Is Debbie the female version of secret agent Phillip or what?

That was crazy.

One of the best tribals in history! I cant recall a player in a position of power talk their way into getting voted out so early in the game. All she had to do was not talk. Brutal!

So does it seem like the Brawn tribe could be worse than the Brains tribe from the first time they did Brawn, Brains, Beauty? I didn't think it was possible...

Looks that way.

But didn't the Brains tribe have a couple of players that made it pretty far?

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let's talk about one of the most bizarre acts of self-incrimination on this show I can ever remember. How much do you think this was an on-the-spot decision by the tribe to get rid of Jenny based on her telling them at Tribal Council about wavering on the alliance?

JEFF PROBST: I think they changed their mind at Tribal. 100 percent. Scott, Jason, and Cydney are playing a very aggressive game. I like it because as I am often heard saying, "The only way to win this game is play as though you don't mind losing." You have to make moves. Jenny should be credited, too. She may not have executed it as well as she could have but she was looking "big picture," which is key to getting deep. Both sides made big moves. One wins, one loses. That's the game.

The most exciting part of all of this for me is that Tribal Council continues to be a "live" moment where anything can happen. People come into tribal with Plan A in one pocket, Plan B in the other, and the willingness to throw out all plans and call an audible. And remember, this season was shot BEFORE we shot last season, and it's still hopping!

You've always stated that you want players to find idols due to the drama and unpredictability they inject into the game, but it seems like you've made obtaining them a bit more difficult this time as Tai had to first find a clue, then dig up another clue, and then attempt to scale a huge tree to get the actual idol, which he was unable to do. Tell us how you all come up with this concept for the idols and deciding the difficulty level of obtaining them.

As you well know, we the producers relish our role as participants in the game. So anything we can do to add drama, mystery, intrigue, consequence, dilemma we do it. Making the idols harder to secure adds several layers of drama and it gives the possessor a bit more street cred. They earned that baby! So we just started imagining, beyond finding them in the middle of a challenge, what else could we do and we landed on this idea! Pretty fun!

And on top of it, we gave them the option to increase the power of the idol but it requires luck and risk: First, you must find a second idol or find someone else who has an idol. Then you must trust them enough to share the fact that you have an idol. Then the two of you must trust each other enough to agree to put your idols together and finally you must agree when to use the idol and on who to play it.

Survivor has had fascinating hetero-homo friendships before, going all the way back to Rudy and Richard from season 1. What makes the Tai and Caleb bromance so special?

Ah, man, this is my favorite bromance of all time because both people are so likable and the partnership is so unlikely. Think about it. A survivor of the Vietnam war gets on a boat with 100 other people and immigrates to America where he is living a happy life as a gay gardener in San Francisco. He signs up to play a vicious social dynamic game where he meets a tough, young, straight, U.S. Armed Forces veteran. Instead of butting heads, the two become instant friends and allies and share a sense of humor that most couples would love to have in their own relationship.

We knew from the moment we met Tai that America would love him. I was not so sure about Caleb. In fact, at first I did not want him on the show. CBS pushed hard to include him in the cast. They were absolutely right and I was absolutely wrong. In fact, I don't know that I've ever been that wrong. Caleb is rock-solid and I am so happy he is on the show.

BONUS QUESTION! We are three-for-three so far on the orangeSurvivor hat this season, which you know has always been my personal favorite. What goes into your decision making as far as picking out which color hat to wear for a challenge or marooning? Set rotation? Spur-of-the-moment selection? Take us inside the mind of Jeff Probst: Fashion Icon.

As you know, fashion was my minor in college. I studied all of the greats and one thing was constant: All great fashion icons have something that separates them from the rest. Marlene Dietrich was known for her masculine pantsuits and bow ties. Audrey Hepburn's signature style smacked of minimalist chic. And, of course, Marilyn Monroe was the sultry bombshell in skin tight dresses. My favorite professor, Michael Lorenn, saw something in me early on my penchant for orange. I didn't even realize it until he pointed it out. My socks, shoes, even my underwear often had a spike of orange. I guess it just stayed with me. When I started Survivor, I swore that if the show lasted long enough I would make my mark. Sixteen years it has taken. Over 450 episodes. Finally, someone noticed.

As for sharing my routine, well that's a bit like a magician sharing how he does a trick, isn't it? I think that shall remain my little secret and something to be revealed in the biographies that will certainly follow my passing. In the meantime, I am humbled and enthused that I may finally make my mark alongside some of the greats. Thank you for noticing. Thank you, Professor Michael Lorenn and thank you, America!

Looks like we'll have some idol searching drama next week on the Brawn tribe. Tease us up for the next episode, sir!

Oh it's a good one. You thought Tai had a rough go of getting an idol, you ain't seen nothing yet!

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If it's not too late:


Scott
Caleb
Liz
Michelle

Do they tell the contestants what to wear on the island? It seems like people make really strange choices. Why else would people wear jeans, suit jackets, crappy shoes, etc? And almost no one brings a hat when you are going to be stuck in the rain and overbearing sun for 39 days. Just seems dumb to me.

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The WORST thing you can do at tribal is talk.

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Exactly!

It would have been easy for Cydney to speak up during the melt down about Jenny proposing the all girl alliance, but her stay quite and listening kept her out of the spotlight and safe.

I bet Wardrobe gives them some options, but obviously they aren't stuff from home because they typically are all color matched with their original tribe.

I agree with you, the hat thing is odd. I'm not a huge hat guy anymore, but I definitely would wear one onto the island for exactly that purpose. In fact I've thought for a long time about which hat I would wear onto the island. A hat I have now that I love and reminds me of home? But will be ruined by the game? or a new hat that I can grode out for the next 6 weeks and then have sit on the shelf as a cherished momento? I'd be tempted to get a new A&M hat, but I haven't seen an A&M hat that I wanted to buy in the last 10 years probably.

Do y'all want me to run the pickem this year?

I remember Colby having a huge straw hat that he wore.

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Looks that way.

But didn't the Brains tribe have a couple of players that made it pretty far?

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Yes, and I think a couple of these Brawns will do well.

Our gang likens Alecia to J'Tia from that other Brain tribe.

So typically, the ones that come from a decimated tribe survive when coming to other tribes is the other ones haven't been to tribal and they want to play the game.

I can imagine that production doesnt like them to wear hats because it covers up their face.

Here are MuckRaker's rules from the previous season:

RULES

1) You pick 4 players you think will do the best in the game. 2 have to be male, 2 have to be female. What tribe they are in doesn't matter. You have between now and next Wednesday at 6:59 p.m. Central to make your picks. Anything submitted after that doesn't count, and anybody who edits their picks after that time is DQ'ed.

2) Pre-Merge Rules: Each time one of your players survives a tribal council (or their tribe doesn't go), you get 1 point. They also get 2 point for finding a Hidden Immunity Idol - although that is not retroactive for anyone who finds one in the first episode.

2a) Any player who plays an HII at tribal and it keeps them from going home, you get 3 points. If they give it someone else and it saves that person, you get 2 points. If they get voted off while in possession of the HII, you lose 2 points.

2b) For every one of your players that makes the merge, you get 2 points.

3) Post-Merge Rules: Since they usually don't let you know the merge is happening until that in-episode, these rules only apply to episodes after the one where they merge. In the episode where the merge takes place, you'll get points for any players you have in the first II challenge (and reward challenge if they have one), as well as for surviving TC.

3a) In the week after the merge episode, everyone picks the 2 players they think will go the furthest. Can be 2 men, 2 women, or 1 of each, doesn't matter.

3b) If you have players remaining from your initial picks, you can stick with them and get a 0.5 point bonus on everything going forward.

4) Post-Merge points: Win reward challenge (as either individual or a team): 1 point; Win individual immunity challenge: 2 points; Find Hidden Immunity Idol: 2 points; use HII to save yourself: 3 points; use HII to save someone else: 2 points; survive tribal council: 1 point; voted off while possessing HII: -2 points.

4a) So if you had two people left from your original picks, and went with them after the merge, every time they survived tribal council, they'd each earn 1.5 points, 2.5 points for winning individual immunity, etc.

5) Having the person who finishes 5th earns you +2 points; 4th = +4 points; 3rd = +6 points; 2nd = +8 points; 1st = +10 points. The 0.5 point bonuses apply here as well.

If you want to run it Chip, have at it. If you need help let me know.

I will vote NO on Bobcat's picks counting, just because he/she has an advantage no one else got.

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I will vote NO on Bobcat's picks counting, just because he/she has an advantage no one else got.

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Correct. The traditional cutoff is 6:59 PM of the Wednesday of the 2nd episode. So time expired at that point. sorry, Bobcat.

I think mine came in right after 7. I left work and pulled up to a restaurant when I submitted my picks. I had not been home nor had I seen the show. Plus one of my picks was voted out last night. Can mine count?

That's fine with me. I didn't want to step on MuckRaker's toes as this is his thing.

I'll update my spreadsheet this weekend and post scores. Current standings are

Most people - 4
A few people - 3 (including me)

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I will vote NO on Bobcat's picks counting, just because he/she has an advantage no one else got.

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Correct. The traditional cutoff is 6:59 PM of the Wednesday of the 2nd episode. So time expired at that point. sorry, Bobcat.

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There were no rules posted until after I put in my picks

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I will vote NO on Bobcat's picks counting, just because he/she has an advantage no one else got.

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Correct. The traditional cutoff is 6:59 PM of the Wednesday of the 2nd episode. So time expired at that point. sorry, Bobcat.

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There were no rules posted until after I put in my picks

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Well, there is that....

Same rules as the last 2 seasons.

He could've looked them up.

I say NO!

Ok...no one posted the rules.

I saw we let Bobcat in, but he only gets 3 picks.

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Same rules as the last 2 seasons.

He could've looked them up.

I say NO!

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The rules on this thread say we have to have our picks in before next Wednesday, which would be 3/2

I'm okay with bobcat being in the game, but since the picks came in after the episode, no points from that episode are awarded.

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Same rules as the last 2 seasons.

He could've looked them up.

I say NO!

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The rules on this thread say we have to have our picks in before next Wednesday, which would be 3/2

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That was posted after the first episode.

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I'm okay with bobcat being in the game, but since the picks came in after the episode, no points from that episode are awarded.

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I would say this + one less pick. Because a lot of people had one of there picks voted out last night, to jump in late with 4 picks is a bit unfair, and losing only 4 points doesn't really make up for that.

I'm fine with letting him in with 3 picks and/or no points. Everyone else knew to get their picks in before 2nd episode, so rules not being up shouldn't be an excuse.

No points and 3 picks. Then at the merge, he gets 1 pick.

Teach him for not following the rules and wanting to play with the big boys.

Did I miss where this is for a cash prize? Does the winner get anything besides internet points?

This is just a fun contest to make the show more interesting. Why are we being such sticklers?

Because there are rules for a reason. What would happen if no one followed the rules?


I changed my mind. Don't let this rule breaker in our game. He is unwanted.

Ahhhhj ****. I don't care. Let him in no points this week though.