Survivor Finale

:-D I have a lot to say about this, but I'm sooo tired, so I'll come back and say most of it later. I just wanted to jump on and whoop—I love it when the guy I want to win it all the way through actually does! Although I was torn between Earl and Yao by the end. I have to say I was absolutely stunned when Dreamz renigged on the deal. First because I really thought that with all his talk of how he wanted to show his son he was a man of his word that he was genuine, and second because he really thought that by doing that he'd have a chance at the money. Yao's strategy was perfect. If he did it, he looks like a good guy but gets voted off, and if he didn't, he just looks like a smacked...well, not a good guy. And like Earl, I knew at that moment he would win. But the first unanimous vote in Survivor history? Pretty cool.

Well once again the player who wins the vehicle does not win Survivor, even though Yao-man gave the truck away to Dreamz. I too thought that Dreamz would live up to his word, but then, listening to him in the finale and reunion show, he turned out to be true to his "true character" and not an honorable man. 9-0-0 should tell Dreamz that he never had a chance of winning the million dollars even though he was in the final three; he could have had his honor, but he ended up with, well certainly not nothing but little more than finishing 4th would have given him. Yao-man, however, lived up to his credo of "love all, trust few, and do harm to none" with how well he spoke of Dreamz. I thought his comment that Dreamz had moments of intelligent thought but that he just couldn't put the thoughts together was quite insightful.

And yes, with Yao gone I told my wife the vote would be unamimous for Earl, and it was. I wanted a final two of Yao and Earl, with Yao winning, but it wasn't to be.

I thought Lisi turned out to be quite an unintelligent person during her question period, especially her interchange with Earl. But even she got the vote right.

Next fall in China. Should be interesting. I wonder what the weather will be like? Not having warm weather and fishing for food presents all different problems for both the producers and the contestants.

I didn't watch much of the show this season. I did see the episode in which Yao gave SUV to Dreamz, so I knew that when Dreamz reneged, he wouldn't get any votes from the jury. Too bad he couldn't figure that out himself.

But, what was wrong with the woman (Cassandra???)? Why didn't she merit a single vote from the jury?

Thanks.

As much as I liked Earl and think he is a deserving winner, I was extremely disappointed at how the whole finale transpired - particularly, that Dreamz went back on his word and betrayed Yau Man. Yau Man deserved so much to be in the final 3 and him not being there left a very sour feeling. It was almost the same as I would have felt if YM had suffered some sort of inury in the second to last immunity challenge and had to drop out. He played the game so well and with so much intelligence and integrity that him not being there at the end seemed so wrong - he seemed so out of place on the jury. And the way he handled himself on the jury and the reunion show only made it worse.

Other thoughts:

In terms of strategy, I wonder why Yau didn't propose the following to Dreamz - give me the immunity necklace and we'll vote out Cassandra - that way you'll make the final 3 anyway and you don't have to go back on your word. I think Yau would have won a final 3 vote with Earl (Michelle, Cassandra - she might have voted for Dreamz - , perhaps Stacy and perhaps Rocky), Dreamz (none) - Yau gets the other 5 or 6). Actually, I know why Yau didn't play the game that way - he didn't think he needed to because he thought Dreamz was going to honor the deal. Still, I don't think there would have been any downside for him.

Earl played the game great the entire way - his only "backstabbing" moment was voting out Yau - Man. He knew that was a million dollar decision and to win the game he had to vote out his closest ally. It's really amazing that he got no tribal council votes the entire way, won no immunity challenges and got every jury vote. I think the jury vote was much more of a vote against Dreamz (liar, betrayer, etc.) and Cassandra (undeserving) than a strong endorsement of Earl being a deserving winner - which is exactly why he would have lost if Yau were in the final 3.

How much of an a**hole is Alex? I think his true colors showed during the jury questioning and he showed what a jerk he really is (same for Lisi). At the same time, I thought Cassandra came across very empty-headedduring the jury questioning. I am not sure she could have said anything to garner votes but she was unable to answer certain questions directly and she kept sticking to her "I was here for people to talk to" mantra, which was just silly.

I actually believe Stacy that she became more grounded and learned some things about herself watching the show and hearing the other people's negative thoughts about her.

I think Dreamz made a huge, huge, huge mistake. I honestly believe that he intended to keep his word when he made the deal with Yau. His private "confessional" where he talked about wanting his son to know that he a man of his word was genuine. I think he just thought he might be able to get out of the deal (by voting out Yau Man before) but if not, he'd hold up his end of the bargain. I think he really got tempted by the devil (as Boo said) and just couldn't bring himself to give up a shot at a million dollars. I think his tears were tears of shame and guilt. He should have known that there was no way he could have won a jury vote and the only thing he stood to gain by going back on his deal was the ignominy of being known as someone went back on his word.

I can't believe Boo actually tore his ACL and was able to continue in the game and actually win challenges - that is amazing.

From the first episode I thought this was one of the most "unlikeable" groups in series history. A big bunch of whiners and big mouths. I actually had to turn off the stuff with the jury last night because it was so full of venom. Cassandra was lazy. She pretty much rode on everyone's coattails to get there which was the only way she would have made it. But the jury saw that as well. Dreamz has to be dumb as a door to think he would get the vote after axing Yao. He had a chance to leave that island with a trunk and his integrity. Interesting that the audiences seem to relish the episodes that are the most back stabbing. Pretty sad statement if you ask me. I thought Earl and Yao were the only ones even remotely deserving. I thought it might be fun to do this until Cassandra said she had worn the same underwear for 39 days. Barf.
VMurray

The moment Dreamz refused to give the necklace to Yao, I turned to my wife and said, "Earl just won a million dollars and I bet the vote is unanimous." It was unfathomable that anyone on the jury could vote for Cassandra, who did nothing the whole time, or Dreamz, who betrayed every single person on the jury.

I think a final between Earl and Yao would have been very interesting, despite the poll of the jury at the reunion show that showed Yao winning in a landslide. I think Earl was a smart competitor and having the 2 of them up there would have made for a more thoughtful jury Q&A and could have led to just about any result. Earl was orchestrating things much more than Yao was and I think he was the one who kept Yao from being targetted earlier. If it was not for Earl protecting him, I am not sure Yao gets pulled into the core alliance as easily.

Still, Yao played a brilliant game. I think he should have told Dreamz that Dreamz could not win if Dreamz refused to give him the idol-- Yao could have been convincing about that, I think. Still, who knows what Dreamz would have done-- the guy was brain dead and had zero integrity. At a bare minimum, Dreamz should have told Yao, "I am giving you back the truck."

Was there anything more disgusting than Dreamz talking about, "I'm not going for the sympathy vote" at the final 5 tribal council and then talking about how poor he was and how he was going to use the money for his family/homeless at the final jury faceoff?? What a piece of @!#^@!^ that guy is! Does anyone buy that he was playing Yao the whole time? Not a chance. He made the deal and then realized it was a bad thing for him and so he broke his promise. The jury can always see who is honest and who is lying. Dreamz was toast!!

Props to Earl for answering his few jurry questions with some hoensty though. That cemented the deal for him.

I am eager for another All-Star Survivor-- imagine this lineup:
From Fiji
Earl - unanimous winner
Yao - brilliant strategist
Rocky- Lunatic

From Cook Isle
Yul - great strategy and strong, winner
Ozzie - challenge stud
Parvatti- Strong and knew how to use her sex appeal
Jonathan- Good strategist and a personality

From Panama
Terry- pilot who was a challenge stuf
Shane- Lunatic smoker from Panama, who was just fun to watch

From Guatemala
Stephanie- perhaps the strongest female competitor ever
Danni- Another very strong female competitor and a good strategist
Jamie- A villian but a strong competitor

From Palau
Tom- Fireman who won it all, challenge stud
Ian- Tom's ally who had a moral crisis and bowed out at the final 3


Fill in the rest with 4 or so random females (for gender ballance) and you'd have a hugely fun show.

-Jason "Yao is like Rupert-- everyone thinks he was wronged and wants to see him win" Evans

Regarding another All-Star season...

I thought the exact same thing last night. It's time for another all-star Survivor but that brings up some questions...

1. Should you include previous all-stars? Rupert, Hatch, etc
2. Would the fall or spring timing work better for CBS? Is it possible that the next all-stars would happen next spring?

I loved the rules changes with the immunity idols, but I do think they should be tougher to find, but it would be great to see how the all-stars would use the idols.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by riverside6

Regarding another All-Star season...

1. Should you include previous all-stars? Rupert, Hatch, etc

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To include Hatch they would have to wait for him to get out of jail...

In other words, Hatch is quarantined. Is it Wednesday night yet???)

Hatch is currently on Exile Island here in Morgantown, WV, in a minimum security Federal Correctional Institution.

Yep, forgot Hatch was in the Hatch. Wait, that blew up. Nope, not Wednesday yet.

Maybe...Richard Hatch is Jacob.

Well, by the time I got back here to say the "a lot to say about this" I had to say, you guys had jumped in to say most of it. So, you know, ditto.

Although I don't think Cassandra was the dead weight many seem to see her as. I thought she played pretty smart for somebody who had no capability whatsoever when it came to challenges.

And I nearly turned off the final tribal council. It's just become everyone spewing irrational venom and wanting to be the next Sue Hawk. They made themselves look like fools. Any affinity I had left for Alex was completely destroyed. And Lisi is a joke. But I knew that about her before. Oh, and did I miss something? When did Boo become so devoutly religious? I had no idea. Did the whole "I'm a Christian" thing show it's face during the game? I must have gone to the kitchen for a soda.

Even if Yau had made the finals with Earl, I agree with Jason, Earl still should have won. Not that I'm confident that would have happened, but I think it should have. Earl controlled the game so much more right from the beginning. When Michelle got booted I thought he was a goner. Yet he worked it out. But the jury always seem to admire or give more credit to the players who play loud, who are more obvious with their strategy. I think the quiet manipulaters are much more effective.