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.
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