Me too. I hated Russel, but now I'm on the Russel train.

That tribal council last night was awesome!!!! Shambo played it perfectly, turning to Laura in SHOCK (hee) when Russel pulled out the idol, then nodding her head in agreement when Laura spoke under her breath about Russel. Alls the better if Galu thinks they've got Shambo's vote next week. Numbers could factor in if they still think it's 6-4.

Also, with Russel having found the idol twice without clues, even if he doesn't find it next week, he could imply that he did, and unless it was already found by others, he might be able to pull that off!!

Funny previews, Galuians running around trying to tail Russel! HA! Can't wait!

this is turning into a darn good season!!

That's what I assumed, which kind of made me chuckle if that was the case.

If you missed it... the reward challenge had everyone split into two teams. Russell's team lost, so while half the tribe was enjoying their reward, he decided to go looking for the idol. He kept saying, "It has to be hidden near a landmark... it wouldn't just be out in the open somewhere," and the like. He looked under that little wooden bridge, and there it was!

Immediately after, he told Shambo. She has said numerous times how she trusts Russell, and also said last night that she connects more with the members of the other tribe, so I have no doubt that she's siding with Foa Foa.

Russell also told the other Foa Foa members after that, and informed them that they were going to vote Kelly out.

I must admit, I was also a little surprised that they did that. If I were them, I'd want to knock out one of the brains of their operation. Not that Kelly isn't smart, but she doesn't seem to be running the show, and appears to be a "secondary character".

Plus, I think it really pissed off Laura. Which, don't get me wrong, is also a good thing :D

ETA: I'm also pretty sure that Galu lost a jury vote by going against Erik. Again, never a bad thing!

I was really impressed with that, and her vote against Russell. To date they haven't shown her to be the brightest bulb, but apparently she (he? they?) figured out that Galu needs to think she's fully committed to her old tribe. She played off seeing the votes really well, especially to Laura's comment- that was priceless! And I assumed that her vote against Russell was in case Jeff showed all votes, so the tribe wouldn't say "wait a minute, one of us voted for Kelly- who was it?" and start a witch hunt. Although I get their rationale (must hurt Laura!), I would've liked to see them vote off the guy who's name I don't know who acts as pseudo-leader.

I wasn't enjoying the beginning of the season at all. I STILL don't know most of the players- when they started talking about Kelly I really didn't know who they meant. The combination of Foa Foa being so devastated, crappy rainy weather shriveling hands & feet, and All-Russell-All-The-Time was really getting to me. But last night's episode started to win me back. You don't have to shove someone in my face for me to know he's the villain, producers! :rolleyes: He does make some ingenious moves, although he also makes some dumb ones (like the "secret alliances" with everyone and showing everyone the first idol).

Russell finding two immunity idols without clues makes me wonder if producers/camera men, etc. tipped him off somehow. That just seems uncanny.

My husband's perspective is that they need to stop hiding it around camp and near landmarks. They used to bury them in really obscure places- like "line yourself up so you see X in a particular way, then walk 20 paces, find X, walk more, then dig". I think in Coach's season they dug a huge hole at the beach trying to find the HII, then passed it off as building a bonfire. Or in China, when it was behind one of the plaques attached to their big arch- you wouldn't think of it there unless the clues specifically told you that. Looking under a bridge you walk over on your way to treemail, or checking in a hole in a tree? That seems easier to me, and more likely that people will find (and use) it. Almost like they wanted this type of thing to happen, since HIIs can affect the game in big ways.

My guess is that since Shambo hates her own team of Galu, that maybe that was actually a countdown referring to the number of players on Galu, as in
10 players to go (the start), 9 players to go, 8 players to go, etc. Something like that.

That was freaking priceless how Russell found the I.I. a 2nd time!!! If only Russell had the time and resources to make a fake Immunity Idol, a la "Yao Man", "Ozzy" and also "Bob" (the winner from a couple of seasons ago). Now THAT would be priceless to have someone find it!! :D

So I've decided to retract this statement:

... because tonight's tribal council was AMAZING. The look on Laura's face, along with the rest of Galu, was priceless!!

Erik's comments crack me up. He really was a cocky jerk when he was in the game, and I was glad to see him go, but I love that he's completely against his tribe now :D

And I can't believe Russell has ANOTHER idol! Fortunately, he didn't use it tonight. Unless his tribe completely turns on him, he's going to get a lot farther in this game than I originally thought he would.

Russell looks to be one of the best game players in Survivor history. CANNOT believe he found the idol AGAIN.

At first, I thought they were talking too much about Laura going home for it to actually be true... But John is a numbers guy, and I really think it was to his benefit to flip - if you knew you could make your chances of going home that night 0% instead of 1 in 8, why would you not?

I was wondering if that "pick a rock" rule was still in affect. Apparently so - stupid rule. I liked the two (or three) people in a tie building a fire better.

Exactly. Honestly, I'm surprised that John was the only Galu who saw that.

It'll be interesting to see what happens now. The exchange between John and Russell (the one where John said, "If I give you a Galu, you've got to give me a Foa Foa") has me wondering which Foa Foa John hopes will be sacrificed. If Foa Foa is smart - and it appears they are - John or Dave will be next to go. I can't see Russell agreeing to "give" John any Foa Foa.

This is really shaping up to be an exciting season. The past two episodes have been great. I can't believe I'm finding myself rooting for Russell!!!:eek: (Although, to be fair, I would be happy to see any of the remaining Foa Foa members win.)

Yes, this is a great season for blind sides!! How Galu could screw up an 8-4 advantage is just crazy! They were great at winning challenges, but they are completely inept when it comes to gameplay and strategy.

What do y'all think the previews portend to next week? They always seem to be pointing to a Russel oust, but it never comes to pass. I wonder if he'll have to use the immunity idol.

Do you think he told anyone he has it? They didn't show him running around making deals or bragging about it. Could he possibly be keeping it a secret? It would be good strategy, and he's proven himself to be one of the best strategists in survivor history.

I agree, I like the fire building better too. Although with the rock you encourage people NOT to have a tie since they'll be up... but obviously that doesn't work for everyone :rolleyes: Does anyone know if the HII or immunity necklace would protect you from a rock? Or are you just as succeptible? My husband thinks it would, but Jeff's statements are always "you cannot vote for X" and "any votes cast against X will not count", so it could go either way in my mind.

If they do sacrifice a Foa Foa, I'm hoping for Jaison... he's not as hopeless as he was during the thunderstorms but he appears useless at camp & in challenges. Maybe it's editing, maybe it's not.

And regarding the Russell bandwagon, rumor has it he'll be on season 20 for their next all stars season. They stayed put in the same location for filming- I wonder if they used the same beaches or changed it up a bit? If not, Russell would have a nice advantage for locale but IMHO a big disadvantage for not having recovery time to think, reflect, view perceptions, and restrategize.

No - Jeff said last night that in a tie, the two people tied are safe, but the EIGHT remaining people are all vulnerable.

I don't know that I really believe this. In some cases, I think he's been extremely lucky. He's really screwed up strategy-wise a few times (telling everyone he has the idol, for example). The only reason he's still around is because he's taken it upon himself to look for HIIs before he has any clues. Basically, he's just good at finding things. :p

But now I see him as less of a villian and more like the best person ever for blindsiding the smug members of Galu :D

It's Dave's face that cracks me up, with his "WOWs." He really does seem to be clueless at Tribal Council.

Competely agree, but I guess it's to try and force an actual elimination by vote.

I agree. Strategy wise, he's been kind of hit and miss, and I think it's mostly miss. How is it good strategy to pull some of the stunts he's pulled (and apparently will pull next week)? Or to tell everybody "I have an idol, and I'm not telling anyone but you"?

What has saved him (and the rest of old Foa Foa) is luck and the fact that old Galu is even weaker than old Foa Foa strategically.

Speaking of old Foa Foa, I somehow failed to say how awesome Natalie was with the rat last week. She moved to the top of my list with that. (And Brett moved up right behind her -- I really wasn't expecting him to be the one who could take the rat and dress it like it was nothing.)

Yeah, y'all are right, strategy wise he's made some blunders that have just worked out right. But, he's also been able to read things pretty well, at least he sniffed out the plot to get them to vote for John, and has kept his tribe in line - but they don't really have any choice.

Now that the numbers are aligned, it will be interesting to see how things start moving. New alignments may happen.

Aligned how? If Shambo stays with Foa Foa, they have 5 members, and Galu has 4. Unless of course John plays it smart and switches tribes.

While it might be a waste of an idol, I think it would be hilarious if Russell tells John that everyone is voting for Natalie, or something, after having given Natalie his idol to use. Everyone votes for her, so Russell holds up his end of the bargain, and he can play clueless when she uses it and another one of the Galu members goes home.

Just a thought :D

I know I'm double posting, but I just had an awful thought... what if Shambo switched again and helped to blindside the rest of Foa Foa?

None of the members of Galu were fond of her to begin with, and now I'm pretty sure they REALLY aren't happy with her for turning on their tribe. She has two options:

1. Stay with Foa Foa. If she makes it to the final 3, the jury will be made up almost entirely of Galu members. The only Galu who might vote for her is Erik, simply because he's thrilled with the idea of his team burning for blindsiding him.

2. Switch to Galu. If she switches back to Galu and helps to take out the rest of the Foa Foa tribe, she'll have made probably one of the best moves in Survivor history. There's a good chance she would gain some respect from her other Galu members, and she'll have a better chance of receiving more votes if she makes it to the final 3.

To be honest, I think her better option would be the latter.

^^^ I don't know -- Shambo hasn't shown much ability to think strategically so far. Most if not all of her decisions have been emotional.

That said, the preview for next week certainly seems to show Shambo, joined by Dave, John, Jaison and Mick leading the charge against a male Dave describes as "a cancer." I doubt that's Brett, so that leaves Russell -- and it does sound like Russell. Are we being misled again, or have they finally caught on to Russell? I wonder if his (over-)confidence has finally outrun his ability.

Although, it's not clear that Shambo, Dave and John are talking about the same plan as Shambo and Jaison.

Hmmmm.

Sorry, I meant that now that the Foa Foa members aren't totally outnumbered, new alignments might occur. Maybe John can insinuate himself with Foa Foa people, or maybe Russel will have irritated Foa Foa's to the point that they make new alliances.

I meant that with the numbers change, perhaps alliances can change now too. :)

Interesting moments in the recap show. It makes me wonder: Is anyone out there besides Russell actually TRYING to play the game?? What happened to keeping your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself? It seems like most of them would be more subtle by painting a target on their own forehead.

It is interesting to know that Russell is married and has children - I was wondering about that. And I thought everyone knew that Mick was some sort of doctor??

I completely agree. Granted, Russell is playing the game to a degree that no contestant has probably ever played it before, but everyone else is just... there. Where has the strategizing been? Even with Foa Foa voting off three Galu members in a row, how much have we seen Mick, Jaison or Natalie talking in the past few weeks? Not much, if at all.

I was actually surprised that they showed Brett talking in the re-cap show because... I never see him otherwise. Even with the numbers down to where they are now, I still feel like there are people that haven't even really been presented to us... which is probably because they're boring. Even Brett admitted that, saying something about laying low after they vote Erik out and following along in the background until something exciting happens.

He didn't even TRY to save his friend!

If I didn't hate Laura before, I do after watching this re-cap. Even when Shambo was clearly upset about her sister dying, Laura didn't even seem to care, and talked about how she wanted the sun to come out. Really? I understand you're not best friends, but have a LITTLE compassion.

I also thought that everyone knew that Mick is a doctor. But then again, how much have people really talked about their professions this season? Personally, I think Russell made another move that could bite him in the ass later on by telling Mick about his financial situation. Cuddling with the girls to keep them warm at night, and in turn, gaining their trust: smart. Telling someone something about yourself that they could use later in the game to keep you from winning: dumb. Russell said that if anyone crosses him, they're going to get voted out. But what if him and Mick are pleading their cases when they're in the final three, and Mick pulls the "Russell is rich" card?

I know I wrote a novel, but I'll end it by saying that I loved Shambo's discussion with Monica. "It isn't real. It isn't fake. It's Survivor." How true that is.

"Watching Russell wreak havoc on the sanity of his enemies is sheer pleasure" - Entertainment Weekly

Can't wait to see what happens tonight! :D

Any predictions?

Only one Pepperdine alum left now...I'm hoping Brett continues to be nothing but a harmless tribe member for now. I have a feeling we may see more of him as time goes on, because he's certainly not being seen as a threat right now and as long as he isn't he's not likely to be voted out.

I found myself so mad at Russell at the beginning of the season, but now I can't help but laugh along with him. "Well, I made a mistake, and since my mistake was telling John I have the immunity idol, he has to be the one to go." He kills me.

I think a good strategy for the Foa Foa members would be to get one of the Galu members on their side. And at this point, I think Dave would be their best bet. Russell essentially saved him from elimination tonight, and it was proved at tribal council that Russell actually kept his word when it came to that deal. Dave would probably be the most trusting, and I don't think he really has any close ties to Monica or Brett.

The problem now is that Shambo could be a wild card. I really think Foa Foa should have told her what was going on. She was so against Dave that there probably wasn't any way that she'd switch to working with him again, no matter what Foa Foa planned to do. And they'd still have all of the votes for John either way.

And scheming against Russell now (as the previews for next week seem to suggest will happen) might not be the best idea on Mick and Jaison's part. They need Russell to help them eliminate at least one more member of Galu before they go about executing something like that. Otherwise, they could again find themselves behind in the numbers game.

Maybe they should attempt to vote out Shambo next week?

Oh no. They should all be wanting to take Shambo to the end.

And the fact that she's a wild card was why they couldn't tell her Dave wasn't going -- too much risk she'd be so upset about it she'd sabotage the blindside.

We saw more of him in the recap show than any other time I think (except maybe that task where he was made the leader b/c Shambo sat herself out). What little they've shown of him gives me the impression he's smart and actually thinking about how to play the game, and I'm still impressed over how he dressed the rat that Natalie killed. But he's gotten a small enough share of screen time that I'm guessing he's not going to make it to the end.

It'll be interesting to see Shambo next episode. She was just as blindsided as John was! I can see why Russell (and particularly Dave) wanted John gone, but I thought Jaison was right on the money with regard to his assessment of what that would do to the numbers - taking John out before Dave will likely send Shambo straight to the other side (again).

I've got to hand it to the producers/directors/editors of Survivor this season. They've really done a nice job setting the stage (so to speak). I honestly don't remember a season I've enjoyed any more.

Definitely. And they seem to leave out a good amount of the discussion amongst the castaways so that you don't really know what's going to happen when they go to tribal council. It makes me really nervous, but it's good television.

NPC Connection
 

Host, Jeff Probst's mother is Delta Gamma's NPC Delegate!

She won't go back to "the other side", because look who is there: Dave & Monica - who she can't stand, and Brett - who we have no idea about, since he's never really been on much. Plus, that's still a 4-4 tie.

If Jaison or Mick makes a big move next week and gets rid of Russell, that would probably win it for them - however, it would have to be a BIG blindside, because he's still got an idol, and they'd have to do it without Shambo, because I don't think she would keep her mouth shut, even if Russell didn't do what she wanted last week. Natalie is also too loyal to Russell, so it would have to be Mick, Jaison, Dave, Brett & Monica.

I also have to say that I think Jaison made the right move at the immunity challenge, moving up earlier, and therefore supporting less weight throughout the duration of the challenge, rather than waiting until he was almost spent to use it. I was extremely impressed with Natalie hanging in until almost the end.

Thanks for the shout-out. You are right! Jeff Probst has also made an appearance at past Delta Gamma Conventions.

This scenario might be devastating for Mick and Jaison (at least for this upcoming week). If they get rid of Russell, and alienate Natalie (and possibly Shambo), it will put them way behind in the numbers game.

Even if they team up with Dave, Monica and Brett to eliiminate Natalie and Shambo the following two weeks, it will still be 2 Foa Foas to 3 Galus.

I think they need Russell in order to eliminate one more member of Galu, and then they can start to think about getting rid of him.

I do wonder if they know about Natalie's loyalty to Russell, though. I've been very impressed with her in the last few weeks. Between the rat and this immunity challenge, she is proving to be a much stronger player than I originally thought she'd be.

Two tribal councils next week!

The finale is on Sunday - I was wondering how they were going to get the numbers down that fast.

I wonder if they'd want to get rid of him. It appears there are going to the three in the final. If you want to be in the final three, you want one of the people there with you to be Shambo. I'm not so sure but what Russell might not be the other one to take.

Yeah, there'd be some risk involved there. As more and more former castaways arrive at the Ponderosa, compare notes and see how Russell played all of them, one of two things will happen: either they'll admire it or they'll hold it against him big time. It's hard to tell at this point whether they have any idea about things like emptying canteens, but if they do, that won't help him.

To be honest, I can't tell whether anyone is really thinking about how they'll be seen by the jury.

It'll be interesting.

The finale is on SUNDAY?!! Oh No! I was counting on Survivor for a few more weeks!!

I wish the host would refrain from addressing Dave as "Dave Ball" all the time. It's very strange that Jeff Probst would do that. Oh well.

I know- I was trying to figure out how it would play out with the holidays, since all networks like to have a dead zone for a few weeks. With the number of people left, I figured it would stretch out into January. I did not expect it to end so soon! Perhaps another F3?

I wonder when Survivor 20: Heroes vs. Villains will premier?

Maybe I dreamed it, but I could have sworn I read somewhere that it would be a Final 3.

I'm extremely forgetful, so I don't know how they've done it in the past... but they're going to get rid of 5 people, AND have the final tribal council with feedback from the jury, AND do the entire finale thing where they show the final vote AND talk to the entire cast... in two episodes?

Something seems off.

I would think they'd need at least one more week.