During Jeff’s introduction to the new direction taken this season, Spencer had the 1st confessional: “In 2010, I entered the world open chess tournament and I tied for first. I certainly don’t look diabolical or like a genius, both of which I am.”
David was next: “I’m president of the Miami Marlins…”
I’m an attorney and my track record is undefeated.[/caption]
Kass followed: “I’m an attorney and my track record is undefeated. They’ll be all: “How cute, there’s the mom. They probably don’t know that I am more cunning and ruthless than 95% of the population.”
Jeff wasn’t very nice to the beauty tribe, telling us that they rely on their looks to get what they want.
Morgan had a confessional: “I was an NFL cheerleader an I don’t want to sound super conceited but, from a guy, I usually get what I want.”
(LJ was shown just as she said this last part, foreshadowing their conflict)
Jeremiah then introduced himself: “I’m a fashion model. I think it’s going to help me out as we get further into the game because I am going to win them over with my looks.”
It was then Jefra‘s turn: “I competed for Miss Kentucky. I was second place three years in a row. People label me pageant girl but I believe beauty is going to help me with the social aspect of the game.”
(A water buffalo emerged from the water as she said that, hinting that getting to the end of Survivor isn’t only about the social game, that there is a survival aspect to it also.)
Cliff was the first member of Brawn to have a confessional: “…I played 18 years in the NBA. I always played for bread and meat. I don’t win, I don’t eat. That’s what the game of Survivor is about.”
Sarah was next: “I’m a police officer and I started mixed martial arts in 2009. Getting paid to punch someone in the face? It doesn’t really get better than that!”
(Tony was shown behind her as she said this, suggesting he’ll be the recipient of one of her punches)
Tony then had his turn: “I’ve been a police officer up in Jersey City for 13 years. I’m always jumping over cars, climbing over fences and jumping from roof to roof, chasing people so this game to me should be easy. Knock on wood.”
There was symmetry to these early confessionals: Three members of each tribe were given an opportunity to talk. From the Brains tribe, we saw Samson, Spencer and Kass. If symmetry applies then, with Samson being an early boot, we may expect to have been shown an early boot from both the Brawn and the Beauty tribe. The early indications would be that Jefra and Tony would be the early boots but things could go in different directions, with Morgan and Cliff being in trouble. Both Spencer and Kass had nice stories in this first episode but their tribe is in so much trouble that it’s too early to make hypotheses on how the two other members of each tribe will fare, However, being shown early can be seen as a good sign.
Jeff asked us which trait will prove more valuable.
Tasha then had a confessional: “I’m super smart. I have what it takes to win this game”
Alexis was next: “I don’t see the guys going: I don’t want to vote her off right away. They don’t want to look at ugly gals all day!”
Lindsey then spoke to us: “I’m known as the tough brawny girl. When I feel like someone is out to get me, I am going to get you back and I am going to get you ten times harder.”
These confessionals told us why these 3 were put on their respective tribes. Interestingly, each of these three will develop have confessionals that narrate the stories of their tribes. I’d say that each will become the representatives of their tribes, not in the game play type of way that electing leaders means but how, in the editors mind, these 3 will play the game.
Spencer was the first to have a second moment on screen: “I will go down as one of the best to ever play and I want to play an awesome game.”
That really sounds like a winner’s quote because Spencer will not be shown as being overconfident or arrogant at all.
Jeff gave us his catch phrase from the top of an island, with seemingly no way to get back to the beach.
(At least I was hoping he’d be trapped there for those 39 days but, alas…)
Getting off the Brawns’ truck, Trish had a confessional: “I am so excited to start Survivor, I can’t even stand it. I am such a competitive person that I would do anything to get to the finish line, to beat you if I had to. It’s just who I am.”
Suggesting an upcoming rivalry, Lindsey gave us a confessional just as Morgan and Jefra appeared: “When I saw the speed boat race up, the girls were in the front and they were all like: “Look at us!” I was surprised that there wasn’t cheesy music in the background.”
I think it’s very important to note that the music editors went with Lindsey’s wish and gave us that cheesy music. It’s a good sign for Lindsey but not so good for Morgan and Jefra. This season we have twin Cleopatras but I suggest one will go early while the other, like the whole Beauty Tribe, will surprise everyone.
Jefra had a confessional when the Brains landed: “I noticed a few people coming off the helicopter who seemed more of the nerdy type, like the Cochrans of the game. They are going to be really smart and witty and play the game well.”
Spencer was the one the cameras focused on when Jefra said this, improving once more the impression that he is someone to like and follow. These two episodes will send Spencer to the bottom of the tribe’s pecking order, already making him the underdog. The groundwork for an awesome game is clearly set but will Spencer be able to pull it off?
The camera focused next on Alexis when Jeff greeted all three tribes and then turned to Lindsey and Tasha.
The same three that we suggested could become the narrators for their tribes are once more united by the cameras. Will those three be joining together at some point? How far will they go? I’d consider them good candidates for long term players.
Jeff first turned to Morgan and Spencer for their impressions of the tribes. Spencer managed to make everyone laugh when he said they were the nerds. Tony then told Jeff he was glad to be considered the Brawn; that they were going to stomp on beauty and smarts.
(Alexis didn’t look too impressed)
LJ was designated as leader of the Beauty tribe. He said he was more about the inner-beauty.
The Brawn looked for someone vocal and chose Sarah. Trish told Jeff that Sarah looked confident and could get the job done.
Samson was designated for the Brains tribe. Kass said she didn’t trust a man in a suit but liked David.
LJ picked Morgan as the weak link.
LJ explained it to us: “In my perspective of beauty, there’s hot and there’s cute. Morgan is hot whereas the other girls are cute. Me, personally, I trust cute more than I trust hot.”
Sarah went with Trish while Samson sent Garrett away, shocking Probst who had to ask for an explanation. Samson said it was because he was looking at the end game.
(We shouldn’t be surprised by Samson’s choice of Garrett. That’s what he did with the Expos and the Marlins: Get rid of those that can help you win. He was so certain he was getting rid of Garrett that we have our answer about his knowledge of Survivor: Had he watched Tocantins he wouldn’t have given Garret a shot at an idol so he can’t be as big a fan as he claimed. Good riddance.)
Jeff told the three players that the chopper would get them to camp where they’d have a decision to make. He then sent the tribes to their beach, warning them it could be a wet season.
In fact, the rain would start early and, with Jeff’s remark making it on air, we’ll assume it will be quite inclement and that some won’t make it, preferring to quit instead of suffering.
We joined the three players on the helicopter with Garrett, saying, in confessional, that it sucked to be isolated from the tribe. He told us he thought Samson was full of BS.
LJ had a confessional: “We arrived at the beach and it was like: Where’s Morgan? She was nowhere to be found. It was very suspicious.”
That segment started with a very interesting overview of the Solana beach: The 5 members of the tribe were seen in the background walking towards the flag while, in the foreground, we saw Morgan alone, hidden from her tribe mates by the rock formation. We then saw Morgan hurrying back to the beach while we heard her confessional:
“…It was pretty obvious what I was doing. I had already been outed as the weakest person and now I am going behind their back, looking for the idol. I’m done then I realized I could totally lie and say that I chose the shelter material and the fishing stuff over comfort.” As soon as she came into view, she yelled out: “I hope you guys liked what I picked.” Looking at the rice and tools, they high-fived her. Her confessional continued: “I, for sure, think I fooled them. Now, I have however many days to look for the idol. I’ll have to be really sly about it but I don’t think they have any clue.”
LJ showed us in his confessional that he wasn’t completely fooled: “Morgan’s already in her underwear just like a mermaid that walked out of the ocean which had me a little nervous because she is way too calm and collected for someone just voted out. She either already has an immunity idol or she has a clue so I have to be on my best behavior. She can be the hot girl with a grudge.”
It’s very interesting that the title quote of the episode had nothing to do with the boot story. It tells me that the Morgan/LJ conflict could last a while. It could even be an important part of the overall story. Even more noteworthy is that we stayed with this tribe long enough to see that Morgan could also play the game.
She had Brice fooled as we heard in his first confessional: “Morgan was able to provide for us, some good things that boosted our confidence a little bit but I’m no dummy, I know a scorned woman when I see her. So, she was the perfect opportunity for me to use my purple pants and my personality to get in with her.”
We see the two start talking, Brice saying he wouldn’t have voted her out. He added that the tribe was breaking into pairs, the camera suggesting LJ and Jeremiah being the first pair while Alexis and Jefra was the other.
Morgan (solo): “Me and Brice kinda made a little connection so right now we are sticking together. He’s got my back, we’ll see what happens.”
We then saw the tribe at work which was narrated by Alexis: “People don’t expect anything from us because they labeled us the beauties. They think it’s just a tribe full of princesses and guys who are pretty boys that don’t want to get dirty.”
Working together, Jeremiah and LJ made fire.
It led to a confessional by Jefra: “I’m so excited. We got fire right away without flint which is very hard to do. So, I’m loving our tribe.”
Alexis immediately resumed her role as narrator: “The other tribe; there’s nothing in their minds that wants to connect the beauty tribe with success but its happening. We can kick butt out here, we are doing it.”
We took a short flight over to the Brawn Tribe where the first thing we saw was a hug between Sarah and Trish.
Trish had a confessional: “…I had to get back on equal terms with all of them.”
She told everyone that she chose a bag of rice over the clue for the idol. That led to more hugs.
Tony in confessional: “Soon as we arrived in camp, Trish comes with open arms…we were so excited, we were like: Yes, you did the right thing. If I was in Trish’s shoes, there would only be one bag of rice and 1 idol in my pocket.”
This immediately casts Tony in the role of the villain, the one that will cause trouble in the tribe.
To some happy music, the tribe started working on the shelter while Lindsey assumed the role of narrator for Appari.
Lindsey (solo): “Looking through all my team members, I could tell that any challenge that will have physical strength then we are clearly going to dominate. We have the biggest man out here. Here’s like 8 feet tall.”
Woo told Cliff that he had a few of his basketball cards.
Woo had a confessional: “Me, being a basketball enthusiast, I immediately knew who that was: Cliff Robinson, Portland Trailblazers. One of my favorite players growing up and everyone seems stoked to have him on our tribe but I don’t think anyone is making a really big deal about it.”
Cliff (solo): “The fact that I am a former basketball player could hurt me but, to tell you the truth, it doesn’t seem like they have any interest in basketball. For me, that’s just fine: I can play this game and not worry about my tribe mates judging me for what I did. There just looking at me as Cliff Robinson, one of the tribe members of Survivor.”
Along with his opening confessional, this tells us that Cliff can go far in the game, further than first imagined. We expected the merge to be the deciding factor for his longevity and now it seems acquired that he will make it that far…unless an idol gets in his way!
Next, we saw Tony and Sarah together.
Sarah’s confessional: “I’ve been a cop for quite a while and there is a look that cops have and Tony’s got it. If I’m wrong, he should go be a cop because he looks just like one.”
Tony lied to her, telling her that he worked construction.
Tony (solo): “I thought for a split second: Should I tell her I’m a cop? No, you know what? If I tell them I’m a police officer the first thing they are going to think is that this guy is strategical, he’s tactical, he’s probably sharp on his toes, he’s very observant and they are going to be right so obviously I’m a threat to them so they are probably going to try to blindside me right away.”
Sarah then told him she was a cop and her confessional continued: “Interviews and interrogations are my daily duties and I get lied to every day at work and there’s just something that makes me feel uneasy about Tony.” He repeated that he wasn’t a cop. Sarah went on: “I don’t know what he does but I don’t think I can trust him so he’s got to go as soon as possible.”
This rivalry between the two cops is very interesting. As we expected, they aren’t getting along but which one will come out on top? The early impression is that Sarah has the upper hand because she isn’t fooled by Tony’s lie.
We were off to see the Brains tribe where Spencer told us what he thought of Samson’s decision: “When David picked Garrett, I thought, you’re an idiot, picking the one guy who could help us in challenges and you’re ostracizing him already. It’s a terrible move.”
When the talk turned to building a shelter, J’Tia told everyone that she was a nuclear engineer and had an idea for the shelter. She quickly turned into a bossier version of Sylvia.
J’Tia (solo): “I have a PhD in nuclear engineering. I think I’m the smartest person here hands down. I’m going to build that shelter. I’m not going to cut the bamboo but I am going to tell them how to build it.”
J’Tia’s attitude could have easily sent her to Loser Lodge immediately where shelter would have been provided for her. Maybe that was her plan. I know it should have been theirs.
Tasha had a confessional: “J’Tia took the leadership role and her approach is not the sleekest. She does come off really confrontational and bossy.”
Spencer in confessional: “We have J’Tia who is an engineer…she has the decisiveness of a leader, she has the bossiness for sure but she really doesn’t have it all here (pointing to his head.)”
Kass had her say: “I don’t appreciate her attitude, I don’t think anybody does. It makes it uncomfortable.”
Samson also commented on J’Tia: “She’s just too much.”
Right on cue, the base of the shelter collapsed when Tasha gave it a try leading to Kass’ comment: “We’re not very smart for the Brains tribe.”
The Challenge
During the action, Jeff confirmed that the Brains tribe wasn’t that smart.
The Brawn and the Beauty tribes worked well while the Brains tribe “took the longest to figure this out.” It soon turned into a disaster for the Brains tribe who was “falling apart…whatever brain they had had clearly evaporated…One of the worst performances out of the gate in the history of Survivor.”
Sarah and Lindsey did the puzzle for the Brawn tribe while LJ and Alexis worked for Beauty who overtook Brawns’ early lead. Kass and Tasha didn’t have a chance to catch up.
Beauty finished first, Brawn second proving that Alexis was right when she said they were kicking butts.
The Luzer Tribe had a date with Jeff.
Brains – Day 3
We first saw Garrett, Tasha, Spencer and J’Tia talking about the challenge in the ocean.
Tasha in confessional: “…We sucked. I can’t blame any particular person. I think it’s everyone. We’re book smart but when it comes to playing this game, we’re dumb.”
I’d say that remark applies to more than just the challenge.
Kass and David were talking in the jungle. David brought up his idea to eliminate Garrett instead of J’Tia. In confessional, he once more said he was thinking of Day 39 (!)
Kass was adamant that it should be J’Tia.
Kass in confessional: “David, he wants Garrett to go first but that is ridiculous. He’s our strongest guy plus he’s a workhorse. J’Tia…she’s been doing a lot of direction and no production…She`s deadweight so let’s just send her home.”
Things really went downhill fast for Garrett who was seen as a workhorse early on but then just stopped working. Still, Kass was right when she said it was ridiculous to vote him out first…and second.
When J’Tia asked Kass for an opinion, the attorney told her directly that she was thinking of voting her out.
An attorney should know that everything you say can be held against you so why tell J’Tia? The cymbal crash underlined this foolish decision.
J’Tia in confessional: “I went up to Kass and she was very honest, saying I don’t work around camp and that I am going home. That hurt my feelings a little bit…”
J’Tia talked with Tasha who told her how the others perveived her. Garrett joined them and he reassured J’Tia that David was going home.
Garrett had a confessional telling us why he wanted David to leave even if J’Tia had reasons to be worried. Garrett told the girls he would talk to Spencer.
When he did, Spencer mentioned that he was worried about David having the idol.
Spencer (Solo): “I’m really concerned about voting out David. I know that, in the past, there have been clues about the idol around camp and I keep seeing David and Kass walk off and just wander around…Since J’Tia is a pain in the ass, why not vote her out?”
Garrett told us that he wasn’t going to let Spencer know that David couldn’t have the idol. It made him worry that he didn’t have 4 votes against David.
Tribal Council
It started off on a funny note: Garrett showing everyone that he was afraid of spiders.
Getting down to business, Jeff noticed J’Tia’s smile.
She explained that people wanted her gone, that Kass had told her she wasn’t working around camp. She told Jeff about the disastrous shelter.
David said he listened to J’Tia because she was a nuclear bomb builder or something.
J’Tia corrected him about her occupation and said she only had a plan for the shelter. Thunder struck just when she told Jeff that she was a relationships person.
Probst went back to David’s decision regarding Garrett.
David said it was because he wanted to step up in the game.
Garrett told Jeff that it sucked to be cast as the outsider but that now he trusted his team.
When asked who would she want to see leave the game, J’Tia immediately said David.
Her directness apparently shocked Spencer.
Jeff asked Spencer for his opinion.
Spencer said they had to think about the tribe getting along so he was going with the people he trusted.
After snuffing David’s torch (to the cheers of most Baseball fans, I’d say) Jeff told the tribe that he wished the vote would point them in the right direction.
That was hilarious considering what was about to unfold.
Let’s not forget that this wasn’t a 2-hour premiere but two episodes mashed together. Our observations have to rely more heavily on the all-important premiere, that the second episode should mostly serve to confirm the impressions left by the premiere, not change them completely.
Episode 2
It’s Spelled J-Catastrophy-T-I-A.
Brains – Day 4
Garrett had the first confessional, gloating about sending David home. The next part told us that Garrett wasn’t someone to root for despite his successful blindside. He said: “I’m not having fun playing Survivor….Manual labor isn’t fun. Starving isn’t fun. Like, it’s not a cool adventure for me.”
Garrett talked to Spencer, selling him on the idea to go with Kass to boot one of the two girls in their alliance.
Spencer said that the Tribal (Council) put them in the perfect position since Kass didn’t like J’Tia.
Garrett and Spencer went for a walk with Kass.
Kass (solo): “Tribal was interesting: A blindside of David and me but all I thought of was I’m number three for someone and they know it. The boys aren’t going to break up and the girls aren’t going to break up so where does that leave me? Swing vote!” They made a Final 3 pact. Kass went on: “I talked to Spencer and Garrett but I am not 100 % with them. I am going to work whatever angle, I have no allegiance right now. We can do our stupid handshakes, I don’t care. It’s game on as long as it’s not me.”
Brawn – Day 4
Cliff had a confessional: “Me and Woo couldn’t wait to take that boat out. We’ve been looking at the boat for a few days now, itching at the bit, wanting to do some fishing. I like Woo and you have to have a wingman. Batman always had Robin. Jordan had Pippen. Cliff has Woo! Ha-Ha-Ha! You take your wingman and do what you have to do to take care of business.”
Since the next thing we saw was the boat capsizing I think it’s evident that this “Dynamic Duo” will make us laugh but won’t be really successful.
Cliff’s confessional went on: “Everything was going well but we lost balance on the boat.”
Sarah had a confessional: “Cliff is a very likable guy. He’s funny, he has a lot of charisma and I’d say he’s the most liked on our tribe.”
Tony, of course, had a different opinion: “I look at Cliff and I can’t tell you on which Basketball team he was on or what he does for a living because I don’t really care. Then we have Lindsey, Sarah and Woo. Apparently they love him. They are fans of his.” Lindsey confirmed this. We heard her telling Sarah that she thought Cliff was fantastic. Tony’s confessional continued: “This is a game, I know how the game is played. I just have to make sure I know what’s going on.”
Although Tony was in the minority, this confessional would soon take a sinister turn for the tribe’s favorite.
The scene ended with Woo saying that their first mission failed.
That isn’t a very promising quote for the tribe.
Beauty – Day 4
Brice had a confessional: “Today is definitely beautiful on the beautiful tribe but there are a lot of people playing dumb out here. (Alexis was shown playing bowling with LJ, using a coconut and some bamboo pins. She missed but laughed about it.) Alexis is just being the flirt out here. It`s definitely all about her sexuality, always in her panties and saying: “Do you want some coconut water?” I definitely see her game. Jefra on the other hand, I don’t know what her game is.” (Jefra was heard asking if people were urinating regularly, saying she only went once a day. That could be the first sign she will need to be evacuated.) “All the crayons in her crayon box aren’t bright.”
We then saw that Alexis wasn’t the only one flirting. Jeremiah told Morgan that she was very cute in her bowling socks.
Morgan had a confessional: “Jeremiah, I only see him as a friend in my eyes but he might see me as something more. I think that if I needed to, I could reel him in and he’d be right there in my back pocket.”
Consider the juxtaposition of these two scenes: Cliff talked about the pair he formed with his wingman Woo and how that has proven to be very powerful in comics, Basketball AND Survivor and now we have this other pair: Morgan and Brice. While Cliff and Woo failed in their first mission, Brice and Morgan appeared to be much more successful in theirs. He has his eyes on how the other girls are playing while she is reeling in the other guy, knocking him out of his game. This pair could prove to be the “Dynamic Duo” in this game.
Brice had another confessional: “Jeremiah has been drooling over Morgan and me being the ultimate wingman, I can facilitate for him to kind of get to work with Morgan and be around the hot girl.”
The trio talked around the fire and Brice got Jeremiah to admit that both of the other girls were getting on his nerves.
Brice said they should be the brains of the operation. Jeremiah hoped that they could trust him.
Brice had another confessional: “I think when my tribe first saw me, they thought I’d be like the 4th girl on the tribe and I would be lying around all day. Don’t judge a book by its cover because I am playing the game.”
Brawn – Day 4
Trish had some firewood in her hands and she told Lindsey that there was plenty more to bring back to the shelter.
Lindsey took offense at being singled out.
Sarah told Lindsey to calm down, that she was alright.
Lindsey had a confessional: “Trisha, she needs to chill out because I can’t stand her voice, I can’t stand her attitude, I can’t stand the fact that she is so judgemental.” Lindsey proceeded to do quite a good but unflatterring imitation of the woman from Boston.
Trish joined Tony on the beach, telling him Lindsey was just kissing Cliff’s ass.
Trish in confessional: “I think everyone is starting to see what I see; how Lindsey doesn’t help at all and how annoying she can be around camp. I’m from Boston, Mass. She hasn’t met me yet. If I really snapped on her, she’d still be crying.”
Trish looked almost crazy when she said that so I don’t think many viewers will be pulling for her in that fight with Lindsey.
Trish and Tony formed their own power duo.
Tony (solo): “I trust Trish because she is a genuine person and she’s busting her ass too while everybody else is full of drama. Trish and I, we are walking on eggshells with these people so that’s why I came up with the idea to see if I could spy on them. As I’m building the shelter, I’m acting like I am trying to protect them from the rain and everything but I am building a spy shack. I’m trying to cover up a little cubbyhole in the corner…so I’ll be listening to all what they have to say and I am going to hear everything. So, whatever useless Cliff tells weasel Woo, I’m going to know crucial information. That is the key to all this. My main target is Cliff, the lion of the pride. In order to take over the pride, the other lion has to come in and kill that one and then he has to kill the cubs. I have more brain than brawn, little do they know.”
Since Cliff wasn’t shown to be useless, I don’t think Tony’s plan will work anymore than it did for Boo who also tried to build something in order to spy on his tribe mates. On the other hand, Tony is showing us that he is more than just Brawn but no one else sees it so it could work out very well for him. Tony’s story is still hard to read.
(Why did it have to be Tony using one of Boo’s old tricks? Wouldn’t have been better if Woo had been the one to copy Boo?)
The Challenge
When Jeff told the other two tribes that David had been voted out, the biggest reaction we saw came from Sarah.
She must have realized that the Brains had gone after their leader so it must have been quite disturbing for her. For us, I consider it a good sign that we saw her reaction because it connected her to the viewers, making them feel what she felt.
For the swimming challenge, Brawn and Beauty decided to leave the two African American men on the bench.
(Stereotypes?)
Of all the comments Jeff made, the most important one was: “The Brains tribe continues to work well in the water, led by Garrett.”
Then J’Tia started working on the puzzle.
Jeff mentioned that Sarah and Tony had cuts on their hands and feet.
Sarah did the puzzle again for Brawn and she made quick work of it, leading her to say: “Are they still working on the puzzle? I think I’m on the wrong tribe, Jeff.”
LJ did the puzzle for the Beauty tribe and he quickly passed the inept J’Tia.
When Jeff handed the idol to Morgan we heard her say: “LJ, it’s all you.”
Brawn – Day 6
A happy tribe came back to camp where Tony and Trish were quick to recognize that they owed their victory to Sarah, the puzzle queen.
Sarah in confessional: “Today we went to the immunity challenge and I sliced my finger wide open. Tony sliced his foot like a dumbass and there’s blood on the puzzle but, I don’t know, that’s the Brawn tribe for you. That’s what we do: Blood, sweat and tears. We get the job done.”
Tony (solo): “Today we prevailed. We won some fishing gear, we won the whole works…It’s a beautiful thing. The first thing that popped in my mind was that there had to be some kind of idol or a clue to an idol in that basket. I open the tackle box and I see a little piece of paper in there…I put it in my pocket and this is what it looks like.” He read the clue and figured it had to be in their pond behind camp where there was a big log. He raced to get it and it didn’t take him long to find it. His confessional continued: “…I found it. This is huge. I needed this. I don’t need to tell anybody about the idol. It’s not going to benefit me in any way to tell anybody about the idol because that will only give them leverage to sneak attack me and I don’t want that. I’d rather sneak attack them. So that idol; nobody will know about it. I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the king of the jungle!”
Note that the music was much more rythmic and amplified during his search than during Garrett’s which makes me think this idol won’t be wasted. It would seem that Tony will play it to save himself but who will get booted by it? His quote about being the “King of the Jungle” will have some comparing him to Earl who claimed he was the King of Fiji but I don’t see it that way. Tony was already presented as an arrogant player whereas Earl was presented as being much more humble before his words on top of the mountain.
That being said, many will put a lot of importance on the fact that we went to see the Brawn tribe after they won immunity but it was mpstly about Tony finding the idol. It had to be shown so I put less weight on this editorial choice except for Sarah’s chances. She got the recognition for her performance and a confessional to tell us about it, making sure the audience remembers who was the puzzle queen. We were also reminded that she and Tony got injuries which is always nice to incorporate in the winner’s story.
Brains – Day 6
Sitting with the others, he asked if they wanted to have a hundred side discussions or decide as a group.
In confessional, he said it was to force Kass’ hand and we heard him asking for her thoughts.
Kass said she had to vote against J’Tia because she was slow on the swim and slower on the puzzle.
Spencer agreed but wondered about the open forum idea.
Tasha said she wanted to talk but Garrett insisted on being open and agreed they needed to win challenges.
Tasha insisted on talking to people individually.
Tasha in confessional: “I absolutely love Survivor and now that I am here, it’s frustrating to play with people that don’t want to play the game. I look forward to scheming and back-stabbing but apparently I’m being told no. It saddens me.” Even when Tasha said she wanted to talk to people separately, Garrett held his ground about staying together. When he said he didn’t want to scheme she yelled out: “Then quit.” Tasha’s confessional continued: “I don’t know why Garrett thinks he is the authority at Luzon. He is not the leader of this tribe…He’s always hungry and now he doesn’t want to play the game. This is Survivor. If you didn’t want to play the game the way it should be played then get out of here. Get out of here!”
To the tribe she said that this was really silly.
To be honest, Garrett was playing the game since he already had worked to get Kass’ vote against J’Tia. This vote should have been a no-brainer but, like Jeff would say, this is the oddest tribe ever. Tasha certainly wins some editing points, appearing to be a savvy player but where has her move left her and the tribe?
J’Tia had a confessional, mocking Garrett: “The tribe had me sit down and told me: “We’ve been reviewing your file and we think you have to go. I’ll tell you in front of the whole company. Yeah, right. What in my personality made you think that was going to work.”
Spencer also had a confessional: “Like the Survivor genius he is, Garrett decides to have an open forum on what we are going to do later at tribal Council. Garrett: You’re an idiot. What are you doing? You are a first class grade A moron in Survivor. Why would you do that? It would have been so easy to just tell J’Tia what she wanted to hear but now that Garrett put it out in the open we have to babysit these girls and make sure that they go home.”
Note that Spencer’s comments are equivalent to Tasha’s but he still understands that J’Tia had to go. It was the only way to save this tribe.
When Tasha went to the ocean to talk with Kass she told her they could flip the game, promising her that J’Tia would be the next to go but that they should act now when they have the numbers.
Tasha (solo): “If they don’t want to scramble, I’m going to scramble for them, trying to switch this game up. I’m not trying to go home next. I have to work my way to the top. Why can’t I be top dog? I can make it happen.”
Just then, Spencer and Garrett came to join them, leaving J’Tia alone. Kass immediately sensed a problem.
Sure enough, J’Tia told us that she was going to go out like a crazy woman, She added: “They left the mental patient alone and I went crazy.”
She quickly poured all the rice over the fire. “That’s what happens when you leave crazy people alone.”
If J’Tia was acting the part of a crazy women then she did a perfect job, even creating the right gleam in her eyes and a truly sadistic laugh. The problem is that I don’t think she’s that good an actress, that it was real. Like Spencer would so accurately say in his voting confessional, the fact that J’Tia has access to nuclear material makes her attitude genuinely scary. What will she do if she thinks she’s about to get fired from her real job? The one good thing about this vote is now J’Tia will have to suffer because of her own idiotic behavior.
The tribe realized that almost all the rice was gone.
In confessional, Garrett told us he had just hit rock bottom.
Kass had a confessional: “How did we come up with the criteria for Brains? I’d like to see that data because, ironically, I was going to approach J’Tia about turning this around but then I get back to camp and she has poured all of our rice on the fire. I can’t align with someone like that?”
And yet she would…
Tribal Council
Spencer told Jeff about the open forum discussion.
Tasha explained that they were candid about where they lost the challenge. She added that she wanted to talk to Spencer and Garrett but was denied.
Jeff asked Garrett for his reasons.
Garrett said it was to prove to Kass that they were working with her.
J’Tia said she got very upset when Garrett started calling all the shots. She added: “I wanted to hurt Garrett. I threw the rice into the fire.”
Tasha said she wanted to talk privately because J’Tia was volatile. She said: “I knew that we were heading down the wrong track with this one.”
Jeff accurately pointed out: “You guys are responsible for telling her she was going home. There’s a reason why blindsides work: It’s not because they are fun, it’s because they are effective.”
Garrett said he didn’t want to mastermind everything but J’Tia replied that he basically put her over his knees and spanked her ass in front of everybody.
Wouldn’t it have been more accurate to say that she put herself in that position when she stepped up to do the puzzle? It’s really sad that we never heard how that decision was made because it would have been very interesting to know if J’ia had insisted on doing it or if they had delegated her. WE have to remember that Kass said J’Tia took the keys away from her in the first challenge and consider that J’Tia must have insisted on doing the puzzle. If so, shouldn’t she have accepted the consequences a bit more gracefully?
Garrett found J’Tia’s characterization very unfair.
Jeff asked Kass for her position.
Kass said they were too paranoid, that she was only washing her feet with Tasha but that paranoia made Garrett and Spencer come down to the water.
The editors had shown us that Garrett had reason to be afraid because Kass and Tasha weren’t only washing their feet.
Tasha told Jeff that her game was being stiffled. “How can you play Survivor when you can’t have conversations?”
Garrett explained that Tasha was upset simply because J’Tia was her closest ally. He went out to reveal the alliance he had with Kass and Spencer, shocking Tasha and J’Tia. He tried to backtrack when confronted but Spencer told Jeff that was right. Garrett put his foot in his mouth even deeper when he lied about Kass approaching them.
It was time to vote.
Garrett’s face when he showed his parchment was very funny but Spencer’s comments were right on the nose.
When Jeff asked for an idol, Garrett stayed silent.
(We would later find out he hadn’t even brought it to the council. That, for a poker player, is the equivalent of going all in before the cards are even dealt.)
Spencer and Kass had an interesting exchange after Garrett walked away:
-“Who wants to welcome me to the bottom?”
– “It’s not so bad.”
Jeff first sentence was accurate: “This is the oddest tribe I’ve ever seen.” Then he added his usual crap: “If there is anything good that came out of this Tribal, it’s that it appears that you are finally learning how to play the game.”
Hadn’t they already showed they knew how to blindside people when they sent Samson home?
The Story
An early theme was that Beauty will be underestimated, that no one expects much from that tribe. The fact that they finished 1-2 in the first two immunity challenges after letting us hear that theme is a very good sign for that tribe. The other main theme was that the Brains tribe isn’t really smart. Can anyone from that tribe emerge as our winner?
As for the players, it seems that the main Theme goes along the lines of “People don’t expect anything from us”. The winner will probably have to hide that he or she is more than just beauty or just strength or just smarts. The ones that are obvious double threats should get targeted just like Garrett. Besides Alexis giving us that Theme, we also had Tony saying he had to hide the fact that he was smart. I think we will be rewarded in our search for the winner if we look for those players that can fool their rivals, the ones that don’t look like double or triple threats to others.
As for the characters, I think we need to note which players were given confessionals in the opening sequence. For that purpose, we have to define when the opening segment ended. It had to be when Jeff said his catch phrase of “39 days, one Survivor”.
We had, in order: Spencer, David, Kass, Morgan, Jeremiah, Jefra, Cliff, Sarah, Tony, Tasha, Alexis, Lindsey and it ended with Spencer
The Characters
The Late Arrivals:
Along with Garrett, these 5 didn’t have confessionals during the introduction:
J’Tia: Considering she was a lot worse than Na’Onka, we can say that when a Survivor’s name has an apostrophe, it will turn into a catastrophy. Even Tasha said she knew she was going down the wrong track with “that one” so why is she still there? The crazy woman can’t stay for much longer.
Trish: Designated as weakest by her leader, mocked by Lindsey and shown in an unflaterring light by the editors. (the maniacal laugh when she said she’d make Lindsey cry) All these factors make us say that things don’t look good for Trish. She has no allies besides Tony but he said he won’t be telling anyone about the idol. She will probably kick herself in the butt for not having the idol in her own pocket. Just like she was afraid would happen.
Woo: We can still call him Who because we’ve barely got to know him. His confessional was only about being a fan of Cliff’s, not about his plans about the game. He told us that his first mission failed so his future doesn’t look very promising.
LJ: For a pre-season favorite, LJ certainly had a lackluster edit. He didn’t get a confessional before being designated as leader for his tribe and then he fixated solely on Morgan. He helped make fire and he was a key player in both immunity wins but, except for a quick comment by Morgan, his exploits weren’t underlined at all. That isn’t a good sign for the leader of Beauty.
Brice: Of all the people that didn’t get an introductory confessional, Brice showed us the most promise. He is a savvy game player and may already have the numbers in the Solana tribe to get rid of the two girls that he doesn’t like: Jefra the unknown and Alexis the flirt. He quickly got Morgan on his side and used his abilities as wingman to get Jeremiah on board. If he is such a good player then why wasn’t he presented immediately? That’s the question regarding his edit.
The Players with Opening Confessionals:
Some were only for Show:
Jeremiah: Of all the players that received an opening confessional, Jeremiah had the least amount of airtime in the first two episodes. We heard he was close to LJ, he made fire with him but we never heard the two talk. On the contrary, all we saw was Jeremiah hitting on Morgan and then asking her and Brice to trust him. Will he vote with them instead of LJ? It seems the best way to get Jeremiah’s initial vote would be to target the two girls that “get on his nerves”.
Jefra: She didn’t fare much better than Jeremiah, her main contribution being about her trouble urinating. The pre-season videos had presented her as an outdoorswoman and that had made me worry about her chances to survive. Considering that her first confessional was only about her social game instead of her survival skills, that she is now worried about her health and that the previews show her feeling miserable, I think it’s only a matter of time before we see her boarding the boat to leave the game. She may have told us about the winner though when she compared Spencer to Cochran.
Cliff: He had more airtime than the the first two but it wasn’t very valuable airtime. A star like him will always get airtime and his good nature got him inside the tribe’s alliance but we still know nothing about his game except that Woo is his wingman. Even that appears more to help him during the adventure than to play the game.
Some were Narrators
Lindsey: She had some funny moments but we were told that she isn’t working very hard and only interested in being with Cliff.
Alexis: After a very good first episode where she was shown much more than what was necessary to the overall story, Alexis became only the flirtatious girl in episode two, the one that paraded in her underwear and laughed along with LJ. Was that to show she could fool even someone as observant as Brice? The premiere tells us that Alexis should go far so let’s wait before we make any kind of judgment on her story.
Some were Real Players:
Kass: Although she pulled off a big blindside, we cannot forget that Kass wasn’t presented as a very smart layer. She is simply too honest to play this game. On the other hand, the “nice mom” could be her act still. By surviving the first few votes despite brutal honesty maybe she now has the opportunity to be that ruthless and cunning person she claimed to be. Kass’ story is very intriguing but I wouldn’t expect too much from her… and maybe that’s just what she wants!
Tasha: She proved that she could take over the leadership of her tribe as she said in her pre-season interviews but what type of tribe is she leading? I mean, did she meant she was like the captain of the Titanic. History tells us that even a doomed tribe can see a couple of its players go far and Tasha was still presented in a very positive light so she has a chance. The editors couldn’t hide the fact that she was close to J’Tia so it was impossible to separate her from that craziness but will Tasha be able to survive the mess that she created?
Tony: He is a difficult one to peg. While he could be an early boot because he didn’t gain Sarah’s trust and he is now on the outside of the tribe’s main alliance, we spend a lot of time with Tony and her all his big plans. He could still leave early because those plans could blow in his face but I don’t think he will be the first to go form this tribe. He is very well positioned regarding the theme of being more than just Brawn and he says he will keep his abilities secret so, if he does, he could be very successful.
Sarah: Next to Brice, Sarah is the player that most surprised me during these first two episodes. She is much more fun to watch in action than on her presentation videos. With her ability to read people and to complete puzzles, Sarah could have been on the Brains tribe like she said to Jeff. However, we aren’t sure that is exactly a good thing in this story. Talking about Garrett, Samson said that being built like a Mack truck and having muscles also was too much of a threat and Garrett is now gone. Being designated the leader and being obviously smart as well as strong then maybe the target is already too large on her back. For now, it seems the main theme is to be able to hide your abilities to be more that what you were cast for not about telling Jeff that you are on the wrong tribe.
Morgan: Despite being designated as this season’s version of Cleopatra by Lindsey and as weak by LJ, Morgan proved to be quite ressourceful, finding a way to make her tribe believe she chose provisions for them instead of looking for the idol. She wasn’t seen as weak in any parts of the two challenges so that will probably not become an issue. In fact, after that nice showing in the first episode, Morgan was one of only two members of Solana to have a confessional in episode 2. That confessional was about getting Jeremiah under her thumb so we are looking at a very dangerous player, one that could go far…if it doesn’t all blow up in her face. The choice of music and the camera work during her search made me think the editors want us to be on Morgan’s side and pull for her instead of the guy who judged her too quickly.
Spencer: He was already designated as the Cochran of the game and he promised us we’d see an awesome game. The editors separated him as much as possible from his idiotic tribe. He wasn’t the one that voted to keep J’Tia after the second TC but he still told us that Garrett was being a grade A Survivor moron. We have a guy that is on the bottom from a story perspective but he is clearly the most valuable member of that tribe. The Luzer Tribe looks destined to go the way of Saboga and Matsing but Spencer is their most likely long term player. In fact, with his early confessionals and Jefra’s seal of approval, he has to be considered the early front runner to win the whole thing. It would make for an awesome story.
