Dee Watches Survivor (Currently On Kaoh Rong)

[Deeee]

2 minutes ago, Solaris said:

Your opinion.  My opinion is that its a Top 3 season.  Its about the season as a whole from the first boot to the winner and any drama/vote outs that happen in between.  At the end of the day we each have our own opinions.  

 

Anyway for Dee here are my Top 5:

 

1.  Heroes vs Villains

2   Micronesia

3.  Cambodia

4.  Palau

5.  Cagayan

~Pearl Islands would land 6 or 7 for me~

I love Palau, I feel like from my research most people do. I might rank it higher by the end of my watching experience.

[Solaris]

I also forgot San Juan Del Sur, that's probably the last member of my Top 6/7

Edited May 28, 2020 by Solaris

[Alex95]

1 minute ago, Deeee said:

OOPS.

 

Everybody has hyped Micronesia so far, so it’s interesting to see somebody present a different opinion. 

It’s a great season! Just not a goat season. And I suspect you’ll agree with me on the ending more than Sola and Elliott

[Solaris]

Just now, Deeee said:

I love Palau, I feel like from my research most people do. I might rank it higher by the end of my watching experience.

 

 

Palau was amazing because oh the systematic annihilation of  Ulong.  But on top of that we really got to know both tribes very well over the season because of the loses.

[Solaris]

Just now, Alex95 said:

It’s a great season! Just not a goat season. And I suspect you’ll agree with me on the ending more than Sola and Elliott

 

 

IDK fandom as a whole considers it one of the greatest of all time, you're opinion is the outlier in this.

[Alex95]

2 minutes ago, Solaris said:

 

 

IDK fandom as a whole considers it one of the greatest of all time, you're opinion is the outlier in this.

The same fandom who whined that Russell Hantz got robbed twice? Not sure I'm seeing eye to eye there.

[.Rei]

Of the seasons I’ve watched:

 

1. Heroes vs Villains

2. Micronesia

3. Pearl Islands

4. Cagayan

5. China

Borneo, Cambodia, Winners at War, Kaoh Rong and Philippines would round up my top 10 I think 

[Elliott]

7 hours ago, Deeee said:

Everybody has hyped Micronesia so far, so it’s interesting to see somebody present a different opinion. 

Micronesia is a season full of blindsides, so it’s exciting in that regard but it does kind of wear off after a while.

 

But as a Parvati Shallow follower, I love it.

[Zoey]

Darrah. 

[#jeah]

My top 5 since no one asked: China, Micro, Gabon, Tocantins,  SJDS. Cagayan is probably 6th

[Elliott]

9 minutes ago, #jeah said:

My top 5 since no one asked: China, Micro, Gabon, Tocantins,  SJDS. Cagayan is probably 6th

My top five seasons are Pearl Islands, Palau, Micronesia, HvV and SJDS. KR is sixth.

 

Cagayan and Gabon are in my bottom half.

[Alex95]

PI, HvV, China, Panama, Borneo.

[#jeah]

1 hour ago, Elliott said:

My top five seasons are Pearl Islands, Palau, Micronesia, HvV and SJDS. KR is sixth.

 

Cagayan and Gabon are in my bottom half.

Cagayan: girl you crazy

Gabon: fair enough it is not your typical season  I just look at it as pure comedy 

[Elliott]

Just now, #jeah said:

Cagayan: girl you crazy

I know I'm in the minority, but I've always hated it. The only people I liked during the season where Spencer, Tasha and Trish, though I grew to like Kass.

[Alex95]

Cagayan has a ROUGH middle that holds it back for me. After the Sarah blindside, it gets a bit boring until the epic top five episode. I mean that's only three or four episodes, but still.

[#jeah]

I like Morgan and LJ’s boot episodes a lot *shrugs*

[Deeee]

45 minutes ago, Alex95 said:

PI, HvV, China, Panama, Borneo.

 

LOL ILY. We are the same person. PI, China, Panama, and Borneo will probably always be my top four.

[*Lily]

Currently in the midst my rewatch of Africa and wow I’m such a Kelly Goldsmith stan all over again. Had to come here of course to see where you put her and love that she was your #1. What an icon.

[Deeee]

2 hours ago, *Lily said:

Currently in the midst my rewatch of Africa and wow I’m such a Kelly Goldsmith stan all over again. Had to come here of course to see where you put her and love that she was your #1. What an icon.

 

I stan Kelly Goldsmith so hard. 

[Solaris]

8 hours ago, #jeah said:

My top 5 since no one asked: China, Micro, Gabon, Tocantins,  SJDS. Cagayan is probably 6th

 

 

China

[Deeee]

How do I not remember Richard Hatch sexually assaulting Sue Hawk on national television? WTF.

[Deeee]

EVERYBODY REACTING SO POORLY TO HER PROCESSING THE TRAUMA IS MAKING ME SICK OMG.

[Deeee]

Shii Ann hating Colby is the only watchable part of this episode.

[Deeee]

Boston Rob being more sympathetic to Sue Hawk than nearly everybody else on the tribe is...horrifying.

[Deeee]

THOUGHTS ON SURVIVOR: PEARL ISLANDS

 

 

 

The best season of Survivor. I am confident in saying that this show probably never reaches this high ever again. What a f*cking iconic season of reality television. Period.

 

Sandra Diaz-Twine, Rupert Boneham, Jonny Fairplay, and Lillian Morris are absolute legends. Four icons, four incredible storytellers, four interesting personalities, four distinct gameplays, four brilliant castaways. These four are absolutely perfect in every way for this show, and this season thrives because of them. Though these four carry the season in every single way, the contributions of Burton, Christa, and Savage to the success of this show cannot be denied. Beyond them, every single cast member offered something to the show. Very rarely on any reality television show is every cast member actually contributing to the show, adding to the narrative, and actively injecting the show with energy. Even Nicole D. is a memorable part of the season, despite being the first cast member eliminated. There was something magical about this entire cast that feels like such a rarity in the reality television world.

 

Where do I even begin with this season?

 

Do I start with the perfect winner? 

 

Do I start with the absolutely evil lie told by Jonny Fairplay?

 

Or the adventurous, sweet, loyal, yet often unstable teddy bear that is Rupert?

 

Or the Scout Master that was anything but an honorable player, portraying herself as kind and loyal, though ultimately devolving into an emotional mess and the messiest player of the season?

 

How about we discuss Sandra throwing out the fish after Rupert is eliminated and letting Christa take the fall? Or her decision to start hiding equipment? Or her sneaking into the bushes to spy on her competitors? Or her single-handedly saving her tribe at the marooning in the Panamanian city due to being Latina and speaking Spanish? Or her trip to loot the Morgan tribe and they will not help her so she just does as she sees fit?

 

Should we discuss the Aquaman that is Rupert? Equipped with his one true companion, the spear. Wearing a floral skirt. His snake pet Balboa. The greatest provider in Survivor history. His occasional blow-ups against Jonny Fairplay. His emotional reveal that men like Burton and Shawn had always picked on him and are continuing to do so. His savior status and immense likability lead to one of the greatest blindsides ever.

 

How about Osten trying to start the game with two bottles of alcohol, then selling all of his clothes in the village and leaving himself vulnerable to the cold, being completely afraid of the pelican, asking Tijuana and Nicole to flash the villagers for items, or him being the first person to quit due to concerns over his own health? 

 

Tijuana trying to steal a pot from the village.

 

Darrah randomly winning three straight immunities despite speaking a total of three words for the entire season.

 

Burton being a major assh*le that thought he had control of the game, threw a challenge because of this, and then went home. Then he comes back and successfully takes control of the game, mends fences with Rupert, blindsides him, continues to overestimate his control of the game, and leaves in a pretty epic manner.

 

The entire Outcast Tribe twist being done seamlessly and actually bringing back two cast members that were pivotal to the success of the season. This entire twist raised the stakes of the competition and made venturing into the merge a far more interesting event than it usually is. 

 

The integration of the pirate theme + looting the losing tribe's camp + buried treasure = solid solid work.

 

The marooning at the fishing village for the bartering challenge + shocking the contestants by only allowing them the clothes on their back = good choice.

 

THERE IS TOO MUCH TO UNPACK. TOO MUCH FANTASTIC CONTENT. 

 

Hopefully I touch on all of the fabulous moments from the season during my character discussion section. This season is just so fantastic in every way. Iconic gameplay. Fantastic players. Wonderful twists. Hilarious characters. So much love for Pearl Islands.

 

P.S. - Sandra Diaz-Twine is the best.

 

CAST RANKING

 

1. Sandra Diaz-Twine - Queen of Survivor. Best winner ever. From the moment she arrived at the fishing village to the moment she told the jury at Final Tribal Council, "As long as it aint Sandra I'm happy." PERFECTION. Not a single vote against her. Consistently bought herself three more days in the competition. Created new opportunities for herself to advance every single time she found herself in the minority or in danger of going home. Her under the radar strategy and decision to take advantage of the fact that people had "bigger fish to fry" with one another was pure genius. Though not a physical threat, the social game that Sandra played is so damn incredible. She is the embodiment of outwit, outlast, outplay. Sandra never betrayed a single person, never brought emotions into the game, and was ready to do whatever was necessary to keep herself alive in the competition. She let other people self-destruct and rip each other apart, simply sat back, observed, and offered her vote to whoever would promise her another day on the island. She knew just when to strike on an opportunity - taking Burton out at Final Five, showing Tijuana what the boys were really planning, Sandra created a strong alliance with Rupert and Christa that worked to her advantage until the merge, and did not lay down and die nor did she ride coattails. Just so proud of her gameplay. The creator of the "as long as it's not me" strategy. Sandra played a game that allowed her to have zero regrets and her performance at Final Tribal Council was remarkable. The perfect player of the game. However. Beyond being a perfect player, Sandra is a bonafide badass b*tch with some of the greatest moments of the season. Her giving away her gold necklace at the fishing village and damn near earning the Drake tribe every possible item in the village was so badass. I loved her telling Trish that the woman only liked her eyes. Loved her big d*ck energy when looting the Morgan camp. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her read Jonny Fairplay for filth and calling him a snake from Day One. Sandra hiding the fish and letting Christa take the fall is ICONIC levels of pettiness and strategic goddess-like behavior. Sandra hiding necessary equipment is holy levels of amazing behavior. Her sneaking into the bushes to listen to the conversations...epic stealthy Latina realness. I could go on and on forever about how much entertainment she provided. WHAT AN ICON. 

 

2. Lillian Morris - I would bet money that she is underrated and overlooked by the Survivor community, and I would fight anybody that had anything negative to say about her status as an ICON, LEGEND, HILARIOUS, MESSY BOOTS SCOUT LEADER. The amount of unintentional hilarity oozing out of her pores is godlike. Remember when she was talking about Probst at the final feast and verbally uttered the words: "I wonder if Jeff would want to join a troop." I SCREAMED.  Lill is the perfect reality television contestant and I never expected her to be! From the moment she arrived in her Scout uniform, related everything back to being a troop leader, I was sold. Lill was an obvious outcast to begin with, and you could not help but to relate to her understanding that she was alone in this game. Her only friend was Ryan Shoulders, and he was very obviously going nowhere fast in this game. Lill seemed defeated early, but she continued to fight hard, work hard at camp, and increase her social capital as much as possible. Except after the third consecutive loss, Lill was destined for the chopping block. All she asked was to be given the heads up that it was her time. Her elimination was truly a bummer because she was such a kind soul, and you just could not help but to laugh at her scout apparel.  Who knew that she would come back during the Outcast Twist? Who knew that she would end up being the key player in this game, finding herself in the runner-up position?! Her return to the competition is pretty epic, especially since we end up with a very different Lill than the competitor who was voted out third from the game. Immediately, she returns kind of scornful. A bit bitter. Rightfully so. Lill found herself in a power position upon returning, becoming the swing vote. She would be the swing vote many times in this competition, but her first time in this position is pretty iconic. Watching her deflect from Morgan to Drake and blindsiding the pompous Savage is amazing. After this, Lill really finds herself in an interesting position in the game. Jonny Fairplay and Burton quickly scout Lill as the third member of their core alliance, and use her naiveness to basically swing her in their direction. And Lill fell for it. Every. Single. Time. I really enjoyed watching her struggle with every single decision made in the game. Everything was like a Sophie's Choice to her, and I just loved her wishy-washy behavior. I just find it really compelling that despite everybody understanding her paranoia, her instability, her messy gameplay, she still advanced in the competition. Lill was recognized as a massive threat for Final Tribal Council, yet nobody capitalized on voting her out. Because she had power in her vote. Keeping herself in the middle was actually quite smart gameplay, and I wish she had recognized that enough to properly defend herself at Final Tribal Council! Every single person post-merge left the competition due to Lill. There is power in that fact, but she was so much of a blundering mess that she just could not compose herself to think and speak well. I think she got so tripped up by everybody attacking her for donning a "persona" that she tried to defend herself with ethics rather than focusing on her playing a game. It took her until her closing statement to tell all these haters that it was just a game! UGH. Lill made a million dollar mistake, voted out the entire jury, cried, blindsided, lied, schemed, flipped, flopped. Lill was an absolute disaster, but you love to see it. This is how you play Survivor in an entertaining way!

 

3. Jonny Fairplay - One of the best reality television villains of all-time? Without a doubt. His planned lie about his grandmother is a legendary television moment. Fairplay was a master strategist that ran the game. He fought with Rupert. He fought with Sandra. He fought with Lill. He Fought with Shawn. He fought with Christa. Fairplay showed up drunk to Tribal Council. Fairplay never dropped the act and was clearly invested in selling himself. He is the person you love to hate. The season would be nothing without him, as he kept the wheels turning every single day. His talking heads were hilarious. Watching Fairplay scramble during the final immunity challenge is pretty epic television, as the evil villain who had masterfully deceived almost everybody finally was defeated. 

 

4. Rupert Boneham - An icon. I truly expected to place him higher before revisiting the season, but this season is full of so many dynamic characters! Rupert just happened to leave way before Fairplay and Lill, so he ends up falling below them in terms of how important I find them to be to the epic saga on Pearl Islands. There has never been a personality like Rupert on this show. With that raspy, husky voice, he just naturally took on this fatherly role. He was so sweet, kind-hearted...until you f*cked with his spear or voted for him. Then Rupert became an unstable, scary kinda guy tbh. Between the skirt, the way he worshipped the spear and the fish, the way he provided for Drake, his insistence on Drake unity, his physical prowess, his unique personality, his rather heartfelt story about always being different and picked on by the jocks, his emotional reactions to the game...Rupert proved to be one of the most complex and fascinating characters on television...ever. The way he cared for a dying snake until its final breath. The way he took care of Sandra and Christa. The way he damn near killed Fairplay for attempting to turn on him. There is no way you can avoid falling in love with Rupert, which is why he was targeted very early on in the game as a complete threat. His blindside was heartbreaking, but absolutely essential to everybody else still in the competition. Though he might be the first person to ever use the "Provider Role" strategy? I just love everything about Rupert on Pearl Islands.

 

5. Burton Roberts - His story on the show is oddly similar to Savage, but he was able to navigate himself through the competition a little bit more smoothly upon his return. Burton started the show somewhat a bully and high on himself. I definitely did not appreciate his personality, clowning Rupert for his personality/skirt, opening coconuts and only sharing with Shawn/MIchelle, and assuming he was in control of the tribe. This quickly lead to his own downfall, as he thought throwing the challenge would somehow allow him to pick off somebody from the majority alliance. His hubris was his fall in the competition, and Drake decided to vote him off the tribe first. His decision too throw the immunity challenge drastically impacted the course of the game, hurting his own tribe and evening up the numbers going into the merge. Burton created a big wave in the competition. Luckily enough, Outcast twist super benefited his game and brought him back into the game. When he returned, Burton seemed much more aware of how he needed to play the game. He apologized pretty sincerely to Rupert, made an alliance with him, and was pretty warmly received by his former Drake tribemates. He seemed to be in a great position in the game. Yet somehow he quickly slipped back into his pretty old ways. After the elimination of Savage, Burton quickly slipped into a power position, joining forces with Lill and Jonny Fairplay, and taking on Tijuana + Darrah to give him the numbers. With some key reward + immunity wins, Burton really seemed on top of the game. With his partner in crime, Burton orchestrated the blindside of Rupert. I think at this point his power trip really blinded him. His blunder in the spelling immunity challenge was a pretty big moment, since Burton was clearly outnumbered by the women. He is lucky that Jonny Fairplay was able to convince Sandra and Christa to cut Tijuana from the competition. Burton and Jonny struck again by chopping Christa from the competition, and Burton really seemed poised to make the finals. Except he just could not maintain a shred of loyalty, and randomly decided to come for Darrah due to her being an immunity threat. He not only stupidly told Lill this plan way too early, but then he won reward and stupidly took Jonny Fairplay with him - since he did not like the women. His stupid gameplay allowed the women too much time to discuss the plan, discuss Burton's treachery, and his status as a physical threat. Those boys quickly realized what was happening when they returned to camp, and Burton should have worked Lill over harder. Instead of continuing to lie and reassure her that he was taking her to the finals, he stupidly told her that he does not think that far ahead. Jonny Fairplay tried to work the women over, but the three of them stayed united and blindsided Burton. Another glorious downfall. Burton is maybe not the most exciting personality, but his gameplay and experience is a big part of the overall story told on Pearl Islands.

 

6. Christa Hastie - Poor Christa! I really enjoyed her particular brand of kindness mixed with craziness. LOL. Just really enjoyed her presence on the show and the alliance between her, Sandra, and Rupert. Glad that she outed Ryan O. from the competition, just because she wanted these people to work a little harder. The worst part of the season is watching everybody come for her over the fish, but she respected Sandra's gameplay like a pro. 

 

7. Andrew Savage - ENTITLED. As much as I hate the generic white men that appoint themselves leaders of a tribe and think they are untouchable, Savage at least had a far more interesting experience on the show than most of the characters that fit this archetype. Savage is really a victim of his own doing, which typically makes for a complex viewing experience. I also really enjoy characters that the show wants you to enjoy, but they are ultimately unlikable. The dissonance between the two dueling perspectives makes for a fun character. Savage immediately took on a leadership role over at Morgan, and clearly established himself as the Probst favorite. The Morgan Tribe definitely fell in line and invested in Savage as the leader. He tried to keep the morale afloat after Morgan's devastating losing streak, and he was definitely a pretty visibly sore loser. He controlled the majority and most definitely made a crucial error in choosing to blindside Lill, after promising her that he would let her know of her elimination before Tribal. A decision that would come back to haunt him later in the game. Though his strategy was to keep the physically strong on the team, Savage underestimated just how large of a target he was painting on his back by being such a vocal leader + hurting Lill in the process. When Burton + co. threw the challenge, this gave Morgan enough morale to stage a pretty serious comeback in the competition. His performance in the weight-holding immunity challenge was a pretty impressive feat. But the Outcast Tribe completely threw Savage off his game. The thought of somebody returning to his tribe bothered him so much that he did not even listen to the rules which stated that the returnee would be immune from elimination. As he was so hellbent on eliminating whoever came back to their camp. But he could not anticipate the return of Lill to the Morgan Camp. Instead of welcoming her with kindness, he just complained to Lill about how much he hated the twist that brought her back into the game. That makes him begging Lill to join the Morgan tribe after the merge hilarious. He actively sealed his fate in the competition, and I loved Lill shutting him all the way down. His elimination might be due to Lill, but it's mainly due to him getting in his own way. I just really enjoyed the epic downfall of the contestant that this game tries so hard to favor.

 

8. Osten Taylor - SO UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS. The first person to ever quit a season of Survivor, Osten has a pretty interesting character arc. Within the first few minutes of the competition, Osten seems completely made for this competition. He is a physical specimen, he is pretty outgoing. He wants to start the competition with two bottles of alcohol, he trades all of his clothes at the fishing village, he tells Nicole and Tijuana to flash people for items, he puts his business shoes on the feet of a village...SUCH A GREAT START. Except he pretty quickly realizes this experience is not for him. Osten is not made for the wild and is pretty freaked out by most things. The entire scene with him wanting to murder an innocent pelican...L O L. Then he started to fail at most of the challenges. Osten became pathetically hopeless, which makes for very enjoyable television. LOL. Though I really thought there was some powerful television to be watched in his breakdown and eventual decision to quit the competition for the sake of his health. Osten did a brave thing in listening to his body and mind and recognizing when the experience was no longer for him. Though I often laughed at his expense, I really enjoyed watching his experience on the island. Morgan Tribe really wanted to depend on him, and he really hurt them in the long run by resigning.

 

9. Shawn Cohen - Maybe this is kind of high for Shawn, but I really enjoyed his rivalry with Fairplay. Somehow, Shawn made Fairplay seem...rational/reasonable/likable? LOL. He also had a decent amount of conflict with Rupert, mostly because he lost the spear head. Honestly, he rubbed the entire Drake Tribe the wrong way because he was whiny, lazy, and useless. Of course he is also part of the hilariously bad decision to throw the challenge, which results in Burton's first ejection from the game. He may not seem like an impactful character, and he is inherently unlikable. But he definitely added conflict to the season though his grating personality, and you just have to laugh at him claiming he was poorly edited at the reunion. What a way to break the Fourth Wall! 

 

10. Tijuana Bradley - One of the best moments of the season is her disastrous performance during the bartering portion of the maroon. SHE WAS A MESS. SHE TRIED TO STEAL A POT. LOL.  Other than that though, Tijuana is mainly a character seen in talking heads. I really enjoyed the moment where she went with Sandra to spy on Burton, and thought that she would become a more prominent player after this moment. And then she just had a very weird blindside? IDK. I was kind of left scratching my head at her elimination. I just wanted more from Tijuana than she delivered. Not to say she was horrible, but I just think she was really quiet as a player and castaway. Pretty lazy at camp. Only ever really took charge the first week when she caught wind that Nicole was coming for her. IDK. I just wanted more. She peaked at the pot. LOL.

 

11. Darrah Johnson - WHO. This was my reaction to her most of the time. For the majority of the competition, she was a complete nobody. I would love to credit her for a very solid under the radar game, which led her to the point where she then won three consecutive individual immunities. But like, nothing came out of her actions? She definitely hid behind other threats pretty well, and her making the Final Four is hilarious. However, she provided nearly nothing to the season. Her best moment is telling Lill: "I don't know if I'm taking you to the finals because I don't know if I'll be in the finals." Cute girl, but not value added to the season.

 

12. Ryan Opray - I did not like the way he so frankly and pointedly called Christa of all people a "b*tch." Other than that, he seemed like a nice guy I guess? He was shoved way too far up Savage's you know what to have developed any character. He is just a boring character that advanced somewhat far on the best season. 

 

13. Trish Dunn - Trish tried to make the right move, but with the wrong people. She severely underestimated the quick bonds Rupert formed with Christa and Sandra. Not very interesting outside of her circumstances, but I really enjoy that such an uninteresting character in the grand scheme of things still added to the season by plotting to overthrow the biggest threat quite early.

 

14. Nicole Delma - Girl tried to mastermind something crazy at the very first tribal council! What an icon! LOL. There is something hilariously bad, but great about her being so loud-mouthed about her moves that everybody figured out what she was up to with zero issue. A really fun first boot.

 

15. Michelle Tesauro - LOL @ her downfall. Michelle was non-existent, but definitely buddied up with Shawn and Burton. Except she definitely formed an alliance with the wrong person, which led to her downfall in the game, which has to be hilarious. After finding herself alone after the blindside of Burton, Michelle was tasked with pretending to be bad at the gross food challenge. Instead, she goes out there and smashes the challenge. Then gets voted off for it. L O L. Besides this hilarious turn of events, she was pretty invisible. 

 

16. Ryan Shoulders - I just felt bad for him. Completely terrible at the challenges and knew it, had zero social game. I just do not think he had the drive to compete and seemed like a fish out of water. At least he formed that quick friendship with Lill, which kept him more memorable than he would have been otherwise. 

 

MY FAVORITE MOMENT

 

 

SEASON RANKING

 

1. Pearl Islands 

2. Borneo

3. Panama - Exile Island

4. China

5. The Amazon

6. Palau

7. Vanuatu

8. Africa

9. Guatemala

10. The Australian Outback

11. Cook Islands

12. Marquesas

13. Fiji

14. Thailand

 

WINNER RANKING

 

1. Sandra Diaz-Twine 

2. Todd Herzog

3. Yul Kwon

4. Aras Baskauskas

5. Tom Westman

6. Tina Wesson

7. Danni Boatwright

8. Jenna Morasca

9. Vecepia Towery

10. Ethan Zohn

11. Chris Daugherty

12. Earl Cole

13. Brian Heidik

14. Richard Hatch