Survivor 41

[Lumpy1106]

I'm not completely understanding this idol and how it can work, if it has to be played before a merge. It'll be a really boring idol find and a disadvantage to Xander if the others don't find it and he's at risk to go if they stick to the alliance. Unless there are more hidden immunity idols out there that aren't under this beware one and he find it and can save himself.

I think the beauty of this idol is that he didn't know what it was when he found it - just the ominous warning. Would others have put it back? I think I would have. He didn't "need" an idol yet and he could always go back and get it. The Survivor producers are just messing with him having to say that butterfly phrase over and over again. They must be so thrilled he's playing along.

 

[lovin'fl]

Well...the butterfly statement...I am thinking he doesn't HAVE to say it. He can wait for one of the others to say their odd line. Actually, he may as well wait for both others to say it. Right? Or does he have to say it every week?

 

[Lumpy1106]

Well...the butterfly statement...I am thinking he doesn't HAVE to say it. He can wait for one of the others to say their odd line. Actually, he may as well wait for both others to say it. Right? Or does he have to say it every week?

Don't the phrases have to be said in order? Besides, he doesn't get a vote until all 3 phrases are said. That's going to motivate him to say it any chance he gets.

 

[Disneylover99]

BT, Jeff is still says "guys," just not, "Come on in, guys."

Yeah, I thought it was funny when he used the word guys in the second episode and nobody seemed to notice/mind.

 

[lovin'fl]

Don't the phrases have to be said in order? Besides, he doesn't get a vote until all 3 phrases are said. That's going to motivate him to say it any chance he gets.

But what order? The show didn't know which would be discovered first. Did the note say his was the 1st phrase? So if another tribe found theirs first they needed to wait until they heard his butterfly phrase? Then I guess he will need to say it each week. But if the note (rules) just said that all 3 phrases need to be said at one IC to activate, then he may as well wait until one of the other phrases gets said to repeat his butterfly phrase. Maybe also the show will send him mail or a note or something that gives him a new line to say. But then they'd have to update the 2 hidden idol notes with the new line (not that it would be difficult to do that). Guess we will see on Wed. If he does have to say it, my guess is that Peachy will ask him if he 'still is thinking butterflies are...blah blah blah' and Xander will respond 'yes, I still feel like butterflies are blah blah blah, man, I am going on fumes here' or something like that. So Peachy will help him out. Lame.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Yes, that was her!!!! That season isn't on Prime so I can't rewatch that one

I'm re-watching now with my daughter!

 

[Aladora]

That was Stephanie and Bobby John. Stephanie was the last one left. I think she went one to be the final 2 or 3 that season.

Survivor Palau, one of my favourite seasons. Stephenie ended up getting voted out second after the merge-not-merge, although she was the 3rd person on the jury because Janu quit. She comes back next season, Guatemala and ends up in second place. Also appears on Heroes vs Villains and does not do well at all, one of the first voted out iirc.

 

[piglet1979]

Survivor Palau, one of my favourite seasons. Stephenie ended up getting voted out second after the merge-not-merge, although she was the 3rd person on the jury because Janu quit. She comes back next season, Guatemala and ends up in second place. Also appears on Heroes vs Villains and does not do well at all, one of the first voted out iirc.

Yes, that is correct. I got the 2 seasons jumbled. She was one of my favorites at that time. Watching it back this past year (DS and I watched all 40 seasons during the pandemic) she was not my favorite. I still liked her though.

 

[starvenger]

You're so right about the past challenges, def. a lot more mental games for quite a while now that you miss more varied style.

The problem with the mental games is that it increases the probability that an under the radar player might advance and someone who makes BIG MOVES goes home. And the Executive Producer loves him some BIG MOVES.

I thought last night's vote was foolish. Sure, keep the woman who barely completed her portion of the challenge, because you want a "women's alliance". I think they're counting on some kind of merge/tribe switch, but one might not be forthcoming. They are just making themselves weaker.

It's one of those cases where the vote does not jive with the story they were telling. You want Xander out, you KNOW he doesn't have an idol, but you're letting the weakest member of your alliance sway you into voting out Dr. Voce? No, there's something else at play that we didn't see.

As to the "Come on in, guys!" faux controversy--Jeff could have easily changed it and not made a big deal out of it. "Come on in, gang!" would have worked, or "Come on in, everyone!" , something like that. I was annoyed that one person said he thought it might be offensive, after he pondered it, so they changed. You're always going to find someone, somewhere, who's offended by anything.

I know the joke is that it's All About Tyra. But this could apply to Probst as well at times.

- I don't care for Brad because every time I see him, I think of basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton. Same exact facial features.

I'm fairly certain that Walton had the same hairstyle back in the day as well.

I liked it better when there was just a final two honestly, I feel like I enjoyed the jury questioning more that way, there was only 2 to focus on and 2 to compare how they played the game. It didn't solve the "take the weaker to the end" strategy but still.

I'd take a final two with the current mode of questioning. Felt like the old version led to people issuing bitter statements rather than having an open debate. Plus with the old version of questioning it always felt like the jury was 95% locked in on their vote. It's more like 85-90% now but there is more of a chance.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The problem with the mental games is that it increases the probability that an under the radar player might advance and someone who makes BIG MOVES goes home. And the Executive Producer loves him some BIG MOVES.

Which is why I want more balance. Puzzles are fine but they are at almost all the challenges. Mental games can help show a player's strength which can lead them to staying around longer but a puzzle may not be someone's forte but doesn't mean them not doing well on it should mean they go home and of course if you fail the mental challenges you tend to be talked about as going home.

I just miss the challenges that seem to include more variety or at least not repeat the same type of challenges over and over. To be fair I'd probably suck at coming up with actual games myself lol.

I'd take a final two with the current mode of questioning. Felt like the old version led to people issuing bitter statements rather than having an open debate. Plus with the old version of questioning it always felt like the jury was 95% locked in on their vote. It's more like 85-90% now but there is more of a chance.

True but I feel like players were forced to own their actions more when it was the questioning of the past. I think the open format is fine actually but I feel like that can also lead to a player not getting questioned very much because the conversation evolves, someone brings up a point and it morphs. Not that that is a bad thing but if you're not totally locked in you may be missing some good knowledge. Maybe the open format would be different with just two these days but I do feel like there might need more balance. But it's also possible that players have evolved too. In the beginning and towards the middle backstabbing was seen fairly negatively and it does seem like backstabbing is more of an accepted part of the game now especially as alliances don't seem to have the same power, people seem to have open alliances, shifting when they feel like it and for a long time alliances were hush hush not necessarily known who was in it and going against that alliance was a very poor move.

 

[declansdad]

I thought last night's vote was a good choice but there seems to be a lot of mistrust on that tribe.

Wonder what happens with that advantage now, do they put the one he found back in play?

 

[QueenIsabella]

It looks like there might be a merge/swap next week. There seemed to be a lot of people in blue buffs during the preview.

I know they're trying to mix things up with all these weird advantages and idols and all, but it gets very confusing. Who knows what will happen with the stuff Brad left with--and didn't he leave something with another player? (maybe I'm thinking of someone else?)

 

[leeniewdw]

I thought last night's vote was a good choice but there seems to be a lot of mistrust on that tribe.

Wonder what happens with that advantage now, do they put the one he found back in play?

Was thinking they'd add another clue in that tribe. Poor Xander when they show up to the next challenge and Brad is gone!

It looks like there might be a merge/swap next week. There seemed to be a lot of people in blue buffs during the preview.

I know they're trying to mix things up with all these weird advantages and idols and all, but it gets very confusing. Who knows what will happen with the stuff Brad left with--and didn't he leave something with another player? (maybe I'm thinking of someone else?)

A merge at this point would make sense.

The advantages and the related rules are VERY confusing. We had to pause the show (we were watching live) just to compare notes as to what the options where, etc.

JD gave his "steal a vote" to Shan after she noticed the parchment in his shorts. He had told them that he just 'protected his vote' when he did the hill climb. So she said she's hold it for now and he agreed. And to further comments on the confusion, that's a great question. Had JD been voted out, would Shan get to use the "steal the vote". I'm thinking yes, but who knows.

 

[KingLlama]

- Don't. Tell. People. About. Your. Advantages. And. Idols.

- I mean, that's the number-one rule of "Survivor" in the earliest weeks, right? DON'T GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO VOTE YOU OUT. Whether it's because you've got advantages/idols, you've sucked at challenges, you're lazy around camp, or you are just a jerk to be around, don't give anyone a reason to get rid of you.

- The advantages are way too confusing. Even Rob/Stephen on the RHAP "Know-it-alls" podcast admitted that it's hard to keep up all the rules/stipulations. They've swung the pendulum too far towards the "reinventing the game" end of the spectrum. And the problem is that it's no longer a game of outwit/outlast/outplay, but "outfind", as in, find more advantages/idols than other people. I'm not a fan. At all.

- Yes, the challenges need to be updated. It's all generally the same....swim or run through some kind of obstacle course to obtain puzzle pieces, then finish the puzzle. Or, swim or run through some kind of obstacle course to obtain things to throw at (or land on) targets. I get that those challenges involve elements of mental and physical, but just change it up a bit. Am I drunk, or was one of their challenges back in the day a huge game in a field, a la kickball or some kind of target game? Just seems like there was a lot more variety back then.

- This is a genuinely likeable cast. But producers are in danger of overplaying their hand and complicating things to the point where the game isn't recognizable anymore. It's a shame if that happens.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

Poor Xander when they show up to the next challenge and Brad is gone!

I was thinking the same thing!!

- The advantages are way too confusing. Even Rob/Stephen on the RHAP "Know-it-alls" podcast admitted that it's hard to keep up all the rules/stipulations. They've swung the pendulum too far towards the "reinventing the game" end of the spectrum.

Agreed! So confusing!! When the three were on the island last night after there boat ride in the dark, my husband and I were stopping and rewinding trying to understand how each ones decision affected the outcome!! UGH!!! I don't want to have to concentrate that much to understand things!!

 

[EMom]

I'm not a fan of this cast. Far too many of them act as if they have never watched even one episode of Survivor. They yak about every advantage, etc. They tell ALL the details to lots of people. They vote out Voce instead of a tribe member who is unpredictable and as useless as a dead battery during a blackout, all to preserve the female alliance. Too many dunces to enjoy anything.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The advantages and the related rules are VERY confusing. We had to pause the show (we were watching live) just to compare notes as to what the options where, etc.

We did this too when Brad went over why he lost his vote for the night, we couldn't remember about the idol, I knew the phrase bit but got confused after that. My husband kept saying "but he stole a vote" and I had to pause and reverse it (it was on DVR) so we could understand it better.

Maybe they flung too much of all of this in one season of trying to flip it up??

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I agree about not telling about advantages or idols. That only becomes a real problem if they follow you, I've seen players in the past be able to throw people off the scent but most seem to have to give up the information they have at that point.

This phrase bit in order to get the 3-way idol activated honestly is confusing and yet my husband and I laughed when Brad said his broccoli part. There is a comic part to that but I wonder at what point will other people (aside from Xander at this point) begin to be like "WTH was that said for??" and figure there's some reason these random phrases are being said by the same people. Normally when a player is out with something in their pocket it gets put back into game play. I wonder if they will do that again.

 

[lovin'fl]

So, I am not sad to see 'money' shot JD go. He made bad bad moves giving his advantage to Shan.

Shan's evil song is not so evil and is annoying. But I am down to watch her be evil.

I am feeling like we may end up with a girls alliance a la Micronesia Black Widow Brigade. Of course it won't compare but I am guessing that's what this season is going for. Since Shan kept Genie over JD it seems this plan has been telegraphed somehow.

 

[lovin'fl]

This is from preview so I will attempt to put it in spolier quote... looks like Genie finds the crazy saying idol thing, can't wait to see how it all works out.