39 Comments

  1. Tonight’s gonna be an interesting vote, regardless.

    I think we can safely make the call that Brian is this year’s goat. Monika notwithstanding, nobody likes him. The jury members don’t, the remaining castaways don’t, I doubt even the production team is keen on him. They’ve all been pretty vocal about it. So he’s the guy you want to be sitting next to in front of the jury.

    Shane and Sharn would have to know this. So … do they knife one another (to take Brian to the end) and lose each other’s vote, or do they stay true to each other’s alliance, and risk losing the half million at the end?

    Ah, Survivor. The good choice isn’t always the right one.

    But what do I know? I’m still rootin’ for Robbie to win.

    • I’d imagine Sharn was grateful that Brian voted “steal”, because she probably ran straight back to camp to tell the others what he did. If not, then she now has a great story she can tell the jury about Brian’s general character.

      She couldn’t have lost out, in that situation.

      • The trouble with the steal/split decision is that in a game of strategy, it’s not actually evil to feed yourself up to win a challenge. They’re not in church.
        But you can tell the jury already know who they are going to vote for; their mates. Everytime the wave, smile, wink and blow kisses at their friends, they tell us, and each other, who they are going to pick.
        BTW, Steve just can’t manage to not look like an oddball.

        • I thought Mat and Steve had been subjected to some judicious superglue by production until Mat said that Sharn was gone.

      • And if Brian had not voted steal, the other three castaways would have been so impressed that they would have never voted for him again. Or not.

    • Yep. Picked that as soon as the rules were read. Pretty pointless activity, and no indication of how it was decided who was going to treemail. Random, or set up?

  2. Finally. Thank goodness she is gone.

    I know it is not Survivor general etiquette but I like the way things are heading. At least for the viewer, we would be in for a cracking good final TC, and a feeling of satisfaction that either would be a worthy winner.

  3. Still watching here, has daylight savings started?
    Does anyone else get the impression that Brian’s aversion to Sharn goes deeper than the game? It seems to me that he has a problem with smart, strong women in general and nit just that she is a threat in Survivor.

    • Agreed. He surrounded himself with simpering girls to stroke his ego thinking that he was playing them although it seemed more like the other way around.

    • Sorry, Jayblossom, yes it is daylight saving now. Ironic, as it is probably the first time ever I have commented straight after the show!

      I don’t think I can interpret Brian’s actions/words as an aversion to strong women (the misogynist line). I just think in this case, it is a bit personal (a personality clash), with a dash of knowing that she was gunning for him earlier. I feel like she has just become a thorn in his side, and he seems to be one who keeps perpetuating the myth that she is a challenge threat.

      I thought it was funny last night, that he said he wanted her to go. He has raised her name for the vote every TC since the merge (and some before).

      • No problem with the daylight savings, I can choose not to check in.
        You’re right definitely a personality clash, I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a misogynist but I the way he teamed up with the pretty young things and Shane thinks stroking his ego is the way to get around him leads me to believe that he doesn’t like smart, strong women. I think it is the same reason that he didn’t get along with Matt and Steve – he likes to think he’s the alpha dog and only gets on with those willing to play up to him. But I’m way overthinking a TV show contestant.

        • The men in Champions (mainly Mat) had made him the designated villain/target. The women were very pliable to Mat’s decisions, so it’s little wonder Mat’s puppets are still there. Brain got rid of the men because they might beat him at challenges.

          • What exactly labelled him as the Villainous One? All of a sudden they were all
            saying it but it was never quite clear to me what he did to receive that title..

          • Peski, Brian was cursed for not being in Mat’s back pocket. He dared to mention Mat’s name after he realized he was just the dross on Mat’s team of followers.

  4. I was worried that Shane was getting such a “hero” edit this ep she must be going! Hopefully the champs will see Sharn’s decision as a ballsy move. I still think Shane wins if she makes it to the end. How good was it in the challenge when both Brian and Shane thought they’d won!

    • Yes the lighter, smaller girl always does well at that kind of challenge! And Sharn is strong. Mind you, Shane is mentally tough too, and Brian will be super motivated. Sharn HAS to win as Brian thinks that she will wipe the floor with him at end, so he needs her gone.

  5. I forgot that daylight savings started and spoiled myself by checking Facebook, but I’ll keep that in mind. Better to spoil yourself tonight than *tomorrow* night.

    So Shane and Sharn are sticking together, which I think is a mistake, but it all comes down to tomorrow night. Whoever takes Brian to the jury with them wins.

    The flipside of it being Shane vs Sharn is that, Brian will end up on the jury, having to vote for one of them. Hah!

  6. Shonee’s jury villa video is, well, Shonee.

    I think the odds are good that she’s gonna be an angry jury member, tomorrow night.

    • I think she chooses to project an image of herself as a silly girl who only went on the show to get a tan. She’s actually quite articulate. Well, I really hope it’s an act

      • I have to admit, Shonee grew on me after a while. She made some great observations and while playing under the radar isn’t the most exciting strategy to watch, it certainly worked for Queen Sandra twice.

        Still couldn’t be stranded on a tropical island with her though.

        • Totally agree with all points Peski. I think she was smart enough to realise that her best chance was to ‘go rogue’. Shane was never going to flip on Sharn but she had a shot at Sharn flipping on Shane and she knew she couldn’t beat either of them in a fire challenge.

          • Shonee was strategically and socially smart but she only developed one loyal bestie and when Fenella was gone, she only had Brian. When she was sent to the champs early on, instead of calling them boring and random, she should have tried forming a strong bond with someone. It might or might not have helped.

          • I think Shonee was screwed no matter what last night. Once Brian won immunity … he was gunning for Sharn regardless, and Sharn/Shane couldn’t vote for him and certainly weren’t about to betray each other.

            Shonee targeting Shane only delayed her outing by a few minutes. If it’d been a tie, with Sharn and Shonee having to make fire, then Shonee would’ve been toast, and she knew it.

            Maybe the last few days would’ve been a good plan to learn how to make a fire, Shonee? Just as an aside?

  7. I don’t really care who wins out of the final 3. I think Shane has probably consistently made the best choices, but then, Brian is there, so maybe he has made the right choices too. Sharn got tricked big time by Benji, so I don’t think her play has been as smart.

    I think they final 3 would have stood a better chance if they got Shane out because she might win it.

    • I think Shane has a serious claim on the prize. She’s had an amazing social game, she’s been competitive at challenges, she hasn’t made any major mistakes as Sharn and Brian have, and while she’s actually played quite a devious game I don’t think anyone else has noticed.

      • Her argument at the final TC would be pretty convincing.

        Mat asked her to play double agent early on and she was able to twist that to her advantage. She orchestrated Lydia’s blindside. She was a key player in Benji’s removal.

        Plus, she’s come pretty close to winning individual immunity and has pulled her weight in team challenges.

  8. Sharn will make an intense speech to the jury that ends in ‘Champions strong’. The jurors will all look incredibly embarrassed and vote for Shane.

  9. So, Sharn stayed true to Shane, at least for this vote. I think it certainly gave her respect from the jury’s perspective. The ex-Champions appreciated that move.

    And it screwed up Brian’s game even more. Even if he wins final immunity, no way is he winning over Sharn or Shane.

  10. It looks to the viewer that Shane has the edge over Sharn in the vote. But our viewpoint is not that of the jury (we were not on the island, and we only know what they choose to show us), and that is what makes the thought of a Shn/Shr final two quite exciting. It will come down to who presents their achievements (and failures) in the best light. While Sharn is a top lawyer, I think Shane has a very convincing manner too, a subtle way of showing her smart play without sounding like she is crowing – humble, I suppose I mean. Aussies like humility (as opposed to Americans who admire confidence (generalisation there)), so I think many in the jury will be conflicted. Ones like Sam and Benji will need to be reminded of a key moment to sway them one way or the other.

    • I think Shane could win if she speaks to being a champ in the days before you could make a living from it. And being the oldest contestant who was not an asset in the early challenges but still outlasted the others. And the Lydia thing. If she’s lucky someone on the jury will ask “why should your opponent win “ and Sharn will argue her case for her

      • Definitely. I think I read somewhere that when Shane retired at 17, she got married shortly afterwards and has been working hard at their property ever since. The money would come in handy even though she’s only mentioned wanting that Sole Survivor / Champion title.

        Certainly a far cry from these times where most elite athletes are living off exorbitant salaries and sponsorship deal.

    • I think Mat and Steve are solidly team Sharn. They seem very impressed with her survival, but there was a definitely two-player role with Shane to keep her surviving.
      I think Shane has not had a good ‘social’ game – she seems to have the ‘chats’ later on when it is a crisis, not as a pre-emptive or a natural plan. I think Shonee and Fenella would be bitter about Brian and not see him as a good vote. Will be super interesting any way it goes!

      • I think Steve and Shane developed quite a close bond a few days before Steve got booted off so it’s likely he’d be happy to give her the win too.

  11. I couldn’t bloody believe it when Brian won immunity. When his pile collapsed I cheered then Shane’s collapsed & I yelled nooooooo. I thought she had it. I wasn’t sure if Sharn would turn on Shane or stick with her.

  12. The lawyer really needs the money.

    Plenty of viewers would have been wishing their own piles would collapse……

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