Survivor: China, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Episode 1 – “I Bury People”
by Wesley Rice
-- 09/26/2007
Wesley adopts a column from The Amazing Race to capture the good, the bad, and the ugly we saw on the most recent episode of Survivor: China. Which category does James (right) fall into? Read on to find out.
In the past few seasons of The Amazing Race, RNO Associate Editor Mike DeGeorge has been writing articles detailing the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the race and its racers. I’ve enjoyed reading those articles mainly due to his caustic wit, but I’ve also enjoyed seeing how what one person attributes as good could sometimes be another person’s ugly (and vice versa). I’ve also felt this article was sorely lacking from Survivor, which is a show that clearly screams “good, bad, and ugly.”
So with only slightly further ado, let me present...
The Good:
They’re in freakin’ China, man! I’m so excited that they’re back on the mainland. Island seasons are all right, but they become so uniform after a while. Even Jeff Probst in a preseason interview admitted he was glad to be off the islands finally. Plus, this takes us one step closer to a scenario I’ve been screaming for since Season 2... Survivor: Siberia!
“I bury people.” How awesome was it when James said that to Leslie? The look on her face was simply priceless. On top of that, I sense a power duo in the making here, which could make things interesting.
Frosti’s first parkour jump. Okay, if you know me, then you know that I am infinitely impressed by parkour. I’m already predisposed to like Frosti since he’s a parkour athlete, and when he take that initial jump across to the first wall in the challenge, he hopefully gave a hint of what’s to come. That said, I’ve got to give James his due. He was right there with Frosti the entire time.
Todd’s deft election of Aaron as leader. Now this was sweet. Todd cleverly suggested that Aaron would do well as the tribe leader in front of everyone else. Aaron is then stuck in a difficult situation. He either denies the role and shows weakness, or he accepts the role and becomes a target. Meanwhile, Todd has created a figurehead to which he can attach himself while at the same time avoiding the attention himself.
Chicken’s “damn!” Did you see his tribemates jump around him? Priceless! The best voted-off response since Richard’s “I’ve been bamboozled!” If only we could have seen more of that personality earlier in the show
The Bad:
Jean-Robert’s interaction with Todd. Ugh! Jean-Robert is apparently trying to use his aggressive poker-playing skills to make Todd uncomfortable or pressure him into giving up information about himself. But this game isn’t like poker, where you have a set hand from the beginning. It’s constantly evolving, and Jean-Robert came out with his aggressive play way too soon. Additionally, the whole interaction between the two of them just seemed awkward. It was kind of hard to watch. Now, not only has Jean-Robert not learned anything about Todd’s place in the tribe, but he’s also drawn attention to himself as a threat. It’s clear to me that Jean-Robert might have tipped his hand already.
Chicken’s indecisiveness. For Yul’s sake! Make a decision already! I realize that his ideas got shot down earlier, so he felt like he should take a step back. But it was more like taking 20 steps back and hiding behind a log. It’s okay to give your opinion if somebody asks you your opinion. If they don’t like it, you can let it go, but say SOMETHING!
The Ugly:
Courtney’s attitude. I’ve already heard from a number of people who were offended by not just her actions but also her blaming them on the fact that she was a New York city girl. I think RNO writer Ken Kellam said it best: “She looked like an absolute buffoon in the temple. Seeing that monk turn her hands up, and then seeing her roll her eyes, made her look like she wasn’t mature enough to appreciate the experience. And I don’t think it has to do with being a New Yorker or even a city girl. I think that’s just how she is... immature, whiny, and obnoxious.”
Get off your high horse, Courtney, or somebody will knock you off it before too long. And her attitude back at the camp wasn’t any better – (paraphrasing) “Flight attendants and nice people, ugh, who’s like that?” Could somebody punch her in the face, please? Please?!
The Verdict:
So how did we fair this week? Five goods, two bads, and one ugly. It looks like a promising start to the season. Let’s hope we can keep up the excellent ratio here. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: China articles here on RealityNewsOnline:
Wesley is an English teacher and writer from Wichita, KS. He’d punch Courtney himself, except that he’s a pacifist, so you’re going to have to do it for him. He can be reached with questions, comments, or snide remarks at Musnud@gmail.com.
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