10 Thoughts On… Survivor Caramoan: Fans vs Favorites 2 – Episode 3 Review

10 Thoughts, Features, Reviews, Top Story

1. I have been hyping this season as being the best reality show ever, but I am starting to second-guess that opinion. The last episode was putrid. The problem with Fans vs. Favorites is that it very hard connecting with the fans. With guys like Cochran, Phillip and Brandon garnering such strong and visceral reactions, it’s hard to really care about the fans who at this point are seemingly indistinguishable.

2. I thought that the scene where Malcolm and Corinne found the Idol was edited quite poorly. Knowing Corinne as well as I do, there is no question that she is easily one of the most quotable people I know. As a result, there is no doubt she had more of an in-depth strategy talk than what we saw. What might be one of the most important scenes this season was treated as it was nothing more than a throwaway.

3. I have said it in my columns previously, but Phillip is the sole star of this season so far. In all honesty, without him, I really wouldn’t rank what we have seen so far above Guatemala.

4. What especially baffled me was that almost the entire episode was dedicated to a depiction of what was happening with the Fans. Don’t get me wrong, in theory I like this idea. The problem is that despite giving them so much time, it was used completely incorrectly. If I am not being clear, producers, let me spell it out for you. NO ONE CARES ABOUT SHAMAR! Enough is enough!

5. While I realize that Brenda is on. The outs of the Stealth R Us alliance, I wish we got to see more of her. Both literally and from a strategic perspective.

6. While many are hating on Dawn for playing too emotionally, like her South Pacific counterpart Cochran, I am definitely impressed at how much she has learned from her last experience. While 10 percent of Dawn’s emotional side is the equivalent of 100 percent of most people’s, you can tell she is doing her best to keep her tears in check and is playing this game the way that it was meant to be played.

7. While I didn’t know her, I am quite convinced I loved Hope.

8. How can Reynold be so good at the challenges and yet so bad at the social dynamic of the game? It astounds me. While it may hurt, the name of the game is adaptability and after initially stepping on Shamar’s toes, he should have done whatever he could to get back on his good side. I think he had a small window to do so, but now it is lost.

9. With that being said, if the fans truly are fans of the show (and I have my doubts about most of them), they have to be thinking that a twist is coming up. What’s to prevent Reynold from flipping to the favorites and why don’t they even seem to acknowledge this possibility.

10. I adore Andrea Boehlke. She looks stunning this season, and everytime. She strategizes, I just can’t take it seriously. I don’t know why. Like if she approached me for an alliance, I wouldn’t be able to stop smiling and that is the mark of a truly dynamic player and one who everyone might be overlooking.

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.