Okay: So each round I am going to make my perception of the game in the form of an edgic. Basically my fundamental rules will be: I will edit how I expect the TV show would edit it. Obviously just my tribe - so there will be no complex tribe analysis, its clearly us.
I'll do this near/after each boot. Hopefully this is fun. Here is an indepth explanation of each rating.
In Depth Explanation
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INV - Invisible
Definition: A character, within the episode, that is edited to be irrelevant or insignificant to any of the stories. In terms of story... they don't have one.
The character...
had no confessionals or tribal council questions.
was ignored, lacking even in screen/face time; receives NO SPECIAL FOCUS during group exchanges such as intros, pick-ems and challenges
was portrayed as irrelevant to the episode or story and/or is lacking in any character development.
received NO SPV that refer exclusively to them (usually meaning by name). SPV's about a character's alliance or tribe don't count.
there is no complexity, no development
Note:
- The character's visibility is functionally 0.
- A character who gets a confessional, recap focus, story development, or tribal council question is never INV.
- The character's accumulated VF, if there is any, comes from mostly background noise, group discussion, etc.
- INV is used to convey an extreme sense of absence in the episode
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UTR - Under the Radar (Under Developed, Low-level Complexity)
Definition: A character, within the episode, that is edited to be either under-utilized or deliberately hidden (the trick is figuring out which). In story terms, they may have a role in the story but are being kept out of focus.
The character...
receives little or no significant game relevant development. Zero to a few confessionals or TCQs.
may have received significant screen time, but personal character development is of low quality and not particularly extreme. Isn't seen doing or saying anything special or of major significance; may receive UNUSUAL or extensive focus during group exchanges like pick'ems, intros, or (possibly) challenges (ie. where verbal exchanges are subtitled; actions are "replayed" for the audience; or the scene is overly-emphasized by Probst)
may have had some sort of "role" or part in the episode, but will generally be void of direct conflicts and/or character insight.
may have received SPV from another player(s).
narrates the game (i.e., tells the audience about basic goings-on in the tribe). Narration is uncomplex and can be talking about camp life, things others are doing, upcoming game events like challenges, or even talking about the very basic plans of a larger group they are a part of (e.g., "our tribe wants to focus on beating the other one in challenges" or "our alliance wants to eliminate the people in the minority").
does not answer any questions of why or how (and rarely any of the other Ws for that matter). ie. Jim: I think Frank is in an alliance.
Note:
- UTR characters may get nothing to make them stand out as a person or may get little bits of who they are. However, it will not be the primary focus of their footage (see OTT).
- Because most low visibility characters fail to accumulate significant game or personal character development in their brief time onscreen, many of them are UTR. However, assignment of the UTR rating itself should have nothing to do with visibility. A low visibility character may qualify for MOR, OTT, or even CP at times when their brief content is particularly dense. A high visibility character may still lack any significant personal development or game-related insight.
- Game-relevant events that relate to this character, but are not spoken about by this character, do not increase their level of personal development (e.g., if Joe says "My alliance consists of Jimmy, Jack, and Jill," Jimmy, Jack, and Jill are not considered to develop significantly unless they get to comment on the development in some way themselves).
- When the episode ends, the character's overall development is virtually unchanged. We learned little to nothing about their game play from them.
MOR - Middle of the Road (Mid-level Complexity)
Definition: A character, within the episode, that says and does more than a UTR edit, but is lacking in character development (ie. we still don't know anything about them or what makes them tick). MOR edits are not oversimplified into OTT nor are they well-rounded into CP. In terms of story, these characters tend towards being a supporting character. This edit may contain "very strategic" moments, but without the emotional and intellectual insights necessary for a complex edit.
The character...
receives moderate levels of game relevant development. Few to several confessionals and/or TCQs. They may speak about the game, alliances, plans, etc., but the statements appear incomplete or shallow. We are given a sense of where the character's mind is, but many elaborative questions are left unanswered.
received low to significant screen time and may have done something notable, but overall, there was a lack in quality and depth. May receive any type of personal character development — from no personal development to very high personal development.
will likely have had some sort of "role" or part in the episode, but it was as a secondary or supporting role. May have received UNUSUAL FOCUS during group encounters, BUT this focus was likely linked to someone else and was used as a tool to shine light elsewhere.
may or may not have received SPV from another player(s).
mid-level of complexity, CP-lite, When a character receives enough complexity that UTR seems inappropriate, but not enough complexity to warrant a full-blown CP.
tells us his/her needs, wants, strategies but fails to tell us the whys and hows. (ie. Jim: I want to be in an alliance with Frank.)
Note:
Winners are often portrayed as MOR at some point in the story due to the necessity of cooling down, story-wise. However, a consistently MOR edit is not always good thing either, because these characters more often than not, end up being kind of "blah" and "just kind of there". It's important with heavily MOR players to ensure that a closer look is taken with regard to their content - are they consistent? are they carving out some sort of story? etc.
Pure narrators are no longer MOR as of Survivor 24. A character with all narration and no complexity is UTR. A character with some narration and some complexity is MOR.
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CP - Complex Personality (High-level Complexity)
Definition: A character, within the episode, that emerges as a "personality" that is well-rounded and well-developed (intellectually, emotionally, personally and strategic/game-wise). The editing has depth, we see their strengths and weaknesses, and their choices are presented to the audience so that we get an insight into their thinking. In terms of story, these characters usually end up being major players in the story (game) and their choices end up shaping the overall, long-term story.
The character...
receives a high amount of game relevant complexity. Few-to-several QUALITY confessionals and/or TC questions and/or camp discussions. Their thoughts, motivations, and plans are laid out in detail. The viewer knows exactly what a character intends to do and why.
received moderate to significant QUALITY screen/face time, does something notable or important, and was given the opportunity to talk about it. Receives any amount of personal development from very low to very high. (Strategy, game, and complex emotions like remorse, loneliness, guilt, etc or an internal conflict over a situation are shared with the audience. Their thinking process and how these feelings/thoughts/events are affecting them and their game are expressed intelligently and maturely).
had a fairly significant "role" or part in the episode, and that role is part of the driving force of the story. The story for the episode "revolved" around this character, at least partially.
may have received SPV from another player(s).
Highly complex, may have moments of OTT (or even UTR) within a single episode since being well-rounded and complex would, by definition, include being obtuse, one-note or single-minded.
answers the questions Why and How. (Jim: I want to be in an alliance with Frank because Frank is stronger than me and will take some of the attention from me come the merge)
Note:
Winners are usually portrayed as CP at several points in the overall story since the story needs to be about them. However, this may not be the case in the early episodes if the winner starts out with a purposeful strategy of UTR. CPs after the merge are common / expected for the winner.
Strategy alone does not equal CP; there needs to be something to back up the strategy.
Some CP characters are all about the game. Some CP characters also have a personal side. Some CP characters even have extreme personalities
CP footage typically (but not always) is delivered in confessional form. Thus, many CP characters are also high visibility. As is the case with other ratings, visibility should not influence the decision about whether or not to give a CP rating. Many characters need a ton of footage to give very elaborative thoughts but rarely a character will say something incredibly detailed and complex in a short window of time.
CP is generally the most “dominant” rating available. If a character meets criteria for CP, whether they meet criteria for another type of rating is largely irrelevant – CP is typically the correct score to assign.
CP refers to a well-developed character that plays a large role in the game structure. We see the game through the eyes of CP individuals and are often asked to take their perspective on situations. Though these characters are often big “strategists,” anyone who offers significant and detailed thoughts on the game and how they approach it may receive this rating.
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OTT - Over the Top
Definition: A character, within the episode, that is over-simplified or presented as a one-dimensional, one-note caricature. In terms of story, these characters are usually used to create drama and to distract us from the winner. They are the ones we love to love (the hero, the sweetheart) or the ones we love to hate (the villain, the buffoon, the arrogant jerk, the right-royal-beyotch).
The character...
receives a very low amount of game-relevant footage, if any at all. Had a few-to-several confessionals and/or TC questions; confessionals and other discussions were generally one-sided, emotional and repetitive, without depth of thought or rationality expressed, lacked in strategy or strategy not expressed with much internal conflict (but probably had lots and lots of conflict with other people); OTT characters rarely, if ever, explain their motivations in the context of the game.
received moderate to significant screen time; receives an extreme amount of personal character development. Their personality is highlighted strongly and is the central focus of their footage. Often they are a “caricature” of a real person. Confessionals were used to "paint" the character into a certain type of cartoon-like role (like the evil villain twirling their moustache, etc) or other extreme behaviour such as no remorse for hurtful actions, focusing only on loyalty or saving one's own skin, an absence of "evil" strategizing when there should be, etc.
had a moderate to significant "role" or part in the episode. OTT characters are entertaining and are often the "scene-stealer" or the "drama-maker" for the episode. The story for the episode "revolved" around this character, at least partially.
most likely received SPV from other players; SPV was used to reinforce the OTTness and the SPV was extreme or underscored the actions of the player in question.
has very little complexity and will likely not have moments of depth or a "range of complexity" within a single episode. This is a one-dimension edit, and if the edit contains significant moments of "CP" then it is not OTT. If the edit is overwhelmingly OTT with only a few, minor moments of CP, and accompanied by OTT music, etc, then OTT may still be a better fit.
may tell us about their wants and needs, but fails to tell us the hows and whys. In addition, will probably express those needs irrationally, and may blame or finger-point or display other extreme reactions to the situation.
Note:
OTT players are not exclusively the "in your face" high vis player. It is also possible for a minor character to receive footage that conveys an extreme amount of character development. An OTT edit can also be one where the focus of the screen-time was used to show the character repeating the same actions over and over (for example, someone who is being portrayed as a blabber mouth, will have several repeated scenes of them talking over and over, or close ups of their mouth talking, etc).
OTT Characters rarely receive an opportunity to talk about a situation or to express themselves rationally about it.
OTT characters often have tone, as well, because their antics are frequently spun a certain way for the audience. However, an OTT character does not require tone. A character can have a personality-defined, extreme edit without the edit taking a particular side on their behaviour.
OTT could be thought of as a special case of UTR. While the character still receives low game complexity, their footage highlights their personality instead. OTT characters are often (but not always) the focal point of an episode and are often (but not always) polarizing forces within the game.
Not all OTT players stay this way, and often an OTT player will go UTR for awhile if the editors want to bring them back to the main storyline as a more well-rounded character.
Some General Considerations
- As Survivor has become a more game-focused show, the extent to which characters fit into this concept of "playing the game" is generally of great interest to Edgic participants.
Thus, the main focus of the Rating scale is the UTR – MOR – CP sequence, which represents a continuum of game-relevant complexity for characters. INV provides extra clarity for extreme lack of visibility and OTT provides an indication that a character is being defined by their personality and not their game.
- The titles for the different ratings have remained the same over the many years of Edgic’s existence but their definitions have evolved over time.
For example, one might identify a character who is highly complex, but has low character development as a person. Though the current coding system would identify them as CP (“Complex Personality”) it might be tempting to argue that CP cannot be appropriate because their “personality,” defined literally, was not complex.
Similarly, you might suggest that a character with no speaking roles or significance to the episode appeared in the background and thus were not literally “invisible.”
In short, general convention is to use current coding procedures, (ie., game-relevant content), instead of literal applications of the code names.
Common Contrasts (These aren't carved in stone, but this is an attempt to explain how the ratings are viewed, and argued about, today.)
- UTR vs. INV. The key difference between UTR and INV is the amount of visibility. If a character has significant and appreciable visibility such that 1-5 seems appropriate, they are UTR. If a character is so absent that 0 seems appropriate, they are INV.
- UTR vs MOR. This is still controversial. While some argue that UTR should be applied as a measure of complexity without consideration of the amount of visibility, this contradicts it's comparison to INV, which is all about visibility.
If MOR is a measure of complexity that is too low to rate CP, what is UTR? Lower than MOR complexity? How can a character have significant (3 to 5) visibility and less complexity than MOR?
I expect this argument to come up again this season.
- MOR vs. CP. Here, we are focused on the depth and fullness of a character’s perspective – not merely the frequency of it. A MOR character may talk about the game, but it’s lacking in impact.
Someone can have 4 game-relevant confessionals but gloss over the issue in each one while another characters gets one very well put together and coherent thought. Imagine it as if you were a teacher grading a character on how complex they were and needed to give someone “partial credit.” MOR would be a character that gets “partial credit” for being complex.
- CP vs. OTT. Sometimes a character with an extreme amount of personal development will also be game-complex. Despite the high level of character development present in an OTT edit, OTT characters are not game-complex. An OTT does not explain his/her actions or motivations – he/she is defined by those actions. CP characters, on the other hand, are more flexibly defined – many types of characters can be high in complexity, as it is the complexity that defines them.
- MOR vs. OTT. The jury is still out on how to best handle this issue. While some might argue that the complexity present in an MOR edit should take precedence over whatever character development the character has, others might say that an extreme level of character development supercedes the moderate level of complex game-relevant development. Until further consensus can be reached, it might be best to evaluate this on a case-by-case basis.
Tone
Edgic rates characters based on the editorial slant of the episode, or Tone. Tone can be neutral, positive (P), negative (N), or mixed (M). Extreme versions of both P and N are also used.
Neutral
The majority of edits in Survivor are editorially neutral. The edit pairs the character’s words/actions with no special musical cues, other characters and Jeff do not comment on the character in an evaluative way, and the overall narrative of the episode does not convey anything about the character that is inherently good or bad.
Positive (P)
There is significant evidence of editorial manipulation for the character in the positive direction.
This can take many forms including:
Positive (e.g., sympathetic) music paired with a character’s words/actions.
Other characters or Jeff speaking about the character in a clearly and unambiguously positive way, especially if surrounding footage emphasizes or confirms these evaluations.
The exception to the above is when positive evaluations from others are refuted by surrounding footage.
If someone calls Jessica a fantastic person because she is so modest, followed immediately by Jessica taking all of her clothes off and dancing around the fire, the positive evaluation is being deliberately shown as faulty/misinformed.
The overall narrative of the episode is clearly set up so that a character is a positive force. This is very tricky to identify and should be used extremely sparingly, if ever.
A good example is Mike's evacuation in Australia. There’s no positive music, other characters don’t necessarily evaluate him positively, but his exit is handled in a pretty unambiguously positive fashion.
Common “Positive” traits include things like being hard working, intelligent, kind, sympathetic, skillful, a good leader, etc. This is neither a complete nor an exclusive list.
Note - T.ears and crying are NOT automatically P. Look beyond the visuals to see if the music is sympathetic, if others are saying or doing something to indicate that the t.ears are meant as a P or not.
Super Positive (PP)
The character is so unbelievably and overtly positive that it deserves special recognition. The character may get special, rare, heroic, soaring music. Other characters may refer to them in terms that make them seem saintly, heroic, near-omnipotent, or extremely sympathetic. Notable examples:
Holly in Nicaragua gave up her reward so that the rest of their tribe could eat.
Jenna quits in All Stars so she can rush to her dying mother’s side.
Astronaut Dan in Exile Island is routinely voted out and gets a hero’s goodbye for some reason.
Penner's evac in Fans Vs. Favorites where he doesn't want to go but is forced to by the doctors, and Jeff lavishing him with compliments and the boat ride with the soaring music playing...
Negative (N)
There is significant evidence of editorial manipulation for the character in the negative direction.
This can take many forms including:
Negative (e.g., “dopey” or "evil") music (or sound effects) paired with a character’s words/actions.
Other characters or Jeff speaking about the character in a clearly and unambiguously negative way, especially if surrounding footage emphasizes or confirms these evaluations.
The exception to the above is when negative evaluations from others are refuted by surrounding footage.
If someone calls Larry lazy followed by footage of Larry working his ass off, the negative evaluation is being deliberately shown as faulty/misinformed.
The overall narrative of the episode is clearly set up so that a character is a negative force. This is very tricky to identify and should be used extremely sparingly, if ever. Good example pending.
If a character offers a comment about another character that the footage refutes, this is generally negative for the commenter.
If Vince calls Larry lazy and then Larry is shown working hard, Vince looks a bit foolish for making his original comment.
Common “Negative” traits include things like being lazy, stupid, naïve, cruel, bigoted, etc. This is neither a complete nor an exclusive list.
Super Negative (NN)
The character is so incredibly vile that it deserves special recognition. The character may get special, rare, evil music. Other characters may refer to them in terms that make them seem incredibly terrible to coexist with.
Notable examples:
Natalie in Fans Vs. Favorites talks at length about destroying Erik, ripping him apart, and “flossing with his jugular.”
Russell Hantz in Samoa’s premiere spends the entire episode talking up his own evil, destructive nature.
NaOnka in Nicaragua has decided to quit, but refuses to give up her food reward for the good of the tribe with only hours left in the game.
Philip in Redemption Island goes on a racially charged rant about how merely calling him crazy is equivalent to calling him an *n-word.*
Mixed (M)
This is a special Tone designation. It technically is a type of Neutral Toned edit, but where the player has amounts of notable negative and positive scenes in the same episode.
This rating helps differentiate from the "nothing" (neutral) tone of a neglected character or the static neutral of a middle of the road or complex character. It shows ACTIVE manipulation of a character, rather than a passive or neglected edit.
Lastly, there should be a notable amount of P and N manipulation. If the majority of the edit in that episode has zero tone manipulation, but with one small P and one small N, it would be better rated as a Neutral.
The character needs to have actual tone content. The edit needs to be shown as giving us information that this character has been positive or negative in a scene.
Some General "Tone" Considerations
- The purpose of Tone ratings is to capture the editors’ intentions about how the audience will react to a character. In all cases of tone voting, one should be able to cite exactly why they believe there is evidence that the editors advocate a certain perspective. “I got a feeling…” may be a persuasive argument at times, but will not be as effective as an evidence-based argument.
- Actual audience reaction (on any scale) to a character may or may not match the editorial emphases their tone ratings imply. For this reason, it is recommended that Edgic participants do NOT rate based on personal preferences for a character or personal evaluations of a character’s behavior.
For example, Rupert from Pearl Islands is generally quite unpopular on Sucks. However, the editing of Pearl Islands is very pro-Rupert, portraying him as a sort of pirate superhero. On the other hand, the editing of Russell in Samoa is relentlessly negative from start to finish, highlighting him as the supreme evil force and greatest villain of all time. Despite this, Russell won the fan favorite vote easily that season.
Maintaining neutrality in these cases is difficult and extra effort should be taken so as not to imbue one’s own personal values on the decision. As an extreme and contrived example, a sommelier might react in horror to the way the Survivors open up wine at a feast and drink straight from the bottle (rather than a proper vessel). This does not make the wine-drinking Survivors in question N – there’s no reason to believe that improper wine drinking behavior is being highlighted with a particular interpretation in mind. A more realistic example might be a character who states on air that she got an abortion. It is not appropriate for pro-life participants to automatically give her an N, while pro-choice participants give her a P. The focus should be on how the editors handle this revelation, not the revelation itself. Tone ratings should not be a barometer of Edgic participants’ morality.
- To expand on the above, it should be mentioned that within the game of Survivor, some otherwise unsavory behaviors may be portrayed as more neutral-to-positive. In the real world, lying is generally bad. In Survivor, lying can be presented as a necessity or even as a positive thing (depending on who’s doing it and how). In reality, taking a valuable item and planting a decoy in its place would be illegal and generally bad – in Survivor, creating or planting a fake immunity idol can be portrayed as a clever and “positive” trick.
- PP and NN are very rare, used only in the most extreme circumstances.
- Tone should be seen as conceptually independent from Rating and Visibility.
While it is pretty much impossible to be INV and have tone (because you need to be in the episode in some appreciable way for the editors to manipulate something about you), any other combination is plausible. Obviously, some combinations are more frequent than others.
This episode would largely focus on introducing the major characters and how they plan on maneuvering this game. The results were extremely basic, so more camp life/alliances and whatnot would be front and center. Reed flails big time by never being around, and when he is around being obnoxious and unbearable. He would get one Patrick-Bolton esque segment of him being shirtless, and then promptly booted.
This episode would likely be the story of Kilby forming bonds with everyone. If anyone has seen New Zealand Survivor or Australian Survivor - this premiere likely looks a lot like JT's in NZ or AK's in Australian. He forms groups with everyone, and then is the beneficiary of the Blinding Light Twist. This vote is probably edited to be more important and interesting than the actual boot of the episode. Perhaps a goofy montage of multiple people saying "Kilby is my number one". Will it have repercussions for the future of Kilby's game? Did he blow up his spot? The edit probably asks this question, but the answer remains to be seen.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sarena - OTTP4 likely gets VERY similar to Kilby content. Probably came #2 on the twist, and likely would ALSO get a huge moment of everyone loving her. She made a fantastic first impression, and the show would introduce her big time to the audience. She is a strong, social player ready to kick ass. Everyone left the first call utterly enamored with Sarena, and she's immediately a contender for that reason. She would probably talk about being a manager, and how she knows how to deal with all kinds of different personality. Her charm is her weapon - and it is working. I don't know how strategic she is thinking right now, and the edit would probably just pause to celebrate her social play.
Jacob/Sarena are likely edited to be a duo, and rope in Kilby. This is probably a fairly substantive part of the episode. This would likely look a LOT like Donathan/Laurel meeting up in the Premiere of Ghost Island. They both get decent content about one another and how they are becoming good friends.
Kilby/Jenn, Kilby/Jayden are all key aspects. There is likely a JT/Stephen, Ryan/Devon style meet up between Kilby and Jayden right away - two complex characters who are agreeing to work together despite being on other sides of the world. The seeds of Jayden vs Jacob are probably planted - but they won't be sewn for some time.
Kilby - CPP5 - Not a good look. A winner has never had a 5 visibility in the premiere - (Except Richard Hatch in season 1) for good reason. I hate that I have the "good" rating in this first episode, because I don't want to come off as if I'm going to give myself CP every round. I do think it would edit this episode largely around me, mostly because of the twist and how much I've been overplaying. I might lean into OTT, but probably have good enough reads here to get the CPP. The result of the blinding light backs that up. I assume people said good things about me in their confessional if they are putting me at #1. The audience leaves probably impressed by Kilby - but a keen viewer would be wary of him being overexposed early on.
This is where Jayden - CP3comes in. Jayden is playing an excellent under the radar game, and would likely get a confessional discussing that. His gameplay right now is under the radar, but his edit would be CP. He has Kilby who is feeding him all the information he has, which is a lot. For this reason, Jayden has a VERY good view of the gamestate without having to put himself in the spotlight at all. Often the winner is the person hiding behind the "most obvious" winner. Natalie to Jeremy, JT to Stephen - and a keen edgicer would pencil Jayden in as that person. No one is threatened by him, he is DANGEROUSLY smart, and probably would get a confessional discussing that he can get away with more because he's australian. This is the rating I had the hardest time with - there is a chance he gets a simple MOR confessional - if Kilby goes on to dominate - but I do think Jayden would stand up on his own in this premiere where not a lot is going on. Top contender at this point in time. The edit has legs.
Jacob CPM5 This is another where the rating was hard. People really like him, but the feud with Jayden could take center stage. Jacob is extremely out in the open, and everyone seems slightly threatened by him. The M tone is something I really don't like using - traditionally an M tone means that a player is drawing dead to win. I don't think that is quite the case with Jacob, but I can't imagine a pathway for him to win this game. He is overexposed like Kilby, but without the insulation to stay alive long term. He could also venture into OTT territory, but right now its probably unclear who comes out on top between him and Jayden. He likely talks about himself, introduces who he is and that he is the showrunner of Survivor boston, and hes ready to make big moves. He talked by far the most in the group call.
Speaking of Boston we have Harrison - UTRP2 If you blink, you might miss Harrison. But no one has a bad word to say about him. He probably would get only one confessional, but it'd be a good one. I would lock Harrison in as "the most likely to make it really, really far". He gives off an inoffensive vibe, and is very social. Jayden, Kilby, Jacob and likely more have good words to say about him, hence the P rating. He knows Survivor, but doesn't give off the calculated demeanor that Jacob and Kilby do. He is more like Jayden - hence #2 contender. He wouldn't be front and center - but he'd be introduced enough so the audience understands the game he is playing.
Jenn - This rating was hard too. I could see the argument for a few various ratings, UTR, lowvis CP. She is strategic, and is entering in as a decent threat. I ultimately went with MOR2 because she wasn't *super* focused on, but she was brought up a decent amount. Kilby wants to work with her, and told her about the target on her back. There is a target on her back, but she likely successfully sidestepped it. She hasn't "woken up" yet, but she probably will. Likely she gets the role of narrator. She told me that "she thinks the loud people in group calls miss things. They talk over other people, and aren't as observant as me. I think being quiet is a positive". This is enough to be CP, but I think she probably just scrapes by with a MOR. Her relationship to Kilby is probably front and center, but her strategic quietness probably pops on the episode. #4 because MOR is an excellent start for a winner, and she is dangerously close to a CP beginning. She will be a big character down the line, but just hasn't broke out of her intentional cocoon.
Joey - UTR2 Could see the argument for MOR, but probably is a little bit under the radar. Likely a decent amount of challenge focus, but not enough for P toneage. He is an older one on the tribe, and is concerned that people aren't talking to him - except Kilby. He likes Jenn and maybe the episode teases them getting together. Hard to tell. Joey is, for right now, a supporting character in the story. This isn't a bad spot, but he wouldn't be front and center - and he doesn't need to be. Everyone "kinda likes" him. As Jayden put it "if Joey is an alliance, people won't be turned off by it. Theyll be cool with it. Hes chill".
And that brings us to Andrew - UTR 2 - Another minor character so far. Could see the argument for low vis OTT, but I don't think he made enough of a mark for that. Many people say he is hard to talk to. Jayden says that if he's in an alliance, he would turn people off of working with that alliance. This is a young, similar cast - and he doesn't quite fit in. He is a real adult, and that might hurt him. He's known in the community, and probably gets a decent amount of challenge/camp life focus. Rarely would he dip into any complexity - right now he is the old sage. He has tips for all the challenges, twists - but perhaps is game belongs in a season that happened before. Very little insight into the future. Likely does not have much legs, but has the potential to dip into an extremely fun OTT character.
Finally, Tony - UTR1 He just is kind of inactive. Everyone likes him enough, doesn't hate him. Can't imagine this ever gets complex. He might even get INV'D. He didn't have to do the challenge, and was largely irrelevant to any happenings. Jayden is a fan of him - but not a whole lot, and mostly because of his age. This is probably similar to Libby's edit in the premiere. Seen talking in camp, but the audience may ask "who is that" because he never gets properly introduced.
Regicide - UTRN - Everyone thinks he is a douche, and this was talked about a LOT.
Redfern - UTRP - Cat. He is holding a cat. People like that. Reed - OTTN1 One note. Defined by being shirtless and absent. Quits. Drives people mad. Could see the argument for UTRN, but I think he was completely defined by one characteristic, and that is THE definition of OTT.
The Wildlife Conservation Coalition Alliance (Kilby, Jenn, Jayden, Harrison, Joey) forms, and this is likely the major strategic content of the episode. Its formation, relationships to one another. This was a simple boot with many variables working behind the scenes.
Jacob's self destruction would be front and center - he is probably SO MUCH like Bradley Kleihege in Ghost Island. He thinks he is running the show and that this is his game to win. In reality, the WCC is onto him and have their guns ready. In fact, Jayden armed too heavily against Jacob. He looked over-eager to make moves, and turned some off due to this.
The boot target is relatively basic, but the decoys would be "will Jayden's goal of getting rid of Jacob work out?" and "will Joey flip on Jenn". Neither of these mattered, and that was extremely clear. Again, this episode would more focus on the heightening tensions happening in the background. This shotgun isn't going to fire just yet - but a battle is on the horizon.
For the purposes of this - I included Kilby's idol find, and telling Jenn in this episode.
Tony being ranked bottom (twice?) seemingly would be important here. He was booted for not really talking to anyone, and his journey was not a very exciting one. However, he got two idol clues, and seemingly passed those onto Kilby. His only content, really, would be about this. He was crawling in a game that was all out sprinting forward without him. Potential N tone for the jokes about his Sequester video. May Tiger Tony rest in peace. Endure was not ready for Tiger Tony.
The other decoy boot who had a tremendous episode is Jenn - CP4. This was her "coming out" episode. She joins the alliance, and theoretically goes from the bottom of the game to the top. She is firmly aligned with Kilby, and the rest of the WCC. She had the most to gain from the formation of the alliance, and handled it very well. Her social game improved, and her comedic style took center stage. People love Jenn a whole lot. In addition, Kilby told her about the idol. She has all the information with very few enemies. Could also see the argument for MOR - but I think with her gaining the most from the alliance, it was probably CP for her.
Jenn's chances skyrocketed, but Jayden - OTTM5's plummeted. He was number one contender last week - the chosen one. He was in a fantastic spot, very few enemies, and a whole lot of people who liked him enough. But that wasn't enough. Jayden not only pulls the trigger to form the alliance, but hammers home that he wants Jacob out. This made people sketchy and wary of him, and it hurt his chances big time. He doesn't come off as group-strong to others. Kilby trusts him unquestionably - but his aggressive desire to play hard is going to get the best of him. Trust is capital in the game of Survivor, and Jayden needs to learn that. OTT because defined by his aggressive gameplay that doesn't pan out, M because positivity from Kilby and negativity/wariness from the rest of the WCC.
Andrew - UTRM2 - Andrew is not in a good spot. He has VERY few connections, and the ones he does have are extremely obvious. He is M because the WCC does want him out extremely badly, but Sarena gave him the blinding light. This edit is weird. He isn't around much, but probably gets some decent personality content. His antics on calls bothers people - notably Jenn. He has very few options, and the audience should prepare for him being a premerge boot. Maybe an incredible Lucy Huang style downfall.
Jacob - OTTN4 "the worst thing you can do in a tribe of 9 is to make an alliance of 4." This guy was berated constantly from all sides this episode. He can't sit still. He is similar to Jayden, but is positioned terribly. He was the decoy boot. Everyone is sketched out by him. He makes people uncomfortable. He comes off like a snake, and everyone sees it. He is a snake, but he has no grass to cover him. He sells out everyone - and everyone can cross reference that. His game is abysmal. Really, really shoddy stuff. He is extremely captivating television, however. He continues to be Patrick Bolton. Joey rats out his information - everyone does. His only ally who remains is...
Sarena - OTTP2 - This is a weird edit, I know, I know. Don't @ me. I think Sarena's story is weird. She's tied to hyper-negative Jacob - but everyone stills loves her. She personified and defined by her social game. She is so damn charming. Everyone loves her to the point of absurdity. She wins the blinding light despite being in the minority. Her game is in shambles - but if anything can disrupt the power of the WCC - it is Sarena. She has this quality that people just love. And that is extremely powerful. The edit will make sure she gets content noting how strong she is socially. She is likely here for the long haul.
Harrison - UTR2 Harrison is another who is here for the long haul. He is playing, but he hasn't needed to play too hard. He is in the WCC, but is easily the least schemy of us. Harrison, right now, is probably the most likely to make it really deep. He will get a mention of how he likes the group, but that is likely it. He didn't care too strongly in Tony vs Jacob, and seemingly isn't using his confessional as well as he could. Everyone likes him - but not enough for P tone. He really didn't do a WHOLE lot.
Joey - CP3 - A coming out party for Joey, too. He might be getting a growth edit. He really was in a rut in the first episode, but has seemingly found his stride. He is playing double agent, and is successfully doing it. People are liking him more. He, like Jenn, gained a LOT from the creation of an alliance, and was added to another. He is the cool kid on the scene that everyone wants to work with. For now, his loyalty is to WCC - but he has so many options.
Kilby MORP4 - MOR because he took a relative backseat this episode. The creation of the alliance doesn't mean a whole lot to him, and probably hurts him more than anything. Generic gamebotty-narration would be expected mostly in this episode. Didn't really progress, just confirmed things. The P exist only because of the idol find - otherwise this would be a fairly bog-standard MOR episode. He is the "head" of the alliance, but is staying in the background a bit.
Witch - Casts a hex to make herself disappear and everyone else hate her.
Regicide - Still a douche.
Redfern - Still adorable.
Nothing really happened over here. Jacob continues to spiral his own game and not realize it - but this time he is dragging Sarena down with him, hence the negativity. The only other plot thread would be Jayden and Kilby wanting to throw the next challenge, and general anticipation about Kilby's idol. Hence OTT - one characteristic is desire to remove Jacob from the game. Nothing changes a whole lot - it was a day off for Utren.
Rockstar good challenge performance.
Cat guy still has cat
Regicide is still a douche
This week was (fireemoji). Our ratings took a huge spike! Fantastic TV all around here on Utren.
The move that has been brewing for weeks finally occurred after an abysmal challenge performance from Utren. Utren got clobbered. Harrison put in an admirable effort while Jayden did very little. This episode would largely focus on the downfall of the messy queen herself -
Sarena -OTTN5. Sarena went into this round safe. Her content up until now has been fairly solid with some winner upside. If this was the CBS show, Sarena is our season's Ali Elliot - the shocker premerge boot who everyone thought had more life in her. Her empire of dirt entirely crumbled as she bit the bullet for the mistakes her and Jacob made together. People saw her as simply too capable. She showed potential while Jacob showed incompetence, and that was enough for her own demise. I could see the argument for CPN here for her - but I think the episode would be more fun with a wacky OTTN boot. This was a straight up, old school blindside and it was excellent and would be milked for every little bit it could.
Jayden - CP4 - What a recovery for Jayden. He was getting antsy and turning people off, but being able to go to tribal completely reinvigorated his game. He would be rebounding big time as he finally gets to pull off his big move. He didn't participate in the challenge, but it didn't matter. He had his crosshairs on Sarena, and he would largely be used as a contrast to how shes playing. He has similar impulses to her - but is able to sit on his hands better than she was.
The other orchestrator of the blindside was Kilby - CPN4 - Kilby was instrumental to the vote switching to Sarena, and the assault from the alliance. The difference and the reason for N is that he largely lied in order to create the result. It was better for everyone to do Sarena - but Kilby had to do work to make sure people bought into it, and he did. That meant lying, and being proud of his lies in confessional.
Jenn had a personal breakdown - and became very close to leaving because of it. But she pulled through. That is the reason for OTTP2. She wasn't super relevant to the undergoings of the episode, but the Wildlife Conservation Coaltion would likely show their tremendous support to her as a human being an alliance member.
Harrison - MOR - Never sure where to put Harrison on the chart. He is in the middle of everything, but is dictating very little. He is everybodys 3rd on their list - and that makes him hard to edgic. A lot of his content in this episode would be him showing off his personality in confessional and in the challenge. This was a fun episode for him. He is strategically relevant, and is in it for the long haul - but his winner upside is dwindling.
Jacob - OTTN3 - Crab in my pants, Patrick Bolton. Dude is wildly overplaying to the point where everyone treats him like a joke. Look for funny moments - dude is TV gold. Shame he isn't Survivor player gold.
Joey - Perhaps a bold take to put him number 1 after a basic MOR episode - but he seems very well situated. No one is coming for him in the alliance, and he has shown more foresight than the Harrison's of the world. He is a very strong player, and makes people feel comfortable.
Andrew - Was kind of there. His next episode will be huge.
This episode was a wild blindside, and would have been super fun to watch. But next episode begins with a firecracker of Kilby's idol being exposed. Watch and find out how it turns out next week.
Okay so one of my posts got deleted :/ So I just am making a quick catchup for the rounds
Episode 5 mostly would follow Kilby confessing about his idol - and seemingly working. Tears and all that jazz. Jacob vanished, and Andrew did a good job reintegrating himself into the group. The rest of the WCC just accepted Kilby's truth.
Episode 6 was ultimately about finding the idol successfully. Jacob goes full on Invisible, Andrew continues to re-integrate into a stronger position on the tribe. Fireworks are brewing - but for now things in this episode are calm.
First: The fall from grace for Jayden - OTTN5. Jayden got caught playing a messy game this week, and hurt significantly from it. He may be able to recover, but his relationship to Dustin hurt him big time. Dustin ratted on him being a rat - leaving his position on Utren in jeopardy. He ends up winning immunity, but if a 3-3 scenario had happened he could have been in hot water. Kilby and his relationship has been a major storyline of this season, and it showed the most fractures this week.
Speaking of which Kilby - CPN3 - His alliance kept his idol under wraps, but he has been struggling to connect to the other tribe. His goal this week was to discredit Jayden - go to Jayden and discredit Dustin. His confessional was pretty nasty - but he has Jayden and the WCC's best interest at heart, behind his own, of course. His failure to make major inroads with the other side is leaving him with fewer options than he would probably like. He is squarely positioned against Dustin, and has the ammo to use for it.
Alex - MOR3- Alex's debut on my edgic board was VERY hard to place. Alex is seemingly on the bottom of Old-Vecher, but he has quickly made key connections to Jennifer and Kilby. Maybe its an act and hes connecting to more people - but it seems like he is in a very strong position. Could see the argument for CP - but without knowing whether its successful makes it difficult to assign that rating. For me, his lack of agency over the vote and whatnot leaves him at MOR3 - which is a wonderful spot for him currently.
Andrew - MOR3 - The comeback train for Andrew is ALL ABOARD. He has completely reintegrated into Utren, and has key alliances with Jay and Kurtis. He still isn't super valued within Utren, but his stock is rising - and its rising fast. He has everything to gain from Jayden's sketchiness. He was a hard one to score for me - he had a huge feud with Adrienne, but it didn't really matter, and it was resolved. That leaves him MOR for me, this week.
Harrison - OTT3- This one is weird, I know. But I think Harrison's big story this episode was being 100% committed to Utren, WCC and I have Concerns. Harrison is loyal, and that defined him in this episode- ergo, One Note. However, more than that Harrison assembled a bit of a target on his back - people think him and Joey are this unstoppable duo. This isn't true, hence, OTT.
Joey - This episode its the same as Harrison. Joey is just playing better. He has more options, and while he is Utren Strong, he has power if it goes elsewhere, and he is well respected.
The second major story would be wrapped around Jenn - CPP5 - What a breakout. She has been fluctuating back and forth in power in this game, and this episode finally showed she is a legitimate longterm contender. She talks to everyone - Jenn became the prom queen. Everyone loves her - but that has consequence. Everyone, at this point, thinks she was running Utren. Maybe that is true, maybe it isnt-but that threat is going to be real. She has major connections - too many, maybe. Lotta game left to play, but her rise to queendom would absolutely be front and center this week.
Dustin - CPN5 - If this season were SJDS, I think Kilby is Josh and Dustin is Jeremy. These two are bound to go at it, and Jayden will be a key pin in how its decided. I think that is extremely clear. They are probably both after eachother, and with an army backing each of them. Dustin took a major blow at the end of the episode, but most of it would lead a viewer to seriously buy into a version in which Dustin wins. A critical error in the challenge left his army without a general to help them - and thus they suffered. Dustin is a major player in this season - and the edit would make sure that is 100% clear.
Kurtis - CP3 - The only Toneless CP major player this week. Kurtis has found himself a wonderful spot in this game. He has allies on both sides - and no one is seriously wanting him out. He, despite his alpha-ness, is playing a very solid UTR game, and his edit would remind the viewers of that. This is the weird cp-UTR thing you sometimes see. "I'm hanging low, smiling because I will do big things later". CP. He isn't a soldier in a war - he's the batman. He's a vigilante, the mercenary- he doesn't have a side right now, and he doesn't need one.
Michael - Could see the argument for some other rating - but its hard to say. Strategically, Michael is a nonfactor right now. I could see him having some Goat upside - and people like him. This wouldn't be invisible - he would get content, but it wasn't super important to this round.
Jay - Was not sure what to do with him - but settled for CPM3. Jay is clearly good at this game, and had an idol. He had a somewhat big role to play in the episode. He played his idol, told everyone about it - and it was a big topic of discussion. Unfortunately his plan was foiled by Dustin. Probably some NSPV from Jay -> Dustin.
Adrienne - Robbed. This would be a "thank you" edit. An unfortunate demise to a fan favourite premerge character, I imagine. Picture Stephenie Johnston on Ghost Island. Farewell to a player who did nothing wrong but was sleighted by her comrades in the game. Goodbye queen, may you rest. OTTM because, duh.
