Survivor South Pacific - Episode 8

[dr.strangelove]

I found last night's show very entertaining. If only because it featured the worst acting by ozzie and some terrible gameplay by cochran.

­The episode starts with Cochran returning from Ozzy's volunteering to go to redemption island at tribal, and he is thrilled that he avoided going. Now here is where the fun of the episode began. Keith, who at this point knows the only way this plan works is if Cochran stays loyal to him, decides his best move is to treat cochran like shit, stating he was a coward for letting Ozzy go.

Ozzy rocked at the duel, carrying his part of the bargain, but his acting was so over the top bad that it was fun to watch. After Ozzy wins, its THE MERGE. Yeah! fun is had by all. They all return to the new merged camp and find the usual merge picnic. Coach tells Cochran he knows the Ozzy thing was bullshit. Coach played Cochran like a fiddle, playing up on his weaknesses and desire to be liked. I tip my hat to coach for using someone's biggest weakness against them. However, Cochran makes his big mistake right here. HE gives the idol back to Ozzy.

Here is what I would have done. Cochran had the idol and all the power. He could have set it up so that he was safe and had the ability to decide 100% what happened. I would have told Coach, I have the idol. I can just play it and make myself safe, but thats not what I want. If I am going to join you guys, I need to know that you all trust me and that I can trust you. He is how it will work, I will not play the idol. If all 6 of your votes are for Keith, and all six of our votes are for one of your players, then I will know I can trust you all and I will flip at the second vote to vote out Keith. If you vote for anyone else but Keith, and there is a tie, then we go to the rocks and I stay with my tribe. Maybe I give the idol to Keith and you all lose, but this is where you have to trust me. Its either trust me or not, and the decision is yours. Then Cochran could have either given the idol to Keith or not. I certainly would not have done it. But at least he was in control then. This way, it was a very weak way to back into the decision. I'm not sure how coach would have responded, but at least it would have earned him some respect for good gameplay.

Anyway, Cochran flipped and Keith went home. I would have said, you reap what you sow. Treat me like crap and I am going to treat you like crap right back. Had you all treated me like a person and an equal, maybe I would fell loyalty to you. But not now. So Keith, take it because you earned it.

[romana]

1. Flipping

It'll be interesting to see how Cochran maneuvers now with his flip. IMO he had nothing really to lose either way, and has set himself up as prime goat material, along with little Russell.

Dawn annoyed me--she so does not have the temperament for this game. She was all for having Cochran's back for being picked on until she didn't have to worry about herself with the immunity necklace around her neck. I have no use for her--she's to unstable.

Sophie seems like a smart player. I've been keeping my eye on her all along.

Coach definitely played Cochran like a fiddle. I think Cochran knew that was the case.

Keith totally deserved to go to RI. He acted like an arrogant douchbag at exactly the wrong time. His social game has been as bad as Cochran's, IMO.

ETA: I am, however, glad Cochran flipped, to be honest, because it'll shake things up a bit and maybe make things a bit more interesting. Plus, I absolutely hate the PRoD. Hate it. I would never want to even chance going home because of that.

[dr.strangelove]

3. I hate the rock as well

its crazy to ever pick a rock, unless it means helping me in the game. Cochran probably had very little choice. He is hated by most and Keith and Ozzy would have dropped him once they picked off Coach and lil russel and were able to shake up the tribe, so he probably was in trouble either way.

ROCK OF DOOM!!!

[lpbk2713]

2. The show will be predictable for the next few weeks.

Ozzy's former tribe will be picked off one at a time starting with Ozzy thanks to Little Woody Allen.
What Lil Woody doesn't seem to take into account is they will eliminate him just as soon as they
feel like it. Russell Junior seemed to be aware of the animosity toward Cochran when he told him
to "stay by me". I must give credit to Coach for being better at this game than I thought. He saw
through Cochran's role playing right from the start and manipulated him masterfully.

[Ohio Joe]

4. Coach's best bet is to bring Cochran to the end

Well... him and little Russell. Use them as the bad guys, nobody will want to vote to give either of them the million. First get rid of Ozzy's tribe one by one, then keep them to help get rid of his own. Whoever he winds up against will lose.

[Suich]

5. What idiot came up with the idea that Upolu

was going to vote to eliminate Whitney? And why didn't Savaii vote for Coach? Ozzy and his fellow morons are history, I hope!

[dr.strangelove]

6. It was a terrible plan

Ozzy yet again proves he is the best physical challenge player ever, but just can not hang in when it comes to brains.

[truebrit71]

7. Coach saw right through Cochran...

..but Cochran could STILL have worked it to his advantage if he had told Ozzy to give the idol to Keith instead...

Coach still has his comeuppance to deal with when Mini-Russell finds out that he was lied to by coach and made to look like a fool with the hole "Jeebus we found the idol, it's a miracle" mularkey...

I think that Cochran is toast...I think the poker player (Jim?) is going to start working things to his advantage, and that could spell trouble for Coach and Mini-Russell...

Regardless I think this was the best episode so far, and the cat is truly amongst the pigeons now...

[lazarus]

8. Savaii forgot something very important

that a lot of players forget: These are real people, and this is, above all else, a social strategy game.

Brandon, of all people, got it exactly right: this is what you get when you treat people like that.

We just finished a rewatch of Cook Islands. Penner flipped from Raro to Aitu purely because he didn't like the idea of the Raros' getting close to the million. He knew he couldn't win, so he picked the group he wanted to win. In Gabon, Sugar knew she couldn't win, but also knew she could pick the winner, so she picked the father figure who had been nice to her.

Pure strategy mostly can't win it, and pure social game usually doesn't, but a mix of the two wins most of the time.