Survivor 26: Caramoan |OT| Fans (Recruits) vs. Favorites (Crazy People)

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I have to say I was a little annoyed at Francesca coming back again, but she made the first episode really entertaining.

Also yeah, the shoulder grab by Malcolm after Cochran mentioned it was the highlight of the whole episode. Malcolm is one of the best casting decisions Survivor has done in a looooong time.
 
Galang said:
OMG I feel really bad for her getting voted out first again. Hope she gets some pity prize
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Fran should get brought back every season to be a prize for the winners of the first immunity challenge. She can be part of a new tradition... win fire and Francesca. It's like double immunity. Keep her around until your first tribal council then boot her. Some year she may even get put onto a tribe that always wins like Tandang and make jury.
 
You can always count on Brandon to try and vote out the attractive women. Which is bad news for the high school alliance if he makes it to the merge, lol.
 
I feel so bad for Francesca. I don't know what I woke do if I was voted off first, twice. This will be the first time they spend a decent amount of time talking to the first person voted out during the reunion episode.
 
whitehawk said:
I feel so bad for Francesca. I don't know what I woke do if I was voted off first, twice. This will be the first time they spend a decent amount of time talking to the first person voted out during the reunion episode.
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They need to invite Sandra for the photo-op.
 
The "favorites" are a total mess.

Good news, Eddie and Reynold are hotter in motion. Bad news, they seem kinda dumb. Hopefully it was just a bit of first day hubris.
 
Just finished watching tonight's premiere... I always like to pick out obvious narrators based on their Day 1-3 edit. Especially if they're clearly not in jeopardy of going home any time soon.

On the Favorites (Bikal) side of the equation... the standouts are Cochran and, to a lesser extent, Erik. Phillip's just doing his Phillip-thing which is great for sound-bytes (loved his attempt to play Boston Rob's game), Francesca's gone and we really didn't get much time with anyone else on the Favorites aside from Dawn. That speaks volumes considering they went to tribal council.

Brenda struck me as a big narrator in her season... don't know if she had more to say that was cut from this ep (Day 2 fell into a black hole somewhere) and if was just deemed unimportant due to Franny's paranoia ruling the day. Cochran & Dawn is the core alliance to watch based on the lengthy bit of one-on-one strategizing we saw (further enhanced by confessionals). Cochran even got the last say at tribal council. A stronger Episode 1 edit you will not find.

Andrea seems to be on the shortest leash due to popping up on Brandon's 'Mikayla-radar'. I find it hysterical that Mikayla started dating Russell Hantz after the show.

On the fan side of the equation, there appear to be a few narrator candidates. Mainly Michael, 'Mr. Showmance' Reynold and Laura. There are three clear alliances that have formed with Shamar on the outside of them and it's hard to gauge how things will shake out. Seems logical to assume that Michael will pick a side (bringing Matt along for the ride) and the other group will get picked off.

It's probably smarter for them "gameplay-wise" to side with the 'cool kids'... seems likelier too given that Sherri and Julia barely spoke this week. I think Sherri's got some game in her but Julia just screams pre-boot fodder to me right now. I would have said the same thing about Carter last season and he was the last surviving Calabaw, so what do I know? People like them tend to stick around a while without strong edits if their tribes get obliterated... but will otherwise go out pre-merge. These tribes are huge and we have a sense of tribal dynamics within Gota so I'm trusting my initial read.
 
francesqua tried to run the show and failed. she probably should have tried to fly under the radar a bit more and she might have not just made survivor history (that never should possibly be repeated ever again).
 
RangersFan said:
francesqua tried to run the show and failed. she probably should have tried to fly under the radar a bit more and she might have not just made survivor history (that never should possibly be repeated ever again).
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I wouldn't feel so bad for Franny. She punched her clock in reality TV history tonight. She'll be the only person in Survivor history to get voted out first in two different seasons of the show.

Fran will be the trivia answer everyone needs to know. Just like Sandra will be the only person to ever win the game of Survivor twice. She's got a legacy cemented that she would have not held had she been voted out at any time later this season. If she wasn't going to win it all, this was the best way she could go out.
 
That was hilarious. Francesca just couldn't resist trying to be the playmaker and it backfired spectacularly. I should've guessed Brandon would have a problem with Andrea, he will never be able to trust an attractive woman because he thinks they're all out to corrupt him. And once again Cochran backs the wrong horse and his little faction will likely be systematically eliminated before the merge.
 
saunderez said:
That was hilarious. Francesca just couldn't resist trying to be the playmaker and it backfired spectacularly. I should've guessed Brandon would have a problem with Andrea, he will never be able to trust an attractive woman because he thinks they're all out to corrupt him. And once again Cochran backs the wrong horse and his little faction will likely be systematically eliminated before the merge.
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cochran voted with phillips group. Brenda, Brandon, Erik, and Francesca voted for Andrea, the rest voted out Francesca.
 
The weird thing is Philip might have been right at tribal about Francesca's impatience. Her gung-ho need to get him out so early kind of backfired.

And there's no way the self-professed pretty people alliance on the fans tribe lasts long. I wonder who told them tight-knit alliances work best when you literally giggle and frolic together out in the open.
 
Had to DVR it and watch late last night.

10 minutes into it, my very first thoughts on the season - Am I really going to have to deal with Phillip Shepherd wearing those hot pink bikini briefs for a full season?

When he dropped his pants I almost spit my Diet Dew across the floor. I was like, WTF man? Are you fucking serious with that shit Phil?

I would have to engineer his ouster right in the beginning, just for that. Either that or I'd have to run through the fire so i could get medical evac, or shit in somebody's socks so I would get voted out next. Got DAMN that's gonna be hard to take this season
 
I'm LTTP since I had to watch the show on DVR, but great first episode. Poor Cochran just wasn't made for tropical life. I'm not sure how I feel about Phillip's alliance. On one hand I want Malcolm to win, but then that also means crazy Phillip possibly going the distance.
 
Fran could have easily stayed if she hadn't been gunning for Phillip/Andrea so quickly. Basically everyone said that they liked her.

That said, I'm glad she is gone. The only reason they invited her was because of Phillip. I would have much rather seen an actual "favorite" than her riding on Phillips back. I really didn't want Phillip or Andrea gone so early. I wonder why a few of the favorites are considered to be favorites. I can think of quite a few people I'd rather have back than some of the choices.
 
I find it hilarious that the 'cool kids' have an alliance that is so obvious, but it's a minority alliance. Do they not know how voting works on Survivor?
 
I have to admit I liked the opening episode a lot more than I would have thought given the cast.

These "fans" were just as clueless as one would think, raging and cuddling in the first few days? Alliance of 4 sort of isolating themselves from the other 6? They've done their homework for sure.
 
Yeah, based on how they acted, I'm thinking "Fans" is definitely the more appropriate wording.

UberTag said:
On the fan side of the equation, there appear to be a few narrator candidates. Mainly Michael, 'Mr. Showmance' Reynold and Laura. There are three clear alliances that have formed with Shamar on the outside of them and it's hard to gauge how things will shake out. Seems logical to assume that Michael will pick a side (bringing Matt along for the ride) and the other group will get picked off.

It's probably smarter for them "gameplay-wise" to side with the 'cool kids'... seems likelier too given that Sherri and Julia barely spoke this week. I think Sherri's got some game in her but Julia just screams pre-boot fodder to me right now. I would have said the same thing about Carter last season and he was the last surviving Calabaw, so what do I know? People like them tend to stick around a while without strong edits if their tribes get obliterated... but will otherwise go out pre-merge. These tribes are huge and we have a sense of tribal dynamics within Gota so I'm trusting my initial read.
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I think the exact opposite -- giving them so little screen time, to me, suggests that they'll be around for awhile, just sort of floating in the background. They may not get winners' edits, but they'll probably make it to the merge/the jury (or thereabouts). Going from the first episode edit alone, I'd guess that Eddie and Reynolds are the first two gone from the Fans side...but that could also be awhile from now, because apart from Malcolm, none of the Favourites are particularly good at challenges.

Actually, come to think of it, it's kind of surprising they didn't bring back anyone who was even remotely dominant physically or strategically: No Kim, no Troyzan, no Jesus Matt (though apparently he refused to come back). Instead they have:
- Francesca Hogi: first person gone in her first season because she's terrible at strategy
- Andrea Boehlke: blindly followed Boston Rob, and no discernible strategic or physical strength
- John Cochran: hilariously terrible at every aspect of the game
- Malcolm Freberg: the one exception, though his strategy the first time around left something to be desired
- Brandon Hantz: kind of strong, but not dominatingly so (and, of course, was convinced to give up his immunity idol for no reason)
- Corinne Kaplan: I honestly can't remember anything about her, but reading the recap of her season, it doesn't sound like she was good at anything
- Brenda Lowe: lousy at strategy/picked the wrong alliance at the very beginning and couldn't save herself
- Dawn Meehan: nice person, but not much game
- Erik Reichenbach: the original Brandon, minus the creepy, rape-y vibe
- Phillip Sheppard: fine at strategy, but when the strategy is designed to get you to second/third place, that's not saying much (and he was helped by having someone like Rob protecting him)

I could definitely see them getting wiped out by the Fan tribe.
 
matthewwhatever said:
Yeah, based on how they acted, I'm thinking "Fans" is definitely the more appropriate wording.



I think the exact opposite -- giving them so little screen time, to me, suggests that they'll be around for awhile, just sort of floating in the background. They may not get winners' edits, but they'll probably make it to the merge/the jury (or thereabouts). Going from the first episode edit alone, I'd guess that Eddie and Reynolds are the first two gone from the Fans side...but that could also be awhile from now, because apart from Malcolm, none of the Favourites are particularly good at challenges.

Actually, come to think of it, it's kind of surprising they didn't bring back anyone who was even remotely dominant physically or strategically: No Kim, no Troyzan, no Jesus Matt (though apparently he refused to come back). Instead they have:
- Francesca Hogi: first person gone in her first season because she's terrible at strategy
- Andrea Boehlke: blindly followed Boston Rob, and no discernible strategic or physical strength
- John Cochran: hilariously terrible at every aspect of the game
- Malcolm Freberg: the one exception, though his strategy the first time around left something to be desired
- Brandon Hantz: kind of strong, but not dominatingly so (and, of course, was convinced to give up his immunity idol for no reason)
- Corinne Kaplan: I honestly can't remember anything about her, but reading the recap of her season, it doesn't sound like she was good at anything
- Brenda Lowe: lousy at strategy/picked the wrong alliance at the very beginning and couldn't save herself
- Dawn Meehan: nice person, but not much game
- Erik Reichenbach: the original Brandon, minus the creepy, rape-y vibe
- Phillip Sheppard: fine at strategy, but when the strategy is designed to get you to second/third place, that's not saying much (and he was helped by having someone like Rob protecting him)

I could definitely see them getting wiped out by the Fan tribe.
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"Favourites" aren't defined by how well they play, they are chosen for their unique and entertaining personalities.
 
For sure, and I'm not denying that, with the exception of Corinne, they all received memorable edits their first time out. I'm just saying that it would've been nice if they'd brought back someone other Malcolm who wasn't totally inept...
 
789shadow said:
Just now, I literally couldn't remember that Laura existed.
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It was extra hard to keep track of them too since all the Fan alliance building was done in night vision outside of the high school clique segment. Definitely going to take another episode or two for me to sort them all out.
 
I hate Phillip, I think he is an idiot and would have voted him off first for sure. Fran did make a huge mistake by gunning right for Phillip and telling everyone she wanted him out. I hope Hantz can make it entertaining even thought I'm not a huge fan of him either. I just hope the season is fun to watch.
 
Balehead said:
I have to admit I liked the opening episode a lot more than I would have thought given the cast.

These "fans" were just as clueless as one would think, raging and cuddling in the first few days? Alliance of 4 sort of isolating themselves from the other 6? They've done their homework for sure.
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They haven't done their homework BUT all of you guys calling them out for not being "a majority alliance on a tribe of 10" aren't seeing the bigger picture.

Even though they don't have the numbers right now, technically they are the biggest alliance in their tribe.

Reynold/Eddie/Allie/Hope vs. Sherri/Laura/Julia vs. Michael/Matt w/ Shamar on the outskirts. The other 6 aren't all on the same page.

For the time being, we've been led to believe (this week anyhow) that Michael & Matt are going to align with one of the two larger groups and that will determine how the power shifts in this game. Unless they're complete idiots, they're going to side with the physically strong guys who can carry the tribe in challenges and will also give them some obvious meat shields to absorb eviction votes in potential merge/swap scenarios down the line. If they sided with Laura's group, they'd likely get decimated by the favorites in challenges before merge and then be the obvious guys to target (ahead of the weak girls) if they were down numbers.

The fact that the "cool kids" painted bigger targets on themselves by pairing up romantically is a GOOD thing. You want to align with people like that in a tribe of 10 scenario. That only becomes a serious threat to you in the second half of the game when they become an unbreakable power block but so long as you make a move against them at the right time (Lex had such an opportunity gift-wrapped for him in All-Stars and failed to take advantage of it to split up Rob & Amber), you'll be fine.

Granted, I'm looking at it from the perspective of Michael & Matt making a decision. It's still a terribly idiotic thing to do in the game. It just may wind up working out for the "cool kids" in the short-term. Eddie's a total jock... but I can see Reynold having the ability to adjust his gameplay long-term provided he stops thinking with his dick.

matthewwhatever said:
I think the exact opposite -- giving them so little screen time, to me, suggests that they'll be around for awhile, just sort of floating in the background. They may not get winners' edits, but they'll probably make it to the merge/the jury (or thereabouts).
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I agree with you completely about Sherri and Laura. It's Julia that I feel isn't long for this game based on Ep1 - and, like I said, she could pull a Carter and be the last person standing in her tribe. Just not getting a longevity vibe from her.

Putting much stock in Episode 1 impressions is never a good idea anyhow. Things often change a ton from one's initial impressions. Kim & Sophie were practically invisible in the first episodes of the seasons they won.

Trigger said:
I'm LTTP since I had to watch the show on DVR, but great first episode. Poor Cochran just wasn't made for tropical life.
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I can speak from first-hand experience about how lethal that Philippines sun can be. It's deceptive compared to other parts of the world because of how close to the equator you are. I've got permanent discoloration in my face due to my cheeks literally being irradiated out there.

Fully expecting some castaways to get medevaced from the game like Dana last season due those harsh conditions. Given his strong first episode edit, I doubt Cochran will follow in her footsteps - but I can definitely see that setting the stage for some other people to leave the game without getting their torch snuffed.
 
saunderez said:
That was hilarious. Francesca just couldn't resist trying to be the playmaker and it backfired spectacularly. I should've guessed Brandon would have a problem with Andrea, he will never be able to trust an attractive woman because he thinks they're all out to corrupt him. And once again Cochran backs the wrong horse and his little faction will likely be systematically eliminated before the merge.
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Brandon's problem was valid-- Andrea was already serving Phillip.


UberTag said:
Just finished watching tonight's premiere... I always like to pick out obvious narrators based on their Day 1-3 edit. Especially if they're clearly not in jeopardy of going home any time soon.



Andrea seems to be on the shortest leash due to popping up on Brandon's 'Mikayla-radar'. I find it hysterical that Mikayla started dating Russell Hantz after the show.
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What?? I thought he was married
 
TimeEffect said:
What?? I thought he was married
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He was married when he was on South Pacific, too.

Edit: I may be misreading something; Brandon was married during South Pacific and got divorced shortly thereafter, Russell was married during his first season and got divorced sometime after HvV, I think.
 
Decent opener overall. Agreed that the favorites are a hot mess and I was really bummed to see Francesca go. She's a rare Survivor that has real intelligence, wit and charisma with a touch of quirk. I liked her a lot and I'm not looking forward to Philip being on screen for one more second. I'd love to see the favorites be whittled down to just a few players for a change.

On the fans side, I love the BMX guy and the bald dude, they're both kind of sexy and worlds more interesting than the guys in the douche quartet. Those two are a romance I'd actually like to see. Bald guy seems gay for sure, the other one looks like he's definitely done some messing around once or twice after a few drinks.
 
Mercury Fred said:
Decent opener overall. Agreed that the favorites are a hot mess and I was really bummed to see Francesca go. She's a rare Survivor that has real intelligence, wit and charisma with a touch of quirk. I liked her a lot and I'm not looking forward to Philip being on screen for one more second. I'd love to see the favorites be whittled down to just a few players for a change.
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That's probably wishful thinking. Perhaps if the fans were showcasing a wealth of brawn and brains to counter the experience on the other side but I sure didn't see much of either this week.
 
TimeEffect said:
Brandon's problem was valid-- Andrea was already serving Phillip.
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Yeah, which I thought made tribal extra weird that Andrea didn't get voted out. Not only did Phillip flat out admit someone (obviously Andrea) was feeding him information from the other side, Jeff asked a question along the lines of "do you ever change your vote based on new information that comes from tribal."

Phillip ring leading the dominant alliance isn't going to make for fun TV unless he starts Coach-style turning on people right away.
 
So glad to see Franqeusqa voted out but only after losing to THE FEDERAL AGENT.
 
matthewwhatever said:
I don't understand how anyone can dislike Philip. He's (probably) crazy, but in an entertaining way.
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Me either. He's great TV. He keeps things around camp very interesting and things are never dull.
 
I think the bald guy and the BMX guy are gonna go far. I suspect this because of editing quirks.

1) The blonde commenting on how strategic the bald guy appeared to be in first impressions. In fact she may be their third wheel.

2) The music they played when bald guy and BMX guy talked about what alliance to go with.
 
matthewwhatever said:
I don't understand how anyone can dislike Philip. He's (probably) crazy, but in an entertaining way.
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The character he was obsessed with trying to be his first season was wildly inconsistent (I'm going to be a special agent, now I'm going to talk to my Native American spirit uncle for a few episodes and collect feathers, now I'm going to be Zeus from Die Hard, now I'm going to lie and say I've got a big plan for the last Tribal Council, now I'm going to do everything I can to help Rob win), and the whole race thing was one of the most uncomfortable moments ever. He's a shitty guy who tries too hard. In the same group as people like Russell/Cochran/Jane who try to be a character the whole time, which isn't what the show's supposed to be about. The best contestants are people like Rudy (or if you want a more recent example, Malcolm) who are awesome just for being themselves. imo even someone like Brandon is way better than Phillip because (even though it was uncomfortable to watch) his journey in SP always felt genuine.
 
I really enjoyed the first episode. Here are my thoughts!

The Fans
The fans are a bit of a letdown. I use the term 'fan' loosely, because they sure as hell don't seem like they've ever watched an episode of the show before. Right off the bat Shamar is sitting there being lazy and starting fights around camp. I already don't like him. The 'cool kids' alliance is also horrible...do they not realise that they're outnumbered? Frolicking around in the water and snuggling openly at night? Idiocy. The fireman guy is the worst though, after his comment that he's 'clearly the best looking person on the tribe'. What a douchebag.

Reynold seems okay I guess, but he really needs to wake the fuck up and stop getting booty blinded by Allie. He seems like a strong challenge performer so I expect him to do well should he get the opportunity to stick around. Hope...well she didn't say too much and seems like a bit of a stuck up bitch, but damn she's gorgeous. Easily the hottest fan if not hottest girl on the season.

The other fans faded into the background a bit. Matt and Michael seem okay, and I expect them to make the merge. I think they should logically align with the 'outsiders' as opposed to the 'cool kids' because I mean, come on? The cool kids are clearly two tight pairs and Matt/Michael would be on the bottom of that alliance. I really like Julia from the pre-game interviews so I hope we see more from her next week. Sherri has potential too, as does Laura.

The Favourites
The favourites are the far more interesting tribe, unsurprisingly. I hate Philip, but he's definitely toned things back and was actually kind of funny a few times over the course of the episode, what with his 'BR rules' and whatnot. He's still hopeless at communicating with people. His conversation with Erik was hilarious to watch..."I'm in a place where I want you to join, but if you don't we still have the numbers to control the tribe."..."I'm just the errand boy!" :P I'd still love him to gtfo off the island asap but he does seem a little more tolerable than in his last season.

Cochran is better too! He was pretty funny with his one liners and the sunburn...lol. He's far less paranoid and everyone seems to like him, so I guess he's in a decent position at the moment. Corinne was flirting heavily with him, so I think she's keen to have him onboard, and he's pretty solid with New Dawn as well. I'm still baffled that he wasn't the easy first choice for boot (you just lost a challenge guys, how about keeping the tribe strong?), but I guess props to him for building a rapport with his tribemates. Loved how he was told to mark Laura in the first reward challenge as opposed to the guy. Their interaction was funny too:

Laura: You think you can handle me?
Cochran: You'd be surprised what I can handle.

Malcolm, Brenda and to a lesser extent Corinne were practically invisible over the course of the episode :( I hope this was just due to a lack of time and that they make their well deserved appearance in the next episode. I really want those three to do well! Brenda in particular seems to be in trouble, unless things get shaken up next week...nobody seems to really trust her :(

I feel so sorry for Francesca! She did overplay quite a bit, but this time around I actually saw the funny side of her...if she could have just made it through that damned first couple of days I think she would have gotten a little more comfortable and started playing a lot better. That said...it was between her and Andrea so I guess this is the best result. It also really did suck for her to even be invited back (and only because of Philip, ugh). I still don't think she's the worst player ever though...the majority of first boots would be booted first again if they were to come back...she's just the only one who's had the opportunity.

I really liked Andrea in the episode. She's getting a LOT of shit on Twitter for taking out Francesca, and it's kind of ridiculous. Basically, there are a group on former Survivor contestants based in NY who occasionally meet up to watch Survivor episodes together...they call themselves the 'wine and cheese alliance'. Anyway, Andrea and Francesca were both part of that group and Andrea had even been invited over to Francesca's house at one point for one of the nights. The other people in the group (in particular Eliza Orlins and Stephen Fischbach think it's disgusting that Andrea would turn on Francesca so quickly despite their 'friendship'. That said, from everything I've heard they had only met a few times prior to going out there, so they weren't exactly 'friends'...and personally I'd be more pissed to hear that people were basing decisions in the game based on who they've cozied up to outside of it.
 
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