Survivor Heroes vs. Villains

Final Episode

(And We Have A Winner…And A Recap…Fun Fun!)

Ok…if you haven’t noticed there was NOT an Episode 12 recap…that was intentional…I was striving to build momentum for the finale. Or well…I’ve actually been working and traveling quite a bit lately. I REALLY don’t like watching episodes on anything other than my big screen in mi casa. Survivor in HD is just beyond gorgeous…but where there is no Amanda, the beauty just fades… Here’s my last three-week recap on how I watched Survivor: 2 hotel room TV’s (27ish inch old-school sets with the blur at no extra charge) and one episode on my iPhone. I had it dvr’ed on AT&T’s Uverse back at my house so I pulled it up via Slingbox on my aforementioned iPhone. It was actually fairly good quality but everyone was just so tiny. NOT my favorite viewing experience of all time but it worked well and sustained my needs for that week. And yes…that was a shameless plug for my company – AT&T and for a company that I’d love to sponsor me – Sling Media.

Ok – enough of my excuses – let’s jump right in shall we?!

This season reminded me that the players really aren’t in control of hardly anything, including their emotional state, during a Survivor season. It’s easy to sit back and judge someone’s actions but when you take in consideration their physical environment along with the emotional wear and tear of constant game-play, it’s easy to see why…
- James was just not fun to be around
- Rupert was also not as jovial as normal and could’ve passed for a bad pirate
- Coach had a break-down and almost seemed like a normal guy just wanting to fit into the world. Or a teary dragon-slayer with a heart
- Tyson actually showed a nice sense of compassion to Coach – before telling him to completely stop being himself
- Jerri (or Jerry as Russell would spell it) seemed extremely likable and wasn’t booed off the stage like in her last Reunion show
- Danielle was doing pretty well riding Parv’s coattails until Russell took her to the woodshed during her last tribal. She just couldn’t stand up to him and his intimidation and it cost her a spot in the final three
- Boston Rob was actually a fan favorite and extremely likable. He was definitely the first half MVP in my book
- JT showed his villainous side as well as made a very debatable move…that won him his own idol! In his defense he made a VERY gutsy move based on the information that he had. His conclusion that Russell was up against an all-girl alliance was a very strong one that most of us would’ve come to. He didn’t have the luxury of seeing Russell’s season to gauge his skills and behavior. But JT was naive for sure
- Colby…speaking of stinking in challenges after dominating them in your previous seasons. Whew – that was ugly for the all-American good-guy. He’s still one of my favorites but he just wasn’t on this season. Period. I think his performance shows how much this game can wear you out.
- Finally…Russell. Oh Russell.

Well those are the “oddities” that I feel we discovered this season. Here are a few “constants”:

- Russell. Part of me feels a tad sorry for him like he lost out again – that his title of Sole Survivor was stolen from him due to some overly-emotionally voting jury members. How many of us were literally jumping up out off our couch and screaming at the little bald gnome to reach up and get that immunity necklace?! I know I was and the rest of the party I was watching the episode was as well. We were FREAKING OUT actually! It’s really hilarious because most of us hated him last season but we had enough respect of his game-play to realize he totally blew everyone else out of the water in his first season with his crazy idol finding ability and manipulating skills. This season he was much more of a bully and WAY to arrogant but he still is extremely good. Here’s the rub though – he didn’t deserve the win either time – and it’s due to the fact he is only good at half or two-thirds of the game. What I just realized myself is that although I think that the jury should respect his game-play in Outwitting, Outlasting and Outplaying the others…he totally looked over the whole “judged by a jury of your peers aspect” of the game. The players know this going in – that the people they vote out are in COMPLETE control over handing out a million dollars! I was in that camp of Russell deserves it and the jury is just bitter but now I see how social and emotional this game really is. And how life mirrors the game in that way. There are rules, albeit not explicit but just understood. Anywho – it’s weird that sooo many of us wanted him to win but we did and we all probably feel a little dirty due to it…especially watching how slimy he STILL was at the Reunion show. He’s in game mode all the time it appears and I don’t think that’s good news.
- Amanda is still too stinking beautiful and sweet. Her sweetness was her downfall. She should have kept that immunity note she picked up off the floor during the weird-Big-Brother-ish movie night segment and told Danielle to get over it. But she couldn’t. It’s not in her nature nor was it in Colby’s to continue the fight or drama. That’s part of the reason we like them so much – they represent something good to us. Or something like that
- Parv is still so stinking cute and flirtatious and gets what she wants due to the aforementioned gifts she possesses. She did follow the roaming bald gnome around somewhat but she pulled off some major moves and absolutely dominated the challenges when they mattered the most. Although she was another one that I didn’t love to death at the start of the season, I earned some newfound respect for her. I think she was too close to Russell to pull of the win though. But she deserved it.
- Sandra…great job on winning…twice! She just has a knack of getting out of the way and making it to the end. Her strategy was just to make it and I think that’s a little lazy – especially given that she stinks in challenges, but it works apparently.

Final Tribal and Vote

After being SO excited about Russell’s big immunity win, he knocked the wind out of us with his selection of Parv to go with him in the final three. But after some thought (and Parv brought it up in final tribal) that was part of Russell’s strategy because he thought he’d get Jerri’s vote. Didn’t happen sir. As a matter of fact you didn’t get any votes. Period. From what I hear he was much more hated and loathed than the editing actually showed. That still boggles me a bit but it makes sense – Russell is GREAT and I mean GOLDEN TV but he just cussed out too many of the jury members. As much as they respect him for getting further than they did in the game, they (nor we probably if given the chance) couldn’t forgive him for his actions directed towards them. His laying into Rupert anyone??

So, here’s the neat bow to the this season.

Wow. And I mean WOW. I have no problem saying Russell was a huge player in the season’s success – he and Parv deserve their own wing in the Survivor Hall Of Fame! Just go back and revisit the cast for a minute…think of all those All-Stars…the drama they created on their seasons and put all that together and stir…Now THAT was a great season!

I personally am VERY excited about the new season being in Nicaragua. Mostly due to the fact I’ve been there a couple of times on mission trips and may be going back there this fall. No…don’t worry or assume if I don’t write in my blog for a few weeks – I’m more lazy than lucky enough to get on the show!

Well, thanks for reading my ramblings and you are more than welcome to leave a comment since I DID fix that portion of the blog! This is the loooong wait during the summer that we have for the new season to start. Well, let’s make it fun by getting out in the sun and running a couple of miles. Or veg on the couch and watch Wipeout and baseball!

Have a great summer everyone!
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Episode 11 – The Final Push!

Well…it happened…Colby finally was able to step up to the plate with a big performance in a challenge and Jerri finally won an immunity challenge. Go old-school Survivor players go! Old-school…and they are MY age! Russell finds ANOTHER idol. Or was that last week. Nope – it’s EVERY week. Just an FYI – there is a new “Russell rule” for idols in the new seasons. In short, they won’t be so easily found. That’s good news I guess. He and his plethora of idols are entertaining at least!

Ok…bad news…at least for me….Amanda was voted out….Let that soak in…she’s gone…and left me all alone. Kinda makes a grown man want to ball up in the fetal position and cry. Ok, it’s not that bad but it’s NOT COOL. You can’t vote out MY Amanda! But they did. Unfairly and unjustly. I’m digressing just a bit but the pain is just too recent…

Due to some time restrictions we don’t have a full recap this week BUT with not one, but TWO eliminations this week…I’ll have plenty to talk about this weekend. So get your popcorn ready for Thursday night and let’s meet back on Sunday or so. Sound bueno? Si, muy bueno. (It’s Cinco de Mayo folks! Hope you ate great Mexican food tonight)

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Episode 10 thoughts:
(The Tebow Effect)

Good evening friends. Are you like me and enjoy running with 30,000 of your closest friends in the pouring rain during a marathon? Good then. Glad we can relate in some fun ways. (Jump over to my Race Review section soon and get the full low-down on my races fyi…) Well, this past weekend I did just that in Nashville and got to thinking a lot during the over five hours of flooding and tornado watches. Here’s what I came up with: I’ve never seen JT and Tim Tebow in the same room together. You’re thinking to yourself…”You know, I haven’t either! You may be on to something here Stader…” Ok, follow with me down this trail. No, they aren’t the same person but they are definitely both heroes and JT acted like Timmy Rah-Rah because that’s what he is – a good guy. Now, I’m not talking about football and definitely not putting Tebow or JT down. I’m just calling it like I saw it – JT believed in people when he shouldn’t have. He (like Tebow) has character and he wanted to see the best in someone – even when he should’ve been more guarded. BUT, those two also relate because they played the game the only way they know how – recklessly and all out. I give JT a lot of credit for having a strategy and playing it out – even though it was wrong. And for showing class when he got the boot at tribal. I can attest that he’s a great guy in person and on the show.

Rupert!

I’m so glad Rupert can still tell right from wrong. He’s acted like a villain some this season but he sniffed out Russell’s mess and trusted Sandra. Yeah, that’s not too much to trust in but it will probably work out in his favor if he can leverage Sandra’s moxie.

Now We Have a Game!

Although I get Parv’s playing of both Idols, I think it was just unnecessary. Let’s back-track to the immunity challenge… First off Colby bows out (tough season for the original good-guy) and then Candice quits? With only Villains remaining?? Ok…uh…why?? In my small-minded thinking you just gave up the game for the Heroes and will let the Villains pick you off one-by-one now. ESPECIALLY since you had a feeling that Parv had a hidden idol. And then it was painfully obvious that something was going down when Danielle just upped and quit too. Ok – back to the vote: Wow that was a tribal to remember. I don’t think anyone has played like Russell and I don’t think anyone has flirted/played like Parv. Although she’s had the great fortune of Russell’s idols, she has made some great moves – like not keeping Russell in the loop the entire time.

But how will Russell’s wrath play out now? He’s been back stabbed by his alliance/crush and let’s be honest, it’s not like anyone trusted him to start with. I think he survives another week for the villainous five to keep control of the game but then he’s out. Because everyone will be nice and fed up with his ego. Parv is smart so she’ll use him to her advantage and then kick him to the curb. Just my thoughts. But I admit, I still can’t guesstimate who’ll be in the finals. Probably 2 or 3 Villains at this rate. They are just playing a more aggressive and dirty non-Tebow game.

That’s it for now. Let me know your thoughts and Go Broncos! (Like you didn’t know that was coming!)
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Episode 9 thoughts:

(I don’t need no steak!)

Two quick rhetorical questions:

Isn’t it just a tad funny when the losing tribe comments on how they didn’t want the reward that they just lost in the challenge?

Why does seeing Coach dressed up like a ninja warrior (no offense to actual ninja warriors FYI) with late 90’s Tom Cruise hair and that freaking huge feather just make me laugh?

If the episode wasn’t already great, we received a little bonus by the Dragon Slayer’s presence during tribal. Being AWESOME as usual.

Making history…the Survivor way

Now we’ll find out if JT’s transfer of the idol to Russell was incredibly smart or well, just plain not cool. Based on the information JT had, he made a really great decision. But since we see both sides of the story and have a broader perspective while watching the game…we are kinda scratching our heads wondering – “What in the FREAK are you doing JT?” And as much as we are getting sick of saying this…Russell rocks. Dude not only finds hidden immunity idols before there is even a clue…now people are just randomly giving them to him too! Speaking of idols and the rub to Russell’s well thought out plan of world domination…Parv just happened upon one all by her little flirty self. THAT solidifies what Parv was thinking all along – that she’s in control of the little idol gnome – NOT the Amazing Race travel gnome but the toothless boy wonder – Russell. This is where I think Russell is finally going to run into trouble. He had the ability to ride the wave and convince the correct people to vote out who he wanted but Parv plus Amanda equals trouble for Russell I think. As much as Amanda had the blankest look of all blank looks when asked what they should do with JT’s idol, she still is a social force to reckon with. And that is clearly Russell’s downfall – and many an ousted player has said that as well – that he can never win because he has no clue how to play the social game. Now let me remind you that voted out players are stating this. No bitterness there eh??

Why would you hand a villain your heart?

Well that’s the story of my dating life! Ok, I digress and that’s not 100% true. But let’s get back to the real story here and the poetry that moved my soul: JT’s letter to Russell. I really don’t have any problem with him writing it whatsoever. But Russell running to read it to Parv solidifies the difference between good and evil. That was just wrong on many levels. And YES the letter was cheesy and probably could’ve been signed with “XOXO my fav BFF” but there’s a man law that forbids doing that sorta lame thing. You don’t just run to the prettiest girl and make fun of your new BFF. Just not cool but that’s why Russell is Russell. And we love him for it. We all just need to look ourselves in the mirror… Ok, ok enough already – I agree it was funny.

Courtney’s departure really doesn’t swing votes one way or another due to the impending merge. So I won’t really speak to that because it’s a non-factor in my book. Sandra is great at working angles and she has some on the heroes side so Courtney going home doesn’t ruin her game. With limited physical strength, I was impressed that she survived this long out there so kudos to her for that.

Once again it’s going to be a VERY fun episode tomorrow night. The pot just continues to be stirred so that we keep our interest focused on the main players and are rooting for those we wouldn’t have ever guessed we’d root for. Fun times eh?

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Episode 8 thoughts:

(The Sandra Effect)

Coach, oh Coach…First off – seeya Coach! You may be one of the most entertaining players ever. But what was up with numbering your tribal votes? Did anyone else notice that? On last night’s episode he put “7″ in the upper right hand corner of the paper. Anywho – I had noticed it the week or two previous and it was just odd to me.

Well how about the love-fest of Boston Rob at the beginning of the show and Coach’s constant referencing of him and how he lost his best friend out here? I know what you’re all thinking…”It was YOUR fault that BR’s gone Mr. Champion-of-all-things-virtuous.” While I agree with that, it’s not far reaching to see why Coach felt like he had no choice but to vote for Courtney and not BR. He, on one end, didn’t lie to BR and fulfilled his promise to him but on the other side he totally wimped out. It reminds me that doing nothing (or not talking or acting on something etc) is actually making a decision. So you can’t claim you are a conscientious objector and get away with it. Bad move Coach. That made you an easy, but not wise, target. That and your hunger! To steal a quote from TAR – “GOOD GRAVY!” I mean has Coach never seen Survivor and realized that sitting out two weak players in a non-athletic challenge isn’t a good idea? I think that decision in and of itself was enough reason to vote him out. But speaking of Sandra…

Now I’m Speaking About Sandra

Is she good or what! That isn’t a question FYI. We know the answer to this and it appears her quiet indifference and manipulating of situations is going to carry her very far in this game. As much as Russell did take her “seed of Coach doubt” and it got him all ruffled, in the end Russell voted for Courtney and Parv turned on Coach. Sandra solidified what I mentioned last week about the girl alliance. JT and the Heroes called it out and even foreshadowed a potential bone-head move to give Russell the idol in the next episode. So Sandra could be sitting pretty if the merge does come into play over the next 1-2 episodes. This could realistically become an all-girls finale which could make for some very entertaining episodes during the next few weeks. But let’s face it – Probst was probably on the verge of crying when Coach was given the walk-of-shame last night. By my count he’s had three certifiable “bromances or man crushes” during the past couple of years: BR, Coach & Russell. Don’t get me wrong – these minor flings are because he knows ratings when he sees them! Rupert still packs a punch, JT & Colby are still good ol boys, Parv can still flirt with the best of them and Amanda is VERY easy on the eyes…but without the three musketeers I think ratings slide a bit. I think this proves that the show isn’t manipulated by the producers on who to vote out or not, but it shows that they are great at picking characters that we love and more importantly, love to hate. So speaking of Russell… Man am I glad he’s still around.

G-n-R Backwards

I think we all used to despise him but now we can’t get enough of him and were rooting for him last night. Admit it America, we heart Russell. And we hate Russell, which is exactly why we’re VERY glad he’s still on the show and why Probst was VERY happy he didn’t get the boot last night. But could his ego have tried ANY harder to get the boot? I know his first season and this one were filmed back-to-back and therefore he wasn’t afforded the opportunity of perspective and watching himself but I don’t think it would’ve mattered. He’s Russell Hantz by gosh and he’ll keep on reminding us of that every week.

Although not the best episode of the 8 so far, it set us up for some fun over the next few weeks. If only Courtney can be on the block every week and we can get more of her bite during tribals. Tell me you didn’t smirk a little when she answered Coach with “Thanks dad.” Classic and although she’s struggling physically more than a chubby hobbling pirate, her quips add some fun value and by the looks of it, she may be around for more dry humor to come. This episode proves that if you can master the social game then you have a much better chance at lasting longer than if you sport feathers in your hair. Jus sayin…

My questions for next week: Merge? Girl alliance? Or maybe they confuse Russell for a small vermin and fry him up? Either way we’ll be entertained for sure. Have a great week and keep sending me your feedback!

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Episode 7 thoughts:

(Clash of the Titans. Well, that was fun.)

Happy Easter day my friends! First off I want to talk about my puppy, Emma. Many of you already know my Golden Retriever and that she may possibly be the greatest dog to ever bark and run on this planet. And she also has a knack for discovery too. In fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago that my red-headed 13-year-young spry puppy discovered that bagels grow in our back yard. The legend started like this…I was merely attempting to lure her inside the house (from a much-deserved “health break” after her dinner) and my sweet-talk just wasn’t working. So, I tried to bribe her. With a bagel. Her back was to me so I threw a piece of it to her left, which she didn’t even notice. Then to her right which yielded the same result. Next attempt: throw a piece at her. At this point I need to explain I played first base in baseball and softball – which could be the exact reason I missed her completely. So, let’s recap – I am 0 for 3 so far. Well, my next attempt was a direct hit and she finally turned around and realized that bagels had miraculously started growing in our backyard! After grazing on those four pieces of raisin-cinnamon goodness she was now looking around for more and more nuggets of bagel joy. Thus she wasn’t coming inside anytime soon. I mean – would you if you had a bagel fountain in YOUR backyard?? I know I wouldn’t. So…now before she even thinks about relieving herself outside, she scurries to the bagel section of my property to reap the harvest of any new crops. She comes away perplexed and frustrated most days but I admit that it’s cute watching her sniff around that exact same place even two weeks later, still searching for that bakery goodness. Ok, enough about Emma and the bagelstock. Let’s talk about the Survivor H vs. V – “Clash of the Titans. Well, that was fun.”

Quick Bites:

After wasting three minutes of your life reading about my dog I’ll skip any depth about the obvious parts of this episode that you have talked to your wife, husband, bff, dog or whomever about:

- The “Robfather” is gone. It’s sad but we’ll get over it. (Thanks to Stephen Fishbach for the name and Probst for the eulogy – read their blogs fyi!)
- And yes, Rob was incredible this season and more importantly, he was incredibly likable.
- Russell, when asked who should go, looked directly at Courtney & Sandra and said: “One of them two.” This shows Russell’s lack of a silky smooth social game but it’s the reason most of us are still watching. That little snaggle-toothed roaming gnome is TV GOLD. (I think Chelsea Handler wants him as her next “Lil nugget”)
- Courtney almost breaking in half at the challenge – only to be outdone by Sandra taking a header just walking on the beach. Nice.

Coach has a heart. Really.

As much as Coach is kind of a charactitue of himself, I have grown to understand him a little more. You could see this when he went against BR (my term of endearment for Boston Rob) by voting for Courtney and how torn and upset he was that Jerri didn’t go to him first when Russell seduced her. He was hurt and felt betrayed that his princess was being swayed by the evil step-brother that no one trusts. That’s actually fairly understandable so his torment was excusable and, to me at least, not seen as knee-jerk reaction. But here’s the real kicker for the Dragon Slayer. Being called out by BR as a “little man” during tribal must have hurt him to the core. I don’t know much about next week’s episode but I can assure you that Coach will shift his grief and despair about his decision not to help keep BR around to Russell.

Yup. He was right.

BR probably was the glue that helped keep the Villains together. The tribe will be less cohesive since BR is gone but here’s the kicker that I noticed after Tyson got the boot: The score was 5-3 with Russell, Parv & Danielle on one side…now it’s 5-2 but on a different scoreboard. With ALL five of the girls left and only Coach & Russell left on the guy’s side of their tribe. THAT my friends will be the downfall of the Villains and could translate into a female winner this season. Even with a quick merge (as Coach prays for one) the division is clear and some of the lame decisions that both tribes have made so far could continue. Even with the lines drawn in the sand at the Villains camp, Parv has already voted with Jerri (Cougar resentment anyone?) and Courtney & Sandra are flying under the radar and that usually means they will attach themselves to whomever needs their swing votes. In short, the power has shifted which is very bad news for the remaining guys.

I’m actually amazed that this battle of the sexes hasn’t been brought up yet, real-time during the season and/or we who analyze the action from afar. But here’s something that will bring us all back together as a team: Colby is back! Well, at least from this episode we saw that fight and determination was back in his grasp…as well as Candice’s backside… Anyway – James was right – Our Superman was sucking. But he appears to be back – and for all of us who started watching during his first season with Jerri (And Elisabeth!) in Australia, we are glad that Superman is back!

So…are the Heroes really on a roll now? And will the girls start realizing their strength and capitalize on their opportunities?
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Episode 6 thoughts:

(Welcome to the major leagues, rookie.)

Oddly enough I have another great passion besides Survivor and running. I heart baseball. And watching Russell and BR go at it this week was like watching one of the best managed games I have ever witnessed. First off, BR shows his disdain for the rookie by referencing how he’s in the big leagues now – and thus making the statement that he’s playing with the best of the best. No matter what you think of Russell, you can’t for one second not respect his game playing abilities and not place him in the upper echelon of players from all 19 prior seasons. I don’t care that he didn’t win – you just can’t talk about the best without including him. Period. And his extra-inning classic with BR proves this point. They both anticipated each other’s moves and it made for one of the best episodes in years. More on that in a minute…

Double your fun night!

I personally like the idea of two individual immunities and double elimination due to the fact it puts both teams into a frenzy and lights a fire under both camps. Add to that a hot dog and soda feast and you have even more dynamics to set up a great episode. Colby getting beat again…by a “fat guy and a cripple.” Could be the funniest thing I’ve heard James say in a while. Well that and his Superman analogy about Colby and the fat suit. I realize that was supposed to be lifting him up and also tearing him down but it was just plain funny too. Oh and BR won again. Go figure. HE WINS EVERYTHING! Well…not quite everything…

JT…would you like a banana?

Before we get to the main event…let’s talk banana etiquette. Now this was part of the fun of the episode. I know this was setting up James’ ouster but it’s hard to believe that the heroes got rid of Tom before James in the previous episode yet the tipping point to discarding him this week was because he eats a lot? Really? Even the Survivor Olympics didn’t convince me that James was truly on the chopping block. This is where the magic of editing is…well…magic. I remember watching waaaay back in Colby’s first season (Elisabeth’s season FYI – that cute conservative sweetheart sold me on Survivor. I was buying whatever she was selling!) and thinking – hummm….the episode isn’t really a linear timeline of events. There’s some creative cutting to lead me to where the show wants me to go. No, no, no – it’s not scripted by any means but it’s like the recent winter Olympics in Vancouver – you just can’t show 5 hours of curling and expect to have an audience the entire time. You have to put together the best scenes yet tell the story the way it unfolded. Just not in real-time. That’s what I think happened with this episode. Did anyone notice how James wasn’t the LEAST bit surprised he was voted out? Or how Amanda was consoling him and loving on him during tribal? “I heart you, I heart you too…” Yeah – I haven’t heard those lines before in tribal! And yes, I’m completely jealous that James was the recipient of that line and not me! Not fair at all. Anyway, I digress. Another example would be the exchange between Colby and James where James said that Colby better stop being the lame Colby and start winning. I do declare that James must have been aware of his fate and was passing the baton to Colby. But here’s my question – what really happened to make the heroes wise up and vote off the oft-injured-yet-incredibly-strong James? Stealing bananas or getting beat by a backwards running JT? I mean why not get rid of him before Tom?? Ok well, I’m off that subject now – I’ve got a good feeling that the heroes will get on a roll here soon – not because of a weakened James per se, but because they are finally gaining some momentum.

The Mighty Casey strikes out!

Well to be fair BR didn’t strike out – it was a pitcher’s duel until the end and Tyson was the unlikely victim of his own stupidity. I’m actually lame enough to understand his logic of making that decision but when you stretch out the consequences you just have to stick with the group’s decision and actions. But not Mr. “I’m-still-awesome.” His best one-liner was his last one. Funny yes. Awesome…yeah, not so much. I really expected more “awesomeness” from him this season but I can now fall back on his never-ceasing goofy Twitter ramblings.

How about the look on BR’s face when the votes for Parv kept coming in and SHE, not Russell had the idol. And this was directly after the glee in his eyes when he successfully flushed the idol out of Russell’s possession. The highest of highs to “Wow – I just got my tail whooped by a five foot nothing tooth missing wonder boy.” Guess that rookie’s bold moves paid off. Or let’s face it – Russell IS that good. BUT, if the merge isn’t anywhere in sight and the Villains do lose a couple in a row…then what to do, what to do?? My guess is that the guys start realizing they are now down 5-3 in the battle of the sexes and start to play with their heads and not their egos. But if they take any cues from the heroes early game-play then they aren’t thinking that far in advance. It’s been an incredible season so far and I’m sure there are plenty of extra-inning fireworks coming soon…Ok – enough with the baseball analogies… until next week at least

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Episode 5 thoughts:

(Russell meet idol. Oh.. you’ve met before?)

- Russell – Idol. Duh.
- Colby – Doesn’t like chocolate – who knew?!
- Parv – Doesn’t ride coattails. And yes, I called her Parv. I feel we’re buds because the owner of my dry-cleaning place worked with her at a restaurant back in the day. We’re like related now.
- James – big, tough and gimpy now. I’m freaking slow but I think I could beat him in a race. Well, maybe if both of his knees were banged up maybe. Maybe…
- BR – No, I don’t have any connection to him but I wanted to shorten his name somehow and BR won. Can he actually LOSE at anything this season?? He’s earned my vote for the annual 5-episode MVP award.
- Tom – Voted out. Still think the heroes wiffed on this one.
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Episode 4 thoughts:

(It’s the Coach show again – yay!)

Coach had a breakdown and Tyson was there to console him…and tell him to stop acting like a freak and man up! I just KNEW when Coach was crying on his shoulder that Tyson was going to break out with some great one-liners and he did not disappoint! “No more stories – nobody believes you.” I mean did you really expect Tyson to say anything else?? Nice.

Russell chasing after another Idol. Kind of like reading the back of a shampoo bottle – shampoo, rinse and repeat. We’re stuck in repeat mood. (For the record – yes, I did use shampoo once in my life – bald folks rule!)

Cirie voted out…FINALLY a smart move by the Heroes! I knew you had it in ya guys!

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Episode 3 thoughts:

(Steroid sandwiches & cat fights!)

A villain is not always a villain nor can a hero call himself a hero at all times. Take James last week. Most of us were fairly upset that he was that upset and off his rocker during the episode. We take these players, on the surface, to all be in the same camp or the same genre. Good or bad. The mild truth is that proximity overpowers similarity. In Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point” he speaks about this in that “we don’t seek out friends as much as we are friends with people we do things with – not just those we resemble. We associate with the people who occupy the same small, physical spaces as we do.” So – just because James is a hero and snuggling with Amanda and JT doesn’t mean he’s truly a hero – as he showed in the last episode. And this also gives a little insight on why Randy said he never felt part of his tribe. Maybe because he wasn’t as much of a villain as he is just your unhappy and bitter uncle that keeps getting invited back to the family reunion because he’s “family.”

Ok, one more “deep thought” assessment: In the same way James (with his taunting of old-man Randy) has shown he’s not a hero all the time, so too is Boston Rob not a villain all the time with his desire to actually do something around camp and in challenges etc. You see when people are in a group, responsibility for acting is diffused. Why should I attempt to make a shelter or fire if there are nine other capable people here? No one does anything BECAUSE there are nine others there! This thought process isn’t JUST because I had a Boston Kream donut in Boston today – which I did – but because I think Boston Rob is miscast. And maybe Coach too. You had to love the dragon slayer on parade during this episode. Classic “honorablism” served up with MLK quotes and some foreshadowing about how girls can’t sway him. You know you laughed when you heard him talk about Parvati and how her flirty beauty won’t derail his focus. Yeah….no. In the same way Russell had puppy dog eyes for her, Coach was enticed as well. And how about Jerri…Mr. Dragon Slayer? What say you about her evil and cunning ways?

Random thoughts of the boat-load of classic moments that are worth mentioning:

-          See ya Randy. Barely knew you were there – but I could tell by the editing and more face time that something was up with you. (No “It’s time for you to go” from Jeff to Randy. I bet they had to edit that out due to some choice words by Randy)

-          Jerri speaking about Parvati – “I’m going to find a way to bottle that up (her flirtatiousness) and use it in real life.” But then again she wants to punch her in the face. Speaking of cat fights…

-          Parv on Jerri – “she’s just a bitter old cougar.” Nice.

-          The machete grew legs and walked off? Russell isn’t one of those nine people who aren’t trying to build a shelter because there are nine people to build it. He’s the one trying to destroy it.

-          Tyson pointing out the “Steroid sandwich” that James presumably eats. Good warm-up one liner. Hopefully he heats up into a frenzy soon.

-          Coach creating drama at tribal because Sandra mentioned his name and this week it appears if he has a hissy fit. Slow down there Mr. Slayer. There’s no crying in Survivor! (said like Tom Hanks in League of Their Own)

-          Classic Boston Rob making us raise our eyebrows and go: “Huh…I didn’t think of that but yep, you are correct.” His analysis on his tribe-mates sleeping partners and patterns may be far more reaching than just Survivor… hummm….

Ok, I’ll try better next time and I’m digging how the plot lines are very spread out. Both tribes have significant drama and potential for great TV soon. Did JT apologize to Tom because he thought he was vulnerable or because he was placating the minority of the tribe? When is Cirie going to fire up the troops and shake things up? And lastly, how is Russell going to survive his ego for another 30 plus days??

Thoughts? And yes, I’m working on the comment section so you CAN actually leave comments – been a slight technical glitch but don’t despair – I’ll have it working soon!

Episode 2 thoughts:

(And the Oscar goes to…..Boston Rob!)

“I’m sorry….It’s just…I feel like…It’s getting the best of me.”

Well, I don’t have a vote but if I did – Boston Rob would win something. I honestly became a fan after that glassy-eyed pronouncement into the camera, with tears streaming down and still a glisten of the drool that was present when he was shaking on his side. The flu he says? How about reality TV gold!? I mean combined with his work ethic and cleverness in the challenges, how do you not love this villain? Ok, ok, I’ll postpone my man-crush for a while and allow coach to nurse him back to health.

Besides the Boston Rob “Super-villain with a heart” edit, this episode seemed more about the dysfunction that comes with actually being productive and a hero and the initial “what the heck” freaking out of James. In a tribute to last season – “Suvivor19 – Russell Island” – there are particular contestants who are conspicuously missing from the episodes so far. Tyson & Randy are the new Brett. If you just asked under your breath – “who’s Brett?” – then you get my point. We NEED some one liners from that pair. But alas, not much coverage of Tyson’s lack-of-coverage shorts. Probably a good thing.

Well, the Heroes can sure make a shelter and build a lead but they seem to trip over their egos just enough to have that lead evaporate and lose. Again. Being a hero is more than a title, it’s a state of mind, actions and the belief that what you’re doing is for the good of the team. The problem in that is that ALL the heroes believe that what they are doing or saying is 100% correct – if only because they are a hero and they have proved their worth on their prior season. That brings up James – the lovable gentle giant. Well, gentle may be out the window for now. I really don’t see his logic in railing on Stephenie like he did. He was relentless in his attack against her character and blamed her for her tribe’s demise that left her to fend for herself. Um, yeah, about that. By her lasting that long, she proved she was a great player – not a cancer of the tribe. This is the odd thing for me – to see the heroes acting like the villains by attacking each other mainly due to their angst over losing. Aren’t the villains supposed to eat their wounded and create havoc around camp? Well, in bizzaro Survivor we see oppo what we thought reality was. So – there you have it – a very tough loss for the good guys and immediate scrambling that divided the tribe and flushed out the alliances. For all of us who wished Colby and Amanda well and desired to see them go far in the game…that wish may be short lived. Colby seems to already be on the short end of the stick. And, saying that – I blame anything that appears to paint Rupert in a negative light as bad editing

I really get the feeling that the heroes camp collectively went sideways in that 44 minutes of HD quality TV programming.  Almost uncomfortable to watch and disheartening to see Stephenie get voted out. But who is their weakest link? Hopefully they can make a run and can build some momentum soon. Or this may be a rout. Seriously.

Ok – random thought time:

Tom – a 10 year older version of Boston Rob. Compare their voices. Identical.

Cirie – “As long as it’s not us, it doesn’t matter who we vote out” She never ceases to impress me. In a mildly amusing way.

Coach – Maybe the least respected coach ever. The reactions to his “coaching” during the challenges is priceless!

Russell – Nice chicken catching skills. Shambo would be proud. And Napoleon & Kip.

That’s it for now. This season is shaping up to be pretty dang good. Especially when you end an episode with the viewers collectively being angry at the good guy. Tension builds with a tease like that. So who wants to talk about Tiger??

Do you have a favorite so far? Can the heroes get their act together in time?

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Episode 1 thoughts:

(Is it a Showmance or Bromance that I have here?)

First off, let me set a couple of disclaimers before I begin:

- I, unlike Jeff Probst, have no idea what it feels and looks like to host Survivor

- I, unlike Dalton Ross,  am not a reporter for EW.com and do not cover reality shows for a living

- I, unlike Stephan Fishbach, have never been a contestant on Survivor (Although I would be one if asked – jus saying)

But…I heart Survivor, have seen every episode, have a basic understanding of the game and have met some of the most memorable players that have played the game. I’d love to tackle the game myself one day, but as it stands currently, I’m a fan. And as that fan I have a perspective on the game. And some goofy thoughts as well. So…enjoy and let me know your thoughts and if you agree with my ramblings or not.

Also – please visit Jeff’ and Dalton’s blog over at EW.com and Stephen’s at tvwatch.people.com

Without further adieu –

Wow! Great start to the 20thinstallment. If we fans have learned anything, Survivor has become an experience unlike any other show in it’s genre and if you can remember way back to the first season, the production value may have taken off but the heart of the game is still the same – the characters. Well, this season is about HUGE egos, former winners and those we just plain loath…yes, I’m talking about Randy. How about the Showmance too?? I totally didn’t predict Coach & Jerri hooking up. Or Coach immediately two-timing Jerri with his vow of Bromance with Boston Rob. Who knew the dragon-slayer could slay two hearts in one episode?! I admit that I was very interested in seeing how Russell would be sized up by the other 19 contestants. Remember that his season just wrapped when they started filming H vs. V and no one had a clue about him. And yet, he was up to his old tricks within the first few minutes by trying to align with the girls. I love that Parvati totally sniffed out his stench but admitted – He’s a force of nature that I want on my side! I don’t want to make predictions but I think that Russell could actually go pretty fair IF he lets go of his ego a bit and allows the other villains to take pick each other off one by one. But due to his scowl at the finale of season 19, I don’t think he makes it to the finals.

How about a broken toe (ARGHHH Rupert!), a dislocated shoulder (the incomparable Stephenie) and well, Sugar being Sugar – sweet, but not adding much to the challenge except for the impromptu losing of her top. Anyway, I digress. What a great, physically demanding way to start the season. And no, I won’t dog pile on Colby for getting manhandled by Coach. I’ll just reference Tyson and the ONLY reason Tyson was asked back on for this season – his golden quips. ”I can only imagine what Colby is thinking… I may as well become a woman because there is no point on trying to maintain my masculinity now.” THAT is what Tyson is there for. Period. And that’s good enough for me.

Well, this two hour episode was a great re-introduction to some of those characters that we remember or in some cases don’t remember like Danielle and Candice. They were good on their respective seasons but just not memorable enough for me. I think the producers missed the boat by not having Eliza or Yau-Man back on board. But, there are reasons they went with their choices and it’s not in my best interest to alienate the producers of the upcoming seasons…YES, they need the Stader, so I must play nice

Brief thoughts:

Courtney: funny, skinny (as usual) and wearing boy’s underwear.

Who planted the chickens at the heroes camp? Shambo?? I mean did they run out of hidden immunity idols or something??

Can Amanda be any more gorgeous? She may not have the best closing skills but daggum. Wowzers.

Tyson: great one-liners and wearing some type of girl’s underwear. Not a good look. Seriously dude.

Can James be stopped? Dude is huge and a beast. Count of him going far.

Can Rob be stopped? He’s much smarter than I’ve ever given him credit for. Well, maybe he is stopped – see next week’s preview!

Cirie, JT, Tom, Stephenie, Parvati – these folks just know the game. They should and probably do have huge targets on their backs.

If you were on the same season together you WILL end up being in an alliance with your past tribemates. Its a fact.

Ok – the immunity challenge:

The ending was shocking to me because Cirie is usually very on-par withthese type challenges. Sugar – not so much. Nor Rupert – but he had to be involved due to his toe (ARGHHH!!!!!) and Amanda…oh Amanda… Give it up to Sandra and Boston Rob to pull the come from behind and give their trash talking a little more street cred. I think the Heroes will be fine in upcoming challenges but they have GOT to get the “Hero” syndrome out of their heads and get back to playing the game and using their physical strength to their advantage. Let’s face it, they may be “ah-shucks” kinda nice and lovable but the Villains are just plain sneaky good.

I won’t go into much about tribal council because it just seemed like quite a bit of filler – it was pretty obvious that Sugar was getting on everyone’s nerves and just was the weakest player. That goes back to why I think Russell will do well – the other players in this season WILL make decisions based on how people play the game and not just on personal grudges. Maybe at least. I will miss Sugar – mainly because she gave me some sugar when I met her! Sweet, fun girl. Oh – and the tribal council set up is totally out of Star Wars – Return of the Jedi. Isn’t that the one with the Ewoks? I can see it now – Probst being carried into tribal by a half dozen or so little furry people.

Ok – like I implied yesterday, I had heard Sugar was the first to be booted but I didn’t know for sure until it happened. I won’t make that mistake again of reading any spoiler sites and I won’t pretend to know any info on upcoming episodes because I truly don’t have a clue. Sorry gamblers – I’m not your man. But I will say who I think looks good after this ONE episode: Everybody but Sugar. And, well, I just can’t see Coach, Tyson or Randy winning or making it very far. Besides that, I think everyone else has a fair shot.

Enough of my ramblings. Comment if you’d like – just keep them clean and fun!

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Preface to a new Survivor season -Feb 11th

So it’s here. The 20th season of Survivor titled Heroes vs. Villains starts tonight. And I’m here to tell you that I’m siked about it! VERY siked. I’m planning on doing  a blog after every episode just to give my thoughts and invite your thoughts as well. This is sure to be an incredible season so why not give an idea of where I think the relationships are going and who’s sitting pretty and conversely, who’s fire is about to be snuffed.

I don’t want to guesstimate on who’s getting the boot this episode because I have a hunch who that’s going to be…but depending on the validity of that “insider info”, I will probably NOT visit any spoiler sites again. Survivor to me is a fun story that is told over a few months time and I’m more interested in the plot line developing than I am in winning a “prop” bet on which team wins immunity first or over what color Jeff’s shirt is.

Forgive me for my typing fyi, I had an incident when playing with my puppy after the Super Bowl and have a broken and cut up finger. If you’re keeping score – she wanted that treat waaaaay more than I did!

Ok - here’s how I see it and this is basic logic and psychology on my end so please no betting!

Heroes: Amanda, Candice, James, Sugar, Cirie, Colby, JT, Rupert, Stephenie & Tom.

Villains: Tyson, Coach, Russell, Randy, Parvati, Danielle, Jerri, Courtney, Rob & Sandra

Who has a good shot? Well that is to be determined on what they bring to the table and how other people perceive them – as a threat, future alliance member or waste of space.

Now here’s what I mean by that:

Threat: Boston Rob, Cirie, JT, James, Tom, Stephenie, Sandra & Parvati. All of which can win the game (or have previous ones) and definitely have an agenda from day one. Some of these guys are extremely liked but are still seen as very strong or cunning.

Alliance members you want on your team: Amanda, Rupert, Colby, Russell. Not that I would trust Russell with anything – but if you get on his good side, you can go a long long way…Natalie anyone? The others are well liked and amiable yet very good players.

Waste of space: DON’T get me wrong – I like each of these players but I just don’t see them fitting into one category or the other and I feel they might n0t be very respected, or just not reliable. They could be worth making an alliance with purely for numbers but they just aren’t going to be a huge factor in the game: Coach, Danielle, Courtney, Jerri, Randy, Candice, Tyson & Sugar. AND a huge PS – I heart these characters and those who I met are incredible people – I just am trying to set the tone for what I see.

Ok - the show is starting soon – so let’s talk afterwards!

Ye-haw!

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