Episode 14 - We Have Our First Two Time Winner!

Well the season of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains has come to a close and I am happy to report that I predicted the final 3 and winner here on this blog, several weeks ago.  

As suspected, with Colby's loss at the immunity challenge proved to be the final nail in his coffin and I loved his I'm resigned to going speech, then a little bit later he tries to work on Russell.  Finally nice to see Colby actually play the game.  He made it farther than I expected him to and it was also good to see that the animosity between him and Jerri, that existed in the All-Star season, seems to have disappeared.  

I always enjoy the Fallen Comrades portion of the final episode and leading up to the final immunity challenge.  This challenge was awesome and as Jeff said, it was the closest challenge in history, especially for a final immunity challenge.  I'm glad Russell got the immunity, but would have been ok if Parvati got it as well.  Actually it would have been interesting if Parvati would have got it to see if she would have gotten rid of Russell and kept Jerri.  I thought Parvati was going to get it there when she was walking right down the middle, right towards it, and Russell and Jerri were going along the rope.

Jerri gets voted out, which was the correct move, from Russell's perspective.  If he would have voted out Parvati, instead of Jerri, then he would have looked even worse than he did, at least to the Jury.  

In the final tribal council, I thought that all three opening comments were good, but I thought that Russell and Sandra's were a little better than Parvati's.  I thought the Jury's questions/comments pretty much sucked.  Once again we had a bunch of jury members going on and on about morals and playing the game with integrity.  While each person has to make that decision for themselves, this game is about manipulating and deceiving.  I really expected more out of an all star jury, since they should have realized that.  

With that said, did they get the vote wrong?  It is hard to say.  

Sandra didn't have the strategic game that Parvati and Russell had, but she did try to get the Heroes to get out Russell, but they were too stupid to listen to her.  I think that by her pointing that out, that swayed several to vote for her.  Sandra is a great talker and her game was similar to her game in Pearl Islands.

Russell once again lacked the social game necessary to win.  As Rob pointed out and Russell just about admitted, he only plays to get to the end and not to win.  That reason alone prevents Russell from being called the best player to ever play the game.  By his logic, he played twice and made it to the end twice, yet didn't win, but he can't be the best because Sandra did the same thing, but won twice.  Russell really needs to pay attention, should he be asked back again for another all star season.

Parvati played as good of a strategic game as Russell, but had the benefit of playing a great social game as well.  She is also good in challenges, which helps to save your butt sometimes.  In my mind Parvati deserved to win this season and I still believe that Parvati is the best player to ever play the game.  I think the reason why she didn't win is that she really didn't do that great at answering the questions, which surprised me, and Sandra did a great job of answering the questions.  I'm not so sure that her being in an alliance with Russell hurt her, but I also don't think it helped.


All in all this was the best season to date.  It would have been really fun to see this cast play each other as complete strangers, just to see how different it would have turned out, because I think it would have been completely different.

The reunion show was good as always, at least since Jeff started doing them, and while I was happy Russell won the America's vote over Rupert, I disagree with America's vote for dumbest move.  Here were the scenarios:

Colby taking Tina to the finals - While this was dumb from an economic standpoint, Colby did stay true to alliance, so I don't think it was that dumb.
Tyson flipping to vote out Parvati - This was a pretty dumb move, especially since his side had the numbers, but he was trying to make a move and it would have been brilliant had it worked.  So definitely not the dumbest move.
James getting voted out with two idols - This was not the dumbest move, although it was dumb.  It is more that it was being naive, not dumb.  It has happened to others since as well.
J.T. giving Russell the idol - As Jeff said, this was a great move in theory, should Russell had actually been in trouble, but he wasn't.  This is similar to the move Tyson made, trying to make a move in the game, so definitely not the dumbest move.  Also J.T.'s move didn't cost him immediately.
The dumbest move by far is Erik giving up the immunity idol and getting voted out at that tribal council.  When you are at the end of the game, you never give up your necklace, unless you know 100% that you are safe and are controlling the game.  This rarely happens and it is much better to give up a hidden immunity idol, which is done after the vote, than to give up a necklace before the vote.  So America missed the mark on this one and Erik still holds the dumbest move distinction, in my mind.


So now we have some time to ponder the past 20 seasons, before the next season begins.  So look for my blogs once and a while and I'll definitely will be back in full force for season 21.


Until next time... The Tribe has spoken.

Episode 13 - Time to Tie Die

Once again a Hero goes home with Rupert and personally I'm glad to see him go and I really do hope Colby is next.  The reason is neither Rupert or Colby have played the game well enough to deserve to win, so I'd rather no Heroes be left at the final 3, so that isn't a reason for the jury to vote for them.

Sandra was smart to play the idol, although it looked like Rupert was going regardless, since Parvati won the immunity challenge.  I'm really hoping the final three is Parvati, Russell and Sandra, because I don't think Jerri deserves to win, but if Russell is now being true to Jerri, instead of Parvati, then it is possible Parvati could be out after Colby. 

I love the family episodes and I loved how close it came at the end.  I think Jerri should have taken Russell, but not because he is in an alliance with her, but because he came closest to winning the challenge.  Parvati would have been the next choice.

So let's look at the final 5:

Colby - I have always been a fan of his, but in this case, he doesn't deserve to win.  He has practically lucked himself through this game and never seemed like he had a strategy, other than to be aligned with Tom.  I think he is gone next.

Jerri - While Russell declared alliegence to her, I'm not so sure he wants her in the final 3.  I could actually see her winning if it came down to her, Russell and Sandra in the finals.

Sandra - I've always like Sandra too but I don't think she has played well enough to win this time.  I initially thought she may win, but the only way I see her having a shot is if Russell and Jerri are sitting next to her.  Even then, as I mentioned above, I think Jerri might actually get the vote, but then again, Sandra did try to help the Heroes, after the merge.

Russell - Will not win regardless.  Once again his social game, or lack thereof, will cost him.  That is why I no longer think he is the best Survivor to play the game, even though I still think he deserved to win last season.

Parvati - If she makes it to the final, then I think she has this game won, which will be the second time for her, which will make her the best player in Survivor history.  Not only winning twice, but her style of game play is great.  She excels at the social game and through that can be very manipulative.  So I'm actually rooting for her to win.

So until Sunday... the Tribe has spoken.

Episode 12 - Two Tribal Coucils and Candice and Danielle gone

Another great episode and a bold move by Russell and it could be a great move or it could be a bad move, but either way, it may cost him the game.  Before I get to that, lets step back a little bit.

The first challenge was amazing to watch everyone step down so quickly and it came down to Parvati and Rupert and Parvati won.  The twist was a clue to a hidden immunity idol, which Sandra found, but Rupert was smart to put a rock in his pocket to cast doubt and it worked.  The girls were dumb to vote off Candice instead of Colby, because it cost Danielle the game.  If they would have voted Colby, Russell wouldn't have questioned his alliance, meaning he wouldn't have seen the need to get rid of Danielle or Parvati.  This is also where Russell's paranoia may have hurt him or may have made it a brilliant move.  By breaking up Parvati and Danielle, he prevents a possible problem later, but he has also assured that Danielle will not vote for him, should he make the finals. Also there was talk that they thought there would be a final two, but they are being observant, since the jury started with 12, which means there will be 9 jury members and 3 finalists.

Moving on to the second challenge, Russell was a beast and deserved to win that challenge.  Colby was disappointing and really not anything like the person we saw in the Outback.  The challenge worked out well though as Parvati or Russell could get immunity and only Rupert was what could have changed things.  But ultimately Russell won and then pitted Danielle and Parvati against each other and Danielle dug her own grave at Tribal Council, as I believe that Jerri wasn't planning on voting for her.  So was it a good move by Russell, let's analyze it:

Keeping Danielle and not making the waves would have kept the peace and assuming that Parvati wouldn't have turned on Russell (something I think she would do eventually), then they had their final 3.  I think Parvati would have won in that scenario.

Getting rid of Danielle, Russell splits up the dynamic duo of Parvati and Danielle, which I think was something that needed to happen at some point, but the way it was done has cost Russell one vote for sure.  I will be really shocked if Russell get's Danielle's vote, should he gets to the end.  I'm not sure how the rest of the jury feels, but I don't think they like Russell either and it really depends who he brings to the end.  I really don't think that Russell will go with Rupert and Colby, at least longer than one vote, if at all.

So I think that Russell's best bet in the finals is to sit next to Parvati and Sandra because I think if Rupert or Colby make it to the end, with the Jury consisting of mostly Heroes, they will win.  With that said, I don't think Russell will be able to win.  I don't think the Jury is going to care that Parvati and Sandra have won previously, if sitting next to Russell.

My personal preference is that either Russell or Parvati would win this game, because I think they are the best two players in the game and in the history of Survivor.  I really think Parvati is a better player, so I really hope she wins again.  For some reason though I think Sandra may get to the end and may end up winning again.

The previews make it seem like all hell is breaking loose, but I think that is more editing than anything.  I think Russell is playing Rupert and Colby and one of them will go home.

So until next week... the Tribe has spoken.