Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
Each week, Survivor host Jeff Probst answers a few questions about the most recent episode of Redemption Island.
You and I both really liked Sarita going into this game, at least as a personality if not a player. What has happened to her out there? I’ve seen none of the quirky spunk that she displayed in my pre-game chat with her.
I think the game overwhelmed Sarita. I don’t think she’ll ever admit it but I think it was more than she anticipated, which happens quite often to players. Survivor requires that you throw yourself headfirst into the game. So far, she hasn’t. She’s in a pickle now… to fight or not to fight at RI.
Although the challenge ended up extremely close, this was a fairly spread out one and at times the teams were at different stations. What’s your strategy for keeping an eye on everything and making sure you’re able to call everything and let teams know when they can proceed at various points?
Good question. During rehearsal we try to anticipate worst case scenarios regarding one tribe being ahead of another. When necessary we can always put a “judge” at a station to ensure they are following all rules. I typically follow the most interesting story until the time comes that I have to get to the finish line.
How can the women of Ometepe not be looking for the hidden immunity clues at all when they win rewards? Are they just that oblivious to the strategic elements of the game, or are they putting all their blind faith in Boston Rob and assuming they can just sit back, pluck out their body hair and let him take them to the end?
I have absolutely no idea. Same with Grant. Rob is as close to a Godfather as we’ve had on the show. His tribe seems to both respect and fear him. It’s a good question for the Reunion show.
We saw from the promo that we have a merge and the winner of the next Redemption Island duel heading back into the game next week. What else can you tease us up with?
A tribal council that will have your jaw on the floor.
For more from Jeff on last night’s episode, check out jeffprobst.com. To read Dalton’s recap, click right here. To watch an exclusive deleted scene from last night’s episode as well as our pre-game interview with Stephanie, simply watch the video player below. And for more Survivor scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter @EWDaltonRoss.
“Jaw on the floor”? Hopefully, that means Rob is targeted and he uses the hidden immunity idol to unexpectedly take out someone (hopefully, Impressive Hair Shirt Guy)
That’s exactly what I hope it means.
Even better would be if there was a coup to oust Rob, and another to oust Ralph. Rob gets most votes, Ralph somes in second, and they both play their immunity idol. That would be a riot.
Hopefully Boston Rob will be gone next week. I don’t like him with a bunch of newbies, he has the experience they lack. I don’t understand why everyone says that this 6 to 8 pieces puzzles are so difficult. LOL. I can understand that under pressure they can be difficult, but come on. Anyhow, Boston Rob, Amanda and Russell are all in a class of their own, with Amanda being the superior player. She is the only person who has played the game three times and played more than 100 days consecutively.
Parvati has played over 100 days and 3 seasons.
Amanda was a dimwit who’s only skill was making cow eyes and looking pathetic.
Amanda is not even in the same galaxy as Parvati. Parvati is much to bold, smart and cut throat as compared to Amanda and probably even a better athlete. What Parvati doesn’t have is leadership skills. I feel like it might be a gender thing where everyone even in heroes vs villains were in awe of Rob and following his leadership, I have never seen any survivor woman lead a tribe like that and Parvati doesn’t have that general like Boston Rob or Margret Thatcher type personality. She is more of a master manipulator than a leader.
RBC, yes you are correct about Parvati. The only difference is that unlike Amanda, Parvati got voted off on her first season, so she has not played 100 days consecutively. Anshuman, if you go back to season 1 you will see that a woman named Gretchen Cordy was the leader of Pagon. There have been woman who are leaders. It just seems that they are not loud about it like the men.
The only coup that is going to happen isn’t going to happen in Nicaragua on Redemption Island. It’s going to be to get you off this blog site poopdog! Now that’s how you spell that name!
The only thing that Miss Montana beauty queen is superior at is being hot. She’s without a doubt the sexiest female Survivor in the history of the game. But as far as strategy and skill at challanges she’s no where near Boston Rob and Russell’s league.
dont forget impressive shirt guy has a idol of his own…
But he would have to be smart enough to play it before votes are counted. Don’t think so.
i’m thinking the jaw ont he florr is more like matt makes it back into the game…and then they vote him out. seriously, if i were rob i’d be telling everyone to get rid of the guy for sure. he’s just won EVERY redemeption island challenge. not someone you want around for an individual immunity game…
“I have absolutely no idea”…otherwise known as, “of course they aren’t playing strategically, Dalton! They were recruited at some talent agency like everyone else!”
love it, yes—it still blows my mind that they think casting “pretty people” over interesting game players is the way to go, but what can we do?
Ok seriously dude, there needs to be a balance between interesting people and pretty people. I would stop watching if a season only had the likes of Cirie and yau man and not a single hottie bringing the sex appeal.
The merge is so predictable now. I think when each tribe had 6 players, that’s when they should have mixed them up and had 3/3 from each together. They are getting to comfortable, or uncomfortable, depending on the tribe. I loved the season with Stephanie when the merge didn’t happen until she was the only one left standing at her tribe!!
I dunno – it looks like David will flip, Phillip will go to the other side (more than he already has…) and the contestant re-entering from Redemption Island is a bit of a wild card – re-join the group that voted you out or flip? Could be some interesting dynamics…
I’m glad that we haven’t seen any swaps since Gabon. Swaps ruined that season by making long-term strategic decisions irrelevant and allowing weak players, Suzie and Sugar, to make it to the final three.
What we really need is a season without a merge. A manufactured Palau. This would make tribe strength the most important factor, create an interesting story, and turn mutiny from an occasional gimmick into a real possibility.
With the RI twist it’s far from predictable. Matt could be an extra number for the team that needs him (the team that DIDN’T vote him out), or create a suballiance of his own… so many things could happen. I don’t think it’s predictable at ALL.
Matt also has the benefit of having ALL of the info/intel given at all of the duels. No one else was there for all of them.
I think I would like Redemption Island better if instead of a duel every week, all the people voted out went to Redemption Island to live together and then when it was time for somebody to come back into the game, their would be some epic challenge and the winner would be sent back. The individual duels are taking too much time away from the real tribe dynamic and strategy.
I agree. I feel like it also takes away some of the satisfaction of seeing someone totally blindsided in the vote.
Now this seems like a good idea!
I like that idea!!!
I too think these duels take away from the rest of the game. Good idea to let them all live together and then duke it out for one to return to the game. Are you listening, producers?!?
I think the girls should have to run around camp and during challenges topless.
I was struck by a comment one of Russel’s girls made before voted out at Tribal Council. She said “we’ll keep fighting at Redemption Island.”
I think it would be sweet if RI was changed so that the goal was for one tribe to “conquer” it and use it as another avenue for tribal advancement.
That’s a good idea. My idea is simply to stop sending other tribe members to the duels. I think it would be more interesting and require more strategy if the tribes didn’t know who was surviving at redemption island. Would they be making different decisions if they thought Russell might be coming back? Also, I think having an audience allows too much interaction, pre-merge, between opposing tribe members.
I agree that there shouldn’t be any spectators. I think it should be a surprise as to who’s coming back, and I also think that person should have immunity the first week.
I hope they send smug Rob packing.
BOO!
me too!
Me three!
Go Grant!
I admit I’m a wee bit tired this morning but I don’t get how Matt has not earned his way back into the game automatically at this point. If there is only one challenge left, then Sarita can come in, win, and just like that return whereas all the hard work Matt has had – no rewards, doing everything on his own, isolated from the rest of his tribe – could be gone just by losing once? It doesn’t seem fair.
I guess I misunderstood redemption island.
And dalton I wish you’d as US what we wanted to know from Jeff rather than just rehashing your own experiences together with people you met before the show began, etc.
I agree that Matt will be totally and unfairly robbed by being beaten by someone who only went through one challenge with him. No way should this happen. VERY sloppy planning by whomever comes up with these things.
Its fair in that Stephanie managed not to get voted out until that time, a feat Matt did not accomplish rather early on. Redemption exists as a chance for those who failed early to prove that despite their early vote off, they should be kept in the game. Those who avoid being voted off have up to that point proved they deserved to be around. So it’s not a matter of unfairness if Matt loses, as it shows the tribe member who outlasted him up to that point should still get the chance to continue to outlast him.
perfectly argued! i agree
I think I would rather see the RI thing continue until the end and then have the victor from RI become the 3rd in the final 3 – just to mix it up.
If they survive that long on RI, I think they deserve to be in the final.
Plus, it adds a strategic element to the game – whether to try to make it in your tribe or take your chances on RI and be assured of a spot in the final.
I’m glad Sarita was voted out.
I hope the merge doesn’t happen just yet. I want to see the Sinister Six tribe crumble some more and turn on one another. That’ll be some great tv.
Sorry – it’s a done deal – didn’t you see the preview for next week?
Of course it’s a done deal it happened already last summer. Trailer’s mean nothing! The Merge is probably going to happen next week but it hasn’t happened until it happens.
Didn’t you read the article? The merge happens next week.
Articles and trailers mean nothing stupid! It’s the results of it happening in real time that matters. Until the merge happens next week it hasn’t happened.
Jeff said point-blank during the Twitter-cast that the merge is happening next week.
And I’m telling you point blank that you are a jerk!
They are no longer the Sinister Six. They are the Fatal Five!
It’s good David is still in over Sarita. He played a risky move last time by writing her name down and it payed off during this episode. But they can’t lose again otherwise he’s probably next.
The same people who targeted Russell will target Rob. There is a fear of great players and it’s understandable that there is an appropriate time to want to knock him out. Phillip is a nut. But he already said that he will turn on Rob in a minute. I would agree that if it’s “jaw dropping”, then Rob will be forced to play the idol and turn on someone.
I’d rather see Rob win individual immunity than have to play that idol so early… everyone in his alliance will lose their trust for him if he has to reveal that he has it while there are still so many people to manage.
Rob chucking the now useless idol clue into the volcano was awesome. I died laughing. I know some of you don’t like him but I think he plays the game masterfully. Maybe I’m just biased toward a Boston guy cause most of my family is from there (not me though). Still he is awesome.
I love Boston Rob and agree that he plays the game masterfully. I think the he and to a lesser degree, Matt, are making this season well worth watching.
This season is worth watching even without them. You don’t need a 4 time All-Star and a goldenboy Jesus worshiper to make the season good. Grant by far is a better athlete than Matt. Matt is only still in the season because he went up against weak people in pathetic challanges.
Matt better beat Sarita next week. Because the trailer showed him complaining about a cut on his foot. I hope that means nothing and they are just trying to build suspense with that in the trailer. Now is the time to eliminate a Sinister Six member. I don’t want to hear convenient excuses.
I liked David rubbing salt in the wound after Sarita was voted out. Never get too comfortable in this game.
David is talking his way out of being any sort of contender. His arrogance is repulsive, the only reason to keep him around is to get to the finals with him—-NOONE will vote him the million bucks.
Finally the Sinister Six have lost a member. Now that goldenboy Matt better step up next week otherwise it’s all for not because next week is the merge and the Redemption winner comes back into the game. As seen in the trailer. And poor miss uptown girl Sarita the sandbagger. That’s what she’s been because she’s never done anything but lay around and complain. First about her tooth and now that she didn’t bring her stuff to tribal council. Ah! It’s almost sad. Now the jawdropping event going on next week will be the merge and the end of Redemption Island. But one of those idols might be used at tribal. Either Ralph’s or Rob’s!