A Survivor Wrapup and Primer
So, last night Parvati Shallow (yes, that's her last name) won Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites. It was by all accounts one of the better seasons, not the least of which was due to people getting "blind-sided" in almost every Tribal Council. I think Jeff Probst - the best host reality TV has ever seen - played that up a bit much, but it was still always exciting to watch.
So, did Parv deserve to win? I suppose so. After last week's debacle, when Erik - aka Leif Garrett - stunningly handed away the immunity idol in what has justly been called the dumbest move in the history of the game, we were left with a final four of fan Natalie and favorites Cirie, Amanda and Parvati. Though I could care less about the "girl power" aspect of an all female final four, and the "stirring the witches cauldron" dance got old quick, it was a nice change up. But once Amanda won the immunity challenge, it was fairly obvious Natalie was going home. As should have been the case, since she was both a threat to win immunity in the next round (though the girls somehow all assumed there wouldn't be one), and could have made a good case to the jury that she'd played a strong, strategic game.
More importantly, Cirie, Parv and Amanda had a history and that wasn't going to change. In the SHOCKING final immunity challenge, Parvati actually lost very quickly, and Cirie did a good job of hanging in there, but Amanda perserved again. Which makes it two Survivors she not only made the final two, but won the last two challenges in each.
And lost both times.
She would have lost had she brought Cirie, but I was sure that she was simply more likeable than Parvati and would get the majority of the jury's votes. (James said as much during the final TC.) But once again, it seems that the jury - despite an emotionally based vote here or there - favors former loyalty or game play.
Which means yet again, Amanda blew it at the final TC. While we never see everything, I can't understand why she wouldn't have mentioned how well she played off having the immunity idol - and that she'd asked to be sent to Exile Island to find it. That was one of the best moments of the game and for those, like Eliza, who seemed to be struggling to decide who to vote for, it could have been persuasive.
So what makes a Survivor winner? Let's go to the tape. A pre-emptive shot: I know this is geeky, but I loves me some Survivor and if you don't? You lose.
LUCK. It's clear that especially early on, what tribe you get assigned to and the chance of injuring yourself early are big things you can't prepare for. Whether it was Tracey this year (who folks seem to think was worthy of going farther), Jessie in Africa getting sick, or the slew of folks like Michael in Season 2, James and Jonathan Penner this year who had to be taken out for injury, luck plays a big role.
Smart, strategic gameplay. The jury talks a big game, but they tend to reward those who played smartly. If it was a popularity contest (as the contestants always seem to feel it is as they get closer to the end), Amanda would have walked away with it. Todd in Survivor China, who also beat Amanda, was a little runt who turned on everyone - but no one could deny he'd played smartly. That being said...
Physical strength...in moderation. I am sure if I noodle on it for awhile, I can find a winner who wasn't physically fit, but in general you have to win a few challenges to stay alive. This is why Erik actually had a chance at the end, but he was too naive to understand the rest of the game. But the "in moderation" part is also key - a guy like Ozzy can't win, because everyone is terrified that he'll never lose. As soon as a guy (or girl) like that doesn't win immunity, someone is going to have the idea to kick them off.
It isn't rocket science. The game's over used subtitle is "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast." The outwit parts goes to the strategic gameplay, and the outplay is the physical (and sometimes mental) aspect of the challenges. And of course, the entire point of the game is to outlast the others. But the sheer fact is that people make dumb moves on this show because they out think themselves. Ozzy and Jason didn't use immunity idols that they had because they convinced themselves, in spite of the evidence, that they didn't need to. Erik got convinced that he, and he alone, had said such nasty things to the potential jurors that he could never win TC without a grand gesture. And the fans as a group knocked themselves out of the game far too early because of the same over thinking. This is why a smart, but not too smart, girl like Parvarti can win, where folks like Cirie and Yao Man are simply too smart to win.
A few more notes:
The $100,000 they give to the fans favorites is nice for the winner, and I'm certainly glad that James has now pocketed $200K as a result. But it's a bit contrary to the game and I blame Rupert for this.
I didn't pay all that much attention during the reunion show (though Survivor cleverly delays the announcement of the winner until then to ensure folks DO watch), but I did hear Ozzy make two statements that were decidedly lame. One was, in response to Probst asking if he and Amanda were still an item, "Oh, you know how these Survivor women are, Jeff!" That was a not-so-veiled reference to the fact that Probst has been dating Julie Berry from Survivor Vanuatu for a few years now. (And for anyone who argues about who the hottest survivor ever has been, let me not only present you with this photographic evidence but state that Probst has seen them all, and this is who he wanted. I'm just sayin.
Ozzy also said something along the lines of, "I lost my job as a waiter and now I'm cleaning toilets." Again, Ozzy ain't so subtle. This is a reference to Denise (the lunchlady) who famously said something similar at the reunion show and got show producer Mark Burnett to pony up $50K on the spot in sympathy. It turned out not to be exactly an honest admission from Denise, and she's been very public about how bad she felt. So, a real class move by the Oz man. (Though I will say, he undoubtedly feels pretty torn that he's never won a game that he's essentially built for. That being said, he's dating Amanda so I'm sure his life isn't terrible.)
For a show that essentially began the so-called Reality TV movement, Survivor really isn't showing signs of age. It's constantly tweaking the format without upsetting the basic structure and Probst's presence is a key to all of that. His constant jabs at contestants like Penner and Johnny Fairplay this season were great, and he keeps the show on solid footing. The show is moving back to Africa, though it appears to be a much less desolate area than Season 4, which many thought was the worst of all seasons. I'm very much looking forward to it, because until proven otherwise, it's the reality show to beat.