Watching Survivor

So, has everyone recovered from last night’s episode? I KNOW! Me either! Every time I think about it I start giggling again. Biggest. Blunder. Ever! I understand on some level the people who are upset with how the women manipulated Erik, but that is part of the game and they are playing it VERY well. And EVERYONE knows that you don’t give away Immunity. Not EVER.

Poor kid. Of course, if you’re wondering how he’s taking all of this now, you can check out some interviews with Erik, where he was able to laugh a little about the whole thing. He interviewed with Reality News online, and Reality TV World - and I’m sure there will be more to come.

There’s also an interview with Jeff Probst with the Canadian Press, where he confirms that yes, he is on for the next FOUR seasons of Survivor - at least two more years of them dimples, ya’ll! Whoo!

I’m not sure if there will be a preview of the finale episode by Probst, but if so I’ll be sure to add it as soon as I find it. There are some press images that just came out and whooo! The final immunity (probably) challenge looks cool! A little balance, a little speed, a little hard work… it’s got a little of everything. Check it out!

And here’s Erik at Ponderosa:

Now - for the Pool Party! This is the last chance to get some of those points, folks! You can get up to FORTY points for the Finale episode! Head over there right away, and get your picks in before EST Showtime on Sunday for max possible points! Sugarbooger is still in first place - but with 40 points to win, it’s possible to topple her! Danny is still in second, and who knows who will knock me out of third! Head over to Fun Office Pools today and get your picks in ASAP! After all, there’s PRIZES to be won!

Let’s start off with a bang - time to get those picks in for the Survivor Pool Party, and here’s Mr. Dimples himself to help you make those picks- maybe. He doesn’t really give anything away other then the fact there is another injury to contend with…

It’s clear that James stays at least through the reward challenge, but other then that - who knows? Will he have to leave the game, or get voted off because of the injury? Will he stay to make it another week? I DO love this challenge that’s coming up for the Reward challenge - where they are asked the questions about their fellow tribemates and get down and dirty and brutally honest. “Who mistakenly thinks they are in charge of the game?” Everyone says Parvati - brilliant!

Speaking of - both Randi (a fellow 451 writer) and I agree that the boys were SO STUPID last week - what if, say, James and Erik had gone to Jason, explained what was going on, grabbed Amanda and convinces her to vote their way, and blindsided Parvati INSTEAD? Wouldn’t that have been BRILLIANT? But no - the boys are just laying down and letting the women pick them off one by one. Men. Harumph.

We have our official Finale Date too - it will be a 2 hour extravaganza on Sunday, May 11th. It’ll start with the final four, and go through to the final three, the jury questions, and then the counting of the votes, live! After that will be a one hour reunion show, where Jeff will ask all the important questions, as well as reveal where Season 17 will be filmed, starting in June.

Speaking of Jeff - USA Today posted an interview with him on Monday - and you can find it here. He talks about loving the job, and how it is hard on his relationship - a few months ago he broke up with Julie Berry, who he met and fell for while she was on Survivor: Vanuatu. There’s also a video where he teases about the next season, dishes about this season, and his souvenirs he’s picked up along the way. It’s pretty cool to watch - love Mr. Dimples!

There’s also a glimpse of what Probst thinks about the final seven from TV guide as well. Click the image to bigify!

Yau-Man fans! Yau-Man is going to be on the pilot of a new TV Series called The Skeptologists. Each week they’ll take a handful of wild claims - Bigfoot, the Bermuda Triangle, Haunted Houses, Aliens and the like - and apply scientific practices and experiments to see what holds up and what doesn’t. If that kind of stuff is your cup of tea - be sure to check it out!

Last but not least - a couple of interviews with Jason can be found here and here. And below is Jason’s arrival to Ponderosa - I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the Ponderosa clips!

Get those picks in for the Pool Party before showtime - and join me back here for the full recap of Thursday night’s episode!

Holy Wow. Ozzy’s blindside is still making me shake my head, though I think the best part of his ouster was Eliza’s over the top dramatic reaction as she watched it all from the Jury seats. She was every bit as flabbergasted as we are, while we watched the betrayal wash over Ozzy’s face just before he took that fateful walk out of Tribal Council. Poor kid.

I just noticed - and am not sure they did this any season before - that the insider transcripts and videos include Life at Survivor Panderosa, with the Jury Members! It’s nice to see them get the king’s treatment after the pain of losing their chance at $1 million. Ozzy washed his agony away with some beer, mixed drinks, pizza, candy, rice, and declared there was still room for desert. Here’s a clip or three:

And if that’s not enough Ozzy for you, here’s some interviews too: RTVW, SFP Podcast, and .

Don’t forget to get your picks in for the Pool Party as well! Sugarbooger is proving hard to beat, but there’s only 6 points between Danny V and me for second and third, with four others vying to take that third place prize right behind me!

CBS hasn’t posted Jeff’s preview of this week’s episode yet, but I’ll post that for you as soon as I get it. What we do know is that it’s a woman’s majority out there on Dabu Beach right now - they are completely in control and can continue to pick off the men one at a time if they want too. Will the last of the Faves alliance crumble? Will Amanda seek revenge for her man’s ouster? Will Parvati mend fences with James or finally have to keep her hands off mah man? Will Cirie continue to play her underdog game till she’s unbeatable in the end?

So many questions! So much Survivor game left to play out! What do YOU think will happen this week? Chime in and let us know!

Jeff’s Week 11 Preview - Who will wear the crown of the biggest blunder ever?

No, no, no - not YOU! Someone makes one though, according to our ever popular Mr. Dimples, Jeff Probst!

But first - the Pool Party! Sugarbooger62 is still topping the leader board, with near perfect picks every single week. Danny is still in second, and both Silver and Silent_rain have pulled up close to me in 4th and 5th. One good week could topple you right up into the prizes - so get those picks in!

Need a little preview of this week? Jeff says we will LOVE this episode - and who can argue with Mr. Dimples? Certainly not me! Check it out:

The biggest blunder ever happens this week - awesome! Ozzy calls it the dumbest move in Survivor History, and Jason says it could be his saving grace… I can’t wait to see it! Looks like this weeks immunity challenge is the barrel over the head filled with water - the one where one little muscle twitch can cause it to topple. I love this one - mainly because I don’t have to do it. Heh. I love how someone ALWAYS complains that it wasn’t their fault, that they didn’t move, and are shocked when the water comes tumbling down. Love. It.

In the meantime, while we ponder which way our picks should go for the pool party, let’s catch some Eliza interviews, hm? Reality News Online, Reality TV World, and the SFP Podcast.

Only two more days until all our questions are answered! I’ll be back on Thursday with the show recap!

And how did the weekend treat you? Have I got a bunch of stuff for you today!

The Pool Party is heating up, with Sugarbooger and Danyv fighting for the lead with only 11 points between them! I’m still third, which means there’s room for folks to knock me off and nap a prize still! In fact, anyone can still win, as we’ve a few weeks left, and one good week is all it takes to propel you to the top! Silver and Silent_Rain are creeping up slow and steady, in 4th and 5th place - get those picks in for this week!

Speaking of this week - We have come to the Merge, folks! The press photos show green is the buff color of choice, and there will be a get to know you feast, as usual. That means no Reward Challenge, and Immunity will be for an individual - and that challenge looks ROUGH. How long can YOU hold your breath with your life in the game on the line? Have to give the producers props for this season and for China too - the challenges have been top notch!

And I’m throwing in these two for no other reason then they’re cute and hot. Of course - according to certain people (Probst!) there’s a possibility that Alexis will make the Ozzy/Amanda duo a triangle…

And, to help you with those picks, perhaps, here’s the Probst Preview for Episode Nine - where he mentions this impending shomance triangle…

If you want to read Ami’s interviews - check here, here and here. Turns out she really wasn’t after Ozzy (so she says) and she, too, came away from the season with an injury! Micronesia certainly isn’t for the weak!

And! As I was writing this - Billy Garcia heard my cry for details on the Wrestling Event last Saturday and sent me the a complete play by play - Check after the cut to read all about it!

(more…)

Let’s talk about the Pool Party, first, hm? Congrats to sugarbooger62 who’s still in the lead, and DannyV84 who snuck past me into 2nd place this week - both by putting all their points on Tracy, who was voted out last night. Ya’ll rock! Danny has risen out of nowhere from the bottom of the list when he joined, to the top three with three weeks of consistently good picks - goes to show it’s still anybody’s game!

It looks like Survivor is a victim of March Madness once again, this upcoming week - there’s no show on the docket until April 3rd. If that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know. That does give you an extra week to decide who you think will be ousted during the next episode though! We’re getting close to Merge Numbers, as well as the Jury starting. It’ll be interesting for sure!

Speaking of ousted Survivors - here’s some of the interview lineups for Tracy and Kathy:

Kathy: Mother Nature Kicked my Ass, Mother Nature Kicked my behind.
Tracy: I wish the fans had been more Strategic, Tracy Hughes-Wolf talks about Survivor:Micronesia.

And a podcast with both of them together can be listened too here.

In other news - ever wanted some Survivor Props? You can take your chance to own original Survivor Props and memorabilia from one of the biggest collections, with 100% of the money going to cancer patient - click here for more info.

And don’t forget the Reality Rumble coming up on Saturday, April 5th! It’s an event to benefit the Special Needs Students at Spotswood High School, and all proceds will be given to the Special Needs Classroom at the High School. They’ll be used to purchase computers, smart boards, speech devices and other learning devices for the students. Admission is only $10, and all ages are welcome.

The semi-main event will be the tag team matchup with Jonny Fairplay/Coach Dodson vs. Billy Garcia/Mr. Terrific Tim Lawler! The winner of the match gets to shave the head of the loser! That’s right, Jonny might be losing those curls!

There’s a plethora of reality stars attending too - from Kynt and Vxsin of the Amazing Race, Michelle Deighton of ANTM (And Jonny Fairplay’s baby mama!), Stacy Kimball, Chicken Morris, and Tracy Wolf - the most recently cast-off of Survivor: Micronesia. There will be autographs and meet and greets throughout the evening - if I was anywhere close to Penn Laird Virginia, you couldn’t keep me away from this event!

Grab Mr. Terrific - Tim Lawler (Who’s commented here about the event before - hi Tim!) for more information via email at mrtrrfc@hotmail.com, or Coach Dodson at cdodson@rockinham.k12.va.us. And hey - send us a write up and pictures afterwards, huh? (grin)

Just two more days until this week’s episode - have you made your Pool Party picks yet? If not - maybe this little inside preview from Mr. Dimples himself will help you make them!

YAY! James is gonna dominate! That makes Lessa happy - I love watching him go all RAR with the bulging muscles and brute strength. This is going to be a good episode INDEED!

For those who like the spoilers - check out the TV Guide article, that’s kinda spoilery over the next couple weeks. Nothing is said outright, other then things common sense would dictate. I think. Maybe. Ok - check it out if your game!

Also - for those who want more Joel, here’s the third interview, from Reality News Online, and the insider transcripts from Survivor Fever. It includes a touching scene that was deleted, where Joel came to aid Kathy when she collapsed. As he says “I don’t particularly care for Kathy as a person, but as a firefighter, I care for people on a professional level, so I became Joel the firefighter rather then Joel the Survivor contestant.” Awwwww.

Though he does come back to being the Survivor Contestant in the last solo clip: “We’ve been carrying Kathy as a tribe for as long as we’ve been here. I literally carried her today to the boat to go to the challenge and I will not do it again.”

Also included are Ozzy’s thoughts before Tribal Council, and how he felt about both Joel and Chet, as well as all of Joel’s after the vote words, and his thoughts the day after - including his thoughts on technology, and how it makes us weak.

Don’t forget - head on to Fun Office Pools and get your picks in!

I know, I know - I promised this post yesterday! I got sidetracked, and totally my bad on that. But here we are with some interview links and the results of this weeks Pool Party!

First - here’s two more interviews with Mikey B, ousted last week by Joel: here and here. And, of course, here are the first two interviews with the fireman who got hosed on Thursday, found here and here. I’m sure there will be a couple others as well.

In the second one, a question I had wondered was answered right away - Joel feels that he was portrayed pretty accurately - what they showed was him, love it or hate it! I think he came off as a bit of a bully, but that could be his own self-professed take no prisoners mentality when it comes to competition. In a game like Survivor, though, you have to learn to balance the competitiveness with people skills, else… well, you don’t last long. Kicking out the weak is ok - beating up on them, not so much.

I think Cirie’s pull with the others on the tribe is considerable - that girl has got some smarts to balance out where she’s not very strong. As long as Chet is there, he’ll always be the target over her, when it comes to eliminating the ‘weaker’ players. I’m not so sure that will save her for much longer, though, as they all know where she’s coming from and why. Chet looks like he’s literally going to fall apart - if he survives another week, I’ll be absolutely shocked!

Then there’s Ozzy’s fake idol being found by Jason shown in the previews! How hysterically funny, to see that he believes it to be the real thing! I don’t think he’s in danger of needing to play it just yet, however, though, so suspect we’ll be on pins and needles for a couple weeks over how it all plays out. How big of a sigh of relief was Ozzy breathing when he was chosen to go back to the Malakal beach - where his HII is hidden?! I could almost feel it!

Speaking of sighs of relief - I’m still up top at the Survivor Pool! (Yes, I know, my entries are essentially void… but bragging rights are fun too!) I suspect though, that my reign is dangerously closed to coming to an end. Sugarbooger had another outstanding week, picking up top honors for the week with 23 points to place second, just barely a point behind me overall. DannyV had another good week as well, climbing up the ladder to third place, with Collette nipping at his heels. Just goes to show you what a good week of picks will get you! Danny’s climbed from bottom of the pack to third in just two weeks! Way to go!

It’s still anybody’s game, so get your picks in for next week’s episode by show time, and good luck!

Hidey-ho, survivor fans! The interviews with Mickey B are slow in coming, but here’s two more, by Reality News Online and Buddy TV.

And, if you’re like me, and you wondered where the title of last week’s episode came from “baked, bbq’d and fried” (though it’s not TOO difficult to figure out) because we didn’t see it - check out the Survivor Insider clips or the transcripts here at Survivor Fever. As I’d figured, it was what James named the chickens they won in the reward challenge - as they celebrated and talked of the many, many ways to prepare chicken.

Also available on the transcripts and clips is the secret scene - apparently Mikey B almost set himself on fire. He burned his shorts and his butt with flying embers and had to rush to sit in the water to put it out. Poor MikeyB - he says, amused “I’ll tell ya… you will NEVER see me camping again! EVER.” Can’t say as I blame ya there, buddy!

And, if you think it’ll help you make your Pool Party picks for the week - check out Probst’s Preview below! Well, check it out even if it doesn’t help. (grin)

Last, but certainly not least - I got together some pictures of the Pool Party Prizes - except for the web banners, I haven’t made them yet. For the rest, though - check it out!

Grand Prize:
1 Banner, designed by me
1 Survivor Blast DVD
3 Tribal Buffs from Survivor: Thailand - 1 gold, 1 purple, 1 orange

Second Place:
1 Banner, designed by me
1 Survivor Board Game
2 Tribal buffs from Survivor: Africa - 1 gold, 1 red

Third Place:
1 Banner, designed by me
1 Survivor Card Game Starter Set
1 Tribal Buff from Survivor: Thailand - gold

Awesome, no? Now get on over to Fun Office Pools and get your choices made for this week! Last week saw someone busting from far down in the pack all the way up to the tip five - you can do it too!

Don’t forget about the fundraiser Wrestling Match too - they’re adding more gueststars every day! Check out the comment section for the latest additions! If you’re around Virginia April 5th, don’t miss it! (and drop us a line to tell us how it went, of course!)

Hey there, Survivor Fans! Congrats to Dannyv84, who’s picks pulled him in the full 23 points and shot him all the way up to 5th place overall! Excellent job, Danny! Will he be the one to topple me from the top spot this week? Or will Collette’s slow and steady creep to second place do me in next week? How are YOU doing? Get those numbers in before show time next Thursday! It’s still early, and anybody’s game!

Speaking of - I got the last part of the prizes in the mail today, so each prize package is complete, but for the Banner I haven’t designed just yet. We’re up to 40 members of the pool too! Thanks for spreading the word, and Good Luck!

So, poor Mikey B - he hardly saw that coming, hm? He’s only done one interview so far, but I’m sure there are plenty more in the works. I’ll post them as they come in. For now, you can listen to an interview here, and find out what he thought of his stay on Micronesia, how he had to fight to be on the show, and how he wanted to lead the tribe. Included are some new details on how they prepared for challenges, too!

Next week, we’ll see a tribal shakeup, which has the Fans getting their chance to mingle with the Favorites! How is this going to affect the game? Will the Favorites take the lead and teach the Fans how to make a decent shelter? And of course, the big question of the day - who will be voted out next! I can’t wait to see how it all shakes down!

Hey, it was morning when I started writing this - close enough, right? (grin)

Congrats to those who chose well in our Survivor Pool Party this week! I certainly didn’t expect them to turn on Yau-Man so soon and am sad to see him go…

Congrats to Sugarbooger62 for pulling out the top numbers for the week with 18 points! That moved her clear up into 4th place overall. Colette was second for the week with 13 points, which kicked her up to 2nd place overall, right under me! Well done, you two!

As you can see - the standings are ever changing, and one good week can get you on top and in reach for those prizes, so get your picks in for next week’s episode soon!

As heartbroken as I am to see Yau-Man go, he handled it like I expected he would - with class and gratitude. You can find some of his interviews here and here - the last done by my buddy Lynn over at Reality Expoits. I’m sure other interviews will pop up around the net too - Yau-Man is extremely popular - and I’ll miss seeing him on the show!

In other news - if you’re around Penn Laird, Virginia on April 5th, you’ve got to check this out! There will be a Charity Pro Wrestling Event that will feature two of our favorites - Billy Garcia from Survivor Cook Islands, and the man we all love to hate, Jonny Fairplay! Thye’ll be squaring off in front of a special Celeb Guest Judge in a no DQ, no holds barred wrestling match with their partners Mr. Terriffic and Coach Dodson. This event will raise money for computers, smart boards, speech devices and other learning devices for severe and profoundly disabled children. And the big prize? The winners shave the loser’s head, right in the ring! That’s right - Billy might just be taking Jonny’s curls from him after the match!

There will be other special guests there - including Cao Boi (Cook Islands), Tracy Wolf (Micronesia) Kynt & Vyxsin (The Amazing Race 12) among others. The event is on April 5th, 2008, at the Spotswood High School. Admission is $10 and doors open at 6pm. If you get a chance to go, let me know, as I’d love a first hand account of the festivities! (When, oh when will these guys come to Alaska so that I can attend a function?! Sigh!) Good luck with the fundraiser, Billy and Jonny!

If not, you don’t know the fun your missing! There’s still time, of course - hit up Fun Office Pools and join today! There’s still plenty of time to creep up the Leader Board and topple me off the head spot!

In fact, several of you jumped up in standings this week! Congrats go out to Collette who kicked all our bums and pulled in the most points this week, with 18 of a possible 23 points! Several other’s moved up, and the top three are only separated by 5 points!

Get those picks for week three by Thursday afternoon, and increase your chances to win!

In other news - Mary hasn’t done a lot of interviews as of yet but here’s a podcast for you to enjoy! The best interview, however, involves the one and only Johnny Fairplay too. I know, weird, right? Seems he’d befriended Mary and after they were done filming, he introduced her to his buddy from Pearl islands, Ryan ‘Ryno’ Opray on December 9th. They hit it off immediately, and two weeks ago got engaged! And they plan to have All-Stars Lex Van Den Berge officiate their wedding. Awwww! How sweet is that?! Never thought of Johnny as a matchmaker, but I always knew he’s a good guy off camera. (grin)

I’ll post more interviews as I find them - in the meantime, what did you think of Thursdays episode? Poor Mary, she never saw it coming! I think that Joel may have played too hard too fast, in order to make sure that he’s seen as just as much of a leader as Mikey B. Might end up hurting both their games. As Super Fans, they sure have forgotten what they should know from watching seasons before!

There’s still time to get in this weeks picks for the Pool Party! I received the items for the grand prize in the mail yesterday, and I can’t wait to give them away at the end of the season! Who will topple me off of the top of the leader board this week? I know my spot won’t last forever, and ya’ll will kick me off sooner rather then later - which is perfectly ok with me! So get those choices in over at Fun Office Pools, and up your chances of kicking me back a notch or two! Don’t forget the bonus questions for some extra points!

And to get you good and ready for tomorrow’s Valentine’s day episode - here’s Jeff Probst’s Preview of Episode two:

It sounds horrible, but I’m glad it’s Ozzy and Amanda that get caught making out, because I’d hate to spend the hour yelling at my screen (again) for Parvati to GET HER HANDS OFFA MY JAMES ALREADY! (…again.) Because… ew. I mean Ozzy/Amanda is bad enough… but I hope that James is just playing his social game, and doesn’t take it too far into slutsville.

Because then I’d have to throw things at my screen. Again. And no one wants that, right? Remember to join me back here tomorrow night for a full show recap, as well as the results of our Pool Party Picks for the week! It looks to be a good episode - but then again, aren’t they always? (grin)

As is customary here at Watching Survivor, I’ll post links to all the interviews that each bootee has done over the weekend on Monday - so you have everything in a one stop shop type of post.

I admit to being skeptical, as with most of you, of Johnny Fairplay’s motives and his reasons for asking the tribe to oust him in a move he claimed wasn’t a quit - but kinda was. As I read and listen to his interviews, though… it might be the biggest con of all Fairplay cons, but I’m inclined to believe him. I’ve chatted with him a couple times before, and yeah - he’s always struck me as a nice guy playing a role. Maybe I’m just sentimental…

At any rate, you can read the interviews here, here, here, and here, and decide for yourself.

Bits that stuck out to me - I didn’t realize that the taping started so soon after the Bonoduce Bash at the Realty Awards - If I had been in that much pain, I certainly wouldn’t have gone. It does help us understand a bit why he was so upset about Yau-man’s headslam into the boat too. It likely hurt a lot more then we though because of his jaw and with that knowledge, I think he handled it considerably better then I would have, and better then we expect Fairplay to do at all.

So is this really a more mature, more responsible Johnny Fairplay? Only he knows, and we can only speculate. I think so. I hope so. And I still kinda like the guy - when he’s not on TV. (grins)

In other news - get your Pool Party Picks in! Remember you have until Thursday morning to do so, but better early then never! Head on over to FunOfficePools.com and make your choices! Don’t forget to answer the bonus questions this week too!

How’d you do this week? Were you close, but not quite? Did you rock the pick - even if it was by closing your eyes and pointing, or eenie, miney, moeing it? Who’s going to be the one next week to topple the prplmoose and me off the top spot? And you know my picks don’t count over all when it comes to the prizes. (grin) So kick me off the top spot!

Congrats to Prplmoose, Silver, Jo, Kevin, Silent_rain, Sugar and Magicode for scoring the first points of the season. The rest of ya’ll - get your picks in for week two, and there’s even two bonus questions this week, so there’s the chance for additional points as well! See the sidebar down there under Blogging Flair, and check the widget for the standings and how the possibilities are stacking up as people choose. And it’s still not to late to join in the fun, either!

Now that we’ve gotten a bit more of a feel for the Fans, it’s easier to choose - how about that Kathy, huh? Will she survive long enough to get booted? Is she really as nuts as she comes across? I was impressed with the Fans - they clearly had an abundance of drive and heart during the competition, but they are like every other first time survivor when it comes to camp life. The Faves should have had that competition in the bag. Over-confidence is a bad thing.

(And what about the Showmances coming up next week? They’ve known each other for SIX DAYS! I’m stunned. Shocked. And Parvati - get ya HANDS OFF MY JAMES. Harumph. )

If you missed any of the episode - don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered! See below for the full recap.