank you so much" The watchful monkey shown during this voice over "If you guys kidnap me, I give you a clue" (They shake, they hug with a small eye roll from Todd)
Dave (conf) "I chose Todd because I asked a key question of him.... because the next one we win....he'll probably get the same thing so we kinda have a loose alliance from tribe to tribe going on" Same confessional area as where we saw Dave say he could trust Todd
Todd (conf) "I feel very lucky right now that Leslie not only gave me the clue but Dave gave me the next two so I've been keeping my eyes open looking for something that can be the hidden immunity idol cause that could be the ticket to a million dollars"
Todd has certainly gotten his share of those "million dollar" quotes that many believe are the ticket to the winner. I've always stated that I don't subscribe necessarily to the "key quote" solely determining the winner however I do believe "key quotes" are most definitely put into the episodes for those who the audience need to be invested in. This utterance by Todd could end up being ironic but we are most certainly meant to remember it which solidifies what we have pretty much already established - Todd is most definitely a player of longevity
The Slow Demise of Dave
Jamie expresses that Dave was way too happy going over to FL
Sherea "Kissing all the girls" (PG laughs)
Frosti expresses he can see Dave doing all kinds of crazy stuff over there
Sherea questions how the other tribe will start feeling about him
Sherea (conf) "I was very happy..... glad to get him out of my hair... we haven't had any of that conflict going on (a shot of Jamie and Erik laying down smiling at one another - a nice little introduction to what we are to see with them) so my mood today was a lot more relaxed (Sherea yawning) it's nice not having him around"
The tribe decides to start working but we get a heavy handed edit of Sherea lazing around and not pulling her weight.
Frosti(conf) "Davewas really just a workhorse as far as whatever needed to be done that nobody else wanted to do and that really helped us now we are going to have to pick up that slack" I have suspicion this confessional is really from after Dave was already booted. Frosti's use of past tense (Dave kidnapped notwithstanding) and his words really seem more fitting of a confessional of a situation that already occurred. I suspect the editors wanted to use this confessional to help define this episode better
The tribe is shown working with carefully inserted shots of Sherea laying around (some with her buff, some not, manipulation) Erik lets Sherea know he is worn out and had a hard day.
Erik(conf)"Without Dave, we are scrounging around trying to get everything done; I'm getting frustrated cause I'm just tired and feel like some people are trying to get away with not trying to help" (Sherea shown)
Sherea (conf) "They're running around sweating...I feel like why waste energy on something that is just going to drain you" "I'm conserving my energies for the challenges so if they want to keep working that's okay with me. I'm gonna ride the workhouse till the tail falls off cause I ain't doing anything until I have to" (last part was from a different confessional and spliced in
The Art of War - "Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous"
An interesting parallel to the recap where Sherea was deemed the hero at challenges and the Tribal Council debate at the end of the episode. The audience is being force fed this entire edit of why there was justification of Sherea staying however if Sherea was meant to be of any real long term, the negativity surrounding her (the work ethic) would not have been hammered. Clearly we are only meant to see the tribe's rationale based upon Sherea's performance in the challenges. This edit was not even about Sherea but solely about the tribe's ultimate decision. That does not bode well for Sherea. Additionally, what do we really know about Sherea other than her being an extension of the storyline involving the discord at ZH and the arc surrounding Dave's elimination. She and Dave do NOT get along. Sherea did well in challenges and appears somewhat lazy. Sherea was kept moreso of what the tribe thought. This is a very polarized edit and did nothing to advance her story.
A Little Culture at FL
Amanda receives a nice confessional about the reward: "For reward, we have fisherman and family come with their boat and they're going to cook us a meal and also teach some of us how to fish" and "They came with huge fish, vegetables....I never thought I'd miss vegetables so much in my life but they looked absolutely terrific."
Denise also gets a nice confessional: "This is the best reward we ever had, the fisherman came, the family came; I am so grateful for them to be here today; the children are so pretty and everybody is so nice" Nice that we got to hear some more from Denise this episode; thus far her presence has been lackluster. There has been no controversy surrounding her thus far or impending stories to be built upon so at this juncture, I am not quite sure where she may stand in all this but I do not sense any immediate danger for her either
We then see JR and a nice turn to his edit, shown talking in Mandarian to the family
JR (conf) "When I was a little kid, I spent a few years in Tawain and I learned some Mandarian" (The family is then shown telling them two people are to go fishing where Aaron volunteers himself - Todd's confessional now shown) and "It's been twenty years since I've used Mandarian but honestly when that family came all of sudden... just came back to me...."
Todd (conf) "JR is full of surprises....talking to these people and it was fantastic because they were able to communicate with each other"
Aaron (conf) "Denise and I went on fisherman's boat and it was absolutely the most bizarre thing."
Denise (conf) "It was incredible....they're fishing birds...(Denise describes the process) he was picking up pretty good sized fish out there"
JR then shown translating and advises they need a fire and repeats "fire"
James "Stop barking at me"
JR "Dude, I am translating what she is saying, not giving orders"
James (conf) "JR, he got up on his high horse and doing what he usually do, getting on everybody's nerves, really mine"
Some bickering commences with James and JR.
James(conf) "He's just sitting there being JR, we needed him; language barrier guy. He came through, he really did, I couldn't fault him, he did good" Nice bit of turnabout from James after his complaints in the earlier confessional. What is a bit ironic in this episode is that with the fight with Courtney and his bickering with James, JR really, on the surface, did nothing wrong yet we are getting a persona thrust at us with respect to JR
Denise (conf-all her confessionals were at the same time) "The fisherman showed us how to open the net.....before we didn't even know how to use the net but now we're gonna have fish, it's gonna be great" (Followed by group shots then a shot of Amanda in the foreground licking her finger with Todd in the background)
Everyone sits around eating with Todd exclaiming "I've never been so happier in my life"
Denise (conf) "After being out here all this time flavor has never tasted so good" "A lunch lady is not an expert on food.... but this stuff here, it was the delicatess thing I ever put in my mouth" (same spot as earlier confessionals - a nice and needed portion devoted to Denise, truly THE narrator for this reward that appeared to receive a lot of attention. We did not get a lot of insight into Denise as a player but we got to see her fleshed out a bit more of a person)
Amanda (conf) "This reward was key for us, it's not only we get a meal but it's a cultural learning experience and I do think we're going to be eating better and definitely have an advantage in the challenges to come"
The Art of War - "When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery."
So what do we get from this? It certainly helps any character to be involved in the description of this reward as really there is no reason why anyone couldn't be chosen to talk about it but a lot of times people chosen are those we need to (as an audience) learn more about or get to know. Denise certainly received the most air time and this may have been the editors way of us getting to know her because she really has not given them any "meat" in other areas. Aaron, while joining Denise on the boat merely got an obligatory sentence with no depth. JR's showing was very nicely evolved but in reality it made for a very important aspect of the scene and leaving it out would make no sense. James was shown more for JR and the edit we are meant to see about him. Todd got a brief confessional about JR but anyone could have given then yet Todd was inserted. Amanda got two nice confessionals and unlike Denise's big showing, Amanda's last confessional was good for her in that it involved some strategy as well. Courtney was completely overlooked which is a bit curious considering how much narration we have seen by her and I question the deliberation omission from this culturally relevant scene to how she was portrayed the first day surrounding the cultural event she was shown not too positively about
Immunity Back Up For Grabs
Dave rejoins his tribe though it seemed a bit lackluster
Frosti tells the idol "see you soon buddy" Unfortunately, not to be
JR advises the group it has to be either him or Todd to sit out and JR is chosen by what appears to be Aaron's decision
PG and Sherea take on Courtney and Denise in the first round and with some more visual creativity, Sherea is shown to score first
Todd and James go up against Frosti and Dave in the second round and Todd and James both score for their tribe and James again scores for FL.
Amanda and Aaron go up against Jamie and Erik and Jamie immediately hits two targets for ZH. Amanda tosses her last one and scores for FL and unfortunately Jamie's last throw falls short
FL wins immunity and we see Todd receive the idol and with a slow motion shot raise it up in the air with Amanda broadly smiling behind him.
Workhorse or Challenges
As the monkey watches, Dave commences instruction with PG advising otherwise and it is clear that Dave's leadership is now met with some opposition
Dave (conf) "It feels very strange to be back.... we lost immunity challenge today and I don't want to go home but very strange vibes going on; maybe it was just a day and a half away from me, you know my slave driving ability, I don't know but I'm feeling very precarious right now"
Dave "No one's giving me eye contact, I guess I'm out of here tonight?"
PG "I don't know how I am voting yet"
Dave "Just all around camp I can..."
Erik "I've got to be honest bro, I'm torn about a lot of stuff"
Dave "I got a definite attitude adjustment. I can tell you I'm different and I keep changing and getting better. But you know I've pulled my weight around here"
Erik "Nobody has ever doubted that about you bro"
Dave "It's worth a lot more than you think guys"
What may be interesting to see later on is if Dave's words are indeed prophetic, i.e. getting rid of Dave may end up not doing this tribe any favors
Jamie (conf) "...it's probably gonna be between Sherea and Dave... Sherea, she doesn't really help out as much... on the other hand Dave is just really annoying and hard to live with"
The Art of War - "If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak."
Frosti "There's really nothing left in camp that he is really like necessary for and he's definitely not helping us in challenges"
PG "I'm not saying Dave's the greatest and he gets on my nerves too but Dave does do a lot around camp; he does, Sherea doesn't...I expected more from her..."
Sherea (conf) "When voices are getting low you know what's going on. I am concerned that me not doing as much around camp is affecting everyone else's opinion so I already know my name may be written down tonight"
Sherea "I try not to think about what ya'll saying about me anymore...you never know what people are thinking"
Frosti "We do have to make these judgements so quick" (Jamie shown)
Sherea "Everyone looks at things in different ways, yeah I don't do as much around camp but when I get to the challenges I bust my ##### making sure we win you know" An interesting commentary since they did not end up winning (PG shown) "Everybody's busting their butt the first few days and getting fatigued" (Erik shown) "My body comes first you know" (Jamie shown)
Erik (conf) "It's a really close toss up between Sherea's not working and Dave's kinda making everyone crazy; it's just been back and forth in my mind; I think if it were up to me you know if we can get rid of both of them it'd be great" Potential foreshadowing?
Tribal Council
Jeff asks Sherea how the tribe dynamic change with Dave gone
Sherea "We were able to move on and get things going pretty much if he were there. (Jamie nods) We had some relaxing time (Erik) some chill time but still kept busy...
Jeff asks Frosti if that is a credit to Dave
Frosti "It definitely can be seen as a credit to Dave's name, he got us going on making sure we had water boiling at all times (Erik) that we got food done and even without him there we accomplished a lot"
Jeff notices Erik nodding his head
Erik "I like Dave and honestly there's been some disagreements and it frustrates me seeing other people kind of not receiving Dave's leadership (Sherea rolls her eyes) Dave's got great leadership qualities; it's just his natural personality"
Jeff asks Dave if it would be a relief to go back and not have to lead
Dave "Absolutely, it's been quite a burden (PG) and something I didn't want to begin with; I just happen to have more experience (Frosti) and more practical ideas; that's how we got to where we are today" (Sherea rolls her eyes again)
Jeff asks Sherea if everyone is pulling their own weight
Sherea "Definitely. Everybody's doing something; I'm stepping it up a lot more" (crash then PG)
Jeff asks from what to what
Sherea "I've been very fatigued and my body (Erik) hasn't been in it when I'm around camp area (Dave nodding) so last few days I've been trying to do more (Jamie scrunches her eyebrows) but if we don't save our energy for challenges, we'll never get further ahead in the game" (Dave then crash of cymbals then PG again)
Jeff asks Dave if camp life is important than challenge participation
Dave "Saving just for challenges is a short term goal (PG) if you are not fed, rested, hydrated (Sherea) it will just take its toll"
Jeff asks PG the choice
PG "Honestly I know you want me to pick one but I can't (Erik) you need to have a balance between them if you don't it is going to put an undue burden (Jamie) on the rest of the tribe"
Sherea "But she enjoys camp life; like I live for the challenges and she loves to be out here in the environment"
PG "I love the challenges too"
Sherea "I know but I'm just saying that's why you can say both; she's always like yeah I love it out here, it's easy for me (Erik) and I'm like it's not easy for me (Jamie) but the challenges, I live for those, that's what keeps me going every day" (PG is not impressed)
No commentary made by anyone as ultimately it was everyone voting for Dave (though interestingly they could have shown Dave and Sherea's vote and commentary)
Jeff "It's clear from tonight's vote that you weren't happy with the way things were going around camp (PG, Jamie, Frosti) and I hope that means there is a new plan in place (Erik) cause you're gonna need one (Sherea) You are now two members down" (PG)
At this point in time it would appear we know more about FL collectively then a good portion of ZH. I will be interested in seeing if PG's "edit" now expands considering that Dave is now gone. Less we forget, PG also volunteered for the position but I had felt Dave's leadership story needed to come to a conclusion for perhaps PG to branch out. Erik still remains the eye of the tribe while Frosti is more or less the mouth but how they figure in to the outcome of this season is questionable for now. Sherea's story is lacking; the editing is attempting something with her but it appears more of a means to an end. Jamie is still tied to the idol and we do see that a relationship with Erik will be explored but her story may only go as far as her relationship with Erik and the outcome of what happens with her and the idol. Over at FL, Todd is literally drenched with the idol and I cannot conceive that he is not directly involved with it somehow and again, there are swirls of "trust" involving Todd which usually involve a red flag at some point. Amanda received some "loving" care with visualizations this episode and while not directly involved in any key story lines at the current time, we have pending storylines involving her so I question if the editors are keeping her intact visually to not allow us to quite forget her presence. Courtney's edit took a slight backseat considering last episode but we were also reminded how "lucky" she may be along with the battle lines between her and JR. It would not surprise me if this is being furthered so that we may see a "show down" of sorts between them and an elimination as a result. Aaron's edit really has not thrived; we already noted that despite the "alliance of three" he has never told the audience about it and it still was made know that Aaron is a tool for the likes of Amanda and Todd. JR did get some fleshing out and we see that he is now implementing his "strategy" and although he did get a nice turn with his knowledge of the language as well as not appearing to be outwardly wrong in his debates with Courtney and James, the editing is still attempting to focus upon him as "character" type. James has been getting bits and pieces and none of it essentially positive except in the challenges. Denise certainly was given some camera time this episode which bodes much better for her in terms of longevity as I was a bit concerned about her in the last two episodes. Again there is no viable reason that she won't be around a bit but at some point I hope and expect some discussion with her, from her or about her in terms of her thoughts and feelings about the game or the tribe.

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buckeyegirl 5449 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-14-07, 12:20 PM (EST)

36. "RE: Episode 4 Editing"

Veruca-Great analysis as always. Just jumping in to say that I agree with you about Todd's million dollar quotes that it will end up being more ironic then actually winning the money. There just seem to be way too many mentions of winning the millions. When he said the quote this epsidoe I said to myself: "Oh, not another one..." and rolled my eyes. He will definetly be around a long time-probably till the final 4, but I have a nagging feeling that he won't win it all.

Spookingly made by ARnutz!Ghost by the Great IceCat!

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-14-07, 04:49 PM (EST)

37. "RE: Episode 4 Editing"

Veruca, I enjoyed your analysis, especially this about Amanda:
“Amanda has received notable visuals in very deliberate spots… note that all that blindly trusted (Todd) are leaving the game. I do go back to Amanda's words that while she feels Todd is a good partner, she has been watching him”
She does have great potential.
Now, I can also edit my own post a bit and put in only the main points of each character.
Here is what I saw:

In one of the most manipulated recaps ever, one that had scenes going back to the first episode, Jeff told us how Dave had hurt his team while Sherea finally led them to two victories. Was the boot ever going to be in doubt? Actually it was. This episode was very enjoyable to watch.
The central scene of the episode happened right after the teams received tree mail. The tribes were called to the “serious grounds” of Tribal Council. This episode would show the tribes use
THE ATTACK BY FIRE
Sun Tzu said:
“In order to carry out an attack, we must have
means available. The material for raising fire should
always be kept in readiness.
There is a proper season for making attacks with fire,
and special days* for starting a conflagration.”
*Since the challenge was filmed on the 4th of July, I’d say they chose the right day!
The opening sequence showed our water ox (Thanks CTGirl for the symbols) wandering over to the Fei Long tribe, giving us an indication where the strength would be this time.
Jean-Robert was given credit by Jeff in the recap for his unorthodox strategy: “Jean-Robert continued to bluff his team mates by appearing weak and tired”. JR’s episode #1 confessional was repeated “later, when I’m contributing, people will say he’s doing beyond his normal capabilities.”
Remember that the “Art of War” says that when you are strong you must appear weak.
In the opening sequence, accompanied by a very rhythmic music, almost a march, we saw that JR’s strategy was paying off. He was up with the others, making sure the fire was hot to boil the water that James was bringing.
JR even told us in confessional: “I thought there was a small chance I could be going home last night but I figured I’d be staying…My game plan is starting to kick in…I’ve kicked ass in the challenges and my work ethic in the camp has improved. People noticed that. Getting passed last night’s vote was big but the next tribal council, I’m not that worried either because Courtney…always a weak link in every challenge, and…If she survives the next tribal council, she’s gotta be the luckiest girl in Survivor history.”
JR should know that editors love making Survivor History!
As proof that his work was noticed, we saw a smiling Aaron telling JR “you’re really sucking it up already and it’s like 6 in the morning.” Another tiff soon arose when Courtney tried to help JR with the boiling pot:
Jean-Robert was very happy to learn that the reward challenge would be for food: “I’ve virtually eaten nothing. For me, it’s not just exciting, it’s necessary.”
The concentration on his face during the challenge, even if “these sticks are impossible”, told us he wasn’t letting this prize elude him.
The reward itself was one of the nicest ever. In a surprising turn of events, Jean-Robert started speaking Mandarin to the little girl, asking her name. He then became the translator, telling his tribe what the visitors were saying and requesting. It really surprised Todd: “Jean-Robert is full of surprises…It was fantastic…”
In confessional JR told us that: “When I was a little kid, I spent a few years in Taiwan and I learned some Mandarin over there. It’s been twenty years since I’ve used Mandarin but, honestly when that family came, all of a sudden, words came back to me. I didn’t know I still had it.”
Jean-Robert practically volunteered to sit out the immunity challenge. I wonder if he didn’t care if they won or loss. He seemed sure that Courtney would be leaving at the next Tribal Council after all.
Jean-Robert is indeed surprising. A villain one episode then he surprises everyone with his work and his language skills. His story is fun to watch but even in this better light, we still had unnecessary arguments with Courtney and James. We saw Todd keeping his eye on him. JR is edging back into this story but he still has the air of the bully that we have to see fall.
Courtney is not backing down from Jean-Robert. “Stop screaming at me. I really don’t like it when you yell at me like that. I know you’re just raising your voice but I don’t like to get yelled at. I’m not getting mad at you so you don’t have to be huffy.”

After their morning dispute, Courtney confided: “Waking up with Jean-Robert still here is just how I knew it would be. He’s like a cocky son-of-a-b*tch and he sucks so bad, there’s no getting out of that. I don’t give a crap about who goes next as long as it’s not me. I would prefer if it would be Jean-Robert because he is so unpleasant and he gets in my face, no matter what I say, he’s like, aggressive with me and I’m sick of it.” An eye roll from Courtney concluded the scene.
Courtney told us in episode #1 that this was her personal hell. Things haven’t improved and they won’t go her way quite yet!
As Courtney sat out the reward challenge, the camera didn’t focus on her once cheering her tribe. She was only a peripheral character during the reward celebration and her effort in the immunity challenge wasn’t convincing. After last week’s tribal council, one could’ve expected a confessional about how she felt participating this time.
As fun a character as Courtney is, I see her mainly as an editing distraction. I have a feeling someone in editing said ‘We gotta show this. Remember how Shane walked all over the previous Courtney. This Courtney is half the size and JR is twice as big as Shane but she doesn’t back down!’ We are meant to see her as a victim and root for her to get rid of her tormentors but she isn’t featured in a way to make us root for her to win. This is Survivor and she isn’t doing a lot to help her tribe get ahead. She was marginalized from the story after the first scene. A confessional about the reward would have been a positive twist for her. Courtney isn’t given the “nice” confessionals, only the snarky ones. The last two episodes have started with her quarrel with JR. Her story is intertwined with JR and I think she’ll win that protracted battle. That will use up all her energy, leading to her own exit. I still see her story being part of Todd’s bigger story.
Aaron was shown falling for Jean-Robert’s strategy because he was the first to compliment the big guy for his good work at the start of the episode.
Later, Aaron brought back strange news from the tree mail. The message invited both tribes to go to tribal council. That news surprised Todd, Amanda and even Denise who let out an: “Oh Boy!” Reading the clue with everyone around him, he realized that it was a reward challenge and not a vote. That lifted everyone’s spirit.
At the challenge, Aaron told us that Courtney would sit out another challenge. He worked well with Amanda, increasing the lead that Todd and Denise had given them. After the win, the tribe again turned to Aaron who told Jeff that Dave would be their kidnap victim.
Back in camp, JR informed him that the Chinese family needed two members to go out fishing. Aaron quickly volunteered.
Seeing the birds doing the fishing, Aaron told us: “Denise and I went on the fisherman’s boat. It was absolutely the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen. They had these birds and they were putting a thing around its neck and they are going to catch the fish and they won’t be able to swallow it.”
Aaron also looks like a victim, someone who isn’t fully aware of what is going on around him. To see him more as a winner, I think we would need to see him plotting with only one of Amanda and Todd. We weren’t even shown a worried look on his face when Dave took a walk with Todd.
James returned to being mainly a challenge player. With JR, he secured the tribe’s reward challenge victory. The next morning, in camp, James was the first to realize that Dave’s vacation could cause a problem. After receiving a lime, Dave thanked James with a big hug that didn’t sit well with the grave digger: “Oh man, you be alright…I told you about the hugging.”
While everyone was working to get the reward meal ready, James showed he is still cranky. When Jean-Robert told him the Chinese visitors asked for a fire, James snapped back: “Stop barking orders at me.”
James told us: “Jean-Robert got up on his high horse as he usually do and he got on everybody’s nerves…really mine! He was just sitting there being Jean-Robert but we needed him. He was like the language barrier guy. He really came through, I can’t fault him because he did good.”
James played a big role in the immunity challenge, twice knocking off a vase. Did you notice his fierce look under the warrior’s mask and the force he used to throw his stick in the sand?
James is the warrior that should be feared but we don’t hear that fear. Only Todd has commented that the big guy’s strength could become a problem later. Remember how most of Aitu kept saying they needed to get rid of Ozzy. We don’t even hear praises from his team, as we heard Austin praising Terry, or from his opponents like BJ talking about Tom. James still has the same social problems that he told us would kill him. I don’t think getting James eliminated once the numbers are secured will be an issue.
Denise was one of the featured players during that beautiful reward.
Denise in confessional: “This is the best reward we’ve had. The fisherman came, the family came. I am so grateful for them being here today. The children are so pretty and everyone is so nice.”
She went out on the fishing boat with Aaron and continued her confessional: “It was incredible. I thought we were going to eat the birds when they showed up… Before, we didn’t even know how to use the net. But now, we’re gonna have fish. It’s gonna be great.”
Denise’s confessional also included her impressions of the meal: “After being out here all this time, flavor has never tasted so good. A lunch lady is not an expert on food because we take the chicken nuggets out of the freezer, we put’em in the oven and we give them to the kids. (!) There nothing good about that. But this stuff here, that was the delicatess thing I ever put in my mouth.”
The camera gave us a shot of the birds as everyone was finished with the meal as if to show the birds were still alive!
As Veruca pointed out, there isn’t a story associated with Denise. The editors have given us no reason why she could be voted out before the merge. After it, there’ll be bigger targets at first. We have plenty of time to see her give more nice confessionals and then, she seems destined to go when the strategists decide they can’t keep her anymore.
Amanda was very attentive as Aaron read tree mail: “Only the tribe who can stick together, tomorrow will be eating.” She happily responded: “Oh my God! You guys, we have got to win this.” She had a large smile on her face.
Amanda played a big role during the reward celebration. She told her tribe: “They’re coming, you guys” She greeted the family with applause and a big smile.
Amanda had a confessional that interspersed throughout the sequence: “For our reward today, we had a fisherman family come with their boat. They are going to cook us a meal and also to teach some of us how to fish…They came with huge fish, vegetables, they came with oil and spices. I never thought I would miss vegetables so much in my life but they looked absolutely terrific…This reward was key for us in that, not only did we get a meal but it was a cultural learning experience. I believe we will be eating better and we’ll have an advantage in the challenges to come.”
That advantage manifested itself quickly as Amanda scored the deciding point in the immunity challenge with her final throw of the meteor-hammer.
As low-key as Amanda’s story is for now, she is very much part of what is happening in Fei Long, both visually and in comments. She will last far into this game and she is the only one that knows that Todd needs to be watched. How this alliance evolves will be the story of the season. Will one subtly mount a plan to stab the other in the back? Will they leave the decision to the jury?

Our survivor expert, Todd got his first surprise when he heard about going to tribal council. Showing that he is always in the game, he reacted to the news by saying: “Nobody’s going home though, right?” Aaron thought the same.
After the reward win the question became: Who would Dave choose to receive the hidden immunity idol clue? Todd wasn’t going to let it be left to chance.
Todd had a confessional: “Dave is a nut case. He’s annoying as hell but I’m going to do my best to be nice to him right now to give him a nice impression of our camp.”
When Dave asked him how long he had been a fan of Survivor, Todd answered: “Since day 1 dude. I was sixteen years old.”
Dave told us he found Todd to be a really cool guy and that he had a hunch he could trust him.
Asked if he believed turnabout’s fair play, Todd answered: “I do” knowing what was coming. All Todd had to promise was: “If you kidnap me, I will give you the clue.”
Reading the third clue: “When creatures of night take flight as they may, a treasure they carry allows one to stay” Todd commented: “I feel very lucky right now…I’m keeping my eyes opened, looking for something that could be the immunity idol because that could be a ticket to a million dollars.”
Todd looked up at the arch where the idol is located and he repeated the last clue. Leslie and Jaime had been looking away from the location of the idol as the camera had revealed its location to the viewers. This time, we were given the impression that Todd was looking right at it. That tells me Todd has figured out the clue and will pick up the idol soon.
Dave thought he was on a spy mission but Todd gained from it much more. Everyone enters into alliances with Todd. In this game where you have to get rid of your allies, Todd has already seen two of them eliminated as soon as they were of no more use to him. Todd’s story will carry him to the end but the outcome is still very much in doubt. I see him as the “Art of War” specialist and that should spell victory. However, the book has so many details that must be followed that Todd could slip up!

This week, we were back to the same old Zhan Hu who can’t get it together. It started when Frosti and Peih Gee noticed that their bag of rice had mold in it.
While she tried to salvage what she could Sherea decided that she had it with Dave. “Don’t start with me. I’m not eating mold…You have an answer for everything. You don’t run the show. People have ideas too…You want everybody to listen to you but you don’t listen to anybody else. Shut up please.”
The way Frosti, Erik and Jaime observed the scene, you knew that Zhan Hu was about to base another elimination on the conflict that had been brewing since the Ashley vote.

Right after that first outburst, Sherea started another fight over Dave’s shell collection: “I wish you would come a second time. I mean it. I wish you would touch me.” Dave was trying to grab the plate full of shells before they got tossed but Sherea held them out of reach. She warned him: “Back up off me.”
Sherea confided: “The last day or so, Dave, he’s been digging himself a grave. Further and further and further. He’s very condescending in the way he talks to people but nobody is going to run over me, talk to me in any kind of way.”
After the challenge loss, Sherea enjoyed the fact that Dave was out of the camp. “I wonder how the other tribe is starting to feel about him.”
Sherea had a confessional: “I’m happy they took Dave. I’m glad to have him out of my hair for a couple of days. We didn’t have any conflicts and it’s much more relaxed. It’s nice not to have him around.”
Once the tribe started working while she didn’t move from the shelter, Sherea’s confessional continued: “Everybody’s been running around, sweating, trying to do ten million projects and I feel like why even waste energy on something that’s just going to strain me. I’m trying to conserve my energy for the challenges. If they want to keep working, that’s OK with me. I going to ride the workhorse until the tail falls us because I’m not doing anything until I have to.”
Showing her taking a big gulp of water that the others had worked hard to prepare made her look even worse.
Sherea realized she was in trouble: “The four of them went to take a dip in the lake and then you know something’s going on. I am concerned that because me not doing as much around camp has affected everybody’s opinion.”
To counter that, Sherea (resting in the shelter!) told the group that: “I’m busting my ass in challenges making sure we win.”
At TC, Sherea talked about life without Dave: “We were able to keep busy and got things done when he was gone.”
Of note, we saw no one rolling their eyes as she talked even if the edit had taken an hour to show that she didn’t keep busy. In fact we saw a nod of approval from Jaime.
She pushed the point further during her second answer: “I’ve stepped it up during the last two days.”
She should have stopped when she was ahead because this time Peih Gee and Jaime reacted negatively. Sherea escaped the vote when the tribe decided to adjust tribe dynamics by getting rid of Crazy Dave. The tribe had spoken against Dave but they weren’t happy about it. Do they have the new plan Jeff said they would need?
Were all those scenes of Sherea resting in the shelter taken that same day? I’m thinking the editors could’ve put together a montage of “Sherea at rest” to make us doubt the vote even more. Her remark, which was the episode title: “I will ride the workhorse until the tail falls off” seemed to have been intended for Dave. It was taken from the shelter rather than in the woods where the rest of her confessional happened. Since Dave wasn’t there, shouldn’t she have been talking of the workhorses, plural?
Another question about Sherea’s story is: Why did Jeff give Sherea so much credit during the recap, even calling her a hero? I think it was for the casual viewer who couldn’t understand Zhan Hu’s boot based only on this episode. They had to be reminded that Sherea indeed had been a powerhouse during the boat challenge and had been part of solving the puzzle for immunity. I don’t think it makes her anymore a long term player as we had seen before. In fact, I think it could also have served to accelerate her story arc. From challenge star to bad team mate to a soon (next?) booted player.
After his intervention to save Dave’s shells, Frosti tried to reason with Dave. They relaxed in the lake and Frosti said: “People right now see you as someone who is just going off all the time. I do admit that you’ve giving a lot of great stuff to the tribe and we wouldn’t be the tribe that we are without you. We just have to make sure that if you’re going to be a leader, then you have to be able to work with everyone you’re leading.”
Frosti told us: “Dave’s put himself in a weird position with everybody. He does help around camp but he also pisses people off. So, Crazy Dave may just have worn out his welcome.”
While Dave was on vacation at Fei Long, Frosti had a confessional: “Dave was the workhorse doing all the work that nobody wanted to do. Now we’re going to have to pick up that slack.”
During that confessional, we saw him and Jaime gathering firewood and Sherea observing and resting.
Later, as the four undecided voters gathered in the lake, Frosti led the discussion: “There’s nothing left to do in camp that he is really necessary for and he’s definitely not helping us in challenges.
Frosti is a nice character. It seems that Jeff’s comment about him being the youngest survivor ever was to make us admire his maturity but there is nothing to Frosti’s personal story. He tells us how the tribe thinks but he isn’t telling us about his plans. Frosti would’ve needed the numbers to have a shot. Since he has no connection with Fei Long, his outlook seems bleak.
Peih Gee came back from the immunity loss telling her team: “This was a tough challenge.”
Peih Gee wanted to start boiling the lake water right away but Dave insisted on getting some from the well. Peih Gee relented once more: “Fine, I don’t care” Her expression showed that she had enough of Dave.
When it came time to talk about the vote, Peih Gee and Jaime were bathing in the lake with Erik hanging around when Dave came up to them and said: “No one’s giving me eye contact. I guess I’m out of here tonight.”
Peih Gee answered: “I don’t know how I’m voting yet.”
After he left, Peih Gee told the others: “Dave gets on my nerves too but he does a lot in camp. Sherea, I expected more from her. She has gotten into this mode of saving herself for the challenges.”
At TC, Peih Gee told Jeff that she couldn’t pick between someone who does well in challenges or someone who works hard in camp: “I know you want me to pick one but you can’t. You need to have a balance between both. If you don’t, it’s going to put an undue burden on the rest of the tribe.”
Peih Gee is the face of her tribe. We saw that she tried to keep her tribe together but that it was an impossible task with all the conflicts that surfaced. She has no story that stretches past her tribe, that gives us a sense of her planning ahead. She will go down with her tribe, maybe as the last one standing.
Erik remains in the background. He had a first confessional to tell us about the moldy rice but after that, we didn’t really see him until he tried to get a fire started after Dave had left. Erik had no success with the flint and Frosti had to take over.
He explained: “I’m worn out, I’ve had a hard day.”
In a second confessional, Erik told us: “Without Dave, we’re trying to get everything done. I don’t know, I’m just frustrated because I’m tired and some people are trying to get away with not helping out.”
We had another shot of Sherea conserving energy.
After the discussion about the vote, Erik told us: “I’m going back and forth in my mind. If we could get rid of both of them, it would be great.”
In TC, Erik said: “I like Dave. Honestly, there’s been some disagreements. It frustrates me seeing people not receiving Dave’s leadership. Dave has great leadership qualities. It’s just his natural personality.”
Erik showed he supported Dave but we never saw him helping the tribe’s leader. He still has no story and it seems that his romance with Jaime will be his only one.
Jaime saw the situation deteriorating in camp. We saw her caught in the middle of the Dave-Sherea fight but she didn’t intervene. We also saw her shock when, arriving at the first challenge, Jeff told them that Leslie had been booted out. Another potential ally gone.
After listening to Dave promise that he’d have an attitude adjustment, Jaime had a confessional about how the vote was going: “Today we have to decide who to vote off. It’s probably going to be between Sherea and Dave. It’s a tough decision because Sherea doesn’t help as much as the rest of us do around camp. Dave’s just really annoying and hard to live with.”
Of this tribe that has no future, Jaime is the only one with a story that points to future conflicts. Fei Long knows she had a connection with Leslie so they have to suspect she received the idol clue. How will that be handled? Will she even find the idol? She’ll need it!

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CTgirl 8013 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-18-07, 01:40 PM (EST)

38. "RE: Episode 4 Editing: More Animals"

There was lots of animal imagery this week, but I couldn’t find much in terms of symbolism and my dictionary of Chinese symbols has meanings for 400 things. I imagine some of the nature shots are to show off China’s physical beauty and the location. Even though this won’t help in determining the long-term players, what I found was interesting.
The dragonfly (shown right before Peih Gee marks off the days) is a sign of summer in China. (Interestingly it is a symbol used by Samurai warriors in Japan.) The praying mantis attacking a grasshopper: the closest I could find was the cricket, another summer insect, which symbolizes pluck and fighting spirit (used during Sherea’s confessionals that she might be on the chopping block). I found nothing for the hawk (an eagle is a symbol of strength). The brown duck – ducks and geese are a symbol of married bliss. The Rhinoceros beetle (or beetles in general) wasn’t listed. But from Wikipedia: Rhinoceros beetles are popular children's pets in Asia. They are clean, easy to maintain, and safe to handle. In Asian countries, male beetles are also used for gambling fights since they naturally compete for female beetles with the winner knocking the other off a log (shown when Dave was trying to save himself with his tribe).
The use of the monkey is confusing. I thought the scene with Dave the spy lurking through the bushes was hysterical (coinciding with the “snake in the grass,” what irony to see Dave trying to be tricky). A monkey was shown three times appearing to eavesdrop (or “spy”) on Dave and Todd’s conversation. Most, but not all, of the time we’ve seen a monkey is in conjunction with Jean-Robert or Dave. My eyebrows went up that Todd was included in the scene with the monkey, but we didn’t see a monkey after Dave had given him the clue and Todd was in confessional. Because the monkey is one of the Chinese Zodiac animals, there are many myths and stories surrounding it. From the East Coast spoiler thread Snidget posted (from chineseastrology.com) that people born in monkey years are, "The youthful and clever Monkey is the eternal child of the Eastern zodiac. These highly diverse and bright souls are 'irrepressible.' Monkeys are quick, restless, enterprising, and sexual. Mischievous and high-spirited, Monkeys are social, active, convincing, and are gifted with a hilarious sense of humor…." From the same thread Tenorsaxy said, “I used to take Kenpo Karate...the monkey represents chaos/confusion/distraction” (Kenpo is actually a Japanese martial art with Chinese roots). That fits here.
Also of interest - from the third Immunity idol clue: “When creatures of night take flight as they may, a treasure they carry allows one to stay.” There are bats on the immunity idol. Bats are not sinister in Chinese folklore, they represent good luck and happiness. And some things to look for: the centipede is the archenemy of the snake and the spider is a good omen.

surfkitty sig shop 2007

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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-19-07, 03:04 PM (EST)

40. "RE: Episode 4 Editing: More Animals"

I'm a Monkey and a Scorpio (along w my pal Fester)

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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-19-07, 10:40 AM (EST)

39. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Hello all!!! sorry for my hiatus!! very busy at work...I have gone spoiler free!!
I love the animals this year...those pandas are so cute! We got lots of snakes!!
I just know after last nite tho the merge cannot be at 10...even if it was they probably changed it...Jiffy and I!! hate when people threw it!! If I were Eric I would have made an alliance with James and Aaron just out of spite...not sure if that would be the best for him but I hate tankers!!!

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-21-07, 02:35 PM (EST)

41. "Episode 5: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

LAST EDITED ON 10-21-07 AT 02:45 PM (EST)
Hello Emydi. It's so nice to hear from you, we miss your wit.
For the second week in a row, Jeff acknowledged Sherea during the recap. “In the immunity challenge, she rose to the occasion…but James dominated.” Strangely, no mention was made of Jaime and especially Amanda who scored the winning point. The TC was also manipulated when Sherea’s view of conserving energy received no criticism. Jaime even appeared pleased as she left a council that had been very unpleasant. Is Jeff telling us a new story?
Although they received much assistance from Burnett, the women of Zhan Hu showed they had figured out the flaw in the latest twist. The episode showed us:
TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS

Sun Tzu said:
The good fighters first put
themselves beyond the possibility of defeat and then
wait for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our
own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy
is provided by the enemy himself.
Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,
but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
A clever fighter…excels in winning with ease.
Hence his victories bring him neither reputation
for wisdom nor credit for courage.
Sherea’s episode: A new Beginning
On the calm morning of day 13 in Zhan Hu, Sherea woke up saying: “I had the best sleep ever. I finally dreamt like I was at home.”
Sherea in confessional: “With Dave out of the picture, everybody’s just peaceful, just chilling…I definitely feel like the outsider in the tribe just because those four click up sometimes. So, I need to spice things up. I’m hoping for some drama to come along. I’m really looking forward to something changing.” She’d soon have what she hoped for!
Sherea’s take on the twist was that: “It never crossed my mind that they would take two of us. We didn’t think about it at all. That was really dumb.”
After the greeting from Fei Long, Sherea saw an opportunity to start over: “I’m going to do my best to try and fit in. My position at Zhan Hu wasn’t secure due to the fact that I wasn’t the hardest worker so I’m hoping that, over here, they see me in a different light. Hopefully, I can step it up some.”
To follow on that, as soon as JR mentioned that they didn’t have any cooks, Sherea volunteered.

Frosti: Danger Zone
Frosti was bored at the start of the episode: “We’ve already done everything.”
In confessional, Frosti told us: “We should really have a strong team now but, problem is, Fei Long also has a very strong team. They are well led by Aaron and they have the strongest player in James and some very intelligent people. They’re a hard team to beat.”
Frosti couldn’t believe his luck after the first stage of the twist: “The game totally flipped…We have 7 and we have all the strongest players. It’s really good for us.”
Frosti later realized: “It seems it wasn’t the end of the twist…Fei Long picked two people from Zhan Hu, Sherea and myself.” Frosti promised his now ex-tribe mates that: “We’ll do our best to stay in the game. No matter what happens, you guys control the two biggest players in the game, just remember that.”
After enjoying the meal with Fei Long, Frosti told us: “This is dangerous for me. Things are really messed up. I’m out of my comfort zone obviously because I’m outnumbered by old Fei Long. My first goal is to figure out what’s going on around here then see where I can put myself that’s going to keep me around.”
Frosti would soon notice the tension with Jean Robert. “Waking up to everybody bashing JR was better than the food we got yesterday. It’s so much more comfortable knowing that there is already somebody here they have problems with. JR is in a bit of a pinch.” Sherea had a similar confessional.
Erik: Love is in the Air
In the recap, Erik told us he was frustrated with Sherea and we heard him repeat that he wanted both Dave and Sherea gone.
He would soon be talking about his feelings for Jaime. She would soon fog up his glasses!
During the first stage of the twist, and once James’ name had been circled, Erik initiated Zhan Hu’s Tactical Dispositions by saying: “We should get Aaron and vote him off. It would be kinda dirty but…” His tribe liked that idea!
After the challenge loss, Erik wasn’t pleased: “The two girls basically threw it on purpose. I didn’t know that the girls were going to throw it. It puts me in a really tough position. I’m forced to, in this situation, to stick with them but, unfortunately, I don’t trust them a lot. I’m a little bit worried about that.”
He went for a swim with Jaime and told her he still wanted to stick with her but his confessional continued: “I just don’t like losing, especially on purpose but I want to remain aligned with Jaime just because it’s safe.”
Jaime: Eve, the Temptress
At the beginning of the episode, Jamie joined Erik in the lake and the two of them started flirting.
Jaime in confessional: “Erik and I have been together for 13 days now…I can’t find anything wrong with him. He’s really attractive.”
After gasping at the revelation of his virginity, Jaime continued: “I think it proves he’s even more trustworthy than I thought before. I’m trying to make it through with him to the end.”
She then told Erik: “There’s an immunity idol. The only way to get a clue is if the other tribe gives you the clue.”
When it came time to decide the Fei Long members to choose, Jaime first echoed Peih Gee’s thoughts: “We already have the strongest women.” and then seconded Erik’s proposal about Aaron: “We could vote him off. If we lose he’d be the first one to go and we don’t have to worry about us.”
The morning after the twist, while James was tending to the chores in camp, Jaime was in the lake with the others. Aaron was trying to infiltrate the group by telling them the new team was strong, that James was the catalyst in their wins but that he could be a problem after merge. His strategy talk was going fine until Jaime asked: “If we merge and Jean Robert is still left, would he be the first person voted out?” Aaron couldn’t answer that simple question to appease Jaime. “Let me think about that…I don’t know.”
In the immunity challenge, Aaron and Erik worked hard to give Zhan Hu a lead despite Jaime’s recommendation: “Boys! Take your time. Get your breath first. Take a minute. Wait a long minute. Ha! Ha! Ha!”
That got a first scowl from James who asked her to focus. Jaime was already having a grand time.
Jaime would take all her time on the puzzle, even throwing a piece behind the puzzle table instead of on the mat. She handled the pieces with a smirk on her face which attracted a comment from Jeff: “Jaime appears not to be concerned at all. You’d never know there was anything on the line.” The cameras gave us a shot of Erik and Aaron, still completely winded after their big effort as if to underline the dastardly turn of events.
James was getting frustrated: “This is not Sudoku. Pay attention” he told the girls.
After Fei Long had won immunity, Jeff picked up the missing piece and told Zhan Hu: “Definitely the worst performance at a challenge yet.”
Back at the shelter, we had numerous shots of Jaime laughing and trying to compose herself during James’ rant. After, she continued the hysterics with Peih Gee. “We looked like complete idiots. They have no idea” she said, bending over in laughter. When Peih Gee warned that the guys would try to get Erik to kick one of them out, Jaime knew better: “Erik is not gonna side with them.”
When questioned by Erik, Jaime came clean and explained they lost on purpose and told him they were voting off Aaron. Even if James was the one that was pissed, Jaime explained: “For some reason, I still feel like we should get rid of Aaron first. I just can’t believe they haven’t figured it out.”
Jaime explained her reasons to us: “I trust James more than I do Aaron for the simple fact that Aaron has made enough alliances on the other side where he thinks he’s set over there and because James probably doesn’t have quite as many ties at Fei Long. Aaron’s going to be the first to get kicked off.”
At Tribal council, Jeff who has seen it all, was quick to note that Jaime had a smile on her face and made her accountable for her actions at the challenge.
Jaime replied: “If we merge, we’re gone. They have the numbers. As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t want to be stuck with someone who is just going to go back to the other side.”
When Jeff pressed the subject by saying: “So, you decided you couldn’t trust Aaron and James and you threw the challenge.”
Jaime could only say: “Yes sir” getting disapproving looks from Aaron and James.
Peih Gee: The Serpent
The episode started for Peih Gee by applying some leadership as she told her tribe mates: “If we all work together, equally in every aspect, that way, we are all strong here and we are all strong at challenges. That sounds like what the other tribe is doing…Well it helps that they have James but…Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Reading the note from the emissaries, Peih Gee realized, along with her tribe members: “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard…We’re going to be up 7-5. That’s messed up. They are going to be so pissed.”
In confessional, she told us: “Oh! My God! Now Zhan Hu is gonna have 7 and Fei Long is gonna have 5. It’s crazy, it’s really going to cripple the other tribe. The power really shifted to our tribe today with that crazy twist.”
As Jaime hurriedly proposed to select James, Peih Gee determined that “We don’t want any women.” Zhan Hu was in a good mood.
As a second boat approached their camp, Peih Gee asked : “Should we go down and welcome them?” The tribe went to the shore but couldn’t see the players from FL. Peih Gee wondered: “Are they sitting down in the back?” Not until the second note was unfolded did anyone realize the full extent of the twist. Peih Gee and Jaime looked completely defeated as they shared a hug while Frosti and Sherea left the camp.
After Erik and Jaime had welcomed Aaron and James, Peih Gee had a confessional: “They brought a bounty with them. It was a basket with different fruits and nuts…Of course, James and Aaron know that they are on the chopping block. They’re definitely trying to fire us up for winning the challenges.”
That confessional was interrupted to show her as she proposed a toast “To the new Zhan Hu! May we prevail.”
In confessional, she continued: “We have control of the two strongest players in the game right now. It’s a major advantage and it’s just a matter of what we choose to do with it.”
The next morning, Peih Gee analyzed the situation: “Aaron is smart, he’s athletic and he’s good looking which always help people like you a little more. I think Aaron is a little bit crafty, he’s holding a little bit back…Sherea and Frosti are over at the other camp, I don’t know how long members of my original alliance are going to last over there. So definitely, I’m going to try and pull Jaime aside and have a talk with her, see what she thinks of everything.”
Peih Gee completed Zhan Hu’s tactical dispositions by telling Jaime: “If we win the next two immunities they’re going to get rid of two people on that team. There’s no guarantees that those two people aren’t going to be Frosti and Sherea. If Frosti and Sherea are gone, it’s going to be me, you and Erik against all seven Fei Long members. But, on the other hand, if we throw these next two, not only have we gotten rid of the two biggest threats for individual immunity, but we will be going at merge with 5 original Fei Long members and 5 original Zhan Hu.”
Jaime objected: “Do you really want to go out there and just throw everything?”
Peih Gee answered: “I know it’s risky but, if my hunch is right and we’re going to merge at ten, it could pay off in a major way.”
Jaime agreed: “It could be worth it.”
Arriving at the challenge, with everyone having received their bathing suits (much better than the awful underwear!), Peih Gee nodded at Sherea who smiled back. When Aaron said it was time to put up or shut up, we saw Peih Gee trying hard to keep a straight face. The fix was in!
Peih Gee tried to talk to James after the loss. She asked him “Who are you voting for tonight? If you tell me you want to stay here longer than Aaron, I’ll make it happen.”
James wasn’t agreeing: “Aaron really deserves to stay.”
Peih Gee asked: “Then, do you want to go home tonight?”
James answered: “Yeah, send my a$$ home.”
Peih Gee had another confessional: “We thought we could get James over to our side but after what happened today, he doesn’t trust us at all. Tonight at tribal council, we’ll probably have to get rid of James.”
Once Jaime had told Jeff that the challenge had been lost on purpose, Peih Gee explained: “Frosti and Sherea get voted off and suddenly we merge, guess what? There are only 3 original Zhan Hu members and there are 7 Fei Long. I wonder who the next three to get picked off are going to be…It’s about winning the war, it’s not about winning the battles.”
Jeff left Zhan Hu to wonder if their assumptions about the game were right.
With the highlighting of Sherea and the new portrayal of Peih Gee and Jaime as strategic players, is there a new story being told in China? Can there be a reversal from the previous chapters where all the long term players seemed to be in Fei Long?
The first scenes showed us that Zhan Hu, with Peih Gee in particular since she had the confessional, weren’t as game savvy as Fei Long. Where Amanda and Todd knew that Zhan Hu would surely pick James and Aaron, Zhan Hu never figured they’d lose two of their own.
We heard Erik, the conscience of Zhan Hu, say that picking Aaron, just to have someone to boot, would be “kinda dirty”. That was without even thinking of throwing a challenge. Hearing Erik say that he hates losing accentuated the negativity of the tribe’s action.
Peih Gee, simultaneously shown toasting to Zhan Hu’s success and plotting James and Aaron elimination, looked insincere.
All the giggling and hysterics showed that Jaime wasn’t a good bluffer which is essential if one wants to outwit opponents. Even the scene where she explained herself to Erik showed her blowing bubbles in the water. That made her look more like a mischievous child than a master planner.
Mainly, Zhan Hu threw a challenge to vote off a player that hadn’t been vilified by the editors. Aaron wasn’t someone who had been portrayed as a hero but he had a positive story of the smart, hard working, good leader. We had been made to dislike Billy and Silas before they were booted, not so Aaron.
Maybe Zhan Hu won a battle but Jeff didn’t appear impressed with their display of wisdom nor did he credit their courage.
Adding all these editing clues tells me that the winner won’t come from Zhan Hu. The story of China took a twist and one player who seemed to have a long future, got booted but the story is still going in the same direction.
Are all the original Zhan Hus doomed? Probably, since their only positive players have very limited stories of their own. Frosti appears to be in the best position right now but he has very little connections to the themes of the season.
- 1- China is a country that is rich in culture: Frosti was practically ignored during the temple scene.
- 2- The “Art of War” is the greatest book on strategy ever written: Frosti doesn’t have a direct connection to the book and his strategic talks have been very limited. He has no connections with the sub-themes taken from the “Art of War” such has building a good camp to earn victory, the use of spies, etc…

- 3- Do not enter in alliances before you know the intentions of others: It’s good that Frosti hasn’t entered blindly into an alliance. The problem is that he doesn’t even have an alliance.

- 4- You have to use everyone’s unique qualities: Frosti failed to bring out Dave’s qualities and has not been successful using his own to win challenges which was supposed to be his way to prove himself.

James: Shanghaid
In the early morning at Fei Long, James started with a confessional: “I am carrying most of the tribe’s weight as far as work and the challenges but Denise busts her ass out here. She’s the other one that really pulls her rope around here and you can’t beat that…She’s a strong woman. She’s there to compliment you and work with you. That’s attractive. I like that. If Denise was 10 years younger or I was older, which ever way, Denise would be in trouble.”
While gathering his personal stuff after receiving news of the twist, James told us: “I don’t have any ties with Aaron. I’m pretty by myself now. I’m starting all over again and I’m going to have to work my way into the system again.”
James wasn’t too thrilled to see how Zhan Hu was a happy tribe “My people are miserable. I like misery.”
During the meal, James asked a question: “Who is the brains out of the group?”
Jaime answered all of them were and added that she and Peih Gee do the puzzles. (The irony!)
James advised: “Tomorrow, I’ll get the water, I’ll get everything done because I do that already. You get focused on what you do normally. Get focused to win.”
Back at camp after the defeat, James was fuming. He told Jaime: “You can’t handle pressure.” Turning to Peih Gee, he added: “And you, the puzzle girl, the one we rely to be the brains of the thing, she cracks up about sudoku and everything’s funny…If you don’t focus I don’t get it, especially during a game. You guys have to figure out which one of these girls is going home because we need a strong team.”
Jaime was cracking up laughing.
In confessional, James told us: “These girls are about to go thirsty because I ain’t supporting someone who ain’t gonna try. Might as well send me home or cut one of them girls.”
As Jeff said, it had to be driving James nuts that, in this game that is about winning, they would willingly lose: “And they’re happy, they’re smiling, I couldn’t do that. They ain’t winning nothing. And they asked me if I wanted to stay! What kind of dumb do you take me for. That’s why they lose. I told you I can’t work that way. It should be me today, they know how I am about this losing thing…I don’t want to go, I love being here…but I just can’t take another loss like that.”
Never had the reading of the votes appeared more painful to someone who wasn’t going home.
This sometimes likeable, sometimes vulgar man was shown in a very positive light at the beginning of the episode. Those scenes with Denise were good moments. We even heard James say he was going to try his best to integrate into the new team and then he told them he would do everything in camp just so the team is at optimal strength for the challenge. Following Jeff’s line of questionning, it appeared as if the editors wanted James to be their voice about the throwing of the challenge. We were never meant to root for James but being Burnett’s unofficial “spokesperson” tells us, from an editing point of view, how the big strategic move will turn against Zhan Hu. The question is: Will James make them pay?

Denise: Top Model!
On a “glorious morning in China”, Denise showed her good work ethic by accompanying James during his morning chores.
As they picked up the fishing nets, she confided: “Right now the person I trust the most is James. He and I get along really well…He’s picked up on my work ethic…We seem to have a little connection going…I can trust him and stick with him and ride his coat tails as long as I can.”
Losing her work partner, Denise told the tribe: “We knew it was coming. We knew they were going to pick the two of them.” After telling us she was upset and will miss James, Denise told Amanda and Todd: “This means JR is actually going to have to move his ass and get water.”

Jean-Robert: A Bad Hand
JR began the day by asking James: “How’s our breakfast coming? You’re the cook.” Little did JR know what was coming!
After the Chinese envoys had left camp, JR turned to James and told him: “If they got the same note, they are 100% picking you. You’re out of here.”
JR was very disappointed with the twist: “We’re giving up our two strongest warriors, Aaron and James. If that isn’t bad enough, James is one of my strongest allies in this whole game.”
JR started to take on a leadership role when he told the tribe: “We have to figure out what our plan’s going to be.”
Amanda wanted to wait: “I say we don’t even think about it until we lose.” Courtney agreed.
JR insisted: “I think we have to talk about it because it’s not something we can talk about when they are here. If it came down to it, that first tribal council, we go for Sherea and then we go for Frosti.”
Amanda agreed but with little enthusiasm: “Sounds good to me”
JR wasn’t convinced his plan was well received. In confessional, he said: “Todd and Courtney and Amanda and who knows, they may just decide ‘Hey! Let’s get rid of Jean Robert.Today is a terrible day for Fei Long and it is a godawful day for Jean Robert.”
The next morning, JR got a head start on breakfast.
Denise asked: “What’s Jean Robert doing over there.”
Amanda replied: “You realize he’s going to be unbearable now.”
Denise replied: “I know. Who’s going to argue with him now. I’m not doing that. Sherea’s gonna.”
Once the rice had started cooking, JR went back to the shelter to tell the others what had been done, what he was doing next and he asked Denise for help with the nets. Denise’s response: “Okay, tribe leader” troubled JR who tried, ineffectively, to get out of the leader role! His look to the heavens as everyone laughed at him told us that JR wasn’t too happy with the way his old team mates were sticking together.

JR’s story has come complete circle as he was the only one planning ahead in terms of the team’s goals. Showing us that he was determined to go immediately after Sherea and Frosti may have been to show us he wasn’t ready to use everyone’s unique qualities. Showing us the Fei Long women targeting him could also be to muddy the water for FL’s next tribal council. JR’s main story still appears to be that the editors are having fun showing how this confident man isn’t equiped to play Survivor.

Courtney: The Snarky Cheerleader
Courtney commented on Zhan Hu’s choice of players by saying: “They’ve got a sweet team now.” With James, she kidded JR as he complained about losing their two strongest players: “I thought YOU were our strongest warrior, Jean Robert!”
As Courtney sat out another challenge, we heard her yell encouragements: “Go Jean Robert!” She then turned to her fellow bench warmer, Amanda and quietly added: “It hurts a little bit in my heart to say that.”
Amanda: Losing Focus
Amanda was first seen resting in the shelter with Todd as James and Denise worked. When Todd pointed to an approaching boat, Amanda figured: “Oh! No. You guys, something’s going on.” When Aaron wondered what the catch of the twist would be, Amanda told him: “The catch will probably be that they get to pick two of ours and they will obviously pick you and James.”
Amanda greeted the news of James and Aaron’s departure and their loss of momentum by saying “This is not cool.” She gave Aaron a nice hug as he prepared to leave.
When Frosti and Sherea arrived, Amanda was in a good mood but that changed the next morning as she told us: “Jean Robert woke up early this morning, which he never does and he started cooking breakfast for everybody. He’s trying to save his butt right now.”
The women of Fei Long didn’t have a very good episode even if Denise showed her value and Amanda her knowledge of the game at the start. Openly ostracizing Jean Robert in front of Sherea and Frosti wasn’t smart. Was it to point out how a tribe can lose direction without a leader? Was it only to create doubt?
We knew that Denise was only there as an extra in this story and that Courtney’s story was about trying to fight out of her personal hell. What was troubling was seeing Amanda shown as losing focus. The editors must’ve had a confessional by Courtney laughing about JR’s predicament. Using Amanda to show how Fei Long could be a fractured tribe isn’t good for her image as a smart player
Todd: Laying Plans
Todd greeted the Chinese envoy and read the message.
He had a confessional to tell us: “I’m pretty sure they got the same message. The situation at camp right now is, we have to pick two members from the other tribe.”
As the tribe agreed, Todd circled the names of Frosti and Sherea. (the one who was bored and the one who wanted a change!)
“I think that’s a smart move” Todd said to Aaron.
His confessional continued: “I think Frosti and Sherea will benefit our camp. They are both tough, they are strong and fast. They seem like good people. It’s kind of crazy because everything you’ve devised as to be put on pause for a few minutes until you figure things out.”
As the boat from Zhan Hu approached and Denise advised everyone to stick together, Todd had a confessional: “The fact that Sherea and Frosti are coming over to our tribe is kinda exciting because I could maybe get great bonds with them so who knows what I can build there.”
From the “Art of War”: The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.
As if to prove the point, we heard Jeff asking Todd about the twist during the challenge: “Frosti and Sherea are great, so I thought they were a good asset to our tribe. I mean, we did lose two very strong, awesome people but we also gained two people who, I’m sure, are going to fight hard.”
Todd took a big step towards the title of Sole Survivor. He was the only member of Fei Long not to denigrate JR and not to target the new arrivals immediately. He will be needed to keep this team focused despite the trickery from the opponents. More importantly, Todd fits perfectly in the themes mentioned above:
1- Todd was featured in close up both as the tribe entered the temple area and he was seen happily participating in the celebration. The Chinese family visit was his happiest moment.
2- Todd was shown on screen as Jeff mentioned the “Art of War”. He told us that FL was working well to build that important camp. He used the strategy book to nominate a leader. He also refered to it when keeping an eye on Jaime during her visit. He knew that the spies who reveal too much had to be eliminated.
3- Todd has benefitted from those who have entered into hasty alliances.
4- Being one of the Munchkins, the need to use everyone’s unique qualities was directly refering to Todd. He was also the only one ready to use the qualities of the kidnapped victims.

Survivor: China seems more and more to be Todd’s story.

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Flowerpower 7262 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-21-07, 04:59 PM (EST)

42. "RE: Episode 5: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

I just wanted to jump in here and give a shout out to emy! I thought of you just the other day, when I commented on something ironic....can still see you quoting, "and we know how EPMB loves his irony"! Understand you are going spoiler free! Just may try it myself next season! Anywho, we miss you and hope you are well, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
CTGirl, thanks for all the research on the animals and insects and such. Very interesting vantage point on them regarding what they mean to the Chinese Culture, especially the animals that signify the years, like the monkey.
michel, excellent assessments as always. Very interesting takes on the reactions of the daws to their new tribe members. Love how you incorporate the themes of the season. Thanks so much.
VS, as alwyas, I wait for your invaluable assessments! Keep up the great work, everyone!
As for me, I see a softening of the conflict between JR and Courtney. Who knows, the fact that their tribe is being chewed away albeit from a swap and not from TC, may bring them closer together. They both seem to have grown already in this social experiment to me. Could it be the end of an arc for one or both?
Todd and PG seem to be emerging at their tribes with the occurence of the swap, imo. While I can not stand the fact that they opted to throw the challenge, I do see it as a strategic move. They are right, and from their vantage point, one from 2 "weaker" girls, they do control the destiny of two of the strongest men in the game. I can't be too upset over their gameplay. It was a bold play. It makes Erik look secondary to me, while they move in to the power player category.
Just a few observations...

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
10-23-07, 11:58 AM (EST)

43. "RE: Episode 5: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

And I just want to jump in to say hello to emydi and fp - your presence has been sorely missed and I do hope you continue to pop in more often.
Michel - as always, your posts are always delightful to read
I do love the animal imagery and must say the panda and the monkey have caused me to enjoy this season as much as the contestants.
I have finished viewing the first episode again; normally I wait for some type of recap but since I am not sure if and when we will have one, five episodes seems fine to me. However, I don't want to ruin the continuity of the thread and will just post it after the Episode One thoughts.
I will say that with less contestants we are given the pleasure of actually learning about them before they leave and it was notable to me that the characters who were being set up to leave were given ample time to establish their characterizations and the story surrounding their departure.
There has been a pattern with this that I noted so it appears it is easier to discern who appears to be in more immediate danger but I will not delve into this episode since it has already been discussed quite nicely.

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gekidasa 5 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "American Cancer Society Spokesperson"
10-25-07, 06:26 PM (EST)

44. "RE: Episode 5: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Quick post before the next ep!
I just love to read everyone's inerpretations of the editing choices, they're always so thought provoking.
What jumped out at me in this episode was the rather heavy-handed designation of FL as (mostly) smart, strategic, game-savvy players, versus ZH as naive at best and foolish, childish and petty at worst; first with making sure to tell us that Todd & Co. figured out right away that this was a two for two switch, while underscoring (rather gleefully) the fact that ZH never even considered that they wouldn't just be gaining two members to hand them an easy numbers advantage.
Peih Gee did demonstrate strategic thinking in both coming up with the plan to throw the challenge *and* targeting Aaron instead of James because Aaron had more solid ties at FL, but the editing completely undermines this by putting a very negative spin on the challenge throwing. I think that being so obvious about what they did (and not including Erik) was a horrible way to execute a strategically sound plan, but the editing went out of its way to paint Jaime and Pei Gee as in a very negative light (typical "mean girls). I was reminded me of how Veruca Salt used to stress that the fact that downlplaying Ozzy's involvement in throwing the challenge to oust Billy boded very well for Ozzy's long-term chances. This seems to be the exact opposite.

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
10-26-07, 03:36 PM (EST)

45. "RE: Episode 6: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

LAST EDITED ON 10-26-07 AT 03:37 PM (EST)
Just a couple of thoughts/observations until all you experts chime in (I love y'all's analysis, by the way!).
It's still very intriguing to see how Amanda is so subtly and quietly leading her team and allowing Todd to be the frontman in this pairing. Todd's edit and actions last night just were frenetic to me. I was frustrated to see him seem so beyond crazed.
On the flip-side, Todd is still nearly the only one with confessionals that are specifically talking about strategy. Occasionally we see one out of Peih-Gee, Leslie and this week, James. The rest are all talking about theri experiences or are just narrating. Do you all think that Todd's edit may be all about the irony of someone who thinks he knows the game so well that it comes back to bite him? He has the "million dollar quote" and the strategy talk, but is it all talk? There's something that the producers are trying to tell us about him that just isn't sitting well with me; I just can't quite put my finger on it.
kk

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byoffer 15947 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
10-26-07, 04:27 PM (EST)

46. "RE: Episode 6: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

In a very early episode Todd told us that he and Amanda were going to use Aaron as their front man to keep the target off themselves. Sadly for them Aaron is gone. Even last night Todd/Amanda made a comment about being seen as the leaders. They wanted Sherea out, but were tempted to let Courtney have JR to stay out of the decision-maker role. But they didn't let it happen.
I agree with you all, and worry about Todd setting a target on himself that might hurt him in front of the jury. (is this when we start analyzing each jury member and wondering if they will vote for those who were strategic, or against those who ousted them?)

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
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10-28-07, 04:54 PM (EST)

47. "Episode #6: The Players, The Game, The Editing "

I’m starting to really enjoy this season and, if last week I thought I had the answers, this week, I have more questions!
The recap focused on telling us that Jean-Robert was isolated in Fei Long, that James was on the chopping block in Zhan Hu and that Todd was still looking for the immunity idol.
This week, both tribes seemed ready to lose the immunity challenge. They had a strange way of
WAGING WAR
Sun Tzu said :
“It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted
with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand
the profitable way of carrying it on.
Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must
be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from
defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.
The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.
This is called, using the conquered foe to augment
one's own strength.”
The sun rose over Zhan Hu on Day 16 with James already at work and the others still sleeping.

Erik, The Honorable Man
After the reward loss, the mood at Zhan Hu was down. Erik pointed to their problem: “We’re just tired of losing…Well, I’ll speak for myself, I’m tired of losing.”
Erik must’ve liked the change of plan because he won his two rounds to claim immunity for ZH, foiling Fei Long’s plan.
Jaime, Still Fighting
Jaime entered the reward challenge area with defiance on her face. Her gaze confronted the disappointed look of Amanda and the astonished stare of Tood after they heard of Aaron’s elimination.
Back in camp from the reward, Jaime was bummed out when she told her team that “Frosti won’t make eye contact with us, which is freaking me out.”
Jaime had a confessional: “We were so much into keeping Sherea, Frosti, Peih Gee, Erik and I together, we thought we’d do anything to save them. We threw a challenge to save them. We did it, you know. Frosti didn’t make eye contact with us, we don’t know if he’s changed his mind if he’s switched over with them. Everything’s just unknown and it’s hard to deal with it especially since there’s only three of us here and there’s so many over there.”
It led to Jaime telling her tribe: “We have to win immunity.”

This time, it was Jaime who told us about Zhan Hu’s tactics instead of Peih Gee. Changing the plan from throwing the challenge to going for the win fits in with the “Art of War”: “Attack the enemy where he is unprepared. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.” The problem for Jaime is that she’s seen as Fei Long’s first target, the one Todd told James to vote for. We were shown her defiance before the reward challenge, we heard her giving the confessional about the change of tactic and we saw her applauding the immunity win. Since she appears to be the victim of ZH’s failed plan, we’ve entered the final chapter of her story and her image was softened compared to last week when she was more like the devious temptress.

Peih Gee, Realization
Peih Gee’s first confessional opened the episode: “I definitely feel confident about throwing the challenge and getting Aaron off the game. He was one of the most powerful players and now suddenly, we had full control of him and we still have that over James. If we throw the next immunity challenge, James is gonna be gone. The best possible scenario is we merge at that point and if that happens, we’ll be able to reconnect with Frosti and Sherea if they’re still on the same page with us.”
Peih Gee let Sherea know about their devious plan when they were alone in one of the houses of the challenge. “We’re still here for you guys. Tell Frosti that.”
The editors showed us that Peih Gee’s scheme had failed when they told us that Frosti had gotten close to Todd and Amanda and showed us how low ZH was before the change of plan. The editors settled the score when they cut momentarily away from Fei Long’s happy reward celebration to the somber mood of ZH, even inserting Erik’s words. It was as if to underline Jeff’s comment: “This game is about winning.” However, Peih Gee was always closer to Frosti than anyone else so she could profit from not being Fei Long’s first target. Frosti has received a lot of information from all sides so Peih Gee could make an unexpected comeback after the merge. I write unexpected mainly because I have not considered her as a long term player but her story has always been told, she has always been present. I’ll stop under-estimating her and consider her as an outside possibility.
Fei Long was ready to welcome back a stray member:
James, Desperate Times
James was in Zhan Hu when the episode started. In confessional, he said: “Aaron’s gone and I’m sitting at their mercy right now. The best thing for me to do is keep them rested so that in competition, there’s no excuse of anybody being tired. It makes me look good, in the long run, they keep me around. So I’m trying to deal with it and make it work cause if they throw another challenge, I’m gone.”
But James is still a member of Fei Long as seen during the reward. James read the instructions given to him by Jeff. While we had some shots of Todd smiling, James said: “I need something to save me. I’m in a bad spot right now. Todd is the cornerstone of all the alliances on this tribe. I gonna roll those dice and hope it comes out right. If not, I’m pretty much gone anyway, so I have to.”
Returning to Fei Long’s camp, James handed the 4th clue to Todd, saying: “Tell me you’re gonna come back with the clue.” Todd rewarded the valiant warrior with the idol and advice.
The idol in his bag, James, flashed thumbs up, telling us: “I can’t stop smiling and it’s all good because I’m not going anywhere. I have the immunity idol. It’s all good, baby! I’m the only one with access to the other immunity idol at the other tribe. All I have to do is stay focused, keep my head in the game, lose the immunity challenge and now I have both of them. It’s gonna be wonderful. I’m having a great time.”
James almost knocked Todd to the other side of the lake with the punch he gave him in celebration: “That’s love baby. It makes you strong.”
The immunity challenge didn’t go quite as planned. ZH was trying to win! James expression told us he couldn’t believe it.
Despite surviving the devious plan and having the inside track to the second idol, James has never been seen as a possible winner. That hasn’t changed. James is having too much of a wonderful time and, remember, he likes misery. His lack of strategic skills could bring that misery back. How would he feel making the trip to loser lodge with an idol or two still in his bag?!
Denise, Brutal Baluts
Denise only had a confessional after all the planning about the idol had been completed.
“I can’t believe that it was right there in front of us sitting in camp the whole time. I will be doing my best as I always give my 110% because that is the only way I know how to go.”
The challenge didn’t work as planned and Denise had to give up, unable to swallow the baluts. Her tears, accompanied by the “Sorry James” after saying she couldn’t swallow, convinced the big guy to end this round by finishing his own plate.
Denise told us: “I let my team mates down. James tried to eat that balut as slow as he possibly could but...we ended up on the losing end.”
The sympathetic Denise probably evokes emotions in some viewers but, in the game, she’ll never be more than a vote. For now, she votes alongside Todd and Amanda but will she change allegiance somewhere down the road?
Courtney, Woe Is Me
We first saw that Courtney hasn’t gotten used to JR’s snoring. Then, she sat out the reward challenge, hinting that Fei Long wasn’t keeping the strongest players for the immunity.
Despite all the Ooohs and Aaaahs of the reward, Courtney still had complaints.
Courtney’s reward confessional: “I tried my best to be as far away as possible from Jean Robert in the bathtubs in that place. He had the one on the far end, I took the one on the other far end. He’s kinda gross. Every part of me wants to see Jean Robert go. I just don’t like him. He’s a horrible person.”
When she heard that Sherea was the target, Courtney became sad : “After Todd and Amanda’s plans went awry, they’re like ‘no question about it, we’re voting out Sherea’ and I’m like Yeah, OK whatever. But then, after thinking about it for a little while, I actually like Sherea and if it came down to it of who I thought would vote me out quicker, I definitely think she’d keep me around longer than Jean Robert.”
She didn’t waste any time telling Sherea about the upcoming vote: “I refuse to vote for anyone who likes me more than him…I hate him.”
The main change in this episode was that I felt the conflict between Courtney and Jean Robert wasn’t part of Todd’s story anymore. Todd let his fellow Munchkin down and now she has to fight alone against that “horrible person” What does it mean for her story? Let’s look at JR first.

Jean Robert, High Stakes
After winning the reward, Jean Robert was the one to tell Jeff who they would kidnap: “Bring him back, baby…Come back home for a night” he said, looking at James.
JR had a confessional about the reward: “When Jeff announced the reward, there was excitement on the team. We are going to go to a tea house and get some refreshments and showers…The view was amazing, everybody on the tribe was just so happy.”
During the scramble before the vote, JR showed he knows how to be cool under pressure by staying away from the drama, cooking the meal and bathing alone.
He had a confessional: “I like to trust my gut and my vibe. So far, I’ve been pretty confident of my position in this game but all of a sudden, something doesn’t feel 100% to me. The plan was either Sherea or Frosti but I gotta tell you, I’m uneasy right now.”
Once more, Fei Long’s tribal council was almost only reserved to the three outsiders.
James told Jeff that he’s been changing, contributing more. That irritated Courtney and got Sherea to wonder why he was saying that: “He’s always running his mouth, story after story…They don’t like you” That amused Courtney.
Still calm, JR responded: “I’m certain that some people don’t like me. I’m a bad boy…I am aggressive but I like they way I’m playing this game.”
The smug Courtney found the “bad boy” comment hysterical! Courtney flat out said she didn’t like JR and found him self-righteous. “He’s just a crappy person…It’s funny as an observer being the outsider of my tribe.”
Todd and Amanda objected to her outsider status, telling Courtney that they loved her.
JR had the last word saying that they have a good team and they were in a good spot.
The first thing to realize is that JR, Todd’s “trash”, has now outlasted the expiry date of nine days. He should be “stinky” right now but only the fans of Zhan Hu and Courtney had to be wishing for the votes to go against him. As far as Fei Long’s plans were concerned, booting JR made no sense. The fans of Todd, Amanda and even James had to be hoping Sherea would leave.
What if they live to regret it? Could the story of China be one of the biggest deception ever? Right now, JR convincing Courtney to vote WITH him at one point after the merge could change the whole game. Could that be the reason why this conflict has been at the forefront from the beginning? Instead of the “Munchkin against the Bear”, could we have a future alliance? Sort of like Sandra turning around and voting with Dalton to boot Tijuana and Darrah or Eliza voting with Scout to boot Leann and Ami. Courtney was already in her personal hell, will she make a pact with the one she hates, the self-proclaimed “Bad Boy”? I still can’t see either one of those two as a winner but I told you, the episode gave me many questions! There seems to be a surprise being set up involving those two, the editors making sure that we know how much Courtney hates JR, that she doesn’t talk to him and that she will NEVER vote for someone she likes more than him.

Amanda, Stepping Up by Putting her Foot Down.
Amanda had an early confessional: “Todd approached me and told me that he had 3 clues to the immunity idol which I was kinda shocked because I didn’t know about any immunity idol. So, we’re going to do everything we can to find the idol today. We have to.”
Her next confessional was a frivolous comment about James’ physique.
Back at Fei Long, Amanda went for the idol: “I went over to where the idol would be and I started hitting shingles so people wouldn’t know what I was doing and then Todd comes over. He gets up there and he starts pulling on the thing.”
Unfortunately, Frosti also came over and jumped on the structure, sending Todd into a panic and causing James, who was looking on from the shelter, to worry. When Todd pulled out the plaque and handed it to Amanda, it fell to the ground. Before Frosti could see it, Amanda put her foot on it.
Amanda commented: “That must be the worst way in history of getting an immunity idol. In front of everybody, Todd is yelling, he’s so impatient. I knew something like that was going to happen.”
During the pre-tribal council scramble, Amanda gathered Todd and Denise and told them they had to base the votes on their numbers and that they could still count on James. Todd added that Frosti was with them and the vote would help him trust them. It was decided that Sherea was going that night. Then Courtney joined the discussion!
Later, Amanda was washing in the lake alongside Todd and Frosti. The ex-Zhan Hu had just finished saying that he’d rather have Sherea gone than him when Courtney suggested: “Unless we vote Jean Robert. He hates me.”
In front of Frosti, Amanda rejected Courtney’s idea by saying: “ We have to stick with our tribe and, honestly, it has to be either Frosti or Sherea…Eventually, it will be down to our people but now it isn’t and we have to look at the big picture.”
The last step before the tribal council was a summit talk between Todd and Amanda. Todd was thinking of voting JR. He said: “We are lining ourselves up as power players and they will get rid of us if we don’t start doing what people want. JR is not stupid, he will turn on us”
Amanda put her foot down a second time: “I know JR definitely has to go but not now…My gut feeling is that I don’t trust Sherea.”
Amanda’s showing was better this episode. Last week she had been the one saying that JR was in trouble but this time, she made the right choice. At what cost? Talking about eliminating Frosti, talking about “our people” right in fron of him and even showing him the strength of her bond with Todd wasn’t very smart. That means that now Frosti, JR and even Courtney feel as outsiders. Amanda’s has always looked good as a long term player and even as a possible winner but she needs to play her cards better.
Todd, Juggling Plans
Todd started the episode by telling Amanda about the immunity idol and how he got the clues. Didn’t he say that he’d never share idol clues with anyone? He needed help but had a strange way to ask: “I didn’t want to tell anybody until I found it but I can’t find it.”
Todd told us his first order of business: “If we win the reward today, we are bringing over either Aaron or James, whoever is left, because they are going to give us a clue as to where the idol is. Amanda and I, we’ll have control of this game.”
Todd also had a confessional about the reward: “We were so happy to be there…Ah! It was so good!”
After the bath, Todd’s strategy went into gear: “Sometimes…I feel like I’m the only one playing. So, I knew right away when we kidnapped James, I would approach him.”
We saw Todd telling James about what was in the cylinder that Jeff had given the grave digger. Todd told him: “If you give it to me, I can help you save your life.”
The 4th clue read: “There are 4 that surround it, and 4 much the same, The one etched finer could salvage the game.” (That means that there are more than one plaque but only the one with ornate details around it is the idol. Interesting!)
Todd knew what the clue meant: “It’s those two stupid bats above the freaking thing.”
After the panic of finding the idol, Todd first told Frosti “If I can’t trust you right now, I will kill you.” With Amanda and Frosti, Todd read the message behind the plaque and told Amanda: “We have to trust him (Frosti) we don’t have a choice.”
Todd had another confessional: “James came down, I gave him the idol and I told him what needs to happen. So, if James takes that idol and loses immunity…he uses the idol to get rid of Jaime and we sever the tie between her and Erik. Hopefully at 10 we’ll merge and will still have our numbers to go strong.”
Todd continued scheming, by telling James that he could get the ZH idol and then by motivating Denise and Courtney to do their best to win the challenge.
Todd’s confessional: “Me telling Courtney and Denise about the immunity idol helped them realize that they had to try harder for immunity today, especially if they are trying to lose, which we don’t know is exactly the case.”
(Note that while Todd is speaking with Courtney, we first see the place where the idol was removed and then the second, worthless, plaque on FL’s structure. Burnett is using Yau Man’s idea!)
After the loss, Todd told us: “Perfect plan, genius idea…Smashed! But we look on the bright side and say hey! We lost. We still get rid of one of the old Zhan Hu, we still have our numbers.”
Simple plan, wasn’t it? Why did it get so complicated?
Every juggler should know his limit. Adding one too many ball means you drop them all. In this episode, Todd looked like a juggler who had no idea of his limit. Amanda had to question why he waited so long before telling her about the idol. Saying Dave had given him all the clues would already have left a gap of a few days to excuse. Why did he have to say that Leslie gave him Jaime’s clue? That’s telling Amanda “I’ve kept a vital secret from you for 12 days.” Would he have said anything if he had found it? Wasn’t his plan to tell no one? Now everyone knows! The plan to vote off Jaime was smashed. The way he dealt with Frosti looked amateurish. For someone who still isn’t completely Fei Long, Frosti knows way too much. Todd can’t truly count on Courtney and Jean Robert and now James becomes a huge problem: A challenge threat with possibly 2 idols in his possession. If Todd moves against James, doesn’t he lose Denise’s vote? Todd has had better episodes! Of course the editors always create doubts around their winners but this is a lot of loose ends to recover from. Todd is still the most likely winner, as James said he was the cornerstone of all the alliances but it won’t be easy!
Frosti, New Beginning
Frosti participated actively in both challenges for Fei Long. Did you notice the hug he shared with Todd after the reward win? “This is the best day ever” was how Frosti described the reward.
A better surprise awaited Frosti back in camp as he told us: “Being there, when they found the idol, cements my place in their little group. I’m there for sure. Frosti’s in!”
Frosti is in a very good spot right now. Fei Long will trust him at least during the early part of pagonging the Zhan Hu members and Frosti has ties with both sides. Could he assemble all the outsiders against the power players or will he side with Todd and Amanda? Frosti could be the key to the season.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
10-30-07, 01:51 PM (EST)

48. "RE: Episode 6 Editing Thoughs"

Recap
The tribes were mixed up
Sherea and Frosti moved to FL tribe (FL greeting them)
Aaron and James had to move to ZH tribe (ZH greeting them)
At new FL, Sherea and Frosti outnumbered
Frosti (conf): “Dangerous for me, things really messed up now”
But they quickly noticed JR was on the outs
JR said to be really unbearable at this time
Frosti shown stating he is happy there is someone else they have problems with
Todd continued to search for HII
Todd: (conf) “Right now I am wandering around camp with my head in the sky”

At new ZH, Jamie and PG hatched a plan to lose IC on purpose
PG: “If we threw these next two, not only have we gotten rid of the two biggest threats for individual immunity we will be going into the merge with five original ZH; I know it’s risky but...”
Jamie: “But worth it”
PG: “It could pay off in a major way”
And at the IC, Jamie tossed away a puzzle piece (Jamie then shown looking quite pleased at throwing the challenge - focus was more intent on Jamie then PG at the challenge)
At TC, the plan was uncovered
Jeff: “So you threw the challenge?”
Jamie: “Yes sir.” (James incredulous - again editing wise, the brunt was pushed onto Jamie moreso than PG despite both being equally responsible)
Aaron voted out leaving James on the ZH chopping block (a nice prelude to this episode)
We make of the recap as more furthering of the issues at FL, i.e. JR and his issues at camp which will have to come to a head at some point - the tie between himself and Courtney I would hope pay off somehow, i.e. more fighting to reach a pinnacle. Also was the highlighting of the challenge throwing which went nicely to what happened in the episode and yes, the editors did not “gloss over” their throwing the challenge which does not bode well ultimately for Jamie or PG. However, Jamie appeared to receive slightly more negativity which may suggest that Jamie does not fare as well as PG in this game. Todd shown searching for the idol parlays into this episode as well as some stories are continuing.
Tribal Council Aftermath
James is awake and is greeted; a very subdued mood at ZH.
PG (conf) “I definitely feel confident about throwing the challenge and getting Aaron off.... one of the powerful players and we suddenly had full control...; we still have that with James. If we throw the next immunity challenge; James is gonna be gone, best possible scenario is we merge at that point and if that happens we’ll be able to reconnect with Frosti and Sherea if they’re still on the same page as us...”
The Art of War - “Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”
James (conf) “Aaron’s gone; and I’m at their mercy right now (James working hard and the rest sleeping) The best thing I can do right now is keep them rested for the competitions; there is no excuse for anyone being tired but if it makes me look good in the long run they will keep me around. I’m trying to make it work because if they throw another challenge I’m gone”
Fei Long

Another day at FL with JR’s sleep noises and a snake crawling into camp. Amanda and Todd are shown together about the idol.
Todd: “I have to tell you something but it has to stay between us. There’s a hidden immunity idol at our camp”
Amanda: “How do you know?”
Todd: “When we kidnap people we get clues and I’ve gotten them all. I wasn’t going to tell you until I found it but I haven’t found it yet; I have the three clues.”
Amanda: “How did you find the clues?”
Todd: “Dave gave them to me. Leslie gave them to me because Jamie gave them to Leslie”
Amanda: “It’s on our island?”
Todd: “It’s hidden within our camp”
Amanda: (conf) “Todd approached me and he told me he had three clues to immunity idol which I was kind of shocked because I didn’t know about hidden immunity idol so we are going to do everything we can to find the idol... we have to”
Todd: “I didn’t want to tell anybody until it was found but I can’t find it”
Todd (conf) “If we win reward today we are bringing over either Aaron or James; whoever’s left because they are going to give us the clue to where the idol is and Amanda and I will have control in this game.”
The Art of War - “We shall be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we make use of local guides.”
(I still find it interesting that despite many of Todd’s confessionals concerning other people, he never has been shown stating anything about Amanda in the negative or that he is using her, etc and still we can’t forget Amanda’s confessional that she has been watching Todd. Additionally, statements such as Todd's are usually ironic in nature so I will be interested in seeing if Todd and/or Amanda find themselves not entirely in control of their game. Of course, this may solely refer to how the control was lost during this episode when ZH won the IC.)

The Reward Challenge
Not surprising to see Amanda then Todd honed in on with the announcement that Aaron has left. Interesting shots then of Frosti looking at ZH and Jamie featured as the face of ZH amidst this announcement. Denise, Amanda and Courtney sit out for FL and the challenge commences.
Of note of course is PG telling Sherea that “we’re all good, we are still with you guys” “we’re still here for you guys” “Tell Frosti that okay?” Sherea is not very responsive to this.
FL wins the challenge with the announcement that James is kidnapped as JR welcomes him home. Denise gives James a big hug and the slow motion shows Amanda putting her arm around James and Courtney celebrating with the tea set and Sherea holding the bath items.
The Reward
JR (conf) “....it was like a little sweet spot.... ....everybody on the tribe was so happy”
Todd (conf) “They sit us down and bring us tea and everybody was so happy, it was so good”
Courtney and Amanda share a tub with Courtney stating “This is the best reward ever” and Frosti echoing “it is the best day ever”
JR tells Frosti and James that Amanda and Courtney’s tub is the most attractive tub with Amanda then stating “I’m so happy right now”
Courtney: (conf) “I tried my best to be as far away from JR.... every single part of me wants to see JR go, I just don’t like him, he’s a horrible person”
A shot then of Amanda turning around to see James showering naked with a chorus from the others.
Amanda: “James has such a nice butt... he’s just stripping down, none of us cared he has a nice butt, he might as well show it off”
Somber Mood at ZH
Jamie: “I’m so sick of this place, like I really am”
Erik: “I think we’re just tired of losing. I’ll speak for myself; I’m tired of losing”
PG: “I guess I just feel like I don’t know I started like kind of getting bummed out like for the first time like Frosti won’t even look over at us”
Jamie: “Frosti won’t make eye contact with us which is freakin me out”
PG: “It’s kinda freaking me out too” (Erik shown on screen) “I was in there trying to undo these knots the same time as Sherea so I tried to talk to her and I was like you knew like we threw that for you guys and then she didn’t, you know. Anyway I was just like well we are looking out for you guys over here and I was like I just want you guys to know that”
Jamie (conf) “We are so into keeping Sherea, Frosti, Erik, PG and I; we thought we would do anything to save them; we’d throw a challenge to save them; we did it you know but Frosti won’t make eye contact with us we don’t know if he has changed his mind and switched over with them.....it’s really hard to deal with especially since there is just three of us and so many of them over there”
Erik: “Now I’m not sure bout Frosti and Sherea....”
Jamie: “We don’t know what James is saying; we don’t know what they are saying to James”
Erik: “We have three right here, three strong...”
Jamie: “That’s not enough. We have to win immunity”
(Oh how quickly things change )
The Art of War - “Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.”
Back at the Tea House
More words of approval over the reward with James then shown brushing his teeth while Todd is inserted visually to appear as if observing
Todd (conf) “You know sometimes throughout this game I feel like I am the only one playing (done in voice over while next portion is same confessional as when he discussed the reward so his statement may have been, in fact, manipulated and not come from this time period; this commentary was not blatantly condescending as we have heard from other contestants in the past but there is a touch of arrogance lent to his personality) so I knew right away when we kidnapped James that I would approach him”
Todd: “There’s something inside of that tube. If you give it to me I can help save your life”
James: “We’ll see what it is”
Todd: “I know what it is”
James: “What is it?”
Todd: “I’ll tell you tomorrow”
James: “How are you going to tell me tomorrow? I can’t open it up till tomorrow?”
Todd: “You can open it tonight but give it to me tomorrow and I will help save you. I promise. I’ve got a whole plan”
James walks away and Todd is shown smiling devilishly and nodding
Again, we go back to recall Todd’s emphatic decision to “take out the trash” of James and JR. That statement only struck me because it actually did not need to be shown. Courtney was upset with JR and James’ conversation that she and Todd heard and it could have been enough for Todd to just comment that he couldn’t believe they said it with Courtney right there but we were also shown Todd saying how he was going to take out the trash (get rid of JR and James) and now we see Todd orchestrate a plan to save James which is understandable to keep the “numbers.” However, his earlier commentary can’t be ignored. Todd wants to save James but we were told he wants to take out the trash. It is hard to imagine that there will be no payoff to those earlier comments regardless that Todd is attempting to save James because there was no reason to show it otherwise. There were plenty of reasons to show the “plan to save James” as it was a big part of this episode but in reality there was no reason to show Todd tell us he wanted to get rid of James and JR in that manner; it was forced upon us which usually waxes prophecy
James (conf) “I’m in a bad spot right now. Todd’s the cornerstone to all the alliances on this tribe(same exact shot of Todd smiling and note that this voice over did not sound at all like the following statements made where we actually see James speak; therefore, we really do not know when James made this statement; frankly it would not be surprising if James’ statement was made in a future episode but just utilized now much like Denise’s confessional about her and James and their relationship which was from a future episode but heard earlier) so I’m going to roll with Todd and roll the dice, maybe they will come up right; if not I’m pretty much going anyway so I have to do it”
The Art of War - “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.”
The Quest For The Idol
James: “You know what to do”
Todd: “I know what to do dude”
James: “Tell me, you gonna come back with the clue?”
Todd: “I will keep the clue and I will tell you everything and we will find it”
Todd reads the clue: “I know what they are talking about, freaking bats above the thing”
Interesting to note that while Todd is stating this he is looking off from the camera like he is speaking to someone who the editors did not want shown and making it appear he is talking to himself. It did not appear that way; it looked like he was telling someone this and considering Amanda is shown next and we know Todd approached her, he may have been telling her. Obviously this may have just been a unique camera angle but if not, it is curious that the editors did not see fit to include the recipient of Todd’s information
Todd is then shown with the group appearing to watch Amanda (a nice musical change as she is shown prodding at the archway, very lyrical) and we hear him ask in voice over: “Are you knocking them down” to which she replies: “Yes I am”
Amanda (conf) “I went over to where we thought the idol would be and just hitting off shingles so people didn’t know what I was doing and then Todd comes over” (Todd and Amanda shown with Todd then asking if that was it as James looks on saying “All right”) “He gets up there and starts pulling on the thing” (Amanda shown telling Todd she has to get something to pry it with Todd asking if she wants him to get some down - Frosti suddenly appears)
Amanda: “You don’t have to do that. You are going to fall and die” “This isn’t working for us”
Todd (conf) “All of a sudden Frosti comes running over and climbs up so I go into panic mode; he’s going to find it and Amanda is going get down Frosti cause she knows about it” (Frosti shown with Amanda’s voice telling him to come down because he is taking away her thing to do for the day with Frosti replying he hasn’t gotten to do anything cool since he has been there) “I’m telling him to get down and I start panicking” (Todd pries it off, slides it Amanda while Frosti watches. Todd gives it to her face up and as Amanda tries to conceal the writing with her foot, Frosti sees it with a shot to James very upset)
Frosti: “Can I see it?”
Todd (conf continued) “All I could think was Frosti, Frosti, no!”
Amanda (conf continued from above) “This has to be the worst way in history of getting the idol, like honestly; Todd’s yelling he is so impatient I knew something like that was going to happen” (A bit of mania coming from Todd-slight hint to a part of his personality that could potentially hurt him?)
Todd rushes to Frosti with Amanda in tow
Todd “If I can’t trust you right now, I will kill you” (Frosti sees the HII and gets excited)
Todd “You stop right now”
Frosti “I’m sorry I didn’t know up there, I just saw it” (directed to Amanda)
Todd “Okay, it’s okay. We have to trust him” (directed to Amanda) “We don’t have a choice”
Frosti (conf) “Being there when we got the idol cements my place in their little group for sure. Frosti’s in!” (Never be too confident about your place in any alliance)
Frosti “No one else knows?” (directed to Amanda who shakes her head)
James then approaches Amanda and Todd
James “You don’t have it huh?”
Todd (conf from same spot as his narration of Frosti involved with the idol) “James came down and I gave him the idol and told him what needs to happen”
Todd “This is it, you just have to lose the game”
James “Well it shouldn’t be hard because they’ve been throwing it anyway”
Todd (conf-done in different area) “So James takes that idol, loses immunity, they vote for him but he uses the idol to get rid of Jamie; we sever the tie between her and Erik; hopefully at ten we’ll merge and still have our numbers to go strong into the merge”
Todd “Here’s the way it works...." (Todd the “gamer” shown giving James the entire scenario on how to use the idol; there is no question we are meant to see that Todd knows this game inside and out and we are meant to hear this plan in careful detail and yet.....the plan does not succeed. I am a bit suspicious that such time and effort was shown in Todd’s planning for it to fail and question if that is possibly an issue for Todd. There is no question that the investment in Todd is for the duration but there is a nagging doubt in my mind on why they spent so much time on this for it to fail. All of the instructions that Todd gave to us and to James seems a bit overkill)
James (conf) “I could not stop smiling; it’s all good cause I’m not going anywhere...”
A nice turnaround to James’ edit from the brash and insulting man we saw earlier. Less we forget, this is the same man who insulted Leslie and made rude comments with JR about Courtney.... James is also putting a lot of faith in people who were not exactly close with him while he was on FL indicating a certain naivete in playing this game-James has already advised us that he is not exactly an expert on the social aspects of this game
Todd then advises James to grab the idol from the ZH camp the moment he gets there
James (conf) “I’m the only one with real access to the other immunity idol at the other tribe so all I have to do is stay focused, keep my head in the game, lose the immunity challenge, get the other idol and now I have both of them; this is gonna be wonderful. I’m having a great time” As we see later on, the best laid plans....
James then slaps Todd telling him he made him happy with Todd telling him he almost killed him and James replying “That’s love baby, makes you strong”
The Not So Secret Idol
Todd “We’re gonna send Jamie home”
Denise “Jamie, alright”
Todd “I found a hidden immunity idol; I gave it to James to use to get rid of Jamie and we still have our numbers”
Denise “Where’d you find it” (Todd advises)
Todd “But that means we have to, have to win; James knows to help throw the challenge”
Denise (conf) “I will be doing my best as I always give 110 percent because that is the only way I know how to go”
Obviously a fluff scene for Denise as irony in light of what occurred at the immunity challenge - a very sympathetic character and very likeable, there was absolutely no design to make Denise appear to look stupid or over confident but rather concur with her that she does work hard but unfortunately she could not succeed especially since we were deliberately shown her bond with James
Todd makes the rounds: “I found a hidden immunity idol” (he tells her where)
Todd (conf) “Me telling Courtney and Denise about the hidden immunity idol helps them realize they have to try harder for immunity (this confessional is in same area as his earlier confessional) especially if they’re fighting to lose which we don’t even know is the case”
James (conf) “Over at ZH, I’m pretty much a dead man walking (this made me chuckle considering his career) but now I have the upper hand... ....I’ll be able to get them”
A very FL “centric” episode. Despite the activity that went on at FL, the members of ZH were still sorely neglected and their scene really only shaped the situation at FL, the idol and James. Also noted is that the build up of Jamie and Erik’s romance has been virtually thrown out with the bath water. There are many more progressing story lines with members of FL that have the audience invested. Seemingly the three left at ZH do not appear to be at the end game. Jamie is obviously high on the “hit list” and may leave shortly since she has been targeted although if a “hit list” is spoken as fact, we know most times that does not happen in the virtual order stated. Erik was given nothing to reflect any end game standing and while PG has provided the most insight into her character (her emotional reaction at the ceremony, her thoughts about her tribe, the somewhat less negative tone to her throwing the challenge) again, it would be hard to believe that the potential winner would be shown in the light she was with throwing the challenge.
A Little Food For Thought
James rejoins his tribe though not as cheerfully as past contestants rejoining their tribe as Todd and Courtney shown watching. Todd gives back the idol assured he will see it soon.
Shots of Amanda, James, Todd and Erik at the announcement of a food eating competition. Jamie then James shown again during the description. JR and Sherea and Todd sit out for FL and the challenge commences
PG and Frosti go up against each other with Frosti even licking the plate much to Todd’s surprise and amusement.
Jamie and Courtney go up against each other (I still question why Courtney is sat out for reward challenges) James shown frustrated and disappointed at Courtney’s performance and we get to see the remnants of the meal she did not swallow.
Amanda goes up against Erik with Erik clearing the turtles first as the “tension” mounts in light of the plan in action which is visualized by Todd and James appearing to exchange glances.
In an interesting edit, Denise goes up against James yet note that despite the appearance that James was waffling, Jeff did not cast any “digs” at James for his slow performance while Denise struggled. The “throwing” of this particular challenge by James was not (perhaps) as audacious as Jamie and PG (i.e. throwing a tile piece or laughing) but not a negative word was spoken by Jeff. Denise attempts a warrior effort as Todd is shown looking on with part amusement and part nervousness. Even the background music was soft and unassuming as both James and Denise attempt to play their role. PG is heard egging James on with Denise softly apologizing to James. A “heroic” James (if you will) puts Denise out of her misery and finishes the food between visuals of Todd, Amanda and ZH are shown.
Frosti and Erik complete the challenge and in a close call, Erik wins with Todd’s reaction of shock and dismay, Jamie and PG excited and James disappointed. The camera focuses twice on Sherea and then James ending with Jamie celebrating as well as Erik
Somber at FL
JR attempts some encouragement with Frosti and Denise hugging. JR attempts to make Denise feel better by saying it was the toughest one. There is no doubt Denise feels terrible.
Denise (conf) “I let my team mates down; James tried to eat that balut as slow as he could so I could keep up with him but unfortunately I just did not get that down my throat so we ended up on the losing end" (Amanda and Todd shown)
Todd (conf) “Perfect plan, genius idea; smashed and so we are trying to look on the positive side and say hey we lost, we still get rid of one of the old ZH and we still have our numbers” (Sherea and Frosti shown during this portion)
Amanda, Todd and Denise have a discussion
Amanda “I really think we need to make this decision on our numbers” (Amanda heard speaking but camera focused on Todd’s face)
Denise “Right”
Amanda “We know it’s you (camera still focused on Todd as Amanda speaks) Denise, me (now Amanda’s profile shown) Courtney’s on our side for sure. I’m positive, I’m almost positive James is on our side because he really did try to throw that and I don’t think he has anything going on with those guys”
Denise and Todd both state simultaneously James is with FL.
Todd “I’m almost 100% positive Frosti will stay; right now (Denise shown at this time) we need him to trust us and this tonight will help him trust us. Does that make sense? Cause we want to trust him as much as he trusts us”
Courtney joins the “talk”
Amanda “So Sherea is gone tonight?”
Todd “Yes”
Courtney (voice over) “She, I think, has no friends. Besides me who does she talk to?”
Todd “Right”
Amanda “So we are in agreement, Sherea tonight”
Courtney (conf) “So after Todd and Amanda’s plans went array they’re like okay well no question about it we are voting off Sherea and I’m like yeah okay whatever but then after thinking it about a little while, I actually like Sherea and if it came down to it, who I thought would vote me out quicker I definitely think she would keep me around longer than JR”
Sherea and Courtney then shown observing JR and discussing him.
Courtney “Todd and Amanda want to vote for you. But I’m gonna vote for JR”
Sherea “You are? I am too. I was wondering if you were gonna go with the group or not”

Courtney “No. I just refuse to vote for anyone in this game who likes me more than him. I think this whole thing is completely whack”
Sherea (conf) “Well right now people at FL want me to go home but what they don’t understand is they need to be scared of people in their own tribe too, you know as far as JR, he’d vote any of them out so at the same time they are looking at me they need to be scared of each other” Foreshadowing?
Courtney (our emotional player) tells Sherea she hates JR.
Pre Tribal Council Pow Wow
Frosti, Amanda, Todd and Courtney are down by the water discussing the voting
Frosti “Everybody’s name comes up eventually”
(Amanda shown brushing her teeth and spitting in the water as Frosti talks which just appeared rather odd to hone in on that while someone is speaking)
Courtney “Unless we vote JR. (Todd shown) He hates me”
Amanda “The smarter idea right now is to keep more of our tribe and it has to be Frosti or Sherea” (I have suspicions that this scene was edited carefully and perhaps Frosti was there for some conversation and, at other times not. Obviously I may be wrong and perhaps giving too much credit to Amanda that she would not make the statements she did in front of Frosti)
Courtney “I just think JR would be much quicker to vote me off than Sherea”
Todd “I totally understand”
Amanda “Eventually it will be down to like our people you know; right now it’s not and we have to look at the bigger picture of things”
Courtney “Our great plan didn’t work today either and now James has the immunity thing for no reason” (shot on Todd)
Todd “Right believe me I’m a little upset about that”
Courtney “There’s only so much planning you can do at like every stage; you can’t predict what is going to happen”
(followed by a very dramatic shot of Todd then Amanda appearing to look at Courtney then Courtney staring down what “appears” to be Amanda based upon the shot progression - certainly this statement by Courtney appears to be foreshadowing of some sort, i.e. all the “planning” in the world can’t stop something from happening)
The Art of War - “We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps”
JR (conf) “I like to trust my gut and my vibe and so far I’ve really felt comfortable with my position in the game but all of a sudden something doesn’t feel 100% to me. The plan was either Sherea or Frosti, most likely Sherea but I gotta tell you I’m uneasy right now”
A relatively low key episode for JR; more was talk about him (notably Courtney up until he became the boot topic) than from him and obviously this confessional was needed to establish that “surprise” element for the upcoming Tribal Council. Things have no choice but to come to a head with JR at some point; his edit revolves around dislike towards him mainly centered with Courtney and I go back to when Aaron was asked by Jamie if JR would be the one they would get rid of at merger - more likely asked because FL’s opinion of JR was probably stated to ZH.....generally speaking that scene was not necessary to show either
Todd “I don’t know why but I feel like we should vote out JR tonight.” See what’s happening now? We are lining ourselves up as power players; they will get rid of us if we don’t start doing what people want cause JR is not stupid; he will turn on us, he will”
Amanda “But Sherea will too” (Todd is not sure about this)
Amanda “Todd I don’t know. I think JR definitely has to go; I don’t think now is the time; honestly”
Todd “I don’t know what to do”
Amanda “Honestly my gut feeling is that I don’t trust Sherea” (this portion on screen)
Todd “My gut’s saying JR”
Amanda “So I guess it comes down to who we feel we can trust more at this point”
Todd “I, I, this sucks!”
Ultimately we see that Todd “capitulated” and voted out Sherea. This conversation with Amanda and Todd more than likely was used to just create some more doubt for the upcoming Tribal Council or else the audience would not question whether there was a possibility that JR could go. We do, however, get a sense that Todd is again panicky and as for as much he is shown to be a very shrewd young man, he may also fall apart at the seams if the process hits a curve on him.
The Art of War - “Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss."
Tribal Council
Jeff asks Sherea what she sensed after getting back to camp from IC
Sherea “A lot of shadiness today (Todd) people talking .....(Amanda shown then Courtney shown with slight nod)
Jeff asks JR if his game changes as things change day to day
JR “I’ll tell you what Jeff, day 18 and I’m a changed person (Courtney with small smile and an eye roll) and I find myself doing a little cooking (Todd) and it’s routine now, it’s not even chores”
Sherea “Did you ask him all that? Wow. Somebody along the way told him he has something important to say cause he does a lot (Todd shown) of talking (Amanda then shown as a “response” to Todd’s look) always running his mouth, story after story” (Courtney shown with small smile)
JR “What do you say to that?”
Sherea “You don’t say anything that’s why you don’t say anything to me because you know you don’t want me saying anything back to you; you talk to the people who aren’t (Todd) going to say anything to you; little do you know, they don’t like you”
Jeff asks JR if it would surprise him that the tribe members don’t like him
JR “I’m certain some of the people don’t like me, I’m a bad boy (Sherea amused, Courtney amused) sometimes that happens but you know even as a bad boy (Courtney still amused) and aggressive I like the way I’m playing in this game and I think I’m doing just fine”
Jeff notices Courtney’s “smug” face
Courtney “Bad boy?? Not quite the term I would have selected.... .....bad boy cause you play poke or something; do you have a Harley I don’t know about”
Jeff asks if a Harley would make him a bad boy
Courtney “Well I mean bad boy, who is he like Luke Perry?”
Jeff asks Courtney to describe JR
Courtney (Todd shown) “I mean we don’t like each other; he walks around and talks a lot and jokes that aren’t funny, (JR shown) a lot judgements of other people; a whole lot of self righteousness. (Amanda shown) I just think stuff like that, he’s a crappy person and yeah I’m gonna laugh at him when he’s like I’m a bad boy but I go and get some fish (Sherea) it’s just funny as an observer being like sort of the outsider (cymbals then Todd shown) on my tribe (Amanda shown) like I know we have two members from the other tribe joining us but I think I was on the outs before they got here”
Todd “That kinda hurts cause I love you”
Amanda “I do too!”
Todd “Cause I loved you since day three is what I say cause day one and two I really didn’t like you”
Courtney “But”
Todd “I love you; we get along so well”
Courtney “It’s a really cliquey tribe”
Todd “I click well with you is what I thought so for you to say you were like (Amanda) on the outskirts and you’re not close to me is a little like rubbing salt in the wounds.”
Courtney “But...” (lifts her shoulders)
Todd “I guess that’s just how it is though”
JR “I got to tell you Jeff that even with this in fighting going on.... (Sherea shown) when it comes to the challenges (Amanda) I really think we do work well together (Courtney) as a team and to be honest with you we are in a good spot; I like where we are at”
A diplomatic vote by JR and a very scathing one by Sherea with Todd shown as the last to walk up with Amanda watching. He casts the “pivotal end” vote and Sherea is eliminated.
As noted, truly the complexities at FL are taking center stage and it appears that those members of ZH may only be conduits to further what happens with members of FL. James is tied to the idol but that idol is tied to FL (or certain members thereof); Jamie and Erik’s romantic interlude seems now about how it can be broken up by FL (or certain members thereof) PG seems to be the only one whose entire arc is not at the mercy of FL (or members thereof ) and it will be interesting to see what occurs with her and Frosti in light of her statements that Frosti did not appear with them. Courtney and JR’s battle continues and we are seeing a progression of the union of Todd and Amanda especially with Todd’s concern they will be viewed as power players. Others like Denise and Frosti (while likeable) do not appear to have any concrete storylines but rather, participants in other stories.

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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-02-07, 12:23 PM (EST)

49. "Episode 7 Merge and spider"

I love the merge episode!!
It was definitely the Jaime show in Ep 7! The set up was coming last week
What I wanted to talk about is what might come about from key scenes and what was said
First James
He was vindicated! But I think he had a bit too much hubris concerning Jaime's "HI Idol". He has 2...could he be "blindsided" by it (we see Todd is attempting just that next week). I think so because as I always say EPMB loves him some irony. Yes Jaime's attempt to use bogus HI was ironic but the focus on James sitting with 2 in his bag would even be more ironic. Also last night right before Jaime was looking in James bag and PG took James away...a big old black (widow?) spider was shown in a night shot...that spider could signify trickery with respect to James and the HI Idols. Whether PG remains a part of it, I'm not sure...but I think James will be blindsided...next week, probably not, but eventually...yes
Second JR/Todd
That conversation when JR was cutting whatever that furry stuff was, was very interesting. JR wants a final 3 of TAJR and if it doesn't happen it's T's fault. IMO the editing has shown that Amanda and Todd will be in F3, who sits besides them, I'm not sure but I think it may be Courtney as she has been a long time narrator.
Todd's reaction to JR in his post talk confessional was too flippant...instead of saying JR will go when T decides it, it would have been better for Todd imo if he were more humble...the best thing for Todd to happen is if JR goes now at 9 by a 5-4 vote of everyone but Todd Amanda Denise and JR. That way Todd can explain to JR that it was PG and COURTNEY and not him that ousted him. How can Todd get JR out without voting for him and without Courtney getting any the wiser? Does he care or is he more worried about James 2 HI Idols (as we see he is next episode?)
Third JR/Courtney
Courtney still hates him but voted with Todd and Amanda for Jaime. As both michel and VS have pointed out...there has to be some "culmination" of the conflict btw JR and Courtney. Is it that Courtney is ironically the one that saves JR or possibly if Todd is smart enough, it is the basis for his win. If JR goes with Todd voting, Amanda is a shoo in for the win imo. But "things revealed"....so will Courtney be the impetus of JR leaving soon without Todd's help that will persuade JR to ultimately vote for Todd and not Amanda?
Was Courtney's Jaime vote part of a larger plan, i.e., now that FL has more of the numbers, Courtney agreed to vote for Jaime at F10 if thye get rid of JR at F9? Put Frosti (Courtney's cuddle buddy) in the place of JR. Or did Courtney just know she did not have the numbers and is biding her time til F9 when it's a possibility?
PG's "well there's five of us here" comment
In the preview segment PG is trying to get any 5 together to get the votes on her side at F9. Is the target again JR and the five are PG Erik Courtney Frosti and James (who was pretty negative on JR at TC in ep 7) or is she trying for loftier goals of Todd or Amanda? Small steps (is there something about his in "ART OF WAR" VS?) is a better move imo to continue to try to get the least liked JR out. However James is the lynchpin...if Todd is smart, he won't agree to vote JR yet so that 5th vote has to come from James. I'm not sure if this is the way it will pan out and I have no spoilers...but editing to me thinks how JR is voted out will be the deciding factor in who wins the game--Todd or Amanda.
Are they trying for a tie?
Ok before last nite, I did not know if the jury was 9 or 7. I'm assuming because they didn't bring back Aaron and/or Sherea, they will stick with the F3 final TC with a 7 person instead of a 9 person jury. They won't have a 8 person jury voting for 2.
However in 7, what if it's a 3 3 1 vote? They don't read the votes at the final TC so they can't have a revote in China...and they can't have a fire challenge in an indoor studio....would they let the jury vote again after seeing the edited show???

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-04-07, 02:21 AM (EST)

50. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

There were two things of importance in the recap. First, we had new footage of Amanda participating in the action leading to James receiving FL’s idol. Jeff called it Todd and Amanda’s plan when, last week, it had been only Todd’s plan. The second was that ZH’s change of tactic, trying to win the immunity was ignored. According to the way Jeff recapped the story, the loss by FL was only due to Denise’s inability to swallow the balut, making it impossible for James to delibately lose the challenge, ruining (what suddenly returned to be ONLY) Todd’s plan.
With the merge described by Jeff as an important part of “The Art of War”, an occasion to get to know your opponents, this was a very strategic episode. The players saw that it was time to look ahead.
LAYING PLANS
Sun Tsu said:
The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete
accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him
regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
You will hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him. All warfare is based on deception.
Their method and discipline were not great but the members of Fei Long used their strengths and a bait to dominate the new Hae Da Fung tribe.
Erik, Better Luck Next Time.
After Jaime had noticed something missing on the archway, Erik was shown picking up the plaque that James had dicarded.
Erik told us: “This used to be hanging on the archway and it looks like someone took it off. I don’t know if it was James because he now knows there is an idol…It looks idollish. Peih Gee didn’t think much of it because she doesn’t know there is an immunity idol yet. Peih Gee left so I grabbed it and put it in my bag.” Except we saw him giving it to Jaime and she put it in her bag telling us she didn’t know if the chinese symbols meant immunity.
Erik later acted as the lookout when Jaime went through James’ bag. Even when they realized that James had 2 of them, Jaime said she was excited to have the hidden immunity idol that, with the merge, it was “a whole new ball game.”
Erik was also with Jaime when she talked with Frosti about having an immunity idol and voting off Jean Robert.
Erik doesn’t have any personal story. His adventure in China should end soon.
Denise was only seen hugging James as he returned and was the first to notice Jeff’s arrival at camp for the immunity challenge.
The only question surrounding Denise is her reaction once Todd goes out to blindside James. If Todd hasn’t noticed the bond between these two, it could lead to trouble in HD Fung.
Peih Gee, A Step Behind
Peih Gee started by talking to James, trying to gain his trust, telling him he deserved to stay: “I really like James personally, I do. Whether he is a really good con man or he is exactly how he puts himself out to be, my gut instinct is to trust James.” While Peih Gee was talking, we saw James looking at the idol. It made her appear naïve.
Peih Gee looked unhappy when Jeff said that the merge camp would be Fei Long’s since they had won the battle up to that point. For someone that wanted to infiltrate the other alliance, Peih Gee should have realized that sitting between Jaime and Frosti wasn’t the best way to mingle during the celebration. After the celebration, Peih Gee was heard telling Courtney: “Your shelter sucks.”
Peih Gee’s next confessional: “Now that we have merged, we are all playing for individual immunity, we still have 6 original Fei Long members to 4 original Zhan Hu. The biggest factor is whether I still have James and whether I have Frosti (Frosti had just been shown cuddling with Courtney). If I can get them both with me for these first two votes. These first two votes are going to be crucial to know, for me, If I’m going to be in a powerful position or in a really sucky position.”
After the immunity challenge, Peih Gee exchanged a look with Jaime. PG had a confessional: “The predicament today, is that there’s Tribal Council. There’s a big chance that it’s gonna be either me, Jaime or Erik that’s going home since Frosti has immunity. Now, the big question mark is; Do we have James’ vote? We don’t know if we have James on our side.” (She was telling James: “We’re still cool.”) The confessional continued: “This is a huge vote for us tonight because we’re going to know where everybody’s loyalties stand. It’s gonna be really interesting.”
Watching Peih Gee, I had the impression that she was a few episodes behind everyone. Ever since James heard they had thrown a challenge, we knew that they had no chance of regaining his trust. All those scenes of Peih Gee hoping for his vote made her look as foolish as Jaime. I don’t know if the editors had it in mind or if I’m making too much of it, but I noted PG’s grimace at the news that Fei Long’s camp would serve for the merge because ZH had lost the battle of the tribes. I remembered that PG had said that she wasn’t trying to win battles but win the war. Showing her disappointment for such a small loss could’ve been designed to show a loss of focus.
James, Fun Times
James went for the idol as soon as he had a moment alone in camp: “I was kidnapped so I got a clue to the idols. I wasn’t going to do like Todd and be impatient. There’s so many times when you’re by yourself. I picked off one but it was the wrong one. I picked out the second one and it had ‘Congratulations, this is an immunity idol’ not a blank piece of wood. I had to hustle to my bag to hide it so I didn’t get a chance to place the other one back without being too obvious…So I have it now, I have it in my possession. I have 2 idols. That’s funny; I’m a survivor with 2 idols.” James was already enjoying himself.
On the morning of Day 20, James noticed the blank board was missing. He said: “I know an animal didn’t come and pick it up and take it away, so one of them picked it up and thinks it’s the idol. I think Jaime would have been looking for it but there’s no way this dummy would grab the wrong one…The thought of this women having a blank one, I would not be able to take it, I would pass out in pure joy. (laughs) Please let that happen, please. That would be the best thing ever.” James couldn’t stop laughing and then, mimicking someone showing a blank board, he went on: “What do you mean, you don’t have anything written on it. You need one of THESE!!!”
As often as the editors showed Jaime looking foolish, we saw James having fun: During the celebration, James joked that he could do what the contortionists were doing. At the shelter, when JR said the tribe’s name couldn’t contain the word black because they’d have to change it when James left, the big guy replied: “That’s OK with me, I’ll just stay here.”
When Jeff showed the immunity necklace, James was confident. “One of our tribe has to win that” he said until Jeff described the challenge: “I might as well go sit down!”
Before Tribal Council, James told Todd and Amanda about the idol situation: “They grabbed a blank one. I think they think a blank one’s the idol.” Only Amanda’s news about Courtney’s vagaries put a damper on his mood. “If I’d known that little skinny b-itch was that flaky we would have gotten rid of her.”
James had a confessional: “You gotta watch Courtney because she’s a loose canon. She’s gonna fall in love with anyone that smiles at her. But, Damn! You don’t get friends on Survivor. This ain’t Love Connection. Ain’t nobody’s trying to make a match or a relationship. (we had more shots of Courtney and Frosti caressing in the shelter) You’re supposed to make the strongest team you can, align with some people you can trust to win a million dollar. Stop playing around.”
James was disturbed by JR who wanted to impose the Peih Gee option for the vote: “JR probably will go home tonight because JR is stupid. The best scenario is for the Fei Long tribe to stick together and vote off the Zhan Hu tribe out but JR’s a dumbass. He’ gonna vote for PG even if we’ve been saying it’s Jaime for a month now. The ZH people are naturally going to vote for JR because they know he’s the easy win and if Courtney, that dumbass, decides to vote for JR out of pure spite…”
It’s rare to see a Survivor having as much fun as James is having. Seeing “James the Strategist” is also a strange turn of events. One could say that something is not right with our picture. The man who worried he couldn't handle all the strategy stuff and who likes misery is not in his natural environment. Already, some of his joy is dampened by bad news that keep coming up. Somehow, I expect his fun won’t last and his strategy won’t pay off!

Frosti, Dancing Around
Frosti was completely neglected in the recap. We didn’t see him share in the idol find or say that he’s in the alliance.
Going into the immunity challenge, Frosti said: “I’m so screwed…I have a horrible memory.” On the last question, he added: “It’s not fair because I wasn’t looking at their feet.” Nevertheless, he won immunity and showed us his dance!
With the necklace, Frosti found himself in a good position. After a talk with Jaime, Frosti had a confessional: “Jaime came up to me with Erik and said that she had found something that she thought was an idol. I’ve seen the actual idol from the Fei Long camp and what she’s describing is similar. There’s a possibility that she has one. The worst that can happen is that JR would end up going home if she were to play it. Now that I have won the immunity idol, I’m in a safe place and both tribes think I’m with them. (we had a shot of PG and Courtney, the two women vying for his loyalty) I could easily be considered a swing vote and go either way.”
Not showing the deal Frosti made with Todd and Amanda last week could’ve been done to make us wonder how he would vote this time but it adds to the randomness of his portrayal. There’s no real continuity to his story and very little attention paid to him. I feel we only see what we need to see of Frosti. Winning the first individual immunity could be a link to his episode #1 comment of wanting to prove himself by winning challenges but he only talked about being safe and we never heard anyone commenting on his abilities. It looked more like a one time event rather than the start of a streak. The uncertainty regarding his loyalties could be a good sign but the editors haven’t given many hooks to that angle. For instance, we didn’t see Frosti talking with the real strategists, Todd, Amanda and Peih Gee. They HAD to talk at one point. Being a nice guy is thin for a winner’s story.
Courtney, The Grain of Sand
Courtney knows how to stir trouble! Back from the previous Tribal Council, she told us: “Jean Robert, he’s horrible to me, he’s not nice to me. They suck up to him, even the two people who want to be like my “friends”, Todd and Amanda, I don’t feel I need to be anybody’s friend in this game. I dislike everyone else more than I dislike Todd and Amanda. I think they mistake that for friendship.” She concluded that confessional with a wicked smile!
Courtney had another tantrum the following morning, she was upset that they put up with JR and let him walk around like he is “god of everything”. Todd and Amanda tried to reason with her or at least patch things up between them but Courtney didn’t care about that.
Courtney’s mood was much better once she saw the banquet. She told us: “We go in and we sit down at the table and I was pretty pumped because (she gestures thumbs down) Boo Challenges! (then, with thumbs up)Yay Feast! They brought in five vegetarian dishes and five meat dishes. We also got several choices of alcoolic beverages which (her voice reaching high notes) I ENJOYED!! I thought it was quite nice!” Courtney didn’t do well at the immunity challenge.
Courtney’s story of being in her personal hell continues as her conflict with JR amplifies. Her animosity towards him could be the grain of sand that blocks everything and ruins Fei Long’s plans. The conflict is still not getting any resolution, so you can wonder if one will ever get rid of the other or if their story could be about the two changing the game by voting together. With JR reminding everyone of Courtney’s status as the UTR player, we enter another stage of their “war”. Will one get the kill or will they unite? An alliance between these two would certainly correspond to knowing the intentions of the other. If they vote together, it could only mean one thing: They each believe that their rival represents their best shot at winning the jury vote.

Jean Robert, Raising the Stakes
JR was first seen being upset at the tension he felt in camp after the heated Tribal Council.
JR had the first confessional once Jeff had told them that the merge came with a feast and a cultural performance: “Jeff told the group to enjoy the feast but at the same time there was a little caution: The game NEVER stops. I was trying to decide; what exactly is he trying to say right here? The game never ends. I put a little thought into it but I was so excited to be eating. Honestly, I couldn’t wait till the first course.” As expected, JR didn’t do well either at the immunity challenge!
Back from the celebration, JR, holding his full stomach and immediately heading for the shelter to rest, told us: “The merge doesn’t change my gameplan at all. Basically, the members of Zhan Hu are gonna go, whether we’re merged or not. I do like my position now. The merge has gotten us to a new level of the game. To be honest with you, eventhough my name was on ballots at the first two Tribal Council that I was at, I don’t see my name being on a ballot at the next Council.”
After that confessional, JR and Peih Gee worked together to come up with the new tribe’s name: Hae Da Fung, “Black Fighting Wind”.
Being a little more confident, JR started making threats. Machete in hand, he told Todd: “It’s you, me and Amanda…We already know Jaime’s shady but Peih Gee…I don’t want to feel alright with PG in a couple of days…If somehow, you do end up screwing me over…I’m gonna hold you responsible, not Amanda and you’re never gonna see a juror lobby so hard against somebody. You will not win.”
With his strategy that seemed so wrong for Survivor, I never thought I’d be writing this but JR could stay for a while. Of course, with so many people gunning for him, he could leave next week! He could also be voted off to appease some players, somewhat like Jonathan in Cook Islands had to go. The thing is that JR couldn’t win a jury vote and that makes him very dangerous to go to the end. His story has certainly been rich enough for an end game player but, this season, many players that didn’t even make the merge had rich stories

Todd, Holding the Fort
Todd tried to calm JR by telling him he liked the person he had become but that he couldn’t speak for Courtney. That amused Courtney, who stifled a laugh by covering her face.
The next morning, Todd had a confessional: “This morning I was in a good mood. Courtney comes and sits down and she’s like ‘Aaaaaaaah!’ We all look at her and ask: Are you OK Courtney?”
She told Todd that they could’ve gotten rid of JR the previous night. Todd told her that the way he is playing the game, he needs JR. “We can’t have him walking around thinking we don’t like him because he’s going to swap on us.”
Todd’s confessional continued: “It does worry me that Courtney will continue to vote for JR every single time because all the other tribe, if there is a merge, needs to know is that one person is voting against JR and they will automatically have Jaime, Peih Gee and Erik with Courtney voting against JR and that’s a campaign to get him off which is losing one of our numbers. What does she want, what does she expect from me? Right now, I need my numbers and JR is one of my numbers. Deal with it…b-itch!”
Todd was happy to hear that James had both idols. He confirmed the alliance: “5 right? Me, you, Amanda, Denise and Courtney. Beautiful. I’ll shake on it.”
Todd had a problem with JR. After receiving the threat from the poker player, Todd told us: “If I didn’t agree to all of his terms, right away the trust with me and him, he wouldn’t trust me anymore. So, he would’ve found a new alliance and done who knows what. Of course I agreed to it all, yeah, we’re going to the top 3, man. We’re going all the way, I’m watching your back. Little does Jean Robert know, he has no clue that I’m gonna (makes a chopping gesture) when I need to.”
Todd also had a talk with Jaime who tried to bluff him into thinking she had an idol: “I acted all interested when Jaime told me she knew who had the immunity idols. She made it sound like someone from their tribe has one and someone from our tribe has one. Wow! Does she have to catch up! She’s on the small bike in the back, she’s pedaling as fast as she can.”
Todd has many plans. Todd has many problems. From the start, everything has revolved around him. One can wonder, from an editing stand point, if he isn’t getting over-exposed. There has to be doubts surrounding the winner and there certainly are a lot around him. Has he been fleshed out sufficiently or is he one-dimensional? Despite all the talk about strategy, we have been shown someone who cared about others like Leslie, his “mom” and Courtney who he said he loved. Also, his appreciation of the Chinese culture has been often present.

Amanda, The Observer
Amanda started night 18 in Fei Long by trying to be the peacemaker, telling JR and Courtney that they needed to resolve their problem.
Amanda had many visuals during Courtney’s rants and the merge scene, as if to remind us that she’s an observer. She was also the one heard toasting everyone for making top 10.
Amanda had a confessional during the celebration: “The first thing I thought when we merged was; who do we pick off next? Because, eventhough we’re one tribe now, it’s still two tribes and we will continue to be that way until all the Zhan Hu members are completely gone.” Her words were underlined by a shot of the seating arrangements at the table: Erik, Jaime, Peih Gee and Frosti were all sitting side by side. We also had a few shots of Amanda and Todd exchanging more knowing glances.
After James told her that “some dumbasses have the immunization thing” Amanda set her sight on the next target: “Jaime is a silent leader of the old Zhan Hu tribe. She’s really close to Erik and by getting rid of Jaime, it’ll break up that alliance. Peih Gee, you kinda are just able to see through, she’s a little devious but Jaime’s so threatening because people don’t see that right away with Jaime.” Note that Amanda had a completely different appraisal than JR.
At Tribal Council, Amanda had her first question from Jeff about the mood after the merge: “It’s kinda nice…It’s nice to have new people around. We get along really well. We’re having a lot of fun.”
Peih Gee countered: “They have higher numbers. I’m sure it’s easier for them to have fun.”
Feeling he had a strong hand, JR decided it was time to raise the tension: “It’s so interesting how the dynamics have changed from the team to the individual. In the individual situation, I very much see Courtney making it down to the bottom 2, bottom 3. She’s not gonna be perceived as the type of threat that James or myself might be. She’s somebody that nobody’s gonna be gunning for, for a while.”
Courtney rolled her eyes: “This is JR saying that ‘The biggest threat in the room is the little blonde, come on everyone.’ This is the person that I don’t get along with, pointing out all of a sudden, that I’m the biggest threat there is. It’s funny”
James got upset: “JR, he doesn’t know how to keep quiet…He says every day, he’s on the chopping block…He announces he is tired…He doesn’t need to say that…He’s a card player…he’s not used to be in the sun…He’s probably used to people bringing him his food, putting it in his mouth. We don’t expect that much from him but he don’t need to be talking that much.”
That relieved the tension somewhat.
Peih Gee then mentioned: “You kinda know about some of the cracks…We’ve had spies…JR’s name has come up quite a bit…He’s politicking his @ss off. He’s doing everything he can to make sure he has as many votes on the jury as possible.”
Jaime had a last chance to plead her case: “I wanted to talk to the Fei Long people and see if there is one they don’t get along with…and they may think that Jaime is more pleasant to be around.”
When Jaime showed her plaque to Jeff, one person felt the tension: JR lost his poker face, almost having a heart attack before Jeff threw the worthless tile in the fire.
Amanda had a very good episode, the editors giving her a chance to express her plans. All the shots of her observing the action reminds us that she’s an important player. We’ve also seen that JR was wrong, that it was Amanda that was more responsible for the boot choices than Todd. It was also very interesting that last week’s plan was credited to Todd AND Amanda by Jeff when it was smartly designed but that it was only Todd’s when it was poorly executed! A main problem with Amanda would be that she’d be the perfect target, editing wise, for a concerted effort between JR and Courtney. She originally shared Courtney’s feelings towards JR. Courtney told Todd that she didn’t need him to stand up for her so she may feel more abandoned by Amanda. Courtney has always called it Todd and Amanda’s plans as VS reminded us last week.
Emydi: I liked your comments, especially regarding James’ hubris, Todd’s lack of humility and Amanda’s good jury standing. Regarding your question of a 3-3-1 jury vote, I’d suggest that it would be addressed on the spot. The votes aren’t read in China but they are certainly seen. The dissenter would probably be asked to revote immediately. Concerns of secrecy could be addressed by having everyone go back to the urn and asked for their second choice while only the dissenter’s revote counted.

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mattben 1265 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Beef Jerky Spokesperson"
11-04-07, 04:52 PM (EST)

51. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

That sort of final vote tie-breaker doesn't make any sense to me, michel.
"Ask everyone for a second choice?" That implies a change for everyone. It would really make a second round bogus to fake out the six, assuming MB is devious enough to somehow isolate whoever voted for the one. The anonymity of the ballot box is destroyed. If every vote counted, the person who got the one of the 3-3-1 could end up winning. That would be insane.
They could do a fire making OT on set -- just have enough ventilation. Or choose some other sort of tie breaker challenge, like a quiz of what went on.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-04-07, 09:33 PM (EST)

52. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

We know that Burnett has hidden ties in the past:
- Sylvia and Gary were both designated as leader in Fiji, we never saw Sylvia picking a white rock.
- Adam and Yul were tied for third in the spa reward challenge and had a run-off we never saw.
What I see here is:
Survivor A gets 3 votes
Survivor B gets 3 votes
Jaime alone votes for C
The votes are caught on camera so they know right away it's Jaime that had the dissenting vote. They could simply ask Jaime for her second choice and that person is Sole Survivor.
The problem I have with that is Jaime would know the winner. That's why I suggested all 7 revote. They could simply replace everyone's vote by a blank parchment until Jaime puts her vote in the urn. The winner would still be between A or B but Jaime wouldn't know she casted the deciding vote.
The editors could tell us or not about the stray vote.

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byoffer 15947 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-04-07, 10:39 PM (EST)

53. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

Survivor A gets 3 votes
Survivor B gets 3 votes
Jaime alone votes for C
Is there a way that C could cast the deciding vote? I'm not sure logistically how to do it and hide the answer, unless they had each of A, B, anc C vote for the others, and then break the tie. Of course the voting would have to be done in China, but if all three were asked to vote, then they would know it was a tie, but they wouldn't know between whom. Then MB could decide to use only C's vote, or all three of the votes. The problem would be not allowing voting for themselves.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
11-05-07, 09:36 AM (EST)

54. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

It is so nice to come here and see posters contributing. I never pay much mind to the jury vote breakdown which realistically I should do as the editing of this show is also designed to reflect how the jury will ultimately vote and how not only the viewers perceive the players but the future jurors as well
My apologies for repeating anything already stated.

Recap
At ZH, James was doomed
PG (conf-note they used this same confessional spot for last night’s episode - sitting, knees up, hair in pony tail) “If we lose tomorrow’s immunity, James is going to be gone”
But FL kidnapped their old tribe mate giving him a chance to survive
At FL, James chose Todd to receive the clue to the HII (“chose” Todd?)
Todd “I know what they are talking about; the stupid bats above the freakin thing”
Todd found the HII clearly marked congratulations and gave it to James as part of his and Amanda’s plan to throw the IC and take out a ZH member
Todd (with James/Amanda) “That is Jamie’s ticket home”
Todd (conf) “James loses immunity; they vote for him but he uses the idol to get rid of Jamie”
He then told James about the second idol at the ZH camp
James (conf) “All I have to do is stay focused get the other idol and now I have both of them”
But at the IC,Denise couldn’t stomach the chicken fetus (Todd reaction shot) making it impossible for James to deliberately lose the challenge ruining Todd’s plan (Todd reaction shot)
With FL facing TC..... Todd (conf) “Genius idea, smashed!” Sherea seemed like a sure bet to go home but Courtney lobbied to get rid of JR.
Courtney “That’s my enemy”
Amanda “I don’t trust Sherea”
Courtney “I trust her more than JR”
Todd “I just feel like we should vote out JR tonight”
Amanda “Todd, I don’t know. My gut feeling is that I don’t trust Sherea”
Todd “And my gut is saying JR” “This sucks!”
At TC, Courtney attacked JR’s character
Courtney “He walks around, talks a lot, making judgements of other people; he’s just like a crappy person”
Despite Courtney’s plea, the tribe saved him once again
Obviously the buildup for the HII controversy needed to be highlighted for what occurred last evening not to mention that James is still in possession of two HII’s. The battle lines of Courtney and JR are clearly coming to a head and despite the fact that this episode could have clearly been about the show down between former ZH and former FL members, the editors are still keeping the JR and Courtney issue at the forefront. Why? It was not essentially necessary considering the outcome. With the mistaken HII and the two tribes merging and Jamie getting sent off in dramatic fashion, there was really no real need in this episode to “amp” up Courtney and JR’s feud which leads me to believe that it will likely come to a conclusion soon. A story does not need to be invested in if there is no pay off to it. Jamie and Erik’s romantic interlude died almost as quickly as it came and it was not even focused upon in the prior episode because it didn’t have any bearing on events. JR and Courtney’s “feud” has bearing and the fact that it was highlighted during an episode where it need not be lends credence that it is going to reach its climax shortly. Also interesting to note the usage of James choosing Todd (yet another person who bestows a clue on Todd, when in reality, that is not exactly what occurred. Note also that Todd was designated as the one who found the HII when Amanda was clearly involved as well. Also noted is the use of Todd AND Amanda’s plan but it is then stated that Denise’s mishap ruined Todd’s plan and furthering that we hear from Todd only (as last week) about how the “genius” plan got smashed. I had suspected there was a bit of mania to Todd’s edit and it seems that may be the case or so we are led to believe. It is interesting how they note when the plan was enacted it was both Todd and Amanda’s but when it did not come to fruition the recap only noted it ruined Todd’s plan.

TC Aftermath
JR “I’m a little bit surprised, I didn’t know there was that much tension”
Amanda (on screen) “It’s you and Courtney, like it’s your thing” (Courtney shown) “You guys need to resolve it” “It’s not a thing any of the rest of us can do” (Amanda now shown)
JR “I promise you Amanda if someone did that to you, you’d be a little bit upset about it too”
Todd “Personally JR, my personal feelings for you have changed. I like the guy you kinda showed me can be. I can’t speak for Courtney and you can’t speak for her, you guys have a tiff and if you guys resolve it that’s what you can do and if not, then not, you know” (Courtney confessional now shown)
Courtney (conf) “JR, he is horrible to me, he is not nice to me, they suck up to him (Amanda) even the two people who want to be “my friends” (Courtney now shown) Todd and Amanda. (Voice over) “I don’t really feel like I need to be anybody’s friend in this game. I dislike everyone else more than Todd and Amanda (Todd shown) I think they mistake that for friendship” (little grin noted at end)
A Matter of Trust
PG “You know James I hope you trust us now because we said we were going to stick with you. You know that?”
James “Yep”
PG “We don’t seem like loyal people to you?” (said on screen)
James “You’re loyal to each other yeah!” (Shot of Jamie and Erik)
PG (said in voice over with shot on James) “Don’t let me down okay?” “Stick with us. As long as we stick together and if we merge we basically sacrifice one of our old tribe mates for you”
James “We’ll see how it goes, hopefully..”
PG “Honestly, I like you, I think you have been a huge competitor in this game. I’m one of those people I would rather see you go further because I really do think you deserve it”
PG (conf) “I really like James personally; whether he is a really good con man or he is exactly how he puts himself out to be. From what I seen so far, my gut instinct is to trust James”
This is the same confessional spot as in the recap where PG states “if we lose immunity, James is going to be gone” which is interesting considering she is obviously also stating that she thinks she can trust him. Obviously they did not need to use this second portion of the confessional last week as it fits in better this week since PG’s “gut instinct” turns out to be wrong. One item to note is that PG is not meant to be disliked I feel. Her words to James were not contradictory to her confessional so the audience is meant to see that what she said to him was truth whereas in the past (and this season) we have seen people give “lip service” and tell us something differently which often has the viewer then dislike that person’s hypocrisy. In the same token however, we are not meant to dislike James either for his “ruse” since ultimately the ladies of ZH caused these events to unfold.
Jamie “We’re the underdogs right now (I’m not sure how other viewers felt but I certainly felt more validity when we heard Yul and company make this statement as opposed to Jamie...) so we really have to look out for ourselves” (note that the visual is on PG as opposed to Jamie when this is uttered - PG the real underdog?)
PG “I just hope we can trust James, you know what I mean?”
James is then shown securing the hidden idol.
PG “I thought he seemed kind of weird when he came back. Like I wonder if there is something going on”
James (conf) “I was kidnapped so I got the clue for the idol; I wasn’t going to do like Todd and be impatient there is so many times when you are by yourself” (more of James securing the idol) “I picked off one, it wasn’t the right one... hurried picked off second one; the actual real one was with the Congratulations....” not a blank piece of wood. I kinda had to hustle off to my bag and hide it so I didn’t get a chance to place the other one back (Jamie and Erik and PG approaching) without being too obvious. (Erik and James talk) So I have it now, have it in my possession. Two idols, that’s funny. I’m on Survivor with two idols”
Dissension In The Ranks?
A hot sun covers FL as Frosti and JR fish and the others are around camp. Denise comments it will be hot with Todd agreeing and then Amanda. Strange little scene, very palpable for some reason with the audio of the insects loud, the sun shown very hot and truly one can “feel” through the screen the heat.
For purposes of continuity, all of Todd’s confessional (though spliced in and out of scene) was at the same spot. His entire confessional is at the end of the scene
First portion of confessional shown about how Courtney was behaving
Courtney “JR could have gone last night”
Todd “What?”
Courtney “He could have gone last night”
Todd “From the way I’m playing the game I need him”
Courtney “Okay”
Todd “From the way you’re playing the game you didn’t” (Denise shown)
Courtney “Like when I make a point to you guys (Amanda shown) like this guy does not like me, is not nice to me I don’t feel like you stick up for me. I feel like you play okay well we need him so.... I can’t go along with that (Amanda shown)
Todd “I don’t realize I do that Courtney and I would love to stand up for you”
Courtney “You don’t even have to stand up, just don’t (Amanda shown) pander to him and say you have a point JR”
Todd “You have your opinion about him (Denise shown) and you don’t have to like him”
Courtney “I don’t say anything to him”
Todd “I know you don’t!”
Courtney “He walks around like he’s the God and you guys are all like yeah yeah yea”
Todd “We can’t have him knowing we don’t like him Courtney! We can’t! Or he will swap on us!”
Courtney “But if he’s not here you can say something to me”
Todd “Courtney you are right!”
Courtney “Alright. You know...” Second portion of Todd’s confessional now shown about her continuing voting for JR and his worry about ZH
Todd “Can we patch things up between us instead of having hard feelings like that?”
Courtney “What difference does that make?”
Amanda (on screen, not shown) “It makes a big difference to me”
Todd “It makes a big difference Courtney”
Amanda (on screen, not shown) “Obviously you don’t care then” (Denise shown) “Do you care?”
Courtney shrugs
Amanda “Alright, that’s fine then” Third portion of Todd’s confessional shown about his “numbers”)
Todd (conf) “This morning I slept in, good mood and Courtney comes up and sits down and is like “sigh” We all kind of look at her like are you okay Courtney?” (scene) “It does worry me that Courtney will continue to vote for JR every single time because all the other tribe, if there is a merge, needs to know that one person is voting against JR and they will automatically have Jamie, PG and Erik with Courtney voting against JR and that’s a campaign to get him off which is losing one of our numbers” (scene) “What does she want, what does she expect from me. Right now, I need my numbers (JR shown) JR is one of my numbers; deal with it. #####.”
What does one make of this? To reiterate, the tension of JR and Courtney will NOT leave our screens which suggests we have something brewing shortly. Todd has let us know that potentially Courtney is a loose cannon with her emotional play and he could “lose his numbers” (another point that we have heard time and time again) if the ZH’s team up with her to vote JR out. Courtney is shown to be a very emotional player and Todd is extremely wary of her. This was good television, obviously they would show it but this issue has been beaten to death for it not to culminate in some type of show down I would hope and expect. Todd again is the voice of all this turmoil even though he is not the only person involved as stated by Courtney in her post TC confessional. We heard nothing though from Courtney about this “pow wow” that occurred which is a bit disheartening along with the fact that although we hear from Courtney quite often, it is only on a personal level and her feelings, it is never about any strategy involved. Denise, while present, didn’t lend us any observations nor did Amanda although she was shown and heard from in both the post TC conversation and this conversation. A concerted effort to put it all on Todd’s shoulders? I’m sure Amanda had something to tell us about this issue with Courtney (and JR) It appears that the editing is trying somewhat to keep Amanda’s hands “clean” even though she is completely immersed in these dynamics
Life At ZH - Too Little Too Late?
Jamie notices that something is missing from the arch way as PG lays next to her and Erik agrees that is weird and goes to pick up the piece of wood on the ground
Erik (conf) “This used to be hanging on the archway and it looks like someone took it off; I don’t know if it was James cause James now knows there is an immunity idol as well. I don’t know if he knows where it is or what it is but it looks idolish. PG didn’t think much of it, she doesn’t know there is a hidden idol yet so when PG left I just was like I guess I’ll grab it and put it in my bag”
Recall how Jamie’s words “so we really have to look out for ourselves showed not Jamie but PG. For as much as these three are aligned, Jamie and Erik have kept the HII information from PG. PG may, in fact, have to really look out only for herself...
Jamie (conf) “It could definitely say like immunity idol in Chinese and I would have no idea; weird symbol and I have no idea what it stands for”
We then see, that evening, Jamie express to Erik she wants to look in James bag. Jamie has now committed two cardinal sins of Survivor - throwing a challenge and rifling through someone’s bag
Jamie (conf) “I saw James’ bag sitting there and figured it would be a good idea to look through it because we knew James would have a good idea where the HII was”
Jamie tells Erik she found something in James’ pants and she thinks it is the same thing they have and then announces he has two of them!
James (conf) “The first board of what the immunity idol could have been was a blank board but apparently it’s missing because I didn’t see it.... so one of them picked it up and thinks it is the idol” (Jamie/Erik shown but Jamie more featured in the shot) “I think Jamie would be looking for it.... the thought of this woman having a blank one I would not be able to take it; I would pass out in pure joy. My head would explode. Please let that happen, please; the best thing ever (laughing hysterically) pull out a blank one.....”
I would have a hard time believing that anyone would not find James’ confessional entertaining despite the fact that Jamie could end up with the proverbial egg on her face. James’ edit continues to have a nice turn from the period where he was not the nicest person. At this juncture, the audience is meant to be amused with James especially since the editing showed Jamie in a very negative light at James’ expense
The Merger!
Jamie then the three original ZH members visualized upon Jeff informing them Sherea was voted out.
Jeff “One of the major tenets in The Art of War is to not only know yourself (group shot of ZH) but to know your opponent” (Amanda and Courtney shown)
The buffs are dropped. Focal point of Todd and PG hugging, Amanda and Erik hug in the background, Jamie and Frosti hug.
Jamie (conf) “We have merged; pretty exciting, I really don’t know how to take it all in right now; it happened so fast. We just have such a wide variety (JR touching Erik’s head) of people.... (Courtney and Jamie hug) It’s a pretty scary point in the game so I’m excited to have the immunity idol; it’s gonna be a whole new ball game”
Jeff “In keeping with The Art of War, FL since thus far you have won the battle (JR) you will keep your beach (Amanda) In addition when you get back to camp (Denise/PG but PG is the central figure) you will find a flag, paint and a new boat, paint flag.... (Todd) and to celebrate the merge you will enjoy a merge feast (Denise then Courtney jumping into James’ arms) In addition to the feast (Amanda, Frosti and Todd hugging) you will enjoy an afternoon of Chinese cultural performance (Todd then Amanda/Frosti) Now I give you this strong reminder as you head out this afternoon keep in mind (PG/Erik) this game never stops (Frosti - JR - Jamie) keep that in mind as you enjoy this afternoon”
JR (conf) “Jeff told the group to enjoy feast but at same time the game never ends; I was deciding what exactly he is trying to say here. Put a little thought into it but I was so excited to be eating....”
Courtney (conf) “We go in and sit down at the table; I was pretty pumped because boo challenges, yeah feast!” “They brought in ....vegetarian dishes....and we also got several choices of alcoholic beverages which I enjoyed; I thought it was quite nice!”
Amanda “Congratulations guys for making the top ten” (PG and Jamie doing a shot of alcohol and the festivities begin)
Jamie narrates on the acrobat show and how amazing it was while JR throws out a “very good” in Mandarin. Her confessional continues in the same area that we saw her earlier one where she discussed the merger and her “idol”
Amanda (conf) “The first thing I thought when we merged was who are we going to pick off next (JR shown) because even though we are one tribe now, it’s still two tribes and we will continue to be that way (Courtney) until all the ZH members are completely gone” (PG/Erik/Jamie)
The celebration continues and a very telling glance is exchanged between Amanda and Todd with Todd shown then Amanda then Todd again and back to Amanda. As seasons have gone by I have always made it a point to note camera shots that are completely manipulated and this one was without question. Todd’s first glance showed him with a pole of some sort on his right and nothing on his left. His second glance showed no pole on his right and Courtney appearing on his left. In the midst of a celebration, we hear quite candidly from Amanda that her thought immediately was who to vote off then a deliberate camera shot of her and Todd glancing at one another while the celebration is going on. The only point of that visual is to reflect that Amanda and Todd are playing this game even during a recess and as Jeff stated: “This game never stops”
The Merged Tribe
PG walks up and right at home states “Your shelter sucks” which Courtney replies right back: “That means YOUR shelter sucks!” PG then states: “No our shelter was awesome” to which Courtney then banters: “This IS your shelter”
Regardless JR decides to rest in this shelter
JR (conf) “The merge doesn’t change my game plan at all; basically the members of ZH; they are going to go whether we are merged or not” (PG shown getting into the shelter) “I do like my position now” (a cut in the voice here so the confessional was probably spliced up) “The merge has gotten everybody into this like new tone; this new level of the game (Courtney and Frosti in shelter with Courtney patting his back) and to be honest with you even though my name was on the ballot the first two TC’s that I was at; I really don’t see my name at the next Council” (Our typical ironic statement)
The new tribe tosses around ideas for names and there is a nice lightheartedness to their discussion although when JR mentions he does like the idea of “black something” Jamie appears to give Todd a look about JR and Todd swishes his thin pole of some kind down. More talk ensues with Amanda, Todd, Jamie and Erik sitting outside the shelter. Black Fighting Wind is agreed upon.
PG (conf) “Now that we merged we are all playing for individual immunity (Erik and Todd shown) but there’s six original FL members, four original ZH. The biggest factor is whether I have James and whether I have Frosti. If I can get them both with me on these first two votes. (Now PG is shown) These first two votes are crucial for me to know whether I will be in a powerful position or a really sucky position”
A good confessional from PG - this is not an event that is occurring as we speak. We are hearing from her about her plan of action. ZH is in danger of being “picked off” and Erik is woefully ignored and Jamie is limited solely to the events at hand and finding the “idol” PG’s edit in contrast to her ZH tribe mates is much more developed on what can happen. In fact, I am more concerned about Frosti at this point. One would possibly expect more from him then his later confessional about a potential swing vote. We heard really nothing from him about his thoughts or feelings of rejoining his old tribe mates or even more about his “ace in the hole” knowing about the idol.
The Hidden Immunity Challenge
Jeff arrives to great excitement and upon revealing the necklace we see James state: ”Our tribe has to win this one”
James in another humorous moment states he might as well sit down when the challenge is explained. Jeff advises for the other nine someone will be going home (Frosti, Jamie, JR - cut to PG - cut to JR looking concerned) Frosti then states he is screwed because he has a “horrible memory” (Apparently not as horrible as the others ) and JR states he was only paying particular attention to how much he could eat.
Frosti wins immunity with Jeff stating: “Somebody will be going home” (Denise/Erik/PG - cut to JR) “For once (Jamie) you don’t have to be going back to camp” (The end scene reflects Frosti dancing with Jamie then PG shown presumably looking at one another.)
PG sits next to James telling him: “Damn now we have to go to every tribal” as the camera pans to Denise and Amanda - PG’s confessional now shown) “We’re still cool right?”
James “Mmmhmmm” (second portion of PG’s confessional shown)
PG (conf) “There’s a big chance it will be me, Jamie or Erik going home since Frosti has immunity and now the big question mark is do we have James’ vote, we don’t know if James is on our side” “This is a huge vote for us tonight; we’ll know where everybody’s loyalty stands, it’s gonna be really interesting” (said in voice over)
(Todd and James)
James tells Todd how he managed to get the idol. “They grabbed a blank one; I think they think a blank one’s an idol; please let that happen”
Todd “How great would that be; you’ve got them both right?”
James “Yeah”
Todd “Five right? Me, you, Amanda, Denise, Courtney” (no JR? Or not said?)
James “Please hold that together”
Todd “I promise you” “I’ll shake on it”
James “You know I can’t talk to that much especially right now but I had to tell somebody; they got a blank something”
(Now James and Amanda)
James “I came back and it’s missing; so one of them dumb assess has a blank board and think it is an immunization thing” (Amanda laughing) “Lord I hope that’s not true but they really do have a blank board”
Amanda “Who do you want out next?”
James “Jamie”
Amanda “We just have to keep loyal. We can’t let PG, Jamie and Erik break us up” (foreshadowing?)
James “No!”
Amanda “I don’t think Erik will” (the conversation ends to begin Amanda’s confessional; interesting to note that the editing ended the conversation only referencing Erik however-Amanda’s confessional now shown) “Denise is in for sure, you are like locked in, Todd is locked in now, Courtney kind of has a mind of her own; Courtney said at TC, she doesn’t have anyone here she likes except Sherea; she said you guys keep voting off everyone I like... and I’m like Courtney this is a game”
James “Courtney’s about to flip” (said in on screen - more foreshadowing since it did not occur this time?)
Amanda “The problem is Courtney keeps getting close to people we can’t have here”
James “We’ve done everything so good; I mean, if I’d known that little skinny ##### was that flaky we would of been got rid of her” (Amanda on screen at this portion) “She’s supposed to be from New York; she’s supposed to have some kind of city smarts”
Amanda “I know” (James confessional now shown)
Amanda (conf) “Jamie is a silent leader of the old ZH tribe, um definitely. She’s really close with Erik and by getting rid of Jamie will break up that alliance and PG you can kind of see through, she’s a little devious but Jamie’s so threatening because people don’t see that right away with Jamie” (this is the same confessional spot as when Amanda told us they were going to pick off the former ZH members)
James (conf) “You got to watch Courtney; she’s a loose cannon; she does fall in love with any swinging ##### or hairy ##### that smiles at her.. but damn you don’t get frazzled on Survivor (Courtney stroking Frosti’s arm) this ain’t no love connection... you’re supposed to make the strongest team you can and align with someone you trust so you can win a million dollars and stop playing around”
Some harsh words coming from James about Courtney - the “old” James not completely obliterated from the audience. However, I don’t necessarily believe the editors intent to was wax negative for James as there was some element of truth in what he said and despite his insults at Courtney, I have suspicion most people watching it laughed as opposed to instantly dislike James for what he said
The Intrigue Continues
JR “We have every vote from here on out”
Todd “I know”
JR “I love it, it will be you, me and Amanda” (In true Survivor fashion, this is highly doubtful)
Todd “Perfect; you know right now it has to go Jamie, PG and Erik”
JR “I’m gonna make a suggestion; everybody on our team already knows Jamie is shady..... PG we don’t know about cuz she’s just starting to work her magic like I said today, I was surprised... I was like she’s kind of cool, this girl’s kinda cool, I don’t want to feel alright with her in a few days....” “Oh one thing also if somehow you do end up screwing me over, and I don’t believe that’s going to happen but if I get screwed I’m gonna hold you responsible, not Amanda. Just so you know. You will never ever see a juror lobby so hard against somebody, you will not win”
Todd “Okay”
JR “If I get screwed it’s gonna be on you because I know you have more power than her”
Todd “Okay”
JR “It’s the three of us, we’re going”
Todd “Good” (and a tongue sticking out with his miming chopping the axe at JR follows)
Todd (conf) “If I didn’t agree to all of his terms right away the trust with me and him, he wouldn’t trust me anymore so he would have moved along and found another alliance and done who knows what. Of course I agreed to it all, yeah, of course we are going top three man, we’re going all the way, I’m watching your back. Little does JR know, little clue, no, he has no idea that I’m ready to (hand gesture) when I need to”
More intrigue concerning the dynamics at FL - we see that JR’s name was omitted from Todd’s lips during his talk with James - is the audience to assume that JR, Todd and Amanda have a “secret” grouping that no one is to be aware of except the audience? Courtney has been demonstrated again that she is a “wild card” and could be dangerous to the old FL. Let’s not forget that she was said to be “the luckiest girl in the world” There is NO reason that needed to be mention more than once - Courtney’s edit is being given to much time when in reality her edit does not have much substance. PG was shown to be able to potentially infiltrate the grouping at FL which could be foreshadowing that she is dangerous to some of these members. Frosti is completely disregarded whatsoever in any discussion and Todd’s “edit” continues to demonstrate someone who may be biting off more than he can chew. I had “felt” there was an air of mania to his edit and perhaps that is solely his personality but one can’t help but wonder as stated in my last post if all his meticulous planning could cause him to unravel. Amanda and Todd appear to be double teaming people, we see them working the same “angle” but at separate times and JR gave us quite a lot of food for thought in establishing that Amanda and Todd are indeed perhaps the “power players” but Todd’s actions have caused him to appear more powerful. We have seen words to the same extent spoken by JR before - this is either prophecy or irony but there is NO reason for that to be shown UNLESS (either way) Todd is in the position to receive or not receive JR’s vote. Todd obviously had long term player written all over his edit; this most certainly solidified it. We know JR is a poker player - is he bluffing?
A Former ZH Meeting
PG “You think James is with us?”
Jamie “I have no idea”
PG “I think they might go for you or Erik just cuz you guys look like a couple”
Jamie “I’m sure they will”
PG “Then we have to vote as one, we cannot split” “Are we going Jean... we’re going JR tonight?”
Jamie “That’s what I thought”
PG “And Courtney voted for JR last time”
Jamie “Did she?”
PG “Yeah. Courtney and Sherea voted for Jean Robert. Frosti voted for Sherea” (And PG knows this because....? Frosti told her? Someone else told her? Whoever did tell her, we aren’t meant to be shown this, the question is why?)
Jamie “You think Frosti will be truthful with us?”
PG “Him and Courtney are really tight” “I think somebody has a little crush; hello, have you seen them like cuddling and snuggling?” (Second time Frosti and Courtney were referenced in this aspect; there should be some pay off to this in some fashion) “That’s the only thing that kinda worries me” (all the above discussion said on screen)
Jamie “We have the idol; the hidden immunity idol” (to Frosti and Erik)
Frosti “How do you know it’s the immunity idol?” (Jamie explains)
Jamie “If they all vote for me and I have the idol... JR will be voted out instead” This last sentence was done in voice over and did not sound like part of the conversation; it sounded more like part of a confessional Jamie may have made “So we might as well to try and use it tonight”
Frosti (conf) “Jamie came up to me with Erik and said she found something she thought was an idol; now I’ve seen the actual idol from the FL camp and what she’s describing is similar so there is a possibility that she has one; the worst thing that would happen is that JR would be going home if she knew to play it and now that I won the immunity idol I’m in a safe place (PG/Courtney sitting together) and both tribes think I am with them so I could easily be considered a swing vote and I could go either way”
A good confessional inserted mainly for doubt purposes for the TC later though Frosti’s edit this episode was neglected by Frosti himself; we know there is potential for something to brew with his relationship with Courtney but I found his edit sorely lacking for being someone who is on a new tribe to rejoin up with his old tribe. Interesting also that PG was not present for this discussion nor does the audience even know if PG ever was told about this idol yet Frosti was shown to be told
Fraternizing With The Enemy?
Todd “What are you thinking?”
Jamie “You know anything about the immunity idol”
Todd “I knew a little but not much”
Jamie “Okay... ...I think I know who has your immunity idol and I think I know who has one.... ....and I’ll tell you tomorrow if you keep me around” (Todd’s confessional now shown)
Todd “How’d you find out who got ours?”
Jamie “Long story I’ll explain it” (Jamie’s confessional now shown)
Todd (conf) “I acted all interested.... but she made it sound like someone from their tribe has one and someone from our tribe has one; wow does she have to catch up (laughs) so she’s on the small bike in the back you know pedaling as fast as she can”
Jamie (conf) “I pretty much realize I’m good at playing stupid... and it works to my advantage.... as far as the other tribe is concerned, I think they think I’m a little Jessica Simpson out here so.... if Todd sees me play the HII tonight, he’s definitely going to be floored....I think it will shock everyone including Jeff. I’m not as dumb as I look....”
A Wrinkle In The Plan?
JR “I’m telling you it has to go PG then Jamie”
James “I don’t want any dissension amongst us until it gets to the final six; until all of them are gone, then we can act as much as a fool as we want” (camera pans only on JR at that time)
JR “I’m just telling you 100% that’s how I am going”
James “No! Don’t say that, we are going to pick who it is and stay with that”
JR “Okay yes we are” (James’ confessional now shown)
JR “This girl’s the enemy, this girl’s the devil!”
(JR’s self proclaimed “claim to fame” is reading people; he has now shown us or told us Todd is the power, Courtney is the luckiest person in the world and PG is the devil - will these storylines fuse with JR’s observations?)
James (conf) “JR probably would go home tonight because JR’s stupid. The best scenario is for the FL tribe is to stick together (Amanda/Courtney/PG/Jamie together) and vote off the ZH tribe but JR’s dumb ##### is going to vote for PG even though we all said Jamie for a month now. The ZH people will naturally vote for JR; they know he’s an easy win and Lord have mercy if Courtney’s dumb ##### decide to vote for JR out of pure spite.....”
Tribal Council
Jeff asks Amanda how the merge changed the game
Amanda “It’s kind of nice actually because we spent a lot of time as FL wondering what the other tribe was doing (Jamie) so it’s kind of nice having some (PG) new people around and we all get along really well; we’re having a lot of fun”
Jeff asks PG if Amanda has no clue about the game or extremely confident
PG “Well of course, they have higher numbers; I’m sure it’s easier for them to have fun”
Jeff asks JR if he noticed a shift in how people are operating (Todd shown)
JR “Interesting how the dynamic changed from the team now to the individual (James) and now that we’re in the individual I very much see Courtney making it down to the bottom two bottom three (Courtney shaking head) because she’s not going to be perceived (James) as the type of threat that James or myself might be so now she’s somebody no one is going to be gunning for for awhile. I don’t see her name showing up on a ballot for a long time”
Jeff mentions Courtney is rolling her eyes
Courtney “Because this is now JR trying to be like the biggest threat in the room is the little blonde, come on everyone!” “It’s the person I don’t get along with (Todd) pointing out all of a sudden (Amanda) I’m going to be the biggest threat there is; it’s just funny”
JR “I didn’t say she was going to be the biggest threat; I said it’s likely she is going to get the furthest”
Courtney “Which translates to you’re a big threat”
JR “I don’t think it does; it’s you are not a threat (James is incredulous) the same is true for several people in this group”
Jeff asks James why JR’s talk bothers him
James “JR, he needs to be quiet... he just don’t stop”
Jeff asks if that can become a liability
James “Yeah (Todd) he puts his name on the chopping block because he always saying I’m going on the chopping block today.... when he’s tired he announces he’s tired (Amanda) we understand you’re a card player, you’ve never been in the sun.... (JR now laughing, others amused including Jeff) so you don’t have to go on and on about it, I guess it’s part of his tactic but dude you don’t have to talk that much”
Jeff asks PG if she tried to find cracks in the FL group (Courtney shown at this)
PG “You kind of know about some of the cracks already; we had spies back and forth (Jamie) we know JR’s name has come up quite a bit, he’s politic’ing his ##### off; he’s making sure he’s got as many votes on the jury as possible”
Jeff asks Jamie what is the key to get the attention off of you
Jamie “I just wanted to come in here and talk to the FL members (Todd) just in case there was a crack, someone they can’t stand that they would be happy to get rid of (JR - Courtney smiling, Frosti) that I want them to go home, Jamie’s more pleasant to be around so...”
Jeff announces Frosti has necklace with shot on Frosti then Amanda. Of note that Erik and Denise and Frosti were completely ignored at this merger TC which tends not to bode too well ultimately for them at end game. In addition, Denise was completely ignored in terms of her getting her “bonded” member back of James with no confessional from her that she was happy he was with her again. Erik was never shown discussing anything with respect to the events culminating tonight and Frosti essentially was utilized just to reflect a potentially “surprise” vote.
Jamie’s vote is shown and Courtney shown as the “pivotal” vote with a “J” shown.
I immediately noticed that the same music that was used last season when the hidden idols were used was also used for this episode which obviously would tip off those slightly obsessed with this show
Jamie interrupts Jeff “Jeff I have a question for you” (JR shown then Jeff asking yes then James) “I found this at camp lying on the floor (Todd - JR concerned - James amused) so I thought it might be immunity?” (Todd with small smile)
Jeff “The rules of Survivor state if immunity is played any votes cast (James smiling and looking down) against that person will not count and the person with the next highest (JR) number of votes will be sent home. That’s in a case of a hidden immunity idol being played (Jamie) this however is not hidden immunity idol” (Throws into fire with Todd smiling in satisfaction, James laughing, JR saying Oh My Gosh with head down laughing and background laughter and Jamie looking embarrassed) “Any votes cast against Jamie will count (Jamie) and I’ll read the votes” (JR smiling and looking relieved)
Votes shown with Jamie voted out. Denise hugs Jamie, Erik hugs Jamie, Todd nodding again in satisfaction and Courtney with her own poker face closing with PG shaking her head slightly
Jeff “Well the game has just shifted again. With Jamie becoming the first member of the jury, you are now voting (JR/Denise/Frosti) people out of the game who will ultimately (James nodding) decide who they feel is most deserving (Todd shown smiling) of the title of Sole Survivor (Todd still shown until “Survivor) and a million dollars that goes with it...” (Erik) PG then shown getting up then JR.

From Jeff's own mouth: The Art of War is to not only know yourself but to know your opponent

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-05-07, 12:57 PM (EST)

55. "RE: Episode 7 Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 11-05-07 AT 01:07 PM (EST)
Beautiful analysis, Veruca. You pointed to something I hadn't noticed of the merger scene:
"Jeff “One of the major tenets in The Art of War is to not only know yourself but to know your opponent” (Amanda and Courtney shown)"
We have a different view on how the JR/Courtney conflict may influence results of the old Fei Long players. It could very well be as you suggest:
"A concerted effort to put it all on Todd’s shoulders? I’m sure Amanda had something to tell us about this issue with Courtney (and JR) It appears that the editing is trying somewhat to keep Amanda’s hands “clean” even though she is completely immersed in these dynamics."
I've had a different interpretation for the last few weeks. Rewatching the scene and seeing that Amanda and Courtney were focused on when Jeff mentioned "opponents" seems to go along with this view:
I called Amanda "The Observer" but her eyes are now only on the old ZH members. Todd is looking at the whole picture including the oldFL members, he even told Amanda that they have to pay attention to what their team mates want or else they will turn against the two power players.
Todd does have more on his shoulders but, instead of having "clean hands", may I suggest that Amanda is too removed from what is happening in her own alliance. We hear some comments with her off screen so it's as if she's not really involved. She has no confessionals to tell us about it even if we know she was as freaked out about JR as Courtney. Even after telling James that Courtney could be a problem, her confessional that followed only talked about ZH members.
We've seen from the start that ZH, as a tribe, is insignificant. The real action has always been in Fei Long. Amanda being removed from that action could indicate she will pay for it.
Remember last season, Alex had a good story: He faced many problems within his own alliance, let alone Earl's. But Alex was always pictured running around, putting out fires, until he was eliminated. Todd also faces many fires but he is more focused. Instead of only talking about what his tribe needs to do, like Alex always did, Todd knows what HE needs to do.
Now, of course, you made me realize that I may have spoken too soon about Peih Gee being a step behind. Maybe she was only leaving ZH behind, already "taking care of herself". With possibly 3 old ZH members on the jury, they'd be fools to let PG reach the end game. What if Peih Gee is the devil? (Wow! I had forgotten that mention from JR!) That would be an appropriate ending for Courtney's personal hell story.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-11-07, 05:13 PM (EST)

56. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

When the individual game takes over after the merge, it always became more difficult to navigate your way to the end. Players have to adjust to
The Nine Situations
Sun Tzu said
The skillful leaders know how to drive
a wedge between the enemy's front and rear, to prevent
co-operation, to hinder the good troops from rescuing
the bad, the officers from rallying their men.
When the enemy's men were united, the good general
manages to create disorder.
Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the
enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes,
and attack unguarded spots.
Carefully study the well-being of your troops. Keep your army
continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.
The General must be able to mystify his officers and men
by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them
in total ignorance. By altering his arrangements and changing
his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge.
He drives his troops this way and that, and no one knows
whither he is going.

The Targets
1- James: Singing a Happy Song
James first saw that Erik couldn’t get into the shelter because of Jean Robert: and he came to his defense: “Get you’re ass up so the poor boy can fit in bed” he told JR who answered: “I thought I was going home tonight.” James offered: “Do you want a hug, baby?”
James had a confessional to set up the episode’s events: “JR doesn’t know I have both immunity idols. We can’t tell him that because it’s JR and he’s gonna mess something up. We need to keep his dumbass in line so we’re stuck with him. We need his vote so we have to deal with it.” JR was shown, in the shelter, laughing as the tension of the previous TC dissipated.

Day 22 started with James going out to catch fish: “I’m back with my original tribemates and we have to stick together. We put ourselves in position by all these personalities coming together. We are complete opposite. I mean, we got a lunch lady, a professional gambler, we have a stewardess (sic), we have a waitress from New-York, there’s a grave digger. All our personalities, even though we clash, we’ve pulled together. We won together. The other team, that’s not how they work. The other team got together as a clique. They’re not trying to win the million dollars, they’re trying to win a High School Friend Contest.”
James’ fishing expedition was quite successful, a fish even getting trapped in his net before he even had finished setting it up. “I catch them too fast!”
James set up the reward with a confessional: “The reward was nice. We had an opportunity to go see a thousand year old village. I’m not much into the romantic side of stuff but you could see the constructions and the history. It was really nice.”
He enjoyed the reward celebration and made fun of JR. When they finished their meal, JR wanted to know what to do with the cylinder and asked James what happened to his.
“It dissappeared” answered James who added: “I’m not bringing it back, are you brining it back?”
“We’ll have to memorize all this” said JR.
James rubbed it in: “You better jog your memory, homey.”
That little fun soon came to an end when James was confronted by JR: “What’s up with the immunity idols?”
James played it cool: “Not much. Have you been looking for it? What have you come up with?”
“I came up with the realization that you’ve been holding out on me. You have 2 immunity idols.”
“Somebody’s giving you misinformation. I don’t have no stinking idols…When I find two, I’ll be sure to give you one.”
JR gave him a stern warning: “You will always be better with me than against me.”

About this conversation, James told us: “I may look like a dumb monkey but I’m not. Come on dude, you’re Jean Robert. No one trusts what comes out of your mouth anyway. Why would I align with you? It would be the worse move in Survivor history to align with that guy!”
After a strategy discussion with Todd and Amanda, James had the final confessional before tribal council: “I don’t know if I’ll bring the immunity idol with me cause I shouldn’t have to use it. I may just roll the dice tonight. As long as I make it through the next one, I should be alright but you never know.”
At Tribal council, Jeff asked if he felt worried that he is seen as a threat. James answered: “I can be a threat but the far greater threats are the talkers. The ones who can form alliances easier.”

Survivor struck gold with this jovial man. He is used for most of the commercials and a big part of the story is built around his exploits. At times he appears invincible while, at others, he is completely vulnerable. His fans, and they seem to be numerous judging by the CBS polls, must be on edge every week. Studying his edit, there are too many indications that he won’t make it to the end. He is not a general, merely a soldier and there is no subtlety to this soldier. He catches fish “too fast” and the game is moving too fast for him. Will JR’s warning come true? Did James make a mistake by aligning with Todd rather than Jean Robert. From the start, we’ve had indication that it was Todd that people should worry about aligning with. Rolling the dice isn’t the safest way to play and it should soon cost him.
2- Erik: Singing the Blues
After losing the reward, the talks in camp turned to the next vote and Erik joined in: “You think James is the biggest threat but I want to say JR…I think he is more of the full threat package.”
Once Courtney had won immunity, JR attempted a bluff when he told Erik: “I have the hidden immunity idol. Now that I have it, I’m pretty much guaranteed top 5 rigth now.”
Erik had a confessional: “I was trying to think how I could stay in the game longer, then JR told me he thought he had the immunity idol…I’m 99% positive that James has it.”
He told the poker player: “What would you say if I told you I was pretty sure you didn’t have the immunity idol.”
JR countered: “You don’t have as many clues as I do.”
Erik went on: “OK, I’m willing to share with you what I know: James comes over to our camp and that little block over the archway, we looked into his bag and he had two of them. There were idols at both camps and I’m almost positive James has them.”
JR told Erik about a plan to blinside James, the guy that could win all the immunity challenges: “Here’s what we can do: we might pull a fast one on James.”
At Tribal Council, Erik started playing his cards: “Everybody left in Fei Long is gonna realize that, if they have 6 left, someone’s at the bottom of that. I’m not trying to lobby but if I know that I’m going 5th or 6th, I’m gonna start thinking before that. That is how this game works. People are going to have to split.”
Erik is lucky that Fei Long is more worried about Peih Gee than him but he still has a target on his back. It’s doubtful that they will need his vote to weed out the bottom feeders, especially since the first alliance member has already been eliminated.

3- Frosti: Singing Love Songs
The reward challenge wasn’t good for Frosti. James, JR and Todd were throwing buckets at him and he couldn’t bail the water fast enough. Jeff yelled out: “Frosti’s in trouble now. He’s cornered. Frosti, you gotta get out of there, man! Frosti is sunk.”
Hearing Todd mention that they could blindside James, Frosti was all smiles: “In this game, you gotta take advantage of whatever happens, whenever you can. Right now people are starting to view me as a swing vote, which isn’t so bad. I’m always looking for a chance to make sure I’m safe. The plan right is not to let James win immunity at this next challenge and to blinside him tonight.”
The randomness of Frosti’s edit continues. He isn’t part of the story, he’s just shown when he can help that story progress. He has a target on his back and his only hope is his alliance with Courtney. Unfortunately, Frosti still has to worry about James and Todd. They were the ones that sunk him in the challenge and since Jeff’s words are often used as foreshadowing, we have an indication of Frosti’s future or lack thereof.

4- Peih Gee: Singing a Different Tune
In the reward challenge, Peih Gee selected Frosti who selected Erik. Jeff noted that the same group was reuniting. The results would turn out to be as disastrous as before. Before that however, Peih Gee, the planner, told Erik: “we want somebody light in the boat” so Erik drafted Courtney.
Peih Gee seized the opportunity that the reward had given her: “Wait a minute…There’s 5 of us right here”. She tried to get the vote on JR,
She had a confessional: “If we all band together, it’ll be 4 to 5 and guess what? Jean Robert and James, OK Bye! I have nothing to lose. I’ll try anything at this point.”
She took a first step forward by telling Denise: “If JR goes before I do if either you or Courtney are in the final two, I’d give either one of you guys my vote.”
After the immunity challenge, Peih Gee still had hopes: “I was crushed that I didn’t get it today because I know I’m next on the chopping block. I’m still trying to scramble…Denise seemed open to voting with me and my other allies so hopefully that gets me through one more tribal council.”
At TC, Peih Gee commented on her situation: “Me and Erik are the only ones who brought our stuff tonight so obviously we’re the only ones who think we’re going home.”
Peih Gee has a target on her back curtesy of Amanda but the varying situations of the game give her a chance to fall off the radar. She has a lot of work ahead of her to completely disappear off the radar’s screen but she is scrambling. One could say that she succeeded in dividing her opponents as the “Art of War” suggests but that division was done without her help. Her personal plans are always shown as failing. She had a plan to vote out JR but then, after Erik’s talk with JR, the plan changed and PG voted James. She counted on Denise but Denise was only in when the vote was JR. Denise wound up voting against Peih Gee while JR, a potential ally, was eliminated. Strangely, Peih Gee keeps progressing without making any of the right moves. Can it last until the game flips like it did for Chris? Chris could count on Twila. Who does PG have in the original FL alliance? I’m starting to enjoy her story but I don’t think it is a winner’s story, more one of perseverance.

The Under the Radar Players
Denise: The Forgotten One
Denise looked sad and Jeff confirmed that she wouldn’t participate in the challenge or the reward.
There was a rainbow over the Hae Da Fung camp but Denise was not happy: “I’m very upset right now but what are you gonna do…I was over there, looking at everybody and just sitting on the bench…I’m big, I’m fat, I’m always the last one picked. It’s been like that my whole life and here it is again. Being the last one standing there, are they gonna do that when it comes down to the final 7? Am I going to be the one to go home before JR? Before James? I don’t want to be that person. I want to stay in this game as long as I possibly can.”
As the five players who had missed on the reward started eating, Denise said: “I still can’t believe you guys didn’t get rid of James. I really am very shocked.”
Denise told us about Peih Gee’s plan to stay longer than JR: “She’s trying to shake things up and get us to vote out Jean Robert. Nobody likes him so it’s kind of an easy vote. If I decide to go with PG and Erik, I could end up in a good situation with them but I don’t want to go against the rest of the tribe and have them vote against me. I’m thinking it over and deciding what I’m gonna do.”
Denise then told the tribe: “If it’s better for me to go with you guys, I’ll go with you guys. If I think the best way for me is to go with them, I’ll go with them. I’m being honest.”
The scene of Denise being shocked that James hadn’t been taken out looked out of sequence. She had her hat on when, just seconds before, she didn’t and the image quality was different. Was she really talking about the episode #5 TC where ZH got rid of Aaron instead of James? Was the scene taken from the next episode and she was talking of the vote that got JR instead of James? She may have been in on the original plan to boot James but couldn’t bring herself to write his name. That comment could’ve come from the time period of next week’s episode. If so, then the editors used it now because they won’t be needing misdirection towards a James boot next week. As far as her own chances, Denise is well off anyone’s screen for now but she doesn’t appear to be the one that will be picked for Sole Survivor.

Courtney: The Perfect Foil
As the two teams got ready for the reward challenge, we had Courtney and Amanda exchanging defiant looks with the Munchkin making a fist and pretending to use it to squash her opponents in her opened palm.
In the first round, Courtney was in charge of the Red boat. James, Amanda and JR unceremoniously dumped buckets of water on Courtney’s head. She got so frustrated she started yelling: “I hate all of you!” Jeff commented: “Courtney’s taken on more water from James and Amanda. She’s gotta to get away from them.”
If the reward challenge was her low point in this episode, the immunity was her shining moment. It started when Jeff told JR they always need a complainer. Courtney, probably already realizing that her weight could really help her, was ready to joke: “I thought I was the complainer.” When Jeff pointed out: “Courtney hasn’t moved in 32 minutes.” Courtney said: “I am lazy.”She was the last one left, her barrel hadn’t moved the whole time. Receiving the necklace, she commented: “It’s like a pageant.” Back in camp, eveyone congratulated Courtney: “I don’t like getting wet” she explained.
She told us: “I didn’t think I would win anything. I don’t care at this point who gets voted out. I’m immune tonight so you can’t get me!!”
Later, when Courtney walked back into camp, Todd, James and Amanda asked her who she wanted to vote. She didn’t know!? Even when they proposed JR, she let it up to them, saying “I don’t give a crap.”
She told us: “I don’t know what happened. It is a widely known fact that JR and I have hated each other since day 1. If they decide to vote for him great but he has become the Susan Lucci of tribal council. His name is always up there but he never quite gets voted out. I don’t have much faith that it will actually happen.”
OK, I was wrong and Courtney’s story wasn’t about making a deal with JR, her sworn enemy to change the game. It was interesting however that, in the end, JR’s elimination wasn’t presented as her victory. We were shown her saying that she didn’t give a crap and her TC reaction was subdued. So, the first impression was the right one, her feud with JR was part of Todd’s story. JR’s words that Courtney could reach bottom 2 or 3 look very prophetic. Wouldn’t she make a perfect opponent in front of the jury? I know, he also said she was the luckiest survivor ever, creating a possibility she could win but honestly, just reaching the end makes JR’s point true.

The Decision Makers
Todd: The Head of the Tribe
In the reward challenge, Todd kept his boat as far away as possible from the Red players and bailed out a lot of water. Jeff commented: “Todd is doing a great job…Todd is in very good shape.”
Todd had fun during the reward celebration when Jean Robert opened the cylinder, revealing a scroll with 5 clues to the immunity idol and said: “Idol clue. There is a hidden immunity idol. Wow!”
Todd couldn’t repress a smile as he answered: “Really?”
Todd had a confessional about this funny moment: “When Jean Robert opened those clues…it was kinda funny because there are no immunities out there to be found. James has both immunity idols and JR is the only one from Fei Long who doesn’t know about it.”
The next morning, a discussion started about the portions James takes during each meal. Todd started the argument by simply saying: “James, you eat a good one fourth of what’s in there.” JR agreed: “You eat 2 and a half times what the average person eats.” James replied: “Dude, I’m hungry. I’m not like you, I wasn’t laying down all day.”
Todd had a confessional: “We’ve been in the jungle for 23 days now and these people are driving me insane. I hate hearing Jean Robert’s voice. I hate hearing James complain how he’s so hungry, plus, it kinda pisses me off that James has both idols being that I found it and told him where the other one was and he hasn’t even offered to give one back. That drives me insane. I would love to see some craziness happen here at camp.”
Todd walked over to the well with Amanda to get water. He told her: “James is in a great position. With the immunity idol, he’s guaranteed in the final 4.”
Amanda wondered: “Do you think people would hand over James a million dollars?”
Todd said the jury would see he played a great game.
Amada still wanted to get rid of Peih Gee first and then get James out at 8 but Todd countered that he could win immunity and be right there at the end. “I’m not messing with two idols like that. If James doesn’t win immunity, he might have to go”
“How are we gonna do that? He has two idols” asked a pragmatic Amanda.
“If he’s guaranteed that PG’s going, he won’t play that idol” answered the scheming Todd
Todd went to Frosti: “The game is slipping out of our hands. How would you feel, if James doesn’t win immunity, about blinsiding him? We will not tell PG because she will tell James.” Frosti was in agreement.
In the immunity challenge, Todd was the 7th person to fall off the dragon but the only one to fall in without receiving a comment from Jeff about being in trouble. Hummm.
When JR told Todd he had big news about the idol, Todd answered that he had heard hearsay about James having both. He told JR that he loved the idea of blindsiding James but that they couldn’t be seen talking.
Todd told us: “It’s really funny. I had an original idea of taking James out and then JR came up with the same idea. I was kinda bothered that he was coming up with the ideas that I’ve been having for days now. I’m always entertaining new options and I can change my mind in two minutes. This game is fun and I like keeping it fun.”
Todd, James and Amanda conferred and Todd told James that JR was gunning for him. Todd asked if they should go for JR that night. James hated to break up the system but he was all for it. Amanda was still gunning for Peih Gee. This time, the vote went the way Todd wanted.
Once more, Todd didn’t answer a question from Jeff during TC. It is troubling. Nevertheless, he was once more very present during the TC, his amusement very visible as the vote went against the poker player. Once the torch was snuffed, it was surprising that Todd and Jaime were the ones presented as exchanging satisfied glances. Why didn’t they show Peih Gee or Erik sharing a smile with Jaime now that the game as turned? I’m thinking that the game won’t be turning enough for them but that Jaime recognized that Todd was responsible for this move. Todd could be getting Jaime’s vote.
Lets look at the “Art of War” comments posted above:
1) The skillful leaders know how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear, to prevent co-operation:
Todd has kept Frosti apart from Peih Gee
2) When the enemies were united, the general manages to create disorder:
Even if the split didn’t need much help, Todd started an argument between James and JR.
3) Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness:
Todd said he can change his plans in two minutes.
4) Make your way by unexpected routes:
Changing the vote to JR was an unexpected change of course.
5) Attack unguarded spots.
He plans on getting James by surprise, when he doesn’t have the protection of the idol.

6) Carefully study the well-being of your troops:
He finally satisfied Courtney’s wishes of getting rid of JR. Now she can sleep, she said while voting.

7) Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.
Courtney and Frosti were both surprised hearing the new plan. When JR “figured” his plan of blindsiding James, Todd changed it.
8) The General must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them
in total ignorance:
Amanda couldn’t make heads or tails of his course of action.
9) By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge.
Peih Gee wasn’t expecting that vote. Had she stayed with a JR vote, she may have had a better shot at keeping Denise on her side.
I know, it’s doubtful that the editors truly intended to portray it this way. I was mainly having fun finding 9 situations in the Final 9 episode that matched the “9 Situations”, a chapter of the “Art of War”. It’s still amusing how Todd will either win by following the teachings of the “Art of War” or he will fall because he thought he had the whole game figured out. Either he has all the right plans in mind or his head will explode when these people drive him insane. The more the editors push James’ story, making it appear as if no one can beat him, the better I see Todd’s chances. As Jeff said: “Todd is doing a great job…Todd is in very good shape.
Amanda: The Clinical Player
At the start of the episode, Amanda had a confessional: “At this moment, James is in a very good position because he has both immunity idols. He’s almost guaranteed himself a top 5 position right now. (Interesting that we saw James with a dead fish right then) He’s a strong physical, mental player at this game. I’m afraid he could win the whole thing.”
In Round 2 of the reward challenge, seeing Amanda navigating her little craft, Jeff commented: “Amanda finds a nice safe spot in the middle, making herself a hard target.”
Although she didn’t participate much in the ribbing of the poker player, Amanda was also amused during the feast, as she told us: “Jean Robert has no idea. I think the best part of the whole evening was hearing Jean Robert talk about finding the immunity idol and asking ‘What do you guys think it could be? I don’t know where it is’, you know!”
After Todd first talked about his new plan, Amanda had a confessional: “The plan was to get rid of PG next and then Erik and Frosti after that. Now, all of a sudden, Todd is in a big hurry to get rid of James. For him to change so quickly really makes me nervous.”
When the plan shifted to Jean Robert, Amanda was confused by Todd’s strategy: “Todd’s all over the place. One person comes up to him and he rethinks his whole strategy. He’s second guessing himself and in this game you have to be confident about your choices. I don’t know what’s going to happen at this point.”
Amanda answered a question from Jeff about being scared of the TC: “Every time you come here, you expect you could be going because anybody could be doing things that you don’t know about. I don’t like coming to TC, I’m not comfortable.”
I think Amanda has a classical clinical player’s edit. She calmly makes her decisions based on simple calculations rather than emotions. She observes Todd and sees where he could fail. Can she profit from it? I was wondering if she could be too caught up in targeting only the old Zhan Hu but it looks like I imagined the menace from within. She should be there at the end…If she can get Todd to eventually remember about Peih Gee!
I had a slightly less analytical look at the episode while writing this week's summary that you can read here

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Flowerpower 7262 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-12-07, 09:27 AM (EST)

57. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

Todd, James and Amanda conferred and Todd told James that JR was gunning for him. Todd asked if they should go for JR that night. James hated to break up the system but he was all for it. Amanda was still gunning for Peih Gee. This time, the vote went the way Todd wanted.
Clearly, michel you point out the exact reason why Todd should win this game, imo. He takes clear advantage of opportunities that arise, contrasting to Amanda, who focuses on the situation, carefully chooses a target, than remains set in stone. Todd lets others feel that they are in control of the game, for example acquiesing to Amanda and having her take out Jaime, and having James call the JR target.
Amanda tells us how she feels, that "Todd is all over the place right now", which casts doubt on her support of Todd. Is she talking about herself, that she doesn't trust Todd to not take "her" out, on a whim. Clearly, as a smart player she must know that she will be Todd's biggest opponent.
Great observation that it was Jaime and Todd that exchanged glances at the end of TC! WOW! That's GREAT! Todd is playing to the jury at this point, from the very first day that there is a jury! I love it! I find myself getting emotional about Todd winning, but I have to hold myself back as we all know that it is the subtle ones that can win this game...or rather the "clinical" players.
I feel like Todd is playing this game, brilliantly! He's playing it with vigor and clearly he is on the offense. I respect his game totally. I also agree that the editors are setting up Jame's as the clear force in the game, the invincible, the one that could win it all. Clearly, if Todd is responsible for taking out the biggest threat in the game, than he really will appear to the jury as the "David that slew Goliath"....and even James would have to marvel at the brilliance, I would hope. Clearly, the climax is approaching regarding the James vs. "the others"...can't wait to see how it all goes down!
Great observations and assessments, EVERYONE!

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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-12-07, 11:45 AM (EST)

58. "RE: The Players, The Game, The Editing - Survivor China"

I agree about Todd playing a good active game but the JR Todd scene is making me think Amanda wins a close one...Amanda really is Amber UGH... Toanda instead of Romber...but Amanda just doesn't have the equipment...

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
11-12-07, 01:46 PM (EST)

59. "RE: Episode 8 Editing Thoughts"

Again, I apologize for being redundant and some of my commentary has already been covered . Thank you michel for your assessment on each character that is left in the game. As always your insight is a treat to read. fp and emydi it is always a pleasure to hear from you and I see that there appears to be a clear view on who people feel will reach the end game. And michel, while I will go back about what you stated about Denise, I can tell you that her confessional discussion about her being the last one picked appears to be the same confessional from the episode where Denise discussed her bond with James.
Recap
James shown retrieving the HII
Previously on....
A lone shot of PG walking
James found the second HII at ZH
Erik found the plaque James discarded and Jamie suspected it might be an idol
Jamie “I’m not as dumb as I look”
The two tribes merged....
At an unexpected challenge, Frosti was the first to win II
The former ZH were outnumbered by the former FL
James “All we have to do is put the nails in the coffin...”
Convinced they had an idol, Jamie and Erik planned to use it and get rid of JR
Jamie shown talking to Frosti
At TC, Jamie played the idol while a shocked JR looked on
Jeff announces it is not the HII
Jamie, Erik and PG voted for JR
But the former (James) members of FL (Denise) (Courtney) (Todd then panning down to Amanda) stuck together and Jamie became first member of jury.
Of note is the “notion” of putting the nails in the former ZH’s coffin which obviously did not occur and James in possession of both idols
Tribal Council Aftermath
JR is heard stating: “When Jamie pulled that thing out of her bag I’m like dude please tell me this isn’t happening”
Amanda “I know I was like terrified...”
JR “I mean I knew 100% I was going home”
JR (conf) “At TC, I had a close call... I was like is this really happening...”
Courtney advises JR that before he gets in bed, Erik needs to get in there.
James asking Erik if he is scared to ask JR to move. “What the hell?!” Good gracious, sakes alive, get your ##### up so the poor boy can fit in bed!”
JR “You wouldn’t want to move so shut up James”
James “You really gettin some nuts over there huh”
JR “Hey man, JR thought he was going home tonight”
James “So what you want a hug?”
(A lot of laughter)
James (conf) “JR don’t know I have two immunity idols, we can’t tell him because it’s JR, he’s gonna mess something up” “Need to keep his dumbass in line cuz we stuck with him now; we need his vote so we have to deal with it”
A nice onset of the back/forth between James and JR that helps set the pace for this episode
New Beginnings
Shots of PG/Frosti sleeping then James in water
James (conf) “I’m back with my original tribe mates and we have to stick together (Amanda laying down watchful) we put ourselves in position by having all these different personalities just come together; we’re complete opposites (James now shown) we got the lunch lady (Denise sleeping) professional gambler (JR eyes closed rubbing head) a steward (Todd sitting up) we have a waitress from NY (Courtney sitting up) there’s a grave digger and all these personalities, even though we clash we pull together and we won together you know and the other team that’s now how they work.... they’re not trying to win a million dollars they are trying to win a high school friend contest”
Of note (or not), Amanda’s description not given by James
James comes back describing how he caught a fish.
Amanda (conf-of note, this confessional is the same exact spot as her confessional during the merge episode where she indicated that they were still two tribes and it will continue to be that way until the former ZH members are gone) “At this moment, James is in a very good position because he has both immunity idols for sure so he’s almost guaranteed himself in a top five position right now” “He’s a strong physical and mental player (James shown) of this game so I am kind of afraid (Amanda shown) he could win the whole thing”
An issue is brewing with James which was clearly set in motion in this episode. Recall much earlier with Todd opining he would take out the trash (JR/James) and how he and Amanda spoke about needing the stronger players until the merger happened. James is showing himself to be a true threat - his edit has turned quite nicely from the socially inappropriate to the hard working and quite amusing man
Reward Challenge
Of note, of course, was the “selection” from PG and JR in their own private hiearchy. Of no surprise JR would choose James and PG choosing Frosti suggests that he is obviously talented in challenges but she also still feels a sense of former ZH bonding with him despite that he went to FL during the swap (which interestingly enough was glossed over by Jeff when he announced that Frosti/Erik/PG were three ZH members - technically speaking that was not the case). Somewhat surprising is that she would choose him over Erik however. James choosing Todd is telling since he conceivably feels close with him due to the whole HII situation. Was it not that long ago that James and Denise had a close bond? That seems to have been forgotten. Frosti choosing Erik would make sense as he is the only male left there and I would suspect PG would have wanted Erik as well. Amanda chosen by Todd is of no surprise as they are a known pair. Alas, poor Denise was not chosen (especially in light of PG’s advisement they want someone light in the boat) and Courtney is taken by PG’s team. A round of apologies for Denise from JR’s team and the challenge commences with Amanda and Courtney joking across the water
Fun sound bites
Jeff: “Todd in very good shape, Frosti, Erik and PG having to chase him all over the place”
Jeff: “Amanda’s got a nice safe spot in the middle making herself a hard target”
Jeff: “Frosti in trouble now, he’s cornered”
JR’s team wins and with the scroll in hand, slow motion shots of JR, James then Todd with his hands up in victory
The Reward
James (conf-same as earlier confessional about JR) “The reward was nice...I’m not one to enjoy the romantic side of stuff....but you could feel like the history, it was really nice”
The scroll is opened as JR advises the other three of the clues to the HII unbeknownst to him that all three already know.
JR (conf) “I’ll tell you when I read this I was a little bit surprised as much information has been out there I should have known something....that shook me up a little bit”
Todd (conf) “When JR busted open those clues....it was kind of funny because there is no idol out there... James has both immunity idols and (Todd now shown) JR is the only one from FL who doesn’t know about it”
(As he is reading, small smiling glances pass around the circle which cut quickly away to food being served)
James words of “Thank you for picking me JR” are shown on the screen
JR “Everybody made the perfect pick”
JR then asks what to do with the scroll
James “It disappears”
JR “We’ll just have to kind of memorize it?”
James “I’m not bringing that back with me. Are you bringing it back?”
JR “Hell no”
James “I did not know there was an American immunity idol”
Todd “American immunity idol. Cool, that’s great” (Amanda’s conf shown)
JR “Guy’s I am drinking wine alright!”
James “Yeah that was a good one, I didn’t even catch it”
Amanda (conf) “JR has no idea; I think that was the best part of the whole evening was hearing him talk about finding this idol....”
JR this episode is simply a one note blunder that the audience would take delight in seeing the “wool” being pulled over his eyes. There never was any depth to JR - he made for a good character and the editing went full throttle for his exit episode
Those Left Behind
Denise (conf) “I’m really upset right now; what can you do though. There was a pick today at the challenge and I was standing there looking at everybody....I’m big, I’m fat, always the last one picked; it’s been like that my whole life and here it is again” “I’m the last one standing there; does that mean they are going to do that when it comes down the final seven; am I going to be the one that goes home before JR, am I the one who is going to go home before James? I don’t want to be that person. I want to stay in this game as long as I possibly can”
This particular confessional was not necessary to show other than to “feel” for Denise and like her as a person. Denise has had nothing to do with the game unfortunately which reflects that her faring at the end is improbable but the editors cared enough about her to want us to care enough about her as a person and “the last one picked”. Compare this to Erik (whose edit is also sub par) and it is feasible that Denise may fare better. There would be no other reason to show this other than we are meant to like this individual and therefore an investment to a degree has been made. We saw her words come to fruition with her staying past JR, will the same be with respect to James as well and it is eyebrow raising that the fleeting bond we heard about by James and Denise completely evaporated. I can only fathom that this prior inclusion of both of them speaking about each other as bonded may have a slight pay off perhaps when one of them has to cast a vote; other than that, it is a bit perplexing that their “bond” had ever been shown
Denise “I still can’t believe you guys didn’t get rid of James” Again note that the “bond” we were shown briefly of James and Denise seems to have just fluttered away
Erik “I guess even though James is probably a bigger threat”
PG “No JR is...”
Erik “I want to see JR....I think he’s kind of the bigger fool”
PG “Well there’s five of us here”
PG (conf) “I’m like wait a minute I was like if we all band together it’ll be four to five and guess what, JR and James and oh Amanda, okay bye and of note, Todd is not mentioned I kind of have nothing to lose, like I’ll try anything at this point”
PG “You know if JR goes out before I do if either you or Courtney are in final two I’ll give either one of you my vote cause I would love to see him taken out before me” Foreshadowing?
Denise “I would love to see him taken out before me”
Denise (conf) “PG’s trying to shake things up and get us to vote out JR; nobody likes him so it’s kind of an easy vote. If I decide to go with PG (said in voice over) and Erik I can end up in a good situation with them but I don’t want to go against the rest of the tribe (Courtney) and have them vote against me”
Denise “If I think the best way for me is to go with you guys then I’m going to go with you guys, if I think the best way for me is to go with them, then I’m going to go with them, I’m gonna tell you that honestly”
Erik “I wouldn’t expect any different”
Denise is gaining some momentum for as lackluster as her edit has been but alas this seems too little too late for my tastes. Her likeability was always subtle but present but at this juncture, she has basically told us that she would ride on James’ coat tails and now her aspirations are simply about outlasting a couple of players - there is no winning here for Denise but a story of the sad, overweight girl who was picked last and finally may shine by getting further than those who should get farther than her. A nice edit but not an end game one and clearly a player who (like Frosti is being shown) is being utilized more than doing any utilization.
Interesting also is we hear nothing from Courtney in all of this despite everyone knowing how she loathes JR. This is the concern I have for Courtney in the outcome. There is no doubt a heavy investment has been made into Courtney; she is a wonderful character to highlight and she has been a constant presence especially with her own storyline of the “luckiest girl on Survivor” (which may, like Denise, is the arc of someone getting so much further than anyone would give her credit) I would have hoped that we may have heard some insight from Courtney with respect to what was occurring while JR/James/Amanda/Todd were away. I have a hard time fathoming that Courtney (of all people) did not have an opinion of PG’s plan and the possibility that JR could be booted in a surprise
JR’s Last Resort?
JR is shown in his quest for the immunity idol to secure a “trump card” Obviously the scene was necessary to set up the events to unfold later in this episode but it was not accompanied by dramatic, conquering music that we have seen in like situations (for obvious reasons)
A Turn Of Events?
The group is shown sitting around with James as the subject matter of what he eats with some ribbing (again) between James and JR.
Todd (conf) “We have been in the jungle for 23 days now and these people are driving me insane. I hate hearing JR’s voice, I hate hearing James complain he’s so hungry plus it kinda pisses me off James has both immunity idols being that I found it and told him where the other one was and he hasn’t even offered to give one back, that drives me insane so I would love to see some craziness happen here at camp.
Todd and Amanda
Todd “James. He’s got himself in a great position. With the HII, he’s guaranteed in the final four and you know it”
Amanda “Do you think people would hand over James a million dollars?”
Todd “Yeah! People would be like you played a great game James....”
Amanda “We have nine right now; if we got rid of PG we can get him out at eight”
Todd “What if he keeps winning, winning, idol, idol. Aww hell no am I messing with two idols like that” “If James doesn’t win immunity he might have to go”
The interesting part of all this is that Todd then chose what was “perceived” as ego perhaps in getting rid of JR than getting rid of James despite he is adamant he wants nothing to do with “messing with two idols like that...” While Todd again is shown as a real gamer, I still have a sense of mania surrounding his plans and while there is no question Todd is digging deep to play this game, there is a lack of finesse in his strategy despite how strategic he is. At this juncture his strategy seems ruled by his emotional level at certain times.
Amanda “Yeah but how are we going to do it? He has two idols”
Todd “If he’s guaranteed PG’s going he won’t play that idol”
Amanda (conf-same confessional spot as when she was joking around about JR discussing the idol) “The plan was originally to get rid of PG next then Erik then Frosti after that. Todd is in a big hurry to get rid of James and him changing so quickly like really makes me nervous”
The Art of War - “Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.”
Todd and Frosti
Todd “This game is like getting out of our hands you know what I mean and uh how would you feel if James doesn’t win immunity about blind siding him. We will not tell PG because we can’t because she will tell James”
The Art of War - “Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let them know your design.”
Frosti (conf) “In this game you have to take advantage of whatever happens whenever you can and right now people are starting to view me as a swing vote which ends up being not so bad” (Todd and Frosti agree) “I’m always looking for a chance to make sure I’m safe so right now the plan is to not let James win immunity at blindside him at tribal tonight”
(Alas, this has consistently been Frosti’s edit which he summed up nicely. He is the useful vote and his entire storyline revolves around him “going with the flow” to make sure he is “safe.” People essentially have been playing the game for Frosti and like many others in the past will be useful until he is no longer useful since nothing about Frosti has evolved past this)
Immunity Back Up For Grabs
This was a fun, “endurance” challenge with JR immediately complaining and Courtney assigning herself that role. The heavier members had trouble immediately with JR and Denise falling in quick succession. James then falls off with shots going to Todd then Amanda. Erik then PG fall in and Amanda gets eliminated for touching outside the area. Frosti starts to sing, Courtney smiles and Todd falls in. Frosti soon falls and Courtney wins immunity (which for the most part, everyone appears genuinely happy for her)
The Animals And The Players Scramble
JR tells Courtney “Way to go” and Courtney is quite modest about her win just stating “I don’t like getting wet”
Courtney (conf) “I won immunity today. I didn’t think I’d ever win anything” (More of her edit encompassing her - the little skinny girl who no one took seriously, nor she for that matter who by luck or what have you has lasted much longer than anyone would ever suspect) “I pretty much don’t care who gets voted out” (Again a big change from the cries of JR much like no commentary during PG’s plan to get rid of JR - what occurred that we did not see perhaps? More appeasement? It seems as if we missed a chapter in the book explaining why Courtney’s attitude suddenly downshifted from her tirades against JR) “I’m immune tonight so can’t get me!”
Amanda “That barrel didn’t even budge did it” (said on screen while Courtney showing saying “Nope”)
PG (conf) “I was surprised I didn’t win it today because I know I’m next on the chopping block. I’ve been really trying to scramble and save my ##### (Denise) and Denise seemed really open to the idea of voting with me and my other allies (Erik/Frosti) so hopefully it will get me through one more Tribal Council”
JR “Buddy, you guys are definitely behind the eight ball”
Erik “I thought you were on the chopping block because you were getting votes”
JR “I might not get as many votes”
Erik “Things have changed?”
JR “Yeah. I have the HII” (Erik just looks at him) “I’m pretty much guaranteed top five for sure now”
Erik (conf) “I was trying to think how can I keep me in the game longer and then JR told me had the idol and that changed everything A somewhat random shot of James and Amanda with James helping Amanda navigate a watery area holding her hand/arm cause I’m 99 percent positive James has it”
Erik “What would you say if I told you that I was pretty sure you didn’t have the right immunity idol”
JR “Err I’d say you probably don’t have as many clues as I do”
Erik “Okay I’m willing to share...” (Erik proceeds to share)
JR “There’s two HII?”
Erik “And I’m almost positive James has them”
JR “Wow. I was right but I was just too late. James has them. I’ll tell you what we can do, we keep this on the DL but we might pull a fast one on James”
The Art of War - “Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy”
Later.......
Erik and Amanda shown watching James and JR “going to go see about some fish”
JR “So what’s your feelings on this HII”
James “I don’t know. I gotta look for it. Have you been looking?”
JR “What I came up with is the realization you are holding out on me; that’s what I came up with”
James “I don’t know what the hell you are talking bout”
JR “You had to know I was going to figure it out sooner or later”
James “Figure what out?” (JR tells him)
James “Who would tell you something about I have...”
JR “Nobody told me bro, who else do you think would figure something like that out except for me”
James “Well somebody gave you some misinformation....I really don’t have no two stinkin idols” (James’ confessional now shown)
JR “Now I am not even asking you, I am telling you that I already know and I’m leaving it up to you to decide, do you want to work with me or are we going on our own.... it won’t work out well for you if you don’t go with me” foreshadowing? (second portion of James’ confessional shown)
JR “So what’s the word kid?”
James “Well when I find two idols I’ll be sure and give you one” (JR’s confessional shown)
The Art of War - "In order to use them, one must know fact from falsehood, and be able to discriminate between honesty and double-dealing."
James (conf) “Now JR is just fishing for answers; I don’t know what he’s trying to pull.... like he was so cunning, like he was fooling me in some sort of way” and “I might look like a dumb mutt and fall for anything but I’m really not. I mean come on dude, your JR you can’t trust anything that comes out of your mouth anyway; why would I align with you? That would be the worst move of Survivor history to align with that guy!”
JR (conf) “James kept playing dumb...he didn’t make any kind of offer... now I feel like eh, it’s kind of fair game”
Dealing The Hand
JR “Big news bro. (Todd approaches) I know where the idol is and there is not just one idol but two idols”
Todd “You are talking about James right?”
JR “Yeah. How did you know that?”
Todd “Just...I’ve heard hearsay”
JR “He has both idols.... we can blindside him tonight cause he will not pull out the idol...”
Todd “I know I know, okay. Don’t let him see us talking. I love the idea.”
Todd (conf) “You know it’s really funny. I had an original idea to take James out and then JR came up with the same idea and I was kinda bothered by the fact he’s coming up with all these ideas that I had for days now so I’m always entertaining options; I can change my mind in two minutes, who knows, this game is fun and I like keeping it fun” (James/Amanda and Todd shown together)
The Art of War - “No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.. If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are.”
Todd “JR is trying to take you out”
James “Somebody told him about the idols” (Shot of Amanda listening)
Todd “He right now has Erik and possibly PG and Frosti; that’s four and he thinks I’m five. He thinks you’re going tonight. I played it like yeah this sounds like a good idea but should we do JR tonight?” (said in voiceover with Amanda shown)
James “Yeah I don’t like breaking the system but”
Todd “We don’t want to tell Denise or no”
James “No! No. No. Denise wavers....” Perhaps we may see this come into play at some point as well
Amanda “I still think we should get rid of PG tonight and then JR” (Amanda’s confessional shown and Courtney comes over)
Amanda “Courtney come here. Who do you want gone tonight?”
Courtney “Um, I don’t know”
Todd (I believe) mentions JR with Amanda shown
Courtney “It’s up to you guys I don’t give a crap” A far cry from before (Courtney’s confessional shown)
Todd “I think our best bet is JR tonight” (Frosti approaches and Courtney’s confessional continues)
Amanda (conf-same confessional as the prior two) “Todd is all over the place right now. One person comes up to him and he rethinks his whole strategy; he’s second guessing himself and in this game, you have to be confident in your choices so I really don’t know what’s gonna happen at this point”
The Art of War - “Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy – this is the art of retaining self possession”
Courtney (conf-same spot as when she stated she didn’t care who went because she has immunity) “I don’t know what happened but all of sudden Todd decided to vote for JR” and “It’s a widely known fact that JR and I hated each other since day one so if everyone’s finally willing to vote him out then great but he’s become the Susan Lucci of Tribal Council.... so I don’t have much that it will finally happen”
James (conf) “I knew JR would try something, I’m gonna have to deal with it, hopefully I will make it through. I don’t know if I have to take the idols with me (Todd) I shouldn’t have to use it (Amanda) so I might just roll the dice tonight; as long as I make it through the next ___ I should be alright but I mean you never know”
Tribal Council
Jamie arrives with big smiles from her and from the others with a small wave from Jamie presumably to Erik as he was the last one shown. Jeff gently reminds them there is no interaction with another smile from Jamie and a big one from Courtney.
Jeff comments to Courtney about her winning immunity
Courtney “Hell no!! (Courtney gets smiles and pats - which I may say as a viewer was a nice moment, too often we see very uncomfortable Tribal Councils fraught with undercurrents of dislike. For as much as we may see some antagonism, the merged tribe has had some relatively likeable Tribal Councils)
Jeff asks James as being so strong and without immunity if he is concerned
James (Todd shown first with a cymbal crashing) “Yes I do. I am the biggest physical threat but the far greater threats are the talkers (JR) the ones that form alliances, that trade up (Todd), switch around (Amanda) and all kinds of other stuff”
Jeff speaks to PG about the tribe breakdown with her, Erik and Frosti (Again, Frosti, though traded, has never been truly absorbed into the old FL)
PG “Yep. Erik and I are the only ones who brought our stuff so obviously we are the only ones who think they are going home. (James shown) I was devastated losing that challenge today (Frosti) and it’s tough, it’s really hard”
Jeff asks JR his thoughts if he were in PG’s and Erik’s shoes
JR “I’d be really frustrated because they are in a really bad position... (PG) I mean they had really bad cards thrown at them (Denise nods) they basically got a (card reference made with Erik laughing) and they come in a situation it’s pretty much inevitable”
Jeff asks Erik if he agrees
Erik “It’s of course tough but everybody else from FL realize (Amanda) if I have six people (Todd) someone’s gonna thought of that and I’m not just saying that to lobby (James smiling) if I know that there is six I’m going to start thinking before that (Todd smiling) and I’m not saying that to sell people, (JR shown smiling) that is how this game has to work; people are going to have to split”
Jeff notes James’ throwing his hands up
James “I mean, he’s so cute when he says like he’s trying to play it off, I like that, it’s beautiful” (Jamie shown with a big smile and clapping) “He’s working it, he’s working it right now (Jeff laughing) already” (Erik posing a smile on his face)
Jeff asks JR about the notion that there is an HII (Todd shown at end of question when Jeff asks that it may change the game)
JR “When Jamie presented that last week I thought I was going home (Jamie shown, for all of Jeff’s reminder, the camera is certainly interacting with the jury )when your job is being the local jerk (laughs) as the local jerk (Erik) I will probably have my name on the ballot two, maybe three (Frosti) every time but if someone happens to play that idol at the right time that could be me going home. That’s scary”
Jeff asks Amanda if that every time coming to TC, it truly could be “you” (Todd shown)
Amanda “Every time you come here you expect to be going home (JR) because anybody could be doing things you don’t know about (James) so I don’t like coming to Tribal Council (PG) and I’m not comfortable, I’m not” A somewhat different answer than prior when things had been fun for her and those who were obviously safe
Courtney opts to keep her necklace with a “Screw you” (Todd shown yet again)
James, then a snake is shown preceding Todd’s vote
Courtney’s vote of JR is shown which makes perfect sense in light of all her other votes for him and JR’s face is shown during her speech
A gargoyle statue is shown preceding PG’s vote
Jamie shown glancing up at Amanda and smiling as she goes to vote with fire then following
Denise is already shown at the voting area and votes for PG citing that PG just happened to get on the wrong tribe with PG shown
Erik shown approaching to vote which cuts right into James’ vote moving to flames and JR already at the urn voting for James citing James played an incredible game.
Frosti is bringing up the rear biting on his vote.
Shots of JR, James and Erik shown during Jeff’s words on the HII then PG shown. JR looks very happy one moment, PG almost hopeful and James a bit nervous. Todd shown with a rather “cat ate the canary” face. Denise and Courtney are also shown at times with a shot of Frosti. Amanda, despite her concern over this vote was never shown. Todd shown one last time very pleased as Jamie has a mouth wide open at the vote conclusion seemingly to look back at Todd.
Jeff “I think tonight’s vote speaks for itself." (PG/James) "Tribal lines are gone. (Frosti) This is a brand new game” (Todd smiling/nodding)

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
11-17-07, 05:42 PM (EST)

60. "Episode #9: Editing Thoughts"

Veruca, I really enjoy how we are using different quotes from the “Art of War” to support either Todd and Amanda. It’s all in the interpretation, isn’t it?
The recap had nothing special except that it was mainly done through Amanda’s eyes. She repeated that James had a solid F5 position and that the ZH members were on the chopping block. Then we had a new shot of a smiling Amanda at the end of the previous Tribal Council.
With the old Fei Long in command, the time has come to finish the enemy. How to proceed?
WEAK POINTS AND STRONG
Sun Tsu said :
”You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks
if you only attack places which are undefended.
You can ensure the safety of your defense if
you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
Hence that general is skillful in attack whose
opponent does not know what to defend;
and he is skillful in defense whose opponent
does not know what to attack.
The spot where we intend to fight must not be
made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare
against a possible attack at different points.”
Also, this quote fit for the Immunity Challenge:
”To be near the goal while the enemy is still far from it,
to wait at ease while the enemy is toiling and struggling,
to be well-fed while the enemy is famished.
This is the art of husbanding one's strength."
James: Feeling Safe
Day 25 began at Hae Da Fung with James already working and the others still sleeping. It didn’t last long as the big guy woke them up with a resounding song of “Good Morning!” (Monkeys were running away!)
James had the first confessional: “I narrowly escaped last night. I had 3 votes…The odds of me actually being kicked off with 2 idols are not that high. From now on, I plan to have them with me at Tribal Council.”
James had no problem lying to Denise about a plan to inform her before the previous vote even if he had refused to let her know.
After the reward loss, James told us: “Peih Gee, she’s just stupid. She came up to me and said I was the reason that they didn’t win. It was ALL my fault. Maybe she’s the problem, she’s never won anything. Maybe that’s a sign: Not everybody’s crazy, you’re the crazy one.”
He vented to Denise about PG’s nerves. Denise said she didn’t like PG’s attitude at all.
James went on: “I’m just trying to keep away from the evil temptation from ZH. The little pretty boys and the annoying little girl, they are still in it and trying to infiltrate the force to get to where we have already pre-destined ourselves to be. It makes no sense to mess it up now but it’s so human nature, it’s right in front of us. Don’t eat the damn apple. Be naked and be happy, just don’t eat the damn apple!”
At TC, all James could talk about was eating. Asked by Jeff what was his first thought seeing the burgers, he said: “Attack! I ate 7 burgers…I have a strong ability to win challenges but…it was meat.”
James is the voice of the Simple Plan. Keep the ship on course, don’t get tempted by baits and victory is pre-destined. Now that he had a scare, he appears invincible to make it to the end as Amanda reminded us. Even if we had many glimpses into his personality, his story wasn’t that of a winner but of the seemingly unbeatable opponent. His confidence will be his downfall.
Denise: Worrying
Denise told us what she thought of the previous vote: “We had a plan here that the former FL are gonna vote out the ZH people. Last night at TC, I went with the original plan, I voted PG like we were supposed to but, I guess at the last moment, everybody changed their minds and half the tribe voted for JR. It kind of makes me feel on the outside cause I had an opportunity to switch over to ZH. But I decided to stay with the group I’m close too and I still get backstabbed. It’s a hard position for me right now.”
She approached James in the shelter and he reassured her that the plan was to let her know but something happened, that they were scared she’d be flipping. James told her she was safe.
Denise concluded her confessional by saying: “James has two hidden immunity idols. It’s smart to stick with him. You don’t know what’s gonna happen but it is hard to trust people in this game.”
Denise had a better end to the episode. She told us: “Tonight I really don’t feel paranoïd because I think I know who they are going to vote for. It’s either going to be Frosti or Courtney that’s going home tonight.”
At TC, Denise told Jeff: “There is no loyalty…it’s a game…You hope the bonds you create…will last to the end.”
Denise is the voice of the audience. Not only have “we” felt for her but “we” feel much like her. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen, she hopes it turns out right but she doesn’t even know where she stands. That’s what the casual viewers should be feeling. What we’ve seen here is that her story never had a future. She’s been visiting China and that's as good as it will get.
Courtney: Too Good to Last
Despite the rude awackening from James, Courtney was in an excellent mood: “Everyone, it’s Christmas! There’s no Jean Robert.”
Courtney elaborated in confessional: “The camp without Jean Robert is much nicer and I think everyone else is happy to have him gone. JR is such a complainer and demanding people to fetch him things and just generally unpleasant.”
After talking to Amanda about Denise’s situation, Courtney’s confessional continued: “Denise was shooting daggers at myself and Amanda because she was mad. By blinsiding JR, we had to blindside her too. It could come back to get us.”
Courtney enjoyed the reward; the sights, the food, some (many) drinks and a backrub from Frosti.
She told us: “I don’t understand my relationship with Frosti. He’s quite young, he’s only 20, he’s cute and he just wants to play.” Courtney was having the “greatest day of (her) life.”
Courtney also enjoyed watching the immunity challenge, encouraging Frosti to prolong the challenge. She loved her burger and did a “Shane” when Jeff told them to put the food down! Jeff had time to hand out the immunity necklace to Peih Gee and Courtney still hadn’t swallowed her last, big bite.
The aftermath wasn’t so much fun when Todd told her it was Erik or Frosti. Courtney had a confessional: “Frosti is like my little munchkin. Everyone is kinda worried about me because they know he’s my good friend. It does, strategically, make a difference whether or not I go with the group or I don’t go with the group on this one. Honestly, I don’t know who I’ll vote for.”
Courtney is the voice of Diversion. She has often amused us by expressing her miserable situation and now she amused us by having fun. One episode of fun was all that Courtney was allowed. By the end of it, for the first time, Courtney had to start playing the game and make a hard decision. It hadn’t mattered which way she had voted when Leslie and Sherea had left but not so this time. By voting Frosti, Courtney entered the playing field and since her story has been one of living in her own personal hell, the game won’t be much fun for her.

Erik: Under Attack
While Peih Gee and James were mainly responsible for the failure of the red team, Erik and Frosti worked very well to win reward for their team that also comprised Courtney and Amanda. They enjoyed a nice reward on the Li River.
Erik had a confessional: “I haven’t won hardly any challenges since I’ve been here so I was amped up to win. The reward…was spectacular. I thought it was a pretty cool group of people and it’s a good occasion to get to know them a little better and try to develop relationships. (Amanda said PG was too intense) As much as I’m still on Peih Gee’s side, I don’t mind her being talked about negatively simply because, if she’s getting talked about, than I’m not.”
Erik got quite jolly and made a good impression on Amanda.
After “hitting on the goat!” Erik continued: “I feel like we had a great time together. Maybe it helped me in Courtney and Amanda’s eyes and maybe that’s enough to save me another round.”
Back in camp, Erik heard that Peih Gee had pulled a “Jean Robert move” by annoying everybody. He told us: “PG is not necessarily in most people good graces so, hopefully I could be safe unless she wins immunity.”
After the immunity challenge, Erik commiserated with Frosti who was annoyed that Todd, Denise, Courtney and James had chosen to eat. With Peih Gee immune, Frosti couldn’t vote for her so Erik and Frosti exchanged good luck wishes.
Erik had little illusions: “It’s probably going to be either Frosti or me. Frosti, I think he’s worked his way, I think he’s good with Todd, Amanda and Courtney. Maybe he’s higher up the ladder…I’m good with that group now, so maybe that puts me higher up the ladder as well. We’ll see.”
At TC, Erik told Jeff that: “I knew I had to do the challenge so that draws a distinction between where I am and where the people that were eating are…Tonight, I feel like I’m very far at the bottom.”
Asked if it was personal, Erik added: “I’ve wanted to make friends too…but there’s so much I can do, being on the chopping block…Trying to scheme and get myself in good with a select few, although necessary, can also be detrimental…I have very few options at this point.”
Erik is the voice of Hope. The audience always likes a big surprise and, now, Erik looks like the best chance for that. Unfortunaltely, if one can start playing on day 24, a story doesn’t start that late. Erik was never an impact player and even if he can be non-abrasive and charming, he won’t be as forgettable to the players as he was to the audience. Todd knows he’d win a jury vote.
Peih Gee: Dire Times

The first thing Peih Gee said in this episode was to James: “I don’t even get along with anybody here.”
After receiving tree mail, Peih Gee had a confessional: “I just want to win. I hate the fact that I’m the losingest survivor out of everybody that’s left. I lost the most challenges out of everybody and that kinda sucks. It makes me want to win even more.”
It wasn’t to be. Peih Gee couldn’t dribble the ball on her drum but she wasn’t ready to share the blame with James: “I’m so pissed right now. I can’t believe you ever accused me of giving up at challenges. I wasn’t the one strolling back to the mat every time you dropped the ball.” She wouldn’t go away even if James wasn’t listening and Todd was observing.
Peih Gee’s confessional: “I’m pissed off that we lost the challenge, I’m taking it out on James. I’m the only person who hasn’t won a reward challenge…I don’t have any allies here. I don’t have anybody. I’m in like a real bad position. It’s not smart going around picking fights but I can’t keep my mouth shut sometimes.”
Peih Gee is the voice of Frustration. The editors kept her mouth shut after she won immunity. We didn’t hear her happy reaction, we didn’t see her scrambling to rally votes and Jeff “ignored” her at TC. The negativity of throwing the challenge doesn’t go away. If she wasn’t doused by it immediately as was Jaime, the editors are making up for loss time. Almost everyone called her annoying in this episode, two called her stupid. When she complained she was the losingest survivor, the audience had to think; ‘if you hadn’t thrown one, maybe it would’ve been different.’ She wasn’t allowed to show her joy at finally winning. Instead, it seemed meaningless to all but Frosti and the winners almost appeared to be the ones that ate!
Amanda: Making Friends
Amanda was quite surprised by James’ wake-up call but she told him “That was beautiful.” To Courtney she said: “Denise is really upset. She could really switch, she could easily do something.”
Before the reward challenge, Amanda carried the drum into camp, finding it wicked. When Jeff asked if the Survivors were ready to play for reward, she gave Jeff a nice wink (I had to note it for Veruca!)
It was again Amanda who toasted the reward and later she said: “It’s unreal. It’s the greatest adventure in China.”
A laughing Amanda had a confessional after the reward: “I really like Erik. I know he’s here to play the game as well but I think he’s adorable and I certainly want to see him around as long as possible. I really like him.”
Arriving back in camp on the morning of Day 27, Todd demanded details but Amanda didn’t give many. Her confessional continued: “We lied to everyone because if we would have told them we had fried chicken and mashed potatos, everyone would have hated us for sure.” Todd gave her more details about how Peih Gee freaked out on James.
At the Immunity challenge, Courtney called Jeff mean to offer temptations. If we saw Peih Gee looking dejectedly away from the feast table, Amanda decided to play or, as Jeff put it, “Playing to win this game.” Curiously, we didn’t hear her reason for competing.
When Jeff asked her about the strategic relationships and the friendships, Amanda said: “It’s a hard thing having friendships and then trying to play this game because they don’t always follow the same path so it’s a hard thing to juggle.”
Amanda is the voice of Reason. She’s everyone’s friend and bonding with Erik can assure her of a jury vote. Even playing for the immunity can help her make a positive case to the jury. I don’t know why her reasons to compete were ignored. She has played a very smart clinical and social game. A very possible winner.
Todd: Making Enemies
The first sequence after the opening credits was the start of Day 26 (Day 25 went by fast!).
Todd was observing people around camp. His first confessional: “Jean Robert was annoying and now he’s gone but, all of a sudden, PG decided to step in and take his place. (She was micro-managing the meal preparations. We also had Courtney and Frosti cuddling) Eventhough Peih Gee is not playing a very smart game, the thing is Courtney, she’s tied with Frosti and she’s flirting with him. It’s scary, it really is because you never know if she’s gonna twist and turn and that kinda worries me.” We than had a shot of a reptile swallowing its prey. (an indication Todd gets his prey?)
Todd also observed the camp after the reward loss and confessed: “This is probably the worse day that I can have out here. People are freaking out around camp. The 4 people I get along best with are out having fun on a boat somewhere. Today sucks.”
After telling everyone that he had 2 burgers during the immunity challenge, Todd had a strategy discussion with Frosti who told him to watch the smooth Erik. (That talk was odd, both guys appearing in close-up but with differing backgrounds. It could’ve been camera agle but I wonder if they really talked alone like that.) Todd wasn’t about to hand a million dollars to Erik.
Todd had a confessional: “Tonight’s tribal is a killer. Erik, if he makes it to the end, hands down, he’s guaranteed a million dollars. But Frosti’s a big threat. You watch him perform in any of the challenges and he is great. He worries me. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”
He had another strategy discussion with James and Denise and they agreed on Frosti, only worrying about Courtney’s reaction. Todd said that if Courtney had an objection in getting rid of Frosti maybe she should go home.
Todd told Courtney that James and Denise were scared to death that she wouldn’t vote for Frosti because he was her Survivor boyfriend.
Todd explained: “We don’t know what to expect. She may litterally take a sharp turn right at any moment. I don’t know. I may have to vote for her.” We had another shot of Todd appearing to survey the battle field before the trip to TC.

This shot of “Todd The Observer” was shown both in the opening and ending sequences, showing who is in control.
At TC, Todd fielded his first question from Jeff: “As soon as you lifted off that lid over those burgers, fat kid inside of Todd took over and said ‘Eat, you are so hungry’. It’s risky putting yourself in that position especially when you tell yourself you will never do it.”
Todd is the voice of the General. With Peih Gee being immune, she represented ZH’s strong point so he went after their weaknesses, not letting them know exactly where the attack was going. He observed the shenanigans in camp and made his decisions. He has made this game his own but do the editors agree? They have shown some manic moments which could indicate it isn’t his game afterall. But those moments could only be to cast doubts. It could also be that Survivor isn't war afterall and, if Todd wins the strategic game, Amanda wins the more important social one. For Todd's chances, Jeff seemed much less negative to the eaters then he was to the Casayans who had sat out their F8 challenge. If my impression is right and some negative comments were edited out, it could be that the winner was in those 4. Hummmm
Once Frosti told Jeff that the tribe had spoken with “Cheeseburgers still on their breath”, we had, what I think is only the second “To Be Continued” ever, when Jeff said: “Now more than ever, the ability to adapt moment to moment is what’s going to keep you in this game. We’re going to test that right now… Tonight, you will not be heading directly back to camp. We have more business to attend to here.”
Everyone looked shocked!

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
12-02-07, 06:11 PM (EST)

61. "Episode #10: Editing Thoughts "

The "story of the final 7" that served as recap episode turned into the Courtney, Todd and James show. We had a very positive and amusing portrayal of Courtney and a mixed one for Todd. We didn’t see her temple reactions of episode #1 or her responsibility in losing the episode #3 immunity. That was Todd’s fault. Amanda was presented as a secondary character as were the other 3.
This episode started with the final 7, a time in the game when the battle has raged for a month and where players either make terrible mistakes or great moves. The troops are tired and their reflex aren’t as sharp so it becomes a question of which player still has
Energy
Sun Tzu said :
”The quality of decision is like the well-timed
swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy
its victim. Therefore the good fighter will be terrible
in his onset, and prompt in his decision.Energy may be
likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the
releasing of a trigger”
Peih Gee
If everyone was relieved to hear that the unfinished business was a reward challenge for a chance to visit the Shaolin temple, Peih Gee was the one that really had a reason to smile. She won the challenge and chose Erik (“we’ve been so starving since the beginning of the season”) and Denise to accompany her.
Boarding the private jet, PG started her confessional: “It was such a ridiculous contrast because we’re still in our rags and we stink.” She immediately proposed that the trio could be the final three. Arriving at the temple, her confessional continued: “Being Chinese, it was really great to experience something that, up until now, had been like a separate, foreign world to me. The 15 hundred year old Shaolin temple, it’s huge…”
At night, the trio had a meal and PG told us: “We’ve been squatting on logs, eating out of dirty utensils…It was really cool. We got to sleep in a temple room, you couldn’t pay to get that…My neck is still on the line, people still want me out but, being at the temple gives me inspiration to keep on trucking.”
Returning to camp, PG’s confessional went on: “We get back here and it is a mess. They are like miserable rats.”
After the immunity challenge, PG gloated with Erik that the original ZH won 3 of the 4 individual challenges. She then spotted James’ idols hidden in the roof of the shelter. She decided on a new angle to fight. She “broke” the news to Amanda that James had the idols! Seeing Amanda’s hesitation, PG wondered if she even knew there were idols. Amanda told her she was aware of the idol so PG exposed her plan: “You don’t think this might be a good idea to either flush it out or blinside him.” Amanda told her to slow down and hear her out.
With knowledge of Amanda’s plan, PG told Erik that she’d be voting for Todd. That way, either James or Todd would be leaving if Erik would also vote Todd. Erik was hesitant.
At TC, PG started by saying it was like butting heads against a brick wall trying to penetrate the alliance. When James alluded to letting losers slide in, PG intervened: “That’s not even accurate because, as far as winning individual immunity…Ho! Erik, that’s a nice necklace you have on. Calling us losers isn’t going to make us too happy. You guys have to realize that these are people who eventually, you’re going to want voting for you in the end. Right?” That amused the jury.
She told Jeff she had no illusion as far as her place in the group. “I’ve been expecting it to be me every single night. Tonight is no different.”
PG is still fighting but we are constantly reminded of her annoying side. Maybe James didn’t realize he needed to get on the jury’s good side but PG isn’t getting on the alliance’s good side. Even choosing Erik for the reward wasn’t going to help her cause but she went ahead anyway. Her story of perseverance has carried her as far as it can go. Even if the temple inspired her, she has wasted a lot of energy.

Erik
Not completely ignored during the reward, Erik had a confessional: “After the main Kung Fu exhibition, these kids came out…we were allowed to go down and they were teaching us some moves. It was cool to see Denise…I was impressed. Denise, who knew?”
After the reward, Erik appraoched James to see where the big guy stood. James answered that he wasn’t going to be the dummy that goes against what the “happy original group of 5” wanted to do, to join the group of “evil 2”. Erik understood that James was not going to “eat the apple” and flip against his alliance.
Erik gave us a confessional about his voting decision: “I’m debating whether I would go along with PG. On the one hand, if I voted for Todd, James gave the idol and Todd was gone, that would be kind of good but then I’m risking a lot by doing that.”
How much of a risk would Erik have taken if he’d shaken up the game? We weren’t shown any strategy discussions between the two but, hearing the encouragements he shared with Amanda during the immunity challenge, I wouldn’t be surprised if what he thought he risked was an understanding with the new power player. Getting rid of Todd rather than James, as Erik said, was really only “kind of good” because it would have probably given the million to James. Erik is playing a boring but effective under the radar game, and that’s strange considering he’s probably the strongest player left. If Amanda truly doesn’t want to go to the Final three with Todd and Courtney, Erik would be in prime position to win that million. He was completely ignored for the first half of the season so, at most, that storyline is a distraction. Despite his challenge win, he isn’t a very energetic player.
Denise
Just after James told them the boat had arrived to take them on their reward, Denise had the first confessional: “Peih Gee picked me to go to the Shaolin Temple. I have such love right now for her…I’m concerned because, sometimes when you leave camp, you don’t know what’s going on. When you come back, you don’t know what to expect. That makes me very, very nervous.”
Feeling like a millionaire on the private jet, Denise wasn’t very receptive to PG’s final 3 proposal. Her confessional continued: “PG is working her strategy. She needs to do whatever she can to get further in this game. PG and Erik are definitely on the outside but you don’t want to make enemies so we’re just going to have to see what happens at this point.”
After joking with a monk that she wasn’t a karate expert, she went on: “Of all the rewards, this was the one I wanted to go on the most…Over a thousand years of culture and the beginning of the martial arts themselves, it was just so incredible for me...The demonstration was fantastic…”
Her own demonstration was appreciated and her confessional continued: “At this point, I could not thank PG enough for picking me for this reward. To take this experience back home…there’s no word to really describe that.”
Back in camp, Denise realized that no one was coming to greet PG and Erik except Amanda. She was happy to hear Todd tell her they were happy she got that reward. She told Todd that PG had tried talking to her about the final 3. She even told him that PG was targeting him.
At TC, Denise was beaming: “The energy from being at the temple…It gave me such a lift…”
Denise’s story was always about being a tourist in China so this reward would be the climax. During most of the season, she had a secondary role but we always saw her as a nice person and she got a very nice scene with her Kung Fu demonstration. It wasn’t a bad visit to China for Denise.
Courtney

We saw that Courtney wasn’t interested in hearing PG’s account of their reward. As she spoke of the temple and the food, Courtney was just lying in the cave.
Courtney had a confessional: “The cave is the best thing I have right now. The cave is my happy place. What I don’t like is when everyone and their damn mother decide they like the cave too. PG comes sidling up in there and I’m like; I’m gonna kill you. And you want to start talking about…No, get out of here. Get out, no talking in the cave.”
Eventhough Courtney was Amanda’s sounding board in the big move of this episode, Courtney only expounds on the strategy of the game when it comes to wondering if she would go along with the alliance. When she’s on board, she doesn’t get to explain her views in confessional. Courtney is a distraction used for her snarky comments. She is always in the middle of friction, wasting energy in futile fights.
Todd
As soon as the trio had left for reward, Todd started joking with James that “It could be a sneak preview” of the last days of the game. James was in total agreement.
Todd’s confessional: “This is nice just to have the four of us. We could keep it this way and there was no arguying.”
If the trio enjoyed the “best reward ever”, day 29 at Hae Da Fung started with a rainstorm and the other 4 players were huddled in a small cave. Todd commented: “This rainstorm is hell. When you’re sitting in a muddy hole in a swimming suit that you’ve been wearing for a month, crammed…praying for the clouds to go away. I’m done with the rain, done.”
He saw the trio arriving but said: “I’m not getting up.”
Hearing that he had been PG’s target, Todd told us: “PG is not my idea of fun. She is annoying as hell. She goes to Denise and is like ‘We should vote out Todd.’ I’m thinking Bitch! Do you expect anybody to get up on your side? Good job, cause now I hate your guts. Thank you.”
After everyone was on board with Amanda’s idea to vote James, Todd realized that he’d be the one going if James pulled out the idol. He told us: “There is a chance that James could use the hidden immunity idol, why not? If he pulls out the idol, all the votes for James go away so we have to continue convincing him we’re voting PG out. Just basically lie to his face which hurts really bad especially since I like the guy…but I like a million dollars too.”
At TC, Todd told Jeff that trust was huge just before Denise said she didn’t trust anybody because you could make a pact but then the others realize that’s not a very good pact and take you out. We weren’t shown Todd’s reaction to what could’ve been a warning to James. Neither did we see him react to Jeff who commented that “everyone feels it could be them” which was another warning. While voting, Todd told us he was scared for his life.
So, it wasn’t Todd who received the credit for getting rid of the last big guy. He was the one taking all the risks even if he wasn’t the one who set the plan in motion this time. That has to be seen as a negative in the duel he is having with Amanda for the winning edit. On the plus side, Amanda didn’t get any questions at TC, we didn’t see her reaction after the vote and blindsiding James had been Todd’s original plan. The jury found the vote very entertaining and, from what we saw, they didn’t associate Amanda to the result. Todd seems to have plenty of energy for the end game.

Amanda
While Todd and James were talking of final 4, we saw, by her expression, that Amanda wasn’t thinking along the same lines as James and his “Garden of Eden” talk.
Amanda had a confessional: “Right now, I’m just kinda going along with everyone saying, Yeah! We’re the top four: Whooooo! But, in reality, I’m not comfortable going to the top three with any of them. This is the time of the game that a change needs to be made and this is my chance to make something happen, the way I want it to happen.”
At the start of Day 30, Amanda asked Courtney to join her for a walk to get tree mail. Amanda told the waitress about a new plan: “I’ve been up all night thinking of our situation and I had a really good idea. We get rid of James tonight…The thing is, to get James out, he can’t expect it and he doesn’t expect it right now…We’re giving James a top three spot right now, he deserves a million dollars but I’m not handing him the million dollars. He does the most work in camp, he’s been crazy good in challenges. There’s no other time to get rid of James than right now.”
Amanda’s confessional: “I came up with a plan to get rid of James because he’s in control right now because he has the immunity idols so he definitely has to be blinsided tonight…/…James keeps telling everyone ‘Stay away from the apple, don’t eat the apple, this is our final 4, that’s it’. I’m not only ready to bite the apple, I’m ready to make a whole freakin’ pie. Ha! We just have to make sure he doesn’t win immunity.”
With Erik winning imunity, the plan was ready to move forward when Courtney winked at Amanda. Amanda brainstormed with Todd, asking him: “Why don’t we take control and vote him out tonight?” Todd was worried of PG and Erik still fighting but Amanda reassured him by saying: “If next time PG has immunity, Erik goes, if not PG goes.” Todd agreed with the plan.
Amanda was approached by PG who had her own plan: “I’m already resigned to going home. But do you know that James has the hidden immunity idol?” Amanda told PG “You just need to not do anything. You just have to trust me and you just have to not say anything the rest of the day. It’s in your best interest if you don’t. Act like you’re going home and just keep it like that.”
The plan worked perfectly. As Jeff said, “It’ll be interesting” seeing the players that James called “fruit loops” holding together!
Amanda’s story took a powerful turn for the better in this episode. From the nice under the radar player who could count on her social skills to win, we now know that she can apply deadly strategy with a lot of energy. More than with the rather simple vote against Sherea, we saw the clinical player who could certainly win the jury vote. On the other hand, we also heard her comment about a final three with Todd and Courtney. Doesn’t she realize that they are her best choice, that Erik, for one, would win the million? I would think so and she could’ve added something like: “I’m not comfortable going to the end with any of them…but James is the one that absolutely has to go.” ‘Not comfortable going’ isn’t the same as ‘Not going’. Denise and Erik are too nice and PG has friends on the jury. If her confessional was truncated to leave doubt about her future plans, then the previews would be more misdirection. And isn’t that to make us doubt that Todd can reach the end? Aren’t there 4 people now on the jury who think it was Todd’s plan all along? And James wasn’t even bitter about it.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
12-03-07, 12:47 PM (EST)

62. "RE: Episode #10: Editing Thoughts "

Previously.....
Courtney grew closer to Frosti which made Todd question her loyalty to the FL alliance
Todd (conf): “You never know if she is going to twist or turn”
At RC, PG’s team dropped the ball...
During the cruise Courtney and Amanda vented about PG
Back at camp PG blamed James for losing the challenge making her first in line to be voted out
At IC, PG narrowly beat Frosti
The former FL saw Frosti as the biggest threat
Although James had the only two HII’s he felt confident he didn’t have to use them
At TC, his gamble paid off, he had no votes
Courtney lost a friend
Jeff then announces his “unfinished business” with reaction shots only from James, Courtney, PG, Todd and Amanda (Alas Erik and Denise are still relegated to the “barely there status” until the particulars of the reward challenge are announced)
PG subsequently wins reward and chooses Erik and Denise to accompany her.
The Reward
James is up first and advises the three of the boat. Ironically, or perhaps not, this reward, although won by PG, centered around Denise.
Denise (conf) “....I got such love right now for her; I am concerned leaving camp because you don’t always know what is going on and when you come back you don’t know what to expect; that makes me very very nervous”
Amanda “I think we should eat a lot today”
James “When don’t we eat a lot when somebody’s gone”
Todd “It’ll be nice the four of us....”
James “In a little while, it could be like this”
Todd “We all know that, which we are okay with”
Todd (conf) “When Denise, PG and Erik left for their reward we were all kind of like this is nice; the four of us, it could be this way (James shown sitting with his back to camera facing Amanda, Todd and Courtney sitting next to each other) and there was no argument”
James “This is the best thing for us; I just want us to frolic all the way to the four”
James (conf) “Right now the four of us are in the proverbial garden of eden as long as they don’t bite that apple.... so don’t be tempted by PG and Erik, don’t bite that apple”
Amanda (conf) “Right now I am kinda just going along with everyone saying yeah we are top four, whoo hoo but in all reality I don’t feel comfortable going to the final three with any of them. This is the time in the game that a change needs to be made; this is my chance to make something else happen that I want to happen”
The start of a new dynamic in FL. We heard dribs and drabs from Amanda before about her concern with the way certain choices were made and now we are receiving the prelude to another chapter. I found it interesting that Todd seems comfortable with the other three in terms of the end game but Amanda, his partner in crime, does not. The FL faction is now proceeding in a new direction where some are questioning how comfortable they feel within their own group
A Little Culture
PG (conf) “It was such a ridiculous contrast.....” Of note, PG’s confessionals appear to be the same time frame
PG “You guys realize after last night’s move, we could be final three; right now the three of us have three votes. There is only seven people left; if we can get James to vote with us that’s four of us, we could pick off... who would it be Todd?” (Erik nods)
Denise “You never know what’s gonna happen....”
Denise (conf) “PG is working her strategy, she needs to do whatever she can to get further along in this game. PG and Erik are definitely on the outside but you don’t want to make enemies so we are just going to have to wait and see what happens at this point”
Of note, all of Denise’s confessionals appear to be at the same time frame
PG (conf) “Being Chinese it was really great to experience something that was a foreign world to me....”
Denise and the monk exchange discussion about Denise’s martial arts background
Denise (conf) “Of all the rewards that come up this is the one that I wanted to go on the most....just to look around to see.... it was just so incredible for me, such an amazing thing” “The demonstration was fantastic....”
Erik (conf) “After the main Kung Fu exhibition, these kids came out.... (Denise then demonstrates) it was cool to see Denise I was impressed; I was like no way. Denise, who knew?”
Denise (conf) “At this point I could not thank PG enough...to take that experience home for the rest of my life there’s no words to really describe that”
PG (conf) “We’ve been squatting on logs eating with dirty utensils and suddenly ushered into this magical setting.... I don’t think you could pay to do something like that” “My neck is still on the line, people still want me out but being at the temple really gives me inspiration for me to keep on trucking”
Despite PG being the winner of the reward, and her brief rejuvenation confessional at the end, this was all about Denise. We were able to not only see Denise fleshed out as a person but we also heard Denise discuss the strategy situation with PG and Erik. While we could have heard from PG herself discussing why she picked Erik and Denise or what she was hoping to accomplish in her discussion, Denise was the narrator of this excursion. Alas, Denise’s edit seems more confined to those players who have longevity based upon the actions of others rather than anything Denise is doing herself. We have seen in the past those like Butch or Jan doing quite well in the game but truly not by virtue of anything they did themselves but rather how they benefitted those who are heavily invested in the outcome of the game. Suffice it to say, if the other episodes did not reflect that Erik is not end game, this episode certainly has as once again, an opportunity to flesh him out did not materialize.
Some Bitter Herbs
Todd (conf) “This rainstorm is hell; when you are sitting in a swim suit you have been wearing for a month.... praying for the clouds to go away. I’m done with the rain, done, oh my gosh”
Amanda “It’s not raining that much anymore”
The others arrive home with James indicating he is not getting out to greet them.
Denise (conf) “When we came back to camp there was nobody around and I didn’t understand where everybody was. Amanda came out to greet everybody; nobody’s gonna come out to greet PG and Erik”
Amanda shown with the three asking about their trip whereupon PG comes to the cave to say hello. Although this may have been met with negativity that the other three did not greet them, Denise’s words of not blaming them to a degree may have absolved them about their lack of greeting along with PG even admitting to how miserable it was at the camp.
PG (conf) “The three of us... we had this great experience we get back here and it is like a mess and obviously they are like miserable rats here”
Todd asking some questions with James and Courtney not involving themselves until James perks up at the mention of cookies.
Courtney (conf) “The cave is the best thing I have right now.... what I don’t like is when everyone and their damn mother decides they like the cave too; like PG comes and I’m like I’m gonna kill you.... no talking in the cave”
Todd “We are all real happy you guys got to go, especially you seeing as you love the whole Kung Fu thing you know”
Denise “Is everything still cool?”
Todd “Of course”
Denise “Yeah they were trying to work on me” (PG shown) “Like they were like, we could be the final three” “Who do you want to vote out next? Todd. I was like, no, I don’t know. I’m just not saying nothing. You just think whatever you want”
Todd (conf) “PG is not my idea of fun; she is annoying as hell; she goes to Denise we should vote out Todd. I’m thinking, #####! You expect anybody to get up on your side? Anybody? Good job cause now I hate your guts. Thank you.” (Todd shown make a grimacing face)
Erik “As far as tomorrow goes with Tribal Council, PG had mentioned being wary of Todd still but I don’t know if you’re kinda tight with Todd or...”
James “It’s like this I’m just trying to win tomorrow get everything straight but I don’t know man. See what the powers that be say”
Erik “The powers that be huh. Who might those be?”
James “The original five and the group of two. The five say this. I’m not gonna be the dummy that go oh well let me see let me go over there. No! I’m gonna go like this oh okay, that person”
Erik “I get it”
James (conf) “Erik’s not that smart; not going to go from nice happy five to two. I’m not gonna eat that apple. They can tempt me as much as they want.... he should know that. He should know I’m not going to flip on nobody; it’s pointless”
Amanda Makes A Move
Amanda asks Courtney to join her on a walk to retrieve the tree mail
Amanda “Before we go back, I’ve been up all night thinking about our situation. I had a really good idea; we get rid of James tonight”
Courtney “Do you think that would work though?”
Amanda “I do.... but he can’t expect it and he doesn’t expect it right now”
Amanda (conf) “I came up with a plan to get rid of James. He’s in control right now because he has immunity idol so he definitely has to be blindsided tonight”
Amanda “We are pretty much giving James a top three spot right now; he deserves to win a million dollars; I’d give James a million dollars. He does the most around camp, does crazy good in challenges; there is no other time to get rid of James than right now”
Courtney “Okay, that sounds good”
Amanda (conf) “James is telling everyone don’t eat the apple; this is our final four, that’s it. I’m not only ready to bite the apple I’m ready to bake a whole frikking pie” “All we have to do is make sure he doesn’t win immunity”
Immunity Back Up For Grabs
PG gives back the idol with Todd’s reaction shot shown. Jeff does his guarantee speech with “one in what Todd?” Todd “Six!” Jeff continues: “shot at a million dollars”
PG throws and misses.
Todd throws and subsequently does a little “jig”
Erik throws and moves into first place
Courtney throws with reaction shots from Todd and Denise and Amanda and then again Todd. Yet again Courtney “surprises” these individuals so perhaps they should not take her so lightly.
James goes up with glances edited to show exchange by Amanda and Courtney. James scores with Todd’s reaction: “Whoa” and now James, Erik and Courtney all lead
Amanda throws and joins with the top spot
Denise is eliminated and the sudden death occurs with Erik winning immunity and yet another edited shot of Courtney supposedly winking in Amanda’s direction with Amanda smiling back which seemed fairly obvious to be edited in as Amanda is shown standing in line in the very next frame.
The Blindsiding
James (conf) “Erik got the immunity so get rid of PG tonight and after that focus on getting rid of Erik and then it’s all cake after that”
Amanda “Brainstorm with me for a moment; we’re pretty much giving James top three position because everyone is going to vote for him. I guarantee. Why don’t we take control and vote him out tonight”
Todd “I just worry about getting Erik and PG anywhere near because they are the fighters”
Amanda “She hasn’t won anything”
Todd “She’s won two in a row!”
Amanda “Yeah but; the next challenge if PG has immunity Erik goes, if not PG goes”
Todd “I guess if there was a time to do it, it would be now”
Courtney and Denise join the group
Todd “I will do whatever everyone’s most comfortable doing; I don’t care what it is”
Amanda (to Courtney) “Want to vote out James?”
Courtney “We all vote for James?”
Amanda nods
Courtney “You sure?”
Denise nods
Todd “We play up that we’re voting PG out and we vote for him”
Denise “The only thing I’m afraid of though is if we go with James and he brings the immunity idol with him whoever the two of them write down....”
Todd “It will be me”
Denise “....will be the one out”
Todd (conf) “There is a chance James could use the HII; why not, you know? If he pulls out the idol all of our votes for James go away so we just have to continue to convince him that we are voting PG out; basically lie to his face which hurts really bad especially because I like the guy but I like a million dollars too”
A good confessional from Todd as we finally see a note of regret in some of his scheming. James has gained some favor with the television audience until probably his naivete at TC with having two idols and using none. The fact that although Amanda was shown to “hatch” the plan yet Todd was given this confessional to sort it out for the audience helps as well although it is highly doubtful anyone felt Todd was not end game material
PG “Out of the four individual immunities, three of them have been won by members of original ZH” (to Erik)
PG then discovers the HII hidden in the shelter.
PG (conf) “There’s one last card I can play. I’m pretty sure James has the immunity idol. I’m gonna try, I’m going to talk to them. I don’t want to go out without a fight”
PG “Either way tonight, I’m already resigned to going home but do you know James has the HII” (Amanda hesitates) “Did you even know they’re in existence?”
Amanda “Yeah. I’m not stupid PG”
PG “No! I didn’t find out until just recently; that’s why” “I’m not saying it’s because you are stupid, it’s cause I didn’t know. I guess I was the stupid one, I didn’t know”
Amanda “I’m aware”
PG “You don’t think it’s a good time to flush it out or blindside him?”
PG “It could be you going home instead of him, you know what I’m saying?”
Amanda “Just slow down, okay. Hear me out for a sec. You just need to not do anything. You just have to trust me and you have to not say anything for the rest of the day”
PG “Amanda, I can’t...”
Amanda “No listen to me. It’ll be in your best interest if you don’t. Act like you are going home and just keep it like that”
Erik “I think they are gonna make a move against James tonight”
PG “They want to flush out the idol; they know he has it. I’m gonna vote for Todd because I think everyone else is voting for James; if you and I vote for Todd; if he doesn’t play the idol, James is out. If he plays it, then Todd is out”
Erik (conf) “I’m debating as to whether I would go along with PG. On the one hand if I voted for Todd and James gave the idol and Todd was gone that would be kinda good but then I’m risking a lot by doing that”
James tells Amanda that PG is hustling: “I don’t blame her”
Amanda “She knows she is leaving...”
James “She better cause I can’t leave before her”
James (conf) “I’ve been the main guy trying to hold this thing together and that’s what I’m gonna do. Tonight is pivotal. We get past tonight I’m good”
James then shown “watching” Todd and Courtney
Courtney “You think it’s gonna work right?” Todd attempts to be casual as James looks on again.
James (conf) “I will have the idols there. They will be in my possession just in case”
James then shown giving a thumbs up mouthing PG.
James (conf) “If I do feel someone doing something they are not supposed to do I will play the idol”
Obviously this was solely meant for build up purposes and had no value otherwise since James did not play the idol. As much as this was done in voice over, I would be curious to know if this was from this particular Tribal Council or a prior one used for this episode for the fuller effect of a potential idol play
Tribal Council
The jury arrives with a nice change in the music that I don’t recall hearing before when a jury has entered. PG smiles upon Jamie’s name and Courtney shown shaking her head when Frosti’s name is announced. Todd is then shown glancing in the jury direction and smiling.
Jeff mentions that Denise is beaming
Denise “There was so much energy being in the temple; it gave me such a lift. I got plenty of energy now to go the rest of the time”
Jeff asks PG if she has tried to penetrate the former FL group
PG “Yeah (James) like it is still like butting against a brick wall because (Erik smiles) they are absolutely convinced (Denise) it’s numbers, numbers”
Jeff asks James that despite “FL” PG is still in the game
James “She’s doing what she’s supposed to do; she’s been working hard at it every day” (Amanda) “....it’s so much easier to fight to the death from the five (Amanda then Todd are shown) then it is to guess and take a chance (Denise) As far as right now there’s still ZH left (Erik) we need to get them off, why are we gonna allow them to keep on... sliding in”
PG “That’s not even accurate because after all who has been winning individual immunities? Oh Erik that’s a lovely necklace you got on. (James not amused) So calling us losers (Todd smiling then the jury shown amused) isn’t going to make us too happy. You guys have to realize these are going to be people that eventually (Erik smiling) you’re going to want voting for you at the end right?” (James is a bit speechless and PG shrugs)
Jeff asks Todd how important is trust
Todd “It’s huge, I’d say probably a 10; (James) if you don’t have that necklace around your neck (Courtney) what else can you do?”
Jeff mentions the opposite would be not trust (Amanda)
Todd “Yeah. I mean it’s like keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer, you know” (cymbal)
Jeff asks Denise what her take is on trust
Denise “I don’t trust anybody at all (Todd) to say okay I make a pact with you (Courtney) but then four other people decide (PG) that’s not a very good pact (Erik) we are going to take you out before we take the other person (James) you never know if it’s gonna be you”
Jeff asks James if it is possible to trust somebody at this point
James “It’s possible in the way if you have the same strategy and same goal (Todd) that’s the only time you can really trust somebody (Amanda) you know that they really need you (Denise) and you really need them; you all bond together (PG bemused) and if not you really can’t trust anybody”
Jeff asks who is not overly concerned that it is them leaving; a pause, no hands then Erik raises his hand with some laughter; Jeff then mentions so after this entire TC with five strong, two weak everyone truly feels it could be them leaving (James)
PG “I’ve never harbored any illusions to the contrary (Todd) so I’ve never been in doubt how my place (Erik) in this group. I’ve been expecting it to be me every single night....”
PG shown voting Todd for “a little insurance”
James shown voting for PG
Todd shown voting for James “if this works, wow. If not, I’m scared for my life”
Many reactionary shots shown while Jeff gives his introductory to the vote except for Denise. Todd winces when Jeff announces if anyone would like to play the hidden idol. James is shown looking towards his bag with Denise following his glance then quick shots of Courtney, Erik and back to James. Jeff announces he will read the votes as Todd grins and PG gives a small smile. James looks decidedly uncomfortable as his name is read with Todd smiling more along with the jury amused as PG glances over and smiles and Courtney appears a bit impish. James is called to leave and Todd pulls his cap down on his head as the jury reacts again in amusement and PG laughs. Erik is then shown grinning, Todd wipes his face then smiles and James walks off as a concerned look on Amanda’s face is shown which is then cut to Courtney and Todd.
Jeff “Tonight’s Tribal Council said it all (PG) 9 days left they are going to be interesting”

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flystorms 212 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Network TV Show Guest Star"
12-04-07, 08:56 AM (EST)

63. "RE: Episode #10: Editing Thoughts "

I missed you guys during the 2 week break (recap episode). Thanks for the great work, as always.

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VerucaSalt 1580 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Peanut Festival Grand Marshall"
12-08-07, 08:45 PM (EST)

64. "RE: Episode #10: Editing Thoughts "

flystorms thank you for a lovely sentiment. I hope you post your thoughts as well and Michel, always a pleasure reading your observations. I wouldn't go as far as to say my Art of War references are "supporting" anyone completely. If they are, then I need to check myself as those references were based upon the observations I made. My opinion of end game could never be really found in the amazing Art of War quotations lol
Recap
PG picked Denise and Erik...
Denise got to show off her martial arts skills
At camp, Amanda, Todd, Courtney and James made a final four pact (not exactly what transpired in its entirety)
James: "I've been the main guy trying to hold this thing together..."
Because he had both HII's James was in best position to win it all
At the IC Erik's victory locked in PG as the next to go
James: "Get rid of PG tonight, after that focus on getting rid of Erik and then it's all cake after that"
But Amanda had other ideas; she hatched a plan to take out James
Amanda: "There's no other time to get rid of James other than now; he's like the ultimate threat"
And everyone jumped at the chance (Subtle manipulation but effective in that although James may be shown favorable to viewers, stating ALL jumped at the chance validates Amanda's scheme)
Courtney: "We all vote for James?" (Amanda nods) "You're sure?" (Denise nods, Todd nods)
At TC, James trusted his alliance so he didn't play one of his idols
By failing to recognize he was in danger (Note the blame is laid on James rather than turn him into someone who was wronged, the voice over puts the burden of the responsibility for James' elimination on James), the most powerful player in the game was gone (PG shown) (Group shot of PG, Denise and Erik shown) (Courtney and Todd shown with Todd rubbing his head) (Amanda then shown)
Interestingly enough, PG was fairly dominant in this episode yet she was simply relegated to the person who was "next to go" which does not bode entirely too well in her edit. She attempted quite a bit of "wheeling and dealing" and was the boot candidate but there was no concentrated focus on her this recap
Post Tribal Council Aftermath?
Amanda "I think that was the most shocking TC yet"
Courtney "I think JR got a big kick seeing James voted out" (agreement) "He was like doo doo doo, they got you"
First portion of Todd's confessional shown
Todd "I wonder how mad James is right now"
Courtney "Lord have mercy... what did you say... I hope to God this doesn't turn into a screaming match back at the camp"
Todd "I said if this works, wow, if it doesn't I'm scared for my life"
Denise "I was like can you imagine if he came back here" (Amanda/Courtney shown)
Todd "No"
Denise "We'd all be dead"
Second portion of Todd's confessional shown
Todd "We're in the top six"
Erik "How bout we celebrate we're in the top six" (Courtney heard "yay")
Todd "Group hug everybody"
PG called over by Amanda
First part of PG's confessional shown
Erik "PG, you and your buddha outfit" (PG hugs Erik)
Remainder of PG's confessional shown
Todd (conf) "Wow! That's all I have to say about TC; I was so nervous that the idea to vote out James wouldn't work out and it did!" and "James is gone. He didn't use the idols. I am still here. I had a vote cast against me; my heart was pounding"
PG (conf) "Seeing the original FL members turn on each other gives me hope there must be a crack (Amanda) in old (Courtney) tribal lines (Denise) somewhere because Erik (Erik) and I are still around" (All said in voice over) and "If I can get one or two more people (hugs Todd) we can possibly cause (PG now shown in confessional) a tie at TC which could be kinda interesting" "I'm not giving up (Night scene shown) until I am voted out. I love it that I'm still here"
We rarely had post TC scenes so this was a nice change. Understandably, PG was shown as she helped to set up the dynamic for the episode to come with her continuing quest to fight hard which has become the essence of her edit. Todd being shown is not entirely unusual as he continues to be the main narrator (which I must say may be a Survivor record for narration; understandably shown as he provides wonderful narration not too mention he seems to hold the record for “million dollar” quotes ) and he was somewhat vulnerable in the TC. What perhaps is unusual is we heard nothing from Amanda despite the recap focusing on this was "her plan" which ended up being successful. We did not hear from her if she was concerned her plan wouldn't work and so forth. I have sensed from the beginning that quite a lot of "stain" (if you will) is removed from Amanda's edit which may be a positive for her at end game. It more or less likely depends on how the final culmination of events are handled. IF we are to still feel the Art of War has any presence, a main premise for same is subtlety in attack and warfare is one of more stealth instead of outward bloodshed. This, of course, remains to be seen as one would expect her insights to be shown. Only at the finale will it be determined if her persona is one of cloak and dagger as opposed to falling short in victory
The Day After
The Survivors take refuge in the cave during a pounding storm as Erik sings to the contestants
Todd (conf) "I can't even describe to you how miserable I feel; I thought of home for the past week and a half; I miss it. I'm not an emotional person at all but it kills you, it kills you but aww man, so close"
This is the same confessional area as his post TC commentary - I'm happy to see this confessional from Todd as he has been a bit polarized in his edit with his snappy, sarcastic commentary. This "depth" certainly adds more dimension to Todd since for this particular subject area; ANYONE could have been chosen for a confessional.
General conversation briefly shown
Todd (conf-all done in voice over) "My alliance is me, Courtney (shown), Amanda (shown) and Denise (shown); we want to get rid of Erik (shown) and PG; that is the goal (PG) but at the same time you can't trust anybody 100% (Todd) because in all reality (camera moves towards Amanda), we all want a million dollars (camera zooms in on Amanda) and if they turn on me (Todd) it would be a very smart move on their part (Denise) to get rid of me now (At this time, Todd is shown)of course I'm not going to tell them that"
This confessional is sensible in light of the episode shown. We already heard from PG earlier regarding her situation/vulnerability and with the events unfolding as well as the previews for the upcoming episode, the stage is now set for yet another chapter to unfold. Considering that Erik was the one to leave this episode, it reflects poorly on how Erik was portrayed this season that he was not given any earlier insight until it was determined that he would be the other potential boot candidate when PG won immunity.
A Family Affair
Jeff announces the family members are here which unfolds into a nice emotional scene that I personally am always a sucker in watching.
Erik is paired with his mother and the contestants are shown emotionally moved as she comes in.
Amanda's sister comes running out with Amanda apologizing for the smell
PG's father comes out with a big hug and observation how skinny PG is with smiles from everyone and her father telling her "win"
Todd's sister runs out to him with commentary by Jeff "that's a hug" and others notably moved. Todd asks if "Kim is good right" with his sister advising "She miscarried it Todd" Jeff then asks about the exchange with Todd advising (Erik shown) Jeff confirms with Todd's sister with Todd stating that all that matters is that his sister is okay with PG giving some comfort.
Courtney extremely emotional seeing her father which was a very nice change and in true Courtney fashion, she then cracks a joke about her father wearing a suit
Denise then greets her husband with a notable swelling of music (not surprising since we have come to known Denise as this simple, kind woman) whereupon she asks for his socks
Courtney apologizes to her dad that he has to compete in the challenge and then it commences with a lot of confusion, bird calls by Amanda and her sister which Denise tells them to stop, Todd and Courtney's father banging. Jeff comments that Courtney is still looking for her father with Courtney replying "Oh stop it Probst" (with a smile from Jeff, which I may add, he does not do often with back talk; I recall only Jonathan being able to get away with the fun talk at Jeff) until Denise and her husband win the challenge. Todd shown stating "Yeah Denise!"
Denise is then asked to pick two people to share the reward (always a tricky and awkward problem for the contestants)
Todd is selected first as we see PG appear anxious. Jeff notices Denise is pained by this selection process as Denise says how tough this is and she is sorry but has to go with Amanda. PG is notably upset as the remaining three say goodbye with Erik's mom telling him to not lose anymore weight. Jeff tells the loved ones they will go back to the camp after reward as the closing shot is on Denise very happy.
The Reward
Denise (conf) "Just for my husband to be here in China; he is afraid to fly that means a lot to me but to come here and compete and win a challenge together is so uplifting I've been taken over the top"
Chocolate cake brings cries of joy from Todd and Amanda
Denise (conf) "All of a sudden I can hear people crying in the background" (the phone conversation is shown; very emotional and touching) "Being able to hear their voices and my husband here with me today gives me the strength to keep on going, I mean I am here for the end, I'm getting strength from them and just keep on going"
Meanwhile... A Touch Of Bitter Grapes
PG "I wonder why Denise picked Amanda. I'll be honest, I'm kinda pissed she didn't pick me cause I took her out on a fat reward"
Whether or not, this statement was actually made to Courtney and Erik or a confessional remains to be seen. PG was not shown stating the actual words
Erik "I got to get this off my chest. I did not believe Todd's story" (a music change)
Courtney "I could not believe - my sister had an unplanned teenage pregnancy and a convenient miscarriage, gee whiz you'd think the girl would not want the entire world to know about"
Erik "If it's true, my deepest condolences but"
Courtney "No, I thought the same thing, I was like oh how convenient and then he was the person picked by Denise, great"
Courtney (conf) "Todd was going for the All Star performance of my sister had a convenient miscarriage and then of course Jeff was like Todd it looks like you got some bad news what happened? And Todd's like (over the top imitation of Todd) "That is not like the fake Jonny Fairplay my grandmom died; you can almost forgive that, that's funny" (bathing suit top, no buff sitting)
For all intents and purposes, this scene did not necessarily have to be shown. The question lies as to whether it was shown to reflect poorly on those having the discussion or to show reflection on how the contestants feel about Todd and therefore clue us in on how Todd is perceived. It seems fairly obvious that these three did not feel Todd was above pulling a "Fairplay" and we see later issues of trust surrounding Todd as well. In the same token, being discussed by others helps further the edit and much like the questions surrounding why something is/is not shown can only be answered at the end. Todd's longevity has never been in question and his being an end game player seems fairly certain therefore, was this particular scene shown (as opposed to not having to be shown) correlate directly to aspects the audience needs to know to understand the outcome?
A deliberate musical change ensues as the three see the other arrive with Erik saying he is sad and not really knowing how to respond to "this" Courtney notes Todd has melted chocolate on his hands.
Amanda arrives first to tell them they took as much chocolate as they could on their fingers. Both Todd and Amanda have the three lick the chocolate with Amanda laughing saying thank you since Erik's focus was on her fingers
First part of PG's confessional shown as both parts are the same confessional spot
Not entirely a negative confessional; it stands to reason someone would feel a bit bitter but there is a bit of hypocrisy in her statement since just last week she was shown coming back from a reward and immediately going over to the cave and citing (not unkindly I would state however) that those left behind were miserable
Courtney asks Denise's husband how proud is he of Denise to which he replies "Very proud"
Second portion of PG's confessional shown
PG (conf) "....we were sourpusses cause we lost the challenge and didn't get to go and I really didn't feel like interacting with anybody" and "It was tough; especially for me; I picked Denise for a literally once in a lifetime (Denise) reward trip (Erik) and you know she didn't pick me and it sucks"
Todd, Amanda and loves ones in water with Todd and Amanda giving high fives as they were the ones picked.
Todd "We were just so lucky that Denise got to pick two people" "And the other thing that scared me was when I was whispering about Kim, they are going to think I'm lying, like I'm pulling a big lie to see my sister. Hopefully everyone believes it because it wasn't a lie"
With this statement, we have the balance for the other scene; they thought he was lying, he is telling US he was not which softened what the perceived perception was. However, again, neither scene HAD to be shown but it was. A case of being misunderstood? The audience was given the opportunity to know that the three's assessment was wrong but the audience is not what is important ultimately so again, we are left with the editing wanting to show what the contestants' perception of Todd is, even though they were incorrect
Amanda tells him how sorry she is about that. Todd's confessional shown More discussion about his sister and when she lost the baby.
Todd (conf) "I know there has been a lot of pointing at me as a strategic threat but it was all true; it was all from the heart, I wasn't out to be some snake right there, I really was concerned about my home"
The above confessional was in the same area as when Todd, early in the episode, told us that his alliance was with Denise, Courtney and Amanda and that it would be a smart move to get rid of him now but he won't be the one to tell them that
Denise tells her husband things are going okay. "There's a lot of young kids there and I don't have a lot of bond with them but we'll see what happens, I can only hope that Amanda and Todd stay with me and we go to the final three. If they backstab me and take Courtney that is one of the chances I'll have to take; I mean to be out here all this time is still pretty damn good"
I had flashbacks to the time Helen and her husband spoke during this conversation and we also want to question whether this is prophecy in the making as many statements like this end up being so. Obviously this was important to show since the following scene immediately discusses what Denise comments about, i.e. Amanda and Todd backstabbing her
Amanda "I mean obviously it's not a good idea for us to backstab anyone anymore (Todd says right) but I think as long as we take Denise to the final four, she'll understand" (Todd agrees)
Todd's sister asks if they want Denise to go before Courtney and both reply yes.
Todd "Yeah, because we can win better..."
Amanda "...she had kids"
Todd "I mean I love Denise I do but ahhhhh"
Amanda "The thing is that in the final three she will play her sob story" (Todd shown nodding)
Todd "That's why we, like, Amanda and I and Courtney are all pretty much on the same level cause we've pissed a lot of the people on the jury off; it's like a pretty even chance between all of us so I'm like..."
Amanda "And we make such a cute final three" (laughs)
Todd's sister comments that they got it with Amanda heard saying "Perfect" with Todd shown then saying "Perfect" with Amanda heard saying "Like a dream" with the focus entirely shown on Todd.
A very interesting scene for many reasons. We have tied into relationships with the jury members which bodes well for both Amanda and Todd. We, as an audience, have seen more hints of Todd being what may be the driving force and overt leader of any shenanigans resulting from those booted. Courtney's personality is what perhaps formed negative relationships with some of the jury members but Amanda has never been overtly shown to us in confessionals or scenes between her and others that "she pissed a lot of people off on the jury" This spoken by Todd may result in a very complex forge to the end game with no clear "villain" being flogged
The loved ones are to leave with Denise's husband whispering "I think you're gonna win this" (again I felt such a Helen/husband presence to this) as Todd says "32 days I can make it few more" as they get on the boat to leave.
Todd (conf) "It kills you to say goodbye to loved ones but you can't stop the game because the game keeps going so you want to feel comfortable and you want to feel like you can trust people and you just can't though you gotta keep on your toes, you gotta keep yourself nervous or else you're gonna get screwed"
More enhancement of the next chapter to come. Denise striving for the end; wary of Todd and Amanda backstabbing her. The plot that Amanda and Todd discuss to have Denise leave at four; Todd reflecting on trust quite a bit throughout this episode setting up for his potential vulnerability as innuendo surrounds Todd that he is the one not to trust
PG "These past couple of days have been rough. To be honest I was kinda upset too; I mean I won't lie"
Denise "I know; I mean I feel very vulnerable; very nervous right now because of the situation I got put in. It wasn't my fault, it just happened to work out that way; I might be the one who is the next to go"
PG's confessional shown
PG "Why'd you pick Amanda?"
Denise "I don't know. She was feeling faint at TC. She wasn't able to talk; she has been doing really badly"
Somewhat surprising to hear this as none of this was ever shown and when a member is very sick or lazy and so forth it is capitalized on however that is usually the reason that person is booted. With that, unless there was no conceivable way to avoid this portion of the conversation, it was a bit surprising that they kept it in unless it has some impact on later in the game as evidenced by PG's next words
PG "She keeps playing the sympathy card; maybe I should start"
PG's second portion of confessional shown
PG "I do appreciate you taking the time to come over and talk to me about all that though"
Denise "I just wanted to see where you were standing and where I was coming from..."
Third portion of PG's confessional shown
At no time, did we see Amanda play a sympathy card so much like the discussion about Todd and his potentially false story about his sister, we are getting more mind set about how people are feeling about others. We can't, as an audience, be convinced though that PG is necessarily to be believed as it has never been validated by anyone else or shown in the show. As the audience though, this may be a nugget of information that requires to be stockpiled in our collective minds (much like the perception of Todd given to us) to understand Amanda's fate in this game
PG (conf) "After the loved ones left, Denise came over and try to fix that little problem she might have with me about not getting picked" (Same confessional as her statement about being a sourpuss and not wanting to interact with the others when they came back) and "I do feel a little better that she took the time to come talk to me; I might need her vote if I can convince her to vote somebody else off" (Again, the same confessional area) and "Right now I'm going to concentrate on gathering up all my energy to focus on winning that challenge because I really need it; every time since the merge I feel like I need it to win"
More furthering of PG's continued vulnerability
Immunity Back Up For Grabs
Jeff assembles the Survivors and asks Erik "to give it up" (Amanda shown) and immunity back up for grabs (Todd/PG) (Denise/Amanda) as the challenge will test you both physically and mentally (Courtney/Todd)
Jeff "Guaranteed a one in five shot (group shot) of winning this game (Courtney then Todd who smiles) For those of you who enjoy those statements and visuals
Of note was the various references to Todd and Amanda neck and neck; Todd in the lead, Amanda just behind, Denise and Erik struggling, Amanda still fighting hoping Todd will make a mistake (which was somewhat interesting since at this time, PG also had her second key correct and was heading back for her third key, Todd was nearing the podium to get this third key and Amanda was behind both of them and this was immediately followed by PG "right on Todd's tail") Todd made his final choice, did he choose the right statement, you want guaranteed final five, you got to keep fighting (PG shown)
An extremely grueling challenge with PG claiming victory. Todd shown frustrated with Amanda shown seemingly turning around to show Erik exhausted.
PG "I never would have believed it" (The group claps and deservedly so) as Erik again shown with PG smiling in victory.
Some Scrambling
PG (conf) "Honestly I can't believe I won; I'm still crying about it. I've been like underdog the whole time since I've been here; every council I'm not wearing the necklace I expect to be voted out so.." (Group shown gathering for food) "This is like one my proudest moments I've ever had in my entire life. I'm safe tonight but it's been really physically and mentally exhausting"
A humanizing and vulnerable moment for PG which was a nice change and perhaps an arc rounding out. We may not entirely like PG but she does merit some respect on how determined she is to stay in this game. On paper, PG is logically not safe unless she wins immunity and she is the constant carrot dangling for the audience to see when and if that should happen
Todd shown walking at camp observing Amanda and Erik alone on the boat.
Denise heard to ask Todd if he is okay.
Todd "I'm okay. I mean as long as everybody's still cool with tonight" (Courtney shown with eyebrow raised) "The only thing that would be a surprise is if Amanda would turn but she won't because she knows that if Erik or PG get even close to the end they got it so I'm voting for Erik tonight"
Todd (conf) "It seems so obvious to me at least that PG won immunity who else is going to go tonight, Erik; it's probably the easiest vote for me so far" (Amanda/Erik on boat)
A somewhat suspect scene perhaps taken out of some context as we were shown not long ago, Todd and Amanda reaffirming their plan - I would gather there were some missing elements that we did not see and given a cliff note version to further the storyline as Todd worried about Amanda shortly after their conversation with their loved ones seems a bit off so I would gather other situations occurred for this to even be thought about. It may stand to reason that Amanda perhaps spoke to Todd about her conversation with Erik that we see and he is relying on that discussion when he speaks with Courtney and Denise
Erik "I feel like even if I was on Todd's side, I feel a little shaded out just by not trusting him with that what I think is false information about his sister"
Amanda "He could very well have played that up like a way to get further in the game, that is what it sounded like to me too"
We are well aware that Amanda knows Todd didn't lie as he told her so but Amanda is obviously not taking any chances by correcting Erik in that regard; perhaps Amanda is more conniving then the edit has shown thus far. We have been given PG's opinion of Amanda's playing "sympathy" and we see Amanda manipulating the situation with Erik - a bit of yin/yang of Todd and Amanda showcased in very different manners
Erik (conf) "The hard part for me is that nobody here trusts Todd (more furthering in this regard) and it irks me because I'm throwing his name out like okay if you don't trust him then what's the deal" "I feel like I have to fight but I don't know what to do"
(Erik and PG)
PG "I just want you to know I'm not going to vote for you tonight. They don't need my vote so I'm voting for Todd" PG has been staying the course with wanting to cast a vote for Todd which I was a bit surprised considering she did not seem overtly fond of Amanda's game play "It might be a long shot but..."
Erik "I'll talk to Denise"
PG "I think she might be your best bet" Yet Todd's concern was about Amanda
First portion of PG's confessional shown
(PG, Denise and Erik)
PG "Honestly I think Todd wants to go with Courtney and Amanda"
Denise "I know that"
PG "If Erik's voted out and I don't win next time it'll probably be me gone; you know honestly you'll probably end up number four"
Denise "I know that"
Erik "Unless we can guarantee you three"
Denise "Yep"
Second portion of PG's confessional shown
Denise "It's just a tough decision right now; I'm kinda stuck in a hard place right now"
Erik "Third is a much better spot than fourth for sure"
PG (conf) "Erik and I are going to vote for Todd and hope that Denise swings for Todd" and "If she votes Erik out now it's probably likely she'll end up in fourth place prophecy? if she tries to force a tie and Todd gets voted out tonight suddenly her chances at getting top three are much better"
If anyone should suspect that Erik would NOT go tonight, this scene would show otherwise; aside from Erik lamenting he didn't know what to do, PG carried this entire scene yet Erik was the one vulnerable tonight. Erik was not even given prime camera time to save himself; we heard all about the strategy from PG's point of view
(Todd, Amanda, Courtney)
Todd "You guys don't think I have anything to worry about?"
No is heard but the camera focuses on Amanda
Todd "They are still trying to sway her vote right now so what it would be three three?"
Courtney "Well go talk to her as soon as they leave"
Todd "I will"
Courtney "Tell her don't be stupid"
Todd "Denise isn't stupid though"
Again, a somewhat "hodge podge" going on - Todd shown discussing concern about Amanda which seemingly came out of the blue considering their talk in the water and from which nothing really seem to materialize other than Amanda shown bolstering Todd's "persona" to Erik which is then dropped suddenly to feature Denise as the person Todd should be wary about. We note also that the preview for this episode featuring Amanda telling Erik how Todd is playing his own game with commentary showcasing that Amanda appears to be making a move against Todd was never really capitalized upon. I question then, since Denise is the solo feature of Todd's possible demise whether or not we only had a manipulated "red herring" thrown in with respect to Amanda only to set up for future. We did not even get a confessional from Amanda about potentially voting out Todd. Erik even spoke to PG (presumably after speaking with Amanda) and Erik did not even discuss having Amanda as a potential vote nor PG/Erik were shown trying to talk to Amanda. I question then whether Amanda's "possible plotting" was solely a ruse in her discussion with Erik; even the omitted scene of her telling Erik Todd is playing his own game which conceivably happened after they got off the boat but we never did once hear straight from Amanda herself that she wanted to vote out Todd. Courtney was essentially a complete non entity in all of this; at the very least I would have suspected a sound bite from her
Denise's first confessional shown; all three in same confessional spot
(Todd, PG and Denise)
Todd "Like I know it's down to the wire and I know the lobbying's strong but I've had your back you know? I know you've got mine babe" "I'm sorry but I have to vote your buddy out PG"
PG "You know what, like, I expected it" (PG leaves)
Todd "Are they pushing?"
Denise "Of course. But you know"
Todd "I trust you, I really do"
Of note is some good technique by Todd and very subtle; his advising Denise how HE trusts HER and even stating matter of factly to PG that he will be voting out Erik is of one who is very proficient in social manipulation
Denise's second confessional shown
Erik "This is gonna be the longest wait of my life"
Denise's third confessional shown
Denise (conf) "This Tribal Council is definitely a turning point in the game; if I do switch and head to that side of the coin are my chances better? Probably. But am I gonna win against one of those two? I don't know. Right now it's a 50/50 split" and "I'm definitely the swing vote tonight; for me personally this is do or die; when I get up there I don't know who I'm gonna pick, what happens when I get back to camp after I make this decision, who is gonna be flipping out. This is a game for a million dollars and right now writing someone's name down is a million dollar signature" and"I'm a little nervous, I'm a little scared, I'm a little in turmoil, I'm a little flipping out, the thunder and lightning is getting closer, my decision is getting closer, my mind is racing .... I just don't know what to do, can you help me?" (Looks to the skies as a lightening bolt shown crashing down)
Unlike some other "swing voters" Denise is again very sympathetic as opposed to a portrayal of being power hungry which only furthers her edit as the nice, caring woman who wants to get as far as she can and while would like to go to final three, is not relying on HERSELF to make it happen but rather the actions of others for her
Tribal Council
The jury arrives with various reaction shots, most notably Todd followed by Denise after James was announced with a very stoic reaction from James which then switches back to Todd.
Jeff asks Amanda if she felt like she knew Denise after the reward with loved ones and their interaction (Jamie smiles as she hits Frosti over that news)
Amanda "I think she is blessed with a great life and a great family; a great bond with her kids (Jamie smiling) and it was just nice to see that part of Denise, the softer side of Denise" (Denise smiles)
Jeff asks Denise if there is a downside in everyone seeing what a great life she has (Amanda)
Denise "It's a two way street, yes it's a good thing to let them see a little bit (JR) but bad because maybe they won't pull for me (Todd) or a little scared (Courtney) to let them go against me in the finals"
Jeff asks why they wouldn't want to go against her in the finals (PG)
Denise "
Jeff mentions to PG that over the last several TC's it would be either her or Erik to be voted out (James shown then JR) and what is her take on tonight's vote.
PG "I think there is definitely some ambiguity going on (Todd shown with cymbal crash) you know if you (Amanda shown) want to look at it as 2 against 4, one person is at the very bottom (Denise) and I don't see why they wouldn't make that leap like I don't want to be fourth I want to be first possibly (Courtney) they could turn the game around entirely (Amanda) for one or two people (Erik) and so it's something everything should take into consideration very carefully" (Denise nodding)
Jeff asks Denise if the talk of the vote being up in the air concern her
Denise "Yeah, there is three people over there (gestures to Courtney/Amanda/Todd) and two people over here (PG/Erik) and I always feel like I'm on the bottom of the barrel (Todd) and I'm really really scared (Amanda) but hopefully tonight's the night I can trust people. To get a little further in the game would be great (PG nodding/smiling) I want to stay here for as long as I can (Erik) so I'm just gonna hope for the best"
Jeff asks Todd if there is anyone here he can trust
Todd "Yes I do trust people here (Denise) I have to because I'm not wearing that necklace (cymbal crash) so I do feel like I trust people, yeah. I just don't 100% exactly how much" (Denise)
Jeff asks Erik if it is him has he done everything to crack this four.
Erik "Yeah, honestly I want to be here tomorrow (Courtney) and I hope people realize (Amanda) that there is four against two which could be three against three (Denise) and all of sudden you are not fourth (PG) you are top three and you have a chance to win a million dollars (Todd) and I'm playing that card, that's all I got left"
The Vote
Todd "It's either going to be you or me tonight; I'm not ready to go so"
Erik "Too many people said they couldn't trust you, sorry"
Denise (with pivotal vote) "I"m sorry I have to do this; it's probably the biggest mistake I will make in this game" (Foreshadowing?)
With that, Erik is voted off and with a hug from PG, a look of relief from Todd and one of Denise with an expression of potential misgiving which pans back to PG of disappointment and back to Denise again
Jeff "Based on what I heard tonight, it sounds like you're all battling the same question (Todd) do I take somebody with me simply because I think I can beat them (PG) or do I take somebody with me who I think is most deserving (Denise) because I showed I wanted to beat the best. It could be a million dollar decision"
The jury is then shown briefly with Todd then shown walking quickly down the steps towards the camera with a very determined and perhaps a bit angry expression.

Top

michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
12-09-07, 05:14 PM (EST)

65. "Episode #11: Editing Thoughts "

Hello Veruca. It's always nice to read your analysis. OK, I know you weren't supporting completely, (your analysis, like any good strategy, is too clinical for that ) but weren't your choice of quotes revealing a small penchant for Amanda?
The recap was all about James’ cake, Amanda’s pie and how the most powerful player left in the game had been blindsided.
After pulling some surprising moves, the time has come to consolidate the advantage and return to a simple numbers game. Thus we saw
VARIATION IN TACTICS
The general who thoroughly understands
the advantages that accompany variation
of tactics knows how to handle his troops.
Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations
of advantage and of disadvantage will be
blended together. If our expectation of
advantage be tempered in this way,
we may succeed in accomplishing the essential
part of our schemes.
Denise
Denise was happy to see her husband Robert…and his socks! “If you want’em, I’ll give'em to you.”
At the start of the challenge, Denise gave directions to her husband and they hooked up first, helping each other to the platform. She had to tell the two bird callers to “stop that noise” but they made it on top first. Denise won reward and decided to share it with Todd and Amanda.
Denise had a confessional: “Just for my husband to be here in China...that means a lot to me…I’m going to embrace it and keep on going.”
Denise shared a moment with her husband, reflecting on the game and how she doesn’t have a lot in common with the young kids. “I can hope that Amanda and Todd stay with me and go to the final three. If they take Courtney, that’s one of the chances I’m going to have to take.” “Play your game” was Robert’s advice but, at the same time Amanda was plotting against Denise.
Being pulled by both sides for her vote, Denise had a confessional: “This tribal council right here is definitely a turning point in the game...It’s a 50-50 split.” Todd joined Denise and PG, reassuring Denise he had her back and announcing he was voting for PG’s buddy Erik. Denise’s confessional continued: “I’m definitely the swing vote tonight. For me, personally, this is do or die...The decision is getting closer, my mind is racing. I don’t know, I don’t know what to do. (Turning to the sky) Can you help me? ” Right then lightning struck as if in answer. That’s never good!
At TC, Denise told Jeff winning the family reward is a two way street, that it’s good to let them see a little but that people seeing her with her family could earn her sympathy votes and therefore it could scare others to go against her in the finals. Todd’s look seemed to confirm that. She told Jeff: “I feel like I’m at the bottom of the barrel. Hopefully, tonight’s the night that I can trust people.” She voted for Erik, letting us hear that it was probably the biggest mistake she was going to make in this game.
It’s more trivia than editing analysis, but winning the family visit isn’t a two way street. No one has ever won the family visit and won Survivor. Back to the editing, we saw a completion of Denise’s story. Everyone is giving her the 4th spot, she tells them she knows but she goes ahead with that “mistake.” We feel sorry for Denise but we understand why she will fall victim to the people she trusts.
Courtney
Courtney first expressed relief that, with James departure, they wouldn’t have a shouting match. Denise agreed that, had he stayed, James would have killed them. At Erik’s suggestion, Courtney started the group hug.
When Courtney’s dad Graham appeared “looking debonair” as Jeff remarked, I thought of our waitress’ remark about JR and how stupid it was to come to the jungles of China in a silk suit. “I told you he’d wear a suit” she joked through the tears, showing she can dish it out on everyone. “I’m English, I don’t do shorts” was Graham’s response. “He’s English” she explained, using the accent! She apologized to her dad when Jeff told them they’d be participating in the challenge: “I didn’t know! I’m sorry.”
Once the challenge started, Jeff commented: “Courtney, still looking for her father.”
She angrily responded: “Ho! Stop it, Probst.” The camera went to Jeff who was smiling, revealing that he likes her spunk.
Back in camp, the music changed when Erik suggested that the news Todd received was hard to believe. We started hearing a ‘kooky’ theme, complete with whistles. (I thought of AppleJack when I read that VS also picked up on that cue. He taught us a lot! ) Courtney agreed it was strange that Todd would tell the whole world about his sister’s pregnacy and miscarriage. She found it convenient and it got him to be chosen first by Denise.
The 'kooky' theme continued while Courtney did an announcement type confessional, joking about the situation: “Todd was going for the Oscars with his performance of ‘my sister had a convenient miscarriage’ then of course Jeff went: ‘Todd, it looks like you got some bad news. What happened’…(She does a “dramatic” imitation of Todd) It was not like the fake Johnny Fairplay and ‘my grandma died’. You can almost forgive that, that was funny.”
Courtney’s role isn’t about playing Survivor. Sure, she told Todd to talk to Denise, she participated in the talk about Amanda’s vote but she doesn’t give us her opinion on any of that. Only when she’s unhappy with the vote decision, do we get to hear her thoughts. The opinions we hear from her are always against someone but they have no bearing on who goes or who stays. It seems her opinion is only for comic relief. I wouldn’t know how to interpret her rant against Todd which was her main scene of the episode. Does Courtney’s opinion reflect what we should expect to be the jury’s perception of Todd? I will use an old formula: “The words expressed by this contestant reflect only her views and not those of” anyone else!
Peih Gee
Peih Gee had the most to celebrate from James’ elimination but the images still showed her apart from the group as they celebrated being part of the final 6. We even got to hear Todd asking “Where’s Peih Gee.”
Peih Gee’s confessional: “Seeing the original Fei Long members turn on each other absolutely gives me hope...I’m not giving up until I’m voted out. I love it that I’m still here.”
Peih Gee was happy to see her dad Lawrence who looked at her and found her skinny. “It’s a great weight loss program” she said. “We win” he told her but they didn’t.
Back in camp, PG was pissed that Denise picked Amanda. She later had a confessional: “When the loved ones showed up, we were sour pusses...I didn’t feel like interacting with anybody. It was really tough especially for me. I picked Denise to go with me on a once in a lifetime reward trip and she didn’t pick me. It sucks.”
Once Robert and the others left, a seemingly broken PG told Denise how she felt about not being chosen for the reward. Denise explained it wasn’t her fault that she was put on the spot. She explained that she didn’t want to be the next one voted off. Denise answered PG’s question about picking Amanda: “She felt faint at the last tribal council, she wasn’t able to talk. She’s been stumbling around”. PG agreed that Amanda was playing the sympathy card.
In confessional, PG said: “After the loved one left, Denise came over and kinda fix that little problem that she might have with me not getting picked...Right now I’m gonna concentrate on gathering up all my energy and focus on winning that challenge because I really need it. Every time, since the merge, I feel like I need to win.”
It was an exhausting challenge in which PG trailed Todd and Amanda for a large portion. Answering all 3 questions correctly earned her the necklace again.
After, in confessional: “Honestly, I can’t believe I won. I’m still crying about it. Wow! I’ve been underdog since the whole time I’ve been here. Every council that I’m not wearing the necklace, I can be voted out. This is probably my proudest moment I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m safe tonight but it’s been mentally and physically exhausting.”
PG told Erik that she was voting “Todd” and that their best bet was Denise. Both went to work on the lunch lady, telling her Todd wants to go to the end with Amanda and Courtney, leaving her 4th place.
PG told Jeff that “There’s some ambiguity going on. If you want to look at it as 2 against 4, there’s one person at the bottom. I don’t see why they wouldn’t make that leap…and turn the game around.”
PG has been shown as a fighter who never found a strategy that would work. An underdog that has such perseverance always gets the respect of the audience. Along with her valor, we have also been shown scenes of her hypocrisy and how she annoys others. Her up and down story has almost certainly reached its conclusion with the proudest moment of her entire life.
Amanda
Amanda received a visit from her sister Katrina. As they hugged, we heard Amanda saying: “Sorry, I stink.” The weirdly creative sisters never reached each other but they still got to share the reward and experience one night of camp life. Amanda reacted at seeing a chocolate cake as if it was the million.
Returning to camp, the reward winners had chocolate in their hands that they offered to the others. Amanda explained “We brought as much as we could. Would you like a little taste?” When Erik licked her hand, Amanda commented: “Kinky.”
Swimming in the lake Amanda explained the situation: “Obviously, it’s not a good idea for us to backstab anyone anymore but I think that as long as we take Denise to the final 4, she’ll understand.”
Todd added: “I love Denise…Amanda and I and Courtney are on the same level because we have pissed the people on the jury off. We have a pretty equal chance.” Amanda liked the idea of that cute final 3. It was “Perfect.”
Was Amanda feeling faint at the last TC? It would explain why we didn’t see much from her. If she was feeling poorly, the grueling immunity challenge couldn’t help. Of Jeff’s statements during that challenge, the one that seemed to have some foreshadowing value came after Amanda had fallen behind: “Amanda still fighting, hoping Todd will make a mistake.” It does seem like it is his game to lose.
Amanda listened to Erik telling her that Todd wasn’t to be trusted since he may have used false information about his sister. Strangely, we didn’t see the scene from the previews where Amanda was to tell Erik “Todd is playing his own game and I don’t like it.” What happened that made PG and Erik agree that Denise was their best bet? Amanda finding Erik adorable wasn’t exploited at all.
At Tribal Council, Amanda told Jeff it was nice to see the softer side of Denise.
From the moment the two survivor fans entered an alliance in episode #2, they’ve been seen as a force. Amanda has been the subtle one and the recap acknowledged her role on the vital elimination of James. However, the opening sequence returned to that decision and we didn’t see her in a confessional, expressing her reactions. It could be that the stain of eliminating the popular James was removed from her as VS suggested, but it could also be seen as taking the credit away from her. The perception that Amanda is playing the sympathy card that PG expressed and Denise accepted can also play both ways as far as influencing the jury. Do they have sympathy for her or do they see through what could be an act? Despite the talk of going against Todd, it seems certain that the battle between these two will only be resolved in the last episode and could come down to 1 vote.
Todd
Night 30 started in Hae Da Fung with Amanda telling everyone that “This was the most shocking tribal council yet. Courtney added “I think Jean Robert got a big kick about James getting voted out. He was like ‘They got you. too-too-too”
Todd was still decompressing when he gave his confessional: “Wow! It’s all I have to say about tribal council. I was so nervous that the idea wouldn’t work to vote James out. It did...I’m still here. I had a vote cast against me, my heart was pounding.”
Day 31 saw more rain and the Survivors being “cave-dwellers”. Todd’s confessional continued: “I can’t even describe to you how miserable I feel. I’ve thought of home for the last week and a half and how much I miss it. You know, I’m not an emotional person at all but it kills you. Ha! Man, so close” (Peih Gee was heard saying “we have a week left, well somebody has a week left) Another of Todd’s confessional was added here to set up the episode: “My alliance in the game is: Me, Courtney, Amanda and Denise. We want to get rid of Erik and Peih Gee, that is the goal. But at the same time, you can’t trust anybody 100% because in all reality we all want 1Million dollars. (we see a very pensive Amanda) If they turn on me, it would be a very smart move on their part to get rid of me now. Of course I’m not going to tell them that.”
We were off to the reward challenge and the family visit.
One of Todd’s sister, Brandy, came for the visit and nearly tackled her brother. She told him that his other sister had a miscarriage. A tearful Todd explained the situation but assured everyone his sister was alright and that was all that mattered.
Back in camp after the boat ride and while Robert, “Mr. Denise” as Courtney called him, was telling everyone in the shelter that he was proud of his wife, Todd was taking a swim with Amanda, Brandy and Katrina. He told his alliance partner: “How perfect is this that we’re here?” Amanda agreed and they high fived. Todd went on: “We were so lucky that Denise got to pick two people…The other thing that scared me was, when I whispered about Kim, they’re going to think I’m lying…Hopefully, everybody believes me because it wasn’t a lie.”
Todd, in confessional: “I know there’s been a lot of pointing at me as a strategic threat but it was all true, it was all from the heart. I wasn’t out to be some snake out there. I was really concerned about my home.”
Day 32 started with Brandy, Katrina and a sockless Robert leaving Hae Da Fung. Todd, in confessional: “It kills you to say goodbye to loved ones but you can’t stop the game cause the game keeps going. So you want to feel comfortable and you want to feel like you can trust people but you can’t though. You gotta keep on your toes, you gotta stay nervous or else, you’re gonna get screwed.”
In the aftermath of the immunity challenge, Todd observed Amanda out fishing with Erik. He told Denise and Courtney that she has to realize that “if PG or Erik get even close to the end, they’ve got it.”
In confessional, he said: “It seems so obvious to me at least that, when PG won immunity, who else would go tonight, Erik. It’s probably the easiest vote for me so far.”
Arriving at tribal council, James glared at Todd menacingly. Nevertheless, Todd told Jeff: “Yes, I do trust people here, I have to because I’m not wearing that necklace. So I do trust people, I just don’t know exactly 100% how much.” You could feel the pressure that had bottled up when Jeff announced that Erik was voted out and Todd finally exhaled. In conclusion, Jeff said that it seemed the question was: “Do I take somebody with me simply because I think I can beat them or do I take with me somebody I think is most deserving because I want to beat the best? It could be a million dollar question.”
Todd didn’t care anymore, he left the council area with a new spring in his step, looking almost the conqueror.
Amanda has been the subtle Survivor while Todd has been the wise Survivor who kept changing and adapting his plans and varying his tactics. Both were connected to the Chinese Culture during the opening ceremony* and in confessionals during some rewards. If victory is more a question of heart than brawn, we know that Todd, the munchkin, was well liked by everyone at the start but Amanda has gained a lot of sympathy. This season started with a theme based on strategy but the last mention of the Art of War was by Jeff during the merge scene. Todd has been the strategist but will it still matter in the end? One good sign for him is that all the doubts have been built around Todd. Also, we rarely get a close-up shot of Survivors leaving Tribal Council. Usually, it’s a group shot. Todd’s conquering image filled the screen.
*Interestingly, the opening ceremony of episode #1 gave us a confessional from Peih Gee and Denise. The two people we saw participating in the ceremony inside the temple were Todd and Amanda and everyone remembers Courtney’s negativity. Besides Leslie who refused to participate, no one else did more than look around during that sequence. The final five's story was already connected, even back then.

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michel 10958 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
12-15-07, 06:02 PM (EST)

66. "Episode #12: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 12-15-07 AT 06:10 PM (EST)
The recap told us that, after the tribe had successfully blindsided James, Peih Gee realized she could have a shot at winning it all. The immunity win made PG a “force to be reckoned with” as she hatched a plan to vote out the “Mastermind”. At TC, Denise remained true to her alliance.
The road was long and difficult. It’s hard to keep a large army/alliance together. Fei Long’s core alliance made it to the final battle ground.
Maneuvering
Sun Tzu wrote :
The difficulty of tactical maneuvering
consists in turning the devious into the direct, and
circumstances into gain. To take a long and circuitous
route, after enticing the enemy out of the way,
to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows
knowledge of the artifice of DEVIATION.
Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an
undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.
We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted
with the designs of our neighbors.
Denise
It was night 33 when the tribe returned to camp. Todd was happy to say that they had made the Final 5 but Denise was still thinking of the vote.
Denise in confessional: “PG and Erik approached me earlier and they wanted me to vote out Todd tonight. I could’ve been at least in the top three and I could’ve made it to the jury vote. But I decided to play it safe. It could be the biggest mistake I made in the game so far.”
The reward challenge started as a disappointment for Denise who only received 2 arrows but, as Jeff pointed out: “Denise sitting pretty, not doing anything.” With Courtney’s lack of aim, Denise won the reward.
She first picked Courtney who gave her the reward but when she had to make a second choice, she faced a barrage from Peih Gee: “I’m gonna be on the jury girl, I took you, I gave you the Shaolin Monks. I gave you food when I knew you were sick.” Denise consulted Courtney and they agreed not to let PG get stronger. They chose Todd, leaving PG practically in tears.
Denise told us: “Winning the challenge and actually go to the Great Wall of China was an incredible thing. The view stretched…”
As night fell, Denise listened to the scheming going on. She had a confessional that was heard in voice over while the events unfolded: “In this four person alliance, I kinda feel scared because Todd back-stabbed a lot of people. He’s been making alliances with everybody and not telling anybody and doing shifty things. This is a critical time right now; someone is going to be left out of our group. I don’t want it to be me.” The way the scene was edited showed us that Denise decided to go bed just as she talked of the “critical time”.
Just before going to Tribal Council, Denise talked with Amanda and PG who told them she’s fought hard and played an honorable game.
Denise gave us her thoughts: “PG’s on the outside right now and everybody’s trying to vote her off. She’s trying to get rid of Todd and I don’t blame her. But Todd’s made a lot of enemies on the jury and I think I have a chance of winning against Todd if I keep him in the finals. I’m still torn.”
At TC, Denise spoke of her dilemma after she had won reward: “I knew I had to pick Courtney. She hasn’t been eating, she hasn’t gone on a lot of challenges. I picked Todd to go with me as well.”
If anyone still had hope for Denise, the scene at the Great Wall had to shred them. The voice over confessional could’ve been placed anywhere but to see her speak of “critical times” with Todd and Courtney scheming and her going to bed looked like the editors way of saying: "You snooze, you lose". Denise has always been portrayed as someone who enjoyed her experience, not as a real player.
Courtney
As the tribe went to bed, Courtney summed up the voting decision:“Erik is possibly the nicest person on the face of the planet…but in the game of Survivor, that doesn’t mean I’m handing you a million dollars.”
After the reward meal, Courtney commented on how PG will “be filled with hatred.”
Courtney then, in confessional: “It was sort of a strategic thing to have Denise bring Todd instead of Amanda to this because Amanda is a lot less likely to stir up trouble back at camp than Todd would be. An angry Todd is a bad Todd.”
On Day 35, we saw three monkeys playing and then the three reward winners returning to camp. Courtney didn’t see anyone and asked: “Is there anybody home? Where are they? Are we getting extreme Survivor paranoïa right now?” The two women had simply been collecting water from the well. The greetings and impressions of the Great Wall were overshadowed by complaints about the menu. Judging by Amanda’s expression and the confessionals we heard from her and PG, the two left behind weren’t impressed.
Courtney had a funny reaction when Jeff told the group the final round of the challenge would be a repeat of swinging a sword to cut through rope. It wasn't a challenge made for her! She did well in the first 2 rounds but didn’t advance to the last one.
At TC, Courtney told Jeff that the reward menu was confusing: “It would have been nice with Pizza and Beer. Whooo! Party! But I’m ‘Negative Nancy’, that’s just me.” That was greeted by a frown from a frustrated PG who’s own remarks of “being one of those positive people…not only here because other people have let me stay in it” received an irritated look from our NY waitress and a laugh from James and Todd. When Jeff asked Courtney if it was about being deserving or strictly about being with people you can beat, Courtney told the jury that “How can you look at anyone who sat outside for 36 days and put up with all this insanity and say you don’t deserve to be here.” We only saw Frosti looking at her and not even reacting.
Courtney will have a hard time convincing the jury to award her the million. Even Frosti didn’t smile when she mentioned deserving to be there because she endured the conditions and the game. Meeting these people in China was Courtney’s personal hell. Todd and Amanda were the ones shown on screen when Courtney made that comment in episode #1. Hearing Jeff call out votes for Todd and Amanda but not for her will probably show that she never got out of her hell.
Amanda
Amanda saw her three allies going on reward while she had to stay behind. “There’s not much you can do” she told Jeff.
We then spent a lot of time back in camp, seeing the two women bonding. Amanda had trouble getting all the work done.
Amanda in confessional: “Everything is so much work as it is. Having to do it all, just sucks. It’s coming down to the end of the game and three people are having meals and eating. I used to be one of those three and now, I’m not, so it’s hard.” The close-up vantage point made us feel her pain even more.
Returning to the shelter, she asked PG: “Why do you dislike me so much? Ever since you’ve came here, you haven’t talked to me at all. At tribal, I feel like you’re always attacking me.”
It was strange to learn that, despite her desperate situation, PG had never approached Amanda. Amanda gained PG’s respect.
The girls managed to find fruits to eat: “Yeah! Life doesn’t suck right now” was Amanda’s comment.
After the scene on the Great Wall, we came back to camp to see the girls’ catch.
Amanda had another confessional: “We strung out the net yesterday but we didn’t know if we would catch anything because we had nothing in our nets for like weeks. So we take out the net, me and PG and there’s tons of fish. It feels fabulous.”
Later that night, Amanda told PG: “Amanda is a puppet…this whole game she has been a puppet. Like first, she was the puppet of Jean-Robert and James and now she is the puppet of Todd and me, in a way.” Asked about voting out Todd, Amanda answered: “I’m open to all things. I have been this whole time.” That gave PG hope that Amanda wasn’t set on going to the end with Todd and Courtney.
The next day, Amanda told us what she thought of her returning allies: “Todd and Courtney still find things to complain about when they win a reward. It just blows my mind. Some people are so ungrateful and, honestly, it makes me mad.” She was even more upset when Denise told her she had prepared sandwiches that Todd ate in the plane. The confessional continued: “I’m kinda upset with Todd and Courtney, they didn’t bring anything back for me and PG. They know I haven’t eaten very much. Denise is showing a little more compassion to my situation than Todd and it’s definitely going noticed.”
She told Denise “I’ve got your back…We’ll talk later. I have some ideas.”
Tree mail came on Day 36, announcing the challenge. Amanda in confessional: “PG is probably the most under the gun today to win immunity but so is Todd. I don’t trust anything he says. If he can backstab anyone to get himself an inch further in this game, he would. If he doesn’t win the next immunity challenge, I may have to think of getting rid of Todd.”
With plenty of encouragement, especially from Denise, Amanda won the challenge over PG. “I never thought that would happen” she exclaimed. Amanda was beaming when Jeff gave her the necklace.
Back at camp, Amanda, with her hair loose, had a confessional: “I was really excited to win immunity today because I wanted a, for sure, final 4 spot. I’m stoked and this is kind of a neat thing for me because I have a little bit of power right now, having immunity.” Before TC, they prepared a meal but Todd noticed there was not a lot of rice left in the bag. Amanda’s confessional went on: “Todd made this comment ‘Oh! My God! You guys ate so much rice, we have no rice left’. I looked at him like, I don’t want to hear it. It took everything I had not to flip out.” After a brief talk with Denise, we had another confessional from Amanda who’s hair was now tied back: “I have been dancing around the idea of getting rid of Todd for a while now because he’s a threat, he’s a strategist. He can go behind my back at any point in this game and take me out. Me and PG have definitely bonded on a personal level. I’m beginning to think maybe I have a better chance of getting to the final 3 with Denise and PG.”
We saw the three women discussing the situation while Todd and Courtney went to the well. Amanda told PG she liked her and didn’t want to vote her off. Denise agreed and PG liked the thought of three girls going to the end.
At TC, Amanda told Jeff of her new found respect for PG: “I really respect how she’s made it this far and she’s still strong and fighting.”
Pros for a win by Amanda:
From the start Amanda was associated with China’s culture, participating in the opening temple ceremony, talking positively during rewards.
We were shown that she was a good worker and a team player.
She has been keeping her eyes on Todd so even if she entered an alliance with him, she knows his intentions.
Even in episodes where she had a secondary role, Amanda was always visible.
Amanda’s role has grown tremendously since deciding to vote off James.
In the latest episode, her numerous confessionals were presented in close-ups, underlying their importance.
The cameras spent a lot of time in camp rather than at the Great Wall
Knowing how she has bonded with the ZH members can also be the determining factor. Before leaving, Frosti said he didn’t appreciate Todd deciding to eat rather than compete.
If the jury rewards the social player, Amanda wins
Cons for a win by Amanda
There were many episodes where Amanda’s role was secondary.
Many of her key quotes weren’t credited to her. An example: when she said “We should look at the Art of War”, she wasn’t shown on screen.
Except for misdirection, very few players have mentioned Amanda.
Dancing with the idea of voting out Todd but not acting on it could be seen as indecisive.
She has been a non-entity in many tribal councils.
Even when she spoke at TC, she had no connection to the jury, no reaction shots for her comments.
A win by Amanda seems inevitable, too inevitable I think. Misdirection?
Todd
On the morning of Day 34, the self described “unpopular Outsider” PG brought tree mail to the sleeping Hae Da Fung. Todd got a little morning kiss from Courtney. After, he reacted to the news by saying, in confessional: “Rewards right now are key to help you stay alive, they help you push for the next day, they make you smile. So, I’m really, REALLY hoping that I’m skilled and popular right now.”
He actually was both. In a variation of the coconut-chop challenge, the number of arrows each received to hit the target depended on the other players. The players were able to tell who gave them arrows because of the colors of each but it was hard from a viewer stand-point to tell. From what I could see:
Peih Gee = 1 Purple Arrow from Courtney. (“Thank you, Courtney. I expected it”)
Denise = 2 Arrows telling her where she stood(1 from Courtney and 1 from Todd)
Amanda = 4 Arrows (2 from Denise, 1 from Todd and 1 from Courtney)*Note none from PG.
Todd = 6 Arrows (1 from Denise, 2 from Courtney and 3 from PG)
Courtney = 12 Arrows (2 from Denise, 2 from PG, 3 from Todd and all 5 of Amanda’s who probably knew just how good Courtney’s aim would be!)
“Todd can not miss…Nice demonstration” were Jeff’s comments. Todd did very well, hitting one of his squares 5 out of 6 times but as Courtney said: “It’s anyone’s game at this point.” (Hummmm) She then hit Denise’s target 5 times giving the lunch lady the victory. Denise picked the two players who had given her arrows to go visit the Great Wall.
Todd was grateful to Denise for picking him. They knew Amanda couldn’t align with PG. On the jet, he assumed his role as flight attendant, greeting the passengers as the bubbly was brought out.
At the Wall, Todd told us about the confusing menu and added: “I was surprised at how quick my body was full…”
Iced coffee made Todd “the happiest boy on earth.” Despite the joyous mood, the scheming wasn’t forgotten. “If PG wins immunity…Do we take out our love Amanda…Can we beat her?”
Courtney reasoned: “We’re the Meanies. Me and Todd are like the devil incarnate in this game. They hate us.” Denise was amused.
Returning to camp, Todd had a confessional: “Peih Gee and Amanda weren’t there and we were like, Huh? Where did everybody go? I was concerned because they were pissed when we left.”
Later, at the well with Courtney, Todd told her that PG wasn’t lobbying much and could’ve abandoned hope. Courtney was more cautious “Unless she’s just not talking to us.”
“Watch me get blinsided tonight” replied Todd.
Todd in confessional: “I had a little bit of paranoïa when I saw my name read twice at the last Tribal Council but I’m still kind of comfortable. It just really, really worked out for me that my alliance was the right one…PG was coming off as a fighter and that’s why she has to go so badly. If she, somehow, convinces those other girls to vote me off, I will be pissed off if I go home, like livid. But big ups to them for figuring a way to get rid of me.”
“Let’s Rock n’ Roll, okay” he told Amanda when he returned to camp. Amanda’s expression was noncommittal.
At TC, Todd responded to PG’s comment that the less deserving were those who cheated, lied and backstabbed by giving his view on the game and starting his jury address: “Honestly, I think I’ve pissed the most people off. That’s kind of key, I don’t know how many people won’t vote for me just because they actually hate my guts. So when it’s a million dollars on the line, you have to look at yourself and say ‘who am I going to beat in the finals?’ Not, who played a fantastic game and could probably kick my @ss.”
Todd got mixed reactions from James, JR and Frosti. All his smiles and head-bobs had to be seen by the jury. It was even Todd who was shown when Jeff pointed to the Jury’s power and said “It should make for a fun finish.”
Pros for a win by Todd:
Todd also has a connection to Chinese culture through the temple scene and reward confessionals.
He had presence in every episode, including the first.
We heard Leslie tell everyone that Todd was nice right before she told us that “Heart wins over Brawn.”
Todd has been called the schemer on a season where “Strategy” was an initial theme.
Everyone made alliances with Todd and many were duped. Todd knows he has the right alliance.
He used the teachings of the Art of War to name Aaron as leader and to keep an eye on Jaime and Leslie, knowing the importance of spies.
He changed his tactics and plans as the situation evolved and we heard his reasons.
All the misdirections point us away from a win by Todd.
If the jury rewards the strategist, Todd wins.
Cons for a win by Todd:
Todd was seen as arrogant and manic at times.
He has been held responsible for the backstabs and jury often vote their hate.
He was called ungrateful after his visit to the Great Wall.
He will need a strong jury performance to get votes. It's rare that someone wins with a jury speach.
Both Amanda and Todd deserve the win and it would be nice for Amanda to win because women haven’t won often lately but I think that:
Todd is China’s Sole Survivor

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Georgianna 514 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Reality Show Commentator"
12-16-07, 11:45 PM (EST)

67. "RE: Episode #12: Editing Thoughts"

LAST EDITED ON 12-18-07 AT 03:21 PM (EST)
Congratulations!
And thank you for your excellent analyses throughout the Season.
I have thoroughly enjoyed China and they have made that experience so very much the better.

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