Friday, April 04, 2008

Survivor: Ratting you out

Spoilers for "Survivor" coming up just as soon as I kill a few crabs...

Because of a DVR screw-up of my own making, I watched last night's episode backwards: the last half last night, the first half this morning. And other than the fact that the single most entertaining moment in the entire hour came in the previews for next week (we won't discuss it for the sake of people who don't watch the previews, but you know what I'm talking about if you saw it), is how, for all they've lost, Ozzy's team is in a really good position right now.

Yes, they've been on an epic losing streak, but one where they're only down 6-4 because of Jonathan's evacuation and Kathy's exit. (And the former arguably led to the latter, as Kathy said in her exit interviews that Jonnathan was the only one keeping her sane.) More importantly, other than Ami, everyone voted out during this losing streak was a "fan," which leaves the favorites at a 6-4 numbers advantage. Sure, you could worry about Eliza breaking ranks and trying to lead a "fan" coup, but at the same time Ozzy presumably has the loyalty (and hetero devotion) of Erik, so I don't know if the risk is that great.

Had Penner stuck around, I think he and Eliza might have been able to build an alliance with the "fans" on their team that would have posed a serious threat to Ozzy and company, but the numbers look pretty good right now. The couples alliance + Cirie + Erik should have their way with the rest, including the two female "fans" who may be the two most anonymous players to ever make the merge. Given the way this show tips its hands with editing, I have to think that if either Whatsername or Whoserface were going to do anything of consequence, game-wise, the editors would have tried to find some footage, somewhere, of them doing or saying something vaguely interesting to show us by now.

Not a great episode (though, again, it's hard for me to judge, given the way I watched it). A few other random thoughts:
  • At the time, all of Jonathan's talk about needing to get Parvati out of the game because she was a crafty player just seemed like leftover animus from their time together on the Cook Islands, but it looks like he was right. She's setting herself with multiple sub-alliances, seems fine ditching her current and past boytoys James and Ozzy because she knows she would lose a vote to them, etc. Maybe this isn't Cesternino or Porno Brian-level maneuvering, but she's in a power position.
  • Speaking of surprising players, Eliza's been every bit the challenge demon as Ozzy this season. She doesn't have his athletic gifts, but, like Yau-Man once was, she's been great in any challenge where even a little bit of thought could provide an advantage. In this episode, for instance, there was the moment when she fell but still kept her wits around her enough to slap her hand down on the bridge, which gave her dibs on crossing it first while Erik had to stand around.
  • I watched very little of Ami and Eliza's original season, but from what I've read about it, Ami was a far more aggressive player there than she was here. For a lot of this run, she was as invisible as the two remaining female "fans." What do you think led to the change? A realization that she badly blew it the last time? The wrong combination of people for her to work with?
What did everybody else think?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what led to Ami's change, but it was weird seeing her cry for acceptance at Tribal Council. The thing is, if she'd stuck to her original plans (ally with the outcast fans and target power players such as Ozzy), she'd be sitting pretty. Why she didn't follow through, I don't know. Maybe she *was* telling the truth that she was only saying what the fans wanted to hear to keep their spirits up. All I know is that I hated her during her original season, but I felt for her last night.

The lesson, however, was clear: Never go against the Ozzy. He and James better win as many individual immunities as they can or it's buh-bye, big boys (most likely courtesy of Poverty, who I still hate).

Anonymous said...

Ami was super aggressive and very powerful in her first season, which ultimately led to her downfall. Eliza was actually the one vote that sent Ami packing -- I recall Eliza being very emotional about it b/c she liked Ami, was in an alliance with her, but ultimately KNEW she had to vote her out. She was right -- Ami was controlling everything up until that point.

Eliza is someone to watch in this game...she can be supremely irritating, but damn is she smart.

Erik's man crush on Ozzy is too funny -- I think Amanda needs to keep an eye on him around her man! LOL Seriously, I can't imagine Erik EVER turning on Ozzy, especially after what happened this week (Ozzy has saved him twice now). I do think Ozzy would turn on Erik -- he was considering it this time.

I miss Jonathan -- the show is NOT the same without him. And I agree, he was totally right about Parvati.

I never liked Parvati -- she is reminding me of a sweeter Ami (from Ami's first season). In total control, ruthless, man-eater...LOL. I wish someone would switch things up on her.


Eating rats is gross and I hope I never have to think about that again.

SMM said...

I think that part of the preview might be the funniest line ever uttered on Survivor ever. I'm actually really looking forward to next week after what was kind of a dismal episode.

With the loss of Penner I must root for Eliza, who clearly is the smartest player there. Challenge after challenge, she makes the difference and wins for her tribe (it appears to me). But funnily enough, the same cannot be said for Ozzy.

Anonymous said...

That preview. Oh, that beloved preview. I rewound my tivo at least half a dozen times to watch it and laugh all over again. CLASSIC and quite possibly THE BEST line EVER on Survivor.

Anonymous said...

I am assuming that by 'the best part of the preview', you're talking about Amanda jumping up and down.

I'm just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

Darn it! I didn't watch the episode last night (sounds like I didn't miss much) but now I'm dying to know what happened in the preview! I wonder if I can find it on YouTube....

Alan Sepinwall said...

Kelly, you can see the preview here. They cut it off right as Eliza's saying the greatest line ever, but you should be able to make out what she's saying.

Anonymous said...

That? Was awesome! I watched it three times. Hee! I love Eliza, I really do.

Thank you so much Alan, I was searching for it on YouTube but couldn't find it so I appreciate you posting the link for me.

Anonymous said...

Alan's mentioned in the past how the new cast members haven't really been the super fans they've been made out to be. At least last night Erik showed a little something yesterday, with his comments on being a big fan and really wanting to make it to the merge.

Nicole said...

It was a pretty dull episode watching it in regular order. It may be the editing but I am not hating Pavarti as much as earlier in the game, maybe because she and Eliza seem to be the only ones strategizing at this point. Amanda has done nothing of note, just like the last season she was in, and I don't think there is anything she can do to win this even if she does get to the final two or three.

Ozzy and Cirie are just using their power as the "cool kids" to get people to vote the way they want, and that can only last so long.

It's pretty sad when we are this many episodes in and those two blonde fans are indistinguishable. I can't think they'll be to integral to how this season plays out, unless something happens soon.

I don't think I watched Ami in her original season, but she did not strike me as aggressive at all this time, and the crying at the end, was pitiful. The votes are decided at that point, so crying won't change anything.

Looking forward to Eliza's "line" next week... and based on how this season is going, it will probably be one of the highlights of this season.

Anonymous said...

I thought James had a good little rant about their beach this week. His Jacque Custo line was pretty classic.

Anonymous said...

Alan, Ami basically called the shots in her season until people caught on and voted her out. She obviously tried to lay back more here, but her penchant for voting randomly for people in her alliance couldn't have helped her any. The scene with her "thank you" to Erik while holding the hatchet was a glimpse of her true personality (if she has one). :-)

Not much to the episode, but agree the preview was awesome.

Anonymous said...

Ami's arc showed that it doesn't make sense to plot with other players outside your alliance unless you actually follow-through with it. It just comes back to bite you in the backside. She should have either flipped over to the "fans" alliance in one of the last few episodes, or just kept her mouth shut and stayed true like Cirie and Amanda. Really, even though she was at the bottom of the "favorites" alliance in her tribe, she should have just stayed the course until the merge. I think Erik is playing a good game -- by ingratiating himself to Ozzie, he is lasting longer than he should have.
Darren

Matthew said...

Eliza's line in the preview was the best part of the episode - just because of its awesomeness. At the same time, it was the worst part of the episode, just because it will almost certainly cut short one of the best storylines this season has. I was looking forward to watching it all play out, wanted to see how everyone would react to it. And we'll probably be denied that.

Anonymous said...

The 2 anonymous "fans" are like extra survivors on LOST- every once in a while you notice that they are there, but they are never heard speaking and are merely background scenery.
Liked Ami in her original season, thought she looked like she was suffering from some type of emotional breakdown during Tribal Council.
Just a hunch, but think more people are gunning to take out Ozzie, think James could semi-fly-under-the-radar to make it to final 3 and win going away.

Anonymous said...

Ami smugly points a hachet at Erik telling him he's gone and thank you for talking to them it only helped her and then she's voted out and we think this episode was boring? Sorry, I loved it, both times she's been voted out she was shocked which was way too much fun for me. Can you imagine the uproar if a guy had pointed that hachet at a woman delivering the same message, we'd be in political correctness hell right now.