LAST EDITED ON 10-06-13 AT 01:50 AM (EST)

Hello!

This is the first of what I intend to be regular updates of my own impressions of the behaviors and interactions of Blood vs Water’s personalities. And I hope that you’ll drop off your notes or novellas on the subject each week or so too. No licenses, credentials, subpoenas or immunities are required and profiling is actually encouraged by the management.

Of course, you can begin and end wherever - and with whatever - you choose. You have the run of the house. But I’m going to start with a revised chart of the make-believe tribes of Tadhana and Galang whose are-not, never-were and won’t-ever-be status tells the tale of just how quickly – within minutes, really – Survivor: Blood vs Water foreswore its tortured acquaintance with the bromide and became, instead, Survivor: For Love or Money?

In other words, we now have Survivor just as it has come to be. Except, of course, that, for this Season, the working assumptions seem to have been that each of the individuals within its pairs would be acutely aware of the fact that the two of them had to go home – together – when the Game ended and that the Redemption/Redeemer scheme would make tribal membership so fractured – and fractious – that there would be little opportunity for esprit de corps to rear its ugly head.

Honestly?

I think that all of those elements – and, most importantly, the surprise – were probably necessary if the Season was to be a success. And I think that it will be. I only wish that it was possible to repeat the surprise.

But, here’s the chart and, with it, the chart of the Signs’ performances in F&A-dominant Seasons. I’ll be back on the other side.

So, the Virgo, Laura, is gone to Galang and that was not, I think, a good thing for anyone at Tadhana. Especially its young women.

Virgo are detail-driven, goal-oriented – natural – organizers and task-masters. And, the natural leadership at Tadhana – Katie, Ciera and Rachel – is not only young, female and now outnumbered, it is also, as I noted earlier, Leo and Cancer: the two familial Superior Signs whose styles are usually more influential than authoritative. And an ‘observant, shrewd, critically inclined, judicious, patient and practical’ tribemate/ally is always a valuable asset. For instance: Ian (to Tom), Yau-Man (to Earl), Becky (to Yul), Coach (to JT), Parvati (to Sandra), etc.

From the Sign’s Profile: "Those with Sun in Virgo are constantly on the move, always trying to fine-tune their lives and relationships. They are filled with nervous energy and a desire to make improvements, so they're serene only when they are fulfilling their meticulously planned steps toward a carefully chosen goal."

And all of that is why I really hate to see a tribe expel a Virgo. Even if you get away with it – even if it results in no lasting harm to the tribe – it’s still …. stupid! Unless the Virgo is Judd. Or Rocky. Or Jean-Robert. Or Jasmine.

Note: If I were playing the Game, I would introduce the first available Aquarius (for his strategic brilliance) to the nearest Virgo (for her painstaking execution of brilliance). And then I would introduce those two to the Season's most gung-ho Aries (for his infectious passion for gameplay). And then I would introcuce the three of them to the most pleasant, industrious Taurus in the cast (for her amazing knack for the identification/invention and provision of creature comforts).

And then I would beg the four to take me along for the ride.

Hey! I’m a totally committed vote, a terrific cheerleader and I eat very little.

Complicit in Laura’s and Marissa’s boots, it would seem (if rumor does have it) that Katie (Cancer) and Ciera (Leo) are going to, at least, witness – if not acquiesce to – Rachel’s (Leo) departure from Tadhana. But I hope that one – I would think, more probably, the skeptical, intuitive Cancer – or both of the two (with Rachel) offer some resistance to the men’s simplistic (but highly effective) women-last-to-the-lifeboats plot.

And whether or not it is successful at this vote, I hope that what the women – or one or two of the men – try to sell is the notion that it makes no sense for Tadhana natives to infuriate any more pairs than they already have - Laura/Rupert and Marissa/Gervase - by voting off Tyson’s, or Tina’s, or Laura M’s – or for that matter, Monica’s, Kat’s, Colton’s or Aras’ – partner in the Game. Candice is already a pissed-off resident of Redemption Island and John is more than just handy: he is also a very real threat to become the Season’s Sole Survivor.

ETA: My last comment - 'he is also a very real threat to become the Season’s Sole Survivor' - was meant to convey my assumptions regarding his tribemates' in-game assessment of John's 'threat' to win the Game - not the reality of it. John is a Taurus. And that Sun Sign's F4 to F1 track record is abysmal. Moreover, he was a Taurus - an Earth native - appearing in a F&A-dominant Season of Survivor. So, as a practical matter, his chances of becoming its Sole Survivor were next to - nil.

Partners in the crime?

Well, I think that the two Aries, Vytas and Hayden, are much more likely to embrace (or initiate) a strategy that upsets an applecart than is the Libra, Caleb. Libra very much appreciate the calm of a status quo and usually won’t challenge it unless there is a very good chance that there will be little commotion attached to the effort and a very great chance of its success. Libra are not risk takers.

They are, however, high-stakes poker players if the odds are right. And they make it their business to know the odds.

Here are brief excerpts from the two Profiles. I think that they are particularly interesting given the relationship between Vytas (the Aries) and his brother (a Libra). And I hope that you’ve considered that I keep linking Profiles because they are so much more informative if you read – all – of them.

Aries

Positive Traits
Adventurous and Confident
Pioneering and Courageous
Enthusiastic and Straight-Forward
Dynamic and Quick-witted

Negative Traits
Selfish and Dominating
Impulsive and Insensitive
Foolhardy and Quick-Tempered
Willful and Ruthless

"Adventurous, ambitious, impulsive, enthusiastic and full of energy, Aries welcome opposition and will not be diverted except by their own impatience or boredom. Gifted with a direct, fiery nature, their ability to rouse others' interest in a project or cause is unparalleled. But Aries are initiators -- not perpetuators. And don't put them in a position where they'll have to deal with complicated emotions or with a problem requiring delicate handling or subtlety. They're simply not equipped for it.

In personal relationships Aries are frank, direct and candid: gregarious and generous friends. However, their immense energy can also make them aggressive and restless, argumentative, headstrong, quick-tempered and easily offended: of all the Zodiac’s natives, an Aries will most readily haul off and punch a nose."

Libra

Positive Traits
Diplomatic and Urbane
Romantic and Charming
Easy-going and Sociable
Idealistic and Fair-minded

Negative Traits
Indecisive and Changeable
Gullible and Easily-influenced
Flirtatious and Self-indulgent
Passive and Co-dependent

"Libra are at their very best when their gift for communication is put to a high-minded purpose, and, noted for their ability to harmonize conflicted situations.

Libra loathe cruelty, viciousness and vulgarity. And they detest overt conflict. So they do their best to cooperate and compromise with everyone around them. Yet Libra can shock with sudden, and inexplicable, storms of rage.

The Libra flair for tact and diplomacy is unparalleled in the Zodiac. But the ease with which they pursue any argument can sometimes make you wonder where the Libra really stands.

And while 'Lazy Libra' is a common phrase, once they have committed themselves to a goal, Libra can become powerhouses: using their well-ordered intellects to accomplish in leaps and bounds tasks that might encumber other Signs."

So that brings us to the two Tadhana who I think are the least likely of its men to deviate from the alliance’s strategy: The Bulls (Taurus), Brad and John. And to know why, you have to begin by knowing, as John seems to and Brad does not, that Taurus are - despite an abundance of good will, hard work and enviable ambition – not leaders. In fact, it is the sad fact that Taurus are just, in so many ways, much too fundamentally decent and ordinary for this Game.

They love their homes and adore their families. The devotion to their wives that Brad and John have demonstrated is very probably the real thing. And because they treasure their own comfort and well-being – and that of others – they often step into leadership voids to provide much-needed stability, direction and labor. Taurus believe in earning their reward. But in Survivor, sweat equity is not necessarily valued.

However, because they do so much that needs to be done – and do it so well – it is certainly understandable why Taurus often think of themselves as leaders. And indeed, as their Profile indicates, “Taurus are known as the ‘builders’ of the Zodiac: unafraid of getting their hands dirty."

They are also stubborn and “changes in their surroundings or routines disturb their equilibrium. And if the change is too abrupt or fundamental to his comfort, a Taurus may actually become physically ill.

They are faithful and generous friends. Their sensuality is legendary, whether they’re cooking up a sumptuous feast or turning on their tantalizingly slow charm. But Taurus rarely establish intimacies outside their social rank (to which they are ordinarily excessively loyal). In the main, they are gentle, even-tempered, good-natured, modest and slow to anger. If they are provoked, however, they can explode into violent, uncontrolled outbursts.”

In short: Taurus, like Libra, are not risk takers. And, in fact, the judicious exercise of their strength (in numbers) is so logical to them that they would, I think, find it difficult to understand why any of the other Tadhana males would even think of disrupting the alliance. It did, after all, take Taurus nineteen Seasons to win the Game. And then, it was a woman who finally accomplished the feat.

Wow! It is getting uncomfortably close to show time and I haven’t even begun to talk about Galang. But I do want to briefly address two things (and I’ll begin with veterans next week.

1. I hope that we’ll get to see more of the dynamics at Galang this week. And because I think that both would benefit enormously from cooperation between them, I’m particularly interested in the course that Tina’s (Capricorn) in-game relationship with Laura Boneham (Virgo) takes.

2. In my opening post to this thread last week, I talked about the difficulties and disconnects that make Survivor so very hard for Gemini to play. Like Taurus – persistently at the bottom of all of the measurements of the Signs’ performances within the Game – it took Gemini even longer - twenty-one Seasons – to win the Game. I quoted from the Gemini Profile, in part:

‘Gemini, the Sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. To them, life is a game that must always be full of fresh moves and continuous entertainment and free of labor and routine. Charmers and clowns, they often wear a silly grin that seems to say that they get the cosmic joke that all is, after all, well … They’re great wits and their interest in people often thrusts them into the role of social ice breaker … But be warned that like chameleons, they absorb and reflect every change in their environment and can become pessimistic, sullen, peevish and self-centered prattlers, boasters, liars and cheats if circumstances force them to struggle in any way.

So, Katie Gallagher’s tantrum, Tyson’s tattling, Lisi’s absurdities, Lex’s meltdown, Joel’s fury, Chet's petulance, Ashley’s collapse, etc., didn’t surprise me. But Jud Birza’s win sure did!’

And then, of course, I watched the show and there were Monica and Tyson behaving thoughtfully, helpfully … calmly.

Perhaps it is the reassurance of the presence in the Game of people close to them that has improved their ability to overcome the discomfort that Survivor's crisis environment causes them. But, whatever the reason, the two were, I thought, appearing decidedly unlike Gemini.

I was not though, certain that anyone else shared my opinion until Corvis posted the following to the Press thread:

EW: You and I have our opinions and predictions of how people are going to do when they get out there. Who surprised you the most — either positively or negatively — once they hit the beach in these first three days?

JEFF PROBST: Hmmm, a few people. I was surprised with how composed Monica was straight out of the gate. I was surprised with Tyson and how he carried himself — still funny but clearly wanting to help his tribe succeed …

Ah …

Note: Below is the revised F&A/E&W Tribal Chart, and, as promised, no one has been ‘shuffled’ anywhere.

You can find the chart of the Signs performances in all of the twenty-six completed Seasons, here, on the thread's opening page.

And the chart of the Elements' performances in all of the twenty-six completed Seasons, here, on the next.

And below are the links to the Profiles for all twelve Sun Signs.

The Earth Signs – These three practical and industrious Signs are Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo.
The Water Signs – These three emotional and intuitive Signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
The Fire Signs – These three charismatic and spontaneous Signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
The Air Signs – These three intellectual and balanced Signs are Libra, Gemini and Aquarius

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