Alright, so Christmas and ya ya ya, but Survivor is what's important here. Not some baby in a manger.
So, I hear what people are saying, I do. I hear that people think Russell only played one aspect of the game, the technical part. They say (those degenerates) that Russell didn't play the social aspect of the game. Okay, okay, I see the point, but I just can't agree.
Russell played every aspect of this game. He played the technical part: The finding of the THREE immunity idols, creating infighting, basically leading a team that was down by four to an almost final four victory and winning the most important of all the immunity challenges. He did all of this while he maintained relationships with each person he wanted to. He was taking Natalie from the beginning. He pretty much got the exact game he was going for...with one very small exception of course.
But I think he played a very social game, that's all he did really. And these guys just went along for the ride. They make me so angry.
I don't deny Russell was an asshole, that last day in the camp, saying how he was an automatic win and all that - that's totally lame. I agree. But the jury never saw that. They did see him list off his misdeeds before anyone even asked him about them (so stupid) but it was a long list of major forces in the game.
I like Natalie fine, she's fine. I thought she was strong and held her own for sure. I appreciate that. But she did nothing. Really. It was stupid Eric that fucked that up. His speech was pretty impassioned, one of the most impassioned I've ever seen on Survivor.
I have so many opinions. So many. And a spoiler about a cast member for Heroes vs. Villains (which somewhere I read should be called "Assholes vs. Wussies"). Want it? I got it.
Christmas is going well here. My brother is in town and my other brother has some time off and I have time off and it's snowing and it may sound stupid or like I'm trying to gild lillies, but there is something to going through Christmas and its mass consumerism with not a penny to spare. The Christmas spirit is alive and well, even without a bunch of cash.
Take that Ebeneezer.
5 comments:
I agree Russell played a social game, and you just never know with the editing, but until the very end when he was working Brent, you barely saw him interact on the, "so, tell me all about yourself" level.
His social game was a mind game dropping fear and suspicion. Which mesh perfectly with the tactical moves of dumping out the canteens, and causing havoc in camp.
He never even tried the friend angle. Everyone thought he was a snake from the beginning (except maybe Shambo, but she's probably one of the most clueless players in history.) They just thought they could use him or outsmart him and his snake plan.
They (for the most part) were wrong.
I'm still astounded at the lack of work he got away with. Usually, that's ALL you hear about is when someone's not carrying their weight chore-wise around camp.
To me, that shows just the level of pansy the majority of players were coming from. Nobody every ripped him a new one for not getting water or making fire, or cooking or building shelter.
Part of me thinks that nobody's ever found the idol before (without the aid of a clue), because nobody ever had the brass balls to say, "fuck the chores, I'm searching for the idol" the way Russell did.
I love that it wasn't until the last couple of days that Mick was all, "WTF is up? I've never seen Russell get water. In 39 days, I've never seen him get water."
Laughed my ass off at that one.
I do agree that the four at the merge would have been picked off pretty quickly if it were not for Russell taking the heat and finding those idols.
continued...
I do agree that the four at the merge would have been picked off pretty quickly if it were not for Russell taking the heat and finding those idols.
Also, Eric has a big fucking mouth.
He did himself in with HIS team pride/ego (although, it was more about the team than himself.)
I'd call his ousting 70/30.
70% his own bullshit talk.
30% Natalie putting a bug in the girls' ears.
Now maybe Russ told her to do it...but I don't remember her getting that direction from him...did he, Hixx? You tell me, he might have.
But I still give her the props for pulling it off. You can have an idea, but the execution...it takes the right amount of finesse to pull it off.
That's my problem with Russell. Much like a high maintence girlfriend who doesn't see herself as such...I believe Russell sees himself as both a strategic and a finesse player. When he's really not.
He's a strategic player, but not a finesse one.
If Natalie hadn't pulled off that plan, I think Galu would have had the numbers to make him play his idol(s) and force him out earlier in the game.
I also agree that I think Russ would have won had it not been for Eric's speech.
But again, you have to compensate. You have to react to the situation.
Russell's downfall was that he was so single-minded with his plan and success that he could improvise at the moment he most needed to.
He saw himself as the winner and couldn't see any cracks in his plan, so when they appeared, he kinda dropped the ball.
When Eric dropped that load of bullshit speech, Russell had a chance to counter it in his final plea. I would have called bullshit on it. Saying, did you come her to play the game of Survivor. I did. And look at what I did. I did 100 things to get here. Natalie did two. Do the math.
But he didn't. He couldn't see beyond the plan he constructed.
Also, NOBODY wants to reward ego.
Folks will reward strategy, but the minute you make them stick their noses in it like dog that peed on the rug, You're Done.
>>I have so many opinions. So many. And a spoiler about a cast member for Heroes vs. Villains (which somewhere I read should be called "Assholes vs. Wussies"). Want it? I got it.
I do not want the spoiler. I think it's likely about who's been cast. And I'm pretty sure it will just piss me off. So I can wait to be pissed.
And I'm telling you....
"Douches and Nerds."
Live it. Love it.
Viva Survivor!!!!
p.s. And whenever you're ready to make out, I'm all over that shit like white on rice.
Okay okay, I see your points and raise you seven...I don't know what that means.
But! Even though Natalie might have had the brains to kick off Eric, that was ONE move, really her only move of the game...besides sticking with Russell.
And I have pure belief that had she not done that, Russell would have found away around it.
Russell made 100 moves and he gets dick. It just makes me mad that such a savvy player in most of the ways, didn't win.
Okay, I have to go to the cheesecake factory.
Ack.
"Russell's downfall was that he was so single-minded with his plan and success that he could NOT improvise at the moment he most needed to.
Left the "not" off accidentally.
That kinda changes the sentence 180 degrees. Bah.
>>Russell made 100 moves and he gets dick. It just makes me mad that such a savvy player in most of the ways, didn't win.
He got dicked over, but again, I say, he didn't 1) compensate for the fact that this was a island full of dweebs, and 2) didn't stand up after Eric's speech and neutralize it (which I think he could have pulled off.)
Russell's downfall was ultimately Russell.
From his perspective he HAD WON. Instead of keeping himself in check for another 24-48 hours and continue to play the game, he was all, "I won! I am the best ever! Show me the money!!"
The one thing he should have said, beyond, "I am awesome and I rock." is "These two next to me are bullshit, and here's why."
I honestly think that he was so perplexed that anyone (aside from maybe Jaison) would not be on the Russell Train completely threw his head out of the game.
You can see it on his face at the final tribal council and at the finale.
Although, it's worth giving Natalie a mil just to watch his head explode. That was kind of karmically fantastic.
I believe that had he been on any other season...with any other of the 18 juries? He would have won hands down.
Hey. How was the cheesecake factory?
I do agree with you there, it's a case of hubris pure and simple. He thought he had it, we all thought he had it (although I appreciate that Survivor can still shock me, that's why I love it so)and the stupid pussies on the jury all voted stupidly.
I'm not sure Russell could have pulled this off on another season, part of the reason why he worked is because they were all pussies. If he had been on an island with Boston Rob and Johnny Fairplay and Richard Hatch, they would have torn this guy apart.
He got to where he was because everyone else (really EVERY ONE) was wimp, then, he ultimately failed because everyone of them was a wimp. 'Cept Shambo. Because you can't have a hairstyle like that and be a wimp.
You know what? Cheesecake Factory was delicious. I thought my food was really good and the cheesecake was fantastic. I know it's hokey, but at least it's a decent hokey place to go.
Yay YOU. We should talk about this in person, really get into it.
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