Board 8 > Survivor HHH Discussion Topic 1: IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME! (Also, BB19/TAR30)

(+) Yeah! (+)

didn't i explain how shit it is before?

i definitely laid into it in my BB rigjob topic
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You did. And I still cannot understand how you can look at a factually exciting season and consider it worse than seasons that actively avoided power shifts in any way.
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Jessica was a pretty shallow human being. She was only popular as an underdog.
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I feel like you can understand it, but just choose to give bigger weight to a different understanding angle.
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GTM posted...

I feel like you can understand it, but just choose to give bigger weight to a different understanding angle.

I can understand thinking the rigging negatively impacts the season, and I can understand not considering it a top tier season. But I cannot understand actively considering it to be the worst pre-BB19 season of the show. Not when the show has been getting actively worse ever since BB13 with more twists (that drag on far longer than necessary, only when awful like BotB), more rigging, and more detestable casting.
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it's more nuanced than that for me, though i do agree the mid-game power shifts are the best part of BB13

i can easily write a lot about it and maybe i will, but to boil it down my disdain for the season comes from a place of extreme disappointment. it's an emotional ranking.

bb12 was my first season, bb13 was my first full season. two straight years of binge live feeds with brenchel. it was fucking awful to watch live but i was so hooked on the concept and as a newbie i didn't know any better.

i also think dick going early was not good, the pairs twist was bad, the golden keys were bad, the early vet domination in vet/newbie season was bad. all the resisting newbies got picked off and we were left with adam/porsche/kalia (and shelly, who kissed jejo ass and was terrible on the feeds).

the mid-game power shifts were good and fun, legit. great moments. but brendon coming back was terrible, just so bad, even if he does go out again right away. and despite the lackluster newbies winning HoH the producers rigged rachel to win in the final stretch.

also the editing was so one-sided it's insane. it's a horribly edited season. so much bias to the vets who sucked at the game so much and weren't even fun to watch. jeff was bad, jordan was worse, brendon was insufferable and rachel's 'journey to the win' is so forced and bullshit. she was the exact same on bb12 but the cast was somehow dumber in bb13.

but all that aside my main reasons for it being so low (usually last) is because it was a major disappointment as my first full season of the show on so many levels. it was infuriating to watch the producers strip whatever integrity i thought the show might have right before my eyes live.

the satisfying moments were fleeting. my dislike of the season carries on.
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It did get interesting when Cody came back and Jessica won hoh. That's why I went back to watching it. However, they bungled that week, then Jessica mishandled the hex, Cody couldn't put his temper aside and the dickheads weren't put in their place, so it went back to shitshow.
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Inviso posted...

I'm just watching the recap episode now. Hate these people. Also, Cameron and Jillian both got screen time during the crying DR montage...so Ramses is quite literally the most useless member of this cast.

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i honestly kinda forgot survivor was starting soon

lol at big brother. Dunno why anybody continues to watch it. Second hand embarrassment in television form.
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YoRyanetc posted...

Dunno why anybody continues to watch it.

There are parts that I enjoy and there are people I enjoy it with.
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Australian Survivor episode 17
So much for the Super Idol being effective TV. It... wasn't. The move does make sense for Ziggy, who is smart to keep meat shields in the game. She better also not win immunity again for a few rounds because that's only going to remind people how much of a beast she is. It would only serve to enlarge her target. That said, I don't think she's a contender to win, seeing as everyone knows she's a massive all-around threat.

It sucks to lose Anneliese. It was a blindside - Anneliese thought her idol would keep her safe, after all - but it cost us an easily rootable girl-next-door type. She wasn't going to win any physical challenges, but she would have rocked anything dominated by a puzzle.

I legit like everyone left not named Tara, so that's a plus. WAY better than last season, when at this point I couldn't stomach half of them for being hypocrites and/or arrogant jerks. This is by far the more strategic season and it's thus way more entertaining than the Pagonging provided at last year's merge. Hoping tomorrow's episode delivers too!
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I will continue to argue that South Pacific and Gamechangers weren't that bad but I'm typically alone on that. I also liked Sarah
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Centurion posted...

Inviso posted...

I'm just watching the recap episode now. Hate these people. Also, Cameron and Jillian both got screen time during the crying DR montage...so Ramses is quite literally the most useless member of this cast.

one of these players had a good idea how to play the game

the other did not
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Gamechangers was fine. A low tier season overall imo but low tier survivor is still good tv

And sarah doesnt need our support. Her mom thinks shes cool
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eaedwards6400 posted...

I will continue to argue that South Pacific and Gamechangers weren't that bad but I'm typically alone on that. I also liked Sarah

I actually don't think South Pacific is that bad just for the ending.

And my only complaint on Australian Survivor Episode 17 is the same complaint I've had for a long time now, which is that I'm having to see ANYBODY other than Tara and Michelle get voted out this week, and that I'd much prefer legit anybody else left but them. Any episode that ends with them both staying and doesn't include 1 of them going just feels like a bit of a disappointment and failure at living up to the season's potential fully. Which is kind of unfortunate.

Australian Survivor Episode 18:

Damn that is a good auction prize to get for Luke. Thought he may have given the rest of his cash to someone else to use ($180 I think it was) once he was out or at least shared some of his rewards, but guessing he couldn't, or just didn't want to.

Good choice of elimination, even if there are others I would rather see go first. You need to blindside strong players who have idols like that when you can. It should make the rest of the season a lot more interesting now, as I had sort of feared Henry would cruise to the end being a bit of a challenge beast with an idol.

Hoping they don't bring the idols back into play that have been used (or taken home) the last two episodes so that it makes it more even for anyone to win, but they likely will.
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I won't be able to watch the finale live tomorrow, my flight gets in at 8PM EST. D:

Last year I was unable to watch it live as well, I was in a time zone 5 hours ahead, and my mom sent me a text as it was happening live right when Paul lost. She was like "oh wow I can't believe he was so close!" Wasn't an outright spoiler but I inferred enough. I was like 'well either Paul or James is losing...'

I wasn't a big Paul fan last year but I was definitely rooting for him over Nicole/James. Paul > Nicole > James. Wasn't that disappointed Nicole won, Paul botched his finale performance a bit.

It was nothing over the BB17 finale. That was one of the most disappointed I've been in the result, even though the winner wasn't a bad guy. It's just the potential for a great result was right there, it would've been glorious. Even greater than Dan going 2-0 (to me).

BB19's potential is pretty low. I'll be OK with whatever the outcome.
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I don't see how anyone can be OK with a Paul win.
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bwburke94 posted...

I don't see how anyone can be OK with a Paul win.

I mean, I guess Paul's family and Grodner can be okay with it, lol.

at this point i think you're either OK with whatever or you're not OK with any of them winning

i don't care enough to root against one more than the other
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I'm ok with Paul winning
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At this point, Paul might as well win because even if Josh wins the ridicule will be endless.
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eaedwards6400 posted...

At this point, Paul might as well win because even if Josh wins the ridicule will be endless.

I kinda want that though.
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Made this: https://i.imgur.com/UI0Oo7S.png?1
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gotta tell your mom no texts on BB tomorrow then
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Aus Episode 18

Good lord this season just keeps delivering. There are so many incredible players.

The group that blindsided Henry is probably my favorite hodgepodge alliance in such a long time.
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Survivor AU 17/18


Wow! I am beginning to wonder if this show is actually scripted but how the hell can it get any better? It keeps outdoing itself. I have started to believe it is fully scripted and the best possible outcomes just keep happening because of it... but then I get reminded that Tara is still around >_<

Annalise I feel slightly bad for... slightly... She made the right play, but got not only cockblocked but eliminated by that super idol. Good on Henry to make the decision to flush out her idol AND the super idol and still keep his idol!

BUT

XD at what followed. I felt bad for Tessa but I never counted her out. The champagne alliance was foolhardy and doomed to failure and Michelle's investment in it, telling secrets in front of Luke... that just sealed her dumb, drunken fate... right? NO! It didn't! Luke "I love big moves but only when they are MY moves!" actually went along with it and it just got better and better.

After all of the drama at tribal council, Locky came out looking good telling Henry to save himself. It was a good tribal. Good balance of paranoia and downplaying... too much of EITHER means someone is fucking blindsided. Keep it even and you are playing your part right. They did, and Locky STILL saw through and advised Henry correctly, but Henry was too arrogant to burn the idol and took a chance, and lost.

I was clapping. At the same time, fucking GREAT (not just good) on him for taking his elimination with humility and grace and giving credit to his blindsiders, just as Annalise did. Class acts, both of them. No question.

I don't really dislike anyone left. I could rank them on how much I want them winning, but I don't see any way to actively root AGAINST anyone winning... wait, nevermind. Tara. >_>. Even then, I don't hate her. Worst case scenario, she's 3rd place voteless goat and I'm okay with that if that's what happens.

Give an extra 500 grand to the casting department to divide up amongst themselves. They deserve it. Last season was phenomenal and this season has already left it in the fucking dust.

ATTN: Burnett and Grodner: Stop fucking up plz :)
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Finale night...

Who's excited for Josh to beat Paul in final HoH competition, vote him out and then lose to Christmas in final 2?




...or more realistically, lose to Paul and then Paul wins 7-0. Only Paul fans are allowed to sit in the live audience tonight too I bet.
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I am not even watching this finale. Instead of suffering through two hours of monotony, I'm concluding my Micronesia rewatch (it remains one of Survivor's best seasons, with a great all-around cast and highly entertaining blindsides) and watching AUS Survivor episode 18 instead, which I did not get around to last night (Machete, I'll reply to your PMs after I do that).
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Micronesia is overrated in my opinion.
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I think it's overrated by casuals and underrated by hardcore fans.
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KujikawaRising posted...

I am not even watching this finale. Instead of suffering through two hours of monotony, I'm concluding my Micronesia rewatch (it remains one of Survivor's best seasons, with a great all-around cast and highly entertaining blindsides) and watching AUS Survivor episode 18 instead, which I did not get around to last night (Machete, I'll reply to your PMs after I do that).

I realized this morning that you may not have so I was hoping you either didn't read the PMs or stopped before any spoilers.
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Peridiam posted...

I think it's overrated by casuals and underrated by hardcore fans.

I think it's overrated too. Not by a lot. Just a bit. Not being a fan of the winner tends to make me feel that way about a lot of seasons though.
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Not top 10 but I'll give it top half
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Micronesia is top 2. I mean, yes, Penner left way too early, and that sucked, but that's not a knock against the season. The season was consistently thrilling and surprising and aside from Mary, Chet, and Kathy, everyone was offering something. Micronesia was the "blossoming point" to the modern game of Survivor after the prior three seasons had watered the seed.

Is Parvati overrated as a winner? Yes. She did not do a great job at managing jurors. Putting Eliza down and telling her to get lost was not a good idea - there's no way Eliza would have voted for Parvati in the finals against Cirie (and had Amanda not been so emotional at the F3, Eliza might have voted for Amanda for that still-incredible idol stunt). The way she approached Amanda about having an alliance with Catalie and Alexis was also bad and only served to earn LividManda's ire. She also didn't properly do damage control with James, instead burning the bridge completely. Parvati won because she was against Amanda. Amanda had that sorry display at F3 where she didn't go for the jugular with confidence, which when mixed with her FTC performance cost her Eliza and Jason.

Still maintain that the Ozzy, Alexis, and Erik vote-offs are among the best in the show's history. The cast is a highly entertaining mix of people, the location is beautiful, and the level of play is so high. In my mind, the only knocks are having a quitter, two MedEvacs, and Chet. Everything else more than compensates for that.

The most overrated season is actually Kaoh Rong.
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Micronesia is definitely overrated. If you remove the big blindside atmosphere post-merge, it's just a group of poorly-developed characters succeeding due to a series of utterly stupid decisions from the male cast. Micronesia is definitely the genesis of modern survivor's emphasis on #bigmovez over character development.
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I think one of my big problems with Micronesia is that the part of the pre-merge after the swap just feels like it lasts forever for some bizarre reason even though it's only what, 4-5 episodes?

we're only 15 minutes in and Paul has already started fake crying
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cake frying
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(AU survivor)

Apparently Tara is only 32 O_O and Michelle is actually 33. That seems crazy to me. Never would have expected Michelle to be that close in age to me or Tara to be younger than me lol.
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There must be some rule we're not saying, because it seems like the best strategy would be to knock everyone down, then put them all back up at the end.
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kept it tight
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Inviso posted...

There must be some rule we're not saying, because it seems like the best strategy would be to knock everyone down, then put them all back up at the end.

yeah I wouldn't have put them back up until the end, no point
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L M A O

Paul would have finished that in like a half hour tops
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I really hate this forced heroic edit Paul is getting now.
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"I can literally taste it"

The flavor of half a million dollars is present on Josh's actual taste buds, as if the check was physically in his mouth.
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Paul trying to force this redemption edit SO HARD solidifies him as the worst of all time imo
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also, Paul is definitely winning part 3. It's the knowledge comp and he will have studied -_-

garbage season
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ImTheMacheteGuy posted...

also, Paul is definitely winning part 3. It's the knowledge comp and he will have studied -_-

garbage season

Part 3 is usually the crapshoot comp where you have to guess what each juror said between two choices. Now, he'll still probably win, but it's not a guarantee.
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big brother 20: mark vs matt: we've run out of ideas island
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