Survivor S39: Island of the Idols

[DreamSkates]

Wow. What did Dan do that warranted removal from the game, especially after all that they showed us?

I would guess the same type of behavior toward the female players, that they complained about and then turned face and said it didn't bother them. Well, it bothered someone who wasn't afraid to put a stop to it.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Damn. I was rooting for Elaine to win. I hope they sign her up for future All Stars games. I like her.

So the placard at the end said Dan was removed due to something that happened off camera and with someone who was NOT a player. I thought the cameras were on them 24/7? Okay, maybe not 24/7, like walking to/from Tribal is probably boring and they ain't gonna follow you to the bathroom. But I thought they were pretty much recorded all the time? Second, how could something happen with someone who was NOT a player? They are not allowed to even acknowledge the crew at all, are they?

 

[Prancer]

Damn. I was rooting for Elaine to win. I hope they sign her up for future All Stars games. I like her.

So the placard at the end said Dan was removed due to something that happened off camera and with someone who was NOT a player. I thought the cameras were on them 24/7? Okay, maybe not 24/7, like walking to/from Tribal is probably boring and they ain't gonna follow you to the bathroom. But I thought they were pretty much recorded all the time? Second, how could something happen with someone who was NOT a player? They are not allowed to even acknowledge the crew at all, are they?

The cameras are always in camp, but they aren't always filming every cast person. Every cast member has a personal sound person who sticks like glue (the cameras can be anywhere; it's the sound people who call in the cameras when something interesting is happening--but the cameras can also film from a distance without the cast member being aware) and there are producers there who talk to the cast members all the time.

I would think they would run into staff from time to time, and just having a rule against interaction doesn't mean there wouldn't be any.

 

[BaileyCatts]

eh, I didn't write that sentence exactly right. I know they do the individual interviews so there is a whole crew to film that so they talk to those people. I just thought that other than when they pull you out for individual interviews, it was like a hard rule of the game that you are not allowed to speak to, interact with or acknowledge the crew or you could get kicked out.

 

[tony]

The answer is here:

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[tony]

Also, if I had to guess, I think it’s going to be Janet, Noura, and one of Tommy/Dean in the final 3, and I’m leaning towards Dean. They’ve been building up the Tommy and Lauren fallout the entire episode and I think even with Dean nullifying an idol next episode, I bet the girls will vote together and Lauren will be able to convince them Tommy is the stronger threat. Then I just feel like Lauren has been too strong all season and hyped up to crash hard (like Devens last season) in the fire-making challenge.

If it is a Janet, Noura, Dean final 3- I think Janet runs away with it and how wonderful that would be.

 

[jamesy]

Somewhere Jeff Varner is finalizing his fruit basket order to Dan.

 

[smurfy]

Pretaping the finale....

'Survivor' to pre-tape reunion show due to sensitivity and security concerns

Sensitive material and security concerns are putting the live portion of the 'Survivor: Island of the Idols' reunion show on tape delay.

ew.com

I don't like it - it will be edited. But again if it was live - if there is lots of yelling from audience etc - less would occur that we could see/hear. Also when watching things like that (or pres debates) when folks yell from the audience - it is hard to hear what is being said.

Feel bad for Elaine. She seems like a nice person, but no one would rationally want to take her to the end.
I feel bad about her story - but I don't like if those stories impact someone vote. Gameplay matters.

So the incident with Dan was when they were getting on a boat after an IC.
Not sure if it was the IC we saw last night or the next one.

Survivor Contestant Dan Spilo 'Removed' from Competition Following 'Off-Camera,' Undisclosed 'Incident'

The 48-year-old Hollywood agent was pulled from the game at the end of Wednesday's episode

people.com

I was reading over on primertv forums... lots are upset with lack of information etc.
I want to know more too - but I assume due to legal reasons they have to be quiet.
One comment a poster made - how the first juror seemed early - preplannnig by production??

Maybe the only positive thing to come out is that people in power everywhere will act quicker and not wait until another incident?

I am not sure who wins. I like Janet - but she was friends with Dan.

 

[Jenny]

Well holy sh*t. @Tony Wheeler you were right when you said the big 2-hour episode had to be setting up something that happens later, and for sure I've said many times here I was very confused as to why such a big deal was made and then nothing was said at all, like it never happened, with Janet especially working with him after all that.

There is one other time this could have happened. Before the game starts playing, the players are there for a couple of weeks or more in pre-production. Many past players have talked about this, seeing everyone but not being able to talk to them, checking them out, first impressions etc. I guess they go through various assessments, maybe some basic training so they don't get poisoned eating the wrong thing, rules of the game and all that. Some of the recruits have also referenced being given a season to watch so they understood a bit more about the game.

Whatever, that's when something might have happened between Dan and someone involved in the show, or someone local on the island. If so, it's conceivable that it didn't come to a head until now - sometimes it takes time for someone to have the courage to come forward, they could have gone through a process of informal meetings, hearings, consultations etc, and surely some discussion about how this might affect the game and their various obligations to see it through and keep it fair.

But then, wow did they ever throw Tommy under the bus! This huge thing happens - first time anyone has ever been ejected from the game, and the first thing they show is Tommy worrying about how this messes up his plans?? Wow.

Other than that, after Elaine's performance at TC, there's no question she had to go. People were in tears for heaven's sake. It's just too bad she didn't save that for final 3, because she would have won.

And if I were on the jury and Dean tried to tell me that he deserves to win because he flipped a coin, no way. That's not strategy, that's a roll of the dice and you get zero points from me for that.

 

[smurfy]

Jenny - see 2nd arrticle in my post
Something after an IC

 

[genevieve]

wow. wtf. Just unbelievable (and yet so tediously believable) that Dan would continue to cross personal space boundaries after so many warnings AND the big blowup episode. Did he think that the warnings only applied to fellow contestants?

ETA: this article has a little more:

‘Survivor’ Ejected Dan Spilo—but the Show’s Harassment Crisis Is Far From Over

In Wednesday night’s episode, host Jeff Probst informed contestants that Spilo had been removed after an off-camera incident. That it took this long, though, only raises more questions about the show’s ability to correctly manage serious situations.

www.theringer.com

Probst may promise that Survivor can change, but even now it’s not clear that the show has its priorities in order. In this episode, almost immediately after Probst told the cast that he’d removed Dan, the show cut to confessional where Tommy says, “Losing the wrong person at the wrong time can blow up your chances at a million. … This game doesn’t stop for anybody.” Rather than let the unprecedented moment breathe, the show’s editors mostly focused on how Dan’s removal impacts the game going forward, setting up next week’s finale. It was tonally off, a stark reminder that Survivor may not currently be equipped to handle a situation as serious as this.

I agree with this - it was really jarring to get Tommy's voiceover about how he lost the "wrong person". I don't blame Tommy - I blame the editors.


I'm sad Elaine got the boot. Wish she hadn't played her idol last week!

I want Lauren or Janet or Janet to win.

 

[Jenny]

Thanks @smurfy I hadn't read that one - thought it was just another vague article the way it started. I'll quote the relevant passage here for everyone:

PEOPLE has spoken to multiple people involved with the show’s production, who confirmed that the incident in question — which involved a member of the show’s production team — happened after an immunity challenge as Spilo and other contestants were getting into a boat to transport them back to the camp.

The incident was not caught on camera, but at least one other contestant witnessed it.

So bizarre. Agree w @genevieve re all the warnings, so either Dan is completely oblivious as to what is appropriate and what is not, or he thinks he got away with it, like sadly so many men before him, and that he could get away with it again.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Regarding the Game, Dean still has that fake Legacy Idol that he believes is real. Was it written that he had to use it at either "9 and 6 people left" or "9 and 5 people left"? I don't remember.

 

[Jenny]

9 or 6, and now it's suddenly 5. Funny that others seem to think it's real, when it looks absolutely nothing like every piece of paper we've seen in the game.

Trying to remember about his Idol block that he got from Rob and Sandra though - I thought that was only good for one TC? Guess since he was quite sure that Janet had one, he opted not to use it because he felt certain Elaine was getting all the votes?

We need a spreadsheet to keep track of all these Idols and their powers!

 

[jamesy]

I don’t believe the nullifier came with a time limit, outside of the fact that all idols have to be played by 5.

 

[genevieve]

Also - Dean told everyone that he lost his Idol Island challenge and his vote - but no one even questioned that he voted at TC. Only Janet, Elaine and Noura weren't told about his Idol Nullifier (tm), wonder if they somehow found out?

Also: as much as I think having infinity idols in the game is bad, suddenly introducing something that invalidates it is not right - at least introducing something SO powerful this late in the game.

You could tell that Rob was all but telling Dean not to risk his vote on the coin toss - but then he won

Super hating all the Boston Rob hype for next season. Can't wait to see how far Survivor & Co will go to get his another title. It must bug them (and Jeff) to no end that the only person to win twice is Sandra, in her first 2 outings no less.

Other random: I went back and watched the 1st TC of the season, and Elaine did almost the same crying sad story as she did this week, except she didn't mention specifically that her mom had passed. She even said "I know no one wants to sit next to me at the end (in the first 3 days?!?), but why not take me along further?"

 

[BaileyCatts]

So how many Idols or whatevers are still in the game right now?

I know Dean has that "Idol Nullifier" (and the fake Legacy thing). But does anyone else still have an Idol at this point? I can't even remember if someone found on this last episode or not.

 

[tony]

So how many Idols or whatevers are still in the game right now?

I know Dean has that "Idol Nullifier" (and the fake Legacy thing). But does anyone else still have an Idol at this point? I can't even remember if someone found on this last episode or not.

Janet has one that Tommy knows about and Dean and someone else that I can’t remember also saw and figured that she had found it.

The only other situation besides a Janet, Dean, and Noura final three that I can think of is that Tommy somehow screws Janet by knowing she has the idol (and she has to play it at five), tells her to do it for herself, and then Dean plays the nullifier and they send her home (probably with Lauren’s help as the other vote). Then I think Lauren will for sure be one of the two making fire at final four (unless she wins final immunity) and I still have this feeling she’s been set up for fourth place for a while now. If it’s now a Tommy, Dean, and Noura finale, I think it’s Tommy’s game.

So basically I think either Janet or Tommy wins, and the other one finishes 5th place.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Wow. How u keep all that straight! Now I remember Janet finding that one and the others watching them. Totally forgot about that. I will just be prayin' like crazy that Janet wins the next IC so she makes the Final 4 and that plan you devised on the Nullifier won't work. I really don't like anyone left other than Janet.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Will there still be a Final 3, or will it have to be a Final 2 since Dan got kicked out and not on the Jury? Didn't that mess with the Jury numbers to make it that there could be a tie?

 

[tony]

Will there still be a Final 3, or will it have to be a Final 2 since Dan got kicked out and not on the Jury? Didn't that mess with the Jury numbers to make it that there could be a tie?

I’m sure it’ll be final 3 again, and there are 10 jury votes now I believe. If there is a tie, the person with the lowest (or no) votes casts the winning vote. It happened a few seasons ago when Wendell won.

 

[BaileyCatts]

What was it that someone said about Varner coming out of the woodwork? Looks like you were right.

'Survivor' alum blasts CBS' decision to pre-tape reunion amid scandal

 

[tony]

This season is for sure getting sent straight to the bottom of the season rankings and I think it’s a good thing they have such a huge season 40 coming directly after. But I still question whether it’s going to have the steam to go after that.

 

[smurfy]

What was it that someone said about Varner coming out of the woodwork? Looks like you were right.

'Survivor' alum blasts CBS' decision to pre-tape reunion amid scandal

This is so crazy - if what Varner says is true - the truth will get out eventually- Are TPTB that stupid at CBS?

The only thing we know for sure is that we don't know what really happened and may never know.

 

[Sparks]

Varner is a bitter transphobic person. He didn't watch the entire show and now has to chime in about how production is mean.
IMO, Production dropped the ball and should have had rules in place before this debacle.

 

[BaileyCatts]

When did they actually tape this season? Because if it was months ago, and the producers knew what was coming once they aired the episodes, I'm surprised that there hasn't been a much more prepared response ready to be released the minute the show ended. It seems like the stories I've been reading about what actually happened on the boat are all from leaked sources.

 

[Jenny]

If it’s now a Tommy, Dean, and Noura finale, I think it’s Tommy’s game.

Interested to know why you think this. I don't see much of a difference between Tommy and Dean, and while they all agree that Noura's a flake, they mostly seem to like her too, and if she gets to the end, I can see her winning. Her case is pretty good - was targeted from almost the very beginning but survived, won a few challenges, worked hard at camp, stayed true to herself, made a lot of personal game moves to get herself to the end. And did it pretty much on her own, unlike Tommy who has been relying on one alliance after another, and Dean who, if editing is correct, will tell the jury that his Big Move was a coin toss.

 

[genevieve]

Interested to know why you think this. I don't see much of a difference between Tommy and Dean, and while they all agree that Noura's a flake, they mostly seem to like her too, and if she gets to the end, I can see her winning. Her case is pretty good - was targeted from almost the very beginning but survived, won a few challenges, worked hard at camp, stayed true to herself, made a lot of personal game moves to get herself to the end. And did it pretty much on her own, unlike Tommy who has been relying on one alliance after another, and Dean who, if editing is correct, will tell the jury that his Big Move was a coin toss.

I can't see Noura winning AT ALL. Only if she was up against Karishma in a F2, and even then, I think Karishma would be able to sway some votes at Final TC. I agree with the things you've said about Noura's game, but her loose cannon style comes off as luck rather than strategy, and she is so open about everything that comes into her mind that she does not appear in control of her own game. She's been totally unreliable for alliances, but in a way that makes her seem unstable, not shrewd. These aren't things that get much respect in Survivor.

It's kind of amazing how all over the place she is in life, as she can have tremendous focus in challenges.

 

[jamesy]

Everything seems to be set up for Tommy to win, I’ll be surprised if anyone else does. Which is kind of funny since he’s now the only person to never go to island of the idols.

 

[tony]

I like Noura and want her to win, but she’s been so crazy several times socially (when she blew up Kellee’s game somewhat following tribal, during tribal when she almost got sent home, etc) and I agree with the unreliable factor coming back to hurt her. I also don’t think she has the ability to get to the point if she were to answer questions at final tribal. I think she’d be all over the place.

But I also don’t think Dean would do much better. In a perfect world, I’d love to see him try to play the legacy advantage, be told it doesn’t work, play the nullifier, and still have the votes against him to send him packing in 5th place. But I don’t see it happening and really have a feeling he and Noura are two of the top three.