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What exactly does Abi bring to the tribe, other than a vote? (And paranoia)

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Someone no one will give a million dollars to.

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So we're back to two challenges for the first time this season, and what challenges they were. Let's start with the reward challenge. What I found fascinating about this one is it really doesn't appear too difficult. Just run out in the water, grab some sand bags and run back. What's the big deal? But that certainly was not the case, was it?

JEFF PROBST: I'm so happy you mentioned this as this challenge prompted one of our most debated decisions whether to have them run two or three legs. When our Dream Team tested it, it thoroughly exhausted them. Completely. And our Dream Team is composed of 20-somethings who are typically pretty fit. There was concern that three legs might be too tough for some of the contestants to complete. But after testing it with only two legs it was clear that if we fell short and it was too easy it would not work. So we committed to three legs and it worked out really well. There was no hyperbole around that challenge they were spent. That was a bona fide ass-kicker. I was particularly pleased that two of three [Savage and Deitz] were over 50 years old. It was a pretty impressive display of will power and hopefully some motivation to other guys their age to get up off the couch and get back in shape!

So many questions about this immunity challenge. You know how much I love the blindfold challenges, because I am a terrible person and love to watch people star in their very own America's Funniest Home Video. Okay, here's what I'd like to know: 1.) Who got the worst of it with all those collisions? 2.) Did medical have to look at anyone after to make sure they were okay due to either collisions or heat exhaustion/dehydration? 3.) As you look at doing a challenge like this again, are you worried that the pieces were maybe a bit too big and heavy and likely to cause injury and would you consider making them bring back smaller, lighter objects next time. And, 4.) Have you ever seen a tribe just basically stop like Angkor did because they were too sapped of energy to continue? Feel free to answer on a point-by-point basis.

Okay.
1.) If I am remembering correctly, Spencer took two shots to the shin on two different occasions, Tasha took a big one on the back of her leg, and Varner dropped a piece on his big toe while solving the puzzle.
2.) Medical checks everybody after a challenge just to make sure they're okay. But nobody in particular was in truly bad shape. I think Varner had the most lasting effect with the toe shot.
3.) I was definitely on edge during the rehearsals and the actual running of the challenge. It's really hard for me to let them race around "blind" knowing they could be injured, but much like the earlier challenge, if you make it light and fun you don't have the same result. There has never been a challenge in which we were 100 percent certain that it was perfect. We are always experimenting and testing trying to find the perfect balance. I'd be inclined to do this challenge again and maybe ask the challenge guys to design something less square!
4.) Never seen a tribe so depleted. In fact, I didn't realize how tired they were until I started questioning them about giving up. But I believed them when they said they were simply out of energy. I could see it and I could feel it. They simply had nothing. To give you a bit more perspective, I think the challenge took well over an hour and even I was completely drenched and torched. All I was doing was running around yelling and I had nothing left. I drank three bottles of water, got on my boat and fell asleep for a twenty minute nap. And remember, I was heading back to base camp where I could eat some lunch and find some shade to cool off in! But this is why so many people want this experience. It's the real deal. You are tested.

Wow. I love the fight in both Woo and Varner to stay alive at Tribal Council. None of it was done in a malicious way; they were both just so desperate to stay and refused to raise the white flag. Talk about being there and watching these two go at it.

Woo really surprised and impressed me here. I wasn't sure he had that in him. Nearly every Tribal this season was a roller coaster of emotions and a majority of the time I truly didn't know which way they were heading as they went up to vote. That was the case in this episode. Woo is really waking up and starting to PLAYSurvivor. Playing Survivor is different from simply being a contestant and a "loyal vote." Woo is showing that he is sincere in his desire to change and learn how to play the strategy part of this game. I loved seeing him go back for one more shot before he went to vote. THAT IS HOW YOU DO IT. Future players are you watching?
I often say to the players that Survivor is such a fickle game that often if you survive the right Tribal Council you can make it to the end. The problem is you never know which Tribal is the one that gets you over the hump so you have to fight every week to make sure it's not you. That's what Woo did. He didn't just "check in" he made a big time plea. Varner on the other hand is a veteran at this. He's one of the best at this game. He's a very quick study, has a super sharp tongue, and can talk himself in and out of situations as well as anybody in the game. It's easy to backseat drive on Varner's game play, but my take is that he played "balls to the wall" from day one. That is a great approach to this game if you want to win. This time he didn't win and so people will say "you were too much this and too much that" but if Varner played again I'd still list him as a favorite. He just didn't have the Survivor gods on his side this time.

These first four episodes have been insanely good. What happens when this train keeps rolling next week?

Next week has a lot going on. What really stands out for me is watching Spencer continue to grow as a young person and watching Abi continue to self-destruct. She will have a lot of people shaking their heads in disbelief

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I did not like Abi in her first try nor now.

I'll post the updated standings tonight when I get home from work. there was nothing earth-shattering, obviously; you either got 4 or 3 points, excepting Cris Dishman, who is down to just 2 peeps left.

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To me, Abi is just like BB's Vanessa. Shown to us as a paranoid *****, but at least some of them like her and they just will not vote her off.

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I was surprised Varner didn't try to exploit her paranoia when Tasha fraternized with Woo. Seemed like there was an opening there to get a wedge between Abi and Tasha.

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To me, Abi is just like BB's Vanessa. Shown to us as a paranoid *****, but at least some of them like her and they just will not vote her off.

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I was surprised Varner didn't try to exploit her paranoia when Tasha fraternized with Woo. Seemed like there was an opening there to get a wedge between Abi and Tasha.

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To me, Abi is just like BB's Vanessa. Shown to us as a paranoid *****, but at least some of them like her and they just will not vote her off.

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I was surprised Varner didn't try to exploit her paranoia when Tasha fraternized with Woo. Seemed like there was an opening there to get a wedge between Abi and Tasha.

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Exactly. Abi slams Tasha for talking to Woo "in private" when actually they were talking about keeping her (I think).

In case anyone is wondering:

LHIOB 14
MuckRaker96 14
Ronnie 14
Pro Ag 14
Longhorn Nation 14
jdgilberg 13
kpaggie05 13
Moore Trucker 12
ChipFTAC01 12
Unknown Thought 12
gravy97 12
Quinn 12
hurleyag 12
double aught 12
txaggie farmer05 12
zap 12
Cheese Sndwch 12
tx1c 12
AcctAg11 12
Bobcat06 12
The Sheik 12
salvatore ditmars 12
tallgrant 12
BlackLab 11
Southlake 9
Moxie 9
Cris Dishman 8

Need a merge back to two tribes to hope Woo doesn't exit next week!

You're gonna usurp the standings postings again this year?

No, just tracking it on my own.

To be fair, I don't think you ever went back and corrected the error that I caught. I don't actually know, because, like most fantasy sports I participate in, I lost interest about halfway through the season when I realized I wasn't going to win.

I like to think that I would do pretty good out there fitting in when needed and laying low or jumping in when necessary. But last night I realized I would finally just unload on Abi and screw up my chances with my alliance. She has to be one of the top 10 most annoying people on the planet.

Just can't imagine laying out the plan, having to be so patient to explain it to this 12 year old spoiled brat in words and pictures, only to see her start mouthing off the second she gets back to camp or in tribal.

Woo voted for you twice, we got that the 500th time you said it, move on in the GAME you jackass.

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I like to think that I would do pretty good out there fitting in when needed and laying low or jumping in when necessary. But last night I realized I would finally just unload on Abi and screw up my chances with my alliance. She has to be one of the top 10 most annoying people on the planet.

Just can't imagine laying out the plan, having to be so patient to explain it to this 12 year old spoiled brat in words and pictures, only to see her start mouthing off the second she gets back to camp or in tribal.

Woo voted for you twice, we got that the 500th time you said it, move on in the GAME you jackass.

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She definitely can be used in the "useful idiot" role, if they can just figure that out.

Based on how Angkor couldn't finish the challenge because they were so exhausted, I've got to expect that the challenges become less physical until the merge

If I was Woo, when they brought up how big a threat he was post merge, I would have just said that they need someone around that can dual it out with Joe.

I fully believe that if both of them are around for the merge, it will be a vote between them if neither has the idol.

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To be fair, I don't think you ever went back and corrected the error that I caught.

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To be fair, I don't think you ever went back and corrected the error that I caught.

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LOL

Looks like Iam as good at picking Survivoe as Iam pro football!

Another ho-hum episode, no idols found/played. Sorry to the Monica fans among you.

LHIOB 18
MuckRaker96 18
Ronnie 18
Pro Ag 18
Longhorn Nation 18

kpaggie05 17

Moore Trucker 16
Unknown Thought 16
gravy97 16
Quinn 16
hurleyag 16
double aught 16
txaggie farmer05 16
zap 16
Cheese Sndwch 16
AcctAg11 16
Bobcat06 16
The Sheik 16
tallgrant 16

jdgilberg 15
ChipFTAC01 15
tx1c 15
salvatore ditmars 15

BlackLab 14

Southlake 12
Moxie 12

Cris Dishman 10

I was just glad to finally see a little of what's happening at the other tribes. Preview for next week looks ominous - never a good thing when Probst shows up to your camp in the middle of the night.

Seemed more like something happened back home that is making someone leave. Usually if its an injury or sickness they will show the person getting hurt or laying down.

First real blindside of the season - seemed kind of pointless, but at least it was a different tribe that got screen time like you said.

What's odd is how quickly Jeremy was swayed to Kimmi's opinion. For crafting himself as a power player, he didn't even go check on the story, at least they didn't show it.

Jeremy is not a strong player imo - i liked that blindside though, but Stevens even weaker, gotta go #'s or not if they have a remote shot post merge if they stick together (he hit the other teams board ftlog). I agree a family issue next ep.

Thought it was a stupid blindside. Didn't really buy them anything at this point. They could have kept their original tribe numbers and just dropped her later.

Petty initiative by Kimmi to get Monica out yeah - smart not to go w/ Spencer though, he'll be loyal I think and better for challenges. Of course TaKeo are stronger and my bet to go far.

I don't think Spencer will be loyal at all, but will help them not suck for another few challenges before the merge.

Kimmi seemed to dislike Monica because she was younger, thinner, and better looking. No reason to go after her otherwise. And she got her gullible teammates to go along with her.

When is Probst gonna stop pushing this old school/new school narrative? It's annoying, seems forced, and doesn't even make sense. Players have been making alliances and betraying each other since the first season.

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Petty initiative by Kimmi to get Monica out yeah - smart not to go w/ Spencer though, he'll be loyal I think and better for challenges. Of course TaKeo are stronger and my bet to go far.

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They are already thinking merge. They want her out so she doesn't flip at the merge and take someone with her. Good move, though it might have been made a week or two too early.

She didn't show any signs of flipping. Kimmi was just annoyed by her.

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She didn't show any signs of flipping. Kimmi was just annoyed by her.

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Yeah, I don't remember what she did to cause it, but Kimmi certainly made it a big enough deal to convince the others.

Monica was a wacko vegan. If I recall correctly, she chose to let chickens loose her first season because she didn't want them to be eaten.

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Kimmi seemed to dislike Monica because she was younger, thinner, and better looking.

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Those are all high on the list of the reason I dislike people. Kimmi enhanced her own trust to the alliance and got rid of someone she doesn't know and who probably could have done really well post-Merge. But they are dumb for keeping Spencer around. When you're in good shape, you hustle, you know the game, and you're really, really smart, you have lots of tools available to go on a true Idol run once the game starts being more than just who can push this thing the farthest and then roll some coconuts into holes.

Kimmie was definitely annoyed by her... and when Monica mentioned a 'girls alliance'... that gave her the ammunition to get the rest of the tribe on board.... Monica was preparing to flip to support a girls alliance and ditch their tribe alliance

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Monica was a wacko vegan. If I recall correctly, she chose to let chickens loose her first season because she didn't want them to be eaten.

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No, that was Kimmi. IIRC, that's what got her voted off back then.