Let’s lighten things up a bit and dive into some delicious reality TV.  My roommate asked me the other day “Do you like any shows with a plot?”    There are a few comedies that I enjoy (How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory etc) but the only drama I like is Downton Abbey.  Everything else is reality TV of some kind.  Probably my 2 favorite are The Amazing Race and Survivor.  Despite both being on for 10+ years, they manage to capture my interest and entertain.

This season is the 27th season of Survivor and it is one of its best, which is interesting because when they first announced it my eyes did a serious roll.  It sounded like another gimmick- blood vs water.  The twist this season is 10 returning players, 10 family members/relationships but it has done a great thing for the game.  Jeff Probst has talked a lot about the twist adding layers but it really has.  In the past the tribes formed alliances and then when the merge happened those alliances stayed strong, with the stronger team picking off the weaker team one by one (think last season with the bros).

However, this season that line is a lot fuzzier because now at the merge you have family members coming together, which gives the potential for old alliances to be dropped.  You also have the redemption island situation where castmembers compete to get back on the show.  I’m not a fan of redemption island but it has been a chance for people to switch with their loved one’s, so some people like Rachel have been voted off not because they were strong but because they hoped that their loved one would switch, which did not happen in the case of Tyson/Rachel (who are 2 of the many survivors from Utah!)

This is what makes survivor interesting.  The strategy.  You have to constantly be thinking ‘what is in the best interest of my tribemates?  What will they want the most?  Tonight was a great example with Monica losing her husband out of the game and finding out Kat was considering voting her off.  She immediately got to work and changed the vote from Vitas to Kat.  She’s gone.

It is also key to lead at the right time in Survivor.  Boston Rob learned this lesson on his master class on Survivor Redemption Island.  He was a friend while still being the leader, making the big moves.  Cochran actually did that quite well.  This is why the winners of Survivor come in 2 packages- you have the likable leader (Boston Rob, Cochran, Parvati) and the likable peacemaker (Sophie, Fabio, Todd Herzog).  You also can’t lead to soon or too late.  You can’t work too hard or be too lazy.  You have to help on the challenges but not be too threatening.

It’s really interesting.  I’ve been impressed with Aris and Vitas (sp?).  I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them wins.  Especially Vitas going over to the all girl tribe and how he ingratiated himself so quickly.  Made him seem sympathetic and kind.  It’s also got to be tempting to keep a man on the tribe to help with physical chores, caring wood etc.  I wonder how long they will keep the new tribes.

Anyway…you can tell I don’t get to talk Survivor chop shop with anyone.  I do enjoy listening to Rob Cesternino’s podcasts on Survivor.  He is funny and the analysis very entertaining.

It’s really a very entertaining show.  Do any of you watch?  Are you fans?  What do you think of the blood vs water spin?  Do you think you could vote out your loved one to appease your alliance?  I don’t know.  Depends on the loved one (just kidding).  I guess most of them have probably had conversations before hand about what they would do, but it would be tough.

Oh!  The other weird thing about this season is everyone is burning the hidden immunity idol clues.  It was first the Culpeppers that did it twice and now Vitas did it today which was baffling.  I don’t know why they don’t just find it as a tribe or an alliance and use it collectively?  Usually the idol clues aren’t that important to finding idols (Parvati and Russell were the kings of idol finding and it defintely helped Parvati to win).   It just shows what a weird season this is.

So that’s all I have to say for the moment.  Let me know what you think of the season and the show.