The Survivor Thread

[GoGo Yubari]

I think you limited your criterion to solely winners last time. That's a good three. Fairplay should be in, but I bet personal distaste for him (Jeff, Sandra if she opts to vote, maybe Parvati if she opts to vote) will keep him out for a while.

[RPS]

Oh yeah, if it was purely strategy - as in the people who strategically advanced the game the furthest - I'd vote solely on winners alongside people who introduced new ways of approaching and thinking about the game - ie, Cirie. But thinking more about character, entertainment and narrative, I think Cirie, Tina and Fairplay all had really great contributions to the game. Especially Fairplay, alongside Rob C, who laid the ground work for entertaining characters playing for second place, screen-time and notoriety.

Edited November 16, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[bill_da_bill]

I am finally getting around to watching Fiji and I gotta say it really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Some of the twists are kinda lame, but the cast is sneaky strong. There are not a ton of huge personalities, though Rocky's fantastic, but there are some really solid game players and strategists. I'm one episode into the merge so it's early to judge, but I don't know that it'd even be in my bottom three as of right now, definetly not one of the best either, but underrated in my opinion.

However I will say...

Screw the whole team immunity after the merge twist that got Michelle voted off. Michelle was one of my favorites and a really strong player and she got hosed by that twist. Not even a real chance to make a play which I think she could have done in a full tribal council setting. Lame.

Edited November 16, 2011 by bill_da_bill

[GoGo Yubari]

The twist that got rid of Michelle is one of the absolute worst twists. Total bullshit. Only good part of it is that it kicks off the saga of Dreamz post-merge, and that... well. You'll see.

[RPS]

Heroes vs. Villians spoiler.

I just read the preliminary posting on the Funny115 regarding the fall of Russell in HvV. Damn. Watching the season in retrospect, there is no question in mind Sandra clearly deserved to win and is the type of player who will consistently win a game like Survivor. The woman knew how to read the jury you can tell around Candice's boot was getting a sense of how the pieces were all going to fall into place. Also, Russell is by far the WORST player to appear in the finals, perhaps only rivaled by Dreamz. Russell elimination of Candice and Danielle will go down as the dumbest move ever, mainly because in the eliminations he took out the only people who he could potentially ever beat in the jury vote.

Edited November 16, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[GoGo Yubari]

Seriously, it's an amazing read thusfar and he's not even finished. That + the one he did on why Samoa played out the way it did are pretty much perfect summaries of why Russell Hantz is a ridiculously overrated Survivor player.

The funny thing is I bet even Danielle could have beaten Russell. He needed a final two situation between himself and Candice really. But the final five is hysterical because Russell Hantz, Survivor Genius, has made it so he was there with four people who could beat him easily. And one of them was Jerri Manthey of all people.

[RPS]

I think it's interesting that he compared Todd and Brian to Russell, but they really are good comparisons. Both clearly did their fair share of back stabbing, but knew the principle rule in the game - as long as you are sitting besides somebody who is more unlikeable than you, you will win the million dollars. Brian was smart because he brought a goat. Todd was smart because he was sociable, nice and generally was depicted as an enjoyable person around camp (on top of a flawless jury performance). Brian didn't have to bond and socialize, because he brought along a misogynist who was alleged to be racist. Both Todd and Brian read the jury and knew how to react accordingly. Russell played the aggressive, back stab game but he was unlikeable, didn't bring a goat along with him and didn't know how to read the jury. Humility and restraint are key in winning the end-game and Russell has neither.

Edited November 16, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[GoGo Yubari]

First ballot from a committee member released, and it's Boston Rob's;

Cirie Fields – (“Survivor: Panama,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): She played a great strategic and social game all three times. She is super smart and definitely someone that is a threat every time. Cirie is someone you would want in your alliance and not outside of it.

Rudy Boesch – (“Survivor: Borneo” and “Survivor: All Stars”): He’s a legend in my mind. He was the first to speak his mind, you always knew where Rudy stood. I don’t see how you can have a Hall of Fame and not have Rudy in it.

Tom Westman – (“Survivor: Palau” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): He’s an all-around great player; physically, socially, and strategically. Everyone loved Tom because he truly is a great guy and a fierce competitor.

Interesting mix. One of the best strategists, one of the most dominant winners, and an iconic character.

[RPS]

Definitely interesting. I think Cirie and Rudy belong there, but I never enjoyed Tom. He just came across like a douche on television and the way he manipulated Ian at the end... uncomfortable. It's one of those moments where you can really just see somebody manipulating and praying upon someone who is much weaker. Maybe just me.

[GoGo Yubari]

Next ballot is some producer voting for Ozzy, Rupert, and Stephenie. Meh.

[RPS]

Horrible selections. Ozzy isn't very memorable outside of being good at challenges in Cooks, Stephanie was only memorable in Palau. Rupert, despite not really being a mastermind, definitely belongs in.

[GoGo Yubari]

Stephenie is really remarkable for being an example of producer hype. Her Survivor history consists of

A season where she loses nearly every challenge, a season where she's a final two goat, and a season where she's the second player voted out.

Yeah, her story in Palau is great but she's not actually very good at Survivor.

[RPS]

Oh Stephanie was miserable. I mean, I think she lucked out in Palau in that her tribe were idiots because she could only look good in comparison. I was going to write off Rupert, but the dude actually has a pretty great track record of doing great in the game, on top of probably being the most iconic character Survivor has ever had. Rupert has finished 7, 4 and 6, and in his last two seasons, actually seemed to understand the dynamics of the game and the right people to pick off at the right time. And Rupert could have maybe actually won his last two games, but his alliance always seemed to screw him over. (Jenna L in All Stars and her retarded decision to vote him out/JT and Candice in Heroes vs. Villians and their trusting of Russell). C'est la vie, I guess.

[GoGo Yubari]

Russell Hantz's Hall of Fame ballot? Amanda Kimmel, Ozzy Lusth, Stephanie Valencia.

So. Yeah. I guess it's only fair that Russell votes for Amanda since from a gameplay perspective she basically did what he did and did it better (i.e. making the jury on her third game instead of finishing 17th).

[The Quasi Juice]

Russell voted for those three? How random. I didn't expect Ozzy and Stephanie. I know he has a hard-on for Amanda; remember him being worried in HvV cause she was a female Boston Rob version

[GoGo Yubari]

Russell's been obsessed with Ozzy all this season. Probably has some sort of "outsmarted by Parvati" solidarity too. As for Stephanie, he's actually holding to his hilarious claim that she's "ten times better than Parvati." So I guess he's consistent if nothing else.

[RPS]

Ugh, is he defective or something?

[GoGo Yubari]

You just don't get it. There's obviously a flaw in the Hall of Fame.

[RPS]

Survivor King Russell FTW!

[GoGo Yubari]

So it hasn't been officially posted, but we've more or less got Sandra Diaz-Twine's votes via her commenting on Facebook and giving indirect hints. Her ballot appears to be Rob Cesternino, Tom Westman, and Todd Herzog.

And speaking of Tom Westman, I'm not a fan of his but I think he's a valid inclusion because what he pulled off was amazing. He was the leader of his tribe, an obvious challenge threat, playing on a team of people who weren't easily manipulated (unlike, say, Boston Rob), and he still managed to win his season. That's not supposed to happen in Survivor (especially post-All Stars), obvious threats like Tom are supposed to go out at like the final eight.