By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Jackson resident and Delta Air Lines flight attendant Teresa "T-Bird" Cooper is 14 years removed from her "Survivor Africa" experience but still longs to go for the $1 million again. She was eligible earlier this year to join season 31 but didn't get enough votes from the public to make the cut.
So she is watching the season from home, like millions of other die-hard "Survivor" fans who have kept the enduring strategy/survival game alive. And like many fans, she is enjoying this season, with veteran players strategizing and blindsiding each other with abandon.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Voting blocs (as opposed to alliances, same difference) rule the day and many such blocs have a fluidity that makes it difficult to guess who is safe any given moment. Throw in the usual immunity idols, horrendous downpours and way too many immunity challenges involving balance and it's been a fun season.
"It's been great TV," she said, noting some wild tribal councils. She was impressed when Ciera Easton - in trouble - pulled out a surprise immunity idol episode 8 that cost Andrew Savage his spot (though Ciera was eliminated two tribal councils later.).
"When you're on the bottom, you have to make big moves," she said. Ciera's friend Kelley Wentworth has shown impressive durability and has an immunity idol to boot.
Then there was the week Jeremy Collins handed ultimate "Survivor" fanboy Stephen Fishbach an idol to save him. And then Fishbach last week used his special power to take away Joe Anglim's vote and add an extra one for himself. But since his bloc split the vote and Spencer Bledsoe snowed him, he was ousted anyway.
Cooper was also amazed when eight out of 10 players opted out of an immunity challenge so production could build them a better shelter. Why? It had rained for several days in a row and was beating the cast down.
"You know the producers were worried about the health of the talent," Cooper said.
She said the game has gotten a bit more complex compared to early years. You can't stay under the radar like Kelly Wigglesworth and expect to slide into the finals without really playing the game.
And she noticed that "Survivor" merged the tribes earlier than in any previous season, which allowed for the largest jury. This adds even more elements of chance to how the jury will vote.
Of the final eight players, she had a hard time pinning down a final three or two. There are still too many factors at play. Can Joe return to his immunity idol winning ways? Will Jeremy and Spencer be targets as alpha males? Can Wentworth wiggle her way out of the bottom and use her immunity idol judiciously?
I asked her about each of the eight:
Keith Nale: "Did he play the best strategy game? I can't tell. But he has played hard. He is very likable so I'm not sure if anybody wants to be with him in the final two or three."
Kimmi Kappenberg: "I think they'd want to carry her into the final two or three. She hasn't appeared to play the game. That means she'd be perfect to take to the finals." (People who avoid big moves in the early years sometimes won. Not so much nowadays.) [UPDATE: She finally began to play by creating an all-girls alliance. Will that work and take down Jeremy, Keith and Spencer? We'll see.]
Kelley Wentworth: "If she is sitting in the finals, she'll win. She's been in the bottom so long for her to pull out so many idols and different strategies to survive has been impressive."
Tasha Fox: "They showed a lot of her early on but not as much recently. It makes me thinks she goes deep in the game. But as far as the jury is concerned, I don't know if she gets the warm and fuzzies."
Abi-Maria Gomes: "Bless her heart. I don't think she has a clue. People would bring her along because they know she won't get jury votes. But she'd be devastated if she didn't win and won't understand why."
Jeremy Collins: "Nobody is talking about Jeremy at all. He's really really strong. He seems very likable. He's got Fish on his side on the jury if he makes it to the final two or three. He's looking good." [He also has an immunity idol for insurance.]
Spencer Bledsoe: "I've liked him. He and Tasha didn't have a love fest when they first competed but I think they now have an understanding. Jeremy and Tasha are tight so they may bring in Spencer and try to go final three."
Joe Anglim: "Fans love him. Spencer will want Joe out now. If Jeremy helps him do that, that could build trust between the two of them. If Joe loses any more challenges, he's probably out." [UPDATE: Well, that happened even after he fainted during the challenge itself, yet another balancing-type one that Joe excels at. He was way too much of a threat.]
Tonight: family reunion episode. Open the tear ducts!
TV PREVIEW
"Survivor," 8 p.m. Wednesdays, CBS
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