Survivor: Tocantins - Finale

I've been planning a certain something for Coach for a long time now when he got voted out. I thought it was going to be a lot earlier than it was, but all along I was going to write something from his point of view. But, he ended his "reign" in such a ridiculous fashion, I decided to follow suite: So, before I get to the finale, I would like to recite a poem:

My attempts to be a strong warrior and Survivor player,
were challenged even though I tried to avoid Exile island.
I endured criticism from Erinn, Sierra and all the naysayers,
But with unexpected back pain, immunity lost was unplanned,
and the wizard put the final stake into the Dragon Slayer.

(I know it's not the greatest, but give me some credit, ok?!)

The final four, which wasn't a huge surprise was J.T., Stephen, Taj and Erinn. What was the surprise that followed a spider-web challenge built just for J.T., was the outing of Taj. I'm still trying to figure out the reasoning behind this. They said it was because Taj was more of a threat to win individual immunity in the final three than Erinn was and I don't buy that at all. Besides the challenge way back when everybody played water-tackle-basketball, Taj has not been a threat at all. I don't know if Stephen and J.T. were scared that they might not hold up to their promise to be in the final two, which apparently cracked anyway. I think Taj wouldn't have been frustrated at all to be third and she would have probably cast a vote for Stephen. But they pretty much just made their only Jalapao ally very, very angry.

The regret was apparent when the final three returned to camp and Erinn couldn't shut her yapper. Then my pick Stephen decided to start a new gameplan. I think it was called "Self-implode" because from the moment him and Erinn had their little heart to heart, it seemed like Stephen did everything in his power to destroy the great game he had played up to this point. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Erinn, I definitely knew she was smart enough to weasel herself into the final two.

I liked the final immunity challenge because it was different than the endurance ones we are used to seeing, yet it obviously tested your mental prowess. J.T. proved once again that concentration can get you a long way in winning a challenge and Stephen just let his nerves overtake him. Then after this, the bond that seemed to have no faults in it broke. Erinn made an ingenious move by pleading a brilliant case to J.T. to take her to the final two. Now, I don't blame Stephen AT ALL for talking to Erinn, but when J.T. confronted him on it, all he had to say was, "Yes, I talked to her about that, but I wanted to throw her off our game. I wanted to see if she would approach you about it..." There, all is said and done.

I honestly think J.T. was dead set at that point to bring Erinn to the final two, but his plan changed at tribal council because Stephen began to be more talkative than he ever should have been. He answered Jeff's questions so badly, I think J.T.'s plans changed. He saw a jury that would respect him for bringing the strongest player with him (which means more votes) and he now had a jury that hated Stephen at that moment more than Erinn. I do think friendship played into it as well, don't get me wrong, but J.T. was so good at reading people at this game, and at that moment he saw that Stephen would be more hated in the final two than Erinn, which had not been the case up to that point.

I've never been the biggest fan of the final tribal council. It provides for all sorts of akwardness, which I know is the point, but it usually just ends up being a jury full of resentful players getting their last two cents in and being all coy about who their vote is going to be for. Besides for Sierra who took this route, I thought the jury asked great questions for the most part and they were ones that actually made the other two squirm, well Stephen at least. Like Amanda in China and Fans vs. Favorites, Stephen did an awful job of pleading his case. Stephen did a great job in this game... he strategized well, seemed to play the social game well (until the end), and made very strong allies, but none of this shine through. For a while in my mind I had Stephen over J.T., because it did seem like Stephen made the plans and J.T. went along but diverted if it shone a bad light on him (how brilliant was it not to vote for Coach?). But by the end, I thought nobody was more deserving of winning than J.T. I was surprised that Stephen got absolutely no votes, but that's how bad he did at that last tribal council.

I thought it was great to see a final two that had the two strongest players in it, and to see somebody win that I thought absolutely played a flawless game throughout. J.T. was a provider, everybody loved him (although he played a part in everybody getting voted out), he was awesome in challenges, and he alligned himself with the right people at the right time.

Congratulations to Roger for winning this season! At the beginning, I was certain J.T. was going to make it to at least the jury, but usually somebody who is so strong gets a target on his chest early. J.T. played that Southern charm to perfection and he showed that you can play this game with intensity and strategy, but still have everybody love you at the end. By far, one of the top Survivor players ever. Wow, it sounds like I have a man-crush on him too... Great pick Roger...

We have at least two more seasons of Survivor left... it'll be a long summer, but in the meantime watch So You Think You Can Dance, you won't regret it...

Thanks for reading all my updates this spring and being patient for all my delays. I hope you love reading them as much as I like writing them. Also, I think it's time to reapply again, don't you? As always, I have to leave you with some questions...

Will there ever be a more colorful character than Coach? Did you think Taj deserved to be voted out like that? If Erinn were in the final two, would she had a chance at all of winning? Was Stephen his own worst enemy? And would you agree that J.T. is one of the best Survivor players ever...

Until the fall...

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 11

Whitney and I didn't get a chance to watch this week's episode until last night, so here are some quick thoughts. With the episode tonight and the finale on Sunday, I'll have plenty to write about.

* I don't know why Coach was so upset. He wanted Sierra gone. So funny that a person would actually say out loud, "Cowards. Cowards. Cowards. All of them."

* Debbie showed that you got to play consistent in this game. She was a little too strong with her strategizing too late.

* I want to say that Stephen and J.T. better not get bit by the overconfident bug as well, but they seem to still be making smart moves.

* A little disappointed that the auction reward wasn't longer. Those are always fun to watch.

* If you say that you didn't cry at Taj's reaction to seeing Eddie George, you are lying.

* Coach... you brought your assistant coach, really??? More and more I think that a Survivor factory created this man.

* Stephen finally won a challenge! Also, he guaranteed that it will never be used by giving away how he won it.

* I think it was a brilliant move not to tell Coach about Debbie getting the boot. So, when they come back to camp they'll say it was because she had turned on him and he will forget all.

* I know that it is still Stephen, J.T., Taj and Erinn, but I've never seen a not so solid four go so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Erinn gets voted out next because you just don't have to worry that much about Coach at the end.

* This was another great episode. I'm really liking this season. It has me guessing at tribal council almost every time.

I'll try to write another recap before Sunday... wish me luck!

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 10

Wow, I was really surprised. I thought I was going to hear him rant and complain about the vote, but instead Coach and Debbie just sweet talked Stephen and J.T. That was hilarious because people usually go nuts, but it was actually a smart move because if they had, they would have totally shot their chance of winning. It somehow did still prove loyalty to their alliance, despite losing their "leader" Tyson.

Thus came the bragging from Sierra (post-tribal), the emotional thumping of Sierra (the reward challenge), the verbal, yet totally justified bashing of Debbie and Coach from Sierra, the ultimate demise of Sierra (tribal council) and Stephen and J.T. in about the best position that I've ever seen two people be in. I think it was real smart to get Sierra out of there because you now have instilled faith back into Coach and Debbie, yet you still have Taj and I'm guessing Erinn on the other side. It's just a matter of who you think is best to compete with in the end.

By the way, from my memory, this has to be the worst Exile Island yet. It looks so miserable there. I'm glad they didn't replant Bredan's immunity idol. It's nice to not have that as the main focus point of all the strategizing. I think it's funny that the other one hasn't come up yet, but I'm sure everybody is assuming Taj has it.

This particular reward challenge is always entertaining. You always feel sorry for the person who is getting the brunt of it but usually others take some hits as well, but in this case, nobody else took it personal. Coach just laughed when he got called out for his antics. Also, they practically gave Stephen the win on this one. They either are not seeing him as a threat or they are just thinking about everybody else more. I wondered whether or not it was smart to take J.T and Taj on the reward, but it turned out to be just fine because of the fireworks that soon came from the former members of Timbira (more on that in a sec). I wonder how Erinn felt about being sent to Exile though. If I were the former members of Jalapao, I would work real hard to solidify her as "the fourth" as soon as she got back.

So, that was some intense fighting that went on. It just wasn't people getting upset at people, but you could tell Debbie was really hurt. I don't know if it was more frustration or what, but things really came to a boiling point. Especially when we got to see, *GASP*, Coach get caught in a lie. Seeing him squirm both at that point and at tribal council was, I'm sure, a huge victory for the millions who watch this show. I think Sierra will be more proud of the fact that she got Coach to lie versus not winning the game.

And how about Coach winning immunity... Just when his ego seemed to get a little bit smaller, this challenge has to come around and ruin it for everybody! I wonder if National Geographic will do a documentary about this legendary win?

As a close, I just want to point out that I'm glad that they gave some focus on Debbie this episode. From the pre-interviews, she seemed like she was more than just the older woman who rode coattails but then she got lost among the shuffle of eccentric characters this season. I'm glad to see that some of premonitions were right as we were able to glimpse that one, she does want to win, two, she is strategizing with the best of them, and three, she will continue to do so as next's week teaser seems to suggest. I don't think it will be enough for her to win, but she could easily take it like Tina did in Season 2 if things fall in place for her.

So... did you enjoy seeing Coach getting caught in a lie? Are Stephen and J.T. in the best position ever? Do you think Debbie is a strong player? Did you think they made the right choice to vote Sierra out?

And most importantly, are you going to cry in next week's family reward challenge? (I'm going to laugh if the Eddie George ends up coming back to camp).

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 9

I knew it! I knew J.T. and Stephen wouldn't be as loyal to Tyson and Coach! Now, I didn't know that it would be this early on, but I feel like I sorta called it, right? :) The episode began with Sierra's reaction, which in honesty drove me up the wall! I'm sorry, but I felt no pity for her. I hate it when people try to save themselves by trying to make others feel sorry for them. Why don't you instead try to approach people with, "Hey, I screwed up, my strategy didn't work. Let's see what we can do to get YOU further in the game." You being the key word there, because as soon as you start saying, "Save me!" people are going to shut you off. Just like Tyson did... my goodness, what did you think about that little confrontation? I thought Tyson was telling her what she needed to hear, but that was rough. He was basically talking down to somebody else who was about the same age. It was a little funny, but almost a little too brutal.

We had the classic "visit the natives" reward challenge which is never too interesting. It always seems that somebody ends up throwing up, whether it is drinking too much, or in this case, eating too much. And poor Stephen had to spend another three days by himself on exile island. I think you forget how rough it is out there, especially by yourself. At least last year on Gabon they had a hut and hammock they could enjoy.

The immunity challenge was interesting and a good one. Of course the rain and cold added so much more to it all, especially with the option to chow down on some pizza under a covered tarp. I totally didn't blame Stephen for going, being on Exile, but I was a little surprised that J.T. went. Not surprised at all by Coach's decision and if I were Tyson, I would have been mad too. I've always said that if it were me, I didn't care what position I was in, I would play the challenge. I know that's easier said because I've never been starving like that before, but it just throws too much limelight on you.

Sierra ALMOST won it, but Debra had a perfect shot that shattered her hopes, for the time being. I had the chance to play shuffle board this past weekend, and I admire Debra's more than clutch shot. Which led to a great post strategy session amongst everybody. Erinn created an ingenious idea to get Tyson off. If you are her, you are getting a power player out of the way who happens to not like you and you are strengthening position to go with J.T. and Stephen. Now, you have to give J.T. and Stephen the huge credit for implementing the change. I think that no doubt Tyson and Coach would've stuck with them, but they were smart enough to realize they had a better chance of winning not having to strategize or compete with them at the end.

Once again the overconfidence bug hit, and Tyson, Coach and Debra were stunned. I thought it was brilliant to not include Sierra in the plan, because who knows how she would have acted around Tyson and Coach before tribal council. I honestly didn't think Tyson was gone, but I'm glad that the overall editing of the show surprised us as much as Tyson was surprised.

Now I'm sure the next episode, if it the past ones haven't already, will be the Coach show. I bet we are going to hear the tirade of honesty and integrity being broken, and how the spirits of the land will not be so kind to Stephen and J.T. who have for certain now lost their warrior status. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Sierra will have a huge decision to make to be on the bottom rung of one alliance (Coach, Debra, Erinn) or the other (J.T., Stephen, or Taj). I don't know where Erinn plays in all of that, but she's put herself in a very interesting position to float to either side that probably won't provide too much backlash against her.

So... Were you shocked that Tyson was eliminated? Were you as annoyed as I was by Sierra's attitude? How mad will Coach be, REALLY? And who do you think has the best chance of winning right now (I think J.T.)?

Practicing my shuffle board skills,

Nathan

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 6-8

Yeah, I realize I haven't written one of these in a while. I really don't have a good excuse... but by the flood of emails I got wondering where they were, I thought I better get back into it.

Rather than trying to recap all three I'll just try to jump in. But too the departed Sydney and Joe... Sydney had the potential to go far because she was a loyal vote, but the tribe did right by keeping Taj, because she will be even more devoted and maybe possibly make a not-so-smart move that will help Stephen and J.T. (they are really playing her at the moment). Joe happened to have bad luck with the infected knee, but I didn't see him going very far. I don't see how a guy like him didn't get in better with J.T. and Stephen except for the fact that he really liked the pretty women, who in this game, happened not to be strong players.

Now to this past episode... I can't remember a tribe going into a merge with the numbers be so divided so early on. The old tribe of Jalapao didn't have to do anything at all. I think it's just plain crazy that Timbira turned on their own so quick. Stephen and J.T., especially lucked into it. They said that they are the power players right now, and it's true. I really wouldn't count on them being totally faithful to Coach and Tyson. They are in such a great position right now and you can't forget how pivitol Taj and Erinn may be for them down the road. I think Tyson and Coach will stay true to them, but think of this scenario... If Sierra goes next (which according the teaser seems like she will), you now have a situation where you recruit Taj and Erinn (who probably won't be huge factors in individual immunity), blindside Tyson, then pick off Coach and Debra. As strong as Tyson has been in the challenges, I don't think you will want to go against him at the end.

Going back to J.T., what is it about this guy that everybody loves? Obviously people aren't seeing how devious he can be, but he is just one of those guys that girls love and that other guys want to be. Coach obviously had a man crush on him and Brendan had one little boating adventure with him and he was ready to take him to the finals! I really liked Brendan. I really don't know why the others turned on him so quick. He came off as so likable in his interviews, was he just rude to everybody else? He was really smart, really athletic, and a natural born leader, but he got caught by the biggest snake in this game, overconfidence. Plain and simple. He should've taken advantage of J.T. and Stephen...like I hate to say... Coach.

Ok, no bones about it, this is the season of Coach. The producers know everybody hates him, therefore they are going to show him more and more. (I call it the Richard Hatch syndrom) I am really surprised he has made it this far, I would've never guessed that would've happen, but he has something where he does get strong players (Tyson, J.T.) to allign with him. I loved that one quote Tyson had, "Coach says one thing and everybody hates him, I say the same thing and everybody laughs). Coach will get burned in this game, I guarantee it, which means I am already dreading his jury speech.

I know I keep saying it, but this is a great season. I'm really enjoying it and they did a wonderful job with the casting. A lot can still happen, and at this point of the game, it's always exciting when that's the case.

So did you believe Coach's story (I can't tell you how much I rolled my eyes. I loved Brendan challenging him on it)? Are you finding Tyson as entertaining as me? Are Stephen and J.T. truly the power players right now? What do you think Brendan could've done better? And why is it you get depressed as soon as Sierra talks?

Trying to stay on track,

The Dragon Slayer

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 5

This season might officially be deemed as the season of great challenges! They have been so entertaining so far and I know I keep going on and on about this, but over the past couple of seasons I have zoned out as soon as Probst says, "Do you want to know what you are playing for?"

The spin reward challenge was hilarious but competitive, and actually had some strategy behind it. Then the net challenge, which as far as I could remember was new but similar in past styles on the season. But it cemented its legacy in Survivor history by JT's chipped tooth. Of course he had to toss it aside like it was a booger, to just add to the manly man credibility that he already established way back during his first interview when his thick Alabama accent first crawled out of his then pearly white teethed-mouth. I love Jeff Probst's improve nature of making sure they recovered the tooth, just so he could leave the challenge by saying, "All I have for you is J.T.'s tooth." Classic Probst... I honestly thought he got it to auction off on the Survivor website.

I'm interested to see what Tyson does in this game. He seems to be holding back a little back and staying in the middle, but I bet he makes a big move in a big way. The reason I say this is his keeness to notice Brendan's choice of taking Stephen to Exile Island. I wonder if Brendan is truly the next to go if Timbira looses.

The letter reward, of course, is always heartbreaking. It really makes you think about how weird it would be away from any kind of contact from your friends and family. But this one was a little different in two comments... Joe's about how his Dad hardly gives compliments and J.T. saying that his mom said "I love you" for only something like the fourth time. They tried to play it off as much as they could, but wow, it really shows what distance from your loved ones can do, on both sides.

Now I am definitely one to know that Survivor has a formula, but it seems to be getting really apparent this season about who is going to go. There was Spencer's profile piece this episode, Sandy's rant about Sydney last episode, etc. It takes the drama out a bit about who is going to win the immunity challenge and also who will be going home. I wish they were a little bit more clever on how to approach this.

Thankfully the challenge was yet again entertaining and we went back to Jalapao camp where there was a bit of a self destruction moment. They did let one slip by and I wonder how much of Taj's outburst was her personality or that she had the immunity idol. Well... scratch that, Stephen has it in his possesion for some odd reason. Like him, I wouldn't mind at all, but it's funny that Taj trusts him that much to GIVE it to him. She could have easily been voted out this episode and not have known it. Stephen will be in odd predicaments like this the rest of the game, but I bet he may not be entirely true to this secret alliance. Especially if Brendan is the next one to go if Timbira loses.

I was a little surprised by Spencer's exit. Not because he messed up the challenge (where was Sydney, Taj towards the end, etc.) but as a fan who has watched the show since day 1, I was surprised he didn't fight more. I think all it would have took was some sucking up to J.T. and Joe with an apology, but he really showed his age during that really awkard scene in the pond. He just didn't seem to be really close to anybody and although most of his tribe was young, there was still a disconnect there.

Sorry for the loss Kacey. I know how it feels to go out early, but sometimes it helps (at least for me). When I went out early last season, I wasn't quite as nervous when I watched it. I thought Spencer was a good pick because he seemed a lot smarter than Eric from Fans vs. Favorites, but I think he just got a little to self-conscious and too hard on himself after that last challenge.

So were you impressed with the tooth throw away? Did you think Spencer could have saved himself? Will the secret alliance stay intact?

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 4

Now I was definitely not a big fan of Sandy, at ALL, but I actually felt pretty bad for her last night. Although you pretty much knew the outcome, I think the vote last night will be one of the most crucial turning points of the game. Sandy really had the unfortunate luck of not just being on a tribe that was young, but really a season where everybody seems young. That had to be a tough vote for the group. Sandy really helped a lot in the challenges and Sydney will be one of those contestants that might ride some coattails. During tribal council, she didn't necessarily come off that she was really playing hard or cared. But when somebody annoys you, especially the way Sandy's personality was, it's hard to keep her. And you know, she could've been a REALLY wild card in the future.

It's always nice to see things even out. Even though it is so much easier to like the orange tribe, when things go back and forth, it just makes the whole season more interesting all around. It's so hard to even think of the last season where the challenges have been so close. Having the weight challenge come down to just the girls and then the puzzle challenge basically ending as close as it could had to be a producer's dream. Like I mentioned in the last email, the right people are getting voted out early which will provide for more and more drama as the season goes along.

As soon as I say how great the secret alliance is, the show teases that Tyson catches on to it and that Taj rubs her tribemates the wrong way. So I don't know how valid these next comments will be... but how lucky was it that Sierra picked Taj? And was it that hard for Brendan to find time to talk to Sierra? He almost blew that whole thing. Speaking of Sierra... when Taj basically gave her an invitation to win the game, her reaction was basically as if Taj said, "Sierra, guess what? You breathe air!" Even if this thing falls apart, I think Stephen is in the best place because you can always rely on your fishing buddy to pull you through (I'm referring to JT of course).

I think JT is going to be a dangerous player. I think he's definitely playing that "good ol' boy" card but I bet he can be just as ruthless as Tyson. Well, maybe not as much as Tyson. I love Tyson's sarcasm, although I bet some don't at all. He is a professional cyclist and as Whitney pointed out, you can tell that he wants to win, but I bet he doesn't need the cash. Which makes him a threat because I bet he will play hard just for the heck of it and being a competitor, he won't want to lose just based on principle.

So, now for your thoughts... will the secret alliance hold up? Are you relieved that Sandy is gone or do you like Sydney's coy ways? Have you been more entertained by the challenges this season? And who do you think has the best chance to win: Brendan? Taj? JT? Tyson? I think there are still a lot of possibilities out there, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 2 & 3

Well, I'm back! In addition, we have a couple of more people added to the list! My ultimate goal is to get my updates syndicated somewhere, so spread the word... I'm kidding of course :) Unless you really know somebody that is.... Kidding aside, always let me know if you want me to pass this along to anybody else, I would love to add them to the list.

Now to the actual events at hand. We watched these two episodes the night after we got back from my honeymoon, so if I can't quite recall everything that happened from being so tired, my apologies. Overall, I already like this season better than last years. The cast is very likable, save a few, and so far everybody that has been voted out has not been too big of a surprise or somebody you might really miss. Maybe except for Jerry who had a great personality, but you could tell that his heart wasn't into the whole thing. Not saying that he wasn't sick, it's just that he didn't do any strategizing to save himself and if he had done just a little, they would have sure kept him. All that to say, it seems as if the show is setting everything up to have strong players at the end, unlike last season where you had not very good players at the end or so-so players who thought they were the best ever (cough cough... Kenny... cough cough).

The really physical challenges are always pretty entertaining to watch. I'm surprised more people don't come out of those really hurt. The water basketball was great T.V. all around. It starts to rain, people are beating up each other, there were unlikely heros and a comeback, what more can you ask for? From the other challenges that followed, I hope this doesn't become a trend like last year where one tribe continues to win, thus forcing a tribal shakeup. There was a lot of backlash from doing that last year, so maybe they will stay clear of it this time around.

I felt bad for Candace. She was really a huge asset for her tribe in that challenge and that totally got overlooked because of Coach? I could really rail on this guy, but I bet his exit is fast approaching, so I'll save it to then. One thing I do think is that he comes off worse in his interviews because his tribe really do seem to like him, but I bet he'll get old to them quick. Which by the way, the last tribal council was hilarious because you could tell how much he was bothered by the fact that they wanted Brendan as a leader and not him. I was a little confused though because Coach and Tyson seemed surprised when Jerry was voted out, but maybe it was for show so Jerry didn't leave mad at them. It was a good move by their tribe though. At this point, they really have to win challenges and if they voted Erinn out, they would probably be sealing their fate. Besides Sandy, Jalapeño (I know that isn't the actual name, but c'mon, when it is so close you can't help but think of the Mexican treat) is a very strong tribe, so it's hard picturing them losing many more challenges.

I think it's kind of funny that there are two idols on those beaches that haven't been found yet. That hole that Brendan and Sierra dug was huge! Were they planning on killing Coach and burying him there? I think I would have stopped at the 4 foot mark. Thank goodness Sierra came up with a story when Debra discovered the hole because poor Brendan just looked like a deer in headlights. Speaking of Brendan, I think he constantly has a sad puppy dog look on his face. So far everything is falling into place for him and the friendship between him and Taj seems to be working out well. I honestly don't know how you couldn't think of doing a secret alliance like that, so it'll be cool to see how it plays out without the other survivors becoming suspicious.

Taj is quite a character. She seems ultra cool, smart and athletic. I wonder if it'll make her too big of a target. For me personally, I can't root against her because of two things. One, she's bringing my two picks, Stephen and Sierra into her alliance. Two, her husband is Eddie George. He didn't play long or that great for the Cowboys, but he was a Cowboy, so that makes her okay in my book. I would've reacted to that revelation just like J.T. and Joe, and I think it's hilarious that Stephen had no clue.

I still think this could be anyone's game and at this moment it's hard to pinpoint a strong winner, without having to decipher it through the editing of the show. I'll be a little bit more descriptive about the next episode and the events that will happen, so I hope this two-episode recap has been all right. I haven't seen the new one yet, but I'll be caught up soon enough. And I can't ask too many questions to you because you are probably caught up as well, so I'll save those.

Thanks for reading and practice on your dramatic Erinn sneers as taught by Coach!

Survivor Gabon: Week 12 - Finale

Congrats to Ty (my Dad) winning Survivor: Gabon! I taught him everything I know. Ha ha... Actually, here's a bit of trivia for you, my parents introduced me to Survivor after college when I started to watch Survivor: Vanuatu with them. So, you can blame them for all these emails!

So we return to camp with Kenny still fuming over the fact that Bob wouldn't give him the necklace even though he was going to take him out if he did. Yeah, sounds fair to me. Then Sugar makes a huge move by immediately going to Kenny, before the challenge, and talking to him as if he's the leader and Bob is the next to go, not Kenny. Kenny felt secure from that point and all was undone. The challenge was quite elaborate, as the next-to-last ones usually are. Although it didn't seem quite as tough to me. And once again Bob won it! It was a bit closer this time, but still, pretty amazing that he tied the record for the most consecutive wins.

You knew something was going to happen with Susie getting so much air time, but the producers fooled me when tribal council came around. I thought they really were going to vote Susie off because I think we saw more of Kenny's strategy on interviews than his real persona around camp. Don't get me wrong here, I was really glad to see him go! I'm all for strategic players to win the game, but when they are cocky and refer to themselves in the third person, I can't stand it. I thought he once again unraveled at tribal council by calling Bob again. He really didn't need to do that, plus Bob exposed his plan! He was really dead then. My hate almost dissolved as he graciously left the game and seemed like a good sport in his confessional. Then I turned again at the last tribal council and then turned again during the reunion (more on that later).

So then there was a final four that I would have never, ever predicted. And as Susie got more and more interview time, you knew something was going to happen. I thought this was a great challenge. I personally like to see them sweat it out, but I think they assumed Matty would win quickly. I thought Susie was brilliant for just stopping while the others panicked. She played it very, very well. We finally got to see more air time of her as they headed back to camp, and trust me, I'm glad they didn't focus on her the whole season. They showed Bob getting real upset, and I was just as annoyed as he was, and we only saw 5 minutes of it! I'm totally with Susie that it was a huge shock, but honestly, ease it down a bit.

Then Sugar once again throws her wits up in the air and sees where it lands and basically gives Bob a million dollars. Now, if I was her and I wanted to win a million dollars, it would be a predicament of who to vote for as well, so I thought her choice would've been noble if she hadn't told Bob about it. Basically blindsiding Matty. How relieved was Bob? He knew he had it, and how smart of him to go practice. So we had to say goodbye to Matty. His game this season was... interesting... I would like to say he made some power moves, but he really didn't. He did great of not getting voted out, but he lacked a solid friendship and alliance with anybody, except Susie (which we never really saw). But it looks like that if he had won that fire challenge, he would have won a million. Now that would have been something.

Which then led to the final tribal council where Bob pretty much dominated by answering straight and letting the other two girls bury themselves. I'm sorry Susie, just trying to prove something to your family isn't going to do it. Why didn't she mention turning the game on its heels by voting Marcus out? Winning two immunity challenges, especially the last one! I know I don't have any children, but I think there are better ways to prove to them that trying is valuable asset than going on Survivor. If I'm going on Survivor, I want to win a million dollars! If I wanted to prove to people that I can try or do something, I'm going to do a marathon or go on a diet. Not go across the world away from all my close ones!

And as far as Sugar goes... this is why I couldn't take her as a viable strong player. You can't make all those moves and then just not even try to get a million dollars. Her moves were totally to just do what Sugar wanted to do, not to win a game. As I mentioned earlier, she basically gave Bob a million dollars. The last two votes I was really gaining respect for her and then she flushed all down in the toilet. It boggles my mind that there's been 17 seasons of Survivor and people still blow it at these tribal councils. I'm sure it is really stressful, but I think the key is to just be upfront and honest about your game, whether you have been the nicest guy ever or malicious. Bob obviously has watched Survivor before and I loved is answer to Matty's question, "Why do these girls deserve a million dollars?" Bob: "They don't."

This was a relatively boring last council save Corinne's comments. I just don't understand when people consciously decide to be that mean. I think Corinne just loves to have attention on her and I think she was on the show to become a famous actress. Why else would you act like that? And the way she referred to "the edit" at the reunion show was just a gesture to all the producers out there in L.A.

I thought it was funny that nobody answered Randy the way he wanted to. Matty did not need to wear that tank-top. Kenny once again pouted way too much and was a drama king with his pacing. Marcus didn't look too smart with his boring questions. I completely forgot what Crystal asked. And Charlie is as nice as ever.

Which thankfully led to a victory by Bob! Such a deserved win. And Susie with three votes? Can you imagined if she had won? Bob probably could've been a bit more aggressive in his answers at the last tribal council and gotten one more vote or so, but thankfully he won. He did great at staying in the middle and playing hard when it counted. I think he made some wrong moves here and there, but he never lingered on them. You always like it when these type of people win Survivor. He played a pretty honest game and at the end, I think everybody still likes him, even Randy.

The reunion show really just kind of reflected the season. It was good, but not great. Way too much attention on Corinne for my taste. Randy came off a bit odd, but he does have a biting humor. I loved his response about cheating in school. I was really glad to see Kenny admit that he got way too cocky. This is where I forgave him once again. You could tell he was in a totally different mode out there, just like we are between our homes and work. He saw it as work, which he should have, but it actually seems that he's going to take away a life lesson from this game.

Oh, and Michelle is really one weird girl. Termites beware!

I have to admit, the past couple of episodes have been really good. They really saved this season. It didn't stay predictable and I guess that's what happens when an strong alliance of four gets broken up. Somebody won that totally deserved to win, and I'm usually always happy at that. But if you like this show as much as me, I'm really wanting to see something fresh this coming season in Brazil. This was the first time I really started to get bogged down by the cliches of the show. I mean, I know it's going to be there after 8 years of being on T.V., but I think that this season proved that by having too many contestants that are generally mean-natured doesn't necessarily mean a compelling season. Nastiness doesn't always collide with strategy. This season went a step back towards it's usual formula, so we'll see if Brazil has some new tricks up its sleeve.

What changes would you like to see? Do you think there are way too many hidden immunity idols? Should Exile Island be done away with?

Were you happy that Bob won? How would you rank the show?

As always, it's been fun and we'll gear up for next season! We can't let Ty enjoy that trophy too much!

Survivor Gabon: Week 9

Does anybody want a cookie?

What an entertaining episode! This season really needed an episode like this one. Everything about it was really good... high tension, comedy, blindsides, strategy...

I'm going to go ahead and talk about Randy. I have always been so uneven about how I felt about him. He is a great character for this show, you can't deny that and he has really saved this season in a lot of ways. He is almost so miserable though, and so aware of it, you really lose the ability to hate to love him. That said, I kind of liked his strategy to go completely crazy on everybody. I think it mainly stems from the fact that I could never be that crass and rude, but there really was some intelligence behind what he was trying to do. Too bad for him it completely backfired in every sense of the word.

I always really enjoy the auction reward session. It is always a lot of fun to watch and there is still a lot of strategy that comes to play. You can tell the survivors really enjoy it, and the whole cookie scenario was just not hilarious, but ridiculous and unnecessary at the same time. Regardless of what point Sugar was trying to make, she should have taken the cookie! It's food that you aren't just going to get. Randy was being sarcastic with his motive, but who really cares? Although Randy would have probably still followed through of his plan of just being plain mean, Sugar really added a lot of fuel to the fire that didn't need to be there. But really, it couldn't have gone down more perfectly if you are a fan of Survivor at all.

I thought the immunity challenge was very interesting in setting up those blocks in the domino position. That had to be so challenging to line all of those up correctly but doing it in a fast manner. It kind of lost the drama because Randy wasn't in it, but it was still a good one. I was rooting for Corinne.

Then craziness ensued both back at camp and then tribal council. I still can't grasp why Bob made the move he did. I don't blame him at all with trying to make friends on the other side, but I don't know if Sugar is the one to do so. She hasn't really proven to be loyal to anybody, but I know Bob had to get in somehow, but I really didn't see the need to blindside and hurt a person in your alliance... in other words, a "friend" who sits on the jury. Now, he voted for Susie with Corinne and Randy, and according to the teaser, it seems like he is going to pass it off as an idol that Marcus gave him. I might be wrong there though. He said that he really didn't see how the idol was going to help him, but I really think it could have. It was that convincing! We'll see how his thinking pays off and it could prove to be a MAJOR move in the game, but I'm still baffled by it. Not so much turning against an ally, but really embarrassing him in the process. Just call it a hunch, but I think Randy would be one to hold grudges.

This tribal council had to go down as one of the most hilarious ones, by far. Randy had it coming, no doubt, but when Crystal yelled at the camera, I lost it (my parents and whitney can back this one up). That was soooo funny and I almost think that only Crystal could have pulled that off.

I know I'm forgetting some major things, but it's late and I need to call it a night. Either Corinne goes down in the next episode, or there will be a major shake up due to Bob's leading. If him and Corinne are smart, they could coax Sugar and Matty to come to their side. Sugar is 5th on the totem pole, if not Matty as well. But let's see if they are smart enough to make some moves on their own.

Did you enjoy the episode as much as me? Are you going to miss Randy? Can you fathom Bob's move?

Have a great Turkey day and go Cowboys and Sooners!

Survivor Gabon: Week 8

The tribes have merged which to me is always the official, "Game on!" Fang was of course shocked to see Marcus gone, which they should have been and it was quite funny to see Matty try to repress a smile. I know I keep saying this, but I've really liked the challenges this year. That 3-course slingshot golf course was pretty dang impressive. How long did that take to make and how much money did they spend on it? Well, it was well worth it to see Randy and Matty go nuts. Something tells me that feud isn't quite over yet, if Randy doesn't get voted out of the next tribal council. The reward was the thing we always come to except from Survivor except nobody got drunk this time. Bob's fake immunity idol actually looked really convincing and I think he could really fake out a lot of people with that thing. I kinda predict a big move because of that thing.

Which then led to the individual immunity challenge where Sugar and Susie were the front runners! They haven't shown it much, but it does seem like Susie is a incredible hard worker at camp. I'm glad that the spotlight shone on the fact that women can indeed start a fire without men and it was funny to see Matty and Randy cringe at that fact. This then led to the always fun "who is going to go" scramble. It's so funny to see people pretend that they aren't leaving the base camp to strategize, but what else are they doing? You know which people were voting for who, but once again it came to Sugar who has somehow managed to still not make an alliance, but will probably be in the top four due to the immunity idol. Did everybody forget that she had it? Are they even going to try to snuff it out?

So far, the way they are building the show this season, all signs are pointing to Kenny to win it. I will admit he is making some strong moves and obviously he is the leader of his alliance (is it funny to anyone else that the former Olympic champion and a videogamer are such strong friends? Only in Survivor...) The thing with Kenny is that I don't hate him nor love him. He's made the right moves at the right time, but I don't think he will be put up there in the all time greatest strategic Survivor players. Too many of his moves come out of malicious intent. Do you guys feel the same way?

So Charlie was blindsided, which was kinda sad because I liked Charlie. He brought a lot of niceness to a game that is filled with ill intent. I personally would have gone after the other three because they have been bigger threats to win challenges and I think Corinne and Randy strategize just as much as Charlie did. At least Marcus and him are buddies though!

So, who do you think has the best chance of winning right now? Will Bob, Corinne and Randy be able to survive against the other 5, and most importantly, do you think the other 5 will stick together? What do you think of Kenny?

Call me if you want to go sling-shot golfing anytime soon!

Survivor Gabon: Week 6

Well, I must be loosing my touch. Once again, I'm out of the game early. Early as in before the merge! I guess writing these updates aren't helping my luck too much.

I think that this is officially the worst Survivor season that I have watched so far. Whitney and I were talking a bit about it and we just don't have any connections to the players. There just isn't anybody I can really get behind. Is it that I just have been plagued by the Survivor cliches? I sure hope not... I mean, there really isn't a James or a Yao Man from this season. I guess Bob would be one, but he's really not given much screen time. By the way, Bob looks like a cartoon turned into a human person. And what was up with his little squeals of delight? Now, if you know me at all you know that I can't criticize somebody tearing up, but that was just weird, ha ha.

I've said it many time so far this season, it just stinks to see a team lose and lose and lose and lose and lose. This season has actually had some great challenges, but they fall by the wayside when one team is so weak. The reward challenge was a great set up, but was over just as quick as it started. I wonder if Crystal will ever get a second breath of fresh air. Her tribe chose Sugar over her to participate in that challenge... I like Crystal a lot, but she is a candid proof of how much this game can wear on somebody physically and mentally. She looked as if she could really control things, but all this loosing is really getting to her.

By the way, did Randy not get any letters from the reward challenge? Do people in real life dislike him as much I do? Ha ha. Randy has really proved to be a strong competitor in this game. I don't think he is nearly as nasty as his testimonials. I'm not saying that the sarcasm isn't there, but I think it's a lot of show. For him to ease into that alliance over Bob shows that he must have some redeeming qualities. I wonder if he'll stick with those 4 because if it doesn't benefit him, I could easily see him turning things upside down.

It was a good idea to do a double elimination and the log roll was a great competition to have. It was entertaining to see everybody participate and of course there were some surprises of who advanced. Kudos to Marcus for giving the necklace to Sugar. Very strategic without coming across as mean-spirited. He's a bright guy... you just wonder when that target will form on his back.

The good thing about this challenge is that it finally made Kota scramble, but the bad thing is that it may have taken two of the more entertaining players out of the game. I didn't hate Ace nor really, really like him, but he was pretty entertaining. I was just interested to see if he would do anything in the merge. Yes, Dan was a bit annoying, but how exciting would've Kota been without him? You could tell he was a really nice guy, but just wore the game a little too much on his sleeve. I think it was very smart for the tribe to split their votes. Now they know for sure that Sugar must have the necklace and if Dan had played it... great, Susie's gone! They lost somebody who could have helped in challenges, but honestly, how many were they going to lose against Fang, especially with Ace gone now.

I'm a little confused by Sugar's move to blind-side Ace. On one hand, she really didn't need Ace. All he constantly did was ask for her immunity necklace and she had to know that Matty wasn't necessarily really keen on her. How many scenes were there of those two strategizing? Not many... But on the other hand, Ace really was the only person she was connected to. I think she knew what she was doing and although Kenny's lies planted the seed, I don't think she believed him and decided to do it on her own. I'm not sure what she is going to do now. Nobody on Kota likes her and Kenny and Crystal will just like her for some votes, so she either goes far just because everybody knows she has the necklace, or she uses it wisely to form some alliance when the merge happens.

Any thoughts? Good move by Sugar? Does Randy have a chance to win this game? Will a merge ever happen?

Have a great week and be careful not to spill your rice!

Survivor Gabon: Week 5

Finally! A really good episode this season. It really needed an episode like this one. The strategy part of the game rose a bit and there was actual drama in the immunity challenge and tribal council.

I think it was a real good thing for Ace & Matty to form something. They both are in awful positions, and I don't know if much will change going into the merge. There was something about it though that you didn't quite believe. I almost predict something where Ace turns his back on Matty...Matty gets voted off...and while part of the jury he will glare menacingly at Ace until he is voted out. I think Matty has the most heart of a competitor that I have seen in a long time, but I just don't quite think that the brains are there.

I always like the reward challenge that they used where the contestants have to catch each other. It looks sooo exhausting and I can't imagine trying to do that with as little food Fang has had. You can tell that it didn't quite go as long as similar challenges have in the past. It was a true testament of how little food that Fang has.

What an amazing immunity challenge! Overall, I really don't like anybody on the Fang tribe, but I was rooting for them so much to win! How brilliant of Matty & Kenny to climb over those obstacles (I can't believe I used the word brilliant with these two). I'll get back to Kenny boy in a second. But alas, the team fell apart at the end. As said in the previous email, I hate it when there is a tribe that consistently looses, but at least they brought some drama back to the camp. I really didn't know what was going on for a while and why in the world Sugar would tell Kenny about the hidden immunity idol!

I'll break here to talk about Ken. You can tell he is a smart guy, but he is taken his "gamer" title far too seriously and there are times he just needs to sit back. Every time he needs to make a big decision, it's an awful one. That's my opinion at least.

There was a lot of drama at tribal council with everybody seeming to throw everybody under the bus, but they were really smart to get rid of Kelly. She kind of sealed her fate by what she said, if others had any doubt at all, but if they want to win any sort of challenge at all, she probably was the best one to go.

Like I said earlier, I really had fun with this one. It finally kind of felt like a Survivor episode and it had a great tease for the next episode. It's a smart move to make both tribes figure out who to vote out. Fang was probably going to have to vote somebody off anyway, and let Kota finally feel what's it like to scramble. And who has the immunity idol exactly? Ace or Sugar? So confusing.... which I really like.

So, did you like this episode like I did? Is Crystal too emotional and a disappointment in the challenges? What do you think about Randy? Do you love to hate him, or just hate him?