Survivor: Samoa, Episode 9 | Sympatico.ca TV Guide

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Gillian's Jibes

Gillian Larson, Survivor: Gabon competitor, weighs in on the Survivor: Samoa:

Tonight I have to write about the challenges and rewards of Survivor. When I first saw Survivor in 2001, I was hooked on the challenges – the games that is – and knew I had to play. That became an eight-year challenge just to get selected. Once selected it became completely clear, the challenges of the game are far more than just the games themselves. The reward and immunity challenges are absolutely brilliant. John Kirhoffer and his crew think up and design the most amazing games, encompassing so many aspects of what Survivor is: strength, strategy, brains, culture, memory and trust, to name a few. The rewards are amazing, wowing us with the incredible scenery, boosting the host country tourism, making huge sponsorship bucks from product placement and keeping the Survivors fed and off the brink of collapse from hunger and low morale.

Then the challenge of no food and little water, poor shelter, the elements, the bugs, no comforts or necessities, the body odour. Then there is the challenge of when to speak up, when to keep quiet. The challenge of who to put into your alliance and who to trust. The reward is staying in the game. Then the challenge of finding hidden idols, the challenge to tell or not to tell, the challenge to flush it or not, the challenge to play it or not. The challenge to throw a challenge and the challenge to win it at all costs even if it means Medical in your future. The reward is always immunity; the ultimate reward is $1 million. After the merge, the challenge the stick with your tribe or to defect and the challenge to watch what you say about the booted on the jury no matter what you feel. I challenge myself tonight to eat my words and admit that Russell is playing a very good game…. but I still don’t like him at all.

What do you readers think?

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Survivor: Samoa, Episode 9

Don't hate Russell for playing the game

‘Survivor’s underdogs prevail

By Amber Dowling

2009-11-13

Foa Foa members wrangle three more days

Anyone who watched last night’s episode of Survivor can agree that this is one of the best shows out there. Despite what people care to admit, it’s a show that pulls on your heartstrings, angers you when a good person gets voted out, and on the rare occasion, makes you clench your fist into such a tight ball of anticipation that your fingernails dig into your skin and your knuckles turn white.

Last night was one of those episodes, for several reasons.

Despite the initial disgusted reactions to schemer Russell, clever editing has made he and the remaining Foa Foa members the underdogs of the season. Jaison and Mick come across as intelligent, hardworking guys, Natalie, the cute southern belle is super-sweet to absolutely everyone but has a hidden competitive side that will whack a rat to help feed the tribe. And then there’s Russell.

The man came into this game and he executed it. Sometimes that’s what it takes to make it far. Do I agree with his coining the “dumb ass girls’ alliance,” his fake firefighter stories or his general disdain for anyone who comes across as smarter than him? Of course not. Do I appreciate the fact that he has played the game harder than anyone else from Day 1, and has now found not one, but two secret immunity idols sans any clues? You bet.

Russell is the reason I love watching the show in the first place. He never complains about the cold, the rain, the toughness of the challenges, the food or the sleeping conditions. He finds crab for his tribe, he’s protecting his alliance the way he promised he would, and he slapped the Galu tribe in the face last night by getting everyone on the other tribe to vote for him, playing the other immunity idol and ousting Kelly from the game.

And he’s taking one of my other favourite players, Shambo, along for the ride. While she voted with her Galu members last night, you know that was only so she could continue to stay in their good graces.

While Laura looked shocked and then furious over one of her final three exiting the game, she looked at Shambo and muttered some line about how Russell just opened a whole lot of trouble. Did anyone else catch Sham’s doe-eyed, open-mouthed nod of agreement? She’s playing this game smarter than the audience gave her credit for, that’s for sure.

Now that the hidden immunity idol is back in camp, I’m wondering if Russ can find it for a third time. Judging from the previews for next week, it seems that Galu will do anything to prevent that from happening, even following the oil man around so that he has zero alone time.

What did you think of last night’s instalment of Survivor? amber@tvguide.ca

Have a TV question? Check out the latest version of Ask Amber or follow Amber on Twitter

Survivor: Samoa airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global/CBS.