Survivor: Gabon - Season 17 (1 Viewer)

[David Deeb]

At this point, 17 seasons, how could anyone try out for Survivor and not know what they are getting into? Other than an injury, or a tragic phone call from home, there is no excuse for anyone to quit, especially after "trying out". G.C. wanted to go on the show, and then wants to leave? Ridiculous. But still makes for fun TV

Mylan, you are correct about the HD thing. But other than some select DVDs, I don't watch any SD anymore. Everything is more enjoyable in HD.

 

[AnthonyC]

Could anyone post a few HD caps for those of us less fortunate who don't have an HDTV yet?

I know the picture quality has to be amazing but what bugs me even more is that they do 4:3 for SD--the framing always feels so off, especially during the on-camera interviews but even moreso in the theme song. A good third of Dan's face is completely cut off.

 

[David Deeb]

I'm surprised Sugar acted so casually about the idol. I would definitely tried to hide it somewhere other than in my clothes (she has an entire jungle at her disposal). When pressed about it at the tribal, she didn't seem to mind that someone could look for it. Odd. Maybe she has some sort of strategy we haven't seen to conclusion yet. (even though that might not work out in her favor).

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Sorry I am rather late to this thread but I actually downloaded
and watched this week's episode on the plane out to LA yesterday.

Wow! I finally realized the real potential of this show when I
discovered teammates going through Sugar's bag. I had no idea
how much underhandedness the producers of the show allowed.
I also was surprised that Sugar would actually leave the idol in
her bag knowing that such deception was part of the game.

I am really loving the challenges. It's quite amusing to see the
games that the producers come up with week after week. It's as
equally entertaining as it is watching the personal interactions of
the Survivors.

The only thing that still bothers me about this show is that I can't
help but think that so much of this drama is staged. It's very hard
to be an actual "survivor" when you are surrounded by cameras and
crew people who have food on the sidelines. I don't think the survivors
are being fed, but I do think that there is a lot of "unnatural" reaction
when you have so many cameras set up catching every angle of your
secluded life.

Still, Survivor has become my favorite guilty pleasure this season.

Oh...and count me in among millions that are elated that G.C.
hit the road.

 

[Mike Frezon]

One thing to keep in mind, Ron, is that the camera crews are omnipresent. They are on-duty...even during the night--just in case "anything happens" that might be of interest for the show.

So this does a couple of things. It inures the Survivors to their presence (I was always amazed that the contestants don't actually look at the camera more often), but it also provides the producers/editors with thousands of hours of footage to edit down into maybe 16 1-hour episodes. To an individual, most Survivor contestants come away from the experience talking about how boring most of it was--"hours and hours of just sitting around."

We really just get an ultra-condensed look at their experience through the eyes of some skillful editors and story-tellers in order to make for an interesting presentation.

About being "fed", one female contestant once talked of trying to use her wiles to secure a candy bar from a crew member. Didn't work.

I think some contestants know how to "work the cameras"--that is, to play to them so that it works to their advantage when the program airs...but I'm never really sure that translates well with the rest of the cast in whom their fate rests for the game itself.

The most manic bit of editing I've ever seen during Survivor is when one of the contestants was working on a campfire, passed out from the fumes, and fell in hands-first. The moments that pursued had to be edited like crazy to keep out crossing shots of camera/sound crews as people scurried about to capture reaction from the victim and castmates.

I think we get a pretty good representation of what really happens as it relates to their experiences.

 

[Hanson]

I have read that in Exile Island, Shane was staging outbursts and shennanigans for camera time. Some of the cuckoo stuff was just an act. It was apparently too entertaining to leave on the cutting room floor.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Who can ever forget Shane's cellphone/rock?!?

 

[questrider]

Dishonesty is what this game thrives on. Why would going through someone's bag be any different? Plus, there is a precedent since Natalie went through Jason's bag on the last Survivor and got away with it.

 

[Mike Frezon]

"Bag checking" has been a fact of life in the past few Survivors. James' bag got gone-through as well.

Doesn't make it right, though.

But, Sugar--as noted by David above--would have been well-served to do a better job of hiding the HII. Because, you simply cannot trust people.

I cannot remember a reunion show which hasn't touched upon the subject of deceit in the game and the question "Can you play the game and be completely honest?" Then it's interesting to listen to players' answers and see where they think they've been honest but other players disagree. Everyone's got different lines in the sand they'll cross--whether in Survivor or in life.

 

[Stan]

How could Sugar not expect somebody to go through her bag. If you can gain any kind of advantage in this game, why not.

Often wondered what would happen if somebody stole the idol, but found the following in wikipedia.


"Once found, the player that possesses an idol may keep it or transfer it to another player prior to the start of Tribal Council, and it may not be stolen from that player. The player is not required to show this idol to other players, though may use it as a bargaining chip for alliance and voting purposes. Other players may discover the ownership of the idol via any means within the rules of the game, including peeking into other player's personal possessions."

 

[AnthonyC]

I loved how, after his trip to Exile, Dan immediately went ahead and dumped his entire bag to prove he didn't have it (and Amanda too, last season, but since the idol was buried at camp, she knew where it was but didn't have it in her possession at that moment). There's got to be some tree or spot in the ground to hide it.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sugar: dumb like a fox?!? Whaddya think?

I guess Susie really must have been pretty crazy to have had that conversation with Corinne. I kinda wish the editors had let us see some of that if it's true. I suppose, though, her position could certainly change as she is now vulnerable and someone could make her a sweetheart deal to go farther in the game.

Randy does seem (as the teaser showed) to be sitting rather pretty as they head to the merge.

Looks like there's some skinny-dipping going on next week!

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yay, pompous Ace got the boot! Dan's paranoia got the best of him.

 

[Hanson]

Yeah, but the only girls left in that tribe are Corinne (meh), Sugar (meh), and Suzie ( )

"Ace-hole" gets the boot! My my, Sugar went from being in Ace's back pocket to holding the knife in his back. I guess she's going to hitch a ride with Kenny now.

Speaking of which, did Kenny make up some of that "Ace is a snake" material or was it all for real? I wasn't sure if some of the things he said weren't embellished.

Matt's actual game skills are so far below his perceived skills that he kind of comes off as retarded. His game is several planes below even Crystal. Ahh, if only there was a squinting challenge.

I was a bit confused about why Marcus thought Dan could have had the HII. You'd think the owner of the HII wouldn't be so nervous and high strung. Not only did they get the strategic 4-3 vote, but they even got Suzie and Dan to vote for each other. After they read out two Dan votes, I realized that this was a "flush out the idol" voting scenario. Their only downfall is that they are top heavy with power players, and things will necessarily fracture before merge.

Randy is such an ugly person, but the editing makes it seem like a virtue (and totally hilarious). The way he smiles when they agree to vote someone out reminds me of the Grinch -- evil and self-satisfied (and totally hilarious). As they were distributing the letters from home during the reward picnic, I told my wife that Randy would open his pouch and a couple of moths would fly out. That may not have been that far off the mark -- they didn't show him reading anything or getting even a little bit emotional. Maybe it's just the editing. Next week preview looks like a Randy riot.

Oh, and I think there was only one elephant shot. Maybe because there were two Tribal Councils and they didn't have enough time for those transitions (or maybe they're transitioning from elepahnts to hippos). Perhaps they'll make up for the lack of elephants this week on next week's show.

 

[Lucia Duran]

Kenny TOTALLY lied when talking to Sugar about Ace-Hole! Nothing he said was true, infact, if you go back and watch, Ace-hole was talking about Sugar to Matty and was doing his best to make sure Matty didn't vote for her. Ace-hole wanted to keep her in the game. Ace-hole screwed up when he felt the need to press Sugar to give him the idol. The sad thing is, it probably would have worked had Keeny never spoken to her and lied to her.

 

[ChristopherG]

There are so many unlikable players this season, it is difficult to say one should go quicker than another.....even so, glad to see Ace gone.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I hope they take the time while skinny-dippin' to wash out their clothes...

Yuck. Don't know how bad they smell...but they sure look like they must smell pretty bad.

Find some water and a rock, people!

 

[Stan]

It would sure be depressing to go through everything it must take to be chosen for Survivor, only to have your fate decided by that initial choosing of teams on day one.

Every single person from the original Fang is doomed. The few that survive until the merge will then just be picked off one by one. Only possible hope may be Matty, if he gets some food into him, he may have the strength and smarts to fight for the individual immunity.

Crystal or Susie will vanish next week.

 

[Dheiner]

Maybe not, if Susie sides with Fang.

 

[McPaul]

Apparently Crystal didn't even race in the gold medal race, she must have been an alternate.

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