Survivor 30 - Lost World; Pool and Discussion

[calgarybornnraised]

Glad Mike won.

What a weird season. I was surprised Carolyn only got one vote..

Next season is gonna be good. So many different style players.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by calgarybornnraised

Next season is gonna be good. So many different style players.

Yeah, it'll be a good cast. Mostly smart players, a fair number of guys that'll be good good at challenges (even the older ones). Wildcards and firecrackers on the women's side.

Men: Terry, Andrew, Stephan, Jeremy, Keith, Woo, Spencer, Joe, Jeff, Vytas
Women: Kass, Abi-Maria, Tasha, Monica, Shirin, Kimmie, Kelly, Kelley, PG, Ciera

That's about as well balanced a cast as you can get in terms of age, ethnicity, and personality types. It's so balanced that I'm suspicious of the results.

First person likely to be voted off... Shirin. I like Shirin but I'm pretty sure she drove one nail into her coffin the second the words "my first million" left her lips... just how loaded is she? 'cause I did not get a "I'm a multi-millionaire" vibe off of her and more a "upper-middle class" vibe. Of course when she said that I'm pretty sure she didn't think she would be playing again in a few months but what's done is done. I think she really needs to be on the tribe that wins the first team immunity otherwise if you're looking for a reason to vote someone (anyone) off "they already have several million dollars" is a pretty good reason. The Cagayon folk ought to watch their backs 4 returning players (3 of whom were on a pre-merge tribe together) that's gonna be a big target.

[CaptainCrunch]

Right player won, and I think his apology to Dan really swung the vote his way, Jenn was awesome, I loved her jury appeal.

I was surprised that people forget that Mike made some tremendous moves especially with splitting the alliance.

I thought he made a mistake with Mamma Cas but I don't think that a lot of people liked her game voting wise, and she came across as a hanger on maybe.

The new cast should be strong but not a lot of hot bikini models this time.

Dan embarrassed himself badly first in front of the jury and then trying to lie to get out of his mom is a ho comment.

[mile]

Really glad Mike won. Thought Carolyn would've have gotten more votes, and thought for a moment she could've won. Jenn is amazing, her speech was my favorite one - she's by far one of my favorites this season.

Also liked Mike's answers to Tyler's question (admitted he sucked socially) and his apology to Dan. I think whether he took Rodney or Carolyn, it would have been a blowout either way (Jeff asking who would have voted for Rodney in that scenario looked like a troll job by Jenn and Hali). Respect him for making the final vote an entertaining one rather than an easy vote.

Dan's jealous bitter face being shown each time after Mike walks to tribal with immunity is hilarious. Didn't do himself any favours with Jeff owning him completely at the reunion. When you bash the show publicly, Jeff is going to come after you. Seeing all of the phony apologies being made in public with millions watching was really grating. It felt disingenuous and could've have been in private in the last year without needing Jeff to encourage them.

I like Shirin but I cringed at a lot at her speech. Too bad they only showed Carolyn more in the last three episodes, I think she would have been a returnee over Shirin with how awesome she was during this stretch.

The new cast looks great. I wished Carolyn or T-Bird was in for Shirin. Shane in for Jeremy. Also feel really bad for those left out.

Don't really care about tribe divisions, but I wanna see Spencer and Kass on the same tribe again for entertainment. I'm also scared for Stephen, he's a likely target to get booted early.

[GreenLantern]

Not a bad finale, but fairly predictable. That advantage for Mike was huge he had his game face on the whole time, the others took a while to get going and by then it was to late.

Glad Mike won, he deserved it. I think the reunion show was more entertaining than the actual finale though. Shirin getting cut off not once, but twice, by Probst was telling of the kind of person she is, attention whore.

Will might not be the brightest bulb but he made a good point, you have to forgive the person who hurt you before you will ever be happy. It is so true. I know people will say "easier said than done", but trust me once you do forgive them and are able to move on it is like a state of euphoria that just can't be described. I honestly do hope that at some point in Shirin's life she is able to find forgiveness for those who hurt her, because until then she will be a permanent victim and it will rule her life the way it did on this show. She is obviously still a mess.

Next season looks to be stacked, very excited.

[ernie]

Can't believe Rodney would have had three votes....

For the final 4 players no one played a particularly good strategy game. None of them played a good social game. The only thing that differentiated them was physical challenges. No one other than Mike should have even received a vote no matter who was up there.

So glad the proper person won. Will is still an ass. That was not an apology to Shirin that was a "if you want to be right with God you have to forgive me" apology. And no you don't need to forgive to move on. That is straight up BS. There are a few things in my life that I have never forgiven and never will. But I've moved on. Believe me I've moved on. You need not forgive the perpetrator you only need to give yourself permission and be okay with moving on. For some that involves forgiving and for others it doesn't.

Dan is just clueless socially but I don't think he is deep down a jerk. Just clueless about what he says and does.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Parallex

First person likely to be voted off... Shirin. I like Shirin but I'm pretty sure she drove one nail into her coffin the second the words "my first million" left her lips... just how loaded is she? 'cause I did not get a "I'm a multi-millionaire" vibe off of her and more a "upper-middle class" vibe.

She's a Senior Yahoo Exec reporting directly to the CEO (given the CEO hired her directly) at 32. She has issues but she is clearly very smart and successful. I don't doubt for a minute she's a multi-millionaire.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by mile

Jeff asking who would have voted for Rodney in that scenario looked like a troll job by Jenn and Hali.

Originally Posted by ernie

Can't believe Rodney would have had three votes....

I'm a bit skeptical because it has been months since they were last on the island. They hated Rodney when they got sent to the jury, he was the jerk on the other side. At the time the vote would have taken place I just can't see them voting for Rodney.

But remove the guy from the island and you're no longer hating him for being lazy and whiny and trying to demolish your alliance. Instead the young "free-spirits" probably connect and have a lot more fun partying with Rodney these last couple months than Mike, who they probably don't have much in common with. So I can understand why they would say they would vote for Rodney now.

Which kind of ties into my other point about season 31. I'm just not a fan of returning player seasons. It's not the players, specifically, but that there's a "survivor community" and a lot of these players have known each other for over a decade now. It can lead to fun blowouts, like Lex and Boston Rob, but I think it takes away from the relationship-building and social aspects of the game we get to see when players don't know one another.

[WhiteTiger]

So, it seems most places I go I see Shirin referred to as a 'fan favorite'. Did I miss something, or watch a different show? I thought she was one of the worst players out there, and was surprised she wasn't gone much, much earlier.

[CaptainCrunch]

The more that I think about it, the more that I think that there was no social game that Mike could have played, especially after the auction, which to me was a pretty smart move if he'd stuck to it.

the problem is that he was stuck with utterly bitter people who were all pretty lousy at the social game.

I look at Mike's interactions with Dan, when Mike was trying to warn him and save him, and Dan was clearly stupid enough to believe that his vote advantage was a somehow defensive advantage.

Rodney had no social game at all, and Sierra and Will were frankly lumps.

But what people should be applauding Mike for and why he won that game was that he did what Jenn wanted to do which was wreck other peoples games, he did that with the idol threat.

Shirim killed me, she's talking about Mike saving her and talking about voting the best player and then she's gushing over Mamma C who really to me didn't play that strong or decisive of a game compared to Mike.

The fire making challenge was ridiculous.

It would have worked better if Jeff stood behind them with a loaded revolver and a stop watch.

Mike was dominant in the challenges to stay alive and nobody could touch his desire to get to the end.

And Will is a schmuck, and what the hell was his wife (I think its his wife) yelling from the audience.

They should have renamed this series as determined guy versus trailer park trash.

And Halie, so cute, so damn stupid, she came across as a boob in the jury when she asked the dumbest question ever and then stood there nodding seriously.

Man. I think this show should end in a three way fight to the death.

[GreenLantern]

Promise me CC that if Survivor ever makes its way to Canada you will audition until you make it.

Now THAT is a season I want to watch.

[CaptainCrunch]

I would last one or two episodes because

I would totally suck at challenges unless they involved moving heavy weights around, or smashing peoples faces in.

I would be voted out early not because I'm a threat, but because people piss me off, and I would have to be on a seven second delay, I also have next to no diplomatic filter.

Could I out strategize people? Its tough to say because we get the benefit of watching this from almost like a coaches booth. I would think that on the ground with your brain starving to death that I would end up doing that doctors alphabet voting system from the first year.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I would think that on the ground with your brain starving to death that I would end up doing that doctors alphabet voting system from the first year.

There was actually a strategy behind that... if you look back to when he said that you'll note that because of how the names lined up he would basically be voting for old Pagong tribe members anyways. So saying that he was going to vote "alphabetically" was an attempt to vote with the Alliance block (Kelly, Sue, Richard, Rudy) while pandering to the upcoming Jury.

It didn't work (Everyone thought it was dumb and obviously untrue) but it wasn't because he went brain crazy.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by ernie

She's a Senior Yahoo Exec reporting directly to the CEO (given the CEO hired her directly) at 32. She has issues but she is clearly very smart and successful. I don't doubt for a minute she's a multi-millionaire.

Oh I don't doubt that it's true, she just didn't strike me as being a multi-millionaire. Hundreds-of-Thousands-aire sure but I had no idea she was so loaded. That's going to count against her in 31... at least in the early days if she can get past the first few votes some folk might want to keep her around because they think the Jury won't give any more millions because she's already got some. If that's the case she'll have to hope she's Sandra in Heroes vs. Villains.

So, it seems most places I go I see Shirin referred to as a 'fan favorite'. Did I miss something, or watch a different show? I thought she was one of the worst players out there, and was surprised she wasn't gone much, much earlier.

I like Shirin. She just loves the show so much you could tell being out there was a dream come true for her... I find that endearing. Yeah, she wasn't the greatest of players but how many are? Her game was mostly sunk by Max anyways (not that that's an excuse she should have solidified her early game position better). Regardless, as much as the show made her out to be annoying she can't be that annoying as her, Joe, Hali, Mike, and Max seem pretty tight IRL.

Random things I notice about the next cast... 7 are from California, 2 are from NY, no other state has more then one (North Carolina technically has two, but Wiglesworth really lives in Mexico). Two have the same employer (Shirin and Savage). The average age is 33.

If I had to bet money today on who wins I'd bet on Vytas.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Instead the young "free-spirits" probably connect and have a lot more fun partying with Rodney these last couple months than Mike, who they probably don't have much in common with. So I can understand why they would say they would vote for Rodney now.
.

I love Survivor as a game and hate going all TMZ, but I have to point out that while your assumption is somewhat reasonable it's the opposite of reality.

The Twitter of Jenn suggests the following:

- she loves Hali and Shirin they're VERY good friends (no surprise)
- she and Joe are doing what you expect them to be doing (there's more on Jenn's Twitter but the point has been sufficiently made)


- She, Mike, Tyler, and Sierra are good friends



- There's a couple on Ty's Twitter of him and Sierra at Disney and well Jenn's hashtag of #dirty30 might be more applicable on a second look here... Rodney is nowhere to be found in all of this, and it's entirely understandable why cause he's chillin' with Dan I guess in some god forsaken New England hellhole. The young ones all cool with Mike, I guess was my original point.

[mile]

Yeah, watching the subreddit for Survivor, Mike seemed to be everywhere this season: always at viewing parties with past Survivors or seen with the rest of the #dirty30. I honestly don't think any of them were working at all during the airing of this season.

Even if Rodney made it to the final 3, I'm still convinced he would have shot himself in the foot with his big mouth and lost any votes he may had (and I don't think anyone would have voted him in the first place).

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Finally got around to watching the finale tonight.

2nd time winner, woot woot! Took me forever to win once, so repeating again feels....odd. I wasn't even a huge fan of Mike's, he was too abrasive at the beginning, but he won so many challenges and so many of the cast were unlikable it was easier to cheer for him as the game went along. By the end it was pretty obvious who should win. Is this the first time they never had/showed opening and closing comments by the final 3? Seemed strange. All Mike had to say was that he was on the chopping block forever and won a zillion challenges and that was it.

Rodney never won one thing.......nothing. And 3 jurors would have voted for him? Huh?

So glad Probst called Dan out. Obviously he and the rest of the production crew were ticked off at his comments, really glad to see them call his bluff.

The fire making tie-breaker was tough to watch.

Will's wife yelling from the crowd that Will doesn't do that kind of stuff. Well, obviously he does?? All the apologizing seemed so lame. Those people don't feel sorry for what they said or did, they're just sorry that it was caught on camera.

Anyway, next season looks pretty interesting. Should be a good one.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The fire making tie-breaker was tough to watch.

It was hilarious but also a reminder about where the game came from originally to where it is now. The first few survivors they actually sort of almost had to survive. Now it's "Oh you ran out of food here's some more". They don't need to learn how to actually make fire now because eventually the show will give it to them.

Flint and machete and still over 45 minutes to catch pretty much the most combustible natural material on earth on fire. And Rodney once getting a flame has zero clue how to actually build a fire. Who beyond the age of 10 doesn't know to build a teepee of sticks?

Will's wife yelling from the crowd that Will doesn't do that kind of stuff. Well, obviously he does?? All the apologizing seemed so lame. Those people don't feel sorry for what they said or did, they're just sorry that it was caught on camera.

In the 5 seconds of his wife yelling stuff I pretty much got everything I needed to know about her as well.....

And it wasn't an apology. It was telling Shirin that she better forgive him.

Anyway, next season looks pretty interesting. Should be a good one.

Next season should be strategy strategy strategy.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by ernie

It was hilarious but also a reminder about where the game came from originally to where it is now. The first few survivors they actually sort of almost had to survive. Now it's "Oh you ran out of food here's some more". They don't need to learn how to actually make fire now because eventually the show will give it to them.

.

this, I think that the earlier seasons were a lot harder physically, I forget what season it was when one tribe ran out of food. Jeff showed up and they had to make a deal with the devil for food. They got a bag of rice and Jeff took almost everything of value from their camp. He grabbed their tarp and a bunch of other stuff.

I think that the challenges were about the same, but in later seasons as the game went on the challenges became less physical and more puzzle, even though that final challenge this year kicked the crap out of them.

I'm a pretty big fan of the show, but they're going to have to switch it up again. I'm a big fan of a reward challenge where you get to raid the other teams camp and take a set number of items.

Was it me or was there no opening speeches from the final three this year and they jumped right to questions and didn't get a chance for a final statement?

This wasn't a great season of survivor from a player perspective, someone like Richard Hatch or Boston Rob or some of the better strategic players would have taken advantage of and encourage the strife and probably won the game. But Mike physically and mentally showed how much stronger he was then the rest of the players.

I would almost argue that Will was the worst finalist that I've ever seen and the most unaware.

Cass was ok, but I didn't think her game was all that strong and she was incredibly trusting in what she was being told.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by ernie

Next season should be strategy strategy strategy.

Yeah, there are a lot of gamebots out there, it's probably easier to count the folk who aren't... the two Kell(e)y's, Keith, Woo... that's it. I think the gamebot player with the best combo of "charm" and challange prowess is going to go far. Think Tyson from BvW.

It's going to be one big wonderful mess. Especially if they do it like I think they'll do it, something like... Two Tribes of Ten (Two boots) - Three Tribes of Six (two single boots, two double boots) - Merge (nine person jury, F3).