It's something people dont get. "These people should work together" is so much easier said than done.

It’s easier now that the six of them have been on the wrong side of a vote, but it’s not too likely after theyve all written each others’ names down

yes, the 5 losers got back to starvation island and those 2 decided they had enough, raised the white flag, and were seen riding away in a boat.

If somebody had to come back, I'm glad it was Rick. I like him. But I hate that people get to come back into the main game at all, hate that everyone can be on the jury, even the first people voted out, and hate that an early vote out could potentially win the whole thing, when they didn't even really play the real game of Survivor for almost the entire show. It's completely unfair.

And if you're a challenge beast, you might even prefer to go to Extinction Island. As people have said, this might actually be better for Joe than going deep before being voted out. We've already seen a challenge beast voluntarily go to Redemption Island. I didn't know it was Dalton Ross's suggestion though:

https://ew.com/recap/survivor-edge-o...-38-episode-7/

This is actually why Ozzy volunteered to go to Redemption Island in Survivor: South Pacific — to win potential future jury votes. I put the idea of voluntarily going there for that exact reason into his head during a pregame interview the day before and he immediately latched onto it — and then actually did it! And had he not frozen in that final puzzle, it would have worked and he would have won. We very well may see a similar scenario here. And the question is: How do we feel about that? Is that a legitimate victory? Are you cool with someone winning the game who may have only played around 10 days in it? Something to think about as the season moves on.

Thus the two most misfit toys have left the island of misfit toys.

I wonder if those two waited 24 hours, if theyd be jurors

I'm not sure how I feel about loser island. I'm a little averse because it's not traditional Survivor, but there's some merit to it. They are still starving and interacting socially. Loser island players still have to manage their jury in addition to winning their way back in the game. People in the game have to play well enough in the game to still be able to beat someone like Joe in the event he makes it back in. They might have to think twice about the people they are trying to get to the end with if they feel they need to collectively have their best chance of getting rid of Joe at the critical moment.

They claim they would have.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/li...y-quit-1197692

Did you know you were being afforded the chance to join the jury, and if not, would that have influenced your decision to stick around?

Wendy: We did not know if we were to have stayed we could have been part of the jury, but I would have definitely stayed because the elements and the hunger didn't affect me in any way. What was difficult for me was the boredom. Up to that point, the players on the Edge had explained to me that they had absolutely nothing to do and me, being as hyperactive as I am, I would have either gone insane or been tied up by my fellow castaways!

Keith: At the time I didn't know we would join the jury. Of course since I've known, this thought has creeped in and out of my mind. But this follows suit with the whole "what if" mentality that no one has time for. Would it have influenced [my decision]? Of course, as all things do. Would it have changed things? Yes, because it adds just another level of excitement and complexity to a story! But at that point, the story was complete.


Then again, Keith also claims he didn't question whether to go to EI or not, and that it was just editing.

Keith, when you were voted out, we were left on a cliffhanger as to whether or not you were going to head out to Extinction. How long did you debate the decision? Why were you questioning whether or not to go?

Keith: This part of watching it all back has been hilarious. People have asked me this question all the time. The thing is, I was watching the cliffhanger for the first time just like everyone else was. I was so angry and vengeful after my vote off that I of course was taking the torch. Anyone who knows me knows that me praying was out of sheer gratefulness to have the second opportunity. I just laugh at how none of my other castmates were expressive as I was!

Bolded is the key part that makes it completely unfair. Someone from EI is going to come back late in the game. That person will have had an enormous advantage in terms of time with the jury and the opportunity to build relationships and goodwill and sway the vote. Someone who has been on EI since the beginning will not have had to face any difficult TC's or any ill will from blindsides and difficult votes. It's a completely different dynamic and a huge advantage to the eventual EI returnee, if they make it to FTC.

Kama 6 have exposed themselves as the power alliance now they were the only ones to vote correctly. Even if the rest have issues with each other they probably don't have a choice but to all come together next week and tie it up 6-6 with Aurora and hope to guess right with an idol or two. Keeping Joe and Aurora in the loop given old Lesu wanted to take each other out and going for Lauren or Wardog who were less likely to have an idol was probably the smarter play.

At the same time, they will be seen as someone who was voted off, didn't make moves, didn't win individual immunities, etc. Devins might have a hope because he'll get plenty of post merge time, but someone who parachutes in at (say) F5 can't ever really be seen as a threat to win.

Hopefully that would be the case, but it really just depends on the jury. If the producers throw enough challenges at them on EI, and Probst plays up how much they're still "in the game" and worthy and competing as hard as those in the main game, then that's enough cover for people to just vote for whoever they like more - which favors somebody who has done a good job cultivating relationships and managing the jury on EI.

For example, if they had all stayed, I could easily see Reem, Keith, and Wendy voting for an EI returnee. And others as well, once they get to EI and have been there a while. It benefits them personally to think of EI as part of the main game and just as worthy of producing a winner, being that they're all invested in it personally and hoping to get back in the main game, and are pre-conditioned to thinking that person should have a legit shot at winning.

Just not how Survivor works. Easy to sit at home on the couch and decide who is a deserving winner and who isn't, but those people are going through some tough **** together and friendships will always prevail in the end.

Can't blame them, if I was suffering on that rock for weeks and someone I befriended got their way back in, I would most likely give them my vote as well.

On top of that, if someone from RI wins the whole thing it will make those who got voted out look much better as well, like they were actually true contestants. Notice how extremely excited they were to go back again for like a 1/8 shot to get back in the game? (in reality more likely to be 1/50 if Joe makes it there) They so desperately want to be a part of the experience, they don't care if it feels wrong to get a 2nd and now a 3rd chance.

I actually kind of respect Wendy and Keith for just putting an end to this. It's probably for the wrong reasons but it makes sense, you're just suffering for a tiny chance to get back in the game and even if you somehow win you most likely will go down in history as one of the more undeserving winners.

Yes, but the entire game of Survivor could be described as just suffering for a tiny chance to win the game.

Maybe, but you'd still have made a million dollars, and more importantly

I am still expecting that once the last EI winner comes back into the game, the other pre merge boots then leave the jury. They are just there now so that they have full information in case they get back in the game.

I could be wrong, and they'll have a 15 person or whatever jury. Would be weird. I also have a bit more faith in most juries as a whole - they don't want to go online and read that they were a butthurt jury that voted stupidly.

A lot of the appeal from Survivor comes from building social relationships and playing a strong social game. Almost nobody comes into the game with the strategy to win every challenge and win that way.

The people on RI aren't playing the game anymore, they're just sitting & waiting for 1 all-or-nothing challenge.

If the premise of the show was to sit on an island for 4 weeks and then do 1 big challenge (that's most likely going to very physical and mental), people like Keith & Wendy would probably not even bother signing up.

I can't see any way that an Extinction Island player wins. It just ain't gonna happen. Jury is not going to give a million dollars to someone who was voted out of the game. They would need to not only win back in, but also manage to make F3 with 2 all-time goats, who the jury just can't bring themselves to vote for. Odds probably less than 1 percent.

It makes me wonder why someone like Reem is sticking this out. Her odds of getting back in are almost zero. Her odds of winning, if she did miraculously get back in, are zero. Just go have a burger!

Keith has to be the nut low contestant they've ever had. Completely pointless. Goes crazy with happiness when he finds out he can go back to EI. Then he leaves. He just seems like a weird weird dude.

Calling it now. The final EI challenge is going to be a quiz based one. And lol Aubry.

Reem is the kind of person who would sit on that island by herself for 3 months just for the potential satisfaction of giving someone a disadvantage at the next challenge, whoever she thinks is responsible for her first boot.

That woman is pissed.

This! Aurora finishes 7th at best if she stays loyal to Kama. Writing's on the wall for her, but here's her play. Feign continued loyalty, eventually asking who to vote for. Take this info to the rest, getting a 6-6 vote if everyone comes along, which they obv should. Idol play comes in, and even if Kama has told her they're voting [insert player here] and target her, she can be safe, provided that the non-Kama folks want to extend their game beyond 7th place. Non-Kama gets the numbers assuming that they can defend the Kama target with an idol, or win a go-to-rocks scenario. Who should non-Kama target? I'd think Ron...cut off the head of the snake.

I don't know how anyone (viewers) has enough info on half these people to make any determination on where they rank within the groups and sub-groups. Seems to be a lot of projecting.

Just curious...what are your thoughts about rebuys in poker tournaments?

Does it count as projecting if the show hates women as much as the viewer?

I would put the odds of that around 0.0%

The longer she stays on EI while providing quality confessionals+moments, the better her chances of being cast on the next returnee season. (Could be as early as S40 if the folks in charge haven't yet decided to make it Super All Stars / Legends etc.) She's simply playing a different game at this point (already trying to make herself the next jury-Eliza, which is annoying, but she's gotta keep doing that too).

This is my point on the EI people still having to manage jury and play the social game of Survivor. I think if Wendy or Keith or Reem made it back in the game, they aren't going to win. Joe on the other hand...

I well know this is not the Survivor that we know and love, but it's still interesting. I'm supposed to be pissed off that these people on Kama who got (by the luck of the draw) to benefit from Joe's challenge and camp prowess in the early going are possibly still going to have to compete with Joe in the end for the win? I'm just not that irritated by it. I like that they have to continue to worry about Joe. Maybe they won't all be angling to drag the most worthless players to the end with them. They are going to have to consider not only who they can beat, but who can help them beat Joe. ...OR if they don't know the jury/EI people are still in play, maybe they will drag slugs to the end and all get massacred by Joe or whoever. OR maybe they will beat Joe and be that much more deserving. OR maybe the person who is most responsible for the post merge voting blocks will get clipped right before the re-entry and make his/her way back in for a second chance. Maybe everyone will still be so bitter he/she can't win anyway. I don't know. I think there are some interesting possibilities. I don't think I will prefer this format, but I'm open to see what happens.