Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."

--
Brian

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 5:49:34 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:
> Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."

That was a very strange tribal council. There are probably viewers who will argue that Maddy got a raw deal in the sense that she was booted
in a TC in which three people declined to vote, and the only vote that counted went to her. However, IMO, she overplayed her hand big time by
driving a vote for Brandon so early in the game. If she had just kept her mouth shut Lauren would have probably ended up being the target, and
Matthew, Brandon, and Kane would all have voted for her. Jamie and Matthew's decisions to play their Shot in the Dark dice was "interesting",
and my initial reaction was to think, "WTF are they doing?" But, upon further reflection, I suppose the argument could be made that there was
a chickenshit sort of strategic thinking involved in their decision making. I think that both of them felt that to abstain from casting votes for
anybody, and let the other players decide who was going to be booted, would allow them to stay on good terms with whoever they went back
to camp with. That's not how Survivor is supposed to be played though.

A couple of other thoughts:
-Best first impressions, IMO, were made by Matt, Carson, and Sarah.
-Carson reminds me so much of Christian Hubicki.
-How did that drug counsellor keep the mascara on her eye lashes over three days on the beach?
-Matthew sure must have felt embarrassed while watching S43 and seeing Cody climb the same rock that he fell off of.
-Mr. Yum Yum's confession that he "was used to it sucking" probably falls under the category of "too much information".

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 6:49:34 PM UTC-7, Brian Smith wrote:
> Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."
>
> --
> Brian

I was impressed with the S44 premiere. So much happened that it felt like an episode you’d see much later in the season. For a premiere episode there were a lot of firsts:

-Weird confessional to start the season where we got to see how they’re conducted. BB fans know this is how they’re done thanks to live feed leaks over the years.

-Bruce apparently only lasted 12 hours in the game which is a record.

-We saw medical four times which is another record.

-Tied for earliest idol play. Kristina played one in Redemption Island.

-First time a premiere episode had an idol nullify the majority of the votes.

-First time Shot in the Dark works. This really surprised me when Jeff mentioned it.

-First time half a tribe didn't vote. This is another reason why I hate three-tribe seasons.

-Third time in Survivor history that someone goes home by a vote of 1-0. The other two were Lauren S35 and Sandra S40.

Birdcage Twist

I thought the Birdcage twist was good even if it was the main reason Maddy got voted out.

New Advantages via Hike Journey

Lauren, Matt, and Sarah got chosen to go to another island and take the hike. Matt loses his vote for the next two TCs he goes to, Lauren got Bank Your Vote Advantage (don’t vote but get to keep it for another TC), and Sarah lost her vote for her next TC but also got the Inheritance Advantage where she gets every advantage and idol played during the TC she uses it.
I was impressed with Sarah. If she plays the Inheritance Advantage smartly, she could be a real threat to make it to the end.

Immunity Challenge

Brandon suffers from the heat; medical looks after him. His tribe finished last, but he has a HII.

Tribal Council

Crazy!

Jaime and Matthew use their SITDs which causes Brandon to play his HII.

Lauren plays her advantage which means only Kane, Brandon, and Maddy voted. Kane and Maddy voted Brandon, Brandon voted Maddy. Only Brandon’s vote counted which meant Maddy was sent packing.
Definitely not something you expect to see in the first episode.

Besides Sarah, I was also impressed by Frannie. Jaime is a disaster and should have been the one to go.

--
Brian

On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7:13:49 PM UTC-7, zeppo wrote:
> On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 5:49:34 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:
> > Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."
> That was a very strange tribal council. There are probably viewers who will argue that Maddy got a raw deal in the sense that she was booted
> in a TC in which three people declined to vote, and the only vote that counted went to her. However, IMO, she overplayed her hand big time by
> driving a vote for Brandon so early in the game. If she had just kept her mouth shut Lauren would have probably ended up being the target, and
> Matthew, Brandon, and Kane would all have voted for her. Jamie and Matthew's decisions to play their Shot in the Dark dice was "interesting",
> and my initial reaction was to think, "WTF are they doing?" But, upon further reflection, I suppose the argument could be made that there was
> a chickenshit sort of strategic thinking involved in their decision making. I think that both of them felt that to abstain from casting votes for
> anybody, and let the other players decide who was going to be booted, would allow them to stay on good terms with whoever they went back
> to camp with. That's not how Survivor is supposed to be played though.

They sure went out of their way to show Maddy campaigning hard to take out Brandon. I'm sure they were all targeting someone but given how the vote went they had to focus on Maddy to somewhat explain her ouster.

My sense is that Jaime's anxiety got the better of her and it caused her to be paranoid about the vote. Matthew was concerned that his dislocated shoulder would make him a target. I'm surprised it didn't. Then again, Lauren playing her advantage which made no sense based on the edit, probably means she knew how things were going to go down.

> A couple of other thoughts:
> -Best first impressions, IMO, were made by Matt, Carson, and Sarah.

I agree with Sarah. My impression of Matt is that he's too focused on Frannie. I'm undecided on Carson. The Asian girl (Helen?) who solved the "ring" puzzle with him seems very smart. I do like that Carson 3D-printed puzzles so he could practice.

> -Carson reminds me so much of Christian Hubicki.

Who reminds you of Gabby? lol

> -How did that drug counsellor keep the mascara on her eye lashes over three days on the beach?

No idea! She's not your typical Survivor player? Does have a hearing aid in one ear?

> -Matthew sure must have felt embarrassed while watching S43 and seeing Cody climb the same rock that he fell off of.

He's lucky he didn't kill himself. That stunt served no purpose.

> -Mr. Yum Yum's confession that he "was used to it sucking" probably falls under the category of "too much information".

I'm not a fan but will admit he did well in the challenges.

--
Brian

On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:36:26 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:

> -Bruce apparently only lasted 12 hours in the game which is a record.

Guys named Bruce have had a rough time playing Survivor. IIRC, the only other Bruce was also removed from the
game with a medical issue.

> -First time half a tribe didn't vote. This is another reason why I hate three-tribe seasons.

....and why I hate the SITD. Without its availability, Matthew and Jaime would have had to vote which would have
probably resulted in a more interesting tribal council.
> I thought the Birdcage twist was good even if it was the main reason Maddy got voted out.

Dalton Ross had talked about this twist prior to S43, and I kept wondering when it would turn up.
I wonder why Production chose to save it for S44?

> Matt loses his vote for the next two TCs he goes to, Lauren got Bank Your Vote Advantage (don’t vote but get to keep it for another TC), and Sarah lost her vote for her next TC but also got the Inheritance Advantage where she gets every advantage and idol played during the TC she uses it.
> I was impressed with Sarah. If she plays the Inheritance Advantage smartly, she could be a real threat to make it to the end.

I like the new advantages, although I think that Sarah got the one that potentially has the most power. I agree with you that it could be a game
changer for her.

On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:55:51 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:

> My sense is that Jaime's anxiety got the better of her and it caused her to be paranoid about the vote.

Based on what she said prior to TC, it sounded like she was not so much concerned about getting votes, but
with having to participate in the actual process. I stand by my original assessment that Jaime used the
SITD as a way out of having to vote.

>Matthew was concerned that his dislocated shoulder would make him a target.. I'm surprised it didn't.

Matthew really annoyed me in this episode. In confessional, he blathered away about wanting to "experience
everything that the game had to offer", but then didn't even participate in the vote despite the fact that he had
good reason to believe that his best buddy was going to be targeted. By the third day, on a tribe of 6, he should
have built enough in the way of relationships to know where the votes were likely to go. And, if he had been
blindsided, he would have at least gone down without looking like a wuss.

>Then again, Lauren playing her advantage which made no sense based on the edit, probably means she knew how things were going to go down.

More likely, IMO, she didn't care. She had almost certainly decided to play her "Bank Your Vote" advantage long before she got to TC.

>My impression of Matt is that he's too focused on Frannie.

Yes. Right after Matt mentioned that he had just come out of a break-up, my first thought was that part of his S44 story was going
to involve hooking up with one of the women.

The Asian girl (Helen?) who solved the "ring" puzzle with him seems very smart.

She did! But I am going to need to see how she deals with the social aspects of the game before commenting further.
(I will also need to see her in the pink top that she wore in the promotional photos shown on EW) :-)

> Who reminds you of Gabby? lol

Frannie does. (Just picture her wearing a pair of thick framed glasses):-)

> No idea! She's not your typical Survivor player? Does have a hearing aid in one ear?

Good catch! She does have something in her left ear that could certainly be a hearing aid. I have no evidence to support
what I am about to say, but, to the best of my knowledge, she is the first player in 44 seasons to begin the game wearing make up.

On Friday, March 3, 2023 at 4:16:10 PM UTC-7, zeppo wrote:
> On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:55:51 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:
>
> > My sense is that Jaime's anxiety got the better of her and it caused her to be paranoid about the vote.
> Based on what she said prior to TC, it sounded like she was not so much concerned about getting votes, but
> with having to participate in the actual process. I stand by my original assessment that Jaime used the
> SITD as a way out of having to vote.

If that's the case then why is she playing the game? How is she going to build her resume if she refuses to participate?

> >Matthew was concerned that his dislocated shoulder would make him a target. I'm surprised it didn't.
> Matthew really annoyed me in this episode. In confessional, he blathered away about wanting to "experience
> everything that the game had to offer", but then didn't even participate in the vote despite the fact that he had
> good reason to believe that his best buddy was going to be targeted. By the third day, on a tribe of 6, he should
> have built enough in the way of relationships to know where the votes were likely to go. And, if he had been
> blindsided, he would have at least gone down without looking like a wuss.

He might be going for screen time to build up his appeal to increase the chances he gets asked to play again. People doing risky things and playing poorly doesn't do it for me.

> >Then again, Lauren playing her advantage which made no sense based on the edit, probably means she knew how things were going to go down.
> More likely, IMO, she didn't care. She had almost certainly decided to play her "Bank Your Vote" advantage long before she got to TC.

Overconfident IMO.

> >My impression of Matt is that he's too focused on Frannie.
> Yes. Right after Matt mentioned that he had just come out of a break-up, my first thought was that part of his S44 story was going
> to involve hooking up with one of the women.

Did Frannie mention anything about being in a relationship? She needs to be careful with this Matt dude.

> The Asian girl (Helen?) who solved the "ring" puzzle with him seems very smart.
> She did! But I am going to need to see how she deals with the social aspects of the game before commenting further.
> (I will also need to see her in the pink top that she wore in the promotional photos shown on EW) :-)

I need to look at the article so I can get their names down and learn a bit about them. I can see her and NASA Boy bonding. Maybe Helen will be this season's Gabby!

> > Who reminds you of Gabby? lol
> Frannie does. (Just picture her wearing a pair of thick framed glasses):-)

Frannie reminds me of a past player but I can't remember her name. It was around the time Gabby played. Might have been her season.

> > No idea! She's not your typical Survivor player? Does have a hearing aid in one ear?
> Good catch! She does have something in her left ear that could certainly be a hearing aid. I have no evidence to support
> what I am about to say, but, to the best of my knowledge, she is the first player in 44 seasons to begin the game wearing make up.

Mike Bloom and others were tweeting out a number of trivia points about this episode but no one mentioned that. It's weird that she would wear makeup but then again, she is very quirky.

--
Brian

On Friday, March 3, 2023 at 3:24:49 PM UTC-7, zeppo wrote:
> On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:36:26 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:
>
> > -Bruce apparently only lasted 12 hours in the game which is a record.
> Guys named Bruce have had a rough time playing Survivor. IIRC, the only other Bruce was also removed from the
> game with a medical issue.

He was an Asian guy. IIRC ate too much meat at a RC feast and suffered an intestinal blockage. His was one of the most serious medical incidents as far as I'm concerned.

> > -First time half a tribe didn't vote. This is another reason why I hate three-tribe seasons.
> ...and why I hate the SITD. Without its availability, Matthew and Jaime would have had to vote which would have
> probably resulted in a more interesting tribal council.

Might have saved Maddy but I'm hearing that she played hard from the start. Probably too hard.

> > I thought the Birdcage twist was good even if it was the main reason Maddy got voted out.
> Dalton Ross had talked about this twist prior to S43, and I kept wondering when it would turn up.
> I wonder why Production chose to save it for S44?

Jeff addressed this in an interview. They heard that too many people hated that S41 and S42 were essentially clones of each other so they decided to have some variation between S43 and S44.

> > Matt loses his vote for the next two TCs he goes to, Lauren got Bank Your Vote Advantage (don’t vote but get to keep it for another TC), and Sarah lost her vote for her next TC but also got the Inheritance Advantage where she gets every advantage and idol played during the TC she uses it..
> > I was impressed with Sarah. If she plays the Inheritance Advantage smartly, she could be a real threat to make it to the end.
> I like the new advantages, although I think that Sarah got the one that potentially has the most power. I agree with you that it could be a game
> changer for her.

If Sarah can make the merge and wait until around F8 to use her advantage she'll be in great shape. She looks pretty athletic to me so she might be good in the physical comps in the last part of the game.

--
Brian

On Friday, March 3, 2023 at 6:15:31 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:

> If that's the case then why is she playing the game? How is she going to build her resume if she refuses to participate?

During the first three days on the island, I am pretty sure that building a resume was the last thing on her mind.
She's definitely a flake, but it's possible that, once she settles into the game routine, she will start to play a little
more sensibly.

> He might be going for screen time to build up his appeal to increase the chances he gets asked to play again.

He might have also received some encouragement from the the on-site producer to climb Cody's rock. A drone was put
in the air to video Matthew's ascent of the rock from above. The general idea was likely to cap his confessional voiceover
about "wanting to experience everything the game had to offer" with a climactic shot of him standing on the top of the rock
pumping his fists in the air (or something like that). IMO, they wouldn't have put the drone up unless they had planned the
shot ahead of time.

> Overconfident IMO.

No, I don't get that sense about her. She had planned out her strategy on the trip back from "the hill climb". She would tell
her tribe mates that she had lost her vote which would provide her with the cover necessary to activate the "Bank Your Vote"
advantage at the upcoming tribal council. It was a pretty good plan IMO. She couldn't have predicted that Matthew and "skinny
hyperactive black girl" would share information while perched on the sit-out bench.

> Did Frannie mention anything about being in a relationship?

No! But we do know that she works in a "mindfulness centre" WTF that is!

> I need to look at the article so I can get their names down and learn a bit about them.

If you do go there, make sure to check out Heidi's dress.

> It's weird that she would wear makeup but then again, she is very quirky..

She reminds me of Noura Salman from "Island of the Idle".
Regarding the make-up, in the first scene of the episode, when we saw her practicing her confessional skills,
she was wearing full make-up. However, when she got to the beach, she just had mascara on her eye lashes. After
so many years of seeing women on Survivor looking absolutely terrific without any make-up whatsoever, Carolyn's
mascara jumped right out at me.

On Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 5:33:07 PM UTC-7, zeppo wrote:
> On Friday, March 3, 2023 at 6:15:31 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:
>
> > If that's the case then why is she playing the game? How is she going to build her resume if she refuses to participate?
> During the first three days on the island, I am pretty sure that building a resume was the last thing on her mind.
> She's definitely a flake, but it's possible that, once she settles into the game routine, she will start to play a little
> more sensibly.

After 40+ seasons she should know that games are often won based on actions taken in the first days of the game. Aligning with people is key and as far as I can tell, she failed to do that.

> > He might be going for screen time to build up his appeal to increase the chances he gets asked to play again.
> He might have also received some encouragement from the the on-site producer to climb Cody's rock. A drone was put
> in the air to video Matthew's ascent of the rock from above. The general idea was likely to cap his confessional voiceover
> about "wanting to experience everything the game had to offer" with a climactic shot of him standing on the top of the rock
> pumping his fists in the air (or something like that). IMO, they wouldn't have put the drone up unless they had planned the
> shot ahead of time.

Good point about the drone. Not good that production would ask him to do something so risky. Just because Cody was able to climb the rock doesn't mean everyone can.

> > Overconfident IMO.
>
> No, I don't get that sense about her. She had planned out her strategy on the trip back from "the hill climb". She would tell
> her tribe mates that she had lost her vote which would provide her with the cover necessary to activate the "Bank Your Vote"
> advantage at the upcoming tribal council. It was a pretty good plan IMO. She couldn't have predicted that Matthew and "skinny
> hyperactive black girl" would share information while perched on the sit-out bench.

I forgot that Lauren had said that. If the others buy it then it was a good move.

I was impressed that the crew caught that convo between Matthew and Claire (?). On a side note, I keep wanting to call Matthew Dan. Wasn't there a guy named Dan who dislocated his shoulder? Might have been last season.

> > Did Frannie mention anything about being in a relationship?
> No! But we do know that she works in a "mindfulness centre" WTF that is!

I thought Frannie is a researcher? Isn't her occupation tag "Research Coordinator"? "Mindfulness center" sounds like yoga. Side gig?

> > I need to look at the article so I can get their names down and learn a bit about them.
> If you do go there, make sure to check out Heidi's dress.

Nice dress but it doesn't look appropriate for Survivor. She's 43? I thought she was younger.

> > It's weird that she would wear makeup but then again, she is very quirky.
> She reminds me of Noura Salman from "Island of the Idle".
> Regarding the make-up, in the first scene of the episode, when we saw her practicing her confessional skills,
> she was wearing full make-up. However, when she got to the beach, she just had mascara on her eye lashes. After
> so many years of seeing women on Survivor looking absolutely terrific without any make-up whatsoever, Carolyn's
> mascara jumped right out at me.

That scene was probably shot during the pregame phase.

--
Brian

On Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 7:15:44 PM UTC-8, Brian Smith wrote:

> I forgot that Lauren had said that. If the others buy it then it was a good move.

She was pretty much locked into it. If she had voted, then the others would have known that she had deceived them
about what happened during her hill climb.
> On a side note, I keep wanting to call Matthew Dan. Wasn't there a guy named Dan who dislocated his shoulder?

Yes. In S42, there was a guy named Daniel who injured his shoulder in one of the early challenges and who then spent
a fair bit of time on the sit-out bench. He ended up being booted long before the merge took place. You might remember
him as the guy who tried to convince Firefighter Mike, who had found a "beware" advantage, not to say his wacky sentence
at upcoming challenges.
> I thought Frannie is a researcher? Isn't her occupation tag "Research Coordinator"? "Mindfulness center" sounds like yoga. Side gig?

She looks more like a researcher than a yoga instructor to me. But that's what she told her tribe mates when they were all bobbing
around in the ocean introducing themselves.

On Thu, 2 Mar 2023 18:36:24 -0800 (PST), Brian Smith
<dcg_brian@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 6:49:34?PM UTC-7, Brian Smith wrote:
>> Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."
>>
>> --
>> Brian
>
>I was impressed with the S44 premiere. So much happened that it felt like an episode you’d see much later in the season. For a premiere episode there were a lot of firsts:
>
>-Weird confessional to start the season where we got to see how they’re conducted. BB fans know this is how they’re done thanks to live feed leaks over the years.
>
>-Bruce apparently only lasted 12 hours in the game which is a record.
>
>-We saw medical four times which is another record.
>
>-Tied for earliest idol play. Kristina played one in Redemption Island.
>
>-First time a premiere episode had an idol nullify the majority of the votes.
>
>-First time Shot in the Dark works. This really surprised me when Jeff mentioned it.

When the players use the Shot in the Dark do they reload the choices
if multiple players use the SITD. As in, is it possible for multiple
players to use the SITD and be safe because of it, or can only one
player per tribal session be safe due to using the SITD?

>-First time half a tribe didn't vote. This is another reason why I hate three-tribe seasons.
>
>-Third time in Survivor history that someone goes home by a vote of 1-0. The other two were Lauren S35 and Sandra S40.

Yeah, that always sucks given how much they went through to get there.

>Birdcage Twist
>
>I thought the Birdcage twist was good even if it was the main reason Maddy got voted out.
>
>New Advantages via Hike Journey
>
>Lauren, Matt, and Sarah got chosen to go to another island and take the hike. Matt loses his vote for the next two TCs he goes to, Lauren got Bank Your Vote Advantage (don’t vote but get to keep it for another TC), and Sarah lost her vote for her next TC but also got the Inheritance Advantage where she gets every advantage and
idol played during the TC she uses it.
>I was impressed with Sarah. If she plays the Inheritance Advantage smartly, she could be a real threat to make it to the end.

The BYV advantage is a good one if you truly feel safe. The
Inheritance Advantage is a risky one if no one plays an idol/advantage
when the IA is played, but if a player is well connected with the
other members of the tribe and knows when an idol/advantage is being
played it could be great.

>Immunity Challenge
>
>Brandon suffers from the heat; medical looks after him. His tribe finished last, but he has a HII.
>
>Tribal Council
>
>Crazy!
>
>Jaime and Matthew use their SITDs which causes Brandon to play his HII.
>
>Lauren plays her advantage which means only Kane, Brandon, and Maddy voted. Kane and Maddy voted Brandon, Brandon voted Maddy. Only Brandon’s vote counted which meant Maddy was sent packing.
> Definitely not something you expect to see in the first episode.
>
>Besides Sarah, I was also impressed by Frannie. Jaime is a disaster and should have been the one to go.

On Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 7:07:07 PM UTC-7, shawn wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Mar 2023 18:36:24 -0800 (PST), Brian Smith
> <dcg_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 6:49:34?PM UTC-7, Brian Smith wrote:
> >> Tonight is the premiere for S44 which has been getting a lot of hype. Tonight's episode is two hours and is titled "I Can't Wait to See Jeff."
> >>
> >> --
> >> Brian
> >
> >-First time Shot in the Dark works. This really surprised me when Jeff mentioned it.
> When the players use the Shot in the Dark do they reload the choices
> if multiple players use the SITD. As in, is it possible for multiple
> players to use the SITD and be safe because of it, or can only one
> player per tribal session be safe due to using the SITD?

Every player has the same 1/6 odds of being safe regardless of how many times it's been played. I'd love to know what would happen if everyone played their SITD at a TC and they all drew the "SAFE" scroll? Would the TC be nullified?

> >-Third time in Survivor history that someone goes home by a vote of 1-0. The other two were Lauren S35 and Sandra S40.
> Yeah, that always sucks given how much they went through to get there.

Especially at the first TC of the game.

> >New Advantages via Hike Journey
> >
> >Lauren, Matt, and Sarah got chosen to go to another island and take the hike. Matt loses his vote for the next two TCs he goes to, Lauren got Bank Your Vote Advantage (don’t vote but get to keep it for another TC), and Sarah lost her vote for her next TC but also got the Inheritance Advantage where she gets every advantage and
> idol played during the TC she uses it.
> >I was impressed with Sarah. If she plays the Inheritance Advantage smartly, she could be a real threat to make it to the end.
> The BYV advantage is a good one if you truly feel safe. The
> Inheritance Advantage is a risky one if no one plays an idol/advantage
> when the IA is played, but if a player is well connected with the
> other members of the tribe and knows when an idol/advantage is being
> played it could be great.

Agree.

--
Brian