11:50 AM EDT 05/20/2012
Stephen Fishbach
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Survivor Winner's Final Tribal Council One of Show's Best Ever
Originally posted 05/14/2012 03:30PM
"I think I played as ethically as is humanly possible. I think I played cleanly, and I think it's a really important piece because if you undermine your credibility along the way, you stand less of a chance here (at Tribal Council) when you face the people that you've worked with to get where you are."
– Richard Hatch, winner, Survivor: Borneo
Sunday's Survivor finale brought One World to its inevitable conclusion. After a season of complete domination, Kim won her $1 million, the award for Sprint Fan Favorite, and the title of Sole Survivor. She also wins the greatest reward of all – the final Fishy.
The episode had very little drama – like the season itself. Kim won all the challenges. She ran the strategy. And she dominated the final tribal council.
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Stephen Fishbach Blogs: Do Kim's 'Baby Blues' Have Mysterious Powers?
Originally posted 05/10/2012 12:00PM
"If you can figure out what buttons to push on what people, then you're gonna have the advantage."
– Boston Rob, Survivor: Marquesas
Is the King of the Jungle actually ... a Queen? Last night on Survivor, Tarzan was bum-puzzled by the bewitching baby blues of a beauty. He wasn't the first man – though for this season, he was the last.
There was a lot of chatter last night about Kim's peepers. Tarzan called them "angelic eyes." Sabrina called them the "baby blues." Everyone agrees they have mysterious powers. The baby blues see into your soul. They hypnotize you.
They cost Tarzan his jungle – and Alicia a million dollars.
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Survivor: Is Kim the Perfect Player?
Originally posted 05/03/2012 09:15AM
"The blindside actually for most people comes when they're the most confident." – Tyson Apostol, Survivor: Tocantins
They were the best of Survivor players, they were the worst of Survivor players. They were players with wisdom and players with foolishness. Players who would believe anything, and players who would lie to your face.
They were Kim and Kat – a tale of two Tikianos.
The entire difference between good play and bad play was epitomized last Wednesday by Kat and Kim's different reactions to the reward.
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Stephen Fishbach Talks to Russell Hantz About Flipped Off
Originally posted 04/28/2012 12:30PM
A year ago, Survivor super-villain Russell Hantz didn't know a thing about flipping houses. That makes him an unlikely candidate to star in a new house flipping show, Flipped Off, which premieres Saturday on A&E (10 p.m. ET).
Russell's basic ignorance about home remodeling provides the show's comic highlights: he and his brother and business partner Shawn stumble like the Two Stooges through one construction disaster after the next. Real estate agent Kristen Bredehoeft, the lone voice of reason, throws her hands up in frustration.
What Russell Hantz does know is how to build alliances and manipulate his opponents. As he and Shawn jockey for dominance, Russell resorts to psychological tactics from his Survivor days to outwit and outplay his brother.
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Stephen Fishbach Blogs: Survivor Teaches Life Lessons
Originally posted 04/26/2012 12:50PM
"Whoever wins wins, but I don't wanna be the pawn."
– Kathy Vavrick O'Brien, Survivor: Marquesas
Survivor is a treasure trove of valuable life lessons: People will do anything for money; the human spirit can triumph over the elements; never try to sell beach-front property to a native Kansan.
Wednesday night, through the poignant travails of Kat Edorsson, we all learned another lesson about our shared humanity. People know at heart what they need to do. They need to stand up for themselves! To take ownership of their decisions! To vote out Chelsea! But when it comes down to Tribal Council and you're filling out that parchment, more often than not, you'll just settle for mediocrity – and do what Kim tells you.
All Kat wants in the world is not to be seen as a follower. Maybe more even than she wants to win. So why then does she keep … following?
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Survivor: Troyzan Wins a Fishy
Originally posted 04/19/2012 01:00PM
"Fear motivated self-preservation is the worst game I could imagine."
– Greg Buis, Survivor: Borneo
Why are people on Survivor so dumb?
Every season there are a few players who just refuse to think for themselves. They vote the party line, listen to the bosses, and then act shocked and betrayed when they're voted out in sixth or seventh place, because they wanted a victory handed to them by God without having to lift a finger for themselves.
On Wednesday, we saw Tarzan, Christina and Alicia enter this ignominious hall of shame as they voted out Leif and isolated Troyzan – their only hope to take control. Something has gone seriously wrong when you're being outplayed by Leif.
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Survivor: How Jay Undoes a Season's Worth of Gameplay
Originally posted 04/12/2012 10:00AM
"There's a word in the English language called naïve. And some people are that. And obviously, those people are playing this game."
– Jonny Fairplay, Survivor: Pearl Islands
Oh Jay, you beautiful idiot. How could you?
For the past few weeks on Survivor, it seemed like Jay was this season's male voice of reason. He started the game crowing with the Roosters, then jumped to the Misfits when Queen Colton took power. After the swap, he sidled over to the Salanis. And last week, as the women organized Michael's ouster, he was the only one to stand athwart the plan, yelling "Stop!"
But in just a few short moments, he undoes a season's worth of careful gameplay. Just as Troyzan is hot on the heels of lady Machiavel Kim, Jay runs and tattles. Troyzan's going to play his idol! Watch out!
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Stephen Fishbach: Kim Spradlin Is Playing an 'Almost-Perfect Game' of Survivor
Originally posted 04/05/2012 11:10AM
"Girl Power – I don't like that. They will gang up on us, don't believe they won't."
– Russell Hantz, Survivor: Samoa
In the battle of the sexes, the women just won a decisive victory.
Wednesday on Survivor, Kim led Troyzan around by the nose, and convinced him to vote out Michael – putting the women at a 6-4 advantage.
After starting the season in complete disarray, the women have schooled the boys in old-fashioned Girl Power. In the words of the Spice Girls – "zigazig-ahhhh!"
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Survivor: 'Troyzan' Fails to Seize Control
Originally posted 03/29/2012 09:15AM
"You just need to keep me, and I'll provide you with all the fish you need."
– Richard Hatch, Survivor: Borneo
Does anybody else miss Colton?
Oh, I'm not talking about missing his scenery chewing, his thiny-veiled racism, or his mean girl bullying antics. I don't miss Colton the TV Villain one bit.
But I do miss Colton the strategist. I miss the guy who could coddle the high-strung, eccentric, borderline schizophrenic personalities that make up a Survivor cast and somehow forge a precious consensus, like Sauron forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. I miss the young kid from rural Alabama who could keep the bristly old surgeon in line. Just look what happens the day after he's gone. Tarzan and Jonas are at each other's throats. Alicia has fully defected back to the women. Now who's going to challenge the Salani Three of Kim, Chelsea and Sabrina?
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Survivor's Colton Cumbie Taken Down by Appendicitis
Originally posted 03/22/2012 09:20AM
"This game is cool, but it's not THAT cool. I don't want to die, I'd rather walk home."
– Joe Dowdle, Survivor: Tocantins
Being medically evacuated has to be the worst way to leave Survivor. All your great plans, all the myriad possibilities that the game presents – torn away from you before you can see them to completion. At least if you get blindsided, you were properly beat. Medical evacuation leaves you wondering what if.
For a lot of people watching, that's what made Colton's appendicitis so satisfying. Colton's cruelty to Christina and to Bill went beyond the bounds of the game. Colton didn't just call Christina a cockroach or tell her to jump in the fire. Somehow, he made her believe it – so that halfway through the episode, she was calling herself a cockroach. That's the most invidious fallout from bullying. The victim actually starts to lose her self-esteem.
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