Survivor Tocantins: Final Episode and Reunion Discussion Thread

[dr.strangelove]

Maybe the BEST final tribal ever. Certainly up there with the first one. Yet this time,l it was not a bitter juror that made it so good, it was the contestants themselves. Steven was shooting himself in the foot every time he opened his mouth. It was crazy.

I was sure going in that Stephen would turn on JT. If JT did not win those two idols, he would have been sent home. And for good reason. He was unbeatable. It started to look bad once they got back from voting out Coach when JT and Steven started in on each other about who looked worse after the coach vote.

I still have to tip my have to the Jalapeno three, who came in to the merge down 6-3 and picked off each of the other team members. It was amazing.

The spider challenge seemed a bit of a letdown to me. I thought for sure that it would be harder. It was physical to climb through, but I wanted something that had more of a multiple puzzle and a hard physical part. It was a bit of a let down. I was cheering for Erinn at the end, just to see the upset. But I tip my hat to JT, sho is bright, fit and strong.

I was SHOCKED at the elimination of Taj. I would have put her int eh final three no matter what. Oh well. Taj was great fun to watch and learn from. She became cooler and tougher each time I saw her on exile. Her exile alliance, while it did not pan out, was a great idea. In only Brandon would have tipped his hat to her. He was the smart one though. He wanted to get rid of JT first, then use the alliance. HE knew the threat and wanted to keep in control.

The final challenge sucked. I know it was really hard, but how boring. I like those long drawn out standing challenges to end the game. We had the obligatory walk though the torches, which was nice. I forgot how much I liked Carolina and how much Sandy annoyed me. I knew Erinn was going home. No way JT could be JT and not keep his word. Its part of his charm. I have to say, I think I understood what Steven was saying about that breakfast. he is just so inarticulate it did not come across. I think he was saying, that the goal of setting out an impossible task, then doing it each step, is only truly complete when you get to finish it off.

The final tribal was amazing. I think Steven put forth his best argument, that he should have had his ass kicked by the physical part of the game, yet he hung in there and fought back the elements. JT just was JT. He was destined to win, if he was there. No one could have beaten him.

I loved watching them The jury addresses Stephen and JT, asking them vital questions to help them decide who is the most worthy of the million-dollar turn against each other. Steven tries to push forward that he outwitted everyone, which he did. But he started to early down the path of letting others know JT was in on the mental game. It gave JT the card he missed, that he did plan out the game too. So now it was just the mental game, against the whole package.

Anyway, GREAT season. I loved it. Coach should get his own show, but I think I would turn it off after a few laughs at his expense. JT, you rock. I hope Alabama is proud.

In our DU pick a survivor game, MaineDem won the game. Congrats. JT did not look like much in the TV Guide preview or at the beginning, but he was a force. He rivals Ozzy for most dominant survivor ever. I loved watching him play.

[Demit]

1. Coach on his own show would use up all his material in the first episode.

He was already starting to repeat himself—the cartoon fantasy philosophy of dragons and warriors and wizards, the Nietzsche quotes. And wasn't that a weird bit, the 'lady friend' he brought. Who uses that phrase anymore besides 88 year old aunts? And again with the assistant coaches? What, no warriors or wizards among his friends? Or no friends?

I'm glad everything worked out the way it did (with the exception of them voting out Taj. That was a rare misstep). But I hope the show thinks about changing how the $100K popularity prize is decided. It should take the million dollar winner out of consideration—after all, they've just won a million dollars—and give the rest of the contestants a chance at the consolation prize. But I do think this was one of the best seasons ever.

Next season, Samoa!

[dr.strangelove]

2. I agree on the prize

We need to get that prize out of the hands of the winner. It should be a prize for the rest. I was pulling for Taj on that one.

[lpbk2713]

3. I've gotta give Stephen credit for his honesty.

But I knew he sealed his fate with the jury by telling Debbie that he would have rolled over on JT.
I'm glad she pressed him for an answer. Jeff said JT was the second winner to have received a totally
unanimous vote. I've been trying to think of who the first was. Can anyone help?

[Duer 157099]

4. More than anything else, you know what strikes me the most at these final shows?

I know this will sound weird, but I actually like the way the people look while they're contestants. They look completely natural to me. When they show them all cleaned up and shaven and dressed up, they just look artificial to me. JT looked SO MUCH better when he was unshaven and a mess. I have found the same thing season after season, that I preferred the way ALL of them looked when they were au natural. I never had thought about it until noticing my reaction to the Survivor casts. That is, it was only after a few season of Survivor that I realized how profound a reaction I had to it

I guess this says something about me more than anything else, lol.

[Duer 157099]

5. I'm glad JT won. There was a moment there when he could have blown it

I have no doubt that his taking Stephen with him to the end is what earned him the unanimous decision. Had he have taken Erinn, I could see many in the jury giving it to her, just to signal to him that he should have had faith in himself and his integrity - which, ultimately, he did.

I was glad to hear him say, during the reunion show, that he was completely shining Stephen and the jury on at the last tribal, when he was acting hurt about Stephen's admission that he may have betrayed JT. JT knew he'd win against Stephen. But if he had faltered even a little bit and mistakenly gone for Erinn, thinking it was the safer bet, I think he'd have been really shocked.

I was also surprised saddened and disappointed that they didn't take Taj to the final 3. Stephen, I can excuse somewhat, because his only chance to win was against Erinn. But JT would have won against either of them.

Oh well, it worked out.

And coach is still a jerk. Delusional is what he is.

[Vinca]

6. JT deserved to win. My pick, Steven, exceeded my expectations.

He actually turned out to be too much of a weasel. The location of the next Survivor looks like a true paradise!

[dr.strangelove]

7. I know, it looks GREAT

Samoa looks like it will be beautiful. I hope they don't go all "Pirate" like in Rupert's season. They mentioned Treasure Island in the preview.

[romana]

8. Oddly disappointed

I felt oddly disappointed that JT won, mostly, I think, because I really was rooting for Stephen. It's so frustrating to see such a good player choke at the end, IMO, and that dampened my enthusiasm. But, in all fairness, JT did play a good game physically and strategically by allying with Stephen. I was extremely disappointed in both Stephen and JT for voting out Taj in favor of Erinn. Taj was not that much of a physical threat, though I do agree she was too much of a threat to have in the final two. Stephen definitely wouldn't have beaten her, and she would have given JT a run for his money. It made me sad to see them turn on her, then sit there and talk about how emotional it was for them while Erinn was chattering away. No sympathy for either of them at this point here in my house.

I don't buy the results of the lie detector for one second, mostly because they don't really prove anything. If he passes, all it really proves is that Coach BELIEVES he did all these things, even if only in his own mind. It was a total stunt from both Probst and Coach. I think Coach is dangerously self-delusional anyway, and the lie detector just bolsters that.

I *really* don't like the winner also getting the people's choice award. That just doesn't seem fair. That happened recently on Top Chef, too, and it almost feels like rubbing salt into a wound. I think the producers should try to take steps to prevent that by holding the people's choice contest after the winner has been announced, or automatically excluding that person if he or she wins the whole thing.

Samoa looks awesome--I can't wait for Season Nineteen.