Survivor 42

CYdTracked

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Agreed, but I'm very curious what the girl's reasoning was for voting for Mike. I have no idea why she did that and they didn't explain it.

Jonathon is absolutely killing it in challenges. I actually really like his personality and everything too, but he's going to go into the merge with a massive target on his back.

The only reason I can think of that she voted for Mike was if Daniel played his shot in the dark and was safe that someone else's name would need to be written down else she would be going home and that would have been a big move on her resume to blindside someone with an idol if it had played out that way. Its going to backfire on her now because Mike wasn't happy about it and she already had trust issues with her tribe. I'm OK with Daniel going home, he was not going to make it far playing the game he was and the lawyer talk was out on full force during tribal trying to save his butt.

I felt so bad for Jonathan last night trying to hold it together with Maryanne and that other gal talking non-stop then watching Omar nearly blowing the challenge for them. We only see clips of what went on, I can imagine those 2 went on for hours like that while it was raining and I probably would have needed to get up and take a walk to keep my sanity so was impressive he kept his cool because it would have blown up his game if he had. He may be a big target at merge but if I was a weaker player right now I would love to align with him and keep him around as a shield as long as possible then find the right moment to blindside him while numbers are in your favor. The merge is all about strength and loyal numbers to get you to the end and if you are on the bottom of your tribe right now the merge is a perfect time to reset your game and align with strong players that need some votes that will be loyal to them. Tori seems like one of those who understands that and I think if she can make it to the merge she will hang around for awhile. If Maryanne keeps the annoying act going I don't see the merge being kind to her because she is going to get on the nerves of everyone else quickly and be an easy target to vote out just to get some relief at camp.

There is definitely a lot more gameplay strategy playing out right now than at this time last season so I think when they merge could get really interesting who aligns with who because all 3 tribes have some obvious cracks right now, especially the 2 that are not Jonathan's tribe have some people ready to find some new people to work with.
 

CYdTracked

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Agree, we had no idea where that came from. Would've avoided the re-vote altogether if she'd just voted for Daniel.

I could see Jonathon winning every single immunity challenge post-merge. He's that good.

I'm trying to remember but has Jonathan done any of the puzzle building stuff yet? Seems like he is always doing the tasks where his physical assets give him the advantage but we have yet to see if he can build a puzzle under pressure. Not all the individual immunity challenges are entirely strength. He has an obvious advantage when it will come to an endurance challenge or one where strength and speed are part of it but there are a few they do where his strength will be neutralized with some mental based challenges. The ones where you rely on balance or having to use your feet to build something are ones he may not have a huge advantage in but I do think he is a smart guy that no matter what you throw at him he's going to be in every challenge regardless.
 

BryceC

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I'm trying to remember but has Jonathan done any of the puzzle building stuff yet? Seems like he is always doing the tasks where his physical assets give him the advantage but we have yet to see if he can build a puzzle under pressure. Not all the individual immunity challenges are entirely strength. He has an obvious advantage when it will come to an endurance challenge or one where strength and speed are part of it but there are a few they do where his strength will be neutralized with some mental based challenges. The ones where you rely on balance or having to use your feet to build something are ones he may not have a huge advantage in but I do think he is a smart guy that no matter what you throw at him he's going to be in every challenge regardless.

Yeah there are those ones where you have to just hang, build puzzles, or like the one you have to stand on the narrowing balance beam that's angled down that could actually be detrimental to a guy that is so big. For sure he isn't winning them all and as soon as he doesn't people will be gunning for him. I agree he's a fantastic meat shield but that only gets you so far.

Plus he can clearly spearfish. I mean he's like every Survivor All Star wrapped into one.
 

Gonzo

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I'm trying to remember but has Jonathan done any of the puzzle building stuff yet? Seems like he is always doing the tasks where his physical assets give him the advantage but we have yet to see if he can build a puzzle under pressure. Not all the individual immunity challenges are entirely strength. He has an obvious advantage when it will come to an endurance challenge or one where strength and speed are part of it but there are a few they do where his strength will be neutralized with some mental based challenges. The ones where you rely on balance or having to use your feet to build something are ones he may not have a huge advantage in but I do think he is a smart guy that no matter what you throw at him he's going to be in every challenge regardless.
Agree, not sure if I remember him leading any of the puzzle elements. He does seem like a smart guy and I'm not overly impressed with most of the others on the mental stuff, we'll see.
 

CYdTracked

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Yeah there are those ones where you have to just hang, build puzzles, or like the one you have to stand on the narrowing balance beam that's angled down that could actually be detrimental to a guy that is so big. For sure he isn't winning them all and as soon as he doesn't people will be gunning for him. I agree he's a fantastic meat shield but that only gets you so far.

Plus he can clearly spearfish. I mean he's like every Survivor All Star wrapped into one.

The one thing he is doing well right now that other strong players in previous seasons struggle with is he's playing a good social game too. He may be a challenge beast but he is trying not to let that be the only thing that defines him. I still think he will be viewed as a big threat when it becomes an individual game but if he can form some good relationships and bring along enough votes to keep him in it where winning individual immunity or gaining an idol or advantage will save him at key times he still has a shot to win it. I would not be shocked to see Tori and Chanelle be 2 that seek him out to align with at the merge as both need to get behind a shield at this point to stay in it. Maybe even Rocksroy too who is kind of on the outs lately.
 

BryceC

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The one thing he is doing well right now that other strong players in previous seasons struggle with is he's playing a good social game too. He may be a challenge beast but he is trying not to let that be the only thing that defines him. I still think he will be viewed as a big threat when it becomes an individual game but if he can form some good relationships and bring along enough votes to keep him in it where winning individual immunity or gaining an idol or advantage will save him at key times he still has a shot to win it. I would not be shocked to see Tori and Chanelle be 2 that seek him out to align with at the merge as both need to get behind a shield at this point to stay in it. Maybe even Rocksroy too who is kind of on the outs lately.

Rocks, Tori, and Chanelle need to figure out a way to get paired with somebody else but I'm not sure they have the awareness to be able to do it.
 

CycloneRulzzz

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Finally all caught up as I saved up episodes to binge watch. Did episodes 3 and 4 last night and last night's show today. So far no one has gone home that I would miss although it was sad to see the woman go home who lost her brother and to my knowledge never got to have that moment of burying the necklace on the island.

I could sympathize with Jonathan regarding the women constantly chatting driving him up the wall but I guess he could go away from camp for awhile.
 

MeanDean

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Didn't they show a bit in the preview of one of next week's double shows that they will not be going to a merged tribe? I assume that means they'll be combining the 3 tribes of 4 each, into 2 tribes of 6 each. That always gets interesting as everyone struggles to regroup with different players.
 
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CycloneRulzzz

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One thing that struck me as dumb was Mike saying that he wasn't going to ever say his phrase. He does know you have to eventually say it for the idols to become active right?
 

BryceC

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One thing that struck me as dumb was Mike saying that he wasn't going to ever say his phrase. He does know you have to eventually say it for the idols to become active right?

No it automatically activates at the merge... which appears to be the next episode.
 

ImJustKCClone

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No it automatically activates at the merge... which appears to be the next episode.
This was a point WE were talking about while watching it. When the gal found the idol last night and was reading the instructions, she clearly read "you must repeat your phrase at the next challenge". We were wondering if Mike would end up forfeiting his for not following the instructions.
 

BryceC

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This was a point WE were talking about while watching it. When the gal found the idol last night and was reading the instructions, she clearly read "you must repeat your phrase at the next challenge". We were wondering if Mike would end up forfeiting his for not following the instructions.

Each camp had one idol, that if found, its finder had to utter a certain code before an Immunity Challenge, and if members of the other tribes respond with their own code sentences, all three idols will have power. Until then, the idols remained powerless and their finders without a vote at Tribal Council. Unlike in 41 however, the idols had full power after the merge thus ending the penalty.

 

ImJustKCClone

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Each camp had one idol, that if found, its finder had to utter a certain code before an Immunity Challenge, and if members of the other tribes respond with their own code sentences, all three idols will have power. Until then, the idols remained powerless and their finders without a vote at Tribal Council. Unlike in 41 however, the idols had full power after the merge thus ending the penalty.

I get that...but didn't the note say "you must repeat your phrase at the first immunity challenge"? He was acting like he had a choice on whether or not to repeat his phrase.
 

BryceC

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He did have a choice. if he did nothing it would have been fully activated at the merge. He didn't have to say anything, especially not at the first challenge, he had it for a long time before it said it in this episode.
 

ImJustKCClone

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Think we'll have to agree to disagree on that point. These new idols have specific instructions as to their application, from what I'm seeing, and actions (or inactions) generally have consequences. Mike was debating not following those specific instructions,
 

Drew0311

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Enacting the idols is cartoonish. Glad that is out of the way. Hopefully we get some good game play when the merge happens.
 

BryceC

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Think we'll have to agree to disagree on that point. These new idols have specific instructions as to their application, from what I'm seeing, and actions (or inactions) generally have consequences. Mike was debating not following those specific instructions,

There is nothing that says you must say the phrase at the first immunity challenge. Mike found his on Day 5.

He said his phrase on day 11, way after the first time he found it and after several immunity challenges, and his idol is activated now.

Mike was debating not saying the phrase because Jenny and Daniel convinced him not to so he wouldn't reveal he had an idol to the other tribes (and so he wouldn't activate it.). There was a whole part on it in episode 2.
 

ImJustKCClone

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Paragraph five (which is not the subtitle shown) reads: "At the NEXT immunity challenge you must say a secret phrase in front of the other players".

They may not be enforcing it, but the instructions definitely said "next".
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CYdTracked

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I think the whole reason Mike chose to activate it then was he did not want to go into the next tribal council without a vote still which was a wise choice because his tribe ultimately had to go to tribal that night. I don't think it was about activating the idol so it had power now than it was making sure he had a vote again. And let's be honest, his whole tribe knows about the idol even if everyone else doesn't and trying to keep it a secret going into the merge was a pipedream because someone from his tribe surely would tell someone else eventually when they are scrambling to form new alliances as information is always key.

Still baffles me how after 40 seasons these new players have not learned that when you get an idol or advantage you don't tell anyone as it always hold more power to your advantage when you are the only one that knows about it.
 

CYdTracked

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Two hour episode this week. Chanelle revealed she cast a vote for Mike because if Daniel had an idol she'd be going home. Mike was mad about it but she didn't really own her choice well either because all she had to do to defend it was tell him it was all strategy and nothing personal to defend what she did really. I think she is on borrowed time at this point as she hasn't made good impressions at the merge either. Tori needed that immunity win in a bad way as she would have gone home without it. She's also on borrowed time unless she can find a way into an alliance. Her and Chanelle are perfect candidates to take to the end with you because neither are liked enough to get enough votes to win. Lydia made sense to vote out this week, no issue there although I thought maybe Maryanne may have been blindsided as she tends to talk more than she does listen at times.

Rocksroy made the right choice in changing the game. Had he not there was a good chance he could have been voted off without immunity. This gives him a little bit of a window now to reset his game because so far his social game has been pretty bad.

Was worried about Johnathan as its clear the less physical players like Hai and Romeo are worried about him and ready to vote him off. Glad he survives another day but inevitably he's probably getting blindsided soon I think. He does have a decent social game but his physical advantage is probably going to be too much that no matter how good his social game is eventually one of the skinny guys will get him voted off. Speaking of which Romeo and Hai are playing the strategy game HARD now with the merge and that could come back to bite them if they get too greedy/aggressive trying to target certain people. I kind of like how Johnathan and Mike are trying to play a good social game while also not being the ones that are throwing out names of who needs to go first. Kind of sit back and let the options come to you and navigate the votes for now.