Survivor S39: Island of the Idols

[Sylvia]

Here ya go...

Survivor Photos on CBS

Stranded in the beautiful islands of Fiji, 18 determined new castaways will be divided into 3 tribes of 6 and forced to form a new society as they adapt to their physical and social surroundings.

www.cbs.com

 

[tony]

Initial thought- glad Rob and Sandra are just there to mentor and not actually play the game. They will both have their chance (again..) next season. I also figured they would each be assigned to a different tribe, but from the opening clips it looks like they will both 'mentor' each player together. We will see how it goes. I'm sure there will be a way to pull us all in as usual.

The contestant ages are really spread out this year. I like that.

 

[alexikeguchi]

The contestant ages are really spread out this year. I like that.

I like that too, and it seems like there aren't any mactors in this cast, or any ostentatiously crazy or annoying people either. I'm impressed with Vince so far. I guessed he went to Stanford when he was introduced as a college counselor from Palo Alto, but he seems to be doing a good job of hiding his light under a bushel. I looked up some interviews after the show, and I loved his quote that "Homeboy Vince is going to be Survivor Vince. They won't know Stanford Vince." I also liked Janet on the winning tribe and enjoyed how her athleticism contrasted with the first impression of an unglamorous middle aged woman.

 

[Rogue]

In the long run, wouldn't Elizabeth had been better served by partially telling the truth (Rob and Sandra were there and I was challenged to a contest to win an advantage)? Next person on her tribe who gets mentored will have the opportunity to bust her as a liar, so she better hope the next person is one of her closest allies who will go along with the lie.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Sandra ain't even playing and I still freaking love her!

Yeah, Elizabeth is gonna get called out as a liar the next time someone from her Tribe goes. I think I would have been minimally truthful like @rouge said above. Rob and Sandra were there, gave me tips on how to make a fire, then I had to do a fire challenge.

That was interesting what Rob said about her not even asking what happens if she doesn't do the challenge at all, because he said something like there was another option, didn't he? I don't remember now. But it was pretty stupid of her to do a fire challenge against Rob, who probably can make a fire with flint in his sleep by this time.

It will take me many episodes to learn their names, but there is no one I hate yet and no one I love yet ….... except Sandra.

 

[tony]

Rob said he was prepared to give her a different (less difficult, for sure) challenge/offer but she didn’t even consider that.

I think Elizabeth will be fine, because she was probably worried that if she spilled the full truth (and had no vote), they would all go after her as the easy first vote. She will probably pull a few people in (probably all of those who voted together) and tell them in the next episode.

Can we assume there are no idols besides the ones with Sandra and Rob?

 

[smurfy]

Good impression so far. I too don't hate anybody - yet. Give me time.
And yes about the ages and no mactors - especially after just finishing up with BB - seems like more real people - but some very high level folks - Vince, Elizabeth.
I would love to see a female alliance go far.
Love seeing Sandra and Boston Rob again. Sandra is my fav! She is the Queen!
And it was stated multiple times that would not be playing.
(BB had a season where some former players were initially mentors, but then changed to players.
No misunderstanding there.
But I love love love the secret place that Sandra & Boston Rob are watching the tribal and showing their reactions.

After the horrible season of BB (except for the last 15 minutes of the finale) - Survivor seems like a breath of fresh air.
I have watched every season and the show is still great!

 

[tripleflips]

This cast is a bit flat to me. I feel this will almost be a dead sort of season to set up for All Winners.

 

[tripleflips]

Elizabeth Biesl is my winners pick for the season. She has the great social game and intelligence needed to win a game like this. Plus the athletic ability.

 

[Sparks]

So far, I'm a Missy and Elaine fan.

 

[tripleflips]

So far, I'm a Missy and Elaine fan.

The women on this season are much more appealing than the men. I do not like the men of this cast at all for the most part.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Loved how Rob and Sandra were just rambling on and on and Kellee had this look on her face like 'oh gawd just shut up already' because I had the same thought. And then ... oh wait!! I actually answered those 3 questions correctly too. Maybe I WAS listening!

So Kellee's Idol …. Rob said it was good for the next 3 Tribals. Does that mean the next 3 Tribals regardless of which Team is there? Or the next 3 that Kellee, herself, attends?

 

[smurfy]

Love, love, love Sandra and Boston Rob- but Sandra is just awesome -s she is the QUEEN!
The editing of their babbling was hilarious. And Sandra's comment after the results of the TC. Can she do commentary always?

Enjoyable episode - Molly and those 2 guys sure got cocky quick. And the one that said he was in 1st gear - so telling.
Interesting how a few thought it might be too soon - but Noura and Jason will still be there as shields for others.

So far the women are the standouts - Kellee, Chelsea, Elizabeth ...(and some others - not sure of names) and Lauren!!.
And Jason seemed to learn from his early mistakes. Teacher guy seems bright.

Good question BaileyCatts - not sure.

 

[tony]

Loved how Rob and Sandra were just rambling on and on and Kellee had this look on her face like 'oh gawd just shut up already' because I had the same thought. And then ... oh wait!! I actually answered those 3 questions correctly too. Maybe I WAS listening!

So Kellee's Idol …. Rob said it was good for the next 3 Tribals. Does that mean the next 3 Tribals regardless of which Team is there? Or the next 3 that Kellee, herself, attends?

Fairly certain they said it was good for the next two that she was a part of. Maybe you had really stopped listening at that point, or maybe I did

 

[Jenny]

He definitely said "the next three Tribal Councils that you attend." I haven't watched in quite a few seasons now, but I tuned in last night and Sandra and Boston Rob had me at hello

Really like this premise, if for no other reason than to hear Boston Rob say Hawvard 80 billion times But seriously I agree with all of you about Sandra - loved her from her first season. Always been a Rob fan too, and while I know he got on a lotta people's nerves, you have to admit he's a master of this game.

I'm hoping that they continue with this set up for awhile - inevitably there will be some sort of twist - because as the game progresses it could be really cool to see players actually sit down and talk strategy with them, as in what's happening right now in the game and what their advice is. Wonder if they will reveal they are seeing TCs - because otherwise players might assume they have no idea about the others. Which could be fun too, if you can imagine someone talking trash about their opponents while Sandra and Rob have seen them in action, and already witnessed the dynamics in the group.

As far as people lying about what happened, I don't think it's that big a problem because once others find out, they may want to keep that secret too, and it could create some odd alliances. At the same time, someone's gonna blab, if not to everyone to at least some, and then there's the whole who knows the truth and who knows who's lying. My money's on Noura being the one

Only other comment at this point as I barely know the players is that I'm glad to see a real cast with no attempts to fit them into some theme or another (heroes villains brains brawn millennials whatever, that never worked that well IMO because there were always a least a few who seemed a stretch or didn't fit at all into their category).

 

[Susan1]

Loved how Rob and Sandra were just rambling on and on and Kellee had this look on her face like 'oh gawd just shut up already' because I had the same thought. And then ... oh wait!! I actually answered those 3 questions correctly too. Maybe I WAS listening!

I got them right too. They must have picked out the easiest things to ask, huh? I must have thought that's what was going on because I was making things stick in my mind, like how long he said he was married and Harvard, and she has four dogs - that they didn't ask. But how long did they actually talk and did they babble over each other the way it looked. Did she get to talk in between? That wouldn't be the situation in real life to learn effective listening, unless you were told to pay attention to everything that was said. I change the channel when two people on CNN are talking over each other. And I absolutely cannot watch The View.

 

[tony]

He definitely said "the next three Tribal Councils that you attend." I haven't watched in quite a few seasons now, but I tuned in last night and Sandra and Boston Rob had me at hello

Yeah, just checked. He started by saying four questions right and the next 2 of her tribal councils. When she was reluctant, he made it three questions and 3 of her tribals.

I don’t know if she was throwing on the dramatics of not really paying attention to them talking, but hello that was obviously part of it if they kept rambling for that long.

 

[tony]

Well, one of Rob and Sandra's early favorites is already out with an idol in his pocket, and I actually thought it was some nice editing because I didn't think he was going and was convinced Tom was after he was trying to rush tribal council. I don't know how Vince snuck through camp, some 10 feet away from others (awake and alert at the noise), unless the cameramen made it seem like they were just moving equipment.

However, the flow of the episodes this season is not holding my attention. The Rob and Sandra challenges, although interesting and something new, are taking too much time away from the dynamic of getting to know the contestants and seeing more than the few casual minutes of plotting following tribal. I know the producers don't want to show the exact conversations that lead to the decisions on who is going home, but it's all thrown together a little too quick for me before/after the Island of the Idols segments.

ETA- after the super disappointment I felt with the twist last year/the result, I feel like this one is going to be another dud before the huge season 40.

 

[Jenny]

I'm now remembering, after missing a few seasons, how much the story producers and editors vex me. I get that there was no need for more of Vince's story than we already got, but I really, really wanted to know what happened when he got back from Sandra and Rob! Did he say anything, what did Elizabeth do, did they compare notes? Did either of them spill anything to anybody? Did this play into Elizabeth wanting Vince gone rather than Tom?

And also, everyone was so ready to flush Vince's idol, but there's Elizabeth too and no one seems in a hurry to get rid of her. Did anyone quiz her again, asking her thoughts on the probability of Vince having one? Or, since I missed the first ep, did she somehow cover that when she got back? Just seems weird that no one seemed to be looking at her as a threat, but suddenly Vince was.

In the end, because they necessarily need to keep us in suspense, we don't really know what influenced the decision to go with Vince, not Tom. I do think that Vince was playing both sides, never a good thing, and that perhaps the women thought if we go with the guys' plan we can all be happy campers when we get back, and still have a 5-3 advantage.

As for Vince's stealth run, that was fun! I do think though that everyone is already used to crew noises in the night, not to mention jungle noises, so he's lucky he didn't have to light the torch because that would have got him caught.

 

[Fridge_Break]

Tom looks like Vladimir Putin.

 

[Prancer]

I'm now remembering, after missing a few seasons, how much the story producers and editors vex me. I get that there was no need for more of Vince's story than we already got, but I really, really wanted to know what happened when he got back from Sandra and Rob! Did he say anything, what did Elizabeth do, did they compare notes? .

I was gone from the camp for about 24 hours — the whole day. And when I got back, I told them that I went to Island of the Idols and was presented with the game. And in this game I had to memorize five different sets of tiles with animals on them. So the five animals were the crab, the salamander, a bat, a shark, and a jellyfish. So I said I had to memorize five sets of these animals, and then remember all those sets in order and then find those sets at night in order on Island of the Idols and get them all lined up correctly. And unfortunately, due to pressure, I wasn’t able to do that and I had to sleep outside without shelter.

So when I got back I made sure to get little wet so that they thought that I was sleeping outside with no shelter. But then to my core alliance of the women — in particular, Elizabeth, Elaine, and Missy — I told them that I lost my vote on top of sleeping outside. So that was the kind of the deal and I don’t know how they took it. I mean there I was hoping that saying I lost the vote would trigger Elizabeth to say, “Oh yeah, dang, homeboy is telling me the truth.” And that’s why I was pushing the women. Like, we have to vote all five votes onto Tom because I lost my vote.

Vince of 'Survivor' reveals what he told tribe about Island of the Idols

The ousted player also explains his original fire theft plan

ew.com

I have to agree that that's annoying. The focus on Rob and Sandra and this twist is leaving too little time for showing what is going on in the tribes.

Not a fan of this new twist and it isn't growing on me as the season goes on.

 

[purple skates]

I loathe Sandra and dislike Rob, so yeah. Not thrilled to see them on my tv. Again.

 

[Sparks]

I adore Sandra and have learned to tolerate Rob.
@purple skates we can still be friends.

 

[jamesy]

I loathe Sandra and dislike Rob, so yeah. Not thrilled to see them on my tv. Again.

What have you heard about season 40?

 

[Sparks]

What have you heard about season 40?

All winners season.

 

[smurfy]

This past week - I usually can't predict - but when Tom's name came up - I know hardly anything about him - so he can't get booted yet?
Vince - even though we saw a lot of him - I felt it was set up for more to come.
Karishna (name?) - does not look 37, and doesn't act it either. At first ok - but she is starting to annoy me.

I do like Sandra & Boston Rob - but there are too many people yet we don't know - so I am torn.
But I am liking this season so far.

 

[Jenny]

Karishna (name?) - does not look 37, and doesn't act it either. At first ok - but she is starting to annoy me.

There's got to be more going on there. First I see her frolicking in the water all girl power, then her spotlight about her background, all very empowering, and next thing you know she has an injury severe enough to require medical that everyone saw happen but then ignores her. I might have thought it was editing toward some future point, but there were several shots of her crumpled up on her own while the others were in the background laughing together and completely oblivious.

Weird.

 

[MacMadame]

I was skimming the threads on OTB and read this one as "Survivor S39: Island of the Idiots"

 

[Winnipeg]

Have not watched yet, recorded. I am trying to decide whether to just delete and forgo this or to watch.

 

[smurfy]

Fun episode!
Noura!!! Lol - She doesn't even let Rob finish explaining the challenge and she accepts it. And they ask her to think about it. Rob is right - she is in Nouraland!
And the nonsense she spewed to the camp. I love how happy Kellee looked - she doesn't have to say a thing.
And the practice challenge.
And I just loved at the challenge how the rest of the tribe announced Nourah was sitting out. That was well done!
(great comment on previously tv forum - how excited Nourah was for watermelon and how BB watchers have seen someone even more excited. To non BB watchers - the winner this summer ate massive amounts of watermelon every day)

Poor Chelsea, not! She has been watching since she was a kid. But she gets involved in a showmance and goes home with an idol.
I like Missy - but is she playing too hard and will be targeted?
Elaine - not sure if she is dumb or playing dumb. And if she is playing dumb - I wonder if Sandra can tell - given her comment - was it irony or not?
Elizabeth is playing well.
There is a womens alliance - but some of the women have links to some guys - playing it smart?

Tribe switch next week - and I still don't know everyones names and which tribe they are on.