So I can't even be all triumphant that I called it a while ago, because we all knew Kim was going to win, right? No wizardry involved. She was playing hard and didn't really have any competition. Honestly, in the whole season - maybe Colton & Troyzan were her biggest threats.... She put herself in a leadership role without being overbearing and somehow making everyone like her in the process. Even the people she voted out were all, "Oh, Kim played an excellent game. I love Kim." Well, more or less.
Could have been either Kim-Alicia-Christina or Kim-Chelsea-Sabrina in the final three. The first choice would be a no-brainer, but also Kim would lose respect of her closest allies and the jury members who knew that she was true to her all-girl alliance 'til the end. By bringing her two BFFs to the end, she gains respect by saying, look, I did what I had to do to keep my alliance solid, I was closest to these two girls and here we are at the end. I had to vote some of you out, but in the end I'm loyal and you like me. (Insert blue-eye batting....)
So let's back up for a sec. Out of the final 5, Alicia got voted out first. The funny thing is that to Alicia, everything is about how great she is. So getting voted out - you'd think she'd be mad but instead she just went on about how great a player she was to get to the final five and how she was such a huge threat and blah, blah, blah. No idea that she was there partly because she provided Kim an option to go to the end with two unlikable people. Even her "question" on the jury was really more of a statement about how fantastic she was and how she was the "kingpin" and how great those girls must be if they can outsmart her. Uh-huh. Delusional. Fully. On the other hand, I softened a little towards Alicia (a LITTLE... not much) near the end when she really did seem to be genuinely supportive of her gal pals getting to the end. Every time she got beat in a challenge, she'd be the first one there giving the person a hug. And then at the reunion show, she seemed truly moved about what a bag she was on the show, and was horrified by the comment she made when she likened Christina to one of her special needs kids. Yikes. I think maybe people forget they're on TV? Maybe? At any rate, I took her apology as sincere and while I don't think she & Christina will be buds or that she'll be getting any bathing suit modelling jobs any time soon, she's probably not as horrendous in real life... if you know her. Maybe. Colton, on the other hand.... we'll get to him in a minute.
So then there were 4. Kim basically told Christina that she'd be next and everyone was so shocked when Christina didn't fight for her place in the top three. REALLY? 'Cause Christina has fought for so much up until now? 'Cause she knew she deserved to be there? Anyone? Everyone - Christina included - knew that if she were to go to final 3, it would be as that person who'd get no votes. So she gracefully bowed out. I don't think it's that bad, really. It's in keeping with how she played the game - and I'm not trying to be mean - she's had enough of that. But I really kept hoping she'd try harder, kept hoping she'd pull it together in a challenge, kept hoping she'd have some sort of strategy.... buuuuuuuut no. Each time, she let me down. So, I thought she did the right thing and enjoyed her last day without the drama and let it go.
And that gave us actually a really interesting final three. The most interesting one in a long time, and way more interesting than it would have been with those other girls. Kim, Chelsea and Sabrina all played a pretty good game and they all are well spoken. They each gave the jury a fantastic final statement. Sabrina basically said she held back a bit and took an observational role, tried to get to know people and not piss anyone off but that she let Kim take the lead. Chelsea apologized if she seemed like a bitch and said she had to do it because she found it so hard to separate the emotions & the strategy. And she gave Kim a lot of credit too. Then Kim basically looked everyone in the eye, stayed calm and told people that you know what? I liked all of you and I felt bad about having to vote you off, but I thought about my family and what the money would mean to them - how much they've supported me - and that I've only known you people for 20 or 30 days. Finally - this to me is the best speech ever. It takes the emotion out of it - no one can say to her, "but you backstabbed me!" She can just say, "yes I did. I had to. It's what got me here." Done.
And as Jeff said, it was a very respect-filled jury. One of the most 'adult' juries ever. Definitely a little bit of whining...who was it... was it Leif who asked Chelsea why she hates people? Hee hee.... The people I thought would be the most bitter, Troyzan, Kat & Alicia were all pretty nice. They all congratulated the gals on being there. Kat ended up telling a 'secret' about having had open heart surgery in the past and having to have it again and therefore not wanting to be mad or bitter but to be happy and stay friends. Wow. Apparently she grew up a lot in like, a week! She said something about wanting to vote against Kim but that then she'd have learned nothing during her time there. She even addressed the jury and asked them to vote with their hearts for the one who played the best game & not vote out of spite or bitterness! Wow.
Not much else to say about the jury except that Tarzan was his usual amazing self. He just thanked the girls for keeping him around long enough that his wife could step foot on the island and be with him for that reward challenge.... (Cue amazingly bad, heavy-handed sad-drama piano music here. Come ON, Mark Burnett... ugh.) Not a dry eye in the house, we don't need your piano.
And Tarzan used some lovely big words that were real, while there were some delightful made-up words going around. My favourite was Mike's.... "In all fairity..." I'm going to start using that one.
The reunion show offered a few glimpses into fun Survivor stuff. Christina still seems super weird saying, no, all the bullying didn't bother her because she's a salesperson and gets told no or hung up on all the time so whatever. Did you buy that? I'm not sure I did. They didn't even talk to Nina or Courtney. Kim won the 'player of the season' award vs. Troyzan who really, really needs to cut his hair. Jay looked hot with his hair cut. And then there was Colton. A lot of time spent analyzing Colton.
So Colton was asked what he thought of seeing himself on the show. Colton basically said, that yeah, he wasn't super proud of some of the things he said and that he's not a racist, but that everyone said the show got boring when he left. Then Jeff talks to his mom, who said that he wasn't raised that way and they were all very supportive of him coming out but that he hasn't necessarily been treated as well by everyone in the family. Then - in the weirdest move ever - they talk to that girl who was Blossom and now apparently is on Big Bang Theory, who says that she liked Colton & thought there was "more to him" and that she'd love to see him play again. Then some other random dude who again backed up Colton. Meanwhile, you can totally tell that Colton has no friends out of the rest of the cast. Everyone is pretty much disgusted with Colton. He & Bill are still not friends. He tries to give a flimsy, "I love these guys!" which sounds SO fake. Leif lets it be known that he's saddened and disgusted by Colton's comment where he called Leif a "munchkin who should go back to Oz." And again, was it Leif (why can I never remember what that guys says?) who said that it's one thing to say something in the heat of the game to someone, and yet an entirely different thing to say something just on camera behind everyone's back. And oh yeah, if you have to tell people you're not a racist.... you're probably a racist. No one with those bad ideas actually considers themselves racist, do they? They come out with stuff like, I'm not a racist - I just don't like Muslim people. Or I'm not a racist - I just think black comedians should get a real job and not be poor. What? I'm sure there's a lot going on with Colton, but he for sure needs a little soul searching, non?
The sad thing is that Colton will be back. Next season's Survivor (#25!) will be in Philippines and will feature three former Survivors who were all med-evaced out of their respective seasons. So, sadly, I'm thinking Colton being 'good tv' will win out over Colton actually deserving to go back and play. They haven't said yet who's going, but I'm willing to put my blog on the line that he'll be one of the three. Rewarded for bad behaviour. Boo. I think that guy...was his name Mike? who burned his hands way way back in season 2... I think he'll be back. Maybe Jonathan Penner (Jeff loves him. He calls him Penner.But, he already has played twice.) Kourtney is the only girl to ever be medevaced (!!) so she could have a chance to be back. Or maybe that dude... wasn't his name also Russell... who blacked out when he was in a challenge? Remember that guy? Hmmm... Send me your guesses?
Anyway, I'm not sure about that for a twist. Granted, it's been 25 seasons and it's gotta be tough to come up with new ideas. "One World" was a good idea that just didn't entirely pan out. It did start off well and I think it ended well, but was a little lacklustre in the middle. I think that's the cast we were stuck with, though. Generally, I don't know if I'm a big fan of letting past survivors come back and play, but if they're going to do that, I guess I do like the idea of these guys getting a second chance. It wasn't their fault they had to leave - they didn't get voted out, they didn't lose, but they didn't get a chance to really play. OK, fair enough. But I think if Colton comes back, he'd better be a changed human. Maybe he'll expand his world view a little and try to be nicer. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening, but maybe I'll be proved wrong. At least Blossom will be happy.
Thanks for reading and do send me your comments! Will be back next season with more blog! In the meantime, I'm going to catch up on this season's Ponderosa episodes on youtube to keep me going.
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