Survivor: GENERAL THREAD

this season is great

I’m enjoying it. When I saw it was 9:21 as Jeff was starting to read the votes, I knew something was going down.

Rachel playing SITD thinking her vote wouldn’t matter while sitting on the idol. I wondered, once her SITD failed, could she then play the idol if she wanted?

I think she could have

I think she played sidt and then looked for a reaction

If she didn't like the reaction I think she would have played it

The edit made it seem like she was trying to gauge the reaction. If so, nice read since she didn’t have one vote cast.

I guess she could regret burning SITD, but the odds suck anyways.

One thing she has going for her is that nobody is going to think she has/had an idol..

That was my initial thought on what she was thinking. And even if primary motive was the gauge reactions it certainly has that second order effect as well, so, great play IMO.

Post-immunity challenge/tribal I think is the weakest part of the show, mostly because the edits have to be cagey (the fallout/first act of next episodes always the most intriguing IMO because more information is broadcast). But tonight was an exception because of multiple competing motives within the general architecture of the plan. Which is facilitated by more players and why they really need to go back to the 2 tribe format pre-merge (or, just make it an individual game. Probably would be an editing nightmare and why they don't do it but would be a nice wrinkle. Even if they just started the season that way and then separated them into tribes after the first couple eliminations).

You dont want to save money.

Starting to think Carol is getting the edit.

#SeasonOfTheWhiteWoman took a hit though

Smart move and good read by Rachel, took me a minute in real time to realise what she was doing.

As someone else elluded to tonight again showed why it should be two tribes of 9 or 10. The more options, relationships and dynamics there are, the more interesting the vote,

Season has been good to an extent, but at the same time, it's hard to pinpoint any really good player.

Sam - overconfident and just lost his #1
Teeny - constantly turning on allies without actually making anything happen
Caroline - isn't really even trying to make anything happen
Gabe - talks a big game but who are his allies
Kyle - meat shield who everyone is scared might just immunity to the end
Rachel - trying to play under the radar but somehow ends up a focal point regularly at Tribal
Sol - actually seems to be ok
Sue - not unlike Gabe - talks a big game but who are her allies and what is she making happen
Andy - I mean seriously?

Maybe some sort of Caroline/Sol/Rachel alliance can make it happen. It seems like the group least likely to blow themselves up, which is more than I can say of anyone else. I don't really care for Caroline, but at the same time, I can at least appreciate she's not trying to "build a resume with big moves for the sake of big moves" with 15 people left that no one is going to remember or care about. When she sees something good for her happening, she just...lets it happen.

You missed Genevieve

Was thinking this twist could make the auction fun.

Run it the same as now.
Guaranteed 5 items. Probst draws a hidden rock or whatever it was to secretly determine if 6-15 total.

Most cash left loses vote.

But they say, item #10, if there are 10 items, will be an advantage.

Would make for interesting dynamics whether top $ person is saving their money for it or getting rid of it so they don't lose vote.

As I type this out, someone having a known advantage is also possibly a detriment to them.

I'd do a couple of things for the auction.

Kill the "lose your vote if you end with the most money". It was designed to stop people from hoarding their cash but we can all see the impact of what's happened.

auction item #1 is: Probst will secretly tell you how many items are in the auction. What's this worth to know? I'm not too sure. Would certainly have everyone looking at you side eyed through the whole process.

Make the first item up for bid a beware advantage gamble opportunity, where the cost is fixed and multiple people can play but you gotta have the cash (like the worm eating challenge this time). Get whoever's in up there and have some sort of competition where if you win you get the advantage and if you lose, there's a real cost to you - you lose a vote, you go to exile island or you must sit out the next immunity challenge or something like that. Announce the specifics of the punishment publicly so people really think twice about it.

^ it could just be $200 or whatever to enter the competition. so the risk for losing is you lose a reasonable amount of your bankroll

another idea for the auction:

prevent Jeff from ever doing this again

That was cringeworthy and unexpected. Ok to try once, but yeah, never do that again

The auction is stupid. All their fix did was go from nobody ever spending any of their money in hopes of landing an advantage to everyone spending all their money as fast possible in order to not lose a vote. If you want to salvage it as a fixture in the show you have to structure it in a way that can't be gamed so easily. Or, could just return to a regular no advantage auction but money is earned in all manner of side quests the entirety of the season leading up to it with no sign when the auction is actually coming. Could have clues of a list of 50 tasks worth various amounts hidden all over that people could find all over the island. So for people who find the list they have strategy in terms of who they share the list with to collectively bank auction money. Or they could keep it to themselves and quietly observe if they see other people completing auction tasks. And, maybe, if you earn 'x' amount you can use the money for an advantage instead, but it's paid for outside the auction. Probst would get to reintroduce having an island currency again too, an idea which he loved but implemented horribly.

Andy getting $0 is hilarious. He is such a unique character.

One of my favorite moments is when he was mad that they clapped for the gay guy chopping coconut but they didnt clap for him. At the same time he has had some really strong moments. Total enigma.

I’m predicting Carol beats Sue and Andy at the end

Accumulating money throughout the season to use at auction after merge would be interesting, and then people with the most money would be targeted. Would be an interesting dynamic.

Fire tokens

I am surprised how often the ask for people to apply for a future season. I wonder how many names they have for potential future seasons?

Have any of you applied? I think a 'vacation' to the Fiji's might be fine and try to ladder up.

Hahahaha I've applied and it really bothers me every time he does that "apply to be on Survivor"

Chopped liver

Need some advice here. I’m 6 episodes behind on this season. Is it good enough to catch up on? I was thinking I’d just watch the competitions and tribal councils on each one to catch up.