What the hell is this nonsense? just an hour ofSurvivorthis week? What a bunch of BS! And a note to CBS: You have no one to blame for my anger but yourself. That's because you've completely spoiled us these past two weeks by giving us amega episode of two hoursfollowed by aGreat 90-minute accompaniment. Rotten spoiled brat!
Now here we are with a completely normal delivery time and it's like... is this it? In fact, do you know whose fault it is? JERRY O'CONNELL! That's right, blame O'Connell and his suspiciously high arched eyebrows, as if he's permanently about to send competitors on an incredible run around the world. It just isn't. That's because, instead, the firstkangarooyPiranhastar now hosts something calledThe true ship of love.I mean, I always thought "the real ship of love" was the PCP, but apparently, so is a new reality show hosted by O'Connell and his wife Rebecca Romijn, a new reality show that airs on Wednesday nights. on CBS, starting this week.
Robert Voets/CBSThe cast of 'Survivors 43'
For all those who are yearning for more time.Survivorepisodes, guess what? so haveSurvivorproducers! Why do you think they got rid of the opening title sequence and "Previously on..." segments? They always feel like they are cramming too much action into too little time. The problem is that CBS only has so much space they are willing to allocate in their programming toSurvivorevery week, which is what happens when you have 318 shows with NCIS or FBI in the title. And as much as I don't like it, I understand. These programs are very popular. ButThe real love ship?????
If the guy who memorized all of Charo's appearances and can recite dialogue from the episode where Gopher and Julie McCoy had to pretend to be a couple and then fall hilariously in love for about 30 minutes is pissed off by alove boatrevival, then you have a problem. And when it's at the expense of the biggest show on the planet? Like Jesse Lopez, I am now ready to sign divorce papers.
And look, I have nothing against Jerry O'Connell. He seems like a nice enough guy, but if you're going to take precious time out ofSurvivoron a Wednesday night for a Jerry O'Connell project, couldn't we at least have a littleslidersrestart work? Let's put some John Rhys-Davies and Kari Wuhrer in this beeyotch!
Whatever. An hour is all we have (actually 42 minutes after removing the ads), so let's see what happened in this totally normal-length episode that felt too short anyway.
womens' pouch
Lately I've been thinking about Gabler. Which is a little disturbing. I should be busy thinking about my job, my family, how terrible Washington's commanders are, and other important matters like maybe putting together a supercut of all the times Vanessa Lachey had to say, "Is love really blind?" on camera. I'm thinking of stupid Gabler instead. And not just how much I hate saying his name.
But it must be a drag to go onSurvivor, and leaving, and then going through a long period of quarantine, and finally arriving on the island... and almost immediately feeling sick and absolutely terrible. That must suck. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone other than Stephen Fishbach who has been through something like this.
But it wasn't all bad news for Gabler this week. This is due to Sami feeling threatened by an older woman in Elie who takes over. So the sneaky teen decided to flip the script and tell Gabler that the women dug through his bag to read his idol's clue. This caused Owen to make a fool of himself and act like he didn't know the bag was searched, and Gabler to make a fool of himself.dumberand pretending that he thought his idol was now powerless and just wanted to keep it to give to his daughter as a graduation present.
I wroteback in opening weekthat I felt that the Baka tribe was full of type A personalities who insisted on being the driver rather than the passenger, and it seems that is exactly what is happening. Whether that car ends up going off a cliff remains to be seen.
Robert Voets/CBSThe Baka Tribe in 'Survivors 43'
Thinking well…
Karla has been playing cautiously inSurvivor, and I can't overstate how much the producers hate it. Throughout the selection process, they pretty much beat competitors they like to risk-takers. They want people who aren't afraid to make a move. They want people to expose themselves, because gouges are not good for television.
As a spectator, we can see a decision like risking your vote or choosing a care perk very objectively and strategically. We can crunch the numbers and come to a cold, calculated decision on the best course of action. But the contestants constantly have the collective voice of the producers in their heads. And they want to have fun. And they want to experience the full spectrum of the game. And, yes, they want to make good television, which also translates to more thantheyon TV. That's why sometimes you will have a complicated decision likewhen Chanelle risked (and lost) her vote last seasoneven if it was the only thing that could undo their position and alliance in the game. That voice was in her head!
That's why I was so surprised when Karla made the safe and steady way last week on Journey Rock Island and didn't risk her vote. And then he did it again this week,in a move not at all like Xena, actually puttingbacka hint of caution because he didn't want to take a chance on the cookie.
But then Karla had time to reconsider her drinking and, well, I totally understand. I've gone over some of my worst decisions in life, like the time I showed up to a high school dance in my sister's whites because I thought it made me look good.vice-Miamiby Sonny Crockett. (Narrator: It wasn't like that.) Not only did Karla reconsider her decision, she did the same as Jesse Lopez and began taking a survey, insisting that James accept numerical or descriptive answers to questions from her.
Obviously, that was all the peer pressure he needed. She understood clearly that in this age of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in crisis cried out for a hero. She was Karla, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power... the passion... the danger... her courage will change the world. Or at least the game.
Then Karla came back, and this time she took advantage of the Beware Perk. Like most viewers, I was excited about this development because I'm a fan of Beware Advantages, I found last week's bracelet task fun, and I was looking forward to seeing what Karla's mission would be. Unfortunately, it turned out to be something of a repeat.
This is a small gripe, mind you, but why not put three different Beware Advantage tasks on three different beaches? In this way, not only can we see the same account takeover multiple times, but also three new missions in the pre-merge part of the game. Rather, it looked a bit like abig brother competition where you have to watch players do the same competition consecutively. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, why not look?big brother, so congratulations, you are a better person with more discerning taste than I am. Take a number.
Anyway, like I said, minor complaint. It was still fun watching Karla cheat her way to collect all the beads and get her immunity bracelet. I would have preferred something completely new.
animal mode
Before we go any further, a big thank you to Dwight for continuing the long and proud tradition of world class.Survivorbelly-floppers. Make way, Osmar! Step aside, The Wardog! Dwight is here, and his form is perfect. I don't know why I love seeing players who can't dive into the water during challenges. I mean, being a terrible person is most of the time, but the joy it actually gives me is kind of absurd.
Now let's go to the opposite end of the spectrum in this challenge, where players would jump, dive or face-first into the water, then dive deep to unlock keys, and finally complete a turtle puzzle. And on the opposite end of that spectrum was... Noelle.
Many people will focus on how rude it was for Noelle to jump on one leg on these platforms to get past the course. And they should! Heeraincredible. But what proverbially surprised me was not what the above-knee amputee did above the water, butlowhe.
Do you know how difficult it is to propel yourself underwater on one leg? Hell, there were a lot ofSurvivorcompetitors (Sup, James Lim?) who couldn't withof thelegs! Kicking hard is essential to going deep, so the fact that Noelle did it with just one is incredibly impressive. Noelle keeps bragging about all the leg jokes she has, but let me tell you, I WAS NOT KIDDING what she just did in that challenge.
Robert Voets/CBSNoelle Lambert in 'Survivors 43'
I love that Cody admitted he was worried Noelle could keep up with competitions on one leg, only to realize after seeing her in action that not only can she do it, but she can be an asset to the tribe in trials. physicist. We didn't need all those childhood photos and videos to show us just how badass Noelle is. That challenge told us all, and that photo of her diving on one leg was Exhibit A. Hell, she even got a "That's how you do itSurvivor!" ofjeff probst- the last sign of respect.
Unfortunately, Nneka and James reneged on their end of the deal on the turtle puzzle, and all the appearances and copies of the completed puzzle alongside them didn't save Vesi from a meeting with Tribal Council.
Loyalty x Strength
Cody and Jesse now had a dilemma. They had numbers with Nneka, but they also had eyes. And their eyes told them the story that Nneka was fighting the challenges. So, would they eliminate Noelle to maintain their strategic majority, or would they eliminate Nneka so they aren't at a disadvantage when facing challenges?
For Jesse, there was also an emotional component, because Nneka reminded him so much of his mother, who always helped others and had passed away. Would Jesse take a Ciera Eastin and vote his own mother out of the game? And if so, will the show mention it 512 times over the next few years?
What wasn't said in the edit (but what I have to assume influenced Cody and Jesse's calculations) was the fact that Noelle was chosen to go on one of the "trips" that usually ends with them gaining the upper hand. . In fact, Noelle essentially begged James and Owen to give her the upper hand because she was at the bottom of her tribe, telling them that she was ready to make it to the final three if they'd give her some help now. They agreed and she received a valid vote steal among the final seven.
If I'm Cody or Jesse and I'm torn between Noelle and Nneka, and possibly Noelle has an advantage, I'm doing two things. First, I will reject Nneka. But I'm also leaving Noelleto believeshe could be going home. That way, she takes whatever advantage she has gained and removes it from the game. Looks like the brothers did itnodo that, because Noelle kept her stealing votes. I understand why Cody and Jesse might not want to play that card, because they wanted to build bonds with Noelle to forge a better tribal relationship going forward. Makes sense. But what if they lose again? Now they would be tied 2-2 on the vote and Noelle can steal one of hers and send Jesse or Cody home. Oops!
Robert Voets/CBSJesse Lopez, Nneka Ejere and Jeff Probst in 'Survivors' 43
Nneka exited the game in exactly the way most of us probably expected, telling the tribe that just eliminated her "that was awesome" and then telling us in her last words that "you did really well... I'm surprised he doesn't have negative emotions... This was a dream come true."
Nneka seems like one of the nicest people you could ever be lucky enough to meet. A super dynamic TV personality? Probably not. A strategic brain? Not very likely. I don't think anyone chose Nneka to win it all. But she's someone you rooted for and you're sad to see her go. But she seems pretty happy, and I think viewers are happy to see more of Noelle, so it's all good.
And we're not done with Nneka yet! That's because we have my exit interview with the third party you canwatch and read now. Oh, and we also have an exclusive deleted scene starring Nekka and Dwight at the top of the recap. And did you see yesterday's video of the cast choosing thethe most underratedSurvivorplayers ever?No? Well you should! And to keep track of all mySurvivorCoverage all season, just follow meTwitter @DaltonRossyInstagram @thedaltonross. (I know, different handles for different platforms, annoying.) That will suffice for now, but I'll be back next week with another helping of crunch.
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