# Survivor: Redemption Island Starts tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609 "2011-02-16T18:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/21 "2011-02-17T05:14:19Z")
One hallmark of a federal agent would seem to be the ability to keep secrets. This might explain why Phil is a former federal agent. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/22 "2011-02-17T05:25:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > One hallmark of a federal agent would seem to be the ability to keep secrets. This might explain why Phil is a former federal agent. Please use his full title. He is a Former Federal Agent? ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/23 "2011-02-17T12:17:50Z")
Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!! I have dry mouth. I’m getting treated for it. We’re like two lions. Huhhhh…uhhhh…HUUuuuhh!! Black Coach is comedy gold, Jerry! ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/24 "2011-02-17T13:44:14Z")
> [@Ring](#): > > Truly bizarre tribal council :). What in God’s name set the federal agent off? Why did he start spouting off? I may actually enjoy this one. I think Franqueisa - _Francesca!_ - Frankesquea freaked Former Federal Agent? out pretty badly. Honestly, Franquelta, who was really smart and who I would have liked to have seen more of, misplayed Tribal Council very badly. She never, ever should have thrown in that remark about Boston Rob not going home. I get why she did it; she thought she had a good plan, and in her head she was probably already picturing how it would play out on TV… she says “if Boston Rob were to go home - which he’s not, by the way,” then five minutes later, after he’s gone, they cut to her Cheshire Cat grin. But Former Federal Agent? didn’t get that she was just putting up a smokescreen. I think he was afraid that she was being serious, that everyone else (Francessssina and Crazy Woman With Idol included) was voting in a different direction and he was going to be the only idiot voting for Rob, which would have isolated him even more than he already was. So he freaked. Which is why you don’t make alliances with people who obviously are unreliable, and also why you don’t try to make a power move in an alliance of three when the counter-alliance has six. I’m hooked, by the way. ---
**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 17, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/25 "2011-02-17T14:10:27Z")
Aw, crap, you bastards have intrigued me. Now I actually have to watch it. [Pacino]Just when I thought I was out… they pulled me back in! [/Pacino] ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/26 "2011-02-17T14:41:16Z")
So Rob gets the team with the two psychos. I wonder what Russell drew in the way of crazy? We shall see, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/27 "2011-02-17T14:49:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeah, so Philip is insane. You mean the former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, former federal agent, in the fucia superman drawers? I’ve got to admit. This is the only tribal counsel I’ve seen where Jeff was speechless. Now, it they could just shut up Jeff’s play by play description of the challenges. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/28 "2011-02-17T15:19:30Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > [Pacino]Just when I thought I was out… they pulled me back in! [/Pacino] Exactly. Mrs. Wheelz and I were waffling about whether to watch this season at all, and I thought, eh, let’s check out the first episode, anyway. And we’re hooked again. Phillip, well… what can I say, you all saw it. What a nutcase. I actually hope he stays around for a while, for the entertainment value. Poor Francesca. I was just starting to like her. If I understand the Redemption Island thing, they’re only putting one person back into the game, right? So it’ll probably be late in the game, which means the first person voted out would need to go on quite a winning streak in the “duels” in order to be the one. Doesn’t look good for Frannie. Like everybody else, I rolled my eyes when I heard about Rob and Russell. It’s early, but so far it’s working OK. Russell’s best asset was that nobody had seen him play before (his second go-round was filmed before his first one aired). This time, everyone else on the tribe knows his MO, and they immediately picked up on Stephanie as his little protege. I predict he won’t go far this time. Much more intriguing on the other tribe, where some folks have been drawn to Rob for leadership while others want to target him. Could get interesting. I think I’m in for the season again! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/29 "2011-02-17T15:26:32Z")
Missed the edit, but I forgot to add: There was a rumor that Rob and Russell would be granted automatic immunity until the merge. I can’t tell you how glad I am that was _not_ the case! ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/30 "2011-02-17T16:57:08Z")
Kristina’s up shit-creek right now. I believe her only hope is to go full frontal on Philip and hope to gain some sympathy from the girls and maybe turn one or two of them with some contrition and strategy. I’d guess that Redemption Island will put more than one person back into play. I only think that because they titled the show after the gimmick, and it’s kinda interesting to see how it’ll play out, and why do that only once, when twice gives the producers 2x the opportunity for craziness. (and 3 =3x, etc) Plus who doesn’t think there’s a 3rd HII on redemption island? I think **storyteller0910** is totally right about his/her assessment on what happened in Philip’s brain. But what a freakin’ bozo! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/31 "2011-02-17T17:30:54Z")
One other observation I had: While I’ve never been a big fan of the Hidden Immunity Idols (I think game-play relies on them far too much in recent seasons), if I were on Survivor and I found one, the first thing I would do is _not tell anybody_!! What is it about HII’s that compel people to blab about them? At least Kristina has watched the show enough to know that nothing good ever happens to someone who gives away an idol – though for a brief moment, I thought she was actually going to hand it over to Rob. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/32 "2011-02-17T17:57:20Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > One other observation I had: > > While I’ve never been a big fan of the Hidden Immunity Idols (I think game-play relies on them far too much in recent seasons), if I were on Survivor and I found one, the first thing I would do is _not tell anybody_!! What is it about HII’s that compel people to blab about them? > > At least Kristina has watched the show enough to know that nothing good ever happens to someone who gives away an idol – though for a brief moment, I thought she was actually going to hand it over to Rob. And she’s sitting on that idol for episode 2, and they all know it. I wonder what would happen if someone stole it and tossed it in the ocean. Would that keep her from claiming immunity? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/33 "2011-02-17T18:40:12Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > And she’s sitting on that idol for episode 2, and they all know it. I wonder what would happen if someone stole it and tossed it in the ocean. Would that keep her from claiming immunity? I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules. You can rifle thru another person’s stuff looking for the HII, but you can’t steal it. It would be really sweet if they vote the Former Federal Agent out and he gets to go head-to-head on RI with Franchesca and gets stomped. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/34 "2011-02-17T18:40:27Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > And she’s sitting on that idol for episode 2, and they all know it. I wonder what would happen if someone stole it and tossed it in the ocean. Would that keep her from claiming immunity? I wish they would publish the full rules regarding that kind of stuff. Like how she hid it again after finding it. What if another castaway had stumbled upon it and thought that they had found the HII? Whose would it be? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/35 "2011-02-17T18:44:53Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I wish they would publish the full rules regarding that kind of stuff. Like how she hid it again after finding it. What if another castaway had stumbled upon it and thought that they had found the HII? Whose would it be? IIRC, the answer to that would be “it belongs to who found it last.” I think they said one time that the only place that you can stash it that it is safe is in your bag. If you hide it elsewhere, it’s fair game. I _think_. I could be mis-remembering. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/36 "2011-02-17T18:46:12Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > And she’s sitting on that idol for episode 2, and they all know it. I wonder what would happen if someone stole it and tossed it in the ocean. Would that keep her from claiming immunity? I do think there are rules against stealing and/or disposing of another’s Idol. I’m not entirely clear on that, but you’d think it would have happened by now otherwise, no? Anyway, I’ve been pondering about it and I think: Francesca was doomed anyway. The short-lived alliance of 3 hadn’t counted on a split vote. If things had gone according to their plan, it would have been 3-3-3, Rob-Kristina-Francesca. Kristina would have played the idol, so a re-vote between Rob and Francesca brings the same outcome we got anyway. Everybody would know she’d found the Idol, plus she _wouldn’t have it anymore_. So she’s at least slightly better off than she would have been. It was a gamble not to play it, but a savvy one that had at least a limited payoff. She’s got at least six more days; now we’ll see if she has the social game to use those days to convince the others that they really don’t want to vote her off. Crazy Phil might lure some votes, and maybe someone else will step up and piss off the alliance. You never know. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/37 "2011-02-17T19:05:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > IIRC, the answer to that would be “it belongs to who found it last.” I think they said one time that the only place that you can stash it that it is safe is in your bag. If you hide it elsewhere, it’s fair game. I _think_. I could be mis-remembering. Yeah, I’ve seen players look through bags to see if they have them, but not take them and claim them for themselves. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/38 "2011-02-17T22:48:13Z")
Was talking with someone about “Ex-Federal Agent?” --he pointed out two things: 1. Phillip said he had worked for ‘several’ agencies. My friend (retired government worker) said it’s generally hard to fire federal workers – civil service and all – but you can try to kick them sideways into difference slots. So that ‘several’ could mean he was so godawful at whatever that they kept shoving him around from agency to agency until they finally had grounds to fire him. 2. “Federal Agent” doesn’t mean just FBI and ATF and such. In fact, he said the temps they send around with clipboards to households that haven’t returned census forms are also called ‘agents.’ Okay. That would make Blabber-mouthed Phillip being an ‘Agen’ a great deal more believable. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/39 "2011-02-18T00:46:42Z")
I’m curious which, if any, agencies he worked for. I mean, I don’t think you have to keep it secret that you worked for the FBI. You can just say “I worked for the FBI.” But if it was a real secret one, like the CIA, I doubt you would be able to even say “Former Federal Agent?” ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609/40 "2011-02-18T03:35:59Z")
Why would anyone trust Phillip “FFA?” ever again. And dear gods please don’t let him start spouting about integrety. and please put your pants back on! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-redemption-island-starts-tonight/571609.md?page=3)