Stir the Pot!
After 39 days
Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorites has chosen a winner and her name is Parvati Shallow. Congratulations to her as she played a good game especially against such tough competition as Amanda and Cirie.
If I've taken anything away from this edition, it's the hope for an all-female final four every season. Never has the trail of torches been so entertaining. Usually, the mind wanders as the finalists reach for complimentary things to say of their former tribemates. Not this time. These ladies walked along the beach dropping one-liners like there was no tomorrow. From Cirie, "the chickens have not been the same since Chet left." From Parvati, "Eliza, my arch rival!" They teased Amanda who praised Ozzy as an all-around competitor with, "You like him! You can carry his torch!" Just gals having fun.
Of course, this was all after they had voted out Natalie, the fourth woman in their pot-stirring crew. The first immunity challenge of the night started on a platform suspended 20 feet above the water and ended with Amanda at the top of a makeshift ladder on the beach, her arms raised in victory. Even so, Natalie, after some heart-to-heart bonding with Parvati, believed she would make the cut at tribal council. She didn't. Afterwards the women, all favorites mind you, returned to camp and immediately went through the stages of female bonding lovefests and cat fights.
Amanda, Parvati and Cirie's self-congratulatory group hug quickly evolved into a spat that had a defensive Cirie explaining why she felt she was on the bottom of their three-way and Amanda crying about why Cirie shouldn't feel that way. In the end they all got it out of their systems, but the writing was on the wall for Cirie and when she faltered at the final immunity challenge, so too did her run.
What was up with
Survivor, throwing a final two curveball? All along these women were playing with a strategy based on a final three. Talk about your blindsides! Still I prefer two to three in the end, if only so that one person would not have to suffer the humiliation of not receiving
any votes.
To quote
Jeff Probst, it, "certainly was an interesting [final] tribal council." Amanda and Parvati gave their opening speeches and then I believe Natalie asked Parvati out on a date. She asked something about how Parvati's flirtatious nature translates in the bedroom. I still don't know what that has to do with the game, but seeing as how Parvati won, I guess she gave the right answer. "It's an old standby," she said of her flirting, "I'm not going to lie." You got to hand it to Parvati, socializing is definitely her thing.
As expected in this game of betrayal, there was also a fair share of hurt feelings at tribal. Erik still felt "totally burned" and was "not buying" Amanda's apologies. Ozzy had a mouthful for Parvati that included his being, "truly hurt by what you did to me," and "You put a price on our friendship," followed by a command not to speak. Then Ozzy took a breath and created
Survivor's most romantic moment ever by saying that the hardest part for him was that Parvati had, "[taken] away 1 4days that I could have spent with Amanda" and then declared that he felt he was falling in love with his lady love. Way to redeem one's lagging image bro'. Romance aside, Parvati had the best line of that council when responding to James' request for an honest answer to her plans after she booted Ozzy, "Ha ha, I got you sucka!" She should put that on a tee shirt.
When all was said and done the jury voted (Eliza dramatically struggled with her decision, taking a lifetime to write a name on the card) and Amanda in her 78th day in the jungle received what we now know was only three votes to Parvati's five. At least she found love.
On to the
Live Reunion Show
It's always a shock to see the Survivors back in the real world. For some reason the women look over made-up and the men seem plump even though in reality they are all just back to normal. Amanda, having done back-to-back stints admitted to having "trust issues" upon her transition to the mainland. That's what a game of deception and betrayal will get you. Natalie also revealed that she has some haters, but it's all good because there are many layers to her and at least one of them is a loving, kind woman.
I felt particularly bad that Erik has had to endure the media referring to him as the dumbest Survivor ever, but he's handling it gracefully and as he said, he realized that he does not have it in him to treat people as the game demands. He truly is a nice guy and he got a round of applause because of it.
James is still making people happy at funerals even going so far as to take the shirt off his back if it will relief a mourner's grief. There's just something about this guy that makes people like him and so you knew that when Jeff listed him along with Ozzy and Amanda as the top three vote-getters in the $100K giveaway that he was going to be the winner. This is his second year and his second win. No wonder he'd do the show every year if he could.
So that's it.
Survivor: Micronesia has come to an end. It was a great season, made all the better by an excellent mix new and old. Next time it's back to Africa as Probst and 18 Americans make their way to Gabon to battle surfing hippopotami.
I for one can't wait. Until then, it's been great blogging for you all. Be sure to look out for my interviews with the winner and runner-up.
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