Survivor Heroes Vs Villains Ep13

Christiana and Mike discuss the penultimate episode of Survivor Vs Villains

4 Comments

  • roxan fox says:

    Hey ya’ll…if I didn’t just listen to it, I wouldn’t have believed it! you slipped a podcast in for us ! Thanks!
    Great insite as usual, and Mike, you filled the time gap nicely!
    Here is what I think, Russel’s reaction from last season loss was so volitile (mispelled?) that I think he knew he didn’t win THIS SEASON! Why would he offer Natalie money to sell him the title? Or to have Jeff say the words that RUSSEL! was the winner? Again, remember, he didn’t see his season at all. Even if he gets to the end…he does not understand the power of the Jury! Yes, he may have played the game the best but he is a creepy, scary lil troll that I hope I never run into under a bridge!
    As for Parviti, she should win, buy it depends on who she goes to the end with. I think she should win, but I’m not on the jury!
    looking forward to tomorrow’ final show and your recap finalle
    Peace out,
    Roxan

  • Diplomatic Spouse says:

    What a delightful surprise that you guys managed to get in another podcast before the finale. I enjoyed and appreciated every minute of it. Thanks so much for all your Survivor podcasts. You have a lot more respect for Russell than I do, but I still enjoy your analysis and comments.

  • Justin in Rocester (soopafreak) says:

    I hope, as Mike has stated in previous episodes, you guys don’t think Russel got screwed again by a bitter jury again. I can listen to it in Samoa but not this time.

    Russel was not the best OVERALL player this year (much less of all time as the Russel lovers have already anointed him). Was he the best strategist this year and one of the greats Yes (although I would put Parvati in that mix). Is he a solid/one of the best (but not the best) physical players Yes. Is he also the worst social player YES and ultimately what Russel has missed the boat on is each part is of relatively equal value. What he has failed to do is give a crap at all about that 3rd piece of the puzzle.

    It like in chess, If I dominate the opening of the game and the middle of the game and have a large lead in pieces but have a week endgame and my opponent Checkmates me, despite me being vastly superior in the other 2 phases of the game I STILL LOSE THE GAME AND THE OTHER PLAYER WAS BETTER IN THAT GAME! At some point I might adjust my strategy to not focus all of my efforts on the first 2 phases and get better at the 3rd.

    I agree 100% with Boston Rob and it has been said on message boards and Blogs everywhere is that Russel plays and great 2nd place game. He figures he must devote 100% of his game to the first 2 phases in that if he doesn’t that he will be voted and then the endgame is a moot point. I get his thinking but then he can’t be surprise that he always loses and that this time he did not get a single vote.

    I will give you best strategist but that is not the only element of the game. Part of the game is getting people (who you played the game with and voted out) to vote for you in the end and well, he fails at that part.

    I am not a Russel hater, he is a BRILLIANT strategist; top 2 or 3 in that area and top 10 overall in my book but one can’t ignore 1/3 of the game and expect to win. I gave the chess analogy here is the basketball analogy: I can score 50 points but if i give up 60 that does not make me a great basketball ball player, it makes me a great offensive basketball player. Russel saying there is a flaw in the game is Preposterous. The game has had the same rule for 18 seasons before he got there which is to vote people out and get them to vote for you in the end. Now this America vote is a fine addition to include the fans but to say that should be a component of the game is ridiculous. America does not live with him for 39 days and did not get stabbed in the back time and time again by him. It is real easy to say respect his game when one was not directly affected by his game. I wonder how many of those people would feel the same way if they were the ones playing the game.

    Some of the Russel die-hard supporters have mentioned that had Russel known prior to H vs. V that he did not win Samoa, he would have adjusted his strategy. The flip side to that is that the other 19 would have seen his game and not let him hang around so it ends up a wash of an argument.

    As for Sandra 1st two time winner of Survivor. Love her game or hate her game she has done what nobody has ever done (although when people say Russel did what nobody else did in finding Idols without clues makes him the greatest ever but I digress) but some still don’t give her the credit she deserves. While I DON’T consider her the greatest overall player she IS without a doubt the most SUCCESSFUL player to this point. Now one might argue that is a distinction without a difference but I think there is. She might not have been successful in getting rid of Russel but at the end she did beat him and Parvati which in of itself is a great accomplishment as is of course winning a season with this many great players.

    Long winded I know so I will wrap up with this. This to me is the 2nd best season, still give the 1st all-stars the nod but it is close. I think the Hidden Idol has been overdone to an extent. I don’t mind the Idol as part of the game but for me I would like it if the Idol was in the game once or twice and not recycled after it is played endlessly until the final 4 or 5. I have always enjoyed old school / Pre HII survivor more than new school. Great podcast as always, enjoyed listening to your thoughts. Can’t wait for your season wrap up and beyond.

  • Gary from The Bronx aka Captain Pike says:

    I Give Russel credit. Two seasons back to back with only 3 weeks off and no chance to see his first season play out on TV. Getting to the finals twice. Winning the $100,000 fans vote “Sprint Player of the Season” Award twice. His social game is horrible but he gets no respect for game play sad. The game has become more social/moral than it needs to be. People on the jury should be separated from each other.

    P.S. Sorry if my spelling and/or grammar are bad I’m very dyslexic!