The Cast - offs: "What might have been"
By: Paolo Bediones
October 30, 2008 |
(265) Comments
Finally, it’s the merge.
The two tribes have become one.
No more Naak, no more Jarakay.
Just Chalam.
But before the real battle of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting begins with the individual reward and immunity challenges as well as the various attempts to make new alliances and break old ones to survive, I would like to take this opportunity to look back at what has been and answer the question:
What could the castaways who were eliminated have done to stay in the game longer?
I had the chance to talk to all of the first eight Castaways to be voted off before they flew back to the Philippines and we would discuss extensively about what they feel or think they could have done to at least make the merge.
For some of the guys who became my roommates they would wake up in the middle of the night for two major reasons: They were looking for sand beneath them instead of a comfortable mattress and they had a realization of what they could have done and what could have been.
Since I was not privy to all of the things going on at camp, I had to watch together with all the viewers to be able to assess the situation and determine what may have been the catalyst or the trigger that led to their early exit.
I coupled this information with whatever I saw at challenges and how they would interact with one another as well as the Tribal Council sessions where I would have a more intimate view of how they saw one another.
Let’s do this in chronological order:
CHEV
The Bisayang Palaban could have stayed longer if she were a bit more sociable.
She did more than enough at camp and she did okay at the challenges but I feel she could have tried making more friends in the beginning, maybe even asking for advice on how to play the game which obviously she wasn’t knowledgeable in.
If she didn’t antagonize and intimidate the men of Naak so much with her disposition then maybe she wouldn’t have been voted off first.
EMERSON
Totally opposite of what Chev did and didn’t do.
Emerson came out in the first few days with guns ablazing. He immediately tried and failed at playing the game. He implemented his strategy too early.
He would say one thing to one group or person and another to some other tribemate.
What he didn’t count on was getting caught when the Naak members started comparing stories and realized he couldn’t be trustworthy.
The fact that he and Vevh had an altercation at the Thai Pillow Battle didn’t help matters any as well. And because of that he was the second to be voted off.
Lesson here is to learn how to adapt first before playing the mind games.
GIGIT
Gigit was a strong contender who could have made it all the way to the end.
He had the right combination of brains and brawn. He understood enough of the game to know that strong ones shouldn’t be voted off early in the game to ensure victory at the challenges.
He was a work horse at camp as well and didn’t rub any of his tribemates off the wrong way until it became evident that he was a man that could not be controlled.
When told to vote for Nina he was strongly against it. The next target was Patani but Gigit wanted Nikki to be taken out because she was homesick. It was this behavior that alarmed his alliance and consequently made him their target.
What Gigit could have done is told Nina how he was protecting her which would compel her to tell her all girls alliance to not vote Gigit and maybe go for Marlon instead. But he decided to keep it to himself.
Lesson here is when there’s an opportunity to tell a tribemate you are protecting them use it because in the future they may try to protect you as well.
PATANI
Although the Yaya ng Bayan was pretty happy about being voted off since she already got what she wanted from the game, just for the sake of argument let’s talk about what she could have done.
She was the entertainer for both Naak and Jarakay when she was part of both tribes. She was a worker at camp as well.
Her weakness was in not taking the game seriously, openly wondering why people were making alliances and behaving strangely even at times finding much humor in what was going on.
It was this candidness that made her an easy target especially at Tribal Council when she declared that it was okay for her to go home since she got the exposure she wanted.
Lesson here is for whatever reason, valid or not, never ever say it’s okay for you to go home.
NINA
Nina was a unique case because there was literally nothing she could have done to stay in the game except maybe turn back time to the moment she was about to be stepped on during the Spooling Around reward challenge and try to avoid her tribemates’ feet.
Although she could have hidden her injury from me and decided to play the next day, her injury would have gotten the better of her and she will end up seeking medical attention anyway.
It's also interesting to note that if you do have a serious injury or accident and you keep the production people from finding out about it you can be eliminated if found guilty of withholding that information.
A broken toe cannot be taken lightly. Nina, just like Gigit, had what it takes to make it to the end since she also learned quickly upon Patani’s ouster that Survivor is a mind game and not an all-heart game.
VEVHERLY
In the Giant Sepak challenge, Vevh was bruised and battered by the wooden ball. But being the true fighter that she is she kept on pushing until there was nothing left in her.
Her injuries, which she didn’t want any medical attention for, gave her tribemates a convenient reason to vote her off.
However, Vevh clearly knew that with or without the injuries she was probably the next in line to be eliminated since she did not have an alliance to begin with.
Vevh made sure that although she knew her body was quitting on her she was not gonna quit the game without facing Tribal Council.
Remember quitting the game before Tribal Council does not cancel the session, which means someone will be voted of Naak.
Until the end she was doing the honorable thing and was thinking of her tribe.
The lesson here is to make sure that early on you have at least one other person that you have as an ally which could lead to a full alliance with other tribe members.
JOHN
John is an example that no matter how healthy and fit you look on the outside, it’s still the inner workings of your body that is more vital.
Having too much muscle mass was actually a disadvantage for John and he was not prepared (read: did not bring much fat) for island life.
His resources were depleted after every challenge and weren’t replenished at all except for the occasional banana or two and a few “spoon fulls” of rice.
Some feel that this vote was a convenient one for Jarakay since his health worsened and they needed to boot someone off.
The result as we saw it was an even more weakened Jarakay tribe that lost challenge after challenge.
I think however from a producer’s standpoint it was a good thing that John was voted off at the time.
I remember riding home with John on the Yellow Dumptruck (that saved his life) when a strong downpour drenched everyone crammed in the back.
He began shaking again and his fingers stiffened as he called out for Doc Zoe and Sam.
When we got back to base camp we were all relieved that he was with us and that we didn’t have to rescue him again if Jarakay voted someone else off.
Lesson here is that if you do become a Castaway, it’s okay to bring a few extra pounds of fat since you will lose it anyway.
NIKKI
The call center cutie could have lasted longer if she did two things: one, contribute a little more at camp and make sure her tribe notices it, and two, stop herself from declaring anything that may be perceived as homesickness, weakness or giving up.
Nikki contributed at camp and at challenges but her fellow tribemates were more overt in their actions compared to her subtle style.
She also did well in the challenges where she either wasn’t told to sit out or simply be a puzzle maker. She was instrumental in the Thai Pillow Battle fighting it out and assisting Marlon in pulling Rob to the Jarakay mat to win immunity.
But since first impressions last more often than not, she was tagged as the one always sleeping and at times lifeless, not being used to island life and its physical nature.
I think if she reached the merge she would go far, what with her disposition and natural likability making her a non-priority target and a non-threat.
Lesson here is that early in the game make that impression that you are useful at camp and at challenges and make sure it sticks.
There you have it, the first eight Castaways who were voted off and what I think and feel they could have done to at least make it to the merge.
Okay, that’s it. Till next time, enjoy Survivor Philippines and prepare to fall off your chairs in the next few weeks.
The two tribes have become one.
No more Naak, no more Jarakay.
Just Chalam.
But before the real battle of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting begins with the individual reward and immunity challenges as well as the various attempts to make new alliances and break old ones to survive, I would like to take this opportunity to look back at what has been and answer the question:
What could the castaways who were eliminated have done to stay in the game longer?
I had the chance to talk to all of the first eight Castaways to be voted off before they flew back to the Philippines and we would discuss extensively about what they feel or think they could have done to at least make the merge.
For some of the guys who became my roommates they would wake up in the middle of the night for two major reasons: They were looking for sand beneath them instead of a comfortable mattress and they had a realization of what they could have done and what could have been.
Since I was not privy to all of the things going on at camp, I had to watch together with all the viewers to be able to assess the situation and determine what may have been the catalyst or the trigger that led to their early exit.
I coupled this information with whatever I saw at challenges and how they would interact with one another as well as the Tribal Council sessions where I would have a more intimate view of how they saw one another.
Let’s do this in chronological order:
CHEV
The Bisayang Palaban could have stayed longer if she were a bit more sociable.
She did more than enough at camp and she did okay at the challenges but I feel she could have tried making more friends in the beginning, maybe even asking for advice on how to play the game which obviously she wasn’t knowledgeable in.
If she didn’t antagonize and intimidate the men of Naak so much with her disposition then maybe she wouldn’t have been voted off first.
EMERSON
Totally opposite of what Chev did and didn’t do.
Emerson came out in the first few days with guns ablazing. He immediately tried and failed at playing the game. He implemented his strategy too early.
He would say one thing to one group or person and another to some other tribemate.
What he didn’t count on was getting caught when the Naak members started comparing stories and realized he couldn’t be trustworthy.
The fact that he and Vevh had an altercation at the Thai Pillow Battle didn’t help matters any as well. And because of that he was the second to be voted off.
Lesson here is to learn how to adapt first before playing the mind games.
GIGIT
Gigit was a strong contender who could have made it all the way to the end.
He had the right combination of brains and brawn. He understood enough of the game to know that strong ones shouldn’t be voted off early in the game to ensure victory at the challenges.
He was a work horse at camp as well and didn’t rub any of his tribemates off the wrong way until it became evident that he was a man that could not be controlled.
When told to vote for Nina he was strongly against it. The next target was Patani but Gigit wanted Nikki to be taken out because she was homesick. It was this behavior that alarmed his alliance and consequently made him their target.
What Gigit could have done is told Nina how he was protecting her which would compel her to tell her all girls alliance to not vote Gigit and maybe go for Marlon instead. But he decided to keep it to himself.
Lesson here is when there’s an opportunity to tell a tribemate you are protecting them use it because in the future they may try to protect you as well.
PATANI
Although the Yaya ng Bayan was pretty happy about being voted off since she already got what she wanted from the game, just for the sake of argument let’s talk about what she could have done.
She was the entertainer for both Naak and Jarakay when she was part of both tribes. She was a worker at camp as well.
Her weakness was in not taking the game seriously, openly wondering why people were making alliances and behaving strangely even at times finding much humor in what was going on.
It was this candidness that made her an easy target especially at Tribal Council when she declared that it was okay for her to go home since she got the exposure she wanted.
Lesson here is for whatever reason, valid or not, never ever say it’s okay for you to go home.
NINA
Nina was a unique case because there was literally nothing she could have done to stay in the game except maybe turn back time to the moment she was about to be stepped on during the Spooling Around reward challenge and try to avoid her tribemates’ feet.
Although she could have hidden her injury from me and decided to play the next day, her injury would have gotten the better of her and she will end up seeking medical attention anyway.
It's also interesting to note that if you do have a serious injury or accident and you keep the production people from finding out about it you can be eliminated if found guilty of withholding that information.
A broken toe cannot be taken lightly. Nina, just like Gigit, had what it takes to make it to the end since she also learned quickly upon Patani’s ouster that Survivor is a mind game and not an all-heart game.
VEVHERLY
In the Giant Sepak challenge, Vevh was bruised and battered by the wooden ball. But being the true fighter that she is she kept on pushing until there was nothing left in her.
Her injuries, which she didn’t want any medical attention for, gave her tribemates a convenient reason to vote her off.
However, Vevh clearly knew that with or without the injuries she was probably the next in line to be eliminated since she did not have an alliance to begin with.
Vevh made sure that although she knew her body was quitting on her she was not gonna quit the game without facing Tribal Council.
Remember quitting the game before Tribal Council does not cancel the session, which means someone will be voted of Naak.
Until the end she was doing the honorable thing and was thinking of her tribe.
The lesson here is to make sure that early on you have at least one other person that you have as an ally which could lead to a full alliance with other tribe members.
JOHN
John is an example that no matter how healthy and fit you look on the outside, it’s still the inner workings of your body that is more vital.
Having too much muscle mass was actually a disadvantage for John and he was not prepared (read: did not bring much fat) for island life.
His resources were depleted after every challenge and weren’t replenished at all except for the occasional banana or two and a few “spoon fulls” of rice.
Some feel that this vote was a convenient one for Jarakay since his health worsened and they needed to boot someone off.
The result as we saw it was an even more weakened Jarakay tribe that lost challenge after challenge.
I think however from a producer’s standpoint it was a good thing that John was voted off at the time.
I remember riding home with John on the Yellow Dumptruck (that saved his life) when a strong downpour drenched everyone crammed in the back.
He began shaking again and his fingers stiffened as he called out for Doc Zoe and Sam.
When we got back to base camp we were all relieved that he was with us and that we didn’t have to rescue him again if Jarakay voted someone else off.
Lesson here is that if you do become a Castaway, it’s okay to bring a few extra pounds of fat since you will lose it anyway.
NIKKI
The call center cutie could have lasted longer if she did two things: one, contribute a little more at camp and make sure her tribe notices it, and two, stop herself from declaring anything that may be perceived as homesickness, weakness or giving up.
Nikki contributed at camp and at challenges but her fellow tribemates were more overt in their actions compared to her subtle style.
She also did well in the challenges where she either wasn’t told to sit out or simply be a puzzle maker. She was instrumental in the Thai Pillow Battle fighting it out and assisting Marlon in pulling Rob to the Jarakay mat to win immunity.
But since first impressions last more often than not, she was tagged as the one always sleeping and at times lifeless, not being used to island life and its physical nature.
I think if she reached the merge she would go far, what with her disposition and natural likability making her a non-priority target and a non-threat.
Lesson here is that early in the game make that impression that you are useful at camp and at challenges and make sure it sticks.
There you have it, the first eight Castaways who were voted off and what I think and feel they could have done to at least make it to the merge.
Okay, that’s it. Till next time, enjoy Survivor Philippines and prepare to fall off your chairs in the next few weeks.
265 Response(s) to "The Cast - offs: "What might have been""
» hazel_monzales said on November 12, 2008 01:56 PM
grabe..sobra nakakainis ang scene kagabi..how come na pinatulan ni marlon si nanay zita..kng matini ka tao..khit na laro pa yan still dpat nandun ung respect mo..In short kng ano tlaga ugali mo sa SP eh un na ang ugali mo sa labas..And charisse is correct, pwede ka balikan ng mga tao pag labas mo..And knowing hndi ka pa sikat eh mayabang ka na...
nakakabwisit ugali ni marlon., pati c nanay zita pinapatulan niya., feeling niya cguro gustong-gusto ng mga nanonood yung mga pinapakita niya.,ang sama-sama ng ugali niya., para siyang walang pinag-aralan.,buti nga may mga kaibigan pa siya sa ugali niyang yun.,yang cna kaye at cris nman, mga traidor, sna ndi cla makarma sa mga ginawa nila.,mga wala clang isang salita.,in-short mga TRAIDOR!
kaya mo yan Jc go go go! naniniwala ako na ikaw ang mananalo as sole survivor because as far as i know ur always kept ur words not to be broken and i know god will guide u especially who u will be voted para sa darating na botohan.....do ur best para sa immunity challenge wag na wag kang susuko!kaya mo yan!
in any game importante may pagpapahalaga sa dignidad... di dapat mawala yun... survivor is not a game but life is not... so whatever na ginawa mo sa game na yun parte pa rin ng performance mo sa buong buhay mo.... saludo ko sa inyo! KIKO, JC and MAMI ZITA! but here is one thing at sana mabasa ng NAAK, lahat kayo naging biktima lang ni Marlon....
baboy ka marlon attitude mo para kang walang pinagaralan daig mo pa mga taga bukid wag ka magpakita sa public pare kawawa ka naman kasi galit na galit na sayo buong barangay payo lang magbago ka na kasi baka magulat ka nalang lahat ng mga tao eh magalit sayo at di ka na makalabas ngbahay!!!ingats bro pero beleive ako sayo ikaw ang Pinakamautak sa lahat dapat kang tawaging Hari ng mga Mauutak pards kaya lang sumusobra na na yata pati babae pinapatulan mo may magulang ka brother na dapat iniisip mo rin cguro ganyan ka pinalaki kaya dala mo sa pagtanda pangit ng UGALI MO!!Godbless
BABALA SA LAHAT NG TOTOONG TAO: MAG-INGAT KAY MARLON! \r\n\r\nYUng my name na marlon, malas nyo naman! nakakahiya talaga sya para sa pinoy!
Rob, i hope you take what kiko did as a challenge.para di ka na petics.Ikaw Vern,lahat naman kayo may pansarili talagang intensyon dyan. yun lang talaga character ni kiko.di sya nangdidikta..Kung walang nag-stood up na leader sa naak.. malamang sabog ang diskarte. choice nyo naman nila yun eh. bat sila sumunod dati? kaya kayo natalo na sa challenges kasi sabog diskarte ng jarakay at la leader. kanya-kanyang swapangan!Charisse, ang plastic mo!Sana manalo si JC or Nanay Zita.
disappointed ako kay cris and kaye...they can\\\'t be trusted.sayang!tama yan kaye,makonsensya ka! at sana hanggang ngayon..nakukunsensya ka pa.at ikaw cris...no wonder di mo kinay yung last immunity challenge...malamang di lang tatay mo galit sayo ngayon..malamng kinahihiya ka na ng pamilya mo... at ang asawa mo? malamang nagdududa na sa katapatan mo...ang rurupok nyo! up 2 last night..m hoping na nagbago ka ng desisyon..lalo na ng marinig mo yung paliwanag ni jc sa pagpili nya...nakakahiya kayo!
badtrip talga yan si marlon. Grabe feeling nia xia mananalo. Tapos para lng di cla macc dun sa ginawa nia sa torch, sinigawan at inaway nia si nanay zita! Tapos after few minutes yayakap xia magsosorry, Hay PLASTIC ka MARLOn daig mo pa ang orocan sa kaplastican. Sana marealize ng mga kasama nila ang sama g ugali nun, sobra xia kung magsalita kala mo kung sino mabait devil naman, pareho cla ni charise na pakitang tao lang pero ang totoo nasa loob lang ang kulo. Kakawalang gana manood ng survivor now. Watch na lang tayo fear factor. Nood na lang ako uli pag la na c marlon plastic.
PARA KAY CHRIS NAMAN...OK KA PA NAMAN NUNG UNA KASO NAGTRAIDOR KA DIN SA TRIBE NYO...NAWALAN KA NG TIWALA SA ISANG IGLAP DAHIL KAY MARLON....ISA KANG MARUPOK NA TAO...DALI MAWALA UNG TIWALA MO SAMANTALANG SI MARLON SAGLIT MO PA LANG NAKASAMA, NANIWALA KA AGAD...DAHIL SA FOR THE BOYS NA SINASABI MO, NAGTRAIDOR KA NA DIN...NAG UMPISA YAN DAHIL DI KA SINAMA NI JAYCE SA PAG ALIS NYA AT INSTEAD SI SITA, KIKO AT ROB SINAMA NYA...NARINIG NYO NAMAN REASON NI JAYCE BAKET SILA PINILI PRO TINULOY MO PA DIN UNG PAGVOTE OUT KAY KIKO...NA NAPAKAGANDA NG PLANO SA INYONG MGA KATRIBE NYA...OK PA SANA KUNG NATALO KA SA CHALLENGE, PALAGAY KO MAACCEPT UN NG TATAY MO..PRO DAHIL SA PAGTRAIDOR MO SA KATRIBE MO...MALAMANG, IKINAHIHIYA KA TALAGA NG TATAY MO!!! KC KUNG AKO TATAY MO, OK LANG SAKEN MATALO KA BASTA U TRIED UR BEST, PRO UNG MAY TAPAKAN KANG TAO AT NAGTRAIDOR KA PARA LANG MANALO KA, MAS LALONG NAKAKAHIYA UN AT IKAHIHIYA KITA BILANG ANAK KO!!!!
sayang ka kaye, dpat sau umui na ng laguna, akla mo kc kaw isasama ni jayce no!kya ayan nag traidor ka!sayang...dbale matanggal karin naman e,at kht tinanggal nyo c kiko, di karin naman manalo ok!puro pagpapacute lng kay jayce alm mo.
SAYANG ANG GANDA MO KAYE!!! DAHIL LANG SA PAGTSUTSU NI MARLON, NAWALAN KA NG TIWALA SA MGA KATRIBO MO! DI MO ALAM KUNG GAANO KAGANDA ANG PLANO NI KIKO SA INYO...ANO SINASABI NYO? DAPAT PANTAY PANTAY KAU LAHAT JAN? NAKITA NYO NAMAN UNG EFFECTIVENESS NG PAG LEAD NI KIKO SA INYO DIBA...? MAS MADAMI NATIRA SA TRIBE NYO AT LATELY PARATI KAU NANANALO...SAKA SA ISANG GRUPO TALAGA, DAPAT MAY ISANG LEADER...DI PWEDE LAHAT LEADER KC ALA NA TAGA SUNOD AT MAGKAKAGULO NA...SELFISHNESS UMIRAL SAU...KAHIT MAG ARTISTA KAPA, DI TATANGKILIN UNG MGA PALABAS MO KC NAHAWA KA KAY MARLON! SA ISANG SAGLIT LANG, NAWAWALA UNG TIWALA MO...SAMANTALANG MAS MATAGAL MO SILA KASAMA KAYSA KAY MARLON!! PATI SI SITA, PINAG HINALAAN MO NA...NA ANG TURING SA INYO SA TRIBE NYO AY MGA ANAK AT NANINIWALA AKO NA DI NAGKUKUNWARI SI SITA KAYA NGA MAG POPULAR SI SITA KAYSA SAU KAHIT MAS BATA KA AT MAS MAGANDA! ANO NAMAN SILBI NG GANDA MO KUNG PANGET UGALI MO??? BAGSAKK KA KAYE!!!!
hay naku marlon,NAPAKAPLASTIC AT TRAYDOR MO,kung ako sau wagka na makapunta punta sa alabang, dyan knlng sa paranque,dhl bka pag nakita kita matadyakan ko mukha mo. bagay kau ni charise.akala nyo naman kayo manalo???hahaha!!!BABOY!!!PATI C NANAY ZITA PINATULAN MO, EH IF I KNOW IKAW ANG KINAKABAHAN, DHIL SUSUNOD KNA MATANGGAL!!!PA SORRY, SORRY KPA!!!SAMA NG UGALI MO , BABOY!!!
OI MARLON, KAHIT GAME LANG YAN, JAN PA DIN NAKIKITA UNG MGA TOTOONG UGALI NG BWAT ISA SA INYO. ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA MO! KASING KAPAL NG MGA TABA MO SA KATAWAN! DAPAT SAU, WAG NA BUMALIK NG PINAS KC IKINAHIHIYA KA NG LAHAT NG TAO DI2 AT BAKA DI LANG BATO IBIGAY SAU PAG UWI KUNGDI BUONG BUILDING IBATO SAYO SA SAMA NG UGALI MO...BUHAY KAPA, SINUSUNOG NA KALULUWA MO SA IMPYERNO DAHIL SA MGA KADEMONYOHAN MO! IF AKO SA GF MO, IBREAK KANA KC KITA NA UGALI MO AT DI SYA MAGING PROUD PAG KASAMA KA NYA! IPAPATAWAG KO LOLO KO PARA IPAKULAM KA SA SOBRANG SAMA NG UGALI MO!!! PATI SI SITA PINATULAN MO! KAYA PALA GANYAN LANG NAABOT MO SA BUHAY EH KC UTAK BABOY KA!! DAPAT SAU IPATAPON SA LABAS NG PINAS KC KAHIHIYAN KA NG BAWAT PILIPINO!!!! TRAIDOR KA!!
si marlon... sya ang bobo! ang kapal nya para sabihin na bobo si kiko dhil di nito nramdaman na sya na ang matatanggal sa tribal council..isang hamak ka lang na dugas na waiter..kumpara kay kiko na matalino at manager ng isang restaurant!tingnan lang natin kun san ka pupulutin pagtapos ng survivor..babatukan tlga kita pag nkita kita sa personal!bwahahahah....at si charis, best actress ka!pero khit anung gawin mo para madiscover, wala ka pa din panama kay patani na artista na nagun! cge, extra ka na lang sa dasy siete, kaw ang katulong ni rochelle na aalipustahin!wahaha...at si vern na tahimik lang pero pag nagsalita super talim at ubdo ng cnungaling..wag ka na umasa kay jace,c heart evangelista at michelle madrigal crush nya! filingera ka!basta go naak pa din! sana mkuha ni jc or ni nanay zita ang immunity....
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