Survivor Nicaragua

[AlphaFrog]

Bump.

Don't forget that Survivor moved to Wednesday! Any early speculations? I think Los Abuelos (the old farts) will wise up and use their advantage this week.

[AGDee]

Thanks for the reminder. I'd forgotten again already! Ugh, I don't like watching TV on Wednesdays. Wednesdays is why I had to stop watching Lost.

[AlphaFrog]

So, I want to strangle the entire young person team. STOP.BEING.STUPID. I hope getting rid of Shannon pulls them together, because if not, Espada's got an easy time ahead of them.

I had a thought last night: I wonder if part of the producer's purpose in the Medallion is to prevent what's been happening the past few seasons, where one team completely dominates challenges. This way, they're almost guaranteed to send people home evenly from each team, and you're not going to get a team that gets down to 2 or 3 vs. 8 or 9 on the other.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I had a thought last night: I wonder if part of the producer's purpose in the Medallion is to prevent what's been happening the past few seasons, where one team completely dominates challenges. This way, they're almost guaranteed to send people home evenly from each team, and you're not going to get a team that gets down to 2 or 3 vs. 8 or 9 on the other.

Quite possible.

I'll admit, I was really glad to see Shannon voted off. What an arrogant moron. I had a sense he wouldn't make it as far as he thought he would, but I didn't see him out this quickly. Brenda was smart to try and save herself by getting him out, but he sealed the deal for himself.

I think I'm seeing Jud/Fabio go further than I thought he would. Sure, he's a surfer dude, but he seems to be making it work for him. He's willing to let everyone think he's dumb (maybe he really is) -- “I don’t care what my nickname is. I’m going to win the million dollars. So I guess my name’s Fabio.” Is that the "Million Dollar Quote"? (Almost every season, there is a quote tucked into the first or second episode that foreshadows the winner.) He seems to have an attitude of get-along to go-along. Other than NaOnka, people seem to like him. (And her dislike of him seems to be making her look foolish to everyone else.) Most importantly, others don't seem to see him as a threat; I think they probably see him as someone easily used. If he's smarter than he appears, he can make that work for him.

One thing I've started paying attention to is the editors' use of animals with regard to certain castaways. (I didn't notice this on my own; writers at Reality News Online have been talking about it, but I've started really paying attention and thinking about what the animals might mean.) Sometimes, these associations just highlight what's going on at the moment; other times they are more significant foreshadowing. For example, Brenda was associated editing-wise with a snake quite a few times last night, especially when the plotting was going on. The snake reappared as the team went to Tribal Council -- a hint that Brenda would be the one to survive?

In both episodes now, Jud has been associated with a monkey. That seems to fit -- monkeys are playful and kind of goofy. They stay up in the trees (think Jeff's comments at Tribal Council). But they can also be smarter and more tenacious than they appear at first glance. (And they can see what's going on around them from the trees.) They don't seem threatening in the same was as, say, a snake. They have a way of outwitting, or at least frustrating the plans of, those who are supposed to be smarter (i.e., humans). Maybe I'm way off, but I'm keeping an eye on him.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Quite possible.

I'll admit, I was really glad to see Shannon voted off. What an arrogant moron. I had a sense he wouldn't make it as far as he thought he would, but I didn't see him out this quickly. Brenda was smart to try and save herself by getting him out, but he sealed the deal for himself.

I think I'm seeing Jud/Fabio go further than I thought he would. Sure, he's a surfer dude, but he seems to be making it work for him. He's willing to let everyone think he's dumb (maybe he really is) -- “I don’t care what my nickname is. I’m going to win the million dollars. So I guess my name’s Fabio.” Is that the "Million Dollar Quote"? (Almost every season, there is a quote tucked into the first or second episode that foreshadows the winner.) He seems to have an attitude of get-along to go-along. Other than NaOnka, people seem to like him. (And her dislike of him seems to be making her look foolish to everyone else.) Most importantly, others don't seem to see him as a threat; I think they probably see him as someone easily used. If he's smarter than he appears, he can make that work for him.

One thing I've started paying attention to is the editors' use of animals with regard to certain castaways. (I didn't notice this on my own; writers at Reality News Online have been talking about it, but I've started really paying attention and thinking about what the animals might mean.) Sometimes, these associations just highlight what's going on at the moment; other times they are more significant foreshadowing. For example, Brenda was associated editing-wise with a snake quite a few times last night, especially when the plotting was going on. The snake reappared as the team went to Tribal Council -- a hint that Brenda would be the one to survive?

In both episodes now, Jud has been associated with a monkey. That seems to fit -- monkeys are playful and kind of goofy. They stay up in the trees (think Jeff's comments at Tribal Council). But they can also be smarter and more tenacious than they appear at first glance. (And they can see what's going on around them from the trees.) They don't seem threatening in the same was as, say, a snake. They have a way of outwitting, or at least frustrating the plans of, those who are supposed to be smarter (i.e., humans). Maybe I'm way off, but I'm keeping an eye on him.

Good points! (Didn't really mean to quote the whole thing...oh well - takes too long to fix on the phone)

Ahh.... NaOkna...why must every season have "that woman" who picks fights with people, takes offense to everything, and sees slights where OBVIOUSLY none were meant. In fact, SHE started it with Jud when she stole his socks, then flipped out on him. WTF? Oh, and just at the idea of taking minorities to the finals as your alliance.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Ahh.... NaOkna...why must every season have "that woman" who picks fights with people, takes offense to everything, and sees slights where OBVIOUSLY none were meant.

I have wondered the same thing. Tiresome, isn't it?

Meanwhile, some of the insider clips are worth watching. Shannon's The-Day-After is more of the same, with him saying he had nothing to lose by laying it all out there at TC. (Except Benry's and maybe Kelly B's votes, which would have forced a tie. Benry specifically says when he votes that Shannon's behavior at TC changed his mind.) He says most of the La Flors are children that he felt like he was babysitting.

He also says he'd never eaten rice or seafood before. Seriously? He's from Lafayette, Louisiana and he's never eaten rice or seafood in 30 years?! (Make that 41. )

Jud/Fabio has an insider from before the challenge where he talks about how people are acting like they're in high school and about how sometimes you just have to bite your tongue so that you don't say something that might turn people against you. Like I said -- maybe smarter than he seems.

[AGDee]

I can't see that tribe being any more unified just because Shannon is gone. After that Tribal Council? You have NaOkna with her attitude, the couple people who wanted Brenda out... they are a hot mess. It's hard to win challenges when there is so much in-fighting.

[MysticCat]

It's a slow day, giving me way to much time to think about Survivor.

Originally Posted by AGDee

I can't see that tribe being any more unified just because Shannon is gone. After that Tribal Council? You have NaOkna with her attitude, the couple people who wanted Brenda out... they are a hot mess. It's hard to win challenges when there is so much in-fighting.

It'll be hard to get to unity, no doubt. The previews make it look like NaOnka continues to endear people to her.

But I'm not sure the two who voted for Brenda will be in that bad of a spot at this point. You had Jud, who says "I don't know if this is still the plan." Like I mentioned, he hasn't really made enemies except NaOnka, and even she said he's not a threat -- she just doesn't like him.

Then you have Alina, who strikes me as being somewhat in the same vein as Jud -- at least tries to get along and not make enemies. She doesn't seem to have given anyone any reason not to trust her or to be threatened by her. She has at least some connection to Kelly B, Benry and Jud. (And she, along with Kelly B, has the clue to the hidden immunity idol.) I see both Alina and Jud trying to leave the vote for Brenda at Tribal Council -- they can easily tell people they voted with Shannon because they told him they would, but that they're glad he's gone.

The editors/producers may well be misleading us in the preview (they probably are), but I won't be surprised if the La Flor fault line moves to between NaOnka and the rest of the tribe. That probably depends on how badly Brenda (mainly) and Sash want to keep her around.

[AlphaFrog]

I don't really see Brenda as being in much trouble right now. I think Shannon "I've been married since y'all were in diapers" was really the one to target het, because he saw her as a threat to his Bromance with Chase. I also don't think Brenda's set at all about keeping Nay (saw them call her that - better than the ghetto aspiration that her name is) around. Especially since it seems like Nay's about as strategicly sound as a colander that's gone through a wood chipper.

Did anyone else notice that Jud is actually listed in the opening credits as Fabio? It's really w dumb nickname...ok, so he has longish hair...so what? I do wish one of the Kellys would go by something different. I can keep the Jimmys straight, but I couldn't tell you which Kelly had the prosthetic.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I can keep the Jimmys straight, but I couldn't tell you which Kelly had the prosthetic.

That's Kelly B. She's a brunette. The other (Kelly S) is blonde and is the one they were calling "Purple Kelly" (or "Kelly Purple").

[tootiepie2]

I work with a girl who's friend dated Shannon for a while. Guess he is divorced. She says he is an a**. Always has to have last work etc. The way he acted last night was exactly how he is in real life.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by tootiepie2

I work with a girl who's friend dated Shannon for a while. Guess he is divorced.

Not according to his interview on Reality News Online. He's pretty clear there that he's still married.

The a** part (and the cluelessness) comes through loud and clear, though.

[tootiepie2]

well, don't know about that. If she is the same age as the girl I work with don't think she would have dated him before marriage as he did say he had ben married for 11 years and she would not be old enough. Maybe seperated at one time???? Don't know and the truth is this was just teachers lounge convo, so didn't get to many details.

[AlphaFrog]

Bump.

Wednesday reminder....



You know, I really think I liked Survivor better on Thursday - it wasn't competing with ANTM (although maybe that's a good thing, since I'm not watching this season, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything), and it made me look forward to Thursday because of Survivor. And then when Survivor was over, it was almost Friday.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

And then when Survivor was over, it was almost Friday.

I liked it on Thursday for this reason. I don't mind it on Wednesday (except that I'd rather have Big Bang back on Monday).

According to Jeff Propst's blog, the ratings for the first episode were higher this year than last year.