SEASON 8: ALL-STARS

Sore Losers and Bitter Juries

Since this idea of a blog came during a re-watch of season 8, this is exactly where I will be starting since I can’t mentally go back and rewatch this season. For those of us who are superfans, you know this season and you know all about Boston Rob. For me, I think seasons 1-7 were really just the dirt being dug out for the foundation of future gameplay to be laid by Boston Rob in this season. Say what you want but I do think this season changed everything. I am saying this having seen season 1-7 by the way.

I won't go back to the beginning and recap this all since I just finished the season but as I recap other seasons I will write down my feedback so I can be a bit more comprehensive. However, while it's still fresh in my brain there are a few things I want to discuss.

The first is the jury. I don't remember there being such a bitter jury like there was in season 8 in the seasons before and if someone played this game today, there would be nothing but respect. Unfortunately, all the different strategies to win were not really coined yet (cough cough Parvati) so the respect for playing the type of game that Boston Rob did, just did not exist.

We can start with Lex. What Boston Rob did was pretty shitty, I mean I don't like Jerri, I didn't like her in Australia and I didn't really care for her in all-stars (her and Coach in heroes versus villains though <3) but Lex did do that as a favor. However, how foolish could you be? I couldn't imagine someone doing that today. Leaving a friend in at the expense of your alliance? Bananas. All that said, Lex has a crazy double-standard which is "I can do it to my friends but my friends can't do it to me" and that really pissed me off. He votes off Colby while blindsiding Ethan even though they are really really good friends outside of Survivor, and then he votes off Ethan and says "this is business not friendship" but gets mad at Boston Rob for "checking his friendship at the door". Give me a break. Ugh I get more mad just thinking about it.

Moving on... I have nothing to say about Kathy. I think what she said about Sue was really weird but it was 2004 (not that that's an excuse) but I really liked that she could see beyond the game and vote for Rob to win despite his betrayal so nothing but hearts from me to her for that.

Big Tom hurt. I think Rob owed more to Big Tom than a blindside vote and I really feel bad for Big Tom because he's just a silly southern man. He's crude and likes to get drunk but he seems like a nice guy and seemed really hurt by what Rob did. Though it would have had to be Rupert instead and Rupert is also a really great guy so all in all a terrible decision for Boston Rob.

Obviously, Amber won. Which good for her because she only comes back once and Boston Rob comes back so many times. However, it should have been Boston Rob. I mean Amber's opening statement is just "I like how I played sorry you guys are hurt lol" but she didn't play she just quietly hung around Boston Rob and didn't really make any executive decisions. I think it should have been an unanimous vote for Rob because he did play the better game and everyone took it way too personally, I mean look at him now. It sucks that bitter juries can ruin it all but such is the game of Survivor.

I think that's all I have to say really. Maybe I'll come back and add more to this after another rewatch in a year or so but for now, I'll move on to the next season and have a more robust discussion there as I add a little feedback every episode I watch. Let me know what you guys think!