...is shaping up to be the best season ever.

how far into the season is it? I hate starting more than a couple episodes in.

Yeah they pulled a good group here.

"She's ghetto trash and she needs to go back where she came from"

Dont you say this like every second or third season?

Its ok so far. I really have a hard time getting too into it until the Merge.

Eating ketchup sandwiches and drinking Kool Aid...the N bomb was just hanging there in the air waiting for someone to grab and wield its magical, show stopping powers.

dude should have just let it rip.

<--- wish this was a dancing watermelon.

It totally just sat there...waiting...waiting...waiting.

There's always next week.

Not feeling it yet. But at least we got the obligatory "medical evacuation" out of the way early.

Not so fast!

Pretty intense moment there when Russell died.

Yeah those zombie eyes freaked me out.

I kept telling me wife that I had read online an spoiler that he ACTUALLY DIES and that this was a very special Survivor...

Not amused.

I was also questioning that Jeff could just decide to stop a challenge and declare that both tribes had to go to tribal without consulting anyone else though I guess that got sorted out in the end.

I finally figured out who Brett looks like...

I always thought my favorite professor from college looked like Nash.

holy shit, you're right.


I just read EW's ranking of Survivor's Seasons

1. Survivor: Borneo (Winner: Richard Hatch)
Think back to when this show first came on the air — and how we had never seen anything like it. Nothing will ever be able to duplicate that sense of wonder and excitement…

2. Survivor: Micronesia — Fans Vs. Favorites (Winner: Parvati Shallow)
…although this one came damn close. It wasn’t just the most insane four-episode-run in Survivor history (with Ozzy, Jason, and Erik all getting blindsided, and then Amanda pulling out one last hidden immunity idol). It was also great characters (Chet and Joel are the 21st century odd couple) and the perfect mix of solid and stupid gameplay.

3. Survivor: Amazon (Winner: Jenna Morasca)
Probably the most unpredictable season ever from week to week. Some people hate on Morasca as a winner, but she won challenges and played a great social game.

4. Survivor: Pearl Islands (Winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Rupert stealing shoes. Fairplay getting drunk at Tribal Council. Osten sucking at everything. It was all delicious. Loses points, though, for the awful Outcasts twist, which also led to a disappointing final two.

5. Survivor: Palau (Winner: Tom Westman)
I loved watching one tribe decimate the other, culminating with Stephenie becoming a tribe of one. And the challenges may have been Survivor’s best ever.

6. Survivor: Samoa (Winner: ???)
Never in the history of Survivor can I remember a player going from being so hated to so hailed as Russell Hantz. His controlling of the game (especially post-merge when his side was down 8-4) was truly a work of art. Evil genius art. (Note: This ranking could move up or down a few slots depending on what happens in final two episodes.)

7. Survivor: Marquesas (Winner: Vecepia Towery)
An underrated season that saw the first totem pole shake-up: where people on the bottom got together to overthrow those on the top. Yes, it was a weak final two, but it also had a woman peeing on a guy’s hand. Plus: Purple rock!!!
8. Survivor: Cook Islands (Winner: Yul Kwon)

What a difference a mutiny makes. It was listless until that fateful moment when Candice and Penner stepped off the mat. Then, we finally had underdogs to root for. The Tribal Council fire-making tiebreaker between Sundra and Becky may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

9. Survivor: Australian Outback (Winner: Tina Wesson)
An overrated season. Probst loves it. I didn’t. Solid but unspectacular. Pretty predictable boot order as well. Dude did burn his hands off, though.

10. Survivor: China (Winner: Todd Herzog)
Really good cast. Kinda blah location.

11. Survivor: Tocantins (Winner: J.T. Thomas)
Okay, you may hate Coach. But imagine for a second this season without him. Bo-ring! His unintentional comedy single-handedly lifts this into the middle of the pack. Seriously, other than Tyson getting blindsided, were there any memorable moments that didn’t involve the Steven Seagal wannabe?

12. Survivor: All-Stars (Winner: Amber Brkich)
Overall, a letdown, but man, were there some hate-fueled fireworks at those final few Tribal Councils. Plus: Best. Reunion Show. Ever. (Remember Jerri getting literally booed off the stage?)

13. Survivor: Panama (Winner: Aras Baskauskas)
Ah, just writing the word Panama gets me daydreaming about Survivor Sally and her intoxicating knee socks. Terry was robbed on a final challenge that may or may not have been completely fair. Another unmemorable final two.

14. Survivor: Gabon (Winner: Bob Crowley)
It got a bit better near the end, but it was still a case of too little, too late. The fact that so many unworthy players went so far is simply too damning.

15. Survivor: Africa (Winner: Ethan Zohn)
Some great challenges. Not that much else was great.

16. Survivor: Guatemala (Winner: Danni Boatwright)
One of the more unlikable casts so far. (Remember Judd? Jamie? Stephenie’s evil twin?) Rafe was good for a few laughs, though. Especially on rope obstacles.

17. Survivor: Vanuatu (Winner: Chris Daugherty)
I don’t blame producers: The battle of the sexes worked well the first time around.

18. Survivor: Thailand (Winner: Brian Heidik)
The fake merge and brutal last challenge (where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose) keep this dud out of the bottom spot. Barely.

19. Survivor: Fiji (Winner: Earl Cole)
The season that we shall never speak of again. With the exception of Yau-Man and Earl, a true bummer of a cast, and the “Haves Vs. Have-Nots” twist was perhaps the worst creative decision in Survivor history — after the “Outcasts.”

So who do we like to win this thing? In order, I'd say...

1. Russell
2. Mick
3. Brett
4. Natalie
5. Jayson

The only people guaranteed not to vote for Russ are the three chicks on the jury: I could save Dave, John and/or Erik voting for him out of respect. (Erik, btw, should win an award for "best jury member ever"--dude has the best reactions to what's going on)

I think Russ can take it if the jury decides intellectually as opposed to emotionally. If not him, I'd say Natalie or Brett. I don't know if Mick can argue effectively that he deserves to win, nor can Jayson.

I don't understand why Russell has been tagged as evil. He's manipulative, sure. But this is Survivor. He's playing the game exactly how it should be played. And doing it openly. How these dummies have kept him around for so long is a question I'm sure they'll all be asking themselves for the rest of their lives while they watch him waddle into the sunset with their money.

I think the evil tag is just with his commentary, his actual behaviour (outside of releasing the chickens and draining the water) hasn't really been all that wicked.

I mean, the fucking "prayer warrior" is evil.

Or dumb.

(I always get those two mixed up.)

I actually said last night 'jesus christ, I hate christians'.

Dumb, side A; Evil, side B.

I keep forgetting though that Russell (stupidly) told people that he has/makes good money and the jury LOVES to punish people for this. Commie juries.

Yeah, this and his posturing last night by blatantly not playing the hidden idol probably didn't win him votes with the jury.

But so cute.

A couple of weeks ago, I would've said Russell but unfortunately, he's bought into his own hype and has shown unnecessary cockiness at tribal council the last two weeks. I still think Natalie, Brett, and Mick will form an alliance and take him down.