Probst introduces us to Coach & Ozzy, coming back for redemption.
Coach opens up with the first confessional of the season, telling us that he failed twice, but is back to change his persona, and prove that he can win the game. Ozzy tells us that he is good at challenges, but lacks strategy. This time, he says he's learned (already?) from his mistakes, and just hasn't been able to finish with the million.
None of the newbies had their names credited, but we started with... Cochran is the first newbie revealed, telling us that he's watched every episode of Survivor. He knows the game. Elyse tells us that she's not much of an outdoorsman, but hopes her Native-American background can help her via the spirits. Rick tells us that he's a rancher, and that if you didn't train before coming out here, you may as well spit in the wind. Stacey tells us that she's a mortician and has kids, and that she's gonna be "nosey as hell." Brandon tells us that he's Russell's nephew, and then equates Russell to Hitler, but that he's not gonna be Russell, he's gonna change the opinion on the Hantz name.
Usual credits roll, we come back to the tribes being introduced with two more players en route.
Edna, of note, turns to Brandon and says she hopes it's not Russell. Brandon tells us about it, saying that he will never reveal his name. Savaii all agree to greet the returning player as a part of the family. Mikayla tells us that she wants Ozzy on her tribe, whereas Coach is just gonna be loony and 'out there'. Christine immediately pulls a Francesca and tells the two that they're temporary. Cochran tells Probst that he wants to be called by his last name, ala Colby, Penner, and BRob. He then says that both Coach and Ozzy will have a lot to contribute to the tribes. Cochran nerdgasms over being on Survivor, telling us how much of a fan he is. Cochran tells us how happy he was to have Ozzy on his tribe. Rick tells us he didn't want Coach on his tribe. Coach tells us that he's not feeling good vibes from the blue tribe. Ozzy tells us that he felt a warmly greeting with the red tribe. "They looked like a good, strong tribe."
First challenge ensues. Ozzy asks for help, gets it from Jim. Then Upolu helps Coach. Probst: "This is how Survivor works right here: teamwork. Started as a hero duel, it is now a tribe challenge." (Smacked us right over the head with a major theme: teamwork. Being selfish may not be the way to win this season) Coach loses the challenge and greets us with a second major theme of the episode: facing your fears. Coach tells us that Edna was the only one from his tribe to greet him. Everyone else was like "don't let the door smack you on the way out." He says that he had to immediately face his biggest fear: leaving first.
This dynamic in a character in the first 10 minutes of an episode told me not only would Coach not be leaving first, but also that he has the complexity in his edit to be self-aware, something he drastically missed in Tocantins and HvV.
Ozzy tells us that it's nice to have played the game twice, that he has a tribe looking up to him - but he says he's really looking to play a strategic game this time. Savaii group up with a meet and greet. Cochran reveals to be a law student from Harvard. Whitney says she's a songwriter. Semhar talks about her poetry. Semhar tells us that she got put on the spot and decided to step up. She says it's important to prove yourself so that people know your word is real. Ozzy tells us that he thinks Semhar is beautiful, and that he respects her passion, [sic]and that he would like somebody like her for the long haul. Ozzy tells the tribe to relax a little bit, to go swimming, because he thinks his tribe has the advantage. Cochran narrates the event, revealing his insecurities about his body. He tells us that he's different from the rest of his tribe, that there's a bevy of bikini babes, and that he's a zero in the scheme of things. He brings up a '90210' tribe, and that he needs to "focus on the positives, visual success, and just get these negatives out of my head".
This scene is eerily remniscient of the Galu tribe's episode 1 edit from Samoa. They pulled the same stunt, only instead of Cochran, there was Shambo. Is Cochran the new Shambo? Is Savaii the new Galu? Cochran immediately touches upon one of the major themes presented: facing your fears and adapting to the situation. Just like Coach later on in the episode, Cochran shows us that he understands and can execute what needs to be done to adapt.
UPOLU DAY 1
Coach opens the scene by telling us that he was afraid the moment he joined the blue tribe. He tells us that you can't run away from fear. Coach tells his tribe that he thinks building a shelter is the best thing to do. He reminds his tribe that he's not a strategic player and doesn't want to be viewed as a threat. He tells them of his shortcomings. Upolu has their own meet and greet. Rick tells everyone he's a rancher. Albert says he's a coach. Sophie tells us she recently graduated college, knowing Russian. She and Coach begin to communicate in Russian. Sophie tells us about the speaking Russian with Coach thing, but then touches up on the fact that he's been out here twice before. Upolu has a montage of them building their shelter together and all getting along. Rick offhandedly tells his tribe that he's a loner. Coach leads everything. Edna tells us that she likes Coach. Christine begins to hunt for the HII. Christine tells that she's a fan of Survivor and [sic]has to assume that there's a HII somewhere. Coach tells us that Christine scares him the most. His first thoughts upon getting to the beach was to build shelter, but hers was to go hunting for the idol. He says that she's target #1.
This scene reminds me of Boston Rob's episode 1 edit where his tribe worked well together to build the shelter with him helping them along the way. We saw a few of the girls on Upolu being complimented by Coach for their strength (just like BRob with Natalie/Ashley) and Coach helping Brandon cut some bamboo. He shows Edna how to eat some sugarcane(?) and receives praise by others in their confessionals (Edna/Sophie). We then get his voice telling us that Christine is going first, ala Kristina alongside the beach where BRob consulted with his alliance.
Jim tells us that he was excited to get in the water. He then lies about his profession to the tribe and instead tells us the truth - he has an impressive resume. Mark tells us that he's here for the million dollars, but he's also here to get away from everything in life that restricts him. He also reveals that he's gay. He tells us that he's a team player and that he's here to survive, and that they're gonna see that and keep him around. Dawn tells us that she had hoped her tribe would be more organized early on. She fears that it might hurt the tribe if they don't build a shelter sooner. She tells us that she's a mom with six kids and is used to being in charge. She compares Ozzy to Bob Marley, saying that he's probably not fit to lead.
This short scene tells us a few things: who Jim, Mark, and Dawn are, and that Ozzy is not going to be a good leader of his tribe.
UPOLU DAY 1
Coach and Mikayla notice a tattoo on Brandon's neck. Brandon tells us about it. He says that he used to be like Russell - a bully, but he's not like that anymore. He's grown up. God is his #1. Coach and Brandon discuss Mikayla, and Brandon calls her "Delilah". Mikayla tells us that she's not afraid to get down and dirty. She's not about to be a Princess out there. Brandon tells us that he doesn't feel comfortable around Mikayla. He says he grew up in the church, and that he's not gonna get himself into a situation where he'll get in trouble. He's shown peering through the tribe shelter at Mikayla in a somewhat creepy-like manner, with some frazzling music being played.
This scene tells us that Brandon will more than likely have some sort of dilemma in the future with Mikayla. He'll probably target her.
UPOLU NIGHT 1
Coach tells us about five people hanging out at night by the canoe talking - himself, Rick, Albert, Brandon, and Sophie (CRABS). He talks about how he wants to form a solid five to go to the end. Coach tells us that he thinks he's sitting pretty right now, despite being in a bind at the first challenge. "This is Coach 3.0 and I'm here to win."
SAVAII DAY 2
Dawn spills the boiling water and douses the fire. Dawn tells us that she's having a possible mini breakdown. Mark tells her that they need to be strong because they're the oldest 2. Dawn tells us that she feels old for the first time ever. She amusingly snaps a vine and falls. She tells us that she's overly emotional. Ozzy comforts her with some simple talk. Mark tells us that Dawn's breakdown scared him, because the both of them are older. But he won't turn his back on her regardless. Ozzy tells us that he talked to Dawn and he tried to comfort her. He's the anchor of the tribe. He says that if Dawn doesn't get it together she may go home.
This scene tells us a few things: Mark is a team player, Dawn may be sent home early if she continues down this route, or she may quit later on if the elements get to her, or she'll pull a Holly and go pretty far. I'm predicting Holly at the moment. Ozzy, on the other hand, is at first nice, but then tells us that he may have to resort to sending her home. A bit cold-blooded.
SAVAII DAY 3
Semhar teaches the tribe how to brush their teeth with ash. Ozzy tells us that he needs to get the shelter going. He knows he'll be okay, but he's not sure about everyone else. Elyse is chopping a coconut and she teaches Cochran how to do it properly. Ozzy tells us that he's skeptical of Cochran's physical ability. Cochran successfully chops the coconut. Cochran tells us that he has the social game to overcome and physical game he may lack.
Brandon tells us that he wants to do what Russell never did- provide for his tribe. He says that despite his alliance of five, he's never gonna show his tribe the Hantz tattoo's. He says he doesn't want to be judged by his uncles reputation. Sophie tells us that she feels good with her five-man alliance, but she feels like Brandon is hiding something. (This confessional is spliced together.)
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
I think it was important to note that Coach gave instructions to his tribe, something Mariano was often shown doing. For Savaii, we heard that Ozzy was interrupted by Semhar who said she was good at shooting basket. Their huddle was less efficient. We saw that Cochran had trouble at the wall while Albert showed his strength, pulling Brandon all the way up by the arms. Jeff said: “Ozzy’s going to go at it alone.” (what about Teamwork?) After making a shot, Semhar started to get tired. Mikayla was “a scoring machine” and she was shown making the shot that won it for Upolu. Semhar had to apologize to her tribe while Mark was heard saying they would get them next time.
Asked how she felt by Jeff, Semhar said she felt sort of bad. That caused Jim to shake his head in disbelief. He commented that: “Sort of bad? I feel worse than sort of bad. I feel sort of bad when I’m out of milk, I feel like crap now that we have to vote somebody out.“ Jim tells us that there's no reason to keep Semhar. She failed at the challenge.
UPOLU DAY 3
Christine tells us about the uneasiness of there being a HII around camp. The tribe begins to look for the clue. Stacey tells us that the clue has to be somewhere. She pinpoints a lot of locations, and ultimately misses the clue from right under her nose.
SAVAII DAY 3
Semhar calls Jim out on kicking her when she was already down. They argue a bit. Semhar tells us that her honesty may hurt her. Mark tells Dawn he's not voting for her. Dawn tells us that her previous breakdown may make her a liability. She as well thinks that Semhar will probably go home first. Ozzy pitches to some of the tribe that they shouldn't get rid of Semhar. Ozzy tells us that it's either Cochran or Semhar, and it's not fair to blame Semhar for this situation. Jim tells us that he's concerned about Ozzy's intentions on keeping Semhar. He feels Ozzy may get into an alliance with the girls. He's also blown away that Ozzy probably wants to keep her because he finds her attractive. Semhar appeals to Whitney and Keith. Jim informs Cochran on Ozzy's current push. Cochran tells us “My Achille’s heel is crippling insecurity and anxiety. It’s heartbreaking to learn that apparently Ozzy thinks that I am the weakest person and that they should get rid of me for that. Right now, I am in high alert, paranoia mode and extremely depressed. To be the first person kicked off when I’m on a tribe with Papa Bear and Semhar and all these girls? It's like... this is insulting. This is a nightmare… Tribal council is going to suck… I’m probably going to hear that the tribe has spoken, my torch will be snuffed and I’m going to be sent to redemption island like an idiot. It’s just a sad conclusion to my Survivor story.”
Asked about Redemption Island, Dawn said: “It’s hard with 9 people so solo? Tough.” She told Jeff about her breakdown. Elyse told Jeff that Semhar was concerned because of how the challenge went. Jim explained that he hated losing. “Semhar wanted to prove herself and she was confident in her abilities and I think the only people who are good losers are people that are good at losing.’ Whitney said she was glad the attention wasn’t on her, adding: “I definitely thought I could do it but when she was so vocal about her abilities, no one else really had a chance to jump in and say I can do it.” Semhar said she knew she would have been safe if she hadn’t stepped upo but she wanted to give it all she had. Ozzy said he prefered to play with the person that had the guts to step up and try. Dawn told Jeff that Cochran was another target. Cochran, stammering, said: “It’s easy to say that I’m one of the weakest but I flew over that net portion like a hummingbird. I had a snaffu climbing the wall but it lasted like a half second.” After telling Jeff he liked to be called Papa Bear, Mark explained that Cochran hesitated. It wasn’t a fatal mistake but he’d need to make a decision and go with it. Semhar said that Cochran’s name had come up. Turning to Jeff, Cochran pleaded: “You better not say it’s time to vote right now.” Cochran then questioned Semhar’s working abilities while he was learning what to do. He explained his 11 year passion and that it would be mortifying to be the first one voted out. Keith said the vote had to be based on what they had seen for the last 3 days.
Semhar votes for Cochran stating: "Maybe this'll get you to step it up."
During the vote, the camera focused on Ozzy, Semhar, Cochran and Jim: The two targets and the leaders of each faction. When Jeff went to collect the urn, we saw Mark hugging both Semhar and Cochran who were sitting next to him. With a 8-1 vote against Semhar, we saw that Ozzy had to give in to Jim’s side. Was it a capitulation, a coming to terms, or a battle delayed? While we heard Semhar’s tears as she walked down the stairs, we heard Ozzy saying he should have taught her how to make a fire. We also had Cochran thanking Dawn.
Jeff’s final words were: “It appears that you made the decision to believe that a person can improve. Let’s hope it goes for the entire tribe.”
After all of this, there a few key things to look for in future episodes: those who coming prepared, those who are acknowledging and facing their fears, those who are stepping up and doing what needs to get done, and those who are making decisions and going with them. Those 4 themes were crucial in this opening 63-minute episode for the season.
For example, when it came to facing their fears, we saw Coach and Cochran doing just that, whereas we saw Brandon retreating and hiding in his cave from Mikayla. Brandon continuously did the opposite of facing his fears. What does that tell me? It tells me Brandon is more-than-likely doomed. On the flipside, Mikayla not only told us that she was here to play hard, but we also saw her working hard, stepping up in the challenge, and getting things done. This is a major +++ edit for her in the opening episode. Shades of Parvati's "Delilah"-esque edit, possibly?
Fitting then that Ozzy doesn't hit any of the right notes this episode, and is most certainly not going to win this season. He had a lot of screen time but much of it was not to his favor. Not preparing for camp, having a disjointed pre-challenge huddle, trying to keep a weaker player in against his tribes wishes - Ozzy's social game will do him in once again.
Coach, on the other hand, looked phenomenal for an opening episode. He faced his fears, prepared well pre-challenge, stepped up as the leader and led his tribe at camp, and situated himself in a comfortable spot, all in one episode. We have never seen Coach like this before. Hands down the most unexpected edit of the episode in my opinion. Coach looks great. Expect him to do well if this opener was any indication.
Opening episodes oftentimes don't tell us the winner, but they do reveal who won't win. The good news is that it's relatively easy to spot half of the losers. The bad news is that we still have a bunch of contenders, though that's really not so bad.
Deadweights:
Semhar. Ozzy shoulda taught her how to make fire, huh?
Lightweights:
Who's not winning? Well, Keith and Albert most likely aren't. Big males with seemingly nice personalities aren't going to be edited as near-invisible in the opening episode. Doesn't happen. Ozzy isn't winning, and neither is Brandon. It may be a bit early to cut Brandon, but I'll bet that he's not the winner. His story is about being in Russell's shadow, not winning the season.
As for some of the girls... Elyse did have an opening confessional but her role in the episode was so limited that I think her confessional was just to add to the comedy of seeing how poorly Cochran was doing. She has no outdoors skills yet she was teaching him how to open a coconut. Until we see a story developing around her we have to assume she is not an impact player, just another member of the roster that sits on the bench until it's her time.
Edna had only a small and interesting role. Her role tied her with previous players. Recall that her first comment was to Hantz’s nephew, telling him she didn’t want Russell in her tribe. She then helped Coach after his loss. It could indicate that her future is closely tied to one of those players in that, either like Stephanie, she goes down because she is too close to Coach, or, like Natalie, she goes far by hanging on to him.
Stacey, although seen as one of the players yelling out directions during the first challenge, was mostly shown so that the audience could laugh at how close she came to the HII clue but didn’t end up seeing it. Her opening confessional about keeping her eyes open could simply have been to set up that scene. I'm betting she doesn't win.
Whitney is in a similar boat. I also don't see her winning. She's not yet Natalie White - an edit I look closely for - and instead only exists to look good in a bikini.
Middleweights:
This is where I'd place Brandon and Ozzy. Both are big characters, neither really stand a chance. But they're above the lightweights at the moment.
Christine also sits here, though I have a funny feeling, if Upolu is to lose in episode 2, that she'll be sent packing. Watching her, I was reminded of both Francesca and Kristina, neither are edits you want. While she received character development in the opener, none of the development was good for longevity. She acted selfishly in searching for the idol, something that I believe will only hurt players this season (whereas acting selfishly in some seasons may prove to be good moves, here, it wasn't). I expect her to get the boot next, though she has character.
Rick reminds me of Jimmy T, though more subdued. We don't really know what he's thinking, other than he likes hard work. We didn't see this episode through his eyes nor did we get much explained from him. He's with Coach, yet he initially didn't want Coach. Could be an interesting relationship in the future.
Jim told us mostly about his strategic side of things. We did get to know his resume, which was a nice touch. I believe Jim will be somewhat of a Marty-esque character going into future episodes. He was shown to be the leader opposite Ozzy, which may or may not spell his doom given Ozzy's hefty edit as well. Jim's success is still up in the air as of now.
Sophie should go far. Connected to Coach in a positive light, noticing something is up with Brandon - Sophie has a story building. Good things to follow!
As for Dawn, I was intrigued to hear her produce a negative comment about Ozzy, given she had such a tough episode herself. However, nobody could argue against her assessment of their current leader: Ozzy is indeed a laid back Bob Marley kinda guy. Her contributions during tribal council could be the beginning of a narrator’s role for Dawn. She seems to be on a journey to prove herself but I don’t know how long that journey will last. It feels like she could have legs but it’s too early to tell. Is she a Holly, a Kathy, or a Sandy? Like I said earlier, I don't see much of Sandy in her. I'm betting on a Holly.
Heavyweights:
These are the characters that stood out ahead of the pack to me. Each of them represented the primary themes of the episode and handled them all well for the season opener.
Mikayla had a very solid episode where she was shown to be a good worker yet still became the target of mini-Hantz. The simple fact that his ethics rant came while she was taking charge of building the shelter tells me that she will outlast him. If his interview had been heard while the camera showed Mikayla sunbathing or flirting while others built the shelter then I’d say she was in trouble... but the way it was presented easily favored her. Jeff’s comments at the challenge also made her noticeable in a favorable manner. She made all of her shots, including the finishing one. Everyone else, including Ozzy, missed at least one shot. Not to nitpick at challenges but it's worth noting. She also finds herself outside of Coach’s alliance - but her opening confessional tied her into the returning players. Her words were subtitled despite being easy to hear. They wanted us to hear her comments. The way I see it, there could be an interesting twist to her story.
Right now, we know that Mikayla is a beautiful woman that works hard in camp, is great at challenges and is in an underdog position. In most seasons, that kind of impact usually relates to long-term players. We'll have to see with her.
As far as Mark is concerned, he looked golden all around. Like a golden graham bear, "Papa Bear" Mark was the epitome of teamwork for Savaii. He aided Dawn in keeping her afloat, rallied votes for Cochran, and ultimately laid the theme down of "making decisions and going with them."
In addition to his connections to the theme, Mark had a very personal interview where he revealed he was gay, told us he was a team-player, and gave us a winner's quote to boot. Keep an eye on him.
I already spoke about Coach. Expect good things.
Saving the wors- err, best (maybe?) for last, Cochran clearly represents a coming-of-age story that he literally told to our faces. He and Coach both fit the "facing your fears" theme to a T, and despite his opening worries, I foresee his story concluded on a happy ending. Does that mean he wins? I think it'd be the biggest turnaround story in Survivor history, even moreso that Chris from Vanuatu. He vowed to step up his game, work hard and be prepared, and be a teamplayer. Just about every theme. He set the stage, and I have a feeling he'll be the lead for the season, but I'm not sure if he wins. I get the feeling he may be a "central" character to the season. I think it'll be easy to watch him, though we'll still have to wait and see if he's contender-worthy past this major opening edit.
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ya right you are case the sunglasses have 3d so i can see right threw their clothes -ertyu (about wearing sunglasses to stare at boobs without girls noticing)
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ya right you are case the sunglasses have 3d so i can see right threw their clothes -ertyu (about wearing sunglasses to stare at boobs without girls noticing)
Probst tells us that each contestant has a story to tell. Cochran tells us he's the most suave player to ever play the game. Jim tells us he's won over 20 poker tournaments and provides medicinal marijuana. Mark tells us he's a retired NYPD detective [sic]and he's openly gay. Ozzy and Coach also came back. Christine challenged them. After Coach lost in the battle, Edna became Coach's only friend. Coach tells us this. Back at camp Coach went to work, befriending Brandon. Then he worked his into a conversation and came out with an alliance of 5 - consisting of all men and Sophie. The wildcard was Brandon, struggling with a secret. Brandon tells us that he'll never tell his tribemates his last name. At Ozzy's tribe, Cochran held no secrets, as he tells us he has a buff collection at home, he's pale, and tries to be a provider. Coach's tribe wins immunity, and at TC Cochran saved himself by telling everyone that he'd improve. Jeff concludes by saying that the pressure is on Cochran to fulfill his promise before it's too late.
For the record, Jeff's opening assessment of the previous episode always tells you what you should have gotten out of it. Revisionist history to some extent.
A few things from this opening stood out to me: Cochran has to step up, despite not being voted out. But Semhar? Naaah. Expect Semhar to lose the first challenge. At TC it's Cochran who saves himself, not the other tribemates who stuck by him (Dawn/Mark/Jim) and fought to keep him. Cochran did it himself! Coach formed an alliance of all men and Sophie. 'And Sophie.' Sophie stands out here and it begs for my attention. All of the men? No names. But Sophie gets credited by name. Gender balance comes into effect here and there is most likely a reason. Edna gets credit for being Coach's friend. She is going to be tied to him it seems, for better or worse.
REDEMPTION ISLAND NIGHT 3
Semhar tells us that she's upset at her team. She gave it her all. She talks about her poetry. An ugly sound plays.
SAVAII NIGHT 3
Cochran tells us he went into fight or flight mode and chose to fight. He says he needs to turn on the mellow Cochran and get rid of his antsy nerdy Cochran. Ozzy tells us that they saved Cochran tonight. He says that Cochran needs to step it up or he could be the next to go.
This was such an underdog setup for Cochran where we got exactly what we needed to get from him. Both of these confessionals were extremely spliced together meaning that the editors wanted to convey a certain specific message. Cochran tells us he wants to be here, he's going to change for the better, and then we get Ozzy saying Cochran may go next if things don't improve. A passionate underdog edit.
Ozzy and Keith talk about Cochran being good for puzzles and that they want to form an alliance with Jim. Keith tells us that “I really like Ozzy a lot. I think an alliance with Ozzy could be the best bet to stay strong, physically. Ozzy has played this game before and he is in it to win it just as much as we are so I have to watch him like a hawk."
We open to Coach and Edna talking about the opening battle. Coach tells us “Initially, things didn’t look too good for the dragon slayer… I feel like I have been given a second chance. I have a solid alliance with Rick, Sophie, Brandon and Albert. When it comes to friends, you never have too many, so there is Edna… Maybe I’m just a big fool but she seems like a genuinely nice person.” Edna and Coach discuss who may have the HII, and how close Christine and Stacey are. Edna tells us “I think my place in the tribe is probably at the bottom. I am not one of the physically strongest girl in this tribe so I need to align myself with a stronger male player. Coach, I think he is a strong player and he has a history of playing well. I wanted to solidify my relationship with him.” Coach tells us that loyalty sometimes outweighs strength in this game. Coach tells Edna that “I’m the biggest fool in this game because I am always hopeful that I will find somebody out here that will play honorably.”
Coach is both learning from his mistakes and stepping his game up in this scene.
SAVAII DAY 4
Cochran opens up the scene by chopping a coconut by himself, directly referencing the episode 1 scene where he was being taught how to do it. Cochran tells us "I need to make them think less of me as the liability and the drain on this tribe and more as the potential Survivor.” Ozzy then goes idol hunting and soon finds it. Ozzy tells us “I think the idol could already be on this beach… Three times around, you start learning what to look for… I had one of these little guys in my possession before… I really squandered the opportunity to get really far in that game. I’m sure as hell not going to let that happen this time… If anyone senses that I have the idol, there’s a really big possibility that they are going to try to flush it out. If I can make it to the merge and use it at an opportune moment, this could be my ticket to the win.”
Cochran really seemed to be talking more to the audience with his "new Cochran" speech going on. Once again he stepped up and showed us his A-game. Ozzy's idol hunting was a little less triumphant than BRob last season, especially since he spent most of the time discussing the dangers of having the idol. He did discuss not making the same mistake again, though we'll have to see. It really sounded like he won't get to keep it until the merge like he's hoping.
UPOLU DAY 4
Brandon and Coach bond. Brandon tells us that he feels conflicted about his alliance with Coach due to being Russell's nephew. He says it doesn't feel right to hold the secret. Brandon quotes the Bible and then reveals his tattoo to Coach. Coach tells us he's awestruck. He's a bit scared due to past events with Russell being a 'Christian man' as well. Brandon tells us that he's a man of his word and doesn't plan to backstab Coach. Coach tells us “I’ve been watching Brandon from the first day because I felt like we had a connection right off the bat and, clearly, he has nothing to gain by telling me that information. I think that he is true to his word. So, it’s going to go one of two ways: It’s either going to be Coach Wade duped once again in this game or it’s going to be redemption for the Hantz family. I hope it’s the latter.”
Elyse talks about channeling her native american spirits to catch fish. Jim tells us “It’s a lot of fun having the guys out there doing their thing and don’t think it happened by chance. I’m a world poker tour champion so I am already thinking a few moves ahead. You want to amass as many chips as you can… for the rest of the game. The fishing trip gave me a chance to put in place my 3 plus 2 plan. The three are the guys: Me, Keith and Ozzy as the core and the plus two are the two girls that we like which are Elyse and Whitney.” Keith tells us that Jim has no idea that he and Ozzy had already spoken beforehand, and that Jim only thinks he's in control, whereas he really isn't. Jim tells us that he is the architect of this plan and that Papa Bear, Dawn, and Cochran are the next to be targeted. He says that he's not usually with the cool kids but now he's barely with them, though at least he's with them.
This scene tells us that Jim will more than likely be sent away from the cool kids table at some point. He was undermined by Keith and kinda resembled Jean-Robert from China in a way.
UPOLU DAY 5
Mikayla tells us about her biography as a football player. She's a hardworker who gets dirty with the guys. A tomboy. She tells us that the hardest part of the game is the social aspect, you can't be a princess. She sees herself as a strong, solid person, and says that it should help her in the game. Brandon doesn't like Mikayla. He says that she talks about being a model. He equates her to Parvati in using her seductive ways. He says he's a married man and so he has to stay away from that. He tells us that he will get her voted out. She's not gonna get in his way.
This scene shows us once again that Mikayla is doing her usual hardwork whereas Brandon targets her in a strange fashion. What we see from her and what we hear from him don't add up, and the ball's in her court here. I think this story is more about Mikayla. Given that this scene directly followed the Savaii scene where the men went fishing while the girls were all safe and sound, here we see Mikayla doing the hardwork yet still being targeted. This scene is reinforcing the notion that Mikayla deserves to be there whereas the other girls are simply sunbathing (ala Andrea last season to an extent).
The other side of the coin here is that while Mikayla was talking up her dirty work mentality, not being a princess, she was getting half-naked in the process. It's possible that Mikayla may be getting built up because she wins a lot of duels or becomes an immunity threat down the road.
Christine then goes searching for the idol and tells us about it. Her tribe discusses her whereabouts.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
When Upolu learned that Savaii had eliminated Semhar, the camera went to Brandon as if to show his pleasure at seeing one good-looking woman voted out. Coach told Jeff about the fruit they had found and that it would help them win together. Edna was designated to sit on the bench and we heard that she was fine with the team’s decision. Cochran was the only man doing the pole “dance”. All the other men would handle the crates. Jeff said: “Upolu, working well together. Cochran is getting tied up in a ribbon.” We also heard that “Dawn needs to pick up the pace. This is not a picnic.” Upolu really taking their time… Savaii is flying through this puzzle.” We then hear Cochran giving out instructions for the puzzle.
It would seem that Cochran got some credit for the Savaii win, particularly the puzzle section. This was discussed earlier in the episode between Keith and Ozzy, and the editing reinforced that he did in fact do his job.
Brandon tells us “We were definitely over-confident in this challenge. You get too cocky, you get knocked off your pedestal. Now, we have to vote somebody out and I’m going to make sure Mikayla goes home tonight.”
Christine tells us about the loss and how the guys flubbed it. Coach tells us about splitting the votes to flush a possible idol. He remembers what Christine said to him on Day 1 about him being a temporary player. He thinks both Christine and Stacey are thick as thieves. Brandon tells Coach about his problem with Mikayla, likening her to Parvati. We see Mikayla fishing, once again reinforcing her work ethic (and no something Parvati might do). Coach tells us that Brandon wants to vote off Mikayla because she makes him uncomfortable, but that to vote her off first is crazy. He says that Brandon has demons, and we then see a shot of Brandon's 'loco' tattoo. Sophie tells us that she hears Brandon wants to get rid of Mikayla because she's most likely a strong woman. She says that if that's the case, then she should be worried because she's a strong woman too. Mikayla approaches the group and Coach asks her to give them some privacy. Awkwaaard. Mikayla tells us that suddenly she's considered untrustable. She's annoyed at this revelation. Christine catches Edna in a lie when discussing who was saying what. Christine tells us that she was confused. Brandon says to vote for Mikayla. Christine tells us that she was even more confused at that notion. Coach and Brandon talk about voting out Mikayla. Coach wants Christine out. Brandon says that Stacy/Christine said they're voting out Mikayla. Brandon tells us that he straight up lied to Coach even though he felt bad. He says that if Mikayla goes it will be his doing. She's a huge threat and needs to go. Coach tells us "I hear that Stacy and Christine are going to vote Mikayla and that pisses the heck out of me because she has done nothing wrong. Brandon wants to control the situation and, if he wants an outcome, he is willing to risk X, Y and Z to get that outcome." Coach talks with Sophie, Rick, Albert, and Mikayla about loyalty and sticking to one another. This painted Brandon in a negative light as he was absent. Coach tells us "I hope and pray that the 6 persons I have aligned myself with have the character that I judged them for. If not, there’s going to be an ass-whipping at tribal council tonight."
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Brandon said he thought he had made a good first impression because he was a hard worker. Coach quickly jumped from the bad impression he had made after losing the first challenge to the rumor he had heard before TC; that Stacy and Christine wanted to vote out Mikayla. Stacy said she hadn’t told him that. Jeff said he was glad Coach was back. Coach continued: "Survivor is a very simple game: You find people that are loyal and you try to stick with those people. Right now, I don’t want Mikayla going home tonight, putting a bigger target on my back but I want to see this tribe to win the next challenge." Stacy and Christine wanted to know where Coach had heard that they were after Mikayla. Caoch remained silent, protecting his source. Albert interjected: "For the record… I didn’t tell him… but if you're going to question the idea of loyalty... look at how you're going about that. Him not ratting out his source is demonstrating loyalty. As for paranoia, I think the idea of the idol and who might have it… that is the raindrop that started the monsoon…”
Coach said he saw Christine looking for the idol. Christine thought Coach was threatened by her and that it went back to day 1. Jeff was surprised that Mikayla hadn’t asked Christine or Stacy if they had said it. He added: "If you go home tonight, it will be the quietest exit I have seen in a while." Mikayla asked and both denied it vehemently. Brandon decided to come clean. He told everyone that he was the one to say vote for Mikayla. Coach and Sophie seemed to have a revelation. Jeff welcomed Mikayla to Survivor. Albert said they received more information than they had bargained for but that it was great to have everything surface. "A person’s character will creep to the surface no matter how hard they try to mask that."
Christine was voted out.
Jeff left them saying that their biggest obstacle was trust and that they needed to work on that.
CHARACTERS
Deadweights:
Semhar: Poetry.
Christine: Expect her to win the duel tonight. Otherwise, she's just a confused character on her way out.
Whitney: Literally nothing other than her being a tool in someone elses grand design. No insight or words or screentime.
Elyse: She has her ancient spirits with her but otherwise don't expect much.
Keith: A bit sinister almost in his edit, I don't see him working with Ozzy to be a good thing for his edit. He may go far, but his first episode edit was abysmal. His story has yet to really take off.
Albert: Grant 2.0? It's too bad, because he seems like a cool guy.
Stacy: She only existed to explain the split vote. Otherwise, she's not looking too good.
Lightweights:
Dawn: After having an 'okay' first episode, we suddenly see nothing of her other than a bit of trouble at the challenge. Editing-wise, this isn't very good. Her story was recalled for an entire episode.
Mark: He was introduced once again in the intro but otherwise we never saw him. Another story that was recalled. Kind of a shame given his good first episode.
Rick: Not much to say here. The future of these three characters doesn't look good.
Ozzy: We received a fair amount of screentime from Ozzy this episode. Only problem was that none of it was very interesting. I got the impression that his edit wasn't trying to show us anything we haven't seen before. He touted upping his strategy sessions and yet we're not getting much of anything from him. Verdict: Not Good.
Jim: Jim received a decent first episode edit, yet here it seems that Jim may very well be Jean-Robert 2.0, or at least something similar. He's a poker player - that's getting drilled into our head. Yet all we see is him getting undermined by Keith and Ozzy. He's looking a fool, and it's not looking good for him.
Middleweights:
Brandon: See, Brandon has a story, a very intricate story in some respects, but a lot of is either: "I want Mikayla out", or "I'm Russell's nephew". He became a villain this episode, and a majority of his actions went against the main themes of this season. Him lying to Coach when all Coach is touting is loyalty and remaining true to your character does not spell good things for Brandon. He also looked like a bit of Russell with his "my way or the highway" mentality, and look how that turned out.
Sophie: We didn't get anything new from her, but we did hear her talk about being wary of Brandon (once again) when mentioning strong women. Maybe a women's alliance will form? She seems to have legs in her edit so we'll have to see.
Edna: Getting caught in a lie looked pretty embarrassing, but otherwise she's a relatively consistent character thus far who's connected to one of the biggest characters of the season, and it's mostly positive. Otherwise, not much to go on just yet.
Mikayla: For someone who received no votes this episode, she certainly received a lot of attention. We've seen a lot of quality traits in her, and there's a nice story being built through her edit. The only negative trait that I saw was her lack of passion to figure things out at the tribal council. Probst called her out on it and it looked kinda bad. I still believe she'll outlast Brendon, though I'm not sure if she'll win the game.
Coach: As if this needs to be explained, Coach has improved a lot since his last two times. Realize this: we haven't seen Coach do any meditating or tell any crazy campfire stories yet. I'm sure something will come out but as of now Coach is shown to be playing a quality game. Probst told the tribe that they needed to build trust, and if that's the case then Coach's approach should be just the trick.
Cochran: Cochran explained to us how he would advance his position without putting himself in jeopardy. He faced his fears, stepped up at the challenge, and is shown to have the passion necessary to win this game. Cochran currently has the most engaging story of the season, putting him at the front of the pack.
Good analysis, though I don't quite agree with Cochran. I feel like he's getting a Kenny edit - weak at first, showing some strategy in the mid-game, then self-destructing right before the finish line.
This scene shows us once again that Mikayla is doing her usual hardwork whereas Brandon targets her in a strange fashion. What we see from her and what we hear from him don't add up, and the ball's in her court here. I think this story is more about Mikayla.
I'll trust you since that is what I want and you know more about Survivor than me, but that really seemed like the story was all about Brandon. Maybe its that Hantz name leaving a bad taste in my mouth. It just seemed like the show was only building up and showing how great Mikayla is to emphasize how crazy Brandon is for going after her. Which would in turn lead to him revealing his name and beginning the downward spiral towards his inevitable elimination. Mikayla just got the benefit of being his obsession and the source of his craziness.
(note: I have not seen the newest episode)
-- (Maniac64 at work) [Browncoat] ~Board 570901~ All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.
Question to those who follow this topic: do you read the episode dialogues with the bolded confessionals and whatnot, or just skip down to the character summaries?
I ask because the main reason I don't get the next episode up until late into the week is due to the amount of time the episode dialog takes to get written up. If you would prefer, I could just write the summaries about the characters instead.
I think if you summarize less and just give us more of your insights during the bodies you can make them better reads since most of us watch the show.
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http://img.imgcake.com/nio/81edpngej.png edwardsdv and swordz9 are basically the comedy heel tag team of this topic, why would people be taking them seriously?
I'm cutting out the smorgasbord of an episode summary and in turn, for now, will just provide character summaries. It's way easier for me time-wise and will hopefully prove to not diminish any from what needs to be touched upon.
Some notes to mention before the character summaries are this:
Upolu was featured way more this episode than Savaii and yet Savaii was the tribe that went to tribal council. For the first third of the episode we saw nothing from the red tribe. In my mind this seems to tell me that the important things to focus on come from Upolu - possibly even the winner. If Upolu is to lose the challenge next episode look to see if Savaii gets an extra screentime or if it's mainly blue-centric like it was this episode.
Dawn's mentioning of the alliances not feeling locked in stood out to me. For the first two episodes we'd been given two core alliances of 5 on both tribes. This episode, however, it seemed like we were being prepared to see a shift. The "next time on" does indicate that may happen, so maybe then it won't, but for now it struck me as worth noting.
The biggest event worth talking about on the blue tribe is the Brandon vs. Mikayla battle over on Upolu. I get the impression that the story is less about Little Hantz and more about how certain characters cope with his behavior. We've seen Coach comfort and appease him, Mikayla confront him and get on his case, and then Sophie stand from a distance and analyze the situation. Everyone else seemed irrelevant. That's something to take note of.
The biggest story on the red tribe seems to be "how will Cochran survive?" and deal with his underdog status. Despite Papa Bear going we heard a lot of the dilemma from Cochran, indicating that he'll most likely make it out, it's just a matter of how.
-Characters-
Deadweight:
It saddens me to say this but Papa Bear will probably be losing the duel to Christine. He left with practically no future connections and it seems his story has run its course. Christine has a direct connection to Coach and is proving to be his current folly, so that gives me reason to expect her to stay a little longer.
Albert/Edna/Rick/Stacey all received nothing. That's pretty bad! Albert at least looked good in the challenge, but overall he's just another Grant. I would not be surprised to see Stacey go next if Upolu were to lose immunity. She has absolutely no story as of yet despite going to the first duel and seeing her only connection to the game (Christine) win the first duel.
Elyse narrated the bit about Papa Bear searching for the idol, but otherwise there's nothing here to look for.
Whitney is most likely not another Natalie White. Shame. 0 confessionals, though she's shown to be aware of Ozzy's idol and this tidbit does connect her to a story in some way. If nothing comes of her by next episode it'll be enough to tell us she's not one to root for (Natalie's big breakthrough episode was ep. 4 fyi). I don't really see it though.
Lightweights:
Keith is shown to be actually playing his own game. When you consider his position it would seem that he holds all the power on Savaii, knowing where Ozzy stands and has control over the numbers (instead of Jim). The problem with his edit though is that we have no character substance to him, which leads me to believe that he more than likely doesn't succeed with this leg up.
Ozzy kills me. His edit is just not very good and it's very apparent. If there's anything this episode told us about Ozzy it is that of why he'll fail. Much like in Micronesia, Ozzy's allies are aware that he has the idol and are scheming behind his back. And in turn he's still oblivious to it. Learning from mistakes? Unchecked. What I recommend looking for when it comes to Ozzy is who either A) gets the credit for eliminating him, or B) who gets the blame for eliminating him. Otherwise that's all he's good for at the moment.
As for Jim, as I said earlier, the guy reminds me of Marty. An early powerplayer who thinks he has more control than he really does. The dominant trait in the both of them was their arrogance. Unlike someone such as Russell Hantz who was even more arrogant, at least Russell received a tactical POV as well. Jim is much more foolish.
We just can't get away from the Hantz family name can we? Brandon is a trainwreck. He creates the most drama and then asks to be left out of it. Because we are seeing so much of him it's very possible that his edit follows the way of Russell and Mikayla does actually become his first victim. Brandon's chances of winning are long gone, but his damage to the season (be it good or bad) is far from over.
Middleweights:
Speaking of victims, let's talk about Dawn and Mikayla. Dawn starts off the season telling us she's a strong mother, only to then have a breakdown on episode 1. But after that we've heard Ozzy say that she's a strong person. However, Dawn has also been shown as both competent and then a bit weak at the challenges. We heard Probst mention her taking her time back in episode 2, and then falling in the water in episode 3. I have a feeling that Dawn's story will be that of a perseverance. Is Dawn strong enough to survive? Either the answer is yes, and she goes far, or she becomes a victim and does well at RI.
However, I then turn to Mikayla. Mikayla is told to be strong, and we've seen that she's strong time and time again at the challenges. Will she prove to outdo Brandon or, in turn, become his first victim? It seems like the story on Upolu is revolving around that question. The main themes that I highlighted at the end of episode 1 have me thinking that being the underdog and working as a team will keep her alive, though maybe she'll get sent to RI and prove to be a competitor there instead.
Heavyweights:
Coach has moved to my #3 on the list. The dynamic between Coach and Christine set up Coach to look petty - and he was in turn wrong about her elimination. Of course, I'm also reminded of Rob wanting Matt out early on, and that never happened at RI. For now though his comforting of Brandon after Brandon imitated Russell's debauchery didn't sit well with me, and I'm starting to see Coach as more of the Upolu narrator and less as the eventual winner.
Sophie is taking over where Coach stood. The main reason I have Sophie at #2 instead of higher is because Cochran's story is hitting all the right notes. Sophie has, despite the rest of her tribemates turning invisible, given us her stance on the conflict at Upolu and how it would affect her directly. Those small comments are comments to look for when it comes to under the radar female winners. The role she will play between the conflict of Brandon and Mikayla will probably give us more insight - whose side will she take and how will it affect her story (and her chances)?
Once again I have Cochran at the top, if only because he's giving us exactly what we need from an eventual winner. His diatribe at the TC about the HII and its repercussions struck on a lot of the themes for the season. He has the perfect underdog story and it's being completely fleshed out in a carefully edited way. The only downside is that it may be too good to be true (in terms of a story), but for now, 3 episodes in, it's just really good.
Spoilers for Season 24 have been slowly leaked over the past couple days. No bootlists or anything. If anyone doesn't care to do the searching and instead just wants to know what S24 is all about, feel free to PM me or message me on AIM.
Rumors surrounding returning castaways, redemption island, number of players, the name for the season, what wasn't included, and other small details can all be answered.