[Celirra]

Season 1, Episode 10: Crack in the Alliance

I think it’s really interesting how it was changed last minute to Jenna, and to hear it from Rudy; I assume this is to trick Sean into thinking Jenna wasn’t vulnerable so he would use his impeccable voting strategy in the natural order and go for Jenna, which he wouldn’t have done if he thought Jenna was the target. Swapping to last minute breaks chances of anyone telling Sean of the change of plans, and reduces risk.
That or she just annoyed Sue too much in the end.

How does Sean still have doubts about there being an alliance? Is he maybe afraid of being confrontational by addressing the alliance or something? Or is it more that he doesn’t want to admit he wasn’t brought into the alliance?

Perhaps an unpopular opinion: I think Sue is a better player than Hatch. She’s better at playing the whole game I’d say, she’s strategic and an analyst, perhaps less of a strategist but she’s better at analyzing and using the assets she has.

So this sets the stones for the ultimate betrayal between Sue and Kelly, which is definitely one of the high(low)lights of the season, with what ends up going down. I’d say that was Sue’s only negative in the game: she chose the wrong person to ally with to the end, which in my mind she couldn’t have even known. I think Kelly would’ve beaten Sue in the F2 mind you, but Sue would’ve beaten Hatch.

Gervase getting special notice for having a baby, is… interesting and strange to me, because I don’t think Survivors usually get (nor should they honestly) any info about what goes on outside the island. I think it gives an unfair advantage with extra sympathy, which goes a long way. Also, if anyone but Rudy said half of what he’s saying, about family matters and such, they would get SO much flak, I think it’s hilarious. Rudy is great for speaking his mind, even if I don’t agree with him a lot.

Man, Survivor was much more adventurous with their music back now, I like how they actually used well-known music rather than solely their own personally made music. It adds a sense of lightheartedness and fun to the happenings, which I appreciate in healthy doses.

It’s interesting Rudy says he doesn’t want to see anyone else from the island again, like assuming that is true he does a pretty solid job with a poker face and putting up with them. He’s a far more patient man than me, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t be able to hide that kind of thing nearly as well, if there were people I didn’t much care for it would be very obvious.

I like how there’s so much depth put into characters as a whole, it’s as if I personally know Gervase at this point instead of him just being a character on a game show like a lot of modern players are. That said, Gervase definitely has the most focus I would say in that regard by a wide margin so it’s not like everyone has that treatment, but getting one life story sure beats getting none.

“It’s not worth it to feel like shit for the rest of your life for a little extra money and your 15 minutes” see, I really don’t understand why you’d feel like shit though. I don’t think Survivor should intrinsically be a popularity contest like a grade school class valedictorian election, so unless you are just lying to everybody there isn’t much reason to feel bad, and even then I don’t think there’s a lot of grounds for the melancholy. That, and it’s not like voting someone off is saying goodbye to them forever - even then it was the 21st century, and keeping in touch is fairly simple if both sides want to. Friends in game can easily be friends out of game, and I think most people recognize that, if not during the game then afterwards when all is said and done. The shitty feeling is definitely worth the 670 odd thousand dollars and the limelight, to me.

I love firemaking challenges, they’re so interesting and there’s a lot of cool methods always associated. I like this style even better though than when it’s to stay in game, because of the added process of finding kindling along a beach and a larger space overall.

Richard winning immunity was probably a game-winning immunity for him, because this TC was likely the best chance for his alliance (Kelly) to turn, and he would be prime target numero uno. Hell, even Rudy might’ve gone for him for his general life choices etc. and I doubt Sue would mind the chance.

Man, Sue is a really wise lady. I like Sue’s speeches, she’s one of the better orators of Survivor history, her whole tirade on alliances throughout America had a lot of insight and was actually quite impressive.

I don’t get why Gervase would vote for Sean at this point, when he was someone that Gervase was hoping to work with. I would assume that it would be in his best interest to at least vote alongside Sean in the off chance that someone in the core 4 flipped, rather than a statement vote. Though, Colleen’s vote for Sean maybe signifies that there was stuff going on behind the curtains with respect to a plan against Sean (maybe Kelly said she wanted him gone?). That or they really are just voting for who they want to be with least.

Bit bummed Gervase went home. Much as I love her, Colleen isn’t nearly as fun as he is at this stage of the game, and I bet Gervase had the highest potential to stir the pot at the end here… though probably couldn’t have anyways. Nice try, Bullseye.