What Andy’s Watching: Survivor

Survivor: Season 21, Episode 13 “Not Sure What I Said” (B+)

At this point in the game, all the players are decently likeable. Even if they are all scheming against each other and lying, no one seems to be terribly evil. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like any of them are over confidant that they will win. Even though Sash often tells the camera that he is in a good position because people need his vote and he has a Hidden Immunity Idol, it’s pretty obvious that he isn’t so sure of his position based on the fact that he does a lot of scrambling.

I don’t understand why everyone is so convinced that if Jane was in the Final Tribal Council she would automatically win. I think there were some references in a couple of episodes to the fact that she has had a hard life, or something to that effect. I think her husband might have recently died. However, I think the winner of Survivor should be based more on how she performed during the game, not factors outside of it. She doesn’t really make any power plays, or devise any plans on her own. Sure, she won a couple of challenges, but when it comes to reward challenges when she is on a team, she usually sucks and drags the team down. I think the sympathy vote would have been better spent on the Kelly who was voted out (not the one who quit) because she had to overcome the fact that she has only one leg. One could make the argument that Jane had to overcome the fact that she is super old and made it really far, but with a game that consists of ten old people, there is bound to be a couple that make it to the end.

Benry turning his back on Fabio is not very surprising, but still a little heartbreaking. I keep on rooting for Fabio, but he’s never been in a strong alliance , and sooner or later, he can’t just coast by laying low. So when Benry realized that one of them was going to be the next target, he decided to through Fabio under the bus. That’s probably why Benry was voted out – the alliance of Chase, Holly, and Jane realized that he is the type to strategize, while Fabio isn’t.

I don’t know why Benry said that he has been close with Chase from day one, since throughout the game both of then have told the camera that they don’t trust the other one. It’s one thing to make up a story to your fellow tribemates; but why does Benry have to try to lie when he is talking one-on-one with the cameras? Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.

It’s very telling that Dan also went along with the plan to turn on Fabio. Dan really has no loyalties at all.

The final tally is so confusing! Turns out that that only people to actual vote for Fabio were Benry and Dan, the only other members of his alliance.

Also, it seems as though both alliances kind of just fell into place. How did Holly and Jane end up together? What about Benry and Dan?

With Benry voted off, is Sash even needed anymore on his new alliance? Maybe Chase, Holly, and Jane should plan to vote him off because he is so flakey.

Also, I think that if Dan even tried a little bit to strategize he could put himself in a position to convince Holly and Jane that he would be way easier to beat than Chase both in Immunity Challenges and also at the Final Tribal Council. Of course he won’t do that though, because he’s Dan.