5/11 Show discussion thread ***spoilers***

[Tilden]

Maybe CBS wants Rob to win. Grant really isn't all that bright, none of them on Rob's team are. Rob has been given more chances than any other contestant in the history of Survivor, to the point it's getting old. I can think of a lot of people that played an excellent game that should have been given a second chance, yet, Rob is brought back over everyone else...WHY? I never could figure out why Russell got more than one chance. I'm pretty sick of Rob saying he has been trying for ten years. He is good buddies with someone that has pull. Why would a TV show keep bringing this guy back????? At least when he wins this time maybe we will be rid of him for good.

I don't really like the idea of bringing anyone back unless it's a season where everyone who is playing has played at least once before. I could see bringing back someone who was forced to leave due to circumstances beyond his/her control (injury, illness, family emergency) to give him/her a chance to play the game fully at least once, but that's a little different.

As for why others aren't brought back, maybe some of the ones they'd like to ask back are no longer interested, because they're at different places in their lives that make it less possible (or even less attractive) to them. I'm always amazed that people can manage to get 39 days off of work once to go on Survivor. Getting it off multiple times might be too difficult. Or they might be running their own businesses and be reluctant to be out of the loop for 39 days. Or they have family situations that make leaving for that length of time untenable or they've developed health issues that make playing Survivor more of an issue for them than it would have been earlier. A million dollars is a lot of money, but if other things are at stake, some people may be willing to forgo it. Or heck, maybe some of them feel like they've been there, done that and have moved on.

[Tilden]

[QUOTE=pretlitdev;4290862]He's also an expert on Buddhism. And racism. And knowing exactly what a person is thinking. And stealth. And what else? Probably lots that I've managed to forget over the weeks as he seems to be an expert in something new every week.

He seems to be an authority on Native American spiritualism as well, due to his Cherokee great-grandfather (or whatever it was he said he had). That one sticks out to me, because he was upset that Steve made what he felt were racist comments, but he doesn't seem to understand that some Native Americans might find his take on their spiritualism racist too. Or at least under-informed.

[Longhornfan]

I am just amazed at how naive the members of the Ometepe tribe are!! Even though Rob did not intend to vote off Grant last night, it was just a matter of time before that would have happened. Rob does not want to go up against anyone at the end who has the ability to beat him in the final challenge, so Grant would have been the next to go after Ashley - had she not won immunity last night. But on the other hand, Rob is probably just one loss away from elimination or else having to use his HII. Rob wants one of those girls and Phillip sitting next to him at the end.

I was a little disappointed in what Matt said to Andrea last night, but here is my take on it. He knew that she did not vote for him the first time and that she did write his name down the second time. And he (being as naive as he is) left there confused and hurt, especially by Andrea. I honestly don't think that he realized how he had thrown her under the bus but was only seeing it from his own perspective....being both hurt and confused. After being burned twice by his tribe, he was still searching for the "why". It is my opinion that Matt has probably led a very sheltered life and has been surrounded all his life by people who share his same values. Therefore, he went into the game of Survivor vunerable to being manipulated and totally unprepared for the deceiving part of the game. I bet that after watching the episodes and seeing all that went on behind the scenes that he now sees things a lot differently.

I really don't think that Matt will be the one to return from RI, because he has not dominated in the duels since Mike and some of the stronger players have arrived. According to Andrea in a PI, she came in second last night beating Matt by a few seconds. It looked like a photo finish they were so close.

I will be very unhappy if either Natalie or Ashley end up winning the million dollars. I would rather anyone but them win it. Matt would deserve to win the million over either of those two girls, but I bet that one or both of them makes it to end. Can you imagine if the jury had to pick a winner from these three: Ashley, Natalie and Phillip? That would pretty much guarantee a win for Natalie. Now that would be sad!!! I certainly hope that is not how it turns out.

[Shoepie]

Longhornfan. Except I don't want Matt to win and I don't think he "deserves" the win over anyone.

I think Grant will come back. Matt has not been challenged on RI until last night when he won by a hair.

It will be an anticlimatic finale for me unless Rob is a contender. And I would like to see him win. I am a huge fan of his but objectively he is playing the game well. And the only one playing as far as I can see.

[Neecy44]

He's also an expert on Buddhism. And racism. And knowing exactly what a person is thinking. And stealth. And what else?

Feathers

[Tilden]

Once again, I ask whether the real prospect of starvation is essential to Survivor? Would it really change game play and our interest in the players if the teams had, if nothing else, at least an unlimited supply of rice (which by itself is nowhere close to a nutritious diet)? I hope we could agree that it would be unconscionable to try to restrict players to, say, two cups of water per day. Is limiting food intake so drastically really much different?

In the past, they've had more opportunities at reward challenges that involved greater numbers of them getting to eat. You know, where three or four people would get to go somewhere, do something fun (like zip lining through a jungle), and eat a decent meal. When they decided to go with RI, I guess those got cut. They haven't even had a food auction like they've had in previous seasons. Honestly, they've skipped a lot of things that were fun to watch, though the Ponderosa videos indicate that jury members are getting treated to such trips and enjoying them immensely.

I'm also not sure why they seem to be subsiding almost entirely on rice. They have fishing gear, right? The Zaps used a net of some sort to catch all that fish that Rob decided wasn't fit to eat, though it didn't seem to hurt anyone, so far as we could tell. Aren't there any shellfish available? Isn't there any edible plant life out there? All they seem to eat is rice. Eat rice and sit around. It's pretty dull. I know they're probably not feeling their best, but if they're so hungry, wouldn't you think they'd try to investigate other sources of food? It's not like Africa, when they were confined to a particular area and couldn't scavenge much for other food supplies.

[mushybrain]

He's also an expert on Buddhism. And racism. And knowing exactly what a person is thinking. And stealth.

Feathers

He seems to be an authority on Native American spiritualism as well, due to his Cherokee great-grandfather (or whatever it was he said he had).

I think you all have nailed it!

[ironcat]

Regarding how dumb or naive the Omes are to not even have considered turning on Rob yet, nobody is taking into account how convincing Rob must be in making everyone but Ashley (and Andrea) supremely confident that they are his true #2. That is why none of them budged last night, and why Grant, even after the fact, was still not sure that it was Rob who sold him out. In Rob's case, Natalie probably really is his #2 in his mind, but even that is fluid depending on events on the ground, and as he said last night, he is constantly running through the pros and cons of keeping/eliminating each of them. Yet it appears he is still able to maneuver socially and change direction without missing a beat and letting anything slip, or anybody suspecting he may be reconsidering their deal. A less adept or clumsy player couldn't manipulate this seamlessly no matter how naive the others all are. I am curious to hear all their rationales for sticking with/believing Rob so much at the reunion.

Regarding Ashley's proposal to Natalie about blindsiding Rob by flipping to the RI returnee next week, while it no doubt is Ashley's best strategy, not so for Natalie if the returnee is Matt or Mike. Hopefully she realizes, or Rob will make it clear to her, that none of the Omes will win if they are up against either in the final 3. So she is better off sticking with Rob until the end if possible, unless the returnee is Grant (or possibly Andrea, not sure if she is really that liked by the Zaps or not).

[Shoepie]

Regarding how dumb or naive the Omes are to not even have considered turning on Rob yet, nobody is taking into account how convincing Rob must be in making everyone but Ashley (and Andrea) supremely confident that they are his true #2. That is why none of them budged last night, and why Grant, even after the fact, was still not sure that it was Rob who sold him out. In Rob's case, Natalie probably really is his #2 in his mind, but even that is fluid depending on events on the ground, and as he said last night, he is constantly running through the pros and cons of keeping/eliminating each of them. Yet it appears he is still able to maneuver socially and change direction without missing a beat and letting anything slip, or anybody suspecting he may be reconsidering their deal. A less adept or clumsy player couldn't manipulate this seamlessly no matter how naive the others all are. I am curious to hear all their rationales for sticking with/believing Rob so much at the reunion.

Regarding Ashley's proposal to Natalie about blindsiding Rob by flipping to the RI returnee next week, while it no doubt is Ashley's best strategy, not so for Natalie if the returnee is Matt or Mike. Hopefully she realizes, or Rob will make it clear to her, that none of the Omes will win if they are up against either in the final 3. So she is better off sticking with Rob until the end if possible, unless the returnee is Grant (or possibly Andrea, not sure if she is really that liked by the Zaps or not).

Andrea's treatment last night speaks to this question. She is definately NOT liked by the Zaps!

I agree with everything you said.

[march]

Longhornfan. Except I don't want Matt to win and I don't think he "deserves" the win over anyone.

I think Grant will come back. Matt has not been challenged on RI until last night when he won by a hair.

It will be an anticlimatic finale for me unless Rob is a contender. And I would like to see him win. I am a huge fan of his but objectively he is playing the game well. And the only one playing as far as I can see.

Is Rob REALLY playing the game well? or is it just look that way because he is playing against a bunch of first timers. I know a lot of Rob lovers thinks he walks on water but you have to remember that this is Rob's 4th time at this game so he should have it pretty much mastered by now. If I recall Rob's first season he didn't even make it to jury.
As for Matt, he would certainly "deserve" to win over Ashley or natalie, neither who have done anything besides lay on the beach and follow Rob.