Survivor: Nicaragua

[Ghoulish Delight]

Starts tonight, folks!

[innerSpaceman]

You've got to be kidding me. Isn't this like, so 90's?

[BarTopDancer]

Well only if Jack shows up.


(where the hell is Keith when I need him).


Are they going to be running from the Cartels?

[Gemini Cricket]

I can't wait for Survivor: Burkina Faso. It would be so much fun to say.

[Alex]

OUAGADOUGOU!!!!

[Moonliner]

I've spent the last 10min trying to pull my thoughts together regarding the premier and this season as a whole.

I got nothing.

Age, Power Thingy, Famous person in the mix, they all seem like cheesy gimmicks. I'll give it another episode or two to see if things start to gel or not.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I'm sorry I missed it. Based on Moonliner's review, will one of the contestants be riding a motorcycle over a tank filled with sharks?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I do not like the Jimmy Johnson Show. If each episode spends 20 min on JJ alone, we'll never learn who anyone else is.

That said, I like the idea of throwing the old people the seeming advantage of one of the best coaches ever to help offset their physical disadvantage. (Though saying "coach" over and over regarding Survivor just evokes another Coach that I'd just as soon forget.)

Power Medallion and immediate hidden immunity aside, what might be the killer for this season is not old vs young but kooks vs morons. I'm reminded that the only people over 40 that would go on this show are crazy and that the only people under 30 hot enough to get on the show are usually dumb.

[scaeagles]

I'm liking Tyrone early on.

Anyone else impressed with the older lady who had fire in 30 mins?

The Wand of Power or whatever the hell it is....eh....have to wait to see how that plays out. Adds another and different strategy element to the game that may or may not enhance. As with JJ. The dynamic is one we've never really had before (save Gary Hogeboom, who was really not recognizable). I don't buy his "i know I'm not going to win" crap....he's a competitor who is ALL about winning. After the first episode, though, I think I'd rather he not be there.

How about Survivor: Chateau D'if ?

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'll tell you one thing, at least early on in the game when team is so important - if Jimmy Freaking Johnson is offering his advice on how to work as a team, I listen. I'm not usually one for pep talks or following the leader, but in that case I'd make an exception.

It is fascinating to see how threatened the other alpha-males are acting around him. Here's someone who doesn't just THINK he's a good leader, and doesn't have to PROVE he's a good leader. He is. Period.

I'd be pretty pissed off if, say, I'd finally worked up the courage to try out for the show, sent in my tape, and hear, "Oh, you're 33? Sorry, we're cutting anyone in their 30s out of this season."

[Moonliner]

What does everyone think of the immunity clue?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/Moonliner/P1020098.jpg

I'm thinking pictogram

Cross over a cave, rock, turtle? Or read it backwards for 'X' marks the spot.

Code? Substitute?

Yardarm minus arm? Yard? A distance measure?

Rising or setting sun? Head east or west?

Tree? A starting point?

Edited to add: A better photo of the clue. (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/photos/Hidden_Immunity_Idol_Clue_1/) NOTE: DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS on that page if you want to play this game.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I doubt they'd expect them to come up with "yardarm". Nor am I entirely sure that's an arm.

Though keeping with the Spanish theme, it could be "armada" - "arm".

Adason? *shrug*

[Moonliner]

On the better photo you can see 8 hash marks inside the "cave".

The "code" reads:

E = V
J = X
H = ?

[Ghoulish Delight]

And that arrow is indeed pointing to the yardarm.

[Moonliner]

OK, that was kinda fun. I hope this leads to another clue that we at home get a chance to play along with again.

[Moonliner]

I've seen worse cases of shooting yourself in the foot at Tribal but not many.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yeah, that was spectacular. Can't wait to see what he has to say for himself at the finale.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

That was also some impressive crazy, back at old people camp. Talk about freaking out.

Crazy old people vs dumb young people....yup.

[Moonliner]

That was also some impressive crazy, back at old people camp. Talk about freaking out.

Crazy old people vs dumb young people....yup.

Although to be fair, it's not like dumb and young is short on crazy either.

[Gemini Cricket]

OUAGADOUGOU!!!!
That's right. It would be Survivor: Ouagadougou. That's even funner to say.
:D

[Ghoulish Delight]

Phew, finally someone clears up the difference between ghetto and hood for me! Another one of life's pressing puzzles solved.

You see, ghetto is, um, err. Well, hood is when, uuuuuuh.......damn that bitch be crazy.



Oh wait, I think I've got it. Ghetto means having the courtesy to have a conversation with someone while you're acting like an ignorant, violent sociopath, right?!

[scaeagles]

She ranks up there with that guy that had a rock he thought was his blackberry.

It is horrible to laugh at her....but she is so over the top I find it hysterical. When she was alone on camera threatening to throw the anputee's artificial leg in the fire? I just couldn't stop laughing.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Nayonka thinks she's on one of those "Bitches Pull Each Other's Hair Out" shows. I'm disgusted that they put her on Survivor. We keep yelling at her but finally I decided that I just need to put my head down and get through it. Hopefully the young team will get to vote her out very soon.

Maybe when a sociopath applies to these shows, the producers should refer the information to mental health professionals. She's definitely crossed the line from "funny" to "painfully unfunny".

Can't wait to see the alpha males duke it out in the oldster tribe now that Jimmy J is gone. They all seem hacky to me. No real pros this season. Are pros usually in their 30's?

[scaeagles]

You know what I find decidedly NOT funny about NaOnka? She is a teacher. If she were my kid's teacher I'd be moving my kid to another school.

[Alex]

I don't know (and I say this not having seen any of this season's Survivor episodes), the best math teachers I ever had turned out to be a wife beater and sexually molested his daughter.

But he was a damn fine math teacher.

[Moonliner]

By "Teacher" they mean she works at the Y leading a PE class.

[scaeagles]

Well, that's better than being in a school, but my kid still wouldn't be going to that Y.

I suppose even the creeps among us have abilities (referring to Alex's comments). Which is all fine dandy until the go all creepy on a kid.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

This is going to sound horrible but in some neighborhoods, her attitude is the norm. It's possible she's an acceptable Y PE teacher in her area.

Yeah, that sounded horrible. If that's not the case, do you think she'll have a job when she gets back home? I wonder that about a lot of these people who reveal nasty natures on reality shows but work school (or even customer service) jobs.

[Alex]

There's also the fact that the way she behaves on a reality show (plus the factor of the way she is edited on one) may not be a perfect correlate to the way she behaves in normal society.

[Ghoulish Delight]

There's a certain level of horrific that, having seen a person reach, no matter the setting, I doubt I could ever respect them again.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I ended up loving this season. Shocked that I ended up rooting for Fabio, but that was mostly because I found it much more interesting than if the 3-way alliance had just bullied their way in. LOVED Fabio's whole attitude from the moment he won final immunity on.

I also LOVED how Jeff shut down that asshole homophobe on the reunion show (whose name I have no interest in committing to memory). Gave him a chance to apologize, and the moment he opened his stupid mouth and let it be known that he was as much of a homophobe as he made himself out to be, just told him to shut up and moved on. Good on you Jeff.

[Stan4dSteph]

I'm intrigued by the twist for next season, so I'll be watching again.

I was happy with Fabio's win. He played a good game, giving people what they wanted and flying mostly under the radar until he had to step up to save himself.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yeah, I'm hoping/betting that Redemption Island will alter the whole, "Vote the physical threats off" mentality that's been a bit of a drag on the game of late.

So, did anyone understand a word of Fabio's bizarre new age babble on the reunion show? That was just weird.

I was really loving Jane, until she got voted off and went all "snake and rats". I mean, she used the word "cheats". Ugh. You lost, get over it.

Yay for quitters not being on the jury from now on.

Yay for Chase's answer to Marty's "question".

[Alex]

What is the twist? Just curious if something might revive my interest.

[Ghoulish Delight]

When someone gets voted off, instead of immediately being out of the game, they're sent to "Redemption Island". Once the next person is voted off, they are also sent to Redemption Island, where they will have to compete in a challenge. The loser goes home, the winner remains on Redemption Island to take on the next person voted off. At some point late in the game, whoever is left on R.I. returns to the game.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm worried about Redemption Island since a lone person returning late in the game isn't going to have much clout and will probably be voted out quickly...though Sash, a lone gun at one point, actually made it to the end this time, so who knows.

[Alex]

Reading a thread on another board, it was mentioned that they did something similar in the Pearl Island season with a "Ghost Tribe" that could result in people voted off returning. The consensus on that board seems to be it didn't work.

Thoughts?

[Disneyphile]

I'm really happy with how this season turned out. Finally, the prize didn't go to a jerk. It hasn't been that way in awhile.

So, did anyone understand a word of Fabio's bizarre new age babble on the reunion show? That was just weird.
I don't think anyone is meant to. ;)

[Moonliner]

My initial thought is that survivor is a social game, so adding an individual (or one-on-one) element will just be a distraction. In any case the gimmicks like exile island, the doohickey of power, or redemption island don't matter much in the long run, for me it's all about casting. Give me survivors I either love or hate (or just cast Island Goddess Stephenie on every season) and I'll watch.