Yes, from several people. The other all-stars must have been familiarized with the Pearl Islands series somehow or another.
I was really disappointed last night. I thought it was very boring. Maybe becasue I was so tired, but I watched it again this morning. It was still boring.
No kidding. I hated that smug attitude he had as he sat there watching them try to build a fire, saying, “I could make a fire easily, but they haven’t asked.” Why deliberately alienate everyone?
Plus, Kathy had glasses on. Why not try to use those? Didn’t they use someone’s glasses a couple of other times? Or a piece of a telescope?
They would only be alienated if they knew he was able to make fire easily. It’s not like he told them what he said to the camera.
Because they are idiots with no improvisational skills. The one tribe almost had the right technique, but their fire saw wasn’t long enough.
Yes, but if he had made the fire, he would show that he’s somewhat indispensible to the tribe.
They definitely saw that he was just sitting around, doing nothing. Someone, Lex or Colby, told him to go do something, get some wood or something for the shelter, and he acted like, “Yeah, whatever, if I feel like it.”
Add me to the list of people who are a bit puzzled at Hatch’s strategy. I’d love to hear his perspective on how this behavior can help him. I suppose at some point we’ll hear all about it.
To me it doesn’t make any sense, but it makes interesting viewing.
I posted this in the other Survivor thread, but for those of you who are bashing the Survivors because they aren’t using Kathy’s glasses…
Interesting story from the first “Survivor” book that was put out. This incident happened during the first Survivor competition at Pulau Tiga, and the survivor in question was B.B. Andersen.
B.B. had done a Very Bad Thing ™ by Mark Burnett’s standards. A retired contractor by trade, B.B. knew that making fire would be one of the primary concerns of the people on the island – so, instead of leaving it to chance, he had a special pair of glasses made with magnifying glass in them, just to hedge his bets. It worked like a charm – the Pagong tribe had fire, IIRC, on the first day.
Sadly, B.B. was rewarded for this ingenuity by being the first Pagong, and the second overall contestant, voted off the first edition of Survivor.
Just a l’il Survivor trivia for you all.
By way of addendum, starting a fire with reading glasses isn’t as easy as it sounds, guys. Admittedly, I’d be trying ANYTHING if I was without water for three days, but it’s not a slam-dunk scenario here.
I think I might have a read on what Richard’s strategy is, and I believe it is working and will carry him a ways. See what y’all think:
Richard knew, coming into this, that as a former winner - as arguably the most famous person ever to appear on this show, in fact - he would be viewed from the outset as: (1) the biggest threat on the island; and (2) undeserving of the money, by virtue of his already swelled bank account. If any confirmation of this fact is needed, the experiences of Tina and Ethan, who never had a chance just because they were former winners, should serve.
So given this fact, Richard needs to find a way to erase the label of huge threat that’s been placed on him. If he comes in, develops relationships like everyone else, tries to form alliances, works hard, plays hard, generally looks like a fierce competitor (see: Ethan and Tina), he will be voted off immediately. Now look at what he’s actually doing. He’s been insufferable and arrogant, yes, but he’s also got his entire tribe underestimating him. Lex minimized Richard’s accomplishment in Season One; Shii Ann speaks condescendingly of keeping him around a while for entertainment value. Because Richard is putting on this goofy, relaxed front, he doesn’t really appear to be playing the game, so other people’s votes might go in a different direction early on. In particular, because Richard is so unaligned and ostensibly harmless, he will appear to his tribemates as a perfect swing vote - if you are, say, Lex, and you and Colby have a proto-alliance, and you know that Kathy and Shii Ann are developing a proto-alliance of their own, why not go to Richard (who is universally hated and will be grateful, you figure, to save his own skin for three more days), and use his vote to break up the Kathy-Shii Ann pairing? After all, Richard is arrogant, disliked, and doesn’t seem to care much about winning; you can pick him off any time, right?
And look how Richard feeds off of that. He hears the women on the tribe scheming and returns to camp and outs them. The subtext of his remarks at that point: *Hey, everyone, little old me, chubby naked Richard Hatch, would never dream of scheming. Isn’t it funny that the women are? Although… hmmm… I suppose if you two joined with them to vote me off, then you’d be left outnumbered by their alliance, wouldn’t you? Hm. That’s funny. Oh, well. *
Suddenly Richard, who by rights should be seen as the same kind of threat as Ethan or Tina, is an amusement and a swing vote. Once he makes it to the merge, he reunites with Rudy (and Rupert) and, in combination with whatever tatters remain of his original tribe, coasts to the final four.
I can see it, anyway. What think?
I did not see the episode, but have been interested in hearing the descriptions of Hatch’s behaviour. I wonder if he looked at the tribes, realised it was no use being “the unassuming provider” as it seems like every tribe already has at least one of those folks, and he can’t really lay low as everybody is probably already gunning for him, so decided to try a different strategy? Nobody really trusts him because of past history, so what would be the point of acting that way? Jon from the previous survivor did quite well being a complete ass, and if he had just made a couple of better moves, could have been in the final. Perhaps Hatch has decided this may be a better route for him?
In other words, what story said. 
Wow, looks like we are in for a Big Baby Rupert crying spell next week and it’s not even a week into his arrival. I think he says something like “this is even hard on ME.” Ugh, Richard may be playing the arrogant game, but Rupert believes he is the best with all his soul, well except when that “fat little ten year old boy” emerges from one of his multiple personalities. Hope he’s voted off soon!
You guys notice how quiet and reserved Jerri was? She says that’s her new plan. I wonder how long it will last. Poor ole Alicia…again she’s gonna be the drama queen bitchy one. Didn’t she learn last time? And Boston Rob…he’s a pure idiot! Just shut up Rob please!
Best line for the night was when they were reading the Tree Mail and it ended with the line about the “Flaming Man” and Rob C. said “that must be Richard Hatch.” Too funny!
Death to Rupert and glory to Colby!
I agree with you, but I’ll go one step further. I think Richard is trying to be the ‘odd man out’ so to speak, because he figures that everyone will think he’ll be the perfect person to go up against in the final two.
If he can make it through the first few weeks, I think the other survivors will keep him around because they will think they will have a lock for the million dollars if they go up against him.
That’s why I think, in any event…
Richard’d be smarter to play up his strategic abilities. Go to some of the other players and say “I led one alliance to victory and I can do it again. Do you want to be for me or against me?” Instead he seems to be going out of his way to make everybody aware he’s a potential threat - the worst possible thing you can be in this game. And in the first year, he was the fish man - someone who was doing useful work at the camp. This year he seems to feel no need to make himself valuable to the others. Maybe he’ll be shaken up by Tina’s absense next week. Richard has said he regarded her as a strong player, so seeing how easily she was eliminated might make him aware he’s not invulnerable either.
Gack. I’m not watching this again until Rich is gone. That bare-ass act destroys the show’s enjoyability for me. And he *will * be gone; he only won the first time because he was the only one playing but thinks he’s actually a good player because of it. Didn’t Rupert mention at the last reunion episode that he knew he could beat Richard Hatch?
Best line: Boston Rob claiming he’s the brains of the operation.
Next best line: Ethan pleading to get the shelter built before everyone goes off into private conversations. (You’re doomed too, just like your alliance-mate, winnerboy).
What I’m hoping: Rupert and Rudy sided with J&J in picking off Tina because now they can easily ally with Ethan in a men-of-their-word alliance, 3 vs. 2. Which might carry the 3 of them a ways. (I don’t think they mentioned this to Ethan, though.)
Glad to hear: Rupert admit that he had a new strategy for this round. Let’s hope so. I liked the guy, but he didn’t deserve to win because he pretty much stopped strategizing after the merge last round.
Wish: Jenna L. or Amber had been left out in favor of Kelly from Africa. She rocked. And I’d love to see her up against Lex again. Glad to see Shii Ann, though.
Also: I think Rich’s strategy is interesting. I suspect he knows he can’t win; I think he’d probably settle for outlasting the other former winners. And acting crazy like a loon means other people think he’s a) harmless and b) potentially useful, which is a good way to stick around for a while.
Speaking of people wearing not so many clothes, did Alicia have such a gorgeous body back in Australia too?
I don’t know if she’s tighter, or if it’s the red swimsuit that brings it out, but…wow!
I picked Richard in the pool at the party I attended last night. He’s a sharp guy, and I’m sure he has several tricks still up his sleeve.
A friend of mine who was also at the party, and who is a Doper who shall remain nameless (to protect his reputation as a smart guy) chose Amber to win. Of his own free will he chose her!
And Amber proceeded to pursue exactly the strategy that TV Guide had suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that she would: latching right on to the most unlikeable member (Rob M., in this case) of her tribe.
Don’t sell your friend short on the choice. Spoiler sites for Survivor are everywhere, and many of them seem to indicate Ms. Brkich does pretty well in her second go-round.
That said, she’s about as interesting as cold porridge on a window shelf.
I found it far more interesting that the Robfather would ally himself with another hot girl. Apparently he learned nothing from his time in Marquesas.
I’m hoping they both make an early exit, but I honestly don’t think they will.
Please don’t post spoilers or possible spoilers. If you must, put them in spoiler tags where they belong.
Rich seems to be having a hard time hiding his arrogance. Plus he is acting lazy which is often a dealth blow early in the game.
The Colby-Lex thing looks very interesting. They get another player with them and they could do some damage.
Susan really really seems to want to get the boot. What’s up with that?
I am a little nervous about my boy Ethan. Tina was one of the weak links in the tribe, but if they dump Ethan they could do a tribe death spiral.
3 different threads on All-star, I guess there is a little interest in this one, huh?
I think that the former winners are sitting ducks–destined to be voted out first by their runner-up team mates. Of course, we’ve only seen the first episode, but I think it would’ve been better to have a tribe consisting of just former champs.