172 replies to this topic

[TWoP Pembleton]

"Operation Thunder Dome" - A shake-up with the Tribes creates chaos and new alliances. Meanwhile, the game is thrown off-balance when one Tribe's change results in a strength disparity between Gota and Bikal.

[Libby1975]

I know they have to kiss Phil's ass for now, but I was so glad to hear Matt say he could barely keep a straight face after Special Agent Windbag's lecture.

That Stealth R Us bullshit is so dopey -- first, what is stealthy about it if you tell everyone? Secondly, why did he think aping the name of a toy store was a good idea for his deathly serious endeavour? And lastly, those nicknames are meaningless.

Phillip is a pompous, captious, self-important blowhard, and quite frankly I was completely with Brandon last week when he told Phil to cut it out with that Stealth R Us BS, and that it was like playing with a child.

[cooksdelight]

"Phillip just needs to drink a warm glass of shut the hell up" LOL

The purple team is doomed. They get rid of a stronger player instead of Julia, all because they want to break up a "power couple"???? Hey, you can get rid of those guys later, right now you need strength and you ain't getting it from Julia.

The animals were great, as usual. No reward. Oh well!

[callietwo]

eh. Last week was hellish and this week they've "got nothing for you"... Zzzzz seriously, is there nothing in between boring and batshit crazy?

Only reason I can figure Philip isn't targeted is that everyone sees him as a Goat. I don't know that I could put up with that shit of crazy long enough to drag him to final tribal.

Edited by callietwo, Mar 20, 2013 @ 8:06 PM.

[jsm1125]

I totally get why the Favorites didn't do this, but wouldn't it have been amusing if Julia, Matt, and Michael all voted for Phillip, even if they were in the minority?

[enlightenedbum]

Those teams are ridiculous. In a school yard pick, new Gota has what, 6 of the top 7 picks? Normally I would find all of their smugness (even Malcolm and Andrea, the two people I like) obnoxious, but come the fuck on, this isn't fair at all. Eddie still loses for focusing on their looks though. Y'all kick ass because Andrea and Brenda are athletic, not because they're hot. Just totally absurd.

Nice thing about that tribe is with no Phillip/Brandon, the other people might get some air time, so we got some Andrea, some Malcolm, some Erik, Brenda got some lines, even though she still didn't have a confessional. All good news. More balanced editing is good news.

In other news, credit to one John Cochrane. That was actually a nice bit of reading people and making a strategic play. They're probably not going to win anything and have to vote off Julia/Michael before a merge anyway, but if they accidentally run into a couple wins, it is best to split the pair before a merge. So kudos for that. No kudos to the editing over there, which was still all crazypants all the time.

And that's a good challenge, I'm glad they brought it back.

[LanceM]

Yes, break up the couple now giving that they will most likely merge at 12. I am just glad to see that Phillip's original plan to vote out "the girl" failed.

[kjgriffy]

And thus begins the first of numerous boring episodes with the Favorites in both tribes having the majorities and clearly stating they are planning on taking out the Fans.

I really hope this is the last attempt at a 'Fans vs. Favorites' scenario because this is on track for being as "exciting" as the first go-round. Players who have done it once before have such an advantage in knowing what to expect that it makes for an uneven playing field.

[KimberStormer]

These teams are about as well-balanced as the post-swap One World tribes. Luckily, just like One World, everyone I like is on the guaranteed-to-win team. If only I didn't feel the aura of Reynold-based doom.

When Erik and Julia got confessionals, I was worried about both of them. Brenda continues to practice her poker face, even with the camera right up in it for like five minutes. Probably the smartest thing she can do, but I miss cocky puppetmaster Brenda.

Matt seemed like a nice guy and a player, but I must admit, I won't miss his beard.

[PaulAllanJones]

Well, after last week's horror show, it's somewhat reassuring to see an actual episode of Survivor. We had the tribal shake-up, we had the people wonder if Phillip knows what planet he's on half of the time, we have the runaway victory, we have Probst proving that he couldn't recognize 'impartiality' if they tattooed the word on his retina and the not-really-a-blindside-because-that-would-require-thinking.

[cooksdelight]

Malcolm admitting he lies to women all the time. Girls, are you paying attention? :)

[Lantern7]

It's sad that the best part of the past hour was seeing commercials for The Amazing Race. Scorpion-eating! Locals riding in the back! Meanwhile, there's now a One World-sized power gap, and we're more than likely stuck with Eddie and Reynold.

I have to apologize for assuming that "Bikal" was proncounced like "Bickle," as in "Travis Bickle." It was "Bacall" as in "Lauren Becall." I hope someone can make a joke on the state of Bikal through her, because they are fucked. And for most of them, it serves them right the closest thing to an alpha male they got is Cochran.

And Matt? Screw you. When he talked nice about Phillip, he was shit to me. I hate how the "fans" probably assumed Brandon jumped to his demise, as opposed to getting pushed. Any fan of Phillip's doesn't deserve to be in the game . . . .and the people he admired slammed four knives into his back. It could've been Michael, but Corrine loves gays.

Really, if there was a way to open up a black hole and kick Phillip and Corrine into it, I'd be game. They totally deserve each other . . . .the Section 8 case and the rat-faced bitch. And I'm guessing they'll go into the merge because the others that don't get booted would see them as potential goats. I really wish there was a way that sucky people like those two wouldn't go to the end because of their suck.

On the flip side, Gota 2.0 is insanely pumped. At least two alpha males, and maybe two more depending on what you think of Eddie and Erik. If Phillip and Corrine going far stinks the worse, Eddie and Reynold being stuck together is a close second. At least the vets at Bikal had the right idea about breaking up potential power couples. Biggest reason for Gota to go on a losing streak is to see Reynold and Malcolm play a game of Chicken with their idols.

And Probst still sucks. Love how Phillip got whitewashed out of Mt. St. Brandon erupting. He also talked shit about Bikal . . . deserved, but still a shot to the nuts. BTW, did anyone ask Phillip to run out three times? It's like the reward challenge last week . . . he probably wanted to be in a position where he could get the most credit, and the others would be spitting out grey hairs afterward. Seriously, I hate him.

[bankerchick]

Geez, I really wanted to like Reynold and Eddy and hoped a tribal switch would help them, but the first damn thing out of Eddy's mouth is 'hey, we're the cool kids again.' What a freaking tool.

Kudos to Matt for keeping a straight face when Philip was talking, but I was having a hard time following the test of loyalty which involved doing something someone other than Philip told them to do, without telling Philip about it, but Pnilip would know about it anyway. And how there was only one other person who was part of the team but if they were lucky they could be added to an alliance already 6 strong.

[IBM62]

I don't like Corinne and usually find think her confesionals come across as trying way too hard, but I actually thought some of her lines were funny tonight in spite of myself, such as comparing Philip to a baby on an airplane with diarriah, saying Julia contributes nothing but "a nasally voice" and announcing her love for gays.

Man, I feel really sorry for Brenda. She was pretty important in Nicaragua, but was invisible again this episode!

[BigRedCheese]

That Stealth R Us bullshit is so dopey

It's absolutely dopey, but I would put up with it for a chance at a million bucks, not start dumping the tribe's food and ranting like a lunatic.

[Arkarian]

The teams may be ridiculous, but I don't think that should be turned into a complaint—they were picked essentially by drawing from a hat, which is pretty fair. The teams ending up uneven is just part of the game. I don't really have a problem with that.

I'm still rooting for Malcom, and I like almost everyone on his team. Go orange!

Edited by Arkarian, Mar 20, 2013 @ 8:16 PM.

[LanceM]

I think my favorite part of the episode was when Phillip was complaining that nobody on his tribe spoke up in his defense, that he really wasn't the person that Brandon says he is, the camera focused in on Brenda and she gives this amazing look where she raises both eyebrows as if to say "Yeah, Phillip your are just as childish and crazy as Brandon said".

[enlightenedbum]

The teams may be ridiculous, but I don't think that should be turned into a complaint—they were picked essentially by drawing from a hat, which is pretty fair. The teams ending up uneven is just part of the game. I don't really have a problem with that.

I don't have a fairness problem, but it makes the pre-merge episodes pretty boring.

[sienna gold]

I know Matt probably had some idea that he was going to be voted off... But

Dawn, Cochrane, Corrine and ever other fan on his new team was his favourite player? Yeah, okay Matt.

I finally figured out who Julia was. I'm making progress.

Stealth "R" Us was really cute(ish) when it was on Redemption Island, (mostly because it wasn't hammered to death), but now it's boring, and redundant and stupid now. As is Operation Thunder Dome. Oi. (And I'm mad because I missed all the goals my hockey team scored because of this boring episode). I'm trying to decide if I like the split, it's decent enough, I suppose. I'm hoping the merge will be what shakes this season up.

[susannot]

I thought the decision to vote out Matt was stupid for the future survival of the tribe. They are doomed in physical challenges. Wish the show would bring back the memory challenges, like Fun Facts About the Phillipines. However, the decision to vote out Matt was also interesting in that it shows Cochran's influence. It was his idea to break up Matt/Michael.

[T o b y]

If you're Michael, do you absolutely HATE Corinne for saying how much she wanted to play with "a gay"? Shut up, Corinne.

I was pleased with the way the tribe switch played out, if only because Reynold lives to see another day. I'm not necessarily worried about him if Gota were to lose, either.

I liked hearing from some of the players who haven't said much yet, but it was kind of a boring episode.

[braggtastic]

Why didn't they just use the set up they were going to use as a challenge when Brandon quit?

It was weird to see them highlighting Fans vs Favorites in the challenge when the teams had just been mixed up.

I really wish the old fans had made some kind of move to try and vote out Philip. He is beyond annoying.

[cooksdelight]

"The Bold & The Beautiful" team comment from Cochran even brought a big smile from Probst.

I have to rewatch, but I think tonight's challenge was what was intended for last week, "boxing".

If you're Michael, do you absolutely HATE Corinne for saying how much she wanted to play with "a gay"?

I was really hoping he'd turn to her and say "what are you talking about? I'm not gay!" just to see her face.

[Moose73]

For me the best line of the episode was Corinne's confessional about Philip (I'm roughly paraphrasing here): "He was a federal agent? What did he even do? Is that how our country got so messed up?"

[enlightenedbum]

I think tonight's challenge was what was intended for last week

Indeed it was.

[kjgriffy]

Eddy realizes that Survivor isn't a beauty contest ... right?

[susannot]

I didn't get the "Bold and the Beautiful" comment from Cochran. Isn't that a soap? Can someone enlighten me?

[TVGuy]

Excellent decision to vote out Matt. They are likely going to lose immunity regardless of whether Matt or Julia remain on the team, so you might as well break up a pair that is part of the opposing alliance. Plus Cochran was right - even though it didn't seem like any of them had the idol, it was vital they vote for someone they were sure didn't have it. Mike and Matt could easily have been lying to them if one of them had the idol, especially since it seemed they were very willing to vote out Julia.

I will never understand why players are willing to dump alliance mates because they are worried about winning challenges. If you are so concerned about challenges and strength, then ally with all the men. Voting off allies is always a bad move unless you can replace them with someone else.

I now see how dysfunctional the old Gota alliance was. None of them liked Shamar, all of them were willing to vote off Laura, and Matt/Mike seemed to have zero loyalty to Julia. Who the heck did these folks plan on taking into the merge if things went well?

[cooksdelight]

susannot I think Cochran was referring to their strength and the fact the good-looking people are on that team. :)

[TVGuy]

Eddy realizes that Survivor isn't a beauty contest ... right?

Nope. He seems to think he is on the Bachelor. Wrong channel, Eddie.