Survivor: Redemption Island

[laprana]

And I just can't get past Grant's resemblence to the Geico caveman. Can't get past it.

Ha! Ha! DBf and I were saying the exact same thing while watching last night! Our conversation went something like this: Me - "Grant is really starting to look like a caveman with his beard growing in." DBf - "Yeah, he could be in those Geico commercials!"

I wasn't sorry to see Andrea go, but I questioned how smart of a move it was to put her on RI with Matt again. It will be interesting to see how forgiving he will be this time and whether Andrea spills her guts to him about what's been going on in the tribe while he's been on RI.

Phillip is nuts, that's fur sure, but it's the degree of his craziness that is up for debate. I still can't tell how much is real and how much is just for show. Regardless, his comment about how he has "dominated" the game cracked me up. Uh, ok.

[A Big Kid]

Ha! Ha! DBf and I were saying the exact same thing while watching last night! Our conversation went something like this: Me - "Grant is really starting to look like a caveman with his beard growing in." DBf - "Yeah, he could be in those Geico commercials!"

I wasn't sorry to see Andrea go, but I questioned how smart of a move it was to put her on RI with Matt again. It will be interesting to see how forgiving he will be this time and whether Andrea spills her guts to him about what's been going on in the tribe while he's been on RI.

Phillip is nuts, that's fur sure, but it's the degree of his craziness that is up for debate. I still can't tell how much is real and how much is just for show. Regardless, his comment about how he has "dominated" the game cracked me up. Uh, ok.

If there are four on RI, I would not put it past the producers to move them OFF of RI when the rest of the survivors #s dwindle down to four. That could be very interesting!!

It better be interesting, because this edition, to me, is really boring.

[SBETigg]

Mel, I say this with love but your insights into these shows always crack me up. Only you would get hung up on his looking like the Geico caveman!

I also think there's some sneakiness left in this crew. I can almost guarantee that both Grant and Phillip have no intention of letting Rob cruise all the way to the end. I'd be willing to bet that in the next episode or two you'll see one or maybe even both of them make some type of power move.

But I gotta tell ya, Rob looks like he's on a mission to me. He's going to be tough to beat. Does anyone besides me find it a little odd, though, that he's talking about winning this million dollars for his family ... almost as though they're struggling to put food on the table or something? Excuse me, but didn't your wife win a million dollars not all that long ago???

Agreed on the Geico caveman. Rob actually won my sympathy on that one. Think about it- after taxes, a million isn't quite as much. And what else do they do? If they bought a nice house and maybe some cars, the million is long gone. Rob's gotta pay the bills, and I don't think he works besides this Survivor/Reality Show stuff and how much longer will that play out? He's playing to stay retired, I think, and still send his kids to college. The more money you have, the more you need to maintain the lifestyle. Average Joe isn't going to feel bad for him, though-- and that's where the keeping him around to the end comes in for Grant and Phillip.

I think Phillip straight out plans to go to the end with Rob. Delusional, perhaps, but he seems to think he can beat him. And for NFL Grant/Geico Caveman (too funny and accurate), he needs to argue against someone who looks even less needy than he is, which isn't very possibly to the people voting who know he played for the NFL. So Rob with the million dollar wife might be looking good to take to the end.

It took to last night for me to decide that I really liked Andrea and didn't want her to go. Now she's at RI and what are her chances? She's good at challenges, maybe better than it looks. Not that I like her that much, but compared to the other two Natalie and Ashley, and Phillip. Basically, I will be okay with anyone but Ralph, Natalie, Ashley, or Phillip winning by now.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I have a real bad feeling about where this season is heading. I'm not talking about Rob making final 3 or possibly winning, let's face it, from what we've been allowed to see, if anyone besides Rob wins, it will be nothing less than a fitting end to what has been a joke of a season.

But here is what I think. Next week they cull one more from Redemption Island, then after tribal send one more there. At which point there will be 4 in the game and 4 at Redemption. On Sunday two hour finale my guess is that one of two things will happen. A RI challenge will occur, placing one person in the game, resetting the active players to 5, and the rest go to the jury. Then they finish as usual going to final 3. But what I have a feeling will happen is that they in the two hour finale they will cull one more from RI bring that group to three, then they will have a challenge at final 4 and do an immediate tribal sending another to RI. Then at RI there will be 4 again, then they will do the final ultimate challenge with the winner getting back into the game at final 4. So when they get back into the game there will only be one more challenge remaining to get to final 3.

Regardless, it's setting up to be a lame conclusion. No player should be allowed to sit out this long and then re-enter what is supposed to be a social game at final 4 (or maybe 5). And, there won't be that much suspense. If the person surviving RI doesn't win immunity, with 5 Zaps on the jury, no way the remaining Ometepe will let them make final 3. If the RI person wins immunity, Rob or Grant will be gone, whomever is left at that point.

I just can't believe how many ways they have found to screw this season up. If I hadn't watched this since season 1 I'd have given up a long time ago. The fact that 6 people sat at tribal last night and the 5 not wearing the immunity necklace all felt totally safe just shows how poorly these people play and understand the game. Another totally predictable and boring boot.

Fortunately only one more week left.

[Melanie]

Couldn't agree more, The Hitchhiking Ghost. The RI island thing has turned out to be super lame.

I frequent some other reality TV message boards, and can't recall a time when I've seen less chatter overall on a season of Survivor. What is discussed is either about what an epic fail/boring season this is or those worshipping Rob. There isn't much in between.

[SBETigg]

Couldn't agree more, The Hitchhiking Ghost. The RI island thing has turned out to be super lame.

I frequent some other reality TV message boards, and can't recall a time when I've seen less chatter overall on a season of Survivor. What is discussed is either about what an epic fail/boring season this is or those worshipping Rob. There isn't much in between.

Agreed agreed! I wasn't sure about the RI twist, and it was a little new and okay early on. But why bring it back after merge? I thought that was it. I really do not like the RI angle. I miss the "your tribe has spoken," and that's it. Final. You're booted and gone. That's what Survivor is supposed to be.

[JanetMegan]

Hitchhiking Ghost--you made my head hurt!! You know I'm not sure what they will do with the RI folks (I liked it much better when only one person was over there-now it's just confusing.) I really am just pulling for Rob at this point, I just think he deserves to win...

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Hitchhiking Ghost--you made my head hurt!! You know I'm not sure what they will do with the RI folks (I liked it much better when only one person was over there-now it's just confusing.) I really am just pulling for Rob at this point, I just think he deserves to win...

Sorry about that

Redemption Island was at best an acceptable concept, up to the point of the merge, now it's nothing more than a joke. From the first season Probst has always said, Survivor is a SOCIAL game, hence Russell's epic failures, not knowing how to interact with fellow humans. But now, lets say Matt reenters the game and makes it to final 3. He will have spent about 31 of the 39 days at Redemption Island, having no social contact, for the most part, with the Survivors. And the contact he has is tainted. Instead of having to deal with the threat of the game, the RI bible study crowd can bond over those that sent them there while the other 5 have to stress out about sending one of their own home and the repurcussions.

And, isn't the idea that the jury is supposed to sit in on the tribal councils, so that they can learn what's going on and make an informed decision? Using Matt or Mike as an examples, if they make it back to the game and then don't survive to final 3, basically one of them would have missed at least 3 tribal councils and the other 4. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense with what they are doing at Redemption. I'm generally not a conspiracy theorist, but in this case I can certainly buy that RI was set up to protect Rob/Russell, especially if they made it post merge. This whole 3 out of 4 living to fight another day is ridiculous.

The final thing about RI is that I think it indirectly protects strong people. Maybe Rob's tribe really is that stupid, but if there were no RI I wonder if they would have been much quicker to discuss getting rid of him. But with RI, I have to believe that they could be thinking "what if he comes back" so why get rid of him to begin with.

Redemption Island is just playing way too powerful a role in this game, and it, for me, just doesn't fit in with my image of how Survivor is played. I understand wanting to keep things fresh, to add new things, to mix it up, but as much as I hate the phrase, as others have said, between RI and bringing back Robb/Russell, this could be the season where Survivor "jumps the shark."

[Melanie]

Saw a promo last night while watching TAR and it's amazing to me that there are 9 people left going into finale week. 9! Crazy.

I remember 'back in the day' when Survivor was still wildly popular and the final four would be on the front of magazines and there was tons of hype. Good old days.

[Carol]

It still does very well in the ratings, Mel.

I don't like the whole 3 to the finals thing.

[Melanie]

It still does very well in the ratings, Mel.

Oh, no doubt. Not disputing that at all.

I'm just not a fan of this season, which isn't a secret. It's beginning to go down the American Idol road for me though. I wish they'd stop with the gimmicks and get back to what made Survivor popular to begin with.

[thrillme]

I will be a Survivor junkie till the end of days. SIGHHHH...I always dream about ME being on that incredible island. I'd love to try it and yes I sent in a video once but nada...

The only part that I just don't get is the "family" day. SIGH...I kinda just roll my eyes at that one. Would I miss my family (especially my my child were still small and not 15...) YES but...really it's only 39 days. Military have been gone for a LOT longer than that.

[Melanie]

The only part that I just don't get is the "family" day. SIGH...I kinda just roll my eyes at that one. Would I miss my family (especially my my child were still small and not 15...) YES but...really it's only 39 days. Military have been gone for a LOT longer than that.

Amen! We actually talked about this very thing I think last season, and others pointed out that it maybe is more extreme for these folks because of sleep/food deprivation and the elements they are living in, but what does a soldier or Marine go through at times? And hey, it's just as harsh conditions for military spouses left home with a couple or three screaming kids and all that comes with suddenly being a single parent.

[SBETigg]

Oh, no doubt. Not disputing that at all.

I'm just not a fan of this season, which isn't a secret. It's beginning to go down the American Idol road for me though. I wish they'd stop with the gimmicks and get back to what made Survivor popular to begin with.

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.

[Melanie]

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

[Joeybun]

Doesn't Rob still have an immunity idol? Surely he will be a target one of these days. In the past it could only be used up until final four. Jeff made no mention of that being the case at tribal tonight, so I suspect that Rob will still have an opportunity to use it. Who knows how many will come back from RI, but it seems to me that the hidden idol (which BTW, Rob has told no one about) will be a turning point in the game.

I'm definitely hoping Rob wins. He really is good. Difference between him and Russell, who claims to be the greatest player in Survivor history, is that he actually was able to turn the target on his back into a big smiley face His teammates love him!

I was glad that guy with the beard left RI, no one on that team actually deserve to have a shot at the million. Biggest mistake any team can make is to purposely lose a challenge! Survivor history proves it! Russell was right!

[TheDuckRocks]

It's just my guess but I think Rob will use the immunity idol when the final person comes back from RI. He would have to know that whoever it is will try to get the others to sent him packing. Keeping the fact that he has the immunity idol a secret from the others has to be the smartest thing he has done this season.

[SBETigg]

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

My thought last night exactly! Not one of them threw Rob's name out there. It's crazy. Apparently, Phillip isn't the only one of questionable judgment out there.

Rob only has one more TC to use his idol, I think, and that might be all that he needs. Nothing against Rob, and he certainly deserves to win this one since no one else has had any serious play. But I don't really want to see him win, and I don't really think anyone else deserves it. It's just not a great season, for me. I hope they end the RI experiment here.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

My thought last night exactly! Not one of them threw Rob's name out there. It's crazy. Apparently, Phillip isn't the only one of questionable judgment out there.

Rob only has one more TC to use his idol, I think, and that might be all that he needs. Nothing against Rob, and he certainly deserves to win this one since no one else has had any serious play. But I don't really want to see him win, and I don't really think anyone else deserves it. It's just not a great season, for me. I hope they end the RI experiment here.

The only logical conclusion that I can think of is one of two things, these are all morons playing the game or they somehow feel that by allowing Rob to final 3 that they can portray him as the bad guy to the jury and beat him that way. I'm going with that they are morons.

With Hidden Immunity it will depend on when they reintroduce the player from Redemption Island. If they next thing they do is to have a 4 person challenge at RI, with the winner reentering the game, then Rob has one more tribal to play HI, which becomes powerful, because if he wins immunity outright, then he can pass the idol to another and totally control the final 5 outcome. If they don't reenter the RI player right away, then the final 4 would vote out 1 more, send that person to RI and then at Redemption they would have one last challenge and the winner renters the game at final 4, in which case HII is out of play.

So if the Redemption Island survivor reenters at final 5, immunity idol is in play, if they reenter at final 4 then its done.

Unfortunately I think Redemption Island may be around for a while. It's a lousy concept and the way its been implemented is a joke. Had it ended at the point of the merge, then I could have at least dealt with it, but the way its being run right now is simply a joke. Even if Rob had the biggest target on his back, it would still pale in comparison to the target Mike or Matt will have if they come back from Redemption, especially Mike, because if he makes final 3, the million is his, hands down.

There are only two reality shows that I really care about and watch without fail, Survivor and Amazing Race, too bad that both had really mediocre seasons this year.

I don't necessarily want to see Boston Rob win, but at this point anyone else winning would just be another joke. I don't see how any of the other remaining 7 can stake a claim as to why they "deserve it".

[Joeybun]

I guess I'm in the minority then because I have really enjoyed this season! Mostly because Rob is back and doing a great job at masterminding the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, in the past he hasn't been my favorite, but he is just really playing this thing to win.

If Matt makes it back from RI and doesn't get voted out again, I think he has a good chance of taking the million. If the guy could spend the entire time on RI and win challenge after challenge...

I wholeheartedly agree that it was a genius move on Rob's part to tell no one about the idol. He knows what he is doing and rightly since he's played before. But they all should know something about Survivor strategy, it's season 21 right? I mentioned it before, but if those guys had ever taken the time to watch prior seasons they would have known to never get too over confident and lose a challenge on purpose. If they had not done that this would be a different game.

We'll see how the jury feels on Sunday!