Survivor: Philippines - Finale + Reunion in 455 seconds

This is it... the end of an epic season -- and one of my new top three favorites. I'd even say it might have snuck its way up to #2, but I know that's because it just ended and it was so welcomingly amazing, so I'm going to say it's snug at #3 now, topped only by Heroes vs. Villains at #2 and Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites at #1.

But let's talk about the finale! They made us wait, oh boy... and they made us speculate going into it with a final four rather than a final five. In fact Rob Cesternino and Parvati Shallow even stumbled across an exciting prediction that there might be a tie in the final vote. But there was no such twist, and the reading of the winner went by really swiftly actually, so we just got treated to more of what went down in those final three days.

In this final video of the season are some of my thoughts, including my feelings about Malcolm (definitely one of the 'older girls' that's totally backing him!) and Denise of course, as well as some of the things that went down at the reunion (you fans all know what I'm talking about)!

One thing I didn't mention is my feelings about the winner for Fan Fave, and I was totally surprised to see Lisa sweep it from under Malcolm's feet! In fact, if anything, I thought it'd be a toss up between Penner and Malcolm, with Malcolm for the win. It sucks to be Malcolm at this point, with both the victory for sole Survivor and fan fave escaping him so closely. I certainly hope/look forward to seeing him again! [wink wink nudge nudge]

Until February fellow Survivor fans!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 13 in 320 seconds

Malcolm: A Lone Survivor or The Sole Survivor?

It's the episode before the finale, and we're left with the Final Four that committed to each other: Malcolm, Denise, Skupin and Lisa. Lisa is back in it to win it; Skupin is showing his physical prowess is not to be disregarded; Denise shows she's a fighter - and a graceful one at that - and Malcolm is laying it all out just when it matters.

We've got four amazing contenders for the title, with one clear favorite in Malcolm, and there are several possible outcomes ahead, which in my mind all involve Malcolm getting voted out if he doesn't win the next Immunity Challenge(s). So what's next? There's only the finale to go and I'm still sitting on the edge of my seat...

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 12 in 280 seconds

The Immunity Idol that magically protects the
contestant most in need...

The big question at hand in this episode was: strategy or morale? It's a tough one and while as a viewer (in my most level-headed moments at least), I'm mostly voting for strategy (with a bit of heart, always!), Abi makes these polarities particularly difficult to juggle.

Now Carter is a bit of an enigma to me as a viewer. It seems people on the island connect with him quite well in person -- albeit not enough to keep him in a final alliance -- and yet he seems very simplistic about his game to me. I do believe he's a physical threat, but it doesn't seem like he's been particularly strategic throughout the game. That said, his "benevolence" during the Survivor auction and his lack of enemies do make him a social threat too. Making it to the end means he checks the "outlasting" box too. With all that laid out this way, I see why it was indeed the right move to vote him out over Abi, but I feel like the threat he poses is a fact beyond his conscious control, so that takes away from his game play for me.

Back to the vote, choosing strategy over moral here is all the more impressive when you realize how hard it was to do too, just knowing that you'll have to withstand Abi for an additional three days (though I bet she thinks they made it because of her 'brilliant' fake idol game play). Just check out this article on how listening to people complain is bad for you and can actually "make you dumb." Turns out, season 25 has become about outliving, outplaying, outlasting... and outbearing Abi's presence. So far into the game though, why not bear her a little longer and take her to the end? Now that will be the question for next episode!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 11 in 250 seconds

A priceless screenshot of how Abi's "social skills" and
"charm" have seduced the gang.

As the season progresses, the potential outcomes begin to dwindle... but that doesn't mean this season isn't still exciting. Abi proved her worth as a perfect Survivor casting choice again this episode by kicking up her game a notch and playing hard. Her actions definitely seemed obvious from a viewer's perspective, but other contestants may not see through her the way we do and if they don't, she just bought herself another 3 days on the island. Nicely done missy!

[Fun Fact: Check out Abi's bio on the CBS Survivor page. It'll make you chuckle and scoff -- guaranteed. Hint: You'll find words like "charming," "social skills" and "motivator."]

I was definitely disappointed to see Penner go -- he must be one of my favorite all-stars and though I find his moves fall short of my expectations at times, his counter-moves are often brilliant. He's a great player and if his game were more consistent, he could definitely have made it all the way.

All that said, I'm so glad that Malcolm and Denise are still in it -- and boy are they in it to win it. I think Skupin is their biggest competition at this point, and Skupin's best option moving forward would be to get rid of them and go with Lisa and Carter to the end. He would win by a landslide. But because I'm rooting for Malcolm, I'm hoping that won't happen. I think that as long as Malcolm can make it to the Final Tribal Council, he will win.

Check out my video below, which goes into a bit more depth on these budding thoughts above, and let me know your reactions in the comments!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 10 in 265 seconds

"That was fun!"

The outcome of this episode may not have been as scandalous as previous episodes, but what makes this season so great is that it could have been... There are so many options, potential twists and strong contestants that nothing is predictable even when the 'most predictable' outcome comes to pass.

For this video, I've broken it down by contestants, starting with Miss Abi, who I think is a true villain (I mean, Parvati, Sandra and Candice were hardly villains!) and also a true Survivor gem. As much as I dislike her behavior on a personality level, I love her completely on a Survivor level. Scoring her was casting gold and I wouldn't be surprised to see her return in future season -- though I don't think she'd do well, but hey, she could learn and actually turn out to be an incredible returning player.

Other things on my mind this week are: Penner's idiotic response to a potential Final Three with Skupin and Lisa, Malcolm's risky but rewarding move (he is the only remaining contestant with an active Idol!) and Skupin's game and why he didn't choose to eliminate Malcolm.

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 9 in 215 seconds

That was a SUPER hard challenge (that I would've
loved to try). Go Skupin for killing it!

Another solid episode today! I didn't hear what I expected from Jonathan and Skupin regarding their votes from last episode... Nevertheless, some interesting plays went down and ultimately, the evil trio was separated! YES!

I think Penner is at the top of his game right now (despite some questionable moves throughout the season), and I love that Pete recognized that when he wrote Penner's name down. It's refreshing to have Jeff and his tunnel-vision on returning players out and to see the game go down with decisions made because they make strategic sense rather than to fulfill some egotistic need.

I was also really excited to see a group of players that don't hold unnecessary grudges. That's going to make for one of the most interesting and fair Final Tribal Councils in a while!! Malcolm's reaction towards Lisa was on point, and well ultimately also strategic. Clearly she still needs some buttering up, but I hope she'll come around by the next episode. Penner's also played his cards right in moderate reactions -- despite several moments where I was concerned he would flip out at his alliance. And even Pete didn't overreact at Malcolm's betrayal -- though I'm sure he was disappointed. You could see it in his face last week.

So what's next now? How are the dice going to fall? Who will end up at the end with a chance of winning? All things on my mind this week... and in my video below.

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 8 in 225 seconds

Were they lined up that way intentionally...??

Holy moly, what a great episode!!! This season is just full of great moments, and this ep was among the best I've seen, no doubt. Tribal Council was ridiculous, and so many outcomes were on the table. Turns out the least exciting (but maybe that'll make for the most exciting moves next week?) happened, but the process was amazing to watch nevertheless.

It looks like this season could go any which way and there are still a great number of variables that could swing things left, right or diagonally. My biggest question mark right now is WHAT THE HELL WERE PENNER AND SKUPIN THINKING!??? Their votes are what changed everything at Tribal and I wonder where they came from. Any theories?? I'd be curious to hear them. I'm going to say they concerted with one another beforehand and orchestrated this strategically, and if that's the case, I cannot wait to hear what their end game was.

While missing out on voting Malcolm out may be several people's demise, it's not over yet -- and well I certainly can't say I'm disappointed it didn't work out. I'm definitely definitely rooting for Malcolm the most, and Denise very closely after. And though I think it's a long shot for him, if Penner can make it to the Final Three, he certainly deserves to win too.

On my mind in images this week: Lisa's move, blow opportunities and their consequences, Malcolm's move with the Idol and future alliances...

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 7 in 200 seconds

And then there were 10...

As predicted, the merge took place this week on Survivor and all hell broke loose -- making for both good TV and interesting new avenues for our lovely season 25 contestants.

At the Immunity Challenge, Denise kicked butt yet again! I certainly hope she will keep doing so and stay safe as long as possible. I think she could have probably outlasted the guys in this challenge, and I think they know it too... so let's hope that doesn't turn against her.

Given that two Kalabaw members won the Immunity Challenge though, I was even more surprised that they still turned on each other and targeted Penner. That was a very stupid move on their behalf, and though I understand that Denise and Skupin probably just went along with it, I would have hoped they had been able to talk some sense into Jeff and Carter and stick together as a reigning new 6. They would have easily taken out the Pete/Abi/Artis alliance -- which I seriously can't stand -- and anything would have been possible for Jeff, Carter, RC and Skupin... Penner on the other hand looks like he's bound to be ejected at some or other, and now it's just going to be about watching how. I'm still rooting for him, but my hopes aren't very high.

Malcolm and Denise are still keeping their cards close, despite Lisa's intrusion... Let's hope that all works out for them. We didn't see much about it this week.

What's next Dangrayne? (Possibly one of my least favorite names for a merged tribe...)

Here are my thoughts and feelings about this week's episode:

How do you feel about this episode? Will you miss RC? Does Penner still stand a chance? Let me know in the comments!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 6 in 120 seconds

Watch as this great big ball of complexity unwinds...

My my, how times flies...! We're already at the end of Episode 6 of the season, which means.... the merge is imminent! Every decision counts! (Well, every decision always counts, but they're even more important at this point in the game.)

I can't say this episode was the most exciting of the season, but it's a solid continuation of a strong season, and in that respect, it's still very much worth watching. There are really only two main things to discuss from this episode: the deal struck between Kalabaw (read: Penner) and Tandang (read: Mike Skupin), and Penner's actions which led his name to be thrown around preceding Tribal Council.

Things I'm looking forward to are Abi (hopefully) digging herself into a hole with her actions, RC picking herself up and getting back into the game (she's grown on me, what can I say?), the merge and seeing Malcolm and Denise reunite.

And here are my thoughts in 120 seconds... Go! [Note: I talked about the "Immunity Challenge" at the top of the video when I meant the "Reward Challenge..." Oops!]

Survivor: Philippines - Episode One: The Good, The Bad and The Plain Stupid

Survivor Season 25 is under way!

Survivor: Philippines has begun and I for one am very excited at having a new location this season. The opening shots were so beautiful and like I said in my last post, I'm really looking forward to seeing what some of the rewards will bring. [And this is where I appreciate again that Redemption Island is no more, and that reward challenges are actually back.]

I'm pretty optimistic about this season! It seems that the returning players aren't totally stealing the spotlight and there are some standout contestants already. For this first blog post of the season, I'm going to break my thoughts down by tribe.

1. The Blue Tribe: Matsing

This tribe is both potentially my favorite and also my least favorite.

Least favorite because it has the most annoying returning player ever: Russell Swan. Seriously, the guy is either a total idiot or just irrevocably annoying. He starts by saying that being a leader is like shooting yourself in the foot and laughs at the "dummy" who could put himself in such a position -- presumably learning from his previous mistakes -- and then promptly proceeds to do just that, and more. He acts entitled, obnoxious, pretentious and just bossy. I'm very impressed at how well the rest of the tribe is managing the situation and turning it to their advantage.

That is what makes it my favorite tribe: Malcolm and Denise's alliance is very exciting. I like them both and they both seem to have good intuition and good wits. Though Malcolm is very obviously production's attempt at getting a new Ozzy, I actually don't mind. He seems to have a better social game than Ozzy and so what if he's also an attractive and skilled jungle boy? I'm not complaining. :) I'm also impressed with Angie. I don't know how I would have taken being told what to do in that challenge when I clearly had a strength that was being ignored, and she did what she could but then still spoke up afterwards and at Tribal Council, putting pressure on Russell.

Regarding the loss and the vote, I'm also happy this tribe was the first to lose someone. Zane was a wild card and though I can't fault him for trying to make a move, I think his move was very premature and risky, and obviously didn't pay off. You can't ask people to vote you off and claim to be weak so early in the game hoping they'll still stick up for you without you asking them to just because they may find someone else annoying. That's just dumb. In the end, and at this point in the game, the tribe should still vote to remain strong, and I would have voted him out as well over Russell regardless of how nuts the guy drives me. That said... Russell may have only bought himself a few days and a tentative second chance because strength is useless if stubborness takes over strategy -- you end up losing anyway, as was demonstrated by their poor performance at the challenge.

2. The Yellow Tribe: Tandang

Let me begin by saying how impressed I am with Michael Skupin! The guy hasn't played for over 12 years and the game has changed SO MUCH since he was on the show, yet he's making some good decisions. Yes, I am constantly nervous he's going to accidentally kill himself, but I'm also in awe at how well he fits in the game after all this time. His first good decision was going along with RC's strategy. He clearly wasn't a fan of it, but he also understood that his best chance of staying in the game right now is to play dice. That said, he's also not alienating Lisa and made some sweet and helpful suggestions to her at the same time. That's what I call smartly making alliances with everyone (Zane, you taking notes?).

Lisa is obviously adorable, but she also clearly is a fan who doesn't know how to play the game. She seems to be just floating while RC is mobilizing everyone against her. I don't understand why or how people are buying into RC's BS that Lisa is not trustworthy (clearly RC's the mischievous one not-to-be trusted), but Lisa needs to get up and play the game because otherwise she'll be out before she knows it and Skupin doesn't have enough power yet to help her stay. That said, I'd be thrilled to see Lisa and Skupin band together and somehow manage to rope in a couple more to get RC out. I really don't like her.

3. The Red Tribe: Kalabaw

Jonathan Penner is definitely my favorite returning player and I really hope he won't get voted out too soon just because Baseball Jeff said so. That said, it was a really stupid move to begin looking for the Immunity Idol so soon -- and so obviously. [Note: I think the Idol IS the lid of rice. Kind of like the one in China.] He's making it too easy for his tribe to pit against him.

Also, I think it's naive of Jeff to think no one on the whole season is going to recognize him (same goes for Lisa). Sure, you have to either be of a certain generation or into a certain sport, but there's bound to be one person who's likely to recognize you -- if only because producers probably make sure of that to keep things interesting! So I'm excited that Dawson knows and is keeping it under wraps for now until she can use it. It's a card to her advantage and I hope she uses it well!

We really haven't seen much of Kalabaw yet, but it looks like that will change next episode, so I look forward to seeing what happens there.

Conclusion

I think that overall this season is looking good and has some standout contestants, both good and bad. My early favorites are: Malcolm (yes, I'm definitely falling for the Ozzy-vibe), Denise, Penner (definitely pre-game favoritism right now because I do think he needs to turn things around) and Skupin.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the returning players stand a chance this season? Where do you think the Idol is? Who are your early favorites? Let me know in the comments!