Losing Blows!

So, I was thinking that the great thing about Survivor is that as "predictable" as it can be, it's still pretty much impossible to call at this point... and don't forget....

THE SEASON FINALE IS THIS SUNDAY!!! 

Every year they spring that on people and lots of folks miss it.  Gah! 

Here's what I mean about predictable:  Matt keeps winning at Redemption Island.  Yes, he did again...well, actually Mike won, but Matt was second and Andrea was third and Ralph lost.  Now, unpredictable:  It should have been Andrea losing, right?  Ralph was way ahead with the maze part and then lost it on the puzzle.  (Seriously, the guy can't spell and you give him a puzzle with words on it?)  Andrea was a total mess and I find her SO annoying.  It's not that she gets emotional, because pretty much everyone gets emotional playing this game.  But it's the whiny emotion of, "You look people in the face and they lie to you and I thought they were my friends...." 

Dear Mark Burnett,

Show idea... you're welcome to steal it.  Have a show where people have to become best friends with the most people they can.  Everyone must be honest and make everyone else happy all the time and the one with the most true friends at the end wins.  We'll call it BFF's For Like, Ever.  Oh, and if you want to hire me as your official blogger, I'd be more than happy and think I'd do a better job than Rob Cesternino. 

Sincerely, Keri

Ugh.  No one would watch that, now, would they?  However, every year, there are quite a few people on Survivor - Andrea included - who think that this is the game they are playing.  Boston Rob had it right when he talked about voting off his friend Grant.  He said, "I like the guy and we'd probably be friends off the show, but I didn't come on the show to make friends.  I came to win a million dollars."  But, because people like Andrea will be part of the jury, they will likely miss this point and Rob's decision could bite him in the ass.  Back to Andrea and her annoyingness though, did you love/cringe at the part where she shows up at Redemption Island and has to talk to Matt about how he gives her the stink-eye all the time at challenges and how he "hates" her now... blah, blah, blah.  Poor Matty.  You know that if we saw a one minute snippet of the conversation, it probably went on forever in real life.  I liked when he just said, yeah, I think I'm going to go to bed now, and ended it.  Hee.  And then when Andrea tries to get in the shelter, Ralph tells her to sleep on the ground!  Ha!  He says in real life, he'd never do that, but because they treated the Zapateras so badly now it's her turn.  So maybe treating them that badly was a bad idea, what with all of them on the jury now.

So the other best part about the Duel was my boyfriend, Jeff.  Sometimes he comes out with some really great lines.  Like, "You don't want to lose just because you're having a bad day." (Ummm, Andrea!) And my personal favourite, "You don't need to win, you just need to not lose.  You don't want to lose. That blows." Honestly... I had to turn and ask out loud, "Did he really just say, "That blows?""  Jeff is the best host ever.

Back to my original point.  It looked like it was going to be predictable - Ashley would get voted out next because she's annoying, she's a bad influence on Natalie (according to Rob), she could be dangerous paired up with Natalie, and she doesn't have as strong a tie with Rob as the others.  Easy.  Nope.  Enter the unpredictable.  The girl who hasn't done much of anything except suntan so far goes and wins herself a challenge, and wins immunity.  Oh dear. 

Now what?  Rob can vote off Natalie, Phillip or Grant.  Well, we know he's keeping crazy Phillip.  (Rob, after another one of Phillip's tirades says, "Phillip's crazy.  Not n-word crazy, just crazy."  Hee.)  So does he keep his buddy Grant or his protected Natalie?  It's a tough call.  It would be a betrayal of either one.  If you keep Natalie, there's a chance she'll side with Ashley against him or will get votes just because she's young and cute and pure and likable and can say she didn't really back stab anyone, she was just following orders. (For reference, see blonde Natalie winning in the Russell season of Survivor... or the Nazis circa 1945.)  If you keep Grant, there's a good chance he'll keep winning immunity and he can get votes because he's likable and won some respect for being so awesome at challenges.  (By the way, Grant's hair is getting crazier all the time, non?) 

Then there's this - maybe you vote out Grant in hopes that he goes to Redemption Island and is the guy to finally kick Matt & Mike out of the game.  Rob's biggest fear is that Matt or Mike get back in the game and make it to the finals. Look at that jury.  Rob can't have those guys in the final.  Mind you, as poolster Don said to me today, maybe Rob should have been straight with Grant then and told him that.  Maybe.  Hard to say.

So it's going to be an interesting finale.  We don't really know yet how they're going to work it, because there are still 8 people left... which is crazy.  Is it going to be an "all or nothing" duel?  That's my bet.  Somehow, they've got to whittle it down to three finalists pretty quick.  And  here's the thing - it's totally NOT predictable who will win that Duel. Matt, Mike, Andrea and Grant are all ridiculously strong competitors and it may totally depend on what kind of challenge it is.  Matt has proven himself a million times, but so has Grant.  Mike seems to have found his groove on Redemption Island & has been beating Matt.  Then there's Andrea - the dark horse of the three, but who could be right in there if she "doesn't have a bad day."  If it's an endurance challenge, girls traditionally do better than muscly guys.  If it's a puzzle, it could be anyone. Even in a physical challenge, look how well Andrea did at the stairs one - she was right there with Grant...

Then there's the other four.  Rob still has the hidden immunity idol and I think will get one more chance to use it.  Might be super fun if someone else comes back into the game and tries to turn the girls against Rob. All he has to do is play the idol and bam!  An awesome blindside!  No one knows he has it. 

And then the previews tell us that Phillip has some huge surprise in store, which he has also hinted at.  I can't wait!  Obviously, it has something to do with him playing a part and not really being a former federal agent or something... but what?  I love the suspense, but feel I should lower my expectations somewhat.  These previews can't be trusted and I don't want to be disappointed.  That would blow. 

So, dear readers, are you going to call it?  My call from the beginning (OK, well from early on anyway) has been a Rob vs. Matt final.  The third person is irrelevant.  You?  Rob vs. Phillip?  Rob vs. Grant?  Rob vs. Natalie?  So exciting!  And I don't expect to be right... because it's unpredictable, and that's why I keep watching.