Probst: "Purple Kelly, weigh in on this, give us 20 years of wisdom"

PK: "Well, the gears are turning...."

Probst: "If anyone has the immunity idol and wants to play it, do so now"



damn Sash sure looks uncomfortable here

that would be beyond epic

Anyone but Chase, please. Somehow he tilts me more than NaOnka.

Dids told me that anyone who places Benry 1st on their power rankings will be banned.

Is it me or did Marty look better before cleaning up?

Some thoughts:

I lost a lot of respect for Brenda's game tonight. The one thing she had done so well (along with Sash) was to make everyone feel included and build relationships. It seems, though, that she hadn't done enough of that with people like Holly, Dan, Fabio, or Benry. But ESPECIALLY Jane and NaOnka. Once she heard from Chase that she was being targeted, she should have made sure that she, Chase, Sash, and Kelly were still tight, and then talked 1 on 1 with NaOnka to explain to her that she is a lock to go with her to the finals. At that point it's 5 on 5, and she could have easily swayed one of Fabio, Benry, or Jane to be a 6th. Benry knows he's in trouble, so why wouldn't he? Fabio wants to keep things fun and be a follower. Jane wants to be accepted and likes Chase. A great player makes everyone feel included, or at least enough people so that the outsiders won't have the ability to convince them to flip on you. She didn't do this.

Her need to be too proud to scramble was really pathetic, and it would've taken very little work to regain the numbers. It really is amazing just how level 0 these players are at, that all Holly has to say is, "We should really take out Brenda because she's a threat" and EVERYONE jumps on board immediately, including NaOnka, without any thought as to what will happen next. It's like no one is thinking 5 minutes ahead of the present moment.

Now, the remaining players are like Iraq after Saddam was removed. There's really no one in charge, so it's just chaos and totally unpredictable. Also, shame on Sash for not applying what I said from above that Brenda should do. When he saw that the writing was on the wall, he cast his lot in with the rest and in a move similar to all of the floaters that we've ragged on this season, he's now just one of the bunch and has given up being the most powerful person in the game.

At this point, it's nearly impossible to give any sort of power rankings because it seems like every week, it's just about who most people feel is currently the biggest threat. So really, all we can maybe say is who is more/less likely to go next week. Really, so much is going to depend on how people use this new position of uncertainty. So...

These rankings aren't necessarily based on who has the best chance of winning, but who appears to be in the best spots right now:

1. Holly - Easily orchestrated the power move, and with other big targets around her, she'll always have someone to deflect attention to. Everyone around her (save Sash) is so easily manipulated that her half a brain might put her a light year ahead of everyone else. She is one of the few people who has shown the wherewithal to realize a big move is in order and the fortitude to pull it off. I still think she's a nutball, though.
2. Fabio - considered a follower, not a threat strategy-wise, not as big of a threat challenge-wise as others (Chase, Benry, maybe now Jane??) and is very likable. I think he has a seriously good chance of making it to the end and possibly winning.
3. Sash - He can easily be anywhere in these rankings, it's all dependent on how he conducts himself next episode. If he actively takes the broken pieces and realigns himself with enough people, I like his chances. If not, he could just get picked off next episode as being seen as the next biggest threat.
4. Chase - even with his unintentional wishy washiness, he still has strong connections to enough people and likability that he won't be as big of a target as others right away.
5 Jane - although now starting to be seen as a big threat for likability and to win challenges, she's close with enough people to be safe for now.
6/7 Kelly and Dan - No reason to vote either out in the near future.
8. NaOnka - May now be seen as a big liability for her unpredictability to flip so easily on former allies, plus having the II. Also, I don't think people around her are smart enough to realize she's good to be next to in the finals.
9. Benry - Doesn't really have connections with many people (the way Fabio seems to) and is considered a challenge threat.

As it is, it seems that Sash, Benry, Chase, NaOnka, and Jane have targets on their back and Fabio, Holly, Dan, and Kelly should be safe for now/

Of course, it really all depends on where the chips fall next episode. I think it's going to come down to who can secure a group of five the fastest and hold fast to that (all the guys, or all the girls+Chase, or all the young folks left, who knows). It really is anyone's game to win. Except for NaOnka, who I feel is drawing dead. I, too, think that this jury will vote on likeability.

One more thing. I'm a big fan of Probst, but I wanted to punch him in his face tonight for the way he encouraged and pushed Jane to hang on for a little longer in the challenge. When someone says that they're about to let go, it is unforgivably inappropriate to encourage them to keep going. It was disgusting, and if I were Chase, I would've seriously had a talk with him or the producers that during challenges, Jeff needs to shut the **** up and play his role as referee only.

Always been a big Jeff fan, but it definitely seems like he's overstepping his bounds this season and is affecting things in the game a bit too much.

Jeff has earned the right to say whatever he wants now. If he calls people out for sucking in challenges then I have no problem with him offering some encoragement.

Wouldn't it be great if Jeff could play in the next all stars?

This is a classic probst move, he always encourages people not to quit. His behavior at Tribal Council is generally worst than he behavior at the challenges. I was really happy he encouraged Jane to stay. If Jane really wanted to let go she would have just let go instead of announcing it.

Jeff has always been partly cheerleader in the challenges for the entire 11 year run, nothing new here at all.

I'm gonna quote this one more time, so the post-episode people see it.

Jeff provides drama at tribal so let's not hate on him for doing his job or make better tv.

Good post Double Down. I think you're being too hard on Sash though: he's generally shown good judgment so far, and he possibly thinks that, with Brenda gone, he can rally the men + NaOnka/Chase/Kelly to take control once again. He and Brenda were going to have to turn on each other at some point anyway, so having other people do it for him is much more convenient.

Actually it was just me attempting to be clever.

lol fine, ignore the PM then

Power Rankings (based on best chance of winning):

1. Sash- Still has an idol, lots of fragmented groups and a lack of people who want to be making decisions should allow him to form a new alliance. Likely winner in most final 3 combinations involving himself.
2. Holly- Made a nice move, seems to be able to work with everyone left. Despite this has remained under the radar. Next week will be interest, does she try to rally the troops again to get rid of Sash, and risk exposing herself as a strategic leader, or fall back into the background and play low-key for awhile. Its hard to predict how she would do in a jury vote, but so many of the contestants are terrible it can't be too bad.
3. Fabio- Likeable, well positioned and not on people's radar.
4. Jane- Aligned with Holly, will have a good chance if she reaches final 3.
5. Benry- In a tough spot, doesn't have great relationships with some of the other contestants and is an immunity threat. Seems to be strategic at least and could position himself well in this up-coming round which will likely be a restructuring of alliances.
6. Kelly- Uhmmm... ya the fact she has no clue whats going on and I'm ranking her this high seems crazy even to me. However she's not threatening, is a vote for someone to pick up and could probably win certain final 3's because she's normal and not hated.
7. Dan- Probably not going anywhere for awhile, but not winning very often either.
8. Chase- Not trusted and immunity threat. Will be a big target in the upcoming weeks.
9. Naonka- If it wasn't for all the crazy stuff she's done she'd be in a pretty good spot right now. As is I can't see any final 3 where she recevies more than 1 or 2 votes. Only hope is to get to final 3 with P Kelly and Dan and hope Sash, Brenda, Benry and Marty vote for her since she at least did something.

Chase going out next would make sense for most of the people left so I really don't like his spot. He should probably try to get the other guys and create a guys alliance and with Benry and Dan, vote Sash and Fabio out once the gals are gone.

yeah he had a top 5 survivor hair/beard combo

She beat everyone else anyway. Fabio threw it, but Benry was trying because he knew his name had been mentioned. So she beat a young guy who was really trying and one who cheated. Maybe the edit was for Chase's benifit. Does he look more or less like a ----y if he gets beat by an old lady or if he gets beat by an old lady because he cheated trying to beat an old lady?

Much.

There was a lot of hate for her spewing from Holly and Naonka. I find it very unlikely she could've swayed anyone to switch to her side. I think her main downfall is not being able to convince Sash to give her the idol. Also, her plan to oust Naonka was shortsighted and probably the reason Sash didn't give her the idol. Her best bet would've been to target Holly since an alliance of Benry, Jane, Fabio, Dan, and Naonka isn't likely to last. Holly was the glue and if they could've gotten rid of her Naonka would've came running back and they'd have the numbers again.

Yes, that is the infamous Dan Lembo

I don't think I've ever seen a bigger survivor idiot then chase...ok well maybe that one dude who gave away his immunity idol in final 3 but man
Anyway I like sash more now for basically giving the big f u to brenda
Fabio should lock this up imo

lol dans expression.

So, how about these idiots. All of them on level 0, terrible at Survivor, barely playing, no one ever going to make a power play, just gonna let Brenda and Sash play the middle and cruise through to the end. Oops.

Russell/Na Onka comparisons getting a little more appropriate, wouldn't you all say? Na Onka had an episode that Russell fans can appreciate, though the biased ones still probably hated her

I want to go off about how the Brenda boot proves that "being in control of the game" isn't nearly as good as gamebot fans think, while acknowledging that those who are edited as "in control" are often those with a fall in their future (editing tricks!), and how you guys need to let up on the hating of this cast, because they're not nearly as clueless as lots of posts ITT make them out to be.... But I'm gonna restrain myself.

Regarding Jane's over-the-top exaggerated positive edit: It's actually an indicator that she will NOT win. Going all the way back to Colleen in season 1 and Rodger/Elizabeth in season 2, the super-manipulated positive sweetheart edits never really win. Who got the most positive edit for a winner? The first two that come to mind are Ethan (And his edit was just kinda bleh), and Natalie (Who got hints of positivity all the time to contrast with the super-negative Russell, but never had it poured on her like your Cirie/Steph/Yau-Man/Jane types)

Also, the editors allowing 2/3rds of the season to build up for that Kelly Purple "You don't talk too much, do you?" joke was awesome. Last night was Kelly's breakout episode, can't wait to see more of her down the stretch!

Na's power move is much like Marty's. She is playing for second still in my opinion but is going all in to try to win it. She went from a likely final four atleast to now being uncertain about her future as she really doesn't have a strong alliance to fall back on now that Brenda is gone, and by the editing of next weeks episode it looks like the group still hates her which may or may not take her to the finals depending if someone wants to take her for that reason. But as I said earlier in this thread I didn't see a Sash/Brenda/Na final three as there were to many Alpha's in that alliance for them to last til the end.