After a two week blog hiatus, I’m back! This week on Survivor NZ we saw the devastation of Eve and JTs failed idol play (although, I think playing a failed idol is better than going home with one!), the continuous shaming of Sulky Dylan, a new SNZ queen arose and the cheapest looking slide puzzle Survivor has ever seen!
Super-Fan Strikes Back
Oh Dylan, the last few weeks have been quite torturous to watch to say the least. This is not how we all thought your first attempt (look at me pre-empting your return already :P) at Survivor would go down. It’s been hard to watch the treatment of Dylan, even though it hasn’t been wholly justified by the edit, but I think what we’ve seen is enough. After Kaysha (bless her cotton socks) left I thought OMG, will he be able to stand on his own?! Thankfully, the tribe swap came last week and Dylan had some new Chani play mates! Unfortunately, the guys over there already thought he was a snake (Dylan, watch your sassy mouth!!) and absolutely no one trusts him which is kind of hilarious. As much as we love seeing superfans cast, man some of them just come off a little too strong… Looking at you AK (see #SurvivorAU)! Ryan Ulrich in HHH was probably one of the best superfans who played a flawless first half game, and that’s how you want to be seen. That aside, I’m hoping Dylan can somehow weave his way back in. And after a laughable attempt by Adam, Josh and Matt trying to nab his vote at this week’s tribal council, Dylan decided a big bloody fat HELL NO and voted with original Chani. There literally was no other option for him. And was it a smirk as Josh walked out? Maybe, but if you were outcast by everyone on your tribe, wouldn’t you be happy to see one of them go? HELL YES! (note to self Dylan get botox shots on your next season).
Survivor Villains
Now, by all means, I love Mean Girls, but watching it play out in real life is just nasty shite! When do villains become too much? And yes I’m talking about Adam. He’s had his hilarious moments in confessionals and at challenges which have been great entertainment. He’s also provided some memorable scenes and one-liners which I also appreciate. Otherwise, Adam’s airtime has been rubbishing Dylan behind is back. We’ve seen Survivors trash talk each other before (mainly to each other; see Shii-Devil v Chaboga Mogo, Sandra v Russell, Shirin v the World’s Apart cast), but I feel like the secret snide remarks are just getting a little too personal now. And many viewers aren’t happy about it either. Let’s look at how some of our most-loved Survivor villains were treated in the past…
Exhibit A) Russell Hantz: pretty much hated by all in Samoa, clean slate in HvV turned quickly when he became hated again, and then it just all fell apart in Redemption Island! And the fans were split; you either love or hate the Hantz. Ultimately, Russell has tough skin and didn’t give a shit. Haha. Exhibit B) Jerri Manthey: it was an even pick n mix in Aussie Outback, and then she was hated so much in All Stars she was booed off-stage at the reunion by the audience. Jerri did give a shit. Fortunately her return many years later in HvV was a positive one and she changed her haters minds! Exhibit C) Colton Cumbie: Really was a nasty biatch and mostly hated by everyone in One World, and this translated into viewers as well. He then came back for Blood v Water and after that miserable run he didn’t change viewers minds at all. Colton didn’t give a shit either, and at the time he had his wonderful boyfriend, Caleb. Who could blame him… RIP. So where does Adam stand?
Of course the edit has a lot to say for each castaway and Adam has definitely been chosen as the IT boy this season, with Tess as his evil sidekick (villain by association), but with what’s gone down already, you can’t help but think how juicy the Reunion will be, nor will he give a shit about how he’s perceived. I always think you should own your game, no matter how you’re portrayed, so he’s got that! It’s just a fight for Queen of Sass at the moment!
Sexy Matt Time
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am loving Matt Chisholm’s enthusiasm and hosting skills this season. Not that he was horrible last year (not at all), but you can definitely see the improvement there. Sure, he dresses like a Jeff Probst minion, but he’s really come into his own with his own quotes like “in the drink” and pretty much calling castaways idiots at tribal. Hahaha. Classic #kiwijeff.
Maybe one day Matty will become Executive Producer like Probst and have a say where budget goes… No one wants to see shonky-design challenges… Poor Tess!! And that slide puzzle.. My God, you could have easily picked those pieces up when Matt wasn’t looking. Cameras stay quiet right? 😛
Quiet Achievers
So, what are Lisa and Tara up to? Not much from what we’ve seen so far, but sometimes silence is golden (again, Dylan watch your sassy mouth! Haha). Lisa showed promising signs in the beginning, knowing not to go too hard, too fast and playing the best under the radar game so far! Seems like she knows where she stands. Tara, I’m not so sure. She confessed not aligning with anyone in particular and keeping her options open, which can be a double edged sword. You don’t want to be seen as a Flipper (they never win…bloody Dan Foley), or worse, a goat! Lucky for both ladies they have each other on new KK and it makes sense to stick with Brad and Tess… For now. Honestly would love to see them join JT and Eve… MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Real Estate Rise
Omg raise your hand if you’re team ReeRee!! She’s like Debbie Wanner collecting Intel, but not annoying, and actually makes good decisions… That was a bad comparison. Barb and I had high hopes for the real estate shark… It was touch and go there for a while as bigger characters and storylines took hold early on, but it seems she is now finding her feet on new Chani. Renee seems to now be all in with Arun and Dave (who probably don’t see her as a game threat, ha!), calling shots and being the voice of reason for the two lads. I feel she also gained more respect after winning the Outpost and ultimately stealing new KKs beloved tarp. Suckers. Spending time with Dylan also helped her cause and I feel Renee is gonna be one to watch from now on!
Survivor Sob Stories
When it comes to Survivor, I’m not really one for sad/sob stories (as part of one’s game and they also make me sad, HA!). Sharing with your new tribe mates is cool and all and can help form relationships, but when they’re used to make others feel guilty? NO. I mean, Jonny Fairplay made up a story about a dead grandma, who are we to believe anymore?! Haha. Josh’s exit saying “I’ve been through a lot and it’ll soon be evident” was probably a bitter, cusp of the moment comment, but jeez mega eyeroll! No wonder Dylan smirked 😛
His story aside, Josh was a massive threat to all, and I feel especially come the individual phase he would’ve whooped their asses! A worthy Survivor player and he seems real chillaxed now the show is airing; blindsides are the way to go! 😉 Josh is sent home in 13th place. 4-Josh, 2-Dylan, 1-Renee.
Next Time on… Survivor NZ
I smell MERGE in two weeks, which is interesting as there’s no sign of a merge next episode with only 12 people left.
If Chani lose again, Adam and Matt look as if they’re in trouble and to be honest I’d love to see Matt (and his manbuns) shine without his brofos!! Matt, give us some action! On the flip side, Dylan and Renee could potentially see Arun or Dave (who are killing it right now!!) as bigger threats than the KK boys! Sounds juicy either way.
The preview for next episode shows Matt (#kiwijeff), call Tara to a boat, and I wonder if it’s a Terry Dietz type of situation where there’s a problem at home and she’s pulled from the game… Ooh! And if KK go to tribal? It really is dependant on Lisa and Tara’s vote, no? Hmm. Also, Adam says he feels like he’s playing with “real villains”, so that’s thrown me off. Ha!
Lastly, I’ve noticed the SNZ FB page post Jury Villa videos and it’s fucking confusing!! Can someone tell them not to call it Jury Villa if they’re not on the Jury…?! :/
Cast Assessment Tally. Yes Barb, I have some catching up to do 😛
Blog by Lynda Olson
ALL IMAGES USED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE COPYRIGHT TVNZ AND SCOTT MCAULAY. THIS IS A PERSONAL BLOG AND ALL VIEWS AND GIFS ARE CBS’ AND MY OWN.
