# Survivor - 5/15 Final vote and the winner is....



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Boston Rob!!

WOOOHOOO!!!

He played that beautifully and I think David did a great speech to the jury at the end. I have been rooting for him since day one. 

Very happy he played the immunity idol and then won the final immunity challenge so he could get to the final three. He played the game almost flawlessly. 

Philip getting persnickety at the jury and everyone mentioning that Natalie just rode Rob's coattails was amusing.


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

Like this was not a foregone conclusion since episode one... Puzzles the whole game, Rob is good at puzzles...


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

First let me say I'm glad Rob won. I was even rooting for him and Amber on TAR. But what were these people thinking?!! I was getting so frustrated with these people when they had a chance to vote him out. They deserve to lose!!



Spoiler



The new season will introduce two retuning players again. Are they shooting it right now? 'Cause Rob will certainly have spoiled it for them.


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## BradJW (Jun 9, 2008)

I thought Philip had a slim chance until he started arguing with the jury. 
Natalie was treated pretty poorly by the jury. I don't think she deserved that.

But Rob definitely deserved the win.


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## BradJW (Jun 9, 2008)

gossamer88 said:


> First let me say I'm glad Rob won. I was even rooting for him and Amber on TAR. But what were these people thinking?!! I was getting so frustrated with these people when they had a chance to vote him out. They deserve to lose!!
> 
> SPOILER -The new season will introduce two retuning players again. Are they shooting it right now? 'Cause Rob will certainly have spoiled it for them. - SPOILER


Is that really a spoiler? It was mentioned during the live reunion show. I'm sure it'll be in promos coming up. If the identity of the returning players is found out and posted, that'd be spoilers, but the fact that there are two returning players adds to the interest level now. Everyone's gonna be speculating who it might be.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Jeff didn't throw Russell's phone number away.....

But, I would love to see David play again. The marriage proposal was interesting. And the new fiancee saying something like "survivor loves these blindsides"


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

I am so glad BR won! I have been a fan since his first season!

And boy were they rough on Natalie in final tribal! But wow were she and Andrea hot all cleaned up!

ETA: Philip blew final tribal! I thought he had this great speech all planned out, but then he didn't use it.


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

I was wondering who Carolina is. No wonder...she was the first one out on Survivor: Tocantins.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

Natalie didn't look like the same person. Goes to show what make-up and real food can do.


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## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

I didn't remember her until you posted. Great season and glad we didn't have to watch the cheesy torch collection ceremony to honor those before us.

Rob ruled, even telling nat to not apoligize was great.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

I thought Natalie was too painted up, she looked better on the show. "Phile" will be back on some future season but there is no one else from this season I'd ever want to see on the show again. Rob played great but he really had no competition at all.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

markz said:


> wow were she and Andrea hot all cleaned up!


Am I the only one who thinks that most of the women on Survivor look hotter in the game than "all cleaned up?" Especially this season.


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## bryhamm (Jun 30, 2004)

Did it seem like she really didn't want him to propose? Almost seemed like she said yes just to not embarrass him on live TV.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Magister said:


> Great season and glad we didn't have to watch the cheesy torch collection ceremony to honor those before us.


Oh thank god for that.



bryhamm said:


> Did it seem like she really didn't want him to propose? Almost seemed like she said yes just to not embarrass him on live TV.


I wondered if it was a pleasant shock at the proposal or as you said, a yes not to embarass him. She got bleeped a couple times.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

Peter000 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks that most of the women on Survivor look hotter in the game than "all cleaned up?" Especially this season.


I thought Andrea looked great tonight but agree, most of the time they don't. Whoever does the makeup for the reunion show really pours it on.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

I was also surprised that even though they showed the scene of Philip finding his buried underwear, Jeff didn't call whatshername out on it. I mean she ripped on the final three about being "proud" of they way they played and do you think her daughters would be proud of her mom doing that?


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## bryhamm (Jun 30, 2004)

betts4 said:


> I was also surprised that even though they showed the scene of Philip finding his buried underwear, Jeff didn't call whatshername out on it. I mean she ripped on the final three about being "proud" of they way they played and do you think her daughters would be proud of her mom doing that?


Pisses me off when jury members are all bitter and holier-than-thou


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

Andrea was the only one who looked as good in the game as out to me... the rest of the ladies were "Spackled" too much... Interesting reveal that they knew Rob had the idol, they still should have blindsided him when they had the chance earlier...


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

bryhamm said:


> Pisses me off when jury members are all bitter and holier-than-thou


I think that's why I really loved David's final speech to the jury.


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## bryhamm (Jun 30, 2004)

dfergie said:


> Andrea was the only one who looked as good in the game as out to me... the rest of the ladies were "Spackled" too much... Interesting reveal that they knew Rob had the idol, they still should have blindsided him when they had the chance earlier...


when though? you start talking about it, and there's too good of a chance that he ends up finding out about it and then playing the idol and puts your name down and you are gone.


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## bryhamm (Jun 30, 2004)

betts4 said:


> I think that's why I really loved David's final speech to the jury.


Agreed ... which had to have pissed off Russell. Had a David type person been on his 1st jury and he likely would have won.

Course one of the the beauty things about Rob's game is that he brought the absolute 2 best people out of the core 6 with him to the end.


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

Peter000 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks that most of the women on Survivor look hotter in the game than "all cleaned up?" Especially this season.


I though Natalie was very cute all season. I like the REAL natural look during the season. You can tell who is REALLY good looking when they aren't all made up.


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

markz said:


> I though Natalie was very cute all season. I like the REAL natural look during the season. You can tell who is REALLY good looking when they aren't all made up.


This... rewatching the West feed now... (still think Andrea was cuter though)


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

So, you take the Superbowl All Star, throw him in a high school football game, and he won MVP***. No shock there. I just can't believe how stupid these people were to ride it out to the end like that and actually delude themselves into thinking they had a shot at beating him. There wasn't even anyone there that the jury could possibly vote for just to spite Rob.

Phillip really disappointed me. His character was so absolutely over the top, I was really hoping he'd shock us with a nice, respectable personality and just say "hey, it was an act, and that was MY strategy". No dice there.

I really wish someone else had made it to the end. 


*** OK, that might be a bad analogy to use in the season where there were 2 other players that actually were in the NFL


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## Idearat (Nov 26, 2000)

Now that he's finally won, I'm hoping this is the last we see of him.


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## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

betts4 said:


> Philip getting persnickety at the jury and everyone mentioning that Natalie just rode Rob's coattails was amusing.


Especially since a previous Natalie won the million by riding Russell's coattails all the way.


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## Tracy (Mar 12, 2000)

It bugs me when they leave out a crucial fact--that the girls knew that Rob had the immunity idol. It explains why they didn't turn on him and also explains why they weren't pissed he had been keeping secrets.


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## Roadblock (Apr 5, 2006)

Tracy said:


> It bugs me when they leave out a crucial fact--that the girls knew that Rob had the immunity idol. It explains why they didn't turn on him and also explains why they weren't pissed he had been keeping secrets.


Yeah, it's one of the reasons people who watch the Big Brother live feed tend to not like or even watch the actual edited episodes. It sounded like Rob did a lot of everyday work keeping everyone under control and it would be interesting to see how he actually accomplished that. I've never really been a big Rob fan, but I can't begrudge him accepting the offer to keep doing these shows. I would do the same. And I always prefer the player who dominated the season winning to the floaters winning.

Oh and the worst news of the night was definitely the two more players coming back announcement. Ugh, let it go already.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

I wonder who else knew about the HII. Did Grant know, for example? I was surprised that this wasn't discussed more during the reunion. It's possible that the cameras weren't there when Rob told the girls and they never talked about it afterwards. Do the camera people ever ask questions? if they're just silent observers then they're kind of at the mercy of what the player wants to discuss.

This is a textbook example of the power of the HII. Rob really raised his game to an art form this time. You let people know you have it not on a whim or to gain favor, but as a weapon. Especially if you have already demonstrated that you _will_ find things out and it's almost impossible to blind side you, the HII is a serious trump card. Only if your teammates are willing to organize a complex "flush the idol" scheme can they defeat this.

Now that I know that the girls knew he had it, I believe he was right, he really _didn't_ have to play it at all. They believed he would play the idol that time and that was enough.

On the other hand, not playing it (if they knew he had it) would probably come across as arrogant.


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## DLL66 (Oct 21, 2002)

I don't mind repeat players. 

Boston Rob surely did deserve the win. Grant is understandbly hurt, but after playing the game 4 times, winning the $1M is what the game is about

Natalie really did get grilled and a lot of comments didn't need to be said. Just p!ssed off people.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

I found the last few episodes very anticlimactic. Yes, of course Rob would win if he got to the final. The real question was whether or not the other contestants would be stupid enough to let Rob get that far (um...yes)

Even if they knew he had the idol, they should have kept voting for him until he was gone.


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## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

Could be the reason the girls didn't talk about the HII during the show is that they individually knew, but didn't know the other knew. 

I was quite disappointed (although also quite entertained) by Phillip fighting with the jury at the final TC. Deep down I knew that he really wasn't going to pull a rabbit out of his hat and deliver a knockout speech, but I sure was hoping for it!

Thank you Survivor producers for sparing us the torch walk reminiscing about the fallen along the way.

Anyway, that was as fun as a finale without much suspense could be. Congrats to Rob for the textbook demonstration of how to play hard without pissing off the jury too much.

Next season - back to the South Pacific! Woo Hoo!!!


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

DLL66 said:


> Boston Rob surely did deserve the win. Grant is understandbly hurt, but after playing the game 4 times, winning the $1M is what the game is about


But I don't think that was Grant's issue (he understands whats involved in the game). I think I know what Grant was trying to get at, even though he's not very good at expressing himself. We always hear this from the players every season: "it was a game, and I had to do what I had to do to win". The thing is, when you are in the confessional, there's no game to be played there. That's your chance to be honest and open, and when Rob was in the confessional, he let us know exactly how he felt about these other people. He called them dummies just about every chance he got.

Similarly, Rob can make up this fantastic BS story at Reunion about how he knew he could make a connection with the boy from a family of 12, struggling his whole life for attention. That's absolute crap. We saw in the confessionals exactly why he did it, and it wasn't the tear-jerker story he tried to make it out to be last night.

I think it's that behavior that shows Rob's true nature, and I think it's what deeply offended Grant.


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## LifeIsABeach (Feb 28, 2001)

If the girls did know Rob had a HII then they should have just voted off Phillip. That would have showed Rob he was not in charge anymore and more importantly showed the jury the girls actually had some brains and knew how to play the game. Also would have given them a better chance of beating Rob in the final challange.

Sure Rob played a good game, but his stupid tribe had just as much to do with his victory. Ron should thank whoever decided which former contestant went with which tribe. If Rob was on the opposite tribe they would have been smart enough to boot him early on (although throwing a challange is always stupid) and Russell would have been in the land of the sheep.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

Peter000 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks that most of the women on Survivor look hotter in the game than "all cleaned up?" Especially this season.


I think most of the posters in Survivor threads agree that Survivor women look hotter without makeup (and that the makeup artist for the reunion show needs to be shot and killed!).

I know 99% of the women I've dated (plus the one I've married) don't use makeup.


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

LordKronos said:


> But I don't think that was Grant's issue (he understands whats involved in the game). I think I know what Grant was trying to get at, even though he's not very good at expressing himself. We always hear this from the players every season: "it was a game, and I had to do what I had to do to win". The thing is, when you are in the confessional, there's no game to be played there. That's your chance to be honest and open, and when Rob was in the confessional, he let us know exactly how he felt about these other people. He called them dummies just about every chance he got.
> 
> Similarly, Rob can make up this fantastic BS story at Reunion about how he knew he could make a connection with the boy from a family of 12, struggling his whole life for attention. That's absolute crap. We saw in the confessionals exactly why he did it, and it wasn't the tear-jerker story he tried to make it out to be last night.
> 
> I think it's that behavior that shows Rob's true nature, and I think it's what deeply offended Grant.


Excellent point. I couldn't believe it last night when he called the last 3 people dummies in his confessional. Just no need for that kind of talk.


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## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

Dalton's recap: http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/survivor-redemption-island-finale-boston-rob/

"Survivor: Rob Takes Candy From Babies"


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

Damn, Julie was a bitter [email protected]#$h. Even more than the rest. Wow, what an jacka$$.

And what Mike and Matt learned is this: God doesn't give a damn about who wins survivor and even more certainly doesn't give a damn if you like his plans for you..... Go away.

Ashley was just lame and so was Steve. Use your entire speech just to claim you played a cleaner and more respectable game and that the final three were nasty. Go away.

I can't recall a more mean spirited jury. They said stuff I wouldn't say in private and honestly, I never want to see any of them again, ever.

And Kudos to David for being the first jury member to really understand the game and use his head to vote. Even more, using his time to tell the rest to effectively "get over it" was brilliant. He would be the only one I would want to see again. Great guy!


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

I definitely agree Rob was lucky with the tribe choice. However, you can't say it's all down to that. Russell played his normal game and his tribe was having none of it. Rob adjusted his game to the tribe. I find it very unlikely, for example, that Zap would have felt it necessary to throw a challenge to get rid of Rob. And David and Rob, if they teamed up, would have been formidable. I don't think it too unlikely Rob would have still made it to the merge, even on Zap: they would see him as an asset and be smart enough to keep him for a while. It would be the challenges right before the merge that would be the most dangerous for Rob.

After the merge it would have been a lot tougher for him, even if Zap was up numbers, because the folks on that tribe would not have allowed him to go deep without challenging him.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

madscientist said:


> I definitely agree Rob was lucky with the tribe choice. However, you can't say it's all down to that. Russell played his normal game and his tribe was having none of it. Rob adjusted his game to the tribe. I find it very unlikely, for example, that Zap would have felt it necessary to throw a challenge to get rid of Rob. And David and Rob, if they teamed up, would have been formidable. I don't think it too unlikely Rob would have still made it to the merge, even on Zap: they would see him as an asset and be smart enough to keep him for a while. It would be the challenges right before the merge that would be the most dangerous for Rob.
> 
> After the merge it would have been a lot tougher for him, even if Zap was up numbers, because the folks on that tribe would not have allowed him to go deep without challenging him.


This. I also think the Rob would have adjusted his game to fit the tribe members. I wonder if Ometepe would realize how dangerous Russell is and voted him off right away, though. I would love to see him and David in on tribe.


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## DougF (Mar 18, 2003)

Big ol' +1 to those who said they are glad there was no torch walk remembrance thing.

Was it my imagination, or was the them from _The Godfather_ or some close variation playing for Rob at one point?


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

The opening statements at the final TC were awesome.

Phile: I owe everything to Rob. Vote for me!

Nayttele (I think that's how Ralph would have spelled it): I didn't do anything except what Rob told me to do. Vote for me!

Rob: um...do I really need to say anything here?


even more shocking: Phile gets a vote


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

I was glad to see that the final three were all civil to each other. There was no throwing anyone under the bus and telling us what the other people did wrong.


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

SurvivorFan said:


> Dalton's recap: http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/survivor-redemption-island-finale-boston-rob/
> 
> "Survivor: Rob Takes Candy From Babies"


Brilliantly written. Summarized the finale (and season) perfectly.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

markz said:


> I was glad to see that the final three were all civil to each other. There was no throwing anyone under the bus and telling us what the other people did wrong.


If only the jury behaved that way. While they, aside from Ralph, voted for the right person, their behavior in the final TC was the embarrassing thing, not how the final three played.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

They all start out playing a game for a million bucks. AFTER they are eliminated some, even most, go the "at least I had integrity, blah blah blah" route. 

I wonder how the girls found out about Rob's II. Maybe it was his plan to tell them so they wouldn't bother to vote for him. I don't really like a key element in the game not being shown. How long did they know? They said they didn't flip on him at the end because they knew it was the last TC he could play it. Then why not vote for him in a previous TC to get him to play it? Every week on here people were wondering why there was no talk of another II. NOW we know why. 

Whoever the two returning players are next season I really hope one of them isn't Rupert. Or Probst favorite Coby, who basically quit his last season.


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

markz said:


> I was glad to see that the final three were all civil to each other. There was no throwing anyone under the bus and telling us what the other people did wrong.


There's no need to throw anyone under a bus when they willingly lay down in the middle of the bus lane.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

Who voted for Phillip for the win? Was that revealed? I've only watched the first 2:10 of last night's three hours (up 'till they announced Rob the winner), and 30s-skipped through some of hour two.

[edit] Looks like it was Ralph based on IJLT's post, eh?


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

Yeah, it was Ralph.


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## InterMurph (May 22, 2003)

I am confused by what happened during the final immunity challenge.

Ashley appeared to have it solved. At one point she had the "ONLY" on the top row, and then she had the "SAFE" on the bottom row, and later she had "YOUA" in the middle. That leaves just one piece.

But then at the end, there was a shot of her puzzle that showed only two or three letters in place.


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## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

Notice they only talked to one person from pre-merge, Russel? The stories happened without those people. I wish we had gotten a better look at Stephanie. She looked incredible without makeup on the island.

I can imagine David and Philipe making it to an All-Stars season. Rob really is done and Russell is too big not to make it back. He was still bitter, but in a lot of ways, right. DON'T THROW A CHALLENGE. You will lose one eventually anyway. 

I don't feel bad about Grant, his feelings really were hurt. Get over it, it was a game.


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## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

You're confused, Ashley was even more confused!


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

InterMurph said:


> I am confused by what happened during the final immunity challenge.
> 
> Ashley appeared to have it solved. At one point she had the "ONLY" on the top row, and then she had the "SAFE" on the bottom row, and later she had "YOUA" in the middle. That leaves just one piece.
> 
> But then at the end, there was a shot of her puzzle that showed only two or three letters in place.


I was confused by that as well. She seemed to have had all the words, set them aside to work on the others, and then had almost nothing done at the end for some reason.

The only explanation is that she panicked or something. But I thought for sure she had won.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Anubys said:


> I was confused by that as well. She seemed to have had all the words, set them aside to work on the others, and then had almost nothing done at the end for some reason.


I think they were setting them aside because even though they were putting on a lame appearance of working together, they didn't want the other to see what words they'd gotten.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Anubys said:


> I was confused by that as well. She seemed to have had all the words, set them aside to work on the others, and then had almost nothing done at the end for some reason.
> 
> The only explanation is that she panicked or something. But I thought for sure she had won.


I was confused by that but I think Rob's comment about "let's work on this together" threw her off stride. She was very smart that while in the maze she was following him (and him her) to get the pieces. Poor Natalie looked so bewildered, and that was not the first time we saw her like that.


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

InterMurph said:


> I am confused by what happened during the final immunity challenge.
> 
> Ashley appeared to have it solved. At one point she had the "ONLY" on the top row, and then she had the "SAFE" on the bottom row, and later she had "YOUA" in the middle. That leaves just one piece.
> 
> But then at the end, there was a shot of her puzzle that showed only two or three letters in place.


Absolutely. I knew this was going to be the lamest finale possible if she didn't win (if she won, at least there would be a little suspense that rob would get voted out, or at least one of the final three would have a small claim to maybe deserve it more than Rob). Watching it, I was sure she had rob beat. Then Rob started with his "let's work together" and she was like "I can't figure it out". I thought she was just lying to him, but seeing how close she got without figuring it out, maybe she was telling the truth.


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

Phillip was on the local radio station this morning. Listening to him, I'm not sure anymore whether or not his crazy was an act. At first I was hoping it was, but then his FTC and reunion behavior made me think it wasn't an act. Listening to him on the radio, I'm thinking that maybe it was an act, and the only reason why he didn't break character during FTC and reunion was because he wanted to uphold the persona of being a nutjob, possibly so he can get invited back for a future season.


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

Anubys said:


> The opening statements at the final TC were awesome.
> 
> Phile: I owe everything to Rob. Vote for me!
> 
> ...


I was thinking Rob should just say "Thank you, I have nothing to add."


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## BradJW (Jun 9, 2008)

I'm gonna go on record saying the reunion show should be an hour and a half. I wish they'd talk to everyone at least for a couple of seconds. Adding an extra 30 minutes to the show would fix that.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

justen_m said:


> Who voted for Phillip for the win? Was that revealed? I've only watched the first 2:10 of last night's three hours (up 'till they announced Rob the winner), and 30s-skipped through some of hour two.
> 
> [edit] Looks like it was Ralph based on IJLT's post, eh?


His was one of the votes they showed during the voting segment. It was misspelled Phile....


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

Glad Jeff Probst called Julie out on how hard she was on Natalie. 

Oh and Probst please lose Russel's number!


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

loubob57 said:


> I was thinking Rob should just say "Thank you, I have nothing to add."


I was hoping the same thing but that might have been too over the top. You have to act like you give a damn what the losers think. Even if you don't.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

gossamer88 said:


> Glad Jeff Probst called Julie out on how hard she was on Natalie.
> 
> Oh and Probst please lose Russel's number!


Julie looked way worse than anyone else. And for someone vain enough to do the amt of weight lifting she does, that must feel bad.....


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## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

BradJW said:


> I'm gonna go on record saying the reunion show should be an hour and a half. I wish they'd talk to everyone at least for a couple of seconds. Adding an extra 30 minutes to the show would fix that.


I would vote no to that  It's a long night already. Maybe put some interviews up on CBS.com


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

WO312 said:


> Excellent point. I couldn't believe it last night when he called the last 3 people *idiots* in his confessional. Just no need for that kind of talk.


FYP.


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## tripmac (Oct 4, 2004)

VegasVic said:


> Whoever the two returning players are next season I really hope one of them isn't Rupert. Or Probst favorite Coby, who basically quit his last season.


One of my guesses is the ice cream scooper. The one that got voted out with the idol in his pocket.


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## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

tripmac said:


> One of my guesses is the ice cream scooper. The one that got voted out with the idol in his pocket.


I swear they showed him in the preview for next season... Not spoiling since it was during the actual reunion show.


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

They haven't filmed the next one yet, but in the Montage I swear I saw Jenna Morasco...


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

dfergie said:


> They haven't filmed the next one yet, but in the Montage I swear I saw Jenna Morasco...


argh, I would have to give serious thought to not watching 

(who am I kidding, of course I'll still watch. But I'll hate myself for doing so!)


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

I'm surprised the who murlonio name didn't come up. Rob's naming of the merged tribe after a stuffed animal but giving it a real meaning was hilarious.


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## That Don Guy (Mar 13, 2003)

Idearat said:


> Now that he's finally won, I'm hoping this is the last we see of him.


I wouldn't be surprised if there is talk at CNN about replacing Piers Morgan, and the shortlist is probably Probst and Ryan Seacrest - and if Probst did end up getting the job, Rob would take his place hosting Survivor (does anyone else have a better idea how to play the game?)...


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

It's no wonder Rob won. No one was playing against him.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

gossamer88 said:


> First let me say I'm glad Rob won. I was even rooting for him and Amber on TAR. But what were these people thinking?!! I was getting so frustrated with these people when they had a chance to vote him out. They deserve to lose!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It will be filmed this summer, so they probably don't know yet who those people will be. But my guess is that Phil will be back at some point. If not this coming season, then sometime soon.

I wonder where in the South Pacific they're filming.


InterMurph said:


> I am confused by what happened during the final immunity challenge.
> 
> Ashley appeared to have it solved. At one point she had the "ONLY" on the top row, and then she had the "SAFE" on the bottom row, and later she had "YOUA" in the middle. That leaves just one piece.
> 
> But then at the end, there was a shot of her puzzle that showed only two or three letters in place.


I thought that too, but once Rob won, I decided that they just did some creative editing to make it seem closer than it really was.


----------



## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

I still enjoy this show a lot but this was a predictable season which made it less enjoyable. Hardly any strategy talk. Rob made it so his tribe was too scared to talk strategy. That may have been a good strategy in itself but it made the season less exciting to watch. And no challenges in the water sucks as well.


----------



## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> I wonder where in the South Pacific they're filming.


Samoa (again).



> I thought that too, but once Rob won, I decided that they just did some creative editing to make it seem closer than it really was.


I'm not sure how they do the creative editing there. We saw her build the word SAFE and then set that aside. We saw her build the word ONLY and then set that aside. There's only a few combinations left for the other few pieces (unless she stupidly decided to rip apart one of those words after figuring it out). The only way I could see editing having an effect there is if she found "YOUA" early on and didn't realize it was something (since I don't think there was a space between the 2 words) and the editors made it appear she found that at the end. Even if that were the case, she was still really close


----------



## sburnside1 (Jan 28, 2009)

tripmac said:


> One of my guesses is the ice cream scooper. The one that got voted out with the idol in his pocket.


Yeah, Erik i think. I saw a glimpse of of the side of his face in their clip.

It's the 2 dumbest survivors. He gave away his idol and got voted out. That qualifies him.

The other player is probably the one that fell for the fake idol that was like 2 twigs rudely carved and tied together. He was 100% sure it was a real idol, even though tribe mates told him it looked nothing like a real idol.


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

LordKronos said:


> I'm not sure how they do the creative editing there. We saw her build the word SAFE and then set that aside. We saw her build the word ONLY and then set that aside. There's only a few combinations left for the other few pieces (unless she stupidly decided to rip apart one of those words after figuring it out). The only way I could see editing having an effect there is if she found "YOUA" early on and didn't realize it was something (since I don't think there was a space between the 2 words) and the editors made it appear she found that at the end. Even if that were the case, she was still really close


That's exactly it. She had ONLY, she had SAFE, then she figured out YOU ARE. When they showed YOU ARE SAFE in the right spot, all she had to do (I thought) was put ONLY up top and she was done.

Yet the next thing you saw was Rob finishing and she was nowhere near completing the words.

The creative editing may have been someone else doing those words and using that tape to mislead us.


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## Zephyr (Sep 16, 2005)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> I'm surprised the who murlonio name didn't come up. Rob's naming of the merged tribe after a stuffed animal but giving it a real meaning was hilarious.


Me too! I knew he was home free when no one reacted to his explanation it was Spanish... sure.


----------



## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> I'm surprised the who murlonio name didn't come up. Rob's naming of the merged tribe after a stuffed animal but giving it a real meaning was hilarious.


This thing seems to happen almost every season. It's such a trivial thing that, as long as it sounds like a cool name, who really cares what (if anything) it means? I never seem to understand how it is always such a point for amusement. It was funny the first time someone did it (I can't even recall who that was), but after that it's no more interesting than somebody copying Hatch's idea to form an alliance.


----------



## pudding7 (May 13, 2002)

LordKronos said:


> This thing seems to happen almost every season. It's such a trivial thing that, as long as it sounds like a cool name, who really cares what (if anything) it means? I never seem to understand how it is always such a point for amusement. It was funny the first time someone did it (I can't even recall who that was), but after that it's no more interesting than somebody copying Hatch's idea to form an alliance.


I would have like to have seen Amber's reaction to it, or even had her bring the bear to the reunion show. That would have been pretty funny.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

pudding7 said:


> I would have like to have seen Amber's reaction to it, or even had her bring the bear to the reunion show. That would have been pretty funny.


:up: That would have been great!


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Random thoughts from a veteran Survivor watcher:

* Not really a very good season. Interesting characters drive the show; Russell was gone quickly, and Phillip was the only looney tune. It was mostly watching Zapatera get shot one by one, and the rest think riding Rob's coattails was the way to win. Grant was the closest to a real threat.

* There is a difference between "riding someone's coattails" and "staying under the radar". One allows you to get to the end with a chance of victory (Sandra is a perfect example of this); the other assures you will be taken to the end, where you will become fodder for the victor (Natalie & Phillip this season). Natalie--what made you think anyone would vote for you? Even YOU gave Rob all the credit in your speech, which conceded the victory to him.

* Phillip--WTF? You make it to the end, and just fall on your sword? Tell everyone your strategy was to shotgun with Rob? And where was this amazing, incredible Final Tribal speech that was gonna turn the game on end?

* It was humorous watching Rob try to figure out what to say at Final after his two competitors had basically said "Rob played a great game, and look, I'm here too!". Nat & Phil--that's not considered a strategy. Rob decided to take his speech a totally different direction that didn't dwell on them; smart decision as it kept anyone from voting against him for bitterness/resentment reasons. He truly was a shark among the fish. Baby fish. Minnows.

* Grant--good player, decent strategy, made one fatal mistake. You even said to Rob (I think at Final Tribal) that you thought you & him, mano-a-mano, would have been a great showdown. You're right, and Rob knew it, so he blind-sided you. This game is not about creating great showdowns; it's about winning. When you get to the final few (5/6 or less), you have to stop putting your alliance as the primary goal, and give serious thought to who you want to be up against should you make it to the end. Rob did this, and realized Natalie & Phillip would never beat him, and conspired to make them his final mates. You didn't.

* For that matter (see above note), neither did Natalie. Had she made an alliance switch at the end, she would have been seen in a totally different light. As a player, instead of a rider. In her defense, she's just so young. It's hard for most 19 year old people to totally understand the group dynamics; they just don't have enough life experience.

* Dear Jury Members--the point of the game is to win. And sometimes you have to lie, cheat & steal to get there. Nobody remembers your speech where you talked about how noble you were, and how you played an honest game. They remember the winner. A speech like Julie's just shows either how bitter she is, or how stupid she is. And frankly, since she didn't win, I don't care. A couple others were almost as bad (Ashley, Steve, etc). It's a GAME. Play it. And don't be a sore loser; David comes off much better than you did.

* While many of you have said good riddance to the torch walk, I enjoy it. It's a relatively brief blast thru the last four months for me, and I enjoy seeing (and quickly reliving) who didn't survive.

* Another change I noticed: At the Reunion Show, Jeff made no effort to talk to each person; usually he'll say something to each of them, even if it's just a nod & quickie. This time he just skipped over them. I don't have a problem with that, as the Reunion show always felt rushed. I've always thought they could add another hour to it and still maintain most of their viewers.

* Let's hope Survivor: South Pacific has water & a beach. Not having any water challenges (I don't count those wimpy pool games) seriously limits what they can do. I'm sure they didn't realize how bad their site was until they arrived, and am confident S:SP has been vetted for water. 

* I don't have any problem with bringing back a player or two; it adds an interesting twist.

* I'm still not a huge fan of Redemption Island. It did add some twists to the game, but I guess I'm just a purist; when you're dead, you're dead. I don't hate it, and if we're going to have it back (and we are), let's hope they tweak it.



LordKronos said:


> There's no need to throw anyone under a bus when they willingly lay down in the middle of the bus lane.


Great line!:up:


----------



## Einselen (Apr 25, 2006)

LordKronos said:


> But I don't think that was Grant's issue (he understands whats involved in the game). I think I know what Grant was trying to get at, even though he's not very good at expressing himself. We always hear this from the players every season: "it was a game, and I had to do what I had to do to win". The thing is, when you are in the confessional, there's no game to be played there. That's your chance to be honest and open, and when Rob was in the confessional, he let us know exactly how he felt about these other people. He called them dummies just about every chance he got.


I wouldn't say it is just the confessional as I am sure producers ask leading questions to get certain responses. Sure they didn't make him call them idiots but once it is said once I am sure it is a term the producers will drop and reuse to get the contestant to use it again.

I think the whole thing is that no matter how much of a game it is, there takes a certain character to get over that moral line of stabbing, lying and basically going as far as cheating as possible (without breaking the rules). Even if you don't set a line, like Rob did this season it takes a certain character to be able to not set a line.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

gossamer88 said:


> I was wondering who Carolina is. No wonder...she was the first one out on Survivor: Tocantins.


I remember being angry that one really good eye candy was leaving so soon.

That's one good thing about this season; all the lady eye candy stayed for almost the entire duration


----------



## Einselen (Apr 25, 2006)

I don't mind RI too much if they made it so you had no clue was remaining. I wish we saw more worry about it this season but I think they knew who was there and it wasn't too much of a threat. I am sure Rob wanted a certain player to come back in this last RI or at least hoping a certain player may be knocked out (Grant due to him possibly winning immunities) but it didn't seem RI caused too much pause in voting people out.


----------



## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

I think Phillip said in an earlier episode that he didn't care if he was playing for second. I think he realized that going into final tribal there was no way he was going to win.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

The reunion show is plenty long. No need to add a half hour to talk to people who were voted off early. There isn't much they have to say that I would want to hear.


----------



## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

markz said:


> I was glad to see that the final three were all civil to each other. There was no throwing anyone under the bus and telling us what the other people did wrong.


Yeah, Rob was even nice to Natalie at the tribal after Julie finished her rant... Sensing her feelings were hurt, he whispering something like, "dont worry, they always go back to 'all smiles' after this is all over". Of course, it may have just been him trying to prevent her from crying and then getting pity votes, but it didn't feel that way to me.



BradJW said:


> I'm gonna go on record saying the reunion show should be an hour and a half. I wish they'd talk to everyone at least for a couple of seconds. Adding an extra 30 minutes to the show would fix that.


I know you're talking about scheduling it that long, but in the early seasons, although it was always scheduled for an hour, the reunion often ran long and ran into the affiliate's 11:00 news slot by (IIRC) as much as 15 minutes or so. Probably due to complaints by the affiliates, they've been careful in recent seasons to not let that happen anymore; Jeff now keeps things moving, and I think a lot doesn't get asked anymore that should be asked.



IJustLikeTivo said:


> I'm surprised the who murlonio name didn't come up. Rob's naming of the merged tribe after a stuffed animal but giving it a real meaning was hilarious.


Yeah, Jeff had said in his blogs two things he wanted to do at the reunion but neither happened: 1) Ask the girls about why they never looked for the HII (partially answered at the reunion with the revelation that Robb told them about it after the merge. but doesn't answer what their deal was pre-merge). 2) Ask Amber to bring and the 'real' Murlonio stuff animal to the reunion.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

It's been mentioned in this thread that we may see Phil and David on a future season. Philip yes although his "act", whether real or not", gets old fast. David, no thanks. Early on he was a self proclaimed puzzle genius, but he wasnt'. And while he ackowledged Rob's great strategy he really didn't have any himself. That whole tribe was dumb from the moment they agreed to throw the challenge. I honestly don't want to see anyone from this season back on the show again.


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

Keep in mind that the reunion show is really 10 minutes shorter than the schedule says. They still don't announce the winner until well after the 2-hour episode ends. That's gotta piss off a lot of people that don't know they have to record the reunion show to know who won.


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## nmiller855 (Sep 26, 2000)

I don't like them bringing back players from previous games. To me it's like trying out for a part in a play or for cheerleader or a place on a team. You get one shot. You either make it or not based on that one chance. If you blow it, you are done. You should not be given another chance.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

I see Russell will have a show on A&E later this year on house flipping. No thank you.


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## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

FWIW, I wouldn't mind the reunion show being a half hour longer.


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## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

I would like the reunion show to be longer, but there just isn't enough time to schedule it on TV. I say record an extra hour of it and I'd watch online, even with commercials.


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## pudding7 (May 13, 2002)

SurvivorFan said:


> FWIW, I wouldn't mind the reunion show being a half hour longer.


I'm waiting for the eventual 36-DVD boxed set of "Survivor: 52 seasons Behind the Scenes!"


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## everklier (Feb 13, 2002)

astrohip said:


> Random thoughts from a veteran Survivor watcher:
> 
> * I don't have any problem with bringing back a player or two; it adds an interesting twist.
> 
> i think that the 2 survivors they bring back should act as a "coach" for their tribe, not be allowed to vote or be eligible to win. if the winner comes from the tribe they coached, they get a nice stipend of say $100k.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

Hmmmm you just mentioned "coach" and now I'm wondering if he'll be one brought back next season. Ugh.


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

One thing I think they should do if they keep RI is make it so that the next TC that person has immunity as well. What tribe would not vote the person out again? The person returning barely has any time to try to win their way back in. The only thing it really gives them is the chance to compete in the immunity challenge. It's exactly what happened this time.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

True they may/probably get voted out right away. But they've already received a big break by getting a second chance. I don't want them to get an additional break by receiving immunity. They will have to work extra hard to get people to flip (Matt never did that, he just assumed his old tribe would take him back, dumb dumb dumb ), and if they can do so great, if not, oh well, they got an extra shot at the million.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

loubob57 said:


> Keep in mind that the reunion show is really 10 minutes shorter than the schedule says. They still don't announce the winner until well after the 2-hour episode ends. That's gotta piss off a lot of people that don't know they have to record the reunion show to know who won.


is there anybody that doesn't know that already?

They even make sure the name is the same so DVRs pick up the show off the SP.


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

nmiller855 said:


> I don't like them bringing back players from previous games. To me it's like trying out for a part in a play or for cheerleader or a place on a team. You get one shot. You either make it or not based on that one chance. If you blow it, you are done. You should not be given another chance.


This is a show like any other that lives or dies on viewership. Bringing in a couple of past contestants has the ability to bring in an initial fan club in the first few episodes when we know nothing about the new contestants. They in fact bring in baggage and can be booted out immediately. If you look at all the shows were they brought in past contestants - many of them were tossed out right away like Richard Hatch and Russell as you saw.

It's not about charity to some deserving person - get over that. It's about entertainment and we want to see good battles. Redemption Island needs to be tweaked some and I expect them to do that. It's purpose in my opinion is to shake up the current strategies that people bring in to the game.

If they keep the same formula they used in season 1 - you all would be complaining how boring it is. They have to constantly tweak things.
They also have to keep their viewers watching. We get bored fast!


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

Anubys said:


> is there anybody that doesn't know that already?
> 
> They even make sure the name is the same so DVRs pick up the show off the SP.


We all know that of course. I was thinking about the poor newbies.

The SP didn't used to pick up the reunion show automatically. That would be a real pisser. "The winner is ... [Save/Delete?]


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## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

I can see it now: "Coach" vs. "The Special Agent"
Probst would love it.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Anubys said:


> is there anybody that doesn't know that already?


I think my mom. 

I realized as I was watching last night that she might not have known to record the reunion... she didn't even know what the jury was until I explained it to her last night that that is how they won... the jury votes for the winner. She thought they just did challenges and stuff until one person was left.

She was only watching because she liked Boston Rob from the first Amazing Race season that he was on, so she watched Heroes vs. Villains and this season to see how he did. He went out before the jury in HvV, and she stopped watching once he was out, so she didn't see anything about the jury.


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

VegasVic said:


> Hmmmm you just mentioned "coach" and now I'm wondering if he'll be one brought back next season. Ugh.


Heee heee....what about Coach *and* Phillip!!!   

Ooops!! I smeeked!


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## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

Coach was so mellow in HvV, he really wasn't a villian. Just a fragile needy dude that wanted to be loved. Philipe would be much more mellow in another game. Not sure anyone would want to watch his schtick for another season, not sure I would want to.

I think past idiots like Matt or Ice-Cream boy. Those levels of clueless players would make better additions. They get a chance to redeem thier stupid plays


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

I would not be surprised if they brought Matt back. He has the ability to win challenges and bring fans.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

astrohip said:


> Random thoughts from a veteran Survivor watcher:
> 
> * Dear Jury Members--the point of the game is to win. And sometimes you have to lie, cheat & steal to get there. Nobody remembers your speech where you talked about how noble you were, and how you played an honest game. They remember the winner. A speech like Julie's just shows either how bitter she is, or how stupid she is. And frankly, since she didn't win, I don't care. A couple others were almost as bad (Ashley, Steve, etc). It's a GAME. Play it. And don't be a sore loser; David comes off much better than you did.


Totally agree. I sometimes wonder if the producers don't spend some time trying to get the jury riled up so they'll have more "Sue Hawk" type speeches from the jury. But I don't think they realize that most viewers don't want to see that. We want the jury to acknowledge good game play and stop acting so high and mighty because you weren't smart enough to figure out how to backstab someone.



astrohip said:


> * Another change I noticed: At the Reunion Show, Jeff made no effort to talk to each person; usually he'll say something to each of them, even if it's just a nod & quickie. This time he just skipped over them. I don't have a problem with that, as the Reunion show always felt rushed. I've always thought they could add another hour to it and still maintain most of their viewers.


It's now been a few seasons where he's given up on trying to acknowledge each of the players. I like that he's able to spend more time on the more interesting stuff, but I also feel bad for those that show up and don't even get on camera. That's the reason I agree with:


DancnDude said:


> I would like the reunion show to be longer, but there just isn't enough time to schedule it on TV. I say record an extra hour of it and I'd watch online, even with commercials.


Yep. Record a second hour and make it available online. You'd get enough people to watch that it would more than pay for itself.


VegasVic said:


> Hmmmm you just mentioned "coach" and now I'm wondering if he'll be one brought back next season. Ugh.


I agree with Magister. He was a shell of his former self when he came back the second time. I don't think they'll have him back again.


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## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

zalusky said:


> I would not be surprised if they brought Matt back. He has the ability to win challenges and bring fans.


I would be okay with that as long as he came alone this time (left the Lord at home)


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

LordKronos said:


> Samoa (again).


Is that speculation, or did you read that somewhere?

My in-laws know the guy that owns that land in Samoa and he's planning to build a Survivor-themed resort on the property. If he's not ready to build yet, he's probably more than happy to have them give the property some more Suvivor cred.


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## LordKronos (Dec 28, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> Is that speculation, or did you read that somewhere?


Sorry. I read it elsewhere and thought it was fact, but looking now it appears to just be speculation.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

LordKronos said:


> Sorry. I read it elsewhere and thought it was fact, but looking now it appears to just be speculation.


Although it looks to be pretty solid speculation: http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/survivor_south_pacific/2011_Apr_02_hotel_booked


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

CatScratchFever said:


> I would be okay with that as long as he came alone this time (left the Lord at home)


Has anyone that came to Survivor to play for the Lord or to get closer to God, ever won Survivor?


----------



## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

markz said:


> Has anyone that came to Survivor to play for the Lord or to get closer to God, ever won Survivor?


No but some have won Super Bowls.


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

Magister said:


> Coach was so mellow in HvV, he really wasn't a villian. Just a fragile needy dude that wanted to be loved. Philipe would be much more mellow in another game. Not sure anyone would want to watch his schtick for another season, not sure I would want to.
> 
> I think past idiots like Matt or Ice-Cream boy. Those levels of clueless players would make better additions. They get a chance to redeem thier stupid plays


Only if God allowed that.


----------



## Dnamertz (Jan 30, 2005)

bryhamm said:


> Pisses me off when jury members are all bitter and holier-than-thou


I agree. Most of these people lie and betray to some extent in the game, and once they get voted off they act horrified that others did the same. Grant and Matt both acted like they never would have played the game the way Rob did, but then they gave him their vote.

When Grant got voted out he seemed surprised that someone in his tribe was being dishonest. Well, before they went to tribal council, and Grant, Rob, and Phil were all sitting around plotting to vote out Natalie (as far as Grant knew), didn't Grant realize they were being dishonest to Natalie (Natalie didn't know about that plot)? I guess it's only dishonest, and crossing a line when you are the one getting voted out.


----------



## DVC California (Jun 4, 2004)

markz said:


> I though Natalie was very cute all season. I like the REAL natural look during the season. You can tell who is REALLY good looking when they aren't all made up.


Cute AND bendy!


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

DVC California said:


> Cute AND bendy!


Oh my!


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

She'd get my vote!


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## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

Amnesia said:


> She'd get my vote!


If she did that at final tribal she would have won.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

You'd think she would have been better at more of the challenges.


----------



## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

I want them to bring back Jimmy Johnson.


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## omnibus (Sep 25, 2001)

Bring back Richard Hatch and Susan Hawk


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

JFriday said:


> If she did that at final tribal she would have won.


Or that 'stomach ache' pose from a few episodes back.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

betts4 said:


> You'd think she would have been better at more of the challenges.


remember, she thinks she's smarter than she thinks she is


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Finally--a finale/winner I'm happy with!!

Boo to the bitter ninnies at tribal--they annoy me every year. Yay to David for his speech directed to the ninnies--what all of us want to tell the jury every year. Yay for Phillip saying what he thought (being himself) votes be damned--I actually liked him during tribal council!


----------



## martinp13 (Mar 19, 2001)

InterMurph said:


> I am confused by what happened during the final immunity challenge.
> 
> Ashley appeared to have it solved. At one point she had the "ONLY" on the top row, and then she had the "SAFE" on the bottom row, and later she had "YOUA" in the middle. That leaves just one piece.
> 
> But then at the end, there was a shot of her puzzle that showed only two or three letters in place.


Editing editing editing. We have no idea when they filmed her making those words: early in the challenge, late in the challenge, NOT in the challenge. When I got on the AOL game show a few years ago, we played the game and one of the girls won. Game decided, now Hollywood takes over. They refilmed her answering the last question for the win. What was shown was not even part of the game.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

A few thoughts:

1) This season was tailor made for Rob to win, almost to the point that they brought him back TO win . When you consider that, most of the challenges were puzzles which are his strength. He was put on a tribe with a lot of young girls, and they all gravitated to him. They NEVER mixed the tribes, which they frequently do early on, which allowed him to cement his alliances. Then add is that the other tribe, with the lead in numbers, THREW a challenge to get rid of Russell, thus committing tribal suicide, and that RI allowed two players back that Rob was easily able to get voted out again. And he also had Phil to distract everyone from his doings.

2) I like RI, but they REALLY need to tweak it, because as it was, it was a colossal failure. Both people who came back were immediately voted off at the next tribal council. I don't like the idea of someone coming in almost at the end of the game and having then having to last only 2 TCs to get to the final. So, I propose that they use RI until right before the merge, and put the redeemer back on the OTHER tribe. And I agree, nobody goes and watches the RI battles.

3) Rob certainly learned from his experiences in the past and played a flawless game (helped of course by the fact that his tribemates were sheep). The one thing he learned from HvsV is how to use the II, and that was key to him winning.

4) I like when they honor the fallen tribe members, and I missed that. It also helps me remember some of the early contestants. The RI piece made it so they had to cut that out. So I am in the minority here appearently.

5) Two more previous players? Bah!! I hope whoever they bring back have only played one other time. I'm tired of the same old players. And I'd done with Russell, Rob and Ruppert. I do kind of like the idea of bringing them back as "coaches" but the problem with that is, that they can play favorites and that could be an unfair advantage to some players.

6) Agree the girls looked hotter during the game. The fact that they wore bikinis throughout the game doesn't hurt. To me Andrea was the cutest....That's my vote.

7) Worst TC ever! Phil and Nat basically handed it to Rob by saying they rode his coattails and THANKING him. Natalie really had no case for winning and really, she knew it, it was obvious. And it didn't help that she couldn't speak a coherent sentence. Philip, well, he really could have made his case but decided to turn vindictive. He could have said his strategy was to be as obnoxious as possible to make him the perfect person to bring to the end, but the problem is, he maintained the obnoxiousness to the jury. He also could have said that he organized the "stealth" team or whatever he called it. And he purposely threw challenges to make him seem less a threat. He did none of those things (but did touch on them during the reunion). That cost him any chance of winning.

8) It didn't happen, but one thing I hate about the final 3 instead of the final 2 is that theoretically, the person who wins the final immunity may not get to choose everyone he goes against. The winner of the last challenge in a final two can pick who (s)he wants to go up against. Also, I'd love to see a three way tie and see how they resolve that some day


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> A few thoughts:
> 
> 1) This season was tailor made for Rob to win, almost to the point that they brought him back TO win . When you consider that, most of the challenges were puzzles which are his strength. He was put on a tribe with a lot of young girls, and they all gravitated to him. They NEVER mixed the tribes, which they frequently do early on, which allowed him to cement his alliances. Then add is that the other tribe, with the lead in numbers, THREW a challenge to get rid of Russell, thus committing tribal suicide, and that RI allowed two players back that Rob was easily able to get voted out again. And he also had Phil to distract everyone from his doings.
> 
> ...


I have to disagree with #1. Rob was not put on that tribe. Rob and Russell drew for buffs and it was the luck of the draw. Great for Rob. Not at all sure how it would have worked out the other way. Would Rob's social skills have kept him from being voted off so early on Zapatera? Maybe so. Would Russell have had better luck with his strategy on Ometepe, presumably the more gullible tribe? Maybe so. Unfortunately, we'll never know.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

WO312 said:


> I have to disagree with #1. Rob was not put on that tribe. Rob and Russell drew for buffs and it was the luck of the draw. Great for Rob. Not at all sure how it would have worked out the other way. Would Rob's social skills have kept him from being voted off so early on Zapatera? Maybe so. Would Russell have had better luck with his strategy on Ometepe, presumably the more gullible tribe? Maybe so. Unfortunately, we'll never know.


You're of course right and I forgot that detail. That said, without mixing the tribes, it was pretty easy for Rob to develop a strategy and stick with it VERY early. The part of me that thinks that they WANTED him to win thinks that things were planned to make it happen. It was just TOO easy. If they had simply mixed the tribes, Rob may not win.


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

I really enjoyed the season as is. I wouldn't tweak RI, I think that worked fine.

The challenges were a good mix of physical and puzzles. Yeah, Rob is good at puzzles, but so are many other contestants. 

Rob basically convinced his whole alliance, person by person, that THEY were gong to end up at finals with him, and he'd make sure of it. That's basically why none of them as a group got together and tried to vote him off. Plus several of them knew he had the immunity idol, and to try would be moot. That combined with Rob's almost-psychic intuition of the game made it a lock for him to win.

Anyway, i'm happy in general with the outcome. It'll be interesting to see where they take it from here.


----------



## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

Peter000 said:


> I really enjoyed the season as is. I wouldn't tweak RI, I think that worked fine.
> 
> Anyway, i'm happy in general with the outcome. It'll be interesting to see where they take it from here.


To make RI really work, I'd make two changes.

1. Either the person returning gets immunity for one TC or they go to the other team.

2. They stop using RI at the merge. It's not fair to anyone to have them enter at day 36 like they did here. Too much interaction that affects the final TC is missed. This works for an against the RI returnee but it makes their game a different game than the others.


----------



## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

I'd go with your #2, I'd stop RI at the merge. I don't like someone getting a second chance very late in the game. 

But as I said in an earlier post I don't want the RI returnee to get immunity at the next TC. Yes there will be a target on them and the odds are they will get voted out again right away, as happened this season. But it's up to them to work hard to get people to flip. Matt didn't do that. He thought about it but then just decided he could go back with his tribe. Stupid mistake. A player is already getting a second chance after being voted out. They shouldn't also get immunity from the next TC.


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> To make RI really work, I'd make two changes.
> 
> 1. Either the person returning gets immunity for one TC or they go to the other team.
> 
> 2. They stop using RI at the merge. It's not fair to anyone to have them enter at day 36 like they did here. Too much interaction that affects the final TC is missed. This works for an against the RI returnee but it makes their game a different game than the others.


Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I liked it the way it was. If the guy coming back can't make it and manage to stay at the merge, when typically there's the most disarray and alliance-jumping, they should be voted off again.

Though I think that once they've had their RI comeback shot, that's it. They shouldn't go back to RI again they should just be out of the game completely once voted out. That's not to say somebody else couldn't go to RI after that... I don't mind RI staying around until the end like it did this time.


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> You're of course right and I forgot that detail. That said, without mixing the tribes, it was pretty easy for Rob to develop a strategy and stick with it VERY early. The part of me that thinks that they WANTED him to win thinks that things were planned to make it happen. It was just TOO easy. If they had simply mixed the tribes, Rob may not win.


The challenges were more than puzzles, imagine doing all that running in 100+ humid heat. Short of Phillip he was the old guy for most of the time.
Had he not one all the challenges he did I believe they would have flushed the idol and he would have been gone.

He worked hard for it. As they said he was constantly in everybodys face keeping on top of what was going on. That's a lot of work where they sit around for 90% of the time.


----------



## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

I didn't like RI in the 2nd half mainly because of the number of people there. The challenges went from "must win" to "don't be last". Keep RI to 1 person at a time. When the finale began on Sunday there were 8 of the original 18 left with a shot. That's too many.


----------



## DougF (Mar 18, 2003)

I imagine there will be some tweaks to Redemption Island as it was pretty much useless this time out. Having people come back at two different points and get voted out right away didn't really serve any purpose, IMO.

When it's going to work well is when someone comes back who can shift the balance of power. That's going to be a rare case, I'd guess, so it's really serving as nothing more than a gimmick right now.


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

That EASILY could have happened this time around. It almost did, but Matt failed.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

Peter000 said:


> That EASILY could have happened this time around. It almost did, but Matt failed.


Which is why I hope Matt isn't one of the returning players. He totally sucked as a player.

I'm praying that God's plan is for him not play Survivor again


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

zalusky said:


> I would not be surprised if they brought Matt back. He has the ability to win challenges and bring fans.


That's my prediction. Matt will be back.

I'm undecided if I think it will be sad or funny for him to be sent to Redemption Island on day 3.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

The beauty about having RI end at the merge is that the tribe can't just focus on automatically voting out that same person because now they have to worry about the other tribe.

I think that is the solution.


----------



## NoThru22 (May 6, 2005)

Peter000 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks that most of the women on Survivor look hotter in the game than "all cleaned up?" Especially this season.


No, but Natalie looked MUCH better with makeup.


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

pmyers said:


> The beauty about having RI end at the merge is that the tribe can't just focus on automatically voting out that same person because now they have to worry about the other tribe.
> 
> I think that is the solution.


Bingo. :up:


----------



## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

NoThru22 said:


> No, but Natalie looked MUCH better with makeup.


Strongly disagree


----------



## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

jradosh said:


> Strongly disagree


+1


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

Anubys said:


> Which is why I hope Matt isn't one of the returning players. He totally sucked as a player.
> 
> I'm praying that God's plan is for him not play Survivor again


God's plan was to make Matt look stupid, that God has a sick sense of humor.


----------



## NoThru22 (May 6, 2005)

Am I the only one who'd like to see an "All-Star" season made from 18 people who got voted out first?


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

NoThru22 said:


> Am I the only one who'd like to see an "All-Star" season made from 18 people who got voted out first?


While you would think it would only be OLD people that couldn't contribute, lots of them were just annoying or VERY aggressive to the point they had to be kicked off. That might turn into an exciting season.

It would be very similar to a normal season since you would really not know the players very well. Except for the HvV or FvF seasons, you wouldn't remember the first ones voted out.


----------



## goMO (Dec 29, 2004)

markz said:


> Has anyone that came to Survivor to play for the Lord or to get closer to God, ever won Survivor?


Wasn't Natalie from Russell's first season very close to God? I remember she looked great in a binkini..


----------



## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

NoThru22 said:


> Am I the only one who'd like to see an "All-Star" season made from 18 people who got voted out first?


First one voted off wins a million as the biggest loser.


----------



## Tivortex (Feb 29, 2004)

If Boston Rob is soooo smart, why did it take him 4 seasons to finally win one?


----------



## InterMurph (May 22, 2003)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> I'm surprised the who murlonio name didn't come up. Rob's naming of the merged tribe after a stuffed animal but giving it a real meaning was hilarious.


While the tribe might have been named after Amber's stuffed animal, the stuffed animal was almost certainly named after former Red Sox player Lou Merloni (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Merloni).

I really really _really_ wanted Probst to get the bottom of this one.


----------



## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

I say get rid of RI. They come back and get voted off right away anyway, it took too much focus off the main game. However, they'll keep it because of the tears it generates by drawing out the final execution and giving hope to the losers.

If they bring back two former contestants again I think it should be two girls. 

My choice:

Parvati vs. Amanda

Also, instead of being assigned to teams randomly, they should do a playground draft.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

WO312 said:


> Would Russell have had better luck with his strategy on Ometepe, presumably the more gullible tribe? Maybe so. Unfortunately, we'll never know.


I'd say FORTUNATELY we'll never know. :down: to Rustle Russell H.



VegasVic said:


> I'd go with your #2, I'd stop RI at the merge. I don't like someone getting a second chance very late in the game.
> 
> But as I said in an earlier post I don't want the RI returnee to get immunity at the next TC. Yes there will be a target on them and the odds are they will get voted out again right away, as happened this season. But it's up to them to work hard to get people to flip. Matt didn't do that. He thought about it but then just decided he could go back with his tribe. Stupid mistake. A player is already getting a second chance after being voted out. They shouldn't also get immunity from the next TC.


Matt's biggest problem was that when he returned from RI, he went right back to the blonde girl to strategize how to get Rob voted off, which is precisely why he was voted off originally. D'uhhh!!



Magister said:


> God's plan was to make Matt look stupid, that God has a sick sense of humor.


It turns out that God doesn't watch Survivor.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Tivortex said:


> If Boston Rob is soooo smart, why did it take him 4 seasons to finally win one?


Being smart is only one of the traits necessary to win Survivor. You also have to be on a tribe with a bunch of idiots. In Marquesas and HvV, Rob's tribemates recognized that he was a threat and got rid of him early. Even a smart player has no defense against that. In All-Stars, Rob played a brilliant game to make it to the end, but didn't play it right to win. He fixed that this time around.


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

Tivortex said:


> If Boston Rob is soooo smart, why did it take him 4 seasons to finally win one?


Smarts is only one factor in winning.

There are so many factors that have to all come together to win Survivor. I don't think that Rob would have won if he was on the other tribe, unless he played totally different than he did with this tribe. That is where Russell failed. He didn't adapt his game that got him to the finals twice to a different tribe this third time.

Several people relied on God getting them the winning vote. Obviously God doesn't care about Survivor.

You have to be smart, be physical, be social, have endurance, and many other aspect. No one trait will get you there by itself.



Johnny Dancing said:


> Parvati vs. Amanda
> 
> Also, instead of being assigned to teams randomly, they should do a playground draft.


I'd love to see Parvati again! And I have always wondered what became of Colleen Haskill from season 1. She had similar looks to Natalie.


----------



## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

They've had enough seasons that they could do one with only the people that were voted off first. There's enough extra people to allow for 6 or 8 to turn it down. Hmmm ...


----------



## GTuck (May 23, 2004)

Do they have razors on Survivor now? How did Rob keep his facial hair like that? Does it just grow in all white trash without shaving? I was confused all season.


----------



## InterMurph (May 22, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> In Marquesas and HvV, Rob's tribemates recognized that he was a threat and got rid of him early. Even a smart player has no defense against that.


A smart player knows how to portray himself as less of a threat and more of an ally. Rob did that to perfection this time, but others have done it before.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

GTuck said:


> Do they have razors on Survivor now? How did Rob keep his facial hair like that? Does it just grow in all white trash without shaving? I was confused all season.


Either he just doesn't grow hair on his cheeks and under his chin, or he's had it laser removed. Either way, no big deal.


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

GTuck said:


> Do they have razors on Survivor now? How did Rob keep his facial hair like that? Does it just grow in all white trash without shaving? I was confused all season.


I think they are given razors. I believe Jeff mentioned that at least the women are given some (for obvious reasons).

We have also seen Rob's geisha girls grooming his facial hair (if other hair was groomed, we were not shown that!).


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## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

I've never seen much evidence that anyone has a razor on the show.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

SurvivorFan said:


> I've never seen much evidence that anyone has a razor on the show.


you're not looking at the bikinis hard enough


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## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

Anubys said:


> I think they are given razors. I believe Jeff mentioned that at least the women are given some (for obvious reasons).
> 
> We have also seen Rob's geisha girls grooming his facial hair (if other hair was groomed, we were not shown that!).


I don't think they give razors. I think that's how Rob's facial hair grows in. It's been like that every time. When the last girl that got voted off the first thing she did at Ponderosa was shave her legs.


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## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

GTuck said:


> Do they have razors on Survivor now? How did Rob keep his facial hair like that? Does it just grow in all white trash without shaving? I was confused all season.





JFriday said:


> I don't think they give razors. I think that's how Rob's facial hair grows in. It's been like that every time. When the last girl that got voted off the first thing she did at Ponderosa was shave her legs.


I also believe that razors are verboten. Rob Mariano has the same facial hair genes as Johnny Depp and Kid Rock ... and Bea Arthur.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

It's also possible they give the women razors for obvious reasons, but tell the men that the razors are off limits.


----------



## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

Girls would be insane to shave their legs during the game. All those bug bites combined with the likelihood they'll be in salt water any given day? No way.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Anubys said:


> you're not looking at the bikinis hard enough


You really think that girls who were going to be on national tv in a bikini most of the time wouldn't get waxed before they go?


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

I think Rob had his chest waxed... I don't know anyone that is hairless like that normally.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

I always wondered about toothbrushes. Do they have them? They seem to have very white teeth. 

Maybe the contestants all go thru treatment before the show starts. Hair cuts, waxing of underarms for the girls and whitening all the teeth.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Magister said:


> I think Rob had his chest waxed... I don't know anyone that is hairless like that normally.


I have met men like that. My husband was one, he also only had hair grow on his chin and moustache but not on his cheeks or jaw like Rob did. I didn't think of the similarities till just now.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

Magister said:


> I think Rob had his chest waxed... I don't know anyone that is hairless like that normally.


Ralph needs his entire body waxed. Never seen anyone that hairy.


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Tivortex said:


> If Boston Rob is soooo smart, why did it take him 4 seasons to finally win one?


Because he learned from the other times. He was a smarter player this time than before.


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## JFriday (Mar 20, 2002)

betts4 said:


> I always wondered about toothbrushes. Do they have them? They seem to have very white teeth.


Watch Ponderosa they all are so happy to brush their teeth when they get there. So no they don't get toothbrushes.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

hefe said:


> Because he learned from the other times. He was a smarter player this time than before.


Regardless of they why, one of the few things most people would agree with this time is that the right person in the final three actually won. That's pretty rare. Way too many under the radar or coat tail riders the last few seasons. The last deserving winner was JT IMHO.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> Regardless of they why, one of the few things most people would agree with this time is that the right person in the final three actually won. That's pretty rare. Way too many under the radar or coat tail riders the last few seasons. The last deserving winner was JT IMHO.


Yes. Definately. I am so tired of watching Survivor and getting to the end and then bamm so other idiot wins.


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

I always forget to vote for the $100,000 winner, but I thought surely this time someone other than Rob would get it since he seemed to have the million locked up. And his other million... I hoped Matt would get it or Grant.

I never heard anyone on this show say that God was going to help him win. The God jokes are getting old since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Tivortex said:


> If Boston Rob is soooo smart, why did it take him 4 seasons to finally win one?


/shrug


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

stellie93 said:


> *The God jokes are getting old* since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.


I agree with this, although I'm not sure if people are intentionally doing this or if they genuinely don't understand. Either way...


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

loubob57 said:


> They've had enough seasons that they could do one with only the people that were voted off first. There's enough extra people to allow for 6 or 8 to turn it down. Hmmm ...


If somebody wasn't good enough to get past day 1, I certainly wouldn't want to watch a whole season full of them!


----------



## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

stellie93 said:


> I always forget to vote for the $100,000 winner, but I thought surely this time someone other than Rob would get it since he seemed to have the million locked up. And his other million... I hoped Matt would get it or Grant.
> 
> I never heard anyone on this show say that God was going to help him win. The God jokes are getting old since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.


why would you want Matt to win a million after the terrible game he played? Sympathy? there was only one choice if you're going on game play. He won.

And God jokes never get old  I confess to being in the dark, please explain what they meant.


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

CatScratchFever said:


> why would you want Matt to win a million after the terrible game he played?


I would argue that Matt didn't play a terrible game, but Rob basically had it in for him from day one after he saw Matt making friends with Andrea.

Matt did incredibly well on Redemption Island.


----------



## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

aka "loser island"

He spent close to 30 days on RI, did well there but failed to bring it home when it counted.

That like saying you played great in the consolation bracket. His actions dictated his game.


----------



## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

NoThru22 said:


> Am I the only one who'd like to see an "All-Star" season made from 18 people who got voted out first?


I would.

I'd like to see the winner of the redemption island duel brought back immediately and the loser is gone. Of course you'd have to wait for two tribal councils to get two people there each time, but I still like it.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Peter000 said:


> I would argue that Matt didn't play a terrible game, but Rob basically had it in for him from day one after he saw Matt making friends with Andrea.
> 
> Matt did incredibly well on Redemption Island.


Matt didn't have much of a chance to play the game, but what little he did have, he played pretty poorly. First, he was getting too close to Andrea and everyone else could see it. After Rob used that exact strategy to get to the end in All-Stars, he wasn't about to let someone else use it on him. Then, when he came back, he was completely wishy-washy and actually told Rob that he had considered voting him out. That sealed his fate the second time. Survivor is not a game for those that bear their feelings like that.


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> Matt didn't have much of a chance to play the game, but what little he did have, he played pretty poorly. First, he was getting too close to Andrea and everyone else could see it. ...


Yup. Survivor 101, couples are dangerous.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

stellie93 said:


> I never heard anyone on this show say that God was going to help him win. The God jokes are getting old since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.


They are all joking because the delusional idiots on Survivor were explaining away the results of the game by attributing it to god instead of accepting responsibility or at least attributing it to the game itself. To say this is god's will is a weak out. That is why people are joking about it.


----------



## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

pmyers said:


> If somebody wasn't good enough to get past day 1, I certainly wouldn't want to watch a whole season full of them!


But in most cases that's not why they got voted off. They went because somebody had to, not because they were necessarily a bad player. There was also that season where they did a school-yard pick that left two people out before they even started.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

loubob57 said:


> But in most cases that's not why they got voted off. They went because somebody had to, not because they were necessarily a bad player. There was also that season where they did a school-yard pick that left two people out before they even started.


I'd say the majority of people who were voted off first were because they were unable to keep their mouths shut and ended up annoying everyone else on their tribe. Sometimes it's just incessant chatter, sometimes it's giving orders, but one constant for first voted out is talking more than you listen.

Put together a whole season full of people like that and you can bet there would be lots of drama.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

Magister said:


> They are all joking because the delusional idiots on Survivor were explaining away the results of the game by attributing it to god instead of accepting responsibility or at least attributing it to the game itself. To say this is god's will is a weak out. That is why people are joking about it.


Well said! :up:


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

DevdogAZ said:


> I'd say the majority of people who were voted off first were because they were unable to keep their mouths shut and ended up annoying everyone else on their tribe. Sometimes it's just incessant chatter, sometimes it's giving orders, but one constant for first voted out is talking more than you listen.


THIS!


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

loubob57 said:


> But in most cases that's not why they got voted off. They went because somebody had to, not because they were necessarily a bad player. There was also that season where they did a school-yard pick that left two people out before they even started.


They got voted out because they gave their tribe a reason to....usually because they were the most annoying or useless....seriuosly...if you can't get past the first vote, there is probably something wrong with you.


----------



## JLucPicard (Jul 8, 2004)

I haven't looked back to see who all the first jetisoned players were, but given my vague recollection that a LOT of eye-candy seemed to go too quickly, it might be a pretty attractive version of the game!


----------



## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> Being smart is only one of the traits necessary to win Survivor. You also have to be on a tribe with a bunch of idiots. In Marquesas and HvV, Rob's tribemates recognized that he was a threat and got rid of him early. Even a smart player has no defense against that. In All-Stars, Rob played a brilliant game to make it to the end, but didn't play it right to win. He fixed that this time around.


I've said this before but in my opinion his play in All-Stars was even _more_ brilliant than this. The entire game was up to him at the end and he made his choice, and who can argue that it wasn't the right one? Sure he didn't "win", but he actually WON. If he had made a different choice, it's highly likely that's the last we would ever have seen of him. Look at where that one choice got him.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

madscientist said:


> I've said this before but in my opinion his play in All-Stars was even _more_ brilliant than this. The entire game was up to him at the end and he made his choice, and who can argue that it wasn't the right one? Sure he didn't "win", but he actually WON. If he had made a different choice, it's highly likely that's the last we would ever have seen of him. Look at where that one choice got him.


Are you saying he had to choose between winning and Amber? I don't remember the specifics, but I see no reason why his budding relationship with Amber would have been harmed if he'd have chosen to go after the win a little more aggressively.

However, you may be right that it was his coming in second and then marrying the winner that turned him into such a star. He might not have been as big of a star had he won, regardless of whether he married Amber or not.


----------



## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> I'd say the majority of people who were voted off first were because they were unable to keep their mouths shut and ended up annoying everyone else on their tribe. Sometimes it's just incessant chatter, sometimes it's giving orders, but one constant for first voted out is talking more than you listen.
> 
> *Put together a whole season full of people like that and you can bet there would be lots of drama.*


Which gives it great potential!


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

loubob57 said:


> Which gives it great potential!


Exactly.


----------



## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> Are you saying he had to choose between winning and Amber? I don't remember the specifics, but I see no reason why his budding relationship with Amber would have been harmed if he'd have chosen to go after the win a little more aggressively.
> 
> However, you may be right that it was his coming in second and then marrying the winner that turned him into such a star. He might not have been as big of a star had he won, regardless of whether he married Amber or not.


Of course we don't know exactly what would have happened. But definitely he had promised Amber to take her to the finals and there were some tense moments when he had to make the decision. I don't remember anything word for word of course but I do remember private interviews with Amber where she was wondering if Rob really was interested in her or just playing her to win the game. She (as I recall it) looked at this as a test to see whether Rob would be true to his word to her or not.

If he had decided to kick her out at that time who knows whether they would have ultimately gotten together. Sure, it's a game and Amber is a gamer: you can say she would understand. But, it was early in their relationship and it's a lot different when someone you care about stabs you in the back shortly after swearing not to...


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

I always looked at that game as another of Boston Rob's brillant plays. He was not going to win so he took the one person he could really trust and put her in the position so she would win.


----------



## Idearat (Nov 26, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> Are you saying he had to choose between winning and Amber? I don't remember the specifics, but I see no reason why his budding relationship with Amber would have been harmed if he'd have chosen to go after the win a little more aggressively.


On the contrary. They went to the end as a team and discussed on camera when "we" win the million dollars. The others didn't didn't recognize the threat of an alliance of two, including the guy ( forgot his name ) who promised Rob he'd watch out for Amber when the teams got mixed up. After the merge he went under the bus.


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

Idearat said:


> On the contrary. They went to the end as a team and discussed on camera when "we" win the million dollars. The others didn't didn't recognize the threat of an alliance of two, including the guy ( forgot his name ) who promised Rob he'd watch out for Amber when the teams got mixed up. After the merge he went under the bus.


Lex was the man.


----------



## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

Maybe the two they will bring back are NaOnka and Kelly, the ones who both quit at the same time a couple seasons ago.


----------



## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

pmyers said:


> They got voted out because they gave their tribe a reason to....usually because they were the most annoying or useless....seriuosly...if you can't get past the first vote, there is probably something wrong with you.


How do you explain the Winner of Survivor Australia Tina Wesson who was sent home first on one of the all stars...


----------



## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

dfergie said:


> How do you explain the Winner of Survivor Australia Tina Wesson who was sent home first on one of the all stars...


"Send home the millionaire" syndrome.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

I think the only way to avoid that is to have an "All-stars" with all winners.


----------



## fmowry (Apr 30, 2002)

stellie93 said:


> I always forget to vote for the $100,000 winner, but I thought surely this time someone other than Rob would get it since he seemed to have the million locked up. And his other million... I hoped Matt would get it or Grant.
> 
> I never heard anyone on this show say that God was going to help him win. The God jokes are getting old since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.


Matt said God was "literally carrying him". The God jokes aren't getting nearly as old as hearing every idiotic thing that Matt had to say all season.

Why didn't he say at the reunion, "It's God's fault I lost"?

Agree with everyone else that it's about time there's agreement on the winner.

As for Rob being so smart but not winning for 4 seasons? Plenty of dummies have won it.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

betts4 said:


> I always looked at that game as another of Boston Rob's brillant plays. He was not going to win so he took the one person he could really trust and put her in the position so she would win.





Idearat said:


> On the contrary. They went to the end as a team and discussed on camera when "we" win the million dollars. The others didn't didn't recognize the threat of an alliance of two, including the guy ( forgot his name ) who promised Rob he'd watch out for Amber when the teams got mixed up. After the merge he went under the bus.


This is what I meant. It was a brillant play by both Rob and Amber.


----------



## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

JLucPicard said:


> I haven't looked back to see who all the first jetisoned players were, but given my vague recollection that a LOT of eye-candy seemed to go too quickly, it might be a pretty attractive version of the game!


I mostly recall them being older and that they were perceived as weak. I think putting them all together would be a fascinating social experiment but bad and more importantly, ugly, TV.


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

laria said:


> You really think that girls who were going to be on national tv in a bikini most of the time wouldn't get waxed before they go?


Not trying to be funny or cute, but how long does a wax last? if they need to shave their legs, why not other parts?

I think the men keep their beard on as a badge of honor showing how long they have lasted. Most men also don't care (I don't shave on weekends, for example).


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

well, I'm clearly wrong about razors.

Jeff talking about this very issue


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Anubys said:


> Not trying to be funny or cute, but how long does a wax last? if they need to shave their legs, why not other parts?


About 3-6 weeks. I assumed that they probably got bikini waxes but not their legs because it's much more obvious usually when bikini line hair starts growing back in as opposed to leg hair.  You may feel super hairy with unshaven legs, but it's not as visibly noticeable from the distance we usually see the people from on camera.


----------



## RichardHead (Nov 17, 2003)

Anubys said:


> well, I'm clearly wrong about razors.
> 
> Jeff talking about this very issue


That is from 2008 and predates my HD viewing (how long has Survivor been in HD?). Perhaps they have changed the rules a bit since then?


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

RichardHead said:


> That is from 2008 and predates my HD viewing (how long has Survivor been in HD?). Perhaps they have changed the rules a bit since then?


Survivor has been in HD since Fall 2008.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

Wasn't there a shot of the girls pulling hair from underarms?


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

dfergie said:


> How do you explain the Winner of Survivor Australia Tina Wesson who was sent home first on one of the all stars...


Tina basically told them (The rest of her tribe) she did not want to be there and it was easy pickins for the first vote.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

betts4 said:


> Wasn't there a shot of the girls pulling hair from underarms?


More than one, it was kinda gross.  They were grooming each other like monkeys do, only instead of looking for bugs, they were plucking out each others hair.


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

Philosofy said:


> Maybe the two they will bring back are NaOnka and Kelly, the ones who both quit at the same time a couple seasons ago.


Quitters don't deserve a second chance.


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

brianric said:


> Quitters don't deserve a second chance.


Agreed. They should not have even been allowed on the jury. Still irritated about that one.


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

JLucPicard said:


> I haven't looked back to see who all the first jetisoned players were, but given my vague recollection that a LOT of eye-candy seemed to go too quickly, it might be a pretty attractive version of the game!





IJustLikeTivo said:


> I mostly recall them being older and that they were perceived as weak. I think putting them all together would be a fascinating social experiment but bad and more importantly, ugly, TV.


The Losers:


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Losers continued...


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Losers continued.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

I forgot about the Prison Guard that married her step-son. Creepy stuff.

Except for current season, I don't remember any of the non-returning players people.

David's fiance I remember only because of the pic posted earlier in the thread. 

And the crazy lady that sang.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

I think if you took all those that were voted out first, minus those that were returnees (Tina, Johnny, Sugar), you could have a very compelling season. Of course, there would be several that weren't available, but if you then went with second out (or first out from their tribe), you could get plenty of youngish, attractive people to populate a season.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

Most of the returning players (whenever they do them) are members of the convention going group. The first off peeps, don't seem to hang out with that crowd. I think they all have real jobs and just don't want anything to do with it anymore.

Open it up to first couple of people to fill the season. It would be people that started, have a little experience in the woods, but were around long enough to have true game experience-social and otherwise.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I prefer new people.


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

pmyers said:


> I prefer new people.


I'm available


----------



## That Don Guy (Mar 13, 2003)

Magister said:


> Most of the returning players (whenever they do them) are members of the convention going group. The first off peeps, don't seem to hang out with that crowd. I think they all have real jobs and just don't want anything to do with it anymore.


Or perhaps the first ones out don't have the money needed to travel to conventions. I think it has been a while since they made the payouts for each contestant public (and I am under the impression that contestants, other than winners, mentioning how much they won are subject to the "five million dollar rule"), but there seems to be a point (around 11th) where the money differences between places take a sizable jump.


----------



## EscapeGoat (Oct 12, 2008)

If they do another All Star type season, and I expect that they will, I'd like to see a tribe of players that got brutally blindsided against a tribe of the players that organized those blindsides. Or maybe put the blindsided and blindsiders on the same team, and force them to deal with each other full time. It would nice to see some real anger and bitterness in the game.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

That Don Guy said:


> Or perhaps the first ones out don't have the money needed to travel to conventions. I think it has been a while since they made the payouts for each contestant public (and I am under the impression that contestants, other than winners, mentioning how much they won are subject to the "five million dollar rule"), but there seems to be a point (around 11th) where the money differences between places take a sizable jump.


I always wonder about the pay outs. I mean, so I don't get a million, as number 3 or 4 or 6, I would still get enough to make me happy. I think.


----------



## MrCouchPotato (Dec 12, 2005)

Bummer, it's Wednesday and no Survivor 

Predictable or not lately, I still looked forward to it...


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

betts4 said:


> I always wonder about the pay outs. I mean, so I don't get a million, as number 3 or 4 or 6, I would still get enough to make me happy. I think.


I thought I heard some rumor about them getting scale for every day they were on TV. So if they got booted off on day 1 they got scale for 1 day like $3-4K if they made two weeks then $6-8K plus all lodging, food, travel.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

zalusky said:


> I thought I heard some rumor about them getting scale for every day they were on TV. So if they got booted off on day 1 they got scale for 1 day like $3-4K if they made two weeks then $6-8K plus all lodging, food, travel.


I don't think it's quite like that, because even though they're only on screen for a couple of days, they're still sequestered for the entire 39 days, so everyone makes the same time commitment.

Here is the payscale that was fairly widely reported after the second season (Outback):
1st Place: $1,000,000
2nd Place: $100,000
3rd Place: $85,000
4th Place: $70,000
5th Place: $55,000
6th Place: $45,000
7th Place: $35,000
8th Place: $27,500
9th Place: $20,000
10th Place: $15,000
11th Place: $10,000
12thPlace: $7,500
13th Place: $5,500
14th Place: $4,500
15th Place: $3,500
16th Place: $2,500

It's anyone's guess whether they've changed the payscale to provide more money to the early boots, or more money to those that get closer to the finale. All we know for sure is that the top prize has remained at $1 million.

Here's some additional information from Wikipedia which may or may not be accurate:


> Every player receives a prize for participating on Survivor depending on how long he or she lasts in the game. In most seasons, the runner-up receives $100,000, and third place wins $85,000. Sonja Christopher, the first player voted off in Survivor: Borneo, received $2,500. The prize was increased for Survivor: All-Stars. The known prizes for Survivor: All-Stars were as follows: 2nd = $250,000; 3rd = $125,000; 4th = $100,000. Tina Wesson, the first player voted off in Survivor: All-Stars, received $25,000. In Survivor: Fiji, the first season with tied runners-up, the two runners-up received US$100,000 each, and Yau-Man Chan received US$60,000 for his 4th place finish. The prizes for other seasons with more than sixteen contestants are unknown.
> 
> All players also receive an additional $10,000 for their appearance on the reunion show.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

If you go into the last tribal with 3 people - how do you figure out 2nd and 3rd place? I mean, if Rob had gotten all the votes, who would have been 2nd or 3rd - Natalie or Phillip? Has there ever been a sweep of votes? I imagine Phillip got 2nd place since he got one vote.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

betts4 said:


> If you go into the last tribal with 3 people - how do you figure out 2nd and 3rd place? I mean, if Rob had gotten all the votes, who would have been 2nd or 3rd - Natalie or Phillip? Has there ever been a sweep of votes? I imagine Phillip got 2nd place since he got one vote.


According to that Wikipedia quote, there have been seasons where multiple runners up each got $100k. Not sure if that's because they each got the same amount of votes, or if they just paid $100k automatically for making the finals.


----------



## JLucPicard (Jul 8, 2004)

betts4 said:


> If you go into the last tribal with 3 people - how do you figure out 2nd and 3rd place? I mean, if Rob had gotten all the votes, who would have been 2nd or 3rd - Natalie or Phillip? Has there ever been a sweep of votes? I imagine Phillip got 2nd place since he got one vote.


Not sure if there's ever been a time when 2nd & 3rd had identical vote counts, but a giveaway of second versus third place is the order in which they are seated on the reunion show. This season, Phillip got one vote, Natalie got zero, so Phillip was second.


----------



## RichardHead (Nov 17, 2003)

laria said:


> Survivor has been in HD since Fall 2008.


But _I_ wasn't in HD until 2009!


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

I wanted to watch some Survivor tonight. 


I ended up watching "Walking Dead" - showing it to my friend who had not seen it when it was out. I guess that is survivor....just with no immunity idol.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

Remember that in the first several seasons someone would also get to win a vehicle. Then I recall Probst pointing out that the cars were cursed because whoever won the vehicle never won the $1m.


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

getreal said:


> Remember that in the first several seasons someone would also get to win a vehicle. Then I recall Probst pointing out that the cars were cursed because whoever won the vehicle never won the $1m.


I'll take the car of their hands anytime someone Survivor wins a new car and doen't want to have the curse.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

Car rewards were fun. Give someone the Aztek!!! Then you fill it with stuff and drive to give it to poor people. The car would be worth more then the entire village, but you just drop off a few cases of water. 

God, I had forgotten about the Aztek until the mention of the car reward. Survivor was the first time I had ever seen an Aztek, and it is still the ugliest mass production vehicle I have ever seen.

I think the car curse was active as the same time as the rich person doesn't deserve to win attitudes. They are both gone. Last few seasons people have been voting for people based on what happened in the game.


----------



## fmowry (Apr 30, 2002)

When does Survivor All Stars Female Swimsuit Edition start?


----------



## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

fmowry said:


> When does Survivor All Stars Female Swimsuit Edition start?


I'll take the _nude_ edition, please.

Amber
Julie
Amanda

would be my top 3 choices.


----------



## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

JLucPicard said:


> Not sure if there's ever been a time when 2nd & 3rd had identical vote counts, but a giveaway of second versus third place is the order in which they are seated on the reunion show. This season, Phillip got one vote, Natalie got zero, so Phillip was second.


They always sit in the same order that sat at tribal council on the island.


----------



## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

stellie93 said:


> I never heard anyone on this show say that God was going to help him win. The God jokes are getting old since you are all purposely ignoring what they meant.





Boston Fan said:


> I agree with this, although I'm not sure if people are intentionally doing this or if they genuinely don't understand. Either way...


I wasn't making jokes about God. What I wanted to know is if anyone that talks about God's will and all that has ever won Survivor. They always seem to be harsh with their questioning on the final 2 or 3 people at final tribal. They, the religious ones, seem to judge the "liars and backstabbers" for their playing style. The "liars and backstabbers" always seem to be the last ones standing, so I wondered if any of the religious people, that spend all season talking about God and their faith, have actually won the game with their style of play.

I didn't mean to make light of someone's religious beliefs. I just wondered if it is possible to win with that style of play.


----------



## SurvivorFan (Mar 9, 2011)

Actually the jebus freaks overtly religious are usually among the first to go.


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Jeeters said:


> They always sit in the same order that sat at tribal council on the island.


Yes, during the reading of the votes, but when they move into the seating for the discussion afterwards, everyone sits in the order they finished.


----------



## InterMurph (May 22, 2003)

Amnesia said:


> I think the only way to avoid that is to have an "All-stars" with all winners.


How about Survivor: Winners vs. Losers. One tribe consists of winners, the other of first-voted-out players.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

SurvivorFan said:


> Actually the jebus freaks overtly religious are usually among the first to go.


I remember the one from China that was un-willing to sit thru the Buddist ceremony. She came out crying. OMg, she needed a beating. She made a point to say that she wasn't religioius, but had a personal relationship with god.... I think she was a radio personality.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

InterMurph said:


> How about Survivor: Winners vs. Losers. One tribe consists of winners, the other of first-voted-out players.


Actually, I think the winners would be the group that came thru Survivor better people, not just financially, and the losers would be the bitter ones. Imagine a whole group of whiners... It would feel like my office. eheh


----------



## InterMurph (May 22, 2003)

betts4 said:


> If you go into the last tribal with 3 people - how do you figure out 2nd and 3rd place? I mean, if Rob had gotten all the votes, who would have been 2nd or 3rd - Natalie or Phillip? Has there ever been a sweep of votes? I imagine Phillip got 2nd place since he got one vote.


The PGA Tour has this figured out. If two players tie for second, they add the 2nd-place and 3rd-place prizes together, and give each player half.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

markz said:


> I wasn't making jokes about God. What I wanted to know is if anyone that talks about God's will and all that has ever won Survivor. They always seem to be harsh with their questioning on the final 2 or 3 people at final tribal. They, the religious ones, seem to judge the "liars and backstabbers" for their playing style. The "liars and backstabbers" always seem to be the last ones standing, so I wondered if any of the religious people, that spend all season talking about God and their faith, have actually won the game with their style of play.
> 
> I didn't mean to make light of someone's religious beliefs. I just wondered if it is possible to win with that style of play.


Wasn't Vesepia (I can't remember the season, it was one of the earlier ones) a very devout Christian? I don't know if she actually said it was God's will or anything though, but, she was one of the ones who didn't deserve to win and ended up winning by default.


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> Wasn't Vesepia (I can't remember the season, it was one of the earlier ones) a very devout Christian? I don't know if she actually said it was God's will or anything though, but, she was one of the ones who didn't deserve to win and ended up winning by default.


The year the jury should have written "None of the Above".


----------



## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

Anubys said:


> I'll take the _nude_ edition, please.
> 
> Amber
> Julie
> ...


where's the love for Rupert?


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Magister said:


> I remember the one from China that was un-willing to sit thru the Buddist ceremony. She came out crying. OMg, she needed a beating. She made a point to say that she wasn't religioius, but had a personal relationship with god.... I think she was a radio personality.


She said she wasn't religious? I don't recall that. In fact, she was specifically a Christian radio host.

From the Television Without Pity recap with all the snarkiness intact:


> The big news of the ceremony is that Leslie ("Christian Radio Host") announces in an interview that she just couldn't stay, because "in the Bible, it says 'thou shalt not bow down before any other gods.'" Interestingly, that's not what mine says. It says not to have other gods. In my version, it's not about bowing, it's about belief...but then, I've never really believed that God was primarily a choreographer. Anyhoo, Leslie decides that even though the people whose religion this would theoretically be are telling her that this is not a religious ceremony (similar to nuns telling you that the bake sale, while taking place in the church, is not a church service), it simply is, because of the bowing. Well, it's not like a Buddhist is in a position to explain Buddhism to a Christian. Seriously, y'all, I would think Christians would be the first ones to hate seeing this lady cast, because she's making everybody else look like such a patoot by association. She then actually cries in self-pity over how "hard" it was for her. Unbelievable. What the hell is it about reality-show people freaking out in Buddhist temples, anyway?
> 
> Fortunately, no one else is quite so ungracious, and they all return outside. Jeff has Leslie explains that she only puts her face on the ground for Jesus.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

hefe said:


> She said she wasn't religious? I don't recall that. In fact, she was specifically a Christian radio host.
> 
> From the Television Without Pity recap with all the snarkiness intact:


She said she was a Christian, but that she wasn't religious. She was doing the hip evangelical game of words. She isn't religious, she has said she has a personal relationship with god. It is a silly statement that I bring up. She was making a distinction when there was no difference.


----------



## MegaHertz67 (Apr 18, 2005)

I like looking at number to see what's really going on. This was the 22nd time they have played Survivor, and here are a few numbers to chew on:

14 times the final TC was a final 2.
Of those 14 times, the winner of the final immunity, the person that gets to pick who they face in the finals, has won 6 times and lost 8 times.
Of the 14, 7 were men and 7 were women.
Four times both finalists were women, 2 times both were men, and 8 times it was 1 man and 1 woman. So 57% (16 out of 28) of the finalists in a 2 person final TC were women.

Of the 8 seasons that ended with a final 3, only twice has the last immunity winner won the game and that was Fabio and Boston Rob...both from this year.
Of the 8, 5 were men and 3 were women...and 2 of those women beat Russell. 
Four times there was 2 men with 1 woman in the finals, 3 times it was 2 women and 1 man, and 1 time it was 3 men...with Fabio winning that one. So 58% (14 out of 24) of the finalists in a 3 person final TC were men.

So there have been 52 finalists in the 22 seasons of Survivor, 26 were men and 26 were women with the men holding a 12-10 lead in million dollar winners. About as even as you can get in terms of gender diversity.

And this was the 4th time a returning contestant won the million dollars, the second time it was a member of the Mariano family. Which is good since that is why Rob was playing...to provide for his family. 

Just some food for thought.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I miss the auction "challange" where they get to bid on stuff and sometimes they win a mystery prize!

Also they didn't do a "totem pole" challange where they can all gang up on a player to eliminate them. That I love because it really shows everybody the pecking orders and where they stand!


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

pmyers said:


> I miss the auction "challange" where they get to bid on stuff and sometimes they win a mystery prize!
> 
> Also they didn't do a "totem pole" challange where they can all gang up on a player to eliminate them. That I love because it really shows everybody the pecking orders and where they stand!


[Conspiracy Hat On]I wonder if they didn't do a totem pole challenge because they didn't want the players to realize the pecking order and turn on Rob.[/Conspiracy]

As for why there was no auction? No idea. Is this the first season of Survivor without a Survivor Auction?


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

pmyers said:


> I miss the auction "challange" where they get to bid on stuff and sometimes they win a mystery prize!
> 
> Also they didn't do a "totem pole" challange where they can all gang up on a player to eliminate them. That I love because it really shows everybody the pecking orders and where they stand!


That also shows you they have a lot of challenges to pick from that we still enjoy seeing. The Auction has always been a fun one. But they had to cut a lot of the award challenges to make room for RI.

I still like RI, but would be nice to dump it after merge and then go back to rewards.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> [Conspiracy Hat On]I wonder if they didn't do a totem pole challenge because they didn't want the players to realize the pecking order and turn on Rob.[/Conspiracy]
> 
> As for why there was no auction? No idea. Is this the first season of Survivor without a Survivor Auction?


I don't believe they did an auction last season either.


----------



## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

DevdogAZ said:


> [Conspiracy Hat On]I wonder if they didn't do a totem pole challenge because they didn't want the players to realize the pecking order and turn on Rob.[/Conspiracy]


I bet it helped him a lot to not have to expose it during the game. The ability to play as a 'family unit' helped him a lot. If they had to dog pile, it would have gotten bad.


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

CatScratchFever said:


> where's the love for Rupert?


******* vs Urban Survivor

Rupert, Ralph, Jane, J.T. ....vs well the lawyers and doctors and such....


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

betts4 said:


> ******* vs Urban Survivor
> 
> Rupert, Ralph, Jane, J.T. ....vs well the lawyers and doctors and such....


Don't forget Big Tom.


----------



## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

They didn't do an auction because they didn't do ANY reward challenges (that weren't also for immunity) this season. They were all taken up by the Redemption Island duels.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

DancnDude said:


> They didn't do an auction because they didn't do ANY reward challenges (that weren't also for immunity) this season. They were all taken up by the Redemption Island duels.


ohh....that reminds me of the other part of the auctions that I liked: When they auction off a clue or some advantage for the next challenge. That really helped a couple of people in the past!


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

I think my favorite idea for shaking up Survivor would be to have just one tribe.

All immunity challenges would be individual.
Reward challenges could involve randomly selected groups.
No immunity idols.


----------



## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

pmyers said:


> I miss the auction "challange" where they get to bid on stuff and sometimes they win a mystery prize!
> 
> Also they didn't do a "totem pole" challange where they can all gang up on a player to eliminate them. That I love because it really shows everybody the pecking orders and where they stand!


From a game perspective I agree but from a personal perspective, I think that kind of stuff is nasty. I hate it on every reality show that does it. I don't mind the rest of the game but publicly picking on anyone is just mean. Yes, I was the nerdy fat kid that got picked on. Even though I am more well balanced and skinnier I still remember how that felt.


----------



## Roadblock (Apr 5, 2006)

DevdogAZ said:


> According to that Wikipedia quote, there have been seasons where multiple runners up each got $100k. Not sure if that's because they each got the same amount of votes, or if they just paid $100k automatically for making the finals.


Yau Man talked about it in one of the recent rtvzone.com recaps. It was a 9-0-0 in his season (Fiji) and he said the runner-ups tied for 3rd, both getting $85k, prompting Lex to make fun of CBS's thriftiness.


----------



## CatScratchFever (Apr 14, 2011)

In survivor, the totem pole challenge is great for a reward challenge but not for immunity. Way back when, they had one and there was one guy who was on the outs and he had no chance to stay in the game as the others all ganged up on him. That was not cool but losing a reward, no biggie.

I loved the way it would upset some and change the dynamics of the game.


----------



## Roadblock (Apr 5, 2006)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> From a game perspective I agree but from a personal perspective, I think that kind of stuff is nasty. I hate it on every reality show that does it. I don't mind the rest of the game but publicly picking on anyone is just mean. Yes, I was the nerdy fat kid that got picked on. Even though I am more well balanced and skinnier I still remember how that felt.


Those cut-the-rope or smash-the-face challenges are great to expose alliances and to get floaters to start playing the game once they realize where they stand. Marquesas comes to mind as one example where it changed the game.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Roadblock said:


> Those cut-the-rope or smash-the-face challenges are great to expose alliances and to get floaters to start playing the game once they realize where they stand. Marquesas comes to mind as one example where it changed the game.


Exactly!:up:


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