Thursday, November 4, 2010

Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 8

Merge! I love it when Survivor merges - I think this is when the game really starts. It's like Catan - the first stage is getting your pieces in place, the 2nd is playing it out. In Survivor, when the players are in tribes it's when everyone has a chance to get their game plan set. Once they've merged the game really starts.

I thought this merge was particularly interesting because nobody seems to be voting along tribal lines. No one (except Alina, RIP) is sticking to Young v. Old or La Flor v. Espada or even Sane v. Crazy. The alliances in this season are more fluid than ever before.

Standings:

Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 57 points
1. Brenda (16 pts)
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (13 pts)

Team Klepto: Moon - 44 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (5 pts)
3. NaOnka (28 pts)

Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 40 points
1. Jane (9 pts)
2. Benry (18 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]

Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 40 points
1. Chase (18 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (22 pts)

Team Pinky & the Brain: Doug/Bri - 20 points
1. Marty (5 pts)
2. Purple Kelly (13 pts)
[3. Yve (2 pts)]

Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 16 points
1. Sash (14 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]

 
Power Rankings:
 
1. Black Snake Widow - Somehow losing Alina only increased my confidence in my team. She won me a whopping 28 points by making the jury. At best I thought I'd get maybe 15. She wasn't a superstar player, but she really maximized with what she had to work with. Brenda might be getting cocky, which is concerning, BUT - for the first time ever - I had the thought that Holly might have a chance to win this game. Not a big chance, but suddenly it seemed more plausible.
 
2. Sanity Crushers - I'm worried about Jane's obsession with getting rid of Marty. What happens when she's gone? Is that goal overriding her goal of winning Survivor? I think her chances were also hurt by Marty calling her out at tribal council - but I'm hopeful that everyone will forget about that. In the meantime, Benry is flying under the radar but getting ready to make some moves. Both of them are threats at every challenge too, so there are opportunities for big points with this team!  
 
3. Klepto - Moon's team is still terrible, but at least Nay is actually trying to win the game. Her methods are unorthodox, nonsensical, and strangely effective. She's in the tightest alliance, isn't seen as a threat, and still has an immunity idol. When she gets back to the US she should definitely go see a psychiatrist, but in Nicaragua she's actually doing well! Dan is only more memorable than Purple Kelly, but came up huge by making the jury... at least.
 
4. Blonde Bimbos - Dachui's team seems to be content playing 2nd fiddle to pretty much everyone. Chase & Fabio seem more happy to be supporting cast than actually stepping up and making moves. This will probably help them last longer, but I don't know if it will be enough for them to win it all. I love the Chase/Jane relationship though - I think they'll both be better off for it.
 
5. Pinky & the Brain - I still think Marty is a huge threat - but he's not winning any challenges, and the team is at least 20 points behind everyone else who has a chance. Purple Kelly is so boring she could be replaced with a cactus and no one would notice. And she's terrible in challenges. I think this Brain just doesn't have enough firepower behind him to really take over the world.
 
6. SuccoSash - Bag can still get the record for lowest score in Survivor Pool history, but only so long as Sash doesn't win any more challenges, or finish in the top 3. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

7 comments:

GnightMoon said...

This season is going down the tubes. I blame poor casting. Most of these people are stone cold morons. How in the world does Purple Kelly get on the show? A few who should have been on the show rather than Purple Kelly:
Me
You
Amanda again
A cactus
The frozen dead guy from Nederland
Bernie from Weekend at Bernie's
Jim Caldwell
Ichabod Crane

I'd move to change my team name to "Cancerous Tentacles" but my players aren't really cancerous or tentacular in nature, just weak and useless.

I think Sanity Crushers are going to win this...If Benry makes a move at the right time he should win it. Jane figures to do some damage as well.

Are you sure we've reached the jury?

Reasons to watch this season are dwindling quickly. I guess it's still worth watching for Marty, Brenda, Sash aka Truman, and to see if Benry can make a move.

TheGraveWolf said...

Would like to add Old Whitey to Moon's list.

courtney said...

HAHAHAHA!!!! I have to say, this was one of the funnier posts Michal. And Tom's is pretty damn funny too. I think you guys should send this analysis to the Survivor producers :)

My favorite line is definitely "Purple Kelly is so boring she could be replaced with a cactus and no one would notice". HA!

Why oh why did the producers pick so many "stone cold morons"??

My bet's still on good ol' Hillbilly Jane....

Michal Greenberg said...

It's a good question - the producers literally have years of experience with casting... after all this is Season 21! Sometimes they get 1 or 2 duds in the cast, but this year it seems worse.

BTW I would LOVE to see Ichabod Crane on Survivor. That would be hilarious! I can picture him running through camp at 3am shouting "help! help! someone's out to get me!" every time a spider crawled over his neck.

Old Whitey would've been a better option than Jimmy J I think - he's younger, angrier, and more energetic overall.

GnightMoon said...

Jimmy Johnson blew it for Old Whitey just like Jean-Robert Bellande blew it for us poker players.

Danielle said...

Random thought. I've decided Jane is like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. She cackles. She goes on and on about her fish and even does a dance. She's unconcerned about her mannerisms and has the funniest grin.

Doug said...

I just want to know when the power alliance is going to collapse in on itself. There are way too many people in it right now and they all can't take each other to "the final 3'. It should happen in the next episode or two, I'm guessing.

[You guys remember the Cactus Clause from the pool rules right? -> If the team with the cactus on it beats out the other teams, the Murphy's prize pool is doubled...]

;D