Saying goodbye to Shirin

Shirin, second tribe member voted out of Second Chance. Image credit CBS.

Let me just put it out there, I am a fan of Shirin. I know, I know, there was the time she got super excited about monkeys having sex, and maybe you’re wondering if I’ve forgotten about her nude afternoons with Max (I have not, the lady likes to jam out with her clam out). I also cannot deny that she wouldn’t be on my ultimate dinner party list. But by the end of Worlds Apart I had carved out a wee corner in my heart for nutty, chatty Shirin. So, now, far too early in my opinion, let me justify why.

A little digression first regarding her exit from Second Chance. I know Jeff (and his team) are always keen to tease out the narratives for the season and for each cast member and they usually do a great job but to compare Abi’s experience to the disgusting behaviour that Shirin was subjected to last season was pretty off base as far as I can see. Shirin was personally targeted by a number of cast mates for the kind of verbal abuse that we fortunately don’t often see on survivor. Watching last week’s episode I really felt for Abi, I believe that she was genuinely hurt and felt victimised, and yeah it would have shown real character for Shirin (or one of her other alliance members, somehow Spencer and Kelly weren’t called out for that) to go and comfort her. However, Shirin was not the person who had a fight with Abi – that was PG – and nor was she the only person to have a mean giggle at Abi’s reaction, there were five or more people in that conversation. And Abi has been known to dish out some backstabbing and insults herself. I love watching Abi, I’m thinking of quitting my job to write a thesis on the impact of players like her in the game (or maybe just a blog post), but I think that to compare her ‘story’ to the bullying and brutal words that Shirin suffered, is silly. You can do better producers.

Back to Shirin, our latest victim of the torch snuffing. Here are the reasons I think she’s a great player to watch:

1. Absolute top reason. She LOVES this game. Loves it. We’ve seen a few players like this, Cochran was one, Spencer is another, and I get so much joy out of watching them play. She even got a thrill from having Jeff snuff her torch the first time around. All the cast members, except maybe Keith, like Survivor, and many of them get the game but there’s a whole other level for the fanboys and fangirls who study the game, who obsess over it and who just cannot wait to be there and put their science into action. They’re not always good at it, but they enjoy every single moment. Shirin is on that level and we were just seeing her hit her stride.
2. Tenacity. This woman holds on til that flame is out. Sure the attempt to woo Woo (couldn’t help it) was doomed to fail but I give her credit for fighting from the bottom.
3. Smarts. I was really digging seeing Spencer and Shirin put their heads together and figure out all the connections each player had to each other. And last season Shirin pulled a few smart strings in amongst the craziness. She’s got brains. She made a mistake trying to tame the Brazilian Dragon but I doubt she’ll be the first person to fall into that one.
4. Bravery. I couldn’t ever play Survivor, I wouldn’t last an hour, so all the cast members get cred from me on that. But to play through the season that Shirin did and not quit? And then to play AGAIN? Woman has guts.

So there you go, my tribute to a player who I think, in the right mix of people, could really go much further and be much stronger than we’ve seen from her so far.

Are you wondering why I haven’t posted a similar ode to Vytas? No, I didn’t think you were.

Episode 11: Tribal Council (chaos Kass part 2)

It was really a tough one to decide which of these faces best represented my feelings about this trouble council, so I’m going with all three:

 

The comrades roll in, apparently accompanied by Tony’s bag of tricks, which surely has an agent and several parody twitter accounts by now. The jury also files in, and can we please take a moment to appreciate that this jury is now 80% beautiful (no offense Sarah, I think you’re cute as a button)?

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s D.O.A.
It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear
When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but…

Tash talks about having a target on her back, Tony says she wasn’t scrambling so he’s suspicious (hence the Bag o Tricks®). Since I’m in a mood to compliment Tony, I will say that he seems to be a better liar than anyone else playing this season. Tash makes the completely sensible point that Tony is a huge threat. HUGE. But he plays his magic pipes, whispers the secret words about loyalty and trust, and I guess they believe him? Or do they? I don’t even know anymore. He talks about his idol and how he is keeping out of the hands of the (dwindling) enemy. Trish makes her only contribution to the tribal council (and maybe to the episode) by saying that Tony would use the idol for one of them if they need it.

Oh Pa, he swears he’ll marry me when the time is right. Swears it!

I genuinely have no idea whether Trish actually buys Tony’s bizarre post-blindside reassurances, or whether this is part of her bigger plan to turn on him later. Someone please tell me!

When Jeff asks if everyone believes that Tony has two idols, he can hardly contain his glee.

Oh stop. Shucks.

So Kass’ turn to tell everyone there’s going to be a blindside and that Tony’s loyalty is disingenuous. I suppose we were supposed to go into this council session believing that Kass might actually flip along with Woo – both flushing the idol and getting rid of Tony’s right-hand gal and winner-contender Trish. This would be an actual sensible move, and great gameplay. Which is why I’m sure we all went in with no faith whatsoever that it would happen.

Fellow viewers, please somebody tell me, is anyone else sharing in this delusion that Kass has that the fate of the game depends on her? Also, while you’re in explaining mode, why does she tell everyone in this council session that there is going to be a blindside? What possible benefit does her bluffing that she’s turned on the group have for her?

Kass’ idea that she could EVER beat Tony, who combines the magic of being a great player (if everyone who falls for his nonsense is to be believed), an incredibly lucky player, and someone who is so nutso and entertaining, the producers must daily line up to kiss his feet, is LUDICROUS.

Anyway. Kass and Woo both chicken out and Tash goes home. I genuinely liked her and I thought she played well. Almost everyone left on screen kind of rubs me the wrong way, except maybe Woo but I can’t imagine what he could do between now and the finale to actually be a potential winner. I guess I’m rooting for Tony, or maybe it would be more entertaining to see Trish rise up and turn on him.

The only sensible comment in this session comes from Spencer, who asks how long this trust and support for Tony is going to last.

Excellent question. Til next time.

Episode 9: Winners & Losers

Winners

Product placement

Finally we can confess that what seemed like an innocent fan-blog is actually a corporate-run sponsor of the show. How else would you explain this tasteless advertising?

The Magic Mirror

“Who’s the fairest of them all?” just got a whole lot easier to answer.

Fortunately Jefra has her pageant winning face all worked out.

Me? I am the most beautiful member of the most beautiful tribe? Little Jefra? Why, I can’t hardly believe it.

 

Losers

Tony’s first special friend

That old thing he wasted on LJ? Totally forgotten. Tony has a brand new love.

Of course, baby, I swear it, I’ve never felt this way before…

I call conspiracy on Tony finding this idol by digging randomly in the dirt. I suspect producer shenanigans.

Woo’s new catchphrase

I’ve been keeping an eye on social media this week, and this one really hasn’t taken off yet.

 

Bonus Winner

Worth Playing For contributor and Survivor Scholar, Ev, for correctly predicting the idol powers. Good job. I had really hoped it would be something a bit more exciting but you have demonstrated your exemplary knowledge of the game.

Episode 5: Winners & Losers

Losers

1. Me.

 

Guys, this episode bummed me out big time. What a downer. Not only do I hate to see people quit, I also dislike meanness and conflict of any kind (I know, I could be watching the wrong show but true love knows no logic). And then Alexis at the end? Ow, my heart. No sarcasm whatsoever, I really felt for her. She just seemed so shocked and heart. Poor dear. Can’t we all just get along and be happy?

2. Dignity and good sportsmanship.

We all assume this is Tricia’s handy-work, yes? For god’s sake, woman, you WON, she quit. Have some class. Save this attitude for the end of season reunion.

Winners

1. The truth.

Guys, I was just kidding about working in construction. I’m actually a cop. Don’t you feel safer knowing that?

 

And don’t forget he’s fessed up that he was also going to lie about having a son, just so he could swear on his fictional son’s life. But not anymore. Tony has turned over a new honest leaf due to warm mushy feelings for his new tribe-mates. How could you disbelieve a face like that?

2. Morgan’s beautiful, beautiful face.

I swear you could cut out everything in this season except Morgan’s reactions to things and it would still be prime viewing. She kills me. Girlfriend, roll those eyes any harder and you’ll do yourself an injury. And watch where you flash those pearly whites, it’s like staring at the sun.

Episode 3: Tribal Council

Going into this tribal council, I was starting to think that NOT voting J’Tia out was kind of like killing a man on the front lines of war. It goes against every fibre of your being but then once you’ve done it once maybe it gets easier to do it again and again (in the face of rice destruction, let’s say). Was it possible that the Brains tribe could go on NOT voting J’Tia out, no matter how wrong – both morally and strategically – that it may be? As Kass very politely and articulately describes it, J’Tia is a person with “a propensity for failure”. How is this kitty still hanging in there?

Tasha is over-heating that valuable brain going back and forth between keeping Spencer for his challenge abilities, and presumably his propensity not to lose his mind and destroy the tribe’s only food supply, or J’Tia for her blind loyalty and gratitude.

Tough choice.

Kass is looking cool as a cucumber, playing a great game and letting Tasha think she’s in the driving seat. Kass basically says she’s a badass mother who don’t give a s%$# who she votes on, as long as it isn’t her. This episode is the most confident I’ve seen Kass, I really think she’s finding her feet.

Episode 3 – Episode Recap

Episode 3 begins with the Beauty tribe returning from their first tribal council, after voting Butterfly Brice off of the island.  Morgan does a masterful job to raise her stock among the tribe, by swiftly throwing Jeremiah under the bus.  It apparently works, as Alexis speaks to the camera explaining that perhaps Jeremiah resides at the bottom of the totem pole.

Cue Survivor Theme
ayiyaiyaiahaha..

Meanwhile at camp Brains, J’Tia is relishing in her tribe’s new found glory and boasts about their winning streak.  The food is scarce at this tribe, but they make up for it in large open spaces that allow for them  to practice challenges.  Surely, they will never ever lose another challenge again.

The reward challenge is introduced.  Each of the players are blindfolded, except for a chosen caller for each tribe.  The caller is situated on top of a tower, and is given the task to bark out orders to guide their blinded team mates around an obstacle course.  The course contains a number of items that a pair of blind folded and tied-together players must collect and deposit back to the beginning of the course.  The course is also loaded with tons of crotch-level poles and posts. Watch out for your boys, boys!

 With the welts and bruises becoming well-formed, the players start applying defensive strategies.  There has got to be a better way!

Episode 1 – Player ranking

At this stage of the game I’m going to break down my player rankings by tribe. Until the tribes are consolidating a little, I think we’re seeing people jostling for position within their tribe rather than whole game moves. My fellow observers might choose to do things differently, that’s just how we fly around here.

Brawn 

1. Sarah
2. Cliff
3. Trisha
4. Woo
5. Tony
6. Lindsey

I might regret making this call but I really think Sarah is a good player. I was a little worried she might have stuck her head up a bit too high this early in the game but I think she’s shown that she’s strong in challenges, obviously has good intuition (Tony, what the hell game are you playing?), and is playing a decent social game.

Episode 1 – Too Brain, Too Furious

In Jeff we trust.

A week ago I tweeted the messiah himself… Jeff Probst.

Sage advice…

I and my fellow bloggers will heed his call and deliver our own point of views, so strap yourselves in Survivor fans, here comes an unashamedly biased recap.

In a blink of an eye the clouds part and the contestants enter on different modes of transport. Welcome to…

Truck (Brawn) vs Chopper (Brains) vs Boat (Beauty)

Cue Jeff standing atop a mountain and the familiar music that makes me want to fist pump the air! Heeeeeeyyyyy dee haaa di haaa di haaa de!

Welcome

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Cult of Jeff Probst, followers of the Boston Rob Rulebook, believers in the beauty of Malcolm and Parvati, welcome to Worth Playing For. The haphazard, international Survivor think-tank.

We’re here to be your guides to the latest season of Survivor, to entertain ourselves, and to squeeze just a little bit more joy from the show that just keeps on keeping on.

This week we’ll be introducing ourselves, letting you know how things work around here, and making our wildly uninformed predictions for this season. I think it’s going to be a good one. Feel free to comment, share, and tweet us @WorthPlaying4.

Cannot. Wait.