It’s Day 37 and we’re flying over one of those amazing Survivor challenges that makes us all jealous we’re not playing. This one involves collecting a number of bags from 6 different stations, and then completing a different obstacle to return to the start. Once all 6 bags are retrieved, the pieces must be assembled on a table with rotating pieces. The puzzle is similar (or is the same) one X’XXX totally failed at in Cagayan, but since Spencer and Tash never attempted the puzzle, they won’t have an advantage.
As they get under way, Jeff points out Kelley is attempting the hardest task first. I think this is a good idea since you’re least fatigued at the start. Wonder if anyone else thought of that. However, Jeremy is the first to return with a bag, followed by Keith, Tash and a clumsy Spencer (dude, that must have hurt). Kelley finally returns with bag #1, while Tash, Jeremy, Keith and Spencer all hang #2. Kelley quickly joins them with 2 bags. Throughout the challenge, Jeremy keeps a narrow lead, but you can see Kelley’s decision to do the hardest one first was a good one. Everyone’s looking like they’re playing catch-up with Kelley, who can start untying bags.
Next to retrieve all his bags is Jeremy, then Keith, with Tash and Spencer bringing up the rear. Spencer actually passes Tash to begin opening his bags a bit sooner, but Kelley and the others are already starting to solve the puzzle. Kelley is the first to place a piece, with Jeremy and Keith quickly on her tail (the magic butt).
Spencer commences to do what he probably learned at the University of Chicago and that’s cheat off Kelley’s puzzle, but I guess there’s no rule against that on Survivor. But rather than wasting time doing that, he should probably focus on his own puzzle.
Kelley continues to make steady progress, dropping pieces in a moment before Keith. Considering these two are on the bottom of the food chain, it’s great to see they’re doing everything they can to stay in the game.
Finally, Kelley rotates the last dial and slaps the final piece in place and wins Immunity. Final Four, here we come, Seahawks! Dale’s little girl is proving Blood vs. Water II gave us no indication how much this girl can play.
But, this means Keith is probably on the chopping block, unless he can work some magic of his own. He’s not dead yet, and as long as he’s still in the game, he’s got a spittin’ chance to stay in the game. Or does he…?
When they return to camp, the Triad head off to have a chat, leaving Kelley and Keith alone. But they aren’t going to just sit there and await the executioner, Kelley has a plan, and it involves arts & crafts and paranoia and doing whatever you can to stay in the game. She fastens a fake idol for Keith out of things she’d been collecting (and seriously, where did she get the needle and thread and all those beads?) and creates a fake idol that Joe would be proud of. I swear, those two need to make Survivorbabies…
She sneaks it to Keith and with him playing “guilty conspirer,” he does his best to make it look like he’s concealing an idol from the others. Jeremy, for some reason, is getting real antsy over Keith’s behavior, and I’m just wondering why they think Keith would have an idol. If he had one, he surely would have played it last Tribal, right? But the paranoia is real, and Jeremy is revealing (to me) that he’s not the greatest player of all time.
While hanging out in the shelter together, Jeremy is sharing with Tash his concerns over the way Keith and Kelley are acting. Something about them doesn’t smell right to him, but Tash keeps telling him to relax. A bit later, when he thinks Tash is taking a nap, we get some comic relief as Jeremy tries to get Keith’s attention. This is probably the funniest thing we’ve seen all season, and of course it has to do with Keith.
When Keith finally looks over, Jeremy mouths “Spencer,” and the game is afoot. That’s all Keith needs to have a shot at staying alive, and he reports this to Kelley. She tells him to be ready to pull out that idol early, because that’s his only shot. We saw what pretending to have an idol can do to help you at Tribal a few times with Tony, and I’m sure with the paranoia that exists within Jeremy this could actually turn the game on its head. Let’s hope Keith is a savvy enough contestant to know how to play the game… Oh, wait, he’s not…
Off to Tribal we go and everyone takes their places. Jeff confirms it’s still the Triad vs. Kelley and Keith, and with Kelley wearing the necklace, looks like Keith is going home. Pretty cut and dried. But then Jeff brings up “idol chatter” and the discussion veers a bit to the left. Yes, idols have been discussed, says Jeremy, and if one gets played, it could turn the game around.
“Oh yeah, there’s still some tricks around to be played,” says Keith.
So now would be the time to pull out your idol and put it around your neck, Keith…
Keith.
Keith!
Kelley shoots him a look, like, “Pull it out, you dumb hillbilly.”
But this hillbilly ain’t no never knew how to play this game anyway. Maybe he thinks it’ll do some good to pull it out AFTER they vote?! With a sniff, he seals his fate and heads off to vote. Kelley can only laugh at his stupidity and failure to even attempt at making a play. And she’s probably pissed because she put all that effort into making the stupid necklace. Why, America? Why do you vote these idiots in?
Kelley looks dumbfounded as everyone heads off to vote and Jeff collects the urn. When he asks for Hidden Immunity idols, and Keith doesn’t pull one out, Jeremy shakes his head, like, “How could I think this moron had an idol? I’m so stupid.” (Okay, that’s twice he’s proven he’s not such a great player.)
Spencer
Keith
Spencer (who shoots Jeremy a look like, “Did you f**k me?”)
Keith
Keith
Boom goes the dadgum dynamite! And another opportunity to take out a strong player (Spencer) is wasted. But let’s see how this’ll play out. There’s still a lot of game left…
In his parting words, Keith reveals he didn’t play the idol because he wanted to play with integrity, but I don’t see how not playing a fake idol shows you have integrity. It’s a GAME!
I then discussed playing with integrity with Christina, who mentions the thought does cross your mind when you’re out there. Everyone might think it’s easy to pay balls to the walls and all cutthroat, but the thought does occur to players they could be judged when they come home. So keep that in mind when you make your next audition tape…
Day 38 and we’re off to our last Immunity Challenge. It’s the “put ball into chute, catch it at the bottom” thing that JT won back in Tocantins. Hey, I thought these were all supposed to be new challenges, not just new to the players. Whatev…
The challenge gets underway as everyone drops their first ball. No problem. What I would think to do is count how many seconds it takes for the ball to complete one “cycle” so you can kind of gauge when ball #2-4 should be dropped, but perhaps I’m overthinking it.
Everyone drops ball #2 in and with a couple slight mental lapses by Spencer and Tash, everyone’s doing fine. Jeff is trying to f**k with their minds by talking about the “mesmerizing” sound of the ball and being “lured into a meditative state,” but I think they’re all blocking him out. Shut up, Jeff!
They drop ball #3 and after a while Jeff tells them they have 30 seconds to drop #4. Spencer does right away and then has to make a nice save to stay alive. You need to remember to space out your drops, but I think everyone is just hoping someone else falters first. Jeremy and Tash drop ball #4, but before Kelley can do so, she reaches down to the wrong exit point and her ball falls to the ground. She’s done…
And as the other 3 frantically work to stay alive, the thing that occurs to me is…
Why didn’t Tash do more about those armpits before she left the United States? There’s something called laser hair removal, am I right? #gross
This is obviously on her mind too as she fails to catch the next ball. She’s out. It’s down to the boys… Ball #5 drops and Spencer makes another great save away from the table. Good hands, kid… But with 2 balls almost exiting simultaneously, Spencer’s next ball falls to the ground and he’s out, Jeremy finally wins his first Immunity Challenge (hmm, that’s not the resume of a sole survivor, in my book…).
Jeremy loses it emotionally as he realizes he just made Final Tribal and a chance to plead his case, and it’s a little overwhelming for him. Kelley loses it for the opposite reason that she may have just come up a day short. Tash and the Robot just stare off into the distance, wondering why they can’t feel anything right now…
Back at Orkun, Jeremy is over the moon that he doesn’t have to worry anymore about whether he’s safe. It’s an amazing feeling (I’m told) to know you have nothing to worry about, and now the only question is who to chop. Kelley is resigned to the fact she’s all alone against the Triad, but Tash confesses that no one is safe. And with Jeremy saying “all bets are off” on any promises made earlier, the decision has not been made yet.
When Kelley heads away from camp, the Triad congratulate each other and do their best to confirm they’re still tight and headed to the final. Spencer, ever the strategist, knows he’s not safe, and hopes Jeremy will help him realize his Second Chance opportunity. All he needs is a chance to argue his case, the only thing he can ask for at this point.
He then enjoys a private conversation with Kelley, and basically says he’s voting for her because she’s a threat. But he’s coming across with an arrogance I’m reading about on Twitter even today. She’s annoyed because he claims he has a shot to win, and wants to get rid of her because he thinks she has a shot too. Not sure why that’s arrogance, but she’s hot, I’ll cut her a break… At this point, I see:
Jeremy – controlled his alliances from Day 1, never targeted
Spencer – survived the various tribal shifts, strategist, won multiple challenges
Kelley – able to survive while playing mostly from the bottom, “idol whisperer,” made the single greatest play of the season, won 2 challenges
Tash – has really white teeth
So, Jeremy needs to choose who to bring with him, and requires hammock time with Kelley to figure things out. She explains that Spencer is a bigger threat to him than she is, but has to do it in a way that doesn’t seem like she’s trashing Spencer or lauding herself too much. Her argument is that while people may respect Jeremy the person, they’ll respect Spencer’s game more, and that makes him a bigger threat. She mentions that Spencer said to her he thinks he can win, which prompts Jeremy to ask,
“Would you do fire?”
And now we’re talking. If there’s one thing I like more than a blindside, it’s a pre-determined tie that forces a fire-making challenge, and let the best player win. There’s really no fairer way to decide things in Survivor, and in the spirit of the game, I think it’s a great way to decide who goes to the finale. I wish they happened more often. Jeremy essentially says he’ll figure it out at Tribal.
They enter and Jeff reminds us of everyone’s name again and recaps the last challenge which Jeremy won. The highs he felt are countered by the lows felt by the others. Spencer hopes he’s done enough in the game to keep fighting, and Kelley suggests this is less about alliances and more about “who do you think you can beat at the end.” Jeremy agrees he’s been tight with the Triad, but he’s got to do what’s best for him.
Kelley chimes in that she’s gonna vote for Spencer because “he’s a threat, he’s articulate, and probably already has his Final Tribal speech worked out.” This sets Spencer off on a slash-and-burn diatribe on how well Kelley has played the game, how she deserves it, and how he’d vote for Kelley to win and put all his efforts into getting the jury to see that Kelley should win. This kind of speech may not be the one that garners himself any jury votes tomorrow, but it may guarantee that he’s there. Too bad his speech is done in front of the jury, where it’ll have the biggest effect – both positive and negative – on his game.
“Wow,” Jeff exclaims, and you know it’s hard to surprise Jeff.
He asks Jeremy how he’s feeling and he replies he’s just gonna make a gut decision. Probst finally mentions how sweet it must be for Tash to not even be included in this conversation, which she loves, but let’s see how she’s excluded at Final Tribal…
Spencer and Kelley go back and forth a bit more over who should be there, and it’s Spencer’s prediction that “Kelley wins 100% if she’s here tomorrow” that may have just pushed Jeremy over the edge. Once again, someone else making decisions for him (the 3rd time he’s proven he’s not a worthy winner).
Jeff asks Jeremy a series of Yes/No questions that all illicit a “Yes” from Jeremy, signifying he’s ready to vote. Let’s do it.
But no, Spencer has to make another groveling attempt to get Jeremy to vote out Kelley. And this, I think, is where Spencer loses his game. Just shut up and let the vote happen! It’s time to vote. No, actually, it’s time to throw Spencer the stink-eye as he goes to vote, right, Kelley?
With a disgusted look on everyone’s face, Jeff reads the votes:
Spencer
Kelley
Kelley
Kelley
Damn, baby. You just broke my heart. And Spencer just lost a lot of fans… Mostly, the folks on the jury. Jeff congratulates the Triad and suggests they all get to work on their Final Tribal speeches, and turns the power of the game over to the jury. And I hope, no, I pray, this jury will be able to bring the fire. Because as great as this season has been, there’s only one way to may it “the best season ever” – a great Final Jury…
Well worth the wait my friend . Great column . In the game of life based on the little we actually know about these people Jeremy is a slam dunk winner . Firefighter , family man and sure seems to be a great guy . Survivor though is a game . A game he did not deserve to win . I am not upset that he was given the million dollars . I am happy for him and his family . Personal feelings aside Spencer deserved to be named sole Survivor . I think he is an egotistical , self centered , obnoxious ( plus clumsy ) baby . I think his whole I wanted to grow as a person garbage was gameplay and total bulls%$t . However he won challenges he maneuvered himself from the bottom of the pecking order into a power alliance . He played better than Jeremy its that simple . I wonder if Kimmi and Tasha were Jeremy ‘ s preferred final three . Kelley Wentworth may go down as the player with the best game that didn’t make final tribal . Too skinny for me ( need a girl with a bit more meat like RC or Morgan ) but a charming and beautiful young lady . It was an honor to watch her play . Keith impressed me a little by not trying to play the fake idol . The former competitive athlete in me respects losing with dignity . Thanks for a great season of recaps .Best wishes for your future . Love to see you return in Feb but you have to do what is best for you . I mean sure my boss might fire me if there is no column to recap and she sees how little I actually do here but hey you do you . Merry Christmas Fish !
I totally agree with rick above that Spencer probably played a more intense game and if that’s the measure of a winner, than he deserved it. But I also think Survivor is so fun to watch because its a game of finesse which Spencer never had. So, while you can be fierce in competitions and it can help you win sometimes (Mike), with other groups of contestants, it can also not help you-especially if you are an obnoxious conceited geek who thinks he’s better than everyone else. So yes, Jeremy didn’t win much but he did win when it counted and was savvy enough to use his idol at the right moment. I don’t really think that it was such a big deal to play the sympathy card with the jury. It worked so why is it wrong? t found Fishy Back much more appealing in that while he was whiny and a bit weird, at least he didn’t have that smug glare that Spencer wore the whole season. He had this angry look on his face like a newborn baby about to shriek. Fish, I have a question. Did they do much talking to the non-jury contestants at the live show? They hardly spoke to them at all on what we saw but I wondered if that was just edited out? I noticed Shirin looked totally bored and disinterested (maybe bc the attention wasn’t on her?) and was playing with her necklace every time the camera panned over her. Can we please NEVER see Kelly Wiggles again! What a baked, over filled, weirdo. I agree-go back to Mexico, please. Interesting tidbit about Vitas. I didn’t even notice he was gone. Tasha def. did not deserve to be in final 3 but she filled the role of goat well. She sure was different from the challenge beast she had been. Woo was so disappointing too. Just a total bore. I swear Abi said she was a realtor on her Ponderosa video. Next season looks awesome. Big Brother Fans, did you notice that Caleb (AKA Beast Mode Cowboy) is going to be on it? Hope you will be back Mr. Fish. We all love you and hope things go just your way in 2016. You sound like a great dad, you are a great writer and I bet you are a pretty cool guy. Big Kiss from your favorite redhead!
Obviously I was the only one waiting with baited breath for this column so I will continue . Tasha embarrassed herself and my hometown of St Louis . Every year some delusional person thinks they are playing a winning game when they in fact are doing nothing but playing someone elses stooge (this season we had two ) . Tasha it cant be easy being a terrible person and player but kudos for pulling it off . Vytas had a choice 15 k or so at the Ponderosa spending time with Kass and Abi or go home . Pretty easy choice . Pack your bags and go !!!! Of course he missed out on some bro time with Joe and a possible night of hot monkey loving with Wentworth but I understand his choice .
Rick: Thanks for the comment — and all your comments — this season. It’s nice to know I’ve connected with you and your Survivor viewing group. Yes, I agree, it seems that Jeremy is one
hell of a class act. I’ve seen nothing to indicate anything but that. Now, I get what you’re saying about him not qualified to win. You’re echoing the same thing I wrote about in my recap. But…I
will say that as a game, the rules shift based on each season, and the few contestants left in the game. And while his game may not have been strong enough if he was going up against
the Boston Robs, the Ozzys, the Russell, the Coaches, the Tysons, etc…it was good enough to win THIS season. And even though he was going up against a guy like Spencer (who, we
both agree, did enough to win) the simple fact is…it’s not up to us. All he has to do is convince those 10 players, not Jeff, not America, not us. I know you know all this, but it’s important to
remember how little one season has to do with another. Look at last season. Mike played one of the greatest games ever statistically, but again, compared to other great players, would you
really stick him in the same class as Rob/Tyson/Tony/Yul, etc? BUT…because he was part of one of the WORST groups of players ever, he shined. Kinda messed up, but that’s the game.
Yeah, I get what you’re saying about Spencer, but I just look at him as a child. Seriously, the fact no one called him out for being such an immature brat is shocking. Who knows? Maybe
someone did and we just didn’t see it. Like I wrote, the Triad all got the “hero edit” this season, so who knows how he was really treated? Jeremy just beat him on the most important
aspect: the personal one, which is definitely the way to win. As I’ve mentioned, I adore Kelley, but I don’t know if she was such an amazing player. She found idols. That was her greatest
accomplishment. And hearing what she heard at Tribal, she played them to save herself one more vote. Just so happens that those two plays were the two biggest moves all season. Good
for her. I think we’ll see her again sometime… (I hope). And you can have the meaty girls. I’ll take the skinny, pretty, girls with small booties… Now Keith, on the other hand, won’t get my
respect. He had a move to make. Whip out the idol and see if anyone panics. That was his ONLY play left. He has to try. If you’re down a run in the bottom of the ninth, you’re not gonna
simply take 3 strikes. You’re going to go out swinging. At least try!
I’ll try my best to return. I still love the show but recapping makes it a little more like work. Gotta balance that a little better. We’ll see what happens. It’s a long time til Feb. 17th. so we’ll just
have to wait and see. A very Merry Christmas and a great New Year to you and your boss.
Kate: Thanks for your unfailing support. I adore you…
I’m really surprised that Spencer didn’t get a single vote. I guess his antics at the last 2 Tribals were enough to wipe away everything he had done to that point. Something for future players
to keep in mind. No petulant babies at Tribal Council, please… And I’m not criticizing Jeremy for playing the sympathy card. More power to him. What he did right — and I think this fact
escaped the viewers because we were always privy to his situation back home — is that he surprised everyone with his “It’s a boy” comment (as if his 2 daughters didn’t already qualify him
as a great daddy…?). Did anyone else find that weird? Like, “I’m going to have a son so that’s so much more important than having another daughter.” I don’t get it…
I think Fishbach recovered once he was out of the game. He was seriously creepy in it, and I don’t think he’s cut out for this kind of show. Many people aren’t. I’ve always wondered just how
difficult it would be, but I think the hardest part would be the bug bites, the rats/snakes/scorpions slithering around, and the hunger, but not the interpersonal relationships and time away
from family. I mean, this is what they signed up for…
Regarding your Live Show question, what you see is what you get. There isn’t any additional conversations, at least on camera, as the show really plays out in real time. Maybe during a
commercial break Jeff goes up and speaks to someone, but it’s not mic’ed, so the audience doesn’t hear it. I guess they don’t mind, considering they get $10,000 for being at the reunion,
but I’m sure they’d all LIKE to say something. Gotta extend that 15 minutes, right. What did surprise me (I mentioned it) was when Jeff asked how many people felt any additional pressure
to play better based on being voted on the show. Everyone — except Kass — raised their hand. Seriously? What kind of bitch/asshole doesn’t feel obliged in any way to their “fans.”
Personally, I hope this is the last we ever see of her, considering how selfish she obviously is. What the fuck is wrong with you, America, for voting her in?
Speaking of the “last we see of her,” I’m glad you agree with me on Wigles. She’s just not all there, and I just wonder if years of smoking weed just fried her brain. Not that I know that, but
she just seems “off” a little. And all her surgery doesn’t fit the natural, healthy vibe she’s trying to give off. Just a confusing person… RE: Vytas, as I tweeted to Coach this week, it’s funny
how Vytas is booted for making family a priority, but that’s what won it for Jeremy. You’d think — because these shows are loaded with smart, resourceful people — that if Vytas really wanted
to be with his family, perhaps some arrangements could have been made to bring them to him? (And yes, I know passports are hard to acquire when both parents aren’t around.) But that
should have been something he thought about. Again, he probably had NO IDEA he’d go home first, and was not looking forward to being away from his wife(?)/kid for another 36? days. He
could have tried something different. And did they really have to drop the anchor like that? It’s not like he spoiled anything, so maybe they say, “Come to the Reunion show, but you won’t get
paid?” I don’t know. This season was supposed to be about the fans, not the stupid players or the show.
Yeah, Tash really didn’t get how little she was valued. Funny how she thought she was so important. Woo = never again on the show. Watch Abi’s Ponderosa again and tell me the exact
minute:second she said she was a realtor. I believe you, but I want the proof! 😉 Next season looks intense. Wonder why it was so rough? Same location. I know time of year counts in that
part of the world, so maybe it was just that much hotter/humid? You know I don’t do Big Brother…
And thank you again for all your kind words. I’m an okay dad, an okay hubby, an okay writer, an okay everything. I’m just not great at anything. However, I’m a fantastic Survivor fan, which is
what I really wanna get across in my recaps. I know there are errors, I know other people write better, and I know a lot of my stuff is really inappropriate/juvenile/dare I say prejudiced? “Ah
heck,” I’m just trying to get a laugh. And I hope people realize that. As I’ve said, it’s right there at the top of the page: “slanted, sophomoric, and skewed,” so if anyone’s offended, “kiss my
ass.” Thank you, Kate. And give my best to the bartender! Merry Christmas! XOXO
Rick x2: You and Kate must have been writing simultaneously… Yes, delusional is never good, especially when millions are watching. Players try everything they can to find those
soundbites that make them seem important, but it’s funny when they get burned by it. Tash must be a very nasty person, but again, I don’t know what kind of person Varner is to have said,
“There’s a reason she’s a “40-something, single, childless,” scrooge. The one thing I keep noticing about many players is how brusque they are. The show wants big bold characters, and
that’s who they cast. Wallflowers need not apply, because you’ll never get on the show. Too bad, I know a lot of nice wallflowers…
And not that it matters, but Vytas would have gotten to hang out with Varner, Woo, Shirin, Peih-Gee and Monica, not the jury members. Bro time with Woo, and hot monkey loving with
Monica, more likely… But, I think he just wanted to see his baby…
Peace out, everyone, unless I see some more comments. Come on, where are you doc, ericah, thatguy…? 😉
I keep trying to post, but blocked at work and site crashes pretty often while at home. I have posted a few times to only to have a crash before I can hit Post Comment. So I will go back to multiple short posts.
Congrats on attending the finale and hitting the daily double, Asian and rackalicious!!
Pretty much everything I wanted to comment on has been covered. Jeremy clear choice but no one could throw Spencer a vote? Glad to see the challenges stepped up, but why wait until he end? With the more grueling challenges at the end, doesn’t that give certain players an advantage? Mix it up!
Us home viewers did not get much of a look at Monica, I hope you were able to, but then your eyes may have been occupied by a couple nearby large objects.
I sure hope there is more to the next season than evacuations medical emergencies. Not sure why Survivor promoted that aspect so much, do the viewers really go for that?
Hey doc, Merry Christmas! Thanks for the comment. Not sure what’s up with site, since I have nothing to do with that, but glad you were able to send them in. I know the frustrations of being blocked at worked (government jobs blow) but I was able to work around it using something called Tor. Look into it…
Yeah, Christina looked amazing but unfortunately, not showing any boobage. It’s been a cold December in LA meaning mazophiliacs are SOL on the cleave…
Agreed, not one vote for Spence? He’ll regret attacking Kelley for a loooooong time. And I get that they want those huge challenges at the end, for spectacle, but you’re right, they do tend to favor the strong. Whatever happened to simple balance things to give everyone a shot?
I was sitting far enough away (and on the wrong side of the audience) to get a good look at anyone. After the show ended, I could have tagged along with Christina to get a close-up of players, but I’m not that guy. I simply don’t care about meeting people… And I agree that there’s gotta be more than “it’s physically grueling.” Maybe it’s another weak season with no standout players, which is why they promoted the Evac aspect. Who knows? We’ll find out in Feb. Have a great holiday season and a safe New Year. And thanks for all the comments this season.
Fish
Hey Fish – I’ve enjoyed your recaps all through the season but didn’t always have a chance to tell you so. I’m a huge Survivor fan but am a distracted viewer, so having your recaps to fill in the blanks has always been helpful. I thought the season was okay – not the best, certainly not the worst – but overall I was entertained, and isn’t that the point? I’m extremely happy for Jeremy and his family – I always liked him, even in his prior season. Thanks for the laughs, the finale insights, and the great writing – as an editor, I value and appreciate that! Hopefully, you’ll be back at it next season!
It was a great season, but final tribal was definitely lack luster.
I’m overall happy with the winner, but I do hate how people can suddenly throw down “I came out here for family! I got a baby at home!” Would have had infinitely more respect for Jeremy’s win if not for that. Given the way the questions went, I’m not convinced that Jeremy had a clean sweep until he dropped that bombshell on everyone. I honestly feel like Spencer had the stronger game and was probably the more deserving of the two, but you can’t fight “I did this for the baby! Without the million, the baby may starve to death!” (I know that’s not exactly what he said, calm down). Yes, he definitely lost a lot of points in that final four tribal, but come on, he didn’t lose them all. It’s just one of those things that suck to be completely honest. You can’t force people to not use it, you can’t force the jury to pretend they didn’t hear it. It’s effectively a trump card which just feels like Jeremy played the hidden immunity idol that forces votes to him. It was obvious from the second he dropped the baby bomb that he won (although I didn’t think he’d get ALL the votes, I knew he won). Oh well.
Having no votes count was definitely more exciting than I thought it would be, but really only because it resulted in yet another tie and the threat of someone who hadn’t received a single vote being the person to leave the game.
Thanks for your write ups after the fact! Always a pleasure to catch up and see everyone’s opinions afterwards. See everyone in Feb!
PS, sorry for the late response, holidays, family, log cabin in the woods, very spotty internet/phone service…
Had to save my phone for an emergency medical evac if I started hearing Banjos playing in the woods…
jlb! Glad you’re here one last time before the off-season. Thank you for checking in every week, I couldn’t do it without you. And I’m glad I can make your Survivor experience a little better. I try not to miss anything good, but sometimes I blink too… You’re right, the season was good, not great, not bad, not just okay. Pretty good. Yeah, it was pretty good. All this talk of it being “the best ever” is such bloat. There have been much better seasons — Heroes vs. Villains, Australia, Cook Islands, to name a few — but this one was definitely entertaining. I think if they had an amazing Final Tribal, it would be near the top. Everything just kinda fizzled… I really appreciate your kind words. And if you’re an editor, tell me what I can write for you! I need a job… Hit me up if there’s anything I can do for you…
thatguy… FT: agreed (as stated). And I know what you mean about the “family” thing. Everyone’s gotta family, wants to make a family, or misses their family. And I’m sure on a fireman’s salary and benefits and pension, his family isn’t suffering. As I’ve said many times, this show seems to have a lot of contestants who are well off. Maybe not 1%ers, but who else can afford to take 6 weeks off from whatever it is they do? You know, I never really thought of Spencer as a possible winner because he (once again) was on the bottom much of the game. Remember when he was sitting pretty, and then the tribe swap, and he’s effed again? It’s like the deck was stacked against him. Maybe he’s just a prick…? And even thought he dropped that bomb at final four, you would think someone on the jury may have lost respect for Jeremy for caving to Spencer’s threat… Ya know? And yeah, that “no vote” tribal was crazy. Probably one of the best ever. How the hell did Wentworth become the player who dropped the mic at 2 tribals?! Amazing. Thanks for your support, guy, really means a lot to me.
And one last cherry on the top of this season… Does anyone wanna know the tiniest spoiler I just read about next season? Not “who wins,” of course, but it concerns hidden immunity idols. Let me know if you’re intested. If not, I’ll see you in February…
I’m more than happy to hear what you’ve read personally.
Ok, you win, 1-0, thatguy. Here’s what I read… And again, this ain’t gonna spoil anything for you. It’s just intel.
Seems the show is tinkering with Immunity Idols next season again. This time, multiple idols are in play (duh), but they can be “connected,” as in, one piece is Yin, the other Yang, and will fit together creating a “Special Powers” Idol. Maybe it’s like Fishbach’s, maybe it’s like Dan’s, or maybe it’s like Tony’s “advantages.” IDK, and there’s some other piece that needs to be attached to let you know the pieces go together. I’m not sure how that works, and I have no desire to play investigative reporter and sniff this out. I read it somewhere, I’m giving it to you, go with it…
Have a wonderful and safe New Year everyone. 2016 had better be better than 2015. Fish, out! XOXO