"Survivor: Cook Islands" Talkback Thread (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

Survivor 13 features the most diverse cast of the series, it has also been a source of controversy as the tribes are being divided by race. The four tribes will first be divided into groups of Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Caucasian-Americans. The premiere was tonight at 8 p.m. ET.


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/Bordo316/CookIslands.jpgStranded on the Cook Islands in the heart of the South Pacific, 20 strangers must live together and compete for the million-dollar prize. Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast all others? Don't miss a single episode of SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS, premiering Thursday, September 14 at 8 pm ET/PT, only on CBS.

[Master Moron]

You know, when I saw the opening credits at first I thought the Hispanic tribe was the white tribe. I really can't tell the difference between Hispanic people and white people, they all look the same to me.

[RedNinja84]

That's because they are all descendents of Europeans. Hispanics are mixed of Spaniards and Indians form the various regions of Central and South America.

[Discloner]

I almost missed it too! Thank god I was too caught up in my computer to change the channel when Entertainment Tonight was on for them to remind me. :p

This whole 'divided by races' concept has really been in the hot seat for a while now, but seriously...I think it's fascinating. Even the castaways themselves pointed out that while they're culturally the same, they're still divided amongst themselves. They all come from different background (well..except for the tribe that lost tonight; whom are all self-proclaimed city-slickers), and they all have different upbringings so if you ignore the race factor its simply 4 tribes competing.

That being said, it seems like there is quite the number of characters this season. Already Johnathan (whom according to his profile...has worked on a few CBS shows!) has stolen a chicken, Billy with his heavy metal shirt and enthusiastic attitude, and obviously Cao Boi...who is well...just nutty. When he was getting rid of Brad's 'bad wind' and left a mark I was laughing hysterically the whole time...and in the end it even worked!

It all seems rather promising; and so far my placement of favorite teams is more or less the order in which they won the immunity in this episode. The last two teams breaking even because quite frankly, the white team seems far too 'real world' and the black (yellow? CBS.com doesn't have the tribe names up. =/) team seems to lean more towards drama as well.

We really didn't see much of the Hispanic team this episode did we?

All in all I'm looking forward to seeing how this season plays out. Hopefully some of the characters won't get anyone too fed up with them (I'd like it if Cao Boi sticks around for at least half the season)...but I think this is true for every season.

[TnAdct1]

Proof that I'm definitely out of the loop: I had no idea that the new season of Survivor premiered tonight and thus missed it altogether.

[bigddan11]

Proof that I'm definitely out of the loop: I had no idea that the new season of Survivor premiered tonight and thus missed it altogether.

I would have missed it if I hadn't looked at the premiere list yesterday. CBS is giving the two reality shows a start before all the other shows. Survivor startted tonight, and I'll be watching the epsiode (which I recorded) shortly, while The Amazing Race has an hour and a half premiere Sunday from 8:30- 10 PM Eatern & Pacific, 7:30- 9 PM Central & Mountain.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Interesting premiere. I think the African-American tribe has weakened themselves too much with that decision, though.

I think this season will turn out pretty interesting. Cao Boi was hilarious.

[Bad Asp]

When I told you I was going to watch it, I kept my promise.

(WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!)

I was a bit disappointed that Hiki was the first tribe going to tribal council (look at me - I'm white, and I'm feeling sorry for the African-Americans!) Then again, Sekou pretty much dug a huge hole for himself. He really underestimated the women on the tribe, didn't he? Lying around and basically being lazy - maybe it's just me, but isn't that a stereotype black men should try to avoid?:shrug:

[bigddan11]

I hate saying this, but I really feel the Caucassian and African American teams are at a big disadvantage with this format. I feel the first challenge was a clear indicator that the Hispanic tribe is the strongest with physical tasks, and the Asian Americans are the strongest with mental tasks. Expect those two tribes to dominate until they decide to mix up the tribes.

[Burgundy Ranger]

First off, I'm glad to see CBS build in that extra half-hour for NFL overruns on Sunday evenings. Shows should start much closer to schedule with their listed times as 7:30 and 8:30.

As far as the premiere, I find myself not too concerned about the racial factor, since I'm fully expecting a "mini-merge" to two tribes within the first 3-4 episodes.

The Hiki girls saw their numbers edge and used it. Unfortunately, the 3 girls-1 guy makeup puts them at higher risk of being right back at Tribal at the end of Round 2. (my term -- each 'round' ends with a vote-off)

And, I'm not sure if I agree with Hiki getting their flint at the end of TC. It was part of the challenge to win it. They didn't. Maybe they're looking at a health matter by making boiled water available from the get-go.

And, what's up with this year's Exile Island? It's 100 times less 'hospitible' than last year's. Little vegetation and practically no shelter. It's a giant sandbar with a half-buried boat prop.

[bigddan11]

First off, I'm glad to see CBS build in that extra half-hour for NFL overruns on Sunday evenings. Shows should start much closer to schedule with their listed times as 7:30 and 8:30.

It's basically a one time deal though, as the regular fall schedule has 60 Minutes at 7 PM, Amazing Race at 8 PM, Cold Case at 9 PM, and Withuot A Trace at 10 PM, and it fully starts that following week.

[Icer]

Glad to see Exile Island and the hidden immunity idol back. It definetly added a new element last season.

[Burgundy Ranger]

It's basically a one time deal though, as the regular fall schedule has 60 Minutes at 7 PM, Amazing Race at 8 PM, Cold Case at 9 PM, and Without A Trace at 10 PM, and it fully starts that following week.
Crud. Too good to be true. I forgot about Cold Case. That 60 Minutes show is gooping up the entire night. ;)

[blee337]

And, what's up with this year's Exile Island? It's 100 times less 'hospitible' than last year's. Little vegetation and practically no shelter. It's a giant sandbar with a half-buried boat prop.

No kidding. When the camera panned out and actually showed the little nothing of an island, me and my wife were all like "holy crap".

As far as the show itself, I found it pretty entertaining. Like one person said above, there are quite a few "characters" right off the bat. It will make for a good season if most of them can stick around.

And you know what, when the show was over, I didn't feel like I watched a piece of "insensitive", "demeaning", or "racist" tv. How odd....I mean, isn't that what that NY politician said? Or even some of the users here? All before anyone had even seen the show? /sarcasm

[Kaner]

I thought the same mutha fuggin thing SteveR and blee337. Last year there were some palm trees, bushes, and actual soil on Exile Island. This year....nothing. Just a sand bar. Hell if theres a bad tide whoever's one Exile Island might have to spend the night ankle deep in water.

What I like so far is that there aren't any obvious super heroes. I mean last season we had the astronaught and the marine. The favorites. And before that we had the firefighter from NY who was also destined to win. Now I like those guys, but this season we don't know who's the strongest, smartest, or swiftest is....yet.

-Kaner

PS. My money is on Ozzy from the hispanic tribe to win.

[The Penguin]

Last week in the premiere of Survivor: Cook Islands, the Hiki tribe was the first sent to Tribal Council and the three women teamed up to vote out Sekou . (I was able to catch the episode on CBS.com which made me happy.)


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Dire Straits and Dead Weight"
Thursday, September 21 @ 8 p.m./7 CT on CBS
One tribe member becomes dehydrated due to a lack of fire to purify drinking water. In the Aitutaki camp, the members consider throwing the immunity challenge so they can vote Billy out. Castaways from the Puka Puka tribe become increasingly annoyed with Cao Boi's controversial comments. At tribal council, the second person is voted off of the islands. - TVGuide.com

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Ozzy is a first class idiot. Throwing a challenge is a terrible idea, as much as a black hole as Billy was. Now he's made himself weaker for the coming weeks. Hiki lucked out that Aitu threw the challenge, otherwise they would have gone back again.

And Yul has found the Idol. I immagine he'll go aways, although I don't know if he's going to be the next Terry. The whole Cao Boi thing shown in the previews wound up being a minor point.

Interesting, but I think Ozzy has forfeited any shot he has of going somewhere in this game. Yul and Jonathan are probably the frontrunners.

[Discloner]

Hahaha, oh man. Two episodes in and the characters till are coming out of the woodwork. What an odd turn of events that Aitu, a practical no show in last week's episode, would be the front runner of drama queens this week!

It shocking, to me at least, that a team would decide to throw a match so early in the game. More-so because this is just the second challenge! I suppose once you set aside reduced numbers for the merge, and in-tribe distrust, there really aren't THAT many disadvantages in the long run.

And what about Billy and Candice?! Hah! Up until tribal council I was totally siding with Billy. Ozzy is making me nervous...he's fit, smart, and he's actively shifting the current game to suit him (And people are following in suit). You can see him thinking things over constantly...he's definitely someone to look out for, and I have to wonder if people will be kicking themselves down the line for not ousting him right now when they had the chance. However, once Billy brought up the short quip at the end of the challenge between him and Candice...I was seriously weirded out. My sympathetic attitude changed from "Aw, poor outcast" to "Woah...creepy guy" and suddenly Ozzy was the least of my concerns.

I like Cristina...though my prospects for her survival in the game are slim. Every season has the sympathetic motherly type, and despite the fact that I like them all they always are ousted early (expect perhaps Tina from Australia...but how long ago was that?). Her chances of making it to merge are even more slim with Ozzy around.

The Puka tribe continues to be my favorite. For the same reasons as last week...they rarely fight (except perhaps Cao Boi's shining personality), they work EXTREMELY well together, they honestly seem like real and friendly people. It'll be interesting to see how solid they remain when the tribes start combining. If they never have to approach tribal council as a Puka, they very well could assure that they all make it to the final four.

So. Second episode in and extremely entertained. The prospects of a great season are all the better. :)

Also, TVGuide's description of the episode is hilarious. Aside from the obvious match throw, the dehydration thing sounds so much worse in text; when in actuality it was just another reason for Cao Boi to give a team mate the red-dot of justice. :p

[bigddan11]

Ozzy needs to be voted off as soon as possible. He was right about them being stronger than ever now, but his sneaky attitude is going to end up biting him in the butt.

Yul is defintley my favorite right now. Not only has he found the hidden immunity idol, but he also has great friends and can serve as a true leader.

Nice Talkback image Penguin.

[The Penguin]

Well I was able to watch the first episode on-line (and right when it started to get too choppy I had a tape of the last part) and watched this past week's episode this weekend. It looks like CBS is going to have Survivor on-line all season. New one tonight!

In a couple of general items, last season I found Exile Island to be a rather tired concept after Terry found the idol and I'm almost disappointed it was brought back again. I do like this island better than the last one since it's so much smaller, but still. The second hint locked it for Yul. It made me think Jonathan just wasn't smart enough.

Secondly, the whole 'race division' things never bothered me at all. I find it to be an interesting concept and if we aren't comfortable enough with ourselves as a nation at this point to have this kind of thing what have we been doing? So far the only place race has played any sort of a factor is the Puka tribe not liking Cao Boi's jokes. They're just four groups of people who happen to be split by their ethnicity. Most of them have seemed proud to represent their people and breaking stereotypes.

Anyway, to this week...

It thought it was more than stupid for Ozzy to push for Aitu to get rid of Billy. Why you would want to be down one this early in the game in beyond me. The "next week" preview implies that there is some kind of shake-up going on and now they will be at a disadvantage.

Which is apparently lucky for Candice. I was rather disturbed when Billy declared he loved her, when it seemed pretty obvious to me that she was just trying to be nice, not express her undying love. I hope she doesn't get voted out tonight because then they'll sit next to each other at the final. :shrug:

Hiki did seem to be a lot happier without Sekou around. If Aitu hadn't been idiots they probably would have been two down though. They don't seemed to be a very balanced group when it comes to challenges.

As I mentioned before, apparently Puka doesn't agree, but I think Cao Boi is awesome. He's very proud of who he is and is one of those people that based on their skills and life experience are perfect for Survivor. They look a little funny afterwards, but he's helping those kids with their headaches.


Nice Talkback image Penguin.Credit for that goes to Duke. I wanted to do that with the weekly threads this season.

[The Penguin]

Last week, Ozzy led the charge for Aitu to throw the challenge and vote out their weak link, Billy. It worked, but now their tribe is down one. They chose to send Yul to Exile Island where he found the hidden immunity idol!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Flirting and Frustration"
Thursday, September 28 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
After sizing up her tribe, a giddy and flirtatious Parvati starts using the only strategy she knows: to manipulate men and draw them into her web.

Jonathan quickly grows frustrated with Jessica as he tries to talk strategy with her.

Nate shocks everyone, including himself, when he scores big spear fishing and brings back enough food for the entire tribe.

An unexpected twist shocks the Survivors. Will newly formed alliances stay strong or will they crumble?

[Discloner]

Wow...a merge only three episodes in? Count me as surprised. Though the actual merge process was surprisingly neat.

This however looks like it could spell doom for Cao Boi. On the same team as "I don't like him lets throw the match" Ozzy... :sad:

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Wow...a merge only three episodes in? Count me as surprised. Though the actual merge process was surprisingly neat.

This however looks like it could spell doom for Cao Boi. On the same team as "I don't like him lets throw the match" Ozzy... :sad:
Its one episode later then the merge last season.

Hopefully Cao Boi can befriend the members of the new tribe, and people will grow tired of Ozzy's antics.

Edit: Parvati really doesn't know the meaning of subtlety, does she? I think I could flirt better then her...

And they're bringing back one of the great challenges from Palau.

[silverwings]

Haha, different divisions/tribes, same philosophy. Do you vote thinking about the game or do you vote thinking about who you like?

Ah, the walk-in-water-with-weights-challenge. I was surprised that the red tribe lost so many woman early on. Failed stragety or coincidence?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Interesting council. I wasn't sure which way Flicka and Cao Boi would go. But this leaves Ozzy and Sundra as the odd ones out on their tribe.

[Bad Asp]

WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!


It seems that all the strategy we saw came from Aitu, as Raro has yet to attend a tribal council.

I thought the main alliance seemed to consist of Yul, Becky, Candice, and Jonathan, with Jessica as a possible fifth member.

But when Candice was sent to Exile Island... that changed things, didn't it?

By the way, just in case anyone asks, these are the two new tribes, if I remember correctly:

AITU - Becky, Candice, Cao Boi, Cecilia, Jessica, Jonathan, Ozzy, Sundra, Yul

RARO - Adam, Brad, Cristina, Jenny, JP, Nate, Parvati, Rebecca, Stephannie

[bigddan11]

If they hadn't merged tribes so early on, I think they should have tried to get Pucca (from Jetix's Pucca) to show up with the Pucca tribe. It would have been hillarious.

Now to get serious. I'm glad that this season doesn't appear to have as much back stabbing, and while the immunity necklace has already been found, I would have liked to have seen what the next clue was for its location. I do think them having the immunity necklace presented after the vote instead of before this time shoud be an interesting twist. It could cause some blow-up later down the road.

[Captain Zechs]

Geez, why cant they think of new challenges, bringing back old ones isnt going to help it.

Anyways, I really think they should have kept the tribes of 4 longer...it was interesting, but nooo, can't do that can they?

Also...Parvati barely did any flirting...so why did they include flirting in the episode title?

Oh well...nice episode, I want to see what happens next week.

[Discloner]

Also...Parvati barely did any flirting...so why did they include flirting in the episode title?Did you watch the same episode as I did? Seems to me like every time they showed Parvati she was ultra-flirting, and really not doing much to mask it.


Its one episode later then the merge last season.My bad. I could've sworn the tribes stuck it out for a bit longer then that last time. Just goes to show you how memorable last season was (who won again? :p ). I don't know why, but I assumed they were going to wait until atleast one tribe was completely gone...like what happened to Stephanie however many seasons ago.

[The Penguin]

I’ll try not to be so late with my comments this next week. :o

I really hope they don’t do the four tribe thing next season. I’ll admit that the small tribes and the early shake-up adds an interesting dynamic, but I’d really like to see us just start with two tribes again and really build on these relationships and see what happens that way. This way isn’t bad, but I’m already a little tired of it.

Jeff was really specific in the way the tribes were put back together (for a little Red vs. Blue action ;) ). It did make for quite a split and I am interested to see how they stick together or fall apart.

It was neat seeing the return of that immunity challenge from Palau. Raro seemed to have a better strategy and the one female (don’t remember who it was) who stuck with it longer before dumping her weight on the men really helped them out. Parvati the boxer is gonna get dumped if she keeps trying to play all the guys in the tribe. Looking at her CBS.com bio it seems she has worked hard and been through a lot, but I find it ironic that her last name is Shallow.

Over at Aitu they kicked out one of the remaining original members in Cecilia. I don’t think Ozzy will appreciate that, but I suspect that the rest of his tribe will get him figured out really soon. I was really concerned at what a flake Jessica (or Flica, whatever) the rollergirl was being about voting someone off. Her alliance should get rid of her at the earliest opportunity, she’s dangerous to keep around.

[Kaner]

I agree that Parvati's flirting is pretty obvious and that she most likely won't last long. Let's run through the list of possible victims to her charms:

1) Brad - No freakin' chance. He already outted himself as gay in an interview before the season started. If she tries it will be hilarious.

2) JP - I have no clue as to his sexual orientation, but he seems so hyper competitive that there is no way it will become a factor in the way he plays the game. Any flirting from Parvati will most likely be ignored if not met with a calling out of the attempted manipulation.

3) Nate - Possible, but doesn't seem likely. She hit on Nate the most, but he didn't seem to respond all that much. Maybe he can see what she's trying to pull (who couldn't?) or she's just not his type (too bubbly?). However, in the clips of tonight's episode show earlier this week it does look like Nate is a tad smitten.

4) Adam - I don't think Adam is particularly bright so I could definitely see him falling under her sway. He's the dumb jock type and she's the bubbly sorority type. Seems like a perfect match, but I'm pretty sure Adam is much more interested in Candice and he doesn't seem like the type of guy to drop one girl for the other.

Just four hours till tonight’s episode. Yeeee haw!

-Kaner

[The Penguin]

Hiki and Puka are no more. Jeff brought the four tribes together, they dropped their buffs and played a very specific game of "pick 'em" to divide up the 18 remaining Survivors. The newly formed Raro won immunity and then sent Candice to Exile Island, leaving some scrambling over at Aitu. In the end, Cecilia was voted off.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Ruling the Roost"
Thursday, October 5 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
Feeling vulnerable, Ozzy proves his worth by catching a feast of fish. As the only member left of the original tribe, will it be enough to keep him safe?

One tribe finds itself divided: men against women. Can they find a way to pull together and work as a team or will this division be their downfall?

When Candice returns from Exile Island and is questioned as to why she thinks she was sent away, she plays dumb and avoids discussing her ties to the other tribe. Will her tribe's growing suspicions put her in jeopardy or has she talked he way out of trouble?

J.P.'s dominance and controlling demeanor around camp angers some of the women in his tribe. Will this behavior put a target on his back?

[silverwings]

yes! a gender war! (least that's what i think happened. Fire alarm went off and I came back in time to see JP voted off)

How could he not see it coming? He was being a total jerk and a lazy man. Now the guys are outnumbered, so I see a girl going next week if they go back to council.

Loved the challenges this week as well. :)

[The Penguin]

Notice how with the Idol already gone, they haven't even gone out to Exile Island the past couple weeks, it's just not that interesting.

Ozzy sure worked his skills on his tribemates this week, didn't he? If he set out to prove himself I would think he certainly did that. Cao Boi really screwed up when he attacked that bird's nest. Mama seemed happy to sit back on it though, so hopefully it will be okay. Other than Candice being questioned, I didn't feel like a lot really happened over at Aitu this week. I was making supper during the first part when they returned from tribal council, but it seemed quiet over there aside from their big wins.

The thing Raro had over Aitu was their strength. Now they have cut that down. They didn't lose the challenge because of the strong, they lost it because the weak couldn't start a fire. I think dumping J.P. was a bad call. I was surprised to see both Brad and Adam go along with it. The boys seemed solid. Well if the Raro women think the five of them are going to take on Aitu in a merge they are sorely mistaken. I'm always amazed at how much strength is underappreciate. You've got to get the merge with numbers before you start worrying about how much of a threat someone is.

[The Penguin]

Last week, Raro lost the immunity challenge and the women of the tribe united (and brought Brad and Adam along) to vote off the man they viewed as the biggest threat, J.P. Will that decision come back to haunt them? How will Nathan react to being left in the dark?


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Don't Cry Over Spilled Octopus"
Thursday, October 12 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
The Raro men decide to prove their worth around camp by gathering a ton of wood and food. Will this be enough to keep the women happy or will the men be in danger?

While exploring the area, members of Aitu unknowingly land at Raro's camp. The awkward encounter becomes even worse when Cao Boi talks non-stop and asks if he can take some of their supplies.

Cao Boi becomes frustrated with Candice, Becky, and Sundra as they laze around and do nothing at camp.

Adam catches a large octopus, but Christina, whose attitude is already annoying her tribe, accidently lets the octopus escape while rinsing it off. Will this incident put her further is jeopardy or will she be able to win her tribe back over?

[Discloner]

I would think it'd be strictly against the rules to visit the other camp. A part of me wonders if they knew the other camp was there and intentionally went to 'visit' them - but it was rather fun regardless. Especially Cao Boi's seemingly endless rant about everything.

Don't quite get the hostility though...

And man was that immunity challenge close. I was on the edge of my seat right up until the end.

Edit: I'm actually kinda surprised about Stephanie getting voted off. I thought she's more or less gone back and corrected the mistake she made (even though it was the second time she'd done it). I thought I was a seasoned viewer, enough to see through CBS' tricky editing...but I was rather blindsided. They were setting Christina up as the person to fall from the beginning of the episode.

[The Penguin]

Another bad week for Raro. I really thought they had that immunity challenge. Jeff's "above the platform" comment was begging one of the stronger guys to boost a smaller girl onto his shoulders and then have the other tribemates gather around him. That was the only real way to get up there without smashing together. Stephannie should have kept her mouth shut. Whether she actually was or not, she easily sounded checked-out. I was surprised at both Nate's brutal honesty and that the tribe didn't vote out Cristina . The return to camp could be very interesting with that on the table. The octopus loss was over-hyped though.

It was great after her arrogance to see Jessica drop her weight in the reward challenge. I am really not liking her. The Aitu trip to Raro certainly made things interesting. I don't think I'd feel confortable having the other tribe there when we're still competing against them. I was not cool with Cao Boi taking stock of their supplies and asking for help with gather coconuts. I would think he might be fun to listen to for a while, but it sounds like they were there too long. I guess the show gives each tribe a boat and if they want to take them out they can, it seemed to be an accident they end of up "Raro Island." If they were trying to get there, I think the show would have been all over that.

[Kaner]

Did anyone else feel this was sort of a blah episode?

There's no fallout over the J.P. vote; then it's over to the Aitu girls lying around; then we've got a weight holding reward challenge. While the challenge wasn't too bad, it wasn't all that exciting. Survivor Panama (I think) had a more dynamic weight holding challenge with the survivors kneeling on a trap door over a pit of water.

Time to cut over to 3 Aitu's walking around a new island. Yow! This could get exciting folks. Nope, Cao Boi starts a huge yawn fest with more of his semi-mystical hippy mumbo jumbo.

After Cao Boi and the others FINALLY leave Raro's island we get to the immunity challenge. Again, this challenge wasn't terrible, but it wasn't really that exciting until the end. The challenge was basically get from this platform to that platform and then everybody stand on that last platform. Does this seem like a dinky immunity challenge to anyone else? Look at it in comparison to last week's immunity challenge.

Gotta get back to work,

Kaner

[The Penguin]

One week ago, Raro lost a very close immunity challenge and was sent back to Tribal Council where they sent Stephannie out of the Cook Islands. Jonathan was sent to Exile Island after the reward challenge and after some serious digging, told the other Survivors he believes the hidden immunity idol has already been found!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Plan Voodoo"
Thursday, October 19 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
One Survivor proposes "Plan Voodoo," a plan to expose the hidden immunity idol if it's been found. Will they be able to convince their fellow Survivors to go along with the idea or will it backfire on the creator?

Tension is in the air after members of Raro admit they have major problems with one of their tribe members. Has this Survivor already dug her own grave or will they be able to win back over their tribemates?

One tribe member tries to prove their strength and value during a challenge to win back over their tribe members. Will the castaway succeed in swaying the vote, or it it too late for redemption?

The Survivors are left in a state of shock when a surprise twist to the game is revealed during a reward challenge.

One Survivor continues to be the main provider in hope of securing a position in the tribe. Will these efforts work or are they just setting themselves up as a threat in the game?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Some odd decisions this week. While Yul had to go against Operation Voodoo(because it would have made him a prime target when they realized neither Jonathan nor Candice had the idol), I wonder why he opted to keep the very suspicios Jonathan over Cao Boi, who was trusting a lot in Yul. You shouldn't vote off the person who is with you all the way. I'm guessinig he talked Ozzy and Sundra into voting with him, too. Even if they wanted to stay strong, keeping Flicka around seems like a dumb move. She doesn't even have a friend on the 'in' of the alliance like Lydia did.

And Brad's meaningless vote for Jenny seemed like a waste. It will only bring about attention when they return to camp.

But I like the twist of kidnapping a member. This could influence Nate''s strategy, plus it could lead to some post-merge options being put in place.

And the challenge was a lot of fun to watch.

[Discloner]

I think we all knew Cao Boi wouldn't make it to the end. He's too much of a personality to make it through the entire game without stepping on someone's toes. Likewise when Christina's personality came into question last week, the writing was on the wall for her ejection from the game as well.

Still...I was sad to see them both go. I like Christina; why I'm not sure. She just seemed tough - kind of like Amy last season (or was it a few seasons back?) just that Christina doesn't have nearly as much 'spunk'. Cao Boi was just plain fun. I would have loved to see him to have at least made it to the Jury.

Oh well. Days are getting slimmer - I've got a hunch that the Merge is right around the corner. The days of predicting who's going to win are quickly approaching.

[silverwings]

I really don't like Jonathan, so I hope he gets booted sooner rather than later.

Right now I'm pulling for Ozzy and Yul. So we'll see how that goes. :)

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I really don't like Jonathan, so I hope he gets booted sooner rather than later.

Right now I'm pulling for Ozzy and Yul. So we'll see how that goes. :)

I still think Ozzy is kind of an idiot for throwing that challenge.

I'm backing Yul and Nate right now.

[The Penguin]

Cristina getting sent home by her tribe wasn't a huge surprise after what happened last week with everything Raro said. She was tough, but she didn't seeme to connect very well with the others. Jeff was very insightful with his observations about who the blue crew has voted out so far. Hopefully this will help them. Although Nate going to hang out with Aitu could be problematic.

Jonathan does seem more and more sketchy, but Cao Boi has been a wild card for his tribemates since the game started. He seemed pretty loyal, but it can be dangerous having a guy like that around. Yul (and Becky too) were not actual fans of "Plan Voodoo" and the safest move was to eliminate its organizer. I hope Jessica goes soon. I can't stand her.

My God, did anyone else see the heavy non-verbal flirting between Adam and Candice?! I'd forgotten that they liked each other back in their original tribe. There's no way no one noticed that!

[The Penguin]

Tonight is the "traditional" recap episode that also contains some new footage. New episodes should return next week.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"A Closer Look"
Thursday, October 26 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
A recap of the first half of the season includes previously unseen footage of Candice and Adam getting stranded on a sandbar in a boat due to a storm. Also: Stephannie gets drunk following a reward challenge; Jonathan, Adam and Candice search in vain for the immunity idol. Jeff Probst is the host. - TVGuide.com

[silverwings]

wait, did yul send the idol out to sea or did I misread that scene? :confused:

[sarita]

wait, did yul send the idol out to sea or did I misread that scene? :confused:

No, it was just the box the immunity idol came in. He kept the idol on his person...although I always have wanted to know where they stash it...does he just leave it in his pocket? That's my guess, considering how small it is.

[The Penguin]

This episode is always a double-edged sword to me. I’d much rather have the game just keep going, but at about this point it is nice to revisit what has happened and also see some new stuff that adds greater context to the previous episodes. The new interviews with voted off Survivors were also nice.

I found all the new stuff to be at least interesting, but I felt two really stood out.

Adam and Candice abandoning the boat. There wasn’t a lot of lovey-dovey stuff here, but they were suffering together which I thought helped explain the connection they obviously still share. I hope they both make it to the merge; I’d be interested to see what happens.

J.P. never saw it coming. When I saw the episode, I thought Nate had just been left in the dark, but he voted the way he did because he refused to go along with what seemed like a bone-headed idea. Stephannie didn’t step up at all in the following weeks, so it’s tough not to agree.

I also found it interesting (and rather clever) at the lengths Yul went to in order to protect that the idol had been found.

[silverwings]

I also found it interesting (and rather clever) at the lengths Yul went to in order to protect that the idol had been found.

Yeah, especially since he tells Becky as soon as he finds it. I wonder who will bring up the fact that he has the idol - him or her - first.

Also, the way Yul is playing, I don't see him even having to use it until after a merge.

[The Penguin]

Yeah, especially since he tells Becky as soon as he finds it. I wonder who will bring up the fact that he has the idol - him or her - first.That was a display of trust and he didn't do it immediately. Terry told Sally in Exile Island and it never really came up. I don't think Becky would play that way unless Yul betrays her, which I don't see happening.

[The Penguin]

Two weeks ago no tribe was immune as Raro decided against giving Cristina another chance and Aitu got rid of their wild card, voting off Cao Boi. After tribal council, Aitu 'kidnapped' Nate!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Why Aren't You Swimming?"
Thursday, November 2 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
At an extremely physical Reward Challenge, a Survivor collapses out of exhaustion, leaving the burden of completing the challenge to their other tribemates.

One Survivor confronts another about their choice to sit out of the physical portion of the Reward Challenge, blaming the loss on them. How will this decision affect their position in the game?

With little shelter available, a raging storm makes one Survivor's trip to Exile Island a nightmare.

One Survivor brings a seabird back to camp after having caught it with their bare hands. Can they convince their fellow tribe members that their strength around camp is an asset or will they quickly make themselves a target?

[Anime Freak]

Wow, tonite's eppy showed that even though Candace and Parvati are pretty girls, they can still whoop ass in competitions. They definetly showed their worth tonite, and I found myself not blaming rebecca for her swimming problems, that was ALL Brad's fault there. Why in the world would you send out someone who's not a great swimmer instead of someone who is?

It was good to see Flicka finally ridded of and I can't wait to see next week's surprise!

[The Penguin]

It's a good day when one of the people I don't like gets voted off. Jessica (or whatever her made up hippie name is) was a big flake and her tribe was right to get rid of her. You can't think about the merge just yet because you need to go in with numbers. Ozzy is more capable of helping them get there and I wouldn't have been shocked to see her flip. Jonathan may not be key to challenges, but she certainly wasn't either.

I've kind of adopted the Raro tribe as my favorite and so it was great seeing them come from behind and get the immunity win! It looked like they didn't have a shot, but they tore it up when they finally got to start the puzzle (and they didn't even need Brad). I don't know how Rebecca rated her swimming ability, but Brad is clearly a better athlete. Next week it looks like his tribe starts to turn on him.

[bigddan11]

The loss of Nate really hurt Raro in that reward challenge, but they got revenge by getting immunity. I disliked how today was puzzle day, but at least they combined the physical and mental aspects together.

[Discloner]

Wait...when did I start rooting for Ozzy? O_o

[silverwings]

I love how Yul is on no one's radar. Yet, he's the one with the idol. :) The man is playing a great game.

Ozzy should be safe until the merge. But he's got the right strategy, which is to buddy up with some of the females. He is *the* provider... I don't think anyone in Raro fishes/hunts/scavages like he does, either. Hopefully it won't backfire on him.

Jonathan, I just don't like. I hope that they vote him out soon. He's too obviously sneaky. :sweat:

[The Penguin]

I love how Yul is on no one's radar. Yet, he's the one with the idol. :) The man is playing a great game.I didn't even think about that! Yul wasn't even on my radar for not being on the radar. Seems he's got a great shot right now. I expect he'll perform well in the individual challenges.

[bigddan11]

I didn't even think about that! Yul wasn't even on my radar for not being on the radar. Seems he's got a great shot right now. I expect he'll perform well in the individual challenges.

It seems to me he's on everyone's radar as being the turn vote, but he's also got a great attitude in that everyone wants to confide in him, and he doesn't betray anyone with that info. He could be the one who goes all the way, especially since he has the hidden immunity idol good until the final four.

[The Penguin]

After Raro came from behind to win the immunity challenge, Aitu voted off another one of their wildcards when they voted off rollergirl Jessica.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Mutiny!"
Thursday, November 9 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
A major twist at the Reward Challenge results in betrayal and leaves one tribe stunned. How will this turn of events affect the Survivors' morale?

Banished to Exile Island, one Survivor worries about being away from the tribe at a crucial bonding time.

One Survivor tries desperately to fit in with their tribe, but suddenly finds they're on the outside.

One tribe bonds over sharing momentos from home while the other struggles to find common ground.

[Discloner]

Ooooh Johnathan....


That was likely the most idiotic move you could've made at this point in the game.

[silverwings]

Wow that immunity challenge.... I was actually nervous. :sweat:

I am so happy that Ozzy, Yul, Becky, and Sandra won the reward AND immunity. More power to them. That's going to be a hard group to crack (since I'm expecting a merge soon).

Jonathon and Candice are marked, Jonathon more so than she is. I find his "let's make the Caucasions the final 4"... annoying and stupid. :shrug:

Keeping Jonathon on was stupid. I really hope he gets voted off next week.

Also, I don't think there is anyone on Raro that I want to root for. Huh. *shrugs*

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Wow, the jury starts 3 weeks early. That's a huge shocker. I wonder if we get a late mere this time...

Jonothan has pretty much shot himself in the foot now.

I'm really pulling for the 4 Aitu members now. I didn't think I'd like Ozzy after his boneheaded move in Episode 2, but I'm really pulling for him and Yul a lot.

I think this is the first time Jenny has shown a personality, right?

[sarita]

That was a terribly stupid move on the part of Candace and Jonathon (IMHO)...way to reveal your plans before the merge, dumb-----! Now they've definitely pissed off the remaining members of Aitu, some of whom might end up on the jury...and you don't want to piss off the jury if you plan on being the one to win the game...

I hate Raro now. They act too much like highschoolers for my taste.


Wait...when did I start rooting for Ozzy? O_o

I...I have no idea. But I've started to root for him also. :lol: And I hated him after what he and J.P. did in episode 2, but it looks like he has made up for that now by being awesome in the challenges.

Go Aitu!

[Burgundy Ranger]

I'm wondering what other twist lies ahead that's part of the jury starting on an even number (12). There's something else waiting down the road.

You need an odd number in the jury if they're voting on the final two.

So, what do you think of this as a possible new strategical twist to the 'final three' mechanics?

You have the final endurance immunity challenge, and the winner casts the one deciding vote that sends the 10th member to the jury .... BUT .....

That same person then gets to strike one person out of the jury -- clearly someone who wouldn't cast a favorable vote -- leaving a jury of nine to vote for the winner.

[bigddan11]

I was shocked when they said "First member of the jury," especially since they haven't even had a merge yet. With the loved ones letters having already appeared, and this mutiny deal, I'm wondering if they're going to have a merge at all. Perhaps they'll let one team be picked off until there's none left. As for the jury having an even number, if it was to end in a draw, they could have our loveable host (I want to say Phil, but that's The Amazing Race) be the tie breaker, or they could actually have the final two do a challenge where the winner of the challenge wins the million.

[The Penguin]

A mutiny at the reward challenge resulted in Candice and Jonathan turning on Aitu. Raro didn't benefit from the increased numbers as they had to send Brad home. In a surprise announcement, Brad became the first member of the jury.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"People That You Like Want to See You Suffer"
Thursday, November 16 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
One Survivor hopes that their efforts to provide for their tribe will protect them from elimination, despite being low on the totem pole.

A festive prize is up for grabs at the Reward Challenge. Will one tribe's bickering and inability to work together cost them the Reward or can they pull it together to win big?

Emotions run high as one Survivor is betrayed by friends and unanimously banished to Exile Island.

One tribe worries than another member has mentally checked out of the game. Will their lack of enthusiasm put them on the chopping block?

At the end of the Immunity Challenge, the losers receive a message in a bottle that's not to be opened until Tribal Council. How will that message change the course of the game?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Yeah, baby!

I literally got up and danced when Aitu won the Reward Challenge. These guys are so great to watch. And I loved seeing Raro bicker with each other, while Nate burried his head.

Edit: AND IMMUNITY!

These guys are the best! I want them to go all the way to the Final Four!

Double Edit:

Wow, double vote off. Jenny and Nate completely screwed up. They never should have broken up their initial alliance, while keeping Jonothan around. It already cost Jenny her game, and Nate is now in a really bad position. The Brad and Rebecca vote offs will come back to haunt Nate.

[silverwings]

Raro lost two players tonight. Frankly, they deserved it.

The team doesn't know how to play the game. They should have gotten rid of Rebecca weeks ago. They talk about family, but it seems Adam is the only one who's "gotten" it so far - it's got to be about productivity.

As much as I don't like Jonathan, when it looked like he was going to get voted off instead of Jenny, I was shaking my head at Raro's stupidity. Though they did prove me wrong.

Can't say I was sad to see Candice go back to Exile. Marked woman. :)

If anyone of them watched the season with Rob/Amber, then they know they need to get Adam or Candice voted off NOW rather than later so that doesn't happen again.

I'm also hoping that Aitu goes far. They've got two of the best players in the game - Yul and Ozzy - as well as two of the better females. They need to get Raro down one more vote before a merge and they'll be safe from being picked off.

Oh, speaking of challenges, Raro really needs to plan better. Rebecca should NOT have been doing any challenges that involved swimming. The game is simple and predictible (to a point), so sit out your stronger guys during the mental challenges and sit the weak ones during the physical ones. Oh well..

[spidl]

Jenny, Nate, and Rebecacca were stupid to ever fall for the "family" crap. They should have kept Brad and got rid of Candice when they had the chance. If Nate is smart he jumps ships the moment the tribes merge, if they do.

[Discloner]

This season has been particularly great. The cast is fun and enjoyable - I feel like I have a clear sense of conflict vs good (a good story is only as good as it's villian :p ) , and I've got a strong stance on what team should win each week, which adds to the tension in challenges.

I honestly had pegged the note to be a merge as well; just as shocked as the tribe when they learned they had to vote someone else out. It's only slightly smart of them to vote out their own tribe, rather then Johnathan and Candice's make-shift addition, because come merge there'll be some severe trust issues regarding those two from their former tribe-mates. Yet I can't help but wonder how it'll all play out when and if they finally do merge...

After all, Raro still has the numbers over Aitu...so if we merge soon the fate of everyone's fab four will be in question. That being said, I really dislike most, if not all the members on Raro. Candice and Johnathan are untrustworthy, Adam is pulling a Romber, Nate seems to garner random inklings of respect, yet demolishes it with his quick and often oddly intense judgments about people...

It'll be extremely interesting to see how it all plays out...

[Burgundy Ranger]

And still no inkling has to how the "new math" -- jury starting at 12 -- is going to play out.

[Discloner]

Viewer vote?

[The Penguin]

I missed commenting last week, but wow the mutiny really brought Aitu together. I don’t know that it hurt the chemistry of Raro so much as it pumped up the smaller tribe. The blue crew just isn’t having any luck now. They weren’t communicating well in the Reward Challenge, but I don’t know if much could have changed that. When things start to get settled, I usually pick a tribe and stick with them for the most part and Raro is keeping my loyalty.

With everything going on in the other camp, Aitu didn’t have a lot going on this week, but I think they’ve actually become a stronger tribe by being smaller in numbers. I’ll be very interested to see how things go from here for them.

Rebecca and her swimming ability is part of what cost Raro in the Immunity Challenge so they were right to get rid of her. With Jonathan already talking about keeping the original Raro together (I see it more about the original tribe and connections rather than race), I thought Jenny had a pretty good shot and getting the second vote (how crazy was that?!) but I didn’t think it was a for sure thing. Nate is probably going to be pretty unhappy and he will definitely feel like he is on the outside. If they do merge soon, I would think the others would have to worry about him flipping. If Survivors yet to come don’t figure out from this that you can’t predict the merge anymore, they have no business playing the game.


I honestly had pegged the note to be a merge as well; just as shocked as the tribe when they learned they had to vote someone else out.A part of me wonders if there were two bottles depending on who lost or if two people would have been going home no matter what.


Viewer vote?I sincerely hope not.

[silverwings]

Whether or not the Raro members mean their alliance to come off as a race thing.. it IS coming off a race thing. Which is really interesting, since I thought that after the mix up in episode 3, race wouldn't play apart later on. Huh. Nate is just too stupid to see it. I see him flipping after a merge.

And I didn't think the bottle predicted a merge. I thought the bottle would reveal who had the idol, since no one suspects Yul right now... *shrugs*

I'm just hoping that among the 9 remaining players, someone saw the season with Rob & Amber... and stops Adam and Candice from repeating that. :shrug:

[Discloner]

I sincerely hope not.Actually, I think it'd be a neat inclusion into the show - though I fail to see how they'd manage to pull it off without ruining their running season-finale format.

And honestly, a collective viewer vote would only coincide with the 12 member jury, meaning it's only but one vote out of twelve - its not like the viewers would be THE determining factor in who wins. It'd be borrowing from what's made American Idol such a national hit, viewer inclusion, and ingeniously incorporating it into a formula that they've already been using for numerous years.

[Burgundy Ranger]

If the viewer vote were one out of 11, that might be OK.

I'm still liking my idea of when we get down to final 2 with 10 in the jury, the winner of the final immunity gets to strike one juror out, leaving nine to make the final vote.

[The Penguin]

Happy Turkey Day! Last week, Raro was sent back to Tribal Council and voted out Rebecca. The tribe then opened a mysterious bottle which revealed they had to vote off another member. Jenny was that second vote in a move that established Jonathan and Candice aren't going anywhere afte their mutiny a couple of weeks ago.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Why Would You Trust Me?"
Thursday, November 23 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
One Survivor's leadership style quickly begins to annoy their fellow tribemates, who would rather work at their own pace. This Survivor knows their team must work if they want to win the Immunity Challenge. Will they be able to motivate their tribe or will their pushy ways put them in jeopardy?

When another shocking surprise is revealed to the Survivors, the lines are quickly drawn between tribemates. Will the Survivors stay true to their alliances or will this news stir up the game?

Yul reveals his possession of the hidden Immunity Idol to a few select tribemates. How will this information affect his position around camp?

One Survivor considers betraying their alliance at Tribal Council and voting out an ally, a decision that will cause drama back at camp. Which way will they vote?

[Icer]

Nate and his tribe got what was coming to them. They didnt care much for betrayal when it came to Brad/Rebecca/Jenny but now comes the outrage.

[Captain Zechs]

Wow. Yul is a genius, I mean seriously. Now their 4 has the numbers AND Jonathan is being manipulated. They will be set as soon as they get another person off that isn't in their alliance, that 4 is set pretty much. Of course someone could always win immunity, but thats where Jonathan comes in and they can get rid of him.

So yeah, definately rooting for the 4 and Im glad that Yul is so smart haha :)

[silverwings]

Wow. Yul is a genius, I mean seriously. Now their 4 has the numbers AND Jonathan is being manipulated. They will be set as soon as they get another person off that isn't in their alliance, that 4 is set pretty much. Of course someone could always win immunity, but thats where Jonathan comes in and they can get rid of him.

So yeah, definately rooting for the 4 and Im glad that Yul is so smart haha :)

Honestly, I was half expecting it to be Yul and Ozzy as the last two on the posts where Yul looses on purpose so Ozzy gets immunity and they have to vote for him.

I was surprised they went for Nate first and not for Candice. She's a strong player (and they don't like her). She's next, imo, as the only reason she was spared was because Jon wanted Nate gone and they needed Jon.. :sweat:

Plus, was it just me or did Jon keep saying he had loyalty to Adam and not to Candice? I thought he left because he was in with Candice.

Also, Jon can't be that dumb. Even if he aligns with Aitu, once the other three are gone, he's next. At least, that's what I think. Aitu to the final 4! :D

I'm looking to see how the fallout goes from this (the previews spike my interest).

[The Penguin]

One thing I really liked about this episode is we got a lot better feel for several of the people. The status Adam and Candice was a lot more defined, I didn't realiz Yul was quite that smart and Jonathan is a much better and smarter player than I thought he was. He was pretty justified is how upset he was getting with all the kids in Raro, they seemed to be losing focus.

Even before Jonathan knew Yul actually had the idol, the logic was there that he would have it, Adam dismissed it way too easily and Nate was far to insistent that he be the first to go. I suppose Jonathan could have just betrayed Yul's trust and got his crew to vote for one of the girls, but I guess we'll never know. Nate was not happy after the vote!! Things are not well in Aitutonga and they are about to get a lot more interesting.

[Burgundy Ranger]

I wonder if the Aitu 3 can figure out what cause Jonathan to jump back. They're complete dufuses when it comes to game-playing -- giving no credence to the possibility that Yul could have the idol.

These three lightweights -- Miss Flirt and Romber Lite -- can't leave the game fast enough for my liking.

[The Penguin]

The merge has happened, last week, Raro and Aitu dropped their buffs to become one tribe they named Aitutonga. The vote seemed sure 5-4, but in the end, Jonathan sided with Yul and the immunity idol, making Nate a part of the jury.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"You're a Rat"
Thursday, November 30 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
One tribe member is berated for their vote at the last Tribal Council, causing others to plot this Survivor’s exit from the game. Can this Survivor save themselves from elimination?

At the Reward Challenge, the Survivors are left stunned when one of them reveals some shocking news to the group.

The Immunity Challenge tests the Survivors' recollection of the past thirty days of the game. Which Survivor's memory will serve them well and keep them safe for another week?

At Exile Island, one tribe member's spirit takes a beating. How will their seclusion from the tribe affect their morale?

Emotions run high when one alliance decides to eat dinner alone without including the other tribemates. Will this behavior work in their favor or make them bigger targets?

[silverwings]

Wow, excellent bait and switch by the producers. I was surprised to see Candice go (in the sense that I was led to believe it would be Jonathan).

If Adam and Pavarti hookup now, I will laugh. But at least we avoided another Romber.

Adam should be the next to go, as he's the only real threat left.

I'm also really interested to see what happens once we get down to the Aitu final 4. I can't wait to see how the group reacts once it's down to the four of them (and Yul is safe, imo).

[Icer]

Good to see the jerks getting picked off. Jonathan certainly isn't a shining guy, but I'd be pretty angry and petty if someone called me a rat for playing the game logically.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Finally, Candice is gone. Adam and Parvati can't like their chances either, although they aren't done yet.

Becky also plays pretty strong strategically in this episode, she's one to watch out for.

Yul telling everyone he has the idol is a pretty brilliant move, too. Now everyone won't vote for him.

[blee337]

Sometimes I wonder if some of the "contestants" playing the game have ever watched the show in their life. How can you get upset at someone who is trying to win? Jonathan is trying to advance further in the game every week. I think some of the others are taking that a little too personally. Its not like he is a total A-hole going around cussing at people and telling them they are stupid.

I also like how Yule took the high road in handling the situation last night. He handled everything from the name calling, finger pointing, and he said/she said in a very professional manner. I hope he wins.

[Burgundy Ranger]

Now that everyone knows, what's interesting to me is if/how/when the others start forming 'let's get to the final four, THEN vote out Yul once he loses the protection of the idol' mini-alliances.

The group that would be most tempted to do that is Ozzy/Sundra/Becky. Yup. If they don't do that, they will have already anointed Yul as the winner and would be playing out the string.

And then there's the Three Blind Mice (Adam, Candice, Parvati) .... they said they'd be jury votes for Yul if Jonathan had been voted out last night. But what about now?

[The Penguin]

The next episode about five hours away, I don't have a lot to say, but I found it almost laughable the most recent reasons everyone was so mad at Jonathan. They said he was cocky at the auction, but no one else would bid! There is no reason he should have gotten that pizza after he had the burger! You need to be careful not to get the crap item (sorry Sundra), but if you don't even take the chance you won't win anything. I suppose Jonathan could have been a little more subtle, but it's everyone else's fault he got so much food.

[The Penguin]

Last time, the "Raro four" tried to convince Yul to vote off Jonathan to gain favor with the jury, the old Aitu didn't buy what they were selling and voted off Candice, sealed with a good-bye kiss from Adam.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"Arranging a Hit"
Thursday, December 7 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
One survivor is seriously hurt when they slice their finger with a machete, forcing the medical team to arrive at camp. How will this injury affect their position in the game?

One alliance devises a plan to hide food from their competing tribe members in an effort to make them hungry and weak. Will they succeed in breaking down their fellow tribemates?

At the Reward Challenge, surprise guests arrive to help the survivors compete for the opportunity to take part in a local ceremony and feast.

At an immunity challenge, balance and agility are assets. Who can maneuver their way to victory?

[silverwings]

And with that, the chances of all Aitu 4 making it to the final 4 just dropped a whole bunch.

Why they choose Jonathon over Adam is besides me. Ah, well.

Ozzy owned at the immunity challenge. He should be fine so long as he keeps winning.

Also, if it were me, just because Adam and Pavariti brought back food should not have changed my stragedy to withhold food from them. *shrugs* But I wouldn't be playing 'nice' at this point.

If the Aitu alliance falls next episode, I have a feeling it's going to be Becky or Sundra.

Sundra as she's not in any real solid alliance with anyone, and Becky as if she's gone, Yul's game has to change drastically.

[The Penguin]

There’s something about the ‘loved one’ episode that always gets me, just seeing how much it means to the people we’ve gotten to know over the last few months and how much it means to their families is just has an impact. It was great seeing Parvati’s dad (Mike, I think) manage to pick George (Adam’s dad). You could tell both Adam and Parvati didn’t know what to do when she wasn’t getting to call the shots.

Ozzy hiding the food was just a jerk move. We see him get a lot of it, so I don’t know how much Adam and Parvati do, but I have never seen the Survivors ‘in control’ be so rude and disrespectful to their fellow tribe mates. Both of the challenges that they won didn’t have much to do with strength. I was glad to see their good will put an end to that plan. It would have been even worse if they had done that after what they did for them.

The once again cocky and arrogant Ozzy just owned that immunity challenge. He dropped off the radar after Jonathan flipped on the old Raro, but he is definitely still a major player. I had kind of forgotten about him myself.

It was weird how everyone was being so cold to Jonathan after the immunity challenge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that. If I were Jonathan, I would have demanded a real answer when he asked if they were voting for Adam. Sundra gave a very neutral answer that told him what he wanted to hear without actually saying or committing to anything. I was surprised they voted him out; they could have easily used him a couple more weeks. Jonathan played a pretty good game, except sometimes he should have kept his mouth shut.

[Burgundy Ranger]

It's clear that the Aitu 4 made what they thought was the biggest 'show of control' they could -- by voting out Jonathan, for whom it was quite easy to see being strung along to the final 5, if to be nothing more than 'insurance' should Adam win an IC.

The most obvious pattern of vote-off for the A4 would have been Adam, Pavarti and then Jonathan.

Will this vote come to bite Yul in the butt? Because by doing this, he gave Ozzy the perfect path to play the individual game with a better-than-good chance of winning. He can easily flip to Adam and Pavarti and if that trio prevails to gain a 3-2 edge after next week, he's in the controlling group with people who don't have the protection of the idol.

If he stays in the A4, he's still -- to some level -- a Yul pawn whose only chance of winning would be getting to the three and winning the last IC.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Jonathan is finally gone, although I'm surprised they voted him off so soon. Although it make sense. If everyone wants to take someone to the Final 2, the only way you can really get by is to vote that person out, to increase your own chances. I think Yul probably wanted to keep Jonathan around, which shows that he's lost some of the influence in his own alliance.

It'll be interesting to see how Adam and Parvati deal from he. They've gotten this far by competing well and being crafty, but there's only so far thye can go, now.

[Captain Zechs]

I'm rooting for Parvati all the way, and if she were to go then Id go with Sundra. I like Yul and all, but he gets annoying, along with Ozzy and Rebecca is just there...seriously, has she gotten any personalization? Barely any.

[Burgundy Ranger]

Two episodes left ... I wonder when they'll spring the 'new ending' rules on everyone.

If you haven't heard, the Million Dollar Vote comes at the FINAL THREE, with a jury of nine

[The Penguin]

Last week, Yul and the Aitu alliance made the move to send Jonathan, the man who swung the game in their favor, to the jury, keeping Adam and Parvati around for at least another week. The finale is Sunday!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"I Have the Advantage...for Once"
Thursday, December 14 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
Two outsiders vow to fight to stay alive, knowing they will have to win challenges and manipulate players to stay in the game. Will they be successful in turning the tides?

The Reward Challenge forces Survivors to get dirty in exchange for a little pampering.

Relaxing time at the Reward allows one Survivor to talk strategy with an enemy. Can this outsider plant a seed that could turn the game around?

Concerned about their ally’s strength, two tribemates talk about breaking up their alliance sooner than discussed.

One Survivor is caught trying to manipulate a member of the opposing alliance before Tribal Council. Could this be the end for the shrewd Survivor?

[The Penguin]

No thoughts on the last episode before Sunday's finale?

I swear, I play right into the editing. Even though he hasn't really toned it down, I'd almost forgotten about how great Ozzy is at... well, pretty much everything. He dominated both challenges this week and I respect him as a player a lot more than I do Yul right now. I found myself not liking Yul as much and it wasn't because he brought Jonathan his hat.

Parvati tried to work on Ozzy, but it didn't end up being enough. It's funny that after Adam has been seen as so strong that he's managed to outlast the rest of his old tribe because of different factors and concern that the women, while probably weaker physically, were stronger as game players. We'll see if Adam can move beyond being the dumb jock stereotype on Sunday.

[Burgundy Ranger]

Ozzy's gonna flip when he first gets the "new ending" info. I'm certain he's thinking he's got a great shot at the final endurance challenge (thinking it's the usual three-person challenge) and a spot in the final two and the ability to choose his final-2 partner.

Also, we haven't had the Car Challenge yet .... the jinx still lives ......

It should be good.

[silverwings]

I'm rooting for both Ozzy and Yul. Still torn on who I want to win. Then again, there is that "vote for your favorite stragetic player" contest so they "both" could win a million. :p

Pavarti and Adam made the mistake of picking Sundra, imo. I think Ozzy is closer with her than with Yul and Becky. If they said Becky, I think Ozzy might have considered it more.

I see Adam going next, followed by Sundra (since Ozzy will win immunity) leave Becky, Ozzy, and Yul.

(spoiler on the twist inside)
This is assuming, of course that Jeff doesn't tell thim about the "twist" since they are all planning for a final 2 and NOT a final 3. Adam has to go in either case, but I can see Yul keeping Ozzy around longer than Sundra (if he has to) since he "thinks" it's a final 2.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Getting rid of Parvati was the right move. And I actually find myself liking Adam more, lately(and he's a hometown guy, as I just found out about 30 minutes ago).

Ozzy and Yul are still my favorites, but Ozzy really needs to win out immunities.

Granted, Yul may have already won given that he's guaranteed past the Final 4...

[Master Moron]

Damn it! You know, I knew CBS was going to air the Survivor finale on Sunday night again, since they do it every year. But, this time I at least thought that it would be late enough in December that there wouldn't be any competition from what I usually watch on Sunday and I could watch the finale. Desperate Housewives is in reruns, but I just saw that Fox is playing new episodes of its comedies tonight! **** you, CBS. You could have just played Survivor on Thursday like it normally plays, but you have to do these bloated three hour finales and make me miss the shows I usually watch on Sunday. Hell, CSI is in reruns now. They could have just aired a three hour finale on a Thursday. Well, screw you CBS. I'm not gonna miss the shows I normally watch on Sundays just because of your asinine scheduling.

Of course, I'll probably just watch it on CBS.com tomorrow. But still, I really wanted to watch it live. Knowing the way CBS sets up its site, I won't be able to get to the episode without the winner being revealed. In conclusion. CBS sucks.

[The Penguin]

Of course, I'll probably just watch it on CBS.com tomorrow. But still, I really wanted to watch it live. Knowing the way CBS sets up its site, I won't be able to get to the episode without the winner being revealed. In conclusion. CBS sucks.Bookmark the innertube page (http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?cat=114207&vid=&format=&auto=1) and then open that link directly. You should be able to avoid CBS.com telling you who won that way. I know the week I had to watch it on-line I wasn't able to avoid who had been voted out.

[Master Moron]

Bookmark the innertube page (http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?cat=114207&vid=&format=&auto=1) and then open that link directly. You should be able to avoid CBS.com telling you who won that way. I know the week I had to watch it on-line I wasn't able to avoid who had been voted out.

Thanks.

[The Penguin]

On Thursday, Parvati was made the next member of the jury. Adam now stands alone as the surviving member of the old Raro tribe, can he make it past the next vote? Tonight we find out who wins the million dollar prize in the three-hour Survivor: Cook Islands finale!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/survivorcook.jpg"This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3..."
Sunday, December 17 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
As the number of remaining tribemates dwindles down, one alliance is forced to think about turning on each other. Will this strong alliance finally crumble?

At the Immunity Challenge, the Survivors must complete an obstacle course that ends with the most difficult puzzle in Survivor history. Who will capture this all important victory for a spot in the final four?

Endurance is a key factor in the final challenge for Immunity. Who will be the last one standing to secure a chance for $1,000,000?

The final Survivors battle it out to convince the Jury that they are the most deserving of the $1,000,000 prize. Who will walk away with the money and the title of Sole Survivor?

[Burgundy Ranger]

Yul wins on a 5-4 vote over Ozzy. Becky, the third member of the Final Three, got no votes.

[TnAdct1]

After hearing about one of things that's going to happen in the upcoming Survivor Fiji (one team living in luxary, one team starting with nothing), is anyone else suddenly thinking "Lost"?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Gotta say, I thought Ozzy would win the vote, so I was surprised. I loved both of them though, and I'm glad it was the two best competitors of the show going down to the wire.

I thought Sundra was going to win that final immunity for a moment, and I was surprised Becky opted to go heads up with Sundra, but it turned out to be a good decision. Ultimately, it didn't get her any votes though. Congrats on being the first person to ever to not get a single vote at the Final Tribal Council.

Yul played a great game strategically. The sum of the time he wasn't in control of the game was about one day(right after the merge). That's really quite amazing.

And Ozzy. Yeah, he made the boneheaded decision to throw the challenge early, but aside from that, he was amazing. An amazing competitor in the challenges, and a great provider at the camp. He made the right strategic moves as well. Becky and Sundra played good games, but they didn't have a chance against the two giants.

[Russkafin]

Did I miss an episode, or was this the first season that they didn't give away a car during the course of the season? I know they gave one away during the reunion show, but there is usually a challenge during the season where someone can win a car, usually perpetuating the "curse" that whoever wins the car does not win the million.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Did I miss an episode, or was this the first season that they didn't give away a car during the course of the season? I know they gave one away during the reunion show, but there is usually a challenge during the season where someone can win a car, usually perpetuating the "curse" that whoever wins the car does not win the million.

Yeah, I think this was the first time.

But since Ozzy got the car anyways, I guess you could say the 'curse' still lives, sort of.