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 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 2 in 100 seconds

Matsing does it again... Get all the air time, that is.

Hey there Survivor fans! I'm trying something new for the blog, so let me know what you think. Instead of 15 second reactions plus a longer written blog post, I'm going to go with 90 second video commentaries, followed by a written blog post if there's something that requires more diving in to (you'll agree not all episodes have particularly noteworthy events to write about!). I went a little long with this one so it's 100 seconds rather than 90 -- and maybe I'll stick with 100, or maybe I'll tighten it to 90... It's a work-in-progress so let me know your thoughts and I'll definitely take them into account!

Things and people on my mind this episode include: Matsing (namely Malcolm and Angie's cuddle situation, Denise and of course Roxy), Jonathan Penner and Abi-Maria's outburst with RC.

People definitely not on my mind this week: Carter? Artis? Who are these people? Hell, I don't even know what tribe they're on! Let's hope air time gets shared more evenly in eps to come...

See below for the video and please, comment away!

 

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 1 in 15 seconds

SURVIVOR'S BACK! And it's back with a bang. First of all, I love the opening shots they took of the Filipino landscape. It's stunning! I can't wait to see what gorgeous places the reward challenges will bring our new contestants.

Now, before I get into a deeper post about the new contestants and what I think of them, here's my 15 second reaction to the premiere. (Sorry about the flickering. I had a brand new camera to use and everything but wasn't home and didn't have all the cables to charge it... bummer! But yay iPhone!)

What did you think? Happy about the first elimination? Do you like the returning players? Stay tuned for more blogging to come soon... and some experimenting with format! :) 

Welcome back Survivor!