Survivor. Are you watching?

[Amelia]

Interesting.

I don't think about it a lot, but sometimes I wonder what their early editing choices might say about later developments.

 

[Amelia]

Some people are saying bad things about Ciera being willing to vote her mother off. They're acting like that willingness makes her a good choice to take to the final three because somehow it was a bad decision and makes Ciera easy to dislike and unlikely to win jury votes. To me that's her ace in the hole when she sits in the final 3 and people ask about game moves. She knew what she had to do. She made an effort to save her mother but her vote when it came down to it was strategic and planned.

She's not great at challenges. But she's observant and calm. And clever -- as the tribe has just figured out. If she survives their discovery of her intelligence, they may be receptive to her version of events at the end and may be willing to vote for her to win.

 

[Foxfyre]

Interesting.

I don't think about it a lot, but sometimes I wonder what their early editing choices might say about later developments.

You can be sure that those choices are a) to push interest response among their audience and b) to further the narrative. So that is something interesting to watch.

One reason I think Caleb won't make it to the end, for instance, is that the editors are giving him so little meaningful face time. But I could be entirely wrong and he will emerge as a front runner and get lots of attention. Who knows?

 

[UnAmericanYOU]

I don't see what Ciera did last night matters anyways but she could've voted for Katie like her mother did with little consequence. Ciera's vote didn't matter, Tyson and the rest were voting for her mother no matter what.

Ciera hasn't played a bad game at all, considering what a weak position she has been in throughout the whole frickin' game. Now Caleb is another matter - he's either getting the heroic edit (as in that episode where he went all-out in tribal council) or he's just invisible. There's been speculation that he tries that again in TC but it blows up in his face, or in one of his alliance member's face.

Last night, Ciera seemed to be wincing when her mother brought up the fact that any jury member that had a loved one was in the position to influence the jury if the partner was at the end of the game. Ciera's reaction to Laura's comments were yet more foreshadowing.

 

[Foxfyre]

Don't you think the reason that the editors included Ciera's comments about her mom, about not wanting her back in the game the first time Laura was voted out, the segment where she and her mother have the conversation about Ciera voting her mother out a second time. . . .all that was calculated to stir the dynamics of the game. As was the quick shot of Ciera tearing up when it happened.

 

[Mertex]

Some people are saying bad things about Ciera being willing to vote her mother off. They're acting like that willingness makes her a good choice to take to the final three because somehow it was a bad decision and makes Ciera easy to dislike and unlikely to win jury votes. To me that's her ace in the hole when she sits in the final 3 and people ask about game moves. She knew what she had to do. She made an effort to save her mother but her vote when it came down to it was strategic and planned.

But don't you think Ciera was under the impression that her move to get them to switch to vote Katy off had really worked, and she was only voting for her mother to show the others that she's not one with her mother. I think what the others saw was her effort to save her mother, which just made her and her mother look more like a threat.

She's not great at challenges. But she's observant and calm. And clever -- as the tribe has just figured out. If she survives their discovery of her intelligence, they may be receptive to her version of events at the end and may be willing to vote for her to win.

If Ciera makes it to the end it will only be because they kept her too long thinking she wasn't a threat. If she goes to the final three, I don't think they will give her credit for playing such a great game because she hasn't.

 

[Amelia]

I don't think Ciera was under any illusion that her mother would survive the night without her vote.

And I think she is a deep enough thinker and articulate enough that when she gives her speech at the end it will be compelling -- supposing that she makes it to the end now that people know she has some game in her.

If she makes it to the end, I think it will probably be because she earned her way there. I suspect people will want to vote her out because she will have a family member on the jury.

 

[Foxfyre]

Do they know who voted for who when the members don't reveal who they voted for? I mean the night of the tribal council?

 

[Amelia]

I don't think they usually know. Unless they recognize handwriting.

Ciera made her vote clear -- said "Mom" -- you saw that?

 

[Gracie]

If another floater that can't win any challenges and just flops around like a fish out of water, wins...I will be very disappointed. Ciera and Katie both fall into that category. I want a fighter to win. A survivor. Not some hanger on who does nothing.

 

[Amelia]

I scrolled back to see if you consider Caleb a floater and I see you do.

I like Caleb and Ciera for similar reasons, though Caleb a little more. They make the best with what they have. I give a lot of credit to the slow steady game. The people who play hard are interesting but they tend to flame out. C&C both have shown that they're up to big moves when the time is right -- with Caleb's big move being especially impressive. And Caleb has shown he doesn't let power go to his head and make him act stupid in the aftermath of the big move.

Interesting how we can see them so differently.

 

[Gracie]

I've always had this hang up with Survivor. Since it first began, actually. And most of the time, SS board folks tell me I am wrong in how I think of Survivor so maybe I am, lol. But I just can't get over the word Survivor itself. I know this is a game and it is set up the way it is, but for me, personally speaking, those who fight hard, work hard, strategize hard, make bold moves, win challenges, find idols...they are surviving in a group of people all chosen to play the game. Floaters sit around, continually lose, never hunt for wood, never fetch watch, never start a fire, never pick up around the camp, never go fishing, never wash clothes. They just latch on to someone stronger and hang on KNOWING the others will see the stronger ones as a threat and the floater is safe. And IF they can hide behind loincloths during the whole game, they MIGHT have a chance to win. And some do.
That is what disgusts me. They are not survivors. They are weaklings.

With that said...I sure wish they would go back to how Survivor used to be. Those people in the beginning series suffered. They starved. They lost so much weight. They HAD to do stuff to make it to the next day. And they had to play hard just to not get voted out for being a lazy ass with no worthiness to the tribe they are in until the merge...and then just as lousy after the merge.

Think of the old cartoon Spike and Chester. Floaters are all Chesters. I can't stand them.

 

[Mertex]

I scrolled back to see if you consider Caleb a floater and I see you do.

I like Caleb and Ciera for similar reasons, though Caleb a little more. They make the best with what they have. I give a lot of credit to the slow steady game. The people who play hard are interesting but they tend to flame out. C&C both have shown that they're up to big moves when the time is right -- with Caleb's big move being especially impressive. And Caleb has shown he doesn't let power go to his head and make him act stupid in the aftermath of the big move.

Interesting how we can see them so differently.

Caleb may seem like a floater, but he made his big move when he risked being voted out for going against Culpepper. As it turned out, it worked in his favor. Ciera hasn't really done much, other than agree that her mother should go. I'm thinking she might not survive too much longer. Tyson is really the one that is doing all the wheeling and dealing, but he should have backed up before they noticed it, and now they may be coming after him.

 

[Gracie]

As long as he keeps his wits about him and sees a blind side coming, he still has the idol to use. But he has to be on his guard so he sees it coming so he CAN use it. If he doesn't see it coming...off he goes, idol wasted. THEN he will have a heads up if he sees it coming, uses it, sees his name written down by all his "alliances". And when he DOES go to RI, I hope he kicks ass and gets back in the game. He is who I want to see win. He IS a survivor...in the sense of the word that it means to me, not necessarily the game itself.

 

[Mertex]

As long as he keeps his wits about him and sees a blind side coming, he still has the idol to use. But he has to be on his guard so he sees it coming so he CAN use it. If he doesn't see it coming...off he goes, idol wasted. THEN he will have a heads up if he sees it coming, uses it, sees his name written down by all his "alliances". And when he DOES go to RI, I hope he kicks ass and gets back in the game. He is who I want to see win. He IS a survivor...in the sense of the word that it means to me, not necessarily the game itself.

Well, he has been dominant, but his attitude and personality ruin it for me. Survivor isn't just about kicking ass, it's about being liked, and so far his opponents are not aware of how cagy he really is, so he may have an advantage there, however, the previews show Hayden making a move.....hope it isn't one that ends up hurting him more, if Tyson is able to figure out that they are coming for him.

I give him (Tyson) credit for being the only one that I know that never told anyone he had the idol...most that do end up being stabbed in the back, even by the friends they confided it to. If he were to win the Million, I can't really say that he didn't deserve it.

 

[Zona]

Lets not forget the OBVIOUS political move Monica did. I mean really.

 

[Mertex]

Lets not forget the OBVIOUS political move Monica did. I mean really.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot....however, some will just look at it as just that, a political move on her part and not worthy of losing $1M over it!

 

[UnAmericanYOU]

I didn't like the way that reward went down. Last year, they made the IC winner (Brenda) pick a person to share the food with (Dawn), and then they offered to let Brenda forfeit both of their rewards to the rest of the tribe. Last episode, there looked like there was way too much food for just two people again.

The snake hissing when the tribe said "thanks, Monica!", and the fact that there was no followup to her generous action is telling. She was edited as negative as possible, and then she threw in that she doubted anyone there would do the same for her.

Monica is a great goat - married to an ex-NFL player, plastic, entitled and spoiled. As for the others, Gervase and Tyson are both playing much better than they did on their earlier seasons, Hayden and Caleb are well-liked and in a sub-alliance, and Katie and Ciera are the two most likely to go next time.

 

[Amelia]

Gervase is playing pretty well. We shouldn't underestimate him.

 

[Zona]

I didn't like the way that reward went down. Last year, they made the IC winner (Brenda) pick a person to share the food with (Dawn), and then they offered to let Brenda forfeit both of their rewards to the rest of the tribe. Last episode, there looked like there was way too much food for just two people again.

The snake hissing when the tribe said "thanks, Monica!", and the fact that there was no followup to her generous action is telling. She was edited as negative as possible, and then she threw in that she doubted anyone there would do the same for her.

Monica is a great goat - married to an ex-NFL player, plastic, entitled and spoiled. As for the others, Gervase and Tyson are both playing much better than they did on their earlier seasons, Hayden and Caleb are well-liked and in a sub-alliance, and Katie and Ciera are the two most likely to go next time.

Wow. This is a great post.