Survivor: South Pacific (Survivor Season 23)

[SydneyK]

Yeah. What AF & MC said.

Great episode! I was happy to see Ozzy beat Christine if for no other reason than to see how Savaii's plan pans out.

I'm glad Cochran flipped, to be honest. I don't think it was the wisest move on his part, but I can completely see why he did it. The only reason I can't get fully on board with it is because he's still at the bottom of the totem pole, and he's a step lower on Upolu's pole than he was on Savaii's. Once Upolu votes out the remaining 4 Savaii members, Cochran's probably next to go. But, there's a lot of Survivor to be played before they get to the point of voting out their own tribe, so this concern may not carry much weight. Of course, this is assuming they continue to vote along tribal lines which, judging by the preview, may not be the case for much longer.

Brandon's comment to Keith (or was it Jim?) in tribal was spot-on. I liked him more last night than I think I have all season. However, I wasn't real big on the comment he made to Cochran at the end - something along the lines of 'stay close to me'. I think Cochran has finally started standing up for himself (it's about time!), and I'd hate to see him get taken under the wrong player's wing. Coach, sure. Brandon? No. Brandon and Cochran both have issues and the two of them together would send each other down a dark, spiraling path.

Oh, and MC, thanks for the link to Jeff's blurb on EW! I had quit looking for his blog ever since since he took up during-show tweeting instead of post-show blogging. While answering a few questions does not a blog make, it's nice to get some post-show info from Jeff.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Brandon's comment to Keith (or was it Jim?) in tribal was spot-on. I liked him more last night than I think I have all season.

I had the same thought. Then I realized we didn't see much Brandon last night, so maybe that's why I liked him more.

However, I wasn't real big on the comment he made to Cochran at the end - something along the lines of 'stay close to me'. I think Cochran has finally started standing up for himself (it's about time!), and I'd hate to see him get taken under the wrong player's wing.

I took the "stay close to me" comment as a literal, right-now thing -- stay close to me and I won't let them get too close to you or get in your face. Stay by me while things cool off.

And you're welcome.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I had the same thought. Then I realized we didn't see much Brandon last night, so maybe that's why I liked him more.

Last night's episode certainly supports the 'the less we see of Brandon, the more we like him' theory. I think the kid is seriously deluded. Cochran doesn't stand a chance if he doesn't align with Upolus other than Brandon. Sofie, Coach, maybe even Albert. And it needs to happen soon.

It sounds like I'm pulling for Cochran. And maybe I am in a way, but I think I'm pulling for a moral victory instead of a literal Sole Survivor kind of victory. Cochran certainly isn't the first contestant to be bullied, and I'm sure he won't be the last. But it's been nice to see him get a little vengeance.

I chuckled at the end when, at Redemption Island, Jim, Ozzy or Keith said, 'We were supposed to be the final three.' Ha ha.

[AlphaFrog]

I watched last week's episode online since I was at Mozart Requiem dress rehearsal, and I think I shut it off to early (I thought it seemed short), because when last night's episode started, I did not remember two being voted off...

I guess it was an easy way to get to the backstabbing stuff quicker picking off the last two in a row last night.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I guess it was an easy way to get to the backstabbing stuff quicker picking off the last two in a row last night.

Right. And I thought it was interesting that Cochran called it.

Cochran is a smart kid, and he seems to understand a lot about the game of Survivor. I was so disappointed and surprised, then, that he didn't work harder to solidify the Cochran-Dawn-Albert-Sofie-Whitney thing. Had they done that, especially considering that two people were voted out, they could have practically guaranteed themselves a 1 in 5 shot. I wonder what happened to change their minds? Surely it wasn't Coach's cocky 'Instant death upon anyone who goes against my wishes' tirade.

ETA: I just reread this thread from the beginning. While I don't ordinarily quote myself, I chuckled at this:

Originally Posted by SydneyK

I like Coach more this time around than during previous seasons. He's still cray-cray, but he seems to have lowered that pedestal he put himself on.

Evidently, I was drinking the Coach Kool-Aid early on - I was duped! He hasn't lowered that pedestal at all. AT ALL!!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Right. And I thought it was interesting that Cochran called it.

Cochran is a smart kid, and he seems to understand a lot about the game of Survivor. I was so disappointed and surprised, then, that he didn't work harder to solidify the Cochran-Dawn-Albert-Sofie-Whitney thing. Had they done that, especially considering that two people were voted out, they could have practically guaranteed themselves a 1 in 5 shot. I wonder what happened to change their minds? Surely it wasn't Coach's cocky 'Instant death upon anyone who goes against my wishes' tirade.

Going into TC I was pretty sure that Cochran's foreshadowing of a double vote for Dawn and Whitney was a stronger possibility than voting Edna out. I think Cochran did it to himself, too, with the prediction. Knowing it was likly that they would vote twice in a row with no time for discussion kind of killed the plan to vote out Edna. That would have left too many variables including who to take out in the second vote and a contingency plan if that person won immunity.

What I still don't get...taking out someone like Coach or Ozzy's "second", especially at this stage of the game...why Edna? Yeah, she's probably voting for Coach...unless you take out Coach now and it's not an option. Yeah, he'd probably be pissed and not vote for whoever was a part of that plan, but unless you plan on taking him to the end, he's got to vote for someone, and he's probably going to vote for whoever comes back from RI, since they most likely won't have had a hand in voting him out. So, whether they vote him out now or later, they are probably not losing a jury vote.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Right. And I thought it was interesting that Cochran called it.

Cochran is a smart kid, and he seems to understand a lot about the game of Survivor. I was so disappointed and surprised, then, that he didn't work harder to solidify the Cochran-Dawn-Albert-Sofie-Whitney thing. Had they done that, especially considering that two people were voted out, they could have practically guaranteed themselves a 1 in 5 shot. I wonder what happened to change their minds? Surely it wasn't Coach's cocky 'Instant death upon anyone who goes against my wishes' tirade.

That may have been what sealed it for Albert -- not so much the speech as the fact that Coach was on to him. As for Cochrane, I think he trusts Coach more than Albert and thinks his chances are better with Coach.

And frankly, I think he's right about that. Between Coach and Albert, I'd rather hitch my wagon to Coach (words I never thought I'd type). Albert shows glimmers of strategy, but he seems to fail at pulling it off. Coach, on the other hand, is playing a pretty flawless game. Plus, he has an HII.

Also, I think Cochrane may also think that he already has a Scarlet T (for "traitor") on his buff, and he may figure he won't do himself any favors by adding a second one.

[AlphaFrog]

I was busy last Wednesday prepping Thanksgiving dinner and assumed that was a recap episode...I guess it was, since no one bumped this thread?