Survivor! David vs. Goliath

[Wendy Pleakley]

I am trying to understand this vote and these advantages. I totally get the steal-a-vote play. The nullifier, though, I question. Did they need to use that? Or could they have just anticipated Dan played an idol for himself, then vote for someone else like Kara? The way it played out and the actual votes that were cast lead me to believe that Alec, Alison, and Kara were on board with flipping, and the Davids knew it. They knew only Dan, Angelina, and Mike would have votes for Christian, so they threw a couple votes to Angelina as insurance, they didn't want to take out Mike as he's an easy vote later on, and they want Dan out now. The edit looked like Alec, Alison, and Kara only flipped because they saw Nick steal a vote, which I don't know if that's truly accurate. And the reason they stole Alison's vote is to take the scent off of Dan, and the nullifier was just an insurance policy in case Dan played it on himself. So many moving pieces here, and I don't know if what I typed is understandable... I was trying to play out the scenario in my head.

I feel with these big moments the last few weeks, they have purposely edited in a way we see very little, to make the tribal council surprising and dramatic. In other words, it's very hard to know what happened and why when we are given so little information.

My initial thought was the same, why not steal Alison's vote as a decoy and then do the vote against a Kara, which the Goliaths would have been unlikely to predict.

Maybe they just wanted 100% certainty, which is what they got with playing the idol nullifier on Dan. Considering how hard it would be to play that at the right time on the right person, I can't fault it's use now. Dan is a threat in the game, and getting him out is wise.

They also seemed to be skeptical about the Goliath's flipping, so again I see where playing it safe was a good choice.

This was a key moment of the game, and the David's played it well. They worked together and shared information & advantages in a smart way. Advantages are often held in secret to be used as an individual, but using them together has paid off, twice in a row.

 

[PUSH]

I feel with these big moments the last few weeks, they have purposely edited in a way we see very little, to make the tribal council surprising and dramatic. In other words, it's very hard to know what happened and why when we are given so little information.

My initial thought was the same, why not steal Alison's vote as a decoy and then do the vote against a Kara, which the Goliaths would have been unlikely to predict.

Maybe they just wanted 100% certainty, which is what they got with playing the idol nullifier on Dan. Considering how hard it would be to play that at the right time on the right person, I can't fault it's use now. Dan is a threat in the game, and getting him out is wise.

They also seemed to be skeptical about the Goliath's flipping, so again I see where playing it safe was a good choice.

This was a key moment of the game, and the David's played it well. They worked together and shared information & advantages in a smart way. Advantages are often held in secret to be used as an individual, but using them together has paid off, twice in a row.

I think with the Davids, they've been very smart with their advantages. They've kept them secret until they've needed to reveal them in order to survive. They didn't flaunt them right away, which is why Dan ended up going home. He shared his idol information, and you have to know that others will use that against you and to further their games.

 

[PUSH]

So I got to thinking about what players have a chance to win should they get to the end. I think there are only two players at this point with absolutely no shot to win if they make it to the end, and that would be Mike and Angelina. I think Angelina has too much damage control to do if she makes it there, and I think Mike missed his chance to make a play that would put him in a good position. He chose an alliance where he didn't have any strong allies, and now that alliance seems to have broken into a state of disrepair.

The rest of the cast I think could have a shot at winning should they make it to the end. Here's a breakdown.

1. Christian - He has been the biggest target/threat in the game since the merge. If he's able to go all the way, it would be hard to vote for anyone but him. He has an incredible ability to relate to anyone, and he has a very charming personality.

2. Nick - He has been the "silent assassin" if you will. He's been in control of many votes without taking the heat for them. He has created several strong alliances, and made bonds with some of the people already voted out. I think he's in the best position in the game. He has in roads with every player still in the game except Angelina.

3. Alec - I think he's been the perfect middle man. He made a big move to take out Natalia in the pre-merge, and he still managed to get back in good graces with the Goliaths that be betrayed. He probably has the most allies in the game, maybe besides Nick. At some point he's been aligned with every person that's currently on the jury or will be on the jury. If he makes it to the end his challenge ability will be impressive, too.

4. Gabby - She can win if she's not there next to Christian or Nick. If she's there without them, she will look like the face of the Davids. If she's there with them, she will look like the second tier to them. She has the ability to establish bonds with certain people, but not all.

5. Davie - His idol play is a huge resume booster, and he is likable. He needs to do some more to boost his resume, but he's capable of doing so.

6. Alison - She needs to make a move, but also needs to take out the top David threats to win. I think she has the relationships to accomplish that. She just needs to pull the trigger at some point.

7. Kara - She took a huge step forward this past episode. She's charming, smart, and strategic, and I will never count that combination of skills out. She needs to keep making moves, but she's underrated and not a target at this point. She's very self-aware, and she knows when she's on the bottom. She took the steps this episode to build relationships with the Davids, which she would need to win the game.

8. Carl - His idol nullifier is what puts him in the list of possible winners. It's really been his only move, although I guess you could somewhat put the Elizabeth vote on him. I don't know if he has the relationships to get the votes he needs, but if he makes some more moves and get there with the right people, he could possibly win. It would have to be the perfect scenario, though.

 

[PUSH]

Just read a Josh Wigler interview with Nick. Sounds like they had the idea to use the vote steal on Dan, have him play his idol on himself (that they were very suspicious he had), then vote out Kara or Alison. However, they wanted to be 100% positive they could get someone out, so they played the nullifier on Dan, too. There were a couple reasons to steal Alison's vote. First, if Dan played the idol on Alison, Jeff would have never mentioned the nullifier at Tribal because it was played on Dan. That meant Nick's vote steal would have gotten all the credit. Second, Nick said it was fun to troll Alison because she was freaking out the whole Tribal Council. Third, because he knew Alison would be the most analytic and understand why they decided that, and she'd still be willing to work with Nick down the road.

It sounds like Alec, Nick, and Kara were all going to vote against the Davids until that vote steal was played.

Going back to the John blindside, only Nick and Davie knew about the idol, and he quickly went to Christian to tell him to trust him, vote for John, and that 3 votes would be enough. The reason he didn't elaborate was because he didn't want to talk too long and make the Goliaths suspicious.

 

[artvandelay]

Just read a Josh Wigler interview with Nick. Sounds like they had the idea to use the vote steal on Dan, have him play his idol on himself (that they were very suspicious he had), then vote out Kara or Alison. However, they wanted to be 100% positive they could get someone out, so they played the nullifier on Dan, too. There were a couple reasons to steal Alison's vote. First, if Dan played the idol on Alison, Jeff would have never mentioned the nullifier at Tribal because it was played on Dan. That meant Nick's vote steal would have gotten all the credit. Second, Nick said it was fun to troll Alison because she was freaking out the whole Tribal Council. Third, because he knew Alison would be the most analytic and understand why they decided that, and she'd still be willing to work with Nick down the road.

It sounds like Alec, Nick, and Kara were all going to vote against the Davids until that vote steal was played.

Going back to the John blindside, only Nick and Davie knew about the idol, and he quickly went to Christian to tell him to trust him, vote for John, and that 3 votes would be enough. The reason he didn't elaborate was because he didn't want to talk too long and make the Goliaths suspicious.

I read that interview too. A good insight into Nick’s game. I see him eventually flipping on the David’s, knowing he can’t beat Christian or Davie. I can see him going to the end with Allison and Mike.

 

[PUSH]

I read that interview too. A good insight into Nick’s game. I see him eventually flipping on the David’s, knowing he can’t beat Christian or Davie. I can see him going to the end with Allison and Mike.

I think he can beat Davie. Really, Davie doesn't have a whole lot on his resume other than his idol play for Christian. Honestly, Christian doesn't have a whole lot either, but the perception is he's a bigger player. I think Nick could beat anyone besides Christian. And if it were me voting, I'd vote for Nick over anyone at this point in the season. I can see Nick going to the end with just about any combination of people. He has that many relationships. After reading Wigler's interview, it sounds like he's had an alliance/relationship with everyone except for maybe Dan that is on the jury or will be on the jury.

I have a feeling Mike White will be in the final three, but will receive no votes. I can see Nick getting to the end and getting the win. What I am struggling to see is who would be the number two, the person who could steal votes away. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Alec. The only thing that makes me skeptical on Alec's chances is his challenge ability.

So much to go, and probably none of this will pan out how I'm thinking it will.

 

[artvandelay]

Next week is a two hour episode.

 

[artvandelay]

Two great episodes. This season has not had a bad week. Can it continue for the last three weeks?

 

[PUSH]

I'll refrain from a massive post this week, but I really liked Alec. He is probably the player that exceeded my expectations the most. Early on he was getting the purple edit, and what little he said sounded like a college frat house. But really, I would have voted for him in the end unless he was sitting next to Christian or Nick. His move on Natalie was questionable, but it looks like it wasn't a bad move in the long run.

Carl's entire character arc played out in this episode. He's not seen, then all of a sudden he's the kingpin in the tribe. He gets drunk (which was hilarious) and gets blindsided. I loved Christian talking about him being sloshed. Jacketgate still takes the cake, but this was number 2 in terms of great moments from the season.

I also am really liking Kara. I wasn't sure I was going to in the beginning, but everyone is going to her with information, and she's using that to her advantage. She's smart. She's like the Nick of the Goliaths, except she hasn't been calling as many shots.

Gabby may have just put herself on the radar, and I think that's just another shield for Christian. I don't think Gabby is perceived as trustworthy as Christian, which could lend to her being voted out.

Power rankings:

1. Davie
2. Mike
3. Nick
4. Kara
5. Christian
6. Angelina
7. Gabby
8. Alison

 

[SAV]

Carl Interview: https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/201...relationship-im-not-sure-where-it-fell-apart/

Alec inteview: https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/201...ian-would-have-stayed-up-there-for-ten-hours/

Dan interview: https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/201...viously-i-trusted-the-wrong-person-out-there/

John interview: https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/201...alec-because-of-the-way-he-voted-out-natalia/

 

[PUSH]

I'm not feeling well enough for a full-blown post here, but I had a feeling it would be Gabby this episode. She got confident and comfortable. So happy Christian stayed.

My power rankings:

1. Angelina
2. Kara
3. Mike
4. Davie
5. Christian
6 Alison
7. Nick

 

[artvandelay]

I'm not feeling well enough for a full-blown post here, but I had a feeling it would be Gabby this episode. She got confident and comfortable. So happy Christian stayed.

My power rankings:

1. Angelina
2. Kara
3. Mike
4. Davie
5. Christian
6 Alison
7. Nick

Excellent episode! This has been a great season. Depending on the finish it could be a top 5 season.

 

[GenerationX]

This has been a terrific season. Even the usually intolerable loved ones episode had some game-relevant petty jealousy to keep my interest. I think the other players are under-estimating Davie.

 

[PUSH]

Excellent episode! This has been a great season. Depending on the finish it could be a top 5 season.

If it finishes strong it will rival Cagayan for the best newbie season. And while that cast was fantastic, I think this cast is even better.

 

[SAV]

Definitely not your typical Loved ones episode. Some tears, but not as much focus on them as in previous seasons.

They were definitely focusing so much that it was going to be Christian, you knew it wasn't going to be him. Once they mentioned the plan for Gaby, I knew it was going to be her. They didn't invest this much TV time into Christian to have his last show not show him as much.

This season has been so unpredictable that I won't even bother to think of a favorite...I'm just enjoying the ride.

Gaby Interview:
https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/201...-end-with-christian-and-came-in-second-place/

 

[DinoInstitute]

If it finishes strong it will rival Cagayan for the best newbie season. And while that cast was fantastic, I think this cast is even better.

Honestly no matter how it finishes I think the season has been excellent enough that it will join Cagayan and Koah Rong as the holy trinity of modern survivor newbie seasons. Not sure which is best among those though, which the ending will certainly help decide. The one thing that could hurt it is if Christian ends up Ben Driebergening his way to the end, though I don't necessarily see that happening.

But perhaps the best part about this season though is exactly that- it's very hard to tell what's going to happen here as we get to the end! The 3 David's are definitely the 3 biggest threats to win left in the game, and if the Goliath's were smart they'd take advantage of the new majority they just barely got to take final 4...but also I don't really see it being that simple with this cast, lol.

 

[PUSH]

Honestly no matter how it finishes I think the season has been excellent enough that it will join Cagayan and Koah Rong as the holy trinity of modern survivor newbie seasons. Not sure which is best among those though, which the ending will certainly help decide. The one thing that could hurt it is if Christian ends up Ben Driebergening his way to the end, though I don't necessarily see that happening.

But perhaps the best part about this season though is exactly that- it's very hard to tell what's going to happen here as we get to the end! The 3 David's are definitely the 3 biggest threats to win left in the game, and if the Goliath's were smart they'd take advantage of the new majority they just barely got to take final 4...but also I don't really see it being that simple with this cast, lol.

I liked Koah Rong, but I mainly see it listed as a middle of the pack season. More people seem to be on board with Millennials vs Gen X as the better season, although I wasn't super high on that season.

The one thing Cagayan has over any other season is Tony. Just completely ridiculous strategy and gameplay... and he somehow won! I also was a massive Spencer fan in that season. I know most people probably love Christian more, and not that I don't like Christian, but I like Spencer more.

 

[DinoInstitute]

I liked Koah Rong, but I mainly see it listed as a middle of the pack season. More people seem to be on board with Millennials vs Gen X as the better season, although I wasn't super high on that season.

The one thing Cagayan has over any other season is Tony. Just completely ridiculous strategy and gameplay... and he somehow won! I also was a massive Spencer fan in that season. I know most people probably love Christian more, and not that I don't like Christian, but I like Spencer more.

Oh it’s kind of the opposite for me, I feel like most people hold KR very highly especially compared to MvGX. But yeah, Tony is certainly one of a kind and for sure one of the best characters ever, whenever he’s on screen he’s doing something tv gold. Joe Mena can try but there’ll never be another Tony

 

[PUSH]

Oh it’s kind of the opposite for me, I feel like most people hold KR very highly especially compared to MvGX. But yeah, Tony is certainly one of a kind and for sure one of the best characters ever, whenever he’s on screen he’s doing something tv gold. Joe Mena can try but there’ll never be another Tony

I hope I never see Joe play again. I just didn't like him.

 

[artvandelay]

Honestly no matter how it finishes I think the season has been excellent enough that it will join Cagayan and Koah Rong as the holy trinity of modern survivor newbie seasons. Not sure which is best among those though, which the ending will certainly help decide. The one thing that could hurt it is if Christian ends up Ben Driebergening his way to the end, though I don't necessarily see that happening.

But perhaps the best part about this season though is exactly that- it's very hard to tell what's going to happen here as we get to the end! The 3 David's are definitely the 3 biggest threats to win left in the game, and if the Goliath's were smart they'd take advantage of the new majority they just barely got to take final 4...but also I don't really see it being that simple with this cast, lol.

What’s great about this season is there are 7 people left and 6 people have a case to win the game (Angela is the only one with no chance of winning).