Oof, a lot to unpack after this episode, but with a tribal mix-up coming up soon I'm not even sure it's worth it. So in honor of Eric I will share my thoughts via a list:
- Bi's knee injury got more air time than I would have expected. I suspect this will get worse over the coming days & she'll be med-evacked from the show.
- John definitely came across as a savvy player this week. I'm still not sold on him though. I need him to crush this tribal swap before I can give #Vytas too much respect
- Hermit crab racing is the single-handed greatest way to entertain yourself in Survivor history.
- Wtf Jeremy?? That dude's paranoia got the best of him. He seems like a really smart guy & then - boom! - calling a tribe meeting, attacking Natalie at tribal, and over-strategizing after telling everyone else not to do it. He brought about his own demise.
- Speaking of, here are the Top 5 things you should never do on Survivor:
- Sabotage your own team during a challenge
- Feel like you are safe
- Call a tribe meeting
- Sabotage your own camp, e.g. burning all your food, hiding a machete, etc.
- Get cocky because you have an idol
- And here's my Top 5 list of things you should definitely do to prepare for going on Survivor:
- Know how to make fire
- Know how to swim
- Gain 15 pounds
- Practice puzzles
- Some kind of endurance practice, especially related to your arms (e.g. holding them above your head or out in front of you for hours at a time)
- Kudos to Mike for trying to defend Jeremy but also knowing when to let go. #MVP of the episode right here
- Overall I feel like the teams are pretty even, though I'm still going to give power rankings... because, well, it's fun to judge things. Some of the players who I think are top competitors are getting dragged down by stables with some lame ponies in them. I don't see anyone running away with this game quite yet.
The Teams:
Bag & Andrea "My team is actually good" - 35 points
- Christian (5 pts)
- Dan (5 pts)
- Davie (10 pts)
- Alec (5 pts)
- Kara (5 pts)
- Elizabeth (5 pts)
- John (5 pts)
- Gabby (5 pts)
- John (5 pts)
- Mike (5 pts)
- Mike (5 pts)
- Nick (5 pts)
Doug & Bri "Maybe I can't drive, but at least I can draft" - 30 points
- Christian (5 pts)
- Dan (5 pts)
- Alison (5 pts)
- Bi (5 pts)
- Bi (5 pts)
- Elizabeth (5 pts)
- Natalia (4 pts)
- Davie (10 pts)
- Angelina (4 pts)
- Carl (5 pts)
- [Jeremy (1 pt)]
- Carl (5 pts)
Eric "I have no idea what I'm doing" - 19 points
- Natalia (4 pts)
- Gabby (5 pts)
- [Jessica (-5 pts)]
- Kara (5 pts)
- Lyrsa (5 pts)
- Lyrsa (5 pts)
- Angelina (4 pts)
- Alec (5 pts)
- Alison (5 pts)
- [Jessica (-5 pts)]
- Nick (5 pts)
- [Jeremy (1 pt)]
- Natalie (4 pts)
- Natalie (4 pts)
Power Rankings:
- Bagdrea: Dan was surprisingly eloquent at tribal council. His love of "attractive & blonde" Kara may still be a massive problem, but I think there's more potential with him than his predecessor Cole ever had. Too bad that Jeremy's swan song included blowing his cover on the idol though. Otherwise this team is rock solid with the Alec + Davie + Christian combo. Alec is going to rake in points at challenges (until the merge when they'll likely boot him). There's some decent strategists on this tribe & no one's name is being mentioned as a target at this point, so things are looking pretty smooth over here.
- Eric: Eric has Natalia, Gabby, and Kara who I think could all be major players in this game. Again, could they win enough challenges & find enough idols to net points along the way to outlasting everyone? I'm not sure. But call me a fan of this team despite the "Wrong Blonde" hiccup.
- Michal & Ben: Angelina was certainly a top performer this week, but hopefully she didn't stick her neck out too far too early in the game. The women's alliance + MANipulation seems to be going pretty well for NatAngKara. I hope they can keep things going during the swap. Carl's a pretty big problem though. Someone crying at the start of the episode because they miss home only nine days in does not bode well.
- Moon & Melissa: Mike's MVP status helps MoonBee continue their crawl up the rankings. Bad luck that everyone's throwing hate towards Gabby, though I have a feeling she'll make it through. The Nerd Love Story that the producers are hyping this season is actually kind of amazing. I will never forget the "do you want to play with me?" "What? Oh, like in the sand?" interaction. That might be one of the best ever.
- Doug & Bri: I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't think Bi is lasting much longer and it's -5 or -10 x2 if she gets med-evacked or quits. If Dan continues to overperform then they could potentially overcome that, but he's also a bit of a loose cannon when it comes to boom or bust potential.
- Phil: Alas, Phil's time at the top was short-lived. I hope you enjoyed your brief moment in the limelight! 2 players down this early is pretty much a death knell in this game. Despite having 4 strong players left, I think it's going to be all but impossible to make a comeback now.
DoW:
Jeremy
7 comments:
1. Second in the power rankings! This made my week! Honestly, every week that I am not in last is a victory.
2. Jeremy was entertaining but he could not have played that session any worse.
3. Natalie smiled once.
4. The Mason Dixon guys would be wise to not get cocky.
5. I would finish near last in any challenge that required me to hold my hands over my head. It's been a major weakness of mine since childhood.
6. Do you think these contestants do much training for the show? Do they make some of these contestants wear ridiculous outfits that you would never wear on an island? I say it's very likely, kind of like Bachelor supposedly suggest that certain contestants wear costumes on opening night.
7. Kara could win.
8. I am not a robot.
Re: point #6.
I'm not sure what the timeframe is between finding out if you get on the show & the start of the show. However, Dan expressly said he gained 15 pounds before arriving, so I'd guess at least a month (and also good job Dan for planning well). There's definitely been other mentions of how contestants prep too, especially related to fire-making (and I think frond weaving was mentioned this season too).
I think 100% the contestants are told by the show what to wear. In early seasons I think they would trick the contestants by saying "We're all just going out for a photo shoot - jk, now you're on an island for 39 days & you're stuck with what you've got" but I think they've moved on in the show since then....
Dang! Dropping from 1st to 6th after 1 episode probably means he shouldn't have been 1st to begin with. DOW Jeremy.
I'm going Natalie for my DoW this week for her comment about how she takes constructive criticism well.
I don't think the additional negative point for our "Dreg Rule" has been applied to the two castaways voted out so far (Dreg outlasting someone that has been voted out). They should each get an additional (-1) for not outlasting the dreg.
I'm sure me bringing that up will bite me in the ass next.
Bi's knee is concerning. They will either never mention it again, or it will be a major theme for her. Hopefully not the later.
Angela was pretty impressive this week. What also was impressive was that the vote was unanimous to get Jeremy out. The producers must have worked some magic in picking the footage that we saw. I was definitely expecting it to be at least a little split.
You all are awesome. This pool is so much fun. Thanks everyone for great commentary and thanks Pickle for putting this all together. Terrific post this week.
Awesome list of Survivor DONT's.
I wonder if some of the DOs may be more theoretical than practicable. Can we practice our brains for the sort of puzzles we'll see on Survivor? Can we practice physical endurance, or is it more about accessing mental strength at challenging moments? I've wondered about body weight. Is it best to head in with an extra reserve of fat? Or get the body used to functioning on minimal calories?
Angelina is a strong player. She announced Jeremy's dismissal and the tribe followed, despite initial resistance from Natalia. Could she be too strong? Perhaps. I prefer "grassroots" players who quietly foster alliances before making their big plays.
The Greenberg team appears strong despite the loss of an appendage this week. I wouldn't worry about Carl. Crying to the cameras is fine if you're able to bottle that motivation into gameplay. I think Carl can.
I am going to miss Jeremy. It got to where I started smiling before he even finished what he was saying cause I knew it was going to be hilarious.
Assume Natalie is my DoW vote unless otherwise spoken.
Props to Doug for catching a scoring error but negative points for not remembering Angel(in)a's name. Spreadsheet is up to date!
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