Survivor-Samoa

[Buddy08]

Anybody watching Survivor this season? Already there is an evil person among them- pouring out the water and burning people's socks. I hope someone catches onto him quickly.

[Hair_Razor]

Oh my God that guy is a jerk!! I think the cop lady is on to him but she will probably get kicked off because of what she said this week.

[Disneypixie513]

Russel was utterly obnoxious! I think he's the most obnoxious person ever on Survivor.
Next week looks interesting. I can't beleive it'll only be the 2nd week, and they all look ready to kill each other..:rolleyes:

[thrillme]

Russel is totally unbeliveable. OBVIOUSLY he's in there to "stir" things up. He's so evil :thedolls: my son is rather intrigued. Of course he believes he doesn't deserve to go all that far but he does make for interesting conversation.

Jeff said in last season's blog that he doesn't know everything that goes on in camp...only so much that the producers tell him...so it doesn't look like he knows about this. The finale is going to be interesting.

I just can't believe that someone would come on for the sole purpose of being a JERK. The water...the socks...WHY :confused:. I can't believe he's going to hang around long...he's going to get busted.

Alas...it looks like it's going to be an "interesting" season. Lots of "eye candy" for us ladies this time. :D

[stitchaholic]

I am definitly rooting for the purple team! I wanted to jump through the set and throttle Russel,JERK! i hope thwe girls gang up on him in the end and get him outta there.

[Ian]

Sorry ... I couldn't help but feel that that Russell dude was a plant by the producers to "stir things up." He just seems like a total fraud to me.

[SBETigg]

Russell is a bit over the top, isn't he? You could be right, Ian. I think they look for these types specifically when they go through applications. I'm a little concerned that he could go further than I would like. But he didn't even bother me as much as that Ben guy. Russell is almost cartoon villainy in action, but Ben seems really on the edge of sociopathy to me. What were his reasons for disliking Marisa to that extent so early on? A little too intense for me (and it pains me that his last name is my maiden name, rrg).

Oh And Ashley? Self-righteous, isn't she? Already so secure in her alliance? I hope she enjoyed watching last night to see her "alliance" behind the scenes. I didn't like Marisa at first either, but I regretted that when she had the nerve to question Russell from the start and then to bring it up at tribal council. These people had better catch on. Loved Betsy the cop and Liz, and the other Russell and Shambo! She is going to be a hoot if she sticks around, and she seems to have some social skills because she knew she had to stifle her inner marine and go with the flow for a while. The purple team is far more likable so far, but we haven't seen much there yet.

[laprana]

Russell is a bit over the top, isn't he? You could be right, Ian. I think they look for these types specifically when they go through applications. I'm a little concerned that he could go further than I would like. But he didn't even bother me as much as that Ben guy. Russell is almost cartoon villainy in action, but Ben seems really on the edge of sociopathy to me. What were his reasons for disliking Marisa to that extent so early on? A little too intense for me (and it pains me that his last name is my maiden name, rrg).

I totally agree!! I really dislike Russell, but that's the point of his "character" on this season, isn't it? But Ben...he seems like a real jerk. I didn't understand at all why he came down so hard on Marisa. Maybe something happened that we just didn't get to see? But still, it seemed like his dislike of her came out of nowhere! Despite Russell and Ben, though, I'm so glad Survivor is back on! :thumbsup:

[thrillme]

II didn't understand at all why he came down so hard on Marisa. Maybe something happened that we just didn't get to see? But still, it seemed like his dislike of her came out of nowhere! ....I'm so glad Survivor is back on! :thumbsup:

He took out Marisa because she "questioned" him. She said him talking to other people made her uncomfortable. She was a weak enough "link" that he threw her out on the chopping block and most went after her just because it wasn't them.

Producers pick people based on their personalities. They don't want a bunch of people who get along. I don't like him but...he's definately adding something to "SPARK" the flame...lately the first episode has been starting a little slow.

I LOVE Survivor. It's the true King of reality shows.

[TheDuckRocks]

Sorry ... I couldn't help but feel that that Russell dude was a plant by the producers to "stir things up." He just seems like a total fraud to me.

:exactly: Just what my husband and I were saying last night. I think I'm going to Google this guy, his whole backstory sounds fishy to me and I'm not talking about what he's telling the other players.

[laprana]

He took out Marisa because she "questioned" him. She said him talking to other people made her uncomfortable. She was a weak enough "link" that he threw her out on the chopping block and most went after her just because it wasn't them.

Oh yeah, I totally got why Russell went after Marisa. And I bet he'll do the exact same thing to anyone else who questions him or gets suspicious of him. I think in the preview for next week's show, they showed him talking about the same thing about one of the other tribe members...maybe the police woman?

What I didn't get was why Ben was so hateful toward Marisa. Maybe he was trying to get on Russell's good side by being mean to her? :confused:

[Ian]

See and I'm the exact opposite ... I'd like to see 18 real people on this show. Not some group of handpicked quasi-actors who fill certain "roles" like the nutjob, the villain, the hot chick, the Alpha Male, the nerd, the gay guy, the old dude ... These casts are completely predictable now. Go back and look at the last 10 Survivors and tell me every single one of these roles isn't filled on every season.

I'm sort of tired of the show being cast. I don't know why they moved away from the interview process they used to have where they just picked real people who wanted to test their skills. The fact that they recruit most of the people on the show now is a detraction for me, especially when they pick people so over the top.

[SBETigg]

I'm sort of tired of the show being cast. I don't know why they moved away from the interview process they used to have where they just picked real people who wanted to test their skills. The fact that they recruit most of the people on the show now is a detraction for me, especially when they pick people so over the top.

I agree, Ian. They say they still do interview real people who apply, and I think they do fill some of those roles from genuine applicants. Naive? Maybe. But no doubt they're looking for types: the innocent, the cutie, the villain, the wise elder, the all-around good guy... and they have recruited some, including actual actors, for quite a few seasons now. The year it was really badly obvious was the year that half the cast came from Los Angeles and had actually starred in productions together-- the Jonathan season. He was the one that sounded like Alan Alda. I think Earl won that one? And Sugar from a recent season came straight out of central casting, it seems to me.

[Ian]

If memory serves, I think last season someone said that only one of the cast was an actual applicant and the rest had been hand-picked. Or maybe that was the season before. They all run together. I think it was the Sugar season, which was two seasons ago?

But anyway, it sounds like you know what I'm saying. If you cast the show and recruit actors to play certain roles on the show, well, that ain't "reality." It's called network television.

[Nascfan]

I think we're confusing "reality" with what these shows really are.....unscripted television. After all, isn't that truly what they've become? Shows without a written dialogue script, but nothing much real about them anymore with the casting. The first 10 or dozen seasons, much more real people. Although Ian's right, there was always the token gay guy, the older guy and/or lady, the cutie 20something year-old, etc. But at least they were, or certainly seemed, to be real people with real lives outside the game, much unlike the almost cartoon characters they've got now. The Russell character is too straight up villain to be a real applicant. Has to be casted. Still watch it though. I can't seem to tear myself away for some reason. Maybe it's that train wreck syndrome. :blush:

[Buddy08]

I love Survivor. It's my favorite reality show and I do like reality shows. Whatever the contestant process, I'm still going to watch it. Jeff Probst just won best reality show host on the Emmy's. :woohoo:

[thrillme]

I love Survivor. It's my favorite reality show and I do like reality shows. Whatever the contestant process, I'm still going to watch it. Jeff Probst just won best reality show host on the Emmy's. :woohoo:

I love it too...but I'd have to give Jeff an emmy based on his "dimples" alone :blush:

[Melanie]

Okay, Russell is comical. Ben is well, ignorant. ;)

[SBETigg]

This "Russell is the worst villain ever!" routine is getting old fast. I love Survivor, but I did not enjoy tonight's show. It seemed so set up. The whole Ben and Yasmin thing, ugh. No fun. I think the team made the wrong choice, kept the wrong person. I do love watching Jeff Probst, though. He's definitely a winning host!

[thrillme]

Yasmin annoyed the heck out of me. It's too bad SHE wasn't on their team. I know I'm pulling for her out as soon as possible. Ben well...he played rather dirty...as did some of the others but...Yasmin...UGH...

Russell has to go eventually but he's an interesting character. I really wasn't quite ready for "Betsy" to go but...she apparently forgot one of the main rules of Survivor. "Keep your friends close and your enemy's even closer". Once she saw the hold Russell had on everybody she would have done well to have played along.

[Melanie]

It definitely has a very set up feeling this year. Russell finding the idol is one example.

:spoiler:

I read elsewhere that this season the hidden immunity idol is only good if you find it at the other tribe's camp. So Russell's would be no good. Not sure if that's correct though.

[SBETigg]

Melanie, yes! I hope that's right. I would love that to play out.

I don't understand the hold Russell has on any of these people. And I don't like the editing at all. I don't feel like I'm watching Survivor. I feel like I'm watching The Russell Show. I know if they genuinely have a good villain on their hands, they probably feel like they have to show him a lot, but this is ridiculous. And genuine is up for grabs. Why isn't Mick leading? Is he hoping to make it to merge and have easy targets to offer for voting out before him? Because you have to make merge for that happen. Why would you keep a guy with a hot temper who is making you lose challenges? Predictable when it costs you is not a good thing. It's the same mistake Brandon made last year, keeping another Ben (Coach) because he was predictable. And we all know what happened to Brandon.

And Shambo? I don't know if we'll see any votes from that side the way it's going, but I thought she was going to have a stronger social game than that. She might as well paint the target on her own back. Shamwow, Shambo, get it together! I'm just frustrated with the season so far.

[Ian]

Meh. This season has really been the pits thus far. This whole "The Russell Show" thing has me really turned off.

Here's the thing ... he's not a good villain. He's like a caricature of a villain. A good villain ... like Coach or Johnny Fairplay ... you really can work up a good lather hating them, but this guy?? He just irritates me and irritation is just not the same.

Honestly, I may bail on this season. Between that whole Yasmin/Ben drama (which seemed just so forced) and Russell crowing and strutting around like a moron ... I'm just really, really disappointed so far.

[TiggeRia]

I'm not sure how I feel about this season yet...I think it's too early to tell. Russell didn't annoy me nearly as much this week as he did last week, but I think that's only because Ben (who needs to go ASAP) took some of the attention away. Yasmine was over the top last night, and I'm looking forward to her leaving soon. I wonder if that's why her team leader chose her to go, b/c she was annoying her own tribe so much. I started off rooting for Shambo, but after last night, eh, her time is short lived. To boast about being great at spear fishing and then not to get a single fish...plus to lose some equipment and not even be sorry about it? She's done for.

I do wish they would show more of the players, though. They always seem to be talking to the same people ie. Russell, and that is quite annoying. There are plently of people out there to share the editing time with. I will continue to tune in though!

[laprana]

I agree that the whole Russell thing is getting old fast. When he found the idol, I just kept thinking that he had to have been given some kind of tip or clue from the producers or something. It seemed really set up to me. I'll be glad when he's gone so they can focus on the other tribe members, but I have a feeling that as much as they have hyped up the "biggest villan ever" thing, he'll be around for a while.

I'd really like to see Ben and Yasmin both go, too. They don't seem as much like characters on the show to me, just downright jerks. I know it's still the beginning of the season, but I feel like they haven't even shown the purple tribe at all (can't even remember the tribe name!). I hate when all the focus is on just one tribe show after show. It gets monotonous! Here's hoping this season improves a bit! :fingers:

[RenDuran]

Russell reminds me of that girl a few seasons ago that tried too hard to be evil. I wish I could remember her name, but she would go on and on about how bad she was. It seems entirely fake at this point...all his laughing and talking about getting his way with the votes. He's unlikeable on so many levels, but is he really as evil as he wants us to think?

[thrillme]

Well Russell is married with 4 children...so hopefully there's 5 people who like him.

It blows my mind how someone can take something as "valued" as the tribes fishing equipment...lose it and have such an "oh well" attitude about it. I don't think it would have "sunk"...would it??? It probably should have floated.

[RenDuran]

Didn't she say the water was too murky to see anything? I was surprised with her military background that she was so nonchalant with losing that mouthpiece.

[Buddy08]

I was really disappointed that Russell found that immunity idol last night and Ben just has no remorse. Yasmin definitely over-stepped her boundaries with the Foa Foa tribe. I too would like to see more of the other participants. Mick just doesn't seem to be leading at all, at least not from what they show us. They are too focused on Russell and unfortunately he will probably last a long time. I'm still watching though, still my favorite show.:blush:

[thrillme]

I was kinda hoping for a "twist" in which Jeff would tell Yasmin...since the tribe lost Mike (:pixie: to Mike that he'll be alright)...they would put Yasmin on the tribe.

[DisneyDog]

I don't watch this show, but isn't that the same place that was hit by the Tsunami this week?

[Buddy08]

If I am thinking correctly, the show has taped and wrapped and they were long gone before the tsunami hit.

[SBETigg]

I saw on the news that they've wrapped not only this season, but filming of the next season in the same place and producers confirmed that the remaining crew members in Samoa, there to film extra location shots, are safe.

[thrillme]

I'm glad to know all the "Survivors" are safe...(that kinda sounds a little strange doesn't it).

I know we won't see anything for this season...but it would be cool if we got to see some Tsunami shots next season.

[Magic Smiles]

Is Russell losing his touch? Ben is now gone with hopefully Russell to follow:mickey:

[SBETigg]

I am loving Jaison! I liked him after that first challenge on the first show, but I really loved him last night. Ben had to go. I'm not a fan of Ashley, either, but at least she's not toxic. I want to like Mick, too, but it seems he's not much of a leader.

Shambo did a good job of winning friends on Foa Foa, too. She could bring back some good information for Galu, but she used the time to set herself up well if she makes it to merge. Galu Russell could have made himself a bigger target than Shambo by choosing comfort over function- bad move. If Galu keeps winning, it might not matter, but I have a feeling that getting rid of Ben might have helped Foa Foa.

[beksy]

Sherri pretty much summed up my feelings at this point. I was home from school last week since I happened to be home when the flu struck and my family are big fans. I hadn't watched for a few seasons but they watched and got me hooked for the season. Is it just me or have the challenges gotten more violent since the show started seasons ago? That mud challenge was just brutal at times and the water challenge looked like it was pretty rough too. It was entertaining though!

[laprana]

Woohoo! Buh-bye Ben! So glad he's gone. I keep thinking that at some point Galu has to lose a challenge, and I think Sherri's right that getting rid of Ben will help Foa Foa. He was pretty worthless with his "guarding" in last night's challenge!

[thrillme]

I admit...even though I wasn't a "Ben" fan I was leaning toward "keeping" him mainly because of his "possiblity" of being stronger than any of the "little" ladies. He didn't perform well but he appears to have the "capability".

BUT...He ended up being an example followed by a discussion by my son and I. I did NOT like Yasmin and I can understand him getting angry and fighting with her when she got in his face...BUT...he started mouthing off at Jaison where a simple apology would have been appropriate. Instead Ben seemed to take Jaison's initial complaint of "yelling at EVERYBODY" to a more racially directed issue and it was EMBARASSING.

We've all probably said things that were inappropriate in our lifetimes about someone or something...but...there are times when you need to simply say..."You're right...I was inappropriate and I'm sorry". And QUIT fighting :mad:.

Well Ben's gone and he deserved it. Hopefully he'll grow up a little and learn to respect people a bit more. But he seems to be a "legend in his own mind" and he needs to come down a few notches.

I have to give Russell credit for making a good decision to go with Ben over Ashley (I'm not real keen on Ashley either...but Ben was "draggin' me down man")

Shambo annoyed me last week by losing the snorkle...but this week she seemed to show her "charm". I venture to agree. Do the chores first then Yoga. She seems to be the only one actually working in that camp.

[RenDuran]

Is it just me or have the challenges gotten more violent since the show started seasons ago?

Jeff even said something to the effect that the challange last night would get physical. It's almost like they want to have a little brutality!

Glad to see Ben gone! Strangely enough, Russell shut up pretty quick when he realized he wasn't going to get his way and keep Ben over Ashley. He even voted for him! Jaison gets my vote for speaking his mind and staying civil. I'm glad someone put Ben in his place before he was voted off.

This season has focused on Russell so much that I actually saw players last night that I never remember seeing before!

[Melanie]

This season has focused on Russell so much that I actually saw players last night that I never remember seeing before!

Me too, like Dave. ??? That's pretty sad.

[SBETigg]

And Erik. Did Dave call himself "Danger Dave" or did I hear wrong? I love it when they give them back their bathing suits. I wish they would just start them out that way. Why should we have to watch them in their underwear? Blech. But I think Dave chose a Speedo style suit, and that seems dangerous indeed. :blush:

[SBETigg]

I loved how, at the beginning, Jeff still had to call Galu the "purple tribe" for those of us who might be confused. Wait, there are TWO teams? What is this Galu you speak of?

Finally, we got to know some Galu people and it felt less like the Evil Russell Show. Which could only mean one thing-- Galu was going to start losing. I really like Dave this week. He's quirky and weird and has a little Kevin Spacey vibe going. Not sure I like Erik. In the end, goodbye Yasmin, good call. No loss there. But I missed what led to that because my son at college remembered it was my birthday and called me. I was so thrilled that I cried big happy mommy tears and totally lost track of the show. I'm on CBS.com to catch up on what I missed.

[Ian]

I was definitely happy with that result. Yasmin appeared to me to be one of the laziest Survivors in history. I loved her rationalization, too. "Well if I don't do anything then no one can blame me for doing something wrong, like letting chickens go!"

The best was she said it with like this knowing look on her face and wink-wink kinda attitude like it was just such a brilliant strategy. Yeah, how'd that work out for you, dumb-dumb??

Anyway, I still find that they're focused just way too much on Russell. Maybe it's just me, but I don't even find him very interesting. He still comes across as very fake and like a big charicature of a villain. I'm not getting it.

[SBETigg]

Ian, you are not alone. Every Survivor fan I know hates this season because of Russell, and it's not that he's so all-out villainous. It's because he's just not that interesting, and all they do is show Russell. I get the whole, "ooh, biggest villain ever" push, but he's just really not all that. You're right-- it's because he's such a cartoon. Terrible editing this year. I think their rationale was that he was going to be so watchable in his badness, but they got it all wrong. It could be their jump-the-shark moment. I know big fans of the show who have turned it off and don't plan to go back to watching. And you start to wonder, 19 seasons? Maybe it's time.

I'm one of those who keeps watching anyway and just hoping they get smarter with edits and show something else going on. Like last night, finally a little more interesting. I saw some new people. Yasmin's comment to Shambo seemed like a dig to me, too. Like she was implying Shambo was on the chopping block but that she (Yasmin) was safe because of her "strategy." And those boots? Yuck. She got the boot, alright. ;) I just wondered why no one targeted Kelly if they were gunning for people who messed up the challenge. Yes, Monica slowed things down, but Kelly dropped the blocks. And every time they show her, she's cuddled up in blankets with Brett. Brett who? Exactly.

[d_m_n_n]

I was a huge fan of the show, but this season has been :bored: . I have it on my DVR from last night, but it sounds like it is more of the same...I don't know if I'll bother to watch the rest of the season...when I can come here and learn who got voted off and that Russell is still the "star" of the show...

[thrillme]

I don't "like" Russell but in a couple of ways he's kinda interesting. Personalities are just picked on Survivor. I have no doubt he was called and he said something to the affect..."I love Survivor, I've been a fan since the beginning...I don't need the money but I'd love to 'stir the pot'". They might have picke him just because he seemed like the guy that WOULD stir things up.

I think he'll make it to the merge because he does seem to be the strongest on HIS tribe but I think he'll be the first on the jury which ought to prove interesting.

But YAY! Yasmin is G-O-N-E. I was hoping they would lose to get rid of her...and those boots...ugh. They were uh...err...uhmmm...oh...never mind.

And PLEASE people...EAT THE CHICKEN. I don't know what they're thinking when in all reality they are only going to get ONE maybe TWO eggs out of three chickens a day. AND that's only if you feed and water them (hopefully they come with their own "chicken chow").

[TheDuckRocks]

Didn't one team once upon a time take the corn out of the "chicken chow" and make popcorn out of it? Or just fried the whole mess or something?

[RenDuran]

He's quirky and weird and has a little Kevin Spacey vibe going.

I'm freaking out that you said that. I definitely was thinking the same thing.

[Buddy08]

I just think he is creepy and annoying in his confidence. I'm so glad they finally showed the other tribe some. Both the blonde (who dropped the blocks) and Monica could have been voted off for messing up in the challenge but weren't they caught up to Foa Foa after Monica's slowness on the rope bridge? I'm just as glad they voted Yasmin off. The challenges are probably one hour of the day where camp life is 24/7. She did seem awfully lazy.

[KarenP]

So far I am liking this season. I think it is better than last season. There is no one person in particular that I am rooting for so far. All I think when I see Russell coming on screen is please cover up! And the lady that lost the chicken (forget her name) so gets on my nerves.

[Buddy08]

Kind of a sad show last night. Though I wasn't a big fan of Ashley's, it was still sad for Foa Foa to lose immunity again. Now they are down to 5. Too bad their players aren't better at basketball.:basket:

[Nascfan]

Kind of a sad show last night. Though I wasn't a big fan of Ashley's, it was still sad for Foa Foa to lose immunity again. Now they are down to 5.


Six if you count Shambo once the merge happens. I'm relatively sure she'd have no problem flipping, assuming she makes it. One thing's for sure, they can't afford to lose any more. Heck, Galu is going to have to sit out half their tribe next challenge!

[SBETigg]

I thought Liz's challenge performance was extraordinary and I was so shocked they would consider voting her off after that. All of that sitting in the rain time would have been a good time for Liz to bring up Russell's threats instead of just taking it. I think she could have won people over to getting rid of him.

Their hands! I felt so bad for all of them. It looked so miserable out there. Galu Russell, bad call on passing up the tarp. Really bad call. I kind of like Shambo. She's not doing herself any favors on her side, but I think she has heart and she will definitely shift alliances after a merge. Why wouldn't she? The fact that we have seen so little of the Galu people tells me they might not have a very strong alliance headed toward the end of the game.

[ozmom]

They showed a guy last night,- (I think his name is Brett???) Don't remember having seen him before.....:confused:

[SBETigg]

They showed a guy last night,- (I think his name is Brett???) Don't remember having seen him before.....:confused:

It was his first camera confessional (one-on-one with the camera). I've been keeping track. Evil Russell gets most of them with Shambo in a not-that-close second place. We've seen everyone now, but Brett was the last to be shown and Kelly and Natalie have had very few. Brett is the youngest one out there.

[TheDuckRocks]

I sure wish they would show more of John, he's really good looking.:blush: But, no we get Russell the Creep.:ack:

[RenDuran]

But, no we get Russell the Creep.:ack:

A few weeks ago, someone on Facebook's Survivor page was calling him a troll. He is pretty hideous, isn't he?

I usually look forward to posting about Survivor, but this season hasn't given me much to talk about. I finally got my family to sit down with me every Thursday to watch and then it's a bummer of a season!

[thrillme]

Ok...I'm not a Russell fan but I just can't call him a troll. He has really big blue eyes. I like blue eyes.

But he does have a trollish attitude;)

I don't think he's quite as "in control" as he thinks. He's still in because he is one of the stronger on the tribe. That's a no brainer. He's playing people well but...if they merge soon...I wouldn't doubt they'll be voting him out early.

Ashley HAD to go. She failed in two back to back challenges. She couldn't drink the reward then...she couldn't make a basket...(but then OBVIOUSLY many of them missed the basket in comparing the how full the yellow tribes were)...I don't think she MEANT to let the team down but she wasn't exactly a hard worker back at camp to hold her worth. She was really the only logical choice.

Liz was absolutely amazing in the challenge. She definately held her own very well.

[RenDuran]

Ok...I'm not a Russell fan but I just can't call him a troll. He has really big blue eyes. I like blue eyes.

It's pretty sad when a person's only redeeming factor is his blue eyes! You gave me a pretty good chuckle!

[Ian]

Okay, so here's the thing with Ashley ... she failed miserably at that food challenge. At that point, you have to <snip> it up and get that last bit down. I don't care how nasty it is.

If you don't, then you're probably going to get the boot. Period. She basically earned what she got.

I think Foa Foa really blew a golden opportunity to get rid of Russell. Not sure why no one wrote his name down, since so many of them know he's trying to pull the tribe's strings.

[Melanie]

I've been reading that the next Survivor is an All-Stars Heroes v. Villains type theme. Spoilers indicate a lot of folks I never wanted to see again, but some I do. :D

[Buddy08]

Where did you read about the next Survivor?

[Melanie]

Where did you read about the next Survivor?

Google 'survivor 20' and you'll find lots of info.

[SBETigg]

I've been reading that the next Survivor is an All-Stars Heroes v. Villains type theme. Spoilers indicate a lot of folks I never wanted to see again, but some I do. :D

I've read about it, too. I'm not a big fan of the all-stars games. As if this season doesn't feel contrived enough with The Russell Show, they're going to put us through a season of people we know and didn't love. And yet I'll still watch it.

[RenDuran]

And yet I'll still watch it.

Me too!

It's one of those things you really don't want to see, yet you can't look away!

[Melanie]

Yeah, I'm not too much of a fan of the All Stars either, but like you guys, I can't not watch. I just hope good conquers evil!

[Buddy08]

O.K. so I googled Survivor 20 and found alot of variations of the cast. Some of course were on all the lists. The male villains are obvious but I'm not sure I can tell who all the female villains are. It will be interesting. My friend says she won't watch because she can't stand some of the villains (that is at least part of why they are villains, right?) I can't not watch. I am a huge Survivor fan.:tikki:

[Ian]

See and I'm going to go the other way with the All Star shows ... I love 'em.

My biggest pet peeve about ensemble cast reality shows is that it takes me like half the season to figure out who everyone is, develop rooting interests, decide who my villians are, etc.

With the all star shows that's all set in advance so you can get right to the good stuff!

[Melanie]

Weird episode, with Russell going down, a halted challenge, more rain, rain, rain and both being seated side by side at Tribal Council and then no one going home. Strange.

[Ian]

I thought last night's episode was terrible. Foa Foa really got a raw deal. The right thing to do would have been to give both tribes the pizza ... not take it away from the team that was winning! It's hardly Foa Foa's fault that Russell went down. Why should they be punished?

Rotten decision ... just rotten.

[Buddy08]

Yes, you're right Ian. I didn't think about that. They should have at least both gotten the pizza. How sad about Russell. It choked me up to see him so upset. It was so scary the last time he passed out, laying there with his eyes open.

[thrillme]

Russell going down was just plain scarey. Jeff looked truly worried. When he passed out a second time with his eyes open I almost thought he was dying. Pizza was probably just not a big deal. I think all of them gladly traded Pizza over going home as planned. Really to tell you the truth. Pizza probably "sounds" great but really...when you haven't eaten that kinda food in a while...the cheeze and grease can really upset your whole system.

Russell won't be coming back to All Stars unless they can identify his problem and actually "cure" it.

Now for the "evil" Russell...My Dad can't stand him but we were kind of all on HIS side last night. There was so much all of them could do to reinforce their shelter but they just sat there and whined. Good move going and sitting in the water a bit. It was probably "warmer" than the rain but they should have gone a bit "deeper".

Survivorman says...if you can see light in your shelter...it's not waterproof. They've had 2 weeks to reinforce it AND they have some wonderfully flexible vine to secure it and banana leaves to do it with. SIGH...I wanna be there...I'm not super fit but...I would have loved to try it. If I had the bamboo, vines and bananna leaves I would love to build a shelter in my backyard just to prove it.

Good Russell...taking the blankets over tarp...SIGH...

I'm glad the guys are looking out for Shambo...I'd be happy to get rid of anyone in the "Ya-Ya Sisterhood". Ugh.

But tell me...What's the scoop on MIKE? He was the older guy that went down following the "tackling" challenge with very similar symptoms as Good Russell (but Good Russell seemed to be in significantly worse shape).

[laprana]

Now for the "evil" Russell...My Dad can't stand him but we were kind of all on HIS side last night. There was so much all of them could do to reinforce their shelter but they just sat there and whined. Good move going and sitting in the water a bit. It was probably "warmer" than the rain but they should have gone a bit "deeper".

Survivorman says...if you can see light in your shelter...it's not waterproof. They've had 2 weeks to reinforce it AND they have some wonderfully flexible vine to secure it and banana leaves to do it with. SIGH...I wanna be there...I'm not super fit but...I would have loved to try it. If I had the bamboo, vines and bananna leaves I would love to build a shelter in my backyard just to prove it.

I couldn't agree more! As much as I dislike "evil" Russell, he made some really good points last night. If the Foa Foa tribe had spent a little more time fixing up their shelter and a little less time sitting around wallowing in their misery, they might not have been so miserable!

I felt so bad for "good" Russell last night. From the previews before this episode, I was thinking he got knocked in the head by that table. I wasn't expecting what really happened to him! He wasn't my favorite survivor, and he made a few bonehead moves in the game, but it was tough to see him leave that way.

Who do you guys think will be the next leader of Galu? I'm placing my bets on Eric.

[SBETigg]

Ian, yes! If I were the producers, I would have been nervous and wanting to make sure everyone had a little time getting warm, dry, and drinking fluids, and maybe eating. So I would have made TC a pizza party. But as my husband said, "This isn't Survivor: Pizza Party." And I was like, "Dang, I would totally go on that version of the show!" I was hoping for an early merge, since they had them all together.

But honestly, what was with Liz and Natalie just being resigned to their fate? Liz has pulled off some great challenge performances. Why just take it? Why not make a solid argument why you should stay and Natalie should go? Why not pair up with Natalie and expose Russell and try to bring in Jaison or Mick? Why no strategy at all? Is Russell the only one out there playing the game? Am I going to have to actually start pulling for him, because at least he's playing? Please no! Such a disappointing night. And I felt bad for Galu Russell, too.

[Princess'Mom]

Every season I say that I'm not gonna watch it. Guess what, I'm right there every Thursday night watching the show. :blush:

Last night's show was a bit scary with good Russell's blackouts. What I thought was a bit strange was the Foa Foa team member, Mick? standing behind Russell, as a Dr. not jumping in to assist the medics. :confused:

[thrillme]

Every season I say that I'm not gonna watch it. Guess what, I'm right there every Thursday night watching the show. :blush:

Last night's show was a bit scary with good Russell's blackouts. What I thought was a bit strange was the Foa Foa team member, Mick? standing behind Russell, as a Dr. not jumping in to assist the medics. :confused:

First of all...Mick was blindfolded when everything was first going on. Secondly I don't think there would have been anything more HE could have don't over what they were already doing by the time Jeff said to take the blindfolds off. It appeared that he had a full medical team there and ready to whisk him off. Stepping in at that point would have only put him in the way unless he were House or that Dr in Royal Pains...they always have the answers. I don't think it's that way in real life though. Too Dr Mick could have easily set himself up for a lawsuit if he called wrong.

[TheDuckRocks]

So many things going on this week, here are some of my thoughts:
1) Mike vs Good Russell - a lot more days out there and there could have been an unknown health problem with Russell.
2) Maybe not a pizza party but maybe a bonus of something nutritional for everyone. This will not look well for the producers if more people go home "sick" this season.
3) GRussell taking the blankets was to win points with the Ya-Yas. Not a good move for the team but it might have gotten him votes if the weather wouldn't have been so bad and he made it to the end.
4) Liz and Natalie.....what can you say, they weren't thinking, not even sort of bringing up the subject to either Mick or Jaison. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Which is why we are going to be seeing more of BRussell than I would like.
5) Dr. Mick - do the other players know he's a doctor? I can't remember him talking about it.
6) Wet and cold - once again crazy me was sitting on my couch screaming at the tv, "Take off all those wet clothes you'll be warmer in just your swim suits if you huddle together!"

[pixiesmimi]

I haven't posted this season because there just isn't much to talk about. I, too, hate Russell. He is a joke. Can't believe people haven't started trying to get him off.

Does anyone else think it is strange that Jeff has not said the "if anyone has an idol they must produce it before the votes are read" speech? I thought sure he would say it last week since it might be time to get down to playing it. Wonder if it is working different this time. (Thanks, Melanie!) :) I wouldn't even have thought about that.

Yeah, I wasn't surprised to see Mike go down but was really surprised to see the good Russell go down like that!

Did someone say they filmed next season in the same spot? Why duplicate? There are lots of places out there to film without going to the same place twice in a row. I had to wonder after all the rain this time if it was just before the Tsunami. Seems like everywhere they go, it practically rains the whole time they are there. Are they choosing monsoon season on purpose?

I really like the doctor. Hope he goes far.

This week's episode was really lame except about Russell going out and really not worth watching. If they have an All Stars season next, I probably won't watch. Don't like to watch the losers and villans more than once.

[Melanie]

I'm almost sure they filmed Pearl Islands and then the All-Stars in the same location (the Pearl Islands...duh ;) ) back to back. I remember Rupert only had a few weeks between shoots. Maybe it's something they do for All-Star shoots only?

[Ian]

Does anyone else think it is strange that Jeff has not said the "if anyone has an idol they must produce it before the votes are read" speech? I thought sure he would say it last week since it might be time to get down to playing it.I may be wrong, but I didn't think the immunity idol came into play until after the merge when challenges were for individual immunity.


I'm almost sure they filmed Pearl Islands and then the All-Stars in the same location (the Pearl Islands...duh ;) ) back to back. I remember Rupert only had a few weeks between shoots.Yep ... you're right, Mel.

It's probably easier for them if you think about it ... that way they just keep the same crew and everything right in the same location. Saves a ton of time and energy.

[SBETigg]

I think if they find the idols, they can use them at any time. I think maybe it's edited for our benefit or they know they won't come into play yet. If anyone wanted to use their idol, I'm sure it would come out. I'm so desperate for a twist at this point! Shake the show up. Do something. Surprise us.

[SBETigg]

No shake-ups last night. Jaison: what was with throwing himself under the bus? It's like he wanted to quit, but couldn't do it, so he was hoping they would do it for him? I don't know. I've never seen such a sorry bunch of non-strategizing Survivors in my life. I liked Liz, but she was still trusting Russell after he flat out told her he had it in for her a few weeks ago? I begin to understand why the producers decided to make this season The Russell Show. He's the only one who seems to be playing the game.

Though, we're finally seeing some alliances take shape on Galu, and it's not pretty. For all their wins, that team is a mess on the inside, not bonding as a solid group at all. It should be easy for new alliances to form at merge and it's anybody's game-- or Russell's game, unless some other players start playing.

[thrillme]

I'm not usually the one to vote strong males off but Jaison is "dead weight". I was "blindsided" at Liz going home and VERY disappointed. That girl gave it her all and the kept Jaison :confused:.

My only thought they kept him because they figured the merge was coming and Liz had the personality to be absorbed by an alliance on the other tribe. Jaison...not so much...and they can probably beat him whenever. I'll be very disappointed to see him in the final.

Yes it's the Russell show but I agree...he's the only one really playing on that side. The producers choose people who will be the good guys and those who will be villians. Russell wanted to be the villain...and well what can I say...we're loving to hate him.

I'm glad Shambo mixed with the guys but...if the merge sticks (they may just redivide the tribes)...by my count...Russ's little alliance with "the Harley girl"...will put him in alliance with the "ya-ya sisterhood" and they'll take out "Shambo and friends".

[missymouseworld]

Did I hear it right....Russell told the visitor from the other tribe (forgot her name, sorry) that he was a "Pastor"??????

[SBETigg]

Did I hear it right....Russell told the visitor from the other tribe (forgot her name, sorry) that he was a "Pastor"??????

I think he said his dad was a preacher. I'm pretty sure he didn't say he was a pastor. But he definitely told her (Laura) what she wanted to hear. The man has been paying attention out there.

I don't love to hate Russell. I actually don't enjoy him being there at all. But since he's the only one who seems to be actually playing the game, I'll give him credit and I would rather he won at this point than some of the people just dragging along through the game. It's a sorry season. I'm still hoping for a huge shake-up or twist.

[Ian]

He said his daddy was a preacher, yeah. I liked the part when he told her, " ... I can spot a good Christian ... " better, though. :rolleyes:

The odd things is I'm actually starting to like Russell. He's playing the game, at least. The rest of his tribe is just brutal!! I don't know that I've ever seen a bigger collection of stiffs assembled under one flag before. Maybe that team that Stephanie had to deal with where she was the last one left standing before the merge, but that would be it. They're just pathetic.

[Melanie]

I'm glad Erik is gone for the simple reason that the way he pronounced Shambo (ShamBO) drove me batty. :D

Blindsides are usually pretty fun, but I'm still not really into this season like past seasons. Hopefully that will come soon.

[SBETigg]

I was glad Erik was gone after that dismal, condescending speech at TC. Three or four weeks ago, I was all "Rrrr, Russell. It's the Russell Show. Get rid of evil Russell." And then I started to come around and last night, I was cheering for him to plant his evil Russell seeds and break up Galu! So weird.

I can see why Russell felt the need to play his idol, though. Jaison came up with the great plan to be rid of Erik and Natalie set it up perfectly. Foa Foa worked like a well-oiled machine but Russell was left out of the final scheming after Laura got immunity. And I still can't figure out what is up with Mick. He's playing the cute girl strategy better than any cute girl ever has, dragging on those coattails and not presenting any kind of threat whatsoever. I wouldn't be surprised if he added giggles to his repertoire. How could Galu be so clueless and ready to fork over one of their own? Worst alliances ever. At least Jaison and Natalie finally started playing the game along with Russell. The rest of them? They had better catch up fast or they're gone.

[RenDuran]

I found it interesting that Russell, the man who has had a put down for everyone in the game so far, spoke well of Shambo when they were fishing together. He didn't add anything demeaning at all when he spoke of her. Personally, I really find Shambo to be annoying, which is strange, because I really liked her in the beginning.

So longgggg, Erik! He was so arrogant at that tribal council. I'm glad Laura ended up winning immunity, because voting him out was way more satisfying!

[Ian]

I actually laughed out loud when Erik was voted out. He made that long, overblown, windbag, arrogant speech at tribal council and about five minutes later his bag was packed and he was outta there. I love blindsides like that!

Regarding Shambo ... I'm mixed on her. Mostly I find her annoying, but I do believe she's a genuinely nice (if not completely socially inept) person. I do, however, find her incessant whining about the "90210 crowd" very irritating. Just deal with it lady! They're young kids ... that's how they are!

[thrillme]

Shambo calls the the 90210 crowd and I guess I was close. I called them the "Ya-ya sisterhood". I absolutely cannot stand them either. Laura and Monica just :mad: ugh...everytime I see them. I can't WAIT for them to go. I think if I was there I'd have a difficult time with them too but I would probably keep it to myself. Shambo...would be easy to deal with.

Actually I was annoyed with Russell in the beginning. He's kinda winning me over despite is arrogant ways (I apologize to the anti-Russell group). I appreciate that he is getting in there an really playing the game. He appears to be a real fan of survivor and wanted to be the "villian". I admit I kinda appreciate how he's stirring the pot. For the most part too...he seems to be a prime player in keeping Foa Foa alive. Alas...I have a feeling that Russell isn't in as much "control" as he "thinks" he is. It'll probably be a big ego blow. I really want to see him make it to the jury. Now the tall guy..."Dave????" I don't recall his name. He seems to be a lot more "evil" than Russell.

The big thing to remember...they are out there for 39 days and all we see is a few hours of carefully edited programming.

Shambo...I think she's truly a really sweet person just clumsy socially.

[SBETigg]

I like Shambo. She doesn't annoy me. She's socially awkward and therefore not playing the smartest game but that's one reason I like her. Also, I liked her observation that the 90210s (who are definitely old enough to know better-- especially Laura!) are like the cheerleaders and make her feel like she's the awkward outcast. It really put her in a more sympathetic position. A lot of people can identify with not being one of the "in" crowd.

The ads seem to suggest that people are after Russell this week, which means there's no way Russell's going this week, or he's going out in a big way. More likely he survives. I hope Laura goes. Also, we've still hardly seen any of Kelly or Brett, which means I doubt they're making final four. Dave is probably evil, but he has some of the best lines. I think he's hilarious.

[Buddy08]

:spoiler:O.k. now after tonights episode, I have a newfound respect for Russell. He really is playing the game and outwitting the other players. I chuckled out loud at the outcome.

[SBETigg]

I'm totally on Team Russell. I don't hate him at all anymore. Villain? Ha. I want him to win. He has been playing from day one. Props to Natalie, who has started playing, too. The Foa Foas can go all the way. I wanted Laura to go home so badly, and then ack, she won! I wouldn't be surprised if Russell found the next idol, too.

I notice Erik seems to be a new fan of Russell, too.

[thrillme]

That was the sweetest blindside ever. They thought they had it in the bag. HA HA. I love it when that happens. I REALLY REALLY wanted Laura to go. I was so crushed that Shambo didn't take it...I would have taken Monica out but Kelly wasn't a bad choice. Between Kelly and Monica I guess Kelly was a bit more of the "schemer". Hopefully they'll be able to pick Laura off next week and then Monica.

I've "officially" moved over to the "dark side". :darth: I'm on the Russell team. My son liked Russell from the beginning. I didn't...but...he's really playing the game very hard and thinking every move. He does seem to be in a bit unsure of what to do. If he doesn't find the idol next week...maybe he'll win immunity.

My son was a little distressed that Shambo voted Russell but I thought it was a good thing because now she can flip over to the Foa Foa side as a spy. She apparently did NOT reveal that Russ had the idol. They seemed totally SHOCKED.:D

[laprana]

I, too, have converted! At the beginning of this season, I didn't think I'd say this, but I'm rooting for Russell to win the whole thing! He's played strategically from the beginning, and man, finding TWO hidden immunity idols with no clues? Crazy! I hope he finds the next one, too. I thought it was funny in the preview for next week's show how all the Galu members were all following him around, probably hoping he'd lead them to the next idol! Guess they can't do it for themselves!

I don't like how Galu has become so cocky and think they have this all wrapped up. I was so glad to see the blindside last night and the looks on their faces. Priceless! :thumbsup:

[Nascfan]

When was it announced that Erik was on the jury? I was shocked when they brought him into Tribal. Did I miss Jeff saying it last week or was this a little "producer blindside" having him Juror #1?

Like him or not, gotta give Russell props for finding two idols without any clues. He thought it out well that it would be somewhere "landmarked".

[SBETigg]

I think Jeff said it at Erik's boot last week, that Erik is our first jury member. But I also watch the Ponderosa miniseries at the CBS Survivor website with voted out Survivors at camp and they kicked it off with Erik this week, showing him headed out to be the first jury member. Boy was he mad to be voted off. It should be interesting to see Kelly's reaction when she joins him.

[RenDuran]

Strangely, I never knew I was pulling for Russell until that immunity challenge when it was him against Laura! I was so disappointed when Russell didn't pull that bag in faster and win his spot in the final three doing the challenge! Very weird. I still don't like him much, but it will be interesting to see how far he will go! Not sure that I want to see him win, but I definitely wasn't ready to see him leave!

I was surprised that Shambo voted for Russell. Erik was still really bitter. Made for an interesting tribal council.

[Buddy08]

I'm thinking that Shambo voted for Russell so Galu would think she was still being loyal to them. She knew Russell had the idol so he wasn't going anywhere and she even told Foafoa to vote for Kelly instead of Monica because the boys on Galu had been trying to vote Monica off for a long time. They wanted it to be a loss to Laura since they couldn't vote her off(voting off one of her "sisters"). Anyway that is what I think was said.

[Melanie]

I remember Jeff saying Eric would be the first jury member.

Is CBS' plan backfiring labeling Russell as the biggest villain in Survivor history? I don't even love to hate him. I, like a lot of you, just find myself loving him now. Imagine that. :shrug: Who I hate is Laura! :thedolls: Talk about power going to someone's head.

[d_m_n_n]

I was surprised that Shambo voted for Russell. Erik was still really bitter. Made for an interesting tribal council.

I wonder if Shambo didn't vote for Russell to stay in good graces with Galu. Then she can give him "inside" information as to who is going next. Or else she realizes that his tribe is going to be picked off and she'll go farther with he original. Regardless, I have coverted as well. Hope he can pull it off again!!! :thumbsup:

[Ian]

Oh yeah ... our whole family is officially on the Russell bandwagon. I am totally rooting for him to win the whole thing!

The last two weeks have been really good. Two great blindsides in a row. I love a good blindside. ;)

[Lacy]

I too am officially rooting for Russell to win it! No matter what you think about his personality he is definitely playing the game and their to win! I read that Jeff Probst said that watching Russell is like watching Richard Hatch the first season in that he seems to be playing a completely different game than the rest of them.

I had almost given up on Survivor at the beginning of the season but am certainly glad I stuck with it as these last couple of weeks have been some of the best episodes in Survivor history! Still the best reality show by far!!!

[thrillme]

Awww shucks. It seems like the beginning everybody is not excited about Survivor in the beginning then it picks up at the end. I think it's just because after several weeks we become more involved with the characters and we get off the "whiny riff-raff" and are left with more "personality" good or bad.

In the meantime I really think Shambo went the right direction. It puts her in a position to flip flop at any time with the possibility of gaining inside info. I think she voted the way she should have for that tribal council. Now they're "even". But she has to be "careful"...she don't want to turn it into foa foa against.

[Chrisx2]

That was one of the best tribal councils in a long time! The looks on thier faces when Russel played the idol were great but my favorite part was Eric's reaction! I thought he was going to start jumping up and down.

As much as I hate to say it, add me to the Russell fan club. I think he might be in trouble soon though.

[Disneypixie513]

Well....Add me to Team Russel..I hated him in the beginning, and was very close to not watching the season because I thought it was SO boring. I'm glad I've watched it because last weeks was epic. I loved all their faces, but Laura's was the best. She was ticked. And dang, Eric, phew "if looks could kill" popped into my head when he first sat down. Tomorrows episode looked good. It'll be interesting to see if Russel can do it again with every Galu member watching him like a hawk.

[TheDuckRocks]

I still don't like Russell at all, but he really is playing the game and if he wins he sure has worked hard to get it.

[Melanie]

Perfect!

I'm on the John bandwagon now. His assessment of Galu's analytical skills was hilarious (and right on).

And I find Dave to be just really......strange.

[thrillme]

John seems like he's been practically invisible up till now. But I'm with him...uhhhh...we'll just put you under the wheels of the bus and then we'll all go for Natalie. Sounds good right?


Uhhhh :confused:...I don't think you HAVE to be a "rocket scientist" to figure out that plan kinda stunk for John. Stupid thing was they DID do it to a "rocket scientist"...Is he smarter than the average bear??? We'll see next week on SURVIVOR....

Looks like "bad Russell" comes out again next week...alas...I don't feel sorry if the chicken gets loose...EAT THE CHICKEN. While half of the tribe was out at the reward...the other half should have had a chicken dinner. If Galu was really smart they would have eaten the chickens earlier. The chickens need to be fed and tended to and after all the work...it seems as though the chickens often escape anyway....one egg a day just isn't worth it. EAT THE CHICKEN.

[laprana]

Sooooo glad Laura is gone! I thought for sure they were going to have to pull rocks...I'm glad John decided to flip (at least during this vote) and break the tie.

I knew as soon as Russell saw the clue for the third idol, that was it! He would get it for sure! It was pretty funny to see Dave trying to chase him and Russell getting away.

[Stich8818]

I was like everyone else and could not stand Russell and now I am on the bandwagon I hope he wins...He is playing the best game. To find an immunity idol let alone 3 idols is just amazing to me. I think that at the begining of the season that there was not really a whole lot going on thus the maxium Russell exposure. But the past 3 episodes have been the best I have seen in many a past seasons. Will he win...maybe..maybe not. But he will I think win the fan favorite as odd as that may seem.

[SBETigg]

Another good one. I was so ready to get rid of Laura! Glad it worked. I loved John's assessment, too. Watching a tribe that started so strong squander their lead and lose players week after week is really amazing. Getting rid of Erik at a crucial time to stick together was one of the dumbest Survivor moves ever. Dave makes me laugh, but he is weird. I'm sticking with Foa Foa for the win (but which one? Hmm).

[SBETigg]

Ooh, I think Shambo's going to be mad. But will she have it out with Russell? Or will he be able to placate her? Her social skills are sorely lacking, so this could be bad for Shambo unless she keeps her cool next week.

Loved John's surprise. Poor John. Crazy Dave ekes out another week. And really, it would be a shame to lose the one guy (Dave) who is willing to start the bidding at auction for "a hundge" aka hundred. Who says that?

Natalie is my player of the week. She made a smart move at auction grabbing the first thing to get solid meal before they started pulling out the covered risky things. PB & J is good when you haven't eaten regularly, anyway. Mick's burger might have given him some tummy issues later. That thing was huge! And then Natalie held on through that challenge, very impressive. Plus, I can't forget she laid the groundwork for getting rid of Erik earlier, which was the pivotal move of the game (and Jaison's idea). Jaison made a good move, too. He never would have beaten Dave without those extra knots. This show has heated up nicely since merge!

[Ian]

And really, it would be a shame to lose the one guy (Dave) who is willing to start the bidding at auction for "a hundge" aka hundred. Who says that?I say that all the time. :cool:

I'm ready for Shambo to go home. Her psychotic, near incoherent ramblings are irritating me to no end. She's completely inept at playing the game and has really only stuck around because she made herself useful to old Foa Foa.

I liked the John blindside, even though I'd have rather seen Dave or Shambo sent packing. He was a strong player and did need to go when the chance presented itself.

[RenDuran]

I liked Shambo's reasoning for wanting to get rid of Dave....a dream! Was she this annoying at the start of the show or did they do some clever editing? Her face during the reading of the votes was priceless. I can't wait to see how things played out once they all went back to camp that night.

[laprana]

I was so glad to see Monica go last night! I didn't really like her from the beginning, and as the season went on I liked her less and less. I was a little nervous when Russell didn't play his idol at the 2nd tribal...phew! I'm still rooting for him to win the whole thing, but I think it's going to be tough as the other players are starting to be more wary of him.

[SBETigg]

I would like to see Russell make it to the end, but I'm behind Natalie for the win. We'll see how it goes. I was also very glad to get rid of Monica. I didn't think Russell's TC move was "the boldest" as they'd advertised it. I think they'd already settled on Monica going home, from the way the votes went down. Brett's the biggest threat out there now.

[Ian]

I was very happy with both votes last night, although I was surprised to see that it was a twofer? What prompted that?

I was pretty nervous when Russell opted not to play his idol, but when it worked out I was really glad for him. Everyone knowing he has it should be enough to carry him through to the final four just by itself.

From there, though ... he's going to have a huge target on his back. I agree that everyone is going to gun for him the minute the idol is out of play.

[Nascfan]

I was very happy with both votes last night, although I was surprised to see that it was a twofer? What prompted that?


They've got to have this wrapped up before Christmas...no pun intended. So we're down to 6 now, next Thursday will probably be a twofer also, and then the finale next Sunday.

As much as Russell has been playing the game to a T, it would be funny to see a BIG blindside and him sitting on the jury having to award the mill to someone else. I hate predictability in this show.

[Melanie]

I just read an exit interview with Monica, and she says she used to be Pocahontas at WDW.

Anyway, her interview was tame, and kind. The ones I have read from Dave Ball, not so much. Talk about an ego. He's a delusional one, that's for sure. :ack:

[SBETigg]

I just read an exit interview with Monica, and she says she used to be Pocahontas at WDW.

I can see her as Pocahontas. Dave was very weird.

I really think Russell has a great shot, not to win but to be in the final. Who wouldn't want to go against him in the end? People know he has money and that he was responsible for sending them home. Some juries would respect that kind of game play, but I don't think this one will. I think taking Russell to the end is anyone's best bet for a win, so I don't really think he's in any danger of going before the end. And I would be really surprised to see Mick, Natalie, Jaison, and Russell turning on each other this late in the game-- unless the immunity challenges force the issue. Brett stands a good shot of winning a few. My guess would be that Shambo goes next, or Brett if he doesn't win the challenge. But I won't get to see it tonight. My daughter's orchestra is performing.

[Melanie]

Brett? Who's Brett?

;)

[SBETigg]

Brett? Who's Brett?

;)

Hahaha! Exactly.

[Greenlawler]

I can see her as Pocahontas. Dave was very weird.

I really think Russell has a great shot, not to win but to be in the final. Who wouldn't want to go against him in the end? People know he has money and that he was responsible for sending them home. Some juries would respect that kind of game play, but I don't think this one will. I think taking Russell to the end is anyone's best bet for a win, so I don't really think he's in any danger of going before the end. And I would be really surprised to see Mick, Natalie, Jaison, and Russell turning on each other this late in the game-- unless the immunity challenges force the issue. Brett stands a good shot of winning a few. My guess would be that Shambo goes next, or Brett if he doesn't win the challenge. But I won't get to see it tonight. My daughter's orchestra is performing.

Although I see your point based on every season before, I think Russell will get the votes. The majority of voters have always voted for the player that plays best.

[pixiesmimi]

After the looks on the faces of the jury last night when talking about Russell winning, I don't think they will vote for him. He is getting cocky now telling Natalie "he is the one. He is going all the way". That may turn her against him. This is a good example of lay low and win the whole thing because there is a good chance they will all vote for Brett if he makes it that far. He didn't play a good game but also didn't make any of them mad.

Maybe after all the comments about her hair, we will see Shambo with a new haircut at the finale.

[pixiesmimi]

Okay, what just happened? I just happened to turn the TV on to CBS at 9:30 tonight and saw that it was the Survivor Samoa Reunion. I watched the show on Thursday night and heard nothing about tonight being the last night. Last thing I saw there were still 4 or 5 people. Why did I not see anything on the commercials or the show about it ending tonight? I missed it! Bummer!

[SBETigg]

Tonight was the final, yes. I'm not sure if it's too soon for spoilers, so I won't say anything until tomorrow-- but it was a fun season.

[d_m_n_n]

I have not been more disappointed in an outcome since Tina won...or the woman on Rupert's season. Spoiler... Natalie did nothing to deserve this "win." Galu was just mad Russell outsmarted them all
:thedolls: :mad: :angry: :shake: :down: :rant: :blowup:

I think that pretty much sums up my feelings for tonight... :blush:

[Carol]

I was/am so annoyed. I hate when the jury doesn't elect the person that outwits, outlasts ...blah, blah, blah.

What a waste of time.

At least the public got it right.


I watched the show on Thursday night and heard nothing about tonight being the last night. It was announced after the episode about the 2 hour finale being on Sunday and it's been advertised all week on the CBS networks.

[SBETigg]

I'm not disappointed. I think Natalie deserved it, too.

Unfortunately, Natalie didn’t make a strong case for herself with the jury– but Erik did it for her. I do think Russell is a great player. Best ever? He had no end game. His read of the jury was totally off because he never got to know a single player. He approached the final with logic, assuming everyone would respect his game play. He missed the fact that some jury egos were too big to be soothed by the man who outplayed them.

Natalie had that social element and charm. And also, people overlook the fact that the biggest move of the game (not booting Laura, but booting Erik) was thought up by Jaison and executed by Natalie. That is the one week that Russell was scared because he had no control of the game. He was nervous enough to play his idol. So I don’t see Natalie as a coattails player at all, and I wish she would have fought harder against that label. But does it matter? She won. That’s the game of Survivor. Also, I hated Russell's cockiness reemerging. He was pretty brutal in that last day when he was hammering Natalie for her jury speech. So for his short-sightedness into human nature and how to treat others, Russell lost it for himself.

[TheDuckRocks]

Sherri, you are so right, Russell did indeed lose this game for himself. He played an excellent game up to the point of his winning the immunity idol and then he blew it because of his ego. I'm glad to see he didn't get it if for no other reason than his very poor behavior at the reunion show.
Congratulations to Natalie!

[Melanie]

Ugh. I really wish they'd do away with the 3 player finale!!

Oh Russell, you blew it! Definitely played the best game, but I was even a bit shocked at how he was talking to Mick and Natalie back at camp that last day. Talk about assuming and not giving either of them any credit. I just wish he'd been a bit more humble.

[thrillme]

I'm still a Russell fan (maybe he'll be one of the Villians in the upcoming Survivor). :number1:

#1 I kinda felt like he was "grooming" Natalie for the finale. He was throwing out questions for her that the jury was probably going to ask and pressuring her to "think" about her answers. I don't think it was winning a million that was as important as the "accomplishment".

Natalie played well by making the right choices early on on who to ally with. But I still felt she rode his coattails all the way. If they had gotten Russell out early...she wouldn't have made it as far...but I do have to "credit" her with playing a more "social" game than Russell...which is a very important strategy. I was screaming for Russell to get rid of Natalie for a while...keeping Jaison...but...I did like Natalie too...I just didn't think Russell was going to win against her because she "bonded" with several of the Galu. Russell kinda "saw" trouble when She, Mick and Brett did that little "prayer" session before one of the challenges but he let it slide.

I think there's a LOT more to Russell the man than what we saw on the show. I was intriqued by the tears welling up in his eyes when his wife was talking about how much she loved him and what a good father he was. He sounds like he "worked" very hard for what he has and I can appreciate that.

Poor Brett...so very very close...

I thought it was neat hearing from "good" Russell again. I wondered what his wife must have thought when she saw his eyes glaze over...I know "I" was rather freaked. I couldn't believe that Russell (at the time) really believed he could continue...but after he said that he "thought" he was energized and in better more powerful shape than ever...and didn't realize that he was just a step away from "dying"...It seemed even more scarey when he described it.

I can't wait for Heros vrs Villians...will Johnny Fairplay be there?

[Melanie]

I don't think it was winning a million that was as important as the "accomplishment".

I think that was pretty evident by his wanting to buy the title of 'sole survivor' from Natalie, which I thought was weird.


I can't wait for Heros vrs Villians...will Johnny Fairplay be there?

If so, I hope he comes to play. That was kinda ridiculous last time when he just quit.

[SBETigg]

Russell could go far in Heroes/Villains because people won't have had a chance to know what he's like yet. They filmed it directly after wrapping Survivor: Samoa. So if Russell was involved, he would have already competed in that season as well by last night's live show. Interesting. Shambo seemed pretty happy. Maybe she returns, too? We'll see.

I don't think Russell was trying to help Natalie by throwing out those questions. I think he was bullying and intimidating her. And the tears were probably an emotional reaction to not winning more than being touched by love. I'm skeptical. I do give him credit for excellent game play-- until the end, which he really didn't plan for properly. Can you be the best player ever if you don't have a winning end game strategy? It's debatable.

[laprana]

Well, I was rooting for Russell all the way to the end, but I can't say that I'm too disappointed Natalie won. I was surprised at Russell's reaction at the reunion show...he was such a poor loser! I knew he thought he deserved to win, but I didn't think he would be such a baby about losing! I don't think he understood that there are 2 sides to Survivor - the strategic, gameplay side, which he mastered and played better than anyone else in this season, and the social, relationship-building side, which he was terrible at. In the end, it just depends on which side the people on the jury value more, and this time the jury put more stock in the social game. I agree, Sherri, I think Erik swayed the jury for Natalie. She didn't do it herself.

I was glad that Russell at least won the audience prize. I thought it was weird, too, that he was trying to "buy" the title of Sole Survivor from Natalie...even if she had agreed, that still wouldn't have meant that he won the game! :confused:

I've read that he is indeed on the next season as a villain. I hope so! Can't wait for it to start! :thumbsup:

[thrillme]

Maybe Russell intended to be a "baby" about not winning...did anyone notice the "pacifier" as well as the immunity idol around his neck?

Yeah I know Johnnie Fairplay "quit" during allstars...what a disappointment. I know Jeff absolutly cannot stand him.

[A Big Kid]

Am I the only one who thought that Brett looked like the "Church Lady" from SNL sitting up there?

[Ian]

I was/am so annoyed. I hate when the jury doesn't elect the person that outwits, outlasts ...blah, blah, blah.

What a waste of time.

At least the public got it right.Ummm yeah. What Carol said. I'm digusted with that outcome.

I mean Natalie wasn't even the second most deserving of the three finalists!! I would have given it to Mick before her. At least he won a challenge or two!!

Natalie was the consummate coattail rider and she just managed to craft a believable enough story for a group of people looking for any reason not to give the money to Russell. I think the jury was just bitter and they clearly chose the wrong winner.

I haven't been this disappointed since Vecepia won ... and I think even she deserved it more than Natalie!

Blech. Just ... blech. Ruined the entire season for me. :ack:

[Granny Jill A]

Loved it when Russell DIDN'T WIN. Knew he was shooting himself in the foot when he made all those enemies. Guess he thought the jury would have amnesia.

Not too crazy about Natalie winning. I was really rooting for Brett after Jaison got voted off.

[laprana]

Am I the only one who thought that Brett looked like the "Church Lady" from SNL sitting up there?

:funny::rotfl:
Ha, ha! Yes! It was totally the hair...he just needed glasses and a purple sweater!

[SBETigg]

Am I the only one who thought that Brett looked like the "Church Lady" from SNL sitting up there?

Ha, he did! Very funny. :) For a t-shirt designer, he wore some ugly shirts. I think he also looks like the actress Lea Thompson.

[SBETigg]

Natalie was the consummate coattail rider and she just managed to craft a believable enough story for a group of people looking for any reason not to give the money to Russell. I think the jury was just bitter and they clearly chose the wrong winner.

I haven't been this disappointed since Vecepia won ... and I think even she deserved it more than Natalie!

Blech. Just ... blech. Ruined the entire season for me. :ack:

I don't see how you can think that. Natalie made the biggest move of the game-- convincing Galu to vote off Erik. Russell had no idea that was going down. And that's what set the whole defeat of Galu into motion. Without that move, Russell would never have made it. So while Russell is an excellent player, I give Natalie credit and think she did a lot more than ride his coattails (though why she didn't speak up and say so blows my mind).

[d_m_n_n]

OK, I've calmed down a bit, but I still don't think she deserved to win.

The best part of the entire night...when Russell stood up and pulled out the socks for Jaison only to throw them in the fire too!!! Totally a classic Russell move!!! :D

[KarenP]

All I can say is WOW!! Natalie REALLY???? In all the seasons I have watched there was never a better player than Russell. He knew how to play the game for sure. The jury was awfully bitter. I am very disappointed!!!

[RenDuran]

I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular last night. I thought with that particular jury it could go either way, regardless of Russell's feelings that he had already won! He was ridiculous at camp with Natalie and Mick and his thoughts on what questions the jury would ask. Maybe he should have thought about all that himself a little more. For a guy that could read people so well in the game, he did a very poor job at the end. And it cost him.

[Ian]

I don't see how you can think that. Natalie made the biggest move of the game-- convincing Galu to vote off Erik. Russell had no idea that was going down. And that's what set the whole defeat of Galu into motion. Without that move, Russell would never have made it. So while Russell is an excellent player, I give Natalie credit and think she did a lot more than ride his coattails (though why she didn't speak up and say so blows my mind).Well first off I'm not 100% sure that was the biggest move of the game. It's kind of hard to determine what really is "the biggest move of the game" because it can be tough to judge how early decisions affected what happened later on. For example, Russell thought that voting off Marisa when he did enabled him to gain control of Foa Foa early on. Maybe that was the biggest move of the game, who knows?

And even if that was the biggest move of the game, it was only one move. Russell engineered the exit of virtually everyone else who left the game.

[SBETigg]

And even if that was the biggest move of the game, it was only one move. Russell engineered the exit of virtually everyone else who left the game.

Russell liked to talk a lot in front of the camera, so he gets credit but I think many of those moves were group decisions. In an interview, Mick and Jaison claimed to be the masterminds who were dragging Russell along to the end, and he was just so full of himself to believe his own hype. I think he was a fantastic player. Mick would have been the worst winner for me, because he certainly didn't look like a leader. But the biggest part of the game is lining that jury up to vote for you, and Russell failed that one. I think Natalie failed that one, too, since Erik made a more compelling argument for her than she made for herself.

Still, Natalie paid attention to the social game. She didn't just sit there and get dragged to the finish. I give her some credit. And to Russell's disadvantage, this was one petty, bitter jury. But, if he had been the "best player ever" he might have seen that going in and played a different closing argument instead of brow-beating Natalie over hers.

[Stich8818]

Throw me into the catagory of dissappointed..Russell should have won and I dont blame Natalie or Mick or even Russell..I blame the lamest jury in survivour history. Some of the final questions were just really strange...Jaison "what do you do for a living?"...Really?...Jon said it before that Galu tribe was not the smartest players ever to play the game. No jury memebers asked one question that really stood out to why a player did what they did. Never question motives behind their actions.

[SBETigg]

Dean, good point. Jaison's question was more of a statement, and it didn't do anything to help make anything clear for the jury. If anything, it leveled the field a little for Russell by pointing out that yes, he has money-- but so do the other two. So what did he mean to accomplish, exactly? Perhaps if he had added to it by asking what they planned to do with their winnings? I don't know. I expected more from the jury, but it was pretty obvious this was not a jury that was going to reward strategic game play. I wanted more confrontation, more questions. This jury was more about keeping the focus on themselves than on truly making the best choice of a winner, though I'm sure they think they did since no one but Shambo seems to have actually liked Russell.

It would not have been Russell's style to pour on the flattery and say what they wanted to hear, and it would have been more disappointing if he did. So I liked that he was true to his game play, even if it kept him from winning. Can't wait to see him on Heroes and Villains. This was aired while that was filming, so if Russell's in the cast (and I think he is, though it's unconfirmed), I think the others won't know what to expect. He could win the next one, if he's in it. I doubt he will improve his social game, so it could be interesting.

[Melanie]

Russell is on Hereos v. Villians. There are TONS of spoilers out there if you really want to know. I've already read too much. :unsure: Regardless, official cast announcements should be coming soon since the premiere is in February.

[Disneypixie513]

I have to say I was disapponted with Natalie winning, but not totally surprised. If it had been a jury from season's past, Russell probably would have won. But this jury was bitter and easily offended. Yes, Russell was utterly confidant, annoyingly so at times, but to me he was the best player. I totally agreed with what he said about if the other two outplayed him, give them the money. Well ,IMHO, Natalie Definately did NOT outplay him. She had good moments, but she just was there to me, she didn't "Play".
The one time I was rooting for the "bad guy" because he played the game, the jury was pathetic. :(
On a brighter note, I'm so excited for the nest season to start :thumbsup:

[MNNHFLTX]

I think that was pretty evident by his wanting to buy the title of 'sole survivor' from Natalie, which I thought was weird.

That was weird. How does the title mean anything if you aren't the winner?

I have only watched this season's survivor a handful of times this season, but as my sister is an avid fan and my family was staying at her house, I did find myself watching the finale. It was--interesting, to say the least. Since I don't have extensive knowledge of everything that went down over this season, I'll withhold judgement on whether Natalie deserved to win, but I will say that it didn't surprise me too much, based on what was going on at the very end. Russell seemed to be setting himself up for a big fall, which is what eventually happened.

And I must say that I am looking forward to actually watching the Heroes and Villians season. That's a cool concept.