Board 8 > Naomi's Survivor: Redemption Island Analysis Topic

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Giant Turtle Monster - Gold Teeth Man - Ground Test Missile
Member of the merSHINEsess Nation since 7/15/09

Episode #3: "Keep Hope Denied"

In the recap...

...Jeff tells us that both Boston Rob and Russell have played before, 156 days to be exact.
Francesca was miserable at Redemption Island.
Russell told his tribe he had changed, but he lied. He allied with Stephanie and Krista, and went hunting for the idol, but it was Ralph who found it first.
Rob is still in control despite the losses. But then Rob took his game to an even higher level. He convinced Phillip to be a decoy, and pretend he was being voted out.
And he let Kristina think that she needed to play her immunity idol.
At tribal council, everything went as planned, allowing Rob to break up a potentially powerful alliance between Andrea and Matt, with Matt being completely blindsided, leaving Andrea wondering where she stands with Rob.

(If there is anything that's being depicted to us here, it's that what Rob did last episode was his doing, and that he was justified for doing it. A "potentially powerful alliance" was broken up, he "let Kristina think" and got rid of her idol, and that "Rob is taking his game to a higher level" is some serious justification and praise. We are told that Rob is looking to be the only player in the drivers seat, and not only that, but he's doing a great job at driving too.)


REDEMPTION ISLAND
NIGHT 5

Matt awakens Fran much to her surprise.
Francesca tells us that she's shocked to see Matt.
Both of them are shocked to see him there and not Phillip. Matt tells Francesca that Rob is a "scoundrel."
Matt tells us that he feels sick to his stomach because of the blindside, and that he's got a little anger in him, thinking he trusted 'Boston' too soon.
Matt tells us what an opportunity he has before him to win at RI, get back into the game, and win a million dollars.


OMETEPE
NIGHT 5

Matt and Grant are shown talking about how great tonight went at TC.
Rob tells us that tonight could not have gone any better, with Matt getting blindsided and Kristina playing her idol, [sic]and Phillip was a loyal soldier.[sic]
Rob and Grant and Phillip are shown gleaming, where then Rob informs Phillip of the alliance of four between Natalie, Ashley, himself and Grant. Rob says that Phillip is the fifth. Phillip says he won't be flip-flopping at all.
Rob tells us that he's sitting good tonight, but that tomorrow he needs to get Andrea feeling okay [sic]because[sic] she's smart enough to know that we double-crossed her and she will definitely hold that resentment."

(It seems we're getting Ometepe through the eyes of Rob, with manipulation in his confessionals about his tribemates. Phillip is highlighted to be loyal and virtuous (as I expected his edit would go), while Andrea is predicted to be smart and resentful. We haven't seen Andrea be resentful yet, but we're hearing about it from Rob in a carefully manipulated voice-over. Why do we hear about Andrea's potential but never actually see it? Her edit has legs that will probably go places as the season unfolds if this continues to be the case. Is Andrea being built up to do something worth being reported as a threat?)


Shortened Opening Credits


REDEMPTION ISLAND
DAY 6

Francesca and Matt read their tree mail, describing the RI Arena.


ZAPATERA
DAY 6

Mike reads the tree mail to the tribe.
Stones are drawn in seemingly random order, with Steve and David getting the two purple rocks.
David tells us that both he and Steve drew the purple rocks (oh, lovely) and that they get to go to the RI duel. David is glad Russ, Steph, and Krista didn't get to go.

OMETEPE
DAY 6

We open to Ometepe having their hands in the center of a circle all revealing their rocks at once.
Andrea tells us that both she and Ashley picked marbles. She tells us that she's glad she'll get to see Matt because they were close, and that she hopes he can come back and be an asset for her to have.
Dramatic, suspenseful music arises instantaneously as Rob tells us that he doesn't want Andrea getting smart and talking to Matt, her "island boyfriend." He doesn't want her to get any ideas.


REDEMPTION ISLAND

Matt and Francesca enter the arena as David, Steve, and Ashley and Andrea sit in the stands. Jeff welcomes them.
Jeff tells Francesca and Matt that for whatever reason their tribe didn't want them, and that this is the first step in their journey to get even.
Andrea remarks aloud that "I didn't vote for either of them." Matt looks to her and smiles.
Jeff asks Matt about his thoughts. Matt says that it's do or die time. It's gonna be the greatest underdog story if he gets blindsided by his tribe only to come back and make it to the end.
Jeff asks Francesca about her thoughts on Matt, and she says she wishes him the best, but that she's here to beat him.

The duel begins and Matt comes from behind to beat Francesca with 3 keys to her 2, unlocking the door to remain in the game. Intermittent throughout the duel we saw shots of Andrea in suspense.
Jeff tells Matt he can head back to RI, and Matt lets out a chuckle.
Jeff asks Matt about that, and Matt tells him that the camp at RI is nothing like the camp at Ometepe, and that being by yourself is hard.
Jeff: "It's on you, get back to Redemption, make it happen."
Matt leaves, Jeff dismisses the spectators and reminds them that they can tell everyone back at camp whatever they want.
Steve tells us that "going to Redemption Island was an eye-opener,"[sic] and that he's considering telling Russell that Francesca won the duel.


OMETEPE
DAY 6

Andrea and Ashley return. Ashley tells the tribe that Matt's "pissed" and wants to get his revenge. Grant is shocked.
Rob tells us that RI is real, that Matt could really do some damage over there and return. He tells us that Andrea would go back to Matt before she stays with him. He says "So... I've got my work cut out for me [sic]with Andrea."

Rob and Andrea are on the beach, and he tells her that he likes her, thinks she's a good-hearted kid. He apologizes to her about blindsiding Matt, explaining why he did it. Saying there was "no other way, 4 people were involved in it. 4 people agreed to it. 4 people talked about it. Nobody wanted to do it." Andrea says she doesn't know where she stands. Rob consoles her by saying she's still in the alliance. She asks Rob about Phillip and Kristina, and he confirms that both of them are going before her.
Andrea tells us that she spoke with Rob and he ensured her she's still in an alliance with them, but that she's still "[sic]probably in a sticky position." She says "So... right now, strategically, it's smart to stay with them and think I'm scheming, but I just don't believe them. So I need some way I can mix things up, because..." deep down, she's still really pissed at them for voting out Matt.

(Emphasizing the Matt/Andrea alliance heavyhanded. Hearing Andrea tell us all this is great for her chances, because it's not only personal, but it's strategic. We get her inside her head hearing what she's gonna be doing in this situation. Compare this to someone like Kristina, where we've heard nothing, or Phillip, where we've heard nothing, or so many others, and... well, we have a story being told with her.)

TRIBAL COUNCIL

Jeff addresses Ralph first about Redemption Island, Ralph says it's good and bad. He has difficulty describing what he wants to say, talking about two different alliances in the tribe.
Jeff asks Steve about noticing bonds, and Steve replies that there's the 6 of them, and then there's the other 3 led by Russell.
Jeff asks Sarita what caused the division. Sarita says that a lot of it has to do with Russell and his legacy, how he lied to the tribe about changing his game.
Jeff says to Russell that he had to have known about his target, Russell says that everyone would perceive him as that legacy who would try to lose by burning socks, his usual antics, but that he's not playing that kind of game anymore, he's trying to win challenges, not lose them. He says that his tribe tried to lose todays challenge by throwing it.
Jeff says to Mike that that's a big accusation, and Mike agrees. He says that they didn't go 100%, they wanted to win, but if they lost, they had some fat on the tribe to trim.
Jeff asks Julie about the difficulty of voting someone off when it's all about numbers oftentimes. Julie says she wants to merge with as many people as possible, whether we get along or not.
Jeff asks what Stephanie believes. She says that the majority of her tribe forgets that they're in the game of Survivor, all the while pimping Russell as he's playing the game and done well. She says that backstabbing has to happen, that you can become best friends right now, but eventually you gotta turn on each other.
David interrupts her and starts talking for the 6, but Stephanie keeps talking with more attitude.
Stephanie says that having numbers at the merge is what's necessary to winning. She proclaims that throwing the challenge today wasn't strategy, it was stupidity.
Jeff asks Steve if going into a merge with an incohesive group of 9 is better than a tight 6. Steve said that it stunk losing, only to have Probst interrupt him asking if they didn't throw the challenge.
Steve says they didn't throw the challenge, that he and everyone else worked their tail off.
Jeff then remarks to David "So David, you got your ass kicked by Rob? Wasn't even close." David complies, admitting Rob beat him.
Stephanie gives a snide off-handed remark to David, saying it's weird how someone who does puzzles-
David cuts her off and says she shouldn't speak for him. He says that "just because the hands aren't moving doesn't mean the mind isn't working." Stephanie doesn't agree.
Jeff asks Sarita about Russell, what's scary about him, and she says that he's like a sickness, a black cloud, that does nothing.
Stephanie mutters to herself, and Jeff asks her whatsup. She says that Russell does a lot, and Sarita needs to wake up.
Jeff asks Ralph about his reaction, and Ralph says something nearly impossible to translate, to which Jeff interprets it as Russell/Stephanie do nothing to offer help but instead only eat whatever they do catch.
Jeff: "We're early in the game and you guys are so divided, you're in trouble come a merge. Big prediction from me but I think I'm right."
Jeff asks Russell what he's supposed to do. Russell says he never stops playing, remarks his past experiences, and that "it never is what it seems."

Sarita votes Stephanie telling us that she's so misguided and rude.
Russell votes Ralph, saying it's his game.
Voting happens, tie vote 3-3-3 for Ralph, Russell, and Stephanie.
Re-voting, winds up 5-1 with Russell going home.

Stephanie looks crushed. Russell tells the tribe that he'll be back, and he'll be ready. Stephanie produces a large smile.
Stephanie looks at Julie and mutters "Storm's a coming."
Jeff leaves them with words wondering if voting off Russell is gonna come back to haunt them.

Russell gets to Redemption Island and meets Matt, saying that he expected the girl. He tells us that even though this is Matt's house, he's gonna take it from him.

Rob - Rob is the key to figuring out who wins. In a season full of "good" players and "bad" players, Rob is not only emphasized to be a legend, but he's playing like one as well. Seems he's picked his game up and mended bridges too. The man is learning day by day as he told us. Shown effectively organizing his group in all facets, we got a lot of insight into just about everything he's doing. Almost everything is going too perfect for Rob, which paints a clear distraction for a winner. We can't see Rob messing up at this rate, can we? He's never missed a pitch yet. That's his biggest weakness, and what makes distractions exactly that. We don't see how the man can lose... which means when he does lose, it'll be all the more entertaining. The dark side to him though will be Andrea, I'm almost sure of it. His only fear is what she'll be up to, and I have a feeling that'll be played up later on as Andrea told us she's gonna do. Rob feels like a classic distraction, and I don't like it, but I still think he'll go far, because his edit is reinforcing that he's playing on a higher level, he's learning himself. I believe that if Rob were to win, he would've been in a lot more manufactured danger from the start. There is no doubt here and it's troublesome for his chances.

Matt - I see that if Andrea is one of the strongest contenders to win the season, there's a good chance that Matt needs to be shown in order to highlight Andrea's story. So... if Matt were to lose against Russell, it'd work for Andrea because for whatever reason we got a lot from these two. However, why exactly are we seeing them played up? Is it because Matt comes in 17th? Or maybe because Andrea gets really far? Or... maybe Matt does? Either way, he's got a comeback story established, and he's looking good. I just wonder who his edit is being established for, himself or Andrea. If he does come back, will his story become one of revenge on Rob? Highly possible thanks to what we're seeing. He remains a contender on Redemption Island even though logically it seems like his chances are slim.


Natalie - She was invisible this episode, and that doesn't tell us much one way or the other. She had decent episodes for her chances in the first two episodes, heavily reminded me of Natalie White, and it wasn't until episode 4 when Natalie White really showed up, so we'll have to see what happens next episode with Tenerelli. At the moment, anyway, she's still in the holding bay. She already has a story – the young sweet girl who is dismissed for her naiveté and the possibility of her riding Rob's coattails, the one targeted in episode 1 for her weakness, but is more self-aware than what it seems like, and could surprise us with "big moves."

Andrea - More story-driven for her than anyone other than Rob, Andrea doesn't look fantastic, but she's got a story with doubt behind her, an emotional connection, and she's not hidden behind Rob. Some suspect this will spell disaster for her, but I don't think so. She's a positive character who has given us insight into her strategy. She's not coming off overly strong nor is she fading away. The problem may be with Matt - if he leaves, I think her chances will increase. If he doesn't, how much will he play into the rest of her story, and vice versa. She acted exactly the way she needed to react when Rob apologized to her, and we heard Rob tell us that she's a good kid. Her story will possibly take the backseat in the overall narrative, but it'll still remain in the back of our minds. She's been established well, now we just wait to see where she goes. If it becomes a story of revenge, it may not pan out well for her in the end, but if she plays it smart, we may be looking at the winner.


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ZAPATERA
DAY 7

We open to see Steve and David fumbling over each others words while talking to Russell and Sarita on the beach about the RI arena.
Russell asks who won, Steve says the black chick.
Steve tells us that they told Russell that Matt was sent home. He tells us he's hoping that when Russell gets voted out, he'll see Matt over there and it'll be more of a challenge for him.
Steve then tells Julie, Ralph, and at least Mike that the black girl actually went home, and the blond dude is still there. Steve just wants to shock Russell.

Russell tells us that he knows it's 6v3, "[sic]so right now, the most important thing for me is finding the idol." Russell tells us he needs that idol for another blindside. He tells us that the clue for the HII is so vague.
We're shown Russell going everywhere looking for the idol (a stark contrast from the previous two seasons he was on). He tells us he's so perplexed as to where it could be.
Ralph tells us that Russell isn't gonna find that idol cause he has it. He says he's not telling anyone about it because it's his game now.
Stephanie tells Krista and Russell that they don't need an idol, they just need a fake one.
Dark dramatic music booms, with Stephanie telling us that the great thing about Russell is that he has an impressive resume with finding idols on his own. So their alliance is gonna fake having the idol, hoping that people believe she's protecting the immunity idol. "But right now it is just a blank check with no money in the bank account."
We're shown Russell and Steve at camp watching Stephanie huddling around the fire with her bag. Steve comments on the bag, asking if she wants to relieve herself of it, but she says she's good.
Russell tells Steve that he likes to watch the bag in a manner trying to deceive Steve.
Steve tells us that he knows Russell and his harem have the first clue, and that Stephanie is carrying that bag around like she has the idol in it.
Russell tells Steve that when he orders the girls to do something, they do it.
Steve continues on to tell us that he knows Russell is always scheming, will always do anything to backstab you, "[sic]so... we gotta make sure to stay on our toes until that cancer is cut out."


ZAPATERA
DAY 8

We open to see Russell being examined by Stephanie and Krista for body rashes and... uh, whatnot.
Mike tells us about it. He tells us how useless Russell is, describing him as a black hole, while describing Stephanie and Krista as his "concubines".

Steve brings up the idea to Mike and Ralph about getting rid of Russell sooner than later.
Ralph and Mike agree.
Steve brings up throwing challenges, how there often isn't a lot of agreement because it's considered losing a number, but in this case Russell "isn't a number."
Steve tells us that there's nothing bigger at this point than eliminating Russell.

Steve is shown on the beach with Sarita, David, Ralph, and Julie, pitching the idea to throw a challenge to get rid of Russell.
David says he doesn't want to throw things, but... "[sic]he's looking for an idol, [sic]he's broken right now, he's got..." etc.
Julie speaks over everyone by saying that things could reverse on them if Russell manages to get one more person.
Julie tells us in her first confessional ever that the tribe is thinking about throwing the challenge, and that she's torn about that. She likes to compete, and "[sic]I can deal with Russell."
We see David, Sarita, Mike, Ralph, and Steve talking in a huddle, with Steve saying that they should put their thumbs up if they want to throw the challenge. Steve and Sarita are shown putting their thumbs up, with David contemplating.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Jeff explains the challenge for immunity and reward.
David tells us that "there's a definite trade-off between getting rid of Russell and getting a tarp, [sic]but the plan is still to throw the challenge. Hopefully the end result is worth it."
Ralph and Sarita sit out.
Rob is shown leading his tribe in a huddle by saying he's gonna do the puzzle part.
Steve and David talk about Julie and how she's gonna be missing the bucket on purpose.
Julie tells us that right now the plan is to throw the challenge, but she doesn't feel right with it.
Rob is shown to be breezing through the puzzle, while David is shown halting often.
Russell urges David on several times.
Jeff: "Dave... barely working."
Omepete wins immunity!
Russell tells us that if he didn't know any better, he'd think his tribe threw the challenge. He says he's dealing with a bunch of b****es.


OMETEPE
DAY 8

Rob opens the scene by telling us that he would normally be happy to win the challenge, but now he's gotta deal with hidden immunity idols. "Now I know enough that there's probably a clue to that hidden immunity idol." He tells us that it was like there was no time to celebrate, because everyone was looking for where the clue could be. The game is always on.
Kristina is shown digging a hole, Andrea is looking through equipment.
Rob tells us that in the past, he didn't look for the idols, but that didn't work for him. So this time around he's decided that maybe he can learn something too, and so he's looking for them.
Rob is shown looking through a lot of items.
Rob tells us that fat Phillip was accidentally sitting on the clue within the threading of a chair.
Phillip is shown lounging with his eyes closed.
Rob finds the clue in the chair, and credits Phillip's fat ass for helping him find it.
Rob goes off and reads the clue in private.
Rob tells us that the clue was incredibly vague, but he's glad to have it because that means nobody else has it. He says he's not gonna tell anyone that he has it cause he wants the idol for himself.


ZAPATERA
DAY 8

Ralph tells us that it was a thrown challenge, but they gotta get rid of Russell. He proclaims that Russell isn't his boss.
Julie asks Mike if they've got a plan.
Mike says yeah, they're going 3 and 3.
David tells us that the plan is to put 3 votes on Russell, 3 votes on Stephanie, just in case Russell has an idol.
Russell tells Krista that what they did was dumb because it'll take away numbers from the tribe.
Russell tells us that you have to win challenges right now, and that you can't give Boston Rob momentum.
Russell details how the votes are gonna go down to Stephanie, saying he'll go home in a revote.
Stephanie explains to us how she and Russell and Krista can possibly flip the vote by getting one more person on their side.
Russell gets Stephanie to talk to Julie about flipping alliances.
Stpehanie talks with Julie about where she stands. Julie says she doesn't really know. Steph says they're looking for their fourth person, and Julie comments that Russell knows how to reach the end. Stephanie tells Julie that they have the idol.
Julie says she likes her chances with someone who's been there before. Stephanie reminds her that Russell will take them to the top, and Julie says it makes sense.
Julie tells us that this is a game turner right here, and that it's a lot of pressure. She's thought it out both ways.
Stephanie tells Russell that Julie is on their side. She says that this is gonna be the biggest blindside ever.
Russell goes and talks to Julie, telling her that if she does this, he has her back. She says she trusts him, and he says to vote out Ralph. She's shocked to think Ralph.
Russell tells us that if this happens, it's game on. This'll be the biggest move he's ever made.

- The Tribes -

Took me a few episodes to figure this, but I'm now positive that Ometepe is harboring the "good" players to watch out for. I put good in parentheses because obviously not all of them are contenders for a winner, but collectively they will become the endgame of this season. The story this episode for them was about a united Ometepe, how potential burned bridges were not in fact burned, but instead mended. Of course, nothing is perfect, and no - Ometepe isn't 100% tight, but what we saw continuously reinforced the notion that they're supporting each other. That they're cohesive and united. Between the rock-drawing, the effective huddle prior to the challenge, Rob welcoming Andrea, and there being no animosity, they got the edit of a quality tribe.

Compare that to Zapatera who looked disjointed even with a plan. There was a lot of hesitation, and the people involved in the ousting of one of the biggest villains ever wasn't nearly as fulfilling as it could have been. The Zapatera six could've easily been portrayed as the best alliance in the history of the show, but they're getting the shaft because they won't come out on top (remember, Jeff is never wrong). Through editing, we saw a tribe divided, and we even heard about it at the end when Probst made a prediction on the show himself, stating that Zapatera wasn't looking good for the merge. This is critical because Probst tells us what is happening in the limited amount of airtime we receive. And if Probst is calling it, it's what we need to know. Zapatera will fall at the merge.


- The Characters! -

Sarita - Had airtime being against Russell, a few questions at tribal council, but we don't have much established with her. Missing out on the first two episodes and then this... The good is that she seemingly received little backlash for ousting Russell, didn't look terrible with him leaving. Still don't see much from her yet though.

Russell - The power player doesn't have any more power to play, and just as well stands no chance at winning this game. Wouldn't be surprised to see him lose against Matt with the crappy edit he's receiving, especially given Matt is looking pretty good with his edit.

Krista - Was connected with Russell, but we still got nothing from her. Does she last a while then? Where's the story behind if she's to stand a chance at winning this? I can't imagine looking back on this season and realizing this girl was the hidden winner at this stage in the game.

Stephanie - The problem with Steph is that she has a negative edit that kills her with Russell. Her story was with Russell, and now he's about to leave. She fought for her man but now she'll go down for him just the same. In a season about good players and bad players, she tried to be the good player, but ultimately made a bad move in sticking with Russell, the ultimate "bad" player this season. I don't see her recovering. As Sarita told us, Stephanie is "misguided" and "rude", and is worshipping someone we're supposed to be against. She's probably going to pay for these actions.

Julie - At least we now we know why she was invisible up until this episode! We couldn't know where she stood or else we'd probably know which way she'd go in ousting Russ. The woman's dilemma was about throwing the challenge, not how it'll affect her down the road, and thus I don't see good things here at all. She was a plot device for the moment, but that's all she'll be good for.

Phillip - From what little we saw of him, he was described to be buffoonish. All I can say is that he won't be "flip floppin" around like he said, though I'm not sold on that yet. Negative commentary from Rob isn't a good thing this season, and that's all we got of him this episode. We're to be reminded that he's around and he hasn't changed, and that he'll be back soon enough, don't worry. He's still a "special" agent.

Kristina - Completely invisible this episode, we got nothing from her on playing the idol or not being in the know. No insight, no commentary, nothing. Like I said previously, she had her moment in this tribe, and now she's just waiting to go. Had she more tank in the gas I think we'd have something at all these past two episodes, but we've got nothing.

Grant - Grant was shown to be shocked by the revenge aspect of Redemption Island. Maybe he'll see that come back to haunt him, though otherwise there's nothing going for him. Even if he goes far, which I believe he will just based on the fact that he's so close to Rob, I don't see him winning with such a blank edit in the first 3 episodes.

Ashley - Despite going to the arena, we got nothing from her other than a rather exaggerated report of how Matt felt toward Rob and getting his revenge. She received little to nothing this episode and it's not adding up well for her based on her first two episodes. She's in with Rob, but we don't have anything to her yet.

Steve - Steve emerged from the shadows this episode as a major force in getting rid of Russell, but I didn't like what I saw. I saw him two-facing Probst and his opposition and the audience when he said he didn't throw the challenge. We saw him lie about that after proposing it in the first place. Steve is a liar and will be recognized for it over time. A lot of narration came from this man but no long-term prospects in range.

David - We saw David against Russell and Stephanie pretty full-on, and he did two-face much like Steve. Back-lash came his way despite going after Russell. We saw him get humiliated by Probst, which is never a good thing. The throwing of the challenge for him wasn't entirely well-received, but because it was against Russell it looked o-kay. It wasn't shown to be a "smart" move though, as we heard it incessantly being considered stupid or fractioning. I have to believe that we'd have seen this more manipulated if David was supposed to look good from this. Instead of walking away thinking it was a smart move, we walked away thinking that Zapatera is screwed long-term. Yet they kicked out Russell. Why is this? Russell looked bad, but so did Zapatera. Because Zapatera is the thunderously fractioned tribe.


Ralph - For someone whose edit was manipulated to really contrast him to Russell, we got a lot less than I was expecting from this episode. The man nearly got blindsided. We did get doubt, but we didn't get much his way in terms of insight. We saw Ralph walking cocky and blind to tribal council, spouting "this is my game!" continuously as Russell left the game. The man may be entertaining but is he smart enough to not succumb to his ego? With Russell out I have to wonder where he fits, especially since that idol is still hidden away. I can't tell if Ralph is gonna get taken out with his idol in his pocket, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. He had little continuation in a chapter in the story that would seem to be rather necessary for him. Ralph didn't take out Russell - Steve did. We also saw him stumbling for words at tribal council. I'm not liking what I see just yet, though he can't be considered "out of the running" either.

Mike - I can't let go of him just yet, he didn't receive much of the backlash from the scheming to throw the challenge. He did get a bit of shadiness at tribal council, but he hasn't been completely ignored either. He wasn't negative over on Zapatera, but he didn't exactly stand out as well, so it all feels rather indifferent toward his chances. He's becoming a Mick/Marcus, which is bad, but otherwise there's still potential! I just have to believe that we'd see more for him to really be the winner.

I feel like Andrea will either go far and play a huge role in undoing the robfather, or she will be the next person voted out on ometepe (which is clearly what the robfather will go if I know rob) to create a dramatic duel either against her lover matt or against the evil russel to avenge him. Speaking of matt, I'm not sure if his edit is so good because he returns from RI or just because of the nature of his boot, and to create drama for a russ/andrea duel, but I just cannot see someone who got voted off actually winning in the end. Maybe that is just wishful thinking. I definitely agree that Rob is getting a major distraction edit...which tbqh he kind of got in HvV as well. I really don't know what to think about the rest of Ometepe except that kristina isn't getting an edit that suggests she goes much farther, and Phillip...even if he makes it far, he has no chance of winning and is just comic relief obviously. The rest of the robfather groupies seem to be getting really invisible edits that need to start picking up soon. I know that you can win with a relatively under the radar edit early on in the game (hi sandra!) but this isn't an invisible PERSON...this is an invisible HALF THE TRIBE.

Which is one of the reasons why I'm not sure I really agree about what you are saying about Zapatera. I mean, I agree with what you are saying about Steve, he is clearly shown being a sneaky liar and I can't see him winning, but I wouldn't eliminate anyone else in his alliance. Sarita really did not get any negativity and I am pretty sure everyone was meant to agree with her assessment of stephanie. I think you are definitely overlooking David. Every time he has been shown he has been shown to have a really good understanding of people and the game, he has been edited to be a "smart" player, and I think his line about "just because the hands aren't moving doesn't mean the mind isn't working" pretty much sums it up nicely, he is being shown as a strategic thinking guy but hasn't actually done anything. I have a feeling that he has some things up his sleeve later on. I didn't interpret it as him being embarrassed by probst...I took it as showing that David is smart enough to just say he got beat to keep his story straight. I read an article from some reporter who said that in the first challenge, David was clearly the one leading Zapatera through the puzzle but he let Russel take the credit. This shows me that he knows when to shut up and let others look like the threats. I'm not sure hes personable enough to win unless his alliance makes up most of the jury and isn't mad at him somehow, but I think he can make it there. Mike is getting the positive narrator edit, and will either be a Mick/Marcus or the JT to David's Stephen. Ralph will either continue getting a positive good ol' boy edit and end up the fan favorite or let his ego get in the way and end up with an embarrassing defeat. I could see him winning, and he DID get a winners quote in the first ep, but I'm not really feeling it. At any rate, I feel like Zapatera has more people getting edits that show actual story lines and point towards possible longevity if not the win, whereas I feel like Ometepe has a lot of roads leading to nowhere, for many of which the end is in sight. Then again, maybe this is just wishful thinking because I don't want a postmerge game full of invisible people and Rob.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
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>>> I feel like Andrea will either go far and play a huge role in undoing the robfather, or she will be the next person voted out on ometepe (which is clearly what the robfather will go if I know rob) to create a dramatic duel either against her lover matt or against the evil russel to avenge him.

This crossed my mind, and I do think it's worth considering, but I'm not sure I can see it happening with what we've seen so far. Nonetheless, it'd make for a very fascinating scenario between either of the three. If this were to happen, I'd say Andrea would still come out on top. The fact that we got inside her head instead of just hearing her cry about losing her bff gets me raising my eyebrow toward her potential.


>>> Speaking of matt, I'm not sure if his edit is so good because he returns from RI or just because of the nature of his boot, and to create drama for a russ/andrea duel

I'm in the same boat! He's a big question mark to me. Is his story for his sake, for Andrea's sake, for both their sake, or for the situations sake?

Redemption Island so far has produced puzzling edits. It's also difficult to imagine Hantz going out so quickly, but then again his edit has been abysmal, and not just in the 'evil villain' kinda way. He's just looked bad this season.


>>> kristina isn't getting an edit that suggests she goes much farther, and Phillip...even if he makes it far, he has no chance of winning and is just comic relief obviously.

Completely agree. I'm actually intrigued by Phillip's longevity in the game, because we know he won't win, but how far will he actually get? If I had to bet, Id say he goes pre-merge, though. I don't think he'll be valued as "just a vote" when the going gets tough.


>>> this is an invisible HALF THE TRIBE.

Actually, it's only Ashley and Grant. We have a story and/or characterization of Kristina, Phillip, Andrea, Natalie, and Rob so far, even though the Robfather is taking up most of the airtime.


>>> Sarita really did not get any negativity and I am pretty sure everyone was meant to agree with her assessment of stephanie.

I agree that we were meant to agree with her, but the problem with Sarita is that she's an invisible character, someone we know nothing about. She actually looks okay in terms of her chances of outlasting the players around her (sans a few), but otherwise she's a nobody thus far. She didn't look bad, but her tribe as a whole did not look good despite taking out the biggest villain in Survivor history.


>>> I think you are definitely overlooking David. Every time he has been shown he has been shown to have a really good understanding of people and the game,

I wouldn't say he's been shown to have a "really good" understanding of either, though it's not bad either.

>>> he has been edited to be a "smart" player, and I think his line about "just because the hands aren't moving doesn't mean the mind isn't working" pretty much sums it up nicely, he is being shown as a strategic thinking guy but hasn't actually done anything.

In the first episode, he was only shown considering Russell as an early threat, and in episode 2 he was completely invisible. This episode, David was still shown targeting Russell. There was editing manipulation in his summation of why Russell needed to go while on the beach, and it was a good thing to hear, but it doesn't tell us much. The fact that that scene was jumbled and had everyone talking over each other didn't tell much about David specifically, but more about the alliance.

I don't believe David looked good or bad in the challenge either. I think it was when Probst superseded his comment at TC that made me realize David was being undermined. He was being shown to be thinking, yes, but in truth, his comment about the hands not moving was just a cover-up to deny throwing the challenge. I don't believe it's supposed to shed light on David's strategy at all yet, because we have nothing for it to possibly reveal.


>>> I have a feeling that he has some things up his sleeve later on. I didn't interpret it as him being embarrassed by probst...I took it as showing that David is smart enough to just say he got beat to keep his story straight.

"Embarrassed" wasn't the right word, I think. It kept his story straight in that he was lying about throwing the challenge, which was given no positive attributes other than the obvious relinquishing of Russell.


>>> David was clearly the one leading Zapatera through the puzzle but he let Russel take the credit. This shows me that he knows when to shut up and let others look like the threats.

Sadly, this shows me nothing, because if it's not shown on the show, it's evidently not important to the overall story or winner of the season, and cannot be factored into analysis of only the show.

Francesca told Rob C. on his latest podcast that she was edited to look like an outsider alongside Phillip and Kristina, when in reality she was always hanging out with Rob and his alliance and was buddy-buddy with all of them. Only thing that differentiated between her and the rest of Rob's alliance was that she chose not to follow him around on the beach and whatnot, and that eventually left her out of the talks.

However, we never really saw that she was close to any of them, and in the end can't come to a conclusion that it was ever relevant to the story being told in the season.


>>> At any rate, I feel like Zapatera has more people getting edits that show actual story lines and point towards possible longevity if not the win,

It's strange that you feel this way when I don't really see it at all. Julie, Mike, Krista, David, Steve, and Sarita have no storylines to tell of. Ralph and Stephanie do, but Stephanie doesn't look great. The entirety of the alliance of 6's story was to eliminate Russell. Stephanie's was to advance with Russell, and it makes sense now why we saw more from her side of things as she (probably) outlasts him. There's no other story to be found. No longevity, nothing. Not even Ralph had much of a story other than to make sure the game wasn't Russell's.

>>> whereas I feel like Ometepe has a lot of roads leading to nowhere, for many of which the end is in sight.

Rob, Andrea, Natalie, and Matt are the four biggest focuses on Ometepe each with a decent chance at actually winning this game. That's half the tribe at the moment. Phillip has a story that will go somewhere, we just already know that it won't lead him to a win. Kristina has little to go on, but she did have something in the past that put her in the center of everything. Ashley and Grant have a connection to Rob, who is most likely the key player to this season, so I can't say they're irrelevant - they just don't have much.

Mind you, we're only 3 episodes in, but I'd say Ometepe has more roads going places than Zapatera, though maybe Probst will be wrong - maybe Zapatera does pick it up by the merge and go the distance. I just don't see it yet.


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eh, i guess you are right that most of zapatera's story so far has been about just getting rid of russel, but they have russels minions still to take care of so that story isn't finished yet and neither is russel- yet. i think it is just mostly that to me that while all of the 6 were unified, they all got to speak and we got to hear things from lots of them, making them seem potentially important characters...whereas on ometepe it mostly seems to be rob telling us everything. The other big reasons for me is that zapatera has a solid 6 right now, while Ometepe has a solid 4 with 3 loose cannons, two of which seem to be gunning for Rob himself. And if Matt or Russel come back from RI, I don't see either of them as being Rob allies. Obviously if zapatera starts losing a bunch this could change real fast, but RIGHT NOW I just think that Rob's group will have a hard time having numbers at the merge. Then again, maybe it won't be a tribe game at all. Maybe the members from both sides getting the best edits will end up together somehow.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
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I don't really like David's edit at all. I feel like historically, people with the defining trait of merely "very smart" don't fare well. People like Bob and Stephen were very smart but were also given some more depth to their character.

The person who I'm most confounded by is Krista. Not that I think she's going to go far or anything, it's just...weird that Stephenie literally gets ALL of the screentime as Russell's underling and Krista's just a hanger-on. We never even saw her joining up with them.

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Thank you, Eddie Guerrero.
http://i.neoseeker.com/n/2/nintendo_quality_seal.jpg

That could either mean that she is just completely uninteresting or unimportant and just goes down without a fight or that they actually DON'T want us to associate her with being "russels minion" like with Stephenie because maybe she has a different story.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/princess_anri/CylcoandAnri.png

Maybe she's the next Yve - only shows up when it's her time to go.

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Tomorrow.

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enjoy reading this stuff but behind as I only read up to the 2nd episode analysis

stealth active messages posted bump

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Giant Turtle Monster - Gold Teeth Man - Ground Test Missile
Member of the merSHINEsess Nation since 7/15/09

Anyone else notice the scene of Rob just missing his mark in that target game he made. Someone on Ometepe even made a comment about it. Normally I hate it, when people overanalyze throwaway lines like that, but the fact that it came right after a comment about Rob being in control, makes me think there might be something there.

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"Ahem! There is *sand* on my *boot*!"--Kefka
Black Turtle beat me, Yesmar in the Fall 2010 Guru Contest!

Episode #4 - "You Don't Work For Me"

In the recap...

...Jeff tells us that Rob was the undisputed leader.
Natalie finds him amazing.
Rob also found the clue to the HII, but "his only two speed bumps on the road to the end" were Phillip, who's unpredictable, and Kristina, a clear threat.
On Zapatera, Russell was playing a familiar game. He searched for a HII, and made an alliance of 3.
...But Ralph had him beat on all fronts. He found the HII and got into an alliance of 6.
Ralph's crew was so determined to get Russell out, they actually threw the last challenge.
At TC, the Zapatera's did what no tribe had ever done before: they voted out Russell.
His allies are left to fend for themselves as Russell's life hangs by a thread...


Russell meets Matt on Redemption Island.
Matt tells us that he just met Russell, and that he was surprised.
Russell tells Matt that his tribe lost the challenge to get rid of him.
Russell tells us he's mad at his tribe, and that he doesn't mind Matt, because Matt is a rookie.
Matt tells Russell that he was one of his favorites to watch. Russell smiles at the predicament.
Matt: "Blindsided by Rob, bunking with Russell."
Russell tells us that he's gonna take Matt's house and then make his own tribe suffer when they get here.


Shortened Opening Credits


OMETEPE
DAY 9

Natalie tells us that Phillip was annoying all morning, sweeping the ground and making a lot of noise at the crack of dawn.
Rob is shown talking with Grant about Phillip's "saggy bottom pants" and how he could go 39 days without seeing that.
Rob tells us that Phillip is a piece of work. Who comes onto Survivor wearing those tighty-wighties?
We get a shot of Natalie and Ashley grimacing thanks to Phillip.
Rob continues on by telling us that it's both disturbing and disgusting. "You don't want your friends coming over to play and seeing that." (Perhaps Zapatera?)
Phillip is shown hunting a crab. He misses. Natalie and Ashley laugh at him.
Phillip tells us that the young people don't understand him. Criminal or school teacher, they don't know how to take him. He's frustrated.
Natalie and Ashley are shown, with Ashley saying he's gross.
Phillip tells us that he's at a huge disadvantage because of his social game, [sic]so there has to be another side of me that emerges. The guy that's undercover.[sic] Phillip says he's prepared to do what he needs to do to win a million dollars.

ZAPATERA
DAY 9

Light-hearted music plays as we get a shot of Krista and Stephanie lying on the beach alone. Stephanie says that she wants this day to be over already. Krista says she wants to remove herself from the chaos.
Stephanie tells us that Russell got voted off last night, and that now she and Krista are "stuck with these 'goobers' not really having any fun."
Krista tells us that at this point she needs to put the game face on because one of them is going home unless they find the HII.
Ralph and Steve are shown walking together talking about Stephanie and Krista. Steve: "Let's keep our eye on them." Ralph: "I've got it under control."
Ralph tells us that he originally planned on telling nobody about his HII, but then, once Stephanie and Krista were away, he changed his mind.
Ralph is shown in front of his alliance of 6 telling them he found the idol. He shows it to them. Sarita jumps with joy. Mike/David high-five each other.
Ralph tells us that he thinks he impressed everyone, so now he's got them all captured to go farther into the game.
Ralph assures them that he has things under control. Sarita is gleaming.
Mike tells us that this alliance has the power right now, controlling the tribe, "[sic]but I would not be surprised if we saw Russell back in this game,[sic]however[sic] we have the idol[sic]if and when he comes back, it'll be very difficult for him to go deep in this game."


OMETEPE
DAY 10

Phillip gets the tree-mail and reads it aloud to a slumbering Ometepe tribe.
Phillip says he wants to go witness Redemption Island, and asks Kristina if she wants to go.
Phillip tells us that he wants to go to RI because of[sic]his background as a special agent.[sic]"I'm looking for a little intel,[sic]to help me win this game."


ZAPATERA
DAY 10

AHHHH HAIRY SPIDER
We see Sarita declaring that she's gonna go with Ralph, as Stephanie and Krista are shown sitting there on the side quietly.
Sarita tells us how happy she is to be going to the duel with Ralph by her side. She says that if she could watch Russell go home, that'd be her million dollars, almost.

REDEMPTION ISLAND
DAY 10

Russell tells us that this duel is gonna be good vs. evil. He says that in the real world, he'd be rooting for Matt, because Matt's a good guy, but that it's not the real world, it's Survivor.
Matt tells us that Russell is definitely the biggest villain in Survivor history, but because Matt is fighting to honor his God, he wants it so deeply and truly.
Jeff explains the rules of the challenge and it then begins.
Throughout the challenge, we saw glimpses of Sarita and Ralph cheering on Matt under their breath.
Matt wins the challenge, Russell is eliminated.
Russell begins to cry and covers his head with his hat.
Jeff congratulates him on all he's accomplished over his time playing this game.
Russell continues crying, while everyone else is astonished and somber. Matt pats Russell on the back.
Jeff asks Russell if he's shocked or embarrassed that he's out so early, Russell tells him he's not. Russell tells him that he's upset he had to go out this way, with his tribe throwing a challenge to remove him. That his tribe isn't considering Boston Rob and his numbers. Russell belittles his team by saying they were pea-wee little leaguers.
Ralph interjects and says he thinks they've done great. He says that Russell deserved what he got. Ralph also says that he found the idol within 15 seconds of the game (subtitled).
Russell laughs, asks Ralph to "show me[sic]the idol[sic]." (Weird that this was spliced, but it's definitely noticeable)
Ralph digs through his bags, Sarita (subtitled) begs him not to.
Ralph decides not to show the idol, and Russell laughs at him some more. Russell looks to Kristina and Phillip and tells them that Ralph is "such a good player, he's telling you everything he has. Take him out. It's easy."
Ralph then speaks to Kristina/Phillip and says "You take his word for it? You see how I bluffed him?"
Jeff asks Ralph is his story about the idol was true or not. Ralph says it could be or it could not be.
Everyone laughs. Phillip interjects by saying it wasn't a lie, that he knows when people are lying. He says Ralph has an idol, and that he'll probably have to use it if he has anything to do with it.
Russell backs Phillip, telling him that Sarita is in charge, and that Mike and Steve are a team. Phillip is now glad he came.
Russell says to Jeff that through both Phillip and Kristina's gaining of information, he can stay in this game. If Ometepe wins, and can take out "these dummies" (Zapatera), more power to Russell.
And then Russell leaves, for good, with triumphant music playing in the background.
Russell tells us that it's just terrible when you come to Survivor to play with people who aren't here to play the game. We see a shot of Ralph and Sarita. Russell says this is the last time he's playing, for he has nothing left to prove. He gives Matt props and says that he hopes he goes all the way.
Matt gets a round of applause from the spectators for still remaining in the game.
Phillip tells us that thanks to Russell, he's gonna use this new information to help him. (This is a bit spliced however, leading me to believe that Phillip probably said he's gonna help his tribe, not just himself.)

OMETEPE
DAY 10

We open to see the foursome alliance of Rob, Grant, Ashley, and Natalie walking along the beach, talking about having a beach day, a picnic. Interestingly enough we then transition seamlessly and suddenly Andrea pops up out of nowhere in the group, walking along the beach with them as well. (Splicing scenes together!)
Rob tells us that he started thinking about finding the HII while Phillip and Kristina were away at the duel. The end of this sentence is spliced with Rob saying "[sic]before Kristina finds it again.[sic]" Rob said that he has the clue and he believes the idol may be near the camp, so he needs to get everyone away from camp for a bit. In turn, Rob tells us he created a game called "Royal Treatment" to keep his tribemates occupied. He then feigns sickness. He tells us that he took his tribe to the nice part of the beach as they laid down their towels to get comfy. Rob tells us that Grant immediately went into the ocean, which was great for Rob, because now Rob doesn't even have to look Grant in the eye and lie to him. He says the girls will cover for him as he tells them he's going to "[sic]relieve myself[sic]". (Why the heck was that spliced? Did Rob say something less appropriate?)
Rob then sprints away looking for the idol.
Rob tells us that he knew he didn't have much time so it was game on. He explains what the clue detailed, which wasn't much. Intermittent throughout this confessional we see Rob scrambling everywhere looking for it. We see Grant leaving the ocean with Andrea asking where Rob is. Rob tells us he needs to hurry up because he's been gone so long. After searching a while and almost giving up, Rob looks in one last tree and finds the idol. He remarks "We have a winner. Maybe I've learned something since last time." He tells us he's not sure what he's gonna do with the idol at the moment, but he does know that "with this idol, this time I'm gonna make it 39 days... and win."
We see Rob playing his 'Royal Treatment' game next to Andrea and Grant with these lines being said. Rob throws a rock at the target and misses. Grant says "You blew it!" to which Rob responds "I was going for the win."


ZAPATERA
DAY 10

Ralph and Sarita get back to camp, and Sarita says that so much went down. She tells them that Matt won.
Julie tells us that she is stoked that Russell is out of the game. She's relieved that their plan worked and he can't come back to get her.
Sarita tells the tribe that Russell was devastated, crying hysterically. She tells them that Russell told Ometepe everything about their tribe.
Steve is shown saying "See ya, punk" with a grin.
Stephanie says that they're going too far.
David tells us that he observed Stephanie and Krista still being in camp Russell, which he understands. "The fact that everyone is dancing on his grave just added insult to injury."
Mike is shown saying how tough Matt really is.
Stephanie comments that "people do some dumb stuff, like throw challenges when they're ahead."
Mike says that the tribe is much stronger, as Russell was breaking down the synergy.
Krista can be heard saying "in the game of numbers, synergy is the last thing you should be worried about."
Mike disagrees, saying it's the most important thing. "You gotta lose one at one point to get rid of the plague."

OMETEPE
DAY 10

Phillip and Kristina are walking back to camp, and Phillip tells Kristina that when they get back, they're gonna tell about Russell, but not tell anyone about Ralph having the idol. Phillip wants Kristina to tell Rob that she has vital information that will move her off the chopping block and higher up the totem pole.
Phillip tells us that Rob told him they were in an alliance, but he has a feeling that Rob told Matt the same thing, so he feels like he may be the odd man out. He asks if it's better for him to have Kristina stay in the game, and believes that it is.
Kristina tells us that Phillip was gonna withhold the information until the merge, and then at that point reveal the names to Rob. "Kinda like blackmail." "The specialist thinks he's running the show, but the specialist is just one big windbag. I'm just gonna sit back and [sic]let him dig his own grave right now.[sic]"

Phillip tells the tribe that Russell went home. He tells them that Russell began crying, but he lies when they ask about any idols being mentioned.
Phillip goes down to the beach with Rob and Grant and says he's gonna reveal everything that happened. Rob questions this. Phillip tells them about what Russell did. Rob asks who their leader is. Phillip wavers on telling him, gets frustrated with Rob wanting to know. Phillip mentions the idol, the alliances, and asks Rob to return him a favor if he tells him all the information. Rob laughs and says that he should tell him regardless because they're in an alliance.
Rob tells us that Phillip's lobbying for Kristina isn't appreciated. "Don't you work for me? Now you're telling me who I should grant favors to? Big mistake Phillip."
Rob says it'll help Kristina's chances, and so Phillip divulges the information, saying that Sarita is running the show. We get subtitles telling that "Ralph found an idol."
Rob asks us that if Phillip felt secure, why would he want to keep Kristina?
Rob says that this information is extremely helpful, asking Grant what he thinks.
Grant tells us that there's no trust with Phillip after this. "I don't know how long it'll take, but it can't go on for much longer."
Grant tells Rob that Phillip is untrustworthy. Rob agrees.


ZAPATERA
DAY 11

Krista reads the tree-mail to the tribe.
Julie tells us that she believes in karma, that it's important they win this challenge for momentum. She hopes throwing the previous challenge doesn't come back to bite them.


IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Jeff explains the challenge, advertising Craftsmen and how awesome their tools are.
Krista sat out, Andrea and David never even participated, and Grant, Ralph, and Mike stood out as powerhouses.
Stephanie and Sarita slowed Zapatera down.
Regardless, Zapatera wins immunity!


ZAPATERA
DAY 11

Zapatera returns from immunity all happy and about.
Mike tells us that winning was exponential. He's incredibly hungry, hasn't thought about sex in two weeks, and only wants food.
Ralph tells us the details of the mini-feast they were rewarded with. He tells us that he was going to great lengths to satisfy his hunger.
We heard Sarita and Mike say that they were definitely the stronger team.
David told us that there was a good mood going through with the food showing up. He tells us that he doesn't wish ill upon the other tribe, but he doesn't want to be in there shoes tonight going to tribal council.

OMETEPE
DAY 11

Phillip holds a brief tribal meeting. Nobody responds once he's done talking.
Rob tells us that they can't seem to win challenges. [sic]It's tough already[sic] and Phillip never wants to shy away from a moment in the sun." Rob tells us that nobody really likes him.
Phillip is shown correcting Ashley and Natalie in menial ways.
Ashley tells us that she can't stand Phillip. She says that everyone is on the same page, and she hopes he goes home.

Kristina tells us that she thinks it'll either be her or Phillip going home tonight. (There's a bit of splicing here when she mentions having the idol in her pocket "[sic]I'd feel better[sic]")
Kristina mentions how there must have been a clue when they won reward, so it'd be surprising if Rob/Grant hadn't found the idol yet. Natalie asks her what makes her so sure, and she replies "You."
Natalie tells us that Kristina is acting weird. She's not searching for the idol. "Could mean she has it, or maybe not."
While on the beach, Natalie tells Rob, Ashley, and Grant about what Kristina was saying about the idol clue.
Rob suspects that Kristina may or may not then have the idol, calling it "so trippy to figure out."
Rob tells us that Kristina is dangerous. Rob considers Phillip less of a threat than Kristina.
Walking through the forest, Rob tells Ashley, Grant, Natalie, and Andrea that they should vote her ass out. Andrea asks if he thinks she has it, and he says "Who knows? Let's not take a chance."
Rob tells us that he wants everyone to think that Kristina has the idol, so they're gonna split the vote.

Ashley and Grant are walking on the beach, and Ashley says that Phillip makes everything stressful. Grant says that "He's a pain in the ass, a hazard." Ashley: "A ticking time bomb."
Grant tells us that the plan is to vote out Kristina, "[sic]but I think it's a mistake.[sic]" He says that Phillip is a loose cannon.
Grant is talking with Rob saying that he doesn't trust Phillip. Rob says he doesn't either. Grant says that they can deal with Kristina whenever. Rob isn't so sure.
Rob tells us that Grant wants to get rid of Phillip, as do the girls, so it's possible that someone in his alliance could flip and vote out Phillip instead.
We see Rob and Natalie talking, with Rob saying "As long as [sic]Ashley stays on board, and Grant stays on board, then we have nothing to fear."
Rob tells us "Hopefully, all these guys get nice in line - like they should - and do as they're told, [sic]if not, I'm not [sic]in control[sic] of my tribe[sic]after all." (Dear lord that was sloppy splicing to tell us of some distinct foreshadowing)
Phillip approaches Rob asking what he should do tonight. Rob tells him to vote for Kristina.
Phillip tells us that sure enough, Rob wants to vote for Kristina. Phillip says that Rob isn't a man of his word, and thus he needs to take control of his own fate by making the moves he needs to make to survive.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

Jeff asks Kristina about being on the hot seat, she says she is. She says she started off on the wrong side of the numbers, but she still wants to stay.
Jeff asks Natalie about second chances, Natalie says she thinks second chances are great, that Kristina's a nice person.
Jeff asks Grant about if people can change, Grant says of course, because everyone is laid back in the tribe you can get a second chance.
Rob interjects by saying that Kristina kinda just joined the tribe, saying that she wasn't really apart of them for the first 8 days.
Jeff asks Kristina what she thinks the tribe should do, she beats around the bush of saying they should vote for Phillip.
Jeff asks Phillip about being disruptive, he says he's not categorized as that, he's a doer.
Kristina says she does a lot of stuff at camp too, though Phillip says only in the past 3 days.
Phillip says the tribe knows who he is, he's a doer, and he has a "Sheppard Stamp." He goes on about his life story, summing it up by saying that's why he's earned the respect of his tribe.
Jeff asks Kristina to lay out a last chance argument for her to be kept around. She says that she's smart and can be trusted, and just wants the opportunity to prove it.

Phillip votes for Kristina saying 'time has run out.'
Kristina votes for Phillip saying he's a pain in the neck.

Jeff leaves them by saying "Clearly running out of time was a theme in tonights tribal council, and if you don't start winning, time is going to run out for this tribe."


- The Tribes -

We are slowly starting to see Rob break away from the pack. As the figurehead for Ometepe, the man with the plan is becoming his own, which speaks both good and bad. The good is that he's telling us everything, as usual, as expected. We get his side of it, and there's seemingly nobody around yet to overthrow his chances. The downside to this is that with Rob breaking away, we're getting early glimpses of what looks like Rob losing control. He can't surpass his students too far or else they'll come together and cut him off. The main story of Ometepe this episode was earning and staying in Rob's trust, one of which Kristina never earned, Phillip lost, and the other four maintained.

Zapatera was a bit different. Their story this episode was essentially the aftermath of voting out Russell. We saw Steph/Krista alienate themselves while everyone else rejoiced. In terms of complexity, this was a very bleak episode for Zapatera.


- The Characters! -

Phillip: Despite getting into Phillip's head for a better understanding of where he stands and what he's aware of, we got a lot of negativity drawn his way. Lots of negative names and silly scenes reinforcing the notion that despite his best efforts, the man is still just one big 'windbag'. I think Kristina summed him up nicely. He will be the next voted out of Ometepe should they not bide their time and start to pick it up. He lost Rob's trust and couldn't step out as his own player. Though he came across as more complex in willing to attempt to control his own fate by keeping Kristina, it ultimately didn't pan out, regressing him backwards. More than likely he will forever be the comic relief.

Kristina: She'll be losing to Matt next duel if the editing is any indication. Her story peaked early and now she's run out of time.

Krista: Some cite the fact that she's hidden to be a good sign for her, but it's really not so. We saw her twice, once where the audience giggled her way because she wanted to find the hidden immunity idol - a scene that tells us she's not in the know much akin to Russell, and the second where she mentioned how synergy isn't what matters, it's numbers. I think the most she'll amount to is being nothing but a number, though right now she's barely even that.

Ashley: Unlike Krista, Ashley is a number, but there's nothing else. 4 episodes in and we have nothing on her end. She meshes with her group but we have nothing to go on with her. Can she stay on board with Rob? I'm guessing she will for the time being.

Steve: Despite spear-heading Russell's exit last episode, the guy had nothing this episode. I believe he served his purpose in assembling a group to take out big Russ, but he's got no complexity to him. No insight, nothing. For 4 episodes. All about Russell. As for his chances? Well, says it all.

Julie: Karma will get her back when all's said and done. She fooled Russell, but Russell will have the last laugh.

Sarita: All happy talk, glad to see Russell gone. Any complexity thus far? There's nothing coming from her amidst bigger things happening. She made a smart move in getting Ralph to shutup, but it wasn't quick enough. She's told to be the leader, but we never see that. If she was a winner, I think we'd get more from her in any way over 4 episodes.

Stephanie: We saw Stephanie distance herself from her tribe, feeling like she didn't belong. We only heard from her twice, once saying that she didn't like her tribe, and the second saying how dumb it was to throw a challenge while ahead in numbers (as opposed to throwing while you're down?) I think she'll serve as a device to wedge the main alliance, though I doubt she'll get far with this edit persisting. On a whole, we didn't get much from Zapatera, and her edit was no different. She's still around, but I don't see her story lasting much longer.

Grant: We heard from him twice as well, once when Rob asked for his opinion, and second when it was the opposite - he was dissenting from Rob. We saw Grant from Rob's perspective almost as someone to watch out for. Rob doesn't want to lie to him, Rob talks often with him, and it was he who got to be heard when it came to possibly voting out Phillip. Despite Ashley being included in disliking Phillip, it was Grant who told us he thought that what Rob was doing this time was a mistake. When have we heard any of Rob's disciples saying Rob was making a mistake? Also, it was spliced in, meaning something is more than definitely up. Regardless, I don't think his chances of winning are high at all, but from what little we saw of him it seemed to be all rather important for Rob's story (who happens to be the main man of the season).

Ralph: Garnered credit for Russell's takedown. The recap told us that it was Ralph who led the crew, not Steve or Sarita. He is being placated as the man in front, the man with the plan over on Zapatera. Only problem is he was shown as playing poorly when he got caught up in a lie at the arena. His edit is wavering between making this his game and making him a dumbass. I have a feeling it's gonna turn sour for him as he doesn't seem to be able to slow down when he needs to. The throwing of the challenge wasn't highlighted to be a great strategic move like it could have been, leading me to believe that his chances, along with his tribes chances, aren't high for a win.

Mike: Paired with Steve, despite the audience never actually directly knowing this. We would know if a winner had an alliance or two, not just have it sprung onto us. Way too flat-toned and narrative, little insight into how he's going to do what he's going to do, only focusing on Russell and little else. I don't think Zapatera is the promising tribe this season, and just as well Mike hasn't shown much. We heard him talking about what'd happen if Russell came back, and then that he's glad to win food, because he's hungry. Included in the whole "never speak ill of the dead" trope I believe was played up this episode in regard to Russell, it didn't bode well for his chances when we were shown him alongside his tribe overly divulging on the fact that Russell was ousted. That scene was to portray Zapatera in a bit of a cocky light - they were going too far.

David: The man tells us that he's sympathetic toward the otherwise downtrodden alliance mates in Stephanie and Krista, as well toward Ometepe for having to vote another member off. He shows promise in being the only empathetic character in his tribe toward the downfall of Russell, and given that Russell had a bit of an "Alas Poor Scrappy" edit going on, David looked better for at least being aware. Ultimately though, he doesn't have much visibility nor have we gotten an establishment of where he stands, or who he is, or anything of that nature, and I can't excuse that after 4 episodes. But at least there's promise, something most of the rest of his tribe completely lack.

Matt: He as well didn't have much to his edit this episode, but it was enough to placate him as the good side taking down evil. Shown to be the nice guy that he is, there wasn't much else to go off of. His story thus far is about his stay on Redemption Island and the journey he's taking to overcome the obstacles in front of him.

Rob: If Rob is the winner then I'll be damned. He looks too good to be true, and as they often say, if that's the case, then he probably is. The story is still revolving around or through him scene by scene, except that this episode we got a scene where Ashley and Grant talked about how they doubted his decision. There was manipulation here that had me wondering why we're supposed to be seeing them doubt his decision. I believe that Rob will start to outclass his alliance and eventually underestimate a few of them, and in the long run it will spell his demise. Recall that scene where Rob threw the pebble at the target, proclaiming in a voice-over how he's gonna win this game, only to then miss the target - "I was going for the win." Don't think that's worth noting? Think again.

Andrea: We didn't get anything from her this week. A few subtitled lines at best. I'd have to think that she'd say something about Matt still surviving, but perhaps we're getting a cooldown from last week? Hard to say, but no content doesn't kill her after she looked decent the last 3 episodes and has been shown to be complex and have an edit that can go the distance. With Matt still alive I have to believe that her story has been put on the backburner for when it needs to come out - not this episode.

Natalie: The invisible player from last episode, Natalie is the only player Rob doesn't seem to be worried about. She didn't disappear this episode but instead remained faithfully by his side. She is most likely going to play alongside him for a while. She's staying on the screen, never needing to jump to the front, but still being shown in a good light next to Rob. She's shown helping Rob make his decisions as she told us she would. Her edit this episode wasn't much to run off but it's enough for me to still keep her high on my contenders list. We'll need to see more of these big moves from her at some point - get to know her a little better if she's the winner, because a personal touch we currently don't have.


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~*~*The King of Survivor*~*~
http://tinyurl.com/4d4tyg5

I have many Survivor alts.

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You'll have to use another one from now on.

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All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.
[Browncoat] ~Board 570901~ (Maniac64 at work)

I will! I'll probably rotate.

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It is looking like next week zapatera might start having some divisions formed, hopefully we get more insight onto what people actually think over there about things besides russell. i feel like this last episode pretty much quashed most of the hope I had for the tribe as a whole to do well, some of the people still have a small chance. Rob is just getting an amazing edit, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he won it all, but I definitely feel like he will fall short yet again. Hopefully we get to know more of his tribe outside of himself and phillip soon, because right now it is really hard to predict anything about them...though I think ashley is probably the least likely contender outside of phillip.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/princess_anri/CylcoandAnri.png

up

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"berttyer not post anymore or i might bet BANNED like somge other stupid forums racist against durnk plepole"
-gingerbreadcorpses

the problem with rob being the winner is the argument "he's played the game twice before and i came in with no experience and made it this far"

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~Acting on Impulse~
Black Turtle still didn't MAJORA'S MASK

I think its going to be tough for Rob when the merge comes but so far he's doing great

surprisingly there seems to be some really strong players on the other tribe

Rob actually played three times before.

What's fascinating to note is that the guy who inspired me to start this analysis topic in the first place currently sees Rob winning the season.


He stated:
"So, despite all his other winner’s quotes, did Rob tell us he would be coming up short in this game as he did in his “Royal Treatment” game? I think that we, as viewers, weren’t supposed to take that game seriously: It didn’t matter that Rob came short because we never even heard who actually won. We had an indication that Andrea might have won but no one said she did.

More importantly, in all my years of analyzing editing I have not witnessed as heavy a manipulation as not showing Rob’s interview, reacting to the news that his nemesis had fallen. Rob had to gloat, had to say something that would have been mean to Russell in an episode where the viewers were suppose to understand Russell. Instead, we had a quiet Boston Rob who didn’t give away anything on this matter to his tribe or the viewers. This, along with everything we have seen so far, tells me that Boston Rob will be the Sole Survivor of Redemption Island."


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the problem with rob being the winner is the argument "he's played the game twice before and i came in with no experience and made it this far"

won't matter if the jury hates the other people or just feels like they were nothing but rob lackeys or...just..whatever. the jury can vote based on whatever criteria they want and while rob has an uphill battle, he is just getting miles away the best edit right now.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/princess_anri/CylcoandAnri.png

Think I'm going to stop reading this topic. Analysis of the editing feels almost like spoilers, and takes away from the enjoyment for me- makes the whole thing feel fake. I understand that what we're shown is TV after all, but suspension of disbelief is good.

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90s games > 00s games

Understandable red. :(

I don't look at spoilers, for what it's worth! I'm not leaking information or affected by anything other than what I see and hear each episode. And this season has been a lot more difficult to analyze than previous seasons, from what I've read.


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save for tomorrow's episode

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Teacher discussing the length of the paper “the paper should be like a girl’s skirt, long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to retain interest.”

Thanks.

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Did you ever watch The Mole? It seemsl like a show you would have loved.

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All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.
[Browncoat] ~Board 570901~ (Maniac64 at work)

I watched a few seasons. It was enjoyable.

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Tonight!

The last 18-person season had a late-merge on episode 8. I'm expecting the merge to come at episode 7, with a probable double-elimination episode 6. Though I'm not sure how RI will factor in.

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Actually, I'm wrong. In Gabon, the late-merge was on episode 8, but they had the first episode work as a double-elimination as well as being 2 hours long. So the merge this season probably won't be until episode 8.

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tree frog symbolism

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Giant Turtle Monster - Gold Teeth Man - Ground Test Missile
Member of the merSHINEsess Nation since 7/15/09

My favorite animal. :3

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GTM posted...
It usually takes me a couple of episodes to really get to know people, off the top of my head I only know like 5 of the cast.

And it seemed like you tried to cover all the bases (you mentioned stuff like shots of tree frogs o_O)

Hey, it only took me 5 episodes but I finally know everyone.

Except I still don't remember which one is Female Robling 1 and which one is Female Robling 2, but besides that I know everyone!

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Giant Turtle Monster - Gold Teeth Man - Ground Test Missile
Member of the merSHINEsess Nation since 7/15/09

I usually pay so much attention to the pre-show stuff that I know even the invisible people. Also, I am just really good at remembering names and faces and stuff.

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I'm "kind of a big deal".
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/princess_anri/CylcoandAnri.png