Survivor S40: Winners at War

[flynnibus]

My take... Natalie has the most drive to get back in this game and push. She wants it bad and somehow still is in shape to do it.

I feel bad for Jeremy how people keep flipping and dumping on him..

Denise and Nick still are getting by without being the main targets... I think they might be able to play that and go deep on the 'goat' pitch to other players.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I can't imagine Survivor ending any time soon. The ratings are still great.

It's still cheaper than most TV shows, as the prize money hasn't increased. Compare that to a long-running TV series where cast salaries increase significantly over time. I'm sure Jeff is making a fortune, but it's ultimately a cast of one as far as salaries go.

 

[PUSH]

Dalton Ross asked Jeff if he think Survivor will make it to season 50 before the start of this season.

Jeff Probst on if 'Survivor' will make it to season 50

The 'Survivor' host is not ready to commit to making it to the biggest anniversary season yet.

ew.com

 

[PUSH]

Survivor currency, mayor, etc.... does not sound interesting to me.

I think he was talking about the fire tokens. I was very skeptical at first, but I think they are okay. I wouldn't be sad to keep them or see them go. The players really make up the rules for them. That's what I like about them. They are focused more on the social and strategic parts of the game.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I think he was talking about the fire tokens. I was very skeptical at first, but I think they are okay. I wouldn't be sad to keep them or see them go. The players really make up the rules for them. That's what I like about them. They are focused more on the social and strategic parts of the game.

Fire tokens definitely have potential to be interesting.

This season, they may suffer a bit in that they're linked to the Edge, a controversial aspect of the game. It's crazy that players who have been voted out were able to make a move directly against Tony, but it did make for interesting dynamics. It's also crazy that players gave their fire tokens to Tony. Tony was going to be excluded from the immunity challenge and vote, which means better odds and more power for everyone else. Yet, they gave him their tokens.

It also put Michele in an interesting position, where she didn't have tokens to give him, but had to lie about why she didn't, lest she reveal her coin flip advantage too soon.

Fire tokens can still be problematic, where players cement power by pooling their resources to purchase advantages, but that might be more interesting, and more fair, than scenarios where one player gets an advantage in an unfair fashion (i.e. where someone went to Island of the Idols and gained something no one else had a chance to get).

 

[PUSH]

Fire tokens definitely have potential to be interesting.

This season, they may suffer a bit in that they're linked to the Edge, a controversial aspect of the game. It's crazy that players who have been voted out were able to make a move directly against Tony, but it did make for interesting dynamics. It's also crazy that players gave their fire tokens to Tony. Tony was going to be excluded from the immunity challenge and vote, which means better odds and more power for everyone else. Yet, they gave him their tokens.

It also put Michele in an interesting position, where she didn't have tokens to give him, but had to lie about why she didn't, lest she reveal her coin flip advantage too soon.

Fire tokens can still be problematic, where players cement power by pooling their resources to purchase advantages, but that might be more interesting, and more fair, than scenarios where one player gets an advantage in an unfair fashion (i.e. where someone went to Island of the Idols and gained something no one else had a chance to get).

Not that I am advocating for EoE in any way, shape, or form, but I'm not sure how they would use fire tokens without the Edge. Right now, the tokens have value because players use them to buy advantages. Those advantages come from players on the Edge. Where would they come if there is no Edge? I have some thoughts, but none of them are really good options IMO.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Not that I am advocating for EoE in any way, shape, or form, but I'm not sure how they would use fire tokens without the Edge. Right now, the tokens have value because players use them to buy advantages. Those advantages come from players on the Edge. Where would they come if there is no Edge? I have some thoughts, but none of them are really good options IMO.

Good question.

They also come alongside immunity wins, which itself raises the question - should immunity wins be given that extra level of power & reward?

They could certainly hide them like they hide idols. This could result in one player controlling a lot, but I still like it better than one player finding an idol and changing the game.

I can see them doing challenges like the coconut one this week, where the top 6 finishers get a token.

They could be offered as an incentive to quit a challenge, instead of food.

 

[artvandelay]

Not that I am advocating for EoE in any way, shape, or form, but I'm not sure how they would use fire tokens without the Edge. Right now, the tokens have value because players use them to buy advantages. Those advantages come from players on the Edge. Where would they come if there is no Edge? I have some thoughts, but none of them are really good options IMO.

There is a fire token menu for the competitors (extra rice, a canopy, pillows, etc), but it hasn’t come into play yet because of EoE. Without EoE, players might buy stuff for themselves or their tribe.

 

[manmythlegend]

I can't imagine Survivor ending any time soon. The ratings are still great.

It's still cheaper than most TV shows, as the prize money hasn't increased. Compare that to a long-running TV series where cast salaries increase significantly over time. I'm sure Jeff is making a fortune, but it's ultimately a cast of one as far as salaries go.

Jeff is 58, not old by any means but he's been doing this for 20 years. How much longer does he want to keep doing it? Are there other things he wants to accomplish in life? And I have zero interest in watching Survivor with a new host.

 

[artvandelay]

My take... Natalie has the most drive to get back in this game and push. She wants it bad and somehow still is in shape to do it.

I feel bad for Jeremy how people keep flipping and dumping on him..

Denise and Nick still are getting by without being the main targets... I think they might be able to play that and go deep on the 'goat' pitch to other players.

I thought if Jeremy made it to the final tribal, he’d win, but now I’m not so sure. He’s looked weak in front of the jury twice (walked out in one tribal and reliant on Tony to save him last tribal). Still, he’s has a lot of friends on that jury...

 

[PUSH]

There is a fire token menu for the competitors (extra rice, a canopy, pillows, etc), but it hasn’t come into play yet because of EoE. Without EoE, players might buy stuff for themselves or their tribe.

Is that really interesting to the viewer, though? I don't think that adds much value to the social and strategic parts of the game. And I think a lot of that would get cut from the episode anyway.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Jeff is 58, not old by any means but he's been doing this for 20 years. How much longer does he want to keep doing it? Are there other things he wants to accomplish in life? And I have zero interest in watching Survivor with a new host.

I don't know how much prep time is involved in Survivor, but filming in Fiji for 78 days a year, while making loads of money, still leaves time for plenty else.

Jeff is great, but I have no problem watching South Africa and Australia, with their different hosts, each of whom is also great in their own way.

 

[manmythlegend]

I don't know how much prep time is involved in Survivor, but filming in Fiji for 78 days a year, while making loads of money, still leaves time for plenty else.

Jeff is great, but I have no problem watching South Africa and Australia, with their different hosts, each of whom is also great in their own way.

Nobody will ever do it as good as Jeff, IMO.

 

[PUSH]

I thought if Jeremy made it to the final tribal, he’d win, but now I’m not so sure. He’s looked weak in front of the jury twice (walked out in one tribal and reliant on Tony to save him last tribal). Still, he’s has a lot of friends on that jury...

I still have Jeremy in the top tier with Tony as far as who would win in the end. Tony would be 1A, Jeremy would be 1B. Jeremy is an extremely social player. Aside from Ben, I'm not sure if there's a single person who has disliked him after playing with him. And while he definitely has had help to get this far, he played an advantage correctly to save himself, and he has avoided getting voted out so far. And he correctly read that he did not need to play the 50/50 coin. But the biggest thing to me is he is doing what won him the game in Cambodia. Episode after episode, he has had numerous different players come to him and tell him the plan. Tony most recently, but a couple episodes back he had almost every single player run to him to tell him the plan while he sat on a bench. That is what great players are able to do. It's exactly what happened in Cambodia. He has the social relationships that allows the game to come to him. The only difference is, now he is a consistent target because he played so well in Cambodia. But if he makes it to the end, that becomes beneficial to him. He avoided the votes when he was a constant target.

If I was on the jury, this is how I'd cast my winning vote at this point in the game:

1. Tony
2. Jeremy
3. Sarah
4. Michele
5. Denise
6. Nick
7. Ben

 

[manmythlegend]

Sarah definitely dropped in my eyes after the most recent episode. She seems to be under the notion that she has a god given right to sit in the F3. Sorry Sarah, you do not. Play your own game Sarah, make your own decisions, and expect others to do the same. Tony owes you absolutely nothing.

 

[PUSH]

I don't know how much prep time is involved in Survivor, but filming in Fiji for 78 days a year, while making loads of money, still leaves time for plenty else.

Jeff is great, but I have no problem watching South Africa and Australia, with their different hosts, each of whom is also great in their own way.

I always used to think that Jeff was the thing that made Survivor. And I think that was true back in the day. But I think the casting is so great now, that another person could take over. It couldn't be just anybody, but I think there'd be some options out there. I still love Jeff, but I do think he's gotten more egotistical as the show ages. In newer interviews, he seems to be stuck in his ways, and whatever he thinks is a good idea is what ends up happening. In older interviews, it seemed to be more of a team effort. But Jeff has more control now than he used to, so that's bound to happen.

 

[PUSH]

I just read an interesting perspective on the whispering from Julie Rosenberg on Twitter. For those that aren't sure which Julie this is, she played in EoE. She pointed out how the whispering is unfair to the people sitting in the front row because they can't see what's going on behind them without turning their heads. She also pointed out the majority of the time it's women who are placed in the front row. Someone questioned her about it, and she came back to say every single Tribal Council in EoE, it was mostly women sitting in the front row.

That's something I hadn't even thought about with the whispering. When you think about it, that is a pretty good advantage to be sitting in the back row in modern day Survivor. Just adds another reason to the list of why I dislike the whispering.

 

[manmythlegend]

I just read an interesting perspective on the whispering from Julie Rosenberg on Twitter. For those that aren't sure which Julie this is, she played in EoE. She pointed out how the whispering is unfair to the people sitting in the front row because they can't see what's going on behind them without turning their heads. She also pointed out the majority of the time it's women who are placed in the front row. Someone questioned her about it, and she came back to say every single Tribal Council in EoE, it was mostly women sitting in the front row.

That's something I hadn't even thought about with the whispering. When you think about it, that is a pretty good advantage to be sitting in the back row in modern day Survivor. Just adds another reason to the list of why I dislike the whispering.

Wow that is a damn good observation by Julie there. I'm just not sure what can be done about the whispering. I actually dislike it but you can't really tell the players not to whisper. What if a player(s) want to change their mind? Do they have to announce for all to hear?

 

[JPPT1974]

Really when Tony does not get immunity or gets his H.I.I. done, need to vote him out and then later Ben.

 

[PUSH]

Really when Tony does not get immunity or gets his H.I.I. done, need to vote him out and then later Ben.

I get Tony, but why Ben?