[reece(:]

Stephanie <3

[Macie Lightfoot]

Stephanie having fans is perplexing yet predictable. Painfully desperate for airtime and attention, not to mention that she was genuinely excited to get a chance to work with ~THE~ Russell Hantz. But she's a young chick so people are going to slap empty, meaningless adjectives to her such as FIERCE and MESSY and QUEEN.

Other premiere thoughts... idk it was pretty bad lol, which is frightening since I remember the premiere being one of the better episodes of the season! Francesca/Kristina were a fun duo, Zapatera had no airtime, Rob's Ometepe zombies had no airtime, and Rob's already starting his obnoxiously boring "play like a bully" campaign with DEMANDING that Kristina gives him the idol if she wants to stay.

[Braden]

Sabrina is by far my favourite of One World so far (just finishing up episode 3).

I'm also liking The Monica Culpepper, but she's not being shown as much at this point.

[EspeonBB]

Redemption Island X_X

The only people I remember liking were Francesca and Ashley (and I didn't even like them that much). I still think they assembled that horrid cast just so Boston Rob could finally win

[Braden]

Tarzan raising his hand and asking Jeff if he could read out the last two votes, even though he'd already dismissed them

[Macie Lightfoot]

Ralph thwarting Russell's plans to find the idol by accidentally finding it in a tree for someone who seems so bad on paper, Ralph's harmless and a force of good so far.

[Macie Lightfoot]

jesus christ, Rob's utter disgusts with Matt's DESPICABLE actions of...... good sportsmanship and congratulating Zapatera... what a killjoy. I'll never understand the Boston Rob Hysteria, he's just a boring gamebot who isn't particularly fun and not nearly as engaging as legend dictates.

[Macie Lightfoot]

Ralph harassing Russell around the beach asking if he took a clue from the fishing gear reward could do without the Russell confessional about how CLEARLY HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME IF HE JUST CONFRONTED *ME*, RUSSELL HANTZ!!!!!!!! but lmfao thankfully Russell and his infected armpits are gonna get humiliatingly BOUNCED soon.

[Braden]

I'm in awe of Colton convincing the guys to give up their immunity to go tribal.

Lmfao at Jeff's reaction.

[Macie Lightfoot]

The throwaway segment about Russell's infected armpits is sooooooo cruel but I don't care bc it's Russell

[Macie Lightfoot]

I love that Russell was bounced so early and in such a humiliating fashion, but I hate how from this point on the show takes on a narrative that "Zapatera falls apart because they got rid of Russell! They made a *TERRIBLE* move to throw that challenge!!!!" when it was merely coincidental. I don't see how those two things are related at all -- I don't think throwing a challenge to get rid of Russell was absolutely imperative, but in general Ometepe is a much more fit tribe that would perform better in Challenges on paper, and it's not like Russell was a powerhouse that carried Zapatera to victory in the first two episodes.

It's also especially hypocritical on Jeff's end since Boston Rob is always chomping at the bit to get rid of an competitive male threat ASAP? It was Hunter in Marquesas, Rob Cesternino in All-Stars, it was almost Russell in Heroes vs. Villains, and then it was Matt this season. IDK, this seems like one of ~The BR Rules~ yet Zapatera gets criticized for it.

[reece(:]

Probst was fuming cos he wanted to see Rob and Russell go head to head at the merge (aka his wet dream).

[Macie Lightfoot]

Also, forgot to mention that Stephanie's blind devotion and loyalty to Russell makes my skin crawl. Her yelling obscenities and aggressively rolling her eyes at every [fair] criticism towards Russell at TC was Not A Good Look

[EspeonBB]

Stephanie was a tad desperate to be the new Parvati

[JerseyWins]

Finally trying to get through some more episodes from Thailand but this season is dull tbh.

[Macie Lightfoot]

Gonna try to watch some more RI garbage today. I think the biggest indication that this is definitely the worst season ever is that there's no characterization whatsoever? We're four episodes in and the only people who I feel like we know as people are Rob, Stephanie, and Phillip. And I hate them all! IDK, I can't think about it too much bc it'll just depress me, I know we're not going to get to know anyone else from Ometepe other than kinda Andrea and Matt, and Zapatera never break from their middle of the road selves, that's just the way it is.

Oh, and then there's Ralph. I kinda feel like we know him, or at least as much as we can get to know someone who is entirely unintelligible. And he's actually likable and a force for good so that's nice. Sadly, I think this best days are behind him and he's gonna blend into that Zapatera MOR vortex.

[Braden]

I didn't mind Stephanie throughout Redemption Island. I wasn't a big fan, but I don't think she did anything wrong to warrant hate. I know she was fond of working with Russell, but I don't think that's enough to justify dislike. I can't remember much about RI though, and I'd completely forgot all the stuff that Macie has already mentioned

Ralph was fine too, but it was annoying that he crawled up Phillip's arsehole during the finale.

[Macie Lightfoot]

I think even independent of The Hantz Thing, Stephanie's still wayyyyy too unpleasant for me and not in a fun way. Like, you just kinda get the vibe that she's trying way too hard to be a bitch and become A Big Name and she's just so impressed with herself. "THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST. BLINDSIDE. EVER!!!!!!!" like no, it's not going to be. "I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT OVER HERE!!!!!" with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, sure. I don't know, I get that Redemption Island is a season completely devoid of characters and entertainment and people are going to cling to anything with a pulse, but Stephanie was just a simple bitch. She wasn't witty or entertaining or funny or clever -- she was just trying to imitate a certain Survivor archetype and did a poor job at it. I also feel similarly about Lindsey Cascaddan, who plenty of people LOVE but I think she's kind of a basic scumbag :3

Also, Grant finding the clue to the HII and Rob saying "hand it to me," only for Grant to willingly comply without any protest is so depressing, but it really captures Ometepe in a nutshell.

[Macie Lightfoot]

Let me paraphrase this glorious exchange from TC

Krista: After Russell was voted out nobody's been playing the game it's just the Brady Bunch gone camping. I'm not here to sit around a campfire and make friends, I'm here to play the game!
Mike: You really haven't played the game though because you haven't reached out to anyone and developed any trust. You've been abrasive to everyone this entire time, that was your strategy.
Krista: What am I supposed to say?????
Mike: How about you go and talk to someone and form a bond???
Krista: ......... *seethes*

[Braden]

So I'm on episode 5 of One World, and the only times Leif's dwarfism has even been referred to is:

a) Colton calling him a munchkin/Oompa Loompa
and now,
b) Jeff saying "there's a little height disparity down this end" in reference to battling Michael during the challenge

I don't know whether to laugh or find it offensive, lmao.

[Braden]

I know Colton is pretty much universally hated within the Survivor community, but outside of his irrational hatred towards Bill, I can't help but find him entertaining and quite funny.

Tarzan is also becoming my favourite of the season.

"Remind me who Monica is again?"

Colton (re Tarzan): "Tarzan is that 90-year-old grandpa who has alzheimer's, which you keep having to repeat things over and over to again."

"Just think, Monica Lewinsky."

[reece(:]

Not Lindsey C a basic scumbag with her inspirational instagram posts

[Braden]

Tarzan forgetting Jonas' name despite living with him for 15 days

[Braden]

Idk what I was expecting (or what I'm still expecting) that makes One World such a bad season, but I'm genuinely enjoying it so far.

[Braden]

Monica being voted out early is a bit ****

Though, that's put right with her appearance on B vs. W.