Survivor post Dangate

This is a hard season to watch. Who would have thought our complaints about Edge of Extinction would so swiftly be forgotten.
It’s hard to barrack for at least half the cast now as we plod towards the inevitable vote out of Janet the Legend.



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25 Comments

  1. Kass slays it on Twitter. I had thought they would at least minimise the Dan airtime but he seemed to get even more than usual, and none of was was particularly crucial to strat chat other than perhaps him burying the hatchet with Janet. Thrilled Noura won an idol but, of course, being Noura she stepped down too early for PBnJ. And good on Elaine too for showing you don’t have to be a hulking beast or a yoga fanatic to win post-merge challenges. I liked her approach to Karishma. And I loved that Karishma found an idol and held on to it. I can’t see her winning but I’m so pleased she is outlasting alphas like Missy and Aaron. Missy strikes me as one of those people who says “I’m just outspoken” when really she is rude.

    • 👍. I think I might have missed Dan touching Kellie, but I am still appalled at see Missy and Elizabeth making false accusations of sexual harrassment, and then throwing Janet so cruelly under the bus.
      I must say though; their guilty faces at tribal were something to see. But that was last week. I have yet to see tonight’s.

    • I absolutely agree with you Juz. Why show Dan? I even thought they might put in additional warnings or links to lifeline, etc. But instead we got even more Dan. Not a good look.

      I listened to the pre-game interviews and thought Missy was smart and fun – definitely hadn’t picked up on her nasty streak – which is why I picked her as my winner. YIKES.

      I think Missy was so caught up in the game play that she didn’t take a moment to realise she was completely rude and patronising. I do note that there is a type of person who does inspire that response in some people (impatient people like me, I am sorry to say) and I can see how Karishma’s (portrayed, may not be real) kind of whiny air would grate and you could easily be dismissive. I think I would be impatient with someone who seems a bit attention seeking – e.g. when she was crying so much about cutting her hand “to the bone” when clearly she hadn’t. Maybe she had been moaning around camp and not doing much so they were all pre-disposed to write off her complaints as not real – so when she genuinely did cut herself no one rushed over. . .

      However, these comments aren’t intended to cut Missy any slack – more to reflect on how bullies select targets. For example, you don’t see the same patronising behaviour toward Elaine or Janet. Missy was so focussed with her strategy and planning she forgot to consider the human beings she was trying to move around and their feelings and how her plans might impact them. Very dumb Survivor social play and I was also very pleased that Karishma outlasted both Aaron and Missy!

      • It’s quite ironic that when she cut her hand & was obviously in a lot of pain they all ignored her & no one asked how she was or offered to get a medic but last night when she lied about not feeling well to cover finding an idol they wanted to get a medic.

  2. Well that wasn’t a great episode (the elephant got airtime) but it was truly satisfying!

    I had picked Missy at the start as the winner and yet I am super happy to see her go out. I found her tribal exit astonishing – can’t recall ever seeing the gameplay extend after the announcement. Lying to Tommy that she was not coming after him when she totally was AND wrote down his name – how did she think that would work? Wow oh wow. Demanding that Elizabeth kills Elaine “slowly and methodically” – YIKES. Sorting out at tribal who did it to her? What’s that about? Don’t you have all that time at Ponderosa to pick over the entrails and work out what happened. And my favourite was throwing shade at Karishma “I was taking you to the end” – what spectacular arrogance and nastiness. She did not do that well at all. . .

    Overally I was mainly super excited that Janet survived (even if it meant we saw more Dan on show). And I picked Aaron for the vote off, so I was happy with that.
    I’m not a Karishma fan but I was very happy that she had an idol and even happier that she used their perception of her to excuse coming back with only two coconuts – and an idol, lol. They all totally bought the “not feeling well” line and didn’t for a second think she was off getting an idol. They all seem to patronise her a LOT so I’d love to see her use the idol successfully. And she was off to a good start last night by not playing it!

    This is such a hard season to predict. I feel Elaine is in a good position as is Lauren. Maybe Janet can survive – that would be my most favourite option – but I feel it unlikely. I can see that Dan will betray her and thus cement his position as Most Unpleasant Survivor Player. Tommy may be able to survive if he goes on a good immunity run but I am not sure how long Lauren will keep him as ally as I suspect she will jettison him. (I’m not judging!)
    Who does everyone think will be at the end and who can win?
    I mean Karishma and Noura and Dan are great bets to take to the end. But who is a better bet to actually win? If it was say Elaine against any of those she could ditch her “aww shucks Jeff I’m a southern idiot” shtick and reveal her smarts and knock them out of the park. If it was Tommy or Lauren I think they’d win. If by a miracle she survives Janet would knock it out of the park. I am assuming Elizabeth and Dean get voted out before then, but who knows this season?
    So in my view – people who could win if they make it to the end? Lauren, Elaine, Janet (if ONLY!), Tommy and I guess Elizabeth. People who could NEVER win – Dean, Noura and Dan. That leaves Karishma as a surprise option. Or do I have to move Noura into the possible section – if she was up against someone like Dan and even Karishma I think she would have a shot. . . but it’s hard to imagine.

  3. Just stepping back for a minute, I continue to be unhappy about the way the “inappropriate behaviour “ is being handled.
    The victims have been penalised, the people around the victim, who did not believe or support, have been penalised … but the perpetrator is still there – and is being treated kindly and as a person who has power. The editing just showed situation-normal: no reduced screen time, no commentary, no follow up or follow through.
    And I’m guessing he will be there until the last couple of days and could even make it to the final two. Maybe he will then be rewarded for playing the game “well”. Why not? He has.
    So what’s the takeaway message? Harass away, guys. There are penalties for everyone who dares to speak (either complaining or defending), but not the grub at the centre.
    I get the feeling that Survivor is only taking this seriously in hindsight, given that filming is over and we are only waiting to pick the winner, and are hoping that the kerfuffle will die down in minutes.

    • Not that I need to see it to believe it, but I never saw Dan molest Kellie. I am wondering if I missed something. I only saw the bit where, while walking along the beach with him, she pulled back her hair, complaining about how it felt. When he also felt it, she said, “Don’t touch me”, and walked in the water. Have I missed something.
      I thought it was interesting that two of the girls, I don’t recall who, perhaps Missy and Kellie, said that it would be okay if it had been Tommy who touched them, but not Dan. Dan’s guilt or innocence aside, older men need to realize that what a young woman will accept from a young guy, she will probably find lecherous from an older man. I am pretty sure we were probably like that in our youth.
      Anyhow, it’s all biting Andrew on the bum now.
      On a lighter note, it was sweeeet last night when Missy got burned. I suppose you are asking for trouble naming your child Missy. Sure to be a brat. Or a mouse. I think she has been used to, “Whatever Missy wants, Missy gets….”.
      I can’t like Karishma though. She’s too lazy, and a whole lot of victim. I know the others haven’t been that great to her but she so suits the victim role, like it’s not her first rodeo. Has she done a quick stocktake to ask herself why she isn’t popular? She reminds me of the story of the doll who was losing her sawdust. Still, she is nicer than Missy and Elizabeth.

      • Daisy, they did not show all the touching incidents but in the first or second ep they showed the women discussing their general discomfort. And then we saw Kellee approach Dan to discuss it. And then it was not mentioned on air until the merge, when the women compared experiences and we saw him try to touch Kellee’s hair and throwing his leg over someone in the shelter. And Missy said he was playing with her toes in the sand – eeeeewww! And was it Missy or Elizabeth who said that while Tommy might drape an arm around a shoulder, Dan would cuddle them around the rib cage when their skin was bare. Eek! And while they told Dan, after it all blew up, they were fine, it has been pointed out since that they were worried about wrecking their social game and that, often when people are unfcomfortable, it’s automatic to respond “oh it’s fine”. And that perhaps after time you may have a different reaction.
        Kellee, in exit interviews, has said that there was more discussion about the issue early on and that Janet approached Dan early in the game to say he was making the younger women uncomfortable. She also said production did not tell her they gave Dan an official warning, which seems unfair given it had in-game repercussions for her.

        • Thanks, Juz. I thought Missy had made that stuff up. She and Elizabeth had discussed making stuff up about Dan as game play, and then Elizabeth said she would do whatever it takes. I thought Missy and Elizabeth were lying. That would even Pisa me off if I was Kellie.

          • Nah it happened – they just lied to Dan about how it made them feel and weaponised it into gameplay

          • Yes, Daisy, Elizabeth definitely said that nothing had happened to her personally but that she would say it had if it helped her game. And then she did. Missy was sort of complicit in that, but I do remember her being touched on the leg at the merge feast.

            So glad to see Elizabeth getting some comeuppance by losing two allies in one night.

        • One thing about “seeing” the incidents – they showed a few touchies happening in the shelters at night, but in my opinion, it was not at all clear who the people were, and in some cases I am sure they were showing the same footage repeatedly. In all the seasons I have watched there has been consensual touching that has looked identical. Of course, there is no way to judge consent or not in this case, except by the girls’ statements.

          However, I saw enough touchies in daylight that were clearly Dan to understand why Kellee reacted as she did.

          Judging by this episode, Dan seems to be behaving now, and clearly no one considers that he should be voted off – no suggestion of his name whatsoever. It is a weird game, as now Janet is a big threat because by acting honourably, she will clearly win if in the final, therefore she is a big target. Go figure.

    • And yes, I would hate to be on a Survivor tribe with Karishma purely from the perspective she doesn’t pull her weight around camp, but I still loved seeing her “have a win”. Elizabeth is running out of allies, which means she couldn’t stick around a bit longer

  4. Its hard to know if it’s a good Survivor.
    I suspect it’s more like it’s a tipping point season.
    All the discussion in the media about MeToo, women not being listened to, fear of repercussions in the workplace etc etc, and yet corporations are still slow to act.
    The production crew, at every level, should have done something.
    Men themselves, are a different kettle: Dan was asked over and over to stop but he did the gaslighting thing, and yet there were some really good guys who tried to step in and got penalised for it.
    And then there’s the women who used this to their own advantage.
    So interesting.
    So exasperating.
    So much social media.
    It makes you wonder what has to happen to create change?
    I think I’m angry because I know that this just reflects the real world.

    • Bobi, so true. And then a player uses TC as a platform to call Jeff out because he didn’t champion the cause of minority groups.

      Your use of the word “tipping point” is very apt. I feel that those two incidents – Dan and Missy – have spoiled Survivor in a way. Certainly this season.

  5. I feel distressed by the franchise as Australian survivor is so good that it feels even more disappointing to have this season.

  6. I think Karishma is an enigma. There have been a few TC’s where things have gone her way, and she has allowed herself to display a smug and devious facial attitude for a few minutes.

    I am beginning to suspect she is a lot smarter than any of us are thinking, and it is possible that the lazy, teary posture is part of the act. She was quite smart to realise she had been away too long for the coconuts and devise a plausible excuse.

    Her face at TC showed quite definitely that she was taking the credit for Missy’s downfall. Probably with justification. Elaine was also playing the jury for the credit in taking Missy out.

    So, who can win? It certainly feels like one of those seasons where a totally unworthy player wins by default. I hate that the women let Missy lead them from her feminist high-horse, and decimated most of the men (although Elaine and Janet seem to be only stringing that line along). So I would love to see one of the men triumph, excepting Dan. At this stage, either Tommy or Dean would be fine, but I don’t think Dean would get the votes. Janet at the top of the list is a no-brainer, but I love Elaine too. We have a whole host of goats to choose from, enough that they could all make the end! I would like to see the backs of Elizabeth, Noura (just when you think she might find some brains – oops, no), Dan, and Lauren. Karishma is the dark horse.

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