Episode 39.9

If I understand something correctly from the releases on Survivor on DVD, there was something weird that had happened once. You see, when they released All-Stars to DVD, they didn’t put the recap episode with it. When Micronesia finally came out, they put this All-Stars episode on DVD with it. I do not know why this would be and am not entirely sure that this information I have about this is accurate. This makes me wonder: since I want to watch All-Stars again, should I get Micronesia as well to get this one episode or should I just ignore this one episode until such times as I want to get Micronesia on DVD to watch later? Let me know what you think in the comments. But enough of my ramblings.

In the first segment of the show, we return to the tribe with Janet talking about why she thought about quitting, but chose not to. She wishes that she still had her idol. Didn’t she save herself with it? There is then a rat that causes problems in the camp. And I thought that Kelly Wiglesworth wasn’t in this season. It seems to be a hard night after a whole lot of rain. Elizabeth is irritated, but knows that this is not what she had signed up for. Noura complains about Karishma and what all is wrong with her.

Karishma talks about what she has struggled with so far in life. She likes her relationship with others like her husband, but thought that she would have a better time at the game then she has. She finds an idol while wondering around. But women have sucked with idols this season. When she gets back to camp, she feigns sickness since she has been away from a while. How will she play her idol? She causes some concern with the other players as they think that medical should look at her.

In the second segment of the show, we go straight to the immunity challenge. The tribe will be split into two groups. Each group will win their own immunity and attend separate tribal councils. The last team with a member standing wins reward for their team. Noura and Elaine win.

Noura drops out after she wins first, much to the criticism of others on her team. The team going first will be isolated to another tribe until they go to tribal council first. Janet is worried that Karishma won’t be voted out now and that she might be in danger instead.

In the third segment of the show, the team that lost first returns to the old Lairo camp. Aaron doesn’t like being here, but figures that both Janet and Karishma will be voted out tonight. Meanwhile, others want to vote Aaron out of the game. Dean wants to keep Aaron as he thinks that he’ll be considered more of a threat with Aaron gone. Dan isn’t entirely sure what to do. Missy thinks that she should get rid of Tommy. Have you tried using the green candle?

Missy wants to tell Karishma the plan, but gets blown off. Karishma thinks that Missy is being too impersonal in some way. Elaine wants to turn the vote against Missy, getting drunk with power since she won immunity. Elaine tells Tommy about the fact that he was a target. Tommy wants to vote out Missy now. He actually wants to work with Karishma now. Karishma might be the swing vote. She has to come up with a logical vote as a trial lawyer. Karishma thinks that Missy makes things fishy. Doesn’t Missy specialize in water Pokémon? Back at the other tribe, they still don’t know how the vote will go. There have been so many blindsides at tribal councils so far this season.

In the fourth segment of the show, Dean is showing off his muscle at his tribe’s tribal council. They are working on how to work together as this group. Rob thinks that Aaron is going home where as Sandra thinks that Janet is going home. The game will lose two people at once. Dan is hoping that trust will lead to loyalty and loyalty to trust. The voting seems to happen rather quickly. Jeff goes to tally the votes and the show goes to commercial.

In the fifth segment of the show, we return to the tribal council where Aaron gets voted out. Rob was right with his prediction. Aaron is told to go to the jury. The other tribe is then brought in. Missy says that this is not the way the jury should be looking. Missy and Karishma talk about how they had butted heads some. Missy doesn’t think that she’s a threat if she’s a bully. Hello? Richard Hatch? Remember him? Karishma admits that there is a lot of clashing going on.

Sandra doesn’t think that the tribe has room for both Karishma and Missy. Elaine thinks that they should vote right now. Missy thinks that there should be more of an acknowledgement of minorities doing good recently on Survivor such as winning two challenges at once. Jeff didn’t want to make it seem like wasn’t something that could happen. The vote is next. No one plays an idol. Missy is voted out and Karishma did not get any votes. Missy is acting strange after getting voted out, giving hugs all around. She will see them at Wednesday night at 8 (7 Central).

On the next Survivor, a chicken attacks Sandra and different things continue to be crazy in some sort of way. The cocks should be in control of themselves better this season and not do anything without the consent of others. I hope that comment was not insensitive in some way.

Total confessional count: Janet- 13, Dean- 11, Aaron- 16, Noura- 12, Karishma- 17, Tommy- 13, Dan- 11, Elaine- 17, Lauren- 11, Elizabeth- 14, Missy- 14; Rob- 10, Sandra- 9. New confessionals this episode: Missy- 2, Janet- 4, Dean- 1, Aaron- 2, Noura- 2, Karishma- 3, Tommy- 1, Dan- 1, Elaine- 1, Lauren- 1, Elizabeth- 1; Sandra- 0, Rob- 0.

Well, we are finally to the part where the contestants still in the game have more confessionals than both Rob and Sandra do. The lowest in terms of total confessionals are Dan, Lauren, and Dean with eleven a piece. The highest is a tie between Karishma and Elaine with seventeen a piece. Missy had fourteen confessionals, the same as Elizabeth. Aaron had sixteen confessionals. In terms of the new confessional count, Aaron and Missy had two, the same number as Noura. The highest was Janet with four. The lowest is a tie between Elizabeth, Dean, Tommy, Dan, Elaine, and Lauren, all with one.

Since the next episode airs the day before Thanksgiving and I will have to work that night, don’t count on the next week’s episode being posted on Wednesday as usual. I might be able to do it, but probably won’t and won’t even try to get it done then. Expect the blog post on next week’s episode to be on the Sunday after it airs and no time sooner. I hope to see you in a week. If not, I will see you some time later in the future. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.

Episode 39.8

When I mentioned my rankings of Survivor seasons in the last post, I realize that I had already told you where Borneo was in the rankings. When I do that, I then have to go to the most recently aired season that I have not revealed my ranking of seasons. I have told you where Caramoan and every season past it has ranked. I have also told you what I have ranked lowest and various other, random seasons. I have not yet revealed the highest ranked season as I am keeping that secret for now. But since I am telling you about how seasons rank, I might as well tell you that Philippines is 3^rd out of 38 seasons for me. I will give a ranking for this season once it is over. But enough of my ramblings.

In the first segment of the show, they had to warn us with a content adversary warning before they tell us that this is a two hour episode. Dean talks about surviving the vote at tribal council. Noura admits that she had voted for Jack at Kellee’s request. Kellee wants her to stop talking for now. She admits that what Noura is saying is true to the audience, but has to lie in order to survive. The next day, people look for a new idol since others were played. Kellee finds an idol.

The merge then happens. The players gather for a merge feast. Dan wants to reconnect with his old members. The Vokai tribe has a one member advantage. Tommy wonders what to do and which side he should join with. They are calling the planned alliance Vokai 2.0. Am I the only one who gets annoyed by the .0 designation? It is annoying and not needed. Kellee doesn’t want to join this new alliance. Tommy gets shut down from his suggestions all the time. Maybe the green ranger needs new powers.

In the second segment of the show, we return to Luma Waku, the merged tribe. Why did they call it that name? We have no idea? Kellee and Missy talk about the touching they don’t like that Dan is doing. It is making a lot of women uncomfortable. There are five people who he did this to. The producer talks to him about how this isn’t okay. That has to be a first. The producers aren’t supposed to talk back. But I do think that they lead some of what is said in confessionals.

Tommy talks to Lauren about wanting to get rid of Kellee. Kellee then gets emotional talking with Janet about how Dan is. Janet isn’t sure that Dan was as bad as he could be, but wants to stick with the other women. The women keep talking to each other about voting Dan out. Elizabeth is told to help get rid of him. People keep talking about Dan and there is footage to back up these claims.

This may be one of the most uncomfortable episodes of this show to watch, but it could be a good one in the end. Kellee wants to vote out Missy instead of Dan, not feeling that Dan should be voted out right now. Missy hears of this and isn’t sure of what to do or what to think. The game continued after a special thing might have been done in order to make sure that the game could continue.

In the third segment of the show, we get to the first immunity challenge as a merged tribe. Aaron wins the challenge. Kellee wants Missy voted out of the game, considering her loss at the challenge to be the nail in her coffin.

In the fourth segment of the show, Missy is worried about her fate in the game since Kellee was after her. But the vote could be all over the place as potential targets are brought up. Some of this is just the typical red herring. But if they do it right, they could mislead us. Dan might be the main target after all. Janet likes Dan, but feels that she morally has to turn on him. Elizabeth thinks that the real target isn’t Dan after all. She is voting against Kellee no matter what. Could she be messing up the plan?

Dan does not understand why Janet would be after him. Kellee hears that she might be the target and she looks for a second hidden immunity idol. Tommy isn’t sure which side to join. Just don’t join Rita’s. Kellee does find a second idol. Will she have to play one tonight?

In the fifth segment of the show, we get to tribal council. Rob and Sandra are there in their secret place as they normally are. There is a tribe of 13 and someone is already on the jury. Dan says that trust is outweighed by deception. You have to trust people before you can deceive them. Kellee thinks that they have to be present in the game in order to know what is going on. She thinks the game is about trust. Dean isn’t sure of his own place in the game. Can people survive in the game? Jeff goes to tally the votes and the show goes to commercial.

In the sixth segment of the show, Kellee doesn’t play an idol. But is she safe? She is not. She is voted out of the game with more than a one vote majority, it seems. Deception is more powerful than trust is. Janet then talks about how the vote went. She feels that she put her own game in danger. Janet talks to others about the vote. Lauren wasn’t comfortable voting out Dan for the reasons they were going to vote him out. What is she, a Republican in favor of Kavanaugh?

Janet explains to Dan what went on with her vote as she wants to explain what went on. Dan feels bad and people think that things have been quite overblown by things. Things are far too confusing in this world. What SVU episode is coming after this show airs? This seems to be the night of uncomfortable ways since people look for the truth with what was going on. Janet is confused by what is going on with the women in the game, perhaps thinking that they aren’t as uncomfortable as they were. But when was this producer meeting with everyone? After seeing others go into the woods, Janet tries to follow them. But she loses them and then looks for an idol on her own, which she finds.

In the seventh segment of the show, Karishma and Jamal find a note that is just randomly hanging. She wanted to grab it, but Jamal gets it first and goes off to the island immediately. Jamal reacts upon seeing the mentors of the island. He lost his vote at the next tribal council. Rob wants to give him a lesson in the act of sabotage. Can he get someone else? He gets a blank parchment.

What could Jamal do with the pencil and the parchment? He writes a fake legacy advantage. He gives it to Dean since it was revealed to be Dean’s birthday. He even tells a half truth by saying that it was his own handwriting. Aaron thinks that Jamal was intentionally targeting Dean. For the record, JT somehow had pencil in Heroes versus Villains when he wrote a note to Russell.

In the eight segment of the show, we get to the next immunity challenge. I’ve seen this one before. They are randomly offering both a man and woman immunity. Aaron and Missy are the winners. I missed who had given the confessional after the challenge.

In the ninth segment of the show, Jamal is worried about how the vote will go. People think about how they should split the vote between Karishma and Jamal. He wants the women to vote one way and the men to vote another way. Janet has been surprised at every tribal council how things have gone. We then get to the next tribal council. Janet was confused about how the previous vote went. Janet had brought up Missy’s name in the past. It was her mistake voting for what had gone on. Aaron says that she is playing the victim.

Jamal thinks that Aaron is downplaying things by dismissing Janet’s concerns. He doesn’t think that the real world is the same as Survivor’s world. Jeff mentions something to Dan but thinks might be going a bit too far with things. Karishma thinks that perception is reality. That’s not what a Survivor winner from a past season had thought. They cannot ignore the issue on Survivor about harassment and other issues like that. Jamal thinks that we should believe and hear women when they want to be heard. Jeff then wants Dan to explain what has been going on. He explains the me too movement and how it started in his business of workplace and places. He feels bad and is sorry about what he did. He thinks that he is a good person. I think that about myself, but could easily be wrong.

Janet isn’t sure that she wants to stay in the game due to all the strange situations that have been going on in the game. They want to make sure that she stays in the game. No one thinks that she did anything wrong in the end. She wants to stay in the game. Jeff explains what is going on in the game with all of the stories that are going on. How will things go into the vote? Lauren goes over the vote and how this show mirrors real life. This season has been more of an emotional rollercoaster than I’m told This is Us is. The vote happens next. Janet plays an idol on herself. Jamal is voted out.

On the next episode of Survivor, two people will be going home for some reason, but it is not explained how just yet. Sandra is surprised by what went on. We’ll find out what happens with that later. They sure are confused by some of what’s going on.

Total confessional count: Tommy- 12, Jamal- 15, Dan- 10, Elaine- 16, Lauren- 10, Elizabeth- 13, Missy- 12, Janet- 9, Kellee- 16, Dean- 11, Aaron- 14, Noura- 10, Karishma- 14; Sandra- 9, Rob- 10. New confessionals this episode: Jamal- 3, Dan- 4, Elaine- 0, Lauren- 2, Elizabeth- 4, Missy- 1, Janet- 4, Kellee- 6, Dean- 3, Aaron- 2, Noura- 1, Karishma- 2, Tommy- 3; Rob- 0, Sandra- 0.

Kellee had six new confessionals this episode, the most of everyone. Elizabeth, Dan, and Janet tie for the second highest with four a piece. Jamal had three new confessionals this episode. The lowest was Elaine with zero.  In terms of total confessionals, Kellee and Elaine tie for the highest with sixteen. Jamal was the next highest with fifteen. The third highest is a tie between Aaron and Karishma with fourteen. The lowest is Janet with nine, the only person still in single digits. There’s not much else to say so I will end this post here. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.

Episode 39.7

If you haven’t heard by now, Rudy Boesch from Borneo and All-Stars has died recently. I have the first season on DVD and will have to watch it again, doing a general recap about it before I get to doing a special one on just Rudy. I don’t yet have eighth season on DVD yet, but that could be a good Christmas present for me. I’ll mention more of that later. I’ve mentioned before that Borneo ranks 10^th out of 38 seasons. All-Stars is 24^th out of 38 seasons. This 39^th season has not yet been ranked.

Since I already blogged about Survivor: Borneo once already, I have already mentioned some thoughts about him and I gave him a percentage of what I thought his chances were of returning to play the game again. Here are the thoughts from then, from a previous post.

Rudy is the oldest contestant to ever play Survivor. He would break his own record when he played Survivor: All-Stars. He didn’t last long into the game the second time as he was deemed too weak by his tribe and was voted out, coming in 17^th place, a place no Survivor had (or could have) come in before. He was an alternate for Heroes versus Villains, but wasn’t chosen as he was deemed too old to compete in the game again. http://brioux.tv/2010/01/survivors-cram-cbss-heroes-vs-villains-bash/ This means that it’s unlikely we’ll ever see him again since he’s only going to get older. I give it a 15% chance that we will see him again in the future.

Of course, I would never give an absolute zero for any contestant who is still alive, even if they quit the game. Still 15% meant that he would have less of a chance of returning than him coming back. What is kind of nice is that he outlived other contestants, even though he remains the oldest person who has ever played Survivor.

As usual when I reference something, I feel that I need to share it with you so that you will understand it better. Well, in the previous post, I mentioned a song called Because it’s Midnight by a band that was made up for a flash based website. Here is a link to this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsArcMMqbhw

With both Ashley and Rudy having died since the last reunion show, I would hope that both of their deaths would be mentioned at the next one. But the only Survivor death they have mentioned thus far was when Jennifer Lyon died. You would think that this time should be different for a few reasons.

One would be that Ashley died of suicide and they could tie this into suicide prevention. Another is that Rudy was a more well known contestant. I just hope that they don’t mention just one and not another. But enough of my ramblings.

In the first segment of the show, Elaine talks about what she had to do in order to survive the vote. Lauren hopes that things can still work out well for her old tribe since the other tribe didn’t join her or her old tribe. Aaron thinks that Lauren and her old tribe mates will come crawling back to his tribe again since he believes that his tribe has all the power. Karishma is annoyed at the weather. Kellee was a bit annoyed by someone, but I couldn’t tell who as I was trying to fix a sentence due to stupid grammar check. I have well grammar, though. Other women are annoyed at men and continue talking about a woman’s alliance. Noura was annoyed at Aaron.

Janet is taken to the Island of the Idols, which makes sense to her since these are Survivor idols that she is with now. She admits that going to the island puts a target on people’s back. Rob thinks that the better players think a few moves ahead. “Master Yoda said that I should be mindful of the future.” “Yes, but not at the expense of the moment.”

Janet is allowed to play for an advantage by walking out of a tribal council if she wins a potential game, but she decides not to play since it could make her a target the next time around. So I guess we won’t know what the challenge is. She is the first person to visit the island who declined the challenge.

In the second segment of the show, Janet keeps up the trend of lying to the tribe about what the island is about. Janet flashes herself so they know that she has nothing. There is talk on the other tribe about getting rid of Dan. Missy thinks that Dan or others could be too powerful.

In the third segment of the show, we get to the immunity challenge. #imissrewards. In one of the closest challenges ever, the orange tribe loses. Kellee, who has an idol good for only one tribal, isn’t sure that she needs her idol. Will it go to waste? Surely, she can use it to blindside Karishma if she plays it right. But I think that it might not work out well if the ironic foreshadowing is hinted at here.

In the fourth segment of the show, people like Jamal think that the vote will be easy and against Dean. Jack makes it seem to Dean that Noura will be voted out next. Jamal has an idol. Kellee thinks that she should give Dean the idol and get him to vote out Jack or Jamal. Kellee thinks that her plan is risky as it could get herself voted out. It seems like she will give him the idol and he knows that he’s the target now. Will this be a string of dominoes as she says?

In the fifth segment of the show, we get to tribal council. The tribe before the swap was successful, leading to this tribe. Noura is called out by Dean for targeting Jamal. Noura thinks that the opposite of hatred is indifference. But isn’t the opposite of hatred love? Noura tells people what she thinks yet won’t straight up say that she was targeting Jamal. Jamal is fearful of an all girls alliance. He has no idea if one is really there. Kellee thinks that the idea of a woman’s alliance is sexist in some way. There has not been a successful all man’s alliance. There have been only two successful all women’s alliances that I can remember. The #metoo movement is brought up.

Jeff thinks that women don’t just bond by nature. This is a way more sappy tribal council that I ever remember happening before. But it seems good and nice. No wonder the promos said what they did. People have to humanize other players. Jeff says that there has never been a tribal like this before. While there has been powerful bonding, they still have to vote someone out.

After the votes are cast, Dean plays an idol for himself and they wonder why it wasn’t played last time. Kellee plays her part of acting surprised well. Jamal plays his idol for Noura. Jack is voted out and gets to join the jury. A quick blurb for Rudy is shown at the end as this episode is dedicated to him. Now I’ll feel a bit better if he isn’t mentioned as the reunion show this season.

On the next Survivor, the merge happens and all of the old Lairo will have to go. Who knows where the vote could wind up going next? I guess we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves as I avoid spoilers when I can. Hopefully there will be something interesting then.

Total confessional count: Aaron- 12, Jack- 6, Noura- 9, Karishma- 12, Tommy- 9, Jamal- 12, Dan- 6, Elaine- 16, Lauren- 8, Elizabeth- 9, Missy- 11, Janet- 5, Kellee- 10, Dean- 8; Rob- 10, Sandra- 9. New confessionals this episode: Janet- 2, Kellee- 3, Dean- 2, Aaron- 1, Jack- 1, Noura- 1, Karishma- 1, Tommy- 1, Jamal- 2, Dan- 0, Elaine- 1, Lauren- 2, Elizabeth- 0, Missy- 1; Sandra- 1, Rob- 1.

Jack had six confessionals, the same number as Dan. Janet is the only one lower than them with five. As for the highest, that remains Elaine with sixteen. As for new confessionals, Jack had just one, the same number as Tommy, Noura, Elaine, Aaron, Missy, and Karishma. The only people lower were Dan and Elizabeth with zero a piece. Everyone else was higher with Kellee as the highest with three. There’s not much else to say so I will let you go. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.