This Is My Time
Well, we've made it to the finale, can't say the same of Jon who got epically blindsided at the last tribal council.
Huyopa - Night 35
-They return from Tribal Council and Jaclyn does not hide the fact that she's mad and feeling betrayed. Missy makes some comment about being loyal to a fault in real life, Jaclyn says that Jon is too and Natalie says, "well, not really." And Jaclyn lost her SHIT! She screamed at Natalie that they were talking about real life, not in the game and "You don't know Jon!" (Yeah, not sure if that was the best move if she wants to stay in the game.)
-Natalie said it was good that Jaclyn had a freak out in front of everyone so if they were thinking of working with her, it's not happening. The scary thing for Natalie now is that she has to make sure Missy & Baylor want to take her to the end. She says Survivor is a lot of work but it's worth it if you want the big pay out in the end.
Huyopa - Day 36
-Baylor and Missy are thinking it's them and Natalie to the final three. Missy is worried about her broken foot but the plan is for Baylor and Natalie to start crushing the challenges and keep Keith or Jaclyn from winning immunity from here on out. (Oh no, she just made sure that wasn't going to happen.)
REWARD CHALLENGE
The are attached to a rope which is woven through an obstacle, on Jeff's go they will climb over and through the obstacle to unspool the rope, when they think they'll have enough rope to make it through the rest of the course, they'll head out to assemble a bridge. The bridge is just a frame which they have to add sticks to as a ladder up, then steps across and back down the other end. They have to climb up and across the bridge to build it, when they run out of sticks they can carry, they have to go back to the beginning and get more. When they have completed the bridge they then have to use sandbags to throw at
a pyramid of blocks set up on a table. First person to knock all the blocks off the table will win the Reward... which was an advantage in the upcoming Immunity Challenge.
-No way Missy can compete in this one - so she sits. (I don't like the fact that they've let her stay in the game when she can't compete in any challenges. Is that allowed, I mean, can someone opt not to compete in any challenges throughout the game? I wonder how long you'd last that way... but I digress.)
-Off they go and it's basically Keith and Natalie competing through this whole challenge. Baylor and Jaclyn were there but they didn't make much difference. In the end, Keith's ability to carry more of the sticks at a time made a difference and he had a lead going into the sandbag throwing.
-He quickly knocks down most of the blocks but ends up with a seven ten split when Natalie starts throwing... but it is KEITH who wins the reward. Jeff hands him an envelope that he must open in private... and he gets to choose someone to go to Exile Island. The only person that had never been to Exile was Missy but he couldn't send her with the ankle injury so he sends Jaclyn (that was no surprise.)
-Natalie says she's got to win immunity over Keith next challenge even with the advantage because for her plan to work as she sees it, she's got to get rid of Keith next.
Exile Island - Day 36
-Jaclyn gets there and opens the urn but it's the same clue everyone else got so she throws it back in. Then she has a little cry about being diagnosed with not being able to have kids when she was very young was way harder than this and she hears Jon encouraging her to rock it out.
Huyopa - Day 36
-Back at camp none of the girls are happy about Keith's victory, he's not sticking around to talk - he takes off to open his advantage right away. The girls are hoping its an endurance challenge and they'll be able to beat him tomorrow, then he'll be going home for sure.
-Keith's advantage is HUGE! A challene table has been delivered to a private location at camp, he can practice for as long as he wants but once he stops that's it. The challenge looks hard and crazy - they
have a table with a mouse trap like set up on it - they will have to use a series of small round paddles to carefully maneuver a ball through the apparatus on the table, transferring the ball from paddle to paddle then dropping the ball down a chute a the end.
-Keith decides he's going to practice until it gets dark. And this thing looks like that's exactly what you need, practice. He must have dropped that ball a million times - but holy, is he ever going to have an advantage over the girls for sure.
Huyopa - Day 37
-Baylor confirms that she and Missy are thinking it's them and Natalie in the end. Natalie tells the camera that she has to decide if she's going to stay with Missy & Baylor or go with Jaclyn and Keith to the end (Natalie's still playing hard, that's fun to watch, someone still willing to mix it up near the end, exciting.)
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
-Jaclyn returns from Exile and Missy has appropriated one of Jon's shoes left behind to stuff her cast in so she'll be able to stand up for this challenge.
The girls get a look at the tables and Jeff explains what they'll need to do. First person to transfer three balls across the table using only the little paddles will win Immunity... and do I really even need to tell you. Keith blew them all away once he got his nerves under control. KEITH wins immunity and I believe that will be the end of Jaclyn and my chances of winning the pool (curses!)
Live interlude, Jeff introduces us to a Make A Wish kid (Austin) who's wish was to visit the Survivor set and create a challenge. We find out that he actually created the challenge from last week, that one that broke Missy's foot. Way to go Austin. But the best part was when he said he just wanted to help the show... "You're welcome." (His comedic timing was perfect. Thank you Austin.)
Huyopa - Day 37
-Back at the camp, Keith was feeling good with the necklace around his neck and he thinks tonight's not going to be too hard, Jaclyn knows she's going to be on the jury.
-But then we see Natalie and Jaclyn going off for a chat and while
Missy's assuring Keith that Jaclyn's fine, she knows she's going to go. Jaclyn is talking to Natalie and asking her if she's still voting with the others.
-Jaclyn tells Natalie if she wants to vote one of them off (Missy or Baylor) that she won't vote her off the next day. For Jaclyn it's just one more day there (but she tells the camera, she's not going down without a fight.)
-Natalie says she trusts Missy & Baylor 100% but at the end of the day - they're blood.
-Next we see Baylor talking to Natalie and assuring her that they will not be voting for Natalie but in the next breath she asks Natalie to play her idol for her mom (What? Where did that come from? That'd throw up some red flags to me if I was Natalie.)
-Natalie says without a doubt, big moves make an impact in this game but they also can put a target on your back. She's not sure if she should play it safe and vote with Missy & Baylor or make that big move and vote with Jaclyn.
TRIBAL COUNCIL #1
-Jaclyn: Pro of having Jon gone, she doesn't have to worry about him but con, the one person she could trust 100% is gone.
-Keith said there was a cat fight at camp after last tribal council, it got heated but he never heard his name so it was good news for him.
-Missy tells Jeff she's pretty confident about the idol situation (meaning this is the last opportunity to play one) because she knows who has it. (Which is news to Jaclyn and Keith who didn't even know there was still an idol in play.)
-Jaclyn says one of the girls must have it, which could be potentially worse for her.
-Missy feels she and Baylor could be in the danger zone as the only pair still there but she also feels that she's in an alignment that is stuck like glue.
-Natalie admits that Jaclyn came to her, Jaclyn knew it was her or Keith and he won immunity so she did try to talk to Natalie and Missy said sometimes you just have to shrug your shoulders and admit its your time.
And with that, it's Time To Vote:
-Baylor votes Jaclyn
-Jaclyn votes for someone and tells the camera that Natalie told her to do it... (ooh, who's it for?)
Tallying the votes... If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now is the time.
-Natalie says yeah and walks over to Jeff. She says, "Jaclyn, did you vote for who I told you to vote for?" Jaclyn nods Yes, Yes, YES and Natalie says, "I'm playing this for Jac." (WHAT JUST HAPPENED??)
Jon does a double take, Jaclyn is smiling like a loon, Missy does not look happy and Baylor looks like she wants to cry.
-Missy tells Keith and Baylor that she's going home and that she loves them...
-Any votes cast for Jaclyn do not count.
-And Missy just turns her head and stares at Natalie... if looks could kill.
Votes:
Jaclyn - does not count
Jaclyn - does not count
Jaclyn - does not count
Baylor - 1, 2... and it's BAYLOR voted out! Much to the jury's delight. (Oh man, Natalie better sleep with one eye open.)
Baylor - She's super proud of herself and she's not mad at Natalie, that was a really good move.
-With Baylor leaving, that took Ritch G., Sunnie C. and Vikki M. out of the money.
Huyopa - Night 37
-Natalie tells us she couldn't leave her fate in Missy & Baylor's hands and she knows if Keith wins immunity again tomorrow he'll likely want to take Missy out instead of her so she thinks this was the best move.
-Natalie talks to Missy and Missy tells her she understands. Missy tells the camera that it was a bit of a relief that she wouldn't have to write her daughter's name down on a voting ballot (huh, she didn't call her 'my kid' for once - for some reason that "my kid" really bugs me.)
-Missy cries to the camera that her fate is now totally out of her hands because she can't compete.
-Jaclyn thanks Natalie for giving her life... for one more day in the
game anyway and she makes some cocky comment about how she must have made the right choice because "I'm still here." (Oh, don't be cocky...)
-Natalie tells her it's the two of them against Keith for Immunity tomorrow and they can't let him win because Natalie doesn't want to go to the final against Keith.
-Jaclyn agrees that it should be the three girls to the final because Keith is the biggest threat. (That Natalie, she's good.)
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - #2
-Oh yeah, this is a big set up that Missy will have no way competing in.
-They start on top of a four storey tower, they will have to slide down a firemen's pole, slide down a slide and then maneuver through a series of obstacles collecting bags of puzzle pieces. Once they have three bags of puzzle pieces they'll have to take them back up to the top of the tower, then slide back down to get the final two bags of pieces. Once they have all 5 bags of pieces they can get started on the puzzle which is the Survivor logo which will also have three spaces missing. They have to memorize those shapes, go back down the tower to a table below, then find the shapes and the corresponding numbers in them to figure out the combination to a lock at the top of the tower - first person to unlock the combination lock and raise their flag will win immunity and a spot in the final three.
It's Keith, Natalie and Jaclyn doing this one - Keith & Natalie are leading throughout the collection of the puzzle pieces but once they all get started on the puzzle, Jaclyn proves she's got some puzzle skill - she comes from behind to complete her puzzle first - she gets the shapes down but when heading down to the combination table she totally falls down the fireman pole (I could never do that right either) and she's very slow to get up (she's so skinny at this point, I bet she broke her boney buttocks... OUCH.) Jeff rushes down to check on her but she slowly does make it to her feet and continues on. Natalie has her shapes by now too and is hot on her heels but Jaclyn surprised me once again - she gets back to the lock, puts in the right numbers and WINS IMMUNITY! (Way to Go JACLYN!) and poor Keith, still struggling with the puzzle, "I couldn't git dat fer nuttin'."
Huyopa - Day 38
-Jaclyn wants to talk everything out, that's how she played the whole game with Jon. (But he's gone now, don't trust these people...)
-Keith is making his pitch first to Jaclyn (the one with the necklace has the power) - Keith figures Jaclyn has a better chance with him & Nat (who is also there) instead of Missy & Nat. Missy will get sympathy votes because of her ankle and she's got Baylor's vote.
-Jaclyn says she'll think about it but then wants to hash it all out with Natalie. Obviously it's you and me, she says to Natalie, (really? does no one see that Natalie's going to win if they take her to the end? She's just that good at steering them to her way of thinking, it's scary.)
-Natalie wants Jaclyn to vote Keith out so she tells her, "Vote Missy out, I really don't care, but I think Keith is scarier. I don't know, it's up to you."
-Jaclyn tells her she's pretty sure it's Keith unless something crazy happens in her head, but she doubts it.
-Then something crazy, awesome happens in her head and she is asking Missy if she'd ever think of voting for Nat?
-Missy says she thinks it's a toss up. (But in her head she's like YES!, keep talking.)
-Jaclyn says she thinks Natalie has the best game play of the four of them but then she just saved her life last night.
-Missy asks what Jon would do and without hesitation Jaclyn says, "He'd vote her off."
TRIBAL COUNCIL #2
Jaclyn says it feels amazing to have immunity on day 38 but she's been talking to everyone and it's tough, it's a really tough position to be in.
-Natalie said it would be a nice gesture to get some reciprocation from Jaclyn for saving her last night - but she doesn't expect it... it would be nice.
-Jaclyn says she feels she does and she doesn't owe Natalie - she did blindside Jon and that left a bad taste in her mouth.
-Keith went through the same scenarios in his head and figured it had to be him or Missy tonight because Jaclyn does owe Nat.
Jeff was curious why Natalie is not in this discussion and Missy said she doesn't think any of the three of them are safe tonight.
-natalie says they should get rid of Keith because everyone loves f
iremen, plus he's a very charismatic guy and everyone loves him.
-Keith, "I like that." (He's so cute, how can you not like Keith?) But he says they should get rid of Nat tonight because she's got a bunch of votes [on the jury] based on the way she's played the game.
-Natalie says she thinks she can win the game, not just for her but for Nadiya. Everyone else had loved ones and she was there by herself almost from the beginning. (I missed some of her speech because they were showing Alec catching flies. Really dude, close you mouth for once.) She took the harder routes, kicked ass in challenges and it's taken her this far - she's really happy with the way she's played. (Wow, I don't know that this was the right time to make that speech... easy enough to say, she's right, better send her packing.)
Time to Vote:
They don't show how anyone voted.
Tallying the votes:
Keith - 1
Missy - 1
Keith - 2, 3... and the lovable oaf is out... Bye Keith! (It was a tough call, I always think it's dangerous for women to take a guy to the final because of general bias but I still think Natalie was the biggest threat.)
Keith - three of them voted for me, there was no blindside, there were three of them, I can barely handle one of them at home - no hard feelin's - I love em all. (Aw.)
And with Keith gone, Lynne B, Jeremy N and Gillian H. are out of the money.
Huyopa - Day 39
-They get their final feast of breakfast food and they ladies are talking to the camera about their chances.
-Missy is not intimidated by the 7 men on the jury, she's been married three times, she can talk to men. She will face it head on, not bury her head in the sand like a failure, that's not her. (I don't buy it.)
-Natalie is so proud that she was able to do this on her own without her twin and she knows her parents will be proud too because they think the twins can't do anything on their own. Now she's got to work through what she's going to say at tribal, she doesn't want to have any regrets.
-Jaclyn feels like she was underestimated from the beginning. She
says this blood vs water was about family and she can't give Jon the family he wants without the money (uh, why not? Do you need to win a million dollars to adopt? Are they going to buy a baby? Am I going to hell for that one?) The title of sole survivor would mean more to her than the money. She can prove to all the girls that have her syndrome that there are ways, you can do it, never give up. (Hmm, I'm not sure how winning a reality show will help infertile girls but apparently Jaclyn thinks so.)
FINAL TRIBAL COUNCIL
Jeff does his spiel - Alec's mouth only slightly open.
Opening statements:
Missy: She sits there humbly because it could easily have been reversed with any one of them. They have a big decision tonight, like a murder trial (what?) because what they decide will affect the rest of her life. Her deal was loyalty from beginning to end... (and it's a shot of Alec's mouth hanging wide open, he looks so stunned, I lost what she was saying...) the hardest decision she made was voting Jon out, she had to wake up and play the game. Day 33 was the hardest because she broke her foot but she brought her team to victory, she didn't quit and she's still there. She played the game with dignity, integrity and loyalty and that's why she thinks she deserves to be the sole survivor.
(Meh.)
Jaclyn: I deserve to be the sole survivor because I went through a lot of ups and downs in this game, just like in real life (oh no... don't go there.) She says she was in a bottom position at her original tribe but kept fighting then when the swap happened she was able to play with her loved one and they took up the middle position and she made the decision to switch from the Josh/Reed alliance to the Missy/Baylor alliance, if she hadn't made that decision the other two wouldn't be there with her right now. Jon gets blindsided (Alec, mouth wide open, eyes half mast, what has he found out in the jungle?) and I had to step it up, take the reigns and finish the game and that's why I'm here in the top three. Then she talks about being diagnosed with not having half her reproductive organs but she turned that low point into her strength and she did the same in this game (or some such sh*t... don't bring real life into this thing, no one wants to hear that.)
Natalie: I feel I deserve your votes tonight, I deserve to be sole survivor because I out wit, out played, out lasted better than the two ladies sitting next to me. I have out wit by making smart, risky and even scary moves by myself. Out play, I feel I represent well in every challenge, volunteered twice to go to Exile,carried my weight around camp, never once did anybody call me lazy (that was a dig on Jaclyn). And Out Last, with Nadiya being voted out day three she changed the way she played from just surviving to if you're going to be here, you might as well win it. She did everything with a purpose. Sitting here on day 39 I feel so proud and am so honoured to be pleading my case here before you tonight, especially since, honestly, the right person to go home last night should have been me, not Keith. If they made the right decision (oh snap, threw them both under the bus with that.)
Now it shifts to the jury...
Jon - he sets up Jaclyn with a softball, asking her what big decision she made on her own: She says it was the first vote taking out Josh. That swung the whole thing. She knew if she was with the guys she's be on the bottom and she wouldn't be there now. (Hopefully that's what he wanted her to say.)
Keith - a little bitter betty tonight - Natalie, how's it feel that the last words you said to me were a lie? (Really, that's all you got.) At the end of the day she knew it was him or her and she had to sell him as the biggest threat to keep the focus off her.
Keith says he just hates the constant lying, he went through most the game without an alliance, without lying... (and you are on the jury now.) He doesn't know what else to say - so go sit down.
Alec - Nat, what was your biggest one move and how did it change things. She said it was when she voted Alec out instead of Keith (that's what he wanted to hear) she knew she could work with Keith and he'd help her take Jon out and then Baylor breaking up all the couples in her alliance and leaving all singles.
-He asked Missy who claimed to be the Mother in this game, what was so motherly about the way she played the game? - She centered herself as the mom position in their dysfunctional family and from that center position she could direct people to vote for who she wanted out starting with his brother Drew. (Then Alec smoothed his hair on both sides and they put in sound effects... what they are doing with this Alec edit, it's hilarious and I've totally stopped listening to Missy again.)
Baylor: she is so happy to see three ladies up there - then she talks to her mom and gets choked up as she starts monologuing for Missy.
They've been through the ringer, often on one foot (I see what she did there) and they've been blindsided but getting to the end on one foot is the most incredible thing she's ever done and she's super proud of her. (Blah, blah, blah... I'm so sick of these two crying.)
Josh: Jaclyn do you think you're there on your own merit or was it because of choices made by stronger players that she was sitting there. - No, she doesn't think so. Every decision she and Jon made was thoroughly discussed so if you are meaning Jon was the stronger player, no, her merit carried a lot of those decisions.
-He doesn't believe her - give me one move that was solely one move - and she says, "Voting YOU out was my idea." (and it sounds like she'd like to do it again.)
Wes: (He's such a goober, fan-boy) he's been watching [Survivor] since he was 9 and getting to play with his dad was like, oh crap... so how was it to play with your loved one?
Missy said it was a dream come true, blah blah, many crazy paths but this one was the best. But she also loves Keith, he was the shoulder that carried her when she broke her foot (stop pandering to the crowd.)
Jaclyn said playing with Jon was different than the father/son thing but it was a communication thing for them for sure.
Nat (yeah, he asked her, who didn't get to play with her loved one at all) She said the longest she's been away from her twin was a week and a half so being 36 days without her makes her very proud that she could do this on her ow.... (Wes starting licking the side of his mouth, did he leave some crumbs in there? Having a little snack?? I totally stopped listening to Natalie.) If she was going to be the first one out, by god I was going to be the last.
Jeremy: He's a student of the game and when people make big moves he loves that. He thought he was up there but they got him... Nat flat out balled out. You just got to give it to her. She balled out and you got to give her her credit, you know what I mean (and they show Alec again, totally stunned, mouth hanging open.. yeah, Jeremy's "balled out" comment is having no impact on stunned white boy.) Don't be mad, give it to them, he doesn't need any back and forth, he's all good.
AND the Susan Hawk award goes to...
Reed: Just a few things before we close: Nat, I loved watching your game play, it was dynamic, a little spastic but great.
Jaclyn: I really enjoyed getting to know you and blah blah blah...
Missy, you cast yourself as the motherly figure however fans of literary fiction will see through rather quickly to who your true character was, which was the Wicked Step Mother of the tribe. It was the eccentric woman who comes and makes demands on everyone for the things which she thinks she's entitled. She spoils her children by perhaps giving them more rice at dinner or the best places to sleep at night in the shelter. She takes things that she's not entitled to or didn't earn herself which was evidenced by the fact that you got more gimmes in this game than anyone and you performed the worst of anyone at challenges. Lastly, you made the quintessential wicked step mother move by abusing the help, which was the minority alliances throughout the game (He has everyone's rapt attention) you always made sure they felt inferior, you always kept them in their place, always made it eminently clear that they weren't coming to the ball (with a big sweep of his arm) the final tribal council here with you. That to me feels like your fatal flaw, unlike in life, in Survivor, the outcasts have the final say (Wes licking his moustache again, he must have food in it). So in a sweeping moment of poetic justice the people that you were so rude and terrible to, the people that you relegated to the jury are going to decide your fate. This is why I love fairy tales, because they always have a happy ending, and the wicked step mother never wins. Nat, Jaclyn, good luck.
(WOW, that was dramatic and awful and fantastic to watch.) Missy's eyes got a little glassy, he got to her. Baylor starts bawling of course and when Keith clumsily tries to pat her arm she tells him to just leave her alone. Natalie looked a little shell-shocked and Jaclyn looked like she was worried about how Missy was taking it.... Hahaha, it was awesome.
Finally Time to Vote:
Jon votes for Jaclyn
Jeremy votes for Nat.
Reed votes for Jaclyn (huh, really?)
Baylor votes for Missy
Reading the votes at the live studio finale:
Jaclyn - 1
Nat - 1
Jaclyn - 2
Missy - 1
Nat - 2, 3, 4... and NATALIE is the Winner!!
And with Natalie, the winners of our pool are Manny W., Susan M. and Robert & Cindi. Congratulations you guys.
It's really late and this was too long.
-Jon & Jaclyn are now engaged.
-Reed is not apologetic for his final speech, he was talking about her character within the game.
-Missy is not over it, she actually has been a step mother and she wasn't expecting to be attacked like that. (Wah.)
-Keith will never live down "Stick to the plan" guys at the fire house bug him all the time.
Next season will be the 30th Season and it will be:
World's Apart: White Collar vs Blue Collar vs No Collar
They make the rules, they play by the rules, they break the rules.
We'll have to see how that plays out starting in February 2015.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.
Coleen
Well, we've made it to the finale, can't say the same of Jon who got epically blindsided at the last tribal council.
Huyopa - Night 35
-They return from Tribal Council and Jaclyn does not hide the fact that she's mad and feeling betrayed. Missy makes some comment about being loyal to a fault in real life, Jaclyn says that Jon is too and Natalie says, "well, not really." And Jaclyn lost her SHIT! She screamed at Natalie that they were talking about real life, not in the game and "You don't know Jon!" (Yeah, not sure if that was the best move if she wants to stay in the game.)
-Natalie said it was good that Jaclyn had a freak out in front of everyone so if they were thinking of working with her, it's not happening. The scary thing for Natalie now is that she has to make sure Missy & Baylor want to take her to the end. She says Survivor is a lot of work but it's worth it if you want the big pay out in the end.
Huyopa - Day 36
-Baylor and Missy are thinking it's them and Natalie to the final three. Missy is worried about her broken foot but the plan is for Baylor and Natalie to start crushing the challenges and keep Keith or Jaclyn from winning immunity from here on out. (Oh no, she just made sure that wasn't going to happen.)
REWARD CHALLENGE
The are attached to a rope which is woven through an obstacle, on Jeff's go they will climb over and through the obstacle to unspool the rope, when they think they'll have enough rope to make it through the rest of the course, they'll head out to assemble a bridge. The bridge is just a frame which they have to add sticks to as a ladder up, then steps across and back down the other end. They have to climb up and across the bridge to build it, when they run out of sticks they can carry, they have to go back to the beginning and get more. When they have completed the bridge they then have to use sandbags to throw at
a pyramid of blocks set up on a table. First person to knock all the blocks off the table will win the Reward... which was an advantage in the upcoming Immunity Challenge.
-No way Missy can compete in this one - so she sits. (I don't like the fact that they've let her stay in the game when she can't compete in any challenges. Is that allowed, I mean, can someone opt not to compete in any challenges throughout the game? I wonder how long you'd last that way... but I digress.)
-Off they go and it's basically Keith and Natalie competing through this whole challenge. Baylor and Jaclyn were there but they didn't make much difference. In the end, Keith's ability to carry more of the sticks at a time made a difference and he had a lead going into the sandbag throwing.
-He quickly knocks down most of the blocks but ends up with a seven ten split when Natalie starts throwing... but it is KEITH who wins the reward. Jeff hands him an envelope that he must open in private... and he gets to choose someone to go to Exile Island. The only person that had never been to Exile was Missy but he couldn't send her with the ankle injury so he sends Jaclyn (that was no surprise.)
-Natalie says she's got to win immunity over Keith next challenge even with the advantage because for her plan to work as she sees it, she's got to get rid of Keith next.
Exile Island - Day 36
-Jaclyn gets there and opens the urn but it's the same clue everyone else got so she throws it back in. Then she has a little cry about being diagnosed with not being able to have kids when she was very young was way harder than this and she hears Jon encouraging her to rock it out.
Huyopa - Day 36
-Back at camp none of the girls are happy about Keith's victory, he's not sticking around to talk - he takes off to open his advantage right away. The girls are hoping its an endurance challenge and they'll be able to beat him tomorrow, then he'll be going home for sure.
-Keith's advantage is HUGE! A challene table has been delivered to a private location at camp, he can practice for as long as he wants but once he stops that's it. The challenge looks hard and crazy - they
have a table with a mouse trap like set up on it - they will have to use a series of small round paddles to carefully maneuver a ball through the apparatus on the table, transferring the ball from paddle to paddle then dropping the ball down a chute a the end.
-Keith decides he's going to practice until it gets dark. And this thing looks like that's exactly what you need, practice. He must have dropped that ball a million times - but holy, is he ever going to have an advantage over the girls for sure.
Huyopa - Day 37
-Baylor confirms that she and Missy are thinking it's them and Natalie in the end. Natalie tells the camera that she has to decide if she's going to stay with Missy & Baylor or go with Jaclyn and Keith to the end (Natalie's still playing hard, that's fun to watch, someone still willing to mix it up near the end, exciting.)
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
-Jaclyn returns from Exile and Missy has appropriated one of Jon's shoes left behind to stuff her cast in so she'll be able to stand up for this challenge.
The girls get a look at the tables and Jeff explains what they'll need to do. First person to transfer three balls across the table using only the little paddles will win Immunity... and do I really even need to tell you. Keith blew them all away once he got his nerves under control. KEITH wins immunity and I believe that will be the end of Jaclyn and my chances of winning the pool (curses!)
Live interlude, Jeff introduces us to a Make A Wish kid (Austin) who's wish was to visit the Survivor set and create a challenge. We find out that he actually created the challenge from last week, that one that broke Missy's foot. Way to go Austin. But the best part was when he said he just wanted to help the show... "You're welcome." (His comedic timing was perfect. Thank you Austin.)
Huyopa - Day 37
-Back at the camp, Keith was feeling good with the necklace around his neck and he thinks tonight's not going to be too hard, Jaclyn knows she's going to be on the jury.
-But then we see Natalie and Jaclyn going off for a chat and while
Missy's assuring Keith that Jaclyn's fine, she knows she's going to go. Jaclyn is talking to Natalie and asking her if she's still voting with the others.
-Jaclyn tells Natalie if she wants to vote one of them off (Missy or Baylor) that she won't vote her off the next day. For Jaclyn it's just one more day there (but she tells the camera, she's not going down without a fight.)
-Natalie says she trusts Missy & Baylor 100% but at the end of the day - they're blood.
-Next we see Baylor talking to Natalie and assuring her that they will not be voting for Natalie but in the next breath she asks Natalie to play her idol for her mom (What? Where did that come from? That'd throw up some red flags to me if I was Natalie.)
-Natalie says without a doubt, big moves make an impact in this game but they also can put a target on your back. She's not sure if she should play it safe and vote with Missy & Baylor or make that big move and vote with Jaclyn.
TRIBAL COUNCIL #1
-Jaclyn: Pro of having Jon gone, she doesn't have to worry about him but con, the one person she could trust 100% is gone.
-Keith said there was a cat fight at camp after last tribal council, it got heated but he never heard his name so it was good news for him.
-Missy tells Jeff she's pretty confident about the idol situation (meaning this is the last opportunity to play one) because she knows who has it. (Which is news to Jaclyn and Keith who didn't even know there was still an idol in play.)
-Jaclyn says one of the girls must have it, which could be potentially worse for her.
-Missy feels she and Baylor could be in the danger zone as the only pair still there but she also feels that she's in an alignment that is stuck like glue.
-Natalie admits that Jaclyn came to her, Jaclyn knew it was her or Keith and he won immunity so she did try to talk to Natalie and Missy said sometimes you just have to shrug your shoulders and admit its your time.
And with that, it's Time To Vote:
-Baylor votes Jaclyn
-Jaclyn votes for someone and tells the camera that Natalie told her to do it... (ooh, who's it for?)
Tallying the votes... If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now is the time.
-Natalie says yeah and walks over to Jeff. She says, "Jaclyn, did you vote for who I told you to vote for?" Jaclyn nods Yes, Yes, YES and Natalie says, "I'm playing this for Jac." (WHAT JUST HAPPENED??)
Jon does a double take, Jaclyn is smiling like a loon, Missy does not look happy and Baylor looks like she wants to cry.
-Missy tells Keith and Baylor that she's going home and that she loves them...
-Any votes cast for Jaclyn do not count.
-And Missy just turns her head and stares at Natalie... if looks could kill.
Votes:
Jaclyn - does not count
Jaclyn - does not count
Jaclyn - does not count
Baylor - 1, 2... and it's BAYLOR voted out! Much to the jury's delight. (Oh man, Natalie better sleep with one eye open.)
Baylor - She's super proud of herself and she's not mad at Natalie, that was a really good move.
-With Baylor leaving, that took Ritch G., Sunnie C. and Vikki M. out of the money.
Huyopa - Night 37
-Natalie tells us she couldn't leave her fate in Missy & Baylor's hands and she knows if Keith wins immunity again tomorrow he'll likely want to take Missy out instead of her so she thinks this was the best move.
-Natalie talks to Missy and Missy tells her she understands. Missy tells the camera that it was a bit of a relief that she wouldn't have to write her daughter's name down on a voting ballot (huh, she didn't call her 'my kid' for once - for some reason that "my kid" really bugs me.)
-Missy cries to the camera that her fate is now totally out of her hands because she can't compete.
-Jaclyn thanks Natalie for giving her life... for one more day in the
game anyway and she makes some cocky comment about how she must have made the right choice because "I'm still here." (Oh, don't be cocky...)
-Natalie tells her it's the two of them against Keith for Immunity tomorrow and they can't let him win because Natalie doesn't want to go to the final against Keith.
-Jaclyn agrees that it should be the three girls to the final because Keith is the biggest threat. (That Natalie, she's good.)
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - #2
-Oh yeah, this is a big set up that Missy will have no way competing in.
-They start on top of a four storey tower, they will have to slide down a firemen's pole, slide down a slide and then maneuver through a series of obstacles collecting bags of puzzle pieces. Once they have three bags of puzzle pieces they'll have to take them back up to the top of the tower, then slide back down to get the final two bags of pieces. Once they have all 5 bags of pieces they can get started on the puzzle which is the Survivor logo which will also have three spaces missing. They have to memorize those shapes, go back down the tower to a table below, then find the shapes and the corresponding numbers in them to figure out the combination to a lock at the top of the tower - first person to unlock the combination lock and raise their flag will win immunity and a spot in the final three.
It's Keith, Natalie and Jaclyn doing this one - Keith & Natalie are leading throughout the collection of the puzzle pieces but once they all get started on the puzzle, Jaclyn proves she's got some puzzle skill - she comes from behind to complete her puzzle first - she gets the shapes down but when heading down to the combination table she totally falls down the fireman pole (I could never do that right either) and she's very slow to get up (she's so skinny at this point, I bet she broke her boney buttocks... OUCH.) Jeff rushes down to check on her but she slowly does make it to her feet and continues on. Natalie has her shapes by now too and is hot on her heels but Jaclyn surprised me once again - she gets back to the lock, puts in the right numbers and WINS IMMUNITY! (Way to Go JACLYN!) and poor Keith, still struggling with the puzzle, "I couldn't git dat fer nuttin'."
Huyopa - Day 38
-Jaclyn wants to talk everything out, that's how she played the whole game with Jon. (But he's gone now, don't trust these people...)
-Keith is making his pitch first to Jaclyn (the one with the necklace has the power) - Keith figures Jaclyn has a better chance with him & Nat (who is also there) instead of Missy & Nat. Missy will get sympathy votes because of her ankle and she's got Baylor's vote.
-Jaclyn says she'll think about it but then wants to hash it all out with Natalie. Obviously it's you and me, she says to Natalie, (really? does no one see that Natalie's going to win if they take her to the end? She's just that good at steering them to her way of thinking, it's scary.)
-Natalie wants Jaclyn to vote Keith out so she tells her, "Vote Missy out, I really don't care, but I think Keith is scarier. I don't know, it's up to you."
-Jaclyn tells her she's pretty sure it's Keith unless something crazy happens in her head, but she doubts it.
-Then something crazy, awesome happens in her head and she is asking Missy if she'd ever think of voting for Nat?
-Missy says she thinks it's a toss up. (But in her head she's like YES!, keep talking.)
-Jaclyn says she thinks Natalie has the best game play of the four of them but then she just saved her life last night.
-Missy asks what Jon would do and without hesitation Jaclyn says, "He'd vote her off."
TRIBAL COUNCIL #2
Jaclyn says it feels amazing to have immunity on day 38 but she's been talking to everyone and it's tough, it's a really tough position to be in.
-Natalie said it would be a nice gesture to get some reciprocation from Jaclyn for saving her last night - but she doesn't expect it... it would be nice.
-Jaclyn says she feels she does and she doesn't owe Natalie - she did blindside Jon and that left a bad taste in her mouth.
-Keith went through the same scenarios in his head and figured it had to be him or Missy tonight because Jaclyn does owe Nat.
Jeff was curious why Natalie is not in this discussion and Missy said she doesn't think any of the three of them are safe tonight.
-natalie says they should get rid of Keith because everyone loves f
iremen, plus he's a very charismatic guy and everyone loves him.
-Keith, "I like that." (He's so cute, how can you not like Keith?) But he says they should get rid of Nat tonight because she's got a bunch of votes [on the jury] based on the way she's played the game.
-Natalie says she thinks she can win the game, not just for her but for Nadiya. Everyone else had loved ones and she was there by herself almost from the beginning. (I missed some of her speech because they were showing Alec catching flies. Really dude, close you mouth for once.) She took the harder routes, kicked ass in challenges and it's taken her this far - she's really happy with the way she's played. (Wow, I don't know that this was the right time to make that speech... easy enough to say, she's right, better send her packing.)
Time to Vote:
They don't show how anyone voted.
Tallying the votes:
Keith - 1
Missy - 1
Keith - 2, 3... and the lovable oaf is out... Bye Keith! (It was a tough call, I always think it's dangerous for women to take a guy to the final because of general bias but I still think Natalie was the biggest threat.)
Keith - three of them voted for me, there was no blindside, there were three of them, I can barely handle one of them at home - no hard feelin's - I love em all. (Aw.)
And with Keith gone, Lynne B, Jeremy N and Gillian H. are out of the money.
Huyopa - Day 39
-They get their final feast of breakfast food and they ladies are talking to the camera about their chances.
-Missy is not intimidated by the 7 men on the jury, she's been married three times, she can talk to men. She will face it head on, not bury her head in the sand like a failure, that's not her. (I don't buy it.)
-Natalie is so proud that she was able to do this on her own without her twin and she knows her parents will be proud too because they think the twins can't do anything on their own. Now she's got to work through what she's going to say at tribal, she doesn't want to have any regrets.
-Jaclyn feels like she was underestimated from the beginning. She
says this blood vs water was about family and she can't give Jon the family he wants without the money (uh, why not? Do you need to win a million dollars to adopt? Are they going to buy a baby? Am I going to hell for that one?) The title of sole survivor would mean more to her than the money. She can prove to all the girls that have her syndrome that there are ways, you can do it, never give up. (Hmm, I'm not sure how winning a reality show will help infertile girls but apparently Jaclyn thinks so.)
FINAL TRIBAL COUNCIL
Jeff does his spiel - Alec's mouth only slightly open.
Opening statements:
Missy: She sits there humbly because it could easily have been reversed with any one of them. They have a big decision tonight, like a murder trial (what?) because what they decide will affect the rest of her life. Her deal was loyalty from beginning to end... (and it's a shot of Alec's mouth hanging wide open, he looks so stunned, I lost what she was saying...) the hardest decision she made was voting Jon out, she had to wake up and play the game. Day 33 was the hardest because she broke her foot but she brought her team to victory, she didn't quit and she's still there. She played the game with dignity, integrity and loyalty and that's why she thinks she deserves to be the sole survivor.
(Meh.)
Jaclyn: I deserve to be the sole survivor because I went through a lot of ups and downs in this game, just like in real life (oh no... don't go there.) She says she was in a bottom position at her original tribe but kept fighting then when the swap happened she was able to play with her loved one and they took up the middle position and she made the decision to switch from the Josh/Reed alliance to the Missy/Baylor alliance, if she hadn't made that decision the other two wouldn't be there with her right now. Jon gets blindsided (Alec, mouth wide open, eyes half mast, what has he found out in the jungle?) and I had to step it up, take the reigns and finish the game and that's why I'm here in the top three. Then she talks about being diagnosed with not having half her reproductive organs but she turned that low point into her strength and she did the same in this game (or some such sh*t... don't bring real life into this thing, no one wants to hear that.)
Natalie: I feel I deserve your votes tonight, I deserve to be sole survivor because I out wit, out played, out lasted better than the two ladies sitting next to me. I have out wit by making smart, risky and even scary moves by myself. Out play, I feel I represent well in every challenge, volunteered twice to go to Exile,carried my weight around camp, never once did anybody call me lazy (that was a dig on Jaclyn). And Out Last, with Nadiya being voted out day three she changed the way she played from just surviving to if you're going to be here, you might as well win it. She did everything with a purpose. Sitting here on day 39 I feel so proud and am so honoured to be pleading my case here before you tonight, especially since, honestly, the right person to go home last night should have been me, not Keith. If they made the right decision (oh snap, threw them both under the bus with that.)
Now it shifts to the jury...
Jon - he sets up Jaclyn with a softball, asking her what big decision she made on her own: She says it was the first vote taking out Josh. That swung the whole thing. She knew if she was with the guys she's be on the bottom and she wouldn't be there now. (Hopefully that's what he wanted her to say.)
Keith - a little bitter betty tonight - Natalie, how's it feel that the last words you said to me were a lie? (Really, that's all you got.) At the end of the day she knew it was him or her and she had to sell him as the biggest threat to keep the focus off her.
Keith says he just hates the constant lying, he went through most the game without an alliance, without lying... (and you are on the jury now.) He doesn't know what else to say - so go sit down.
Alec - Nat, what was your biggest one move and how did it change things. She said it was when she voted Alec out instead of Keith (that's what he wanted to hear) she knew she could work with Keith and he'd help her take Jon out and then Baylor breaking up all the couples in her alliance and leaving all singles.
-He asked Missy who claimed to be the Mother in this game, what was so motherly about the way she played the game? - She centered herself as the mom position in their dysfunctional family and from that center position she could direct people to vote for who she wanted out starting with his brother Drew. (Then Alec smoothed his hair on both sides and they put in sound effects... what they are doing with this Alec edit, it's hilarious and I've totally stopped listening to Missy again.)
Baylor: she is so happy to see three ladies up there - then she talks to her mom and gets choked up as she starts monologuing for Missy.
They've been through the ringer, often on one foot (I see what she did there) and they've been blindsided but getting to the end on one foot is the most incredible thing she's ever done and she's super proud of her. (Blah, blah, blah... I'm so sick of these two crying.)
Josh: Jaclyn do you think you're there on your own merit or was it because of choices made by stronger players that she was sitting there. - No, she doesn't think so. Every decision she and Jon made was thoroughly discussed so if you are meaning Jon was the stronger player, no, her merit carried a lot of those decisions.
-He doesn't believe her - give me one move that was solely one move - and she says, "Voting YOU out was my idea." (and it sounds like she'd like to do it again.)
Wes: (He's such a goober, fan-boy) he's been watching [Survivor] since he was 9 and getting to play with his dad was like, oh crap... so how was it to play with your loved one?
Missy said it was a dream come true, blah blah, many crazy paths but this one was the best. But she also loves Keith, he was the shoulder that carried her when she broke her foot (stop pandering to the crowd.)
Jaclyn said playing with Jon was different than the father/son thing but it was a communication thing for them for sure.
Nat (yeah, he asked her, who didn't get to play with her loved one at all) She said the longest she's been away from her twin was a week and a half so being 36 days without her makes her very proud that she could do this on her ow.... (Wes starting licking the side of his mouth, did he leave some crumbs in there? Having a little snack?? I totally stopped listening to Natalie.) If she was going to be the first one out, by god I was going to be the last.
Jeremy: He's a student of the game and when people make big moves he loves that. He thought he was up there but they got him... Nat flat out balled out. You just got to give it to her. She balled out and you got to give her her credit, you know what I mean (and they show Alec again, totally stunned, mouth hanging open.. yeah, Jeremy's "balled out" comment is having no impact on stunned white boy.) Don't be mad, give it to them, he doesn't need any back and forth, he's all good.
AND the Susan Hawk award goes to...
Reed: Just a few things before we close: Nat, I loved watching your game play, it was dynamic, a little spastic but great.
Jaclyn: I really enjoyed getting to know you and blah blah blah...
Missy, you cast yourself as the motherly figure however fans of literary fiction will see through rather quickly to who your true character was, which was the Wicked Step Mother of the tribe. It was the eccentric woman who comes and makes demands on everyone for the things which she thinks she's entitled. She spoils her children by perhaps giving them more rice at dinner or the best places to sleep at night in the shelter. She takes things that she's not entitled to or didn't earn herself which was evidenced by the fact that you got more gimmes in this game than anyone and you performed the worst of anyone at challenges. Lastly, you made the quintessential wicked step mother move by abusing the help, which was the minority alliances throughout the game (He has everyone's rapt attention) you always made sure they felt inferior, you always kept them in their place, always made it eminently clear that they weren't coming to the ball (with a big sweep of his arm) the final tribal council here with you. That to me feels like your fatal flaw, unlike in life, in Survivor, the outcasts have the final say (Wes licking his moustache again, he must have food in it). So in a sweeping moment of poetic justice the people that you were so rude and terrible to, the people that you relegated to the jury are going to decide your fate. This is why I love fairy tales, because they always have a happy ending, and the wicked step mother never wins. Nat, Jaclyn, good luck.
(WOW, that was dramatic and awful and fantastic to watch.) Missy's eyes got a little glassy, he got to her. Baylor starts bawling of course and when Keith clumsily tries to pat her arm she tells him to just leave her alone. Natalie looked a little shell-shocked and Jaclyn looked like she was worried about how Missy was taking it.... Hahaha, it was awesome.
Finally Time to Vote:
Jon votes for Jaclyn
Jeremy votes for Nat.
Reed votes for Jaclyn (huh, really?)
Baylor votes for Missy
Reading the votes at the live studio finale:
Jaclyn - 1
Nat - 1
Jaclyn - 2
Missy - 1
Nat - 2, 3, 4... and NATALIE is the Winner!!
And with Natalie, the winners of our pool are Manny W., Susan M. and Robert & Cindi. Congratulations you guys.
It's really late and this was too long.
-Jon & Jaclyn are now engaged.
-Reed is not apologetic for his final speech, he was talking about her character within the game.
-Missy is not over it, she actually has been a step mother and she wasn't expecting to be attacked like that. (Wah.)
-Keith will never live down "Stick to the plan" guys at the fire house bug him all the time.
Next season will be the 30th Season and it will be:
World's Apart: White Collar vs Blue Collar vs No Collar
They make the rules, they play by the rules, they break the rules.
We'll have to see how that plays out starting in February 2015.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.
Coleen
No comments:
Post a Comment