Straight out of the gate, I have demonstrated why you should never read this blog for predictions. In my pre-game assessment, I said of Zane:
Zane needs to go home early. He won't.This is one time where I am delighted to be proven wrong. I was convinced that, like previous wildcards, players would eagerly ally with Zane. In this respect, I wasn't exactly wrong, but it didn't save him.
The problem with contestants like Zane is that they are unpredictable in their gameplay, because they don't know what they're doing and pride themselves on steering away from convention.I was dead on there. Offering yourself up for the vote as a bit of reverse psychology definitely hasn't been done before, and this is why. It's too easy to backfire on you!
Credit where credit's due, Zane was playing hard out of the gate, and he had Angie right where he wanted her. He was definitely more of a Russell than a Brandon Hantz, making alliances with everybody and bending events to his own narration (e.g. Malcolm 'begging' him to stay). Further reason to rejoice that he's gone. I know Jeff was hoping he'd stay around somehow, but I do not need this season to become the Zane show.
For those of you who listened to the Reality Rant podcasts, Chris had this one nailed. Damnit, Chris.
Anyway, the Philippines is gorgeous, and it was a thrill to see maroonings and water challenges again. Was it just me or did anybody else find the returning player introduction a bit of an anticlimax? I mean, Roxy actually described Russell's med-evac before Jeff brought him aboard, and Jeff didn't so much as use it as a segue. Wake up, Probst! Otherwise, the editing seems fairly promising so far, with almost everybody getting a few words in.
Zane wasn't the only player that hasn't worked out as I expected--on the whole, I like the cast more than I thought. My full thoughts on what everybody's doing and how the tribal dynamics stand should be up by Sunday evening.
I kind of liked that they put less of a focus on the returnees, both in the editing of the show and, I'm assuming, at that time on the boat. We've seen that when a disproportionate amount of attention is paid to returning players, they'll often get elevated to an unnecessary level and really affect game play and how the season plays out, and not usually in the best way. I guess I'm thinking mostly of Redemption Island here. A ton of attention was on Ozzy and Coach in South Pacific, but the rest of the cast was so strong they kind of made up for it. Apart from these 3 returnees just having less of a wow factor to begin with, the less that Jeff et al make them seem above the rest of the game means that they'll be integrated within the game more evenly and will probably provide for a richer and more entertaining game, and show, really. These 3 shouldn't be, and it looks like probably won't be, as oddly revered as others have in the past.
ReplyDeleteI think Michael will be revered (already is), but you're right that Jonathan and Russell don't make a splash in the same way. I relished the more even edit we got this episode and I hope it continues!
DeleteJust as the title suggests, both the blog and the season are off to a great start!
ReplyDeleteI haven't even begun to figure out the names yet, but the alpha dude on Russell's team will probably be a player to contend with, as will the investment banker woman on Skulpin's. I can only hope and pray that J-man's team will continue to win challenges, since the previews portray him as in serious need of the idol. It looks like Cook Islands all over again, where he is definitely on the outs with his tribe. (You gotta work on that, Jonathon!) Still lovin' on the J-man, though... just not very hopeful.
I'm still holding out hope for Jonathan! Along with hope that it's not just wishful thinking...
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