Survivor 42

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’d love to see a person who, everyone felt didn’t have any kind of a shot, win.

The reality is that just doesn't happen because people have to basically really hate the other option. It might have happened in the past none are coming to mind but Romeo was brought to the end strictly because he was seen as someone who couldn't and wouldn't win. For the game of survivor from the beginning what got you to the end has changed, what has won people in the end has changed but it's been pretty much steady that if you're a player who didn't do anything and you got to the end it was because you weren't going to win because nobody felt you should get it.

I was reading interviews from Jonathon and Lindsay where the interviewer said that Romeo really truly thought that the jury believed him on that idol being real, both of them said no one on the jury thought that and they basically rolled their eyes. I had the same reaction like it was just some drama to be dramatic.

I don't think Romeo is an annoying person per se but he is as self unaware as Mike was.

Now I have seen players fight tooth and nail without an alliance and ones who knew they were on the outs but who had ways they could contribute if they were given the chance, ways they could make a good person to partner up with IF people would let them in and ones who stood out like a sore thumb because they kept winning individual immunity when no one wanted them to. That was not Romeo. Romeo's got a great story for himself, something that appears to have been cathartic to him, but not something that was relating to the actual game and actual reason he should have won or gotten votes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As soon as Maryann was talking about her idol before getting that tribal where mike and Jonathan I knew that was going to be something she'd pull out as her "ah ha!" moment. She def. subdued herself the latter half of the game. I'm not convinced that she was always as aware of she thinks she was on how her gameplay was going as it seems clear they were quite annoyed with her but it's like she buckled down and was like "let's do this". I've wondered if before editing if they touched on her sabotaging that last advantage meaning did the other players end up finding out that she was just biding their time so Lindsay could have a better chance at finding the advantage.

Poor mike, I'm sure he really is more of an honor kind of guy but I like the way Lindsay said it in her interview IIRC that he's more of an old school kind of guy like he really does think he's an honor guy standing by his word but IMO it's like he feels like he's gotta be the guy people go to and he takes care of them. So in the game he did this, took care of others who took care of him, offered to take care of people trusting they'd have his back but he didn't think about that if you tell everyone you'll take care of them..with the same thing (meaning idol) even if you say "I might" it's not necessarily playing the game with the most honesty. And in general people get it, they expect it but they don't want a player who just hides behind "honor" when they didn't really play that so I get why the jury grilled him on that and why they said he wasn't quite as aware of how he was.

I was rooting for Jonathan in a way because I felt like he attempted to work with a lot of people but I can see how he needed to have a bit better tone and approach to people. He seems like a well-mannered (mr. jeff for example)...but good 'ole boy..kind of guy if you get what I'm meaning.

I didn't like Lindsay in the end because while she was a formidable opponent and really gave it all she just let her annoyances with Jonathan impact her, like girl you lied too, you manipulated people too, fake cried, used your "he's like a father figure I'll play that to my advantage" person, hard not to get miffed at being blindsided but you did your fair share too so it just came off to me as a petty thing. I don't think Lindsay should have won because she didn't really form enough alliances with those who were left. She just sorta bonded a tiny bit with maryann and that's it. I didn't feel like she spent enough time forming relationships with people, she was good at the challenges.

 

[Disneylover99]

He only got to the end because everyone knew nobody would vote for him. He did absolutely nothing that was worthy of winning the game.

Yeah. But that’s my point. Everybody wrote him off. He didn’t do anything around camp. He didn’t seem all that likeable. Not a popular opinion, but, I think a Romeo upset would have been great. Over Maryann at least.

It gets a bit tiring, year after year, listening to others talking about how they can pad their Survivor resume. How they need to make a bold move, etc… so the jury will think they’re worthy of the money. Predictable.

 

[declansdad]

Yeah. But that’s my point. Everybody wrote him off. He didn’t do anything around camp. He didn’t seem all that likeable. Not a popular opinion, but, I think a Romeo upset would have been great. Over Maryann at least.

It gets a bit tiring, year after year, listening to others talking about how they can pad their Survivor resume. How they need to make a bold move, etc… so the jury will think they’re worthy of the money. Predictable.

At least they are doing something.

 

[HopperFan]

I think it is hilarious that Romeo thought he played a game worthy of winning.

I think overall Mike played the better game but Maryann did play better than most people give her credit for.

All of this. ^

Probably one of my favorite seasons. No "stars" and everyday people that played hard against each other while still being fairly nice to each other. Actually saw strategy at play every episode. Most left respecting the vote. I loved it.

Of course if well played you don't end up with three AWESOME players at the end, you don't want to dilute the vote. You almost always end up with the one you drug along because they did nothing and were no threat to take the money aka Romeo. Nice young man, worthy of winning? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The only chance he'd have at my vote is if I legit hated the other two people so much I could not reward them for their behavior.

Mad respect to Maryann for making it past two weeks, let alone win. I said from day one her happiness was too much for me and I'd vote her off just for that. Sanity is important. I did respect her ability to really see the components and ramifications of each move, to look forward. She is way smarter than she acts. She made a couple good decisions, used her extra votes well. Not impressed with her hidden idol. But I also know that we are seeing way more than each of them see about the others. I don't think until that night the jury saw her as smart.

Mike played hard from day one, and had people gunning for him from day one. He made it through. He, on a ongoing basis from day one, showed why he should win. But again, what we see and they see are two different things. Unfortunately for him Maryann is built to speak eloquently and managed to completely snow the jury, while Mike, a bit tongue tied, was unable to move them. Maryann won the game in 5 minutes at the end. PR is a powerful thing.

I would have voted for Mike, hands down because I would have voted on a season of play, not a speech at the end.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Unfortunately for him Maryann is built to speak eloquently and managed to completely snow the jury, while Mike, a bit tongue tied, was unable to move them.

I don't think of him so much as tongue tied. He was able to speak well enough when prodded. I think his issue came when he had to swallow his pride a bit and realize introspectively he was not playing the game like he thought he was. He was noticeably quieter when he had a few minutes I think to reflect, when he came back and said basically the jury was right that he probably didn't play as much with integrity as he thought he did but that was sorta his afterthought and I think but I can't remember exactly if that was after Maryann had dropped her bombshell of "here's how this all would have gone down". I think had he been more self-aware upfront he would have at least earned more votes and it would have come more closely with Maryann.

Not impressed with her hidden idol.

I think for me it wasn't the idol itself. It was that she, at least how it was shown, never told anyone. That's very rare for that to happen. And furthermore she positioned herself to be safer without having to use the idol and out herself. With Mike offering to use his idol for her it really helped her but at least on the edit you saw her saying if he does use it for her she could use her idol to protect someone and get jonathan out. There were a lot of moves she was thinking about and all without her colluding with someone else with the idol known. I think that's impressive. She was both a very chatty, boisterous and at times annoying person..and yet in the latter half of her game def. more perceptive of game play all the while people were sitting there thinking "meh" about her. Almost like "it's the quiet ones you have to worry about" except she was not a quiet one

 

[leeniewdw]

As soon as Maryann was talking about her idol before getting that tribal where mike and Jonathan I knew that was going to be something she'd pull out as her "ah ha!" moment. She def. subdued herself the latter half of the game. I'm not convinced that she was always as aware of she thinks she was on how her gameplay was going as it seems clear they were quite annoyed with her but it's like she buckled down and was like "let's do this". I've wondered if before editing if they touched on her sabotaging that last advantage meaning did the other players end up finding out that she was just biding their time so Lindsay could have a better chance at finding the advantage.

I don't think of him so much as tongue tied. He was able to speak well enough when prodded. I think his issue came when he had to swallow his pride a bit and realize introspectively he was not playing the game like he thought he was. He was noticeably quieter when he had a few minutes I think to reflect, when he came back and said basically the jury was right that he probably didn't play as much with integrity as he thought he did but that was sorta his afterthought and I think but I can't remember exactly if that was after Maryann had dropped her bombshell of "here's how this all would have gone down". I think had he been more self-aware upfront he would have at least earned more votes and it would have come more closely with Maryann.


I think for me it wasn't the idol itself. It was that she, at least how it was shown, never told anyone. That's very rare for that to happen. And furthermore she positioned herself to be safer without having to use the idol and out herself. With Mike offering to use his idol for her it really helped her but at least on the edit you saw her saying if he does use it for her she could use her idol to protect someone and get jonathan out. There were a lot of moves she was thinking about and all without her colluding with someone else with the idol known. I think that's impressive. She was both a very chatty, boisterous and at times annoying person..and yet in the latter half of her game def. more perceptive of game play all the while people were sitting there thinking "meh" about her. Almost like "it's the quiet ones you have to worry about" except she was not a quiet one

Agree with both of these. Maryann was frustrated and silly in the first half of the game but she adapted and as the numbers got smaller, she had a strategy and began to act on it. I think she wanted to 'plot/strategize' from the beginning but the stronger/older players didn't give her the time of day. I was a little confused about the claim that Mike/Jonathon were as much responsible for the Omar vote as her (during FTC). The edit clearly showed Mike's hesitancy as well as Maryanne's frustration that they weren't going to listen to her. And IIRC, it was her extra vote advantage that even allowed for such a vote?

Mike made, imo, a classic Survivor mistake at FTC, trying to wear the "I played an honest game" when it's an impossible claim. The only way he could have done that is if his "strong dude alliance" he made back when RocksRoy was still in it actually stuck together. I think the jury wanted him to own his lying/strategy rather than "I only lied once" , "well yeah, kind then too" , "and maybe then". It showed he didn't really reflect on his game strategy arc. I think he was caught off guard, while Maryann had a plan. I believe Mike said something like as long as he got to final 3 he'd win? So perhaps he was way over confident and didn't look great scrambling when 1 mill was on the line.

I definitely think Maryann is a deserving winner. She was written off and criticized by so many at the beginning. Mike was universally loved so I don't think it was bitter jury or a popularity contest. I think she had legit "moves" and buried Mike at the final TC. And she deserved votes for keeping her idol to herself! It's literally what viewers yell at the TV when players blab about their advantages.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was a little confused about the claim that Mike/Jonathon were as much responsible for the Omar vote as her (during FTC). The edit clearly showed Mike's hesitancy as well as Maryanne's frustration that they weren't going to listen to her. And IIRC, it was her extra vote advantage that even allowed for such a vote?

I was confused too. It must be the edit and maybe stuff that happened before because I remember it like you did. That was her beginning to really up her game from what we could see IMO and from what they showed the jury totally downplayed that so if they really didn't know how much she had done maybe it was just a case of that being her playing too underground since Mike was sitting there with her and Mike at that time had been more alliance-happy with more players.

I definitely think Maryann is a deserving winner. She was written off and criticized by so many at the beginning. Mike was universally loved so I don't think it was bitter jury or a popularity contest. I think she had legit "moves" and buried Mike at the final TC. And she deserved votes for keeping her idol to herself! It's literally what viewers yell at the TV when players blab about their advantages.

So agree with this assessment!

 

[Boopuff]

Is it just me or has the cast of survivor gotten much younger over the years. I seem to recall that in past seasons there were a handful of "older" people on the show. This season 5 people were 44 or older. I'm also a big fan of "the Challenge" (produced by CBS) that show has started to pull cast members from Survivor, Big Bother etc. So I really wonder if, on some level, they're hoping for some crossover thereby using younger cast. I'm looking forward to seeing who will show up on the new CBS show "the Challenge USA"

 

[mamamary]

Is it just me or has the cast of survivor gotten much younger over the years. I seem to recall that in past seasons there were a handful of "older" people on the show. This season 5 people were 44 or older. I'm also a big fan of "the Challenge" (produced by CBS) that show has started to pull cast members from Survivor, Big Bother etc. So I really wonder if, on some level, they're hoping for some crossover thereby using younger cast. I'm looking forward to seeing who will show up on the new CBS show "the Challenge USA"

Love the Challenge

 

[CynBeth]

I finally got to watch and would have preferred Mike winning of the 3 but am ok with her. So glad it was not Romeo. As soon as Romeo picked her I said to my family it will not matter if Mike or Jonathan wins the fire challenge she is going to win because of that conversation that happened at that one TC and she is more likeable.