# Survivor: Feb 5 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853 "2004-02-06T16:17:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/21 "2004-02-07T15:30:43Z")
> [@Balduran](#): > > Ethan turns out to be a bit of a dufus. How so? I see him as being less “nice” than he was when he won, but not a doofus. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/22 "2004-02-07T16:05:37Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > How so? I see him as being less “nice” than he was when he won, but not a doofus. Well, from the way the Rupert and Jerri were complaining about the last IC, it was basically his fault that they weren’t able to bail the boat out. One of them also said something like “when he gets into competition mode, he doesn’t think too clearly”. And yes, this survivor they are not portraying him as such a nice guy. I keep seeing him rolling his eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/23 "2004-02-07T17:23:14Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I don’t remember exactly what they’ve done other times, but in _Marquesas_, they solved a three-way tie by having the players pick colored rocks out of a bag. Two rocks were pink, one rock was purple, and the player who picked the purple rock was the one to leave. That’s not quite what happened. Before they went to the colored rocks, they gave everyone an oppurtunity to change their vote, with a warning that if they didn’t, the selction would be random. Also I don’t think it was a three way tie. It was a two way tie but if they couldn’t come up with a single name to vote out _everyone_ would be vulnerable to random chance. That was how Paschal (sp?) got booted without getting a vote. ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/24 "2004-02-07T17:46:31Z")
One thing I find interesting is that Jerri doesn’t seem to be as, shall we say, “in your face” this time around. Perhaps it was the lack of food, water, and sleep, but her expression when Rudy walked out seemed genuine. She’s not the same person that I loved to hate in the Outback. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/25 "2004-02-07T19:31:58Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > That’s not quite what happened. Before they went to the colored rocks, they gave everyone an oppurtunity to change their vote, with a warning that if they didn’t, the selction would be random. Also I don’t think it was a three way tie. It was a two way tie but if they couldn’t come up with a single name to vote out _everyone_ would be vulnerable to random chance. That was how Paschal (sp?) got booted without getting a vote. But they still weren’t using the “previous votes in case of a tie” method of booting someone. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/26 "2004-02-07T21:31:59Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > - Jenna HAD to turn on Rudy. If she had voted off Ethan, and their tribe lost the IC next week, she would have faced a 2-2 tie. As she had votes from the first TC, then she would have been the ousted member. Good grief! They haven’t used this “old votes accumulate” method since Africa, and there have been many, many ties since Africa. Yet, someone always, **always** brings it up as something to consider in these threads. it’s driving me crazy! ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/27 "2004-02-07T22:15:12Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > Good grief! They haven’t used this “old votes accumulate” method since Africa, and there have been many, many ties since Africa. > > Yet, someone always, **always** brings it up as something to consider in these threads. it’s driving me crazy! That’s what I keep saying! :::continues talking to the brick wall::: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/28 "2004-02-07T22:15:46Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > Good grief! They haven’t used this “old votes accumulate” method since Africa, and there have been many, many ties since Africa. > > Yet, someone always, **always** brings it up as something to consider in these threads. it’s driving me crazy! That’s what I keep saying! :::continues talking to the brick wall::: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/29 "2004-02-07T22:55:35Z")
I believe you, already! ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/30 "2004-02-07T22:56:38Z")
And a gentleman’s bet says they bring it back for the all-Star version just to spite Fiver! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/31 "2004-02-08T07:58:28Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > It looked like the Probster really got emotional at Rudy’s exit too, which is something that I don’t recall ever seeing before. It’s been publicized that somewhere between season 6 & 7 they decided Probst should play a bigger role, especially at tribal councils. Not sure I’m digging it. Until he gets tired, hungry, thirsty and naked I just don’t care all that much what his thoughts are. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/32 "2004-02-10T04:57:49Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > The locked boxes had instructions on them, “Keep dry, do not open” or something like that. I’m sure smashing the locks and opening it before getting all the keys is against the rules and would result in having the box and its contents removed from their camp. Nah, the boxes were just labelled: valuable, keep dry. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853/33 "2004-02-10T14:59:57Z")
About the boxes, I’m not sure it was clear that breaking them open would have any negative repercussions. We often hear that the only “rules” are no striking other contestants and no agreements to split the $. Rupert was allowed to steal another tribe’s personal property. In challenges, players and teams have benefitted from “unconventional” approaches. I’m sure we could come up with many other instances where players took advantage of “loopholes.” Even if the box were taken away, breaking it open might still make sense. It appears likely that there will be some pre-merge swapping of team members. This may occur before a team gets all 3 keys. Or a player may be swapped from a team with an open box, to one with locks remaining. Even if the box is taken, a player or 2 from that team will likely be swapped to a team that had not broken the box, whether or not they have even gotten it open yet. In that situation, the newcomers will have important info concerning the contents of the box and the repercussions (if any) of breaking it open. The possibilities are sufficiently varied and unpredictable that I would advocate taking a chance and opening the box. Especially if it is just rice. It seems as tho alternate food sources are sufficiently abundant that rice is not as necessary as in previous editions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-feb-5/227853.md?page=1)