Survivor: South Pacific - Episode Ten: Stirred Not Shaken

The Men of Redemption battle it out. 

My deepest apologies for this much delayed blog post... What with all the Thanksgiving excitement and traveling, I let things slide.

But I'm back, and boy do I have some exciting posts coming up! But one thing at a time. Let's start by going over Episode Ten:

1. I would have really enjoyed seeing more of Ozzy, Jim and Keith on Redemption Island. 

Those guys looked like they were having such fun on Redemption Island! They're three smart, attractive and entertaining players, who probably said a lot of interesting things during their time together, of which we only saw a fraction. And I'm not going to lie, watching Ozzy win the challenge was a thrill, as always. I really hope he fights his way to the Final Three - though I doubt anyone would vote for him, unfortunately.

2. I wonder if people will start seeing through Coach's game of preaching and seduction... 

I am rooting for Coach all the way. I think he has done an incredible job amid many roadblocks, and I find him totally deserving of the grand prize. That said, the deeper we get into the game, the less convincing his comments on unity and family and religion become. As "honorable" as he claims to be - and as I think he is in truth - he is playing the game very consciously and very strategically, charming and seducing his way to the top, and there's something undoubtedly deceitful about that. His mini-speech to the tribe after voting Dawn and Whitney out seemed very flimsy to me, and I worry (and for entertainment purposes hope that!) his tribe will begin to see through his game. As Keith said so well on Redemption Island before hitting Ponderosa, "The longer Coach has them believing that they're all one tribe, the more likely it is that he wins the million dollars."

3. Shaking things up may be the more interesting thing to watch, but is it the wisest for the players involved? 

When Cochran, Albert, Dawn and Whitney were talking about turning on Upolu (and by extension Coach) to vote Edna out, I got excited. There was no better time to flip things around and not totally risk losing any stronghold you have in the game. But Sophie talked Albert out of it, claiming there was no reason to waver from the plan just yet, and that it wasn't in their best interest. Considering that Albert and Sophie are on the top of the food chain with Coach, I tend to agree with her... and though as a viewer I am tempted to shout "No! You must rid yourselves of the enemy now! Before it is too late!" in some kind of medieval-esque voice, I think I would also have second thoughts if I were on the show and risked a major backfire. That said, it's risks like these that brought Parvati to her victory in Micronesia...

4. Sophie may not be taking risks when it comes to voting, but she did in that Immunity Challenge... and it paid off.

Sophie is proving to be an important threat in this game! She's smart, strategic but discreet, and performs very well in challenges. She's consistently fighting for that necklace, and often close to winning it. A large bowl of rice and a whole lot of confidence got her Immunity this week, and she very much deserved it. The thing that intrigues me about Sophie is she seems to be playing it safer than I think she actually is. Maybe keeping Coach around is her intention... As deserving as he may be of the money and the title, the fact that Boston Rob - a returning All-Star - won last season might serve to his disadvantage, and as such, to Sophie's advantage if she's sitting next to him in the Final Three... I'm definitely keeping my eye on Sophie.


...and lucky for me, I got to meet her tonight for the viewing of Episode Eleven! Stay tuned for more on that soon...

Survivor: South Pacific - Episode Nine: Excluded, Eroded, Evicted

Concern and helplessness shows on
remaining Savaii members' face. 

I can't say I have all that much to say about the latest Survivor episode... But for what it's worth, here's what I've got!

1. It's a bit heartbreaking to see the former Savaii tribe be picked off one-by-one.

I mentioned this in my 15 second Tout, and I'll say it again here. Cochran sealed their fate, and it's just a matter of time before Savaii is simply no more. The only chance of there being a Savaii member in the final is Redemption Island and he or she will need a lot of endurance, some good fortune, and a fighting will. Ozzy seems confident that he can do it, and despite his still very lacking social game (almost more lacking than in previous seasons I would say...), I root for him.

The hardest part about this really is seeing how well they have all been playing the game. Jim may be loud, but he's definitely got bone to back his bark; Dawn is a socially threatening player, and if not for Brandon's unpredictable outbursts of at-times-love at-times-aggression, she might have pulled it off; Whitney and Keith proved they could have been a couple to be reckoned with; and Ozzy is still the epitome of the perfect physical Survivor. All deserve to be in the game, and I would much rather see them go further over Edna or Brandon. But such is the game of Survivor, and you need these less preferred players to be at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to the last standing tribe turning on its own.

2. Should Jim have given Ozzy his Immunity Necklace at the first Tribal Council? 

I would talk about this in more detail, but the fact of the matter is, it wouldn't have changed anything. What he shouldn't have done is promise it to Ozzy then bail at Tribal Council. But it's not like that will bear any obvious consequences given the dire outlook for the Savaii tribe. Ultimately, Jim made his plea, realized it was going to lead nowhere, and chose to give himself an extra three days and a fighting chance. I don't blame him.

3. I really dislike when contestants opt out of a challenge for food. 

I understand that they are hungry, and I understand that they may not need to participate if it's simply of choice of who to eliminate among the remaining Savaii tribe members. But even so, participating in the challenge is a matter of honoring the physical aspect of the game and showing courage in attempting to claim more control over Tribal Council decisions.

On the other hand, not participating in the challenge also has social repercussions in some shape or form, which is what makes the game of Survivor so interesting...

4. Three contestants on Redemption Island... Three strong contestants on Redemption Island. 

I've made it clear that I am rooting for Ozzy to get back into the game and beat the odds to secure a spot in the Final. That said, it's not going to be easy... Which will make it all the more earned. Jim and Keith are going to be far more challenging opponents than a tired Christine, and all three certainly are worthy. I wish I didn't have to say goodbye to two at once...


Who are you gunning for on Redemption Island? Does Savaii stand a chance to make it to the end? Is Cochran going to be everyone's new best friend because of his being the perfect Final Three partner? What has Albert got up his sleeve... Will it mess his game up completely or uproot Coach from his leadership position? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Survivor: South Pacific - Episode Five: Playing It Smart or Playing It Safe?

We've got a cute mirroring effect happening here... 

Sorry folks, this one took me a while to get to... I guess I was just putting off having to run that disgusting pig gnawing challenge through my head again. I knew that was going to be the grossest thing ever - and it was.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'd made a few predictions for this episode that all turned out to be spot on. Unfortunately, I didn't take enough risks in my Survivor Fantasy selections, so my score still sucks (won't even dare to disclose it here - too embarrassed...). But I do take pride in being accurate anyway, even if it saddens me that this means Ozzy is now on the hot seat. [From the preview: A free agent, Ozzy?!? What game do you think you're playing?!]

1. Am I rooting for Christine on Redemption Island? Could I be...?

I didn't think that would be the case, especially given how vehemently I disliked her in the first couple of episodes, but as it turns out, I've caught myself siding with her in the duels. Now that Elyse is there though, I'm in a bind. I want Elyse to stay, if only for Ozzy's sake, as I think I'd love to see Ozzy have a great comeback - more so than just coasting through the game in fact. But the willpower and mental strength I see in Christine is subtle and seductive. In tomorrow's episode, I will most likely secretly root for Elyse while believing more in Christine.

PS. That Redemption Island challenge is one of my faves! I think it first appeared in Tocantins, in the final three Immunity Challenge. I've been wanting to try it ever since!

2. Information is key. But is it as deadly as Coach and Albert fear? 

Sure, Stacey's outbreak on Redemption Island was an immature - yet very entertaining - manifestation of rage and resentment, and of course it was meant to sabotage her previous Upolu tribe mates. But will it have as dire an impact as Coach and Albert keep whining about? I'm not sure. The merge is still far in the game and everyone knows a lot can change until then. I actually think the fact that Albert came back to Upolu and so clearly voiced his concern about the revelation of his alliance with Coach and Sophie is what may undermine my favorite trio - but in their own tribe, before the merge. They're the ones who have most to fear, not Savaii just yet.

3. Jim is smart; but is his poker mind making him paranoid? 

It looks to me like Jim is seeing things that just might not be there. I like his thinking, and mostly, I like that he IS thinking (as opposed to almost everyone on Boston Rob's tribe last season - Andrea being the only exception). But I wonder (in a very Carrie Bradshaw-like way), is he creating scenarios that are too far-fetched? His conclusions from Ozzy's comment that Coach should take out Albert are a clear case of "thinking a few steps ahead," which is of course always a good thing. That said, Ozzy really didn't seem to be thinking along those lines so unless Jim's intuition and flair sniffed something out before Ozzy even realized his own strategy, Jim's sharp mind is soon going to start playing tricks on him. However, if he is right, and he very well could be, Ozzy should take a step back and seriously reevaluate his position. Actually, Ozzy should be doing that anyway.

4. I never thought I would say this, but COACH IS SO CUTE WHEN HE GETS EXCITED!! 

Man, I am totally in love with this Coach/Albert/Sophie trio. I hope they make it far. I love that Albert found the Immunity Idol clue, and though I think he could have tried harder to find it himself, I love that he shared it with his close allies. I was impressed at Coach's nimbleness when searching for Idol, and even more impressed (and surprised!) that he elected to share his discovery with Albert and Sophie.

I just finished watching Survivor Panama: Exile Island (in my goal to catch up on all the best previous seasons) and seeing how stingy Terry was with his Immunity Idol not only rubbed me the wrong way, but was extremely poor strategy in terms of social game. The Idol is so much more than a protective object, it's power in its purest form in the game of Survivor, and if used wisely (for instance Yul's strategy in Cook Islands), can help totally change the course of the game. So I have high hopes for Coach this season, and they keep getting higher.

5. I am not even going to discuss [disgust?] that Immunity Challenge.

6. Cochran's herpes talk was an I-D-I-O-T-I-C move. 

First of all, when you're on Survivor sharing coconuts, eating utensils, water, sweat, tears and everything in between, you better be prepared for the fact that you're going to be sharing germs too. A pig 'feasting' (ha!) challenge is not going to make a bit of difference with that. So why on Earth did Cochran think it would be a good idea to mention herpes and communicable diseases to everyone and totally freak them out? For a smart and witty Harvard grad, I'm disappointed. That's not just socially awkward, it's dumb.

7. Did Whitney and Keith make the right move - or the cowardly one? 

Seeing the scrambling going on at camp was a joy! I do enjoy a good Survivor move in the making. However, I'm dubious as to whether or not Keith and Whitney played it safe or smart. Clearly, they have the potential to be in control of the tribe. Their decision is what eliminated Elyse. However, their intention, as I understand it, was to not cross anybody. But we all know what happens to contestants that play both sides and get caught... I'll reserve judgment until I see how they attempt to pick up the pieces with Ozzy and Jim respectively.


An exciting episode, no doubt. What really transpired for me was how much I enjoyed watching these folks, and how reluctant I was to see anyone leave. At this point, aside from Rick (is that his name?) and Brandon (dammit! I was trying to avoid giving him the light of day in this post...), I'm excited to see all these contestants develop and make their moves!

Survivor: South Pacific - Episode Two: Immunity Idols and Idiotic Insights

Cocky or just excited? Good move or cursed find? 

Yesterday was an incredible day. Not only was I in Washington D.C. visiting two of my favorite people, but I also a) bumped into Adechike from So You Think You Can Dance in a Chinatown Starbucks [figures I’d have to leave NY to bump into someone (semi-) famous!] and b) an old friend from college texted me saying that he was hanging out with Survivor: South Pacific’s very own Sophie, and they were READING THIS BLOG!!!!! To make things even more awesome, I’m going to watch Survivor with them a week from this Wednesday. Needless to say, I’m super pumped.

So pumped even that I rewatched the second episode of the season last night with my boyfriend, his Dad, whose interest I had piqued with my unfaltering ebullience, and a good friend of ours.

So without further ado, here are my thoughts from the episode:

1. Ozzy finding the immunity idol is both really exciting and dangerous.

Impressive monkey-skills and initial excitement due to favorite contestants finding Immunity Idols aside, Ozzy getting his hands on this Immunity leaves me with mixed feelings. Not only do I find it kind of strange that the idol was placed in almost the exact same way as it was in Fans vs. Favorites when he found it on Exile Island, but I also think it wasn’t his best move overall. Ozzy’s main issue is his social game and he needs to work extra hard to make sure his fellow tribe mates want to keep him around, without him having to use the idol to stay in the game. In Cook Islands, Yul demonstrated very effectively how the Immunity Idol was most useful: to get power in the game. Keeping it for the purpose of saving yourself on one occasion, provided you play it correctly, is not very helpful on the long run. And my main concern with Ozzy is that his natural confidence – which sometimes borders on cockiness and over-confidence – will return and he’ll pay less attention to his social game, thus shooting himself in the foot once again, and failing at the whole redemption thing.

2. The whole Keith/Jim/Ozzy alliance leaves me largely underwhelmed.

Ok, so if Ozzy might border on cocky in some instances, Jim is full on obnoxious. “I’m the mastermind and the architect of this plan”? Yeah, think again. That said, Keith handled the situation very smoothly and is turning out to be a physically strong but also socially apt player – always exciting qualities to see develop – easing my initial skepticism around this season’s mighty male players along the way. I will say Jim is entertaining to watch and is coming up with some memorable quotes along the way. But his “cool kid” attitude is going to get him into trouble – and I won’t mind one bit. (I mean really Jim: “I don’t see any of us 5 flipping.” Do you even know how this game works? And do you really expect to be certain of that 4-5 days in?)

3. I miss separate reward and immunity challenges.

This week’s challenge was exciting to watch, not least because I love a good comeback (especially when Ozzy’s at the helm!) but I can’t help but be disappointed it was a join reward/immunity challenge once again. If they can’t even give us two separate challenges before the Redemption Island duels begin, then it’s not looking good for later in the season. And that makes me sad… Come on! Survivor is also about the physical aspect of the challenges, ­­and beyond that, the way people react to reward challenges and the decisions they make around them can have a large impact on the game. It’s a shame to reduce that component. I’d much rather see more of those strategic moves than searching for hidden Immunity Idols.

4. Christine dug her grave, and deserves to lie in it.

Speaking of hidden Immunity Idols, Christine made a big mistake searching for it as openly as she did. It was obvious she was going to follow in Kristina’s – her namesake from last season – footsteps. She made a handful of other important mistakes too, like shunning Coach right off the bat and making no effort to mend that relationship, and being so aggressive both at camp (though her confrontation with Edna was really entertaining and I will look forward to seeing how Edna attempts to compensate for and/or improve her social awkwardness) and at Tribal Council.

5. Brandon is train wreck waiting to happen, and I’m eating it all up.

It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of his downward spiral into good vs. evil in the next episode, but we got a good look at how shortsighted, naïve and impulsive Brandon is this week, unflattering editing aside. While I think that divulging his identity to Coach turned out well for him because of Coach’s honorable game playing philosophy, I also suspect it had absolutely nothing to do with strategy. He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut. His performance at Tribal Council confirms this suspicion… You can’t just declare that you were behind sabotaging someone at camp – and a completely faultless and honorable someone at that – and not explain why or at least extend an apology. I’m sure if Brandon told Mikayla he’d feel more comfortable if she wore shorts around camp, she’s be happy to oblige (which would be a good strategic move for her too). Trying to get her kicked off for entirely selfish reasons is not the right way to go about it. Everyone likes a good train wreck, but this is taking it a bit far.

6. A Tribal Council like I like them! But why must the women always be first to suffer the initial elimination?

Tribal Council was a treat this episode! At first, I thought Coach was being reckless and stupid, but somehow he managed to come out on top of his “gloves off” policy. Albert impressed me in his eloquence and strong argumentation skills. (I love smart players on Survivor!) Mikayla needs to work on more than just her physical skills if she wants a chance to get deeper into the game. And why the hell did Stacey and Christine not vote together? Throwing away a vote is no way to either protect yourself or get yourself in any solid alliance. Neither one of them is going to last long. And though I know that weakness is the main criteria of elimination in the first Tribal Councils, I find it offensive and honestly narrow-minded to so obviously target the old and the female in the tribe. Look at Palau’s season: the ‘older’ and arguably less fit tribe of Koror killed the younger and stronger Ulong tribe with their strategy and brains. It’s time to open your minds a little more kiddos!

I’m looking forward to the Redemption Island duel! Who’s your money on for the win? (I’m going to bet on Christine, though I wouldn’t be opposed to Semhar getting herself some appropriate redemption by kicking butt.) What do you think of the Immunity Idol situation? Who’s shaping up to be your favorite player this season? Leave comments below! 

Survivor: South Pacific - Episode 2 in 15 seconds

What an fantastic episode! I'm so glad the momentum hasn't been lost in the second episode, and I'm really enjoying every moment of this season so far.

Ozzy, use it right this time!!!

Brandon, get OVER yourself.

Mikayla, keep kicking butt! But ok, cover yourself up a little bit while doing it...

Jim: overconfidence never got anyone anywhere on Survivor!

Here are my 15 seconds...: