The Survivor Thread

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Also, finale this Wednesday.  The usual - 2 hour finale, 1 hour winner reveal/aftershow.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

You. Have. GOT. To. Be. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

[gmillerdrake]

By far the most disappointing season of Survivor in the last 10 seasons. How the  do they give Michelle that victory? That was a joke. The season already lacked and was 'boring' but to top it off with that crap really makes me contemplate taking the next season off. The moment he announced Michelle as the winner i turned it off. Such a shame because Aubrey completely deserved to win.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

So ridiculously disappointing.

[gmillerdrake]

So ridiculously disappointing.

It really is. The show has had a string of really good, interesting and entertaining seasons. This one was a major dud IMO. There was hardly anyone compelling to root for, and the one person who worked her tail off against the odds the entire time to make it to the end gets screwed out of a million bucks for some unknown reason?

Michelle didn't get stronger as the game ended....she coasted the entire time and then got extremely lucky several times.

I was already underwhelmed by this season but the finale tonight really sours this for me a bit.

[BlobVanDam]

Lol at this response.

I was downright shocked Michele won it, but hey, I wasn't there playing with her. It looked all too obvious that Aubrey was going to win by the end, but I never much liked her, and Tai was a total flake throughout, so I'm actually pleasantly surprised it turned out unpredictable. This wasn't a great season overall, but I'm ok with the outcome.

What the hell is the deal with this attention whore mophead joke thing on the reunion show?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I was shocked she won it also.  She was nearly non-existent in the episodes until at least 2/3 of the way through the season.  She coasted like she was outta gas and the station was still a half mile away.  The oust a jury member vote effectively fucked Neil twice.  He got fucked with his knee infection taking him out, then fucked by waiting all that time to be on the jury, only to not get to be on the jury.  His aside to Michele as he left was excellent, and I wish he'd been right.

And I get increasingly frustrated with the way the aftershow goes.  There's an entire cast onstage to talk to, but 97% of them get no face time at all, because they're too busy bloating the show with shit like Sia and Drew Carey (I will watch the Price is Right thing, as they'll be having one each with Survivor people, TAR people, and BB people), and the medevac dude in charge of everything and Caleb's exit.  Sure those things were a big deal and all, but Cydney, who came in 4th and busted her ass, was a big deal also, and they said NOTHING to her.

[gmillerdrake]

I didn't even watch the after show. The second he flipped around that Card and said Michelle won I stopped the DVR, deleted it and that was that. Like I said, this show prior to this season had a string of seasons that were pretty good, compelling stuff to watch. There were legit people to root for and it was entertaining. I was rooting for Aubrey merely because she was the easiest one to root for....but even still...there was no one this season who was even remotely interesting to me. IMO they failed miserably in the casting of this season.

I'm looking forward to the next season merely because my 10 year old son has been getting into these types of shows. He likes 'Naked and Afraid', Dual Survival and that type of stuff and he saw a bit of this season and we told him that he could watch the next season with us from the beginning. Had I not made that promise to him, I'm not sure I'd even watch next season due to the taste this one left in my mouth.






I think I'm getting old and cranky

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

On the other forum I frequent, every time there's a new Survivor thread (we start a new one for each season), there are always the typical handful of assholes who have to come in and bash it, for no good reason, so I created this:

[gmillerdrake]

Those are great        I've enjoyed the heck out of the show....and really hope next season is better that this last one. It was just a DUD, it' happens I suppose.

[BlobVanDam]

We've had other dud seasons in my time in this thread. You weren't missing much with the after show, except the preview for next season. Not much insight, not a lot of good interviews. I expect next season will have strong personalities, for better and/or worse.

[hefdaddy42]

I don't know guys.  I don't really get the response here.

As soon as Michelle won that last immunity, I called her winning the whole thing.

I knew there were anti-Tai people on the jury, and I knew there would be a handful of pro-Aubrey people.  The elimination of Neil kind of sealed it for me.

Not sure how anyone can say she is undeserving.  If you get the jury to vote for you, then you deserve it.

I thought she played a pretty good game.  Not her fault she "coasted" for a while.  She didn't even have to go to a tribal council until over halfway through the show.  I guess her teams were pretty good.  That's not a detriment to her.

[gmillerdrake]

Aubrey had two allie's leave per medical evacuation and had to "work" the entire time to stay in the game. I personally think she did great, had good strategy and was a beast at challenges. Michelle did not have to do anything at all other than win one timely challenge. Kudos to her for doing that because it won her the game.

I just think there were a bunch of vengeful jury members who didn't vote for Aubrey out of spite, whereas in years past the game she played would have won her votes.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Yeah, that's the thing that gets me, is when you have jury members who are all sour grapes and shit, who can't put that aside and say "Who played the best game?"

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, but that's the cool part about letting the jury decide.

To argue that anyone other than the actual winner "deserved" to win is to argue against some other standard than the game actually uses.  The only objective parts of the game are who wins the immunity and reward challenges.  THE ENTIRE REST OF THE GAME relies on the subjective opinions of the various players. 

There is no "deserve".  In the game of thrones you either win or you die.

(Wait, sorry about that, wrong show.)

But the point remains lol

[BlobVanDam]

The whole goal of Survivor is to balance all of the elements of the game necessary to win, including the social. Look at Russell Hantz. He managed to get to the final 3 twice, but because he backstabbed everyone to do so, never had a hope of winning. Did he deserve to win? Not my call. What makes Survivor unique is that the very people you had to step over to get to the end are the ones who ultimately decide your fate.

Getting to the final 3 by any method is itself an achievement. If you win because the jury liked you the most, so be it. That's your game. That final tribal council is to convince the jury that your particular method of playing the game makes you the most deserving of winning. The people there playing the game felt Michelle's game deserved that win. I have no problem with that.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I guess I feel like the idea of Outwit, Outplay, Outlast is what it should come down to.  I don't agree that she did that.  She may have outlasted, but more than anything, she out-lucked.  I don't think the jury agreed that Michele's game is what got her there.  It felt like they were irritable with the other two and gave her the votes because she was the alternative.

[BlobVanDam]

I guess I feel like the idea of Outwit, Outplay, Outlast is what it should come down to.  I don't agree that she did that.  She may have outlasted, but more than anything, she out-lucked.  I don't think the jury agreed that Michele's game is what got her there.  It felt like they were irritable with the other two and gave her the votes because she was the alternative.

Which is still valid. She obviously outlasted everyone else to make final 3, by whatever method. Outplay is a pretty vague concept, so I don't know where to start with that. But I'd argue that if you can get yourself to the end while pissing off less people than the other two guys, you've outwitted them on some level. Everyone is going to have a different situation in the game, so luck is always going to play a part at some point.

I'm not arguing that I personally felt Michelle played the best game, because it appeared to me that Aubry was the more deserving too. But I have no qualm with the jury deciding that they wanted her to have a million dollars instead of the other two. Every one of those people has their own slightly different opinion on what criteria to judge by, and the majority decided on Michelle.

[hefdaddy42]

^Yep^

[gmillerdrake]

Totally understand all the points made, and agree. I just think Aubrey was robbed of the Million dollars by a jury that had their panties in a bunch that she played better than them.....and that sucks for her.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7GLTkZy2P8

Cydney's Ponderosa.  Scot, Jason, and Julia clearly being bitter assholes that refused to even greet Cydney when she arrived.

[BlobVanDam]

Totally understand all the points made, and agree. I just think Aubrey was robbed of the Million dollars by a jury that had their panties in a bunch that she played better than them.....and that sucks for her.

I'm sure next time they do an "all stars" season, they'll probably include her and Tai.
I do agree Michelle perhaps wasn't the most deserving, I just disagree she was undeserving.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Maybe it isn't that she didn't deserve it, maybe that it feels like she didn't earn it to the degree that the others did.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Okay, so we just finished up season 32.  Season 33, Millenials vs. Gen X will be in Fiji and will be airing this fall.

Season 34, airing next spring will also be in Fiji and will be a cast of 20 returning players, including two from the upcoming 33rd season (From Reality Blurred):

1. Andrea Boehlke, Survivor Redemption Island and Survivor Caramoan
2. Michaela Bradshaw, Survivor Millennials vs. Gen X
3. Aubry Bracco, Survivor Kaoh Rong
4. Brad Culpepper, Survivor Blood vs. Water
5. Sierra Dawn-Thomas, Survivor Worlds Apart
6. Sandra Diaz-Twine, Survivor Pearl Islands and Survivor Heroes vs. Villains
7. Ciera Eastin, Survivor Blood vs. Water and Survivor Cambodia
8. Cirie Fields, Survivor Panama, Survivor Micronesia, and Survivor Heroes vs. Villains
9. Hali Ford, Survivor Worlds Apart
10. Malcolm Freberg, Survivor Philippines and Survivor Caramoan
11. Sarah Lacina, Survivor Cagayan
12. Ozzy Lusth, Survivor Cook Islands, Survivor Micronesia, and Survivor South Pacific
13. Caleb Reynolds, Survivor Kaoh Rong
14. Troyzan Robertson, Survivor One World
15. Zeke Smith, Survivor Millennials vs. Gen X
16. JT Thomas, Tocantins and Survivor Heroes vs. Villains
17. Tai Trang, Survivor Kaoh Rong
18. Jeff Varner, Survivor Australia and Survivor Cambodia
19. Tony Vlachos, Survivor Cagayan
20. Debbie Wanner, Survivor Kaoh Rong

[BlobVanDam]

So I guess the ones from Millennials vs Gen X are spoilers for who isn't going to win.

A lot of familiar names, including the predicted obvious choices from Kaoh Rong. Even though I like a lot of these people though, there are so many people who will now be appearing for the third time, and even fourth time. Surely there are other people they can bring back.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I don't know, I'm not sure it says anything about whether they won or lost.  Sandra, JT, and Tony all won their seasons (twice for Sandra).

[BlobVanDam]

I guess. It does indicate they'll be the standout characters, one way or another. It would seem odd to bring back a player the season directly after winning though.

[gmillerdrake]

Ozzy again huh? They really love that dude. I'm agreeing with Blob whereas I like a lot of these players but third, fourth time on the show seems to be excessive but then again this past season with 'unknowns' was a real dud. So, it'll be neat to kind of 'know' these players already but it seems like Survivor is really relying on the popularity of former players to keep it relevant.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

As much as I love Survivor, I know there isn't a prayer in hell, even if I was younger, that I could do it.  No way.  And I'm amazed by people that love it so much that they agree to do it again.  Some (as mentioned) for 3rd and 4th times.  I've read of people coming off shows like Survivor or Big Brother having difficulty being able to trust people for a while after returning to normal life.  Always looking over their shoulder, so to speak.  Also, there are people who've reported that even a year after their stint on Survivor, they still haven't been able to regain the same level of physical fitness they had pre-survivor, despite time spent in the gym to try to re-develop the muscle tone and energy they once had.  It's a doozie of a game and I could never do it.

[gmillerdrake]

As much as I love Survivor, I know there isn't a prayer in hell, even if I was younger, that I could do it.  No way.  And I'm amazed by people that love it so much that they agree to do it again.  Some (as mentioned) for 3rd and 4th times.  I've read of people coming off shows like Survivor or Big Brother having difficulty being able to trust people for a while after returning to normal life.  Always looking over their shoulder, so to speak.  Also, there are people who've reported that even a year after their stint on Survivor, they still haven't been able to regain the same level of physical fitness they had pre-survivor, despite time spent in the gym to try to re-develop the muscle tone and energy they once had.  It's a doozie of a game and I could never do it.

I'd give it a shot. I think if I could make it to the merge I could make final two or three. By then you'd have a solid alliance and I have no doubts that if I weren't winning the immunity challenges I'd be coming in second. yeah....I'm a confident cocky SOB..... 

[hefdaddy42]

I love the show, but no way could I do it.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I'd give it a shot. I think if I could make it to the merge I could make final two or three. By then you'd have a solid alliance and I have no doubts that if I weren't winning the immunity challenges I'd be coming in second. yeah....I'm a confident cocky SOB..... 

Now come on this is Survivor 101:  Overconfidence will get you voted out before your time, every time.

[gmillerdrake]

I'd give it a shot. I think if I could make it to the merge I could make final two or three. By then you'd have a solid alliance and I have no doubts that if I weren't winning the immunity challenges I'd be coming in second. yeah....I'm a confident cocky SOB..... 

Now come on this is Survivor 101:  Overconfidence will get you voted out before your time, every time.

Well....I wouldn't act like that in front of everyone silly.    In fact, I'd do what I could to keep my true abilities on the down low until the merge. I know it'd be tough for sure but I really think I could perform well. Out of all the players that have played I honestly compare myself to Ozzy. I'm fairly athletic, can swim like a fish....not a total moron so I could give a good go at the non physical challenges and all in all I think I could throw a good social game out there.

But, I'll never apply so the point is mute. 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Well....I wouldn't act like that in front of everyone silly.    In fact, I'd do what I could to keep my true abilities on the down low until the merge. I know it'd be tough for sure but I really think I could perform well. Out of all the players that have played I honestly compare myself to Ozzy. I'm fairly athletic, can swim like a fish....not a total moron so I could give a good go at the non physical challenges and all in all I think I could throw a good social game out there.

But, I'll never apply so the point is mute. 

That's definitely the one thing we've always said about Ozzy.  I don't think there has ever been a Survivor contestant who could swim like that guy.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Survivor returns next Wednesday!  Big event already happening for the first episode:

https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2016/09/survivor-millennials-gen-x-evacuated-cyclone-zena/