Well, as the year comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at award-worthy performances. Here’s my vote for Best Performance by a Duo in a Reality Competition Series About Adventure That Takes Place in Exotic Locations and is Hosted by a Dashing Fella With a Keen Way About Him.
Bob: (clearly distressed over lying to Kenny) If I win the next immunity I’ll give it to you.
Kenny: (Long Pause) Okay.
And…scene.
I don’t know who should win the acting award, but both Bob and Kenny gave stellar performances. I don’t believe Bob was sorry for one second. He is playing the game. Just like Kenny. On the other hand, Kenny’s sad "poor me" performance was so understated, so restrained that it almost warrants a spot at the final tribal council.
Bob was never going to give him the necklace, but damn, I do appreciate Kenny’s bravado. Plead for the necklace while you’re planning Bob’s blindside. Awesome. Kenny is setting himself up for a major ass whuppin’…or a million dollars. I love this kid. Love him.
I miss Crystal already. I really do. She’s fun to pick on, and she always, and I mean always, had something to say at tribal council. The woman was gold. Not bronze. Not silver. Gold. As in gold medalist.
Favorite moment of the episode: Crystal trying so hard to prove her physical prowess that at the end of the reward challenge she actually attempted to dunk a ball on a four foot goal…that she towered over…and still missed.
Second favorite moment: Watching Crystal try to make her way through the immunity challenge. We couldn’t include every moment she went off the course, otherwise the challenge would still be going. To her credit, Crystal has always had a sense of humor about her lack of ability in challenges. Doesn’t change the fact that she sucked. She did.
Side note: When Bob was choosing two people to join him on reward, I said, "Two’s fun, three’s a party." It was an innocent comment. My friend, Serena, felt there was a sexual connotation to the comment. I was appalled. Those kind of dirty and inappropriate thoughts simply do not occur to me. When I am hosting, I am focused. Laser beam precision. Tunnel vision. The thought that somehow I had a Freudian slip that would reveal the truth of what I’m really thinking about out there is simply silly. Now, had it been my other friend, Alexis, who said it, it might have some validity; she’s a bit of a psych job, so in an odd way her thinking often makes sense. Yes, I know I Just mentioned two women in the same sentence. Doesn’t mean anything. Okay, moving onto the next position, sorry I mean topic.
Sugar is a factor in this game. The sweet little pin-up model is very close to crying her way into the final. Who would ever think she would still be here this long? Not me. Never. How does it happen season after season? She wasn’t even picked when they ranked their tribes. She wasn’t picked! Then again, Bob was picked very late, so maybe all it means is that Marcus isn’t as brilliant as he claims!! Ah-ha!!
Okay, fine. Another gross exaggeration on my part. Marcus actually had the highest IQ of everyone this season. If you want to know who had the second highest IQ, watch the reunion show. I think you will be surprised.
No, I’ve never taken the IQ test we give them. Because ignorance is bliss. No, I don’t feel the need. Just back off. What? Why? That’s crazy, I don’t have anything to prove. I get paid whether I’m smart or not. Stop it. Go. Would you just go. I have to finish my blog.
Sorry about that. My inner voice – drives me nuts sometimes.
So, as we head into the finale, we are down to five: Sugar, Susie, Kenny, Matty, and Bob.
Sugar is in an excellent spot to make it to the final vote. I’ll give her credit. She has done a very good job of staying in this game and staying out of the way. She’s survived a record number of days on Exile, she handled the power of the immunity idol beautifully, and she has earned her right to be in the final five. She could easily make it to the final vote.
Susie is a question mark for me. She’s riding coattails a bit, for sure, but she has done a good job of offering up her vote to the right people at the right time, and that has kept her out of the line of fire. Don’t be surprised if she makes it to the final because everyone thinks they can beat her at the vote.
Matty is a favorite. Has been from day one. I’m so happy he’s still in the game. I just like how he wears his heart on his sleeve. Can he win? Yes. Can he make it to the end? Very difficult. He’s an obvious target.
Bob is another favorite of mine. Again, from day one. I like his straight-ahead approach, and I have a huge soft spot for Maine. Can he win? Yes. Can he get to the end? It’s gonna be tough. He will probably have to win his way there through immunity challenges, otherwise I think they’ll take him out. He has too many former tribemates on the jury.
Kenny – I cannot believe Kenny is still in this game. I would have lost my house betting against him making it this far. He has an uphill battle if he’s going to win because he has made a ton of enemies. But if he gets to the final with the right person or people, it could happen. Kenny could win this game.
I’ll say it right now. All things considered, I’m happy with this final five. There are three people I would be happy to see win and two people that if they win, I’ll pretend I’m happy and quickly begin promoting next season.
Remember, the big finale is this Sunday. A two-hour finale followed by the live reunion show where all these knuckleheads will be back together, and you can see who looks good and who looked better on the island.
Now to prove to you that I read your comments, I will answer a few questions:
Where did Bob get the beads to make the immunity necklace…? You can bet I’ll be asking him that at the reunion show.
Why did I throw Bob’s fake immunity idol in the fire? Because that is what you do when someone plays a fake immunity idol! What, are you new? I totally understand that it was a work of art, and yes, it pained me to do it, but…is this an art exhibit or Survivor? Get over it. He can make another one. And if you want to see what’s left of it, tune into the reunion show. Maybe I fished it out of the fire for him…or maybe I’ll be wearing it around my neck…or maybe I’ll just give it to Serena and call it a day.
Regarding loved ones – there is clearly no right or wrong answer. Those of you who hate the loved ones episodes have miserable lives. Those of us who cry and enjoy the loved ones episodes for their outpouring of emotion are beautiful, loving, wonderful human beings without whom the world would be a dark and dreary place. Welcome to the light, Dalton Ross.
To Dr. Zenith – thanks for the casting ideas, but I have to comment on the assertions that you and especially David Ellen (David, you made the blog!) continue to make: that we manipulate the game so that our favorites can win. Is the medication you’re currently taking prescribed or do you buy it on the streets? If we could dictate who would win each season, then the following people never would have won: Tina in Australia, Vecepia in Marquesas, that soft-core porno dude in Thailand, Jenna in the Amazon, Sandra in Pearl Islands, Amber in All-Stars, Earl in Fiji, and Parvati in Fans vs Favorites! All of those just listed people definitely deserved to win because they played the best game, but that doesn’t mean they would have been our first choice to win. We would have picked more "colorful" winners. Plain and simple. I’m kind of stumped that people still believe this stuff.
Oh, for the record, they don’t have toilets or toilet paper, showers or soap, or make-up, or beds, or secret food stashes, or anything else that would make it more tolerable. The game is real. The game is hard.
To "JeffProbstRocks" – you can come over and watch Survivor at my house. Don’t hate those poker chip-throwing friends of yours; envy is difficult, try to understand. That’s what I do.
Once and for all – the final three vs final two debate. It’s a matter of choice. Personally I believe that when you have three people in the final you have a better opportunity for a good winner because you cannot simply win the final immunity challenge and then take the least liked person with you to the final vote. For instance, had we planned a final three in Fans vs Favorites, Cirie would have won and everybody would have been happy. But we had a final two planned. So, David Ellen, if we were master manipulators, why not make it a final three and let Cirie win? Enough already. That’s just my opinion. For crying out loud, get over it.
And for those of you who don’t like us switching up the tribes because it screws you up in your Survivor pool, how about this…no switches next season. Straight Survivor. Is that what you want? Two tribes. No switch. One merge. Final 2. Okay, fine. Done. I’ll call CBS and tell them I’ve made a decision. Just don’t blame me when the dude from ‘N Sync is hosting next season.
See ya Sunday at the live show!
Now check out our exclusive deleted scene from Survivor: Gabon and then read Dalton’s recap.
Comments (1-30) of 352 Add your comment
JEFF PROBST you crack me upp mann
u are creative and original and your blogs ar hilarity in a nutshell…or was it eggshel WATEVER anyway
u r the PERFECT host for survivor
ROCK ON DUDE!
bob is awesomenesss!
can’t wait for the finale
Perfect episode! Cystal is gone! I haven’t shouted YES this much since my honeyoon 10 years ago!
Wow this was a long one. Can I just say I live these blogs and especially Jeff’s conversationl writing style. Please do these again next season!
Thank you Jeff. All those one season complainers whining about this or that… Survivor is Survivor and sometimes considered my religion. Leave my lords, bishops or elephants with eight arms alone… let them be santioned! Jeff really enjoyed all your responses to the people who don’t understand the greatness of the twists, if we want a twistless show we’d watch The Bachelor. LOVE SURVIVOR
Thank you Jeff. All those one season complainers whining about this or that… Survivor is Survivor and sometimes considered my religion. Leave my lords, bishops or elephants with eight arms alone… let them be santioned! Jeff really enjoyed all your responses to the people who don’t understand the greatness of the twists, if we want a twistless show we’d watch The Bachelor. LOVE SURVIVOR
Jeff, I’m telling ya, it would a ratings goldmine if you never had a merge. EVER. One tribe gets to two or three – mix it up. Never merge. That would screw up all of this “alliance since day one” business. No personal immunity. Team work to the end. That would take some skill.
I loved this season. LOVED it. I was starting to doubt highly the ability of this show to stay fresh, but I was proved wrong this season. Keep it up. I would hate to have to watch something else on Thursday nights.
Jeff, you are wise…and I agree with your commments and logic as usual. I would ask that you find out what Crystal has a gold medal in during the reunion show…because she has done nothing that has been gold medal worthy this entire season…except maybe “Best Fight Starter in a Supporting Role.”
Other awards to be given; Kenny would win “Most Conceited Player,” Susie would win “Most Invisible Player to Win Survivor”(yah, i just called that one…), Sugar would win “Most Emotional For No Logical Reason,” and Bob would win “Most Adored Player, Not Including Rupert.”
I have a question though, do you write these comments after you film on location, or do you wait until after the episode airs many months later…
Keep up the good work!
This may be my favorite Probst blog yet! You actually had me laughing out loud here on my couch.
Crystal trying to slam dunk that ball is probably my favorite moment of the season. Hilarious.
Funniest blog post yet, Jeff. I can’t wait for the finale. I have no idea how Susie is still there. I’m pulling for Sugar, and here’s why…she’s been the spoiler to every alliance. She has screwed up everyone else’s game play. And that’s tough! I think she’s the one with the second-highest IQ. And she’s STILL able to bounce back and forth to whatever alliance now has the power and be welcomed with open arms. She has the entire time. Kenny made some great moves, and Matty seems like such a nice guy. Bob will definitely made the finale interesting, though…I don’t know who will win, and no alliance is tight, so it should be a great show Sunday!
Enjoy your blogging, Jeff. Interesting insight on which Survivor winners wouldn’t have been your ideal choices. I love hearing about who you are and are not fond of. Still want to hear more about your issues with Greg from season one though! Any chance you’ll spill some of those details?
sucks for crystal. she was brazen and it makes for good tv. i was waiting for the kenny/crystal finale…those two pulled off the best s*it this season. go kenny! i really hope that neither sugar/susie win. being an emotional retard and doing nothing make you lame-o survivor contestants. and i despise the whole good v. evil thing that usually creeps in near the end. its such an amateur stance and ridiculous to even mention when you just spent almost 39 days playing a game, in africa, for a television show to win a million dollars. if sugar wins, her “good-ness” better donate that million to some charities in africa. or buy a lot more fruit for those gorillas.
Jeff,
How does it feel to have received multiple nominations for worst 2008 pop culture moment for the Emmys hosting gig by EW readers?
I think you make Survivor the show it is myself – and will we find out what the deal is with Randy’s mohawk on Sunday? And does anyone really like each other this season? They all seem to hate each other to some extent.
Thrilled to see Crystal go. Would be thrilled to see Ken go too. Suggestions for future Survivors – those with best survival skills reap more advantages than they have been in the last several Survivors. It seems like, especially this season, those with the least survival skills (with the exception of Bob) are winning. Doesn’t seem right.
I was so mad at Sugar’s immaturity to laugh when Randy got eliminated, but I thought when Sugar said ‘take this cursed thing away from me, Matty’ she may have won a million right then and there tonight.
Isn’t it interesting how the one person there who in a fatherly way gave her hell, has captured her heart. I felt at that the moment he loudly lectured her, she wasn’t angry. She was ashamed and her father spoke through Bob to put her in her place. That’s why she knew she could respect and trust him and why she decided to protect him this evening, and Matty too.
It’ll be an interesting final show on Sunday.
Oh and for all the people who say the tribal changes are messing with their ‘pools’, Our family watch it together and have to select our choice episode one. My sons chose Kenny, and Bob, respectively; my husband chose Sugar and I chose Matty. So we’re doing pretty well so far!!
Ok, so since you’ve more than proved you read this comments, I HAVE to tell you what my boyfriend and I do. We’ve both watched Survivor since season 1, and when we started dating, we began “betting” on it. Not betting real money, whoever loses has to buy the winner chocolate. Anyway, we watch the first episode, and before the second episode airs we each pick the 5 people we think are most likely to be voted out next. If all five of my people get voted out before his, I win; vice versa, he wins. This is the 9th season we’ve done this. I have won 6 times, he has won once, and we tied once (we can have 1 person on our lists that is the same). 4/6 times I won, he had picked the winner (including last season – he had both Amanda and Parvati on his list
). I only have Susie left this season, and he has both Matty and Sugar. Not really sure who’s going to win – hopefully me, since I’ve won the last 6 times! Just thought you might find that kinda funny.
This was a GREAT epidsode! I thought for sure when Randy played the fake idol that would be the highlight of the season… but Sugar giving her immunity idol to Matty tonight was better, probably because it was so unexpected. And if Bob had given up his immunity, I’m positive she would have given hers to Bob towards the same end. Brilliant! Anyone who says Sugar is only a dumb pinup is not paying attention.
. Great season and glad to have found your blog. =)
btw- if you read this Jeff, there are three players this season I would also be very happy to see win (although Sugar will get a career boost and Bob has already won his adventure
I’m all for tribe-swapping as long as no one is left completely powerless to save themselves. Bad tribe-swap: In China, Aaron had virtually no way of stopping his tribemates from throwing immunity and voting him out. Good tribe-swap: In Gabon, Matty was able to save himself by winning immunity even if the rest of his tribe decided to throw the challenge.
Jeff Probst, what is this? I don’t write a novel one week and that is the week you choose to respond each and every individual comment? Well I guess you didn’t respond to everything because you didn’t mention DVDs. We want more. Don’t miss this.
There were SIX sets. You don’t get to six because none of them sell well. The first sets had much more promotion and extra scenes. The later sets did not. Coincidence? Please do something about this, with your mighty producer hand. Get involved with more releases yourself (you could try Gabon on Blu-Ray) and earn a few bucks while helping us!
I don’t know what could be more important than that OTHER than reminding you to keep the show going. Don’t let it stop, don’t stop hosting.
Jeff: You are so funny! This was the BEST survivor ever! I loved it. Sugar switching it up, giving the necklace to Mattie. Bob keeping the immunity necklace. I just enjoyed it tremendously. It’s what keeps me coming back year after year. I hope the final 3 are Bob, Mattie, and Sugar.
Wow… What an episode! I just love that Sugar. She comes off as dingy but I think she is the smartest player and will be the winner.
“Two tribes. No switch. One merge. Final 2. Okay, fine. Done.”
Sounds good to me. Just cast S19 really well and it’ll work. A strong group of characters can bring the entertainment more consistently than any twist.
“when you have three people in the final you have a better opportunity for a good winner because you cannot simply win the final immunity challenge and then take the least liked person with you to the final vote.”
I hate to sound like a broken record, but one other pro of the final two is a more entertaining final TC. With F3, one player is just ignored. Besides, any good winner (see Rich, Tina) knows that F3 positioning is part of the game. Separates them from the Kathys and Cesterninos.
Aw man, the great Brian Heidik is just “that soft-core porno dude” and the most indifferent winner ever, Aras, doesn’t even merit a mention? I guess I can’t blame you, he was that boring. I liked Danni in Guatemala but it’s hard to deny that she was the most boring winner of all time.
Wow, i am SO glad Crystal is gone and pray for kenny, the lying backstabbing weasel, to be gone next. I love what Sugar did. I think of it as retribution for the lies Kenny told to her way back when on how Ace was gunning for her. She seems to have evolved into a different person over the episodes since. Good for her and good for Bob that she seems to have changed for the good. Yes its a game and yes theres a million bucks on the line but do people really have to become for a better word, evil?
And since I ran out of words, I just wanted to add:
I still love the show but I honestly haven’t enjoyed any of the finales that featured a final three. I just kind of wish there would be some sort of poll of fans to see what they prefer. Do it at Survivor Sucks or something (I know you’ve heard of it/been there, Jeff).
Anyway, as much as I complain, I still love the show and appreciate the blogs; they’re a cool read and I hope you do them again next season.
But the main thing I want to add is please, please, please release some more DVDs, especially Africa and Marquesas! These offseasons are tough.
Jeff, are applications for the next season going to be available soon? Will there be casting calls around the country? Any suggestions for the best way to get your video/self seen by the Producers?
some predictions
Susy: will be at the final 3 or 2(probably 3), she’s not a threat. but she wont win since she’s not liked by most of the jury members, she’s still herre by pure luck.
Matty: I he wins all immunities he will be at the final 3or2(he has good chances of doing that), and he has the cute mastermind SUGAR as an ally. His worst case scenario would be that bob and susy go with ken (bob having immunity) and vote him out without the help of sugars WAISTED HII.
BOB: Everyone loves bob, lets face it. He’s the perfect grandpa. If he doesnt win the next immunities will be gone. He has already 4 votes at the jury, enough to win it all. If this guys are good enough, they wont let him win again. For me bob is the strongest player and most possible winner this season.
Sugar: Ms cuddles is really a wolf disguised as sheep. She has been an important vote almost all the season, and she is in a great position now. The matty/Sugar alliance could work…..
Jeff, Thanks for the blog and notes, I have watched the show from day 1 with Richards naked ass, to Rupert the pirate stealing the other tribes stuff, and now Sugar stealing all our hearts. love the show and YOU do make the the show, Yelling, “Come On In” gives me chills when I hear it. cant wait to see who wins!
OMG–are you kidding me? Jeff Probst blogs about Survivor? I can’t believe I’ve been missing out! I’m a die-hard fan since season 1… I’ve only missed one episode, Feb. 17, 2005–giving birth to my daughter.
GOD I love Survivor!
I love your commentary! I’m trying so hard to read between the lines–my pics? Definitely Matty, Sugar, or Bob. My heart wants Sugar or Matty, but Bob is playin’ one helluva game
Hope you keep bloggin’ Jeff–can’t wait for the finale and for the next season, of course
Sugar depends now on matty since she doesnt have her HII. Now she’s a mortal.
Kenny: He’s my personal favorite, even though power got into his head, he has grown up to be a good player. He has played well. But he has lost his number 1 ally, Crystal the ultimate looser. He is in danger now almost all the players that are still on the game could easely kick his skinny butt. If he’s a really good player he will come up with something.
Conclusions: If BOB gets to the final 3or2 He wins it all. The rest have equal possibilities to win except for susy that hasnt done much this season except for voting out marcus(her only good move)
hey probst, why not to try an international survivor?