Survivor Philippines (Season 25)

[genevieve]

True. There's a good chance that Abi and Artis will vote for someone who stayed loyal to them. Pete OTOH is loyal to no one, and I do think is more likely to vote for the better player - I don't think he respects Lisa's game at this point.

Abi will vote for Pete if he's in the finals, and nothing will change that, unless he is the decision maker in sending her home. I do believe Pete will vote for the best player - and he WON'T vote for Abi if she somehow makes it to the finals without him. I think Artis might vote for the best player - except for Skupin. Per the podcast on EW, he just hates the guy, not based on game play, he flat out does not like him.

At this point though, from what we see on the show, the only one really playing the jury is Penner. Smart man.

We did see Denise wink at RC after the votes were read last TC. In general Denise is getting a very muted edit now, I think she's doing a lot more than we're seeing.

[Jenny]

We did see Denise wink at RC after the votes were read last TC. In general Denise is getting a very muted edit now, I think she's doing a lot more than we're seeing.

Yes I am wondering about that too. My bet is she's in everyone's head much more than Penner, but since her conversations are likely guised in mundane non-strategy talk, they aren't showing them.

Now that Artis is gone and Pete/Abi are weakened, maybe Denise/Malcolm need to keep them around to divert attention from their own tight alliance. Mind you, we're running out of targets!

[Rogue]

True. There's a good chance that Abi and Artis will vote for someone who stayed loyal to them. Pete OTOH is loyal to no one, and I do think is more likely to vote for the better player - I don't think he respects Lisa's game at this point.

It's to his detriment that he didn't respect her game play. If he had, Malcolm and the HII would have been history and his team would still be riding high.

[Vagabond]

classy exit by Artis. He's had so little scream time, I wonder if he's been more like that all along, but his role was the cranky curmudgeon so they only showed that side of him.

I very much doubt it. In a voiceover in this episode, Jonathan referred to Artis as one of a trio of bullies. I can't for the life of me imagine Jonathan saying something like that if it weren't true.

[snoopysnake]

Buh-bye, Pete - I won't miss you. Abi should be gone next, unless she wins immunity, which Murphy's law would favor.

[Erin]

Surprisingly good episode for one without a lot of suspense. Lots of good end game talk, but I was disappointed in Penner for not committing to Skupin and Lisa. Big mistake in my opinion. It was fun to watch Abi and Pete make their pitch to Lisa, Carter, and Penner, all to be met with a big THUNK.

Abi needs to shut up and quit interrupting.

[genevieve]

whee, this season just keeps getting better

I agree that Penner may have made a fatal mistake in not committing to Lisa and Skupin (and Lisa was right on in saying that she trusted Penner more - always go with the singleton, not the tight pair!!). Time will tell.

Loved Abi getting schooled on what a fcuking bitch she is, but the resulting underdog edit could be setting us up for a redemption storyline Gotta love the screen cap of her sticking her lower lip out - I suspect the production people feel that same about her that we do

I would have been ok with Malcolm getting booted, although overall this was the preferable solution to this week's strategic dilemma.

I really called that immunity challenge wrong. I never expected Carter to win it! Or Skupin to be a close 2nd! well played.

I just got up to date on all the Ponderosa vids - Jeff is a fricken poor loser who has basically checked out of the game since he's no longer in the running for a million dollars, and Artis and (especially) Pete are just assholes. RC and her staccato stutter laugh would drive me up a wall 24/7 but I feel terrible for her stuck with these asshats. Pete made a play for being asked back - please no. He ran his tribe but is in no way a mastermind, he is not memorable enough to deserve another turn.

If/when Abi sows up at Ponderosa, there will likely be a major catfight

[Jenny]

Agree, not really suspenseful but interesting nonetheless.

I actually started to feel a bit sorry for Abi last night. I'm having some deja vu - hasn't something similar happened to other players in the past (or maybe it was BB) - people who suddenly find themselves away from family/friends/community for the first time, and are smacked in the face with the fact that they don't fit in, and worse, that behaviour and character they thought was normal and positive is in fact offensive/unacceptable to others? I think genevieve might be right though - Survivor does love a redemption storyline, so bringing Abi to her lowest point and then showing her turn over a new leaf would be the kind of stuff they dream of.

Carter needs to be watched more closely by the other players - of course we could be missing a lot, but they (and viewers) seem to be ignoring him, and now here he is winning his second immunity challenge against very tough competition. When we're down to the end, he could very well Colby his way into the final TC.

Agree that Penner was playing it a bit too open - especially with those two. Lisa is loyal to a fault, craving somewhere to belong and feel trusted, and Penner should have known that. And Skupin is also wandering about looking for a port to call home, and Penner could have been the one who nabbed him. Mind you, Penner was right in one way in that there was no need to solidify F4 at this point - as long as Abi and Pete were around, F6 is the better strategy, leaving everyone's options open.

Malcolm is definitely playing well, and it's amazing that no one seems to think it's important to break up him and Denise, and flush out his II. Pete was actually right in that instance, but too little to late. We didn't see his full arguments, but along with "Malcolm's a threat" he should have been saying "Malcolm and Denise combined are a bigger threat" and "if they haven't betrayed you now, they will before the end of the game." And either of them at final TC will win.

Kind of annoyed to see the whole "I want to play with good people" thing coming up - I had hoped this season was free of that sort of thing.

This is going to be a dogfight to the end though!

[Erin]

I actually started to feel a bit sorry for Abi last night.

I might have felt sorry for her if she had seemed even an ounce apologetic about some of the things she was being called on or had she been at all willing to listen when Denise was trying to reason with her. All sympathy flew out the window when she bounced back with the "it's everyone else, it's not me, I'm so misunderstood" line.

Kind of annoyed to see the whole "I want to play with good people" thing coming up - I had hoped this season was free of that sort of thing.

I'm not a huge fan of that type of thing either and started to groan when Denise started talking in that direction, but I kind of see her point, not that "I want to play with good people" but "I don't want to drag someone to the end to be my goat." I also think that Abi and Pete are just obnoxious to have around, as was aptly demonstrated by Abi this episode, so the less time you can spend with them, the better. Not to mention that Denise is trying to keep Skupin and Lisa in their alliance, so that's probably the best argument she could make to keep that situation going.

[Jenny]

Not to mention that Denise is trying to keep Skupin and Lisa in their alliance, so that's probably the best argument she could make to keep that situation going.

Good point - that's what speaks to those two most, especially Lisa, and therefore protects Denise and Malcolm.

[genevieve]

Abi did say one smart thing last night - which is pointing out that Denise was totally using her psychologist's therapist's skills to manipulate the rest of them....but I think that's just one of those "even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day" things And I think people realize that Malcolm is a threat, but when you have two power couples that need to be broken up and you're in an alliance with one of them, why not start with the outsider couple, aka the more immediately desperate/dangerous one? One of the core rules about Survivor strategy is: don't betray too soon. Murphy's Law says that Abi could possibly pull out an immunity win next week, but.........come on, it's ABI. If Malcolm or Denise left this week, there's a very good chance that the other could win immunity the following week, and they could easily team up with Pete/Abi (looking for any deals they could) and make a good case to Carter to take down either Skupin or (more likely) Penner.

BTW, I'm getting nervous about how we see Penner talking about his strategy and ending with "maybe they'll all vote me off, and if so, they got the best of me...but I trust them" every single week. Are TPTB trying to gently prepare us for the big come-uppance? Or are they just pulling our leg because Penner makes it? Or do they just like to make us squirm (most likely )?

[Prancer]

I actually started to feel a bit sorry for Abi last night. I'm having some deja vu - hasn't something similar happened to other players in the past (or maybe it was BB) - people who suddenly find themselves away from family/friends/community for the first time,

I felt a bit sorry for Abi, too, but she's 32 and she's an immigrant. Between the two, I'd think she must have had at least some experience with social isolation.

[smurfy]

I agree with the comments posted so far.
I took the comments about good vs bad being more that bad is 'very very annoying'.
I was thinking the same thing about redemption for Abi - Jeff has really gone after her all season long. I hope they address it well in the live show when you know Jeff will ask Abi how people reacted to her at home as the show aired. She is young, so there is hope that she may grow from this. Abi just does not listen.
I was dissappointed with Penner in not aligning with Skupin & Lisa. That could be his downfall.
But I am so torn, there are so many I want at the end, so when they start getting voted off I will be so upset.
As of now - I am rooting for any of the following: Penner, Lisa, Malcolm and Denise to win, with Skupin moving iinto this group, finally.
But as said before - Carter - why are they ignoring him. Physically he is capable. Once they get rid of Abi (and pray they do) - will the top 5 be so busy going after each other that Carter will slip through?? Carter can be a swing vote.
Another thing I really like about the top 5, other than Malcolm - they are not young (they are close to my age), but Malcolm fits in with them anyway.
This has really been an enjoyable season. As long as Abi does not win - I will be happy. (Assuming if Carter somehow wins - we will be appreciative of it).

[smurfy]

I felt a bit sorry for Abi, too, but she's 32 and she's an immigrant. Between the two, I'd think she must have had at least some experience with social isolation.

Wow - Abi is 32 - I thought she was maybe 22-25? I think I have less sympathy for her now.

[Erin]

Wow - Abi is 32 - I thought she was maybe 22-25? I think I have less sympathy for her now.

Yeah, what little I did have definitely gone. I can't believe she is older than me!

[Prancer]

Wow - Abi is 32 - I thought she was maybe 22-25? I think I have less sympathy for her now.

No, she's 32 and her personal claim to fame is that she has traveled the world alone.

Her pet peeve is "complainers."

[Sparks]

I don't have any sympathy for Abi. Her attitude is not cultural...a bitch is a bitch, no matter where they come from.

[Jenny]

Abi just does not listen.

I'm no fan of Abi, but I find her no worse than many others who think they're all that, have diva tendencies, don't put themselves in other peoples' shoes, etc.

When Denise was trying to get through to her and she kept interrupting, I think it's because at that point she knew she was in the wrong, and was increasingly embarrassed and humiliated to have everyone talking about her, and being the centre of attention in an unpleasant way, and perhaps realizing this was also going to be on national television as well. At some point, when others are going on and on at you, you do just want them to shut up and leave you alone.

[Erin]

When Denise was trying to get through to her and she kept interrupting, I think it's because at that point she knew she was in the wrong, and was increasingly embarrassed and humiliated to have everyone talking about her, and being the centre of attention in an unpleasant way, and perhaps realizing this was also going to be on national television as well. At some point, when others are going on and on at you, you do just want them to shut up and leave you alone.

Perhaps, but I've never found interrupting and trying to justify myself to be a successful way to get that result. Apologizing and asking to move on tends to be a better strategy and had she done that, I might have had a little bit more respect for her.

[genevieve]

No, she's 32 and her personal claim to fame is that she has traveled the world alone.

well, that's not inconsequential, although you'd think someone with such wide experience would be more....open and inviting to other people.

In one of the earlier episodes I theorized that Abi is one of those girls who goes on, quite loudly and quite often, about how much she hates drama, and yet she is always in the middle of it. And I bet all of her female friends (if she has any) are the same way - they "hate drama" yet always seem to be caught up in it. Because they are the ones who cause it, but of course to even suggest that is to start a flurry of accusations and recriminations. I still think this is true.

Another shout out to editing - after Pete walked away from the group, we got a shot of the remaining survivors from a side angle that showed the greatest distance possible between Abi and the rest of the group. O, isolation!


Quite frankly, I think the lack of 20-25 year olds in the 2nd half of the game is a HUGE reason this season is so successful. There have been some notable younger players, but given the casting trends, especially for the women, they are few and far between.