(S17E13) Now, this was one deliciously yummy episode of Survivor. But I'm not talking about gastronomical goodies although a few of the castaways had some decent food. I'm talking yummy in regard to the actual events of the show and how things are winding down for Sunday's big two-hour finale and reunion show. Why, things couldn't have gone more to my plan if I were pulling the strings on the puppet castaways myself. Read on past the jump for my full review of tonight's episode.
The remaining players and what I think of them
Bob: He's been a sentimental favorite of mine since the season premiere. He's just such a cool kind of older guy. I had no idea he'd stay in this long. If he can make it to the final three, I think he might have the vote to win it all. His strengths are his intelligence, his determination in challenges even though he looks way too skinny, and his ability to do some strategic thinking at times. His biggest weakness is that he's nice. Because he's nice, he tends to be a bit gullible. He felt so horrible about the position he put Kenny in last week with the fake idol that he promised him his immunity this week if he won it. Ack. Thankfully, he ended up putting a qualifier on that and a little bug caught his ear!
Kenny: He's a snake. He's a rat. But he has been playing a very strategical game. He's probably down to 80 pounds, but is still working hard at challenges. But he's working more on trying to be a puppetmaster and has grown just a bit too cocky about it all. Now with the tribe onto him and his gal pal gone, he's got a huge target on his back. But he's certainly more deserving of the final three based on gameplay than Susie (or Crystal).
Matty: I know he's basically a nice guy. But for some reason I don't want him to win. He's really lacking a lot in the strategy department. Yes, he was dealt a bad hand being on the losing Fang tribe in the beginning. The others keep thinking of him as a huge threat in challenges, but he really hasn't excelled in them on the whole. I don't know. Maybe he just whines about his plight too much. Honesty isn't always the best policy on this show.
Sugar: This girl is something else. She makes bad decisions about allies and can be very gullible. Then ... WHAM. She'll come up with a plan, never really tell anyone what she's planning to do, and execute it like it's all child's play. Not only did she turn the vote to oust Crystal tonight, but she made sure it would happen by giving Matty the hidden idol she had. Sure, she didn't need it -- she wasn't in danger of being voted out. But, with her latest actions, she's sealed an alliance with Bob, Matt, and Susie leaving Kenny as odd man out.
Susie: Who? There's a Susie on the show? I think she should get a reward for being the most under-the-radar player ever on the show. She's a klutz in challenges. She leads no one. She's a bit wacky. But she's slithering around the camp and no one sees the Invisible Woman as a threat for the win.
Crystal: About time she got gone! Matty was right about her being a bully. She's also the most inept Olympics champion ever in physical challenges. I'm still not getting what's up with that. She and Susie are of the same uncoordinated ilk. She has only one strategic decision to her credit and has been riding Kenny's coattails most of the show. Thankfully, she won't be in the final three.
Tonight's challenges
Heh, Bob won a basketball challenge against Matty and Crystal (who has the height factor). I thought he made a wise decision bringing Kenny and Crystal with him to the gorilla sanctuary. He knows Matty has been gunning for him and that he had a quasi-ally in Sugar. Susie's the Invisible Woman, so Exile Island was a good place for her.
I thought the Immunity Challenge looked very hard. I was figuring it would be between the guys for the win. But I never thought Crystal and Susie would go entirely not just out of their lanes, but out of the set course. I guffawed. I'll admit it. Although the challenge had the inevitable puzzle, this was a fresh take on it all.
Heading to the finale
I have no real spoiler information, so these are just my personal predictions (or hopes). I think that unless Kenny wins immunity, he's gone next. He's not going to be able to fast-talk his way out of trying to blindside Bob or win Sugar's trust back. If all goes right in the world, Susie would be gone after Kenny. That would leave a final three of Bob, Sugar, or Matty. Of those three, I'd prefer either Sugar or Bob for the win. I believe that it could be a close jury vote between the two, but Bob would probably win against anyone left in the game.
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-11-2008 @ 11:36PM
Ryan said...
I'm rooting for a Sugar, Bob, and Matty final three myself. But I don't think that's going to happen.
Kenny will certainly go next week unless he wins immunity. If that happens though I think Susie will make it to the final three just because she will still be way under the radar (and since most of the jury hates her she would be great to have in the final 3).
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 11:27AM
Jussup said...
Hey Ryan, just a heads up... unless you have a DVR to automatically record it for you... don't wait until next week, the finale and reunion show are on this Sunday night. Just looking out for you man.
12-12-2008 @ 12:40PM
Ryan said...
Thanks Jessup!
12-12-2008 @ 6:45PM
jschneck26 said...
Ryan, I think everyone's rooting for Bob including the jury so it'll be wise if Sugar who now all of a sudden is controlling this game decides to take Susie to the final 3. If she does she can still stand by her "the good guys deserve to win" new strategy without totally upsetting the jury. Susie's done nothing at all to show she's a bad person other than flipping on Marcus who deserved it anyways for throwing a hidden immunity idol in the ocean. Other than Eric the ice cream scooper last season, that was the dumbest move in Survivor history. So she needs to stand by her new alliance and take out Kenny next. Then prays Matty beats Bob in the final immunity challenge so she can take out Bob, still save face, and have the best chance to win the game. Otherwise the physics teacher is about to retire a rich man!!!
12-11-2008 @ 11:58PM
VP said...
Since they were blindsiding somebody why couldn't Sugar, Matty & Bob get rid of Kenny? He is more of a threat in the challenges than the klutz Crystal. Plus without him she is a headless chicken.
I too am hoping for a Bob, Sugar & Matty final three and my preference of them is in that particular order.
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 1:27AM
Bob on this said...
Because she was just plain mean to Matty when he (and everyone else) figured he was going home. Plus, SHE'S BEEN A ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS THE ENITRE RUN OF THE SHOW. An Olympic Athlete? The only thing Olympic thing about her was her attitude....THANK YOU SUGAR FOR GIVING MATTY THE IDOL! That whole scenario couldn't have played out any better than it did....unless Kenny stepped on a snake and got bit and had to leave the game, pimples and all.
12-12-2008 @ 3:48PM
Mark said...
This is my first season of Survivor, so I don't understand exactly what happens next? Are two people voted out next episode and then the Jury choses who wins?
12-12-2008 @ 3:51PM
Mark said...
Sorry, my comment was meant for the 'conversation' above.
12-12-2008 @ 5:22PM
KTR3 said...
Yes, in the 2 hour finale on Sunday, the final five will be cut down to the final three and the final three will face the jury.
although last season it ended up being the final two... I don't see that happening this season given the number of players left at this point.
12-12-2008 @ 12:05AM
Lauren said...
Whoever goes to the final would be smart to bring Susie with because everyone knows she's done nothing. No one on that jury would respect her enough to vote for her
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 12:38AM
Bobby said...
Taking Susie to the final is the smart choice. However, if they take Bob, they might as well write him the check now. Kota has the majority in the jury, and they'll certainly vote Bob if he's in the final. If Sugar/Matty want any chance at the million, they'll eliminate Kenny and Bob next. Of course, if Bob keeps winning immunity, it won't matter what they do.
12-12-2008 @ 12:17AM
Alex F said...
SUGAR TIL THE END!!!!!!
I think I may be in love with Miss. Jessica Kiper,
Reply
12-13-2008 @ 2:51AM
Brent McKee said...
Too late for the "Miss" part - she married cinematographer John Lands on August 23rd.
12-12-2008 @ 2:19AM
Will said...
Yeah, I'd love to see Bob win the whole thing, but I think that's quite a longshot. We've seen that before, a guy wins 4 or 5 immunity challenges in row & the minute he doesn't, he's gone. But we can hope, I guess.
Although I would have rather seen Kenny get the blindside tonight, Crystal works OK. She looked like the big idiot she is during the immunity challenge. It's pretty pathetic not even staying on the course! I'd probably do the same, but I'm smart enough NOT to try out for the show. I know I'd make a fool of myself, just like she did. It did make me laugh, though.
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 4:23AM
BHcolin said...
First of all -- did anyone notice that Bob fixed his bow tie so that it had read Survivor. I love that guy. I wanted to kick his a-s if he really gave the idol to Kenny though.
Crystal-- what a waste of space. I can
t stand her because so many challenges she just gave up on (early on). Umm what did she when her medal for cause I don't see a sportsperson at all - just a waste of space.
Glad Crystal is gone before Kenny. I don't like Kenny, mainly because he got Marcus and Charlie out but he's playing this game
Susie who?
Sugar -I've loved her then the whole Randy situation and the fake idol and I didn't like how that went down. It really bothered me. I like that she finally saw Kenny as the manipulator that he is. Though uh Sugar Matt had the same talk to you weeks ago about how Kenny can't be trusted and how he lied about Ace.
Matt is a nice guy. I like him. I think he's trying hard and I respect that - he's not quite the gamer but oh well
I also hope that Bob, Sugar and Matt make the final three - Sugar and Bob in final two with Bob winning. Though he's going to have to work for Randy's vote (unless he's in F2 with Sugar)
This was a good episode - finally something went the way I wanted it. I got real pi-sed off when they switch up the tribes a second time and Marcus was voted off. It was just that Crystal and Kenny did nothing in the challenges, gave up on many then they were able to sway Susie to get rid of someone I really liked
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 5:36AM
Christian H. said...
Nothing to add to the episode.
But your automatically content-feed from AOL (which bugs me anyway) just screwed you on this one. The first picture in the gallery is from Ground Zero, it displays the "Survivors' Stairs". That's really bad taste. I'm laughing anyway...
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 6:39AM
Jackie Schnoop said...
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I took it down for now until they can find the glitch.
12-12-2008 @ 6:29AM
JoyceN said...
Best laugh of the season was Crystal and Susie blindly (literally) straying totally off course. They are two of the most useless survivors ever on Survivor.
Also funny was Corinne pumping her fist thinking that Bob had pulled off this blindside instead of Sugar.
Matty is likable, but doubt that he has a chance of winning this. Hopefully, it will come down to Bob and Sugar, with Bob getting the mil.
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 9:50AM
JDog said...
Umm.. what's up with Randy's new mohawk hairstyle? Anyone else notice when the jury walked in?
They should have blindsided Kenny and I agree - Susie, Sugar and Matty as final three if Sugar wants the 1 million. Any other combo that includes Bob and it's Bob's.
Reply
12-12-2008 @ 11:20AM
No1Dad said...
One of the best moments ever on Survivor:
"Matty, will you get rid of this cursed thing for me?"
Professional writers couldn't have scripted it any better.
That said, if Sugar wins it will be in spite of her emotions. She really should've went after Kenny who is a much bigger threat that the non-factor Crystal.
Reply