Survivor: Redemption Island (Page 3) StuckInTheSixties: Indeed, Matt's still alive. But I think the odds of him remaining alive are slim. Even though he won six straight duels, some of those were VERY close wins. It's more likely than not that someone will bump him off. Still, he is the undisputed, unbeaten King of Redemption Island, isn't he? It's still undetermined how the game construct will work. Obviously, it made sense to bring the exiled player back into the main game at the merge. And I assume the same thing will be continuing with Redemption Island: the next person voted out will go there with Matt, the next day, those two will duel, the loser is sent packing, and the winner remains there on Redemption Island. I'll be very surprised if that doesn't happen just like that. However ... Eventually, the exiled player will have to be brought back into the game. I'm guessing that it will be toward the end. I can see several options: 1. Bring the exiled player back arbitrarily when there are four regular players remaining, changing that four into five. 2. Bring the exiled player back arbitrarily when there are three regular players remaining, changing that three into four. 3. Bring the exiled player back when there are only two regular players left, changing that two into three (essentially adding one extra round in the game at the very end). 4. Bring the exiled player back when there are only two regular players left, changing that two into three, and having the jury pick the winner from three, instead of the usual two (they used to pick from three in past games). 5. Have the regular players play down to a single victorious player, who is then pitted against the exiled player, and the jury picks the winner from those two. Personally, I think it'll be #2. Wouldn't it be amazing if Matt hung in there, continuing his unbeaten streak of duels, until he is finally brought back into the game, and somehow, the game is such that Matt is pitted in some sort of competition against Boston Rob - winner stays, loser goes home ...  Sables: lol I think the last scenario is the best and it would be salt in the wound if Matt won......karma is a beotch you know I would think that they would bring the survivor back before it gets too low in numbers in the game...in time to throw off some alliances...got to put a cog in the wheel sometime.... StuckInTheSixties: I was VERY dubious about the concept of Redemption Island when I heard about it, just before the season started. But I must admit that I really like the concept. I saw Jeff Probst talking about it a week or two before the season started, and his very brief explanation was that people had complained about a perceived flaw in the way Survivor was played - too often, really good players, really interesting people would get voted out early in the game. Redemption Island was conceived as a way to give those people a second chance. But it turns out that there's more to it than that. As Matt has pointed out, when a person is exiled on Redemption Island, and then another "loser" shows up late at night, during the time between when that second person arrives, and when the duel goes down, they have time to talk, and information is exchanged. When Matt was released from Redemption Island, he had a wealth of information about Zapatera in his pocket, who the alliances were, who liked who, who disliked who, etc. If he hadn't squandered his freedom by letting God play his game for him, he'd have acquired a huge advantage over the other players with intimate knowledge about BOTH tribes, very useful after the merge. Furthermore, during the duels, when witnesses are on hand, information has often been available to those who paid attention. For instance, remember how Ralph was there as a witness, and foolishly gloated to Russell that he'd found the Immunity Necklace? Well, Matt was also there, and Kristina and Phillip. They all were able to learn a very useful bit of information from that incident. I've noticed that little bits of useful information always seems to be divulged in one way or another at the duels. Jeff kind of prompts this by asking questions of the people on hand. I've found myself watching that, and thinking, "Man, if I was sitting there, and Jeff was asking me a question, I'd be VERY careful to offer an answer that basically conveyed NOTHING." Sables: yes I agree, sometimes the info let out is pretty valuable to the other team and I do like this version with Redemtion Island, it does not allow for them to relax because like a bad seafood dinner, it may come back to haunt them StuckInTheSixties: The last couple of episodes haven't dwelled on Creepy Phillip all that much. In the last episode, he made two really hilarious speeches, but he hasn't been that involved in the actual game. I'm hoping that with the Merge, we'll see some more crazy-ass Phillip antics. Sooner or later, he's going to be voted out in a Tribal Council. That should be REALLY interesting. Sables: lol @ when Jeff asked Phil to explain something at the tribal council, he was like the ever ready bunny he just kept going on and on and on and on...... Yes I would like to see more of him in clothes those red underwear just gross me and apparently everyone else out...it will be interesting to see how the new alliances will be made... StuckInTheSixties: (laughs hyterically) You mean you didn't enjoy Phillip traipsing around in his loose, baggy pink undies with little spots of pixilation covering up his manly bits when they peeked out of the leg holes? Sables: ewwwww that is more than creepy....I have a distaste for those kind of underwear, my dad wore them, though his fit better...lol I won't let my hubby wear those and then to have those faded out red baggy with his bits and pieces poking out  Sables: well lol did you see Rob's face when someone said he had his group in his control at the voting lol well he does have them under his control. I wonder if the statement that was made has them thinking, he says he is going to take Phreaky Phil with him and one of the women as the final three...I wonder if Phil will really make a move againest him. It seems as if Phreaky Phil is towing the line which does have Rob relaxing abit...and Phreaky Phil with his meditation and feather appearing from thin air lol that man runs off the mouth like a soup sandwich. Too bad the other tribe couldn't get Phil over but they have been commanded to always be in pairs so it is making it tough to talk and make new alliances. Wow down to three, they took quite a hit tonight.  lois_lane: Im sooo glad that everyone loves Rob Bahahahahaha!!! I am extra glad that they are seeing the kind of player Rob has always been. A cute smile covered by evil ways lols. I still think that the "other team" (clear divide) must still be soo glad they made that Big Play of booting Russell off, it seems to have worked out really well for them so far and I hope they can keep up the good work  Go Grant or ROCT(mike I think is his name) either one of those guys winning would be kool. I do like the older guy (looks like max headrum) foot ball coach , but I think he might be on his way out soon enough. Im too lazy to type anymore. lois_lane: really? I totally think he does , I do like him tho. However I do like ROTC's body, it is coming along very nicely and Grant is losing a little too much weight and I really think he should have eaten some of the dead fish. Hahahaha YUCKS! StuckInTheSixties: Episode 9 opened, appropriately, with Matt self-castigating for allowing himself to be voted out of the tribe yet a second time, and again, by those that voted him out before. But he’s uncomprehending as to why it happened. He simply doesn’t realize that he’s presented himself as a double combo threat: he’s hard to beat in challenges, and dangerously inconsistent as to where his loyalties lie. When he was given his freedom from Redemption Island, he had a number of options, such as immediately letting bygones be bygones and joining Ometepe with heart and soul, or by joining the opposition in Zapatera. Instead, he waffled all over the place, first deciding to conspire against Ometepe, and then, at God’s apparent command, deciding not to do that at all. In the process, he alienated the two players he could least afford to alienate: his closest ally Andrea, and the most powerful person in the game, Boston Rob. Matt’s social game is a smoldering ruin. If some circumstance allows him to actually rejoin the game, he’ll become nothing more than a pawn, used, then discarded. At this point, the best fate Matt can hope for is to remain on Redemption Island, continue his unbroken string of duel victories, and hope for a miracle. And, of course, he’s still talking to God, assuming that what has happened to him is part of God’s plan. Apparently, God planned for him to self-destruct. The morning after Tribal Council, the atmosphere around camp drove home the point of just how bad things are for Zapatera. First, Mike and David begrudgingly admired Rob’s “genius” handiwork in booting Matt. David likened Rob to a Mafia godfather that just successfully put a hit on a straying family member. They even complimented Rob personally, apparently just trying to probe a little, seeing how Rob would respond. For his part, Rob accepted the compliment with a simple “thanks,” but gave very little, if anything, to them in the way of useful information. Still, they’re trying, which is all they can do. Then Julie emotionally expressed that sending Matt back again to Redemption Island was such a “cold blooded” move. There’s truth to that, of course, but she apparently didn’t realize that it was really the only move for Rob to make. Julie did, however, comprehend that Matt’s execution demonstrated how just difficult it was going to be to break through Ometepe’s defenses. Finally, Ralph, who had wasted a valuable, life-saving Hidden Immunity Idol the night before, clumsily attempted to squeeze some information out of Ashley. She basically shrugged and politely refused to divulge anything to him about anything. Smart. While this was happening, Natalie stood by, saying little, but basically showing agreement with how Ashley was reacting. (By the way, although Ralph wasted that Hidden Immunity Idol, he can’t really be blamed for it. Given the circumstances, it appeared to be a reasonable move. He, and all of Zapatera, were simply outmaneuvered by Rob, and had no idea what was in store when Matt was sent packing.) Ralph followed that failed probe for information with a VERY clumsy attempt to sway them with a half-assed promise that if Ashley made it to the “top three,” he’d vote for her (in a popularity vote) instead of Rob. That went over like a lead balloon. His desperation was pathetic. In an aside to viewers, Ralph summed things up: “I have no clue what’s goin’ on. They won’t let us know nothin’. How can we play a game when we don’t know where to start?” StuckInTheSixties: Boston Rob is now, more than ever, totally in control of the game. He is in charge. He is making the rules for Ometepe. He established a “buddy system,” where anyone is forbidden to have any interaction with Zapatera, or for that matter, to even go anywhere outside of camp without another member going along with them. It’s a very dictatorial, regimented rule, yet one which makes great sense when one considers the dynamics of Survivor. His tribe had no resistance whatsoever to the rule. They understand that, at least for the time being, tribe cohesion works for everyone’s benefit, including them. They understand the logic in a rule designed to remove paranoia from their midst. And as Rob explained in an aside to viewers, removing Matt had another benefit that can’t be underestimated. It solidified Ometepe. Every one of those six were willing to push Matt off the cliff, and every one of them realized that the others were equally willing to do that. There was a unifying aspect to the “cold-blooded” act of voting for Matt. Rob further explained in an aside to viewers that his strategy, for the time being, is “us verses them.” He wants to demonize Zapatera, to keep the rivalry between the tribes as hot and passionate as he possibly can. They are strictly segregated. They have their separate shelters. They eat separately. They certainly don’t inter-socialize. Rob is keeping his tribe focused on just who the enemy is … and this also keeps them from thinking of the threat he ultimately represents, as well. He’s playing Ometepe like a fiddle. I’ve been thinking about Rob’s overall strategy. While it’s sound, actually brilliant, at least for the time being, I suspect that it may be brittle. He may be successful in keeping that strategy intact until there is no one left but those six Ometepe players, but at that point, those remaining players will really have no choice other than to give Rob a taste of his own medicine. And of course, if by some miracle, that solid alliance of six can somehow be cracked, he’ll be in dire straits. The more I think about it, the more I suspect that this strategy of Rob’s may fail spectacularly in the latter stages of the game. But then again, Rob may have something else up his sleeve by that time. A very interesting, and I think very important, little development occurred. Natalie cornered Rob, and gave her account of Ralph’s pathetic overture to Ashley and her … but … she slanted it sharply. As she told it, Ralph’s overture was strictly to Ashley, rather than to both of them. Actually, it’s kind of ambiguous just what happened. When he made his lame promise of a final-three vote, Ralph was face-to-face with Ashley, and speaking directly to her, but Natalie was just an arm’s length behind her, obviously listening and being a part of what was happening there and then. I actually went back in my recording of the program to watch it again, but frankly, I couldn’t tell if Ralph was addressing Ashley alone, or Ashley and Natalie together. But I digress … not only did Natalie describe that encounter to Rob in those terms, that it was Ralph talking to Ashley alone, not Ralph talking to both Ashley and Natalie together, but she also made an extremely devious move against Ashley. In telling this story to Rob, being his trustworthy puppet informant, she also LIED outright about Ashley! She told her story thusly: “Ralph pulled her aside and said, ‘I want you … like, if you make it to the top three, I won’t vote for you … are you gonna tell Rob?’ and she said, ‘No, he doesn’t need to know.’ ” This was a complete and utter LIE! Ralph made no mention of Rob in that exchange, nor, of course, did Ashley agree to withhold anything from Rob. StuckInTheSixties: Rob showed obvious concern, and thanked Natalie for telling him about this. Now Rob now thinks that Ashley was purposefully withholding that information. He’s now thinking that Ashley has a component of unreliability and that she’s playing him. But it’s not Ashley playing Rob. It’s Natalie that’s playing both against each other by manufacturing an utter LIE! I think this is the first time anyone in the game has played Rob this way. This makes me wonder what sort of subtle, devious tactics Natalie might have in her pocket. Thus far, she’s remained under the radar, presenting herself as anything but a threat. Thus far, she has been Rob’s most trusted ally, seemingly completely under his control, totally subservient to him. She’s been Rob’s closest confidant and favorite puppet. This was a slick, but dangerous move by Natalie. Rob is extremely perceptive, and if he figures out that Natalie played him, she’s a dead duck. But in an aside to viewers, Rob revealed that he bought Natalie’s story hook, line and sinker. Wow! What will this lead to in the future? Keep your eyes on cute little Natalie. Beneath her veneer of innocence lies a core of calculating deviousness. Because once again, there was only one person at Redemption Island, there was no duel. Instead, the game went right to the Immunity Challenge. Creepy Phillip sported a headband with a large feather. He explained that he’d been meditating, and asked for a sign. And as he explained it, the feather appeared “out of thin air.” Of course, the other players snickered and rolled their eyes. He further explained that it was a good sign for his “Otempo” tribe members, badly mangling the name Ometepe. Again, this caused some stifled laughter. Grant won the challenge, which of course, was bad news for Zapatera. The only question was which one of the five would be sent packing. Upon return to camp, there was a bit of confusion, both for tribe members, and viewers at home too. While Ometepe walked off to the beach together, apparently to decide who the next victim would be, Mike noticed that the tribe “Murilonio” banner had been moved. This got them wondering if a new Hidden Immunity Idol had been buried in the sand under it, and they hastily began digging with their hands. Sharp-eyed Rob noticed the digging, knew just what was happening. Ometepe quickly ran back up to the camp. Since the Zapatera players hadn’t found anything, they were able to at least get a little entertainment out of watching Ometepe dig the sand in a futile attempt to find an Idol that apparently wasn’t there. This bit of confusion was actually yet another wasted opportunity for Zapatera. It gave them at least a chance to try to pull off a fast one on Ometepe by presenting an impression that they had, indeed found the Hidden Immunity Idol. As Rob explained to an aside to the viewers, in a past game, he was ambushed by a player with a Hidden Immunity Idol, so he has an ingrained paranoia about them. And while he has one in his possession (which no one knows of), he considered that Ralph played his, which suggested a good likelihood of another one being in play. So why didn’t Zapatera at least make some sort of an attempt to exploit this uncertainty? Why didn’t they try to convince Ometepe that they’d found the Idol, and were going to play it in a certain way to throw off Ometepe? Or why didn’t they hurriedly try to make a fake idol, a ruse that’s been successfully run several times in past games, and use it as an offering to try to persuade someone – Creepy Phillip – to cross over to their side? In all likelihood, it would have been a failed attempt, but still, it would have been an attempt. They had nothing to lose. But all they did was have a few chuckles as Rob and Phillip dug around in the sand looking for a non-existent idol. StuckInTheSixties: Rob again asserted leadership over his tribe when it came to deciding who would be the Tribal Council sacrificial victim. Creepy Phillip suggested Ralph, and Grant suggested Mike or David as the biggest threat. Rob pointed out that there might be an advantage in voting for someone with the best chance of beating Matt in a duel (although I don’t see what the difference would be – every single Zapatera member – and Matt, all are guaranteed to be anti-Ometepe). And again, they really weren’t sure if there was a Hidden Immunity Idol in Zapatera’s possession, or not. As Rob explained, no matter what, there were times when taking a risk was called for, and this was one of those times. Tribal Council was hilarious, with Creepy Phillip again wearing the feather. Jeff Probst egged him on, and this time Phillip elaborated on his story, explaining that his great great Grandfather, a “full-blooded Cherokee,” had come to him in his meditation …  It was a bunch of silly, transparently fictional hooey. Surprisingly, even though there were smirks and snickering, no one outwardly mocked him. Probst, ever the pot stirrer, asked Julie which Ometepe member she thought was on the bottom of their totem pole. She fingered Phillip as the most vulnerable. Phillip answered with a classic, inane, nonsensical explanation of why he didn’t mind if he was on the bottom, because it was a good place to “look up” from, and because he had loyalty to his “new family.” Julie countered, “Matt thought you guys were his family, too.” This shut Phillip up right quick, and at that point, the mocking of Creepy Phillip and his feather began. The writing was on the wall, and one of the Zapatera tribe was going to be leaving, and so, Zapatera figured, what did they have to lose by antagonizing Phillip? But again, this was thoughtless, poor social gaming on their part, and completely lacking the consideration that if they had any chance in turning Phillip in the future, mocking and antagonizing him would not help.Zapatera misplayed the game with their votes, as well. Consider this: Which Ometepe member is the least likely to be turned? That would be Rob. Thus the only logical vote for them to cast would be Rob, as voting that way would preserve whatever slim opportunity there might be to turn someone else. Regardless of who they voted for, it was only going to be a symbolic vote, as they were outnumbered six to five. But they all stupidly voted for Creepy Phillip. Before that vote, before they mocked him for his silly feather, Phillip was the obvious weak link in the Ometepe tribe. Zapatera foolishly, unthinkingly, strengthened the resolve and loyalty to his tribe that Phillip had, rather than keeping that link as the weak one. After reading of five straight votes for Phillip, Jeff paused dramatically. Everyone knew that the next vote he read would be the first of six, and as he intoned the name on the first vote, Mike learned his fate, and was sent off to exile. Arriving back at camp for the night, Rob made sure to congratulate his tribe, and poured on the praise for Phillip, assuring him that the mocking he’d suffered at the hands of Zapatera was unjust. In an aside to viewers, he also confided which players he wanted with him the Final Three: Phillip and Natalie. Creepy Phillip had his own private aside with the viewing audience in which he alluded that he knew he was perceived as nutty, and that other players viewed him as a good player to have at the end because of that. He confided that he knew that somewhere along the way, “I gotta make something happen, but there’s a time for that, and now isn’t the time.” Creepy Phillip is fairly crazy … but not quite as crazy as he sometimes seems. But he is crazy, nevertheless. StuckInTheSixties: Times are dire for Zapatera. In the morning, Ralph and David were trying to figure out some sort of move to make. Ralph wanted to immediately try to talk conspiracy with someone … anyone … from Ometepe, but David counseled restraint. Ralph, considering that “time is ticking,” went ahead and made an overture to Phillip and Andrea as David looked on. He attempted to breach the Ometepe defense by telling them that they were being played by Rob. Again, his attempt was an utter failure. Phillip and Andrea would have none of it, and basically told him to shut up about it. David, in an aside, expressed how frustrated he was that Zapatera seemingly had no moves whatsoever. This episode went directly into a second Immunity Challenge. It involved hanging upside down by the legs until giving up and dropping into the water below. This challenge favored the three Ometepe Bikini Girls, and they were the last three hanging after David, the last Zapatera remaining in the challenge, finally had to drop out. Andrea asked her team mates if she could wear the Immunity Necklace, and they deferred to her, giving her the honor. After the challenge, the atmosphere in camp was relaxed and jovial for Ometepe, and like a funeral for Zapatera. There was a brief and interesting interlude when Ralph noticed that the fishing net that he had left in the water, and was now exposed by a low tide, had a number of fish in it. Rob inquired as to whether or not the fish were still alive, and opined that since the fish were dead, even though they hadn’t been dead too long, they shouldn’t be eaten. Zapatera ignored this, and cooked up the fish for a meal. It provided an interesting display of Ometepe loyalty. Since Rob refused to eat the fish, his tribe fell into line, and refused to eat the fish as well. As Zapatera dined, they enticed Ometepe. “Mmm! This fish is good! Sure you don’t want any?” Grant took a nibble, but that was as far as that went. Ironically, even though it became clear to Ometepe that they were basically forgoing on a good meal for no real reason, it very well might have worked just to fortify their loyalty to each other. David characterized it as seeming “cult-like.” This idea of the Rob Cult would be brought up that night in the second Tribal Council. It’s interesting to note that there were two Tribal Councils in this episode, and no Redemption Island duels. That means that Redemption Island, at least for a night, had three occupants. Viewers were left hanging as to how this would be resolved. There seems to be an interesting array of possibilities: ~ A duel-challenge for the three exiles, in which there are two winners that remain on Redemption Island, while the loser becomes the first jury member ~ A duel-challenge for the three exiles, in which there is one winner that remains on Redemption Island, while the other two become the first two jury members ~ A duel-challenge for the three exiles, in which there is a winner that rejoins the other players, while the remaining two remain on Redemption Island, to be joined by a third after the next Tribal Council ~ A duel-challenge for the three exiles, in which one winner rejoins the other players, one loser becomes the first jury member, and the in-betweener remains on Redemption Island, to be joined by another after the next Tribal Council … and the most interesting possibility … ~ People are voted out in Tribal Council, and sent to Redemption Island until, at some point, they become a second tribe that competes against Murilonio We should have an answer to that question by next week. StuckInTheSixties: At any rate, in Tribal Council, Phillip was again questioned by Jeff Probst about his feather, and again, this led to one of his loony diatribes. Rob’s total control of his tribe was brought to the forefront by Zapatera. Julie noted Rob’s “buddy system,” saying, “It’s not even a tribe. It’s a cult.” The vote had little drama to it. The closest it came to drama was when Jeff asked if anyone was playing a Hidden Immunity Idol while Rob watched nervously. Of course, there was no Idol to be played. At least this time, Zapatera correctly cast their four votes for Rob instead of Phillip, though it was, of course, an outnumbered symbolic vote. David was sent packing to Redemption Island to join a very puzzled Matt and Mike, leaving behind a depressed, fatalistic Steve, Ralph and Julie. As Ashley whispered at the end: “And then there were three.” Sables: it was an interesting one for sure, I wonder if the comment that Rob had them under control almost like a cult (lol I loved the look on his face at that statement) make them think twice about Robs promises for final three and look for a way to vote him off.... I think they are best to sit with him for a couple of more votes, and then make a move to get rid of him... Maybe Phreaky Phil is really an ex cia agent and he is in one of his undercover persona's looking like a village idiot...after all no one really pays attention to the village idiot..... StuckInTheSixties: (laughs) No, I think Phillip is a genuine idiot. He's not very "quick" in the mental department. Watch how he responds to things, such as smart-ass retorts from Zapatera members, etc. He really ain't all that bright. I wanna emphasize something: Keep your eye on Natalie. I suspect that in the future, she's going to be at the center of some really dramatic shit goin' down. |