4/6 Show Thread **Spoilers**

[straycat80]

I was really hoping that Matt would be smart and not trust Boston Rob but that hope went down in flames when he stupidly decided God wanted him to stay with his original tribe. This drives me crazy when people do that! Hasn't Matt watched previous Survivor shows? Especially the ones with Boston Rob? Stupid, just stupid IMO.
And why did Ralph play his idol? Maybe he paniced. I don't think these people have much of a chance now against Boston Rob, he is running the show. These are some of the dumbest people to play Survivor. JMHO.

[jammyjoe]

Wow...Matt went down in Survivor history to be one of the stupidest players in the game. One needs to backstab and promises meant to be broken to go further in the game. It's just the nature of the game. Why even be in the game? You can have all the physical skills and passion to play the game but if one is stupid and doesn't know how to play it, those are useless. Well, at least he's learning about life. However, this is only a game and he never made any promises to anyone until he laid all his cards to the King that is Rob. Again, it's a game and he is not playing it with his fellow born-again Christian fundamentalist brethren hoping that everything is goody-goody with his original tribe. At least the other tribe is promising him a top 3 while he is in the bottom of the pecking order in his original tribe.

I really wish they had a tribal switch/shuffle before the merge. It would have made the game more interesting in the long run. Now the Zap tribe is just going to be Pagonged. It's their own fault, not always good to throw a challenge. They could have waited to lose to get rid of Russell because at least Russell (if he made the merge) could have helped them get rid of Rob. It's not that Russell can do anything if he is in the minrority plus Ralph has the HII. If Zap believed that they were the stronger tribe, then that meant they believed that they would outnumber Oma at the merge and even if Russell flips he would still be in the minority.

Ralph needed to play the HII because they thought Oma was gunning for Mike. They didn't have a choice because they were outnumbered and Matt didn't give them any promise to join them. Their mistake was letting Matt know that they have the HII but since they thought it was necessary to lure Matt to join them, it would have been a better strategy to promise to give him the HII if he joined them. They would need Matt to keep his word and because he is a "Christian", he will never turn back on that.

[sweetpea]

I must be cold hearted. I've watched every season of Survivor since the beginning, and I do not equate what you do to win this game with being a bad person in real life. There are only a couple of people who have played who I think could be very dirty and mean in real life (that girl who made the crack to Sugar at the FTC about her dead Father is one of them, possibly Russell is another although from all accounts he seems to be a loving dad and husband, so who knows). You are not a bad person if you do what's necessary to play and win this game, and frankly if you can't handle the idea of playing without breaking promises or being sneaky or blindsiding people, you should either reconsider or resign yourself to where you place if you get voted out. It's not good vs. evil (well, most times it isn't). Some are worse than others, but I wouldn't equate lying in the game of Survivor with being a morally corrupt person in real life.

[srwiner]

I was really hoping that Matt would be smart and not trust Boston Rob but that hope went down in flames when he stupidly decided God wanted him to stay with his original tribe. This drives me crazy when people do that! Hasn't Matt watched previous Survivor shows? Especially the ones with Boston Rob? Stupid, just stupid IMO.
And why did Ralph play his idol? Maybe he paniced. I don't think these people have much of a chance now against Boston Rob, he is running the show. These are some of the dumbest people to play Survivor. JMHO.

While everyone thinks Matt was the dumbest person on his episode last night I am afraid Ralph earned that title for me.

Yes Matt should not have been wishy washy. Ridiculous to tell Rob you were thinking of flipping. Honesty got the best of him. I applaud him for being an honest guy but has he never seen an episode of survivor.

Ralph..I was so rooting for him in the beginning. Playing the idol too early and for someone else. Other than the chick earlier that had one and played way to early his was the dumbest. I understand you have to form teams but in the long run you are out for yourself. Never share an idol with anyone and never play it on anyone else's behalf. Dumb dumb dumb!!!!!

[ironcat]

Rob's move was smart, IMO. Matt was a flipper. One minute he is going to "make the big moves" and flip on Omatepe. Next he's loyal because it "feels right." Then he gets the note and consider flipping again. Sure, at the TC, he stayed true to Omatepe but he was definitely a wild card in Rob's eyes, and the fact that he sold Andrea out as his partner in crime meant he could easily have flipped and taken her with him, at any time. Rob knows he's on the chopping block, he knows Matt is good at physical challenges, he knows Matt is being courted by the other side, he knows Matt has a reason to flip given that his original tribe voted him out so early...put all that together and it makes sense Rob gets rid of the wild card. He still has the numbers, he's inadvertently gotten rid of Zap's HII, and he's got his own, secretly stuffed in his pocket, to use if he gets feeling antsy. Like him or not, Rob is indeed thinking 2-3 steps ahead of everyone else. I guess that is what being a veteran at this game gives you. His tribe could have voted him out at any time up until now, like Zapatera did with Russell, so I say it's their own fault, not Rob's, that they are keeping him as leader. Chances are they will use him to get to the end game where they will vote off all the Zap members, and then they will get rid of him because nobody wants to go up against him at the F3. Too many people have too much respect for Rob's gameplay to let him get to the end. If he does, I'll be rooting for him to win it all as I think he deserves it. If not, he better get the "player of the season" prize. If Russell is even close to winning that prize, given how early and easily he was voted out, I'll know the whole thing is rigged.

ITA with every word you wrote. Love him or hate him, Rob is owning this game, and there is no doubt to me that had he been put on Zapatera instead of Ometepe, he would have figured out a way to manipulate them as well, as they are collectively no "smarter" than Ometepe when it comes to Survivor strategy. It's sad that there is almost no way he can make it to F3 unless he starts winning all the immunity challenges once all of Zapatera is gone, since even his alliance can't be dumb enough not to vote him off at some point (I'm sure he pretty much realizes this as well, but suspect he won't go down without trying a few tricks anyway). But if he doesn't win "player of the season" (and especially if Russell does), it will just show what a joke that vote is.

I also hope that they tweak the whole Redemption Island angle before instituting it in another season. The concept is flawed, and it will really be obvious if Matt makes it back into the game for a second time.

[Jojo47]

Matt's sin was indiscretion, not caring. He should have kept his thoughts to himself, or been much more careful in what he said.

IMO this has hit the nail on the head. Many players, since the inception of the game, have had flawed strategy but managed to stay in the game. There's a religious saying that Matt should keep in mind ~ God helps those that help themselves.

[maude~flanders]

Well, Matt really blew it. I think that he is just too naive to play the game of Survivor. Anytime a person tries to play the game with a large dose of honesty and integrity they tend to struggle with the lying and backstabbing part of the game. Matt's deep religious faith has just made THAT part of the game, the lying and backstabbing part, even harder. Matt is just very young and naive, not a good combination for Survivor.

I had high hopes for Matt when he made it back into the game and thought that he would be able to make it farther than just one TC, but he is clearly out of his element out there. He is a social person who I don't think does well in isolation. And I think that he may not have what it takes to overcome this second blindside. Matt's fighting spirit seemed to be broken last night. I don't think he will make it very much longer and will be going to the Ponderosa soon. Sadly, I think that Ponderosa would be the best thing for Matt.

I realize that Rob is playing a very good game, but I am struggling to like the guy due to that massive ego of his. Right now I can't think of one person on his tribe who would have the b*lls to go up against him, other that Phillip. They will be picking off Zapatera until they are gone, and then maybe someone will then step forward and devise a way to boot Rob from the game. I do think that it is highly unlikely that Rob can make it to the F3. As of right now I am hoping that Grant wins it all. I like him.

I agree with all you have said.

I feel like I am one of a very small minority here who feel sorry for Matt and think he is too good for this game. I don't think he is stupid - just naive.

[RichLP]

I must be cold hearted. I've watched every season of Survivor since the beginning, and I do not equate what you do to win this game with being a bad person in real life. There are only a couple of people who have played who I think could be very dirty and mean in real life (that girl who made the crack to Sugar at the FTC about her dead Father is one of them, possibly Russell is another although from all accounts he seems to be a loving dad and husband, so who knows). You are not a bad person if you do what's necessary to play and win this game, and frankly if you can't handle the idea of playing without breaking promises or being sneaky or blindsiding people, you should either reconsider or resign yourself to where you place if you get voted out. It's not good vs. evil (well, most times it isn't). Some are worse than others, but I wouldn't equate lying in the game of Survivor with being a morally corrupt person in real life.

I completely agree with this!!!

I have this discussion/argument with my wife all the time... it's a GAAAAAME...

Johnny Fairplay cracked me up with his dead grandma bit, and my wife wanted to twist his head off... LOL

[Brooks]

I have this discussion/argument with my wife all the time... it's a GAAAAAME...

Johnny Fairplay cracked me up with his dead grandma bit, and my wife wanted to twist his head off... LOL

I agree. I thought the granny episode was the most hilarious and brilliant "outwit" maneuvers on Survivor.

It's not like noone suspected. There was at least one confessional, I think maybe Sandra, where she knew he had to be lying but didn't dare say anything and there was no opportunity for the contestants to discuss it privately at the time. Stalemated! What I particularly enjoyed was that management was bamboozled. Jeffy or someone else actually called Fairplay's mom to offer condolences on her mom and found out it was all a ploy. I think Jeff knew by the time of TC and stuck it to JFP then.

[PipSqueek]

I know a lot of people who arent Rob fans, always make the "massive ego" point. I dont think his ego is as huge as a lot of people point out. Sure, he has one. We all do to some point. I truly believe Rob loves Survivor, and understand that he has the ability particularly in the PI sessions, to give the camera a some good tongue-in-cheek comic relief. Ive heard him praise people when he feels they know the game and are a threat, and conversely will make snide remarks, when his opposition comes on the show like they dont have a clue. I really think a lot of his comments are tongue-in-cheek and nothing that we as observers, arent saying to ourselves, in our living rooms as we watch the show.