It is a valid question. How did three outnumbered tribesmen manage to eliminate a rival tribe of six players to be the last team standing … and Erinn? The trick was keeping an eye on the big picture. While Timbira got distracted by their own internal power struggles and feuds, the Jalapao three were able to carefully orchestrate their elimination one by one.
Going into tonight, I was feeling pretty confident that JT had wrapped this thing up. I even said so in Thursday’s review of Survivor. I’ve watched all but one season of Survivor, and I’ll probably go back and watch “The Amazon” just so I can stop having to asterisk my devotion to the show.
Generally, I’ve developed a pretty good feel for how things are going to play out, which is why I should probably be on the show. There comes a point where everyone is just going to act and react a certain way based on what’s been going down, leaving the only real wild card as the Immunity Challenges. With the social game direction established, it’s just in controlling those Challenges. So did JT do that?
Hell yeah, he did. He won every single one of the final three Challenges and that’s what gave him the million dollars. He played every move right. I even agree with Taj being eliminated in the number four slot because had she found a way to squeak a victory when it was down to three, she was JT’s only real challenge in the final Jury Vote.
Erinn hadn’t earned anyone’s respect for her game play, and for all his degrees and fancy education, Stephen kind of comes across like a dork and people just don’t like dorks as much as they like country boys. JT knew this and played up his charming southerner side.
Even bringing Stephen to the final pool was strategy. He knew he could beat either Erinn or Stephen, but by showing loyalty to Stephen, he’d look even better in the eyes of the jury. If he’d betrayed his last ally for the million, he may have risked some votes.That good ol’ boy was one of the shrewdest players to every play the game, playing the jury until the final moment.
And it paid off with a unanimous victory for him. I couldn’t be happier, because I don’t think there’s anyone else I would have wanted to win over JT of the people who made it late into the game. That said, I think a Tyson/Coach final two would have made for one helluva debate at that final jury pool.
Other Things
I don’t know what it is, but this game keeps working for me season after season. Even if it starts out slow, I find myself getting sucked into these personalities and by the time we’re nearing the end I actually care about who goes home and who ultimately wins. I can’t even say that about American Idol this year.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on May 18, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
I don’t agree that the winner shouldn’t be eligible for the fan favorite money.
All of Coach’s bullshit was just that. The person he used to do the test is a joke.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=AUH&q=John+Leo+Grogen&btnG=Search
Spot on with the “starting slow”. I thought about writing about this Season of Survivor and I bet my lazy ass I wouldn’t have been able to post nearly as consistant as you guys. The first five or so weeks of Survivor were lame to no end this year.
I don’t even know whether I should grace the Reunion show’s display of yet more Coach shenanigans with a comment. I mean seriously he could’ve just hired that woman to say that but on the other hand I find myself getting into contact with people who seem to love men even though they lie their ass off and behave like morons during their everyday life just as long as they are “totally different” at home. If I had a dime for every time I heard that… so I guess I should simply know my head on a wall for a couple of hours, might do me some good to lose my surplus braincells.
Anyway, where was I – yeah, JT took Stephen to the end and that’s what I wanted. Blowout win for JT, as predicted. It was the obvious decision. Which brings me to you Jason saying you should be on the show – well maybe. What you don’t account for is the stress on you and your body. After a while you start freaking out due to hunger, trust me. I mean look at Tyson – at a certain point he couldn’t keep his mouth shut anymore and his true colors showed. And while I think we also saw JT’s true colors, which in the end are those of a lying SOB, he always managed to get away with all that because he put on his nice half-smile. I mean look at those two at the Reunion. “I’m going to do something with Stephen” and Stephen “No don’t feel obligated”. Stephen’s going to get some money, that’s it, and in a couple of months none of the two are going to speak to each other ever again. Yeah I know that’s cynical but that’s what I like most about Survivor – in the end, you see what people really are like and how much life as we know it basically sucks because decisions that are obviously hard and brutal on this show are made each and every day. People say “It’s just 30 days” or “For a million bucks I’d…”. Wrong. People are screwing each other over for far less each and every day. And while I still understand the vote, I’m still think that “Pearl Islands” together with “Cooks ISlands” are the only Seasons where a person (Sandra and Yul) with a “valid” belief system (game plan) and moral integrity won the show not compromising their integrity, with Rupert getting the people’s vote not losing said integrity either. Rupert lost some of that in All-Stars but what the hell.
Great Season overall, although I still liked like Cook Islands better (of the recent years). In the early years of course “Australia” takes the cake and “Peal Islands” and “All Stars” right behind that. I mean Rob and Amber… come on that was just priceless. Reality TV gold, even though Rob is the kind of guy who stabs you in the bag like the scorpion right in the middle of the river, looking at you and telling you “You knew this, that’s my nature” :-)
I don’t even remember “Amazon”. Why do you like it so much?