TV: Survivor: Winners at War - Season Discussion Thread

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Michele is the Robert Horry of Survivor, bench player who makes the clutch play. Coming up clutch like she did in her other season.

I still can't believe how dense people are for not targeting Tony. I don't care if Sarah is the next best out there, she's delusional if she thinks she can beat him head-to-head.

All the credit goes to Tony. The way he can zig zag situations is incredible and there isn't another player who can adapt their game like Tony can. He can play low key, he can turn up his game in a blink of an eye, he can blindside you and make you feel good afterwards.

 

[Mitch nylander]

I liked Jeremy super disappointed about that.
Don't like any of the remaining players to be honest.

My power ranking
1. Tony
Got through the extortion, won 3 challenges, was on the right side of the vote every tribal, found an idol and is funny.

2. Denise
Took out Sandra with a brilliant move, with two idols. She also has one 2 challenges. Has made some nice little moves throughout the game.

3. Sarah
I think her game, has been solely riding on the coattails of a guy like Tony, and Sophie. Misuse of an advantage. Good social game though, and people seem to like her.
4. Michelle
Genuinely seemed loss for most of the game. But she has used an advantage correctly. She won a challenge with her back against the wall. Plus don't forget she was a key component to the Ethan and Parvati vote outs.

5. Ben
Definition of a goat. Has done nothing.

 

[The Shadow]

Now is the time for someone to make a big move that hasn’t yet. Everyone sees that going against Tony in the final is a bad idea

someone has to blindside him with a big move

Sarah, Denise and Michelle perhaps?

 

[Canada4Gold]

She had 14 tokens going into the "menu", but they never really showed us that menu. She bought an idol for Tyson and Peanut Butter. Everyone they showed having two tokens all bough an advantage, so we'll assume an advantage is 2 tokens. She said she got 3 advantages and stated "because that is all I could buy".

Her three advantages could be a the idol for Tyson, the PB, and the comp advantage. I don't remember how much PB was when Tyson bought it, but they've been changing up the prices anyway. I could see her buying three comp advantages for 6 tokens and having 8 left over for an idol and PB, but I don't think that is it. Boston Rob definitely had enough tokens the first time to buy multiple comp advantages if he was allowed, so I think they cap it at one.

Speaking of, I don't remember them showing us Rob saying anything about what he bought. I think they did show him saying that he still had his idol that he bought from before the first challenge, but they didn't say what else he bought since then. I'm fairly certain he had at least 3 if not 4 tokens. Didn't he get them all when they were just laying on the ground and he was able to snag them before everyone else?

Either way, from the preview it looked like the comp to get back in was one where they are attached to a rope that needs to be untangle by moving their way over/under a long wood structure. I'd imagine the advantage is being able to start a section or two ahead. I can't imagine that Natalie gets to jump to having one section left, but I do think she'd be good at this challenge anyway. She has been a straight up beast during the physical competitions on exile.


Side note, I think the only person who comes back that can truly change the game is Sophie. Even with idols, Michele is definitely next if she doesn't win immunity again. The other 4 can split the vote and flush the returning player's idol if they have one. Ben and Tony both have idols left, so it is going to take a blindside to get either out before final 4. But I think if Sophie makes it back in, Sarah takes her shot at Tony/Ben in a blindside with Michele and Sophie.

I was surprised she only had 14. I was keeping track by taking notes of what people owned through the season. She got 6 tokens from Tony to avoid extortion, 8 from Nick for the disadvantage today that essentially got him voted out, and 2 in the coconut race for 16. She must have bought peanut butter before.

Players can buy up to 3 challenge advantages, we were told that at the start of the season, for the first challenge, and if you paused on the menu scrolls at the end of the episode you'd see there are options to pick up to 3 advantages as well as an additional idol. For the first challenge they cost 1 token and an idol cost 3. The prices doubled this time. 6 for an idol, 2 for an advantage. I'd assume the peanut butter doubled to 2 as well. It was 1 when Tyson bought it pre merge.

Boston Rob had 4 tokens before the first return challenge he used 3 on an idol(which he mentioned he still has) and 1 on an challenge advantages. The same thing Natalie did the first time, she also had 4. Everyone else who had tokens only had 1 which is why nobody bought more than 1 advantage. Only Rob and Natalie could and both valued the idol above 2 extra challenge advantages and a surplus token. Might have cost Rob actually because he was basically 1 second behind Tyson for that win. Rob didn't have any this time. When he did his confessional late in this episode it showed next to his name the token symbol and a 0. Parvati, Sophie, Yul, Wendell, and Tyson all had 2 from the coconut race. They showed each of those saying they were buying 1 challenge advantage except Sophie. Maybe she spent hers previously on peanut butter, we'll find out if she has a challenge advantage next episode. Parv also got 4 more from Michele but they showed her only owning 2 so I guess she spent hers, she did mention when she set the price at 4 she was going to feed the group.

I was surprised Natalie bought the idol for Tyson rather than Parvati. Her and Parv worked together to get the 6 tokens from Tony. She kept them all, had more than she could use and then used the surplus on Tyson rather than Parv who helped her get them.

 

[Canada4Gold]

On another note it's crazy how these people have left Tony in the game. It's basically his game if he can win a fire challenge now if they even force him to. From final 10 he won 3 straight immunities, was vulunrable twice and completely ignored as a possible vote it seems. Now he's got an idol for 1 of the next 2 votes, so he only needs 1 immunity win to get to 4, and he's likely fine anyway with a Michele or returnee vote. Realistically the only way he's gone is if Michele wins immunity, and the returnee has an idol and Tony gets idol'd out(if both don't happen they probably split), or if he loses to fire at 4. Since final 10 he's basically had this on lock, only being vulnerable twice and nobody cared. He should win, and I'm going to be really angry if he doesn't.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

I sure hope so. I fear the others wake up and he goes out 4th. It's gotta be Tony and if not, the only other deserving winner is Sarah.
.

Denise has done 10X more than Sarah. What has Sarah done? No immunity wins, Denise has 2. Denise took out Sandra. Sarah has totally ridden other people to the final 5.

Sarah's resume ain't much better than Michelle's. If it is.

 

[clunk]

I'd be ecstatic for Tony. Content with Ben, Denise or Sarah. Upset with Michele or returnee.

Tony's gotta win this game. He deserves to be a two time winner the most. For sure.

 

[Oilpeg]

Tony and Sarah have been dominant. The way Sarah manages people, I think is incredible. She's manipulating people and managing egos and I think it's great. Tony is on another level, how the two of them haven't been targeted is crazy to me. When Michele tried to create tension with Sarah instead of allowing the doubt to get in her way, she turned to the group and told them what Michele was up to. It's brilliant as it shut Michele down immediately. She's locked in with Tony and Ben and nothing will change that, and she doesn't want to allow any doubt to creep in. It's like the buddy system, but with a better social twist. I don't get the Sarah hate, I think she's great. Unfair to compare Sarah to Michele, Sarah's been on the right side of most votes, Michele has been on the right side of none since her early work pre-merge.

Sad thing is, the season will really depend on who comes back from Extinction. If it's Natalie, which it really looks like it will be, I can definitely see her winning the game. At the beginning of the season, and after the original Island of Extinction season, I could not imagine a jury ever voting for a player who was voted out to win, but Natalie is different somehow. First voted out and absolutely dominating the island. The jury knows how hard extinction is and I can totally see them all giving her their votes. She bought Tyson an idol! Talk about potential jury management. I don't think any other Extinction player could win the season, but I think Natalie could. And somehow, I think I might be okay with that. I don't think she beats Tony or Sarah in the end though, but if she's there with any combo of the other three, she wins.

 

[Mitch nylander]

Denise has done 10X more than Sarah. What has Sarah done? No immunity wins, Denise has 2. Denise took out Sandra. Sarah has totally ridden other people to the final 5.

Sarah's resume ain't much better than Michelle's. If it is.

Well said.

Tony is clearly the front runner. Denise is second.

Sarah and Ben are basically tony's puppy dogs.

Michelle hasn't done much but I say she's on the same level as Sarah at bare minimum. She won a challenge, used an advantage correctly and played a key role in the Parvati and Ethan vote outs.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Glad Natalie got way more advantages than Rob. She deserves it. Hope she gets back in. I don't think she would be a deserving winner over Tony and Sarah. There could be an argument she beats everybody else though. She's been busting her butt. She was just an easy/quick vote and got no chance.

The edge returns need to be sooner so they have time to play some game. Right at the finale is just stupid imo.

 

[Trap Jesus]

If Michele plays that 50/50 on Jeremy and he gets Immunity, she'd end up going home right? 3 votes for Jeremy thrown out, Ben vs. Michele at 2-2, then they re-vote?

 

[koyvoo]

Below is a screen cap from the final EOE challenge. It’s the exact same one as in S38, except that instead of a knot untying section, it’s a sand dig section.

The people out in front, sans Tyson (which is weird), are the one who bought an advantage. The first advantage is the players are allowed to skip the fence obstacle. That is the moment of the screen cap.

Natalie bought an additional two advantages, which allow her to skip the sand dig section and then having 1/3 of her rope bridge pre built.

 

[Peasy]

If Michele plays that 50/50 on Jeremy and he gets Immunity, she'd end up going home right? 3 votes for Jeremy thrown out, Ben vs. Michele at 2-2, then they re-vote?

Yeah I believe that's how it would play out.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Was it odd to anyone that Michele got to flip the coin?

 

[Trap Jesus]

Was it odd to anyone that Michele got to flip the coin?

Lol yes. It barely rotated as well.

 

[Oilpeg]

Was it odd to anyone that Michele got to flip the coin?

Lol yes. It barely rotated as well.

I said to my wife that it barely turned. The way she flipped that, I could get 'safe' 99 times out of 100.

 

[Peasy]

I wonder if because Jeff knew Michele being safe or not didn't matter, they didn't really care how she flipped it. If it was for Jeremy, maybe they do something else like Jeff flips it himself lol.

 

[SensBrawler]

I think there would be problems either way.

If the contestant is the flipper, they can practice it and know how to flip it properly when it comes time to play it.

If Jeff flips it, fans/contestants could complain about him deliberately sabotaging or helping a contestant. Jeff isn't just a host, he's a producer. You don't want to give clear evidence of a producer affecting the final outcome of a show. If Michele had played that for Jeremy and Jeff flipped it the same way Michele did and it landed on safe, people would be complaining about him deliberately throwing it a certain way to save Jeremy.

Ultimately, I think it's smarter for Jeff to stay out of it and just let the player do it themselves.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Man, they're really going to need to fly in this finale. Extinction challenge, Immunity challenge, 6th place voted out, Immunity challenge, 5th place voted out, Immunity challenge, fire-making challenge, biggest Final Tribal of ALL TIME with so many there, then reveal the winner. 2 hours?

They showed some kind of preview of the 5 people left in the game placing some kind of bet on the Extinction challenge winner, I'm assuming that will be the 1st Immunity challenge. It would be a cool idea for them to draft like a team of people they think could win and then that gets them Immunity at Tribal, but I don't know how that factors in the winner of the Extinction challenge. Maybe to fight back into the game they just have to be exposed on the first vote back.

 

[SouthGeorge]

The coin toss was super weak. She saw what it was and had it rotate once to what she wanted. But Jeff said it had to stay on the table which was silly for such a big coin. Should flip it to the ground so it has most rotations.

Have they said how they're going to do the reunion with all this corona bs?

 

[Trap Jesus]

The coin toss was super weak. She saw what it was and had it rotate once to what she wanted. But Jeff said it had to stay on the table which was silly for such a big coin. Should flip it to the ground so it has most rotations.

Have they said how they're going to do the reunion with all this corona bs?

I think they're just getting everyone virtually for the reunion and I suppose the reading of the votes. Don't think that impacts the show all that much TBH.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Man, they're really going to need to fly in this finale. Extinction challenge, Immunity challenge, 6th place voted out, Immunity challenge, 5th place voted out, Immunity challenge, fire-making challenge, biggest Final Tribal of ALL TIME with so many there, then reveal the winner. 2 hours?

They showed some kind of preview of the 5 people left in the game placing some kind of bet on the Extinction challenge winner, I'm assuming that will be the 1st Immunity challenge. It would be a cool idea for them to draft like a team of people they think could win and then that gets them Immunity at Tribal, but I don't know how that factors in the winner of the Extinction challenge. Maybe to fight back into the game they just have to be exposed on the first vote back.

They will probably just run more of the final tribal into the reunion then they normally do.

 

[Canada4Gold]

They will probably just run more of the final tribal into the reunion then they normally do.

Recent reunions have only been going 30 minutes tops because the episodes have been 2.5 hours so I sure hope not.

 

[hoglund]

Recent reunions have only been going 30 minutes tops because the episodes have been 2.5 hours so I sure hope not.

This season will probably have a virtual reunion because of the pandemic, so timing may be off by quite a bit.
I think that Tony deserves to win with Denise a close 2nd, but it wouldn't surprise me if Natalie returns to the game and wins it all.

 

[Apex Predator]

Just finished watching Australian Survivor all stars and wow the winner that season played one hell of a game.