Survivor: Redemption Island

[Ian]

I agree with you, Mel. I want them to get back to the basics, what made it all work in the first place. No more hidden immunities or exile islands or redemption islands. Just 16 (not 18 or 20) people stranded with nothing (except one interesting luxury item) and scrambling, desperate to outlast, outwit, outplay. Those were the days.

Yeah, I completely agree. While I've enjoyed this season as much as any others in recent memory, I'm tired of the gimmicks, too. And really RI has been a big for me. Really not at all compelling and sort of an irritant more than anything else. I've also really lost interest in the immunity idols, too.

These folks are so clueless. What an opportunity to get rid of Rob, and not a mention of it. Ugh.

That did surprise me to a degree, but what shocked me more was that I think Rob made a bad play voting out Grant. He should have taken Natalie out. I think his instincts were right on that and he made a tactical error there. It may bite him, too. Those girls are tight and getting tighter. I found it odd that Matt's loose alliance with Andrea made him an immediate target, but he lets Natalie skate? Weird.

I guess I'm in the minority then because I have really enjoyed this season!

I guess I'm a minority with you then, because I have too.

[SBETigg]

Agree that Rob should have taken out Natalie. I do think that will come back to haunt him. Grant's very strong in challenges, but he's loyal. Ashley knows she was on the block and she is going to work it against Rob now, I think, if she can this late in the game.

[pixiesmimi]

I think the girls will gang up on Rob and Phillip now and one of them just might win. Rob did a stupid thing voting out Grant but again, Grant could have come back to beat him. And he still might if he comes back from RI. I don't care who wins now because I don't like any of them and least of all Rob. I hate it when he says he has been trying to win this for 10 years. He hasn't been playing for 10 years and he is just jealous that his wife won and he didn't. He has tried every reality show and hasn't won any of them. It's not like he needs the money.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

That did surprise me to a degree, but what shocked me more was that I think Rob made a bad play voting out Grant. He should have taken Natalie out. I think his instincts were right on that and he made a tactical error there. It may bite him, too. Those girls are tight and getting tighter. I found it odd that Matt's loose alliance with Andrea made him an immediate target, but he lets Natalie skate? Weird.

The problem is that we don't know what we don't know. Rob is only one vote. Ashley had already approached the group as a whole about getting rid of Grant and she held immunity. It's very possible that Natalie wanted to vote out Grant and Rob threw her a bone. If Rob pulls in Grant/Phillip to boot Natalie, he risks alienating at least two jury votes in Nat/Ashley. Also, Rob still holds an idol. If the RI survivor comes back into the game at 5 then Rob gets one last chance to use it. If he wins individual immunity at final 5 plus can give someone the idol, he can set up whatever blindside he wants. Sending Grant to RI I don't think was necessarily a bad strategy. Rob's two biggest nightmares right now are sitting at RI, Matt and Mike, which if either of them comes out as the RI survivor and make final 3, pretty much hand them the million. On the other hand, send Grant, who may be the best chance of beating Mike and Matt, which if he does, he doesn't really come back into the game with any advantage over Rob like Mike/Matt would, plus if Grant doesn't win individual immunity, Rob can blindside him again with the idol.

Things need to fall right, which in Survivor history generally means it won't, but Rob could really make this work for him, he just needs one or two more things to fall into place.

Can't say that this is anything but a blah season for me. Other than watching Rob put on a clinic on how to run a tribe, there has been little of interest (other than Phillip) or excitement.

[thrillme]

I guess I'm in the minority then because I have really enjoyed this season! .....

We'll see how the jury feels on Sunday!

....
That did surprise me to a degree, but what shocked me more was that I think Rob made a bad play voting out Grant. He should have taken Natalie out. I think his instincts were right on that and he made a tactical error there. It may bite him, too. Those girls are tight and getting tighter.

As I stated before I'm loving this season. I'm clueless how it's all going to play out but I think it's rather cool. I do miss the "rewards". I like seeing more of the rewards...makes the island even more enchanting. (I love the beautiful scenery)...

I'm a Rob fan and have been since his first Survivor. I like him because the "Godfather" LOVES the game. He's not a quitter no matter what his condition. He pushes as far as he can go. That's the game. He's right it's not about making friends...it's the game. I don't think he's about the money as much as like Russell...he wants the title. I got a little soft for him too. It seems like he is still totally in love with Amber.

Now as far as him voting out Grant. I hated that. I would have preferred he "warn" Grant it was a possiblity. BUT...they had the two girls and Phil...If they really wanted Grant out...they could have taken him out without Rob. Phil believes himself tough but not tough enough to beat Grant if need be...in his mind too...he probably believes he can control the girls...

If he voted Natalie...well...not only would Rob have lost ANYWAY he would have lost her "alliance" as well...Phillip doesn't care because he's got the CRAZY card. Phillip was the REAL swing vote. If Phillip decided it was time take out Grant...well then...going against the river would have only made Rob the next target.

Hopefully they can take Ashley next. I cannot stand the arm pit sniffers/pluckers... I've never been THAT close to any friend. And they have the nerve to complain about Phillips pink skivvies.

Grant stands a good chance of beating Mike and Matt.

[SBETigg]

Grant stands a good chance of beating Mike and Matt.

Andrea stands a chance of beating the men if it's some sort of balance challenge. I wouldn't count her out so easily. She has won a few challenges, more than Grant actually. Plus, that would raise the Mean Girl hackles of Natalie and Ashley all over again. I like the idea, actually.

[Melanie]

I really shouldn't even comment tonight because this is all so fresh, but after watching the first few minutes of the reunion, I'm really irritated. The love affair Jeff, the producers evidently, etc. have with Rob really gets on my nerves. I can't remember ever being so put off by a finale and a winner in 22 seasons! I think Grant's feelings are very telling.

[Melanie]

So, I turned off the TV last night after that awkward proposal, and wake up to find out my two least favorite parts of this season (returning players, RI) will return next season.

Can't believe I'm going to say this, but I may be out. You guys enjoy!

[thrillme]

I dunno I liked it. Felt a bit bad for Grant but...it was a "game". I really hope he can get past that.

I think Rob played perfectly. He's come to the end of his quest. But he is quite an icon. He might make a good "guest" one day. It was surprising the two sitting next to him gave him so much credit. WOW. They didn't plead their own cases at all.

I LOVED it when Phil burned those pink skivvies. We applauded. I figure his "crazy" card got him $100K. I don't know about the rest of y'all but...$100K is nothing to sneeze at. I know this is going to sound weird but I though ol' Phil is actually a rather handsome man when he's all cleaned up (I still think he's a bit nutz...). My son was blown away by Natalie when she was all cleaned up. It's amazing what they look like at the end.

Amanda won... Then Ashley won But oh well. It still worked out. I'm surprised they had so much trouble with that final puzzle. But then when you're under a LOT of pressure your brain can totally freeze up. Apparantly they knew Rob had the idol. I must have missed that part or they didn't show it.

I'm looking forward to season 23. I love Survivor.

[SBETigg]

I'm still going to watch, but I'm not thrilled with the next season following the same path. I thought RI should have ended with merge, and I'm sick of returning players.

As for Rob winning, well, I wanted him to by the final four. They had all that time to get smart and make a move, and never did. Especially knowing that he had the idol, they should have tried to blindside him earlier. Did they not see it turning out the way it did? The jury was really left with no option.

Natalie is so clueless! And her youth is no excuse. My daughter is 17, and she's a strong, smart woman who doesn't need a man to lead her through a game (yay!). I thought Natalie looked gorgeous in the game, but just meh in her live show look. Weird that some people just look better more natural, or that dirty. But Grant cleaned up nicely. Also, at some point for me, Phillip stopped being good TV and started being a real health concern. I think the man is truly mentally ill, and his demeanor last night had me worried for him. Not fun to watch.

I think the whole group was a bit grudging with the Rob win, and I felt the same way. Maybe now he can be happy and stay home. Oh and David's proposal? She seemed shell-shocked, and not in a "wow, I'm so happy" way. I'm not sure those two will make it. But wishing them well.

[Melanie]

Amanda won... Then Ashley won But oh well. It still worked out. I'm surprised they had so much trouble with that final puzzle. But then when you're under a LOT of pressure your brain can totally freeze up. Apparantly they knew Rob had the idol. I must have missed that part or they didn't show it.

These were a few other points that bothered me. Hated the editing this season. So yeah, they knew he had the idol. We were led all along to believe he hadn't told anyone.

The other thing was the final challenge - isn't that always an endurance thing? Rob's thing is doing puzzles. Just found that curious.

[SBETigg]

These were a few other points that bothered me. Hated the editing this season. So yeah, they knew he had the idol. We were led all along to believe he hadn't told anyone.

The other thing was the final challenge - isn't that always an endurance thing? Rob's thing is doing puzzles. Just found that curious.

When they have a final three vs a final two, they have done the maze/puzzle thing with the final four many times in the past.

I thought it was astounding that Rob asked Ashley to work together and she gave him the first bit. The cluelessness astounded me right to the end with those girls. Sure they made it to the end, but were they there to just make it to the end? When was that enough of a triumph for anyone? I thought the goal was to win, which they were never going to do with Rob. Further, Natalie's closing argument was all about how well she followed his lead to get to the end and what a master Rob was, nothing about her or what she did that should earn her the title. Did she even know why she was playing, what she was playing for? Just astounding.

[DisneyPrincess21]

After the fact that both Grant and Matt were out of the running, I turned off the show. It was dead to me at that point! I knew Rob would win it then, and I couldn't stomach seeing his cocky "I'm smahta then everyone" attitude

[pixiesmimi]

If next season doesn't improve, I'm so over this show. This was a really boring season. I knew they were going to give it to Rob. The girls were so dumb! Didn't they even once think that in order for one of them to win, they would have to vote Rob out? Guess their pinky swears didn't take. Phillip may have been a special agent at one time but I think he is really mental now. I don't like what they said to him at the final TC about being a sorry individual. No one should be told that. But I also think he was discharged on a mental. That photo of him didn't even look like the same person. But I started wondering at the end if that character was an undercover persona for him and he really was just playing a part.

All I have to say is David and his girlfriend (I don't remember her on any of the seasons) just don't fit together. I was wondering for a while if she was going to embarrass him and tell him no. That was all just awkward as was Jeff telling Amber that she could take the kids out if they got too loud.

All in all it was anticlimatical and the best part is that we don't have to see Rob in any more reality shows if we can take his word for it.

[SBETigg]

That was all just awkward as was Jeff telling Amber that she could take the kids out if they got too loud.

All in all it was anticlimatical and the best part is that we don't have to see Rob in any more reality shows if we can take his word for it.

Oh, that made me laugh! Jeff was trying to be subtle, but it was so obvious that he really wanted to say, "Cute, but please take the kids out now."

According to an interview I just read with Rob, he is currently filming a new reality TV show, Around the World in 80 Days, or something like that. Cameras follow him traveling and interviewing people.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

The other thing was the final challenge - isn't that always an endurance thing? Rob's thing is doing puzzles. Just found that curious.

It's been a while since they've done just the pure endurance final challenge. Last season wasn't it stacking the various coins, in HvV I think it was another maze but they were blindfolded, Somoa I think it was balancing something, Tocatins was that keep the ball going in the mouse trap type thing with one arm behind your back. I think Gabon was that stupid build a house of cards. China was balancing teacups and saucers and I think FvF was again another kind of balancing challenge.

So it's been a while where they've had the pure, put your hand on a log and don't remove it until you are out.

I would agree that the challenge benefited Rob more than an endurance one would have. But it was equal for everyone, Ashley was right there with Rob and at one point seemed to have everything.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I'm not even sure which rant to go off on. Rob clearly deserved the win, and while I would like to say this says alot about him and his game, it unfortunately speaks equally to the morons that they cast this season.

I am so tired of Survivors essentially just playing for 3rd. Both Natalie and Phillip were an embarrasment in their prejury speeches, both of them said essentially the same thing "I am sitting here because I was loyal to Rob" with the insinuation "I'm happy to take 3rd".

Russell's terrible game play for two seasons was nothing more than a strategy to get to final 3 and lose.

Sugar in Gabon basically came out in an unaired confesional that she didn't care if she won, she was happy with 3rd.

It makes this show a joke when a majority of the survivors 1) have no clue how to play the game and 2) don't really care if they win.

Natalie's performance was one of the worst overall performances I have ever seen. Even after 7 months to prepare for the reunion show, she couldn't even articulate an answer for Jeff when he said before the vote "Natalie do you think you can win?" A yes/no question and she couldn't even get that right.

A terrible reunion show. The first half hour was Jeff asking the other Ometepe 5 to explain why Rob was so great, then you had the really creepy wedding proposal and the stupid going into the audience to interview "a federal agent". Not to mention, 5 people for certain were never even asked questions (Francesqwa, Kristine, Krista, Stephanie and Sarita) and I think Steve only spoke when responding to Phillip's apology and even David only spoke to do the proposal. Only fitting the reunion show was as lame as the season I guess.

I suspected they all knew Rob had the idol several weeks back. I didn't think anyone could really be that stupid, even this group, to totally forget about the presence of HII. To edit it out was really an insult to the intelligence of the viewers. But editing has been really bad this season anyway, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Final jury questions were pretty lame too. My guess is they all, except Ralph knew they were voting for Rob anyway. Steve didn't even ask a question, Dave continued his creepy bromance over Rob with his self righteous speech to the other jurists, Julie came off bitter, Mike holier than though along with Matt, Ashley was basically bash Natalie and ignore Phillip. Basically the best thing Rob could do was to shut up and let the other two dig their holes even deeper each time they spoke.

Then to make matters worse, you find out at the reunion show that not only are they bringing back redemption island but also two more returning Survivors. Jump the shark once, might as well do it twice. Best rumor that seems legit to date is that it will be Coach and Phillip coming back.

Only two reality shows that I watch and care about are Amazing Race and Survivor, and they both had disappointing seasons.

[Ian]

Just a few random final thoughts I'll string together here ....

• First on the topic of Rob winning. You may not like it, but come on ... he played a masterful game and I completely agree with Jeff that it might be the best game ever played. You may want to downplay it and talk about how stupid the other people were and all that, but at the end of the day he still had to pull it all together and make it work, win the challenges when he could, find the idol, and hold his alliance together. He earned this victory plain and simple.
• I'm really tired of the final tribal council being nothing more than a bunch of sore losers complaining the the final two or three didn't play with "integrity." This is a game about voting out other people until there's only one left. You can't win without stabbing other people in the back. Period. It's like trying to win a football game without tackling anyone. It can't happen. Get over it, whiners. You're where you are because you got outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted. Deal with it. I'll hand it to David for at least keepin' it real.
• Totally missed the torch retrospective segment. Wonder why they didn't do it this year? That's always one of my favorite parts of the finale, because they look back on all the other players and all that. It's cool. Definitely hope that comes back again next season.
• Can't say I'm elated to see RI is coming back next year. I actually thought it was annoying and kind of a dud. Plus, it really stunk the way it worked out. Matt was there for 29 days, won 11 out of 12 duels or whatever, and then ultimately got nothing for it. It was too drug out. Should have ended at the merge.

These were a few other points that bothered me. Hated the editing this season. So yeah, they knew he had the idol. We were led all along to believe he hadn't told anyone.

Agreed ... that was very disingenuous and made you think the girls were actually dumber than they really were.

[SBETigg]

Just a few random final thoughts I'll string together here ....

• I'm really tired of the final tribal council being nothing more than a bunch of sore losers complaining the the final two or three didn't play with "integrity."
• Totally missed the torch retrospective segment. Wonder why they didn't do it this year?
  

It always surprises me, too, when jurists use the dishonest/didn't play with integrity accusations (except when with a player that has gone beyond the pale, like Russell or Jonny Fairplay, though even that is allowed in the game). It's a game. And the ones who level those kinds of comments have usually had to be a little dishonest, too. I did think Natalie could have at least given her good friend Ashley the heads up that she was going home. But in the end, it is a game and deception is part of it. There are times when players could have made different choices with the same outcome, though. It's not always just whining, but most times yes, seems to be.

The torch retrospective wasn't done, I'm guessing, due to the fact that RI changed the game in that aspect. There was no real torch-snuffing until RI ended. It was "burn your buff." They still could have done something similar, but it would have been hard with the RI twist to go in order like they had. "Francesca got voted out, then she was first out of RI, then Matt went, but he really stayed, so back to him later..." Awkward.

I think that the girls knew about the idol and didn't try to blindside Rob earlier made them look even dumber in the end. Rob deserves his win, and I couldn't have said that anyone else did. But, he does give a lot of the credit to good luck of being in with his particular tribe. The one thing that stands out to me this season beyond Rob's total domination is the sheer shortsightedness of all the people he played with this time out. I hope they get a better group next time. I like to see the actual gameplay, not just a bunch of people standing around worshipping the one guy who is playing.

[Bethis26fan]

Just a few random final thoughts I'll string together here ....
[LIST][*]First on the topic of Rob winning. You may not like it, but come on ... he played a masterful game and I completely agree with Jeff that it might be the best game ever played. You may want to downplay it and talk about how stupid the other people were and all that, but at the end of the day he still had to pull it all together and make it work, win the challenges when he could, find the idol, and hold his alliance together. He earned this victory plain and simple.[*]I'm really tired of the final tribal council being nothing more than a bunch of sore losers complaining the the final two or three didn't play with "integrity." This is a game about voting out other people until there's only one left. You can't win without stabbing other people in the back. Period. It's like trying to win a football game without tackling anyone. It can't happen. Get over it, whiners. You're where you are because you got outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted. Deal with it. I'll hand it to David for at least keepin' it real.[*]Totally missed the torch retrospective segment. Wonder why they didn't do it this year? That's always one of my favorite parts of the finale, because they look back on all the other players and all that. It's cool. Definitely hope that comes back again next season.[*]Can't say I'm elated to see RI is coming back next year. I actually thought it was annoying and kind of a dud. Plus, it really stunk the way it worked out. Matt was there for 29 days, won 11 out of 12 duels or whatever, and then ultimately got nothing for it. It was too drug out. Should have ended at the merge.

I agree with you on all parts.
I don't think I can stand another season with Phil or Coach. I may have to skip out if they are the 2 coming back.