In one episode in the Nicaragua season, the reward was a screening of “Gulliver’s Travels”, and the challenge was to carry a giant dummy through an obstacle course - remember Dan sitting in the giant chair looking like a 3 year old? It was the same episode where NaOnka & Kelly quit.
I do not consider any Adam Sandler movie a reward.
I had forgotten about that. Thanks.
Then there was the awkward “date” with gay Brandon and homophobic Frank at the showing of “Out of Africa” in the season in Africa.
Poor Edna really got clobbered this challenge. First running head-first into the pole blindfolded, then by Coach- I mean Benjamin - dragging her down bellowing “to your knees!” for the obligatory after-win prayer. Man, I am sick to death of the praying.
No, it wouldn’t be a shame, it’d be hilarious! “OOOOooh, so close, Christine! Buh-bye now!” I’m hoping to get to see the look on her face.
I’m defending Ozzy’s move only because it makes for good television. This is the first time ever that RI actually means something to the game, and the first time it’s ever been used strategically in this way. If it works, Ozzy’s a genius; or it could backfire spectacularly. Either way, it’s finally interesting.
Coach’s praying seems cynical to me. Sure, he’s a ‘spiritual’ person who always seeks guidance from his ancestors, spirit guides, and The Higher Authority; but it strikes me that he’s using prayer to manipulate the weak-minded Brandon. By presenting himself as a Good Christian instead of a wacky New Age Pagan and Dragonslayer, he’s got Brandon in his pocket. Which gives him a vote as long as it’s useful, and a sacrificial lamb to burn when the time comes.
'Thank you for the analysis, Captain Obvious! :rolleyes: ’
Yeah, I know. It’s just that I know manipulative people IRL, and it offends me when they think I’m too stupid to see they’re playing me. Coach makes for good TV, but that kind of person bugs me.
It certainly was an interesting decision, which makes for good television.
However, it was also certainly a stupid move, for the following reasons:
(a) Christine would be on Ozzy’s side anyways. She has made her hatred of Coach and his alliance manifestly clear during every duel. She would even the numbers immediately.
(b) Cochrane has no loyalty to Ozzy and his group. He’s been on the outside the entire time. Dawn is the only one that supports him at all, and she would throw him overboard immediately.
So even assuming that Ozzy is right (merge after the next duel) and assuming that he wins the duel, he went from:
6-6 tie with an idol and either Cochrane returning to his side or Christine flipping
to
6-6 tie with him returning but the idol in Cochrane’s position and in the prime position to switch over and be in an alliance with two idols (and one in which he is not clearly the weakest or most disliked person - yay Edna and Brandon).
Knowing Cochrane’s desire for “bold strategic moves” I thinks it’s extremely likely he keeps the idol and flips. It’s certainly what I’d do. Hell, he could go to the non-idol folks on Coach’s tribe and say “I have an idol, pull me in and you can use me to break up the Coach/Brandon/Edna triumvirate”.
The only part of Ozzy’s plan I like is making it seem like the idol has been played. That has the potential of giving them the edge, assuming everything goes exactly as he plans. But I still think Cochrane will realize that he can do better by keeping it for himself.
Proverbial? Oh damn.
No, that was an AMAZING move by Ozzie last night!
Okay, on the face of it it is totally stupid. Because he’s now created so many more ways he (and his tribe) can lose out. First, he can very easily lose the duel. He’s witnessed many and no double heard about the rest – so he should know they’ve all taken place inside that arena – meaning none of the swimming tasks where he’s be a massive favorite – AND they have all been skill type challenges. Puzzles, hand-eye coordination, etc. Second, what if the merger doesn’t come immediately? That will pretty much guarantee his team loses with him out and Cochrane in, and being down at the merger…
And the biggest flaw in his scheme, of course, is that there is virtually NO CHANCE that Christine will realign with her original tribe. She HATES them, it’s been blatantly obvious from her attitude. On the team level, he should have sent Cochrane to RI: either they’d get Cochrane back, or they’d gain the vote of Christine who is a much stronger player anyway. And even while they’d get the early advantage of her possibly winning some IC (meaning that the other side wouldn’t have it) she be an easy, non-emotionally wrenching person to get ‘your’ alliance to boot when necessary.
Despite all that, it could be a brilliant move assuming Ozzie is focused solely on winning the whole thing. Right then his chance of getting the final vote was slim. (Well, unless he’s sitting next to Russell, but does Savaii have any idea how hateful Russell is?) There’s that “He’s already had his chance” factor. Plus last episode made it painfully clear to him that ‘his’ alliance has it’s own plans and that serving as ‘loyal soldiers’ to Ozzie ain’t it. So he could continue on the obvious path, and hope to use the HI and social maneuvering (which he knows he’s not great at) and winning some III (which he is great at, but let’s face it, he’s older now) OR he can try this amazing, gutsy stunt. Something that, if he makes it to the end, he can legitimately point to as an amazing, gutsy move and possibly gain votes for.
IOW, he’s greatly increasing his risk of not making it to 8th, 6th, 5th, or 4th or whatever to GREATLY enhance his chances of winning the whole game. A big risk, but I think he’s right to take it. Assuming that the difference in prize money between 12th and, say, 5th doesn’t mean a lot to him. And with his talk of ‘redeeming’ himself, I suspect he’d think of anything except winning as total failure.
I don’t think I’ve ever yelled at my TV before last night. “GOD DOESN’T CARE WHO WINS THE IMMUNITY CHALLENGE!!111!!!”
ISTM that Ozzy has be to enough RI challenges that he should know that his awesome strength and athletic prowess will not help him. I predict that he’s toast, making him the first Survivor to make the top 2 dumbest moves in Survivor history.
Russell? Do you mean Brandon?
nm
Oops. :o Yeah, sorry, Brandon.
Does the other team even know he’s Russell’s nephew?
According to interviews with his tribemates that have lost duels, Brandon’s team doesn’t even know what a nutbag he is. Stacy said he seemed like an OK kid, just a little emotional at Tribal. Apparently the camera is the only place he stresses his total weirdness about women. And of course, they didn’t have the added benefit of reading that :eek: post written by his wife.
Oh, one other thing I was thinking: It seemed odd for Albert and – was it Sophie? – to be openly rooting and encouraging Mikayla at the RI challenge after having just voted her out. It smacked a bit of hypocricy, for one. And I suppose the bad blood between Christine and her ex-tribe couldn’t get too much worse, but still, why fan those flames? You never know when you might need somebody’s good will in this game. I would think keeping quiet while watching the deul is generally the prudent thing to do.
But THEY didn’t vote her out…Sophie and Albert voted for Edna. It was their scheme to try to keep Mikayla. Your second point is valid, but they could have just figured their chances at grabbing Christine back when RI vomits its occupant into the game again was poor-to-sinking anyway.
(Sorry for the double post, too late for edit)
And if Ozzy’s tribemates are too vocal with their support at the next deul, it’ll ruin his little story about getting blind-sided. I hope they’re smart enough to play it cool.
You are indeed right. I had that backwards.
No, no…Ozzy couldn’t lower his own stock by admitting to being blindsided deliberately. The story HE came up with was that everyone but Cochrane voted for Cochrane. Cochrane voted for Ozzy. And Cochrane had found the idol and played it. So with only one vote registered, Ozzy was voted to RI.
ETA: Heh…sorry, Wheelz! I’m not deliberately trying to make sure you don’t have a single uncontradicted post in this thread. Honest!
Feel free… I can be as big an idiot as anybody. 