Survivor - Fans vs Favorites - Episode One

You know, I have been eargerly anticipating the start of this season's Survivor. I kept thinking how great it would be to see Ozzy, James, Yau-Man and Jonathon again. How each of these deserved another chance. But I have to say I was let down. It wasn't as great of a first episode as I thought it would be. Maybe because it seemed like it went by so fast. Were there more commericals last night or what. As I am sitting there watching it with my dauther, when it was over, she looked at me and said "that's it...it's over". I had the same feeling - "that's it". Ho hum.

For future Survivors I think they should make the first episode a two-hour one. Being that you have the first 8-10 minutes of the show taken up by our beloved Jiffy riding high in the helicopter telling us what we are in for and then the introductions of the players while they paddle (in this case, while they were being paddled) to their first destination, and then all the commericals they have, it doesn't leave much time for acual action.

(**Please note, my article will be a mix of show recap and mu personal opinions mixed in**)

So like I said, as usual the show starts out typical with Jeff doing his infamous helicopter ride over the area. Let stop right here and say they are in an absolutely beautiful location. Both my daughter and I were amazed at how beautiful the water is. Could end up being our next vacation spot...lol

The fans are shown first while they are being rowed into shore. Looks like a motley crew to me.....lol. Next up is the Favs and of course Johnny "Fairplay" gives us the first sound bite when he tells us he thinks he is the greatest player in survivor history - in your mind maybe! Yau-Man tells us the only reason to play a second time is for the million dollars. Sorry Yau-man that would be the only reason I would play the first or second time. James says he feels like a fan not a fav because he is in awe of Ozzy and Yau-Man. Awww.....still as humble as ever. Don't you love him. Go James!!!

As the fans reach the beach in the pouring rain we learn that for Jason, this is a life dream, to be able to Survive in the wild. Tracey tells us that finally seeing Jiffy makes this surreal. (***by this time I am rolling my eyes***). Jeff finally reveals who they will be playing against - their favorite players from seasons past. As the favs are introduced to applause, Joel says he is excited to see James and thinks James was the biggest and strongest player in survivor history....until this season (**I am again rolling my eyes, but this time I add a hearty laugh to go with it**). Yau-Man gets the biggest applause of all. They save Fairplay for last and Jiffy introduces him as the most infamous player in Survivor history. Johnny comes out wearing a baseball cap that says "Will lie 4 food"....hahahahahah

The players are told they will have to walk or swim across to the other island to get to the respective boats. And he tells them there are two special hidden immunity idols waiting for them. These idols are only able to be used at the first tribal council that your tribe attends. After that they are worthless, at least to the Survivors. They will end up on EBAY where the $$$ that someone pays for them will go to Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Tribe Names - Airai for the fans Malakal for the favs

As everyone reaches the island and starts wandering around looking for an idol, Johnny Fairplay finds the first one tied to the front of one of the boats. Too bad he found the one tied to the fans boat and when he realizes it he is caught in a tussle with Yau-Man who has seen the idol tied to the favs boat and makes a mad dash to get it. Yau-Man wins out and knocks little Fairplay down and gets the idol. Yau then tells Kathy, of the fans, to pick up the idol that Fairplay threw away. Johnny does what he does best now....whine about what a big bully Yau-Man is!

When we come back from commerical Mikey of the fans lets us in on some of the players and his nicknames for them. I had to mention this because I thought he hit the nail on the head and I laughed:
Kathy - this is a crazy woman who got the idol courtesy fo Yau-Man - he calls her Big Bird
Joel - you know the one who thinks he is bigger and stronger than James - he calls him Incredible Hulk
Chet - the token gay guy - he calls him Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Erik - he calls him Jon Bon Jovi in his prime...lol
Alexis - Southern Princess is what he calls her.....

Big Bird, Kathy, shows her ignorance right off the bat when she asks Chet if it's ok to call him gay and says "it doesn't mean you want to be a girl does it". OMG...this woman is a nut case for sure. She can't get over the fact that she is thisclose to a gay guy because she says she has never met one. Chet fires back with "not that you knwo of" comment.....LMAO!!!!

We go back to see that the favs are all working together and putting there previous Survivor skills to work getting shelter done. This is the advantage they have over the fans. Johnny Fairplay tells his tribe that he found a message in a bottle that said that his grandmother had died. Over at the fans campsite, we see they are having a tough time with shelter and when nighttime comes they are still shelterless and fighting the pouring rain.

Parvarti didn't learn from the first time around and continues with her flirting, this time with James. And we see that the second couple that was mentioned pre-show is Ozzy and Amanda. I hope these guys wise up and see that they are being used but from previews and spoilers, they won't be thinking with their minds. Will James make another huge blunder and fall under Parvarti's spell.....I hope not!

The first alliance is born with Jonathon, Amy, Yau-Man and Eliza. Since they already notice the closeness of the couples they feel the need to get a 5th and for some reason they look at Fairplay. Where is Cirie. Amanda and Ozzy pull Johnny Fairplay aside and try to pull him in to be their 5th as well and tell him they will be voting out Elize. Of course Fairplay goes along with this in front of them but then we see him spilling all to the other 4 person alliance. For some reason these 4 also believe Johnny and get him to agree to be in their group. What??? Did any of these people watch Fairplay during his Survivor stint. Don't they know he is the biggest con artist out there. He says it best right before commerical when he says" It's an insane thing, there are 9 other favorite survivors of all time and they all believe what I am saying. Have they not watched before". My thoughts exactly Johnny!

The favs get fire first with Yau-Man using his glasses and the sun.

As they all arrive to the first immunity challenge, Jiffy gets "DeJaVu" feelings. When asked how they are faring, Eliza gloats and runs her mouth about how they have the bigger advantage and they are living high. Eating and drinking and having fun. Someone needs to shut her up.

The immunity challenge consists of taking puzzle pieces and puting them together to make 4 wheels which will go on a cart. The cart must then be pushed, while carrying two players, thru some obstacles to a sand pit where they will have to dig up planks to finish a bridge that they will have to cross to get to the finish line. At the finish line they must dismantle the wheels and place the puzzle pieces in the correct slots on a turnstile. After that they must turn the turnstile to raise a lit cauldron which will ignite a bigger fire. First to do this wins immunity.

The fans get off to a great start by working together on their wheel making puzzle pieces. The favs however don't seem to know what the hell they are doing. Fans finish wheel making first and head out on the obstacle course. They reach the sand pit and start digging for their planks to make the bridge they have to cross, complete. The favs finally finish their wheels and take off thru the obstacle course and then wipe out by hitting a tree. Looks like Eliza may have hit her head. I wonder if it knocked some sense in her...lol
The fans end up winning and I wasn't really that disappointed especially when I saw the favs give up when they realized they would not win. I thought we had a group of favs that would never give up. That disappointed me more than them not winning.

Back to the beaches and this is where we realize that Fairplay has a soft spot in his heart. I never thought I would be saying those words. He says he can't stop thinking about his girlfriend and his expected daughter. He tells Parvarti and Amy (separately) that he wants to go home. Amy is skeptical - at least she is showing some smarts.

At tribal council, Jeff asks Johnny how it was when they first got to camp. He says it was "cake", easy but they were over confidant. Eliza is asked if their past reputations will be a big factor and Eliza says of course, everyone will remember the things you did on past Survivors. Jeff tells Fairplay that no one in this game has a bigger reputation than him, which he agrees to but then says that the other favs were all surprised by the real Fairplay and they all trust him. He says he can not stop thinking about his little girl and wonders if he is a bad father for being here. Jeff makes mention that he is not a father yet. All the while Yau-Man is smiling wondering what Fairplay schemes is.

Jeff asks Johnny if he is quitting and Johnny says no, but his head is mixed up and his mind his not there.

It's voting time and Yau-Man chooses to keep his one use idol. As voting takes place, no votes are shown other than Yau-Man and Jonathon who each vote for Fairplay. Yau-Man says that if Johnny needs parenting advice he will be glad to help him.

Fairplay is voted out and we see that everyone voted for him with he voting for Ozzy. As he leaves he gives Jeff a hug and tells the other to treat Jeff right. I have to wonder here just how much Johnny Fairplay was paid to appear on the show. You know they are paying them and I suspect he is getting paid even more. I hate tribal councils where it is so obvious who is going home. Can't they edit this better to make it a little more suspenseful.

Previews let us in to the fact that the couples (Parvarti/James and Ozzy/Amanda) heat things up. We see P/J snuggling at night and we see O/A getting into some hot and heavy kissing. Note to the guys, think with your brain in your head not with the brain between your legs.

So that's it folks. I wasn't impressed like I said in the beginning. I hope things heat up next week and we get to see more of the Survivor we love. And hopefully we will get more Fan time so we can learn more of who they are. I am pulling for James, Ozzy, Jonathon and Yau-Man, in that order, on the Favs tribe. I have no favorite on the Fans tribe, but Mikey seems like he might be a good one to pull for. I will give you my Fan favorite after next week show.

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