# Survivor 4/9 "Mad Treasure Hunt" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757 "2014-04-09T22:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/1 "2014-04-09T22:09:12Z")
I’ll start the thread today. Supposed to be a really good episode tonight per Probst on Twitter. Something crazy happens. I’m really liking this season for the first time in a while. Hopefully we have seen the last of Redemption Island and returning players are kept to a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/2 "2014-04-10T05:10:29Z")
Hmm, I wouldn’t say it was that great of an episode. The “mad treasure hunt” was certainly entertaining, though. It did make me wonder though - what are the rules now on touching other players’ stuff? I was under the impression that going through their items with the purpose of stealing stuff was a big no-no - hence the scene a few seasons ago when Lisa accidentally outed Malcolm’s idol, because she only grabbed his stuff intending to wash it as a nice gesture. But Woo seemed to grab Spencer’s pants fully intending to try and find the clue. Still, at least Spencer ended up with the Idol (though I think everyone thinks he has it). I was also a bit disappointed that the Idol is apparently a normal one - so it was just one of the ones that got played, re-placed? What about the one with “special powers”? Unsurprising vote. Man, they really must not have liked her. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/3 "2014-04-10T06:43:33Z")
I’m in mourning, due to the loss of Morgan ☹ Overall, fun episode, but not that epic. No great moves, just regular turn of events. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/4 "2014-04-10T07:01:49Z")
So what was supposed to be so great about this episode? Wasn’t there supposed to be something about a “special” Immunity Idol? Glad Morgan is gone. What an entitled bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/5 "2014-04-10T11:42:08Z")
I really liked this episode. The treasure hunt was funny. Morgan was hilarious every time she opened her mouth. Was cute to see Woo ninja-ing through the jungle and Spencer still came up with the idol. Jefra and Trish sitting around while the others go hunt for the idol was a bit infuriating. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/6 "2014-04-10T12:03:10Z")
> [@magnusblitz](#): > > Hmm, I wouldn’t say it was that great of an episode. The “mad treasure hunt” was certainly entertaining, though. It did make me wonder though - what are the rules now on touching other players’ stuff? I was under the impression that going through their items with the purpose of stealing stuff was a big no-no - hence the scene a few seasons ago when Lisa accidentally outed Malcolm’s idol, because she only grabbed his stuff intending to wash it as a nice gesture. But Woo seemed to grab Spencer’s pants fully intending to try and find the clue. Still, at least Spencer ended up with the Idol (though I think everyone thinks he has it). > > I was also a bit disappointed that the Idol is apparently a normal one - so it was just one of the ones that got played, re-placed? What about the one with “special powers”? > > Unsurprising vote. Man, they really must not have liked her. There’s no rules about touching or stealing other people’s things - like when they buried Phillip’s underwear a few seasons ago, or burned someone’s socks. The rule about idols is that you can’t steal them - you can find them wherever the owner hid them, but the only way for an idol to be transferred is for the owner to, ON CAMERA, freely give it to another player. From last night, it looks like clues are not under the special idol rules. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/7 "2014-04-10T12:48:09Z")
Yeah, don’t get the hype, either. It was a perfectly watchable episode in a much better season than we’ve had lately, but it wasn’t amazing. And Morgan, other than her pneumatic attributes, isn’t a particularly attractive woman. Wonder what her Plan B will be for getting through life once gravity takes over? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/8 "2014-04-10T13:28:08Z")
BTW, here’s [Dalton Ross’ weekly Q&A with Probst](http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/04/10/survivor-cagayan-jeff-probst-episode-7/), where the question of searching for idols & clues came up: > [@](#): > > EW: We know a player cannot steal someone else’s idol, but judging from what Woo did here, it seems swiping a clue is fair game, correct? And is there anything you love more than a mad hidden immunity idol scramble? > > PROBST: Yes, you are correct. You may go through people’s personal items if they are silly enough to leave them unattended. It’s not that we encourage it so much as there just isn’t any way to stop it. As we always remind them, it’s their game. Their rules. I think Woo was just playing around trying to annoy Spencer and had no idea there was a clue tucked inside those pants. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/9 "2014-04-10T17:22:17Z")
Based on the events in this episode, how do you think things will turn out for the three remaining members of Morgan’s alliance? Will there be a pagonging? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/10 "2014-04-10T17:25:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > And Morgan, other than her pneumatic attributes, isn’t a particularly attractive woman. As a hetero male, I find her face, and her smile, to be quite attractive. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/11 "2014-04-10T17:36:01Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > As a hetero male, I find her face, and her smile, to be quite attractive. I’ve got to agree, but I also think she’s got that kind of adolescent cuteness that often does not age well. I only hope someone plays back her exit speech for her on her 40th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/12 "2014-04-10T19:32:28Z")
I was hoping the pre-TC discussion where they named Morgan as the primary target was the classic editor fake, but the amount of Morgan jiggling the cameras showed all episode made it pretty clear this was her swan song. She was as horrible a person as she was fun to look at. I will surely miss her. Because she was the definition of the perfect person to drag to final 3 with you for everyone on that island, she must have been a truly awful person for everyone to vote her out. I’m convinced Spencer tucked the clue safely into a pocket of his pants. After Woo dug through them and found it, I think the editors decided that showing that would make Woo truly unlikable to the audience. That is, after all, a despicable move. So I think they staged the shot of Spencer laying it precariously on the pants and just folding them over it after the fact in order to give Woo an out with the audience. Because I think that’s what happened, that leads me to believe Woo wins it all, or at very least makes it to the final TC. Otherwise there’s no reason to go back and stage that out for him. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/13 "2014-04-10T19:50:27Z")
Morgan is young and stupid in the way of the young. She’ll learn and it will be kind of a painful lesson to have those young stupid moments preserved on film. Spenser has been growing on me but he’s back to his early episode attitudes again and that’s going to hurt him. I really enjoyed the paranoia biting Tony in the previews for next week. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/14 "2014-04-10T20:29:15Z")
Yeah, that was kind of a letdown after the hype. I don’t think Probst or Burnett really have a good feeling for the pulse of their audience. It took them what, five seasons to come to the conclusion that everyone hated Redemption Island? Their tweaking of the game rarely works out well. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/15 "2014-04-10T21:15:17Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I’m convinced Spencer tucked the clue safely into a pocket of his pants. After Woo dug through them and found it, I think the editors decided that showing that would make Woo truly unlikable to the audience. That is, after all, a despicable move. So I think they staged the shot of Spencer laying it precariously on the pants and just folding them over it after the fact in order to give Woo an out with the audience. > > Because I think that’s what happened, that leads me to believe Woo wins it all, or at very least makes it to the final TC. Otherwise there’s no reason to go back and stage that out for him. Very impressive insight, and I think you are right on! Why would Spencer leave the clue outside his pants? It makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/16 "2014-04-10T21:52:50Z")
Unless he thought he might want to reread/consult the clue periodically while searching. That’s the sort of thing I would do if I didn’t hit upon the Idol right away. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/17 "2014-04-10T22:31:10Z")
Also the note had gotten kind of wet. Maybe he was afraid he’d wreck it shoving it into his pocket. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/18 "2014-04-10T23:25:06Z")
Kass saying “I don’t agree with what he did” helped sell the hypothesis to myself, but of course I have no actual idea. I do think that regardless of the reason, that shot of him laying the clue on his pants was a staged reenactment after the fact. EDIT: This does, of course, mean that from here on out I am strongly pulling for Woo to win it all so that I can feel smart. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/19 "2014-04-11T00:29:46Z")
At the time this incident happened, TPTB have no idea that who is going to be in the Final three (let alone who wins). Why would they go back a reenact and change what really happen? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757/20 "2014-04-11T01:02:06Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > At the time this incident happened, TPTB have no idea that who is going to be in the Final three (let alone who wins). It could easily have been staged after the season ended. (Around two weeks later, I think.) Spencer’s face and most of his body weren’t even in the shot. The reason would be to make Woo less unlikable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-4-9-mad-treasure-hunt/685757.md?page=2)