Sweet, we kicked things off with a
challenge. No dithering about talking about power couples this time. And speaking of power couples: Cole and Jessica stayed together. Ryan and Devon broke up. Ashley and JP got separated too. But Ryan is rebounding quickly with Chrissy. Their is Super Idol Sharing Love Fest is somewhat diminished by the fact that he actually picked her because she threw up at the end of the challenge on the first day. But I guess they just won't talk about that. Also it looks like Devon might pick up his own leading lady next episode. And by the end of this episode, I feel like Jessica wishes that she & Cole had been broken up too.
Ali, Chrissy & Ryan all on one tribe is a strategists' powerhouse. With Chrissy/Ryan already pairing up, I'd be surprised if they didn't target Ali the first chance they get. She's clearly their biggest threat, with JP & Roark probably just being along for the ride.
Probst keeps saying "Yawa" (or Waya?) and it's driving me nuts. Is there any reason that they still name the tribes? I mean nobody calls them anything beyond red and blue and yellow tribe, right?
Probst keeps saying "Yawa" (or Waya?) and it's driving me nuts. Is there any reason that they still name the tribes? I mean nobody calls them anything beyond red and blue and yellow tribe, right?
Despite being a brawny team, blue tribe just can't get it together at either challenge. The red tribe impresses with a couple back-to-back wins. The yellow tribe is a pretty scraggly bunch, so not finishing last in any sort of physical challenge is something they should be proud of.
For the record I called that there would be a secret advantage in the chip bags
before that even happened. Ben can back me up on that. Jessica is totally
blowing it at playing cool, but makes up for it a little bit by admitting that she
knows she's doing so.
I like that they are doing this Secret-Advantage-but-only-for-one-episode twist. It's a nice change for this season. If that super idol had stuck around for an entire season, it would have drove me nuts.
I like that they are doing this Secret-Advantage-but-only-for-one-episode twist. It's a nice change for this season. If that super idol had stuck around for an entire season, it would have drove me nuts.
Next we get to watch Cole attempt to understand the basics of cause and effect. "I shared info with Jessica and got a kiss. If I share info with others I will receive love from them too." Dammit Cole!
Ben accurately points out that Lauren considers Cole sharing this info to be a sleazebag move and instantly doesn't trust it. Hilarious how that insta-backfired.
Cole's stupidity combined with an apparent need to be loved is going to drag down the Candlestick Makers and the Surfers. Ben thinks there's a chance that this hapless informant may be kept around because he keeps helping people out, but I'm worried they'll decide he's too much of a liability.
Now we're on to the immunity challenge and I'm desperately hoping the red tribe doesn't end up at tribal after the fiasco Cole has been this episode.
Probst once again proves that he does not give a shit about this season with some horrible commentary. Probst for DoW? The puzzle at the end reminded me of Sudoku, so I think I would have crushed it. I just got back into Sudoku recently & was averaging under 7 minutes at the "hard" level puzzles. "Evil" level is still kicking my butt though.
Probst once again proves that he does not give a shit about this season with some horrible commentary. Probst for DoW? The puzzle at the end reminded me of Sudoku, so I think I would have crushed it. I just got back into Sudoku recently & was averaging under 7 minutes at the "hard" level puzzles. "Evil" level is still kicking my butt though.
In the end the Red Tribe wins (phew!) and the blue tribe is heading back to tribal council. Again.Joe and Desi are both savvy people. Joe may not be likable but at least he has a brain in that skull. Unlike Cole. Unfortunately Joe thinks he's smarter than he actually is, and he & Desi could have been totally screwed if not for Jessica's Secret Advantage and apparently Ashley's terrible poker face. Poor Devon thought he had some sort of Survivor Crush and now he looks like he got his heart broken!
Desi then gets burned by Probst when he refers to her as Joe's wife. Ouch, man. Ouch.
In the end Joe "saves the day" while still coming across as a giant douchebag, and Alan gets ousted. It was a graceful exit by Alan. He turned things around here at the end. I wish Alan had attempted a more subtle game from the start, he might have actually been a good player. But I guess we'll never know.
In the end Joe "saves the day" while still coming across as a giant douchebag, and Alan gets ousted. It was a graceful exit by Alan. He turned things around here at the end. I wish Alan had attempted a more subtle game from the start, he might have actually been a good player. But I guess we'll never know.
The Teams:
Moon & Melissa "The Bakerss" - 41 points
- Ryan (2 pts)
- Cole (8 pts)
- Joe (13 pts)
- Joe (13 pts)
- Ashley (5 pts)
Phil "Scrub Island Featuring Superscrub Roark" - 29 points
- Mike (7 pts)
- Chrissy (7 pts)
- Roark (5 pts)
- JP (7 pts)
- Desi (3 pts)
Eric "Two Laurens Don't Make a Right" - 28 points
- Ben (10 pts)
- Lauren (5 pts)
- JP (7 pts)
- Lauren (5 pts)
- Alan (1 pt)
Doug & Bri "Cowboys & Estrogen" - 27 points
- Ben (10 pts)
- Ali (2 pts)
- Chrissy (7 pts)
- Desi (3 pts)
- Ashley (5 pts)
- Ryan (2 pts)
- Cole (8 pts)
- Devon (0 pts)
- Jessica (8 pts)
- Roark (5 pts)
- Devon (0 pts)
- Mike (7 pts)
- Ali (2 pts)
- Jessica (8 pts)
- Alan (1 pt)
Power Rankings:
- Cowboys: This team came out of the tribal mix-up with a few butterflies in their stomachs at first, but they are cruising now. Ali & Ashley could be at risk in the next couple episodes, but I also think they're smart enough to get out of a tight spot. This is still the team to be imo.
- Bakers: Joe maximized points for Moonbee this episode, but I think that's the most he's going to do. He's too aggressive and douchey (you know where I'm going next with that). Bakers also have the disappointing Cole to contend with, so they're really going to need Ashley and Ryan to pull through in the coming weeks.
- Candlesticks: Watching Cole play Survivor is like watching Ben's grandma try to use Skype. (#LuvYaBlue) There's a whole lot of effort being made and positive energy being put into the effort. But the end result is usually a bit of a disaster. Hopefully he doesn't drag Jessica down with him, because she seems like she could have some potential. Here's hoping Ryan is the schemer we pegged him for, and that Devon is an overachiever at challenges.
- Surf Chicks: Surf Chicks and Candlesticks are kind of the in the same boat. Jessica and Devon have potential, but they could get screwed by their circumstances (and/or alliances). Ali is solid though and Mike hasn't done anything to offend. They're down 1 player, so I'm ranking us slightly higher than them in the power rankings.
- Two Laurens: Don't get me wrong, I love Lauren. But I get the sense that she makes decisions more based on "who do I want to get rid of" and "who don't I want to work with" rather than trying to keep an open mind to potentially working with anyone. That could make her a trustworthy ally, but it's not going to win her Survivor. Ben definitely has potential, but JP is starting to pale into as ghostly a figure as Roark, and I'm thinking there's an early exit in his future.
- Scrub Island: Scrub Island is earning decent points right now, and they really need to maximize that while they can. I just don't see them earning much post-merge.
Douche of the Week:
Joe again for me. It feels like he knows about our DoW and is actively trying to take that title.
13 comments:
Well if you take him for his word, Joe was trying to be a douche so the attention was on him. So, if he's an intentional douche, does that still qualify for DoW? Lol :)
Finally learned who Roark is 🙌
Can you do a DDoW (dumb dumb of the week) award too? I think Cole wins that award for the last two weeks in a row. My bet is he'll win again next week too 😋
Joe is the guy in the poker tournament who takes the early chip lead by playing every pot and winning some huge pots he shouldn't be involved in. I'm grateful we've gotten as many points as we have off him and am not expecting many more.
Cole DoW. Terrible, terrible player. Several bad players this season and he might be the worst.
You've changed your write-up style Pickle. I always enjoyed the more analytical analysis but I like this witty, sarcastic stuff too.
Our team name is Two Cups of Joe.
I'm going Cole for DoW as well. He's really screwing Jessica over. I don't care if he's too dumb to run his own game, but the douchery comes in when someone puts a major part of their game, at least partially, in an alliance member's hands, and that person selfishly and immediately betrays that.
Joe grabbed some major points this week. I was impressed he pulled it off. A lot of things had to fall in place for it to happen, so 2 Cups had to be sweating. Grab them while they can, because I agree with Tom, I don't think Joe lasts much longer, or earns many more points, unless he finds another idol.
Which brings me to this: If Joe and Cole know where they found the last idol, did they not immediately check that same spot at their new camps? Did the producers just not show us that? Have they not had time yet? In the past it seems like the clues are always in slightly different places, but the actual idols seem to be in the same spots throughout the multiple camps. Joe and Cole should have a huge advantage there.
I'll throw my vote to Cole for DoW. Joe was definitely douchey but I think Cole really got to the heart of what it is to be a douche and I have to reward him for that.
Interesting commentary from Doug - It would certainly make sense for the guys in the know to check for idols at the comparable spot in their new camps at the first opportunity.
I don't think Joe read diddly shit, let alone anyone's face. I think he was playing the idol for himself the whole time. His over the top reaction to being right and repeatedly telling everyone how he read her face, he read her face, seemed a bit much to me. Unless it was crystal clear he needed to play it for Desi, I think Joe was playing it safe and taking care of numero uno. He might be somewhat savvy but his social strategy lacks any kind of subtlety. He tried way too hard to put the target on himself - and riled himself up so much that by the end of his 'strategy' he was yelling about how everyone should watch out because they would be surprised tonight at tribal. Very smooth Joe.
Watching Devon's face run the gamut of emotions while he read his 'advantage' at tribal was hilarious.
Joe unfortunately gets my vote for DoW. Cole is just a moron, joe is a total douche. I'm worried about this Roark selection and the loving sarcastic jabs aren't helping me to feel any better. Having played a few weeks now I should have analyzed the scoring system more as Joe's idol was almost guaranteed points, kudos to Moon.
I also like the witty sarcastic approach of the blog.
Phil, don't forget, there are lots of negative points to be earned if your player doesn't play the immunity idol correctly. 2 cups could have been sitting in a -10 point hole had Joe played the idol for himself and then the other votes came up Desi.
Speaking of Desi, was she the only one on the yellow tribe that didn't know he had the idol before the tribe switch? I thought everyone on that tribe knew, but this last episode, he had to reveal it to her. Was she that far outside of the "know" on the initial yellow team?
We aren't winning yet?
Lauren and Ben are the power couple that nobody is talking about.
What an unlucky break for Alan and a huge save for Moon's team.. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't crazy.
Cole was DoW, but in a very innocent sort of way. Was it ridiculous when Cole led Joe right to the idol and didn't even try and claim it?
This week again you forgot my points for:
Buy good item at auction?
Yes...basically anything that isn't pond water.
I missed the auction...was that in the extended footage online?
The rules you sent me were so vague that I have no idea when the action takes place.
All I know is that as long as I don't buy pond water at auction I get two freakin' points every episode!
Eric,
The Survivor auction is a specific reward challenge that takes place usually only in one episode per season. Many seasons it doesn't even happen. If it does happen, it is usually shortly after the final merge, when all remaining players can take part.
Jeff gives the players some random amount of cash, say $500, in twenties. Then he reveals items for auction one by one. Most items are food, like cookies, pizza, beer, etc. The producers get a kick out of the contestants spendings $400 on a small plate of cookies... All normal food is considered a "good" purchase.
Sometimes the auction items are sentimental notes from home, or advantages in the game. Also in the "good" category.
And sometimes the items are kept under a cover allowing for the Survivors to bid on mystery items, which sometimes are jars or worms or pond water, thus the "buys bad item at auction" negative points.
Inevitably, there are always less items than there are players/money to buy them, so many times less aggressive players end up not buying anything with their free money because they were waiting for the next best thing. Jeff always spells out that the auction will end without warning.
We made that set of rules specific to that challenge only. They won't come into play unless that reward challenge comes up.
'Makes good comment in comments sectiom' means +2 for douglito. Thanks for that Eric.
And -2 for me. (sectiom)
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