Survivor Hut

Survivor China Preview Ep. 11 & Rumors

2007-12-06T14:40:00.000-05:00

Episode title:

Going for the Oscar

description from CBS:
While most castaways shed tears of joy after receiving news from home, one sheds tears of sorrow…but some think the waterworks are no more than a mere performance. After fulfilling a tribemate’s dream, one castaway is infuriated when her kind gesture is not returned. And why are the castaways licking each other’s hands?

description from TV Guide:
The six remaining castaways receive news from home, which reduces one player to tears but the other five tribe members believe they are fake tears.

Rumors
Reward: Todd, Denise, and Amanda?
Immunity: Todd or Pieh-Gee.
Voted Off: Erik

Survivor China Preview Ep. 10 & Rumors

2007-11-29T15:21:00.000-05:00

Episode title:

Ready to Bite the Apple

from CBS:
One Castaway grows anxious and threatens to change things up by blindsiding her best friend. Also, an alliance considers blindsiding one of their own. And all the castaways are blindsided by a surprise announcement from Jeff.

from TitanTV:
One castaway considers blindsiding a best friend, and host Jeff Probst makes a surprising announcement.

Rumors

Reward: Erik? Denise?
Immunity: Erik
Voted Off: James

'Survivor China' Preview Ep. 8 & Rumors

2007-11-08T12:13:00.001-05:00

Episode title:

High School Friend Contest

from CBS:
While everyone is sound asleep, one castaway begins searching for the Hidden Immunity Idol, collecting random items in the desperate hope that one of them might be it. One castaway becomes the Godfather after threatening a supposed ally not to double-cross him. Overconfidence takes over the castaways, as seven of nine arrive at Tribal Council with no bags. Will one of them be sent home without their belongings?

from TV Guide:
One castaway collects random items during the night in hopes that one of them is a hidden immunity idol; Todd proposes blindsiding James, who has two immunity idols; seven of the nine players arrive at tribal council without their bags, confident that they will not be voted out.

Rumors

The double-cross mentioned in CBS ads implies that James is the target but it looks like Jean-Robert is the real target.

Reward: Erik or James.
Immunity: Frosti or Erik.
Voted Off: Jean-Robert.

Survivor 16: All-Stars in Palau

2007-11-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

I missed last night's Survivor China episode but I have it on tape so look for my thoughts and comments about it tomorrow. I know Jaime was voted off and I cannot wait to see how it happened.

In other Survivor news, it seems the rumors of the next edition being an All-Star show are coming true. Several Survivor web sites and blogs even have lists of the participants and I think viewers will be happy with the choices.

All of the All-Stars will come from Survivor Vanuatu to Survivor China and are rumored to include:

Julie (Vanuatu, now Jeff Probst's girlfriend)
Ami (Vanuatu)
Ian (Palau)
Coby (Palau)
Lydia (Guatemala)
Judd (Guatemala)
Terry (Panama)
Cirie (Panama)
Ozzy (Cook Islands)
Parvati (Cook Islands)
Yau-Man (Fiji)
Michelle (Fiji)
Courtney (China)
James (China)

Unfortunately the rumor that this All-Star Survivor will be the last edition of Survivor also appears to be true. The talk is that Survivor will end in May 2008. But I don't want to dwell on the end of Survivor, All-Star Survivor Palau looks like it will be fun and interesting.

Survivor China Preview Ep. 7 & Rumors

2007-11-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

Episode title:

I'm Not as Dumb as I Look

from CBS:
What is a true friend? This is the question some Castaways try to answer in a heated argument about loyalty. The fierce hunt for Hidden Immunity Idols continues, as private property is violated and one Castaway falsely believes three Idols are in play. Later the tribes merge, and one Castaway torn between two alliances holds a lot of power--literally. In one of the most surprising Tribal Councils yet, one Castaway feels invincible and makes a shocking revelation.

from TV Guide:
“Drop your buffs,” Jeff Probst tells the 10 remaining castaways tonight, as the Fei Long and Zhan Hu tribes merge. But before the teams come together, there is a desperate search for the remaining hidden immunity idol — and one player falsely believes that there are three of them. At tribal council, somebody shocks everyone else by believing that he/she is invincible. That's never a good thing.

Rumors

It's no secret that the merge happens tonight with black buffs for the first time. I wonder if anyone will over-indulge in alcohol at the merge party?

It looks like the Hidden Immunity Idol (HII) comes into play. Reportedly some Survivors will think that three HII are in play! Talk all along has been that James finds a HII and then makes a 'grave' mistake but rumors are flying that Erik may also have an HII - unless his is a fake.

Reward: none, merge!
Kidnapped: no more kidnapping, merge!
Immunity: Frosti?
Voted Off: Jaime(?), maybe she is as dumb as she is pretty. There is also talk that Jean Robert is voted off.

Sherea Voted Off as Frosti Fails to Make Eye Contact

2007-10-26T08:32:00.000-04:00

Sherea was voted off and I can't say that I'm sad to see her go. She competed well in the challenges but didn't really interact with the others. As Courtney said, she was the only one Sherea talked with. Above all else Survivor is a game of social interaction and Sherea did not really participate in this phase of the game.

Sherea has Frosti to blame for being voted off. Zhan Hu - Jaime, Peih-Gee and Erik - changed their strategy of throwing the Immunity Challenge after Frosti failed to make eye contact with them. They took this as a sign that he and Sherea were no longer solid in their alliance. Had they thrown the Immunity Challenge, James (their target to be voted off) would have used the Hidden Immunity Idol that Todd had given him and then Jaime, Peih-Gee or Erik would have been sent home. I would have loved to have seen that.

So we had a reversal of last week's Immunity Challenge but this time Zhan Hu was unsuccessful in throwing the Immunity Challenge. James really looked depressed as he 'won' his eating contest with Denise. I wonder if Jaime and Peih-Gee now regret throwing last week's Immunity Challenge?

Oh well, so it goes . . . this is what makes Survivor so interesting.

Survivor China Preview Ep. 6 & Rumors

2007-10-25T09:02:00.000-04:00

Episode title:

That's Love, Baby! It Makes You Strong!

from CBS:
The castaways dine on unusual Chinese delicacies, ranging from a chicken heart to a “thousand-year-old egg.” A castaway discovers the Hidden Immunity Idol, but the secret is blown when an unwelcome tribe member sees it in their possession. And later, one castaway wants to go to Tribal Council, even though he knows he won’t have the votes to survive.

from TitanTV:
The castaways eat exotic Chinese food; one person finds a hidden immunity idol; and one player wants to go to tribal council, even though he believes he will be voted out.

Rumors

This episode James may end up with two Hidden Immunity Idols. He will manage this by making a deal with Todd, who he'll share a clue with.

Who wants to go to tribal council, even though he believes he will be voted out? That is reportedly Jean-Robert.

Reward: Fei Long
Kidnapped: James
Immunity: Zhan Hu
Voted Off: Sherea

Vote Analysis, Aaron Exit Interviews

2007-10-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

Vote Analysis
Erik, Jaime and Peih-Gee all voted for Aaron - no surprise there. However James and Aaron split their votes. Aaron voted for James and James for Peih-Gee. Why? Wouldn't the two of them have been better off if they had voted for the same person (say Peih-Gee) and tell Erik that if he wants to shake things up then he can vote with them?

Aaron's Exit Interviews
Here is what stood out to me from reading several interviews with Aaron after he was voted off Survivor: this was the first time he ever applied to be on the show and he was on a flight to China roughly ten days after he bumped into someone from casting! Really?

Survivor China final date set

2007-10-22T18:13:00.000-04:00

The two final episode of Survivor China has been set for Sunday December 16, 2007. Get ready for a full night of Survivor, the finale will air at 8:00 pm ET to be followed by the one hour reunion show at 10:00 pm ET.

The finale will start with four Survivors and then the jury will award the one million dollar prize to one of the remaining three contestants.

Beware of Beautiful Women!

2007-10-19T09:12:00.000-04:00

I like this twist, each tribe got to permanently kidnap two members of the other tribe. Each tribe will pick strong players (however they define 'strong') and then either try and win with the new members or vote off these strong players. I think we saw both last night.

At the beginning of the episode Sherea said that life in camp was getting boring and that she was 'really looking for something changing' in the game. Well, she got what she hoped for last night.

Zhan Hu Gets a Clue

When the Chinese fishermen were dropping off the lists of other tribe members names, Fei Long picked up real fast that this could very well be a permanent kidnapping for both tribes. While over at Zhan Hu they thought that they were just getting two more members and Fei Long would be short two players. Peih-Gee led the stupidity charge for Zhan Hu but she and Jaime recovered quickly. These two pretty women conspired to throw the Immunity Challenge so they could vote off one of their new tribe members (Aaron or James).

Didn't Aaron and James realize that Peih-Gee and Jaime threw the Immunity Challenge? They must not have or they would have gone to Erik to try and flip him. Erik probably would not have flipped anyway, the virgin's thought capacity is diminished by Jaime's pink bikini.

I thought that maybe Erik was just saying that he was a virgin as part of a strategy in the game but no he is really naive, a virgin and a bad player of Survivor. Did you see the look on Jaime's face when Erik told her that he was a virgin? She looked like 'Oooo, yuck, a virgin. Really?'

At Tribal Council James looked surprised to hear that the women threw the Immunity Challenge. Was this the first time that that thought crossed his mind? Anyway it was Aaron who was voted off by the pretty women and their virgin man-slave.

Slight Blog Template Change

2007-10-19T08:29:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed a few changes to the layout of this blog. I have added a few banner exchange ads to try and get this blog a few more readers. The BlogRush widget thingy is also an attempt to increase readership.

I will test these things out for a few weeks and if I don't notice an increase in the number of visitors to this blog then I will remove the banner exchange ads.

PaperBackSwap and Swap A CD
I use and like both of these web sites and I have referral links scattered around. If you are interested in swapping books and/or CDs online then check out PaperBackSwap and Swap A CD.

Here's a review of PaperBackSwap that I wrote for Newsvine.

My blog entry about last night's episode will be posted shortly.

Survivor Preview Ep. 5 and Rumors

2007-10-18T08:56:00.000-04:00

Episode Title:

Love Is in the Air

from CBS:
One castaway [Erik, pictured] confesses that he is a virgin while flirting with a tribemate [Jaime] he admits he has a crush on. A physical attraction provokes a shocking reveal--the existence of the Hidden Immunity Idol. And later, chaos abounds after a tribal switch, leading to tears, fears, cracks in tribal loyalties, threats of throwing challenges and a blindsiding vote at Tribal Council.

from Titan TV:
Some castaways fear alliances will be broken after a tribal switch occurs; a physical attraction between two players occurs and leads to the revelation that a hidden immunity idol exists; another castaway is voted out of the game.

Rumors and Spoilers

Reward: no Reward this week as tribes are mixd up.
Immunity: the magic eight ball is cloudy, it could go either way but I'm going with Fei Long.
Kidnapped: canceled for the tribal switch?
Voted Off: Sherea or more likely Aaron.

There is still talk about James finding the Hidden Immunity Idol but I don't think that it will happen this episode.

New Tribes
Frosti and Sherea go to Fei Long.
James and Aaron go to Zhan Hu.

Survivor China Up Slightly in TV Ratings

2007-10-16T18:30:00.000-04:00

In the most recent TV ratings Survivor China was ranked number 11. Last week Survivor was ranked number 12. I guess a little bit up in ratings is better than a little bit down.

full story at TV Squad

Vote Analysis; Dave Again

2007-10-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

Quick Vote Analysis
Everyone voted for Dave except for Dave who voted for Sherea. This surprises me a little, I thought Sherea might have gotten another vote or two.

Dave's Application to Survivor
Many contestants spend years trying to get on Survivor but not Dave. He was auditioning for a modeling job for a large mass retailer and at the same hotel Pirate Master (also produced by Mark Burnett of Survivor) was casting and they thought Dave would be good for Survivor.

Dave said that he was interested more about the physical challenge of Survivor rather than the social aspect of the game - could you tell?

Zai Jian Dave (Good-bye Dave)

2007-10-12T10:05:00.000-04:00

Dave (bartender, former model) was voted off and just about everybody, including him, saw it coming. He just rubbed his tribemates the wrong way, I guess. Peih-Gee and a few of the others did not like that he worked so hard(!) and Sherea did not like the shells that he was saving for his mother (the nerve of him!).

Dave played things all wrong. His tribe 'elected' him leader when Jeff Probst forced their hand at an early tribal council. I think they were thinking 'This guy Dave is annoying us with all of his ideas about what to do so let's make him leader.' It seems Dave mistook this as a sign to boss the others around even more. The tribe voted him off even after he was kidnapped and they struggled at camp with basic things like making a fire.

Double Tribal Council Fake-Out

Early in the episode both tribes got tree mail to report to Tribal Council and I thought 'Will two people will be voted off this early?' Well no, it was a Reward Challenge at the TC Pagoda. I guess this was the best place for the fireworks that were used in the challenge.

Jean-Robert Shuo Poudonghua

Well surprise, surprise, surprise. Jean-Robert speaks a little Chinese, probably better than I write pinying. Hen hao Jean-Robert. What was with James (gravedigger)? I did not think Jean-Robert was bossing anyone around but James took offense for some reason. 'I'm just translating what she's saying,' Jean-Robert said a few times.

Todd Gets A Clue (again)

Dave was kidnapped and ended up sharing the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol with Todd (gay Mormon flight attendant). Leslie shared a clue with Todd and now he has all the clues. Despite this the rumor is that James will find the Hidden Immunity Idol. I may be wrong but I don't think anyone has told James about the clues, he better hurry if he is to find the Idol because Todd seems to be a pretty smart guy.

That's it for now, I'll post more of my Survivor thoughts as they strike me.

Survivor Preview Ep. 4 and Rumors

2007-10-11T07:07:00.000-04:00

Episode Title:

Ride the Workhorse Till the Tail Falls Off

from CBS:
Seashells saved for Mom prompt an explosive fight between Sherea and Dave at Zhan Hu. Jean-Robert tries to help Courtney from burning herself on a kettle. In return for the helpful warning, Courtney snaps back! Later, both tribes receive tree mail telling them they must go to Tribal Council.

from Yahoo TV:
Sherea's work ethic becomes an issue for her tribe-mates; an ominous tree mail instructing the tribes to meet at council prompts fireworks; another castaway must go.

Rumors and Spoilers

Reward and Immunity: Fei Long.
Kidnapped: Dave.
Voted Off: Dave.

Survivor China ratings

2007-10-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

Survivor China is ranked number twelve in the Nielsen ratings for the week ending Oct. 7, 2007. This is not as good as Survivor has done in past years but far from a disaster, if you ask me. Would CBS cancel a top 12 show?

full story at TV Squad

Quick Vote Analysis

2007-10-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

Is Courtney (annoying New York waitress, pictured) out of the loop? Everyone voted for Leslie (except Leslie, of course) but Courtney voted for Jean-Robert (pro poker player). Is she out of touch with the others? I thought that she was kind of tight with Todd. Maybe Courtney just wanted to send a little message to Jean-Robert.

Leslie Voted Off Survivor

2007-10-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

I am kind of sorry to see Leslie, the Christian radio host, go home. While I did not think that she would go far in the game she was likable and I thought her connection with Todd (gay Mormon flight attendant) would keep her around a little longer.

I am glad Leslie did not play the 'persecuted Christian' card on the way out. She was voted off because her loyalty to her tribe was in serious doubt and not because of her religious beliefs.

Creep Vibe

At the start of the episode, Courtney (annoying New Yorker) said she did not like Jean-Robert (pro poker player) because he had a creep vibe about him. Leslie seemed to agree and said he would be the first to go if they went to Tribal Council. Boy, was she ever wrong.

"I don't like the outside."

Well James (gravedigger), you picked the wrong reality TV show to be on.

Bricks are Heavy

Peih-Gee (jeweler) and some of the others complained that Dave (former model) was working too hard around camp. Dave had a crazy look on his face when he said in confessional that 'Camp does not sort itself out . . . It's not rocket science.'

"Dave still naked."

Wasn't Dave afraid of getting splinters from the junk in his junk? I guess that he figured the psychological advantage of being nude was worth risking getting wood fragments in his scrotum.

Stick out your can, here comes the garbage man.

Jean-Robert and James thought they were alone when they talked strategy and made fun of Courtney and Leslie. However Todd and Courtney were close enough to overhear them and Todd now considers them to be trash that needs to be disposed off. Also I liked James up to this point but now not so much.

Sister Christian Kidnapped

Leslie was ultimately voted off because she handled her kidnapping all wrong. She returned to her tribe and said how great the other tribe was. Also she admired how three of the others were fellow Christians. This basically brought her loyalty to her tribe in question.

"Keeping it real" at Tribal Council

Jean-Robert said that he was 'keeping it real' when he said that Courtney and Leslie were weak players. Then he said that he never said they were weak and Jeff Probst quickly called him on it, 'But you just said they were weak.' Jean-Robert may be a good poker player but he sucks at the game of Survivor. Even so, Leslie did not help herself by once again saying the other tribe is united and has a number of good Christians.

"A choking walrus."

As Courtney voted she said that Jean-Robert snored like a choking walrus. That's a good line even though I don't like Courtney.

Bonaduce - Fairplay Video

2007-10-04T12:04:00.000-04:00

Jonny Fairplay filed charges based on this?

Preview Ep. 3 and Rumors

2007-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I Lost Two Hands and Possibly a Shoulder!

Preview from CBS:
The kidnapped castaway bonds with the kidnappers over issues of faith, and the floodgates open as that castaway reveals their own tribe's dynamics. The women on one tribe have a hard time getting shut-eye as they avoid the snuggling and smothering of a cuddly castaway. As two guys joke in private that the only reason to keep a weak female tribemate is because one has a crush on her, that woman spies on their crude conversation. To stew or roast a crab? That is the question that prompts two alpha-males to duke it out.

From TitanTV:
For a reward of comfort items, including pillows, blankets and a tarp, the two tribes are each given a boat and must defend it against attacks. For immunity, the teams use wooden Chinese coins to solve a puzzle. At tribal council, another castaway is voted out of the game. Jeff Probst is the host.

Rumors

The Fei Long dominance continues.
Reward and Immunity: Fei Long (Aaron, Amanda, Courtney, Denise, James, Jean-Robert, Leslie and Todd.).
Kidnapped: Sherea (elementary school teacher), she shares the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol with Leslie (Christian radio host).
Voted Off: Dave (former model).

Jonny Fairplay Allegedly Beaten Up by Bonaduce

2007-10-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Former "Survivor" contestant Jonny Fairplay filed a police report Wednesday, alleging that Danny Bonaduce threw him and knocked out his teeth during an awards show.

The battery report was taken by police shortly before 2 a.m. at a Hollywood hospital where Fairplay was treated and released, Officer April Harding said.

full story

Rumors: the final three? the end of Survivor?

2007-09-29T14:09:00.000-04:00

TV Squad has a rumor that the T&A Alliance (Todd and Amanda) plus Courtney are the final three. I guess that God does not want Leslie to win any real money, she is not mentioned in their list of finalists.

Also there is talk that the next edition of Survivor could be the last.

full story

Ashley Is Gone - Good!

2007-09-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Ashley, the professional wrestler, has been voted off. Good, I did not like her. There is an alliance that is starting to form and two other Survivors do not seem to like each other. Jean-Robert has a strange strategy but does Leslie have any strategy? All this and more in this blog entry!

I do not know what it was about Ashley that I did not like. I think it was that she just seemed to complain a lot. And what is with those two piercings in her lower lip? I know, she is a pro wrestler and thy make her look mean; they probably fit her ring persona. I say they make her look stupid. Her feet also stink but other than all this I hear that she is a nice person. Whatever, let's move on. Next!

The T & A Alliance

It seems that Todd (gay Mormon flight attendant) and Amanda (hiking guide) of the Fei Long tribe have started an Alliance. We do not know if this is just an early alliance that will soon peter out or if it will last. We do know that they have a plan, it is to use Aaron (surfing instructor) as a scapegoat. They plan on having him do their dirty work and take the blame for it. So devious and so early in the game. I like it!

Another thing that the T & A Alliance has going for it is that Leslie (Christian radio broadcaster) likes Todd for some reason. Leslie has told him that she has a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol. I have no idea why she did this and neither does Todd. We both think this was a stupid move. In Leslie, the T & A Alliance may just have another pawn.

Jean-Robert's Crazy Lazy Strategy

Jean-Robert (pro poker player) says his strategy is to pretend to be lazy. The others will notice him being lazy and then when he plays for real and does well then the others will be impressed with that. Jean-Robert said that he learned this from his poker playing. Really? I am not so sure poker strategy translates so well into the Survivor game. He can slow play in poker and even if he screws the hand up then as long as he has chips he will be in the game. In Survivor if the others do not like him for being lazy and sleeping all day then they can vote him off if they go to Tribal Council and his game is over.

Furthermore even if you have this Lazy Strategy you still want the others to like you but Jean-Robert seems to be going out of his way to piss people off. Aaron and him seem to really dislike each other. If I were playing the Lazy Strategy then I would be apologetic to the others. 'I'm sorry the heat really bothers me. I'm out of shape. Please give me a few days to adjust to the heat.' However Jean-Robert just sleeps and sits on his ass and when someone calls him on it he basically says to leave him alone. Well, at least Jean-Robert is not using the Fly Under the Radar strategy.

Jaime's Sunshine

Jaime (young blond student) was 'kidnapped' after Fei Long won the Reward challenge and as part of the deal she was secretly given a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol. She was told to reveal the clue to one other person on Fei Long before returning to Zhan Hu, her tribe. She chose to tell Leslie. Now why would Fei Long chose Jaime in the first place? I would have chosen a strong man to deprive the other tribe of the muscle they need to build things around camp. But hey, maybe that's just me. The reason someone (a guy I think) gave was that Jaime was their sunshine and her absence would depress the the other tribe. Or maybe he just had the hots for Jaime.

Chinese Puzzle Log?

I studied the Chinese language for several years and traveled in China for a few months but I have never heard of a Chinese puzzle log. Jeff Probst mentioned it so nonchalantly that it seemed they were all over the place. A quick Google search reveals nothing. I am sure the production assistants on Survivor did not invent them out of thin air. How prevalent are they? Where can I find out more about them?

Next on Survivor China

It looks like more physical contact in the challenges next episode. Is this to somehow generate higher TV ratings?

Preview Episode 2

2007-09-27T08:15:00.000-04:00

My Mom Is Going To Kill Me

From the official Survivor China web site:
The castaways are thrown, choked, and wrestled as mud flies and tops are ripped off in one of the most physical and dirtiest challenges in Survivor history. When Leslie [the Christian radio host] feels weak and vulnerable, she receives what she thinks is a gift from God. Jean-Robert [the pro poker player] concocts a plan to purposely act lazy in order to get ahead in the game.

From TitanTV:
The castaways wrestle in mud as part of a challenge; Jean-Robert intentionally acts lazy as part of a risky strategy to get ahead in the game; Dave [former model] attempts to get the Zhan Hu tribe organized; and another castaway is voted out at tribal council.

Rumors & Spoilers

In the CBS preview Jean-Robert gets a lot of attention and is made out to be in danger of being voted off. The online rumors seem to indicate that Ashley (pro wrestler) will be the one voted off.

The Fei Long tribe reportedly will win both Reward and Immunity so here's a quick reminder of who is in that tribe: Aaron, Amanda, Courtney, Denise, James, Jean-Robert, Leslie and Todd.

The Zhan Hu tribe: Frosti, Erik, Sherea, Jaime, Peih-Gee, Dave, Ashley and Steve.

There will not be an Exile Island this season. A new twist this season will be that each week one player will be 'kidnapped' and spend time with the other tribe between the Reward Challenge and the Immunity Challenge. This week Jaime (blond student, pictured) is rumored to be kidnapped. I like this twist it will give people a chance to interact with the other tribe and while the kidnapped player is gone the others in his/her tribe can plot against him/her.

This looks to be a good episode, check back tomorrow for my thoughts.

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