Friday, December 01, 2006

Survivor: Nevermind the bollocks

Spoilers for "Survivor" just as soon as I throw out a few pepperoni belches...

After a brilliant, unpredictable episode highlighted by two people making decisions to shake up the power structure based entirely on rational game logic, we get an episode where the person who's obviously on the chopping block goes home, and where everyone -- even resident Vulcan master Yul -- spends most of their time stewing in some U-G-L-Y emotion.

First, we have the food auction. This seemed like the first one in a while that wasn't designed to make sure every contestant got at least a little food in their belly. I'm sure there was stuff we didn't see (on the CBS website, there's a photo of Adam eating french fries), but Yul very obviously didn't get food, and neither did some other people. Given that, and the new No Sharing policy, Jonathan really needed to cool it, both during and after the challenge. Outside of the hidden envelope (which turned out to be not nearly as powerful as the one Danni bid on in Guatemala that won her the entire game), there was no reason to start getting strategic in the middle of a food challenge. Randomly bidding up Parvati just made him look like a jerk to his new allies, as did his whole "I can't believe how much I ate" lament and belch-fest afterwards. I like Jonathan a lot and have been mostly confused by how much distrust and dislike he's inspired, but even I could understand why everyone was so put off by him there.

That said, I loved his rebuttal to Candace's melodramatic whinging after Aitu+ ate the fish on their own -- and the fact that everyone in Aitu was down with not sharing. Ordinarily, I hate when the alliance in power treats the minority like garbage (see Jenna and her crew lounging around when they had the numbers in Amazon), but this was different. As both Jonathan and Ozzy said, at what point are people who do no work still entitled to enjoy the fruits of other people's labors?

Yul and company definitely made the right call in not giving in to Raro's pettiness. As we saw last week, a one-vote margin can be flipped without a lot of trouble. What if they kicked off Jonathan and then Parvati got working on, say, Ozzy (or, as Probst called him, Dolphin Boy), to point out how tough Yul would be to beat at the end? The Aitu 4 seems too tight for that to happen, but you don't want to take that risk.

I do worry, though, that Yul is being far, far too open with his strategery now that he has the numbers. Showing everyone the hidden idol? Probably a good call. Raro doesn't have the numbers to target anyone else in the alliance, and the only time that Cao Boi's Plan Voodoo (split your votes between the idol-holder and the person you want to go home to neutralize the idol without hurting yourself) would work would be if everyone remaining were to team up against Yul and Becky, and that ain't happening. On the other hand, telling Candace -- who has the means and the motive to stir up trouble -- that you can predict what Jonathan's going to do? Not so smart, even if Jonathan hates Candace too much to pay attention to her. And having a discussion with BFF Becky about how you're going to appeal to the jury -- in a way that suggests you don't know who you'll be sitting next to -- was also not the smartest. She looked really disturbed by the tone of that chat.

Snarky Probst had one of his best lines ever at the end of one of the nastiest Tribal Councils ever (and can we put a Hannibal Lecter mask and straightjacket on Nate so I don't have to watch his stupid Lex-like overreactions?) when he told Candace that, while the kiss was nice, if it was really love, Adam would have given up his immunity to her.

What did everybody else think?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm loving this season. Every episode, I'm seeing the people I've grown to hate get picked off.

I'm rooting hard for Yul to be a bastard and take Jonathan all the way to the final 2.

I find it boring as hell that the only reason Sundra and Becky are in this game is because Yul's keeping them there. Their whole strategy is ride Yul's coattails. They have no personality and contribute nothing to this show.

That being said, I loved Ozzie's siding with Jonathan, and I'm glad they're not letting the Caucasian alliance boss them around.

If Yul'ls smart, he'll guarantee his $1 million by making good on what he said to Jonathan, and that's taking him all the way to final two and having the jury award it to him just because they hate Jonathan so much.

I'm also curious to see who Yul picks off first because I think he's going to be the most backstabbingest bastard in the end because there's no reason for it to be Becky.

Louis said...

Candace, Pavarti and Adam are loathsome; they're textbook examples of "dim bulbs."

Also, I've only watched the show since Palau, but it seems to me that there must be a requirement that every season include an aspiring actor who overdoes his or her whole shtick. This year, it's Nate. I know he says he's a shoe salesman, but I bet he has his headshot out to agents all over Hollywood.

Yul is very good at the game, but now he's pissed off the crybabies. If I were he, I'd hang onto Jonathan for dear life, because he'll have trouble beating anyone else.

Anonymous said...

I thought that Yul was a little too proud of himself revealing his "masterplan" at the food challange.

I also thought that the conversation he had with Becky(?) saying how they should vote off Jonathon came across as completely staged.

Bill K
delawaresports.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

They needed to haul Candace out in the waahmbulance, then it can come back for Adam & Poverty. "Waah! I was lazy and didn't get fed!" "Waah! I hate Jonathan and if you people have justice and integrity, you should kick him out now!" "Waah! It's not fair that Jonathan is a bastard who plays the game and you're keeping him over my lazy ass!" BOO-FRICKIN'-HOO!

Yul does need to cool it with the "when the jury votes for ME" talk, especially in front of Becky, his tightest ally. Why wouldn't she turn on him if she knows she's F3 at best? Silly Yul!

blooter said...

I'm at the complete;y other end of the stick here. I want Jonathan voted out. I don't honestly care if Yul goes all the way or not because I'm still expecting an upset here for him. Jonathan for all his scheming has had some measure of luck on his side and for the dimwits in the Raro tribe, I can actually sympathise with them. Though the comment with Candace saying that Yul didn't have the idol after the last episode's tribal was stupid on so many levels.

i agree that Sundra and Becky are going to be also rans come the next few episodes. I can't see the next 2 episodes being predictable at all and I'm sure Parvati will sneak her way to the final 4 or even 3.

dark tyler said...

Funniest moment of the night, when Parvati looked closely Yul's immunity idol from inside her bathtub and then, with a glimmer of suspicion still lurking in her eye, declared "Looks authentic." There. Parvati confirmed it. Yul didn't forge an idol out of a bamboo stick. It looks authentic!

Priceless.

Anonymous said...

Pavarti going to final 4 or 3? Why would Yul allow that. So boring.

Is it just me or do the women this season all lack personality or are completely annoying?

Lord Floppington said...

It does seem as if every season, the alliance in power screws up and fractures too soon. I think this episode was that moment for Yul's alliance. If you start looking to the jury too soon, next thing you know, you'll be on it. I'm really pulling for Yul, and if he had sold out his group for some empty promise from Candace, it would have been a disaster for him.

I also don't understand what Candace hoped to gain by chewing out Yul's group over the fish and the idea that they might keep Jonathan. Was she that dumb that she honestly believed her behavior was going to make them want to keep her? I hope they starve out Adam and Parvati too. Who do they think they are, anyway?

Anonymous said...

Haven't caught too many episodes of this season, but I agree totally with Bill K's thought that Yul was just a little bit too proud of his master plan working out. Why share/confirm that info to everyone?

I also want to know more about Parvati's "boxing" background? She seems like a princess, and has arms like spaghetti. You're trying to tell me she takes punches and then knocks people out? *cough*B##@@hit*cough*

Anonymous said...

The Raro tribe, or what's left of it, were so annoying this episode. I have only caught the last two episodes of this season, but from what I have seen, Raro has only been self-righteous, lazy and whiny. (and why is Nate still reacting from the jury? get over yourself). Jonathan is not as evil as they want to portray him. He played the only move he could, and top 5 with Aitu is much better than whatever Raro was going to give him. (Yul may bring him further so that he has a deflecting target for the Raro hate) I can't wait for the next two weeks to happen so that the rest of Raro is gone. You'd think that with the numerous seasons of Survivor past, Raro would get that Jonathan was only "playing the game" because it's not like they were giving any kind of deal.

Anonymous said...

jdj, Parvati is a "model boxer" for "Perfect 10 Boxing"... google it (but keep in mind that some of the results may be NSFW)