Survivor: Popping Collars

[Cyvasse Khal]

^ got linked to a similar type post a couple of weeks ago. Not sure whether it should be in a spoiler tag or not, I guess not now that Joe is gone - although that could be a really interesting Ponderosa video soon :eek: :blushing:

What should definitely be in a spoiler tag is...

Greg Buis hinted he's returning! Can't be assed finding the link but i'm sure you can find it on twitter or Survivor reddit

[Scrambled Aegon]

More details to add on to that. Beneath the tag is stuff on the next two seasons, no boot spoilers.

Seasons 31 and 32 are going to be filmed out of order. Right now, a season with all new players is being filmed that will air as #32. The season that will air first, as #31, will be a returning player season filmed this summer. Its cast will be voted on by the fans from a pool of 40. The female options are

Kelly Wiglesworth, Kimmi, Teresa, Peih-Gee, Monica Padilla, Stephanie Valencia, Natalie Tenerelli, Mikayla, Chelsea, Sabrina, Angie Layton, Abi-Maria, Ciera, J'Tia, Tasha, Kass, Kelley, one unknown female, and two females from Worlds Apart who are not being named by the spoiler source. The male options are Greg, Jeff Varner, Savage, Shane, Terry, Stephen, Jim Rice, Troyzan, Brad Culpepper, John Cody, Vytas, Hayden, Cliff, Spencer Bledsoe, Woo, Jeremy, Keith, and three males from Worlds Apart who are also not being named. I've heard that Sucksters have figured out some of the Worlds Apart contestants one way or another, but I don't know or want to know those (and would prefer that if anyone brings them up they clearly mark that spoiler tag), because that would spoil this season: there will be no winners in this cast, so obviously if someone is named as a possible candidate, they aren't winning. So the source is staying quiet on those, I've heard some have been figured out but don't know or want to know. The unknown female could be anyone; if the gods are good, then maybe it'll be Melinda Hyder or Trish Dunn. <3

Kelly and Greg seem like locks, which should be fun. Spencer/Kass, too. I'll be hardcore pulling for Kimmi/Varner because then half the Australia cast will have returned, and I want to live in a world where that's the case. Plus we've only ever had one Kucha member return, which is a damn shame. It'll be nice to get Tagi Four completion and Pagong representation.

I thought Monica Padilla had a ton of untapped potential and am always, always down for a Galu return, so I hope she makes it. Sabrina also seemed like someone we should have seen more of character-wise. I love Angie Layton to death for an early boot but can't imagine she'll return, and I think her legacy is fine where it is, but I'll pull for her a bit regardless. Once Cagayan ended I predicted Tasha would win season thirty-two, so it'd be nice to have that fulfilled. I can't fucking stand Valencia or Tenerelli so I hope they don't make it in.

On the male side of things.. Savage, Shane, Terry, Stephen are probably shoo-ins along with Greg/Spencer; all four are pretty much the go-to guys for "Why haven't they been brought back yet?", though I'm not a fan of Terry and think Shane would probably be unpleasant to watch on any other tribe besides Casaya. I think Stephen is kind of dull and gamebotty television but maybe we'll see less of that and more of him having fun this time. Cliff is my Angie Layton on the male side of things - like him a lot (not nearly as much as Angie, though), think there's some untapped potential, would like to see it fulfilled, but don't expect it. I like Keith and Jeremy but it feels way too soon for them to come back again. Lots of BvW contestants and I didn't see half of that season or pay much attention to the other half, so I can't speak to that, but Ciera seems like someone who will have a lot of support, which I'm okay with because anyone who causes a purple rock is good people in my book. More seasons need purple rocks.

[Kyoshi]

I was hoping

Gabriel Cade would be on that list. I hope Hayden, Tenerelli and Stephanie don't get in, I strongly disliked them in their original seasons. I worry that people might vote for J'Tia to get in as a joke...it's an odd worry to have but it just popped into my head.

From WA and of the already eliminated castaways, I hope Joe, Vince and Hali return. I doubt Jenn will be asked to. I don't think I can handle more Rodney, Dan and Will.

One of the reasons I don't always like return seasons is that some of the later players tend to have stars in their eyes when they meet the "veterans". So naturally, Season 30 castaways may sort of look to the "veterans" for "guidance" and be slaughtered.

I cannot state how much I am glad at seeing Wiglesworth's name. I hope she watches more episodes and familiarises herself with the evolution of the game.

[Cyvasse Khal]

^ Gabriel Cade? Really? The same guy who said he didn't want to vote, he didn't want to play the game, he didn't want to live with any of the other tribe, he just wanted to see if he could build a community with the 8 people he was marooned with. You want him to come back to play a cut-throat All-Stars?

[awesome possum]

It would be interesting just to see if and how he's changed since then. One name I'm sad isn't on that list and who I always push for returning is Aaron from China, the guy who got screwed over by the tribe "steal" and then watched Peih-Gee and Jamie throw a challenge just to vote him out. Had that not happened, he likely would have been in the Final 5 or 6 at the very least, or he'd be known as the winner of Survivor China at most.

[Scrambled Aegon]

Last I (or anyone else) heard,

Wigles had never seen a single episode of Survivor and was living on a goat farm in Mexico. Her mom remained a huge fan so whenever she went to visit her mom and Survivor was on, Wigles would have to lock herself in another room so that she would not see or hear a single second of it. ...Yet she was still interested in coming back. I really hope that things haven't changed and she has no idea about anything until she's cast, because that would make for a pretty fascinating and hilarious clusterfuck.

I'd be fine with a J'Tia return. The three Luzon women all returning would be fun. Luzon was a fuckin' great tribe.

Minor nitpicking, Cyvasse: Gabriel was totally cool with the other tribe. He loved them at the swap and that's actually part of why John Carroll flew into a random, blind range about him - because Gabriel wasn't openly concerned about original tribe designation. And Gabe was totally fine with voting; he just didn't want to do it strategically. I dunno whether I'd want to see him again because I imagine he'd be way different in a way that would remove what was fun about him - I fear the same for Greg, honestly - but he is one of my all-time favorite pre-mergers.

I thought Aaron was dull as hell, was happy he went down from that twist if anyone had to, and have no real interest in seeing him again compared to more dynamic personalities. That swap was absurdly unfair but I can't name a single thing Aaron said or did in five episodes.

(Does anyone here actually care about future season info that doesn't contain boot spoilers? No reason to tag it if not I guess.)

[Ken Stone]

If I close my eyes and try to imagine the finale, the only one I can really see sitting in that winners seat is Mike. I thought there was a chance of a Joe II run, but he had to far to go. All the talk of Rodney blindsiding Mike is just there so Mike has an obstacle to triumph over, making him a deserving winner. It is written.

BTW, Rodney's impersonations were dead on. Good Stuff!

[Cyvasse Khal]

Yeah that's a fair enough nitpick Scrambled. Gabriel didn't dislike the other tribe and in fact openly welcomed Sean & Vecepia (I think Rob isolated himself). I think he just had the idea in his head that all Rotu 8 (the "love tribe") would stay in tact for as long as possible until they needed to start voting out each other. Africa was the first season they did the tribe switch, which was airing while Marquesas was filming so he didn't know a tribe switch was even a possibility. At that point, when John Carroll went into full on game mode I think Gabriel realised the game wasn't really for him. He seems a nice enough guy, but Survivor just wasn't his thing.

I'm tired of spoiler tagging all this too. If people object to talk about the casting of the upcoming seasons we'll continue to use the spoilers or maybe just create another thread. Anyways, Greg made the merge, he was 1st jury member and famous for the pick a number between 1-10 jury question.

Greg & Kelly most interest me. Greg was such a fascinating and intelligent guy, but by his own admission was basically being a complete smart ass and trying to expose the show's faults and the sillyness of reality tv. If he's shown interest in coming back then obviously that attitude that the show is silly is gone and we get to see a late 30s Greg playing for real this time, and that's exciting. Kelly was probably the first triple threat female the show had: smart woman, athletic, and social. The only thing that held her back was not knowing how to leave her ethics at the door. I suspect if she comes back to play again she'll have no issues with creating alliances, creating blindsides and all that jazz. A late 30s Kelly with plenty of life experience behind her and still in peak physical condition is a pretty exciting prospect too.

[Slurktan]

So yeah, Will's an asshole. I don't care how tired, starved, accused-of- something-you-didn't-do you are; there's no reason to go after somone's unknown family. Pretty astute on Mike and Shireen to figure out that Dano wasn't flipping and so just get rid of Jenn. However Mike went crazy there, I don't even mind the lying about buying the family letter thing it's that he went back on it that is stupid. They are already pissed off at you; might as well have the balls to go through with it.

[Scrambled Aegon]

I was going to comment here earlier with that same exact post but cut after the first five words. Like that's probably word-for-word what I was gonna say, just "Will's an asshole." Screw that noise. He was especially horrendous at Tribal - that was just unbelievable, for him to sit there and talk over her while she's breaking down crying about an abusive childhood. Yeeesh. Obligatory "I Don't Know What He's Like In Person" here but man I am not rooting for and did not expect that from him.

Super upset to see Jenn go, but at least that means she/Hali/Joe get to get wasted in Ponderosa together. <3 Her video was great. Hali was exceptional and she laid out her approach to the game: "I didn't quit, I was still working in the challenges; I just didn't like those people and want to be fake to get closer to a prize I don't need." I love it, she's just.. herself, and doesn't want to fake that and pretend to be like people she doesn't like for a shot at possibly staying longer. Of course it's awful strategy but she totally owns it as such and doesn't say she should have gone further or anything. So I loved her there. It feels abrupt for her to go home in such a low-key episode and so early after being built up so much.

Shirin and Mike have to pull something out, this edit makes no sense otherwise, but waiting for it is so freaking tiresome.

[Kyoshi]

This season started out so well, so much promise, so much promise. I don't think I like it anymore. This episode was filled with a mean spirit, the worst episode so far. I strongly dislike Will on so many levels. I hate that he'll get to stay longer now because he's such an asshole. I don't think asshole is a good enough word to describe him by the way.

It doesn't help my enthusiasm for the rest of the season since there's only one person I like who's left now: Shireen.

[Scrambled Aegon]

I just can't imagine Mike and Shirin losing with this edit, and if they do shake things up, next episode will have to be when they do. I've been saying for weeks "Okay, I really hope something happens tonight, it better happen tonight, this could be make or break" but I always knew in the back of my mind it might just be delayed a bit. But now, we're at the point where it can't be delayed anymore - where, numerically, if something is going to go down, if a big power shift that benefits the underdogs who were built up ever happens, it has to be in this next episode - there's no other outcome possible. Either Shirin goes home and this entire merge edit makes 0 sense, or something changes and Will or Dan or Rodney lose. This one really is - numerically has to be - the make-or-break episode where either things change or all the douchey people win. (Well I guess if she wins Immunity, that'd sort of straddle the line between the two by keeping her around without necessarily changing the dynamics.)

So I'm still holding out hope that Shirin and Mike are going to make things right for this season next week, I still think that that's where the story's headed, and the buildup was awful to witness but will give us a satisfying payoff.

But maybe I'm wrong and Shirin goes next in which case fuck everything

[awesome possum]

This whole season is building up to the downfall of this alliance of assholes. Rodney, Dan, Will, and Carolyn have all just been mean at one point or another. Mean-spirited and mean. Sierra is a coat tail riding whiner. Tyler is the only one of that group who looks okay, but that condescending smirk he has seems to say, "I'm thinking horrible things, I'm just smart enough not to say it." He's the only one of that group I see having a chance to win, except he's been mostly invisible all season.

It's now Mike & Shirin against the world. Crazy how Mike went from leader of dominant alliance with a target on his back to outcast hiding in a cave with Jenn and Shirin in just about 48 hours. If nothing else tells you how nuts the game of Survivor can be, it's that.

But yeah, one of those two is going to win this game. I think it's gotta be Shirin. Mike's edit has been the big heroic alpha male, but he's going to have to win every immunity challenge and play his idol right in order to even have a chance of making it to the end. I don't think he'll make it but I do think he and Joe will be on the ballot for the next season.

So yeah, Shirin is going to win this season. I'm calling it now. Next week Tyler goes home after he has a blow up with Dan and Dan uses his new advantage to take him out. Then Mike goes, with Carolyn playing her idol uselessly. That puts a huge target on her back, because no one except Tyler knew she had it, so she's gone. It's then down to Dan, Will, Rodney, Sierra and Shirin. I think Will gets taken out next because, despite his outburst this week, he's come across as someone who is liked because he makes everyone laugh (even Jenn's final words were something like, "Will was a good person, but he cracked") and his likability mean he's gone. Then Rodney, just because he's been so strategic (even if he's been unlikable doing it).

So we have a final three of Dan, Sierra and Shirin. Sierra has no shot because she's just blech, and Dan has no shot because he's Dan. Shirin wins.

[Cyvasse Khal]

Wow, super intense stuff. I don't know what it was but I really felt like I was there on the island this episode, I'm not sure whether the editing and super cuts were cut back a little and they just let the raw footage speak for itself, it also felt like there were less confessionals so for the most part you were just seeing everything play out within the group. Whatever it was I felt the adrenaline kick in like I was ready to step onto that beach and join in all the arguments and bitchslap Will and Rodney. Will saddens me, this is not the same guy that was so empathetic and considerate of Nina in the first 2 episodes. Hunger and tiredness surely plays a factor, but certainly doesn't excuse what he dished up. Rodney is so full of himself that he admitted Mike was completely right about everything but then just a switch flicked in his brain to completely ignore that fact for the rest of the episode.

Dan and Sierra have just confirmed their status as sheep and goats of the highest order. I think Sierra knows she's just a follower, but Dan is kidding himself if he thinks he's in control of anything at this point (I wonder how he'll blunder his extra vote).

I also think, while Tyler and to a lesser extent Caroline have mastered this ninja style of quiet zen gameplay, at some point they are going to need to speak up and let the jury know what they are doing. They don't need to make a big move necessarily (they're already in a great spot) but they do need to vocalize at least a few key decisions they've made at some point.

[Kyoshi]

It's good to see everyone is still hopeful for this season.

Also, I get the feeling the extra vote is another one of those twists the production team will grow to regret and hopefully never repeat, like the returnees of Pearl Island and the special powered idol of Beauty Brains Brawn.

Awesome Possum,

Your prediction is bold, and one I like.

Afterthought...aanyone else think Shirin is a very sad person. She smiles a lot so it's hard to tell. But every week she shares something new about herself and it peels away another layer, revealing the smile to be a mask? Just a thought I had.

[Slurktan]

Also, I get the feeling the extra vote is another one of those twists the production team will grow to regret and hopefully never repeat, like the returnees of Pearl Island and the special powered idol of Beauty Brains Brawn.

I don't think they will dump this twist until it is used properly. By that I mean at the final tribal where that person wins the million due to it.

[Gertrude]

So the board ate my longer post. Thanks Game of Thrones.

Short version is fuck Will, Team Shirin all the way for the win. This was a hard episode to watch.

[Howdyphillip]

So the board ate my longer post. Thanks Game of Thrones.

Short version is fuck Will, Team Shirin all the way for the win. This was a hard episode to watch.

:agree:

[Kyoshi]

I don't think they will dump this twist until it is used properly. By that I mean at the final tribal where that person wins the million due to it.

You may be right. But I don't like it.

So the board ate my longer post. Thanks Game of Thrones.

Short version is fuck Will, Team Shirin all the way for the win. This was a hard episode to watch.

Agreed. For me, this is the most unlikable cast since Thailand and parts of Amazon.

I now wonder why Jeff went on record stating it as a good season; not a lot of people seem happy with it.

[awesome possum]

I now wonder why Jeff went on record stating it as a good season; not a lot of people seem happy with it.

I think it's as I theorized: Mike and/or Shirin - the only two "good" people left, overcome the "bad" people one by one, make it to Final Tribal, and win the game.