Survivor: Micronesia (Fans vs. Faves) Premieres 2/7/08 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

All the sudden this is taking on the feel of a WWE event! "Our next event...the challenger--Joel the Fireman will take on our reigning champion--the Gravedigger!"

Heck, you've even got women who could pass as divas! "I've never been this close to implants before!"

Everytime I see that Joel guy, I am put to thinking about the WWE. Can't imagine why...

 

[Michael:M]

Interesting first episode. Except for crazy lady and Tracy's headlights, nothing really compelling on the fans side.

Fairplay...what an idiot. I wonder if he was trying to get the Eliza-Jonathan-Amy-Yau-man alliance to vote for him and get Eliza out. But I think they made the right call in voting him out; completely untrustworthy and useless in challenges. Were I on the favorite's team, I'd be angling for Ozzy next; while he's great for team challenges, far too great a threat in the long term.

And Amanda is way hotter than Parvati. Not that I have any complaints about seeing more of either of them.

 

[David Deeb]

I'm kind of glad Fairplay went so early. IMO, either he would be constantly playing into his "character" or CBS would have tried to present his manufactured persona. Both of which would have grown very tiresome by mid-season.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I was impressed by how food plumped up Amanda's topside. She didn't look as skinny on the reunion show (as she did while in China), so maybe she didn't last too long for the fans vs. faves season.

 

[ChristopherG]

The whole Fairplay final entry and then his exit seemed almost "manufactured" for ratings to me...I think it would have been more interesting had he stuck around longer though...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Anyone know if the faves got any "appearance" fee money just for showing up? I figure that's all Jonny F wanted, plus to eek out just a little more of his 15 minutes of fame. Did y'all know the mother of his daughter was a contestant on American's Next Top Model Cycle 4 (Michelle Deighton) and is now with the Janice Dickinson modelling agency?

 

[Mike Frezon]

And I figured he made up the whole thing about having a girlfriend (and baby-on-the-way)!

 

[Mike Frezon]

It's interesting...talking to a bunch of different people about the premiere...they seemed split fifty-fifty on whether (a.) Fairplay really wanted off the show to go home...and (b.) that it was just a story to deke out Eliza, Ami, Johnathan & Yau-man which ended up coming back to bite him as he got double-crossed.

I believe the latter...and couldn't convince those that believe (a.) any differently. I guess we'll have to see how the discussion goes "back at camp" at the beginning of episode #2.

 

[AnthonyC]

I that he wanted out not because of his girlfriend and upcoming daughter, but because all he cared about was getting an All-Star slot. Once he got that and was on the show, he just wanted to screw with the producers.

Either way, it was a pretty ingenious idea for him to want out first--he either comes across as the sympathetic future dad or the threat that nobody wants around.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ingenious to want out first, Anthony?

Who cares if JF is a "sympathetic future dad or the threat no one wants around?" I thought people went on the show to win the cash (Pavarti: I better win this time; I won't get another chance.) or to have their "big adventure."

What does he get by being off first that he doesn't get by sticking it out and trying to win? I think it was Johnathan who noted how smart it would be for someone to take Fairplay to the end. Then, all bets are off.

All JF got was another 15-minutes of fame...which he also could have gotten by sticking around longer.

And, remember, I'm in the camp that says he got double-crossed and wasn't expecting to go home so early!

People can say in the confessional all they want that they were voted out because they were a threat. When in fact, they got voted out simply because they got outplayed. He looked like an idiot all the way around.

 

[AnthonyC]

I don't know; I think Fairplay values his reputation in the reality TV community more than anything else. He knows that a great villain can't win without ruining the storyline, and he pretty much bases his life around that persona, desperate as it may be.

But if he wants to remain as arguably the greatest reality show villain of all time, he either has to make it really far once again and lose or get eliminated the first time his tribe has to vote someone else.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oh. I see what you're saying. Of those two choices, I think he took the coward's way out. BTW, I said to my son that someone Rupert is laughing his a$$ off at that vote. And, I loved that Probst didn't even give him the satisfaction of reading JF's own vote for Ozzy. Odd that he didn't vote for Eliza. Maybe that's a clue that my theory that he was double-crossed is off-base.

It will also be interesting to see the reunion show for any discussion on the issue.

 

[Chris]

Behind the scene word is this:

Fairplay had been in an onstage fight of sorts with Danny Bonnaduce just before going to film this Survivor. He lost many of his teeth and had undergone the first of the procedures to have his jaw recorrected and gum damage put back.

Because of that, he couldn't chew effectively, and was having a lot of pain management issues. Going on the show, even for one ep, though, meant he at least gets the minimum appearance fee, so he goes..

But I have no doubt, after having heard that through E! and elsewhere that it stands to reason that, not any other real reason, was a major motivating factor for why he'd want to quit.

 

[Michael:M]

For those wanting to see Bonaduce vs Fairplay:

YouTube - Danny Bonaduce -vs- Johnny Jonny FairPlay

Looks like he slammed into the stage floor teeth-first. Might be something to that being the reason he wanted off the show.

 

[Radioman970]

I agree with those who said that JF just looked like an idiot again.

But I was disappointed. He would've kept this interesting for sure. Now it's up in the air.

 

[Radioman970]

I can't stand either dude but feel this is a mutual thing. JF was just being playful obviously, but jumping on someone like Bonaduce in public like that was stupid. Most of us would've taken the act in the intended nature, laughed it off and wouldn't have caused any injuries. This is one of the reasons I can't stand Bonaduce outside of the old PF TV show.

 

[TonyD]

jf is just a character, too bad he made the mistake of goofing around with 'duce

it would seem that a lawsiut would come from that, unless jf jumping on danny screws that up.

 

[Radioman970]

My God! That's awful in so many ways. I saw this some time ago but don't remember it being so dramatic. The look on Bonaduce's face is priceless. Not quite Travolta's "Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face" from Pulp Fiction...more like, well, JF had it coming!! But they were both doing a show on TV. That makes Bonaduce an ass in my book. It would different if they were out on the street and JF jumped him.

I can't stand JF but sure wouldn't wish that on him. He ain't that bad. After last week I hope his moments of fame are over for all time though. My guess is a Bonaduce Vs. JF prize fight is already planned.

 

[Mike Frezon]

That stuff all happened several months ago. The way I see it, if Fairplay's face hadn't gotten messed up so badly (the way he landed mouthfirst on the stage), there would be no issue. But, it did...so there is. But, bottom line...you don't go jumpin' on people like that...so it's hard to fault Bonaduce for throwing him off.

If Fairplay hadn't invaded Bonaduce's space, it would have been a non-event.

As a sidelight, I actually know someone who knew nothing of the above incident and commented that it was nice Fairplay had his "buckteeth" fixed before he appeared on Survivor: Micronesia!

 

[Patrick Sun]

Joel basically got the ladies in his tribe to do the dirty work for him to boot Mary, while currying favor with Mikey by voting for Tracey. Pretty slick, actually.