After having a lot of time to digest the final film of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, I have realized the trilogy is not perfect. In fact, it's far from it. I've come to realize it is actually a fairly big disappointment. It had so much potential. It had the potential for people to argue for eons on which trilogy is better: the original or the sequel. Nobody will ever legitimately think the prequel trilogy is better than the original trilogy, and now nobody will ever think the sequel trilogy is better. I have ten reasons why this is the case; ten ways Disney, JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson, and Kathleen Kennedy screwed up. These are in no particular order:
1. Rey is too much of a Mary Sue
You knew I was going to mention this. She executes flying maneuvers you'd expect only out of a very experienced pilot. She fixes the Millennium Falcon with ease. She uses a Jedi Mind trick without practice. She wields a lightsaber with competency against someone who's trained their entire life (although he was wounded). Kylo should have easily been able to handle her in TFA. It's hard to relate to a character that is so good at everything she does. More on Rey later.
2. The back and forth between JJ and Rian
The sequel trilogy suffered from the inconsistency of directors. Rian undid some of what JJ did, and then JJ undid some of what Rian did. It left the trilogy feeling more like three separate barely connected films. There's very little connecting the three films other than the characters. One example is JJ hyping up Luke's lightsaber, only for Rian to have Luke toss it over his shoulder.
3. No good romance story
Something prevalent in the first two trilogies is a romance sub-plot. In the prequels, we had Anakin and Padme. In the original trilogy, we had Han and Leia. In the sequels, we have nothing even close. We had a kiss between Finn and Rose in The Last Jedi, but that romance was forgotten about in the next film. We then had a kiss between Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Rey, but there was very little to zero romantic build up. He had just barely turned to her side. The kiss felt forced and out of place. If they had started building up the romance in The Last Jedi (or TFA) then it would have made a bit more sense.
4. Force Powers introduced that add plot holes, ruin integrity of Star Wars
I'd say one of the things that bothers me most about the sequel trilogy are some of the force powers introduced in it. I'm ok with the mind extraction power Kylo used on Poe (although why didn't Vader learn this power?). But what I don't like are the dyad, force heal, and new force ghost powers. The dyad allows matter to be transported thousands if not millions of miles. This means people could be transported, right? They basically introduced teleportation in Star Wars, which belongs more in Star Trek. Force Heal means no one has to die, and makes us wonder why no Jedi ever learned it before. I like how JK Rowling said that once a character dies in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, they're dead. That is no longer the case in Star Wars. And the last thing that really bothered me was Force Ghosts and their new "powers". Apparently now they can cause lightning strikes, use the force to lift objects, and even hold solid objects (Luke holding the lightsaber). Why don't they help out the living world more often, then? What rules are there?
5. Missed opportunity at the end of The Rise of Skywalker
When Rey is laying down and the Jedi are speaking to her, we hear Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, Mace Windu, and even Kanan Jarrus I think. It would have been a million times more awesome to see them as Force Ghosts. To see all of those characters rally behind Rey and help her would have redeemed TROS and even the entire trilogy, more or less. It would have been a way to tie all the films (as well as a couple TV shows) together and probably would have instantly become a Top 5 Star Wars moment. But instead, all we get is their voices and it has nowhere near the impact it could have.
6. The handling of the original trilogy characters
I feel like Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando all could have been handled better. Even R2D2 and C3PO were mere afterthoughts, although I understand wanting to focus on BB-8 (and sell merch). But there were so many things I wish we had seen with the four human characters. I wanted to see a Han and Luke reunion, a Han and Lando reunion, and maybe even a Lando and Leia reunion. The only "reunions" we got were Han and Leia who were "separated" (don't agree with that), and Luke projecting himself to Leia. Meh. And the way they all were killed off... did they even have to be killed off? Why can't they just live out their last days in peace? At least perhaps Lando does. Han dies so violently at the hands of his son? That's an awful fate for a fan favorite. Luke dying from overprojecting? Ok...
7. Rey's lineage is a massive head-shaker
My absolute preferred lineage for Rey would have been to have her somehow descended from Obi-Wan, perhaps a (great) niece. What Rian Johnson did in TLJ was have her parents be nobody, which I definitely would have preferred over her being a Palpatine. At least as a nobody, that teaches kids (mostly girls) that even if your parents are nobodies and not that successful, that doesn't mean you can't be. Instead, it shows that there has to be some lineage in your family tree in order to make a name for yourself. And knowing the main "hero" of the ST be descended from ultimate evil is just an unsettling feeling.
8. There is no clear villain throughout the trilogy
In the prequel trilogy, the main villain was Palpatine AKA Darth Sidious. In the original trilogy, it was Darth Vader and then the Emperor. In the sequel trilogy, there is no consistency. It goes from Kylo/Snoke to Snoke dying leaving just Kylo to Palpatine and then Kylo turns. There is no clear number one villain in the trilogy. It's not Snoke, he was only in a film and a half. It's not Palpatine, he was only in one film. And it's not Kylo, because he turns and betrays his own "master". There's no one clear villain for the audience to root against.
9. Side characters that are discarded or boring
The sequel trilogy introduced a lot of side characters: Captain Phasma, Rose, Finn, Poe, General Hux, and Zorii Bliss. Captain Phasma was built up with a bunch of hype but dies in a lame fashion in TLJ. Rose was basically forgotten about in TROS. Finn was possibly force-sensitive but we get no resolution on it. Poe was an ace pilot and former smuggler... but what else? His character had no substance. General Hux was a villain who turned for a petty reason. Zorii Bliss was someone from Poe's past who no one cared for. There was very little to no depth for the secondary characters in the ST.
10. Missing an epic lightsaber fight scene
There was no epic lightsaber fight scene in the ST. The closest we got was in TLJ when Rey and Kylo teamed up to take out Snoke's guards, but that fight had flaws and wasn't exactly a fair fight. There was no fight scene with the magnitude of any of the OT fight scenes. There was no fight scene that left us thinking how awesome it was after it finished. This is just my opinion, but I think it's an opinion generally agreed upon by the Star Wars fanbase.
The sequel trilogy was not entirely awful. I only pointed out its flaws. It had its strengths, too. Kylo Ren had more depth than Anakin did in the PT, and Adam Driver killed it in the role. The visual effects and music were all top-notch, with the visual effects the best Star Wars has seen so far. They blended practical and visual effects better than the PT ever did. The acting, even outside of Driver, was pretty good for the most part. But it just pains me as a huge Star Wars fan to know that the ST could have been so much more. I think someday we will get a Star Wars trilogy or movie series that people will universally regard as magnificent, but the sequel trilogy is unfortunately not that trilogy.
Showing posts with label Episode. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Episode. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Survivor Winners at War: Weekly Reviews!
The first episode of Survivor: Winners at War aired last night, and it's every bit of good Survivor we need. It's got a great mix of old and new school players. I'm going to go over the episode with my thoughts, and then I'll pick a player of the episode (POTE), a player to watch out for (PTWOF), and a player who was invisible (PWWI). I'll also add a funniest or standout moment (may not be from the actual episode). Then I'll summarize and talk about next week.
Episode 14: Congratulations to Tony Vlachos, the second two-time winner of Survivor! He played a great game, and it was clear from shortly after the merge that he was in control. Unfortunately, he was almost taken out by Natalie, who was the first person voted out, but she "earned" her way back in to the game. More on that later. Michele also makes it to the end, and I feel, as well as everyone on Reddit, that she deserved at least one vote. She at least outlasted many tribal councils, unlike Natalie.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
Is there any question? It would be absurd to give it to anyone else. It's like giving the Super Bowl MVP to someone on the losing team. He won an immunity challenge and he won the crucial fire-making challenge, which in the end netted him the $2 million. If only he had found the idol instead of Natalie, but that was the only thing he "failed" on.
There won't be any more episodes (obviously), so there's no point in doing a Player To Watch Out For or a Player Who Needs To Step Up. Instead, I will hand out different awards, sort of like an end of season award ceremony.
Most loyal player: Sarah Lacina
She demonstrated loyalty time and time again. I don't recall an instance where she turned on someone. She stuck with Tony until the end, and she had stuck with Sophie until Sophie got voted out. Lacina sure would've given Tony a run for his money if she had made it to the end with him.
Most likable: Yul Kwon
What's not to like? I've yet to meet a fan that was happy he got voted out. It's too bad he didn't get another shot. Him raising awareness for Penner's wife Stacey and her battle with ALS was inspiring. He's already done so much for them, and it's awesome to see.
Funniest player: Adam Klein
This guy is a hoot. From his paranoia to him trying to take a fleur-de-lis off Jeff's podium, Adam sure was a good source of laughs this season. He's one of the select few from this season I could see playing one more time.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony and Sarah's tearful goodbye
Going back to the original segments, the stand out moment for me was not funny, but heart-wrenching. It was when Tony beat Sarah at the fire-making challenge and their tearful goodbyes to one another. I don't know if we've ever seen a friendship on the show quite like theirs.
Problems with Edge of Extinction
Now I know why they brought EoE back (and maybe why they started it in season 38), it was to have the winners stay on the show even after they get voted out. But there are a ton of flaws with its concept, and the vast majority of Survivor fans hope it is never used again. Here's why it failed this season:
- The first person voted out got an unfair advantage over players who outlasted them in the actual game
Natalie got an advantage over other players because she had more time to learn the island, more time to gather fire tokens and advantages, and she had more time to bond with the people on the Edge. Whereas players voted out later, such as Jeremy and Nick, had no advantages in the challenge to get back in the game. They should have just as good of opportunity, if not better, than players voted out early.
- People in better shape physically were at a huge advantage
The majority of the challenges to get fire tokens on the Edge involved physical ability, such as retrieving logs or coconuts, or climbing to the top of the mountain/island. Players like Natalie were able to stockpile their fire tokens as a result. Also, the two challenges to get back in the game involved a bit of physical ability as well. This is why players like Amber, Danni, and Ethan never had a shot once they got voted out. Natalie had so many fire tokens from those endurance challenges that she was able to buy three advantages in the challenge to get back in the game, as well as idols for herself and Tyson. Unreal.
- Players on the Edge don't have to survive tribal council and get to scoot on by
This is the part I hate most. Once you get voted out, you should be out of the game. Instead, Natalie, who was first voted out, got back in the game with an idol. She then found another idol and won an immunity challenge. She was only vulnerable to be voted out at one tribal council, and she did get voted out. Thank goodness she didn't win, because it would be a travesty if the only player not to survive a single tribal council while vulnerable won the game.
How to fix Edge of Extinction:
Well, get rid of it. But if the producers absolutely insist on using it again (please God no), there are some ways to fix it:
- Fire tokens should not be accessible to players on the Edge. They are technically out of the game, so they shouldn't be allowed to earn tokens. On the original EoE season, there were no fire tokens. You can still have them compete for advantages to give players still in the game. Then, when the challenge comes up to get back in the game, the players in game could spend tokens on players they want back in the game, such as former allies.
- After the first challenge to get back in the game, the losers go home. If that was the case, Natalie would not have been in the game after Tyson got back in. That seems fair. If you lose the first challenge to get back in, you go home, and EoE starts fresh with the next vote out.
- Introduce a banishment challenge. One advantage players in the game could compete for would be a banishment challenge. They would select 2-4 players to compete in a challenge, with the loser(s) being sent home for good. There would be some interesting strategies with this, such as picking a strong player you know will beat someone you want out. Plus, players on the Edge would be at risk on occasion.
- Edge challenges that aren't physical, but mental. They had some like that this season, but they all need to be like that. Perhaps have a few where the players have to select teams. Another good idea would be to have them host their own challenge, like we saw on One World a couple times.
Summary: Was this the "best season of Survivor", like Jeff called it? I don't think so. One, the Edge of Extinction tarnished this season. Two, there were too many advantages to keep track of. And three, the old school players were basically all picked off before the merge. However, I'd still rank it Top 10, mainly due to the great cast of players, the great moments we got to see (loved ones!), and the fantastic gameplay we saw at times. It's a shame this season has its flaws, but most do. Even one of the greatest seasons of all time, Heroes vs. Villains, had its flaws, such as the Heroes getting picked off and doing worse than the villains. But this is a season I would definitely watch again someday, especially since I know I could pick some more things up I may have missed.
Episode 13: The penultimate episode was two hours, but they only needed an hour and 15 minutes, as the last 10-15 minutes was a recap of the season (cue eye roll). They better not do a recap in the finale episode next week. Anyway, Tony and Sarah and Ben further solidified their alliance, voting out Jeremy and then Nick. They used Nick and then voted him out. Poor Nick, but he wasn't winning, anyway.
POTE: Michele Fitzgerald
She may have lost her closest ally in Jeremy, but she won an immunity when she needed it most. She also was successful in her 50-50 Idol advantage, although she was going to be safe regardless. She helped Nick by contributing to the cost for an advantage, which was putting Ben at a disadvantage at the immunity challenge. She was one of the people I thought had the worst chance of winning, now she's near the top for me.
PTWOF: Natalie Anderson
I have a bad feeling she is going to win the challenge to get back in the game. She has an advantage in the challenge and she's the most physically fit person of anyone that was on the Edge. And if she gets back in the game, she has an idol, which I assume is good for one vote. And she spent time with everyone on the jury/edge, meaning she will get votes if she makes it to the end. If there are Survivor gods, they will not let this happen. Nothing against Natalie, but she was the first voted out. It wouldn't be right.
PWNTSU: Ben Driebergen
I'll give him credit, he's trying. He mentioned how no one has given him any tokens or given him an advantage. If this season is a poker tournament, Ben has been dealing with crap hands all game long. He needs to make his own luck somehow. He will not be respected enough if Tony and Sarah drag him to the end. If he wants to win, he will need to make a big move or two.
Funniest/stand out moment: Michele's cockiness and jokes
Yes, it's multiple moments, but for good reason. Michele was on fire this episode. Her dance after winning immunity was equal parts cute and funny. Her line to Jeff that she needed immunity like he needs a blue button up and khakis was hilarious.
Summary: Final episode coming up! I'm stoked! It should make for a very interesting final tribal council, no matter who gets there. For this, I'm going to rank the remaining players on their likeliness of winning Survivor 40: Winners at War
6) Anyone from the Edge of Extinction: Sure, they will have bonded with the jury, but I'm hoping the jury will realize the winner should be someone that never got voted out in the first place. My possible picks to win the challenge are Natalie, Tyson, Wendell, and Parvati. In that order, I guess.
5) Ben: He hasn't made many friends and he is in Tony and Sarah's shadows at the moment. Like I said, he needs to make a move or he won't be respected enough.
4) Sarah: If she gets to the end with Tony, I don't think she beats him. But if she takes him out, she's got a shot.
3) Michele: The jury will respect her game, but may not consider her a seasoned enough of a vet to be a two-time winner.
2) Denise: The dark horse. She's good in front of a jury, she's likable, and she has the potential to beat anyone at the FTC.
1) Tony: Mr. Winner's Edit. It's clearly Tony's season. If he makes it to the end, the jury will have no choice but to hand him the $2 million check.
Predicted Final 3: I think Tony, Sarah, Ben, and Denise team up and vote out Michele first. They know the person returning from the EOE will probably have an idol. Then at 5, they vote out that person, whoever it is. Then we will see a Final 4 fire-making challenge between Ben and Denise, with Ben winning. So my predicted Final 3 is Tony's ideal final 3: Him, Sarah, and Ben. With Tony winning.
The finale is less than a week away now, can't wait! Let's hope for a win from Tony, Denise, Michele, Sarah, or Ben, and not someone from the Edge of Extinction. PLEASE.
Episode 12: Tony is the kingpin now. He somehow has managed to convince enough people to vote off Sophie and now Kim. If those people who are voting with Tony let him get to the end with them, they will not win, he will. Tony still has his idol, which we may see played next episode, although his biggest adversary in Kim is now gone.
POTE: Denise Stapley
I was tempted to pick Tony yet again, but there was a second person who won immunity who I think also put herself in a really good position. She was talking to Michele and Nick and they seemed to have formed a bond. I remember telling my girlfriend that I could very well see that as the final three. If that is the case, I think Denise wins. Michele and Nick are likable, but we have to remember the jury will be deciding who will be considered one of the top all-time great Survivor players. Could be Denise.
PTWOF: Ben Driebergen
I haven't talked about Ben a lot recently, but I feel like I should. I think Ben is actually in a good position. Jeremy and Tony are bigger threats than him, and Ben has proven he can win things late in a season. Nick mentioned that he could beat Ben in a final three, but I don't think that is true. I think Ben beats a lot of people, including Nick, Michele, and perhaps Tony.
PWNTSU: Rob Mariano
I haven't talked about players on the Edge in a while, either. Rob hurt himself in the retrieving coconuts challenge for two fire tokens. He needs to do better if he wants a shot at getting back in and winning. The only other time the Edge of Extinction was used, the person who returned from the Edge won the season (Chris). It could happen again, and Rob would be a good candidate for it. But he needs to do more on the Edge while he's there.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony getting pooped on by a bird
It was so random, and it is something easily cut from an episode, but I'm glad they included it. I really liked how Ben said it was karma for voting out Sophie. It was so random and unexpected, but well worth being in the episode.
Summary: We are down to the final 7. The player whose season they won on that's the oldest is Denise. Does that means she's next to go? I tabbed her as one of my possible boots last week, but she wasn't even mentioned.
Possible boots: Tony has his idol, and I don't see him holding onto it if he's vulnerable (no immunity necklace). He cannot trust the word of three other people. One, yes. Two... maybe. Three... can't risk it. So Tony is not one of my possible boots. My first is Michele.... she doesn't have enough close ties, and it would consider the string of strong women going. My second pick is Ben. Gut feeling again. My third pick is Denise again. Maybe they'll realize Denise is a threat to win next episode?
For this review and next week's as well, I'm going to rank the remaining players (not on the Edge) on their chances of winning:
1. Sarah - My pick to win at the start of the season. She has Tony as a shield for as long as she wants. If she gets to the end, she's got as good of a chance as anyone.
2. Tony - If he keeps this streak up of dominating the game with idols and challenges, the jury will have no choice. Tony would be a good 2x winner of the game. But the problem for him will be getting to the end of the game.
3. Ben - I probably have him ranked higher than most people would. Ben's been a bit flaky and big-mouthed, but he's got a decent shot if he gets to the end.
4. Jeremy - Jeremy is a big threat to win if he gets to the end, and everyone in the game knows it. That's why he's been the talk of the last 2 or 3 votes. If he can somehow survive the votes until the finals, he's got as good of a shot as anyone. He just needs to get there.
5. Denise - Denise could very well fly under the radar and win the whole thing. It's actually hard to see her NOT doing well at the final tribal council if she gets there. She's good at talking the jury up.
6. Michele - Michele is a big of a long shot, because of the people left in the game, I don't think she can beat two of them. However, if she were to make it to the end with two big guys like Tony and Ben or Tony and Jeremy, those two guys might cancel each other out and Michele could claim a few votes. But that's unlikely.
7. Nick - Sorry, Nick, but you're this season's cannon fodder, finale goat, etc. You're a recent winner for one, so your legacy hasn't had time to build itself. Secondly, you're not a dominating player really in any fashion, whether it be challenges, social game, or strategy. I think Nick has a really good shot at making it to the end, but a very small shot of actually winning. Nick beating Sarah, Tony, Denise, or Jeremy? Ha!
Episode 11: Holy smokes, talk about dominating an episode! From what I read, Tony set the record for most confessionals in a single episode of Survivor, which is amazing since this wasn't even a finale episode. And to pay up for the extortion and then win immunity... wow. He also executed a perfect blindside of Sophie. Now he'll have fallout to deal with in the form of Sarah. She did not look happy.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
For the first time I have to choose somebody twice in a row. I won't always give my POTE to who wins immunity, but it certainly can be a big reason why. If hypothetically the finals were to start now, I think the majority of the jury would give their votes to Tony. So he's playing a great game, but perhaps too great of a game. He has put a big target on his back. And these are players that will not be ok with going to the end with him.
PTWOF: Sarah Lacina
She's going to be able to use Tony as a shield for as long as she can. She was my pick to win at the start of the season. But I also thought Tony would be a pre-merge boot. Sarah will be upset in losing one of her closest allies in Sophie, so everyone else should watch out. I got to say I also really liked her fashion show; showed a different side of her.
PWNTSU: Denise Stapley
She has been shockingly invisible these last few weeks. The editors are not doing her any favors. Could she make it to the end? It seems amazing that the person who still has arguably made the best move in the game is not being talked about as a threat, and she is a mere afterthought right now. She'll need to make another move or two to pad her resume enough to win the game.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony finding out the extortion advantage was being used against him
Dude got so excited seeing an advantage he thought was gifted to him, only to find out it was being used against him. His reaction was absolutely priceless and it made me laugh.
Summary: We're getting down to the nitty gritty! I was getting worried that the men were getting picked off one by one, as Sophie is the first woman gone since Sandra. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a woman win, but to have an all female final 5 would be a bit boring to me. As would a final 5 of all men, I will add.
Possible boots: Well none of my boots went home, so I am going to try again! My three this week... I hate to do it, but if Tony doesn't win immunity again he's a possibility. Tony is my first choice. My second choice is Jeremy. He's still getting talked about. My third choice.... I'll go with Denise. Gut feeling, I guess.
Episode 10: I wish I wasn't right... again. Tyson was one of my three picks for a possible boot and now he's gone... again. If he gets back in the game again, he deserves to win. The Poker Alliance of Tyson, Kim, and Jeremy reformed in this episode but to no avail. That group also included Jeremy's ally Denise. But it seems like the group of Sarah, Tony, Sophie, Nick, Ben (& Michele?) are now running the show. Jeremy's advantage hurt his alliance and helped him at the same time, so it will be interesting to see what his alliance members say to him. Kim misplaying her idol also cost them, and now she's in trouble. And who could forget the loved one's visit, which every player got to experience? It took up a bit of time, but it was worth it.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
Tony finally got his first individual immunity win in three seasons. He also is solidified with Sarah in their alliance and players will likely target her before him. I could see Tony making it far, but he might get picked off around F4 or 5.
PTWOF: Nick Wilson
Somehow, this dude went from losing all of his alliance to being in a good position. He also went from my Player Who Needs to Step Up to my Player to Watch Out For. No one is going to be targeting him, I think. He may be seen as someone who could be taken to the end as he might not get a ton of votes, but he could surprise people. He is a lawyer after all.
PWNTSU: Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
Kim and Nick swapped places. Kim is now in a bad spot and the numbers are against her. But I feel like if anyone can switch the numbers into their favor, Kim may be one of them.
Funniest/stand out moment: When Jeremy and Sarah each almost played their advantages. It wasn't the funniest moment of the season, but it still got a laugh out of me. We haven't really seen a stand-off like that at tribal council before, at least when it comes to playing unique advantages.
Summary: Again, another guy gets voted out. Just like in Kim's season, the men are quickly disappearing from the actual game. It would not surprise me if in a few weeks we were down to two men, give or take one.
Possible boots: My first pick next week is Kim, obviously. She's a huge social and strategic threat, as well as a threat to win challenges. My next pick may surprise, but I'm going with Ben. He's fairly close with Sarah and Sophie, but they may turn on him for him being a threat. My third pick is Jeremy, who is also against the numbers and a threat.
Episodes 8 and 9: I guess I missed the past week, but that was because I just moved and really didn't have time. Anyway, we've seen Wendell and Adam get picked off, just like how Tony wants the "Hyenas" to get picked off. I'm liking this season more and more as it goes on, despite the lack of old school players. Thank goodness Tyson got back in and hasn't been picked off shortly after returning.
POTE: Tyson Apostol
Not only did he get back in the game, he's put himself in a good position. His name did get floated around in the last episode, but he didn't receive any votes. He'll potentially be a challenge threat later on, and hopefully the rest of the players don't realize that.
PTWOF: Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
She won immunity, and she won several immunities on her winning season, so she is a force to be reckoned with. She may get pretty far, and if she does, she could very well win. I've still yet to really hear her name come up as a possible vote.
PWNTSU: Nick Wilson
He needs to stop whining and just talk to people and get them on his side. He needs to get people to see that he probably won't win if he gets to the end. He needs to get on a lot of people's good side or he's a goner.
Funniest/stand out moment: Adam thinking the fleur-de-lis on Jeff's podium was an idol. I don't blame Adam for thinking that at all, since it resembled a past idol. But man, that was maybe the funniest moment of the season with Jeff and the jury's reactions. Adam has been a source of comedic relief, that's for sure.
Summary: I've got a feeling Wendell and Adam's boots won't be the last of the men getting picked off. I think the girls may end up getting together and picking them off, fearing that if a guy makes the final three he will win.
Possible boots: Well of my 4 possible boots last time, 2 of them did get voted out. I'll name three. Sarah is being considered a threat and her giving Nick her reward wasn't the smartest strategically. Nick is on the outs and could be in trouble. And I'm still afraid for Tyson, who players may re-target.
Episode 7: Are you kidding me, Survivor?! Now there are no old school players left in the actual game. This is ridiculous. This is why they should have had the same amount of old- and new-school players. Tina and Vecepia were more than willing to play. Anyway, I just knew Yul was gone the second they lost immunity. It almost seems like the challenges are scripted in order to provide the most entertainment and drama possible. I like how they featured the Edge quite a bit this episode, and with all the old-school players out, for me the more they feature it, the better.
POTE: Rob Mariano
The way he found three fire tokens and was able to keep it a secret is a true master class of deception from Boston Rob. Where the heck did he hide them, then? My guess is he found a place to stash them somewhere on the island. On multiple occasions he stripped down to his underwear to pretend he didn't have them. It will be interesting to see how he uses them in the game.
PTWOF: Jeremy Collins
It's not that he did anything particularly memorable, but he put himself in a good position. Denise won't vote him out. Tony probably won't. Kim won't. He could make it surprisingly far in this season. People should be considering him a threat, but they aren't.
PWNTSU: Adam Klein
His paranoia over the idol was stupid and over the top. But if he continues to be paranoid and annoying to others, he might get taken to the end, only because anyone could probably beat him. He needs to step up and be taken more seriously if he wants to win and not just be a Survivor goat.
Funniest/stand out moment: Ethan and Parvati's talk
I really enjoyed the conversation shown between Ethan and Parvati. She and him have this brother/sister relationship which is really endearing. He talked about potentially quitting the game over health concerns, but Parvati helped keep his mind focused. That moment stood out for me.
Summary: They are merging next episode, and chaos will run rampant around camp, I'm sure. Will it be back to Dakal vs. Sele? Remember, Michele was a Sele, but she has now made an alliance with Wendell and Nick, two former Dakal members. Same with Denise and Jeremy with Tony and Kim. I think two of the three former tribes (counting Yara) will get together and target somebody.
Possible boots: For the first time, I'm going to throw out a few names who might get voted out.
In the order of likeliness to be voted out, I'll say: Ben, Wendell, Sophie, and Adam. Ben is an obvious target, Wendell has perhaps played the game too hard too soon, Sophie is the next winner in chronological order, and Adam may get on people's nerves. Time will tell.
Episode 6:
Another episode, another old school player gone. Wait, two of them?! Yep. That makes 7 out of 8 vote offs so far old school players. Yul better watch his back. Will we have a merge soon? Probably. Will anyone on the Edge come back in yet? We'll see. I wish we had seen a bit more of the Edge, since Rob and Amber are both there now, but oh well. Maybe next episode.
POTE: Denise Stapley
Denise made the best move of the season (so far) by using her idol and taking out Sandra. If Sandra had stayed in the game, Denise would have had to give her her other fire token. I would have done the same thing. Unfortunately she wasted the second idol playing it for Jeremy, who oddly voted for her, but she had to cover her bases in case any of them threw a vote Jeremy's way. If the young players underestimate her, she may go all the way and win.
PTWOF: Kim Spradlin
I think people won't see her as a threat, but I think she is. She'll need to form the right alliances, but I think she can and do well. If I was in the game, she's not someone I would think of getting out because she's a threat to go far and win.
PWNTSU: Michele Fitzgerald
With Parvati gone, her allies grow thin. She'll need to gather some troops. She didn't get along that great with Wendell, so if hypothetically they don't merge and her tribe goes to Tribal Council, she's probably gone.
Funniest/stand out moment: Wendell saying he'll flat out stab people in the back to win. That wasn't a particularly smart thing for Wendell to say. Now Nick and Yul will be wondering when that backstabbing is going to take place, and if they maybe should take him out before it happens.
Summary: I got my hopes up early seeing an early challenge, thinking there might be two of them. Nope. Instead, they had extra long conversations on the Sele and Dakal beaches about who to vote out. I don't think Yara was shown after the challenge. But for the next episode, will there be a merge? They're down to 4 players per tribe. Perhaps they'll go back to two tribes for a week or two, with whole new Sele and Dakal tribes.
Episode 5:
That now makes 5 of the 6 vote outs so far old school players. Sandra and Parvati should be worried. I hate that Rob got voted out, but his methods were too old school, and he should have realized he couldn't control Ben and Adam like he controlled his old Ometepe tribe on Redemption Island. I like how they split up the tribes, but poor Rob got screwed. I guess the only way he doesn't get screwed is if he gets on a tribe with Parvati and Yul. Would Yul take him out? Hard to say.
Also, I wanted to add I saw Yara losing the challenge coming from a mile away. Despite them getting a huge lead, I just knew they were going to struggle on the puzzle, because that happens so much on Survivor now. It's not really fun to watch when it's this predictable.
POTE: Kim Spradlin
She didn't really do a whole lot, but in that challenge where they had to throw the bean bags at the blocks, she was killing it. I would not be surprised if she played softball when she was younger. And then I think she put herself in good position as the swing vote. She can either side with Sandra and Tony or she can side with Jeremy and Denise, if they have to to go Tribal Council, that is.
PTWOF: Michele Fitzgerald
After the tribe switch, she formed a bond with Parvati, and she talked about Wendell (who she used to date) quite a bit. She finished with saying she would take him out if need be. I think I saw a sort of passing of the torch from Parvati to Michele as the Survivor villainess who bats her eyes and flirts but won't hesitate to take you out of the game.
PWWI: Everyone on the Edge of Extinction
As the numbers start to dwindle, I may stop this category. Or I can change it to something else. I think I'll change it to PWNTSU for Player Who Needs To Step Up, for someone who needs to up their strategy game. Anyway, for the first time we didn't see anyone on the Edge of Extinction, probably because they wanted to focus on the tribes after the tribe swap. That, and there probably wasn't anything happening there nearly as memorable as Ethan's trek to get 20 logs.
Funniest/stand out moment: Nick telling Parvati about his crush
Again, there wasn't really a moment that made me laugh out loud, but Nick telling Parvati that he had a crush on her in high school was equal parts awkward and sweet. Parvati, I'm sure, has gotten that a lot. I think she knows she has him wrapped around her finger.
Summary: Apparently, there will be two vote-offs and two tribal councils next episode. What they should do is have them attend Tribal Council together, but of course vote separately. If Yara has to go to Tribal Council, Sarah or Sophie may be forced to use one of their advantages to avoid a tie. Also, it will be fun to see Rob and Amber on the Edge together.
Episode 4:
Nooo... not Tyson. 😢 Oh well, I guess. He overplayed his hand and trusted the rest of his tribemates too much. At least Sele won a challenge again, although with how badly they fell behind, it doesn't seem that believable that Dakal would not be able to figure out the puzzle in all that time.
POTE: Sandra Diaz-Twine
Her tribe may have lost the challenge, but it certainly was not her fault. She even got the sit-out bench named after her thanks to Parvati's suggestion. And then when the Dakal members were discussing who to vote for, Sandra is again pulling the ol' "As long as it's not me" trick, which is still somehow working. I'm surprised she's lasted this long, considering she's a liability at challenges.
PTWOF: Nick Wilson
He's no longer invisible! And I'll stop calling him "Thick Wilson". He was able to turn the focus off him and onto Tyson, and he even got Tyson's fire token! There's an impending tribe swap in the next episode, and I think Nick will be just fine. I personally think he could be getting a winner's edit, as many past winners have been invisible at first but slowly get more and more involved.
PWWI: Denise Stapley
I think she had a few lines, not sure about a confessional, though. She was a huge underdog the season she won, and she's an even bigger underdog this season. But congrats to her, the first episode of Survivor she was ever in where she didn't go to a tribal council.
Funniest/stand out moment: Ethan getting all 20 logs
This wasn't funny, but heartwarming. The way Ethan persevered despite being dehydrated, tired, hungry (all of the above), was very inspiring. I had a feeling the medical at EoE was just a precautionary measure, and I was right. Ethan's definitely one of the most inspiring people to ever play the game of Survivor.
Summary: It will be interesting to see what happens when the tribe swap happens. Apparently, Michele gets put with her ex-boyfriend, which happens to be Wendell. If the other players don't know that, they could form a dangerous alliance. Whoever gets voted off next is probably someone who gets screwed by the swap and is down in numbers.
Episode 3:
Ugh I hate when tribes get one-sided. Sele has lost 3 out of 4 challenges so far. I wish they were doing separate reward and immunity challenges. I like the element of having to plan on who to sit out for reward and who to sit out for immunity. That very thing was the reason the Villains struggled a bit in HVV, when Coach wanted the reward and sat out Courtney and Sandra for the reward challenge. Of course, the challenge was close, and of course, Dakal won again. And it breaks my heart that now on both of his returning seasons, Ethan has gotten too early of a boot. He could come back, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for him. 🤞🏻
Oh, and I must add my Player To Watch Out For has gotten voted out in two straight weeks. WTF! Ok, I'm picking someone from Dakal now.
POTE: Sarah Lacina
She is slowly getting more and more screen time. She executed the sneak into the Sele camp and got the "Steal a Vote". She also did well on the puzzle in the challenge. She's becoming one of my favorites. Oh, by the way, she was my pick to win this season.
PTWOF: Natalie Anderson
Who said I couldn't feature someone on the EOE on here? Natalie has now found two advantages and has three fire tokens, I believe. She is the queen of the EOE right now. My girlfriend says she could win if she gets back in the game, and I don't doubt that. Oh, and since my last two PTWOF picks have been voted out, this will end the streak of them getting voted out in a row, since Natalie can't possibly be voted out next episode.
PWWI: Thick Wilson
Again, this guy was barely shown. I'm liking the Sele tribe more because they're getting shown more. And on the Dakal tribe, Nick really hasn't been shown doing much. Come on Survivor editors, show Thick Wilson more!
Funniest/stand out moment: Rob tickling Adam with a leaf
Right at the start of the episode, Rob wakes Adam by tickling him with a leaf. I laughed pretty hard at that. Adam seems to be the center of a lot of comedic moments; we'll see if that continues.
Summary: The Sele tribe needs to win next episode for sure. Rob is their "leader", and if they lose again, Michelle, Jeremy, Adam, Ben, and Denise may be forced to take him out. Tyson, meanwhile, may have made an enemy of Sandra and the two former Villains may clash at their next Tribal Council. Should be fun to watch.
Episode 2:
Sorry it's a little late, but better late than never, they say. I really enjoyed this episode. The scrambling on Sele tribe after they lost was a little hectic, and poor Danni got the boot. She was my previous PTWOF, so let's hope that trend doesn't continue.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
I just loved the whole ladder sequence. He's playing care-free, but also determined and he showed his tribe he's willing to do anything to help them. He should make it to at least the merge. He also reunited with Sarah and reformed Cops R Us. But a two person alliance is never enough, and they'll need to add a few more.
PTWOF: Ethan Zahn
Ethan is going to play a quiet game, and I don't think many will see him as a threat. He may be seen as a threat to win if he gets fairly far, but he won't be considered a strategic or social threat because of how much of an old-school player he is.
PWWI: Nick Wilson
Thick Wilson as I'm calling him because of his extra blob didn't get much screentime in Ep 2. He has only had one confessional so far this season in two episodes.
Funniest/stand out moment: Adam failing to place his torch in a hole at tribal council, easily. "I thought it was a hole," he said. That's what he said. I wonder if that's the first time he's had trouble getting something in a hole.
Summary: I worry for Rob and Parvati as their numbers dwindle. And, while I enjoy watching male players in the game, we haven't had a female winner in years, and only women have been voted off so far. I'd be willing to bet money the next to go is a male. I thought Ben was in trouble the way he ran his mouth at tribal council talking about paranoia, but he wasn't the planned person to vote out, Danni was. Sele will need to win the next immunity, or Rob and company will be in trouble.
Episode 1:
My worry for this season was that since the new school players (Players who started playing Season 23 or later) outnumber the old school players, that they would just pick off the old school players one by one. Not the case. They look like they are willing to work together, at least on the Dakal Tribe, although they voted out Amber. On the Sele tribe, there's a distinct division between the old and new school players.
POTE: Rob Mariano
Somehow, Rob wasn't targeted, although his wife was. Rob is definitely the more dangerous player. Danni floated his name out there, and Rob confronted her about it calmly. He smartly decided to work with her if she told the truth, which she did. His tribe lost the first immunity challenge, but in the second challenge Rob shined. If not for his herculean efforts to shoulder people over the barrel, his Sele tribe would have been stuck there. He also made an alliance with Parvati, which somehow is staying under the radar (for now).
PTWOF: Danni Boatwright
She's a lot of people's picks to win, namely Dalton Ross and Jeff Probst. She is fit enough to last a long time in the game, and she's one of the few people in the game that most wouldn't be afraid to go to the end with. She's not going to be on people's radars unless her old school alliance starts falling apart.
PWWI: Sarah Lacina
Did she have a confessional? I can't recall. She did well in the first challenge, and I don't really remember or know who's she's aligned with. Is she aligned with Tony and Sandra?
Funniest/stand out moment: It wasn't from the actual episode, but noticing how a lot of the players have put on weight, I saw someone comment on the Survivor subreddit that Boston Rob should be called "Boston Blob". Nick Wilson has also put on weight so I call him "Thick Wilson".
Summary: All in all it was a very good first episode, and I'm enjoying this season way more than the last few. Despite the Edge of Extinction twist, it's still an enjoyable season. They added Fire Tokens to the game, and allowed exchanges between people on the Edge and people still in the game involving advantages and Fire Tokens, which is smart, because otherwise the Edge of Extinction is pretty pointless to show. Next week, it looks like on the Sele tribe that the new school players just decide to stick together, so if they lose the immunity challenge, either Rob, Danni, Parvati, or Ethan could be in trouble.
Episode 14: Congratulations to Tony Vlachos, the second two-time winner of Survivor! He played a great game, and it was clear from shortly after the merge that he was in control. Unfortunately, he was almost taken out by Natalie, who was the first person voted out, but she "earned" her way back in to the game. More on that later. Michele also makes it to the end, and I feel, as well as everyone on Reddit, that she deserved at least one vote. She at least outlasted many tribal councils, unlike Natalie.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
Is there any question? It would be absurd to give it to anyone else. It's like giving the Super Bowl MVP to someone on the losing team. He won an immunity challenge and he won the crucial fire-making challenge, which in the end netted him the $2 million. If only he had found the idol instead of Natalie, but that was the only thing he "failed" on.
There won't be any more episodes (obviously), so there's no point in doing a Player To Watch Out For or a Player Who Needs To Step Up. Instead, I will hand out different awards, sort of like an end of season award ceremony.
Most loyal player: Sarah Lacina
She demonstrated loyalty time and time again. I don't recall an instance where she turned on someone. She stuck with Tony until the end, and she had stuck with Sophie until Sophie got voted out. Lacina sure would've given Tony a run for his money if she had made it to the end with him.
Most likable: Yul Kwon
What's not to like? I've yet to meet a fan that was happy he got voted out. It's too bad he didn't get another shot. Him raising awareness for Penner's wife Stacey and her battle with ALS was inspiring. He's already done so much for them, and it's awesome to see.
Funniest player: Adam Klein
This guy is a hoot. From his paranoia to him trying to take a fleur-de-lis off Jeff's podium, Adam sure was a good source of laughs this season. He's one of the select few from this season I could see playing one more time.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony and Sarah's tearful goodbye
Going back to the original segments, the stand out moment for me was not funny, but heart-wrenching. It was when Tony beat Sarah at the fire-making challenge and their tearful goodbyes to one another. I don't know if we've ever seen a friendship on the show quite like theirs.
Problems with Edge of Extinction
Now I know why they brought EoE back (and maybe why they started it in season 38), it was to have the winners stay on the show even after they get voted out. But there are a ton of flaws with its concept, and the vast majority of Survivor fans hope it is never used again. Here's why it failed this season:
- The first person voted out got an unfair advantage over players who outlasted them in the actual game
Natalie got an advantage over other players because she had more time to learn the island, more time to gather fire tokens and advantages, and she had more time to bond with the people on the Edge. Whereas players voted out later, such as Jeremy and Nick, had no advantages in the challenge to get back in the game. They should have just as good of opportunity, if not better, than players voted out early.
- People in better shape physically were at a huge advantage
The majority of the challenges to get fire tokens on the Edge involved physical ability, such as retrieving logs or coconuts, or climbing to the top of the mountain/island. Players like Natalie were able to stockpile their fire tokens as a result. Also, the two challenges to get back in the game involved a bit of physical ability as well. This is why players like Amber, Danni, and Ethan never had a shot once they got voted out. Natalie had so many fire tokens from those endurance challenges that she was able to buy three advantages in the challenge to get back in the game, as well as idols for herself and Tyson. Unreal.
- Players on the Edge don't have to survive tribal council and get to scoot on by
This is the part I hate most. Once you get voted out, you should be out of the game. Instead, Natalie, who was first voted out, got back in the game with an idol. She then found another idol and won an immunity challenge. She was only vulnerable to be voted out at one tribal council, and she did get voted out. Thank goodness she didn't win, because it would be a travesty if the only player not to survive a single tribal council while vulnerable won the game.
How to fix Edge of Extinction:
Well, get rid of it. But if the producers absolutely insist on using it again (please God no), there are some ways to fix it:
- Fire tokens should not be accessible to players on the Edge. They are technically out of the game, so they shouldn't be allowed to earn tokens. On the original EoE season, there were no fire tokens. You can still have them compete for advantages to give players still in the game. Then, when the challenge comes up to get back in the game, the players in game could spend tokens on players they want back in the game, such as former allies.
- After the first challenge to get back in the game, the losers go home. If that was the case, Natalie would not have been in the game after Tyson got back in. That seems fair. If you lose the first challenge to get back in, you go home, and EoE starts fresh with the next vote out.
- Introduce a banishment challenge. One advantage players in the game could compete for would be a banishment challenge. They would select 2-4 players to compete in a challenge, with the loser(s) being sent home for good. There would be some interesting strategies with this, such as picking a strong player you know will beat someone you want out. Plus, players on the Edge would be at risk on occasion.
- Edge challenges that aren't physical, but mental. They had some like that this season, but they all need to be like that. Perhaps have a few where the players have to select teams. Another good idea would be to have them host their own challenge, like we saw on One World a couple times.
Summary: Was this the "best season of Survivor", like Jeff called it? I don't think so. One, the Edge of Extinction tarnished this season. Two, there were too many advantages to keep track of. And three, the old school players were basically all picked off before the merge. However, I'd still rank it Top 10, mainly due to the great cast of players, the great moments we got to see (loved ones!), and the fantastic gameplay we saw at times. It's a shame this season has its flaws, but most do. Even one of the greatest seasons of all time, Heroes vs. Villains, had its flaws, such as the Heroes getting picked off and doing worse than the villains. But this is a season I would definitely watch again someday, especially since I know I could pick some more things up I may have missed.
Episode 13: The penultimate episode was two hours, but they only needed an hour and 15 minutes, as the last 10-15 minutes was a recap of the season (cue eye roll). They better not do a recap in the finale episode next week. Anyway, Tony and Sarah and Ben further solidified their alliance, voting out Jeremy and then Nick. They used Nick and then voted him out. Poor Nick, but he wasn't winning, anyway.
POTE: Michele Fitzgerald
She may have lost her closest ally in Jeremy, but she won an immunity when she needed it most. She also was successful in her 50-50 Idol advantage, although she was going to be safe regardless. She helped Nick by contributing to the cost for an advantage, which was putting Ben at a disadvantage at the immunity challenge. She was one of the people I thought had the worst chance of winning, now she's near the top for me.
PTWOF: Natalie Anderson
I have a bad feeling she is going to win the challenge to get back in the game. She has an advantage in the challenge and she's the most physically fit person of anyone that was on the Edge. And if she gets back in the game, she has an idol, which I assume is good for one vote. And she spent time with everyone on the jury/edge, meaning she will get votes if she makes it to the end. If there are Survivor gods, they will not let this happen. Nothing against Natalie, but she was the first voted out. It wouldn't be right.
PWNTSU: Ben Driebergen
I'll give him credit, he's trying. He mentioned how no one has given him any tokens or given him an advantage. If this season is a poker tournament, Ben has been dealing with crap hands all game long. He needs to make his own luck somehow. He will not be respected enough if Tony and Sarah drag him to the end. If he wants to win, he will need to make a big move or two.
Funniest/stand out moment: Michele's cockiness and jokes
Yes, it's multiple moments, but for good reason. Michele was on fire this episode. Her dance after winning immunity was equal parts cute and funny. Her line to Jeff that she needed immunity like he needs a blue button up and khakis was hilarious.
Summary: Final episode coming up! I'm stoked! It should make for a very interesting final tribal council, no matter who gets there. For this, I'm going to rank the remaining players on their likeliness of winning Survivor 40: Winners at War
6) Anyone from the Edge of Extinction: Sure, they will have bonded with the jury, but I'm hoping the jury will realize the winner should be someone that never got voted out in the first place. My possible picks to win the challenge are Natalie, Tyson, Wendell, and Parvati. In that order, I guess.
5) Ben: He hasn't made many friends and he is in Tony and Sarah's shadows at the moment. Like I said, he needs to make a move or he won't be respected enough.
4) Sarah: If she gets to the end with Tony, I don't think she beats him. But if she takes him out, she's got a shot.
3) Michele: The jury will respect her game, but may not consider her a seasoned enough of a vet to be a two-time winner.
2) Denise: The dark horse. She's good in front of a jury, she's likable, and she has the potential to beat anyone at the FTC.
1) Tony: Mr. Winner's Edit. It's clearly Tony's season. If he makes it to the end, the jury will have no choice but to hand him the $2 million check.
Predicted Final 3: I think Tony, Sarah, Ben, and Denise team up and vote out Michele first. They know the person returning from the EOE will probably have an idol. Then at 5, they vote out that person, whoever it is. Then we will see a Final 4 fire-making challenge between Ben and Denise, with Ben winning. So my predicted Final 3 is Tony's ideal final 3: Him, Sarah, and Ben. With Tony winning.
The finale is less than a week away now, can't wait! Let's hope for a win from Tony, Denise, Michele, Sarah, or Ben, and not someone from the Edge of Extinction. PLEASE.
Episode 12: Tony is the kingpin now. He somehow has managed to convince enough people to vote off Sophie and now Kim. If those people who are voting with Tony let him get to the end with them, they will not win, he will. Tony still has his idol, which we may see played next episode, although his biggest adversary in Kim is now gone.
POTE: Denise Stapley
I was tempted to pick Tony yet again, but there was a second person who won immunity who I think also put herself in a really good position. She was talking to Michele and Nick and they seemed to have formed a bond. I remember telling my girlfriend that I could very well see that as the final three. If that is the case, I think Denise wins. Michele and Nick are likable, but we have to remember the jury will be deciding who will be considered one of the top all-time great Survivor players. Could be Denise.
PTWOF: Ben Driebergen
I haven't talked about Ben a lot recently, but I feel like I should. I think Ben is actually in a good position. Jeremy and Tony are bigger threats than him, and Ben has proven he can win things late in a season. Nick mentioned that he could beat Ben in a final three, but I don't think that is true. I think Ben beats a lot of people, including Nick, Michele, and perhaps Tony.
PWNTSU: Rob Mariano
I haven't talked about players on the Edge in a while, either. Rob hurt himself in the retrieving coconuts challenge for two fire tokens. He needs to do better if he wants a shot at getting back in and winning. The only other time the Edge of Extinction was used, the person who returned from the Edge won the season (Chris). It could happen again, and Rob would be a good candidate for it. But he needs to do more on the Edge while he's there.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony getting pooped on by a bird
It was so random, and it is something easily cut from an episode, but I'm glad they included it. I really liked how Ben said it was karma for voting out Sophie. It was so random and unexpected, but well worth being in the episode.
Summary: We are down to the final 7. The player whose season they won on that's the oldest is Denise. Does that means she's next to go? I tabbed her as one of my possible boots last week, but she wasn't even mentioned.
Possible boots: Tony has his idol, and I don't see him holding onto it if he's vulnerable (no immunity necklace). He cannot trust the word of three other people. One, yes. Two... maybe. Three... can't risk it. So Tony is not one of my possible boots. My first is Michele.... she doesn't have enough close ties, and it would consider the string of strong women going. My second pick is Ben. Gut feeling again. My third pick is Denise again. Maybe they'll realize Denise is a threat to win next episode?
For this review and next week's as well, I'm going to rank the remaining players (not on the Edge) on their chances of winning:
1. Sarah - My pick to win at the start of the season. She has Tony as a shield for as long as she wants. If she gets to the end, she's got as good of a chance as anyone.
2. Tony - If he keeps this streak up of dominating the game with idols and challenges, the jury will have no choice. Tony would be a good 2x winner of the game. But the problem for him will be getting to the end of the game.
3. Ben - I probably have him ranked higher than most people would. Ben's been a bit flaky and big-mouthed, but he's got a decent shot if he gets to the end.
4. Jeremy - Jeremy is a big threat to win if he gets to the end, and everyone in the game knows it. That's why he's been the talk of the last 2 or 3 votes. If he can somehow survive the votes until the finals, he's got as good of a shot as anyone. He just needs to get there.
5. Denise - Denise could very well fly under the radar and win the whole thing. It's actually hard to see her NOT doing well at the final tribal council if she gets there. She's good at talking the jury up.
6. Michele - Michele is a big of a long shot, because of the people left in the game, I don't think she can beat two of them. However, if she were to make it to the end with two big guys like Tony and Ben or Tony and Jeremy, those two guys might cancel each other out and Michele could claim a few votes. But that's unlikely.
7. Nick - Sorry, Nick, but you're this season's cannon fodder, finale goat, etc. You're a recent winner for one, so your legacy hasn't had time to build itself. Secondly, you're not a dominating player really in any fashion, whether it be challenges, social game, or strategy. I think Nick has a really good shot at making it to the end, but a very small shot of actually winning. Nick beating Sarah, Tony, Denise, or Jeremy? Ha!
Episode 11: Holy smokes, talk about dominating an episode! From what I read, Tony set the record for most confessionals in a single episode of Survivor, which is amazing since this wasn't even a finale episode. And to pay up for the extortion and then win immunity... wow. He also executed a perfect blindside of Sophie. Now he'll have fallout to deal with in the form of Sarah. She did not look happy.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
For the first time I have to choose somebody twice in a row. I won't always give my POTE to who wins immunity, but it certainly can be a big reason why. If hypothetically the finals were to start now, I think the majority of the jury would give their votes to Tony. So he's playing a great game, but perhaps too great of a game. He has put a big target on his back. And these are players that will not be ok with going to the end with him.
PTWOF: Sarah Lacina
She's going to be able to use Tony as a shield for as long as she can. She was my pick to win at the start of the season. But I also thought Tony would be a pre-merge boot. Sarah will be upset in losing one of her closest allies in Sophie, so everyone else should watch out. I got to say I also really liked her fashion show; showed a different side of her.
PWNTSU: Denise Stapley
She has been shockingly invisible these last few weeks. The editors are not doing her any favors. Could she make it to the end? It seems amazing that the person who still has arguably made the best move in the game is not being talked about as a threat, and she is a mere afterthought right now. She'll need to make another move or two to pad her resume enough to win the game.
Funniest/stand out moment: Tony finding out the extortion advantage was being used against him
Dude got so excited seeing an advantage he thought was gifted to him, only to find out it was being used against him. His reaction was absolutely priceless and it made me laugh.
Summary: We're getting down to the nitty gritty! I was getting worried that the men were getting picked off one by one, as Sophie is the first woman gone since Sandra. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a woman win, but to have an all female final 5 would be a bit boring to me. As would a final 5 of all men, I will add.
Possible boots: Well none of my boots went home, so I am going to try again! My three this week... I hate to do it, but if Tony doesn't win immunity again he's a possibility. Tony is my first choice. My second choice is Jeremy. He's still getting talked about. My third choice.... I'll go with Denise. Gut feeling, I guess.
Episode 10: I wish I wasn't right... again. Tyson was one of my three picks for a possible boot and now he's gone... again. If he gets back in the game again, he deserves to win. The Poker Alliance of Tyson, Kim, and Jeremy reformed in this episode but to no avail. That group also included Jeremy's ally Denise. But it seems like the group of Sarah, Tony, Sophie, Nick, Ben (& Michele?) are now running the show. Jeremy's advantage hurt his alliance and helped him at the same time, so it will be interesting to see what his alliance members say to him. Kim misplaying her idol also cost them, and now she's in trouble. And who could forget the loved one's visit, which every player got to experience? It took up a bit of time, but it was worth it.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
Tony finally got his first individual immunity win in three seasons. He also is solidified with Sarah in their alliance and players will likely target her before him. I could see Tony making it far, but he might get picked off around F4 or 5.
PTWOF: Nick Wilson
Somehow, this dude went from losing all of his alliance to being in a good position. He also went from my Player Who Needs to Step Up to my Player to Watch Out For. No one is going to be targeting him, I think. He may be seen as someone who could be taken to the end as he might not get a ton of votes, but he could surprise people. He is a lawyer after all.
PWNTSU: Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
Kim and Nick swapped places. Kim is now in a bad spot and the numbers are against her. But I feel like if anyone can switch the numbers into their favor, Kim may be one of them.
Funniest/stand out moment: When Jeremy and Sarah each almost played their advantages. It wasn't the funniest moment of the season, but it still got a laugh out of me. We haven't really seen a stand-off like that at tribal council before, at least when it comes to playing unique advantages.
Summary: Again, another guy gets voted out. Just like in Kim's season, the men are quickly disappearing from the actual game. It would not surprise me if in a few weeks we were down to two men, give or take one.
Possible boots: My first pick next week is Kim, obviously. She's a huge social and strategic threat, as well as a threat to win challenges. My next pick may surprise, but I'm going with Ben. He's fairly close with Sarah and Sophie, but they may turn on him for him being a threat. My third pick is Jeremy, who is also against the numbers and a threat.
Episodes 8 and 9: I guess I missed the past week, but that was because I just moved and really didn't have time. Anyway, we've seen Wendell and Adam get picked off, just like how Tony wants the "Hyenas" to get picked off. I'm liking this season more and more as it goes on, despite the lack of old school players. Thank goodness Tyson got back in and hasn't been picked off shortly after returning.
POTE: Tyson Apostol
Not only did he get back in the game, he's put himself in a good position. His name did get floated around in the last episode, but he didn't receive any votes. He'll potentially be a challenge threat later on, and hopefully the rest of the players don't realize that.
PTWOF: Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
She won immunity, and she won several immunities on her winning season, so she is a force to be reckoned with. She may get pretty far, and if she does, she could very well win. I've still yet to really hear her name come up as a possible vote.
PWNTSU: Nick Wilson
He needs to stop whining and just talk to people and get them on his side. He needs to get people to see that he probably won't win if he gets to the end. He needs to get on a lot of people's good side or he's a goner.
Funniest/stand out moment: Adam thinking the fleur-de-lis on Jeff's podium was an idol. I don't blame Adam for thinking that at all, since it resembled a past idol. But man, that was maybe the funniest moment of the season with Jeff and the jury's reactions. Adam has been a source of comedic relief, that's for sure.
Summary: I've got a feeling Wendell and Adam's boots won't be the last of the men getting picked off. I think the girls may end up getting together and picking them off, fearing that if a guy makes the final three he will win.
Possible boots: Well of my 4 possible boots last time, 2 of them did get voted out. I'll name three. Sarah is being considered a threat and her giving Nick her reward wasn't the smartest strategically. Nick is on the outs and could be in trouble. And I'm still afraid for Tyson, who players may re-target.
Episode 7: Are you kidding me, Survivor?! Now there are no old school players left in the actual game. This is ridiculous. This is why they should have had the same amount of old- and new-school players. Tina and Vecepia were more than willing to play. Anyway, I just knew Yul was gone the second they lost immunity. It almost seems like the challenges are scripted in order to provide the most entertainment and drama possible. I like how they featured the Edge quite a bit this episode, and with all the old-school players out, for me the more they feature it, the better.
POTE: Rob Mariano
The way he found three fire tokens and was able to keep it a secret is a true master class of deception from Boston Rob. Where the heck did he hide them, then? My guess is he found a place to stash them somewhere on the island. On multiple occasions he stripped down to his underwear to pretend he didn't have them. It will be interesting to see how he uses them in the game.
PTWOF: Jeremy Collins
It's not that he did anything particularly memorable, but he put himself in a good position. Denise won't vote him out. Tony probably won't. Kim won't. He could make it surprisingly far in this season. People should be considering him a threat, but they aren't.
PWNTSU: Adam Klein
His paranoia over the idol was stupid and over the top. But if he continues to be paranoid and annoying to others, he might get taken to the end, only because anyone could probably beat him. He needs to step up and be taken more seriously if he wants to win and not just be a Survivor goat.
Funniest/stand out moment: Ethan and Parvati's talk
I really enjoyed the conversation shown between Ethan and Parvati. She and him have this brother/sister relationship which is really endearing. He talked about potentially quitting the game over health concerns, but Parvati helped keep his mind focused. That moment stood out for me.
Summary: They are merging next episode, and chaos will run rampant around camp, I'm sure. Will it be back to Dakal vs. Sele? Remember, Michele was a Sele, but she has now made an alliance with Wendell and Nick, two former Dakal members. Same with Denise and Jeremy with Tony and Kim. I think two of the three former tribes (counting Yara) will get together and target somebody.
Possible boots: For the first time, I'm going to throw out a few names who might get voted out.
In the order of likeliness to be voted out, I'll say: Ben, Wendell, Sophie, and Adam. Ben is an obvious target, Wendell has perhaps played the game too hard too soon, Sophie is the next winner in chronological order, and Adam may get on people's nerves. Time will tell.
Episode 6:
Another episode, another old school player gone. Wait, two of them?! Yep. That makes 7 out of 8 vote offs so far old school players. Yul better watch his back. Will we have a merge soon? Probably. Will anyone on the Edge come back in yet? We'll see. I wish we had seen a bit more of the Edge, since Rob and Amber are both there now, but oh well. Maybe next episode.
POTE: Denise Stapley
Denise made the best move of the season (so far) by using her idol and taking out Sandra. If Sandra had stayed in the game, Denise would have had to give her her other fire token. I would have done the same thing. Unfortunately she wasted the second idol playing it for Jeremy, who oddly voted for her, but she had to cover her bases in case any of them threw a vote Jeremy's way. If the young players underestimate her, she may go all the way and win.
PTWOF: Kim Spradlin
I think people won't see her as a threat, but I think she is. She'll need to form the right alliances, but I think she can and do well. If I was in the game, she's not someone I would think of getting out because she's a threat to go far and win.
PWNTSU: Michele Fitzgerald
With Parvati gone, her allies grow thin. She'll need to gather some troops. She didn't get along that great with Wendell, so if hypothetically they don't merge and her tribe goes to Tribal Council, she's probably gone.
Funniest/stand out moment: Wendell saying he'll flat out stab people in the back to win. That wasn't a particularly smart thing for Wendell to say. Now Nick and Yul will be wondering when that backstabbing is going to take place, and if they maybe should take him out before it happens.
Summary: I got my hopes up early seeing an early challenge, thinking there might be two of them. Nope. Instead, they had extra long conversations on the Sele and Dakal beaches about who to vote out. I don't think Yara was shown after the challenge. But for the next episode, will there be a merge? They're down to 4 players per tribe. Perhaps they'll go back to two tribes for a week or two, with whole new Sele and Dakal tribes.
Episode 5:
That now makes 5 of the 6 vote outs so far old school players. Sandra and Parvati should be worried. I hate that Rob got voted out, but his methods were too old school, and he should have realized he couldn't control Ben and Adam like he controlled his old Ometepe tribe on Redemption Island. I like how they split up the tribes, but poor Rob got screwed. I guess the only way he doesn't get screwed is if he gets on a tribe with Parvati and Yul. Would Yul take him out? Hard to say.
Also, I wanted to add I saw Yara losing the challenge coming from a mile away. Despite them getting a huge lead, I just knew they were going to struggle on the puzzle, because that happens so much on Survivor now. It's not really fun to watch when it's this predictable.
POTE: Kim Spradlin
She didn't really do a whole lot, but in that challenge where they had to throw the bean bags at the blocks, she was killing it. I would not be surprised if she played softball when she was younger. And then I think she put herself in good position as the swing vote. She can either side with Sandra and Tony or she can side with Jeremy and Denise, if they have to to go Tribal Council, that is.
PTWOF: Michele Fitzgerald
After the tribe switch, she formed a bond with Parvati, and she talked about Wendell (who she used to date) quite a bit. She finished with saying she would take him out if need be. I think I saw a sort of passing of the torch from Parvati to Michele as the Survivor villainess who bats her eyes and flirts but won't hesitate to take you out of the game.
PWWI: Everyone on the Edge of Extinction
As the numbers start to dwindle, I may stop this category. Or I can change it to something else. I think I'll change it to PWNTSU for Player Who Needs To Step Up, for someone who needs to up their strategy game. Anyway, for the first time we didn't see anyone on the Edge of Extinction, probably because they wanted to focus on the tribes after the tribe swap. That, and there probably wasn't anything happening there nearly as memorable as Ethan's trek to get 20 logs.
Funniest/stand out moment: Nick telling Parvati about his crush
Again, there wasn't really a moment that made me laugh out loud, but Nick telling Parvati that he had a crush on her in high school was equal parts awkward and sweet. Parvati, I'm sure, has gotten that a lot. I think she knows she has him wrapped around her finger.
Summary: Apparently, there will be two vote-offs and two tribal councils next episode. What they should do is have them attend Tribal Council together, but of course vote separately. If Yara has to go to Tribal Council, Sarah or Sophie may be forced to use one of their advantages to avoid a tie. Also, it will be fun to see Rob and Amber on the Edge together.
Episode 4:
Nooo... not Tyson. 😢 Oh well, I guess. He overplayed his hand and trusted the rest of his tribemates too much. At least Sele won a challenge again, although with how badly they fell behind, it doesn't seem that believable that Dakal would not be able to figure out the puzzle in all that time.
POTE: Sandra Diaz-Twine
Her tribe may have lost the challenge, but it certainly was not her fault. She even got the sit-out bench named after her thanks to Parvati's suggestion. And then when the Dakal members were discussing who to vote for, Sandra is again pulling the ol' "As long as it's not me" trick, which is still somehow working. I'm surprised she's lasted this long, considering she's a liability at challenges.
PTWOF: Nick Wilson
He's no longer invisible! And I'll stop calling him "Thick Wilson". He was able to turn the focus off him and onto Tyson, and he even got Tyson's fire token! There's an impending tribe swap in the next episode, and I think Nick will be just fine. I personally think he could be getting a winner's edit, as many past winners have been invisible at first but slowly get more and more involved.
PWWI: Denise Stapley
I think she had a few lines, not sure about a confessional, though. She was a huge underdog the season she won, and she's an even bigger underdog this season. But congrats to her, the first episode of Survivor she was ever in where she didn't go to a tribal council.
Funniest/stand out moment: Ethan getting all 20 logs
This wasn't funny, but heartwarming. The way Ethan persevered despite being dehydrated, tired, hungry (all of the above), was very inspiring. I had a feeling the medical at EoE was just a precautionary measure, and I was right. Ethan's definitely one of the most inspiring people to ever play the game of Survivor.
Summary: It will be interesting to see what happens when the tribe swap happens. Apparently, Michele gets put with her ex-boyfriend, which happens to be Wendell. If the other players don't know that, they could form a dangerous alliance. Whoever gets voted off next is probably someone who gets screwed by the swap and is down in numbers.
Episode 3:
Ugh I hate when tribes get one-sided. Sele has lost 3 out of 4 challenges so far. I wish they were doing separate reward and immunity challenges. I like the element of having to plan on who to sit out for reward and who to sit out for immunity. That very thing was the reason the Villains struggled a bit in HVV, when Coach wanted the reward and sat out Courtney and Sandra for the reward challenge. Of course, the challenge was close, and of course, Dakal won again. And it breaks my heart that now on both of his returning seasons, Ethan has gotten too early of a boot. He could come back, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for him. 🤞🏻
Oh, and I must add my Player To Watch Out For has gotten voted out in two straight weeks. WTF! Ok, I'm picking someone from Dakal now.
POTE: Sarah Lacina
She is slowly getting more and more screen time. She executed the sneak into the Sele camp and got the "Steal a Vote". She also did well on the puzzle in the challenge. She's becoming one of my favorites. Oh, by the way, she was my pick to win this season.
PTWOF: Natalie Anderson
Who said I couldn't feature someone on the EOE on here? Natalie has now found two advantages and has three fire tokens, I believe. She is the queen of the EOE right now. My girlfriend says she could win if she gets back in the game, and I don't doubt that. Oh, and since my last two PTWOF picks have been voted out, this will end the streak of them getting voted out in a row, since Natalie can't possibly be voted out next episode.
PWWI: Thick Wilson
Again, this guy was barely shown. I'm liking the Sele tribe more because they're getting shown more. And on the Dakal tribe, Nick really hasn't been shown doing much. Come on Survivor editors, show Thick Wilson more!
Funniest/stand out moment: Rob tickling Adam with a leaf
Right at the start of the episode, Rob wakes Adam by tickling him with a leaf. I laughed pretty hard at that. Adam seems to be the center of a lot of comedic moments; we'll see if that continues.
Summary: The Sele tribe needs to win next episode for sure. Rob is their "leader", and if they lose again, Michelle, Jeremy, Adam, Ben, and Denise may be forced to take him out. Tyson, meanwhile, may have made an enemy of Sandra and the two former Villains may clash at their next Tribal Council. Should be fun to watch.
Episode 2:
Sorry it's a little late, but better late than never, they say. I really enjoyed this episode. The scrambling on Sele tribe after they lost was a little hectic, and poor Danni got the boot. She was my previous PTWOF, so let's hope that trend doesn't continue.
POTE: Tony Vlachos
I just loved the whole ladder sequence. He's playing care-free, but also determined and he showed his tribe he's willing to do anything to help them. He should make it to at least the merge. He also reunited with Sarah and reformed Cops R Us. But a two person alliance is never enough, and they'll need to add a few more.
PTWOF: Ethan Zahn
Ethan is going to play a quiet game, and I don't think many will see him as a threat. He may be seen as a threat to win if he gets fairly far, but he won't be considered a strategic or social threat because of how much of an old-school player he is.
PWWI: Nick Wilson
Thick Wilson as I'm calling him because of his extra blob didn't get much screentime in Ep 2. He has only had one confessional so far this season in two episodes.
Funniest/stand out moment: Adam failing to place his torch in a hole at tribal council, easily. "I thought it was a hole," he said. That's what he said. I wonder if that's the first time he's had trouble getting something in a hole.
Summary: I worry for Rob and Parvati as their numbers dwindle. And, while I enjoy watching male players in the game, we haven't had a female winner in years, and only women have been voted off so far. I'd be willing to bet money the next to go is a male. I thought Ben was in trouble the way he ran his mouth at tribal council talking about paranoia, but he wasn't the planned person to vote out, Danni was. Sele will need to win the next immunity, or Rob and company will be in trouble.
Episode 1:
My worry for this season was that since the new school players (Players who started playing Season 23 or later) outnumber the old school players, that they would just pick off the old school players one by one. Not the case. They look like they are willing to work together, at least on the Dakal Tribe, although they voted out Amber. On the Sele tribe, there's a distinct division between the old and new school players.
POTE: Rob Mariano
Somehow, Rob wasn't targeted, although his wife was. Rob is definitely the more dangerous player. Danni floated his name out there, and Rob confronted her about it calmly. He smartly decided to work with her if she told the truth, which she did. His tribe lost the first immunity challenge, but in the second challenge Rob shined. If not for his herculean efforts to shoulder people over the barrel, his Sele tribe would have been stuck there. He also made an alliance with Parvati, which somehow is staying under the radar (for now).
PTWOF: Danni Boatwright
She's a lot of people's picks to win, namely Dalton Ross and Jeff Probst. She is fit enough to last a long time in the game, and she's one of the few people in the game that most wouldn't be afraid to go to the end with. She's not going to be on people's radars unless her old school alliance starts falling apart.
PWWI: Sarah Lacina
Did she have a confessional? I can't recall. She did well in the first challenge, and I don't really remember or know who's she's aligned with. Is she aligned with Tony and Sandra?
Funniest/stand out moment: It wasn't from the actual episode, but noticing how a lot of the players have put on weight, I saw someone comment on the Survivor subreddit that Boston Rob should be called "Boston Blob". Nick Wilson has also put on weight so I call him "Thick Wilson".
Summary: All in all it was a very good first episode, and I'm enjoying this season way more than the last few. Despite the Edge of Extinction twist, it's still an enjoyable season. They added Fire Tokens to the game, and allowed exchanges between people on the Edge and people still in the game involving advantages and Fire Tokens, which is smart, because otherwise the Edge of Extinction is pretty pointless to show. Next week, it looks like on the Sele tribe that the new school players just decide to stick together, so if they lose the immunity challenge, either Rob, Danni, Parvati, or Ethan could be in trouble.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies
I thought I'd go for a fun kind of post and I was thinking about what my favorite guilty pleasure movies are the other day. I have come up with my Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies. None of these are critically acclaimed, but every single one of them is entertaining and I have seen multiple times. It's just something about these films; I just enjoy sitting back and turning my brain off and watching these every few years. And, in order for a film to be on here, it has to have less than a 7.0 rating on IMDB, and the ratings on IMDB follow the titles of the films. Here they are:
Honorable Mention: Smart House - 6.3
I had to give honorable mention to my favorite Disney Channel original movie growing up, Smart House. It's only a TV Movie, so I couldn't quite count it. But as a kid I wanted a smart house just like the one in the movie, one that would make me meals, instantly clean up messes, and play whatever I want to watch on the entire wall. And I would know better than to disobey it and piss it off, unlike the family in this movie.
Second Honorable Mention: Rat Race - 6.4
I remember my parents taking me to see this in theaters, and yes, I was only 12 at the time, so a bit raunchy for 12-year-old me. But I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, and it still to this day makes me laugh. I got it on DVD in the early 2000s and watched it every few years as I got older, each time understanding a new joke or two. And the cast is just terrific, from Jon Lovitz to Cuba Gooding Jr. to Rowan Atkinson to Seth Green to Whoopi Goldberg.
10. Jack Frost - 5.4
Another film with a hard-to-believe premise: A father dies, but his spirit/soul brings a snowman to life and he is able to interact and talk to his son a year after passing. I liked this movie growing up, and it always made a great movie to watch around the winter holidays. I particularly like the song "Hey Now Now" by Swirl 360 that plays when Charlie and his "dad" get away from the bullies. It's so 1990's.
9. Like Mike - 5.2
A kid finds some of Michael Jordan's old sneakers and suddenly gains his basketball ability by wearing the shoes. It's an interesting story, but I like that it has a basketball theme. There's a sub-plot of the kid being at an orphanage and trying to get adopted, and eventually does. Jesse Plemons is in this in the first role I saw him in, as a fellow kid/bully in the orphanage. I also like the cameos by all the NBA players in this, although no Michael Jordan.
8. Jingle All the Way - 5.6
My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas Movie, Jingle All the Way is fun to watch even outside the Christmas season. There are so many hard to believe things in this film, but there are so many classic scenes and lines such as "Put the cookie down, now!" and "I'm not a puh-vert!". It's just a fun film and Arnie just kills it. And this is not the only time a film Jake Lloyd acted in is on this list.
7. Bruce Almighty - 6.7
This is one of my favorite Jim Carrey roles. Carrey, playing the titular role, gets the powers of God and uses them with hilarious results. The casting of Morgan Freeman as God was absolutely perfect. And Jim perfectly inserts some of his funny and quirky mannerisms into the role. I'm surprised this doesn't have a bit higher rating, but there are times when the movie just tries too hard to be funny. I like Jennifer Aniston in this, but she seems a bit out of Bruce's league.
6. The Island - 6.8
Ewan McGregor in a sci-fi movie? I'll always go for that. 😉 In this, he plays a clone that escapes his institution along side a very fine looking Scarlett Johansson who also plays a clone. This movie has been out for a while now, so much so that when this film was shot and set "in the future", well that future is now the past. I happened to watch The Island the day this was set, July 19, 2019. This film was also made by Michael Bay, maybe the king of guilty pleasure directors, but he's only on this list once for me. My favorite line(s): "I'm Tom Lincoln!" "No, I'm Tom Lincoln!"
5. Godzilla (1998) - 5.4
Yes, the 1998 Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite guilty pleasure films. I remember how hyped the movie was when it came out, and I even owned a Godzilla toy from that film that screamed like the movie version and stomped and "wagged" it's tail. I remember seeing it as a kid and it scaring me a bit, but not anymore obviously. As a sports fan, I loved how the climax was set at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks play. They set up for a possible sequel with one of Godzilla's babies surviving in the end, but nothing came of it. Oh well, the sequel probably would have been even worse.
4. Click - 6.4
This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie, believe it or not. And I just found out, for the longest time this film had Adam Sandler's only death scene (until "Uncut Gems", I believe). It's got such an interesting (but flawed) concept, but I love it. He controls the universe with a remote, with unfortunate side effects. I like how the film teaches us to enjoy moments in life we take for granted, such as time with our parents, working, and foreplay with the wife 🤣. I also love all the actors in this and their connections to other things or people. Adam Sandler's mom was played by Julie Kavner, who voices Marge Simpson. We also see his kids played by Lorraine Nicholson and Jake Hoffman, the children of Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman, respectively. And we see a small role from Jonah Hill.
3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 6.5
You knew Nicolas Cage had to be on here at some point, right? He's the king of guilty pleasure actors. In this sequel, he "kidnaps the president" and goes to a secret cave inside Mount Rushmore. I just love the two National Treasure films, and I wish they had made another. By this point, a third National Treasure film would feel forced, irrelevant, and not as interesting. However, a third one is listed on IMDB as "In Development", although I believe it has been that way for a few years. I believe they are having trouble either writing the script or finding writers for it.
2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6.5
What, I can have a Star Wars film on here! And there's no better example of a guilty pleasure Star Wars film than Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I do enjoy watching this and I never skip over it when I watch the Star Wars films (or prequel trilogy). I remember all the promotions for the film when it came out and each time I watch Episode I, it gives me that feeling of nostalgia. Sometimes I even get the urge to watch just this film and not Episodes II or III. Jar Jar doesn't annoy me quite as much as he annoys other Star Wars fans.
1. National Treasure - 6.8
Well, you knew if National Treasure 2 was on here, the first one would have to be on here as well. I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this. I love the history they incorporated into this movie, even if it's not all true. And, this was for the longest time the only thing I had seen Sean Bean in where he doesn't die. And, I could be mistaken, but it might be the only film where he plays the villain but doesn't die.
Like I said, I just enjoy turning my brain off and watching any of these films. I think the thing they have in common is that each one has something happen in it that is just never possible in the real world: A person coming back to life, a dog playing football, a universal remote that controls the universe, and stealing the Declaration of Independence. Oh, and Star Wars.
Honorable Mention: Smart House - 6.3
I had to give honorable mention to my favorite Disney Channel original movie growing up, Smart House. It's only a TV Movie, so I couldn't quite count it. But as a kid I wanted a smart house just like the one in the movie, one that would make me meals, instantly clean up messes, and play whatever I want to watch on the entire wall. And I would know better than to disobey it and piss it off, unlike the family in this movie.
Second Honorable Mention: Rat Race - 6.4
I remember my parents taking me to see this in theaters, and yes, I was only 12 at the time, so a bit raunchy for 12-year-old me. But I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, and it still to this day makes me laugh. I got it on DVD in the early 2000s and watched it every few years as I got older, each time understanding a new joke or two. And the cast is just terrific, from Jon Lovitz to Cuba Gooding Jr. to Rowan Atkinson to Seth Green to Whoopi Goldberg.
10. Jack Frost - 5.4
Another film with a hard-to-believe premise: A father dies, but his spirit/soul brings a snowman to life and he is able to interact and talk to his son a year after passing. I liked this movie growing up, and it always made a great movie to watch around the winter holidays. I particularly like the song "Hey Now Now" by Swirl 360 that plays when Charlie and his "dad" get away from the bullies. It's so 1990's.
9. Like Mike - 5.2
A kid finds some of Michael Jordan's old sneakers and suddenly gains his basketball ability by wearing the shoes. It's an interesting story, but I like that it has a basketball theme. There's a sub-plot of the kid being at an orphanage and trying to get adopted, and eventually does. Jesse Plemons is in this in the first role I saw him in, as a fellow kid/bully in the orphanage. I also like the cameos by all the NBA players in this, although no Michael Jordan.
8. Jingle All the Way - 5.6
My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas Movie, Jingle All the Way is fun to watch even outside the Christmas season. There are so many hard to believe things in this film, but there are so many classic scenes and lines such as "Put the cookie down, now!" and "I'm not a puh-vert!". It's just a fun film and Arnie just kills it. And this is not the only time a film Jake Lloyd acted in is on this list.
7. Bruce Almighty - 6.7
This is one of my favorite Jim Carrey roles. Carrey, playing the titular role, gets the powers of God and uses them with hilarious results. The casting of Morgan Freeman as God was absolutely perfect. And Jim perfectly inserts some of his funny and quirky mannerisms into the role. I'm surprised this doesn't have a bit higher rating, but there are times when the movie just tries too hard to be funny. I like Jennifer Aniston in this, but she seems a bit out of Bruce's league.
6. The Island - 6.8
Ewan McGregor in a sci-fi movie? I'll always go for that. 😉 In this, he plays a clone that escapes his institution along side a very fine looking Scarlett Johansson who also plays a clone. This movie has been out for a while now, so much so that when this film was shot and set "in the future", well that future is now the past. I happened to watch The Island the day this was set, July 19, 2019. This film was also made by Michael Bay, maybe the king of guilty pleasure directors, but he's only on this list once for me. My favorite line(s): "I'm Tom Lincoln!" "No, I'm Tom Lincoln!"
5. Godzilla (1998) - 5.4
Yes, the 1998 Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite guilty pleasure films. I remember how hyped the movie was when it came out, and I even owned a Godzilla toy from that film that screamed like the movie version and stomped and "wagged" it's tail. I remember seeing it as a kid and it scaring me a bit, but not anymore obviously. As a sports fan, I loved how the climax was set at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks play. They set up for a possible sequel with one of Godzilla's babies surviving in the end, but nothing came of it. Oh well, the sequel probably would have been even worse.
4. Click - 6.4
This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie, believe it or not. And I just found out, for the longest time this film had Adam Sandler's only death scene (until "Uncut Gems", I believe). It's got such an interesting (but flawed) concept, but I love it. He controls the universe with a remote, with unfortunate side effects. I like how the film teaches us to enjoy moments in life we take for granted, such as time with our parents, working, and foreplay with the wife 🤣. I also love all the actors in this and their connections to other things or people. Adam Sandler's mom was played by Julie Kavner, who voices Marge Simpson. We also see his kids played by Lorraine Nicholson and Jake Hoffman, the children of Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman, respectively. And we see a small role from Jonah Hill.
3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 6.5
You knew Nicolas Cage had to be on here at some point, right? He's the king of guilty pleasure actors. In this sequel, he "kidnaps the president" and goes to a secret cave inside Mount Rushmore. I just love the two National Treasure films, and I wish they had made another. By this point, a third National Treasure film would feel forced, irrelevant, and not as interesting. However, a third one is listed on IMDB as "In Development", although I believe it has been that way for a few years. I believe they are having trouble either writing the script or finding writers for it.
2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6.5
What, I can have a Star Wars film on here! And there's no better example of a guilty pleasure Star Wars film than Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I do enjoy watching this and I never skip over it when I watch the Star Wars films (or prequel trilogy). I remember all the promotions for the film when it came out and each time I watch Episode I, it gives me that feeling of nostalgia. Sometimes I even get the urge to watch just this film and not Episodes II or III. Jar Jar doesn't annoy me quite as much as he annoys other Star Wars fans.
1. National Treasure - 6.8
Well, you knew if National Treasure 2 was on here, the first one would have to be on here as well. I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this. I love the history they incorporated into this movie, even if it's not all true. And, this was for the longest time the only thing I had seen Sean Bean in where he doesn't die. And, I could be mistaken, but it might be the only film where he plays the villain but doesn't die.
Like I said, I just enjoy turning my brain off and watching any of these films. I think the thing they have in common is that each one has something happen in it that is just never possible in the real world: A person coming back to life, a dog playing football, a universal remote that controls the universe, and stealing the Declaration of Independence. Oh, and Star Wars.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Thoughts/Review
I have now seen the final film in the Skywalker saga of Star Wars films. Honestly, I'm pretty bummed it's over and there won't be another. We won't ever see Luke, Han, Leia, or Lando again; at least not played by their respective actors and not in a Star Wars episodic film. However, the final film tied up the saga, but the question is, did it do it well? In my opinion, it did. It answered a bunch of questions, had drama, and kept me entertained throughout. Also, from here on out there will be spoilers, so you have been warned.
I have to admit I read some reviews of The Rise of Skywalker before seeing it, and most of what I saw was pretty negative. One person even called it the "worst Star Wars film". No way is TROS the worst Star Wars film, but it is not without its faults. I want to get these out of the way first. This is not a perfect film, or even excellent. I think this film is going to divide fans for a long time. It currently has a 6.9 rating on IMDB and a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it was better than what those scores indicate. But I certainly don't think it was close to perfect.
First off, I had trouble accepting such a light and goodhearted character we've grown to know and love could be descended from someone so despicably evil in Palpatine. It's nothing against what JJ did, but if this was the direction they were going to take, I would've liked a hint of it in "The Last Jedi". Another thing I didn't particularly like was how Rey and Kylo could transport matter. We saw a hint of it in "The Last Jedi" when rainwater from Ahch-To got transported to Kylo's hand far away. Then, in this film, we had a necklace and a lightsaber be transported from Rey to Kylo. I just can't wrap my head around it, and it seems like something that should be in Star Trek, not Star Wars. Also, I've had trouble accepting that Force Ghosts can influence matter as well. We saw Yoda cause a lightning strike in TLJ, and in TROS we saw Luke block a lightsaber from being thrown into a fire, and we saw him levitate his old X-Wing out of the water. They're called "ghosts" for a reason. Heck, if they're going to go that route, they might as well have a Force Ghost army in some Star Wars spin-off TV series or film. They can't be killed, after all. Finally, I just did not like the opening space fight scene in the Millennium Falcon. WAY too many jumpcuts and it was paced WAY too quickly. Too fast-paced of a scene way too early in the film. Every film in the original trilogy started out slow, or at least not that intense so soon. Those were my main four gripes.
Here's what I thought they did well: The handling of Princess Leia. If I had not known, I would've thought they filmed Leia's/Carrie's scenes especially for this film. JJ and Chris did a great job of incorporating what they had of Carrie into this film. And her passing was done very well and tastefully. I hate that she never really got to see her son, but I think had Carrie not passed away, JJ had it mind to have her meet Kylo/Ben, or at least project herself to him so that she could try to turn him back to the light. I think they used Harrison Ford/Han Solo in her place. His scene with Ben mirrored their scene on the bridge in "The Force Awakens", even down to some of the quotes. This time, instead of Kylo going from confused to dark side, he went from confused to light side.
I also liked Kylo/Ben turning back to the light. You could tell he was conflicted and when Rey saved his life after stabbing him, he knew he had to be on her side from that point on. Him going after her on Exegol with as much haste and determination as he had shows he cared about her. And his sacrifice to her, very touching. I was hoping he would be able to survive, because how often do you see a redeemed bad guy character that doesn't die? However, the Skywalker saga had to end and it still technically could continue with Ben still alive. And to be honest, I was a Rey/Ben shipper so their kiss was definitely something I wanted to see.
Now to go over technical aspects. To be expected, visual effects and sound were top-notch. Costumes and makeup were very well done, although I think I noticed Kylo/Ben's scar on his face disappearing, but that could be just it fading over time. I'd be surprised if TROS didn't get an Oscar nomination for something, with their likeliest nomination probably being visual effects. Acting was decent; my favorite was Daisy Ridley as Rey. The writing was less than stellar, but they stayed true to the characters at least. Perhaps the best was John Williams' score, his last time scoring a Star Wars film. I always felt the music perfectly suited the scene at the time.
Hard to say if I enjoyed this more than "The Force Awakens". I know I enjoyed it more than "The Last Jedi". I definitely want to see it again in theaters. I wonder if people's second viewings of TROS will make them like it more or less. Based on how the IMDB rating for this film is going up (It was at 6.8, it's now at 7.0), it seems like people like it more on multiple viewings. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan, and if I say this is a satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga, then it probably is.
I have to admit I read some reviews of The Rise of Skywalker before seeing it, and most of what I saw was pretty negative. One person even called it the "worst Star Wars film". No way is TROS the worst Star Wars film, but it is not without its faults. I want to get these out of the way first. This is not a perfect film, or even excellent. I think this film is going to divide fans for a long time. It currently has a 6.9 rating on IMDB and a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it was better than what those scores indicate. But I certainly don't think it was close to perfect.
First off, I had trouble accepting such a light and goodhearted character we've grown to know and love could be descended from someone so despicably evil in Palpatine. It's nothing against what JJ did, but if this was the direction they were going to take, I would've liked a hint of it in "The Last Jedi". Another thing I didn't particularly like was how Rey and Kylo could transport matter. We saw a hint of it in "The Last Jedi" when rainwater from Ahch-To got transported to Kylo's hand far away. Then, in this film, we had a necklace and a lightsaber be transported from Rey to Kylo. I just can't wrap my head around it, and it seems like something that should be in Star Trek, not Star Wars. Also, I've had trouble accepting that Force Ghosts can influence matter as well. We saw Yoda cause a lightning strike in TLJ, and in TROS we saw Luke block a lightsaber from being thrown into a fire, and we saw him levitate his old X-Wing out of the water. They're called "ghosts" for a reason. Heck, if they're going to go that route, they might as well have a Force Ghost army in some Star Wars spin-off TV series or film. They can't be killed, after all. Finally, I just did not like the opening space fight scene in the Millennium Falcon. WAY too many jumpcuts and it was paced WAY too quickly. Too fast-paced of a scene way too early in the film. Every film in the original trilogy started out slow, or at least not that intense so soon. Those were my main four gripes.
Here's what I thought they did well: The handling of Princess Leia. If I had not known, I would've thought they filmed Leia's/Carrie's scenes especially for this film. JJ and Chris did a great job of incorporating what they had of Carrie into this film. And her passing was done very well and tastefully. I hate that she never really got to see her son, but I think had Carrie not passed away, JJ had it mind to have her meet Kylo/Ben, or at least project herself to him so that she could try to turn him back to the light. I think they used Harrison Ford/Han Solo in her place. His scene with Ben mirrored their scene on the bridge in "The Force Awakens", even down to some of the quotes. This time, instead of Kylo going from confused to dark side, he went from confused to light side.
I also liked Kylo/Ben turning back to the light. You could tell he was conflicted and when Rey saved his life after stabbing him, he knew he had to be on her side from that point on. Him going after her on Exegol with as much haste and determination as he had shows he cared about her. And his sacrifice to her, very touching. I was hoping he would be able to survive, because how often do you see a redeemed bad guy character that doesn't die? However, the Skywalker saga had to end and it still technically could continue with Ben still alive. And to be honest, I was a Rey/Ben shipper so their kiss was definitely something I wanted to see.
Now to go over technical aspects. To be expected, visual effects and sound were top-notch. Costumes and makeup were very well done, although I think I noticed Kylo/Ben's scar on his face disappearing, but that could be just it fading over time. I'd be surprised if TROS didn't get an Oscar nomination for something, with their likeliest nomination probably being visual effects. Acting was decent; my favorite was Daisy Ridley as Rey. The writing was less than stellar, but they stayed true to the characters at least. Perhaps the best was John Williams' score, his last time scoring a Star Wars film. I always felt the music perfectly suited the scene at the time.
Hard to say if I enjoyed this more than "The Force Awakens". I know I enjoyed it more than "The Last Jedi". I definitely want to see it again in theaters. I wonder if people's second viewings of TROS will make them like it more or less. Based on how the IMDB rating for this film is going up (It was at 6.8, it's now at 7.0), it seems like people like it more on multiple viewings. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan, and if I say this is a satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga, then it probably is.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Five Questions and Predictions
With Avengers Endgame out (and having seen it), the next movie I am REALLY
hyped to see is Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. The teaser trailer and title were
announced/released two weeks ago, and I've had some time to dwell on them. Below are five questions people might have
about the film, and I put forth multiple choice possibilities and choose my
answer with reasoning. It'll be
interesting to go back here 8 months from now (Yikes!) and see how close I was.
I have now seen the Rise of Skywalker. For my full thoughts on it, you'll have to see my more recent post here. *SPOILER ALERT* I will of course be discussing spoilers so this is your warning.
1. So, apparently Palpatine returns, based on his cackle at the end of the teaser trailer. How is he able to return?
A. He returns as a spirit, much like a Force Ghost (The dark side version of it possibly). Not able to physically appear but in spirit.
B. A clone was made of him
C. He survived falling down the ventilation shaft.
D. He inhabits the body of someone or something else (Like Voldemort)
Answer: I'm gonna go with A, but neither C nor D would surprise me. My prediction is that there is a Dark Side way of becoming one with the Force. Obviously, we'd hear him and he'd be able to influence Kylo Ren and say things like, "Do what your grandfather failed to do." I only included B because I believe that happened in the Expanded Universe novels, although I doubt they'd take that idea straight from them. Option D would be cool to see, however. Could we see him inhabit Snoke's body?
The closest actual answer would be C. He had some assistance, clearly, but never fully died.
2. What will the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey be like at the end of Episode IX?
A. Non-existent, as one will be dead.
B. Still enemies
C. Allies, or at least will have a truce
D. Romantic
Answer: I want it to be D, but Rey's parentage is still in question. Kylo told Rey her parents were nobodies, but he could have been lying (or possibly misled by Snoke). She still could be his sister or cousin. I'll go with C as my prediction, but I want it to be D. They won't kill Rey off, and I don't think JJ Abrams will want to kill Kylo off either, so I don't think it will be A. And I highly doubt they'll still be enemies; it would just feel like we need another film to resolve their conflict.
Officially it is A 😢, but for a brief moment is was C and D. I should have known Ben/Kylo would die because this film was billed for it "concluding the Skywalker saga", and if he had survived, the Skywalkers would live on.
3. Speaking of Rey's parentage, what is it?
A. Kylo was telling the truth. Her parents were nobodies.
B. Luke is her father. He abandoned her mother, and her mother (And stepfather?) left her on Jakku.
C. Han and Leia are her parents. She was conceived in secret and hidden on Jakku.
D. She is a manifestation of the Force, much like Anakin.
Answer: I just find it difficult to be B or C. Wouldn't they know about it and want to tell her? Also, I've noticed a bit of a conflict between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, who directed Episode VIII. They had different ideas for the films, so I think it might not be A. I'm leaning more and more to D. It would be kind of a copy cat origin story, but if they do it differently and uniquely it could work. So I'll go with D, with A as my second choice. They have to address this in Ep. IX, at least to some extent.
Wow, none of the above. Technically A is right, but they were trying to be nobodies in order to protect their daughter from her grandfather. I had a feeling JJ would decide Rian Johnson's choice wasn't good enough, I just had no idea she would be related to him.
4. What does the title, "The Rise of Skywalker" mean?
A. Skywalker is or becomes a title for Jedi. Much like "Darth" is for the Sith, Skywalker becomes a title for Jedi as the Jedi rise and Rey (and possibly Kylo/Ben) start a new Jedi order. So Rey would be "Skywalker Rey".
B. Rey is a Skywalker, and she learns her true identity.
C. Luke's influence as a Force Ghost is critical to the Resistance and he aids in their victory.
D. Luke and Palpatine have a Force Ghost battle and Luke comes out on top.
E. Kylo sheds his name "Kylo Ren" and becomes "Ben Skywalker" (Not Solo).
Answer: It's a pretty vague title. I got answer "A" from someone's theory on Reddit, which I really liked obviously. Although you wouldn't see a title called "The Rise of Darth". But I can see Skywalker referring to a group of people and not just one person. B is obviously a candidate. C and D kind of go together and both could be possible. I know D sounds ludicrous but I could see it happening. E could mean the title is about Kylo Ren, since he has Skywalker blood. If he returns to the light he could identify himself "as a Skywalker". The title of Episode VII referred to Rey (indirectly). The title of Episode VIII referred to Luke. I think the title of Episode IX will refer to someone else as well, which leaves only Kylo Ren. It could be about his redemption and return to the light side, so I'll go with E. However, most people are figuring this must refer to Luke, so my next best guess would be "C".
The actual answer is kind of a cross between A and B. Rey assumed the Skywalker name, almost as if it were a title. My friend even said it was like Luke or Leia adopted her from beyond the grave.
5. The fates of the following people:
A. Kylo Ren:
a. Dead
b. Alive, but still Dark
c. Alive and turned to Light
Answer: C. It's gotta be, right? I touched on this in question in number 3, and I said I don't think they'll kill Kylo off. At least I hope they don't. If it was B they would need another film or something to resolve this, wouldn't they? It would be like leaving Darth Vader alive and still dark side oriented after "Return of the Jedi".
I should have known, like I said above. He sacrificed himself for Rey and hopefully Rey would respect his memory and tell everyone he was a hero.
B. Captain Phasma:
a. She died in Episode VIII
b. She comes back in IX but dies
c. She comes back in IX and lives
Answer: B. JJ and Rian have an internal conflict going on from what I've gathered. JJ will want to undo what Rian did and bring back Captain Phasma, only to have her die for real.
Falling that far into a pit of fire on a ship going down is hard to survive, especially for a non-Sith/Jedi. I think bringing her back would've been a slap in the face to Rian Johnson.
C. General Hux:
a. Dead
b. Dead
c. Dead
Answer: All of the above. Is there any chance this guy survives? He clearly has no good in his heart. The only question is how he will die.
Well, yes, but who saw him helping out the good guys? Not me! Kylo clearly got on his bad side, so Hux took action. Too bad for him General Pryde saw right through him.
C. a. How will Hux die?
1. Rey kills him
2. Finn or Poe kills him
3. Kylo turns on him and kills him
Answer: Number 1 wouldn't be satisfying enough. I'd like to see 2, have a battle between non-Force users. But I think it will be 3.
I didn't even consider him being a spy and one of the first order generals killing him. Gotta consider every possibility.
D. Leia:
a. Alive and present
b. Alive but gone away/missing
c. Dead
Answer: I almost forgot about Leia. Hard to say how much of an impact she'll have, with Carrie Fisher passing before they could film any of Episode IX. I will say C, and they'll make it as tear-inducing as possible.
I was right. I was impressed with how much footage they had of Carrie and how they were able to use it. It was tear-inducing, although I didn't cry myself. But I felt like it after seeing Chewbacca's reacting to Leia's passing.
Well, there you have it. I answered the five (plus) biggest questions about Episode IX. It's still almost 8 months away and I cannot wait for it to get here!
Meh, not terrible predictions, but some really caught me off guard. Click the link above to see my full thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. 🙂
I have now seen the Rise of Skywalker. For my full thoughts on it, you'll have to see my more recent post here. *SPOILER ALERT* I will of course be discussing spoilers so this is your warning.
1. So, apparently Palpatine returns, based on his cackle at the end of the teaser trailer. How is he able to return?
A. He returns as a spirit, much like a Force Ghost (The dark side version of it possibly). Not able to physically appear but in spirit.
B. A clone was made of him
C. He survived falling down the ventilation shaft.
D. He inhabits the body of someone or something else (Like Voldemort)
Answer: I'm gonna go with A, but neither C nor D would surprise me. My prediction is that there is a Dark Side way of becoming one with the Force. Obviously, we'd hear him and he'd be able to influence Kylo Ren and say things like, "Do what your grandfather failed to do." I only included B because I believe that happened in the Expanded Universe novels, although I doubt they'd take that idea straight from them. Option D would be cool to see, however. Could we see him inhabit Snoke's body?
The closest actual answer would be C. He had some assistance, clearly, but never fully died.
2. What will the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey be like at the end of Episode IX?
A. Non-existent, as one will be dead.
B. Still enemies
C. Allies, or at least will have a truce
D. Romantic
Answer: I want it to be D, but Rey's parentage is still in question. Kylo told Rey her parents were nobodies, but he could have been lying (or possibly misled by Snoke). She still could be his sister or cousin. I'll go with C as my prediction, but I want it to be D. They won't kill Rey off, and I don't think JJ Abrams will want to kill Kylo off either, so I don't think it will be A. And I highly doubt they'll still be enemies; it would just feel like we need another film to resolve their conflict.
Officially it is A 😢, but for a brief moment is was C and D. I should have known Ben/Kylo would die because this film was billed for it "concluding the Skywalker saga", and if he had survived, the Skywalkers would live on.
3. Speaking of Rey's parentage, what is it?
A. Kylo was telling the truth. Her parents were nobodies.
B. Luke is her father. He abandoned her mother, and her mother (And stepfather?) left her on Jakku.
C. Han and Leia are her parents. She was conceived in secret and hidden on Jakku.
D. She is a manifestation of the Force, much like Anakin.
Answer: I just find it difficult to be B or C. Wouldn't they know about it and want to tell her? Also, I've noticed a bit of a conflict between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, who directed Episode VIII. They had different ideas for the films, so I think it might not be A. I'm leaning more and more to D. It would be kind of a copy cat origin story, but if they do it differently and uniquely it could work. So I'll go with D, with A as my second choice. They have to address this in Ep. IX, at least to some extent.
Wow, none of the above. Technically A is right, but they were trying to be nobodies in order to protect their daughter from her grandfather. I had a feeling JJ would decide Rian Johnson's choice wasn't good enough, I just had no idea she would be related to him.
4. What does the title, "The Rise of Skywalker" mean?
A. Skywalker is or becomes a title for Jedi. Much like "Darth" is for the Sith, Skywalker becomes a title for Jedi as the Jedi rise and Rey (and possibly Kylo/Ben) start a new Jedi order. So Rey would be "Skywalker Rey".
B. Rey is a Skywalker, and she learns her true identity.
C. Luke's influence as a Force Ghost is critical to the Resistance and he aids in their victory.
D. Luke and Palpatine have a Force Ghost battle and Luke comes out on top.
E. Kylo sheds his name "Kylo Ren" and becomes "Ben Skywalker" (Not Solo).
Answer: It's a pretty vague title. I got answer "A" from someone's theory on Reddit, which I really liked obviously. Although you wouldn't see a title called "The Rise of Darth". But I can see Skywalker referring to a group of people and not just one person. B is obviously a candidate. C and D kind of go together and both could be possible. I know D sounds ludicrous but I could see it happening. E could mean the title is about Kylo Ren, since he has Skywalker blood. If he returns to the light he could identify himself "as a Skywalker". The title of Episode VII referred to Rey (indirectly). The title of Episode VIII referred to Luke. I think the title of Episode IX will refer to someone else as well, which leaves only Kylo Ren. It could be about his redemption and return to the light side, so I'll go with E. However, most people are figuring this must refer to Luke, so my next best guess would be "C".
The actual answer is kind of a cross between A and B. Rey assumed the Skywalker name, almost as if it were a title. My friend even said it was like Luke or Leia adopted her from beyond the grave.
5. The fates of the following people:
A. Kylo Ren:
a. Dead
b. Alive, but still Dark
c. Alive and turned to Light
Answer: C. It's gotta be, right? I touched on this in question in number 3, and I said I don't think they'll kill Kylo off. At least I hope they don't. If it was B they would need another film or something to resolve this, wouldn't they? It would be like leaving Darth Vader alive and still dark side oriented after "Return of the Jedi".
I should have known, like I said above. He sacrificed himself for Rey and hopefully Rey would respect his memory and tell everyone he was a hero.
B. Captain Phasma:
a. She died in Episode VIII
b. She comes back in IX but dies
c. She comes back in IX and lives
Answer: B. JJ and Rian have an internal conflict going on from what I've gathered. JJ will want to undo what Rian did and bring back Captain Phasma, only to have her die for real.
Falling that far into a pit of fire on a ship going down is hard to survive, especially for a non-Sith/Jedi. I think bringing her back would've been a slap in the face to Rian Johnson.
C. General Hux:
a. Dead
b. Dead
c. Dead
Answer: All of the above. Is there any chance this guy survives? He clearly has no good in his heart. The only question is how he will die.
Well, yes, but who saw him helping out the good guys? Not me! Kylo clearly got on his bad side, so Hux took action. Too bad for him General Pryde saw right through him.
C. a. How will Hux die?
1. Rey kills him
2. Finn or Poe kills him
3. Kylo turns on him and kills him
Answer: Number 1 wouldn't be satisfying enough. I'd like to see 2, have a battle between non-Force users. But I think it will be 3.
I didn't even consider him being a spy and one of the first order generals killing him. Gotta consider every possibility.
D. Leia:
a. Alive and present
b. Alive but gone away/missing
c. Dead
Answer: I almost forgot about Leia. Hard to say how much of an impact she'll have, with Carrie Fisher passing before they could film any of Episode IX. I will say C, and they'll make it as tear-inducing as possible.
I was right. I was impressed with how much footage they had of Carrie and how they were able to use it. It was tear-inducing, although I didn't cry myself. But I felt like it after seeing Chewbacca's reacting to Leia's passing.
Well, there you have it. I answered the five (plus) biggest questions about Episode IX. It's still almost 8 months away and I cannot wait for it to get here!
Meh, not terrible predictions, but some really caught me off guard. Click the link above to see my full thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. 🙂
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Star Wars the Last Jedi Hopes and Predictions
Later tonight I am going to see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and I am
super stoked as you would expect. I did
a blog post right before seeing The Force Awakens so I thought I should do the
same for The Last Jedi (Which shall henceforth be abbreviated as TLJ). I'm going to make 10 predictions and
summarize with what I hope will happen.
1. Someone's origin will be revealed - But perhaps not Rey's
I do believe Rey to be related to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I don't necessarily think that will be revealed in TLJ. Instead, maybe the origin of either Finn or Snoke will be revealed. I do think Finn could be the son of Lando Calrissian, because Maz Kanata recognized his eyes and she's probably met Lando as she was good friends with Han.
2. Deaths: General Hux, Leia
For TLJ I think General Hux will die. I think it will be him being in a ship and it explodes. As we know, Carrie Fisher passed away after filming TLJ (RIP), so they'll have to write her out somehow. I think it would be better to give her a non-violent death, somehow. But please, don't let it be of a broken heart/loss of will to live.
3. Snoke will not be a lightsaber wielder
So we finally will get to see Snoke in something other than a projection (as revealed in the trailer). I think it will be revealed that he doesn't believe in lightsabers and that he is powerful enough in the force to succeed without one. Perhaps he will own a weapon of some kind that can stand up to a lightsaber.
4. Finn and Rose Tico will eventually be a couple
Now this may not exactly happen in TLJ, but I've seen a few different stills of them in scenes together, leading me to believe there could be something between the two. I don't like the idea of Rey and Finn, I feel they have more of a brother/sister bond. But I could see Finn and Rose together, and we may only get hints of it in TLJ with them hooking up in Ep. 9.
5. There will be a new Dark Side Force Power revealed
So we've gotten new planets, creatures, even types of lightsabers in this new trilogy. But we haven't really gotten any new force powers yet. I think either Snoke or Kylo Ren will debut a new force power, something like Force Drain (seen in KOTOR), Force Destroy, Force Pain, or Force Fire. Obviously if it's something extremely powerful like Force Destroy (which in my mind destroys anything you concentrate hard enough on), it would be only Snoke who can do it.
6. Poe will get to fight outside of an X-Wing
This doesn't seem like a surprise, as it has to happen at some point, right? The beginning of TFA doesn't really count as he took one shot and was immobilized. I hope to see some Han Solo type fighting out of him in TLJ.
7. Luke does not get to reunite with Leia
It's unfortunate, but I think the writers/producers were planning on Luke and Leia reuniting in Ep 9., but because of Carrie Fisher's passing, unless it happens in TLJ, it won't happen at all. If they have Leia pass away in this one hopefully Luke hears and can grieve.
8. The Porg does something adorable to make everyone go "Awwww!"
Ok, this might be the most predictable item on this list, but can you blame me? BB-8 had its moments in TFA (The thumbs up to Finn, for one), and the Porg will do something in TLJ to make mostly women swoon and wish they were real creatures. Perhaps someday a toy manufacturer will make a lifelike and realistic version that is similar to a Furby.
9. Benicio Del Toro's Character DJ will be like Boba Fett and Cad Bane
Hard to say how each of the new characters will fit in and what they'll be like. But with DJ, I think he will be one of those rogue types that looks out for only himself, and perhaps assists the bad guys (much like Boba Fett and Cad Bane). He won't be inherently dark sided, however, and may end up redeeming himself in Ep. 9.
10. Cliffhanger? You betcha
TESB finished with a cliffhanger. Technically AotC did too. So to keep the tradition alive of 2nd movie in a trilogy having a cliffhanger, this one will too. This time, someone's fate will be in the balance: Probably either Rey or Luke.
So really all I hope is for another solid Star Wars film. I really hope it doesn't follow the plot of any other Star Wars movie, like many thought TFA did with A New Hope. I think it will undoubtedly fulfill most of our expectations. And as you might guess, I'm going to see it multiple times in theaters. I can't wait!
Well, I just saw TLJ and while most of my predictions were wrong, some were close and I nailed one in particular. Let's see how many I got right. Obviously, spoilers ahead
1. Someone's origin WAS revealed, and it was Rey's. So I'll give myself a partially correct on this one.
2. Wow, totally wrong. Leia will more than likely die between 8 and 9, but she did not die on screen. Hux didn't, either, but he's almost a lock to die in Ep. 9. Instead we saw Phasma, Snoke, and Luke as the notable deaths. One wrong.
3. Well, he died before we could see if he did use or own a lightsaber. I don't recall seeing one on his person. I have to give myself my first correct answer on this one. Not a lightsaber user that we know of.
4. Well, I was pretty spot on with this one! Might see them as a legit couple in Ep. 9, as time will undoubtedly pass in their story between 8 and 9. Another correct prediction
5. I feel like I saw a hint of a new power when Snoke did an almost lightning bomb at Kylo, I believe it was. I'll have to watch TLJ again to see but to me it looked like something we hadn't seen before. However, I'll give myself just a partial on this one.
6. Well he wasn't in any legit battles outside of his X-Wing (or the speeders on Crait), but he did defend the bridge on the rebel ship, as well as get slapped haha. I'll give myself just a partial.
7. Ok, this is a tricky one. Luke sort of did, but he wasn't actually there. So does this count? Hard to say. He didn't reunite with her in person. Again, just partially correct.
8. Well for one I thought there would only be one Porg in the whole movie. And the most adorable thing was the sad faces on the group of them as Chewie was about to eat one of them. So again, just partial.
9. Well this wasn't necessarily hard to predict, but he did end up turning on Rose and Finn for a monetary gain. That's exactly something Boba or Cad would do. Another one right.
10. There wasn't much of a cliffhanger, certainly not like in TFA. So I did not get this one right.
In total, I got 3 right, 5 partially correct, and 2 wrong. Not bad. This movie definitely surprised me in spots, especially in Snoke's death and Luke not actually being on Crait.
I will probably end up reviewing TLJ in another post (definitely gotta see it again), so stay tuned!
1. Someone's origin will be revealed - But perhaps not Rey's
I do believe Rey to be related to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I don't necessarily think that will be revealed in TLJ. Instead, maybe the origin of either Finn or Snoke will be revealed. I do think Finn could be the son of Lando Calrissian, because Maz Kanata recognized his eyes and she's probably met Lando as she was good friends with Han.
2. Deaths: General Hux, Leia
For TLJ I think General Hux will die. I think it will be him being in a ship and it explodes. As we know, Carrie Fisher passed away after filming TLJ (RIP), so they'll have to write her out somehow. I think it would be better to give her a non-violent death, somehow. But please, don't let it be of a broken heart/loss of will to live.
3. Snoke will not be a lightsaber wielder
So we finally will get to see Snoke in something other than a projection (as revealed in the trailer). I think it will be revealed that he doesn't believe in lightsabers and that he is powerful enough in the force to succeed without one. Perhaps he will own a weapon of some kind that can stand up to a lightsaber.
4. Finn and Rose Tico will eventually be a couple
Now this may not exactly happen in TLJ, but I've seen a few different stills of them in scenes together, leading me to believe there could be something between the two. I don't like the idea of Rey and Finn, I feel they have more of a brother/sister bond. But I could see Finn and Rose together, and we may only get hints of it in TLJ with them hooking up in Ep. 9.
5. There will be a new Dark Side Force Power revealed
So we've gotten new planets, creatures, even types of lightsabers in this new trilogy. But we haven't really gotten any new force powers yet. I think either Snoke or Kylo Ren will debut a new force power, something like Force Drain (seen in KOTOR), Force Destroy, Force Pain, or Force Fire. Obviously if it's something extremely powerful like Force Destroy (which in my mind destroys anything you concentrate hard enough on), it would be only Snoke who can do it.
6. Poe will get to fight outside of an X-Wing
This doesn't seem like a surprise, as it has to happen at some point, right? The beginning of TFA doesn't really count as he took one shot and was immobilized. I hope to see some Han Solo type fighting out of him in TLJ.
7. Luke does not get to reunite with Leia
It's unfortunate, but I think the writers/producers were planning on Luke and Leia reuniting in Ep 9., but because of Carrie Fisher's passing, unless it happens in TLJ, it won't happen at all. If they have Leia pass away in this one hopefully Luke hears and can grieve.
8. The Porg does something adorable to make everyone go "Awwww!"
Ok, this might be the most predictable item on this list, but can you blame me? BB-8 had its moments in TFA (The thumbs up to Finn, for one), and the Porg will do something in TLJ to make mostly women swoon and wish they were real creatures. Perhaps someday a toy manufacturer will make a lifelike and realistic version that is similar to a Furby.
9. Benicio Del Toro's Character DJ will be like Boba Fett and Cad Bane
Hard to say how each of the new characters will fit in and what they'll be like. But with DJ, I think he will be one of those rogue types that looks out for only himself, and perhaps assists the bad guys (much like Boba Fett and Cad Bane). He won't be inherently dark sided, however, and may end up redeeming himself in Ep. 9.
10. Cliffhanger? You betcha
TESB finished with a cliffhanger. Technically AotC did too. So to keep the tradition alive of 2nd movie in a trilogy having a cliffhanger, this one will too. This time, someone's fate will be in the balance: Probably either Rey or Luke.
So really all I hope is for another solid Star Wars film. I really hope it doesn't follow the plot of any other Star Wars movie, like many thought TFA did with A New Hope. I think it will undoubtedly fulfill most of our expectations. And as you might guess, I'm going to see it multiple times in theaters. I can't wait!
Well, I just saw TLJ and while most of my predictions were wrong, some were close and I nailed one in particular. Let's see how many I got right. Obviously, spoilers ahead
1. Someone's origin WAS revealed, and it was Rey's. So I'll give myself a partially correct on this one.
2. Wow, totally wrong. Leia will more than likely die between 8 and 9, but she did not die on screen. Hux didn't, either, but he's almost a lock to die in Ep. 9. Instead we saw Phasma, Snoke, and Luke as the notable deaths. One wrong.
3. Well, he died before we could see if he did use or own a lightsaber. I don't recall seeing one on his person. I have to give myself my first correct answer on this one. Not a lightsaber user that we know of.
4. Well, I was pretty spot on with this one! Might see them as a legit couple in Ep. 9, as time will undoubtedly pass in their story between 8 and 9. Another correct prediction
5. I feel like I saw a hint of a new power when Snoke did an almost lightning bomb at Kylo, I believe it was. I'll have to watch TLJ again to see but to me it looked like something we hadn't seen before. However, I'll give myself just a partial on this one.
6. Well he wasn't in any legit battles outside of his X-Wing (or the speeders on Crait), but he did defend the bridge on the rebel ship, as well as get slapped haha. I'll give myself just a partial.
7. Ok, this is a tricky one. Luke sort of did, but he wasn't actually there. So does this count? Hard to say. He didn't reunite with her in person. Again, just partially correct.
8. Well for one I thought there would only be one Porg in the whole movie. And the most adorable thing was the sad faces on the group of them as Chewie was about to eat one of them. So again, just partial.
9. Well this wasn't necessarily hard to predict, but he did end up turning on Rose and Finn for a monetary gain. That's exactly something Boba or Cad would do. Another one right.
10. There wasn't much of a cliffhanger, certainly not like in TFA. So I did not get this one right.
In total, I got 3 right, 5 partially correct, and 2 wrong. Not bad. This movie definitely surprised me in spots, especially in Snoke's death and Luke not actually being on Crait.
I will probably end up reviewing TLJ in another post (definitely gotta see it again), so stay tuned!
Saturday, June 4, 2016
My Insane Theory for the New Star Wars Trilogy
With Star Wars Episode VII still a year and a half away, it's never too early
to theorize or speculate about characters, their motives, or possible twists. I do believe there will be a twist, perhaps
revealed at the end of Episode VII much like how the twist of the original
trilogy was revealed in the middle movie of the trilogy. Ready for it?
Here it is:
Kylo Ren is not evil. He is a spy sent by Luke to infiltrate the dark side and take down Snoke.
I'll give you a minute to put your mind back together after it's been blown.
Basically, Kylo was in training with Luke when Luke learns of this dark lord that has been in the shadows (Supreme Leader Snoke), and comes up with the idea to use Kylo/Ben as a weapon and spy to try to learn something about Snoke, take out Snoke, or both.
If you've ever read Harry Potter, this would directly parallel the events of the popular book series. In this case, Luke would be Dumbledore using Kylo (Snape) to take down a dark leader: Snoke (Voldemort). Funny thing is Kylo with his long hair and long face looks like Snape. In the Harry Potter series, Snape reported to Dumbledore about Voldemort. Is Kylo somehow in secret communication with Luke? Also in this analogy, Rey would be Harry Potter and Finn would be a combination of Ron/Hermione. Or maybe Poe is Hermione, haha.
I know there's a lot against this theory--such as why does it seem like Kylo Ren in TFA is so desperate to find his uncle? It could be an act. But to back up my theory, Luke went in hiding--not out of shame--but because contact with anyone would risk him revealing his plan. Perhaps Luke found out something about Snoke so bad that he gave up his relationships with Han and Leia so that he could secretly get Kylo Ren to spy for him. Perhaps Luke learned how to expertly flirt between dark and light so well without going too far either way that he felt confident in letting his nephew pretend to be dark. Luke being disgraced about his nephew turning dark is a cover for his solitude--it's so he can meditate, and also communicate with his nephew secretly.
You're probably thinking: Why did Kylo Ren kill Han, then? Well perhaps Han is a bit like Dumbledore in that he might have been dead soon, anyway. Maybe there was someone so hot on Han's trail that they were about to catch up and kill him. I doubt Luke would want Han dead, but if Luke knew Han didn't have long in the galaxy anyway, and it would convince Snoke of Kylo's evilness, Luke would probably say it would be worth it for the greater good. Perhaps Han knew he was going to die. He did say to Rey that he was looking into taking on a second mate, but perhaps that was code for someone to take over the Millennium Falcon... period.
One other thing to back up my theory: Kylo did not appear to be trying to kill Rey. On Starkiller Base at the end of TFA when Kylo fights Finn and Rey, he did not seem to be trying to kill Rey. If anything, he was trying to get her to come with him so he could perhaps fill her in on the secret. I believe if Kylo wanted to kill her he could've, seeing how inexperienced she was. The fact that (while injured) Kylo had trouble with two untrained young adults leads me to believe he wasn't trying to kill them, because he isn't evil.
I know my theory is a bit of a long shot, but I'd love to see it come true. I do believe in some way by the end of the trilogy Kylo Ren will have come back to the light (if he even left it). I mean, what's more badass than being bad, but not actually being evil? You get all the coolness of the dark side but none of the hate. Severus Snape is revered in the Harry Potter series--I think Disney wants the same for Kylo Ren.
Bonus: Take a look at Kylo Ren's lightsaber. Looks like a cross, doesn't it? Like the cross Jesus died on? Perhaps that is a subtle hint that Kylo will sacrifice himself for the greater good. I can definitely see that happening, most likely in Episode IX.
Kylo Ren is not evil. He is a spy sent by Luke to infiltrate the dark side and take down Snoke.
I'll give you a minute to put your mind back together after it's been blown.
Basically, Kylo was in training with Luke when Luke learns of this dark lord that has been in the shadows (Supreme Leader Snoke), and comes up with the idea to use Kylo/Ben as a weapon and spy to try to learn something about Snoke, take out Snoke, or both.
If you've ever read Harry Potter, this would directly parallel the events of the popular book series. In this case, Luke would be Dumbledore using Kylo (Snape) to take down a dark leader: Snoke (Voldemort). Funny thing is Kylo with his long hair and long face looks like Snape. In the Harry Potter series, Snape reported to Dumbledore about Voldemort. Is Kylo somehow in secret communication with Luke? Also in this analogy, Rey would be Harry Potter and Finn would be a combination of Ron/Hermione. Or maybe Poe is Hermione, haha.
I know there's a lot against this theory--such as why does it seem like Kylo Ren in TFA is so desperate to find his uncle? It could be an act. But to back up my theory, Luke went in hiding--not out of shame--but because contact with anyone would risk him revealing his plan. Perhaps Luke found out something about Snoke so bad that he gave up his relationships with Han and Leia so that he could secretly get Kylo Ren to spy for him. Perhaps Luke learned how to expertly flirt between dark and light so well without going too far either way that he felt confident in letting his nephew pretend to be dark. Luke being disgraced about his nephew turning dark is a cover for his solitude--it's so he can meditate, and also communicate with his nephew secretly.
You're probably thinking: Why did Kylo Ren kill Han, then? Well perhaps Han is a bit like Dumbledore in that he might have been dead soon, anyway. Maybe there was someone so hot on Han's trail that they were about to catch up and kill him. I doubt Luke would want Han dead, but if Luke knew Han didn't have long in the galaxy anyway, and it would convince Snoke of Kylo's evilness, Luke would probably say it would be worth it for the greater good. Perhaps Han knew he was going to die. He did say to Rey that he was looking into taking on a second mate, but perhaps that was code for someone to take over the Millennium Falcon... period.
One other thing to back up my theory: Kylo did not appear to be trying to kill Rey. On Starkiller Base at the end of TFA when Kylo fights Finn and Rey, he did not seem to be trying to kill Rey. If anything, he was trying to get her to come with him so he could perhaps fill her in on the secret. I believe if Kylo wanted to kill her he could've, seeing how inexperienced she was. The fact that (while injured) Kylo had trouble with two untrained young adults leads me to believe he wasn't trying to kill them, because he isn't evil.
I know my theory is a bit of a long shot, but I'd love to see it come true. I do believe in some way by the end of the trilogy Kylo Ren will have come back to the light (if he even left it). I mean, what's more badass than being bad, but not actually being evil? You get all the coolness of the dark side but none of the hate. Severus Snape is revered in the Harry Potter series--I think Disney wants the same for Kylo Ren.
Bonus: Take a look at Kylo Ren's lightsaber. Looks like a cross, doesn't it? Like the cross Jesus died on? Perhaps that is a subtle hint that Kylo will sacrifice himself for the greater good. I can definitely see that happening, most likely in Episode IX.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)