Immunity Challenge-related stories
Posted Nov 20th 2009 12:30AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E10) Now, isn't this a good time to be a
Survivor fan? Part of the problem with long-running reality shows is that they've run out of ideas and it's hard to keep things fresh and new. They end up depending on whatever outlandish and over-the-top characters they can line up for the season. Some are a dismal failure. Case in point, "Coach" Ben Wade last year. Sure, he was a nutty kind of guy. But he couldn't play the game well despite all of his bravado. This season is casting done right. And tonight's episode was just as good as last week's show.
Continue reading Review: Survivor Samoa - The Day of Reckoning
Posted Nov 13th 2009 1:02AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E09) If you haven't watched this episode of
Survivor, stop right now. Watch it. Oh, don't go by the expression on John's face. That's the face I had when the show started. Yet now I'm downright perky and alert. For me, this started off being a real iffy season. But, as folks really play the game, I'm all excited about it all over again. Some play it poorly, but there are a few movers and shakers this season.
Continue reading Review: Survivor Samoa - Tastes Like Chicken
Posted Nov 6th 2009 1:00AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E08) I know this photo might be considered sort of spoilerish for the front page. But since last week's
Survivor promo showed the merge going down, I know you all know Evil Russell will attempt to work everyone. Heck, that's what the guy does. To me, he comes off akin to a snake oil salesman. Yet he seems to get people to believe his wily ways. I bet he could have sold a lot of snake oil a century back.
Continue reading Review: Survivor Samoa - All Hell Breaks Loose
Posted Oct 30th 2009 12:50AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E07) Even though we're down a Russell this week on
Survivor, I'll continue to refer to the remaining Russell as "Evil Russell." It just somehow fits even without a confusion of Russells. However, there is just one Shambo. Although she's a good worker in camp and works hard on the challenges, that might be a good thing. One Shambo is quite enough. Perhaps she's just too nice to be on the show. Perhaps she is a bit dim. I just don't know.
Continue reading Review: Survivor Samoa - Houdini Magic
Posted Oct 23rd 2009 12:13AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E06) Well, this was the most unusual episode of
Survivor I've ever seen. Mind you, I've seen all of them since the first season. I won't get into why it was so unusual until after the jump just in case you've missed all of the hype over the injured castaway in commercials all this week. But it wasn't just the injury which made it unusual. It was all discombobulated.
Continue reading Review: Survivor Samoa - This Is the Man Test
Posted Oct 16th 2009 1:55AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E05) We're into the fifth episode of
Survivor and I'm still getting some of the cast mixed up. True, they're mostly on the larger Galu tribe -- the ones who keep winning, yet we only see a focus on a select few. We all know "Good" Russell and Shambo. Did you know that someone named Brett is on the Galu tribe? No. Really, I'm not kidding. He got some airtime tonight. At this point, they could stick in stunt doubles and we wouldn't know the difference!
Continue reading Survivor Samoa: Walking on Thin Ice
Posted Oct 8th 2009 10:53PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E04) So far we've had one of those lopsided seasons on
Survivor. We've seen this happen before -- one tribe keeps winning, the other keeps right on losing. The numbers on the latter are decimated going into the merge which allows the stronger tribe to keep picking them off one by one. I prefer things a bit more evenly matched. The tribal losses affect both the strong and weak players across the board. Once a tribe keeps losing every challenge, morale goes down. Then they lose some more.
Continue reading Survivor Samoa: Hungry For a Win
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 2:28AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E03) If I had my druthers and could choose which weirdo to watch take over
Survivor between Evil Russell and Ben "Coach" Wade from last season, I'd surely go for Russell. Don't get me wrong. I don't like Russell. I wouldn't invite him over for dinner or send him a birthday card. But he's playing the game and, despite saying he's not there to work, he works around camp and at the challenges. However, his expertise in work at camp is playing mind games. Wade did diddly. Now if only I knew what a druthers was.
Continue reading Survivor Samoa: It's Called A Russell Seed
Posted Sep 25th 2009 1:18AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E02) Controversy is good for a show, don't you think? When you think about it, we're on the 19th season of
Survivor. There are only so many fresh new challenges and twists you can do with a bunch of folks stuck in the jungle. What to do? We saw it last season -- come up with outrageous cast members. The same tactic is in practice this season, perhaps two for the price of one. Evil has a name and we know it's Russell. Stupid Jerk Bully has a name ... and, believe it or not, that name isn't Russell.
Continue reading Survivor Samoa: Taking Candy From a Baby
Posted Sep 18th 2009 1:46AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S19E01) CBS just came off the highest-rated season ever of
Big Brother. Will they be able to repeat the deed with
Survivor: Samoa? You know, it's very possible that they just might do it. That is, if the season premiere is any indication.
Right off the bat, they gave me a reason to watch (other than I write about the show). I want to see Evil Russell knocked down by a woman. He's not to be confused with Good Russell, nor Russell on
Big Brother. Nor even my brother, Russ. He's nasty, I tell you!
Continue reading Survivor Samoa: The Puppet Master (season premiere)
Posted May 18th 2009 12:16AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S18E14) Well, tonight was it for
Survivor Tocantins. It's hard to believe that the 18th season of the show is a wrap. Why, wasn't it just a few years ago that Richard Hatch was the evil fat naked gay guy and all the talk around the watercooler? We've progressed a lot during those nine years. This season we stepped up the game to include a naked skinny Mormon crude dude and a delusional coach. So, how did things go down tonight? Read on.
Continue reading Survivor: I Trust You But I Trust Me More (season finale)
Posted May 15th 2009 2:10AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S18E13) We're getting down to the wire for this season of
Survivor. The big three-hour finale and reunion show airs this coming Sunday. Of the five going into tonight's show, I think I would have only predicted JT be there at the beginning of the season. Stephen, the intellectual kind of nerdy guy? No way did I think he'd make it this far. Erinn was targeted early on. Taj, the best eye-roller since Eliza, is playing a delightfully sneaky game. Then there's the loon -- Coach. Sigh.
Continue reading Survivor: The Martyr Approach
Posted May 8th 2009 12:40AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S18E12) Would you prefer what's in the covered dish or what's behind Door Number Two? Okay, I lied. There is no door, just the dish. But, just think a minute ... if there was a door, perhaps Coach would be behind it pledging his never-ending Dragon Slayer hot love and devotion to you! That would make it all worthwhile, wouldn't it? This was the
Survivor auction week, always a world of gastronomical goodies. What I'd like to see is Coach on a platter at Tribal Council. Is that asking too much?
Continue reading Survivor: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Posted May 1st 2009 2:52AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S18E11) Yes, it's the Tribal Council snake from
Survivor. You see, Sue Hawk (season one) called it. Remember
her epic speech to Richard Hatch and Kelly Wiglesworth? "There are two things on this island, snakes and rats." I'm looking at the group we have left this season. I'm thinking there are more fuzzy mice than snakes and rats. I think there's a vulture or two in there, too. But this is one season I'm not rooting for the snake to eat the rat.
Continue reading Survivor: They Both Went Bananas
Posted Apr 24th 2009 1:04AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S18E10) As tonight's episode of
Survivor started, I prayed to the gods that it wouldn't be Coach-centric. Alas, there was plenty of Coach spouting his wisdom, his Warrior Alliance theories, and his general Coach-isms. After all, he is the Dragon Slayer, y'know. I so wish this Little Lord Fauntleroy Willie Nelson oddly-attired man would vanish from my television set. Maybe tonight?
Continue reading Survivor: It's Funny When People Cry
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