I think a lot of what you said about Sugar is valid, Schoon, but I have a soft spot for her because she was instrumental in voting some of the most annoying people out. The first time she really went off the rails, IMO, was with the whole Matty situation.

It didn't make any difference to the final result because this group was so spiteful that there is no way that she could have won.

Susie was the only one that didn't majorly screw Randy, but he disliked her because she gave him grief over the cookies? I guess it makes sense to him.

Oh, I forgot:

I think Sugar got a little carried away because it was so easy for her to manipulate the other players. The power kind of went to her head.

What I really enjoy about your recaps is that you give me a whole different angle for viewing this show. I love your take on Corinne -- I do believe you hit the nail on the head there.

My take on Sugar is a kind of literary: I think it became pretty clear that she came to Survivor on a Great Quest -- as in epic mythology-- a cleansing...

Her system of developing a moral hierarchy among the other contestants represented steps along the quest -- sort of a Hercules' 12 tasks thing. So the others were no longer people so much as part of the symbolic path through Sugar's inner conflict.

And because much of epic mythology involves the hero being propelled and compelled by forces beyond their control, it makes sense that Sugar's own 'strategy' appeared so random at times.

But the ultimate goal of her Quest obviously was to Find the Father She Had Lost...and that was why she HAD to give the win to Bob and why ultimately all of her moves were designed --calculatingly, not emotionally--toward that end.

Perhaps the primary motivation for her Quest was that she felt she had a debt to pay to her own father -- hard to know (that's her personal issue), and perhaps she herself does not know. Which of course would fit in with the whole Quest idea, since often enough the whole point of the Quest is to FIND the reason behind the Quest.

But it would have caused too much psychic trauma for her to win Survivor, that much is certain. And it would have been impossible for her to orchestrate Bob's elimination --obviously, it would have meant killing her father a second time.

Instead, she 'cured' her father, helped him 'stay alive' and in the end 'conquer' the threat to his survival.

Which is part of what made this season so awesom and why Sugar really played the lead role --and an excellent job of that too.

I can't recall any other Survivor season that had a similarly literary sub-text of such well orchestrated magnitude. Kudos to the editors!

Your understanding of Corinne actually fits in with my 'epic' reading of Sugar's performance -- because Corinne represents the evil side of her, and judging from the Ponderosa videos, appeared to have a similar hold on the other characters as Sugar did --and was certainly a major reason why Sugar would never get any votes from the jury.

I didn't know Sugar was an actress while watching the season -- now that I know this, her performance makes even more sense. I really do wish her well in her career -- and winning Survivor definitely would have made a true acting career more difficult, if not impossible.

I do go on, don't I? Ooooops!

I don't even know where to begin with Sugar, other than to say that where she really went wrong was voting off Crystal, thus alienating every alliance that was on the jury. If she wasn't playing to win, why even bother? Survivor isn't some mythic quest, it's a damn game show and "good" and "evil" really don't apply. Sugar got caught up in her twisted logic and couldn't see how it was affecting her game. And, in that way, I can't blame Bob for letting her hang herself, which would have been a better answer to Crystal's question than crickets chirping.

In terms of Sugar being a "good" person, I would tend to disagree, because "good" people don't turn on their alliances (Ace, K/C, Matty) in an effort to let someone else win. I really think that had Susie won, it would have been more of an "F-U" to Sugar than that Susie deserved the victory.

But it's clear that Sugar is an idiot when it comes to the actual game. At 4, you vote out the person with the most alliance members on the jury so that the jury is forced to pick you, even if they don't want to or have no respect for your game. Or, you carry the most hated person to the end, which would have been Crystal, but she had already been voted out. Winners such as Vecepia, Sandra, and even Fiji's Earl have won that way!

I just feel that it was a sub-par ending to a sub-par season, although the second half picked up steam once the Marcus vote happened. I also think that if Sugar didn't have the idol, she would have been targeted by both alliances since she couldn't be trusted to see past her emotions.

Corinne was very low for what she said. She shouldn't have brought up the father, what she could have said was, " I hate you and your game. You haven't gotten any votes so far and you won't get any tonight."

I think Corrinne is a soulless, heartless, selfish, pitiful excuse for a human being. I think that she proudly displayed her nastiness because she knew it would get her more airtime both on the season and on compilation dvds. It makes me sick that she gets rewarded for being such a skank bitch.

I loved your description of Sugar and I think it was spot on, Schoonie. I also think Itchy made some excellent points about her not allowing her father to die a second time. But I don't think it was a conscious effort.

Great season, Schoonie! So the next season starts on Feb 12. You are going to be recapping, right?

After Schoon's and itchy's comments, I almost thought you were both going to assign homework for Advanced Sugar Philosophical Studies and Analysis 101. Just bustin' on you. My analysis of Sugar is that she was hot so it was great having her on the show. Contrarily, Corinne is such a black-hearted void of a person, any possible hotness she might actually have physically loses its mojo. It's like the chick at the community pool with the awesome body, but a huge hairy mole on her chin. You'd like to admire the body, but you can't take your eyes off the mole. She has a huge hairy mole on her face called her personality. That out of the way, I agree with you both that it wasn't even about winning at the end for Sugar, and hence it would have really been cool if she hadn't wasted the opportunity when 7 other people would have cut off a toe to replace her.

You gotta admit (I don't know if it was just a really good bit of editing on the show's part or not), but Suzie was making me embarrassed on her behalf when she WOULDN'T. SHUT. HER. FAT. MOUTH about winning the immunity. It's like those people who go on a reward challenge and then come back to the starving remainder and go on for hours on how tasty the food was and how wonderful it is to be CLEAN!

Good season recaps Schoon. Look forward to reading next season.

I agree with Timberwolf about Schoon's and Itchy's comments regarding Sugar.
I also never really understood why Bob did the fake idol job on Randy, because it wasn't necessary to save himself, but after hearing Bob's answer to Randy about how it was to endear Sugar to him, now I understand because his alliance was outnumbered at that point.
Kenny surprised me at the jury question tribal council. He just made himself look more ridiculous by saying he didn't believe Sugar's response and that Bob didn't say what he wanted to hear. And he had done so well throughout the game up until the last three episodes.
And when Jeff asked Bob how he got to the end (at the reunion show) Bob should have said, "Sugar"!!
I hope this season goes down in history as the season with the most spiteful people ever.

Lisa, I can understand why Kenny would disbelieve Sugar in that moment. It had only been a day since his ouster and he was a little bitter about it and it was Sugar's fault. Then, at Final TC, she is crying and acting regretful (which she may or may not be), but Kenny could also be trying to make her feel more & more guilty for her decision.

I am drawing this distinction between Kenny and Sugar: Kenny lied and cheated to those outside his alliance, but never turned on his alliance and wanted to get to the end with Crystal and Sugar. Sugar had no plan and her pathology and daddy issues killed her game.

IMHO, Sugar's thoroughline this entire season was to turn on her alliance whenever she felt. OK, Kenny lied about Ace, but it was still Sugar's decision to turn on him, ultimately. She turned on K/C, because Crystal was "bullying" Matty, (whatever!), and she turned on Matty by telling Bob that she was going to force a tie whereas she didn't tell Matty.

If she didn't want to win, fine, but you at least make an effort, however half-assed. Suzie gave it the old college try, and even Bob did in spots. You knew that they WANTED the win, and, that is why they got the votes.

I think that's why I'm ultimately disillusioned by Sugar.... she played so well in an effort not to win.

Matty looked like a female dancer at the final Tribal Council. Wow thanks for the sneak peek at the pecs.

Timberwolf: I agree with cogent analysis of Sugar! Well put, sir!

Slutty_whore (love that name!): to me, a game show is something like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. But this type of reality-competition shows has the potential for becoming so much more. And I really think that this season of Survivor really reached that potential.

I'm not sure the editors were aware of what they were constructing. I'd like to think they were though (possibly with Sugar's collusion).

Which is not to say I don't also watch it in the first degree. And I do believe Sugar has the right to play the game the way she wanted to -- her eye was on a different prize, that's all (i.e., exposure as an actress not as a Homeric figure). And if her gameplay was to ensure Bob's victory, that's her choice.

Bob is wearing a red bow-tie.

In the gay hanky-code, this would mean that he is into fist-fucking.

Just thought I would pass that along.

love, J-Mo :)

I lost my father just this past June. I'm not exactly sure how old Sugar is, but we are probably around the same age (I'm 28). Yes we are adults, but it's still way too young of an age to lose a parent unexpectedly. I too have times where the littlest thing can make me cry. Everyday it gets a little easier not to, but I think we have to excuse her tears on the show. She came on right after he passed. My father passed 6 months ago and I'm still a mess at times. I honestly think she was genuine in her feelings towards Bob, and whoever said it's "daddy-issues" above is fucking heartless.

As for Corrine: she can just die. If you read her interview at Reality Blurred she actually admits to knowing some of the pills she sold as a pharm rep would kill people. She will probably do Playboy or Hustler and then fade away (hopefully).

Apparently, Pixi_Stix, you're referring to me with your "fucking heartless" comment.

Clearly, Sugar has issues surrounding her father's death, her sister brought ashes to Gabon for chrissakes! My problem is that if she came for the "experience," she could have exited the game at any given point, or sacrificed herself in exchange for Matty to be a vote for Bob in the jury. And, if she sacrificed the money for career exposure, how is she really any better than Corinne for trying to extend her 15 minutes of fame?

It may be packaged better than Corinne's, but there is a level of hypocritical disingenuousness that the jury realized about Sugar and chose not to vote for her.

Erm, pixi-stix... Sugar HERSELF said that she knew that she was seeing Bob as a father figure partly because she was still grieving for her father's death. So back the fuck off before calling anyone "fucking heartless." Well, except Corrinne.

pixi-stix posted:

"I lost my father just this past June. I'm not exactly sure how old Sugar is, but we are probably around the same age (I'm 28). Yes we are adults, but it's still way too young of an age to lose a parent unexpectedly. I too have times where the littlest thing can make me cry. Everyday it gets a little easier not to, but I think we have to excuse her tears on the show. She came on right after he passed. My father passed 6 months ago and I'm still a mess at times."

Ditto. I'm older than you (42) and my dad died unexpectedly April 5th. Stupid things make me cry, and usually at inappropriate or especially embarrassing moments. I can't imagine going off to a foreign country with a bunch of very bitter, nasty strangers and having to A.) starve and B.) strategize while starving, and at the same time dealing with such fresh grief.

As for Sugar, I believe while her emotions may have been difficult for some to understand, she's been judged too harshly for them. I don't believe, however, that she WANTED to win the game. She is a working actress (as opposed to an unemployed actress,) and I think she was on the show for the exposure. She did what she needed to to maintain her position on the show and get maximum air-time...and it worked. She is one of the most popular conestants of all time (witness the prices on her signed items currently up for bid on e-bay.) She threw her support behind Bob because he provided a very needed father -figure at a vulnerable time in her life. But the benefit for her was just being on the show, and THAT will pay off for her in the long run.

Oh...and Randy is completely insane, not in a good way...and Corinne is a complete bitch, also not in a good way. Loved how Probst handled them in the reunion show.

I still think the jury refused to vote for Sugar out of sour grapes -- it had nothing to do with her personality, nothing to do with the fact that she may have spent much of the season weeping.

They were clearly pissed off that she outplayed the hell out of them -- really she made everyone look like fools but the so-called 'smart kids' came off looking like outright idiots next to her-- and they knew this. No doubt she threw the IQ test too.

I can't relate to how it might feel losing a parent like that, so I can't judge. It certainly didn't gain Sugar any points with me, any more than the obvious wounds in Randy or Corinne's backgrounds made me feeling more or less for them either.

I was watching their gameplay -- and the fact is they ALL sucked. Kenny was the only exception to the overall suckage of all of these player. But he fucked up at the end and let it go to his head.

And regardless, his true mistake came earlier on when he lied to Sugar -- he fucked with the wrong gal, she didn't let it go and she outgunned him --and everyone else--in the end.

And if nothing else, Sugar at least appeared to be true to HERSELF the entire time -- perhaps that is part of her definition of 'good' and 'no good'.

It was HER game the whole way. Which was really glorious to watch. Especially considering that she'd spent a third of the time away from everyone else.

Look,

I am very sorry for all of you who lost your fathers...but I seriously do not believe that Sugar let Bob win for her father; or, that any of this was this transposition or quest in honour of her father.

She outplayed these people on the basis of "good and evil" period. If this whole father-figure theory holds, she should have played for Bob when they first merged into the "nobag" tribe or she would have allied herself with Bob right within the merge.

I understand what all of you are doing; but, quite frankly, depending on the relationship she had with her father, she was not going to throw millions away because of this father figure theory.

I agree with Schoonie. She held everyone to this weird standard and fucked her game up by doing so. Not because of her father; simply because of her own standards. I think we're dwelling too much on something we cannot proove.

I love how after seventeen seasons we still get new and interesting kinds of players. I don't think we've ever seen someone who played equal parts emotionally and brilliantly as Sugar.

It's like a few seasons ago when Dreamz was a finalist. I was thinking, "How did this giant spaz make it to the finals?" We hadn't ever seen someone so detached from reality on the show, and the prospect of what someone like that could do in the game of Survivor was effing scary. Luckily, there were smarter players like Earl and Cassandra to lead him by the hand.

This season, Sugar was basically the same person, just strategically smarter and more eloquent. I also agree with your theory about her moral judgments, but I think there's an added element. Sugar's an actress, and she probably has a very media-oriented mind. She has said in post-show interviews, she didn't exactly play for herself. She played for what she thought would make a better story for TV.

Hence come her judgments about "good" and "evil," since she essentially wanted the "good guys" like Bob to win for the sake of the audience, and she got to be the one to make that happen. She's essentially a control-freak.

And I can't fault Susie for giving a lame performance. She's a mom from Iowa who works two jobs. She probably was surprised that she didn't get voted out first anyway, and when she decided she wanted to go to the finals at the Marcus boot, she probably didn't think she'd have a shot of winning, so settling for third was good enough for her. You can tell she was shocked that she got three votes, and she looked good in her Sarah Palin glasses.

Oh, and the whole jury pretty much sucked, but Marcus gave an Alex-level performance, saying Susie wasn't a "good role model" because she voted him out when she happens to be a mother and assistant teacher. He probably forgot that he had voted for her in the previous round, but I guess you don't have to be a good role model if you've never had kids?

If you all need to analyse someone, I would analyse Corinne or Randy...

Or maybe not, its quite clear that these two are clearly emotionally weak...much like Sugar

I think the reason Sugar had so many fans among the viewers is that many of us have lost a close family member and can understand what she was going through. I lost my Dad when I was 30, and it's not something you just turn off so you can play an effective game of Survivor for 39 days. Sometimes you can't get through a game of basketball.

I imagine it was mighty tough to be out there with so many folks who obviously were bothered by her "issues", and that probably didn't do anything to improve her emotional state. And yes, the "daddy issues" term is ridiculous (maybe not heartless)...does being unhappy that your father died qualify as an issue? Or does it become an issue once you cry about it? Seriously, come on...

All that said, when Corinne went on that rant at the final TC I was not just disgusted, but uncomfortable as well. I've been trying to think of a time that I've witnessed something that vile and mean-spirited on a show that was supposed to be entertaining and I just can't. I hope that doesn't become a trend, because it's sure as hell not something I'm interested in seeing any more of.

And great recaps, Schoonie...I really dig how you analyze these things like a football game. Even when I don't agree with your point of view I'm entertained by it.

Frenchy, it DOES become an issue if/when it has a negative impact on the goal at hand. The question is what was her goal? Now, as a viewer who has LIKED Sugar, I was completely disappointed by the finale. Her endgame flat out sucked, and it was all in an effort to build a career afterward. After seeing her make brilliant strategic move after brilliant strategic move, it was frustrating to watch her settle for third place for the sake of a career which may/may not happen.

Sugar creates an avatar of sweet kindness to advance her 15 minutes of fame post-Survivor. People have condemned Corinne because she created a "bitch" avatar to advance her post-Survivor celebrity. There's really no difference between the two; they're flip sides of the same coin.

Whew...enough about Sugar, that stuff wears me out! Wanted Kenny or Bob to win, so I'm happy Bob won.

Thanks for a great season of recaps!

Whew! That was a lot of psych-stuff. I can't speak for Sugar, but I lost my mom when I was 36 and was in a funk for a looong time afterwards. I can't imagine being that young, in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers and no food on top of that. AND she was constantly being sent to Exile Island (was that the chicken or the egg??). That doesn't totally excuse her behavior, but it's a game people -- OUTWIT, OUTPLAY, OUTLAST. Anywho, I'm glad Bob won. He played his ass off. He deserves it. (And he reminds me of an uber-outdoorsy Stewart Copeland).

"There's really no difference between the two; they're flip sides of the same coin."

Exactly! So you're starting to buy into my 'epic quest' theory?

:-D

Now, I don't buy the idea that she tanked her endgame as part of her 'audition' --it would have made much more sense for her to have struggled earnestly and be denied. I think she was just drained by the end there, knew already that there was no hope, and was probably (should have been) disgusted by the injustice of it.

It's funny that you mention Dreamz, because I wrote an entire paragraph about all the similarities between Dreamz and Sugar and then erased it, because I was like "Man, I'm already so over the line here!"

I don't think Sugar's actions had anything to do with any sort of 'audition', honestly. That would mean that she took advantage of her father's death in order to get some sort of professional attention, and I just don't think that's the case; I think those feelings were genuine.

I'm pretty sure this is just who she is, a person who assesses things and makes value-based decisions based on what she perceives to be good and bad. It's a nice trait for daily life, but effing terrible for this game.

And I dig the whole 'Hero's Quest' thing, which is an entirely different way to look at this. English majors, unite!

And yes, I'll be recapping next season. I just can't quit you people.

I didn't say that it was an audition for her, but the fact that she's used to having people watching her, plus the fact that she's in the business of telling stories through acting (and used that skill many times during the game), might have influenced how she judged people.

I think she knew Bob would be seen as the lovable old man, knew that Kenny would be seen as a schemer, knew that Crystal would be seen as a bully, etc. and so instead of making these moral judgments herself, I think she made them in light of a viewing audience. Not as an audition, but just as someone who knows TV and wants to tell a good story.

Itchy.... I guess you GOT me!

Schoonie, if you QUIT us, there would be a revolt!

The reality of it is , regardless of who Sugar ended up with in the final 3 she will not win. You can pick any 3 possibilities. When you have emotional cripple like Corinne and Randy as the juries. The only toss up is with Crystal. Still, whoever, the third finalist is will win the million dollar, be it Susie, Kenny, Matty or Bob.

I had a couple of other thoughts (in between thinking of other things):

1. Suppose Sugar's whole thing was really all about subversion? Wouldn't that be cool?

2. I think Suzie deserved to win more than Bob. Think about it: Bob had ZERO game--and he admitted it. He only survived with Sugar's help and by winning those immunity challenges.

Now consider this: he's 57 fucking years old and he won five immunity challenges. Which really only speaks to the utter lameness of the people he was competing against--and not really about his own skill (although knowing physics did indeed seem to be a suspiciously big factor in a lot of the challenges...hmm...perhaps he was getting help from production as well?)

Suzie was basically on her own and she knew it. She appeared to floating in the background, when in fact a couple of her choices were crucial to getting her to the finals--and she had the balls to stick it what appeared to be the strongest alliance. Not to mention two very crucial immunity challenges--one of which at least (house of cards) was designed for Bob to win.

Anyway...back to the Quest...dumble-dee dum-tum-tumbeldy-dum...

Cattyfan, in Sugar's audition tape which they showed on the clip show, she said she was homeless and living in her car. Further, imdb only has only two jobs since 2005 and those were in 2007. She may be working, but she clearly isn't doing very well. I should say *wasn't* doing well because in August she married a guy who seems to work in film regularly after knowing him for 11 days. There was no mention of it on the reunion, so maybe they aren't still together though.

Oh btw, on reality blurred they have some great interviews with the 4 runners up. :)

Hey Itchy,

Bob did win five challenges in a row but they weren't all for immunity. Didn't he win reward and immunity on the past two episodes and then the first immunity on this episode?

Excellent recap, Schoon. I agree with you that Sugar is handing out karmic punishments based on her own morality scale, but I don't think she's a hypocrite for doing that. I believe we all judge others on some level, but we're rarely put in a position to actively hand out these comeuppances. Unless you're put in that same position and choose to act differently than Sugar, you really are just...judging Sugar for doing something you say you don't like.

I think Sugar is very smart and makes choices based on emotion. The two aren't mutually exclusive, as you imply. We have to remember that she was alone in the Sugar Shack for a long time, with nothing left to do but think, think, think. When she came back to the group, she had to figure out what's going on using..what else? Her intuition and emotions. So she made judgments to get a sense of her environment and we can tell she didn't want anyone "bad" to win, so she jumped in to make sure that people she dislikes DON'T win. It seems to me that was more important than making sure she wins herself. Which doesn't make any sense to people like me who wouldn't bother playing this game for anything but to win the money. But I have a feeling that Sugar signed up for this game as a distraction from feeling the grief of losing her father and to prove to herself that she's a strong person, which she did. In that sense, she feels like she won.

And THAT'S why she helped Bob win..because he reminds her of her father - the reason why she's playing the game in first place. She may feel (subconsciously) that her father "lost" by dying and making sure Bob "wins" is like helping her father "win". It's twisted logic, but makes sense if you don't assume Sugar is motivated by the money.

Snootchy Bootches...thanks for the info.

Based on that, the "Sugar Shack" at Exile Island must have seemed like The Ritz.

Oh and to answer your (rhetorical?) question about why Sugar would force the tie between Bob and Matty if they feel like her family...

Maybe because that's her passive-aggressive way of not having to choose. She controls the situation so that FATE chooses instead of her. Even though by forcing the tie she basically chose Bob because Matty has a habit of choking on challenges.

Still reading...

Sugar SAYS "only alliance is with Bob" but MEANS "only alliance of the HEART is with Bob". Sugar obviously had it in her mind that Bob is the one who deserves to win and she made it so.

I was so wrong in my comment a couple episodes ago when I said that her speech to Bob about him having a "big piece of her heart" was total fakery. After the way Sugar played this game, I think that's the only thing she truly meant. Bob reminded her of her father = Bob's good and deserving of the $1mil = I will work my ass off to make sure he gets it = goes Sugar's thinking.

My proof? Her complete lack of regret at the reunion when Bob's name is called. She looks genuinely happy for him. And I think she's smart enough to have come up with a better argument for her to win that jury over. But she so didn't care about the money. Exhibit A = her rebellious answers to the jury's questions. Exhibit B? The flip off to Corinne.

Wow, Itchy!! I just finished reading your comment. EXCELLENT analysis of Sugar's motivations!

I didn't think of it in Quest terms, but I definitely feel that Sugar was orchestrating the whole thing and her goal was to get Bob to win. That father=Bob thing is too big of a deal to her for it to be anything else but the reason why she helped Bob win instead of her. She had three chances to put herself in the winner's seat, and I believe she's smart enough to recognize those. Hence, all of the crying. Hard choices to make.

Also, so. dead. on. about Corinne being the "evil" side of Sugar. They're both extremely judgmental and excellently manipulative, but Sugar needed to destroy Corinne's group of misfits.

This was so not about the money for Sugar. It really was about good vs. evil in her mind. That sunk in to me after she made the speech about Crystal's behavior re: Matty. If Crystal hadn't yelled at Matty, she would've made it farther than Matty.

I can't remember if Sugar was originally on Kota or Fang with Bob, but notice how she stuck with Ace for the longest because he was "the strongest player" (= makeshift father figure), then cut him off once she met Bob? Hmm...

Sluttywhore, I think you're missing the point that Sugar's motivations obviously weren't to win this money. She proved that by her many "illogical" moves such as maneuvering Crystal and Kenny out, and saving the idol for that long only to give it to Matty (and not herself). She obviously thinks highly of Matty and that was her way of saying "you deserve to win, too". Sugar seems to be frustrating those who only see this game as a way to win money.

There are different reasons people sign up for this show. Some want to prove they're a "Survivor" of the wild (Bob), smarter than everyone else (Corinne), well-liked (Marcus), part of the cool crowd (Charlie), etc.

I think the reason why Charlie, Marcus, Corinne and Randy got along so well is because they came on this show to win a million dollars but really they want to be liked. They seemed more unhappy about the fact that people disliked them enough to vote them off than they did about losing the money. Charlie couldn't wait to skip off to meet Marcus in Ponderosa. Ditto Randy and Corinne.

Susie wanted the million. Kenny wanted to play the game well. Sugar wanted to avenge her dead dad for some reason...like Itchy said, only she knows. If I go back and listen to her conversation between her sister, I could maybe figure it out. I know she was worried about him being proud of her. She could be proving to her dad that she knows how to do something well enough for him to be proud.

Blah Blah, I see the point, and I understand that people "play" Survivor for different reasons, but I've just come to accept that Sugar would have deemed me "evil" and voted me out, had I been there.

And, with all the conversation about Sugar, I'm surprised no one mentioned the heavy handed foreshadowing... with Suzie talking about "how she really needed it" and then she actually won the last one.

And, I wonder if Sugar deemed Susie a bad person or would have forced a tie between Bob & Susie, since Susie won the fire challenge in the first immunity.

And, also, Susie should have lied to Corinne and said, "of course I will cut out my vocal chords for the vote." LOL. I'm sure Corinne still would have voted for Bob, but still would have been funny since the vote came down 4 to 3.

"I believe we all judge others on some level, but we're rarely put in a position to actively hand out these comeuppances. Unless you're put in that same position and choose to act differently than Sugar, you really are just...judging Sugar for doing something you say you don't like."

Of course I'm judging Sugar! That's my job when I write these things. Also, it's fun.

And yes, I totally think it makes you a hypocrite for taking someone out of the game for being sneaky and disloyal (Crystal, Kenny) by...being sneaky and disloyal. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

If you're going to hand out punishments to people, you have to hold yourself to the same standard by which you've judged them, or it's just an eye for an eye, which makes you no better than they are.

"I didn't think of it in Quest terms, but I definitely feel that Sugar was orchestrating the whole thing and her goal was to get Bob to win."

If you think Sugar was playing the entire game solely to create a Bob victory, I don't think we were watching the same show. She maybe, MAYBE decided to take Bob to the end with her during the episode before the finale. So...six days. What about the rest of the time? She just wanted someone "nice" to win?

She thought Matty was a "good guy", and like it or not, she did not treat him equally, or leave it up to "fate". She told Bob what she was going to do, thus giving him an opportunity to practice. In fact, she LIED to Matty about where Bob was while he was practicing so that Matty would be blindsided when the tie came in. That doesn't make it "FATE", as you say, that makes it Sugar giving one person the advantage to the detriment of someone else.

And for the record, I think Sugar totally cared about the money. Everyone cares about the money. Anyone who tells you that they're going on the show to "survive", or "play well" or whatever is using those words as a euphamism for "I want to win the game", or lying by saying it after they've already lost as an excuse.

I think she new she had no shot at the money, which is a completely different animal. She didn't look at Bob and go "I want HIM to win the money". The reasoning behind bringing Bob to the end was, "Well, if I MYSELF am not going to get the money, I like him the most, so I'd like him to have it. He is my second choice, after ME." That's completely different than trying to actively give someone else the win the entire time.

She knew the money was a lost cause by the time the final Tribal Council came around, which explains your Exhibit A, her "rebellious answers". She's jaded, because she knew she wasn't going to win. She wasn't actively advocating for Bob. There was no point at which she went "I think you should vote for Bob". She just determined beforehand that no matter how hard she tried, she herself wasn't going to win, so why bother? That's completely different than actively working towards a Bob win, as you say.

As far as your Exhibit B, the middle finger is concerned, it's not like she gave the finger to Corinne unsolicited. Corinne harassed her about her dead father, which certainly deserves a middle finger. If Corinne had simply said "Hey Sugar, why do you think you deserve the check?" that Sugar would have given her the finger anyway? That it was a premeditated middle finger?

"Maybe because that's her passive-aggressive way of not having to choose. She controls the situation so that FATE chooses instead of her. Even though by forcing the tie she basically chose Bob because Matty has a habit of choking on challenges."

How was this her way of not having to choose? She told Bob she was thinking about forcing a tie didn't she? As Schoonie said, she lied to Matty about where Bob was when he was out practicing the fire making. If they both felt like such strong family members, why didn't she tell Matty her plans as well, and give him a fair shot at it? I disagree whole-heartedly with your statement and think Schoonie's comments regarding this situation hit the nail right on the head.

"I can't remember if Sugar was originally on Kota or Fang with Bob, but notice how she stuck with Ace for the longest because he was "the strongest player" (= makeshift father figure), then cut him off once she met Bob? Hmm..."

I didn't think she cut Ace off when she met Bob. Kenny lied to her when she came back from Exile Island, saying that Ace had been talking about getting rid of her. I didn't even know if Bob and her were on the same tribe then, but I feel pretty safe in saying that they weren't. Like Schoonie said, were you watching the same show as the rest of us?

And seriously, how can you say Sugar wasn't playing for the money? Have you personally talked to her? I highly doubt it. Believe it or not, you are judging her, even though you seem to not like that Schoonie did. Just because you are doing it in a "different" way, doesn't mean its not judging someone...

Sugar got money for finishing third, didn't she? They used to give money to the first five or six, I think.

I believe there are probably three main reasons that people play "Survivor":

They want to win money

They want to win (competitive)

They want TV exposure

OK, maybe four:

They are adventurous (fun) or have something to prove (rite of passage)

Sugar does need exposure on TV since her career is on the downswing. She is getting a little old for her "type"--it's hard to play cute rebel grrrls when you are pushing 30. There are a lot of cute grrrls in Hollywood who are 18. Most of her TV roles were playing teenagers, which is probably not feasible anymore. However, who has EVER gotten a decent acting career out of being on Survivor? A decent career as a "celebrity" or "famewhore," maybe...
Elizabeth Hasselbeck is probably the most successful.

This is how I think Sugar made her decisions on who stayed and who left, because she seemed to be on the same page with me: get rid of whoever was the most annoying and jerky. She would get rid of them about the time I thought that I couldn't stand them anymore. It fell apart at the end because the people left were not that bad.

Isn't it true to form for her to marry someone she had known for 11 days? She seems like an impulsive person, and emotion-driven. Besides, people do crazy things after losing a parent. A friend of mine (early 30s) got back with her ex-boyfriend when her mom became terminally ill (her dad was already deceased). He was an alcoholic chain-smoker, and she was a Southern Baptist who couldn't tolerate cigarette smoke. They got married and it was a big mess for her. I hope it works out better for Sugar, because I do like her.

Well, my wife and I married after knowing each other for two weeks...so you can see where I stand on that one.

As for when Sugar decided to back Bob...I think it was a bit earlier than that: remember when Bob told her he had the fake idol? The only way he would have told her that was if they already had established some kind of trusting relationship...even if that was only Bob recognizing Sugar's need for a father figure.

And really he was the only one available for her for that, once Ace was kicked out (although she would have seen through him sooner or later)-- I agree that she stopped playing for the money only after she understood that she had little to no chance of winning.

And that moment was probably when they figured out that it was going to be a final 3 --which is the worst Survivor 'innovation' of them all (even worse that the hidden immunity idol and Exile Island).

Sugar knew who was on the jury. She knew from the moment they sent off Corinne that she didn't stand a chance, since the numbers were now stacked against her. I also think she was deeply shocked at Suzie's win in the last challenge.

Finally, it doesn't bother me at all that she used some kind of personal moral compass to guide her decisions. In fact, I prefer that to a colder, more calculating approach.

But then, my relationships with people are similarly based-- I accept people into my life on a gut level, and if my gut tells me you're not an honest person, you'll never get in.

And many of you are probably too young to know this... but there was a time when the value systems we were raised with really did not revolve around money and greed. No foolin'.

Itchy, I married my wonderful loving husband after a short time as well, but it was brought on by practical concerns as well as romantic ones. We are very happily married lo these many years later. However, do you really see Sugar making that sort of decision? Or do you see her just being impulsive based on the emotion of the moment? As I said earlier, I am surprised that they didnt mention her marriage during the reunion. That is the sort of thing that they usually do mention especially for the top folks. So, I'm thinking the marriage is already kaput. They married in August. Also, on reality blurred, Sugar said that she had gotten the best contract that Survivor had ever offered a contestant. Not sure what that means, but she was super happy about it. I guess we'll see in February when the next season starts. Oooooh! Maybe she gets to turn the letters in the challenges like Vanna White!

Well, I ought to point out that I make a clear distinction between Sugar the reality television show contestant and Jessica Kiper, the real person. There's a huge difference there. The dichotomy is part of what I love about reality TV.

I don't much care about what Jessica Kiper does in her personal (offscreen) life, frankly. But the character Sugar was awesome, I give her props for that.

Now, do I see the character Sugar getting into a real marriage that fast? Nooooo...but Sugar didn't get married, Jessica Kiper did.

And those Hollywood types are always getting married at a drop of a hat. It's kind of a tradition.

I just can't believe there's all this discussion regarding a totally unimpressive cast & season. There were very unlikeable people this season. I, for one, truly didn't care who won. If the nicest cast member they could paint is Sugar, and the rest of the cast hated her guts for being so manipulative, then there was truly no one in this whole season that was actually good hearted. Except maybe Bob? Maybe that's the takeaway lesson. I dunno. I'm just glad it's over with.

Schoonie, I basically disagree with you on almost everything you wrote in your last comment directed at me, but for time's sake I'll just hit on the major points.

schoonie:

"Of course I'm judging Sugar! That's my job when I write these things. Also, it's fun."

You're a hypocrite for not liking Sugar for the reasons that you state that essentially amount to she's too judgmental. You don't like her because YOU THINK she won't like you if you were ever to play this game (you won't).

"If you think Sugar was playing the entire game solely to create a Bob victory, I don't think we were watching the same show."

We're watching the same show, just not with the same pair of eyes and life experience.

"She just wanted someone "nice" to win?"

Obviously, Sugar came on there to win the money for herself, but we can tell from her choices towards the end that she wanted the people she liked at the end with her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have orchestrated Ken and Crystal's bootings. She had a much better chance of winning against those two than Susie or Bob. To ignore that she "screwed" her own chances with forethought is kinda stupid. Contrary to what you have implied in your recaps, Sugar acted both logically and emotionally. Those two aren't mutually exclusive.

The middle finger point I made was to say that she had two choices re: the middle finger: to give Corinne a middle finger or not. The fact that she chose to give Corinne the middle finger says she wasn't trying to win Corinne's vote.

Your personal biases are overwhelming and diminish the humor of your recaps.

BlahBlah: "Maybe because that's her passive-aggressive way of not having to choose. She controls the situation so that FATE chooses instead of her. Even though by forcing the tie she basically chose Bob because Matty has a habit of choking on challenges."

JustJesse:
"How was this her way of not having to choose? She told Bob she was thinking about forcing a tie didn't she?"

Just Jesse, look up the definition of "Passive-Aggressive" and you'll get my point. This was awhile ago, but if my memory is correct, there were four people left: Susie (with the immunity idol), Bob, Matty, and Sugar. Susie said she's voting for Bob. If Sugar also voted for Bob, then she's choosing Matty to stay. If Sugar voted for Matty, then she's choosing to give Bob a chance to stay by forcing a tie. Forcing the tie is the passive-aggressive way of not being blamed for whomever loses because the winner will be on their own merit (during the fire challenge) rather than as a direct result of Sugar's vote. It all amounts to the same thing: Sugar had a hand in the outcome, but one way is more direct than the other. Passive-aggressive is all about controlling the situation but INDIRECTLY.

Don't forget, I'm also ugly!

And smells like cheese!

(Happy holidays, Schoonie)

personally, what i have always found diminishes the humor in schoonie's recaps his his giant manhood. once you've seen it it's hard to read.

merry christmas schoonie. another kick ass season. xo