My favorite part of this episode was that Probst was willing to put in the time to really try and understand the mystery that is Phillip. The fight itself was so bizarre I couldn't understand what was happening at first. Afterwards I was happy to write it off as another aspect of Phil's lunacy. But Probst isn't content with pigeonholing a player. He's going to work at them to really try and figure out what makes them tick. I felt like I learned something about Phillip from this last episode, and I think that a lot of the other castaways did too. Thank you Probst!
I was sad to see Craggy Julie get sent to Redemption Island, but am thrilled that she doesn't have to go back to camp and return Phillip's swim trunks! It was great to see Phillip's secret agent eye totally miss the ball on who took them too. I think that question mark after his profession should get a little bigger in the next episode. The real question is, though, will the rest of the tribe chip in new clothes to hide the saggy-bottomed panties? Or will Phillip wear his fuscia bloomers proudly, the way a 1/32nd part-Cherokee should?
The Standings
Team #Winning!: Moon - 72 pts
1. Boston Rob (36 pts)
[2. David (23 pts)]
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 70 pts
1. Grant (26 pts)
2. Rooster (18 pts)
3. Andrea (26 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 64 pts
1. Phillip (18 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (26 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 41 pts
1. Mike (16 pts)
2. Matt (10 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
[2. Sarita (11 pts)]
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 23 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (13 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Doug/Bri's team seems to be fading into the background. Are they giving up? Do any of them have an end game? Against my better judgment I'm still ranking them as first since they're the team most able to earn points in bulk. I don't see any of them making it to the top three, but if they take most of the challenges while they're still around that might not matter. And who knows? Maybe Grant & Andrea have a few tricks up their torn-away sleeves. Quantity over quality in this case.
2. Saggy Bottom Panties - My entire team didn't make it to the 2nd round of the elimination challenge, whihc was quite embarrassing. On the plus side, I still have my entire team in the game to embarrass me, which is pretty impressive. Ashley said that she would rather die than keep Phillip in the game. So we may be looking at a murder-suicide coming up soon down here in Saggy Bottom Pantyland, but even so I can still count on getting Jury points.
3. Team #Winning! - We're entering what is probably Rob's most dangerous time in the game, and he's Moon's only remaining player. Once Ometepe starts turning against itself, the elimination target should turn back on him. It's his game to lose though. Moon earned major points this week through David getting jury points and Rob's win, but I think that points will start coming fewer and farther between for team #Winning!
4. Team Fabioesque - Unfortunately, Team Fabioesque remains sequestered on Redemption Island. But they're earning points twice as quickly as they used to! Slow and steady probably won't win this race, but I'm really enjoying the R.I. twist of this season. Watching Matt struggle through an emotional breakdown while having his faith rocked stands in stark contrast to the manipulation and backstabbing back at camp. The two storylines playing out in conjunction with each other is beautiful to watch.
5. Evil Crushell - Uh oh. Courtney may beat Bag in the "first to get eliminated" race! Although she'll likely end up with more points overall. I'll miss Julie in the game, and I'm definitely rooting for her on R.I. She played smart and she played with heart, and I hope that whatever the next challenge is will play to these strengths.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Gotta give props to Steve after this last episode. The poor guy took the full brunt of Phillip at his best, and then handled himself in as gentlemanly a manner as one could hope. Hopefully he keeps eating tons of rice; he's so skinny it's painful to watch him!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Redemption Island: Episode 9
In a competition where people are going hungry every single day and are desperate for food, I thought it was both scary and wrong that Boston Rob prevented his alliance from getting some much-needed protein. Does the rest of Ometepe even realize what's going on? I feel like they've gotten so used to taking orders from him that they aren't even aware of how bad things are. Do any of them have a game plan after they've eliminated the rest of the Purple tribe? I know that Rob does - and what a great plan it is! - but everyone else should know at this point that they can't beat Rob in the finals. Maybe they've gotten so used to Rob making all the moves that they've forgotten that they need to do the same.
The Buddy System is the epitome of Rob's genius. He claims they put it in place so that Purple players can't corner an Ometepe player to try and persuade them to leave. However, it also prevents any Ometepe player from approaching Purple players too... unless I guess their buddy went along with them.
Next week's Redemption Island challenge will be interesting. I wonder how this will work out? I imagine that the winner of this challenge will rejoin the game, and the losers will end up on the jury. There's 9 players still at camp and 3 on RI so the math makes sense that there will be 3 players at the Final Tribal Council, and 9 jury members. Anyone want to make bets on who wins the next RI challenge?
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 70 pts
1. Grant (26 pts)
2. Rooster (18 pts)
3. Andrea (26 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 64 pts
1. Phillip (18 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (26 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 39 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (9 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
[2. Sarita (11 pts)]
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 23 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (13 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - I told Cockydoodlebug that they'd need to step up if they wanted to hold on to their #1 ranking, and step up they did! They swept the challenges, and look well-equipped to keep doing so. They need to be prepared to make moves, though, because Rob clearly has no intention of taking them to the end. I think they have enough brains between them to pull something off, but the question is do they have the guts to do it?
2. Saggy Bottom Panties - Boston Rob is running a tight ship, which is working out great for me! My tribe is surprisingly good at challenges - I had 2 of the 3 finalists in the monkey-bars challenge, and it bummed me out that one of them didn't take it home. Rob also said that he wants Natalie and Phillip in the finals with him. If everything goes according to plan - I'm keeping my fingers crossed - that means that I would win more points from a 2nd & 3rd place finish (50 points) than Moon would get for 1st, unless he swept (45 pts + 15 for sweep).
3. Team #Winning! - I think it's unlikely that Dave will survive a Matt v. Mike v. Dave showdown. He tries really hard but those guys are beasts, and he's proven that his bark is bigger than his bite when it comes to puzzles. Which means that Moon could be down to "just" Boston Robb, the odds-on fave to win. The reason Moon dropped in the rankings is because he doesn't have a significant enough lead to win the pool with just a 1st place I don't think. Also, because Rob seems to be losing it a litle bit. Before I admired him because he was completely controlling the game, but keeping it laid-back enough that people didn't really notice. Now he's bossing people around, panicking over idols, overreacting to little conversations, etc. If he gets much worse he may have an uprising on his hands.
4. Team Fabioesque - Eek! Fabioesque is in serious danger here, with 100% of their remaining players on The Island. If they're lucky they'll only have 1 player eliminated, and that player will earn some jury points. If they're unlucky they could end up out of the game faster than Sir Baggins.
5. Evil Crushell - I think that Julie could end up being the last Purple player left, which under normal circumstances can be a powerful position. I'm not sure if it's going to work the same this seasion though, so it might not matter at all. I appreciate Craggy Julie even more after this episode though - she had so much sympathy for poor foolish Matt, and I'm happy at least one person was more outraged than awed by the play.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Bag actually got suckier this week as Steve & Phillip lost points for sitting out a challenge. I'd say that Bag has a chance at the worst score ever, but I think Steve is guaranteed jury points right now, so I'll get to keep that crown.
The Buddy System is the epitome of Rob's genius. He claims they put it in place so that Purple players can't corner an Ometepe player to try and persuade them to leave. However, it also prevents any Ometepe player from approaching Purple players too... unless I guess their buddy went along with them.
Next week's Redemption Island challenge will be interesting. I wonder how this will work out? I imagine that the winner of this challenge will rejoin the game, and the losers will end up on the jury. There's 9 players still at camp and 3 on RI so the math makes sense that there will be 3 players at the Final Tribal Council, and 9 jury members. Anyone want to make bets on who wins the next RI challenge?
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 70 pts
1. Grant (26 pts)
2. Rooster (18 pts)
3. Andrea (26 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 64 pts
1. Phillip (18 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (26 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 39 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (9 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
[2. Sarita (11 pts)]
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 23 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (13 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - I told Cockydoodlebug that they'd need to step up if they wanted to hold on to their #1 ranking, and step up they did! They swept the challenges, and look well-equipped to keep doing so. They need to be prepared to make moves, though, because Rob clearly has no intention of taking them to the end. I think they have enough brains between them to pull something off, but the question is do they have the guts to do it?
2. Saggy Bottom Panties - Boston Rob is running a tight ship, which is working out great for me! My tribe is surprisingly good at challenges - I had 2 of the 3 finalists in the monkey-bars challenge, and it bummed me out that one of them didn't take it home. Rob also said that he wants Natalie and Phillip in the finals with him. If everything goes according to plan - I'm keeping my fingers crossed - that means that I would win more points from a 2nd & 3rd place finish (50 points) than Moon would get for 1st, unless he swept (45 pts + 15 for sweep).
3. Team #Winning! - I think it's unlikely that Dave will survive a Matt v. Mike v. Dave showdown. He tries really hard but those guys are beasts, and he's proven that his bark is bigger than his bite when it comes to puzzles. Which means that Moon could be down to "just" Boston Robb, the odds-on fave to win. The reason Moon dropped in the rankings is because he doesn't have a significant enough lead to win the pool with just a 1st place I don't think. Also, because Rob seems to be losing it a litle bit. Before I admired him because he was completely controlling the game, but keeping it laid-back enough that people didn't really notice. Now he's bossing people around, panicking over idols, overreacting to little conversations, etc. If he gets much worse he may have an uprising on his hands.
4. Team Fabioesque - Eek! Fabioesque is in serious danger here, with 100% of their remaining players on The Island. If they're lucky they'll only have 1 player eliminated, and that player will earn some jury points. If they're unlucky they could end up out of the game faster than Sir Baggins.
5. Evil Crushell - I think that Julie could end up being the last Purple player left, which under normal circumstances can be a powerful position. I'm not sure if it's going to work the same this seasion though, so it might not matter at all. I appreciate Craggy Julie even more after this episode though - she had so much sympathy for poor foolish Matt, and I'm happy at least one person was more outraged than awed by the play.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Bag actually got suckier this week as Steve & Phillip lost points for sitting out a challenge. I'd say that Bag has a chance at the worst score ever, but I think Steve is guaranteed jury points right now, so I'll get to keep that crown.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Redemption Island: Episode 8
Loved this episode - it had everything a good storyline needs: romance, betrayal, crafty players, comedic relief, the ever-so-enjoyable blindside, and the underdog victory. In my ranking of reality shows I watched last week, this one definitely ranks #1, although it's closely followed by a dramatic America's Next Top Model episode. Third place goes to Top Shot, then Top Chef's reunion show (based almost solely on the "Marcel is an @$$hole" song), and finally Amazing Race.
Before going any further, I want to explain how I scored the episode. This was one of the weirder moments, because there was an "idol misplay" at tribal council, but this was more of a group decision than any we've seen before. In the end we decided to deduct 5 points from Rooster, since he was the man who literally handed the idol in. Yes, it was for Mike, but technically he didn't play it, so we're not going to penalize him.
...and now, back to analysis!
Obviously there's a lot that happened during this last episode, but the real heart of the episode comes down to Matt and the dumb decisions he made. I said in my last post that I thought he was in a great position to make moves and thrive in the game. I guess I should have added "provided he's not a total idiot." What it really comes down to is that Matt was so focused on whether or not he would forgive his team that he forgot that there's the whole game of Survivor going on at the same time. I think it's wonderful that he was able to forgive his tribe, but that doesn't excuse the idiocy that followed.
I hate that he used religion as an excuse to be lazy. He believed that God meant for him to return from Redemption Island. But did he think that God was going to protect him once he got back and that he wouldn't have to do anything? It's not like in the everyday world if you believe in God you just get to sit back & relax while the atheists bring you food & shelter. As a Bible reader he should remember Matthew 25:14-30 and recognize that he was being the lazy servant. Or, as Ben more eloquently put it: "we'd be f**ked if Noah had that same attitude." He also seemed to think that Boston Rob was a priest, otherwise I can't understand why he would confess all his sins to him.
The Standings
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 66 pts
1. Phillip (20 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (26 pts)
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 58 pts
1. Grant (20 pts)
2. Rooster (18 pts)
3. Andrea (20 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 39 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (9 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
[2. Sarita (11 pts)]
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Doug & Bri get to keep their top spot... for now. They're in danger being dethroned though, depending on what happens next week. This last episode probably hurt this team more than any other. They lost the idol, Rooster can now be identified as a threat, Andrea got thrown under the bus, Grant was almost voted out of the game. Not a great run of luck here. Still, it's a crafty team and I think they can get their momentum back, but it'll take some work.
2. Team #Winning! - Boston Rob continues to be a master craftsman, but it's not that hard when your competition is so weak. It's like watching a pro hockey player duke it out against the 8 year-olds who play during intermissions. It may come down to a Dave/Rob showdown, Brainy v. Crafty. If so, I will enjoy watching this team on team violence.
3. Saggy Bottom Panties - Suddenly there's a dark horse joining this "2-pony race"!! If anyone saw that coming you are a wiser man/woman than me, I can tell you that. I didn't think my players would win ANY immunity challenges, so nabbing the first one was a wonderful treat! And considering that I still have all 3 players in, if they all make the jury I could actually be a threat in this game.
4. Team Fabioesque - Well... what can I say? Matt's stuck back earning is 1-point a week rent. Except that next week he probably won't even earn that since it's just him on the Island. Sad sad sad. I like that Mike's trying to make plays, and I think he'll do well in future challenges, but they need more production from their ghost if they're going to have a chance.
5. Evil Crushell - Courtney's down to the lone Julie, but at least she's flying under the radar for now. It's going to take a lot though to get Courtney back in this game. She needs Julie to find & succefully play an idol and win the whole show (if not more) to have a chance in the Pool. Keep your fingers crossed for Grant switching sides!
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Bag's team still sucks. Sorry Bag.
Before going any further, I want to explain how I scored the episode. This was one of the weirder moments, because there was an "idol misplay" at tribal council, but this was more of a group decision than any we've seen before. In the end we decided to deduct 5 points from Rooster, since he was the man who literally handed the idol in. Yes, it was for Mike, but technically he didn't play it, so we're not going to penalize him.
...and now, back to analysis!
Obviously there's a lot that happened during this last episode, but the real heart of the episode comes down to Matt and the dumb decisions he made. I said in my last post that I thought he was in a great position to make moves and thrive in the game. I guess I should have added "provided he's not a total idiot." What it really comes down to is that Matt was so focused on whether or not he would forgive his team that he forgot that there's the whole game of Survivor going on at the same time. I think it's wonderful that he was able to forgive his tribe, but that doesn't excuse the idiocy that followed.
I hate that he used religion as an excuse to be lazy. He believed that God meant for him to return from Redemption Island. But did he think that God was going to protect him once he got back and that he wouldn't have to do anything? It's not like in the everyday world if you believe in God you just get to sit back & relax while the atheists bring you food & shelter. As a Bible reader he should remember Matthew 25:14-30 and recognize that he was being the lazy servant. Or, as Ben more eloquently put it: "we'd be f**ked if Noah had that same attitude." He also seemed to think that Boston Rob was a priest, otherwise I can't understand why he would confess all his sins to him.
The Standings
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 66 pts
1. Phillip (20 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (26 pts)
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 58 pts
1. Grant (20 pts)
2. Rooster (18 pts)
3. Andrea (20 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 39 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (9 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
[2. Sarita (11 pts)]
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Doug & Bri get to keep their top spot... for now. They're in danger being dethroned though, depending on what happens next week. This last episode probably hurt this team more than any other. They lost the idol, Rooster can now be identified as a threat, Andrea got thrown under the bus, Grant was almost voted out of the game. Not a great run of luck here. Still, it's a crafty team and I think they can get their momentum back, but it'll take some work.
2. Team #Winning! - Boston Rob continues to be a master craftsman, but it's not that hard when your competition is so weak. It's like watching a pro hockey player duke it out against the 8 year-olds who play during intermissions. It may come down to a Dave/Rob showdown, Brainy v. Crafty. If so, I will enjoy watching this team on team violence.
3. Saggy Bottom Panties - Suddenly there's a dark horse joining this "2-pony race"!! If anyone saw that coming you are a wiser man/woman than me, I can tell you that. I didn't think my players would win ANY immunity challenges, so nabbing the first one was a wonderful treat! And considering that I still have all 3 players in, if they all make the jury I could actually be a threat in this game.
4. Team Fabioesque - Well... what can I say? Matt's stuck back earning is 1-point a week rent. Except that next week he probably won't even earn that since it's just him on the Island. Sad sad sad. I like that Mike's trying to make plays, and I think he'll do well in future challenges, but they need more production from their ghost if they're going to have a chance.
5. Evil Crushell - Courtney's down to the lone Julie, but at least she's flying under the radar for now. It's going to take a lot though to get Courtney back in this game. She needs Julie to find & succefully play an idol and win the whole show (if not more) to have a chance in the Pool. Keep your fingers crossed for Grant switching sides!
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Bag's team still sucks. Sorry Bag.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Conference on World Affairs
I just wanted to write a quick post to encourage all you Boulderites to attend some Conference on World Affairs sessions this week. I love the CWA & believe that it is my most intellectually stimulating week each year. It’s wonderful exercise for the brain, and the panelists who speak at the various sessions are interesting speakers and have impressive resumes.
Moon & Bag, I am specifically calling you out since I know your schedules have more flexibility than most.
You can see the schedule of sessions here: http://www.colorado.edu/cwa. I’ve already attended a few sessions, but for the rest of the week I have the sessions listed below penned in. If you’d like to attend any of these I’d love the company!
Growing Up in the Dark: Alternative Energy Technologies
9:30-10:50 on Thursday April 7, 2011
ATLAS Black Box
Climate Change: Past the Point of No Return
3:30-4:50 on Thursday April 7, 2011
UMC East Ballroom
Building a Sustainable Green Economy
9:00-10:20 on Friday April 8, 2011
Eaton Humanties 150
Moon & Bag, I am specifically calling you out since I know your schedules have more flexibility than most.
You can see the schedule of sessions here: http://www.colorado.edu/cwa. I’ve already attended a few sessions, but for the rest of the week I have the sessions listed below penned in. If you’d like to attend any of these I’d love the company!
Growing Up in the Dark: Alternative Energy Technologies
9:30-10:50 on Thursday April 7, 2011
ATLAS Black Box
Climate Change: Past the Point of No Return
3:30-4:50 on Thursday April 7, 2011
UMC East Ballroom
Building a Sustainable Green Economy
9:00-10:20 on Friday April 8, 2011
Eaton Humanties 150
Friday, April 1, 2011
Redemption Island: Episode 7
Guess who's in 2nd place now bitches? That's right, the soggy Saggy Bottom Panties came through big time! Actually I was pretty amazed that Phillip knocked that last brick wall down largely by himself. He's either stronger than I thought, or just so nuts that he doesn't realize that he broke bones attempting it. Maybe he hit his head hard enough in the attempt that he got some sense knocked back in!
Interesting choice by the Purple tribe to eliminate Sarita, and I wonder if we'll have a bunch of Talking Heads saying that it was a terrible idea now that they're going into a merge. I think that they made the wrong decision - they made their "loyalty" bed with their last decision, and they should have laid in it no matter how prickly it felt. Instead they panicked & flipped back to the "strength" bed at exactly the wrong time.
No matter who wins the pre-merge duel I'm really excited to see the dynamic that will ensue with a free vote wandering around their camp. Both Sarita and Matt could choose to ally themselves with their old tribe, or switch to the other one. I think that coming back in, either sticking with your old tribe or trying something new is a good move. It'll be interesting to see what their decision is. I think that if Matt switched to Purple that Phillip and/or Andrea could go with him, and give Purple the majority again.
With all that being said, ANYTHING can happen after a merge, and I'm excited to see what alliances collapse, what new bonds forge, and who will take the first stab at Boston Rob.
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 63 pts
1. Grant (20 pts)
2. Rooster (23 pts)
3. Andrea (20 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 60 pts
1. Phillip (20 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (20 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
2. Sarita (11 pts)
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 35 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (5 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Still crushing, although there's some concern that Rooster may have been the only tribemate to side with Sarita & vote for Dave. He still has the hidden immunity idol, but he may start drawing fire because of that. Maybe it won't matter though because of the merge. Still liking this team, especially now that Grant can own the physical challenges & start raking in points. I don't think Rob will let him get close to the finals, but he doesn't have to be a closer to be an asset to this team.
2. Team #Winning! - We're entering a danger zone for Rob, who's more at risk with a merge than before. But Dave survived the last tribal council, and could now be a real producer for Moon. He seems really well-rounded, except for his obnoxious personality.
3. Saggy Bottom Panties - I've determined that my team is filled with dark horses to win this, the darkest horse obviously being Phillip. They may be lazy, crazy, and disgusting, but my team is in an alliance that could potentially see two of them at final tribal council. Could this be enough to get me the win, even without individual wins on the way? We'll have to see...
4. Team Fabioesque - Fabioesque fell pretty far behind in the points race with Matt out of commission. But if he survives this next duel, then he could be a huge threat to the game. Everyone's going to want him in their alliance I would expect, and he's proven himself capable of winning the sorts of challenges that will be common post-merge. Hopefully a late comeback from Fabioesque's alpha males will put them right back in this thing.
5. Evil Crushell - Losing Sarita hurts, but she could pull a huge upset & be right back in this thing. Based on her exit interview she's already mentally preparing herself to forgive her tribe 100%. If she does come back, then suddenly the tribes are tied again, too. This may have turned out to be an uber-crafty move on the Purple tribe's part: no way would Dave forgive his tribe if they'd voted him out, but if Sarita comes back they're still 6 strong.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - I think Steve is suffering, not from old age, but from guilt at coming up with the idea of throwing a challenge to eliminate Russell. This was his brainchild & it's come back to bite them hardcore. Now Purple tribe is turning against each other & not meshing at all. It's a tough burden to bear but he needs to shake that off and get his mind back in the game!
Interesting choice by the Purple tribe to eliminate Sarita, and I wonder if we'll have a bunch of Talking Heads saying that it was a terrible idea now that they're going into a merge. I think that they made the wrong decision - they made their "loyalty" bed with their last decision, and they should have laid in it no matter how prickly it felt. Instead they panicked & flipped back to the "strength" bed at exactly the wrong time.
No matter who wins the pre-merge duel I'm really excited to see the dynamic that will ensue with a free vote wandering around their camp. Both Sarita and Matt could choose to ally themselves with their old tribe, or switch to the other one. I think that coming back in, either sticking with your old tribe or trying something new is a good move. It'll be interesting to see what their decision is. I think that if Matt switched to Purple that Phillip and/or Andrea could go with him, and give Purple the majority again.
With all that being said, ANYTHING can happen after a merge, and I'm excited to see what alliances collapse, what new bonds forge, and who will take the first stab at Boston Rob.
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 63 pts
1. Grant (20 pts)
2. Rooster (23 pts)
3. Andrea (20 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 60 pts
1. Phillip (20 pts)
2. Ashley (20 pts)
3. Natalie (20 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 56 pts
1. Boston Rob (30 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
2. Sarita (11 pts)
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 35 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (5 pts)
[3. Stephanie (15)]
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Still crushing, although there's some concern that Rooster may have been the only tribemate to side with Sarita & vote for Dave. He still has the hidden immunity idol, but he may start drawing fire because of that. Maybe it won't matter though because of the merge. Still liking this team, especially now that Grant can own the physical challenges & start raking in points. I don't think Rob will let him get close to the finals, but he doesn't have to be a closer to be an asset to this team.
2. Team #Winning! - We're entering a danger zone for Rob, who's more at risk with a merge than before. But Dave survived the last tribal council, and could now be a real producer for Moon. He seems really well-rounded, except for his obnoxious personality.
3. Saggy Bottom Panties - I've determined that my team is filled with dark horses to win this, the darkest horse obviously being Phillip. They may be lazy, crazy, and disgusting, but my team is in an alliance that could potentially see two of them at final tribal council. Could this be enough to get me the win, even without individual wins on the way? We'll have to see...
4. Team Fabioesque - Fabioesque fell pretty far behind in the points race with Matt out of commission. But if he survives this next duel, then he could be a huge threat to the game. Everyone's going to want him in their alliance I would expect, and he's proven himself capable of winning the sorts of challenges that will be common post-merge. Hopefully a late comeback from Fabioesque's alpha males will put them right back in this thing.
5. Evil Crushell - Losing Sarita hurts, but she could pull a huge upset & be right back in this thing. Based on her exit interview she's already mentally preparing herself to forgive her tribe 100%. If she does come back, then suddenly the tribes are tied again, too. This may have turned out to be an uber-crafty move on the Purple tribe's part: no way would Dave forgive his tribe if they'd voted him out, but if Sarita comes back they're still 6 strong.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - I think Steve is suffering, not from old age, but from guilt at coming up with the idea of throwing a challenge to eliminate Russell. This was his brainchild & it's come back to bite them hardcore. Now Purple tribe is turning against each other & not meshing at all. It's a tough burden to bear but he needs to shake that off and get his mind back in the game!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Redemption Island: Episode 6
I think the social game is playing a bigger part in this season of Survivor than it ever has before, although I simply may not have been paying that much attention before. Or maybe it's because Boston Rob is the ultimate puppet master & does a very nice job of explaining to the fans what he's doing and why. In any case, I really like watching him serve as the ref in the Saggy Bottom Panties Cage Match: Ashley v. Phillip. Somehow he's making this zany group work as a team, and no one else can claim any credit for helping with the group dynamic. If Rob wasn't there I think they would have lost every single challenge this season. Outside of Rob there is no brains and no heart.
Also interesting was Purple Team's decision-making at tribal council. I think that if someone besides David had campaigned to get Stephanie to stay, she might have had a chance. But Dave is already a bottom-dweller in his alliance, and his opinion has very little merit. Still, a good effort on his & Stephanie's part, and I hope to see her again!
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 53 pts
1. Grant (15 pts)
2. Rooster (23 pts)
3. Andrea (15 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 51 pts
1. Boston Rob (25 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 45 pts
1. Phillip (15 pts)
2. Ashley (15 pts)
3. Natalie (15 pts)
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
2. Sarita (11 pts)
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 34 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (4 pts)
3. Stephanie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Again, Doug/Bri's team comes out looking really strong, although they are minus one t-shirt now... a devastating blow, I'm sure. Besides that, there's not much to criticize. As a team, they're the most physical team, the 2nd-most mental team, they're in the best alliances, and they have the best hairdos. That's tough to beat!
2. Team #Winning! - Boston Rob continues to hold his tribe together & impress with his long-term view of this game. Obviously his experience with the game gives him a huge advantage, but he also has a huge target on his back because of it. At this point I really don't see anyone on his tribe being smart enough to blindside him out of the game, but once they merge there will be some Purple players targeting him. It might not matter if the Yellow Tribe comes in with a majority of players though. Plus, Rob probably already has 3 plans laid out for taking out the other tribe already.
3. Team Fabioesque - No matter what happens next week, Fabioesque will be down to 2 players. It's a sad fate that this team is stuck in "Minimal Points Land," aka Redemption Island. Matt is one of the toughest competitors in this game, but he's only earning minimum wage. If he & Mike both make it to the merge, then Dachui could really make a comeback, but in the meantime they won't be earning much very quickly.
4. Saggy Bottom Panties - Aka team Stealth R Us: Specialist Forces. The intellect of my team combined probably equals that of a 7th grader's, and they are all physically weak too. They're earning points now, but even if they all make it to the merge I have no expectation that they'll contribute anything to my team.
5. Evil Crushell - Things keep getting worse in the Crushell camp. Purple team is collapsing & Sarita now looks like she's in the bottom 2 on her team. Julie's strong & I think she can go far, but one player being the sole breadwinner for a team has not worked well for us in the past.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - What's the deal with Steve? His inexplicable explosion over Stephanie & Krista's decision to vote for him was bizarre to say the least. Maybe that's the first time someone told him he was old? It'd be pretty bad timing to have a mid-life crisis while on Survivor. Steve needs to grow some thicker skin and quickly, because the blows to the ego only get more painful from here on out.
Also interesting was Purple Team's decision-making at tribal council. I think that if someone besides David had campaigned to get Stephanie to stay, she might have had a chance. But Dave is already a bottom-dweller in his alliance, and his opinion has very little merit. Still, a good effort on his & Stephanie's part, and I hope to see her again!
The Standings
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 53 pts
1. Grant (15 pts)
2. Rooster (23 pts)
3. Andrea (15 pts)
Team #Winning!: Moon - 51 pts
1. Boston Rob (25 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
[3. Krista (13 pts)]
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 45 pts
1. Phillip (15 pts)
2. Ashley (15 pts)
3. Natalie (15 pts)
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 36 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
2. Sarita (11 pts)
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 34 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (4 pts)
3. Stephanie (15 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Again, Doug/Bri's team comes out looking really strong, although they are minus one t-shirt now... a devastating blow, I'm sure. Besides that, there's not much to criticize. As a team, they're the most physical team, the 2nd-most mental team, they're in the best alliances, and they have the best hairdos. That's tough to beat!
2. Team #Winning! - Boston Rob continues to hold his tribe together & impress with his long-term view of this game. Obviously his experience with the game gives him a huge advantage, but he also has a huge target on his back because of it. At this point I really don't see anyone on his tribe being smart enough to blindside him out of the game, but once they merge there will be some Purple players targeting him. It might not matter if the Yellow Tribe comes in with a majority of players though. Plus, Rob probably already has 3 plans laid out for taking out the other tribe already.
3. Team Fabioesque - No matter what happens next week, Fabioesque will be down to 2 players. It's a sad fate that this team is stuck in "Minimal Points Land," aka Redemption Island. Matt is one of the toughest competitors in this game, but he's only earning minimum wage. If he & Mike both make it to the merge, then Dachui could really make a comeback, but in the meantime they won't be earning much very quickly.
4. Saggy Bottom Panties - Aka team Stealth R Us: Specialist Forces. The intellect of my team combined probably equals that of a 7th grader's, and they are all physically weak too. They're earning points now, but even if they all make it to the merge I have no expectation that they'll contribute anything to my team.
5. Evil Crushell - Things keep getting worse in the Crushell camp. Purple team is collapsing & Sarita now looks like she's in the bottom 2 on her team. Julie's strong & I think she can go far, but one player being the sole breadwinner for a team has not worked well for us in the past.
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - What's the deal with Steve? His inexplicable explosion over Stephanie & Krista's decision to vote for him was bizarre to say the least. Maybe that's the first time someone told him he was old? It'd be pretty bad timing to have a mid-life crisis while on Survivor. Steve needs to grow some thicker skin and quickly, because the blows to the ego only get more painful from here on out.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Redemption Island: Episode 5
I thought the most interesting part of last week's episode of Survivor was how it revealed the weaknesses of Moon's entire team. First, Boston Rob mentions that keeping Phillip around will keep the heat off of him. Second, Krista is annoying & gets voted into Redemption Island. Third, David is now very much aware that he's player #6 in his 6-player alliance. Moon may be winning the most points right now, but his position is rather precarious!
Gotta say, while having Phillip on the tribe may keep the heat off of Boston Rob, KEEPING him on the tribe will draw a lot of heat too! I'm sure he's thought through this, but it's going to be a tricky dance to keep everyone balanced. I really hope that Stephanie and Saggy Bottom Panties both make it to the merge, because I think the two of them together could really create some fireworks!
Other than that, my only other contribution is that Purple Team is in a lot more trouble than they thought they'd be. They're ahead by 1 tribe member now, but that tribe member hates them. So really, Yellow Tribe is up 1 player at this point. Which really highlights another aspect of the bad karma that throwing a challenge will give you. Your team voted someone out, sure, but the other team also DIDN'T. It's a 2-person swing. Really, they should have figured they'd lose a challenge eventually & that's when it'd be a good time to vote Russell out. Now they're in quite the pickle!
The Standings
Team #Winning!: Moon - 46 pts 1. Boston Rob (20 pts)
2. David (13 pts)
3. Krista (13 pts)
Team Cockydoodlebug: Doug/Bri - 43 pts
1. Grant (10 pts)
2. Rooster (23 pts)
3. Andrea (10 pts)
Team Evil Crushell: Courtney - 38 pts
[1. Evil Russell (10 pts)]
2. Sarita (13 pts)
3. Julie (15 pts)
Team Fabioesque: Dachui - 33 pts
1. Mike (15 pts)
2. Matt (3 pts)
3. Stephanie (15 pts)
Team Saggy Bottom Panties: Me - 30 pts
1. Phillip (10 pts)
2. Ashley (10 pts)
3. Natalie (10 pts)
Team Haterz Gonna Hate: Bag - 25 pts
[1. Francesca (0 pts)]
[2. Kristina (10 pts)]
3. Steve (15 pts)
Power Rankings
1. Team Cockydoodlebug - Crow away team Rooster, your team continues to dominate! Andrea is my MVP of the week because of her insightful view of the social game, and her willingness to consider an alliance with someone who's tantamount to being a leper. She's right in that she can't make plays now, but I think that she'd be open to a drastic move should the opportunity arise. My favorite part of this episode was the way they showed her body language with the other girls & then hearing them all talk about each other in their Talking Head interviews. The anthropology major in me was tickled to death!
2. Team Fabioesque - Maybe I'm just in a funny mood right now, but I'm really starting to love Team Fabioesque. They get their weekly rent of 1 point from Matt every week, and alliances are starting to be forged on the assumption that he'll return. That's the game working for you! Mike's still very strong, and Stephanie is both resourceful & crafty! Again, really hope she makes it to the merge.
3. Team #Winning! - Already discussed Moon's team at the top. I'm sad that as soon as I posted that I like David he got all bitchy about not being allowed to do a puzzle. It's not like he's even solved one yet, right? The only other puzzle challenge they've had was the challenge they threw! Stop being cocky when you've proven nothing. The same might be said of Moon, who called this a "two horse race" after only 3 episodes :).
4. Team Evil Crushell - I have concerns about Sarita. I love that she's one of the very few females to be the leader of a gender-mixed alliance. That's a hard gender stereotype to break with a group of strangers. I don't like how unilateral her decisions are. I think her reasoning was sound in choosing Stephanie to lead the challenge, but if/when a tribe loses the tribe will often turn on the leader who makes the "bad" decision. She needs to step a little more lightly to avoid becoming a sacrificial goat!
5. Team Saggy Bottom Panties - My team was sad before because of Phillip but now I've learned that my two female players also have bad personalities! I picked Ashley & Natalie because I thought that they wouldn't be those vapid girls who didn't do work & decided to hang on coattails the whole game. Turns out that's exactly who they are. Sigh. At least all 3 are still in. With their powers combined this may be the most despicable team ever!
6. Team Haterz Gonna Hate - Baggins is down to Steve. A solid, but lonely player. Sadly, Steve < Saggy Bottom Panties in the Survivor Pool world... though probably not in real life.
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