SURVIVOR: Game Changers

[Whateverist]

Our cable was sketchy and we missed about 15 minutes and only caught the last 5 minutes of tribal.

What the hell did he do?!?!

In making his case that Zeke was deceitful and Ozzie (who Zeke seemed to Varner to be protecting), he outed Zeke as a trans man.  That was news to me, had never considered the possibility.  The other members who had seemed might be persuaded up until then were horrified.  I didn't like Jeff making that decision although I was fine with losing Varner.

[Jackalope]

Our cable was sketchy and we missed about 15 minutes and only caught the last 5 minutes of tribal.

What the hell did he do?!?!

In making his case that Zeke was deceitful and Ozzie (who Zeke seemed to Varner to be protecting), he outed Zeke as a trans man.  That was news to me, had never considered the possibility.  The other members who had seemed might be persuaded up until then were horrified.  I didn't like Jeff making that decision although I was fine with losing Varner.

Wow, I can't imagine how he thought he could use that to his advantage, that's just idiotic. I had no idea that Zeke was trans - not that it matters any more than it mattered that he identified himself as homosexual.

The think with Probst is that they may have actually voted, and in order to fit everything in that happened prior to and during tribal, they needed to edit that out, so they did what they did instead of showing the vote. Dunno, they've done that before when someone was ready to lay down their torch and such, it rubs me the wrong way as well, but meh, it seemed really unlikely that anyone was going to vote for anyone but Varner under the circumstances - though you're right, some might have had other plans that they were unwilling to voice publicly.

Either way, wow. That was just shitty. I'm going to rewatch because we just missed so much due to our cable going south on us. Thanks, Comcast.

[Whateverist]

Yeah I thought of that, about having voted but then edited it out. I hope that is what happened but I agree it wasn't likely going to end any other way.

[Jackalope]

In a way, it's pretty similar to when Brandon left the game in his second season in that there was a public vote, not even at tribal.

What difference that he was, at that point, a real liability to CBS due to his instability and potential for violence. I think they might have pulled Brandon from the game anyways.

It's entirely possible that in both cases, Probst wanted both of them gone. I wouldn't blame him if he did, but I'd greatly prefer keeping the integrity of the process. If someone's a danger, I believe current rules allow them to disqualify a player.

[Seraphina]

Those last 5-10 minutes of tribal were messed up. But unfortunately, I clicked on The New York Times before the show aired here and they already had an opinion piece on the front page about Zeke being outed, so that was a major spoiler.
I don't think Varner will ever live that down, he made a terrible mistake by calling out Zeke.

[Whateverist]

Yeah, it really was a mistake. I mean in the game you can argue as devil's advocate things you think will throw shade in some else's direction without having any personal investment in the matter. The game has that dimension to it. But then there are some issues which you have to recognize as off limits. I think he was in a desperate place in the game. When he started to get traction with his move to create friction between the women and the way Zeke was talking about them while seemingly favoring/protecting Ozzy, I think he just started reaching for more material to build his case. He just didn't think about the privileged nature of what Zeke had confided in him. He was in a cut throat mindset at the time.

[Jackalope]

Finally watched what I missed. Wow. Zeke appears to bear no I'll will, and I can do the same, but wow, Varner really stepped on his junk there. Stomped 'em really.

I would not want to be him. That was ethically way beyond what even the most hated players in the game have done in the past. I can think of a comparable moment in any of the prior seasons.

Zeke handled it really well, and I hope it's not just a convincing act. That's just a really shitty thing to have done to you, by some one you trusted. I'm definitely a fan, which of course means he cannot possibly win.

[pocaracas]

So Zeke told Varner, but no one else, that he's a trans...
I didn't get if he's gone from female to male or if he's starting a male to female transition, but it doesn't matter...
He told no one else!
How long were those two together on the same tribe? 2 episodes?
Could it be a lie that Zeke planted on Varner? If so, Zeke's playing a monster game and the seed grew beautifully, allowing him to come out of what seemed to be a shitty situation looking like a boss... "if this helps anyone at home watching to be more confident about their own bla blah blah" - brilliant play of the anti-LGBT-phobic behaviour that people adopt in front of the camera.

If it's true, then why would he share it only with Varner? A newcomer into the tribe... The guy on bottom after Sandra's departure... Why share such a personal thing about yourself with someone you've know for a couple of days?

Anyway, it seems like the big merge is coming next episode.
The individual game is starting!

[Whateverist]

I'm also hearing we get a double episode next week.

I'm pretty sure Zeke has transitioned from a female body at birth to a now a man. I doubt if he planted the idea in Varner to mastermind what happened. It was a legit mistake to confide in Varner. Maybe he thought he'd be an ally because he is a gay man.

[c172]

Boy, what a season to admit a sense of burnout on Survivor! I have a lot of catch up to do!