Great White Shark Hunter - Survivor Palau Episode 7

[dr.strangelove]

Tom catches a Great White Shark??? Or is it that Tom is the Great White Hunter of sand sharks. Obviously the later, but wouldn't it be cool to see Tom get eaten by Jaws. Kidding, I like Tom and don't want him to get eaten by anyone but Stephanie.

What will happen tonight? Will Koror continue to wipe the floor with Ulong? I think so, but this is getting boring.
I figure Brunett has to merge the tribes soon because the challenges are getting stupid with only 3 people competing for each tribe. After another loss, Ulong won't be a tribe but just a pair.

I'm pulling for a Ulong win (partly because I have developed a huge crush on Stephanie. That girl is beautiful.). Stephanie seems to be in power on Ulong, but maybe Ib and Bobby John will join and get rid of her. She may have pissed off Bobby John last week with her first vote. She may turn on him too. If Ulong loses I think it will be Bobby John to go. If by some miracle Ulong does win, I figure Caryn will go.

If you are in our Pool, remember to vote before the close in the afternoon.

[lazarus]

1. in virtually every season

the merge happened at 10. Only twice did it not.

In All-Stars, they merged at 9.

In Thailand, they moved to the same beach at 10, but didn't merge until 7.

Since 11 are left on the island, one more boot from Ulong tonight, and it's on to the merge. Not because they're so reduced, but because it's just that time.

BTW, everything about this show is pre-planned. The week they had two boots? Didn't matter how many on each tribe. The merge? Doesn't matter.

[kaitykaity]

2. So are you as intrigued as you said you'd be?

With this lopsided nonsense?

:boring:

[dr.strangelove]

4. I am

It is starting to change the game in a way hard to expect. It has locked up the Tom alliance. With Willard gone, even after a merge there is no chance that Coby can get former Ulong's on his side to change the eviction order. Even if two Ulong's joing the "other" Koror group, there are not enough votes to kick someone out, only force a potential tie.

[lazarus]

6. Yup

I am. This is fascinating.

No, I wouldn't want this every single season. But it's a fascinating twist of its own.

Just like Thailand, which is my favourite season. Most people dislike it because it was so obvious who would win from about week 5 or 6. It was also full of puzzles, rather than purely physical challenges. I think that season was a shout out to people like me who are into the show for the pure game and political aspects.

Think about this: We merge next week, most likely, and then we only have, at most, one or two weeks of "Pagonging" before Koror has to turn on itself.

That said, I think Bobby Jon was a stone idiot for booting Ib tonight. Steph will turn on him in a heartbeat to stay in this game; Ib would have been completely loyal to him, giving him a potentially powerful position in the game as a dyad that could be a major swing vote in Koror.

[kaitykaity]

8. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.

I'll probably go back to watching intently when the merge
happens and Koror has to turn on itself. Right now for
me there is zero drama. It also may have something to do
with how much I detested the Brian season.

Funny.

(Good to see you, BTW. Long time, no...)

[lazarus]

13. howdy hey

Yeah, no drama.

Thing is, in most seasons, there are multiple weeks with no drama. The dreaded Pagong syndrome.

We're seeing Ulong get themselves pre-Pagonged, basically. So it's fascinating, because we're watching one tribe disintegrate, and then get to watch the other tribe disintegrate. That's a lot more fun than seeing the lambs to the slaughter of a post-merge Pagonging.

[kaitykaity]

14. But knowing almost certainly who's going to win the challenges

ahead of time? That's tough. :boring:

Of course, guessing as to why Koror didn't throw
any immunities to start weeding out their own dead
weight is something to ponder I guess, as well as
wondering how long before the tribe he has carried
turns on Warrior Tom and gives him the knife.

Well, good luck with the jury thing. You're a good
human being for taking that on.

[lazarus]

15. Well

we don't know for sure. As for throwing challenges: It's never, ever worked in the past, and who says they're not trying? Sitting Tom and Ian out of both challenges this episode?

Found the following hilarious post over on TWoP regarding the cameramen's missing Tom and the shark:

What was so dumb was that they clearly had filmed him picking up the machete and hand-made spear and walking away with that determined, He-man demi-god look on his face while Gregg and Ian bounced around ineffectively on the beach. It's like, helloooo! Cameraman! It's Tom here, looking extra bad-ass and determined! Don't you think you should maybe follow around He Who Does No Wrong, huh?

Silly cameramen. They clearly underestimate the power that is Tom. There should be a camera on Tom at all times, just to catch him striking the ground with his staff, bringing forth a new spring, or conjuring fire between his hands, or just, you know, doing alchemy or something awesome.

As to the jury thing, we have two juries in the trial, since it's two defendants. We're marked with a coloured sticker on our juror badge. One's yellow, one's green.

I had a brief moment when I wondered what colour the merge jury would have. :eyes:

[kaitykaity]

16. Tom = Moses?

How colorful! :rofl:

What, I thought you liked a dominant player. Or maybe
like me you think he's been too dominant and he better
pull a Kelly on the immunities or he's sunk.

I thought they couldn't sit out the same two in
back-to-back challenges?

Oh well, at least my two favorite Ulongs were left,
Bobby and Steph. She got my attention when she stayed
with the men in that weight challenge when "stoic ankle
boy" committed island "sepuku."

[lazarus]

17. Meh

I can't stand Steph. I think she's actually largely responsible for Ulong's pathetic performance.

She decided they were strong enough to go ahead and boot someone for being annoying (Jolanda). She's constantly doing back-seat driving, as we saw on the latest puzzle performance. Poor BJ couldn't even think, she kept arguing with him.

Remember that old line about "lead, follow, or get out of the way"? She won't lead, she won't follow. She will soon be out of the way, I imagine.

Oh, did you know she's an athlete, and she's never lost before? ;-)

[Phentex]

18. But of the three left, I thought she should be the one

to call the puzzle. Bobby John? The man is an ox and would have been better off moving puzzle pieces. I could not figure out what in the hell they were doing having her in the water.

[lazarus]

19. Exactly

I can easily imagine the dialogue.

BJ: So, who should do it?
Ib: ---
Steph: How about you?
BJ: Uh, I dunno, you did the puzzle so good earlier.
Ib: ---
BJ: Ib, what do you think?
Ib: Uh, okay.
Steph: Yeah, BJ, you do it!
BJ: Uh, I guess I'll do it then.

Steph once again manipulates things so that she's not the leader, and can't take the fall.

Remember the bathroom challenge? James tried to nominate her to be leader, and she wouldn't take it. Instead, she spent the time during the challenge sniping about how bad a leader James was.

She's good at the physical challenges, no doubt. But clueless at the rest of the game.

BJ also made a moronic move in voting out Ib. Ib would have been faithful to him no matter what, right to the end. Steph is going to betray him first chance she gets.

[kaitykaity]

20. Seems like a working strategy to me.

I mean, she's still in the game. Doesn't
seem all that clueless to me.

It might not have been good for her tribe
(and James was nothing but Mr. Talk Big
full of shit no results guy, so I don't miss
him much) but she's still in there with as
much a chance as anyone.

[Ravenseye]

9. I'd love it if there were NO merge

Think about it.

Every season people on both teams start talking 'merge' around the time there are 12 or 13 people left. They just expect it. To the point where they even start bringing things to tribal council and reward challenges expecting it.

I'd like it if this season they taught everyone, in this and in future shows a lesson. No merge. That way in future seasons they'll talk about a merge but know it's possible that there won't be any.

I think though that once it goes down to 9 total players, then they have to merge, just so the last member of the jury has a clue about whats going on.

What happens if Ulong loses tribal council next week? There are two poeple left. They can only vote for each other.

My bet is that if they lose again, they'll have to draw rocks. Loser goes home, 'winner' heads off to Ulong to be a part of the final nine.

Another thing that'd be cool would be if at the immunity challenge they do something different. Basically say to Stephanie and Bobby Jon that they're competeing against each other for immunity. The winner joins Koror, the loser goes home, while Koror watches.

[dr.strangelove]

3. Not true Lazarus

Probst gave an interview talking about how this season screwed up plans for the first time. They had to change challanges and scrap some because they required more than 5, 4 and now 3 people. I can't remember the source of the interview, but I think I read about it on survivorsucks or survivorshrine. I'll try to find it for you.

My point is that this season has caused Brunett to break plans for the first time. Whether or not he planned to merge at 11, 10 or to have the tribes meet and than merge again after a few more tribal challanges, we will never know. I am sure one of the Ulong will go because it looks like a water immunity challange amd Ulong sucks in the water (actually they suck in all immunity challanges).

The loss of one entire tribe changed this season. After the season is over we may hear how much.

[lazarus]

7. I would be fascinated

to see that interview, provided it was relatively spoiler-free. Please email me with it, as I'm only able to come to DU erratically these days (I'm on a jury for the next month).

[dr.strangelove]

10. Hope its not Grand Jury

Did that once. It was terrible. Lots of down time so I got in some good reading time, but a very boring month. I would rather have been on a good criminal or civil case with an interest fact pattern.

[lazarus]

12. Nope, criminal

Can't say anything more than that, but it's brutal right now.

[OKNancy]

5. I'm kind of ticked that tonight the HBO

program about AirAmerica Radio is at the same time as Survivor. I'm sure the HBO program will be repeated this week several times, but still...

[dr.strangelove]

11. THAT WAS GREAT!!!

I loved that episode. That clam that Ian brought was insane. It was the biggest thing I had ever seen. I'm sure it was tough adn tasted terrible, but it was a huge score. TOm is not to be outdone by midwestern farm boy though. He had to go out a kill a shark with a freaking machette. I could not believe it. He is a madman.

Ulong looked like they were going to cry when they heard that Koror got a shark. I think Tom has gained weight and muscle on the island. He is doing crunches while Stephanie can barely keep her bra on due to the weight she has lost. This is just sad.

Otherwise it was a good show. Bobby John should have kept Ib since they were a stronger pair and more loyal, but Stephanie is cute, so I am glad she stayed.

This game is Tom and Ian's to lose. Thats not to say they are going to do something stupid. Also, Ian has to realize that TOm can whoop him in individual immumities and may be swayer off that alliance. Greg is smart enough to do it. I figure Stephanie will last longer than Coby adn Caryn, but not too long. I think the merge is next and Bobby John gets the ax.