Soncy,

We like Benry and Fabio because they seem like fun guys to hang out with. If I see one of them in an airport bar I'd love to have a beer and talk to them for a bit. I don't think the same can be said about any of the other contestants this season. So while I don't love their strategic gameplay, I enjoy that they bring some entertainment value to the season.

This. I also think it has a bit to do with there being no one else to root for on a strategic level OR a fan level. In a normal season, you might have 2-3 Benry/Fabio types, but they get overshadowed by a Parvati or a Boston Rob. This year, everyone is so stupid that we can't help but root for the entertaining guys.

I know. And I don't really begrudge you that--it's actually kind of my point that it's okay and expected to like what you like--that's what humans do. I'm just pointing out some inconsistencies in the things we say around here. Probably in vain, so mostlly just to amuse myself...and possibly Kart. I think if anyone was really going to 'get' what I'm saying I wouldn't have to say it.

Also, for the record, since I can't imagine that there is any chance that you guys could tell from my posts, I like some things about Benry other than he's cute and has pretty eyes. I've been clear about liking Fabio, but I can't recall that I've said anything nice about Benry--mostly I've bashed him. It doesn't mean I think he's a total scumbag or anything. I say some pretty unflattering things about my nieces sometimes, and I love them.

So why the position that I'm okay with Fabio winning, but not Benry? Fabio is funny and childlike. Makes it easier to forgive his crappy gameplay. Funny counts for a lot with me. And being borderline simple-minded really lowers any expecatations I might have regarding gameplay.

I really disagree. Holly has played a nice game from the tribe switch forward. You just don't like her much and you hate the people she is alligned with.

If control is what you like, I can't see how Chase--even with all his flaws--gets no credit for the level of control he has had in the game. It's kind of like Brenchel saying all game how they respect competitors in the comps and then not voting for Hayden.

Again, it's not that I begrudge you your likes and dislikes. But EVERYONE has those. It takes all kinds. Makes life interesting. Horror of horrors, likes and dislikes generally decide the Survivor winner.

edit: psycho Sugar too in Gabon. She controlled the endgame but we didn't complain that she got spite voted out of the victory. We were like, of course she got spite voted out of the victory; she's a psycho.

Only way this season is redeemable in my eyes, is if Fabio goes an immunity run and takes down F3 (I will also settle with a Hoho victory)

We can only hope, we can only hope...

LOL. Rob and Nicole liken Dan to Weekend at Bernies. And Tina says he looks like Papa Smurf.

Tina's funny. She said don't invite the quitters to the finale...unless it's to trash them. Then, in a few minutes she feels badly about how much they are going to be trashed. I think she was kind of serious about both comments. Reminds me of me a little bit. Except for her sweet and wholesome sounding southern cadence. I wonder if she even knows how to spell sarcasm?

If Sash was a steak, Rob would send him back.

LOL. I love Rob's I'm not stupid clause. The more you say "I'm not stupid, the more he knows you ARE stupid."

Nicole: Why do all the crazies have to go cuckoo over the chickens? (Referring to Shambo and Jane's mad chicken love.)

Holly is playing fine post-merge, but she doesn't appear to be overly strategic, and she's not all that exciting to watch. Chase hasn't ever been in control, he's just been aligned with the people who are making decisions. Sash attempts to be strategic but kinda sucks at it, and he's booooooring. Who else am I supposed to like? At least Benry was entertaining.

I don't get your point on Sugar since I would have voted for her. She was an awful player, but the other two were even worse than her. This season is shaping up the same way; we could easily have three complete duds in the FTC. Also, just to be clear: I really wasn't even rooting for Benry to win, and I'm definitely not rooting for Fabio either. I'd like to see Sash or Holly win, I just don't think either of them are good enough for me to care if they lose.

Are there some lost clips of Benry that never made it to my tv. The only remotely funny thing he's done is call Alina a dirt squirrel and scream like a mad man in that rope challenge.

Finally caught up on the ep after some online distribution variance...

Terrible decision by Sash. His shot of winning with Jane, Holly and Chase is so much less then with Fabio, Dan and Benry. None of those three will vote for him at the final, nor will Brenda likely in spite. Most people will hate Jane so ship Holly the mill.

We haven't had a boot that telegraphed in ages so it was unlikely to be Fabio, plus if Sash did flip I think they would have edited it so Sash was at least deliberating either side, which means it was either Benry or Dan.

It clearly wasn't going to be Dan (though he did have one more confessional then usual (1>0)). Finally, as someone mentioned, the long stare they showed of Holly sipping her drink death staring Benry had to mean something so my money was on him.

I agree. Obviously Fabio doesn't understand the game at all, but he is a lesser of 6 evils.

Holly is a bigger jury threat than Jane at this point; I think they each get the votes of the other one and Chase, as well as Alina, but Holly has a higher chance of getting votes from Benry and Fabio (and maybe even Dan?!).

If Sash goes with the men, he needs to do one of two things: either get himself in a F4 situation in which a. he is the second biggest jury threat and b. the biggest jury threat is poor at challenges, or cultivate a good relationship with Dan to the point where Dan realizes the fact that he himself can't win and wants Sash to win instead, and start practicing making fire in anticipation of a tie at F4. However, if he can do one of these things, he's a huge favourite to win.

Sash had complete control of how everyone voted at this TC, and he could have used it to engineer one of those outcomes. Instead he acts in such a way that everyone distrusts him, he goes against the men and is seen as backstabbing them in the process, and aligns with three people none of whom he could easily beat anyway and whom he is unlikely to beat now as a result of backstabbing the men. If he had gone to Chase and said 'Look, I like you and want to align with you, but neither of us can beat Holly or Jane in a jury vote. However, I'll work it with my boys to ensure that you stick around as long as possible', he keeps the trust of all the remaining men and doesn't alienate Holly and Jane, who know that they were marked for elimination anyway.

Don't have time for a long post, but I just don't see why all the remaining survivors, and viewers, think Jane is a lock to win the mill if she makes the finals.

What has she done to win besides be some stereotypical poor southern woman?

also I lol hard at sash's confessionals where he thinks he's super mega mastermind. that guys strategy is terrible. however there isn't much of it going on this season from anyone. ranking strategy of remaining players i'd go.

holly - she just seems sound
sash - pains me to put him here
chase - don't even think he has a strategy, but is being a nice guy and not really rustling any feathers
dan - same as chase. he doesn't need a strategy because he has no chance of winning.
fabio - he tries to think
jane - she also tries to think, and thinks she's a thinker, but it's laughable.

Admit it - you were hypnotized by Chase's abs covered in mud.

woah. soncy i think you have a big misunderstanding of how a lot of the people on this forum think. this season is just pretty awful for smart people to root for, so we all are just rooting for someone we could stand winning. chase, jane are very annoying. People who are say they are good and trying to take out the evil. holly went insane earlier but recovered well. but i still couldnt really root for someone like that. i dont mind dan but i wouldnt root for him. we are all rooting for fabio just by process of elimination. sash is too boring and arrogant to root on.

i also dont think this thread thought sashs best option was to go with the men. i believe we were just hoping he would. i dont think jane and chase are jury threat. but i believe holly probably is. so i see sash getting rid of holly and going to final 3 with dan and whoever else he can. also from the ponderosa videos it looked like benry was a much bigger jury threat then this forum knew.

i think you come off as a real jerk the past couple of pages soncy. making a lot of assumptions of what people think. i think youve become really full of yourself because kartinken has a hard on for feminists. stuff like

Well, there you have it. The recipe for gaining the support of the 2+2 Survivor thread: Control pretty much nothing. Repeatedly say, "As long as it's not me, I don't care." Act like a douchebag a couple of times while casting the vote that other people told you to cast. And top it off with a quality spite vote.

I think this is one of the smartest casts they have ever had outside of an allstar season. I think pretty much everyone was at least somewhat bright except Kelly Purple, and maybe Dan. Maybe not so much the early voteouts, but from the merge on I think everyone has been making really astute observations. Many mistakes have been made, but I think sometimes everyone forgets how hard the game is.

S22 can't get here soon enough

also in b4 Sash makes F3 and gets 0 votes (dude's an arrogant prick; although a strategic prick if that)

I think the interesting part would be if next episode sash convinces his alliance to knock out jane. They would likely do it since they would be under the impression they would still have 3-2 in numbers afterwards. That move would allow sach to jump over to fabio/dan or stay with chase/holly. Either way he would be sitting pretty good.

Also Jane is dog trainer so she likely had more empathy for animals than average person (chicken incident)

if he did this and flipped, jane/holly/chase would all spite-vote for someone else, screwing himself out of 3 potential jury votes. not a good play. if he wanted to end up with dan/fabio at the end, he should have just joined up with them at F7. chase/holly/jane wouldn't be happy but at least he wouldn't have betrayed them.

Anyone up for a new drinking game? How about the Fabio Face Palm?

Holly must be -200 vs the field right now. I think she even beats a F3 with Jane in. She's in such a good spot right now cause even if people somehow decided to turn on her alliance they'd be voting for Jane first before her so that gives her some insurance.

Looks like the F6 challenge has a Family Visit











Touching moment for Dan and his son

LOL at Jane being a wicked hag in the last pic and LOL at another Fabio facepalm

+10000

Those three will 100% clearly spite-vote in a block against sash if he screws them at F5, after he had joined their alliance at F7 - just like the "Heroes" in HvV and the ******s in Samoa did. However, if he had merely chosen to go with the guys at F7, then the likelihood of them block-voting against him would be much lower. All of this is the main reason why I stick by the opinion that Sash's decision was terribad.

Another point here - I don't know why everyone's so focused on Jane as being the biggest vote threat. I think it's Holly and/or Chase who should be targeted for that. Don't discount the Marty factor as he is likely to do some big time Ponderosa lobbying against Jane, as might Brenda. Holly has the "momma" factor, and Chase has the "ex-BF" factor.

Looking forward to next episode, should be sick.

Question for kart: I remember the top 20(/25?) list you linked to in the HvV thread; how will that list change based on this season/recent changes in opinion?

It's definitely changed some. Not sure when I will update it. I am currently working on ranking my 20 favorite seasons.

I think she's going to have a hard time getting to the finals. In theory, everyone is fighting for two spots since Dan is a lock to make the FTC, and Holly should be the biggest target at/inside F5.