Survivor 20**HvV**No SPOILER THREAD**

[jrmasm]

What did Russell say to Coach when he went to play the immunity idol - I didn't understand it.

Something about being loyal.


Go Russell!!! That was awesome especially after Rob kept saying welcome to the big game.

 

[dejr_8]

Something about being loyal.


Go Russell!!! That was awesome especially after Rob kept saying welcome to the big game.

That's what I didn't understand. Did he know that Coach was aligned with Rob to make the vote against him and Pavrati forcing him to play the idol?

It seemed like that comment came from left field. I think we didn't get to see some conversation between Coach and Russell about last night's vote.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Wow, can't believe Rob figured that whole deal out. That was awesome! And way to go Tyson for ruining the plan. Atleast he realized it was his fault he got voted off.

 

[puffkin]

Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Tyson didn't follow the plan. He was to vote for Russ, not Pav. He was stupid and took himself out.

Exactly. Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Rob had the correct strategy and Tyson took himself out of the game by not sticking to the plan. Tyson realized it at the end. He didn't swap alliances or anything like that, he was just trying to avoid a tied vote and it ended up costing him. What Russel did do was make a really risky move that ended up working this week. Will it keep him in the game past the next vote? I don't know but it will be interesting to see.

For Russell to be the "greatest Survivor ever" he needs to start winning some of the challenges. He really doesn't perform well on them!

What I find interesting is that Parvati always manages to get people to give their idols to her or to her alliance. Hahaha, she is either really good or really lucky.

 

[jrmasm]

That's what I didn't understand. Did he know that Coach was aligned with Rob to make the vote against him and Pavrati forcing him to play the idol?

It seemed like that comment came from left field. I think we didn't get to see some conversation between Coach and Russell about last night's vote.

I think he was try to gain favor with Coach so that he'll vote with him in the future.

And for those that say he didn't outmanuever Rob, I disagree. He got one of Rob's people to change his vote.

 

[Amy]

Rob and Russell are the smartest players in this game. Rob had it all figured out, and if Tyson had voted the way he was supposed to, there would have been a tie. But Tyson switched his vote and basically voted himself out.

Whichever one of Rob or Russell can control the "variables" (the other players' votes) better is the one who will go father in the game, and maybe even win. Unfortunately, it looks like Russell has the numbers on his side right now; if Rob can make it to the merge, he might be able to pull things together enough to give Russell a run for his money.

 

[Sorsha]

I got the biggest kick last night out of watching Rob and Russell... every time Rob came up with an idea, Russell would say to his followers "this is what Rob is going to do.. and this is what we are going to do." and every time Russell came up with a plan, Rob would predict it as well. Those two are hysterical, and they think WAY too much alike. Tyson got played, plain and simple. Russell identified him as the not-so-smart link in the chain, and played him like a well-tuned instrument. Like my DD said, in essence, Tyson voted himself out with that dumb move. Ijit. But hysterical... never liked him anyhow.

I was REALLY sad to see James go, but it was a foregone conclusion. The knee wasn't getting any better, and the last thing that team can afford is a broken-down team member.

Great show last night!

 

[jrmasm]

Exactly. Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Rob had the correct strategy and Tyson took himself out of the game by not sticking to the plan. Tyson realized it at the end. He didn't swap alliances or anything like that, he was just trying to avoid a tied vote and it ended up costing him. What Russel did do was make a really risky move that ended up working this week. Will it keep him in the game past the next vote? I don't know but it will be interesting to see.

For Russell to be the "greatest Survivor ever" he needs to start winning some of the challenges. He really doesn't perform well on them!

What I find interesting is that Parvati always manages to get people to give their idols to her or to her alliance. Hahaha, she is either really good or really lucky.

Again, I disagree. Rob's plan failed because after he brilliantly figured out how to get rid of Russell, he didn't make sure that everyone was going to stick to the plan.

 

[nikkistevej]

The show was sooo good last night- this season ROCKS!!! I LOVE Russell!!!

 

[declansdad]

Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Tyson didn't follow the plan. He was to vote for Russ, not Pav. He was stupid and took himself out.

Exactly correct. Russell made the only move he could to save himself, it had nothing really to do with Parvati. He realized that Tyson didn't like her and took a shot. Tyson was an idiot for believing him.

I think Russell is a very good player, one of the best; but he needs to win before being called the greatest ever. I'm not convinced yet that they have the numbers. Coach is an idiot but he doesn't switch his allegiance very often. Two weeks ago, it was made to look like Russell brought him to his side but this week that wasn't so. I don't know if what Russell said about loyalty will bring Coach over. If he doesn't, there is still only 3 people in the Russell alliance.

 

[declansdad]

Again, I disagree. Rob's plan failed because after he brilliantly figured out how to get rid of Russell, he didn't make sure that everyone was going to stick to the plan.

He did everything short of going in the voting booth with them. The fact that Tyson is an idiot has no bearing on what Rob did.

 

[puffkin]

Exactly correct. Russell made the only move he could to save himself, it had nothing really to do with Parvati. He realized that Tyson didn't like her and took a shot. Tyson was an idiot for believing him.

I think Russell is a very good player, one of the best; but he needs to win before being called the greatest ever. I'm not convinced yet that they have the numbers. Coach is an idiot but he doesn't switch his allegiance very often. Two weeks ago, it was made to look like Russell brought him to his side but this week that wasn't so. I don't know if what Russell said about loyalty will bring Coach over. If he doesn't, there is still only 3 people in the Russell alliance.

I agree. I know Russ was making a play at getting Coach's vote, but I don't see it happening. Coach seems pretty loyal to Rob and suprisingly Jerri. And Jerri HATES Parvati, so I don't see her switching. Sandra also seems tight with Rob. Courtney will follow the majority, so I still seeing Russ as being in trouble unless there is a merge. I don't think we will see a merge until 11 players, so another 2 weeks.

Russell's only real move at this point is to try and get Coach, so of course we will see that play out. I doubt the other players would be stupid enough to not realize that....but the editing will probably make it a lot more dramatic than it actually is.

Whatever happens, it will be fun to watch

 

[jrmasm]

He did everything short of going in the voting booth with them. The fact that Tyson is an idiot has no bearing on what Rob did.

I see it differently. Both Rob and Russell have HUGE egos. I think Rob came up with the plan and then smuggly sat back and waited for the vote leaving the door open for Russell to change things. Had he checked back with Tyson things would have gone differently.

 

[tammymacb]

I wonder how close to Tribal Council it was when Russell got Tyson to the side to talk to him? Usually the members of the alliances share new info with each other. If Tyson had walked up to Rob and said, "Russel is voting Parvarti"... Then Rob could have shown Tyson that he was probably being played.

I just wonder why that little piece of info wasn't shared along?

 

[Nancyg56]

Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Tyson didn't follow the plan. He was to vote for Russ, not Pav. He was stupid and took himself out.

I cannot believe he did that! Stupid!

Exactly. Russ didn't outmanuever Rob. Rob had the correct strategy and Tyson took himself out of the game by not sticking to the plan. Tyson realized it at the end. He didn't swap alliances or anything like that, he was just trying to avoid a tied vote and it ended up costing him.

For Russell to be the "greatest Survivor ever" he needs to start winning some of the challenges. He really doesn't perform well on them!

What I find interesting is that Parvati always manages to get people to give their idols to her or to her alliance. Hahaha, she is either really good or really lucky.

I agree with all you said. Tyson should have taken a chance on teh tied vote an stayed with teh program. AS for Russell winning challenges, he seldom does. I don't get it. at this stage I would think he would need to win some.

We'll see how this plays out for Parvati. I think she is more dangerous then Rob or Russell. She manages to get people to do what she wants adn smiles the entire time.

I was sad to see James go but maybe the Heroes will finally stop trying to win the game and start playing to win challenges. I was surprised to see them all trying to outsmart their own team so early and risk going to the merge with such a minority. By freezing Tom and Colby out so soon they pretty much made it clear that they were more interested in maintaining an alliance than they were in building a winning team.

 

[declansdad]

I see it differently. Both Rob and Russell have HUGE egos. I think Rob came up with the plan and then smuggly sat back and waited for the vote leaving the door open for Russell to change things. Had he checked back with Tyson things would have gone differently.

I think we have interpreted the happenings differently. TO me it seemed that the last conversion between Rob and the rest was just before they left for Tribal Council. As they were about to leave, Russell planted his seed in Tyson's ear.

 

[gometros]

Whichever one of Rob or Russell can control the "variables" (the other players' votes) better is the one who will go father in the game, and maybe even win.

They better not go father anyone. They're both married men


(yeah, yeah, I know it was a typo. I'm just being a wise ***.)

 

[puffkin]

I think we have interpreted the happening differently. TO me it seemed that the last conversion between Rob and the rest was just before they left for Tribal Council. As they were about to leave, Russell planted his seed in Tyson's ear.

Yeah, it looked like he got to Tyson right when they were heading out of camp. It was a smart move on Russell's part and probably his only option. He knew if Tyson had time to talk to Rob that it wouldn't work.

 

[jrmasm]

Yeah, it looked like he got to Tyson right when they were heading out of camp. It was a smart move on Russell's part and probably his only option. He knew if Tyson had time to talk to Rob that it wouldn't work.

If that is how it went down, he clearly outmanuvered Rob. Waiting until the last possible second to change someone's vote is brilliant. And why would he even do that? Did someone tell Russell how they were voting or did he figure it out himself?

It's hard to tell what really happens because of how little we get to see.

 

[Kirby]

Jeff's blog....

The Boston Rob vs. Russell showdown continues!

Russell: He’s threatening Russell Hantz. When do you that, you go.
Rob: He’s not playing with the amateurs anymore. Playing with the big boys now.

Rob: I’m just telling you watch your back.
Russell: Same thing for you man, watch your back.

Russell: Boston Rob says it’s better to play with me than against me. Oh, really? I believe I’m gonna get him to eat those words.

And last night, I think Rob was served an appetizer.
More on that later.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Physically, Boston Rob continues to dominate this game. I don’t think there is anybody left that can beat him at any of the challenges. Like him or hate him, you cannot deny that if you’re in a fox hole, B-Rob would not be a bad guy to have in there with you. Part McGuyver, part Pete Rose — in my book, he’s money.
And for all of you who are saying “Nah nah nah nah nah nah! Look at how well James did, he did better than Colby in the challenge! The Heroes were right to keep him in the game!!” Well, you’re right. He did beat Colby, and so did Rupert, and in response, James had some funny comments that I’m sure were tough for Colby to hear:
At camp…
James: You, the great Colby. So if you turn it on and start winning, we’ll be alright. But if it’s the old sleepy *** Colby that gets beat by a fat man and a cripple. That ain’t right.
Then in interview…
James: Colby doesn’t want to be here. There’s no way that’s the Colby of old, one of the baddest competitors ever. He has not done anything. He has almost brought me to tears. It’s like my Superman sucks. All his muscles are gone so it’s very disappointing to see a grown man give up like that.
Then at tribal council…
James: You got slammed by the Dragon Slayer. …[You] got beat by a cripple and a fat dude on the obstacle course. It’s like finding out Superman was in a big girdle. You seem them muscles and you get up close and it’s nothing but a fat suit.

To his credit, Colby accepted it as a valid criticism. He’s not having a great season.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE SEASON – THE HERO OLYMPICS!
Who needs a challenge department? Who needs a host? The Hero tribe provided more drama and more humor than any challenge we’ve done thus far this season when they created their own Survivor Challenge: The Hero Olympics.
James taking on J.T.? Get out. That’s good television. The only person missing was my niece! She would have taken second for sure!

It was one of the craziest things I’d ever seen. James trying to out run J.T. with a splint on his leg. Remember, I do not stay out on the beach, so the first time I saw this footage was watching an early cut of this episode. It was awesome.
I have to give James major credit. That guy does not back down from any challenge. Going up against J.T. with a bum leg was ballsy. And I’ll admit, I was surprised how fast James was, given his bad leg. Maybe I was wrong, maybe my niece wouldn’t have beat him. But let’s be clear… I would have.

It also made me respect the Heroes just a little bit, something that has been hard for me to do of late. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe they’re starting to get a clue.

The entire speech about banana etiquette from Amanda to James was yet another in a season filled with scenes that you would swear are scripted. I think Survivor should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Writing, and the award should go to the Heroes vs. Villains cast. If you could write this kind of a show every week, you would have a big house in the Hollywood Hills with a pool, a few really cool cars, a man servant, a full-time maid, a well-stocked wine bar, a movie theatre in your basement, and an incredible view of the city. In short, you’d be living like Ryan Seacrest.

Fortunately, we don’t have to write anything, our group of Survivors do it for us.
Okay, back to the showdown. This was one of the greatest Pre-Tribal and Tribal Councils we’ve had in the history of our show. So much was going on, so much was at stake. This was truly a royal battle.

BOSTON ROB IS SMARTER THAN RUSSELL
Going into tribal council, Boston Rob laid out a strategy for his alliance that was 100 percent fool proof. 100 percent. B-Rob is a very smart and strategic player. He was absolutely right. Even if nobody played the idol, so long as everybody voted as laid out by Rob, (three votes Parvati, three votes Russell) then their alliance would stay intact — at worst Russell, Parvati, and Tyson would be tied with 3 votes each. They would re-vote, Rob’s alliance would most likely target Russell, he would have been voted out.

But Rob was also prepared for an idol to be played, and if so, then Parvati’s votes would not count, and Russell and Tyson would have been tied at three votes each. We’d re-vote and Russell would be voted out. He had it wired. Russell was going home. Russell should have gone home.

But this is Survivor and that means anything can happen. And what happened last night was…

RUSSELL DID IT AGAIN
The short, stubby, tooth-missin’ garden gnome did it again! Unbelievable. UN-B-LEEVE-ABLE. I still cannot believe he pulled it off. There were two HUGE elements at play:
1. It was a very inspired move to try to convince Tyson that he was safe at the vote because Russell was turning on Parvati — therefore Tyson didn’t need to worry about voting for Russell. He could just change his vote to Parvati since his vote didn’t really matter. The thing is Tyson didn’t have to change his vote. He could have gotten the same result and still kept himself safe by voting for Russell. The smarter move would have been to say, “Fine Russell, I dig that you’re ready to vote out Parvati. I’m gonna keep with my plan to vote for you just so I don’t alert anybody but I’m with you, and Parvati is going home.” Tyson could have gotten the same result without risking anything. Tyson simply lost his mind and forgot what he was doing… because Russell put that damn Russell seed in his head!
2. Russell giving the idol to Parvati was the biggest risk he’s taken in either of his two seasons. He went for broke and it worked.

You can write all the comments you want about how much you hate Russell. I don’t care. I won’t respond. That dude just made a major game-changing, momentum-switching move — and it worked. That’s what legends are made from – big bold moves.

TYSON ENTERS THE SURVIVOR HALL OF FAME
Tyson now joins James and Eric in the small section in the back of the Survivor Hall of Fame reserved for DUMBEST MOVES EVER. Tyson! We passed up Shane to bring you back… we had such high hopes for you. What were you thinking?! It’s one thing to be voted out with two immunity idols in your pocket like James did in China. It’s another thing to give up an immunity idol at tribal council like Eric did in Fans vs. Favorites. But Tyson, you changed your vote when there was nothing to be gained and in doing so you voted yourself out! We’ll take a poll, but I think that might be him at the top of the list. Remember, he gained nothing by changing his vote. It was just a tragic, game-ending muck up.

THE SHOWDOWN CONTINUES… BUT RUSSELL IS NOW ON TOP
It’s one of the greatest showdowns we’ve ever had and one of the most interesting stories of the season. Russell and Boston Rob. Two heavyweights duking it out on the beaches of Samoa.

Tonight, Russell took the upper hand. I loved how happy he was with himself, on the beach slapping his thighs with joy. And Rob’s face of confusion as he heard the votes being read was something we’re not used to seeing. I wonder how long it took him to figure out what happened.
And Russell is absolutely smitten with Parvati. The handing over of the idol from Russell to Parvati was the Survivor version of foreplay. I even got a bit turned on watching it, over and over and over. Think I’m crazy? Go back and take a look again. It’s foreplay. As she takes the idol, Parvati gives him a look that says, “You will most definitely get some tonight.” Of course we all know he won’t, but I think he thinks he will. That’s what I mean when I say Parvati is deadly. Even when you’re not into her, she turns on that charm and next thing you know you’re giving her your… idol.

These are our best players and they are giving us a tremendous season. The strategy is as intense as it has ever been — and we’re still just getting started.

Oh yes, the Heroes finally made a good move and voted out James.

See ya next week! We’re back on Thursdays again – from here till the end! Our finale is in NYC on May 16. Mark it down.