Sorry for the delay (wow, I feel like that's how most of my blog posts have started this season), but it's tough to post while enjoying a wonderful vacation. Actually, I'm not really sorry about that. As Bag mentioned in the comments from my last post, Dachui did manage a come back win, although that's not why I haven't posted. Congrats to Richey & Danielle! Getting their first Survivor Pool win must be the cherry on top of what has already been a great year, what with the wedding & Italian honeymoon.
Final Standings:
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 142 points
1. Chase (53 pts)
2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)
3. Fabio (89 pts)
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 87 points
1. Brenda (32 pts)
2. Alina (28 pts)
3. Holly (27 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 75 points
1. Jane (28 pts)
2. Benry (34 pts)
3. Kelly (13 pts)
Team Klepto: Moon - 72 points
1. Jill (11 pts)
2. Dan (19 pts)
3. NaOnka (42 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 44 points
1. Marty (17 pts)
2. Purple Kelly (25 pts)
3. Yve (2 pts)
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 40 points
1. Sash (38 pts)
2. Tyrone (2 pts)
3. Jimmy T (0 pts)
The final score was actually a lot closer than it looks. If Fabio hadn't won the final immunity challenge, he certainly would have finished in 4th place. I believe that in a final 3 of Holly, Chase & Sash that Holly would have won. So let's say that Chase won the final challenge instead of Fabio - Dachui would still get that 6 points, but Fabio would have only gotten 10 points for making the jury. If Holly wins & gets the 45 points for 1st place, even if Chase still comes in 2nd, the final score would be Dachui 107 and Me 122. Pretty crazy!
Survivor: Redemption Island
Next season is season 22 - Redemption Island. They're going back to Nicaragua, and the premiere airs February 16, 2011. I'm still fuzzy on the details of how this will work, but essentially every time someone gets voted out they go into a one-on-one battle with someone else who got voted out. Whoever loses gets booted from the show permanently. I don't know if the person who wins gets to immediately re-join the other contestants, or has to stay in exile and keep battling others who show up. I'm guessing it's the former or else this wouldn't be too big of a twist.
So, if my guess is right, Survivor has basically just ripped off The Challenge (formerly known as the Real World/Road Rules Challenge). I'm pretty okay with this since I think The Challenge is a great show, but that it gets dragged down by the drunken shenanigans of the twentysomethings who all have serious emotional problems. There will probably be more of that than in a typical Survivor season, but without the booze I think it will make this season much better.
The other "surprise" is that they're bringing back Evil Russ & Boston Rob to be the captains of the different tribes. Since Evil Russ is the most entertaining player of all time and he and Rob despise each other, I think this will be awesome.
Future Rule Changes
As always, my mind turns to the future of the Survivor Pool, and what fun new twists (or minor adjustments) we can make to our own game. I've put a few of the suggestions below, but please feel free to comment with other suggestions too. If you don't write it down, I'm not going to remember it. So either write it here, remember it yourself, or hold your tongue when your brilliant idea didn't get added to the newfangled rules.
- Bonus points for having the player picked as fan favorite
- Not losing points for "mis-playing" the immunity idol at the last tribal council when you can. Possibly losing points if you don't?
- Definitely need a rule for their Battle Royale thing that's happening next season. Should the winner of the challenge earn points? Or should we just start making players lose points for getting completely voted off the show?
- Point deduction for owning a pony that quits. Possibly doing the same for Medevacs.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 13
Quick update on the scores, so everyone can be on the edge of their seats during the finale:
Black Snake Swim Coach - 77 points
Sanity Crushed - 75 points
Just Dan's Arms - 62 points
Blonde Bimbos - 55 points
Sad Cactus - 44 points
SuccoSash - 20 points
I'll have more thoughts & updates after Sunday's finale!
Black Snake Swim Coach - 77 points
Sanity Crushed - 75 points
Just Dan's Arms - 62 points
Blonde Bimbos - 55 points
Sad Cactus - 44 points
SuccoSash - 20 points
I'll have more thoughts & updates after Sunday's finale!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 12
Sorry for the delay on the blog post. I dedicate this post to my sister, who has been bugging me to write it. Without her, this post would just be an updated score. Instead, I actually put some effort into it!
The reason for my delay is that I'm unmotivated to post now that we've all agreed that this is one of the worst seasons in Survivor history. And hey, since we're on that topic, why don't we go ahead and rank them?
Power Rankings of Survivor Seasons:
20. Season 9 Vanuatu, winner: Chris Daugherty
19. Season 21 Nicaragua, winner: ??*
18. Season 5 Thailand, winner Brian Heidik
17. Season 12 Panama (Exile Island), winner Aras Baskauskas
16. Season 3 Africa, winner Ethan Zohn
15. Season 6 The Amazon, winner Jenna Morasca
14. Season 17 Gabon, winner Bob Crowley
13. Season 11Guatemala, winner Danni Boatwright
12. Season 8 All-Stars, winner Amber Brkich
11. Season 15 China, winner Todd Herzog
10. Season 10 Palau, winner Tom Westman
9. Season 18 Tocantins, winner JT Thomas
8. Season 2 Australian Outback, winner Tina Wesson
7. Season 19 Samoa, winner Natalie White
6. Season 7 Pearl Islands, winner Sandra Diaz-Twine
5. Season 13 Cook Islands, winner Yul Kwon
4. Season 16 Fans v. Favorites, winner Parvati Shallow
3. Season 14 Fiji, winner Earl Cole
2. Season 1 Borneo, winner Richard Hatch
1. Season 20 Heroes v. Villains, winner Sandra Diaz-Twine
*This season could move up depending on how the last few episodes go, but that seems pretty unlikely.
**Season 4: Marquesas doesn't make this list. It's the only season I didn't watch, so it'd be unfair to judge it against the others.
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 76 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (16 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 65 points
1. Jane (18 pts)
[2. Benry (34 pts)]
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Klepto: Moon - 62 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (9 pts)
[3. NaOnka (42 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 50 points
1. Chase (24 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 44 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
[2. Purple Kelly (25 pts)]
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 24 points
1. Sash (22 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
Power Rankings:
This pool could be one of the closest we've ever had, but it's hard to get excited about a close race when it's a race between dregs. If Survivor ever did an All Stars season again, they'd be hard-pressed to find someone from this season worthy enough to make it. Brenda maybe, or Jill? Although they'd contribute a lot to a Survivor: Quitters v. Clutzes season.***
1. Sanity Crushers - Everyone says that Jane will win if she makes it to the finals, so everyone wants to vote her out. But there's a definite Colby/Tina relationship developing between Jane & Chase, and I could definitely see him giving her the win in this situation. He's all heart, no greed. I don't think that the money is nearly as important to him as maintaining good relationships, and feeling good about vastly improving someone else's life.
2. Black Snake Widow - I'm so happy I ended up with Holly instead of Nay. The dreggiest of the dregs. In the end, Nay earned herself 42 points and 0 respect. Holly's guaranteed a minimum of 26 points, and the respect of at least this Survivor fan. She's actually a pretty good balance of under-the-radar, physical threat, caring about others, but still being crafty. She's the one who made the huge move to get rid of Brenda. I suspect she's the one who initiated the ousting of Benry. She'll be the one, if any, who gets Jane eliminated from the game. I think she's has a good chance to make the finals. Then we'll see if she has Amanda Kimmel syndrome, or if she can actually talk her way to $1,000,000.
3. Blond Bimbos - Dachui is still in this game. They're the only team left with 2 players, they have the best chance of winning immunities, and Chase has an immunity idol. There's the potential for a lot of ground to be made up by this team. If Fabio wins the next immunity challenge, he could definitely make the finals. But ultimately the question is, will Chase go for the win, or for the love?
4. Klepto - I think Dan's going to make it to the finals, alliances be damned. I mean really, who among the remaining players wouldn't take him? He's contributed nothing, his alliances never really stuck together, he's rich. He has no chance of winning. Sadly, a 2nd or 3rd place finish probably isn't enough for Moon to win the pool, though.
5. SuccoSash - Believe it or not, but Bag still has a chance of winning this pool. It would involve a) winning a couple reward/immunity challenges, b) successfully playing his immunity idol, c) winning the game, and d) either sweeping the votes, or having specific players going to the final 3 with him. If he can do that, this would be the biggest upset in Survivor Pool history!
6. No More Cactus - Is a purple cactus better than no cactus at all?
***Survivor "All-Stars": Quitters v. Clutzes
Team Quitter: Obviously this team's color would have to be yellow. This would definitely be the underdog team going into the season, even though they do have a former winner in their ranks!
- Sue Hawk (All Stars)
- Osten Taylor (Pearl Islands)
- Jenna Morasca (All Stars)
- Janu Tornell (Palau)
- Kathleen Sleckman (Fans v. Faves)
- Nay (Nicaragua)
- Purple Cactus (Nicaragua).
Team Clutz, aka, Team Medevac: The team that injured themselves out of a million dollars. Probably they'd have to be given red as their color, considering that the reasons they've been evacuated have included fire, fire ants, excessive bleeding, etc. Going into the season they'd be a person short, but given the track records, they probably don't even have to win a challenge to even things up. Michael FTW in this season.
- Michael Skupin (Australia)
- Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
- Gary Stritesky (Fiji)
- Joe Dowdle (Tocantins)
- Mike Borassi (Samoa)
- Russell Swan (Samoa)
p.s. I would definitely watch this season if it was ever made. The potential for hilarity, embarrassment, and yes, even redemption, would be huge!
The reason for my delay is that I'm unmotivated to post now that we've all agreed that this is one of the worst seasons in Survivor history. And hey, since we're on that topic, why don't we go ahead and rank them?
Power Rankings of Survivor Seasons:
20. Season 9 Vanuatu, winner: Chris Daugherty
19. Season 21 Nicaragua, winner: ??*
18. Season 5 Thailand, winner Brian Heidik
17. Season 12 Panama (Exile Island), winner Aras Baskauskas
16. Season 3 Africa, winner Ethan Zohn
15. Season 6 The Amazon, winner Jenna Morasca
14. Season 17 Gabon, winner Bob Crowley
13. Season 11Guatemala, winner Danni Boatwright
12. Season 8 All-Stars, winner Amber Brkich
11. Season 15 China, winner Todd Herzog
10. Season 10 Palau, winner Tom Westman
9. Season 18 Tocantins, winner JT Thomas
8. Season 2 Australian Outback, winner Tina Wesson
7. Season 19 Samoa, winner Natalie White
6. Season 7 Pearl Islands, winner Sandra Diaz-Twine
5. Season 13 Cook Islands, winner Yul Kwon
4. Season 16 Fans v. Favorites, winner Parvati Shallow
3. Season 14 Fiji, winner Earl Cole
2. Season 1 Borneo, winner Richard Hatch
1. Season 20 Heroes v. Villains, winner Sandra Diaz-Twine
*This season could move up depending on how the last few episodes go, but that seems pretty unlikely.
**Season 4: Marquesas doesn't make this list. It's the only season I didn't watch, so it'd be unfair to judge it against the others.
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 76 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (16 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 65 points
1. Jane (18 pts)
[2. Benry (34 pts)]
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Klepto: Moon - 62 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (9 pts)
[3. NaOnka (42 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 50 points
1. Chase (24 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 44 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
[2. Purple Kelly (25 pts)]
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 24 points
1. Sash (22 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
Power Rankings:
This pool could be one of the closest we've ever had, but it's hard to get excited about a close race when it's a race between dregs. If Survivor ever did an All Stars season again, they'd be hard-pressed to find someone from this season worthy enough to make it. Brenda maybe, or Jill? Although they'd contribute a lot to a Survivor: Quitters v. Clutzes season.***
1. Sanity Crushers - Everyone says that Jane will win if she makes it to the finals, so everyone wants to vote her out. But there's a definite Colby/Tina relationship developing between Jane & Chase, and I could definitely see him giving her the win in this situation. He's all heart, no greed. I don't think that the money is nearly as important to him as maintaining good relationships, and feeling good about vastly improving someone else's life.
2. Black Snake Widow - I'm so happy I ended up with Holly instead of Nay. The dreggiest of the dregs. In the end, Nay earned herself 42 points and 0 respect. Holly's guaranteed a minimum of 26 points, and the respect of at least this Survivor fan. She's actually a pretty good balance of under-the-radar, physical threat, caring about others, but still being crafty. She's the one who made the huge move to get rid of Brenda. I suspect she's the one who initiated the ousting of Benry. She'll be the one, if any, who gets Jane eliminated from the game. I think she's has a good chance to make the finals. Then we'll see if she has Amanda Kimmel syndrome, or if she can actually talk her way to $1,000,000.
3. Blond Bimbos - Dachui is still in this game. They're the only team left with 2 players, they have the best chance of winning immunities, and Chase has an immunity idol. There's the potential for a lot of ground to be made up by this team. If Fabio wins the next immunity challenge, he could definitely make the finals. But ultimately the question is, will Chase go for the win, or for the love?
4. Klepto - I think Dan's going to make it to the finals, alliances be damned. I mean really, who among the remaining players wouldn't take him? He's contributed nothing, his alliances never really stuck together, he's rich. He has no chance of winning. Sadly, a 2nd or 3rd place finish probably isn't enough for Moon to win the pool, though.
5. SuccoSash - Believe it or not, but Bag still has a chance of winning this pool. It would involve a) winning a couple reward/immunity challenges, b) successfully playing his immunity idol, c) winning the game, and d) either sweeping the votes, or having specific players going to the final 3 with him. If he can do that, this would be the biggest upset in Survivor Pool history!
6. No More Cactus - Is a purple cactus better than no cactus at all?
***Survivor "All-Stars": Quitters v. Clutzes
Team Quitter: Obviously this team's color would have to be yellow. This would definitely be the underdog team going into the season, even though they do have a former winner in their ranks!
- Sue Hawk (All Stars)
- Osten Taylor (Pearl Islands)
- Jenna Morasca (All Stars)
- Janu Tornell (Palau)
- Kathleen Sleckman (Fans v. Faves)
- Nay (Nicaragua)
- Purple Cactus (Nicaragua).
Team Clutz, aka, Team Medevac: The team that injured themselves out of a million dollars. Probably they'd have to be given red as their color, considering that the reasons they've been evacuated have included fire, fire ants, excessive bleeding, etc. Going into the season they'd be a person short, but given the track records, they probably don't even have to win a challenge to even things up. Michael FTW in this season.
- Michael Skupin (Australia)
- Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
- Gary Stritesky (Fiji)
- Joe Dowdle (Tocantins)
- Mike Borassi (Samoa)
- Russell Swan (Samoa)
p.s. I would definitely watch this season if it was ever made. The potential for hilarity, embarrassment, and yes, even redemption, would be huge!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 11
I'm disappointed, but not overly surprised, by this episode. The whole season I felt like was a question about Nay's character. Was she a psycho bitch like she seemed, or was she actually a crazy mastermind who was making it work for her? I'd hoped she was the latter, but it turns out she was just a psycho bitch. Purple Cactus just did what she had to. Cacti don't like to have lots of rain - it's bad for them. The Cactus needed to get out or it would've drowned.
Honestly though, these two were obviously mentally weak. They both felt like they weren't in the majority &a had their backs up against the wall, and decided to quit. If they had felt like they were still in a safe position there's no way they would've quit like that. That sucks, and I have no respect for either of them, but considering who it was, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
I'm also disappointed by Jeff Probst. Usually in these sorts of situations he gives people a harder time. I hope he rips on them hardcore at the reunion show, because they don't deserve the sort of easy exit he gave them.
Top Ten Better Things Jeff Could’ve Done with Nay & Cactus’ Torches:
10. Snap them in half and throw them on the fire
9. Make them extinguish their own flames
8. Steal their torches, bury them in the woods, and then plead ignorance
7. Whack them over the heads with them
6. Extinguish them in a muddy puddle
5. Leave the Cactus’ torch with the tribe. Its presence will go unnoticed
4. Give them back to the tribe to use as firewood
3. Make them use their torches to joust – whoever wins gets to leave, the other has to spend another night out in the rain
2. Make it a race - whichever jury members grab them first get to rejoin the game
1. Use the torches as bars to lock Nay & Cactus out of Ponderosa. Quitters don’t deserve to stay. Let them find their own way home.
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 75 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (15 pts)
Team Klepto: Moon - 62 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (9 pts)
[3. NaOnka (42 pts)]
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 54 points
1. Jane (17 pts)
2. Benry (24 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 46 points
1. Chase (20 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 44 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
[2. Purple Kelly (25 pts)]
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (16 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
Power Rankings:
1. Sanity Crushers - Definitely the strongest team right now. Not only do the Sanity Crushers still have 2 players left in the game, but they're both doing well! They're laying pretty low, keeping an open mind to all their options, and I think one or maybe even both of them will make it to the finals.
2. Bimbos - I still don't think that Chase or Fabio can win, but there's definitely a chance that these two could win some immunity challenges. Plus, there's a big point bonus if Chase plays his gifted Immunity Idol at the right time. Although, knowing him, he'll probably panic & misplay it. But if all goes well, there's a chance they could both make the finals and pull it together at the end to eke out a win.
3. Black Snake Widow - Holly really stepped it up these past few episodes. It's nice to see her really come into her own, but at the same time that makes her an easy target. It seems like she's being too obvious in her attempts to make nice with everyone. I don't think she'll last much longer. Hopefully she'll win an immunity challenge to save her butt!
4. Klepto - Dan. That's all Moon has left. A 'roided up sextagenarian with two bum knees and no game plan whatsoever. He's not a threat, so he could go far, but he's not going to win many points in the meantime & I don't think Moon can get enough points together to compete for the title of Survivor Pool Champion.
5. SuccoSash - How did Sash somehow work his way back into a position of power? It looks like he'll get to choose the alliance of his choice, and he still has an immunity idol, so there's still a chance he could make the finals. Even if he won though, I don't think Bag will get enough points to win the pool.
6. Cactus - Our first elimination! Doug & Bri's team seemed good on paper, but as the season progressed they just couldn't get any momentum going. This was a tough season for them. Now they'll have to shift their focus & trash talking over to Top Chef: All Stars.
Honestly though, these two were obviously mentally weak. They both felt like they weren't in the majority &a had their backs up against the wall, and decided to quit. If they had felt like they were still in a safe position there's no way they would've quit like that. That sucks, and I have no respect for either of them, but considering who it was, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
I'm also disappointed by Jeff Probst. Usually in these sorts of situations he gives people a harder time. I hope he rips on them hardcore at the reunion show, because they don't deserve the sort of easy exit he gave them.
Top Ten Better Things Jeff Could’ve Done with Nay & Cactus’ Torches:
10. Snap them in half and throw them on the fire
9. Make them extinguish their own flames
8. Steal their torches, bury them in the woods, and then plead ignorance
7. Whack them over the heads with them
6. Extinguish them in a muddy puddle
5. Leave the Cactus’ torch with the tribe. Its presence will go unnoticed
4. Give them back to the tribe to use as firewood
3. Make them use their torches to joust – whoever wins gets to leave, the other has to spend another night out in the rain
2. Make it a race - whichever jury members grab them first get to rejoin the game
1. Use the torches as bars to lock Nay & Cactus out of Ponderosa. Quitters don’t deserve to stay. Let them find their own way home.
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 75 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (15 pts)
Team Klepto: Moon - 62 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (9 pts)
[3. NaOnka (42 pts)]
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 54 points
1. Jane (17 pts)
2. Benry (24 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 46 points
1. Chase (20 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 44 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
[2. Purple Kelly (25 pts)]
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (16 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
Power Rankings:
1. Sanity Crushers - Definitely the strongest team right now. Not only do the Sanity Crushers still have 2 players left in the game, but they're both doing well! They're laying pretty low, keeping an open mind to all their options, and I think one or maybe even both of them will make it to the finals.
2. Bimbos - I still don't think that Chase or Fabio can win, but there's definitely a chance that these two could win some immunity challenges. Plus, there's a big point bonus if Chase plays his gifted Immunity Idol at the right time. Although, knowing him, he'll probably panic & misplay it. But if all goes well, there's a chance they could both make the finals and pull it together at the end to eke out a win.
3. Black Snake Widow - Holly really stepped it up these past few episodes. It's nice to see her really come into her own, but at the same time that makes her an easy target. It seems like she's being too obvious in her attempts to make nice with everyone. I don't think she'll last much longer. Hopefully she'll win an immunity challenge to save her butt!
4. Klepto - Dan. That's all Moon has left. A 'roided up sextagenarian with two bum knees and no game plan whatsoever. He's not a threat, so he could go far, but he's not going to win many points in the meantime & I don't think Moon can get enough points together to compete for the title of Survivor Pool Champion.
5. SuccoSash - How did Sash somehow work his way back into a position of power? It looks like he'll get to choose the alliance of his choice, and he still has an immunity idol, so there's still a chance he could make the finals. Even if he won though, I don't think Bag will get enough points to win the pool.
6. Cactus - Our first elimination! Doug & Bri's team seemed good on paper, but as the season progressed they just couldn't get any momentum going. This was a tough season for them. Now they'll have to shift their focus & trash talking over to Top Chef: All Stars.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 10
Great episode! I was really happy with how everything played out, and suddenly have a new appreciation for the players who are left on the show. Individually, yes, they are dumb. But as a group they are actually quite clever. It's like a successful version of groupthink, which I don't think I've ever really seen before.
I'm sad that my powerhouse is gone, but I'm happy because I think the game will get a lot more interesting. And while I'm worried that Holly stuck her nose out and may now get a target on her back, somehow Benry is taking most of the blame.
I don't have a lot of time to write this, but I wanted to say one last thing: go Jane!!!
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 73 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (13 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 52 points
1. Jane (17 pts)
2. Benry (22 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Klepto: Moon - 48 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (7 pts)
3. NaOnka (30 pts)
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 44 points
1. Chase (18 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 34 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
2. Purple Kelly (15 pts)
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (16 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
I'm sad that my powerhouse is gone, but I'm happy because I think the game will get a lot more interesting. And while I'm worried that Holly stuck her nose out and may now get a target on her back, somehow Benry is taking most of the blame.
I don't have a lot of time to write this, but I wanted to say one last thing: go Jane!!!
Standings:
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 73 points
[1. Brenda (32 pts)]
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (13 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 52 points
1. Jane (17 pts)
2. Benry (22 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Klepto: Moon - 48 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (7 pts)
3. NaOnka (30 pts)
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 44 points
1. Chase (18 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (26 pts)
Team Cactus: Doug/Bri - 34 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
2. Purple Kelly (15 pts)
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (16 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Survivor Nicaragua: Episode 9
Wednesday is a big TV night at Chateau Wolf - we have 4 or 5 shows that all come on that night, and we marathon our way through all of them. Last night's agenda looked like this: WSOP Main Event Final Table, Survivor, America's Next Top Model, and Top Chef: Just Desserts. (We also watched TUF, but I fell asleep in the middle of it, so it doesn't count. We also usually watch Modern Family, but it wasn't on for some reason.) Last night's marathon was full of excitement, suspense, and big moves- in all of the shows except Survivor. There were a lot of opportunities for all of these things, but the contestants passed them by.
Instead, what we saw was a continuation of the Brenda Dominance. Two alliances lined up, and then Brenda picked the one she liked better. To me it was cool guys v. misfits. It was fun to see the misfits win, but it was also predictable and dull.
Standings:*
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 63 points
1. Brenda (22 pts)
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (13 pts)
Team Klepto: Moon - 46 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (7 pts)
3. NaOnka (28 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 42 points
1. Jane (9 pts)
2. Benry (20 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 42 points
1. Chase (18 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (24 pts)
Team Pinky & the Brain: Doug/Bri - 32 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
2. Purple Kelly (13 pts)
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (14 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
*Determining what points should count for what was difficult this week. After consultation with the good Doctor, we determined that Chase would not be penalized for sitting out the challenge, since a) it wasn't his choice, and b) he did sort of participate anyways. We also determined that the men (minus Chase) would receive "team reward" points instead of "individual reward" points (2 points v. 4) because they really were a team. The scoring of these sorts of challenges always becomes a gray area post-merge. I'm happy to talk about this with anyone who disagrees with the scoring & would love to hear suggestions for how to improve this in the future!
Power Rankings:
1. Black Snake Widow - This episode only helped my team. I got 6 points from Brenda, who is a strong competitor in every challenge. She chose to side with the alliance that Holly is in, so they're probably going to go deep. In a normal season I'd be worried that Brenda & Sash's attitude this past episode would make them targets, but they just eliminated the only other person in the game with more than 10 brain cells so I think they're safe.
2. Klepto - If I were on the jury this season and NaOnka made the final 3 this would be my question/comment at final tribal: "Nay, I'm willing to give you my vote, but only if you promise to go to a psychiatrist if you win. Can you promise me that?" And I would. This is the most unorthodox style I've ever seen and it's impressing me. And I get the feeling it might impress others too.
3. Sanity Crushers - I think the Sanity Crushers and Blonde Bimbos are neck and neck. Both teams have a player in each alliance. I'm putting the Crushers above the Bimbos because I think Chase would sacrifice himself to get Jane further in the game. Jane's on shaky ground already, but hopefully with Marty gone she'll start flying under the radar again.
4. Blonde Bimbos - One bonus of having players in different alliances is that if a coup happens, there's a good chance that Fabio (or Benry) could actually win the entire thing... I'm taking a moment right now to enjoy this possibility. Chase got air time for the first time in a while, but all it revealed was that he's Brenda's whipping boy. Overall it seems like the Bimbos are living up to their name - they seem to make bad decision after bad decision, and it's going to bite them in the end.
5. SuccoSash - Doug asked me if I thought Brenda & Sash would stick together until the end. I think Brenda is definitely capable of betraying Sash, but I don't think Sash works that way. If he does betray her I would be thrilled. It would make for a really interesting twist in what is currently a predictable game. And if Sash went on to win, and Bag did too, it would be the greatest come-back ever. None of this is going to happen of course, but a girl can dream.
6. Pinky& the Brain - Losing Marty was the death knell for Doug & Bri. Now all they have left is Worse-Than-A-Cactus. Sure she's in a good alliance, but she obviously won't win. Although, Purple Kelly does have value as being so useless that she'd be great to take to the final three. If I were Brenda, I'd try to plan it so that the final 4 contestants were me, Dan, Holly, and Purple Kelly. Then I'd be up against the three weakest competitors in the final immunity challenge and have a cake-walk at final tribal council.
Instead, what we saw was a continuation of the Brenda Dominance. Two alliances lined up, and then Brenda picked the one she liked better. To me it was cool guys v. misfits. It was fun to see the misfits win, but it was also predictable and dull.
Standings:*
Team Black Snake Widow: Me - 63 points
1. Brenda (22 pts)
[2. Alina (28 pts)]
3. Holly (13 pts)
Team Klepto: Moon - 46 points
[1. Jill (11 pts)]
2. Dan (7 pts)
3. NaOnka (28 pts)
Team Sanity Crushers: Courtney - 42 points
1. Jane (9 pts)
2. Benry (20 pts)
[3. Kelly (13 pts)]
Team Blonde Bimbos: Dachui - 42 points
1. Chase (18 pts)
[2. Jimmy J. (0 pts)]
3. Fabio (24 pts)
Team Pinky & the Brain: Doug/Bri - 32 points
[1. Marty (17 pts)]
2. Purple Kelly (13 pts)
[3. Yve (2 pts)]
Team SuccoSash: Baggins - 18 points
1. Sash (14 pts)
[2. Tyrone (2 pts)]
[3. Jimmy T (0 pts)]
*Determining what points should count for what was difficult this week. After consultation with the good Doctor, we determined that Chase would not be penalized for sitting out the challenge, since a) it wasn't his choice, and b) he did sort of participate anyways. We also determined that the men (minus Chase) would receive "team reward" points instead of "individual reward" points (2 points v. 4) because they really were a team. The scoring of these sorts of challenges always becomes a gray area post-merge. I'm happy to talk about this with anyone who disagrees with the scoring & would love to hear suggestions for how to improve this in the future!
Power Rankings:
1. Black Snake Widow - This episode only helped my team. I got 6 points from Brenda, who is a strong competitor in every challenge. She chose to side with the alliance that Holly is in, so they're probably going to go deep. In a normal season I'd be worried that Brenda & Sash's attitude this past episode would make them targets, but they just eliminated the only other person in the game with more than 10 brain cells so I think they're safe.
2. Klepto - If I were on the jury this season and NaOnka made the final 3 this would be my question/comment at final tribal: "Nay, I'm willing to give you my vote, but only if you promise to go to a psychiatrist if you win. Can you promise me that?" And I would. This is the most unorthodox style I've ever seen and it's impressing me. And I get the feeling it might impress others too.
3. Sanity Crushers - I think the Sanity Crushers and Blonde Bimbos are neck and neck. Both teams have a player in each alliance. I'm putting the Crushers above the Bimbos because I think Chase would sacrifice himself to get Jane further in the game. Jane's on shaky ground already, but hopefully with Marty gone she'll start flying under the radar again.
4. Blonde Bimbos - One bonus of having players in different alliances is that if a coup happens, there's a good chance that Fabio (or Benry) could actually win the entire thing... I'm taking a moment right now to enjoy this possibility. Chase got air time for the first time in a while, but all it revealed was that he's Brenda's whipping boy. Overall it seems like the Bimbos are living up to their name - they seem to make bad decision after bad decision, and it's going to bite them in the end.
5. SuccoSash - Doug asked me if I thought Brenda & Sash would stick together until the end. I think Brenda is definitely capable of betraying Sash, but I don't think Sash works that way. If he does betray her I would be thrilled. It would make for a really interesting twist in what is currently a predictable game. And if Sash went on to win, and Bag did too, it would be the greatest come-back ever. None of this is going to happen of course, but a girl can dream.
6. Pinky
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!
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!
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