Survivor 2012 Wraps Up. It Was One of the Best Ever .

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To all Readers of this Blog, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  See you next year!

 

Yes I did quite enjoy Survivor Philippines.

The winner, as most yon readers probably know, was Denise. I am not surprised a bit. Denise played a wonderful game, she was diplomatic, she was tenacious, she was a real politician.

Not that it was easy watching the finale of Survivor Philippines. Goodness there was the actual episode. Following up was the final Tribal Council. Then we had the "AFTER SURVIVOR" show. Goodness if anyone tried to DVR all that they'd have been hopelessly out of sync. If it wasn't the football games, it was the President and his speech.

I did the wise and just tuned in live.

I liked Lisa, goodness, and Skupin also played a good game. But Denise ran circles around everybody and, indeed, Denise one handily.

I'm still trying to understand how this show works, indeed how most of these reality shows like this work. "Big Brother" and "Bachelor Pad" all work under the same premise: the co-contenders vote out the losers and the last one standing wins.

Once you get down toward the end the eliminations make sense. Throwing Malcolm out, for example, at the last tribal council, made a lot of sense. For it was Malcolm who really played the best game. He survived, along with Denise, down to the last two of his tribe. He won many immunity rewards. He was a pleasant fellow and had he been one of the final two I think he would have one.

It isn't always clear to me how the contenders hone in on a co-contender from early to mid-season. At least to me it's not clear. Perhaps other more seasoned viewers catch on right away.

I do know that often, right at the beginning, there's usually a few co-contenders who are not so easy to live with.

In Survivor Philippines I did not understand how Abi stayed in there so long and for sure I don't know why they kicked out Carter when they did. Carter should have been around longer than Malcolm as I figured.

Whatever the case, Survivor Philippines unfolded, much like the universe, as it should.

Great reality competitive series, the granddaddy of them all.
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Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:

Judging by the First Episode of Survivor 2012-We've Got a Winner

Survivor Philippines: Child Stars and Just Plain Children Dot This Survivor Series

Survivor Philippines Heads to Finale. Predictions, Observations, Snark

Survivor Philippines Plows On. $320 For a Plate of Pancakes?


Survivor Airs Wednesday Nights, CBS, at 8pm

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Survivor Philippines Plows On. $320 For a Plate of Pancakes?

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So let me get this straight. The contenders on Survivor (Anywhere) cannot eat except what they catch in the sea or off of a coconut tree? Because now I've watched three season's of this show and this factoid is not made entirely clear.

Sure I understand the meaning of "survive" but I also know we live in a litigious society and should just one of those contenders drop from hunger they'd be millionaires. Yeah they sign contracts but contracts signed by those who sign away their very lives are usually regarded with skepticism.

Which is why the auction off of foodstuffs for outrageous prices kind of surprises me. Denise bid $320 for a plate of pancakes first thing and my heart went out to those poor people. I'm trying to imagine living a life, day in, day out, with no food save that I caught or picked.

And I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY THREW OUT CARTER!

I mean Carter gave up a meal for his own self during the auction episode to bring back beans and rice for the tribe! Next chance they get they boot him off the island!

When the whole time they got this Abi silly girl who they all complain about and evidently cannot stand. But Carter was the biggest threat to win the game, yes I understand that. I also understand, as the ever emotional Lisa (she's going to have a genuine mental breakdown she stays on much longer) reminds us, this show is all about lying, who lies the best, who lies at the exact right time.

Well all of these sorts of competitive reality shows have this sort of template, no? I always smile when one contender sidles up to another and offers to form an "alliance". Every chance the contenders get to speak to the audience through camera solo vignettes the alliance members will tell us how they fooled the other members….it's part of the charm I suppose.

I've no issue, in terms of winning the game and everything, with the tribe booting Carter. I do get that it will be easier to throw Abi overboard the closer this Survivor series goes to jury.

But dag, Carter gave up some fine food to bring home food for the tribe. Booting him seems downright mean.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:

Judging by the First Episode of Survivor 2012-We've Got a Winner

Survivor Philippines: Child Stars and Just Plain Children Dot This Survivor Series

Survivor Philippines Heads to Finale. Predictions, Observations, Snark

Survivor Airs Wednesday Nights, CBS, at 8pm

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Survivor Philippines Heads to Finale. Predictions, Observations, Snark

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Goodness, if a winner could be telegraphed it would, for this 2012 season of Survivor Philippines-

It would be Survivor contender Denise.

First, the combining of the tribes.

On 10/18/12 the Matsing tribe was dispersed with the last two members of Matsing merged into Kalabaw. The following episode (10/31/12) all tribes merged into one.

Kalabaw Tribe
 

For these past few shows, goodness, it's been all Denise all the time.

Make no mistake, she is a formidable player.

First of all, her Bio says she is a Sex Therapist.

Now I know there are people who do this, a sort of adjunct of marriage counseling I must assume. And I understand that this occupation gives her no advantage on Survivor except maybe when the jury votes.

In fact, should Denise make it to the final two I've no doubt at all she will be the winner.

She's a pleasant lady, she's strong, she's determined, she'll negotiate and the camera seems to always be upon her.

Returning Survivor contender Penner was voted out on the Halloween episode of Survivor Philippines but he had the immunity idol and he used it.

Tandang Tribe

Look for Penner to be in the cross hairs for elimination because they voted him out once, they'll do it again.

Dawson and R.C. were voted out in the two most recent episodes.

The other Survivor Philippines getting a lot of camera time is former child star Lisa Whelchel. Allegedly Whelchel is playing the game anonymously. Another player, also a former TV star supposedly, is on to her.

I remember Lisa well. She played the snobby character in "Facts of Life", a staple of my daughter's TV viewing childhood.

Now Lisa is a devout Christian and active in many Christian causes. She is 49 years old according to her bio. She has aged very well, she looks good, she's strong and she could go to the end. IF, by some weird juxtaposition the final two would be Denisa and Lisa I couldn't put a bet on one or the other.

For now I declare Denise one Survivor Philippines contender to look out for.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:

Judging by the First Episode of Survivor 2012-We've Got a Winner

Survivor Philippines: Child Stars and Just Plain Children Dot This Survivor Series

Survivor Airs Wednesday Nights, CBS, at 8pm

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Survivor Philippines: Child Stars and Just Plain Children Dot This Survivor Series

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So the women still wear their brief bathing suits on Survivor Philippines as is done on all Survivor series even though the sun must shine hotly and a simpler one piece affair might be better for the tasks.

But I snark on because nothing much changes. Under the guise of immunity competitions and elimination contests, the ladies wear skimpy attire as it might be considered needed but folks, it's not.

The girls where these abbreviated things for the titillation of our male brethren and for no other reason.

The Kalabaw Tribe
 

The Tandang Tribe

Not that there's anything wrong with this.

The series is beginning to generate interest in the contenders and I'm intrigued.

Ugly Zane and vapid Angie have been sent home. Tough Roxie got the boot as well. There are now three tribes: Kalibaw, Matsing, and Tandang.

The contests now involve three tribes, so two tribes may go forward. The first place tribe in whatever is being challenged often gets a special prize. Second place keeps that tribe from being part of any kind of elimination, and there's often a smaller prize offered. Third place is the losing tribe and all that this entails.

As the contest goes on the tribes will probably be combined down to two and eventually the remaining contenders will be melded into one tribe.

At least that's how these things usually go.

The personalities of the various contenders begins to emerge. Russell, a former Survivor contender sent home for sickness, is a bit of a hot head.

Lisa Whelchel, former star of "Facts of Life" is a cry baby of the highest order.

RC and Child Star Lisa Whelchel

The Matsing tribe is pretty bad, having by now lost the first three immunity challenges.

Russell is a liability almost, to his tribe.
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The above was written before last night's (10/10/12)episode. Heh. Matsing LOST AGAIN.

Watching those three remaining losers was almost painful.

Russell, God Bless, got sent home and I saw this coming a mile away, witness my line above the dashed lines above.

It's time for Survivor to do something off or outrageous, like bring in family, have some weird contest, something different like these types of shows do.

We shall see.

Keep coming back to this Blog cause we cover this series with careful eyeball.

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Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:


Survivor Airs Wednesday Nights, CBS, at 8pm

Judging by the First Episode of Survivor 2012-We've Got a Winner

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Judging by the First Episode of Survivor 2012-We've Got a Winner

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There's a big surprise on Survivor Philippines in this year of our Lord, 2012.

Her name is Lisa Whelchel. She was once a child star on a long-running series beloved by my daughter, "Facts of Life."

Now this is a widely known fact, of course. But it is being kept a secret from Lisa's co-contenders. The older contenders, of course, remember Lisa from her days as a child star.

Also, Survivor has brought back a few former Survivor contenders. They are Jonathan, Russell, and Michael. All of these former contenders were taken away from their Survivor game due to health issues, both accidental and medical.

The series begins with three tribes: Matsing, Tandang and Kalabaw. The contenders are allegedly in the Philippines and life has not been kind to so many. Lack of fire is a big problem so far this season.

There's been a couple of eliminations so far, none of any import. The bigger elimination battles will soon be coming.

Till now, contender Zane asked to be eliminated cause the constant rain drove him crazy. Or something. Contender Roxy got eliminated in an elimination with co-contender, young Angie. Roxie was a nasty somebody while Angie is...eh, a dingbat.

The tribe, I must suppose, chose to get rid of the battleaxe then would deal with the light-headed.

When asked what she would do to make relationships within the Matsing tribe better, Angie responded "Maybe a cookie?".

Well I don't know what that meant either but it sure sounded silly. I'll be kind and suggest the child was offering that a happy thing, such as a cookie, would make grouchy rain-soaked co-tribe-members happier, thus more affable.

Already story lines are revolving around Lisa Whelchel and the returning former Survivor contenders.

Returnees from a different series are often distrusted and targeted as a source for eliminations/evictions. This goes on across the spectrum of elimination type reality shows.

But the new contenders will keep the experienced contenders around enough to learn new tricks and/or form alliances with them for their inside knowledge.

Lisa's "script" involved her abandonment as a child actress as she languished in lonely boarding schools. So too did her co-tribe members shun her, the co-contender they see as too old for the rigor of the show, a liability, a puzzle whose past they do not know.

Only Lisa proves to be a valuable team member during one night's elimination challenge and the angel's sang and the tears flowed for the joy of it. And when her team discovers Lisa's former fame there will be cheers in Mudville as a former lonely child star steps up to receive plaudits as a most cherished member of the team.

Well hey, the script wrote itself. I'm just summarizing.

Okay, tongue now out of cheek I must assert that it will all come together, that the mix of contenders on the Survivor Philippines series promises an interesting and intriguing run.

We'll be remarking on the various episodes as required so come back to this Blog to find out what's happening on Survivor, served up with some snark and sarcasm and maybe some gentle humor.

Survivor Airs Wednesday Nights, CBS, at 8pm

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.