Okay, in case any of you haven't actually watched the episode already, I'll put my reactions in hidden text.
Wow! My predictions were off on every single count!
Let's review:
Christiana’s Prediction #1:
Although Stephanie and Bobby Jon will be showing up, I do not think that they will be just playing the game like all of the new castaways... Also, look for reactions from the other playels to vary from nonplussed to outright pissed.
Okay, so I was wrong about them actually playing the game and I was wrong about the reactions from the other players.
Actually, I'm not all that happy about that part of the new season. Allowing past castaways a second chance outside of an all-star like scenario seems to me to be a weakening of "the game." Furthermore, I think the idea that the tribes can use them as a "tool", and benefit from their "experience" is dubious at best.
Still, it
could make for good television, because although I was wrong about the reactions from the other players,
so far, I don't think it will last. The second it starts looking like either of them will actually pose a significant threat, they'll be gone. Especially once the others come out of their celebrity-shock.
Christiana’s Prediction #2:
The strife and chaos will start early...So I predict at least two heated arguments before the episode is over.
Well, wrong again. It seems that everybody's natural tendency to try and get along with everyone prevailed. I think the extreme endurance required for that first challenge probably went a long way toward uniting them.
Christiana’s Prediction #3
Amy will be the first to go... they will boot her for it.
Well, I maintain that she will go early for the above reason, but not yet, apparently. Of course, she was on the winning tribe this time around, so it wasn't even an issue, but in the interest of fairly evaluating my prediction, she didn't seem to cause much conflict.
All right, now that I'm done with that, what else?
Well, three things I guess.
First off, holy hell, that first challenge was completely insane! Wow! Even if it's not realistic, based on the shape I'm in, most Survivor challenges seem like fun to me. This one was the first one I can think of that made me really think, gosh, I'm glad that isn't me doing that. Still, after a twenty-four hour race, to have it come out so close like that? Really cool.
When Jeff Probst said in the preview video that this would be the most grueling season yet, I just assumed it was hyperbole, because he kind of says that every season, but apparently this time it was serious. It will be interesting to see what effect that has on the game. It may lead, as it did tonight, to more people quitting or leaving because they cannot handle the game physically.
In particular, I'd say Bobby Jon and Blake are in serious trouble, because their current health problems aren't likely to get any better, and frankly, I think that their physical strength and ability to work was probably the only thing they really had to offer. If they can't do that, then what can they really contribute?
So, second item? Margaret!
Holy cow, talk about the star! She demonstrated a cool head, leadership ability, and lets not forget those unexpectedly invaluable first aid skills. Coming out of the first episode, she's my new favorite.
Of course, in these early episodes, we don't really get to see all that much of everyone. Judd had me liking him until that overly defensive reaction at tribal council. Now I'm thinking he may be too unstable for this game.
Third item: The ruins.
Cool cool stuff. First of all, the incredibly dense jungle setting strikes me as a more hostile environment than virtually any of the survor setting so far, and how cool are those ruins? Tribal Council especially strikes me as a really neat location.
All right, so to wrap things up, there wasn't as much drama this episode as I might ideally like, though there's a fairly substantial shock value at how tough the challenges were. But of course, we're still just in the first episode, so there's still a lot of time left for teh drama!
is up now. Still no fantasy league though.
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Name:Christiana Ellis
Name:Mike Meitín
I think you're right about the game being worse when people get another chance. It reminds me of the "Let's give Rupert a million dollars just because we like him" contest. And Bobby Jon was pretty stupid to bring up his second chance at tribal council. Especially after laying around sick all day and not contributing.
I'm not sure they were united so much by the endurance they needed as much as by the time it took that couldn't be spent finding out all the things that they didn't like about each other.
I think most of the challenges are pretty demanding physically, even if they don't look so bad. Especially the swimming ones. But I think you're right, that first one took it to a new level.
I don't know if Bobby Jon and Blake are in trouble so much because they don't have anything to offer, it seems to be the trend lately that they try to get rid of the strongest first (or at least first after the old people). So actually, the inability to work could help them because then they aren't part of the hard working people that always make the lazy people feel guilty. Also, since they are physically strong, that may be seen as potential to help more in challenges once they recover. Anyone with an injury, though, I think is in trouble so he better hope his shoulder heals up.
I love ruins, those are pretty impressive.
Agreed. It strikes me as a ratings grab, as opposed to a legitimate innovation to the game.
And what was that nonesense from Jeff about her being one of the strongest women ever to play the game?
Dude, seriously. You need to get over the Stephanie hatin'. I think everyone's agreed that she didn't always make the best decisions, but the reason people (myself included) liked her so much was based on, as she put it, "will, and heart," not because she was objectively the best at anything. It was a purely emotional response to her personality. Maybe you didn't feel that way, but it's a little disingenuous to pretend you don't understand why people liked her.
It reminds me of the "Let's give Rupert a million dollars just because we like him" contest.
Actually I liked that one, because I was so pissed that Romber won they way they did. Besides, that was an "All-Star" edition, so I think an "audience-favorite" makes sense. Of course, if they started doing that every season, that would be different.
I think most of the challenges are pretty demanding physically, even if they don't look so bad.
Oh, absolutely. I have no real illusions that I'd be any kind of serious competition at any of the challenges, but basically what I'm saying is that, up until last night, all of them looked like fun.
it seems to be the trend lately that they try to get rid of the strongest first
Yes, but it is already established among that tribe that they are seriously in trouble due to having so many people in bad shape. Not only will they not be able to add much to the team's strength, but they could even be active liabilities. I think the team has had it driven home pretty hard that they need to preserve whatever strength they have if they're going to get anywhere in this game. Last few seasons, when they kept voting out the strong people, it was largely with the perception that they would still be strong enough without them. (Though of course, they were mistaken.) I don't think that's the feeling in that tribe right now.
I don't think Bobby Jon was really in any danger last night, because with Jim's arm injured, he was the obvious choice. Still, unless Bobby Jon and Blake can start being net positives for their tribe, there is literally no reason to keep them around.
That said, I don't know that Bobby Jon hurt himself that much by bringing up his "second chance" because I don't think that anyone is going to forget about it, and better perhaps to have people actively discussing it rather than griping about it behind his back.
I was a little bemused by the former quarterback coming up with a fake life story and such, because I've followed the NFL since '89 and absolutely have never heard of him. Given the ages of the kids he's working with, I'm doubting any of them know either. So the time spent coming up with the pseudonym could probably have been spent trimming some hedges.
I also think the 'tools' thing is overblown. All that was proven last night was that the Bobby Jon jinx is slightly stronger than the Stephanie jinx. If they were set up as 'managers' for the teams and sort of removed from the normal game itself, that would be different. But as it is, I think they'll eventually become the first two people ever voted off non-all-star survivor twice.
Ah, but remember Jeff from last season when he tore up his ankle? He didn't precisely quit, but he did ask to be voted out, and that was kind of lame, because he might still have been able to contribute in some limited way. So I don't think Jim really thought he had a shot as much as he didn't want to leave because he gave up. He knew he was finished, but didn't want to leave as a quitter.
Given the ages of the kids he's working with, I'm doubting any of them know either.
Well, I think it's a smart move to keep his career a secret. (Though I'm betting it comes out at some point, which could be loads of fun! ^_^ Probst knows of course, but I don't think that he'd out Gary, so I'm not sure how it will come up.)That said, you may be right that he didn't actually need a pseudonymn. Still, Danni is a sports talk show host, so it's possible that, even if she doesn't recognize him, she may have heard the name before. Are they on the same tribe? I don't remember.
I liked Rupert too, and voted for him to win, but I thought the whole thing seemed a little contrived.
I see your point about the sick guys being liabilities, but I just don't think you can predict yet how people will react to that.
I didn't think Bobby Jon was in any danger last night either, but people could remember that comment if there's a close vote later. Maybe they will remember it anyway, but no need to remind them. It's not like it helped him to say it. You're right it probably won't hurt him, though.
I wouldn't look at dropping out as quitting, but more so as falling on your sword or jumping on a grenade for the team. But I totally agree that I'm probably weird in that way.
Is it just me, or is there more eye candy this year than in years past?
I'll ditto the being impressed with Margaret. Very cool head. (Though, as soon as the whole salt thing occured to me with Bobby Jon, I wondered if she hadn't considered that possibility, or if she did off-camera and they just couldn't do anything about it.) And I find myself wanting to like Rafe.
I don't actively _dis_like anyone yet. And that's kind of a shocker in and of itself.
In motion, as opposed to the crappy still shots they had on the preview web site, I like Brandon and Rafe, but more based on personality than cute-factor.