Well, SOMEBODY has to start a Survivor thread...[SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!]

[Silver Moon]

So are we supposed to consider Am-buh the greatest Survivor contestant now because she won the "All-Star" edition? I hope not. Thoughts?

I'm going to disagree with you on that one. Amber deserved to win, earning it. Sure, some of her comments on the final show were rather inane and hinted that she didn't really understand the game, but from a strategy standpoint she won.

Look at it this way, in all of the team competitions Chapera won hands down. There was no comparision - they were the professionals acting like a team compared to the other two groups of amateurs. And Rob M. was the unquestionable leader of that team. Once he got rid of Rob C., his only actual competition for leadership, he had it made. Sure, many of us liked Kathy, Shi-Ann, and some of the others, but their "tribes" didn't act like the All-Stars they were billed as while Chapera did.

And yes, when the show got predictable at 10 players the producers tried to mix it up by shuffling the tribes - but as all of us Role Players know, sometimes the dice are just stacked against you. Going into that mix-up with 6 to 4 mathematically one Chapera had to shift to Mogo Mogo, but the odds of that being the ONLY change were incredibly low, yet that is exactly what happened. Then Lex, Cathy and Shi-Ann made their fatal error in allowing their hatred for Jerri to override their common sense. From the moment they did that neither of those three deserved to win. And Amber played no small part in also helping to convince them to keep her instead of Jerri, so don't discount that.

As for the others, Rupert and Jenna played a good game and stuck to their alliance. Tom and Alicia were far too trusting in sticking with their alliance ever after common sense should have told them not to. As a fellow New Hampshire resident I would have liked to have seen Jenna win, but she lost it fair and square in the final challenge, just as Rupert lost to Amber in the one before, thus setting the stage for the rest of the game. In fact, Amber and Rob won most of the challenges.

So why do I say that Amber deserved it more than Rob? Because the Jury is a big part of the game too, and Rob totally blew that one while she didn't. Face it, "Good Cop, Bad Cop" is a known strategy too, that she used to her advantage. Her straight-up answer to Alisha of 'sure I lied, but his lies were greater' actually worked!

As for the live final hour, yeah, it was a train-wreck. I think that more went on during the commercial breaks than they acutally let on (is there anyone out there with satellite feeds and/or people who were at Madison Square Garden who saw those parts?). I'll give Jeff and Mark credit for actually pulling it back together in the last fifteen minutes. Still, it was hardly their finiest-hour, which is part of why I'm glad they have the Thursday follow-up show so as not to leave off with what we saw the other day as the ending.

The real problem with doing an All-Star is that it makes it ever harder to follow it up. Is anyone out there excited about Survivor IX? I'm not.

 

[DMScott]

However, him getting married with Am-buh kinda screws with the rules. The winner ain't supposed to share his winnings, you're not supposed to be able to make alliances with the unwritten promise that you will share it with whoever goes with you to the final two: that's exactly what Burnett productions let happen.

The contestants actually sign a contract saying they won't share the prize. I would imagine that Burnett's lawyers will require that Amber have a pre-nuptial agreement in place that says Rob can't touch the money before handing her the cheque. But I would've liked to see the prize handed to Jenna, too.

What's interesting is there's apparently no such restriction on the million bucks they're handing out on Thursday after the popularity vote. One of the contestants - I think it was the other Rob - says in his video pitch that if he wins the vote, he's going to give half the money to Rupert. Jenna even uses her 30 seconds to ask everyone to vote for Rupert, to make up for her stab. The videos are interesting, they're all up at the CBS site.

 

[Enkhidu]

I admit - Survivor was a guilty pleasure for me this time, but only because I predicted the shows winner from the the first time they showed Amber and Rob cuddling.

I have to admit, though, it was sort of frustrating to see these people trust in alliance with Rob all the way until they got cut. I can understand the getting rid of Jeri in favor of Amber move - they never saw any first hand evidence of exactly how tight the relationship between Rob and Amber was - but I can't for the life of me figure out why people would believe that Rob was going to do anything different than take Amber with him to the final two if the choice was his. It was sort of obvious that Rob wasn't thinking with the head on top of his shoulders.

 

[Storm Raven]

On a side note, Rob and Amber can not share the money. Its in an agreement when they sign the contracts to go on the show that they can not share the money with another survivor. I am sure that they will have to sign a pre-nuptual agreement when they actually get hitched.

You are only partially correct. The agreement states that participants cannot agree to share the money in advance. Once the show is complete, they can do whatever they want to with the cash. This is intended to prevent people from agreeing to trade portions of the prize in exchange for votes during the game (i.e. prevent people from saying to another contestant "vote for Bob and if I win I'll give you $50,000).

 

[NeoSamurai]

I just can't get over the fact that the final five didn't get rid of Amber or Rob when they had the chance. Getting rid of Amber when Rob had immunity would've won the game for someone other than that duo. Rob had demonstrated a power position from the get go and should've had a big target on his back that someone should've hit as soon as the opportunity for it arose.

And whoever said Chapera played like all-stars from the beginning was right. They played as a team during the time when a team game was necessary. Mogo-Mogo began to play the individual game too-early. Rupert's first team had Jerry to contend with early on and that really did it for that group.

Personally, I wanted Rupert to win. Luckily, I'm sure he'll get the mil from America's Tribe mostly because he was very genuine. I know I voted for him.

 

[Arnwyn]

Rupert's getting my vote.

(What was with the screwed-up bitter losers in the jury - other than Rupert, Jenna, and Shii-ann - "All-Stars" my ass. And thank goodness Jerri left - she always has deserved the hate.)

I think in the reunion episode, they should have let Hatch speak even more than he did. He knows what he's talking about, IMO.

Is anyone out there excited about Survivor IX? I'm not.

I've never been "excited" about any Survivor.

 

[Wolv0rine]

Rupert's getting my vote.


I think in the reunion episode, they should have let Hatch speak even more than he did. He knows what he's talking about, IMO.

Very true, Richard Hatch is the ONLY contestant so far that I've noticed (aside from maybe 'johhny fairplay') who understands the game of Survivor. All this BS about being honest and good and moral is stupidity. Do you worry about HOW you played monopoly, or do you try to win? Richard seems to be the only person who sees that it's a game. A game for $1M, sure, but that only backs up the point. You don't play the game to feel like a good, upstanding person, you play it cuz it's a game (with a $1M prize).

I was so dissapointed that Richard seemed to not care if he was there or not. He annoyed everyone, seemingly on purpose, and practically asked if everyone would like to vote him out. *sighs*

 

[John Crichton]

Very true, Richard Hatch is the ONLY contestant so far that I've noticed (aside from maybe 'johhny fairplay') who understands the game of Survivor.

Gotta dissagree. Rob C. knew how to play as well. Rob M can play but made the blunder of taking Amber but considering he was in love with her I can't blame him. But yes, there are precious few who have actually played 'the game' well and really understand it. Amber played well but without Rob she would have never gotten that far.

 

[ASH]

I really did enjoy the season. There were a few really crappy episodes, and a few really awesome ones... when Hatch was voted out, then Colby... I am looking forward to the next one. Why? I adore survivor...If I was in shape I would apply. I think that there were some people that I wish would not have been chosen to be on all stars, like Alicia, Tom, and Jenna M...But thats just me little opinion.

 

[stevelabny]

it seems some of you still arent getting the annoying everyone on purpose scheme of richard hatch and the strategy of rob...

the strategy is simple.
make yourself enemy #1. and everyone will WANT to take you to the finals.
it worked for hatch in season #1 when kelly took him to the finals thinking he'd be an easier opponent than rudy (she had a better chance to beat rudy)

johnny fairplay played it to PERFECTION last year, as he was NEVER a target the entire time. People WANTED to take this "slimeball" to tribal council, and the only thing that cost him 1 million was girl-scout Lil worrying more about who she thought was a better person to win if she didnt rather than who was easier to beat. Any of the other 15 wouldve taken Fairplay to the end (except maybe Rupert, but we already know he's dumb as a brick)

hatch tried it again this year. Being difficult and annoying, and playing up the fact that he already won. He was COUNTING on the same strategy working to perfection again and forgetting how much jealousy these nimrods have to the people who beat them. By the time he realized it wasnt gonna work, it was too late to save himself. If he wouldve aligned with Shii-Ann from the beginning (like you could tell she wanted to) he would've made it to a merge and completely changed the game.

Rob also did it this year. He knew full well that he was putting himself out as a target for hatred. BUT he also knew that Tom and Alicia and Jenna all wanted to be sitting next to him in the finals. THATS why Tom and Alicia and Jenna never turned on Rob...they were all "using" him the same way Ambuh was , to win against the mean guy in front of the jury.
Rob would've scored Ambuh and Shii-ann's vote along with Kathys against almost every else on his tribe. And if he was sitting up there with Tom or Alicia, he probably wouldve still gotten Rupert and Jennas votes and won.
Rob didnt play it perfectly, as he numerous ways to make people LESS mad.
(letting Lex or Kathy survive at least once, keeping Shii-ann a bit longer, keeping Tom instead of Rupert/Jenna) but still got killed by the simple fact that THREE people held grudges and one voted grrrrl-power.
I must admit that it so sickened me that he APOLOGIZED for his play, that if he was up against someone better than Ambuh, I mightve changed my vote after his weak apology.

Taking the "bad guy" to the jury seems like a perfectly good deal because the jury usually has some petty jealous types on it looking for revenge. (although you shouldnt count on more than two)
BUT if just 4 people on the jury can get past that and vote for the person who deserves to win you get Richard Hatch. Fairplay wouldve beat Lil too and Rob shouldve beaten Ambuh.

WHY? Don't believe for a moment that she wasn't riding his coat-tails and that she had equal say in the decisions. I'm not being sexist, but I have proof:

Jeff: "Amber you have 10 seconds to decide which of the other 16 survivors to give this car too"

Ambuh: (without hesitation) " I have to decide? I don't know....(leans over to Rob) ROB, WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

case-closed.
she can't even make up her mind about giving away a free car AFTER the game is over, nevermind how to make decisions during the game.

as for next season , I'm looking forward to both this summer's Amazing Race (because its nice to see a show that isnt a popularity contest at all)
and then next year's Survivor

I was against All-Stars from the beginning, and for the most part, this was a truly brutal season, two quitters, former-winners with no chance, and the annoying "but we're friends outside the game" dynamic that I knew would sink this ship. The only thing that made it watchable was having one of the three I was rooting for masterfully control the entire game and get to the end.
Without Rob, this season would have been a complete failure.

Even Jeff has said he thinks the show works best with 16 strangers and I have to agree. I might not be against another survivor all-stars many seasons from now, but it needs more vile schemers like johnny fairplay and less under-the-radar and "morals" types. But for a new season of 16 strangers? BRING IT ON.