So was anyone really surprised by the outcome of this season’s Survivor? It would have been absolutely more shocking had Boston Rob not won (he also won our poll with 56% of the vote). He certainly lucked out with Andrea as the returnee from Redemption Island. Matt, Mike or Grant certainly could have pulled off a coup and gotten him out … or could they? If you stuck around to watch the reunion special, we learned a little bit of interesting information – Ashley and Natalie knew Rob had the hidden immunity idol so there was absolutely no point in aligning themselves with Andrea to try to vote him out. That just proves two things: Rob played, as Jeff Probst pointed out, just about as perfect a game as anyone ever has in the show’s eleven years, and it also shows that there is a lot more that goes on that the producers and editors don’t want us to see so we can scream at people for making what we think is a stupid move.
Like last week, there was some foreshadowing as Rob talked about how badly he had to get Ashley out of the game, and again she won immunity. There was no such foreshadowing during the second immunity challenge which Rob won … and I wonder how close he and Ashley were at the end and how much of that was editing. She seemingly had the first word correct several times but kept removing it, but I think had she won the final immunity, they would have voted out Phillip and Ashley may have given Rob a real run for his money. Juries like to give the prize to people who can make a comeback and show some strength, and Ashley winning back-to-back immunities would have shown her in a different light.
The final Tribal Council was a bit harsh and some jury members were obviously still bitter at having been outplayed. Everyone saw Natalie as nothing but a coattail rider and Phillip as a nutjob. I found it telling that hardly any of the jury members spoke to Rob at the final Tribal. Natalie really had to defend her position in the Final Three, and even when she tried to do so she still came off as someone who just did what she was told by Rob (although I think Julie was a bit harsh for saying no one played a respectable game and that they should all be ashamed of themselves). Mike asked the best question and got the best, more personal answers, and David was the only jury member to acknowledge Rob’s brilliant game play. I have to take back what I said at the beginning of the season about Ralph being comparable to Russell – voting for Phillip at the end was a nice gesture of friendship, but it just showed he had no inkling of how the game of Survivor should be played. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him back for his own redemption.
Love him or hate him, and I was not a fan during any of Rob’s seasons, you can’t say Rob played a bad or dishonorable game (like someone else who, at the reunion, reneged on his promise to never play the game again). Rob successfully integrated himself into his tribe. Rob successfully made friends with most of them and took out the others who were trouble. Rob kept his friends close and his enemies closer. Rob had his final three chosen after the first week, and that’s who he took to the final Tribal Council. Some people may have felt betrayed in their trust – and Grant really has to have seen that Rob had no choice but to vote him out after Ashley screwed things up and won immunity – but you can never have 100% trust in anyone in this game. I came to admire Rob over the course of the season because he wasn’t the cocky Boston Rob from the past. He knew exactly what he had to do to win and the fact that his tribe allowed him to continue to be their puppet master says a whole lot more about them than it does about Rob. I would have been extremely disappointed had Rob not won and I tip my hat to him (and congrats for also winning Fan Favorite over Matt). Now, just keep your promise and don’t come back to play again!
Thanks for reading and commenting this season, and I hope to see you back for season 23, Survivor: South Pacific and the return of Redemption Island and two former Survivors.
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on May 16, 2011 @ 02:34 EST5EDT
Absoultely not. Rob and Amber are both snakes. I watched them when they both were on Survivor together and they cared nothing about anyone but themselves, Rob said that then and said that now. Things have absolutely not changed. They even were so greedy after winning and marrying to go on to try and win “The Amazing Race”! where they talked about how dumb everyone was just as Rob did last night calling everyone idiots! I do not know why for the life of me that someone did not say that if he was doing it for his family what happened to the other million Amber won! Can’t other people help their family too. It was the worse Survivor I have ever watched all of the people act like Rob hypnotized them from the first show and the women were led away like toddlers. Worse Survivor ever!
*POST AUTHOR*
The way people act on TV — even on a “reality” show — isn’t how they are in real life, in most cases. Viewers have to separate game play from real life. I hated Rob and Amber on Survivor and The Amazing Race because of how they were portrayed while playing the game. I didn’t really want to see Rob again this season, and especially not Russell, but I grew to admire his game play — which was perfection — and I believe we did get to see a more real look at Rob as a person while he was still in game mode. It’s just like Grant needs to get over whatever bad feelings he has from what he saw on TV. He knew the real Rob, spent time with him, but then stopped talking to him after something he saw on the show? That’s like you reading something your best friend said about you and you stop returning her calls without taking into account how something could have been manipulated for a good sound bite. Remember, these shows are assembled to create drama and specific characters for the TV viewer. If you didn’t have someone to root for or against, it would just be boring. These people know they’re on TV and the more interesting and outrageous things they say and do, the more screen time they’re going to get. No one else actually played the game, so no one else deserved to win. The Zapatera tribe basically rolled over and let themselves be eliminated after the merge. Rob controlled his tribe, and they followed orders. At anytime they could have turned on him, but they all felt safer in the game with his protection — unlike the Zapatera tribe who felt threatened with Russell around. But, all we know about the game is what we saw on TV. Maybe there were more conflicts between Rob and his tribe, maybe there was more plotting to get rid of him, or maybe it was as it was. We, as viewers, have to take these things at face value but also reserve judgment because we just don’t know what happened beyond the 15 hours (out of 936) we saw on TV. You may hate “Boston Rob” from TV, but Rob Mariano from Boston just might be a decent guy (and I think you can see that when he talks about his family). You can’t hate the player for playing a good game.
It’s a game to “outwit, outplay and outlast” others. It should never be about who “needs” the money, that’s not the game. I hate it when contestant’s sob stories about their life dictate how fans and other contestants feel about if they “deserve” to win. They deserve to win if they can get others to back them and if they play the game.
When he and Amber went on TAR they mentioned how dumb people were because they were! R&A were able to take advantage of situations and they are smart game players. They do what they are there for, to play the game. They aren’t there to make friends, if you want that, do it on your own time.
Rob deserved this win and did play a perfect game. It would have been disappointing had anybody else won (especially Matt, especially because then we’d have to listen all day about how God wanted him to win). This was a good season overall, not the best, but the best played. I think it was lacking some drama, but that’s only because Rob controlled things so much.
Redemption Island as a concept? Not so sure. The two people to come back were immediately voted off again, so I’m not sure it really works, but again, maybe it’s because Rob was so in control.
*POST AUTHOR*
You’re right, Chris. It’s about playing a game. Rob played the game to perfection. No one else deserved to win.
As for Redemption Island, I like the concept because it keeps the tribes on edge. Bringing back two former Survivors to play again … that I’m not too keen on. I’m sure Matt will be one of the two (there was a recent casting call for a Matt look-alike to shoot some footage for Survivor). One advantage the new players have is that they will have seen this season (unlike when Heroes vs Villains was shot right after Russell’s first season), so they’ll be coming into the show knowing what Redemption Island is all about. So, the concept adds some dimension to the game, I just wish they’d stop bringing back past players.
Redemption Island also added an or two episode. First season I think there’s 14 episodes without a recap.
I’m curious to who they are going to bring back. I’m hoping for 2 players that were sent home because they were in the wrong alliance not because of their gameplay.
From this season I realy want to see David, Andrea and Mike play one more time.
*POST AUTHOR*
The producers tend to overload the cast these days because if someone quits or is medically evacuated, it screws up the show. This time they had no drop outs so it was a big cast. The reason for the non-recap episode was because the March Madness schedule doesn’t interfere with the show now that it’s on Wednesday.
I know it was the most likely outcome, but having that spoiler at the top of the front page was fairly lame.
*POST AUTHOR*
Sorry. It’s technically not a spoiler if the show has already aired (on both coasts) and that information is readily available. You can look around the web and see other, more explicit headlines on stories about the show such as this one: “Rob Mariano’s win: the most satisfying, well-deserved, obvious victory in Survivor history.”
Eh.
That said, good season. Good winner. I’m curious to see who the two people to come back next season will be – hopefully it’s not two folks who’ve already played the game three times. I don’t need gimmicks from this show, though. I loved the game in Season 1 and I love it now for what it is.
Matt. Pretty obvious from the blurry preview. Female player as well. As to who I don’t know, they all look the same…
*POST AUTHOR*
They haven’t even started shooting the new season yet, so those previews were just random extras or what they call the “Dream Team,” the people who test the challenges and are filmed for the demos. I’m still pretty sure Matt will be back.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Matt, but I feel that it’s more likely that we’ll see James and Richard Hatch again or something…
*POST AUTHOR*
The reason I think one of them is Matt is because CBS put out a casting call specifically for a Matt look-alike to do some shooting over the course of a weekend prior to the finale. There was nothing used during the finale, so I’m assuming the footage is to be used for promotional purposes for the next season. I could be wrong, but since Matt only got to play the actual game for 7 days, he just seems a likely candidate for “redemption.” Maybe it’ll be the battle of the blond surfer dudes – Matt vs Fabio!
Hatch is back in prison.
He was out on probation bit then, again, didn’t file a tax report.
Stupid f***. would’ve been so fun see him take on Russel. Maybe in two years. Maybe if CBS gifts him an accountant for the nExt five years
One more thing, as much as I think Russell is over-rated, he was so right about calling out Steve and their alliance. If they had won the challenge, they would have enter the merge with the numbers on their side, Boston Rob wouldn’t have voted Matt out and Ralph would have kept his idols in his pocket. They could have easily waited to lose one legitimately to get rid of Russell. They got overconfident. They tough that the other tribe was weaker and they wouldn’t win other challenge.
You know who deserve Redemption? Ian from season 10. The only man to throw a challenge 11 hours into it. He really got a raw deal from Tom. People seem to forget how he played on words to shame Ian into quitting.
Awesome season. Best player won. Very deserving.
All critics don’t get the game. At least the jury got it.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366213n&tag=mg;mostpopvideo
2:30m onward.
So Rob led Amber to believe he was voted out at the final four for the last 8 (!) months and he said it was a “neat surprise for her” to find out that he wasn’t, live during that evening.
I guess this shows that Rob has his own set of what is “truth” and what isn’t in real life as well.
I had a girlfriend like this. All she needed was the “wrong question”. I always use the example with the cookie jar. If I come home and find the cookie jar on the kitchen counter and would’ve asked her “Did you take the cookie jar off the shelf and ate the last cookie” in her opinion she was able to say no to that as long as she didn’t take the jar from the shelf, even though she ate the last cookie. To her, that wasn’t lying.
This is not to say that I think Rob is a liar and an asshole I just think that if he were contractually obligated not to speak about the show, then he would’ve said “I didn’t talk to her about the show at all” instead of telling us that he basically lied to her about the outcome of the game on the island. But I also think that this might’ve been part of his way to deal with her asking (a million times) how it went and he in the end chose to tell her “the truth” so she would let him be. And Grant showed us that there are definitely people who don’t think they can be friends with someone who does something like this.
Ah well. We all lie. I’m most likely not better than him but still. You just can’t say that he’s absolutely different off the island. I guess this is his persona. And let’s face it: Amber is no angel either (looking back at her season on the show). If it was ok for her to get a surprise like that I’m certainly not in a position to judge.
10 years ago I would’ve been pissed about Rob on this season of Survivor and about his appearance on the Early Show. Today, I think different. Sometimes it’s ok to lie – because if you ask me, not telling your wife something could be regarded as not being truthful either. On the other hand I think I would’ve told her everything as it happened, otherwise my life would be April Fools Day all year long :-)
Ah well :-)
I just hope CBS won’t ask him back. Because this was a perfect exit for him.
*POST AUTHOR*
Come on! I think not telling Amber that he made it to final three is a bit different than just being an all-out, lying, conniving sleazebag! A few years ago, I planned a surprise birthday party for someone and just acted like we were going to a friend’s house for dinner so I didn’t ruin the surprise. So that makes me a compulsive liar and my friend a gullible fool? Yes, lies are lies, but there is lying to bring about a surprise result — like a party or winning a million dollars — and there is lying to cover up something bad. To condemn Rob for wanting to surprise Amber at the finale is just a little ridiculous. Remember, as I keep saying, what we see of these people on TV can’t be taken completely to heart because the producers of the show have to create characters. Geez, when Rob started the show way back when, he was hated, then he kind of redeemed himself on the season he met Amber and all of a sudden he’s cast as a hero on Heroes vs Villains. He, and everyone else on the show, are playing a game! A game that requires you to vote people off in order to get ahead. I would think the viewers would know how this works after 11 years, but people still think that Rob was being a snake (and worse) for the way he played his game. He obviously wasn’t a snake because his tribe never voted him out, unlike someone else who appears to be just as bad in real life as he is on the show from what I’ve seen and read (and what does he get from this … his own show on A&E). You have to be friendly with the other people you’re playing with but when you’re playing that game, you really can’t make friends because at any minute you may have to vote them out (or vice versa). Then there are hard feelings all around … over a game. It’s not personal, it’s a game. I’m sure Rob does not go around lying to Amber or anyone else all day long in his real life. He’s probably a pretty good guy and he seems really sincere when he’s outside of the game. Whatever arrogance we see in him on TV during interviews about the show probably comes just from our perspective that he have about him from the show. Unless you know Rob in real life, it’s not really fair to judge him based on how he played the game, and he played the game magnificently. Future players need to watch this season as a textbook on how to play to win, and all future players need to know that at some point they will have to lie to someone in order to get ahead. And why isn’t anyone attacking Natalie??? She lied right to Ashley’s face about not voting her out in the final tribal! She knew before they went that Ashley was going, she didn’t give her a warning and she lied and said no decision had been made until they left for Tribal. And that was her best friend since day one! So, let’s lay off of Rob for his game play if we’re not going to point fingers at someone who really did something far worse in the end to her friend. Rob was never that close to anyone!
Yes Chuck of course but this is why I posted this video (or better: the link).
It is something about Rob outside of the game and it is a situation where he lied. And it wasn’t about a bithday party in a couple of days. Or an April fools joke. I think the example is solid.
I think Rob is a great guy and that people are wrong to judge him for these things because there are REAL sociopaths out there and they wouldn’t even notice because they think everyone has to be good. My point wasn’t to point out that Rob is an ass it was to point out that there are people who can’t deal with this. They tell themselves that they would NEVER lie but they most likely just need a ruleset like my Ex to make themselves think that they don’t, while keeping their attitude that the never EVER lie and expect others not to either.
I wanted to point out things about them, not Rob :-)
They shouldn’t watch the show but do because they think they can deal with it. But can’t. And in the end walk around telling people what an ass Rob is. You know like “s” in the first comment. That holier than thou attitude :-)