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« Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Episode Recap: That's Baked, Barbecued and Fried!
Given the fireworks of last week’s show and the previews that promised a continuation of the Cirie/Jonathan showdown I have to say I was somewhat let down by tonight’s follow-up. It was like going to see Captain Ron, remember that movie with Martin Short and Kurt Russell? All the funny parts were in the trailer. It’s the same situation here. We saw all the fireworks between the factions at the end of last week’s show. That said, Jonathan still continues to amuse me with his penchant for busting into people’s private strategy sessions. This week he followed Parvati and Eliza as Eliza was trying to position herself in the couples’ alliance.
Lucky for Eliza, the favorites, divided as they are, certainly work well together during challenges. They won both reward and immunity and in the process earned three hens, one rooster and chicken feed. Ozzy, who was sent to Exile Island along with Kathy (on her third visit), returned to his tribe with the hidden immunity idol and no one was the wiser. Overall it was a good week for the favorites.
The Fans, however, have fallen apart so thank goodness “intuitive” Tracy is stepping up to lead this group. Seriously the last thing I expected to hear from Tracy was that she has ‘the sight’. As master schemer of her three-person alliance she masterfully played Joel and got him to vote against Mikey B. instead of Chet. Much like Cirie, Tracy managed to eliminate a strong player and keep a much weaker one. Now she’s on her way to having ‘the numbers’ and while all her younger, testosterone-driven tribe mates attempt to power their way to final tribal Tracy may just strategize herself to the same place. Let us recall that though she is not a guru, Tracy does have “feelings” about people.
Turning to Ozzy for a second: great athlete, lung capacity of a whale, team player. He worked those coconuts and led his team to victory. Taking a cue from Yau-Man he replaced the idol with a fake one. Yet somehow I’m a little disappointed that he was the one to find the idol. It’s not like he needs it. This man can take care of himself. Though he does have a point that his prowess makes him a target.
What’s up with Kathy not wanting to search for the idol? Is she daft? I almost feel like Jeff when he gets mad at players who give up. Remember Osten from Pearl Islands? The big, healthy guy who quit the show because he feared he might catch pneumonia if he went into the water. He’s permanently on talk-to-the-hand mode with Probst. If you’re not even going to make a little effort to win Kathy there are plenty of people who would love be there in your place. You might say the same of Chet who makes me wonder if he even wants to be there. He mopes around the camp. He mopes around the challenges (when he’s not sitting them out). Chet is so lucky that Tracy needs him because Jason has had it with the man.
“Please leave the island!” This is probably now one of my favorite quotes from the series, spoken with such passion by Jason as he cast his vote against Chet. Moments earlier Jason tread on Jeff’s toes and delayed the voting merely to implore his tribe mates to recognize the importance of their pending vote – meaning vote Chet out. Priceless. Jason’s efforts were in vain though as poor “you have to give trust to earn trust” Mikey’s torch was snuffed out instead. Will this turn of events cause an even bigger rift at Airai? Probably.
Here’s the big question. As it stands now, Kathy on her multiple trips to Exile Island is the only fan who is getting to know the favorites. Do you want to see this fans/favorites split last the whole game or do you want the see them mix it up? And speaking of Pearl Islands, wouldn’t you have loved to have Andrew Savage on this season as a favorite?
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Feb 28, 2008 10:43 PM
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Alright! They dumped Todd - I mean Penner - I mean Mikey B! Finally a tribe realized that it's not good to let the guy who assumes he's in charge stick around.
Chet is a weak player, but Mikey B was a cancer - and the kind of weasel who could have walked away with the cash if he was allowed to hang around too long. The warning shot didn't get his attention, so buh-bye. Love It.
And since it looks like they're mixing up the tribes next week, who would you rather have potentially wind up on the other tribe? Chet, a weak player but probably grateful to be kept around ban the fans; or Mikey B, a stonger player that you couldn't trust as far as Chet could throw Joel.
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Feb 28, 2008 11:31 PM
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Who knew going into the fans vote that this would be a pretty smart move for some of them. With the tribes switching around next week everyone who doesn't end up with Chet will be greatful that it wasn't Mikey B.
I love Ozzy that guy plays his butt off! I don't understand Kathy either, why on earth would she not make every effort to find the idol.
Eliza got lucky this week. I had a good chuckle when James realized they were idiots to get rid of Yau Man. Especially in light of his comment last week about stupid people and feeling like he was back in China.
Oh and I loved the movie Captain Ron. But I was 11, it appeals more to 11 year olds. HA! 
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Feb 29, 2008 1:08 AM
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I agree. Tonight's episode was a let down, but I feel like every episode this season has been one. I don't really like any of the fans. I don't know what it is. Voting out Mikey B seemed ridiculous to me. He didn't think he was in control of the tribe. I remember him actually saying that he just had to act like Joel was on his side because he knew Joel was in charge of everything. Chet just is a total useless person. Unless you're using him for numbers just to vote him off later. And the favorites are just as uninteresting.
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Feb 29, 2008 1:25 AM
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As long as Ozzy is on the show, I will continue to watch. He is remarkable. I want every challenge to involve water, but I suppose that is unfair to any tribe that doesn't include Ozzy. The Fans are a pretty boring bunch.
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Feb 29, 2008 7:03 AM
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Ozzy probably needs the HII more than anyone. I'm sure he would be the first one voted out as soon as they think there's a merge in the air, or as soon as he didn't have individual immunity. Everyone knows that he's the best physical player ever. He was absolutely amazing to stay underwater so long to help his team. Just awesome. How dumb is Kathy? She doesn't want to try to find the HII because it's so physically demanding and time consuming. But, as I recall, looking for the HII required the seeker to go back and forth between the islands. Ozzy told her he was looking for food, yet she never noticed him traipsing around? Duh. Joel was smart to get rid of the cancer that was Mikey B, but he must have realized that his tribe would be in trouble. That they mix up the teams next week is not something that he foresaw. If he and the other 4 survive to the merge (unlikely now) he'd go in as a group of 5. But with the teams being mixed, Kathy and Chet (at least) will be quick targets unless they make new alliances.
(For the uninformed, HII stands for Hidden Immunity Idol.)
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Feb 29, 2008 8:03 AM
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Agreed that this was not as fireworks filled as last week. But the editors did a good job in this episode. I thought Chet was going, until I heard Eric at TC say that there were other ways to make a tribe strong, rather than just vote out the weakest player. They never showed Joel talking with Eric or anyone else, so I wasn't sure if he had been convinced by Traci's maneuvering.
I think Joel's obnoxious.
As far as the favorites go, I was excited to watch Jonathan (Penner, as Probst likes to say), Cirie, and Yau Man. Well, Yau Man is gone, and Cirie is a little huffy. But I was inspired by Ozzy this week, and now I am also cheering for him. Somehow he was able to find the idol without Kathy even knowing (I mean, didn't she see him swimming back and forth between islands?!?!), hide the idol in his hat and then his bag, make a new, fake idol, conceal his little craft project when Kathy came wandering around and pull out a starfish just in time to make it look like he was looking for food, and then lie convincingly when he rejoined his tribe that the HII was "a lot harder than he expected." Well played, Ozzy!! And then we get to see you leap into the water and swim like a fish.
I have to say that I am also liking Ami this season, and I'm interested to see how her game plays out with the upcoming switch.
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Feb 29, 2008 8:47 AM
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I'm dismayed that they're mixing the tribes so soon, as it's supposed to be Fans versus Favorites.
SPOILER
I hope from the previews that we are not going to lose Jonathan to injury. He's my favorite (although how can you not love Ozzy?) and I'd really miss him a lot.
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Feb 29, 2008 9:32 AM
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I actually like Tracy and loved watching her manipulate Joel (or the ogre as I call him) into voting out Mikey B. I think they underestimated her from the get-go because she is older, but she is turning out to be a good player.
I'm also cheering for Ozzy, phenomenal doesn't say enough about this boy's water skills. I loved that he found the idol and agree he needed it. Once it comes down to individual immunity, if he ever doesn't have it, he will be the first on the chopping block. Let's hope he knows when to use it- unlike James!
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Feb 29, 2008 9:38 AM
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I'm really enjoying this edition primarily because of Ozzy. That guy is phenomenal and hopefully he can right the wrong of losing his first Survivor run. Regardless, can the guy please get a spot on Amazing Race?
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Feb 29, 2008 10:12 AM
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Ozzy is the man!
I was upset when Jeff asked Ozzy about the idol. If I was playing the game that would have sent alarm bells off in my head - Jeff has never once this season asked another player if finding the idol was hard. Why now?! Jeff only asks something when he knows (as does the audience) the answer (I notice this all the time at tribal counsel).
For example if the whole episode focuses on the Favorites 'couples'- at tribal counsel Jeff will ask Jonathan "Jonathan do you feel that certain couples are forming an alliance, etc, etc." When he's seen the days tapes and obviously knows that Ozzy and Amanda are together and Parv & James are flirting.
For shame.
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Feb 29, 2008 10:33 AM
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Veinia, concerning what Jeff says at Tribal Councils, I've read over the years that Tribal Council can last an hour or two. They only show snippets to us. So, Jeff might have asked the others about the idol too but the editing never showed that part.
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Feb 29, 2008 12:52 PM
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I'am in love with Ozzy. He has sick skills. I don't know if it was the editing, but finding the HII looked effortless for him. I don't understand Kathy's attitude at all! She knows the last clue was "go back to where you started" so there was no reason for her to go back in the water again, either this week, or last week. She should have been looking for the HII while Ozzy was off looking for food (clues). She definitely deserves to go home. She has absoulutely "no game."
On the other hand, Tracy really stepped up and took control. I really admire her. I thought it was amazing that she went from being on the outs to manipulating the vote. I still can't believe she got Joel (I call him the brunette Gaston - kinda dumb) to vote her way.
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Feb 29, 2008 1:05 PM
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I read an interview with Jeff Probst once in which he said that he didn't watch the tapes. He said he tried it in the first season but it made him ask biased questions (or something like that). I looked for the interview but could not find it. I found another interview, however, in which he says:
I get the big beats from the producers. They'll tell me like that their camp burnt down or whatever, but I don't always know a lot of stuff. I think that's what gives me the freedom to ask questions with reckless abandonment ... if you're dumb enough to tell me something certainly I'm going to take it. But I would never, if I knew something about somebody, I would never out them ever.
After 1-3 hours of questioning, something is bound to come out!
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Feb 29, 2008 1:42 PM
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I liked how Jeff's face lit up when that guy stopped him to "make sure" his tribe voted the right way. "Any other comments?" Funny moment.
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Feb 29, 2008 2:13 PM
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