# Survivor: Palau - Premiere Feb 17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391 "2005-02-16T18:40:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/1 "2005-02-16T18:40:51Z")
After such an anti-climactic season, who else is looking forward to an all new Survivor? I, for one, am VERY excited and am looking forward to the twists that are promised this season. I’ve heard a few things about this season, and I hope they’re true! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/2 "2005-02-16T19:28:16Z")
I don’t know. I haven’t missed a season since #3, but last season really turned me off. It was just incredibly boring, with no really likeable people. Plus, increasing the field to 20 players strikes me as exactly the wrong direction to go – they need to go back to 16. How are we supposed to keep track of 20 people? They’ll have to come up with something really new to keep me interested this season. ---
**Author:** ![hill\_o\_beans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4491bb/32.png) [@hill\_o\_beans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hill_o_beans)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/3 "2005-02-16T19:33:10Z")
thanks for posting this! I am a big Survivor fan but I don’t watch a lot of TV. I thought the premiere might be coming up soon. I was afraid I would miss it so I came here today looking for info about it, and I found your post! awesome. Now I can go set the DVR 🙂 What kind of twists are in the works? Any good Survivor spoiler/insider sites I should check out? guess I’m pretty out of it this time around! ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/4 "2005-02-16T19:35:01Z")
This was revealed in an ad for the premiere, so it’s not really a spoiler, but since there’s been so much sensitivity:3 people will be eliminated oin day 1, leaving us with only 17 after this Thursday. So don’t worry about keeping track of 20. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/5 "2005-02-16T19:35:52Z")
The ads say they’re getting “no help at all!” whatever that may mean. It seems like they did dump them off once with no food, meaning no tin of rice and no canned goods . Was it Thailand\*? Or one after that? They did at least give them a pot and a knife and a map to the water hole. I’m guessing “no help at all” means they get dumped off without Jeff, and get absolutely nothing, no pots, no knives, no water bottles, no map to the water hole. It does look like all 20 of them are rowing ashore together. I wonder if they’re staying together as one team, or if they’ll be split up somehow when they get to the beach. - We need \*_Chastain86_ in here to sort out all the seasons. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/6 "2005-02-16T20:02:14Z")
I’m appropriately jazzed. The first half of last season had me bored to tears, but it finished strongly with Chris’s back-from-the-dead victory. No pre-season favorites for me, since it always takes a few episodes to figure out who’s worth watching. **BiblioCat** , the producers decided several seasons ago that they were no longer going to provide the contestants with food (except, of course, for challenges). No rice caches in any of the series, since somewhere after Thailand, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/7 "2005-02-16T20:32:44Z")
Besides that I like the show and would probably watch it even after the bore-fest that was last season, there’s a girl on it from my county, so I already have someone to root for. I don’t know her, and she may turn out to be unlikeable on the show, but I’ll give it a chance. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/8 "2005-02-16T21:17:00Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > This was revealed in an ad for the premiere, so it’s not really a spoiler, but since there’s been so much sensitivity:3 people will be eliminated oin day 1, leaving us with only 17 after this Thursday. So don’t worry about keeping track of 20. Yes, I’ve heard that one, but: It’s been phrased as “three people _go home_ in the first episode!” I wonder if that means three are actually eliminated or if one is eliminated in the usual way, and two quit. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/9 "2005-02-16T21:21:11Z")
Houston attorney and UH All-American track star Jolanda Jones will be on there. I expect her to be “in your face” as are all African-American women if we are to believe Mark Burnett. ---
**Author:** ![Legolamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Legolamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legolamb)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/10 "2005-02-16T21:34:48Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Yes, I’ve heard that one, but: > > It’s been phrased as “three people _go home_ in the first episode!” > I wonder if that means three are actually eliminated or if one is eliminated in the usual way, and two quit. I read somewhere, possibly in an interview with Probst that: The tribes will be picked in the old playground style of two captains taking turns to pick who they want on the their team. The last two Survivors will not be put in a tribe and instead be sent straight home. After that, a third will be eliminated in the normal IC/TC way. Sounds evil if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/11 "2005-02-16T21:39:31Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Yes, I’ve heard that one, but: > > It’s been phrased as “three people _go home_ in the first episode!” > I wonder if that means three are actually eliminated or if one is eliminated in the usual way, and two quit. Could be any mix of the two. I was using “eliminated” too broadly, perhaps. Regardless, it cuts down the crop nice and fast. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/12 "2005-02-16T21:45:46Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > The ads say they’re getting “no help at all!” whatever that may mean. > It seems like they did dump them off once with no food, meaning no tin of rice and no canned goods . Was it Thailand\*? Or one after that? They did at least give them a pot and a knife and a map to the water hole. You are thinking of Survivor 4: Marquesas (the one before Thailand, the series with the fickle purple rock of doom and the undeserving winner Vecepia). No food, but they got a pot, a knife, and a map. They repeated that for All-Stars…but left off the pot if I remember right. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/13 "2005-02-16T23:00:06Z")
In All-Stars, they had that chance to “raid” the village beforehand, and bought what they could, so I know they didn’t get food or other supplies provided to them, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them eating rice in other seasons. (Haven’t I? Or am I imagining that?) If not, they at least are placed where there is an ample native food supply - bananas and taro root. I remember reading somewhere that after Australia, when the Survivors were practically starving to death, they realized that starving players is not the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/14 "2005-02-16T23:01:28Z")
> [@Cowgirl Jules](#): > > Besides that I like the show and would probably watch it even after the bore-fest that was last season, there’s a girl on it from my county, so I already have someone to root for. I don’t know her, and she may turn out to be unlikeable on the show, but I’ll give it a chance. Which county? Although, even if it’s _my_ county, it’s doubtful I’ll know her either, given that they tend towards young chippies and I am… not. Although I guess I might have known her mother or father, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/15 "2005-02-17T01:15:22Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > In All-Stars, they had that chance to “raid” the village beforehand, and bought what they could, so I know they didn’t get food or other supplies provided to them, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them eating rice in other seasons. (Haven’t I? Or am I imagining that?) They all do kind of blend together, don’t they? 🙂 You’re confusing All-Stars (season 8) with Pearl Islands (season 7). That’s not surprising because they both took place in the same place and both included the Dread Pirate Rupert. For the start of Pearl Islands they were “thrown” off the boat (they were expecting to be going to a pre-show press conference, not starting the game), told to go to swim to a nearby inhabited island and barter for supplies and then traveled separately to their camps via two other boats. In All-Stars each team was dropped off on their beach with next to no supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/16 "2005-02-17T06:51:21Z")
A guess about the premiere (based on advance publicity put out by the show): I’ve heard there will be three people out in the first day and a “major” change at the very beginning and 20 people starting. My guess is that the change will be there be three teams instead of the usual two. And that when they divide up for teams (by whatever means they use) two people will be left out and eliminated. The third person will be the traditional first one voted out at Tribal Council. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/17 "2005-02-17T12:48:52Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > They all do kind of blend together, don’t they? 🙂 You’re confusing All-Stars (season 8) with Pearl Islands (season 7). That’s not surprising because they both took place in the same place and both included the Dread Pirate Rupert. For the start of Pearl Islands they were “thrown” off the boat (they were expecting to be going to a pre-show press conference, not starting the game), told to go to swim to a nearby inhabited island and barter for supplies and then traveled separately to their camps via two other boats. In All-Stars each team was dropped off on their beach with next to no supplies. Yes, it was Pearl Islands with the bartering. :smack: I knew that. But they have been given a small supply of rice in some other seasons, haven’t they? Did they had rice last time? ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/18 "2005-02-17T15:47:09Z")
I just read an interview with Probst ([http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&e=7&u=/ap/tv\_survivor\_jeff\_probst](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&e=7&u=/ap/tv_survivor_jeff_probst)) and he said: …When the contestants first arrive in Palau, the Pacific island nation where this season is set, they won’t be given instructions. No tribes. No challenges. No clue on what to do. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/19 "2005-02-17T16:01:24Z")
> [@Jess](#): > > Which county? Although, even if it’s _my_ county, it’s doubtful I’ll know her either, given that they tend towards young chippies and I am… not. Although I guess I might have known her mother or father, maybe. There’s a gal from Merced County there, and I’ve already forgotten her name. The one with curly blondish hair, who works in radio advertising. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391/20 "2005-02-17T16:33:00Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > The ads say they’re getting “no help at all!” whatever that may mean. I would hope it to mean that they aren’t going to have every reward challenge be a whisk off to the nearest spa for food, massage, and other pamperings. I doubt that would happen, but it would be interesting that they actually had to do some survival skills. Also, could this be the first season where a contestant practices making fire at home before going on the show? (For crying out loud). I was home for lunch this week and as I was flipping the channels down to watch The People’s Court (hey, it’s a lunch break and helps the mind relax), the Survivors were on Family Feud. I had to grimace to see Rupert who looked like he was still playing the game in his tye-dye tank top and full beard. P.U. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-palau-premiere-feb-17/290391.md?page=2)