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 chal...
read more
Erik Reichenbach by Monty Brinton/CBS
Erik Reichenbach made a million-dollar blunder when he gave away the immunity that guaranteed him a spot in Survivor: Micronesia's final four. Tricked by the remaining women on his tribe, Erik believed that he would earn goodwill on the jury by saving Natalie Bolton. Unfortunately for this 22-year-old ice cream scooper from Hell, Michigan, the ladies had another idea and Erik found himself joining the same jury whose vote he had been seeking. In this season of unprecedented blindsides, TV Guide.com spoke with Erik about his exit and why he too didn’t see it coming. – Rhoda CharlesTV Guide.com: Erik, you made your mark in Survivor history when you gave away immunity. Can you talk us through your downfall?Erik Reichanbach: I was on the island with all girls and at first I thought it was a good thing, but then slowly it turned into something completely different. I think one of the major things that happened was that I had played the game pretty passively. I was behind Joel p...
read more
OMG! Funniest. Survivor. Ever! You are going to have to excuse me as I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. There are no words – none – that can truly describe the bittersweet hilarity of Erik’s monumental crash and burn. If you missed the show for any reason run – don’t walk – to your nearest internet-ready computer and watch the repeat online because in a season of blindsides, this one takes the cake.I’m just going to say it. Erik gave up immunity! Gave. It. Up. Minutes later he was saying goodbye. That was the most boneheaded move ever in the history of Survivor! Why, Erik, would you choose to give up the immunity necklace? Nobody does that. Every week Jeff asks, “Would you like to give immunity to someone else?” and whoever’s wearing that necklace shakes their head and unconsciously touches the skillfully-crafted, yet ugly-as-sin necklace that is their protection for that vote. And then they vote and that person remains in...
read more
I know what I’m about to say will not make sense, but I am confident that Survivor fans will understand the sentiment: I wish this show could start at the merge because, right now, I can barely remember the first half of the season. And yes, now I’m going to contradict myself by saying that the first half of the season was pretty good too with all of its drama. Still, since the merge we’ve had blindside after blindside, fake idols, unused idols and finally, thanks to Amanda, a hidden immunity idol used the way it was meant to. Well done, Amanda! I am sad to see that Alexis was doomed by Amanda and Parvati’s ricochet votes, but these things happen. This is the problem when you ally based solely on gender – loyalty is thin. If you notice, Parvati refused to vote against Amanda because they go way back (all of 30 days). Cirie confessed that it was only circumstances that were making her vote against original her tribemate Amanda. Natalie, Alexis and that Bene...
read more
What do you have to do to get these people to use the idol?! They find it, they hide it, they whisper about it, caress it lovingly, some even make replicas, but they never use it. Listen up Survivors, it doesn’t need to mature. Just use it!You would think that after Ozzy’s blindside, Jason, holder of the new idol, would pay more attention and risk playing the idol for no reason rather than sitting on it and going home. He didn’t and I have to remind myself that this is the guy who thought a poorly whittled stick was his Holy Grail. He’s the guy who bowed out of an immunity challenge because everybody said they wouldn’t vote him out. And now he’s the guy who is jury member no. three.Jason left behind a “Black Widow Brigade” of women who are plotting to pick off the males of their species one by one. Eventually, the women will have to turn on themselves and I hope Parvati brought her venom-proof bikini because Natalie’s fangs are showi...
read more
Maybe it was the hidden immunity idol setup from last week, but tonight’s episode of Survivor: Micronesia was hilarious. It wasn’t just because of Jason’s idol reveal and Eliza’s delicious, “It can’t be the idol—it’s a stick!” response, which actually was funnier in the preview than in the show. Nearly everyone did or said something to make me chuckle tonight, but the prize has got to got to Parvati whose mannered feud with Eliza came to a head at tribal council and ended with a tiny wave to Eliza’s exiting form.First, let’s look back at the events that lead up to the ever-entertaining presentation of a false hidden idol at tribal. As suspected, the tribes merged at the top of the hour. Coming together under the name Dabu – a Micronesian word in Erik’s mind only, meaning “good”. The ten remaining castaways feasted on some tasty morsels…and bats. Yes, bats. Now there was no indication that this was some ...
read more
Sitting at home in our comfy chairs, feet up, remote in hand, maybe a snack and a beverage nearby we fans of Survivor are apt to forget how brutal this game can be. Even as we watch castaways plot and scheme and ultimately stab each other in the back it’s all good fun for us. But this season I’m seeing a real human element in the game that maybe I had glossed over before. Kathy’s mental collapse evoked sympathy from me (though many a reader felt that she needed to suck it up). Players bowed out of the game due to injury. Tribe members fell in love and in lust all against the framework of a million-dollar payoff. That million dollars, however, is the problem. People will do just about anything to be the last one standing in Survivor and so tonight as I lounged in my sofa, watching a tearful player’s plea for acceptance, my emotional and rational selves were at war. There I was, an armchair member of Malakal at Tribal Council trying to decide who and what to tru...
read more
What is going on here? I’m crying watching Survivor. Last week we had Jonathan’s heartbreaking leave from the game and this week Kathy had me ready to bawl with her total breakdown. It was so sad to watch, but for the first time ever I think viewers got a true taste of what the Survivor experience is like. I know if I had to sleep in that cave with the rats and the bats and the creepy crawlies in order to avoid the hours-long downpour outside I would have found myself in much the same condition as Kathy. Poor thing.It is well documented how Jeff feels about quitters on this show, but when he sat on that log next to Kathy and said that he just wanted to understand you realize again why he’s the best host on TV. Kathy replied, “I don’t want anybody to think that I’m quitting,” and I completely teared up. And so another player leaves the game without benefit of a vote or a torch snuffing. I’ll miss the wackiness that Kathy brought to the show...
read more
It’s always a sad day on Survivor when a player gets taken out of the game due to circumstances beyond their control. Today was especially sad for this reviewer since Jonathan Penner was a particular favorite. Always interesting, always entertaining Jonathan played the game with such enthusiasm that he energized his whole team. He gave it his all yet never lost sight of the fact that in the end it was just game. So, it just sucks that last week’s infernal game of prison-escapee tag – the same one that left others battered and bruised – resulted in this season losing one of its best players due to a potentially life-threatening infection. Jonathan’s teary farewell group hug, Kathy sobbing, “we need you! I need you!” – had me misty-eyed myself. Now James is left on a tribe of women and one longhaired guy and he’s feeling a little vulnerable – as he should. Let’s face it James is not the most strategic player Survivor’s ever...
read more
What a satisfying episode! There was a tribe mix-up, a brutal challenge, a little hero worship and a blind-sided ouster. I have to say that I am truly enjoying this season. I like that things are not following the frequent pattern of a dominant alliance calling the shots and picking off the lesser alliance one by one. Jeff pulled the old “drop your buffs” tribe switcheroo. Isn’t it interesting how the new Airai and Malakal tribes turned out? The couples alliance was split between the two tribes yet by some strange coincidence each member of the couples ended up with their respective partner. Looking at the breakdown (Airai: Natalie, James, Alexis, Jonathan, Jason, Parvati, Kathy, Eliza. Malakal: Ozzy, Joel, Amanda, Erik, Ami, Tracy, Cirie, Chet) I have give the edge to Malakal. I see a strong alliance forming between Ami, Tracy, Cirie and Chet that could run the rest of the game. We’ll see.How lucky is Erik to have landed on the same tribe as his idol Ozzy? G...
read more
