Survivor: Samoa [Archive] - TVTalkShows.com

Scoops

09-21-2009, 04:32 AM

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Samoa': ep. 1

EW.com 9-18-09

Welcome back, Survivor fans. Okay, enough small talk, let’s get to it.

Back in the good ‘ole days of the movie business, stars and starlets were often discovered having a malt at the corner drug store.

Well, not many folks drink malts anymore and the corner drug stores are long gone, but stars and starlets are still being discovered every week…on reality shows.

If you’re an actor you hate me for even suggesting such an idea. Reality shows responsible for discovering stars? Hogwash. “Reality shows” and “stars” are mutually exclusive ideas, you protest.

Hang on, cause I’m gonna take it one irritating step further. The truly great reality stars of today… often write their own material as well!

Go ahead, writers, pelt me with tomatoes. Throw stones at my head. I get it. I understand the frustration, but it doesn’t deter my beliefs.

In fact, I am going to challenge you to be honest with yourself and with me if and when you respond to this blog.

A new star has most definitely been born. He stands about 5 feet tall and when he slips that buff on top of his head, he transforms into a pirate, missing tooth and all. He was discovered on Survivor, the greatest reality show of all time, his name is Russell Hantz and in addition to being absolutely captivating on television, he writes and delivers some of the greatest material ever heard in 20 seasons of Survivor.

As long as Russell is on the show you are going to be talking about him and I am going to be writing about him. Instead of protesting like you did last season about my infatuation with Coach, why not try “riding the horse in the direction it’s going.” ‘Cause trust me, that is the direction this blog is going.

But for now, a brief detour.

I love Shambo! Shambo is the prototype for what we look for when casting Survivor. The voice, the walk, the hair! I think Survivor fans are going to adore Shambo and root for her to win. Who knows… maybe she will.

She is clearly a bit of an outcast on her tribe and that is part of her appeal. She moves to her own beat but she respects her leader, I’ll refer to him as the “Dreadlocked” Russell, (who is off to a great start leading Galu) and that’s commendable. If I had to guess, I’d say Shambo is already one of the most popular people of this season. While I’m at it, you’re going to like Dreadlocked Russell as well.

Ben is a bully. I don’t really like bullies but I also don’t want Ben showing up at my front door looking for revenge, so I’m going to call Ben the “likable Bully” but the truth is I don’t know him well enough to know if he is likable, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t. Likable, that is. Could be very likable. Probably is.

Marisa doesn’t like bullies. She also doesn’t appreciate anybody telling her what to do. I really liked what I saw of Marisa, but her reluctance to take a step back and “count to 10″ did her in. I was bummed to see her go so early. Attractive women are not in short supply on Survivor, especially this season, but attractive women with a strong point of view are few and far between. Marisa left too soon.

Back to Russell Hantz, let’s just call him “Evil” Russell to make it easy.

I must admit, I am instantly intrigued by a villain who spouts as his philosophy: “The most important thing is honesty.” Then proceeds to make alliances with everyone on his tribe.

Russell: “I have an alliance with the dumb short-haired blonde. I have another alliance with the even dumber long-haired blonde. It’s my dumb-ass girl alliance.”

INSIGHT: Keep in mind that the interviews you see on the show are done in private, away from all other Survivors. So last night when Ashley and Natalie were watching Survivor at home and heard Russell’s comments about them it was for the first time. Imagine watching with your family or your boyfriend as Russell refers to you as part of his “dumb-ass girl alliance.” Ah, this is going to be a fun season.

Without question, the most jaw-dropping sequence in last nights premiere episode of Survivor: Samoa was this one:

Russell: “I lived in New Orleans, right by the levee. The storm (hurricane) was a category five. When it hit… it broke the levee…. I was in my house. Me and my German Shepard, his name was, uh, Rocky.

I tried to get out of the house and realized I wasn’t gonna make it. So I grabbed my axe.

Because as a fireman, one thing you learn that if you go in something you have to be able to get out… The water was rushing in… I looked at Rocky, I couldn’t see him.. It was muddy water. He’s gone, I couldn’t find him.”

Cut to: Russell: I never lived in New Orleans. I’m not a fireman. I never even had a German Shepard. It’s crazy how you can break their hearts by telling them a lie.

In a span of 10 minutes, he emptied everybody’s canteen (his own tribemates) and burned Jaison’s socks in the fire. Not since Denzel Washington in Training Day have you seen someone this evil.

Ah relax, I’m just pushing your buttons. But be honest, your jaw hit your knee when you heard the New Orleans story, right?

Talk about using and abusing a national tragedy for your own good. With that lie alone, Russell earns consideration into the Survivor Villain Hall Of Fame.

Okay, a few more thoughts.

SHOW INSIGHT: You may have noticed, this episode did not have our normal “Survivor Open,” where we show you really sexy shots of all the Survivors. Not to worry, it does exist, we just had so much good material that we decided to use the time to put more content into the show. Look for it next week.

PERSONAL INSIGHT: Voting out Marisa over Mike Borassi? I think it was a mistake. I like Borassi a lot. He’s a great character, but Marisa was strong. Foa Foa made their first mistake and I think it will cost them in challenges.

TOURIST DESTINATION: At the beginning of the show I always say “39 days, 20 people, 1 Survivor.” The spot we chose this time is called “The Blow Holes” located on the island of Savaii in Samoa. I gotta tell you it ranks right up there as one of the coolest places we’ve ever shot the tag line. Those blasts of water shoot nearly 100 feet high. If you watch it again it looks like I must have been drenched by the water, but the truth is, I never got so much as a drop on me.

FINAL THOUGHT:
Betsy is a wise woman. She’s on to Evil Russell. You gotta love and trust the insight and wisdom of a cop. A female cop, no less. It’s a two for one deal. You get a woman’s intuition and the experience of a cop. Betsy is right. 100%. Don’t trust Russell.

The question is, will anybody listen?

Until next week…

Scoops

09-21-2009, 04:38 AM

a lot of clues as to what is going to happen in this blog, imo.

and am I the only one who doesn't absolutely love Shambo yet? LOL Not that I dislike her, but she is kind of full of herself. I guess she gets better.

beekeeper

09-21-2009, 10:28 AM

I don't love Shambo. I hate to say it, but that hair just puts her on a "is she serious" frame of thinking. I do think she is loyal and hard working, so she may very well go far. She had better get involved in being likeable though ... nobody likes a "bossy boots"!

Russell (evil) is just horrible! I can't stand him ... horrible man. I also can't imagine his wife being very happy with the things he is saying about women! I really really don't want to see him and his fat ass running around shirtless in his underwear either! GROSS! John (rocket scientist) and Erik (bartender) ... I kind of enjoyed seeing in their undies! Hoping Mick (Doctor) ditches his pants pretty soon too! :-)

I get a bad vibe from Mike (older man), but am really liking (so far) Betsey (older woman, cop).

I also think Russell S. (black guy with dreads) is a cool, stand up guy! As are Mick and Jaison.

What was John thinking, trying to do that first swim in jeans?!? He should have taken them off ... I'm betting he would have beat Jaison.

I was kind of glad to see Marisa go ... she wasn't playing very well. She should have just kept quiet, and Ashley would be gone.

I do agree that winning those puzzles ... is a lot of luck. There is no "hard work" involved doing them.

Next week looks GOOOOOOD! It's looking like somone gets kicked out of a game for hitting a woman. Could it be Evil Russell?!? Jerk! I wouldn't be surprised! Grrrr ....

Skeeter

09-21-2009, 07:01 PM

So does it mean good things that he wrote, "as long as Russell is on the show, I'm writing about him?" meaning he isn't always on the show? I hope so. :)

Can't wait to see what's up this week!

beekeeper

09-22-2009, 05:22 AM

Another Quick question ... so, is the season already completely done filming? I was always under the impression that the finale show is LIVE, right after they dwindle down to final 2. Did I make this up in my head? lol ...

Monicauf1

09-22-2009, 09:11 AM

The finale is live, but the rest of the season is done- the filming dates for this season was from June 11 to July 19, 2009. So they already know who the final 2 or 3 is, it is like this every season. The voting and questions are done for who won, but the last 2-3 don't know who won yet, they are waiting for the finale.

beekeeper

09-22-2009, 09:23 AM

Thanks Monicauf1. I don't read all of the blogs and spoiler sites (don't want to know) but was always curious about it.

So they all have to go home and live their lives, not telling anything to anyone as the show plays out for the rest of us?!? Wow ... that would be SOOO hard!

Monicauf1

09-22-2009, 09:41 AM

You're welcome Bee, I have stopped reading spoilers, I don't want to know either, but if you go to Wikipedia you will see information such as filming dates, who voted for who- there are some basic informative information that is not spoilers that you might be interested in. But, then again I can see not wanting to read any of it just in case

Monicauf1

09-22-2009, 09:49 AM

Bee, they don't go home right away- after they are voted out they are sequestered, that way we don't know exactly when they were voted out, but there are very good spoilers- the spoiler experts can have an idea by how much weight someone lost, hair growth, etc...and it is amazing how accurate these spoilers have been in the past. But, since July 19 when filming ended they have been home and for the past 2 months they have been waiting, not being allowed to say anything to anyone...

Scoops

09-25-2009, 11:38 AM

Jeff Blogs Episode 2 9-25-09 Entertainment Weekly

Jeff starts off his blog with a major spoiler. Head after the jump to read on.

Betsy is gone. Major bummer. One of the most likable people on our show in a long, long time. More on that later.

First, regarding the ongoing conversation that this blog generates…let me say this: I love your comments. It’s one of the best things to emerge in recent years. I thank Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly for giving me the opportunity to chat with you guys. I should also note that people in television whose job it is to deal with unhappy viewers have a tested theory that people who “don’t like” something write in about 90% more than those who do. So a blog full of negative comments is not unusual and while your comments absolutely get my attention, I do take into consideration, there are people who feel differently.

Okay, let’s get to it… another feisty episode for sure, eh?

Jaison is so well spoken. We don’t often have contestants that can state their case with such efficiency. However, I’m not sure his attitude is flexible enough to win this game. He has very strong opinions, which he vocalizes often and he has a hard time letting others be who they want to be. I think Jaison is approaching this game like a courtroom trial. I state my case. You state yours. A judge decides. Only problem, it doesn’t work that way out here.

My wish for Jaison would be for him to laugh a bit more, get a little dirty (actually get dirty), and try to let some of the smaller stuff go, because he is a strong presence and could last a long time.

Russell finds the idol. Oh man you guys hated that, right? But come on. The dude found the idol with no clue. Let me repeat that…he found the idol with no clue. He told them he was looking for it. He dug in front of them. Nobody even questioned it. “Booh-yah.”

Jaison certainly did not like the fact that Russell was in possession of the idol, but Jaison HE found it. He got off his ass and found it. Like him or not, the dude hustles. Also, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I can’t make Russell go home faster or stay longer. “It is what it is. It will be what it will be.”

PERSONAL INSIGHT: As Jaison walked away from Russell (who was holding the idol) he said in reference to the idol, “We’ll discuss it later.” This is what I’m talking about Jaison. There will be no discussing it later. Russell has it, you’re not getting it. This is not a conference room where you two will negotiate a fair and just settlement. He owns it and now he owns you. He does. You better change that and quickly.

SHOW INSIGHT: The Immunity challenge was called Schmergenbrawl. It came to be a Survivor challenge in a rather interesting way. Two seasons ago, our grip department (the guys who move all the heavy stuff) created a game they called Schmergenbrawl. They played it on their off days. It was very basic. There was a collection of different balls: football, rugby ball, soccer ball, basketball, etc. There were two trashcans about 15 feet apart. Each time you tossed a ball into the can you scored a point. It became a phenomenon on location culminating with a full-day (a day off) 15-team tournament that included bleachers, an announcer, lots of beer, and a total downpour. Yes, we do have some fun during our 39-day shoots on location.

It was so popular we started looking at it as a possible challenge. After a few modifications from our challenge department, it became one of the most physical challenges in the history of Survivor. In addition, Ben is thrown out of the challenge making more Survivor history and Mike Borassi is evacuated. Talk about epic. Whoa.

Back to the challenge…let me be really clear. The contestants were playing very aggressively and when I gave them the warning I was really clear. No more cheap shots. Tripping someone by putting your leg a foot in the air is a cheap shot.

SHOW INSIGHT: Ben was mad at me. He felt other people were doing things “just as bad as me.” He felt I was picking on him. I wasn’t. He just happened to do it right in front of me after I warned him. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t lose a moment’s sleep over the decision. It was a punk move. And yes, I am a bit worried that Ben might want to kick my ass, because he could. Of that there is no doubt. Tough dude. In fact, in case Ben is reading this, I should let you know that my house is on the market and the house that is supposed to be mine on the “Stars of Hollywood” map is actually owned by Ryan Seacrest.

I love Borassi. Man, I hated to see him go. The guy gave it his all. He really did. He was out there throwing down with all the other guys, some of them 30 years younger. He’s a good guy and it’s a bummer he had to be evacuated, but he was in trouble. Our medics don’t mess around. They don’t want to take anybody out of the game, but if a contestant’s vital signs are not good, they’re gone. We gave Mike about an hour to get stable and he wasn’t getting any better. Tough way to go, but he went out fighting.

Foa Foa is in trouble. This is probably the fastest that any tribe has been down 3 members in the history of the game. Galu is living the high life. Things are so good that the only thing they have to complain about is Shambo. When Shambo is your biggest pain in the ass, life ain’t too bad.

Shambo cracks me up. She is so sincere and so unaware. I love that she said, “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Good news? Shambo, there wasn’t any good news. You came up empty handed with the fishing and you broke the gear. I love her. I know she bugs some viewers, and the entire tribe of Galu, but I still dig her.

Yasmin is her own story. Wow. Never before have I seen a monologue like the one she delivered to the Foa Foa tribe. Like a Mary Kay saleswoman. She had the best of intentions but nobody wanted what she was selling. And with those shoes, all she needed was a pink Cadillac. Anybody?

Yasmin: “And Ben, I’d like to talk to you in private…” I couldn’t wait for that moment. Yasmin and Ben in private. Bring it. Man, I love America. For the record, I am watching their conversation again as I write this blog. It’s sick, twisted, disgusting, disappointing, disturbing, uncomfortable, and completely compelling. Amazing Race should put them together as a pair for next season.

PERSONAL INSIGHT: I know my comments often frustrate you, so let me explain how I look at moments and people like this… I just observe. I’m a human being on this planet living just like you. People like Russell, Ben, Yasmin – they live here too. People fascinate me. We are all doing what we think is best for us at any given moment. It’s easy to judge. Others and ourselves. I do it all the time. When I first met Russell I said to everyone else in the room, “That guy is pure evil.” But he’s on this show, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do – which is play Survivor how he sees fit – and I respect him in that sense. Making up a story about Katrina is downright despicable but so is lying about your dead grandma. “It is what it is.” You can get mad at me or you can join me in taking a step back and just listening and observing and hoping that karma catches up and people get what they deserve. Then again, it is Survivor and sometimes karma takes a vacation.

Ben was looking for attention, at least that’s my take. He likes conflict, likes to challenge the norm. He certainly got it in this episode.

TRIBAL COUNCIL. I know, I know, the high-five between Ben and Russell made most of you scream. I get it.

CASE IN POINT: Regarding just “taking in” what people give you rather than getting all “up in arms” about it…. Ben’s comments to me at Tribal about “I didn’t know we were playing by your sissy rules.” In spite of the deep sigh you saw me give, they really didn’t get to me. What does get to me is not having enough time in tribal council to show everything that goes down. Ben and I went at it quite a bit that night. He may be able to beat me up, but in a game of Q and A, he’s all mine. But alas we only have a few minutes for Tribal so you only get the meat.

Say goodbye to Betsy. Too soon. Betsy was the only one who really understood Ben. She told the tribe everything they needed to know but nobody listened. Betsy’s gone. A nice woman, a true Survivor fan, and already a fan favorite. A lot of people told me they were already rooting for Betsy to win. Have faith, the game is long. Other rootables will emerge.

MOST UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENT: Ben shooting his imaginary gun at the “bad cop” Betsy. Now that was just wrong.

See you next week to discuss… The Russell seed.

Scoops

09-25-2009, 11:45 AM

<<<MOST UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENT: Ben shooting his imaginary gun at the “bad cop” Betsy. Now that was just wrong.>>>

ITA...that gave me the willies.

beachreader

09-25-2009, 12:02 PM

I am not liking Ben at all. I hated the challenge. I do not like challenges where people can get seriously hurt....and that did not look like a trip from Ben to me, it looked like he kicked him.
The shooting gun thing was weird.

Felt bad for the old dude. :(
I hope that he is okay.

The dr seems nice. He looks a lot like my dentist.

I can't believe that not only did Russ find that Idol with no clues but that he did it in front of anyone. How could no one see that?

Scoops

09-25-2009, 12:17 PM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beachreader;1905501 (Post Number)

I am not liking Ben at all. I hated the challenge. I do not like challenges where people can get seriously hurt....and that did not look like a trip from Ben to me, it looked like he kicked him.
The shooting gun thing was weird.

Felt bad for the old dude. :(
I hope that he is okay.

The dr seems nice. He looks a lot like my dentist.

I can't believe that not only did Russ find that Idol with no clues but that he did it in front of anyone. How could no one see that?

************************************************** *********
No one saw it because no one wants to look "there" on him. lol he's an icky little man.

Monicauf

10-04-2009, 04:30 AM

Is that Idol that Russell found his or is for the other team? I am asking because at tribal council Jeff has yet to ask if anyone has found the idol and do they want to use it- maybe what he found he cannot use? As for Russell I'm more intrigued than reviled. It's an interesting strategy; it requires being surrounded by morons but he seems to have lucked out there. I don't want him to win but I can't wait to see how far he gets.....
I'd also like to hear what kind of person he is in real life. Seems to me he's a pure sociopath.

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

keeping in mind that

he's on S20 (which is another ASS) implying he gets pretty far

Scoops

10-04-2009, 07:47 AM

I am clueless as to what s20 is even though you tried to hint. lol duh.

and VERY good point about Jeff not mentioning the idol. would it be because none of them have ever been sent to the other side so would not have the opportunity to get a clue? It's only 8 days in so it might seem like it would generate some discussion in the group if Jeff started asking for it now....but then again....what if Russell thought he himself was in danger and wanted to use it? How would he bring it up??? good catch.

Scoops

10-04-2009, 07:50 AM

Jeff Probst Blog at Entertainment Weekly
10-2-09

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Samoa': episode 3

I will be honest up front that this is going to be a unique blog because as I sit on my couch writing, my mind and my heart are with all the local Samoan families who are in dire straits as a result of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked the island of Upolu, just a few days ago. So much devastation, so many lives lost.

This is show business and the show must go on, so I will share my thoughts about this episode, but bear in mind my focus is somewhat challenged.

Here we go…

Last night’s episode was one of my favorites and tribal council one of the hardest to watch. Jaison showed some real backbone. I was happy to see it. It is fascinating to watch someone reach their breaking point and then what happens as a result. Jaison threw down the ultimatum and in doing so earned a lot of respect. Certainly from me.

PERSONAL INSIGHT: Jaison struggled a lot these first several days of Survivor. There were many times that it appeared to me his heart was just not in the game. I now wonder how much his struggle with Ben had to do with his spirit, as it clearly was taking a toll on him. More on Jaison later…

WHO IS PLAYING THIS GAME ANYWAY?: Russell made a big statement last night about being the only one playing the game. I think he’s wrong. Not everybody is playing as aggressively as Russell, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t playing.

For instance, when Russell approached Natalie and asked for her reaction to last week’s tribal council in which Betsy was voted out, she was very cagey with her response.
She stated only facts.

Natalie: “It was brutal. It was the majority. It was the plan.” She gave nothing away regarding how she felt about the outcome.

Her approach was a wise one. If you argue with Russell, or challenge a decision, or try to play him as aggressively as he is playing you, it will end badly. So instead, Natalie made a strategic move. She didn’t agree or disagree with the vote. She deflected. Well done.

Russell took it as a sign she was not involved in the game, I took it as a sign that Natalie understands this game more than it might appear.

I HEAR YOU!: Yes, I heard you yelling at your screen when Russell explained with devilish glee, “The Russell Seed.” I do admire the conviction. There is no doubt in Russell’s mind that “The Russell Seed” exists and that kind of belief in yourself can take you a long way. Not always the right way, but a long way.

OVER AT GALU: I continue to be amazed at their winning streak. As they said last night, they’re so comfortable, they are not even in “game mode.” Instead they spend their free time doing yoga and watching the “hot” threesome of Laura, Monica and Kelly prance around in their bikinis playing Charlie’s Angels. Don’t get me wrong fellas, I’m not complaining. Laura, Monica and Kelly happen to be a very attractive threesome and let’s hope there are more swim suit challenges coming up… but from a “game” point of view I am surprised they haven’t crumbled yet. Typically when you get comfortable you get complacent and on Survivor that usually leads to disaster. Time will tell.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE EPISODE: Dreadlocked Russell made his first leadership mistake. He took as a reward, a few soft fluffy cushions over… a protective tarp.

As we were standing there and I gave him the choice between comfort and function, I was certain he would choose the tarp and everything else that went with it. I was blown away by his decision. I expected it to be the easiest decision he’d had so far.

He supported the choice as his way of “taking care of his women.” I don’t buy it. I think it was a mistake and I think he knows it. One of the most valuable things you can have at your camp is a big tarp to keep you dry. The odds of Russell regretting that decision are enormous. In fact, if you can find odds at SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAM go ahead and put the pink slip down. Rain. Cold. Misery. It’s coming.

I HEAR YOU, AGAIN: Yes, I heard you screaming at your screens again when Russell said, “This is what god made me for.” Notice I didn’t capitalize the word “god.” I’m not implying anything, it just feels better with a small “g”, that’s all.

SHAMBO VISIT: Shambo was put on the wrong tribe. She should have been a Foa Foa member. She felt so at home that she gave away a lot of information about the dynamics of her tribe. As you all know, I like Shambo, but girl, sometimes you need to be quiet. Try counting to ten before speaking… you’ll go further in the game.

BIGGEST HERO OF THE NIGHT: Jaison at Tribal Council. Jaison elevated himself in the eyes of this host and I’m guessing a majority (but not all) of our viewers. I loved last night’s Tribal. As I said earlier, it was hard to watch at times, but absolutely compelling and completely honest. Two people from very different walks of life, going jaw to jaw with their personal beliefs.

Jaison was determined to not let the game or his pursuit of the million dollars get in the way of his personal integrity. Ben, on the other hand seemed determined to make sure his personal beliefs got in the way of his pursuit of the million dollars.

The conversation between Jaison and Ben offered another fascinating peek inside the psyche of humans. I have no doubt that Ben believed everything he was saying to Jaison about Yasmin was “accurate.” Not an opinion, but a fact. Just like I believe Ben did not intend to be chauvinistic when lecturing the women of the tribe on why they should not attempt to make fire: “Not to be chauvinistic… not to put you down. I wouldn’t even attempt it.”

But, that is not what is fascinating. What’s fascinating is his inability to measure how such comments would resonate with another person. Now he knows.

Jaison proved himself a worthy prosecutor with his ability to eloquently attack Ben for making what he perceived to be racist comments. Then after letting Ben state his case, he was able to reassess and attack from a different but just as impressive and damaging angle: “Okay, then you’re ignorant.”

TO BE FAIR: I gotta say I was impressed with one thing about Ben, his fire starting capability. Very smooth. I learned a couple of tricks from him. Build a nice pile of magnesium and then be very gentle with the flint. Two good lessons. Not enough to keep him in the game, but something I will definitely keep in mind the next time I actually have to start a fire using flint and steel. Which is hardly ever. Okay, maybe never.

Ben delivered exactly what he promised he would in casting. For that we owe him a thank you. He didn’t back down or cower in a corner and wait for someone else to drive the story. He came strong. Very strong. He is who he is and he wasn’t embarrassed about it. Some people are attracted to that kind of bravado, others are not. Survivor is a game about social politics and with this group of Survivors, Ben was never long for the game.

Russell impressed me last night at tribal council with his realization that the tide had changed and he had to change his vote to Ben. I would have bet good money that Russell, The Human Steamroller, would have tried to push his idea through and intimidate people into still voting out Ashley, in spite of everything that went down at tribal. The fact that he was able to read the situation and change his action surprised me. Up until now he has succeeded based on sheer aggressive play. Last night’s move shows another layer to his game.

Okay, it is later in the day now and I have moved location to a local Baja Fresh to sit in the sun and finish this.

I’m going to leave you by revisiting the thoughts I shared at the top of the blog. I am sad today. The island of Upolu, where we spent the summer shooting Survivor, has been devastated by an earthquake and a tsunami. Lives have been lost. Homes destroyed.

I’m happy to tell you that all of the Survivor crew on location are okay and unharmed. But for many others the news is not as good.

It was a week of devastation in the South Pacific, with Indonesia and American Samoa also getting hit hard. I am focusing only on Western Samoa because they are now a part of our Survivor family.

Tribal council was built by local labor. The posts that support the roof of Tribal Council were all carved by local students. The mats that are on the floor of tribal were woven by the women of the villages.

All of our challenges employed local labor, every department had locals working with us, our meals were cooked by local labor. We went to work together every day. They became our friends, we stayed in their homes, we ate dinner with them, met their families, shared stories of our lives.

It is heart breaking to see the devastation caused by an 8.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

It is another reminder that life is unpredictable. We all have to do our best to make sure we’re living the life we want, not the life we think we’re supposed to be living. I am saying this to myself as much as I am sharing with you.

If you want to help you can donate by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS and designate it is to help Samoa. You can also visit REDCROSS.ORG or HELPSAMOA.COM.

Check out an exclusive video of Jeff Probst conducting a run through of an upcoming challenge for Survivor: Samoa! Also, read Dalton Ross’s Survivor TV Watch and watch Survivor Talk with Ben below.

Monicauf

10-04-2009, 07:52 AM

I know Bee and maybe others don't want to be spoiled so I am not sure how much to say- some information came out for next season due to Richard Hatch going to court ( gotta love public records) and Coby tweeted- I don't tweet so I am surprised you missed this- his tweets were posted at various survivor places such as Survivor Sucks.

Scoops

10-04-2009, 07:58 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Monicauf;1907127 (Post Number)

I know Bee and maybe others don't want to be spoiled so I am not sure how much to say- some information came out for next season due to Richard Hatch going to court ( gotta love public records) and Coby tweeted- I don't tweet so I am surprised you missed this- his tweets were posted at various survivor places such as Survivor Sucks.

************************************************** *********

I don't follow Coby.....but I will check out his page.....you mean Coby Archa from Palau? thanks!!

Scoops

10-04-2009, 07:59 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Scoops;1907128 (Post Number)

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Monicauf;1907127 (Post Number)

I know Bee and maybe others don't want to be spoiled so I am not sure how much to say- some information came out for next season due to Richard Hatch going to court ( gotta love public records) and Coby tweeted- I don't tweet so I am surprised you missed this- his tweets were posted at various survivor places such as Survivor Sucks.

************************************************** *********

I don't follow Coby.....but I will check out his page.....you mean Coby Archa from Palau? thanks!!

************************************************** *********
actually I am following about 90 people now....and some of them tweet so much (Donnie Wahlberg for instance.....had to stop following him) that they take up pages and pages. sheesh.

Monicauf

10-04-2009, 08:01 AM

Yes, that is him- want me to email you the information? It is not alot, but definitely some clues

Scoops

10-04-2009, 08:04 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Monicauf;1907131 (Post Number)

Yes, that is him- want me to email you the information? It is not alot, but definitely some clues

************************************************** *********

Yes...email me...if you don't mind? That would be great....I love any and all speculation or hints!!!!! thanks in advance♥

Monicauf

10-04-2009, 08:11 AM

I just sent you a PM- wasn't sure if I still had your email addy or not- it is alot of information- some is from Richard going to court, other from the tweets from Coby- I decided to give it all and not just the court and tweets if that makes sense

Skeeter

10-04-2009, 01:58 PM

Good catch on the immunity idol, Monica. Wow, I wonder what that means?

Scoops -- would you forward me the info? Or Monica? I would like to see it.

Thanks!

Monicauf

10-05-2009, 02:56 AM

Skeeter, I forwarded my PM that I sent to Scoops to you, hopefully, it worked- alot of good information

beachreader

10-05-2009, 06:01 AM

Ewwwww "Russell seed" What a gross little man.

He has created diversions and controversy surrounding so many other players that before they can even begin to weed thru all of the layers and find the "Russell seed" they are gone.

How does he do this!! lol Don't like him but he's good.

I can't wait for the lightbulb to go on for someone....if it even does.

Scoops

10-05-2009, 09:30 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beachreader;1907282 (Post Number)

Ewwwww "Russell seed" What a gross little man.

He has created diversions and controversy surrounding so many other players that before they can even begin to weed thru all of the layers and find the "Russell seed" they are gone.

How does he do this!! lol Don't like him but he's good.

I can't wait for the lightbulb to go on for someone....if it even does.

************************************************** *********
what keeps happening is that the two times the lightbulb went on....he engineered their demise.

beachreader

10-05-2009, 09:33 AM

That is true Scoops. I wonder what it is going to take for the majority to get it?
I am curious to see what happens if he makes it to the merge; will they all fall for it too?

beachreader

10-05-2009, 09:41 AM

Hopefully his cockiness ends up biting him on the butt. Hopefully someone catches on (maybe the law student) and organizes something on the down low to get him out before he even thinks about using the idol.

Is there a way that he could come into possession of both idols? If they win and he convinces his tribe to let him go could he take and keep a 2nd idol?

He is making it interesting to watch..

Scoops

10-05-2009, 09:41 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beachreader;1907374 (Post Number)

That is true Scoops. I wonder what it is going to take for the majority to get it?
I am curious to see what happens if he makes it to the merge; will they all fall for it too?

************************************************** *********

I just don't find him likeable...but then again...they all think he suffered through Katrina and lost his home and his faithful dog.....so maybe they don't get the sleazeball vibe that I do? LOL

I am dying to see if they explain the idol thing now that Monica has mentioned it....is it something that ends up being a surprise rule that catches Russell down the road....maybe clue number 4 says your idol lies in the opposing camp, not in your own?...... and that is why Jeff is not mentioning it in his blog? Does it not become usable until the merge? I have so many scenarios!! why isn't Jeff asking for it?

beekeeper

10-05-2009, 10:35 AM

Thanks Mon, for not posting too much spoiler stuff. If you do, just post SPOILER at the top of the post, like you did, and I'll be fine. Or, maybe a separate thread for Spoiler info?!?

I think diabolical is PERFECT in describing Russell! I don't like him at all, and was thrilled he didn't get his way this week! GOOD FOR JAISON! I hope they continue to stand up to him!

The scene where Shambo was head first, down in that hole at the bottom of the tree (looking for hidden idol) made me laugh!

Since, its 4 days later ... is it ok to talk about who went home now?!? I was very happy with who was sent packing this week! :-)

Monicauf

10-06-2009, 03:01 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beekeeper;1907380 (Post Number)

Thanks Mon, for not posting too much spoiler stuff. If you do, just post SPOILER at the top of the post, like you did, and I'll be fine. Or, maybe a separate thread for Spoiler info?!?

I think diabolical is PERFECT in describing Russell! I don't like him at all, and was thrilled he didn't get his way this week! GOOD FOR JAISON! I hope they continue to stand up to him!

The scene where Shambo was head first, down in that hole at the bottom of the tree (looking for hidden idol) made me laugh!

Since, its 4 days later ... is it ok to talk about who went home now?!? I was very happy with who was sent packing this week! :-)

************************************************** *********

You're welcome Bee, I thought of you and was trying to be careful- it is more about next season, but still I know you don't like spoilers. That scene with Shambo was hilarious, I cracked up. I definitely think it ok to talk about Ben, if no one has seen the show yet then they should not be reading here- I was extremely happy too and was worried. There are interviews of him, he definitely seems racist or ignorant to me- glad he is gone.

Scoops

10-14-2009, 08:31 AM

Jeff Probst's Blog:

Entertainment Weekly 10-9-09

Aren’t social dynamics fascinating? I’m guessing that a lot of you watching the show this season are enjoying Shambo. And why not? She’s got a great sense of humor and a great head of hair. So why does Galu dislike her so much?

Here’s my take. I think it comes down to the unpredictable nature of human interaction… social dynamics. You put a group of people together and natural relationships begin to form. Some people quickly connect, others not so much. But give it a few days and the tribe itself begins to form a personality.

As a tribe, Galu is a young, fit, hip group of people who are all feeling very good about themselves at this point in the game. They’re like the popular kids in high school. Really cool. In fact, at times, they’re too cool for school or in this case Survivor.

The odd person out is Shambo. For starters, her mullet hairstyle is older than most of her tribemates and the way she acts and speaks just throws everybody off. She’s former military, rides a motorcycle, is constantly excited by what the game throws at her… there is nothing about Shambo that fits in with Galu.

Trust me, if anybody from the Galu tribe is reading this right now they are screaming at me “You didn’t show how annoying she was! What a menace she was around camp!”

Oh, relax.

They can scream all they want, I remain committed to my thesis. I think if you put Shambo with a different group of people, say … Foa Foa… she would blossom. I think Foa Foa as a group is more forgiving and accepting than Galu. Chill. It’s not a criticism, it’s just my armchair psychology flaring up again.

I could also argue that if you took Kelly from Galu and put her on Foa Foa she too might behave differently because she’s around different people. Maybe she’d be less coy, less flirtatious, overall just less attractive. Oh go ahead. Take a moment and write me back about how sexist I am. I know it’s coming.

Let me ask you, would it sound better if I inserted the word JOHN instead of Kelly? Take a look…

“I could also argue that if you took JOHN from Galu and put HIM on Foa Foa HE too might behave differently because HE’S around different people. Maybe HE’D be less coy, less flirtatious, overall just less attractive.”

Do you like that better? Let me know. But don’t say you wish I didn’t say anything about anybody or the way they look or talk or act. That’s why it’s a blog. It’s my opinion. I have to write about something other than simply regurgitating what happened in the episode, right?

Back to the point at hand… social dynamics.

The members of Foa Foa are a completely different lot. They’re like the kids who were transferred mid-school year from that “other school.” There is always a story associated with “those” kids and try as they might, “those” kids never really ever end up fitting in with the other kids. They’re the ones you look at in the year book and say, “Ohhh, yeah… I remember that kid.”

Shambo is just on the wrong tribe. But then again, sometimes having someone you don’t respect can turn into a good thing. Just ask Eric and John. They were more than eager to befriend Shambo for a moment so they could take advantage of her good will.

Shambo is so unaware of how to play Survivor that she’ll gladly share anything with anyone. Even the clues to the hidden immunity idol. The one thing that can keep you safe in the game and ole Shambo is giving it away.

Ah, Shambo.

I did enjoy the look on Eric’s face as he was this close to getting all the information to the location of the hidden immunity idol… when John approached…with the same idea.

Eric: Shambo, you give ME the clue. If I find the idol…I’ll give it to you if you need it.

What? No way. Who on earth would make such a deal? Oh, that’s right. Shambo would. Ah, Shambo.

Shambo’s sharing of the information made me love her even more. The way she struggled to remember all the clues…and got so excited when she remembered the last line…verbatim!

But the line that summed it all up for me was the last thing she said after giving John and Eric every bit of information she had in her head.

Shambo: “And if I get to the final jury… you guys better give me your vote… and if you don’t, bad on you. Gotta go!”

If Galu are the popular kids, and Foa Foa are the kids from that “other school”, then Shambo (and I say this with absolute love) is the kid who just kinda wanders to her own beat. Wears different clothes than everyone else, has an unusual hair cut, probably odd shoes as well. The kid that may not have a lot of other friends either.

The kid that (if you are honest) you find yourself laughing at and then when you get home you feel badly that you laughed because you realize that kid isn’t doing anything to hurt anyone. They’re just living. They’re just being themselves. Expressing themselves. And they’re probably more pure and more honest than you have ever been in your entire life.

Ah, Shambo. They should make a Bobblehead of you, and if they did it would outsell mine 100-1. I would buy the first 50 for myself. That’s how much I like you. (Yes, they made a Bobblehead of me, yes, you can buy it through CBS.com, and no, I do not make a single penny off of it.)

HOST-LESS CHALLENGE INSIGHT – We have talked about doing something like this for a long time. A challenge in which nobody is there. Nobody tells them anything. We just watch to see what they do. This was a major experiment. How would it work without having me there to moderate and oversee everything? And for the record, I wasn’t hiding in the bushes, “just in case.” When we commit, we commit. I was back in my tent reading an old copy of Rolling Stone. Poor Michael Jackson.

And as you saw, the host-less challenge worked so well CBS is probably figuring out how they can do a “Host –less Tribal Council” as well! Hope not. I have not yet paid off my SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAM.

What do you guys think of an occasional host-less challenge? Let me know.

Regardless, Dave Ball came through big time! I root for Dave Ball. I really do. I think he’s a guy with so much potential and I think Survivor was a big risk and a big adventure for a guy like him to undertake. I was happy to see him pull out the win for Galu.

ERIC GOES IDOL HUNTING – You gotta love it, right? That “black short wearing, long black sock sportin’ excitable, shoulda been Galu leader” now has the idol.
Once again, he who works hard is rewarded. I hope he doesn’t tell anybody. For once, would someone just hold onto the damn idol and not tell anybody you have it! I like Eric. I think he has a great attitude. A little aggressive at times, but it comes from being a true competitor. I think Eric would be a humble winner and a good sport if he loses. He’s also a loyal soldier for Russell.

SHAMBO CLUCKS – Okay, now wait a second. You guys hate Shambo, but you put her in charge of the most valuable asset you have? You put the crazy woman in charge of the chickens! You guys did it to yourself. You watched her “cluck” with the chickens and yet you still left her in charge. Of course she’s gonna lose a chicken. It’s in her nature. You should apologize to your tribe, Russell. You’re the man in charge, what gives? Shambo is the kid with the helmet. You can’t give her a responsibility like this and not expect to have some drama. For crying out loud.

Russell and Natalie – in the final? Possible for sure. Probable? No. Russell is actually starting to seem like a parody of himself. Every time he talks I see Mike Myers with his pinkie in the side of his mouth.

FOA FOA WINS! FOA FOA WINS! FOA FOA WINS! It’s about damn time. Now that was an exciting challenge. A great finish and yes, I had to remind myself, “If yellow does in fact win, their tribe name is Foa Foa.” How great was it to see Jaison screaming, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5!”

Finally we get a chance to go back to Galu’s camp and hang out a while.

INSIGHT: You’ve been screaming at me for weeks that our episodes have been focusing too much on Foa Foa and not enough on Galu. I totally get it. Let me explain why that has been happening. After a tribal council we always follow the story of the losing tribe because they are the ones going to tribal council and ultimately the climax of the show centers around the question, “Who will be voted out?” So since Galu had not yet lost we didn’t have the chance to get to know them. Now we do.

PERSONAL INSIGHT: Kids, if you’re reading this…DO NOT LISTEN to Yasmin. Sorry, Yasmin, but your justification for not doing anything around camp was embarrassing.

Yasmin’s approach to the game seemed to be to avoid doing anything. Her reason being that if you don’t do anything then nobody can blame you for doing anything…wrong. That doesn’t work. Not in life, not on Survivor.

You have to be willing to step up. It’s why you have to respect Russell and Mick for taking on the leadership role. Of course they’re targets. But they were elected and to date they have stood up and made decisions. And whadaya know, they’re both still in the game.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But not being willing to contribute in all aspects of Survivor life is reason enough to get my vote.

Sorry Yasmin, I do love the shoes and the effort to look good at tribal council but it’s time for you to go. There is some good news… at least your body will get the rest you requested.

See you guys next week. Remember, it’s all in good fun.

Scoops

10-14-2009, 08:37 AM

I was waiting to see if he mentioned why no one from Foa Foa got to go back to Galu and observe their tribal council. Why didn't anyone in Foa Foa pick up on that? They all don't know Russell has the idol, so you would think they would want an opportunity to get a clue.

Skeeter

10-14-2009, 06:49 PM

Oh, yeah, I didn't think of that, Scoops. I wonder why not? Maybe they were supposed to do it on their own???

What about his comment about the kid in the helmet? Does that mean what I think it means. Because if so, I love ya, Jeff, but that really wasn't nice.

And he still didn't comment on asking if anyone had the idol at tribal. Maybe he does and they just don't air it? That is so interesting to me......

Scoops

10-15-2009, 05:49 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Skeeter;1909429 (Post Number)

Oh, yeah, I didn't think of that, Scoops. I wonder why not? Maybe they were supposed to do it on their own???

What about his comment about the kid in the helmet? Does that mean what I think it means. Because if so, I love ya, Jeff, but that really wasn't nice.

And he still didn't comment on asking if anyone had the idol at tribal. Maybe he does and they just don't air it? That is so interesting to me......

************************************************** *********

I just can't believe the idol thing hasn't been explained or addressed....either there or to us.

I thought the same thing about the helmet comment. Jeff can be kind of in your face and un pc with his blogging.

Skeeter

10-15-2009, 05:50 PM

....still no mention of the idol tonight.

Monicauf1

10-16-2009, 06:15 AM

Damn, it is not letting me post Jeff's blog from last night- wonder why...

beekeeper

10-16-2009, 08:09 AM

Good show last night, and the right person went home IMO!

I wonder if they at least saved a hot dog for Shambo?!?

Scoops

10-16-2009, 08:15 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beekeeper;1909834 (Post Number)

Good show last night, and the right person went home IMO!

I wonder if they at least saved a hot dog for Shambo?!?

************************************************** *********

LOL....at first I thought (black) Russell was being mean to her, but in reality he was helping her by wiping her slate clean in the others' eyes for the chicken incident.

I agree with who went home also....I was a bit worried when the asian girl (forget her name) told (white) Russell she was onto him and the idol....I like her, and I figured she was a goner. lol

Scoops

10-16-2009, 08:17 AM

I know my last post was probably not pc....with white Russell, black Russell and the asian girl, but I thought the two Russells in the same post was confusing. sorry.

beekeeper

10-16-2009, 08:20 AM

Hi Scoops! I felt the same way about Liz ... I thought for sure Russell would be gunning for her. Is it game play that he voted for Ashley, or did he cowtow to others? It was everyone against her in the voting ... so I wonder why/how they were all on the same page, even her friend!

Scoops

10-16-2009, 08:23 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beekeeper;1909840 (Post Number)

Hi Scoops! I felt the same way about Liz ... I thought for sure Russell would be gunning for her. Is it game play that he voted for Ashley, or did he cowtow to others? It was everyone against her in the voting ... so I wonder why/how they were all on the same page, even her friend!

************************************************** *********

I hate when they don't show how they are coming to certain decisions....they will probably start out next episode with Russell saying why he voted for Ashley....he is pretty wise to what will keep him off the radar while still maneuvering his own agenda.

Monicauf1

10-16-2009, 08:26 AM

I don't think Russell helped shambo or their tribe, the other tribe now knows that she is ripe for picking when it comes to merge time- she has no reason to stay with her so called tribe- she kicked ass in the challenge yet three who did not participate got to eat the great food. I am not liking him- the other Russell, I think he will get Liz out, I don't think he will forget, her doing so well in the challenge helped her- the one voted out who could not ignore the taunting is not as strong mentally or physically, but I think Russell will want Liz out next...

Scoops

10-16-2009, 08:47 AM

Here is another blogger on the Entertainment Weekly site....he is pretty good.

'Survivor: Samoa' recap: I'm with stupid!
Dreadlocked Russell and Shambo compete for the highly coveted title of Dumbest Survivor

10-16-09

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is an Assistant Managing Editor at EW and would feel a whole lot better if you would stop looking at his picture.
Before we get to the most recent Survivor shenanigans, note the date and time, people: October 16 at 12:05am. Note it because I've finally gotten around to joining the 21st century and have just set up a Twitter account. So if you want to follow me and find out when any hot new Survivor scoop goes up, head on over to my depressingly bare Twitter page. We can be friends! Oh, wait, that's Facebook. What are we on Twitter, followers? Whatever. Anyway, see you there.

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a bit of a talker. I talk to others, I talk to myself, and yes, I even talk to the TV. Now, usually my one-way conversations with the television set are relegated to when my beloved Washington Redskins are getting their collective ass kicked by a previous winless team. It goes something along the lines of "No, don’t run an outside sweep play from your own end zone!" Or "No, don’t burn all your timeouts with 8 minutes still left in the game!" Or "No, please don’t draft another wide receiver that doesn't know how to catch the ball!" That all may be a bit confusing for you non-football fans out there, but that's okay — I'm equally confused as to why I continue to root for such a sad sack squad.

But there's another show that can make me scream at my TV in utter frustration, and the show is Survivor. There were two incidents (just moments apart) in this past episode that had me particularly galled. Galled, I say!

Galling Incident #1
The situation: Galu has just won the Survivor Smoothie reward challenge, so tribe leader Russell has to pick someone to miss out on a scrumptious feast and instead go back to hang out with the losers at Foa Foa. And the person he picks is the same person he picked last time, Shambo. It leads to this mildly brilliant exchange:
Russell: " I'm gonna send my girl Shambo again."
Shambo: "Excuse me?"
Russell: "We need more info, babe." (By the way, what the hell does that even mean? Like other people can't bring info back?)
Shambo: "I don’t think that's very fair since I've already been"
Russell: "What do you want me to do?" (Sorry to interrupt again, but what the frak is Russell talking about here? Anyone?)
Shambo: "Can you spread the love for me?"
Silence.

What I yelled at my TV: "Moron! That’s even more idiotic than picking pillows over a tarp! "

Why I yelled it: It's quite simple, really. Why the heck would you send someone twice to build bonds with the other tribe? By doing this, Russell, you're practically begging Shambo to flip on you at the merge and join whatever remains of the Galu tribe. She likes them better already, so now you're going to give her another reason to be mad at you and gravitate towards them? Not smart. It's always the person at the bottom of one totem pole that switches sides to join the other one, and the person at the bottom for Galu is Shambo. Personally, I would have sent myself or my biggest ally — someone I was sure wouldn’t flip on me later in the game. You said you were punishing her for the chickens. You better pray she doesn’t decide to punish you back later in the game.

NEXT: Shambo one-ups Russell

Galling Incident #2
After being sent to Foa Foa with another parchment from Jeff Probst and instructions to open in private, Shambo goes and utters the 14 stupidest words ever spoken in Survivor history: "Hey, guys I'm gonna share the clues with you for the hidden immunity idol."

What I yelled at my TV: Not printable on a family-friendly website.

Why I yelled it: Because I have never been so frustrated in my entire life at the way people have been treating the hidden immunity idols like shiny new fashion accessories. Evil Russell was brilliant in finding one with no clues, but then had to go and inform everyone of how brilliant he was by showing it to half the tribe. Yasmin and Shambo both went back to their own camp and told everyone about the clues they received over at Foa Foa. And now Shambo goes and shares all the clues with Foa Foa? Why don't you stab me in the eyes with a knife right now and then fill the holes with sea slug Survivor Smoothies because I can no longer bear to watch such idiotic behavior. It's as if all these knuckleheads devised their strategy after purchasing copies of both How To Lose in Embarrassing Fashion at the Game of Survivor and Ways to Look Moronic on National Television (Chapter 3: Losing the Fishing Gear).

Okay, so those were the only two times I actually yelled at my screen. Truthfully, the episode as a whole was pretty hum-drum. After starting the season strong, the last two installments have been pretty snooze-worthy (don’t even get me started on the bocce). Still, here were the other moments that had me at least muttering to myself.

* There are few things more enjoyable in life than watching someone getting knocked down by a big wave they did not see coming. Seeing Erik get worked over by the surf while attempting to exfoliate with sand was certainly chuckle-worthy. Until, of course, visions of the devastating tsunami that recently laid waste to Samoa began entering my mind. Damn you, tsunami! As if you haven't done enough damage! By the way, I came across a very cool page by a fellow New Jerseyian named Michael Rubinstein who has traveled several times to Samoa and shares my affection for the islands. Check it out and learn how to donate to the clean-up effort. They truly need our help, so let’s all do our part. (Admit it, you love it when I get earnest, don't you? If you could see me now, there's a single tear rolling down my cheek.)

NEXT: A not-so-smooth Survivor Smoothie

* When I'm not being juvenile and guffawing over grown men getting knocked over by waves, I'm doubling over in laughter witnessing squeamish reality show contestants attempting to scarf down the grossest grub imaginable in nasty food competitions. (By the way, I still have nightmares about the balut — also known as partially-formed bird embryos.) But this latest one was something of a disappointment, and for a few reasons. First off, enough with the blender. When stuff is blended into liquid form we can't get a taste (no pun intended) for how truly grody — that's right, I just used the word "grody", as in "grody to the max" — these dishes are. Instead it all ends up looking like some army green smoothie: not necessarily appetizing, but far from the grossest thing you've ever seen. The blender just makes every dish look absolutely the same. You know what they say about variety being the spice of life? Well, a blended food challenge lacks spice. My other issue with this latest incarnation: Why is it not a race? I get that producers wanted to milk every last second of contestants struggling to down their concoction, but at the same time, there was little tension because everyone could just relax and take as much time as they needed to finish. MISTAKE! As a result, no one felt the pressure, and neither did we. 9 out of 10 contestants were able to finish their beverages. That's way too high a percentage, meaning the challenge was simply too easy. Which brings us right back to… DITCH THE BLENDER!

* Were you as lost as I was during Dreadlocked Russell and Dave's big confrontation over the fire? As far as I can make it, Russell couldn’t start the fire, so Dave made some suggestions. But then we had some weird back and forth where Russell asked for his help, Dave refused to give it because he had not been asked for it, and then Russell replied that he did not need to be asked for it even though he had already asked him for it. (Wait, who's on first again?) Dave then made the fire but told us how he was not going to brag and was going to "downplay my awesomeness", even while continuing to "up-play" his awesomeness with us. I actually like Dave. He's had some funny lines, and is more often than not right on about what needs to be done. Plus, when his hair is down he looks like a roadie for Jackyl or the BulletBoys. (By the way, props to the BulletBoys for having one of the most hilarious song titles in hair metal history: "Smooth Up In Ya". I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT EVEN MEANS!)

* Now, that's a rainstorm. We all knew that Dreadocked Russell made a mistake picking towels and pillows over a tarp. His reasoning was that he wanted to make the female tribe members happy. How happy do they look now, my man?

* Marisa and Betsy were both hip to Evil Russell's trip…so he got rid of them. Liz was close to making the same mistake this week. All three women are to be commended for not buying into Russell's Hong Kong phooey, but why do they then insist on making a public issue about it? Going up to someone and telling them to their face that you don’t trust them isn't exactly the best way to make allies in this game. They may as well just go grab some brushes and paint big targets on the middle of their chests. A little more subtlety please, ladies.

* Hey, everyone! Brett just talked to the camera for the first time ever! Welcome to the season, Brett! (Whoever you are.)

NEXT: A very tepid Tribal Council

* As far as the immunity challenge, I really do like endurance competitions where people have to hold things up in the air for as long as possible. But I'm totally over people shooting baskets. If I want to see some hoops, I'll go watch the Knicks lose again by 30 points, thank you very much. I actually prefer when teams simply have to add weighted bags that contestants are forced to hold up. There's more drama there and you can pinpoint the exact weight that people are still holding. I don’t need to see Ashley trying to be LeBron Freakin' James.

* I actually liked this season at the start more than I believe most people did, but the last two episodes have, frankly, not been very strong. That's okay. All seasons have dead spots: some just last longer than others. (Thailand and Fiji were both just one big dead spot.) Let's hope Samoa rebounds in a big way in the next few weeks. I do like that we're finally seeing more of Galu. Too bad most of them are still adding absolutely nothing to the program.

* Speaking of nothing, wow, was that a drama-free Tribal Council or what? Usually when that is the case it is because one of the contestants has already asked to be sent home, so there's no reason to raise a ruckus. That didn't appear to be the deal here, though, and yet still — nothing. No finger-pointing. No one fighting to save their skin. Just...nothing. In the end, Ashley — who couldn’t finish her smoothie or make a single basket — was booted. That's probably for the best, because Liz at least has a spark and could stir up some trouble. Plus, Ashley kept confusing me because she's a dead ringer from Survivor: China's Jaime (you know the one who later married the virgin).

Speaking of Ashley, she will be joining Survivor: China's Courtney Yates and me on the latest edition of Survivor Talk, so make sure to check back later for that. (If you've missed any of the previous installments, and we've had some doozies, you can see them all at our super swell Survivor video hub, which also features deleted scenes and other goodies.) Did someone just say deleted scenes? You can enjoy the latest one from last night's episode below. Oh, and please don't make Jeff Probst sad. Go enjoy his exclusive EW.com blog right now. Lastly, don't forget to follow me on my new and depressingly bare Twitter page. Now it's time for you to sound off. What did you think of the challenges? Did you care at all who got sent home? And who made the stupider move: Dreadlocked Russell or Shambo? Hit the message boards and let us know! See ya next week!

Scoops

10-16-2009, 08:53 AM

link to Jeff's blog....it wouldn't post for me either Mon. I tried doing portions, but no luck.

popwatch.ew.com/2009/10/16/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-samoa-episode-5/

Scoops

10-16-2009, 09:08 AM

I thought this part of Jeff's blog was interesting....it reminded me of the way Ryan Seacrest says "THIS....is American Idol" it always sounded so different with the way he accents American, etc.

NEXT TIME ON…SURVIVOR.

INSIGHT: Way back in 2000 at the end of our first episode of the first season, we were getting ready to record the very first ”Next time on…Survivor.” We were in the voice-over booth and we had a bit of a showdown as I was insistent that we leave enough time in the show for a dramatic pause between ”next time on… ” and ”Survivor.” It was one second. One silly second. But when you put a network show together, every single second counts. I’m not exaggerating. You find yourself trimming one second here, two seconds there. So to ”waste” a second for a pause was not something that was normally done, especially for a seemingly meaningless line like ”next time on.” But from the beginning Mark and I always we wanted the show to look and sound different and this was one of the many, albeit small, ways we endeavored to stay true to that philosophy. To this day the pause still lives…

NEXT TIME ON…SURVIVOR for real
Next week’s episode features one of the scariest moments I’ve had in my entire run on Survivor. Check that – the scariest. I’m not trying to over hype. I’m just giving you a tease. I don’t want you to get your expectations so high that you’re let down, but I am going to be honest that for a few seconds during next week’s episode I was really worried we were in danger of losing a contestant… forever.

Skeeter

10-16-2009, 07:35 PM

I will give Jeff that -- it does look scary from the previews. Do we know who it is yet?

Great blog, Scoops -- good find.

Why did she read the clues to the idol to everyone? That was plain stupid! LOL

Monicauf

10-21-2009, 02:49 PM

Yes, they have showed numerous previews of who is hurt- they are not giving us the surprise of who it is if you watch CBS

Skeeter

10-21-2009, 07:16 PM

I saw that -- and the fact that Jeff said that was his scariest moment ever out there. I wonder if he got evacuated? Like, is he going to be off the show, do you think?

beachreader

10-22-2009, 05:14 PM

What an episode!!!!!

Scoops

10-23-2009, 04:38 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: beachreader;1911253 (Post Number)

What an episode!!!!!

************************************************** *********

yes...that whole thing was wild. It shows just how easily someone could drop dead in those challenges. I think that is why they seem more carefully planned....like the smoothie episode....I read that in past seasons some contestant's stomachs or intestines were torn up by eating certain foods (the gross local delicacies) in a competition and not chewing them properly...swallowing things whole, or alive.

Monicauf

10-23-2009, 01:18 PM

He seems like a really nice guy and I love the fact that he is a long time fan of the show.

'Survivor: Samoa': Interview with contestant Russell Swan

Russell Swan was removed from"Survivor: Samoa" for severe dehydration. It turns out his memory of the situation is very different from what we saw on TV and only highlights the seriousness of the collapse.

What were you doing before 'Survivor'?
I was and still am an attorney with the Environmental Protection Agency, I do environmental law. I'm with one of the regional offices here in Philadelphia.

This season, Jeff had the tribes elect leaders right off the bat. Did you like being elected the leader?
It sucked. I absolutely hated it. I am a student and a fan of the show. This was the eighth time that I had applied to be on the show so I knew that the whole leadership thing is rather dubious and to actually proactively be elected leader... I knew I was in trouble. Especially when we lost that first challenge. John Mr. Underwear Model decides he's not going to take his pants off for the swim so he got smoked by Jaison and instead of Jeff saying it was stupid to keep your pants on, he's like, "Wow wasn't it really poor decision-making by Russell to pick John for the swim." So it sucked being picked as the chief.

Why do you think it was you that got the most votes?
Shambo and I were getting the votes and I think it was because of Shambo's mullet and I think for me it was because I had on a suit jacket. So it was like anything that distinguished you at all because we were complete strangers, we didn't even know what each other's voices sound like and the two that stand out the most were Shambo and I and unfortunately I won the day. [laughs]

Okay, let's talk about the emergency we saw last night. Can you talk us through what happened?
Here's where it gets interesting. Forgive me if it sounds like I'm being schizophrenic because I have a memory that was dashed completely last night. My memory and what happened on TV are two different things. My memory is this: we're pushing the ball, I get tired, I'm thinking c'mon hurry up, let's get to the puzzle. I'm running into things because I'm blindfolded, I get to the puzzle, I am wasted beyond all heck, I take a knee. I'm waiting for Laura to tell me to move my peg [on the table maze], she finally said move your peg, I lifted up, I remember being hit on the chin and kinda knocked myself out a little bit, I fall on the ground, I get a drink of water and I'm ready to go and these fools kick me out of the game! I'm livid and that's my memory.

Then I'm watching TV and I'm watching a black guy who looks like me (a good-looking black guy [laughs]) and I see him, like, dying. It was a scary thing. My wife is sitting beside me and she absolutely loses it. She starts bawling.

I had [previously] told her that next week it's me, I'm the man who goes down, but that I'm fine and I don't think they should've kicked me off. Fast-forward, we're sitting there [watching TV] and she sees my eyes staring out at nothing, this guy looks like her husband and he looks like he's dying and she absolutely loses it. I was completely floored, I had no idea that's what happened. I have no memory of that whatsoever. I don't remember running into Foa Foa's side, I don't remember hanging on the puzzle, I don't remember anybody from the tribe saying anything to me, I don't remember passing out the second time. I remember getting a drink of water and being ready to go.

Wow. That is incredible. It makes what we saw last night so much scarier.
Yeah, for us too.

And what did they do with you after the part that we saw? Where did they take you?
Good question. Now I don't trust myself, but as far as I can remember I go to a clinic-like thing that is set up for everyone for any type of ailment. I can tell you that I was a complete jerk, I remember that. It's almost like when you take somebody in and they're high or drunk and they're getting medical attention and being a complete idiot. That would be me.

I remember just kind of taking 10 minutes, they put an IV in my arm. I feel fine, I'm ready to go and I'm like, "Take this crap out." I'm still convinced that I'm going back out there and they're like "We gotta check your electrolytes" and somebody is talking about a heart attack and I'm like, "I'm talking to you, I can breathe."

That's what I remember. I don't trust it because my memory of the actual challenge was way off but the only defense I have is that I was in some kind of warrior mode and it just wouldn't turn off and denial and all that stuff and it literally looks like I kicked the bucket out there.

Wow. That is incredible, how scary for you. Okay, well, let's turn back to the game now. Who are you rooting for?
You know... there's a couple people. I'm really rooting for Shambo. I mean, ya know, as crazy as she was and as crazy as she drove me while I was out there, you just gotta love her. She's a character. That other Russell, he's a little troll, but definitely I'm rooting pretty heavily for Shambo. My next would be Dave. You know, anybody who wears a ponytail and is balding like I am but rocking the dreads, you gotta give him some love.

Do you think Shambo will flip sides if there's a merge?
Yes. [silence]

That was a very emphatic yes![laughs]
You know, I sent her both times [to Foa Foa]. I didn't know anything about what was going on over there but I knew she was not going to be happy with me and it was obvious that she wasn't happy with the tribe. We were both kinda different from a lot of those folks but after seeing what I saw, it is clear to me that she's probably gonna flip.

Do you have any messages for your fans?
First of all, perseverance pays off. Don't give up if there's something you want to do. I kept applying to this show because I really wanted to be on it and it finally happened.

Secondly, don't not do something for fear of failing at it because it really is better to try to do something that you really want to do and fail because you still get so much out of it. I got so much out of this thing even though I didn't win. I'm still a winner.

I have had so many life-affirming moments from it. A life-affirming moment of having my wife see me almost die. It made us talk in a way we haven't talked since we were dating and we've been married 13 years. I got to watch my tribe care about me when I fell, that was life-affirming. And there's something to be said about getting knocked down but getting back up. I fell down, the defeat was crushing, the blow to the ego was beyond compare. I wept bitterly, I was absolutely devastated. While I was laying there, part of me wanted to die. It was that bad, I felt that horrible and that useless and then I prayed and God affirmed that I got more time. More time to be a husband to my wife and a daddy to my little girl and it doesn't get any better than that, I just want people to know that. Don't feel sorry for me, it has been ALL GOOD. Yes, I wish I would've won a million dollars because that's what I went there to do, but I came out of the game with so much more. That million dollars would've eventually been spent but this has been something that will last for the rest of my life.

Monicauf

10-23-2009, 01:22 PM

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Samoa': episode #6
by Jeff Probst
Categories: Survivor, TV Recap, Television, Things That Are Awesome!

survivor-Probst_lRain is a double-edged sword on Survivor. It gives
and it takes. We love the layer of drama it adds when you see the
contestants shivering, their fingers wrinkled like prunes, as they
struggle to make fire. But rain can also bring with it severe,
life-threatening problems as it did this week when Russell collapsed
due to dehydration.

I’m going to focus this blog on sharing with you everything you didn’t
see that happened when Russell went down.

INSIGHT:
During the early stage of the challenge when they were pushing the
sphere, I was completely unaware that Russell was struggling. I
noticed he was tired but that is not unusual during a challenge and so
I thought nothing much of it.

Even when they reached the maze, I noticed it taking him a long time
to get himself over to the maze, but he was blindfolded and I am
watching 13 other people, so once again I wasn’t overly concerned
because exhaustion is normal and in fact, the effort someone puts into
a challenge is often a determining factor in whether they stay or are
voted out.

Russell had always given 100% so it didn’t surprise me to see him exhausted.

It was when his head went down and stayed that it started to become
clear that something wasn’t right. But because he was blindfolded and
I couldn’t see his eyes, it was again very hard to determine if he was
just tired or in some kind of real trouble.

When I watch the episode edited with the luxury of close ups, it seems
much more obvious that Russell was not doing well and I wish I had
gotten there sooner. I can only tell you that from my vantage point,
in the midst of everything going on – 10 people running a challenge, 4
others on the sit out bench and a challenge to oversee, he was only
one of the things I was keeping an eye on.

As a result, I had no idea that he actually had already passed out for
the first time while he was standing at the maze, but that is exactly
what our doctors think happened. They think he had already passed out
once before I even got to him.

When a Survivor appears to be in trouble, our first rule is to give
them the chance to save themselves or see if one of their tribemates
can help them before we make any decision about sending in medical,
safety, or our water rescue team. We do this because it is their game,
their adventure and whenever possible we want them to make the
decisions about their fate.

Let me be clear, we are watching them the entire time, they are never
out of our sight, and our medical, safety and rescue teams are always
on alert – but we would rather give the contestants every chance to
handle it themselves before we move in to take over.

But in this case, it happened so fast that I didn’t even consider
waiting. I just instinctively called for medical to come in and get to
work. Because our medical team is so well run they were prepared for
someone to pass out or get injured even before the challenge began.
That’s what they do, they prep before the challenge about what could
possibly go wrong so they are ready for it. They knew dehydration
could be a factor and so when Russell went down they had a plan in
place and were helping Russell within seconds of me calling them in.

As you saw, Russell said he was okay… and then immediately passed out again.

Once medical informed me that Russell was going to require some major
time-consuming attention I called off the challenge because it seemed
the only decision that made sense. There was no way we were going to
continue — it was clear Russell was going to require too much time and
because both tribes were going to tribal council either way, it didn’t
seem to matter enough to consider an alternative. So we sent the
tribes back to their camp and told them to await word.

In a moment like that you make a decision. Sometimes it’s the right
one, sometimes it’s the wrong one, but you have to make a call. It’s
one of the things that I most enjoy about doing a show like Survivor.
It is for all intents and purposes, a live show. It would be great to
go back and script out all my reactions and comments like a movie, but
you can’t do that. All you can do is react and hope your decision
makes sense. I’m sure many people will feel canceling the challenge
was “lame” or “silly” but for me it was the only call to make as
Russell was the priority and that’s that.

At this point our challenge crew led by our director and senior
producer Dave Dryden became reality shooters and producers. Dryden
quickly re-positioned them so they could cover the unfolding drama.
Their ability to quickly reconnoiter is why we have such great
coverage of everything that went down.

For the next 45 minutes we monitored Russell’s vital signs. We gave
him water from his canteen. We gave him oxygen. We propped him up and
gave him time to try to relax and get calm.

During that time Russell and I talked about a lot of things. He was
very worried that he would be pulled from the game. He was worried how
he would be portrayed and what his family would think. He did not want
to be seen as a quitter.

That’s why I tried to recap everything that had happened up to Russell
up to this point – how dominant he had been in the game, his
leadership, his physical capability. I was trying to make the point
that no matter what happens, he would never been seen as someone who
gave less than 100%.

I explained to him that he had already passed out two times, but his
recollection at that point was so foggy he didn’t understand. He
thought he was fine and was demanding to be put back into the
challenge. In fact, I don’t think he even realized that everybody else
had already been sent back to camp and the challenge called off.

Even with all of this going on, our doctors assured him that if his
vitals came back strong they would allow him to stay in the game.

Nobody wanted Russell to go home.

When Russell passed out for the third time, I got very worried. Then
his heart rate dropped 30 beats in less than a second. I was watching
the heart rate monitor and when I saw it move from 97 to 68, I was
honestly concerned that we were losing him. Forever.

Even writing this brings back the same emotion.

Our doctors were not exaggerating or play acting when they started
pounding on Russell’s chest and repeating his name, asking him
“Russell, are you with us?” It seemed to go on forever, his eyes not
moving, not responding to anything.

I have never been more proud of our medical team than I was in that
moment. Heroic. Incredibly calm. Well practiced. They knew exactly
what they needed to do and they didn’t waste a moment.

Telling Russell he was being pulled from the game was difficult. I
understood that he didn’t want to quit. He was in a great position in
the game and there was such a fire in his belly. Many people have been
pulled from the game that didn’t want to go, for some reason this one
really got to me.

What you didn’t see was that after Russell pulled off his oxygen mask
in frustration, he experienced a lot of different emotions, all of
them completely understandable. He was extremely frustrated at me, at
medical, and at production in general for pulling him from the game.
He yelled. Then, he got quiet. Then, he cried. Finally, he prayed. It
was extremely emotional and simultaneously beautiful. He was in a very
vulnerable state and to be a witness as he processed the situation and
made peace with it was an honor.

I’m guessing that Russell had no idea how bad it was until he saw the
episode last night. I think he will be surprised at how serious it was
and will realize that he is not a quitter and there was no other
decision to be made other than to pull him from the game.

After Russell was removed we then had to make a decision whether to
continue with our double tribal council or cancel it.

SIDE LINE: For the record, I have always hated the “win or lose, you
must vote someone out” twist, but it’s existence comes from necessity.
Let me explain: We would prefer to start the show with only 16
contestants. It’s much easier for the audience to get to know 16
people. But it gives us no wiggle room if someone quits or has to
leave the game due to medical emergency.

If we start with 18, that gives us a bit of breathing room in terms of
numbers but also gives us an uneven number of men and women on each
tribe.

If we start with 20, as we did this year, it gives us plenty of wiggle
room for quits or medical evacuation, but because we have 4 extra
people we have to get rid of them at some point. Thus the “win or
lose, you’re voting somebody out” scenario. I am happy to say that we
have since figured out a better way to do double eliminations. So
should we ever need to vote out two people in one episode it will not
be a “win or lose both tribes going to tribal council” scenario.

BACK TO INSIGHT: So… what to do? We gathered the creative team and the
decision was made that due to the unprecedented canceling of the
challenge, the medical drama, and incredibly difficult conditions the
contestants had endured the past several days, the best move was to
make a gesture of good will and spare them from voting anybody out.

Was it was the right move? Depends on your point of view. It was
certainly not a “clear-cut this is the only decision to be made”
situation. We considered everything and we made what we believed to be
the right call. You may disagree. In fact, I’m pretty sure many of you
reading this right now are saying, “Hell yes I disagree. You should
have voted people out. That’s what Survivor does!” Well, not this
time. Sorry.

One thing was very clear, the canceling of the vote did seem to lift
their spirits. You could see them begin to re-energize once they heard
the news. You saw the rivalry between the two tribes reignite. Why is
this important? Because at the end of the day if the Survivors lose
their motivation to continue and it turns into a “group” funk, then
the show is in serious trouble.

It’s probably hard to appreciate how difficult this season has been,
so all I can do is repeat what I’ve said many times – this is a very
tough season added to an already very tough game. Remember, we are not
giving them food, we are not giving them water. We don’t offer them
dry clothes or help them start their fire. We were worried about their
welfare and did not want anybody else to be evacuated and certainly
didn’t want anyone to decide to quit.

Okay – that’s it from my end. I hope you’re still enjoying the season.
One thing that has always been true about Survivor fans, you are
loyal. We appreciate it.

Until next week.

Scoops

10-24-2009, 06:22 AM

Survivor: Samoa
Stephen’s Survivor Strategy Blog: Elimination By Dehydration
October 23, 2009

“Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength”
– Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Survivor is rough business. Almost a year after returning from Tocantins, I still have scars along my back, welts on my legs, and bruises where there were bug bites. But for all that I got beat up by the challenges and the elements, I got to play my game to the end. You have my sympathy, Russell S. Just like Jeff Probst cancelling tribal council, for the first time in the history of this blog, I will award no Fishies this week.

Before Samoa, there had been six medevacs, caused by fire, infection, blocked bowels and ant bites. It’s proof of just how real Survivor is. You really are sleeping in the dirt. When it rains, you have nowhere to go and no weather report to reassure you that it will ever end. Doctors check up on you at every challenge, but the medical care is basically medieval — their pre scrip tion for every malady from a suppurating wound to a broken ankle is “Boil your buff and keep it clean.” You almost wish there were leeches.

The conditions this season are some of the worst ever. Samoa is the first season to see any — let alone two — castaways simply overcome by the difficulty of a challenge. While Mike Borassi was a medevac waiting to happen — he was pulled from Tocantins for high blood pressure before our season even started — Russell S was a powerhouse, Galu’s strongest player.

It’s a freak accident and it shows just how much luck goes into this game. What if Russell had picked Dave to push that ball? The game dynamics from now on will be irrevocably altered by his absence. It’s like that famous saying about the Butterfly Effect. A butterfly flaps its wings in Samoa and has to be pulled from the game for overexertion.

Russell may not have been on a path to certain victory. His obsession with leadership had alienated his tribe and ultimately drove him to overexert himself. But nobody wants to be pulled prematurely. “Being taken out of the game for medical reasons is the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life,” he says.

Is it worse than staring down Jeff as he snuffs your torch? To get some perspective, I asked a few former Survivors who had been medevaced how they felt about the experience. Joe Dowdle from my season was pulled just after the merge due to a spreading infection in his leg. “Being medevaced is worse,” he said. “Anything can happen at any time to change the game. You want to have a chance to benefit from those developments.”

Michael Skupin was the first player ever medevaced on Survivor when he passed out into a fire in Australia. Like Joe, he felt he had left Survivor with unfinished opportunities, though no regrets. “The tribe never spoke up on my departure,” he said. “Mother Nature, fate or the game had spoken. Metaphorically, my torch still burns.”

While Russell’s evacuation may leave him frustrated, fortunately for the rest of Galu, it won’t upend the tribe hierarchy. Dave, Erik, John and Brett are still on top; this episode, they pull in Shambo as their klutzy fifth wheel. I loved watching Erik try to school her in subtlety — “pounding fists is not locking it up.” The big question now is, can she keep their move against Mean Girl Monica under wraps for three days?

Given Shambo’s track record of breaking everything she touches — she really is Galu’s Gilligan — I’m betting there will be some hijinks next episode. — Stephen Fishbach

beachreader

10-24-2009, 06:51 AM

When his eyes were wide open staring straight ahead with absolutely no blinking I almost freaked out. I can only imagine what his poor wife though seeing that. It was so scary.

Skeeter

10-24-2009, 08:21 AM

Wow -- Stephen has a gift for writing! I loved his blog!!!

That was one of the scariest scenes -- ever -- on that show. I'm just glad it all turned out ok. I have to admit my eyes watered when I saw the tear slide down his cheek. So sad.

I am really liking this season. I can't figure out who is going to take it all. There are still a few people I don't "know" -- because we haven't heard from them. Are they the winners and are being "hidden"?

Skeeter

11-12-2009, 07:08 PM

Is anyone still watching? Because I want to talk about tonight's show -- but not to myself! LOL

Skeeter

11-12-2009, 08:28 PM

Well, just in case.....Jeff's blog is up already and I love it, so here it is......

I"ll put spoiler space in case you haven't seen the show just yet (if you haven't, go watch NOW -- it's GREAT!!!!)

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Samoa': episode 9
by Jeff Probst

First off, I want to thank all of the Survivor fans who voted for the People’s Choice nominations. Thanks to your support we were nominated for Best Competition Show. Survivor previously won the Peoples Choice Award in 2001, 02, 03, 04 and thanks to our loyal fans we are once again nominated. If you have time and want to vote for us to win, simply to go:
SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.peopleschoice. com/pca/vote/

Okay to this weeks episode…

I KILLED SOMETHING Y’ALL
Little ole Natalie is really coming of age out in Samoa.

Natalie killing the rat is one of my favorites moments of all time. It’s wrong on so many levels but never ever fails to make me stop what I am doing and watch.

If you pitched this as the opening scene to a new Wes Craven horror movie, you’d sell the idea in the room:

Extremely attractive twenty-something blonde wearing a skimpy golden-roped string bikini is wandering through the woods alone. Tired. Scared. Reallllly hungry. She encounters a rat scrounging for food. So as not to alert the rat or mess up her pedicure, she tip toes through the jungle inching closer and closer to her prey. Silently picking up a large stick she hammers the rat to death with one strong blow.

Natalie: “It was really hard for me because he was looking at me.. he was cute… but I’ve never been this hungry in my entire life.”

Therein lies one of the most beautiful things about Survivor. If forces people to confront truths about themselves they might otherwise never have to face. Think about what you witnessed. A pretty little pharmaceutical sales rep walking barefoot thru the jungle, in a bikini, whacking a rat until it’s dead. That’s not normal behavior.

I believe it was difficult for Natalie to kill the rat and I also believe she never second- guessed it. She had never been so h-u-n-g-r-y in her entire life. Who knows how far she would have gone for a burger.

YES, that will most definitely be a part of the live Survivor: Samoa Reunion show on CBS Sunday, December 20th in Los Angeles.

REWARD
The Sliding Rocks are one of those amazing natural wonders that you often find in the most unlikely of places. They were as fun as they looked, both for adults and for kids and I think it’s one of those moments the Survivors will probably only appreciate years from now when they look back and remember the time they spent in that beautiful little pocket of the world.

But let’s be clear, as fun as the rocks are they’re not nearly as much fun as sliding down a hillside built on a million one-dollar bills… that is always the ultimate goal in this game.

HE DID IT AGAIN
While the Galu gang was sliding down the rocks, frolicking in the water and eating chocolate brownies, Russell was putting himself one step closer to the million dollars doing what he does better than anybody in the history of this game… finding another HIDDEN immunity idol without the help of a clue.

You need not waste any time responding to this blog about how I give Russell too much credit. I won’t respond. Nobody has ever done what he is doing. So smart and so obvious when you think about it. Of course the idol has to be somewhere that is somewhat easy to find, because we want it to found. If we hid it in the middle of nowhere people wouldn’t find it even with 20 clues. We just have never had anybody take the initiative to start looking without the clue. It’s really quite brilliant. Like it or not, the pirate with the missing tooth continues to reinvent the game.

Come on, just admit it – Russell is growing on you a little bit, right?

I’m still shaking my head because in many ways it reminds me of Richard Hatch in season one. It’s as though the rest of the players are playing a different game. It certainly doesn’t mean he’ll win or even make it to the end but there is no denying he is playing a different game than anybody else.

INSIGHT: While we’re on the subject of hidden immunity idols. A lot of people have been asking me why I have not been asking “If anybody has the idol and you want to play it now is the time to do so…” before I read the votes. Here’s why – this season the clues have all been secretive. So there is no way for me to be certain that everybody knows there is an idol in play. Therefore, I can never ask for them to play it at tribal council because I might be giving something away.

That is why every Survivor is told before the game begins that regardless whether I ask for it or not, if they want to play the idol I will always pause before reading the votes giving them ample time to stand up and declare their intention to play it.

LAURA STAYS ALIVE
Regardless whether you like the way Laura is playing or not, you have to give her credit. She is a smart and scrappy player who is holding her own in challenges. Individual challenges are one of the great elements of the game. You have the chance to save yourself and if you’re good enough, nobody can stop you.

Laura came through in a big way and clearly had no idea how desperately she needed immunity. Had she not won, she would have been voted out and Kelly would still be in the game.

I also enjoy Laura’s cocky swagger. She doesn’t pretend anything. When she’s feeling it she says it. I dig it.

CLEVER THOUGHTS FROM DAVE BALL
I think Dave should publish a book filled with witty comments and observations on life. I’d read anything he wanted to write. My favorite from this week:

Dave Ball: “And as soon as we burn all the Foa Foa’s we kill a chicken. (flashes a peace sign) I’m not sharing with anybody who isn’t purple.”

SHAMBO’S PLAN B
It was a bummer to see Kelly go, as she was a bit of an innocent bystander. But when you’re playing the “quiet” game that can happen.

Coming into tribal council Galu was clearly cocky, but they damn sure did not leave with the same confidence.

When Russell stood up to play the idol once again, the reactions of Kelly, Dave, Monica and Laura were solid gold.

As I continued to read Russell votes, you could feel the Galu tribe growing anxious… wondering… whose name (from Galu) was going to come up on the parchment.

When Kelly saw her name, she knew it was over.

Goodbye dreads. Loved having you and you will be missed, although I’m sure Erik is excited you’re sticking around to be on the jury.

So… it’s now 6-4. Or is it 5-5? There’s another idol in play. What are the odds that Russell can do it again? If not, are his days numbered?

Look forward to your thoughts. I’m gonna go replay the rat scene one more time before bed.

Remember if you want to vote for People’s Choice Award go to:
SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.peopleschoice. com/pca/vote/

Later.

beachreader

11-13-2009, 04:41 AM

I quit watching 2 or 3 weeks ago.

Monicauf1

11-13-2009, 05:08 AM

I am still watching, have never missed an episode or season- thanks for the Blog, I love Jeff's blogs and last night's episode was excellent- Jeff is right Russell is growing on me, he is the only one that is playing the game. I am wanting him to win, he is a great player.

Scoops

11-13-2009, 07:54 AM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Monicauf1;1916453 (Post Number)

I am still watching, have never missed an episode or season- thanks for the Blog, I love Jeff's blogs and last night's episode was excellent- Jeff is right Russell is growing on me, he is the only one that is playing the game. I am wanting him to win, he is a great player.

************************************************** *********

Thanks for posting that Skeeter....and I am liking Russell all of a sudden too!!! LOL

That Laura is creepy.

Scoops

11-13-2009, 07:58 AM

I am also thinking of voting Russell for the people's vote $25,000...in case he doesn't make it to the end....he dang well deserves something.

itzg...

11-13-2009, 11:47 AM

Hee, hee, great episode!!!

And may I say, I have been a Russell fan since day 1 . . . . . . I love me some Russell . . .!!!

Skeeter

11-13-2009, 06:03 PM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Scoops;1916513 (Post Number)

That Laura is creepy.

************************************************** *********

I AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Skeeter

11-13-2009, 06:05 PM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: itzg...;1916554 (Post Number)

Hee, hee, great episode!!!

And may I say, I have been a Russell fan since day 1 . . . . . . I love me some Russell . . .!!!

************************************************** *********

I can't say from Day 1 -- because I wasn't sure of him at first, but he has been growing on me (well, not literally!). LOL!

Did you see the previews for next week and how they were chasing him around for the immunity idol? It makes me giggle just thinking of it!

Skeeter

11-13-2009, 06:25 PM

Stephen’s Survivor Strategy Blog: Russell’s Idol Magnetism
November 13, 2009

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Is Russell somehow cosmically attuned to hidden immunity idols? Maybe it’s magnetism. While Galu pats itself on the back and celebrates its march toward victory, Russell scrambles for his life — and finds a second idol without any clues. When he uses the idol to blindside Kelly, he makes the move of the episode and completely upends the game’s dynamics. Congratulations, Russell, on a well-deserved Fishy Award.

Last time Russell found the idol without a clue, a lot of people said he just got lucky. But Russell makes his own luck. It’s not easy to go out digging in the wilderness when you haven’t eaten anything but coconuts and rat-kebab in three weeks. Most people just hang around camp in a listless torpor. Check out Jaison, Mick and Laura when Natalie comes back to camp with her rat. They can hardly lift themselves out of the shelter to go look.

Not only does Russell have the willpower to force himself into action, but he also has the savvy to look in all the right places. “It has to be near something — a landmark — something,” he says. As I mentioned last week, Russell has obviously done his homework and watched past seasons. He’s gathered some of production’s tricks. In my mind, that just magnifies his achievement: He studied the playbook and now is putting what he learned into action. After searching by tree mail and the water well, he finds the idol under a bridge. “I’m shaking,” he says.

While he at first claims he won’t “tell a damn soul” about the idol, we all know Russell can’t keep his idol in his pants. He runs off to show Shambo, and the two once again plot to take out Laura. By including Shambo in his plans and treating her with a respect that Galu can’t muster, he cements her loyalty. Russell is disappointed when Laura wins immunity, but I think it’s good news for the Foa Foa four. As long as Laura’s around, Shambo is against her.

Galu, on the other hand, is already fantasizing about how they’ll celebrate when Foa Foa’s been eliminated. They briefly consider the possibility that Russell could have the idol — but toss it aside. Bad move. Even if you think he doesn’t have it, you should play defensively and assume the idol’s out there. If Foa Foa had the idol, you can guess they would give it to Russell as the “most likely” target. Why not vote Mick?

In tribal council, Galu shows its typical hubris by insulting Erik while he’s sitting right there. Kelly calls him “a snake starting a lot of trouble.” She doesn’t seem to realize that he’ll be voting for a winner.
But Kelly won’t be winning anyway. There are only a handful of times in the show’s history that the idol has successfully saved a player — Gary in Guatemala, Yau-Man in Fiji and Amanda in Micronesia. When Russell plays his, he not only saves his skin, but he flips the game on its head. “I aint finished playing just yet,” he says. So pimp.

Galu is sent reeling. Dave Ball’s mouth may actually become unhinged. And Foa Foa can’t contain their grins. There’s truly no better feeling in Survivor than watching your plans come together at Tribal Council. Winning immunity is a rush, but strategy is what the game’s about. Pity the rest of Aiga. They’re playing against one of the greatest strategists in Survivor history.

Galu has managed to squander an 8-4 lead. Now, with Shambo an honorary Foa Foa, the factions are five to five. Can Galu turn the game around? So far, they’ve been playing junior varsity Survivor. –Stephen Fishbach

sam king cat

11-19-2009, 03:45 PM

Does Russell have an immunity idol magnet or chip implant ?

Monicauf

11-19-2009, 03:51 PM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: sam king cat;1917800 (Post Number)

Does Russell have an immunity idol magnet or chip implant ?

************************************************** *********

Lets hope he finds it again tonight, and that I don't fall asleep.....well I cannot, Grey's Anatomy is on at 9pm...

sam king cat

11-19-2009, 03:54 PM

I bet the other players will be glued to his side or every move he takes/steps.

Skeeter

11-19-2009, 07:57 PM

All I am saying about this show until you all confirm you have seen it:

Oh.
my.
gosh.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

This is truly one of my favorite seasons EVER!

Pal

11-19-2009, 08:23 PM

************************************************** *********

QUOTING FROM POSTER: Skeeter;1917858 (Post Number)

All I am saying about this show until you all confirm you have seen it:

Oh.
my.
gosh.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

This is truly one of my favorite seasons EVER!

************************************************** *********

Totally agree!!!!!!!!!

Wow
Wow
Wow

lol, what a great season. I'll wait to post more :)

Monicauf1

11-20-2009, 04:32 AM

Excellent show last night, not sure if it was rigged/scripted with Russell finding the 3rd idol, but I don't care if it was, it was a great show, loved tribal council- love how the underdogs are doing good and surviving

Pal

11-20-2009, 06:24 AM

It really is amazing that he found another idol. Really, I hated Russel at first but I can't help but respect the way he's playing the game. AND he didn't waste his idol last night so he's probably good next week. He even beat Dave in a foot race and had enough time to double back and retrieve the idol...............pretty amazing, lol.

And I'm still not sure why John voted with his tribe in the first vote.........?? They were more than happy to put his ass on the line and risk HIM being voted out (did anyone notice that none of them volunteered to do it themselves??) but expected him to just roll over and take it. I would have told them all to kiss off and voted for Laura the first time........

It shows Russel letting the chickens go next week........ I'm not sure what his motives are?? He's a devious one, that one, lol

Monicauf1

11-20-2009, 08:21 AM

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Samoa': episode #10
by Jeff Probst
Categories: Survivor, Things That Are Awesome!

Erik: “And there goes the lead.”

It’s appropriate that Erik’s comment starts this blog since the
downfall of Galu all started with Galu voting out Erik, one of their
own.

Survivor hindsight is no different than any other hindsight, it’s
always 20-20. But man… if they only knew what they were starting,
‘ole Erik would probably still be wearing those black knee highs and
most of the Foa Foa would be gone.

Instead… it’s wow, wow, wow.

Who would have ever predicted this kind of a turnaround? Galu, the
tribe who dominated for so long is now in a giant hole, not unlike a
grave, that they dug themselves.

They should heed the advice of Dave Matthews and start talking to the
grave digger right now: “Grave digger, when you dig my grave, will
you make it shallow so that I can feel the rain.”

Eric, gone. Kelly, gone. Laura, gone. What?

How in “Gods green earth” to quote Shambo, are Jaison, Mick, Natalie
and Russell still in this game? Why have they been able to pull off a
comeback and get themselves back in contention?

Two big reasons: The first is this… Survivor is an individual game: I
keep saying it because it’s important. You can never take your eyes
off the prize and the prize is ONE check for a million dollars. Not
four checks, each for $250,000. Not 8 checks each for $125,000. ONE
check for ONE million dollars. As long as Survivor remains an
individual game it will continue to have unexpected flips and flops
because everybody has their own agenda and that will always cause
chaos.

The second reason for the Foa Foa comeback is “Game Play.”

Here’s my take on how Game Play factored into the comeback:
33% Russell’s individual game play, 33% Foa Foa sticking together and
33% Galu just flat out blowing one of the most dominant leads in
Survivor history. It’s like they lost their brains somewhere in the
South Pacific. And as of last night’s episode, they still haven’t
found it.

YOU’RE AN IDIOT
I laughed out loud when John assessed Galu’s various voting
strategies, each followed with: “You’re an idiot.”

I gotta say, from where I sit – and again my vantage point is all
based on hindsight – he’s right. Targeting Russell? What? Here’s a
guy who has shown you his willingness to play the idol and his ability
to continue to find it. Trying to take out Russell makes no sense at
all. Not in this episode anyway.

Mick has the individual immunity necklace so they really only had two
choices: Natalie or Jaison. John is right, you have to try to get
intel and/or take a guess as to who is the least likely to be given
the idol and vote for them. It’s the only vote.

Maybe if they had done that things would have turned out differently.
But I think a big part of John’s dilemma probably stemmed from the
question of whether or not he believed the remaining Galu members were
smart enough to help him make it to the end.

Laura and Dave’s jungle strategy meeting certainly didn’t give him any
peace of mind, although it did provide me a favorite moment courtesy
of Dave Ball:

John: “The vote is Natalie. Times five. Find a problem with that.
I know you’d rather not—-“
Dave: “No, no, no. I’ll burn her right now, I do not care… bro.”

I really do pull for Dave Ball. Can’t explain it, doesn’t even matter
why, I just pull for the dude. I have since he first walked into
casting a couple years ago and continued even though we didn’t put him
on the show at that time. When we brought him back again for
Survivor: Samoa I was still rooting for him and as I write this
tonight, I still am.

Back to John. When he found out they were going to use him as the
bait, things really started to shift. Once that happens, a mutiny is
almost sure to follow as people start to jump off the sinking ship.
People like John.

BACK TO THE START
Like a good Tarantino movie, let’s play with structure a little bit
and jump back to the start of the episode.

When everybody returned to camp after the last tribal council, Dave
Ball came over to the Foa Foa four and said:

“You guys tell Galu I said this, ‘good move!’” Did I miss something?
Does anybody know what Dave is talking about? Dave, you ARE Galu,
and the move Foa Foa made was as much on YOU as anybody else.

Laura said it best: Wow.

She then followed with “I can’t believe that little snake.” Why is
Russell a snake? Because he’s playing the game?

It’s always fun to hear one group talk about the other. When Laura
wins two immunity challenges, it’s “Awesome.” When Russell finds the
idol, he’s a snake? Nah. He’s awesome too, just in a different way.

LAST TRIBAL COUNCIL
Going back even further, (still with me?) let’s return to the end of
the last episode when I said:

JEFF: (at last tribal council) “One more thing, the hidden immunity
idol goes back into the game.”

As I said those words, I was thinking the same thing everybody else
was thinking…
Can he do it again? Can Russell find the idol for a third time?

Russell: “They’re like magnets to me, I’m just drawn to them.” Now
that is a damn funny and very cocky comment, but hard to argue.

THE HUNT IS ON
It was one of the funniest scenes of the season, the entire group
scurrying about looking for the idol. And even with everybody
following Russell…he STILL found it.

You wonder why nobody else finds the idol? Just take a look at how
the rest of the group was looking for it?

Jaison could barely be bothered to pick up a rock. Dave was merely
following Russell and in doing so nearly stumbled upon the idol but
because he is so concerned with Russell he walks away from it and
chases back after Russell. Hilarious.

Laura is following Dave so she’s no help. And what does Russell do?
He easily loses everybody and doubles right back to where Dave was
half-assed looking and finds… the… third… idol.

THREE IDOLS! Come on. You have to give him some credit. Check that,
a lot of credit. We’ve had hidden immunity idols for a long time now
and up until this season nobody has ever thought to just start looking
for them, with or without a clue. Russell was so on top of his game
that he gave us Producers a run for our money. We were as shocked as
you are that he continued to find them before anybody else.

Once again I ask, “He’s starting to grow on you a little, right?”

REWARD CHALLENGE
Let’s give credit where credit is due – the difference in the Reward
challenge was Natalie. Period. She won that challenge for her group.
She extended her body waaaaaay out over the platform gripping it with
only her feet and used her flexibility to reach much further than John
was able to and that was the difference.

THE GAME IS GETTING COMPLICATED
Now that Galu is starting to scramble it throws everything into chaos.

Galu actually had a very solid idea. It took some doing, but Galu
actually game up with a good plan. Convince Foa Foa they are taking
out another one of their own – John. In fact, Monica did a very good
job of working Foa Foa trying to convince them the vote was for John.
Trusting anybody is tough on Survivor, but in terms of pure
performance, she did a great job of justifying why she would not vote
for Laura but would vote for John.

But John’s no dummy. Getting even one vote at tribal council is never
a good thing. Getting four votes is way too risky. It suddenly
becomes too easy for someone to “change their mind” and just vote you
out.

Also working against the plan is the fact that Russell is as usual,
one step ahead. He’s not buying it and he’s not backing off his plan
to vote off Laura.

WHAT WILL HE DO?
John: If I’m gonna give you a Galu before you give me a Foa Foa, the
next one needs to be a Foa Foa. Deal?
Russell: Deal.

But even as he said it, John knew he would be making a deal with a guy
who has proven week after week he cannot be trusted. That’s why
Survivor is still on, 19 seasons later. You can never be sure what
exactly is the best move.

THE VOTE
It all came down to John. Does he risk his neck to save Laura and
hopefully get rid of a Foa Foa member putting Galu back in charge… or…
does he play a more self-serving game and flop to save his own hide
knowing his quest for the million dollars may have gotten just a
little bit tougher.

John played it brilliantly. He stayed true to Galu through the first
vote, forcing a tie. This gave him the chance to see what was really
going to happen. Then he had a choice:

A. Let it go to a tie and draw rocks, putting him in jeopardy of being
sent home or…
B. Flip to Foa Foa thus ensuring he would stay in he game at least one more day.

He flipped and Laura became the third member of the jury. That was a big move.

IN CONCLUSION (Don’t you love it when you hear those two words..
finally, it’s over)
I know that Laura had people rooting for her and against her. Say
what you want, but one thing you have to give Laura credit for is
playing the game. From a producer point of view, she gave us
everything we could have hoped for and then some. Sorry you had to go
Laura, see ya at the live show.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
If you had to vote today for your “favorite” player from this season?
Who would it be? I’m not talking about who you want to win the game,
although it might be the same person, I’m talking about your
“favorite” overall player or person in the game?

Look forward to your responses.

Check ya next week.