WARNING LONG WRITE UP AHEAD
#24- South Pacific (23): South Pacific is essentially a slightly better Redemption Island, but the reasons that it's better are completely valid, so this write up for the most part, I am going to focus on the positives! (So it might seem I kind of like this season, which I do kind of, but it's essentially a huge pile of shit overall)
The pre-merge to me was not overly amazing, but showed some potential, and the South Pacific cast actually seemed good with some interesting characters compared to RI, of course the edit was sloppy and Redemption Island took away 20 minutes from the episode for a carnival game, but some people shone through regardless. The pre-merge was average at best, but compared to the previous season season seemed amazing. (And the story was split between 4/5 people instead of 2/3! What an improvement *sarcasm*) but all of that went downhill quickly, the post-merge was predictable and incredibly uncomfortable to watch due to the religious undertones of every single Upolo scene.
The editing problems this season while they do include badly split air time, mostly come down to the fact that the people that end up being important, have shit edits through out. Albert and Sophie, two of the final three, one who is the winner are pretty much completely ignored the whole season until the last few episodes.
RI as a twist works a bit better this season because Ozzy while still giving of douche and self-righteous vibes, is semi-likable in this season, though, I root against him because if he won, the producers would think RI was a success or whatever, but he obviously didn't ^_^
In terms of the cast, I've already said that I actually think this one had a lot of potential, and would've worked as a non-returnee cast pretty well. The people voted off pre-merge are all likable, and most have some semblance of a storyline which is more than you can say for Caramoan/RI but despite that, their story lines are all connected to Coach and Ozzy and RI, which makes them seem more like supporting characters then individual players. Ozzy this season was more likable but I rooted against him more than possibly everyone else, which made his fall at the end, a lot better. Jim was kind of a big character, but I'm not a big fan, he gives off a lot of smarmy vibes and like I said before, overall just ends up being portrayed as a someone on Ozzy's tribe. Keith/Whitney are pretty boring despite showing signs of being important characters,
Cochran is definitely one of the biggest talking points of the season, and I'm still split, I really want to like this guy, but he does get annoying when he gets a shit ton of airtime, which they give him this season. And his flip was actually not that bad, but ended in a predictable pagonging.
And then there's Brandon, I get why people dislike him, but with him, I can't help but dig deeper than the edit they gave him. Him begin casted does suck, because it means it's the FOURTH TIME in five seasons that there's been a Hantz on Survivor which -_-, but he comes off to me at least as inherently likable and complex, despite just being portrayed as "oh my god what's this crazy Hantz going to do next?", and while I don't like him in Caramoan, due to sucking up all the air time, and his exit reeking of manufactured exaggeration, camera hogging and attention seeking (Although I do believe he has issues, whatever does issues may be), in this season, I find myself rooting for him to overcome his uncles legacy, especially with the retrospective information of how much shit Russell's put him through and how much he's treated him like garbage (although that's all thrown away now! Because Brandon has become a public dick.) Still, I do get why people dislike him and I expect on rewatch to be annoyed with him, so that bumps him down on my cast ranking
The post-merge does eventually just become the Uncomfortable Religious Undertones Show with John Cochran, Coach, Brandon and Ozzy! (and guest starring the rest of Upolo minus Sophie as mindless cult followers) but in those last two episodes, when Sophie starts shining, the season gets a lot better.
Basically, after a whole two seasons of unbalanced editing, shit twists and returnees dominating in every single aspect with Probst praising them along the way, Sophie decides she's had enough and decides to humiliate and destroy, Coach, Ozzy and Brandon, the three producer pets. It's pretty damn spectacular seeing her come out of no where and take out Ozzy who if he won, would have an even more present edit, would be regarded by the casuals as one of the best winners ever ^-^ and would directly cause redemption island to probably return.
It's essentially two episodes of fuck you to the producers, and seeing the fans break down after the fact was great. Of course, Sophie was barely present throughout the season, but at this point, I really didn't care, while Natalie beating Russell proved the fact that Survivor was a social game, the fan breakdowns over it and the changing of the perception of Survivor as a game, irks me to no end, but when Sophie beat not only Coach but also Ozzy (!!!), the fan break down was delicious and satisfying.
Not that it makes up for a season of boring, uncomfortable, badly edited bullshit, but it puts it up a spot over Caramoan for sure.
Oh I forgot to talk about Coach, who is one of my biggest complaints about the season, they essentially take a character whose hypocrisy, self righteousness and eccentric qualities were constantly mocked in his two previous seasons (resulting in probably the funniest/most ridiculous Survivor character but more on that later) and portray his negative aspects seriously, and try to turn them into positives. They turned Coach of all characters, into a self-righteous, hypocritical bore who is essentially just a gambot. If they had shown Coach as he's meant to be, a character who perfectly stands in the middle of the line between exaggeration and true hilariousness, but showed him in control and more of a villain, with Sophie serving as a foil, his bullshit would have been a lot more tolerable.
So yeah, SP is a season with a pretty good cast, and possibly interesting characters, that in just general execution was predictable and boring game wise, but could've been average with a fantastic ending, if they took out the religious crap and showed more of the eventual winner.
So it's essentially a Season 22 with a bit more potential if edited correctly (Even if RI had fairly split air time, it would still suck, because I believe that Ometepe is just that boring, and Rob would still win and be praised) that had a much better ending, and more than one storyline.
~highlight~ Final two episodes for sure
Cast Ranking (slightly edited a few minutes later):
18th: Benjamin 'Coach' Wade
17th: Keith Tollefson (Savaii bore whore #1)
16th: Whitney Duncan (Savaii bore whore ((ha because she cheated on her husband)) #2)
15th: Elyse Umemato (Savaii bore whore #3)
14th: John Cochran (I guess? This cast like I said, is pretty damn likable)
13th: Brandon Hantz (Every season in my bottom three has a Hantz. Coincidence? Actually, probably.)
12th: Rick Nelson (Upolo lovable background character #1)
11th: Jim Rice
10th: Semhar Tadesse (datpoetrytho < 3)
9th: Edna Ma (Upolo lovable background character #2 I really need to rewatch for her)
8th: Albert Destarade
7th: Mikayla Wingle (Upolo lovable background character #3)
6th: Oscar 'Ozzy' Lusth (If only for getting beaten)
5th:Christine Shields Markoski (Obligatory person in two/three returnee seasons that calls them out/targets them immediately once they get there < 3)
4th: Dawn Meehan
3rd: Mark 'Papa Bear' Caruso (random fav of mine)
2nd: Stacey Powell (BOOM. but seriously I just lolled at the fact that this woman might be in my top 2. Don't take these cast rankings to heart people, they're done on the spot)
1st: Sophie Clarke (Dragon slayed)
This season sucked no other thin about it. I didn't like Cochran I found him whiny trying to be the best player. Sorry I do not like Cochran and then Dawn was there and she was a horrible mess. Too many coulda woulda shoulda and nothing happened. Sorry. yerg
I hate Cochran,I dont know what is so likeable about him,he screwed his tribe and himself too,Ozzy is good at challenges but as a player he is terrible,I love Christine I was so disappointed that she got eliminated on her b-day and not returned in the merge
Kikorus Ozzy's a horrible player, no doubt (CI though, I think you can kind of defend). And I'm really mixed on Cochran at the moment, I don't hate him and it's true that I find him semi-likable, but on the other hand, he played a part in ruining two seasons, whether his fault or not, and he's annoying at times which I said ^_^
yerg The cast has confirmed in exit interviews that if Brandon had made it to the end, he would have won. So this season's not only poorly edited, unbalanced, and predictable, it's also flat-out weird!
