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Wow! The Heroes of “Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains” have gone from heroes to infighting zeroes in one week! It’s ugly and shocking, but pretty great television.
I’m not sure why I hadn’t considered beforehand the possible downside of having all those exaulted good guys in the same space, fighting for relevance, cash and prizes. See, part of “herohood,” at least on “Survivor,” seems to be a strong self-awareness of one’s supposed goodness, which also often translates in a lot of self-righteous showboating. There is nothing more tedious than one person in a group who thinks they’re right about everything. And in a tribe full of them? Yikes!
And that’s what’s happened with our Heroes, who seem to be realizing that without the so-called “Villains” to balance them out, they don’t seem so shiny and noble. Now, they look as self-preservationist and scrambled as anybody else. It’s sorta disappointing, because I think that at least in some cases I drank the heroic Kool-Aid. And apparently, they did too.
Immediately, the drama formed between Stephenie, one of my favorite Survivors ever because of her pluck and awesomeness, and James, whose initial season I missed but whose elimination with TWO immunity idols in his pocket is one of the shows most awesome displays of “Do Not Do This. Ever.” For some reason, James kept harping on Stephenie’s history of surviving as the last member of her original tribe during her first season, as a clue that she’s crafty, good at eliminating other people and therefore not to be trusted. And he’s got a point. The thing is, if that realization now forms your strategy, don’t tell her about it! Instantly, she’s got her back up around you, and everyone else thinks you’re a hothead who can’t be trusted with an alliance or a secret, because you don’t know when to shut up.
Over in Villain Village, everybody’s just as tiresome as you’d expect, because if the heroes are aware of how noble they’re supposed to be, the Villains are hyper-aware that they’re supposed to be jerks. And they’re really, really into that. Boston Rob, initially, is still trying to lead this characters into making a shelter and not just sitting around twirling their mustaches, but when he has some sort of collapse, shaking and shivering in the woods, he decides he’s through putting himself out there and is going back to being a jerk. That’s bad news for his tribe, because if the heroes ever win an immunity challenge and some Villain has to go, Rob is pretty good at being a jerk.
Also, as Jerri pointed out, if Rob leaves or decides not to be productive, they’re done, because no shelter ever got built by mustache twirling. Russell did kill a stunt chicken, and was as gloaty and self back-patty as you’d imagined. But as long as the Heroes keep self-destructing, he’s free to be a jerk because he ain’t going anywhere.
After the Heroes lost immunity, the scrambling began, and Tom’s plan was to flip Cirie and Amanda. James’ plan was to be a jerk and yell about how Steph was Typhoid Survivor. Amanda’s plan was to look terrified. At Tribal, Probst asked about the idea of loyatly, that people were apt to make alliances with those they’d played with in a previous season. Cirie answered that you have to consider how those previous seasons played out, and pointed out that Amanda had totally thrown her under the bus in favor of Pavarti last time – “Amanda cost me a million dollars!” she says, as Amanda looks panic stricken and ashamed. And scared.
But at the end, Amanda lives to cower in fear of Cirie another day, because Steph’s gone!!! I’m not happy. I wish they’d been able to reconvene during Tribal and switch to James, because he’s so overbearing and twitchy and apt to just go off. Tom, particularly, isn’t feeling him, and gets sort of priggish and self-righteous around him. I still love Tom, because he’s right. The previews for next week are not promising as far as Mr. James goes. He apparently loses it even more. That’s gonna be fun!
James’ physical strength gave them a commanding lead in the puzzle challenge. Your Amanda girl couldn’t follow the designated leader JT and undermined the team.
They lost the lead and the challenge. He wants to win, and isn’t afraid to say exactly why they lost again. It wasn’t JT. It wasn’t the physical end of things. It was your girl.
It was cute how Colby and Tom felt the need to defend her though. Poor girl.
Steph, rather. That’s what I get for watching reality tv piecemeal.
(You’re not biased against black men, are you?)
Anony: After watching the episode again, I agree that James was just trying to get people to hush up and listen, and that Steph didn’t. I still think he needs to think before he lashes out, though. And I agree – Tom and Colby were funny (see what I said about being self-righteous?) In that moment, Tom reminded me of Sean Penn’s humorless speech to Chris Rock at the Oscars, after Rock’s joke about who Jude Law was to be in, like 87, movies that year. It was a great moment in self-serious priggishness.
“I still think he needs to think before he lashes out, though.”
He wants to win, and her mouth lost that puzzle challenge, where his skills had gained them a considerable lead.
Watch it again, and see how Rob spoke up loudly during the challenge to get his team to work together. They overcame a considerable disadvantage, worked together, and … won.
James’ frustration was in not “lashing out” (interesting word choice btw) during the challenge, when he might have minimized Steph’s detriment to the team. His observations of her game from past shows? He’s a thinking man, and clearly understands strategy.
Could he have phrased it more nicely, or been less threatening despite his build? Perhaps. But he got the job done in the end. Good riddance to your girl, if like you so often tout, it’s all about winning and taking home that big prize money.
After you dissed how Russell played last season, it’s like your flip flopping on whether winning is the ultimate, or not.
You’re not biased for the ladies in this game, are you? Because sometimes when you’re competing hard, men — some women even — act like that. Blunt and direct, and doing what it takes to prod the team towards improvement. Styles don’t matter so much as the end results once you get past gender niceties.
Chivalrous men take away from the team, protecting women and weaker players — or attempting to, I should say. It’s all about surviving, adapting to the environment and making changes when you’re losing.
He was right to call her out, and it seemed his teammates backed him — except for the older guys who perhaps see James as a threat to themselves, for whatever reason…
RE: Anonymous:
“lashing out” (interesting word choice btw)
(You’re not biased against black men, are you?)
Get a life. Black or white James was being a jerk and a bully. It doesn’t matter if he was right about no one listening in the challenge, he was overbearing and rude.
It’s ridiculous of you to call out a stranger and accuse them of being racist – here’s a flip for you – are YOU biased against white people?
ps. I’m not black or white so don’t accuse me of being racist
“I still love Tom, because he’s right.”
About what exactly? He is a cutie though for an older man, if that’s what you’re saying…
I thought Tom was right about James needing to chill. In a priggish sort of way :)
DVR really does do wonders for being able to watch and reconsider.
Thanks for writing!
Can’t wait to see what happens next. See you next week!
Nope, Leslie.
I don’t plan to continue reading your first drafts. If you’re going to write about the show and the stragies, that’s one thing.
But your methods of reviewing seem to change with your personal life (remember when I wrote last year that as a single woman, you were concentrating too much on who did it for you personally, and how I predicted that would change when you weren’t thinking so much like that? Damn but I was right — you don’t focus on the “hawttie” factor so much anymore, it seems ;-) And you don’t include your bf’s opinions in your work so much anymore, thankfully.)
Sorry if that comes off as rude, and clearly you don’t care much what your readers think. But it is lazy to post your first drafts, and cheerily announce, “You’re right. I’ve changed my mind! Glad to help you get this thread kicked off — for some reason, I’ve noticed the comment threads are nil on your other reviews. Still, page hits are page hits.
You’re very welcome, and good luck establishing a consistent reviewing style!
!!
ps. And I still think it odd that the black man trying to win was accused of “lashing out” for honestly stating his opinions and urging the team to think of how best to win.
JT and James all the way.
ps. I will read the big Accent article featuring you and Scott starring in a Wedding. We all know it’s coming soon, to the lifestyle pages nearest you!
Will your honeymoon plans run in the Travel section too?
TMI, friend, TMI.
James bullied Stephenie. He was loud, aggressive, and rude when he was talking to her. When Tom calmly confronted him at TC, he was quieter and calmer.
Listening to one person isn’t the way to the win the challenge if the one person speaking stops knowing what they’re doing and thus, stops giving directions. About halfway through the puzzle, JT didn’t know what he was doing and stopped saying anything.
But, I’m not surprised by James — or Rupert. This behavior isn’t new. It’s the way they acted when they played before.