Survivor South Pacific - Episode 6

[dr.strangelove]

Wow, 2 good episodes in a row. Maybe this season will not be a waste.

I was so glad to see Ozzy show his true playing ability. He rocks at challenges but has not game strategy. His hissy fit was just a guy who is usually liked dismayed at being turned away. He really did want to take his ball and go home. The rest of Savaii (can't call them Team Ozzy anymore) were right that Ozzy's best move would have been to apologize and try to get back into the group. But it took most of the day for him to realize it. I think that time will have hurt him. Plus it allowed Jim to voice sanity to the rest of the tribe, which may preclude Ozzy from castign his charm spell on them again.

I loved how they flashed ot Russell when Brandon was looking for the idol. He really did look like him.

The duel was another bore. Christine beat Elyse, but both of them suck at shuffleboard. I'd love to meet them at my local watering hole for a match sometime and teach them how to play. Christine showed her idiocy by giving the finger to her teammates. I assume that if she wins one or two more, she re-enters the game at the merge and has no one to play with. Its a big risk to assume the other tribe has fractures and you can join in there. Then again, this whole redemption idea sucks because it has no real successful endgame unless you win it out and come back in and win out ICs. I hope they do away with it.

I loved the IC. The wheelbarrow looked hard to move. I'm not sure why Ozzy was not with Jim on the Wheelbarrow. I would have put Albert at the shooting and had two of the girls run back and forth to give him coconuts and have Jim and Ozzy run the Wheelbarrow and have cochran work on the knots. Anyway, Mikayla did suck pretty bad at the shooting, so she cost herself the game. Had she performed well, it would have made more of a case for keepign her. She has choked twice in challenges, which was supposed to be her forte. Also, I loved that sliding rock place.

My respect for Albert grew. He handled it right. He told Coach he liked him, but he could not go with his plan. Coach saw it for what it was, but it should keep the 5 strong for appearances sake, and it make Brandon more expendable. Rick did not like having that power thrust upon him, but I think he made the right call, because Coach's strategy is easy to see, while Albert plays far tighter and might be the bigger strength.

Overall, a good episode. Also, I love this point in the game because they all know, the merge is coming.

[lazarus]

1. Episode 6 - The Rickening

Cowboy finally got some love from the editors. I think he did the right thing, Albert will stick with the alliance, but had he gone the other way, there's no prediction what Li'l Hantz would have done. For better or worse, you're stuck with him for now. (I'd quietly shift Brandon to 6th and promote Edna to 5th.)

Good challenge, but how do you not have have the rancher working the wheelbarrow? One would think that's right up his alley.

I agree that Redemption Island is a complete waste. The "winner" of RI will never win the game, anymore than an outcast could have won Pearl Islands. And I miss having separate reward and immunity challenges, particularly after the merge when it gets super political as to who you choose to go on reward with you, etc.

[dr.strangelove]

2. I am with you 100% on redemption

Its just a terrible idea. I know it had some merit when the idea of a Rob v. Russell duel was possible, and then that Rob or Russell would get voted out but then go on a tear with duels, but other than the TV ratings appeal of such a treat, the idea sucks.

Gosh, Pearl Islands, wasn't that about a hundred years ago. Man this show has been on a long time.
Good to hear from you Laz. Your comments and thoughts on the show have become something I look forward to. Do you rate this season (so far) as badly as I do?

[lazarus]

3. thanks

actually, this season isn't so bad, with the asterisks of *returning players, and **Redemption Island.

There are actual good players making actual intelligent moves, such as Albert and, especially, Jim. There's an insane, and therefore kind of entertaining, loose cannon or two who will never even sniff the finale unless they're carried there as insurance for votes (Brandon, in particular, keeping the poor Hantz performance record alive).

Challenges outside RI are good. Editing seems to be fairly balanced, although I haven't gone back and tracked confessionals the way I usually do. Other than Brandon and Christina, there aren't really any unpleasant people stinking things up.

So, overall it's not a bad season. We'll see how it pans out, it could turn sour fast.

My daughter's boyfriend is living with us now, and he's only seen the last half of last season and this season, so we're watching some early seasons together. Right now, we just started Cook Islands. Ozzy looks so young, even though it was only 5 years ago or so.

Oh, and I forgot to announce in this group, I'm a grampa now! Friday a new Survivor fan was introduced to the world, Amelia Merle.

[murielm99]

4. Congrats on being a grandpa,

and thanks for your analyses of the show.

There are some things about this season that bug me, and not simply RI.

Why is Benjamin suddenly leading a prayer circle? What happened to his Eastern religion and solitary meditations? How hypocritical!

I think Mikaela was singled out unfairly for being a strong, attractive woman. I don't think that has gone away, since Lil Hantz denounced her. Overly religious men love to blame everything on strong, attractive women. If this was a true primitive society, they might have burned her at the stake. She sucked at the challenge? Take a look at Benjamin and Hantz. I don't think either of them are exactly star athletes.

Cochran still bugs me. But he was making an effort to fit in by sliding down the rock and playing in the water. If he does less Woody Allen, it will be better for him. He needs to blend in. I don't think he is as bad at challenges as he perceives. He needs to get over himself if he wants to stay around for awhile. And I do think the show wants him around for awhile. He adds something to the mix and makes things more interesting. He still bugs me, though.

Coach needs to go. He is as phony as a three dollar bill. Ozzy I don't care about so much. I think he will be perceived as a threat at some point, and voted out. He will not win the show.

[lazarus]

5. Coach

has always practiced a unique blend of Eastern mysticism and Christianity, iirc. And there have been other survivors who pretended to be religious to fit in if that's the way the tribe was leaning.

If I got on Survivor and had the bad luck to get in a super-Christian alliance, why would I tell them I'm a strong atheist? I'd at best just say i'm not very religious. Same with politics. You don't have to pretend to be a freeper, but there's a time and place for everything, and in a social game like this, it's not the time to be outspoken about things that are going to offend other people. Play pretend for a month, let off steam in the confessionals, and take the money while laughing.

Mikaela (sp?) was singled out by Li'l Hantz for being a strong woman, I completely agree. Coach had a problem with her because she wouldn't be coached in the challenge twice. Had she been doing well, different story, but from what we were shown, she did terribly.

Cochran. If I was to be physically able to play, I'd like to say I'd play like Jim, but if I'm honest I'd probably play more like Cochran, so I'm sympathetic to him. He's self-deprecating, but that can come off wrong in the wrong group. Jim has seen his true value, which is a vote for Jim. Ozzy just saw a skinny guy who wasn't jock enough, so never reached out to him. Ozzy's always had a bit of the jock mentality (remember when he tossed a challenge to get rid of Billy?).

Finally, I think Coach is genuinely who he is, and has a legit shot at winning this thing. He's a lot better than he was in Tocantins (although that may be editing).

[Goblinmonger]

6. What bugs me about Coach on this episode.

He SUCKED at the challenge, too. He didn't take himself out of it. He kept trying. Why is he pissed at Mikayla (don't know spelling either) for not stepping down (read: not being coachable) when he didn't either? Had he stopped shooting and started running coconuts to Albert and Mikayla kept shooting, I would understand his point. But now it just seems like he doesn't like the stupid woman that won't listen to his awesomeness.

And as much as I get the strategy of it all, Brandon HAS to go. I couldn't spend that many days with him. And Brandon is going to be PISSED at Coach for not telling him about the immunity idol and not being honorable.