Episode 43 Finale

I have decided that I am not blogging about Ponderosa again with new seasons, but might watch some of what’s available. They are doing something different as something else is available instead of that anyways. It has premerge people as well, which is interesting since we normally don’t see that. Maybe that is where we come up with the idea of cutting them all from what is effectively the new reunion show. This behind the snuff thing is like a consolation prize of sorts.

 

Let’s get to the one time challenges from the thirty-ninth season. With not many more of these to cover, since we are already into the 44^th season by the time you are seeing this, there will be another thing that I plan to cover there that you will see later inspired by what was said then.

 

Rung O Star (only challenge from YOLO, Let’s Play!): In this challenge, all members of each tribe would swim to the ocean floor to release a ladder, use it to get bags full of balls, use these balls to get targets on a board, and win if all targets have been reached. I do not think that this challenge could be done while social distancing.

 

Beam me up (only challenge from Honesty Would be Chill): In this challenge, the players must swim to a net to get a key then get to a teeter-totter. The players must get across it and one of them get a bag on each side. The key gets them to the rest of the puzzle pieces in a crate. The players have to solve a fish puzzle at the end. I think that an individual version of this or even a relay race of this could be done while social distancing.

 

No title (reward challenge from Just go for it): In this challenge, contestants would climb up a net tower, untie bags with materials, take these bags through an obstacle course, and use what was in these bags to knock down a pyramid of blocks. It could be done while social distancing.

 

اجازه دهید فقط مقدمه این را بگویم که از آنجایی که از مقالات مختلف شماره 2 و 9 نوامبر تایم از سال 2020 چیزهای زیادی برای گفتن وجود داشت که در مورد عقب نشینی دموکراتیک صحبت می کرد، ممکن است از این زبان برای آن استفاده کنم. که برای آن کار می کند به طور معمول قبلا استفاده شده است، بنابراین هر زمان که نیاز داشته باشم دوباره این کار را انجام خواهم داد. با نقل قول از «Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy» و عنوان مقاله که از صفحه 50 شروع می شود، می گوید: «هراس نشوید». در این بیانیه آمده است که «رسانه‌های محافظه‌کار، جمهوری‌خواهان، و حتی وزارت دادگستری، که همگی در چهار سال گذشته هنجارهای ترامپ را زیر پا گذاشته‌اند، از او حمایت می‌کنند.» این طعنه آمیز است زیرا جمهوری خواهان اکنون دموکرات ها را متهم به سلاح کردن وزارت دادگستری می کنند. در مورد طنز، این مقاله بیان می‌کند که «اعتراف کردن یا ندادن ترامپ تأثیر چندانی بر قطعنامه انتخابات ندارد» اگر او شکست را پذیرفت، ممکن بود چیزی قابل توجه در مورد 1-6-2021 وجود نداشته باشد. اما به نقص چالش‌های حقوقی او اشاره می‌کند و می‌گوید: «این چیزهایی که ترامپ می‌گوید... اینها استدلال‌های قانونی نیستند».

 

If there were just the one hiatus that I had to do, then I would have still had this published later than the end of the Christmas season. I’m still sharing some of the last of the Christmas songs that I want to share even if it is now the Easter season as I’m writing this and you are hopefully seeing this. The first one that I’m sharing is Christmas Pipes by Celtic Woman.

 

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

 

Next, I’m sharing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Home for Christmas version) by Celtic Woman. This was a song that first appeared in the Christmas movie Meet Me in St. Louis, which I’m unsure if I have shared before in the old posts on this season from earlier. This version obviously came later.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31kJwZfnKJE

 

Continuing on with more Celtic Woman Christmas songs, the next one to share is Winter Wonderland (Home for Christmas version). That is the start of their concert called Home for Christmas. I plan to share more songs from that later. I’ll get to that soon, I hope.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzOG99GEmoM

 

Jack’s Obsession is the current last song that I’m sharing for now from The Nightmare before Christmas until the next time I get to these songs again. He is obsessed with the idea of Christmas and has to figure out how to do it himself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5JBw2UapgY

 

While I know that Christmas is long over by the time that you are finally seeing this, I do plan to get back to these songs, always to be seen in segments whenever it is Christmas provided that nothing winds up happening in my life that makes me not want to blog about things immediately again. There will be a lot from Celtic Woman concerts, movies, and Christmas specials that are planned.

 

A lot of things could have gone differently in life for me and you would have seen this post sooner as I was able to watch this episode live. I didn’t know when it would be posted, but had no way of knowing at the time that it would be after the season 44 finale by the time that you finally saw it. I can’t promise that this sort of thing won’t happen again as I wouldn’t have even done the first hiatus under normal circumstances and thus knew nothing about a second one, especially so quickly. I can only hope that it won’t be for a while. But enough of my ramblings.

 

In the first segment of the show, we go back to the previous tribal council as I’m on a TV with video descriptive service that I don’t know how to turn off without the old remote of mine. We learn that Cody gave back Jesse’s idol before tribal council. So he didn’t have to vote his own idol out. That’s sad because that would have been an even more epic move. It’s sad for Cody that he trusted Jesse. But I think that Jesse has the best chance of winning. Maybe Owen could, but I have the feeling that he will come in second. We then get to the delayed intro of the final five and how they could all win.

 

After exploring the island, they get the treemail of the last advantage of the game. I do like the fact that this is always done at a new place that they don’t have the time to investigate beforehand. I guess they learned after Natalie on Winners at War that they can’t learn this place. Owen just barely misses out on getting the advantage with Karla getting it. No one else gets the clue in time. I am more and more convinced that Owen is either coming in second or getting voted out. It is like Aubry in Kaoh Rong, except that I have not heard of people convinced that someone will win. But I did snooze the only Survivor group that I’m part of so I could get on facebook and not get spoiled potentially to what might have happened. Karla’s advantage, of course, is an advantage in the challenge.

 

In the second segment of the show, the people gather for the challenge. My laptop has been slow lately for reasons I don’t understand (it doesn’t have too much stuff on it and isn’t that old a laptop), but I am still planning to restart this laptop during this challenge. Karla’s advantage is that she won’t have to take as many puzzle pieces over. Now let’s hope that I’m not gone too long.

 

Okay. I’m back. Did you miss me? Anyways, Owen tried his best to catch up in the challenge by doing a whole lot of letters at once. He was able to figure out the word and win immunity in the end. He decides to bring Cassidy with him on the reward.

 

In the third segment of the show, we get to the sanctuary. What’s up with them? They seem to have been a recurring theme on the new Survivor. Also, why does the voice over person say what can be clearly heard? The double speaking is annoying. Cassidy wants to vote out Karla while Owen wants to vote out Jesse. Voting out Jesse would be a good idea, but they don’t know about his idol. What does the bird eating the fish mean? I swear that for those who care, deciphering the animal imagery in the show can be like trying to figure out Easter eggs in the MCU. (Speaking of which, are there any theories as to what the 3 numbers at the end of the Loki season 1 finale mean?)

 

Jesse is worried about how things will go and says that he doesn’t want to go out in fire. Well, I think that we know what’s going to happen now. Gabler was whining about not being picked for the reward. Gabler thinks that he can win if things go his way. This is where I miss having time to read other Survivor blogs so I would know how other people feel about him. Owen wants to figure out what to do so he will avoid being a zero vote finalist. Is that more foreshadowing? Karla says that she would not want to vote for Cassidy if she (Karla) was on the jury. Karla seems full of herself. Jesse wants to vote out Cassidy. He needs to figure out how to use his idol. This could be one of the greatest final five tribal councils. I mean, I doubt they would ever top Erik’s elimination in Micronesia. But this could be up there.

 

In the fourth segment of the show, we get to tribal council. People are convinced that whoever sits in the middle are who the focus is at tribal council. Are they told where to sit or just sit randomly? You’d think that it would be the first one, but it can seem like the second at times. Karla says that Jesse is a threat. Jesse takes out his idol. Jeannie is shocked to learn about this as she didn’t know before. I guess that I don’t need to see the Ponderosa then since this contains the moment that I want to. I haven’t seen a face like that since Eliza Owens last played Survivor. She remains the best person on the show in terms of facial expressions.

 

I’ve never seen two people just walk away and have huddles with each other. This isn’t the only one that has had side conversations like that. It just hasn’t happened like that before. It is hard to tell for sure some of what is going on. Once the votes are cast, Jesse plays the idol on himself. Did someone start to vote for someone other than Jesse? It sure looks like it as they changed it a la Hayden in Blood versus Water before they put the final name down. Karla is voted out. If someone cancels out a vote with an idol, could you still get a perfect game?

 

In the fifth segment of the show, we go straight to the final immunity challenge and technically the penultimate challenge of the game. Is this going to be a recurring thing among today’s finales? We are not going to get any of the talk between the final immunity challenge and tribal council before it? It is Cassidy who wins the challenge with Owen just missing out on it again. I swear, I am not having high hopes for Owen winning.

 

In the sixth segment of the show, Owen already starts to practice fire with him not wanting to give up. He thinks that he could beat Jesse at the fire making. Jesse thinks that Cassidy should face him at the fire making challenge. Cassidy doesn’t want to give up immunity. Gabler seems weak. Owen wants to do this and Cassidy doesn’t want the winner to have a boost on their résumé. She thinks that Gabler wouldn’t be helped by winning the challenge, but is unsure if he can win at all.

 

In the seventh segment of the show, we are at the next tribal council. Both Cassidy and Owen have won a lot of the challenges. Cassidy didn’t want to give up immunity as she feels that doing that is only for people who maybe feel that they haven’t earned their way in the final three. And, suddenly, it makes sense as to why Chris did that in Edge of Extinction. Owen is brought to the final three and Gabler is the one facing Jesse. I’m not as sure about Gabler winning the challenge, but he might based on what has been said thus far. I’ve still been convinced since earlier that Gabler ain’t winning. Is this how he loses? All I know is that we got another commercial break right before it.

 

In the eighth segment of the show, we get to the fire making challenge. Gabler does well with Jesse not getting very far in this. I knew that Jesse was going to lose the fire making tie breaker. Didn’t I call that earlier? They need to stop making some of this obvious. Speaking of obvious, what isn’t as clear to me now is whether or not Cassidy or Owen will win. I’m thinking that it might be Cassidy? But we’ll see. Maybe Owen can turn things around. After all, Charlie Brown is the main character and the person that we are rooting for. But will someone once again take the football from him? Cassidy needed Jesse out of the game to maybe win.

 

In the ninth segment of the show, the final three talk about their game play. A boat full of food comes there. Various jury members talk about things, but I can’t remember who all is on the jury even. Why do they expect us to know who everyone is without showing their names? Maybe I’m just dumb.

 

Total confessional count: Owen- 38, Jesse- 33, Cassidy- 23, Karla- 26, Gabler- 31. New confessionals this episode: Cassidy- 11, Karla- 5, Gabler- 8, Owen- 11, Jesse- 8. Jury confessionals: Ryan- 1, Jeanine- 2, Cody- 2, James- 2, Jesse- 2, Karla- 1, Noelle- 1, Dwight- 2, Sami- 1.

 

In the tenth segment of the show, Jesse starts with his statement. Noelle then starts the group with Gabler saying that he was in all of the groups and never got a vote against him. Cassidy says that she always knew where the votes were going. Owen talks about how he had to work his way to get to where he was in the end. Owen mentioned how he used his steal a vote advantage by doing his ruse. Jeanine does finally confess that she looked through Gabler’s bag. Now I don’t have to try to look that up later. Gabler said that he had to go underwater like an alligator or alli-Gabler.

 

When asked about what her best move before the merge was, Cassidy gives an answer that I miss. And to think, I could have recorded this. I can’t even keep track of some of this as it seems rapid fire in a way. Gabler likes to say that he didn’t get a vote a lot. Was he a silent killer? It wasn’t his intention to be a target ever. But that can happen without it being an intention. I doubt that Matt meant to be the target in Redemption Island. I mean, Wyatt Nash.

 

Noelle mentions to the others that she is a paraolympian. She likes that Cassidy won as much as she did. Did she tie the record previously only held by men? I think that I missed that if she did. Owen explains how he did his win at the final five despite losing the advantage. He also makes amends with James. Gabler explains his clumsy move of openly saying that he might play the shot in the dark. Many of them go into things that they might have done wrong. Owen can’t even think of just one for sure.

 

Jesse talks about how he worked in learning political science and voting behavior. Gabler mentions his and Cassidy says that her was the Ryan vote. They only took out Ryan since James was on the jury so she didn’t know that she wasn’t actually in control. Owen admits that he was never really in control of the vote. Jeff thinks that they were held accountable.

 

In the eleventh segment of the show, we get to the votes being cast. Did no one vote for Owen? That’s sad if that’s true. I really hope that they go back to reunion shows at some point. Well, provided they can actually do them right for a change. They haven’t really cared about them since before Caramoan. And somehow despite everything, Gabler wins the challenge. What was up with his edit? Anyways, we get the after show after the break.

 

In the twelfth segment of the show, Gabler talks about his win. He is now the second oldest winner. It was an open tribal council with his checking most of the boxes on the jury’s to do list. He says that he will be giving the entire million away to a veteran charity. That’s a noble gesture. Dwight talks about how he likes the fact that Gabler is doing this. Jeff asks if Gabler is rich. He isn’t. He keeps saying we when he means me. I hate it when people do that. Never include others in your own decision. I don’t think that he’s forcing the others too, right?

 

In the thirteenth segment of the show, Cassidy talks about her game and liking it. She has become her own inspiration. Owen says that he is glad that he didn’t get jury votes because so many of what he calls great players didn’t get jury votes like Stephen Fishbach in Tocantins. Why do people like Stephen anyways? I’ve never understood that. And zero votes in a final two is just terrible. No one else in a final two can even claim that.

 

Back to the episode, Jeanine talks about everything. We see that Cody almost lost his beware advantage for the first time. Jesse explains how he got the two idols. He even made a move where he showed that his friendship was bigger than voting out his friend. Sami says why people should apply for Survivor. Why do they keep promoting casting for this show? Are people not applying?

 

In the fourteenth segment of the show, we get to Jeff talking to Noelle. Born is the king of Israel. Many people were egging her on to be on the show. People cheered her on even when they were trying to win instead of her. Karla talks about being a character this season. She was strong and proved herself.

 

In the fifteenth segment of the show, Jeff talks about controlling emotions. James says that he was very vulnerable out there. Owen fails a lot at Survivor. The group says that he didn’t fail. Losing is different than failing. Jesse is talked to again. He is another one of those people who were close to winning, but didn’t in the end. He gives an emotional speech about his time in the game and what all he has done so far in life and Survivor. Cody gives the final words of the season.

 

We then get a look at the next season. There is a random person with only one arm? Did he make a mistake in the game? He seems like he had both arms? One of the players is a Seahawk player. And there is a medical event that will maybe bond people. Jeff promises that it will be an entertaining season in the end. Isn’t he contractionally obligated to say that? And it is a punishing season so there might be one or more medical evacuations.

 

Points at live after show: Morriah- 0, Justine- 0, Nneka- 0, Lindsay- 0, Geo- 0, Elie- 0, Dwight- 1, Jeanine- 2, James- 1, Ryan- 0, Noelle- 1, Sami- 2, Cody- 2, Karla- 2, Jesse- 3, Owen- 2, Cassidy- 1, Gabler- 3.

 

There are some things that I’m wanting to talk about before I get much further in this post. I know that when Spencer and Tasha first played in Cagayan, they did fairly good in the game. But Spencer and Tasha both played a terrible game their second time. I’m mentioning that due to them being mentioned in the finale. I was also surprised with Gabler winning as I just didn’t catch the signs of it. Another thing that is worth noting is that I was getting possibly annoyed with how Gabler was phrasing something with a YouTube video by me coming up about it later called “It’s You. It’s Me. It’s Not We.”

 

Now when it comes to the end of the season awards, I can honestly say that I had to look up what had happened on Wikipedia since this season wasn’t as fresh in my mind anymore. But I can still say some of what has gone on.

 

Starting with the three dumbest moves of the season, I will give the bronze to Cody’s blunders. I will give the silver to Dwight’s paranoia since it got him voted out. And the gold goes to Owen’s poor final tribal council performance and otherwise putting himself down too much.

 

I believe that the best breakout character of the season is Jesse and the most memorable moment of the season is Karla & Owen’s joint challenge win. Meanwhile, when it comes to ranking the season, I rank it as 24 out of 43 seasons.

 

Now I had even wanted to post the next season’s premiere before this post at one point in time, but that did not happen as I didn’t want to go out of order with some of what is covered in these posts. Thus, it did not happen. As I want to do a possible update about updates all I can really say is that I can hope that I can do my new rule of posting one post for each blog for every day starting on the previous Sunday. I hope that I can get caught up, but have no idea. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.