Survivor Game Changes

Quote: zippyboy

Quote: ams288

HOLY SHIT!! Tonight's tribal was one for the ages...

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Varner outs Zeke as transgender in front of the tribe.

Possibly the most insanely classless move in Survivor history. Probst doesn't even have them vote as everyone knows Varner is leaving.

I've always liked Zeke. I had no idea he was trans.

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That explains his wide hips I guess. But he has facial hair. I haven't seen it yet...is he m-to-f?...or the other way around?

Born a female, transitioned to male.

Very convincingly. I had no friggin clue.

Obviously, like most reality shows, they have some great script writers

Sorry for the tardy entry to this. Just got back from home after eight days. Wouldn't you know, one of the first things I did was watch that episode which I had recorded.

That was one for the most memorable tribal counsels ever. As far as I know, and I've watched most seasons, never has a formal vote not been taken.

More importantly, I'd just like to say that Jeff Varner is one of the biggest pieces of s#*t to ever play that game. I hope nobody takes this in a stereotyping way, but he reminded me of Richard Hatch, but after last week's episode proved to be ten times worse. For what its worth, I think his tears at the end were fake.

Zeke was a very big man to hug and forgive him at the end. I would not have been able to. Not even close.

Real life has sometimes had an effect on the game before this episode took it to a whole new level. I think this tribal may have also been the longest in Survivor history, not counting final tribal counsels. Some might criticize the show for even airing it but I assume they did so with Zeke's blessing.

Quote: Wizard

I'd just like to say that Jeff Varner is one of the biggest pieces of s#*t to ever play that game. ..... For what its worth, I think his tears at the end were fake.

Zeke was a very big man to hug and forgive him at the end. I would not have been able to. Not even close.

Some might criticize the show for even airing it but I assume they did so with Zeke's blessing.

A few days ago on reddit, the was a thread about Zeke being outed. It's worth a read since I know you're interested.

Bizarre argument that he was using it to show his deception. There are plenty of things someone does not share with others in any number of life's situations. Doesn't have anything to do with deception but simply not relevant or not something that is comfortable being shared.

Why was Varner even on the show? Had appeared twice before and was an also ran each time not even making he merge. How exactly was he a game changer?

Apparently Jeff Varner got fired from his job this week after the episode aired.

Quote: Aussie

Bizarre argument that he was using it to show his deception. There are plenty of things someone does not share with others in any number of life's situations. Doesn't have anything to do with deception but simply not relevant or not something that is comfortable being shared.

He did say something to the effect that he wouldn't leave quietly or without a fight. His logic must have been to try anything to not get voted out. However, he obviously went way too far and I think will go down as perhaps the most despised player ever. Outing someone on national television will follow him the rest of his life.

I'd like to give the show credit for not playing up the incident in the previews last week. To anyone who thinks it was scripted, I think Jeff Probst's reaction was genuine and praise him for not even giving Varner the dignity of a vote.

It will be interesting to see if and how the sympathy factor will take Zeke in the rest of the game.

I copied this from another message board. Some interesting trivia about the episode:

•Jeff was officially voted out by six people.
◦He is the third person voted out by a non-official “verbal” vote.
◾Ian Rosenberger was verbally voted out by Tom Westman at the end of the final immunity challenge in Palau.
◾Brandon Hantz was “voted out” in Caramoan after a meltdown before a challenge.


•In every season with The Australian Outback returnees, at least one person from that season made it to the finale episode. This is the first season where this didn’t happen.
◦In All-Stars, Amber was in the finale episode.
◦In Heroes vs. Villains, Colby and Jerri were in the finale episode.
◦In Philippines, Skupin was in the finale episode.
◦In Blood vs. Water, Tina was in the finale episode.
◦In Cambodia, Kimmi was in the finale episode.
◦Alicia Calaway and Jeff are the only The Australian Outback returning players never to make it to the finale episode.

•Jeff is the only person to play three times and never make it to the jury phase.
•Out of everyone that’s played three times, Jeff has played the least amount of days with only 50.
•Jeff is the first person voted out this season who has beaten his previous (most recent) placement.
•In his two most recent seasons, he only was immune for one tribal council. (Episode 3 of Game Changers)

Tribal Council

•This season marks the first time Cirie hasn’t attended a pre-merge tribal council.
◦She joins the entire Tandang tribe from Philippines, Joe and Keith in Cambodia, and Nick and Michele from Kaoh Rong as people that made it to the merge without attending a single tribal council.
◾Cirie is the only person to be the sole representative of her season to do so.


•This season is the first time Cirie and Ozzy haven’t received any pre-merge votes.

Confessionals

•Jeff had the most confessionals (7) this episode.
•Andrea, Hali, Michaela, and Troyzan had 0 confessionals.


Tribes/Castaways/Merge

•Cirie will join Jenna Lewis and Rupert Boneham in All-Stars, and Andrew Savage in Cambodia, as the only people to be on four different tribes in one season.
•Michaela has improved on her previous placement after this episode.
•This will be Brad and Michaela’s first time making the merge.
•Just like Cambodia, everyone eliminated pre-merge was from the same starting tribe except for one person.◦Varner was on both of the tribes (Ta Keo and Mana) where six people were voted out pre-merge.
◦In both seasons four people from one tribe and nine people from the other make up the merged tribe.

•Tai is the only original Nuku member to go into the merge with votes cast against him that have counted.
•All six Tavua members made it to the merge.
•This will be the first time eight women made it to the merge.◦It’s also the first time women have had a three-person majority going into a merge.

•This is the first time two African-American women have made it to the merge.
•Brad, Cirie, and Sierra have previously been on a tribe with everyone that they’re going into the merge with.
•The merged tribe will be only the third yellow merged tribe in the history of Survivor.◦Chuay Jai in Thailand
◦Te Tuna in South Pacific

•Aubry, Tai, and Ozzy are the only remaining players that have ever been on a yellow tribe.◦This will be Ozzy’s second yellow merged tribe.
◾Coincidentally, Te Tuna was the last yellow merged tribe that was seen on Survivor.


•Aubry and Michaela are the seventh and eighth castaways to be on a tribe with everyone in their season. The others are as follows:◦Rob, Sean, and Vecepia in Marquesas.
◦Denise in Philippines.
◦Kelly Wiglesworth and Spencer in Cambodia.

•Three of the four Kaoh Rong returnees have made it to the merge.◦Aubry, Debbie, and Tai.

•Andrea is the only three-time player remaining.
Reward Challenge – “Dulcimer Stomp”

•Nuku has won every reward challenge pre-merge (including ones that were combined reward & immunity).
Immunity Challenge – “Plunge, Pop, Pull”

•This challenge has previously been seen in Palau, China, and Caramoan. ◦Andrea has competed in this challenge twice.

•All three pre-merge tribes won three immunity challenges in a row.◦Nuku won the immunity challenges in episodes 1-3
◦Tavua won the immunity challenges in episodes 3-5
◦Mana won the immunity challenges in episodes 5-7

Overall Records

•Ozzy is the only person to make it to the merge four times.

Ratings

•The sixth episode received 8.31 million viewers and 1.7/7 in the Adults 18-49 Rating/Share.
Episode Title

•The episode title “What Happened on Exile, Stays on Exile” was said by Debbie as she wanted to keep her exile experience a secret.

I'm not big on long copy and pastes from other sites. I know it is hard to condense it so please just give a few bullet points and provide a link to the rest. If you don't, I'll have to do it for you.

Last night was the finale of Ghost Island.

Overall I'd rank it as a below average season. There were no players who I had strong feelings about either way (love or hate). I did enjoy the Ghost Island angle though. It was nice to get reminded of all the dumb moves players have made throughout the years.

But for the first time in Survivor history, there was a tie at the final vote. That was pretty interesting.