Thursday, September 21, 2006

Survivor: Love at first sight?

"Survivor" episode two spoilers, right after I throw a contest...

Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy. For a guy who seemed so impressive in episode one, he made two classic "Survivor" blunders in a single episode. One, every team that has ever thrown a challenge to get rid of perceived deadweight has almost immediately gone into a tailspin. Two, he and his tribemates picked the strongest (and, from what little we've seen, smartest) guy on any team to go to Exile Island, where he quickly found the hidden idol. Did you people learn nothing from Terry the Challenge Machine? I mean, nothing? At all?

Decent second episode, though once again there are way too many people and there were too many awkwardly on the nose moments, like J.P. declaring that Latinos are good workers.

I really, really, really hope that Billy's love connection talk was just an attempt to be goofy and stir things up before his inevitable exit, because I went back and watched that exchange again, and all I could think of was Brian "Finally, an erection from actual physical contact!" Krakow on "My So-Called Life." De. Loozh. Uh. Nuhl.

Again, too damn many contestants. It's too many at 16, way too many at 18 and just absurd when they start with 20. I've seen the first two "Ugly Betty"s, so this season has until the end of episode four before I have to decide which makes the downstairs DVR cut and which gets bumped upstairs to the TiVo to be watched at an undetermined later date. ("The Office" already has first position, with "Earl" tagging along for the fun of it.)

What did everybody else think?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

i couldn't agree more with your assement alan. sending another teams' best player is the worst strategy. why wouldn't you send someone who you wouldn't think could survive on their own, let alone look for the idol? another point you are right on, there are wayyy too many people.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy seeing the Asian team kick much ass. Second straight week of them finishing first. Yul finding the immunity.

It's also interesting to note that without the Latin team throwing the challenge, the blacks would've been at the chopping block for a second week in a row.

I hope the rumors of the racial segregation gimmick ending any time soon are false because this is making for compelling TV.

And though yes, 20 may be too many, I think what makes Survivor great is how the personalities come out gradually and so who really is the best player might not be apparant from episode one but when you re-view the episodes, you find out just how well everyone was playing all along.

Also, keep in mind, if we were down to 16, with four a team, we'd have to merge much sooner when teams only have 3 to them. Am I wrong?

Nilbo said...

I found the "love at first sight" thing intensely creepy and wasn't sorry to see Billy's 15 minutes come to an end. I cannot for the life of me understand why people - who presumably have seen the show in the past - have not learned simple lessons like "Don't give a strong player a chance to be stronger"; "don't sleep while others work"; "don't be a bossy loudmouth"; and "spend some time in the months before filming actually learning how to build fire".

And is it me, or are the damn chickens multiplying?

Mac said...

I don't know about the great societal experiment Burnett was going on about, but "Survivor" has definitely made me hate men with floppy curly hair. FCH has replaced "Bartender" as the sign of the Bad Guy.

Anonymous said...

Am I an awful person if next week, when the tribes all come out for the challenge and Jeff does the whole "here is your look at the new whatever tribe," I want him to ask Candace what she thinks of Billy being voted out? Just so there are even MORE uncomfortable clips to show at the reunion show.

D. said...

As fine as I was with Billy being voted out, I was a bit dissapoinnted with Jeff for not giving the team a harder time for throwing the challenge. I know the 'love at first sight' angle was too tempting to pass up, but after some of his rants about players choosing to give up, I was expecting him to be much harsher on them.

Alan Sepinwall said...

While Jeff gets pissy about challenge-throwing because it attackes the sanctity of his wonderful game, it's not nearly as capital an offense as quitting the show altogether. After all, challenge-throwing can be defended as a form of strategy. It may be a bone-headed form of strategy that has backfired every time someone has tried it, but at least it's strategy.

Anonymous said...

It's not strategy, it's strategery.