SURVIVOR 35: HHH

[Seraphina]

I managed to stay awake for the whole episode too lol. I was sad to see Desi go, I thought she was a good player.
And I still can't figure out how Ryan hid the idol in his little pink shorts.

-Teresa

[pocaracas]

It's a tiny idol, clearly!

Also, who would you guys rather have on your final 3? Desi or Joe?

[Clueless Morgan]

Also, who would you guys rather have on your final 3? Desi or Joe?

For polarization: Joe

For sanity leading up to the final 3: Desi

Keep in mind that it's not as simple as this, though, and if whoever is there with Joe is up against a bitter jury and he can make a strong case he could still win.

[Seraphina]

It's a tiny idol, clearly!

Also, who would you guys rather have on your final 3? Desi or Joe?

I'd rather have Joe - unless he becomes Saint Joe and rescues orphaned kittens in the next few episodes, I think a jury would be more likely to vote for Desi to win instead of Joe.

-Teresa

[Clueless Morgan]

It's a tiny idol, clearly!

Also, who would you guys rather have on your final 3? Desi or Joe?

I'd rather have Joe - unless he becomes Saint Joe and rescues orphaned kittens in the next few episodes, I think a jury would be more likely to vote for Desi to win instead of Joe.

-Teresa

Maybe that will be the next reward challenge: Rescue kittens, then go give school supplies to little kids, then gorge themselves on the most delicious local foods, then a banner is raised celebrating Joe's miraculous personality change...

Seriously, though, based soley on the information and dynamics of the game up to last episode, Joe is the clear choice for who you'd want to go with to the final three since he would only possibly get other Healer votes.  He still presents the threat of "I played the game, I made moves, I found idols!" though, whereas someone like Desi was playing a much quieter, far less flashy game and might have a harder time making a case to a jury.  Her pitch would be "I made relationships (we can only assume), and was a competitor in the challenges."

It all depends on the jury dynamics.  If enough people on the jury feel sufficiently screwed over by the other two sitting with Joe, Joe could have a shot. It also comes down to how other players perceive you in the game and right now Joe is perceived as a schemer.

[pocaracas]

---

Coal went home!!!

---

That's how Ben spelled his name, right?

---

---

So Joe's up to his tricks... he'll end up annoying everyone and not get voted out, because everyone wants him there in the final 3, right? hehe, it's a strategy... not sure how it will pan out, but alright... Depends on how crazy things get from now on.

People are getting fed up with Ben as the leader and sole decider of who to vote for... that's going to bite him in the ass... has bitten others before. But he did see that keeping Joe around would be good... maybe.

Ryan seems to be sticking his head a bit too high and into the noose... while the girls are talking a lot.
And the jock... whats-his-name?... who's always in the background, trying not to get noticed... not really a challenge threat, but may become one... hmmm.
Doctor Mike seems to also be a bit lost, like a leaf on the wind... hmmm... where have I heard this one before?...

---

---

[Whateverist]

Well how about that?  Lauren has got her game on big time.  Bye bye challenge hogging stud guy.  Bye bye goofy Joe.  The super strategists, braggy mom and skinny hustler guy, have been isolated and seem destined for an early exit.  The cowboy/marine guy seems a likely next target but I wouldn't expect any alliance to stay static from this point forward.  Rock climber guy showed some good chutzpah and doctor Mike overcame his basic niceness to tell skinny hustler no.  Stay tuned.

[Clueless Morgan]

Great double episode, I thought!

First hour: Honestly I don't really remember much of if. There was a bunch of strategizing and everyone turning on Chrissy and Ryan. I'm loving Lauren gettin' her game on!

Second hour: I thought the vote played out perfectly - Ben's alliance is recognizing what a threat he is but did the smart thing and got Ryan's idol flushed and Joe voted out before they turned that relationship sour. I think they'll have to at least get rid of Chrissy before they can really neutralize Ben because if Chrissy and Ryan are still in the game and Ben cottons on to them turning on him that will be bad news for Lauren, Ashley and Devon. Mike then would become the swing vote because Ben could very well go back to Chrissy and Ryan.

I thought these two episodes played very well as back-to-back episodes, the one building on the other very nicely.

I'm weirdly unsure whether I actually like Mike. On the one hand he seems like the dopey outsider sort that I would like but he has a strange unlikable streak in him that rubs me the wrong way. For instance, I didn't like him much the first hour, but liked him okay the second hour. But don't love him.

[Seraphina]

^^ I agree, I thought last night's episodes were good. They seem to have some good strategic players on this season. Less people who seem like deer caught in the headlights, or can't handle the stress of being isolated and half-starving for weeks on end or people who seem to just be looking to hook up with someone of the opposite sex. There have been a few of those but it looks like they've been summarily voted off. Yep, a good season but I haven't decided yet who I'm rooting for to win.

-Teresa

[pocaracas]

Who's left?

- Lauren, still with her double vote
- Ashley
- Devon
- Ben
- Doctor Mike
- Chrissy
- Ryan

Am I missing anyone?

If that's all, the top four (who are still in an alliance of sorts) can get one of the bottom 3 kicked out next time.
And then kick out Ben with the extra vote.
And then clean the rest of the board.... unless someone wins an unexpected immunity challenge.... is there one for the last person on the jury?

With that, the jury will be in a bit of a hard spot on who to grant the win to, I guess... Those 3 have been playing pretty much the same sort of game...
Devon was instrumental in destroying Ryan... Lauren has blossomed into a strategy goddess... Ashley is mostly just there.