Survivor - Blood vs. Water (SPOILERS)

[The Quasi Juice]

Vytas is getting such a winners edit. Anyway sue me, I like this season so far.

[RPS]

I'm not sure if he's getting a winner's edit or he has such a unique back story that it's impossible not to focus on him. Him and Aras are great narrators.

[GoGo Yubari]

Survivor needs to stop advertising blindsides, because it makes it not a blindside for the viewers anymore.

Oh, Kat. Bye, Kat.

[The Quasi Juice]

Once again Kat gets blindsided while thinking she has the game on lock, and she's still so immature talking about how she's afraid Hayden won't like her anymore now 'cause she didn't make the merge, come on.... Really well played by Vytas. I'm starting to like Ciera as well.

[RPS]

Tyson is evidence that a good player in his first time around can become a great player by his third time to play. He's always had the social skills, but he's blending them with strategy this time around. He's doing quite well.

Otherwise - the takeaway from the episode was that Kat and Monica are equally bad players. I don't think Vytas performance this week was great or terrible; he pretty much got lucky. That's not to say he isn't great, but... the women were just stupid cannibalizing each other.

[GoGo Yubari]

I think Vytas did as well as he could. Trying to make a big move would have backfired, so the smartest thing to do was sit back and just try to get them to like him.

Monica is better than Kat, I guess, because it's hard to not blow it more than Kat's "nooooo I didn't say anything why don't you believe me :( " defense. Tina's partially to blame too. The smart move would have been to calm Kat down and tell her there's still time after they get rid of Vytas, and then get rid of Kat at the next chance.

[RPS]

No, I think Tina knew exactly what she was doing. I don't think Tina has been let in on Tyson and Gervase plan to blindside Aras. I don't think Tina's entire reasoning behind keeping Kat was here blow up with Monica, but probably because post-merge, she'd presumably have an alliance with herself, her daughter, Aras, Vytas, Monica, Gervase and Tyson, which would give her the numbers. If she keeps Kat, than Kat is still around and it gives Hayden, a strong dude who has been successful in a reality show, more power. I think Tina was thinking numbers.I don't think that it'll really matter in the end - I think Tyson and Gervase are going to be wise and realize it's better to create an alliance to take down Aras/Vytas and the remaining pairs. But I think in Tina's head, it was a wiser move to get rid of Kat at the time.

[The Quasi Juice]

Exactly, for Tina this move was fine because she's super tight with Aras. They've been friends for years and came into the game with an alliance apparently so she wants to keep Vytas around because she knows Vytas would align himself with Aras. This plan could backfire this week if Aras gets voted out but I hope not, Aras is a good and entertaining player. I have a feeling they teased it on purpose to make us think a certain way and then Aras' tribe wins anyway and Monica goes home.

Also fuck Laura M. for telling people to wait as the season unfolds to judge her (she was getting a lot of shit for massaging Aras in a "sexy" way). That made her redemption win last week very predictable for me. Surely she can be fined for saying something like that. I really hope she's not the one returning.

Edited October 29, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[The Quasi Juice]

Can I nominate Laura Boneham as the worst Survivor player ever? Sure we've had the likes of Chicken and other dumbass first boots but at least Laura was given the time to play. She was put in an amazing position with dominating Favorites. Problem is she's smug, delusional, socially awkward, backstabbing and a horrible strategist. Because of Aras Laura M went home despite Laura B trying to throw some people under the bus which nobody believed. This time she makes a decision for the entire f'n tribe after the challenge. And despite Vytas constantly talking to the girls and none of the girls assuring Laura B that Vytas was going home she STILL had this terrible smug look on her face like she owned the damn place. Then in her interview on Redemption Island she was like 'and they vote ME out'? If not Vytas, who else deserves to go Laura? It's not like you've been a great player. Rupert and Laura have created this image that they are wonderful people, honorable etc, yet the last 3 times Rupert has played he's come across as a conniving and socially awkward person. Same goes for Laura apparently.

Anyway, seems obvious Laura M is returning into the game considering that challenge is made for a woman really.

Edited October 31, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[Blehschmidt]

Nothing important to add, just wanted to say Thank God Rupert's Wife is Done! What a worthless Survivor player.

Also, I think Vytas is going to win the game, but I am rooting for Ciera.

[RPS]

I think, at this point, the two people I could see winning are Tyson or Tina. Vytas won't because he'll have a huge target on his back and barring something huge happening, he's gone. Caleb, who started off strong, is floating into the background. Everyone else either doesn't have the skills or air time to win. I'm leaning more towards Tina as the last few weeks she's proven to be, by far, the smartest player playing the game. Tyson, though, seems to have the best path paved to the end.

[The Quasi Juice]

Vytas by far has had the most confessionals. I have a feeling they are setting him up for an epic blindside and he'll be a returnee for sure. Aras had a strong edit at the start but now it seems to be leaning towards Tyson, Tina and a little bit Ciera. I have to say no idols in play and the cast has made this a very fun season so far. I have no idea what will happen at the merge and I love it. There are so many variables going into the merge. Aras is being targeted by Tyson's group BUT Tina, Vytas and Monica are coming and will want to work with Aras.

Edited October 31, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[GoGo Yubari]

Guess it's dependent on who comes back. If the likely post-merge breakdown right now is Tyson/Gervase/Caleb/Hayden/Ciera vs. Tina/Katie/Aras/Vytas/Monica, then Laura B. coming back is a huge feather in Tyson's cap (but she sucks so she won't come back probably), Laura M. is likely in Tyson's favor but not for sure, and who even knows with John but I'd guess he'd more likely go with Tina's group.

That is, of course, assuming both groups realize that those are the groups.

[RPS]

Exactly. The merge is going to be multi-dimensional because of all the wrinkles involved - there was loved one alliances, pre-game alliances, returning and loved one alliances and now new mixed tribes alliances. It's likely that Tina/Katie/Aras/Vytas stay aligned. Monica seems like she is leaning towards being loyal to Tina, but she's a potential floater. I'd wager it's also likely that the rag-tag bunch of Hayden/Caleb/Cierra/Gervase/Tyson could also stick together. Plus the RI player. If Laura M returns, she's likely going to join up with Cierra and have Aras in her sights, so that's another ally for Tyson and Gervase. If Laura B returns, I don't really know where her allegiances will lie and would probably be a pawn vote for whoever has the most votes. John is probably the most interesting returning player, because he really has no allegiances to anybody and could really land anywhere. That leaves 4 players solidly aligned, Monica most likely with them but a potential for a flip, and Hayden/Caleb/Cierra/Gervase/Tyson aligned with a pretty good shot of swinging over the returning player.

My gut says that Aras or Vytas goes next episode, but if John comes back... who knows. He's a free vote and also a huge target.

[GoGo Yubari]

Oh the editors had almost too much fun with that one. But if the Baskauskas brothers were going to feed them so much prime material, what're you going to do?

Monica is terrible, though. I can't believe it partially hinged on her being too dumb to realize the position of power she was in in an F5 with Aras/Vytas and Tina/Katie.

[The Quasi Juice]

Nooooo Aras

Monica is dumb indeed. How did she interpret Tina saying she'll be part of the final five as 'at five you are out!'. She would be the swing vote to determine which family gets broken up. The only arguments she can make is that Tina and Aras are very loyal to each other and thus would never turn on each other, and that especially Aras and Vytas would win over basically anyone no matter what.

I really don't like Laura M. First she spoiled like 3 weeks worth of Survivor on Twitter. Then she shows just how BAD of a player she actually is. Samoa made her look like the leader but in reality she played a horrible game there too. Ciera is much better, I really like her as a player and person. Laura, not so much. It's hilarious that Ciera basically found her mom a nuisance.

It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out now. You'd think Vytas is the next target. Tyson and Gervase seem to have taken control but the tribe dynamic is so strange, anything can happen.

Edited November 7, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[RPS]

Interesting. Jeff Probst really hyped up Gervase in his comments on EW.com as making a huge move last night. From my view, that move was all Tyson considering he was the one rallying the numbers. If anything, Tyson comes out looking better because while he did backstab Aras, he didn't have a pre-game alliance like Gervase did.

I feel like Monica made a colossal error last night. She saw herself as 5 in a 5 person alliance, but really she was 3 in a 5th person alliance. At 5, she's going to be the one to choose whether to send Tina/Katie or Aras/Vytas. Neither side is stupid and would vote Monica out to come down to a 2 on 2 tie with four people left in the game. She's effectively moved herself to an already formed alliance with a placement undetermined. Terrible move on her part.

There are lots of people standing around who can't (or won't) win the game. I think Tina's probably unlikely to win after her slip up. I highly doubt Aras will survivor Redemption Island. Vytas is probably gone. Laura M and Monica are incompetent. Caleb, Cierra and Katie are lacking strong presences on the show. That leaves Tyson, Gervase or Hayden to win. Hayden's keeps getting better and better as the weeks come in, Gervase gets weirdly hyped up by Probst and Tyson seems to be playing the best game out there.

[The Quasi Juice]

I agree with most, however I think Ciera is bound to go far because she's been given a lot of air time. I have a feeling she'll do really well in this game. Why do you think Aras can't survive? He's intelligent, agile and strong. I can only see Vytas and Tyson beating him really, unless it's a challenge like last night which is tailor made for a woman.

Also still no HII = awesome.

Edited November 7, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[RPS]

I didn't say Ciera wasn't going to go far, I just don't think she can win. I feel like Ciera hasn't consistently got a lot of airtime, but only did last night which probably means she's going to become important in the next few weeks and than get booted.

I think Aras technically could get back in the game, but I just see it as a pretty much lost cause.. RI are more mixed bag type challenges where it's just a matter of the wrong challenge that can knock out somebody who would tend to be a great challenge performer.

[EddieG]

I think she's not gotten airtime for the exact reason I can't stand her, she's been quiet throughout the whole game, and now her mum's back, she speaks up, but only to her mother, bossing her around.. what?