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Jeff Probst blogs Survivor Nicaragua

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RealityFreakWill:
Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Nicaragua': Episode 10

People often ask me “Hey Probst! What keeps you interested in the show after 21 seasons?”

Well, I’m guessing it’s the same thing that keeps you guys interested — human nature. At its core that’s what Survivor is really all about, isn’t it? Our nature as humans and how we behave in different situations?

Holly is a great example. Five days into the show and she wanted to quit; 22 days later not only is she still around, but she could win. What changed? Her behavior. After nearly losing her mind, she rallied. She gained a lot of respect and now is considered a threat to go to the end.

Brenda is another fascinating case study of human behavior. More on her later..

Tonight, the gold star goes to Naonka and Fabio for instigating and following through with a big move.

SASH & THE IDOL
Let’s just be clear about this idol in Sash’s pocket. (I’m referring to the immunity idol… just to be really clear.) Sash isn’t going to use that idol to save anybody but himself. No chance. Listen up future players: If you don’t have the idol in your possession when you walk in to tribal council, it is very unlikely you will have it in your hand when I ask for it. Yes it has happened on rare occasions, as when Parvati had a bag full of idols, but in most situations, the idol will be used to save the person who possesses it.

REWARD CHALLENGE
This was old school Survivor. Barrels, planks and rope. Very few rules. A group of people forced to work together and get creative. I love challenges like this. Generally speaking they don’t favor anybody, they’re easy to follow, easy to judge and they reward teamwork.

My favorite moment in the reward challenge was Benry’s “ceremonial losers backflip.” Again, another fascinating moment for my little brain to comprehend. You just lost but you still have enough energy, sense of humor, and lack of concern to do a back flip. Then again, maybe if I could do a back flip I’d have done one too!

CAMP FIRE
Yes, it really happened. While they were away at the reward challenge, back at camp their fire started to grow, and evidently it caught part of the temporary structure they had made to protect the fire from the rain.

It’s one of those great moments that make reality shows so unpredictable. It was just pure luck that the entire camp did not burn down. The juxtaposition of five people enjoying their reward by “pigging out” and volcano surfing while the other five were dealing with a disastrous situation back at camp was wonderful. Does that mean I’m some form of sadist? Or just a competent television producer? Maybe they’re just one in the same?

JANE DOES IT AGAIN
Love it. The immunity challenge was another very simple but very effective challenge. “Hang on for as long as you can.” At first glance you would guess that someone like Benry or Chase would be in it at the end. And they were. But so was Jane. The oldest woman in the game and the frailest of all the Survivors left. Okay, I’m excluding Dan.

The reason Jane did so well? It was will power. Pure will power. Once again, Jane surprised everybody and outlasted people a third of her age and two guys who were clearly much stronger.

For a moment Jane wanted to quit. The reason I encouraged Jane to stay in the challenge was because I hate to see anybody “give up.” I love when people surprise themselves by doing better than they thought they could. She’s been through hard times in life. She knows what she is capable of and she believes it. She just needed a little reminder. But at the end of the day…encouragement only goes so far. I can encourage people but I can’t do the challenge for them.

NOW ABOUT BRENDA
As I was saying earlier. Another fascinating case study of human nature. She’s very bright, strikingly beautiful, and owns her own business. She has a lot going for her in life. On Survivor she has been doing a fantastic job at managing relationships and forging alliances. She was really in a very strong position in this game.

But when things turned against her and she was forced to “scramble,” she wouldn’t do it. I was truly surprised that she never did. I believe the quote was “The last thing I want to do is start scrambling. It just shows that you are desperate.”

Uh… yeah. You’re desperate. Nothing wrong with feeling desperate in a million dollar game. You should feel desperate when you believe you are about to be voted out. That’s a very rational thought. Nobody is going to look at you sideways for feeling desperate when more than half the tribe is threatening to vote for you. Desperation is often a temporary condition on Survivor. It isn’t always fatal. Lots of people have been in trouble, aka “desperate” on Survivor, made desperate moves in response, and as a result survived the vote and ended up making it to the end. Some of them even won! That’s the game. You assess and reassess every moment of every day.

It’s a beautiful and vicious cycle. Even when you feel “comfortable” you know you’re not necessarily “safe,” and when you’re truly not safe, which makes you feel “desperate” and so you make a move to try and feel comfortable again. It’s why most Survivors need therapy when the game is over!

I wonder if Brenda even cares that she was voted out. I wondered it that night. I still wonder now. Could it be that Brenda is so used to things going her way that she doesn’t know how to scramble? Maybe that’s the answer to the riddle. Maybe that is one skill that Brenda has never tested. It’s a bummer she’s gone but proves once again that in order to win this game, you have to want to win and you have to be willing to make a move… even if it means acknowledging you’re desperate.

MOVING FORWARD…THIS GAME IS ON
Like her or not, Naonka is playing the game. She’s a fair weather participant for sure, but when she wants to play she is a pot stirrer. Marty would be proud. Naonka could win if she ends up in the final with Purple Kelly. Even then she would need to pray.

Fabio is also starting to turn it on. Last week he was laying back, playing “cool.” This week he was part of a very big move taking out a major power player. I think Fabio is really starting to figure out this game.

Lurking in the shade is Jane. If things keep going the way they are, people may forget Jane is even in the game. If Jane gets to the end she would very likely be a millionaire.

The Redeemer is Holly. I’m usually a pretty good gauge of what the audience is feeling and I think a lot of you are starting to like Holly and have forgotten about those first five days.

The “no chance” is Dan. I just can’t see a scenario in which Dan could win this game.

The other “no chance” is Purple Kelly. Sweet young woman. I like her. But she hasn’t earned it and unless she really turns it on, her best finish is to make herself a great person to take to the end because she can’t win.

Sash is “in trouble.” He’s going to have to work hard to stay alive now that his partner is gone. If he can do it, he could make a strong case that he deserves to win. Otherwise he could be gone soon.

Benry is a “long shot.” He could make it to the end based on physical abilities but at this point he doesn’t have a strong enough case to win it.

The wildcard is Chase. Chase is likable enough to win this game and wishy-washy enough to screw it all up for himself and somebody else. Being in an alliance with Chase is risky.

Did I forget anybody?

See ya next week.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/18/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-nicaragua-episode-10/

Jobby:
Jeff sums things up so nicely, yet again. :lol:

RealityFreakWill:
Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Nicaragua': Episode 11

Hey guys, I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and/or your friends. If you are spending it alone, I hope you’ll have me at your table as a guest in “spirit!”

I’ll be spending it out of state with friends in a very sunny climate. So you won’t be hearing much from me!

LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE
I know that even die hard fans don’t always enjoy the “special scenes” episodes because you want to see somebody voted out! But hopefully you found some of the new scenes enlightening as we wind our way down to the finish.

NEXT WEEK’S EPISODE
We’re back with a regular episode next week and I must tell you… it is one of my favorite episodes of the entire season! From start to finish I think it is really top notch!

Here’s a clue: I think a lot of you are going to be really thrilled by the episode.

That’s it. That’s all you get.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/25/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-nicaragua-episode-11/

RealityFreakWill:
Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Nicaragua': Episode 12

Okay, I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that there is a bit of an implied contract when you agree to be on Survivor.

On our side, we promise you the adventure of your lifetime. Something you have never experienced before and will probably never experience again. It’s a multi-million dollar, life-changing thrill ride that will test you on every level. We promise, and we always deliver. Always.

In exchange we expect only two things from you: Show up… and play. That’s it. When you fail to do one or both of those requirements you are not living up to your end of the bargain. One might say you are in breach of our implied contract.

That’s my new philosophy regarding quitters on Survivor. You’re breaking your contract. There are certainly exceptions to the rule, such as medical evacuations and family emergencies, but I’m talking about the contestants who just decide they don’t want to play anymore. In this case, Naonka and Purple Kelly.

You’d think that by the time you have gone through the long arduous process of casting, meeting the executives at CBS, suffering through your immunization shots, getting your passport, arranging to leave your life for 39 days, getting on a plane, meeting with the press, and then lasting 28 days to give yourself a 1-in-9 shot at winning a million dollars, that this would be a no-brainer. Of course you’re going to finish; quitting would be foolish, right?

I’m not going to rehash the events of the quit, that’s just a waste of time and space.

I will however mention that when Naonka had the chance to walk away from the reward in exchange for tarp and rice, I truly believed she would do it. I was initially shocked when she didn’t move. Shocked. Naonka had just told everybody she wanted to quit. She knew she would be eating real food and sleeping in a real bed within hours, and all she had to do was stand up and say “It’s the least I can do before I quit.” She would have redeemed herself just a little bit.

But upon reflection I can clearly see that my expectation was flawed. Naonka has been consistently selfish for 28 days, and for her to stand up and suddenly do the “right thing” would not be consistent. Naonka went out the same way she came in, “Looking out for numero uno.”

In addition to not being a lawyer, I’m also not a psychologist, but it never seems to stop me from offering up an opinion. So here’s my take on whether they will regret this later in life:

I don’t think Naonka is going to regret her actions for one moment. I think Naonka has a lot of maturing to do and it doesn’t appear to be coming anytime soon. Quitting Survivor doesn’t make Naonka a bad person in my eyes, it was just disappointing. I’ll be curious to find out the reaction from Naonka’s family at the reunion show.

In the case of Purple Kelly, I think she will learn a lot from this experience and will at some point regret not sticking it out for 11 more days.

When you quit, when you give up and walk away from a task, even though you know you have some gas left in the tank, you are in a sense giving up on yourself. Purple Kelly had a lot of gas left in her tank. She’s a very strong and resilient young woman. Naonka gave her permission to quit and she took it and ran. I have a feeling the next time Purple Kelly is in the same situation she will think a long time before quitting.

JURY
I know a lot of you are angry right now because Naonka and Purple Kelly are allowed to be on the jury, so let me explain.

The reason they will both be members of the jury is because a precedent had already been set back when Janu quit in Survivor: Palau. Janu quit the game but was allowed to be on the jury, so we used the same reasoning with Naonka and Purple Kelly. It wasn’t an emotional decision, just an issue of fairness.

And yes…Marty, Alina and Brenda were very upset when they found out these quitters would still get to have a vote to decide who wins the million dollars.

IMPACT
Naonka and Purple Kelly quitting just blew this game wide open. It’s like we’re starting over. Their quit benefits some and penalizes others. The person who lost the most was Sash. He not only lost Purple Kelly, who would have voted any way he wanted her to, he also lost Naonka and her idol. He could have taken those two to the end with him and probably been a shoo-in for the million dollars. Instead he now must scramble to make something happen, and other than Dan, everybody else is a threat to win the game.

From a show point of view it’s an awesome turn of events. It changed everything and makes for an exciting and unpredictable finish.

Everybody left in the game has a legitimate shot to win.

Everybody except Dan. Dan’s best hope was to go to the final with Naonka and Purple Kelly. Now that they’re gone, I cannot think of a scenario in which Dan could beat anybody to win. This makes Dan a great person to take to the end. The dilemma is going to be who else do you take to the final?

I am not picking on Dan, I actually enjoy Dan quite a bit, and I could be wrong and Dan could win. If he does win, stay glued to your television because there is a very good chance that at the live show, as I read the last “Dan” vote, I will become light-headed and pass out on the CBS stage. Fortunately, Dancing With The Stars tapes nearby, so Tom Bergeron could run over and handle the rest of the reunion show.

Okay, so we are down to seven: Jane, Benry, Fabio, Holly, Sash, Chase, and Dan. There is going to be a lot of scrambling happening from here until the end. Here is my assessment of what each player needs to do:

Chase needs to form an alliance and stick with it.

Fabio, Benry and Jane need to start winning immunity or they are in danger.

Holly needs to keep mothering and nurturing and keep the attention on others.

Sash has the most work to do since his rug has been pulled out from under him.

Dan doesn’t need to do anything; it’s been working for 28 days. Why change?

It looks like we might have an exciting finish….

See ya next week.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/12/02/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-nicaragua-episode-12/

Jobby:
I can sense Jeff's very pissed off tone and disappointment from this entry. It seemed as though that he still has not got over the fact that NaOnka and Kelly has quitted the game.. the game which he put his life and heart into for the past decade as a host.

It's like a disappointment. It's like, i believe.. i feel that Jeff felt that he has not been a good host to get the two girls to not quit. You can sense it. And when they finally did, this is the first time.. not even with Janu, because we know he was hoping for Stephanie to go further and by quitting, Janu helped Stephanie to survived another few more days. But you can see this time, Jeff is angry. He's pissed. He just couldn't understand why would people quit on Day 27.. and i feel for him. Jeff, you've been a great host. Please don't feel bad about it. And i hope somehow you'll be able to read this.

And thank you, Thank you Holly for saving this episode. Thank you Jane for that very inspiring reasoning about life. In life, we just got to suck it up and move on forward. There's many people out there who's suffering much more pain and trauma as compared to what we're going through. We just cannot quit in life and have to remain mentally strong and keep fighting till the very end.

Thank you Holly and Jane, once again.

Dan, please just continue doing nothing. If there's a second person who should not go on this Reward, it would have been you.

Chase, i'm really disappointed in your game play. I just don't know what's wrong with you.

Fabio, i think you're ridiculously dim-witted and i hope that after Survivor, you've learnt to deal with people more.

Benry, please just.. shut up. You're no better.

Sash, you've been TOTALLY getting the Kelly edit this episode. I don't know why they're not giving you any face time, but your decision to not use the HII on Brenda shows your character pretty much as well.

I was so heartbroken, emotionally drained and disappointed as i watched on this entire episode. I don't know if anyone else got through this episode as hard as me, but this is definitely one hell of a memorable episode.. and i really hate it alot alot. This episode shows so much about the true human nature that is deep within each and everyone of us and i am just sad, just sad that i've to sit through 1 hour to watch NaOnka go on about her self-deluded life. But thanks to this episode too, i learnt an important life lesson. To never quit in life. I've been through alot in life and when Jane and Holly talked about quitting, i really sympathized and put myself in their shoes. It is hard out there.. but nothing can be compared to the challenges we have to face in life. I've been through a couple of really rough patches.. but i'm glad i've been through and i'm now fine. I'm not even gonna talk about NaOnka like Jeff.. i'm just hoping that at the end of the day, Purple Kelly will take and learn a life lesson out of this.

Until then, i'm only rooting for Holly or Jane to win. No one else, if they're not in the final three, then i don't really care who wins.

This has been a bad bad season of Survivor. And i account it to personalities like NaOnka and Marty. 89% NaOnka and 10% Marty. Maybe 1% for Kelly because she left the game.

I've never felt so emotionally drained watching one episode of Survivor and never have I had so much to take away from with just one episode of the show. Let's hope that this just gets better.

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