Survivor: Gabon – What Are We to Make of These People?
December 18th, 2008 | by cwalton |
Survivor: Gabon – What Are We to Make of These People?
There are good seasons of Survivor and there are great seasons. The long-running CBS reality show just doesn’t do sub-par seasons, and its amazing staying power is a testament to its unerring quality. Eighteen seasons in, and fans may have just witnessed the greatest season yet. Survivor: Gabon was unyielding in its twists and turns. What was lost in a somewhat anti-climactic and boring finale was a series of incredible episodes, punctuated by blindsides and betrayal and intriguing human drama. I’ve been a Survivor Kool-Aid drinker since almost day one, so feel free to take my slurping of Survivor with a grain of salt. That being said, I don’t know any long-time Survivor fans who would disagree with my overwhelmingly positive assessment of the latest season. When anything series goes on for close to a decade, it starts being ignored, even if it does remain as popular as it ever was. Survivor fails to get its just due. It birthed the reality TV revolution, for better or worse, and remains its brightest light, an oasis in a desert filled with vacuous crap.
I’ve thought a long time today about what more I could possibly say about Survivor: Gabon. Even the above first paragraph, which I wrote hours before what you’re reading now, is kind of a stock pro-Survivor introduction, an attempt to phrase my long-time, and oft-repeated, feelings about the show in a somewhat new manner. I may have succeeded, but it’s still recycled material. Forgive me for this – it’s inevitable. With Survivor, eighteen seasons in, events and actions are bound to be repeated. And, in related news – characters and personas are bound to be repeated. The first season of Survivor was the only one that featured totally original characters. Every cast since has been a derivation of the first. As the seasons build up, the more personas there are to draw upon for a new cast.
Read the entire article at Survivor: Gabon – What Are We to Make of These People?
8 Responses to “Survivor: Gabon – What Are We to Make of These People?”
By Purpleheart on Dec 19, 2008 | Reply
I have seen the show from day one, It should be called the conivers, Even though it’s just a game it truely amazes me how low the human society will stoop for money. But I have to say that Bob and Sugar have restored some of my faith in humanity with how they played the Gabon Survivor. Bob should have given Sugar the $100,000 because things would have been diffrent if Sugar hadn’t done what she did with the Tie breaker. Corrine doesn’t deserve any comments, she should pal up with Randy, they’re both SLUGS. From the beginning, everyone thought Sugar was a dumb Blonde but when they found out how smart she was they all resented her, especially Corrine and randy.
By bblackmoor on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
I think it’s clear that if the jury were composed of better people, Sugar would have won. She outsmarted, outlasted, and outplayed everyone. Period. That they voted for Susie instead just shows how petty and childish the jury was this season. As for the people who seem to revel in being unpleasant, they should be avoided and ignored (I am not even going to name them, because they shouldn’t be rewarded by seeing their names in print).
By n0d0ubt on Dec 22, 2008 | Reply
Sugar deserved zilch,nada, zero, nothing!!
Bob got it all, what he rightfully deserved… 
way to go Bob!!!
Sugar is not a good hearted person.. Thats for sure. Personal message to Jeff Probst.. Please oh Please Dont get any over emotional BLONDE contestants on the next season. Jeez. i would not be able to take another SUGAR!!!!
Shes certainly not the brightest crayon in the box..Ok, so she gives Matty the idol, And keeps him in, Well she cared enough then to keep him in, how come she had to make it a tie vote?? I agree and stand with Corrine completely.. Plus, as they said we only saw 1/300 minutes of the footage.. NO WONDER SHE WAS SENT TO EXILE SO MUCH!! A collicky baby in Africa, hahaha. And you think Bob should have given her 100,000^_^? lol… Why? Sugar made it harder for him, making tie vote.. Perhaps he didnt make that fire… (practice makes perfect) Matty would have won, and bob still would have been sprint player of the season.
If i were Bob i would give a bit of money to everyone that was on the show, Except leave sugar with a chocolate chip cookie, that would BE SO GRANDDDDDDD. And Give the laughter that she gave when Randy lost his cookie
By n0d0ubt on Dec 22, 2008 | Reply
ewww… everyone has pity for sugar… That is PATHETIC!!!! Poor her, cannot leave her house without make-up.. Uhm…. didnt have much make up in Gabon.. Shes a fool.. and had u all fooled.. Watch it be another Johnny Fairplay and her Father not even deceased.. all an act… afterall she is an actress.. and not returning till January.. that was just practice
And the ashes spread out in Gabon, with her sister,…. those were her dead cat remains.. 
just watch…. LOL. id love it. 
By Annie on Dec 26, 2008 | Reply
Hi Bob, Congratulations! I just wanted to say that Sugar is a person with a big heart that cares for people. She looked to you as a father. I lost my mother and it almost killed me. If I were you I would have not have thought twice but would have split the $100,000 with Sugar, Matty and Susie. I say this because they are people with a heart and compassion. Also, because I was raised in poverty. Sugar saved you by telling you that they were going to vote you out. It was only because of her that you stayed. She went a step further and voted for you instead of Matty making you one of the top 3. You knew very well of the hatrid for Sugar from the jury and they never would have voted for her. I was disppointed that you downed her about laughing about Randy’s exit. You would have won without doing that. Randy was a very crule man. Please consider splitting the money with them. I know that it is probably too much to ask for but if it were me, I would not feel right if I didn’t. Having the most money is not always winning. Thanks Bob, I hope this means something to you. Compassion is everything.
By Annie on Dec 26, 2008 | Reply
Dear Corrine, My dad died when I was 8 years old. My brother was murdered at 18 years old. My greatest loss was when I lost my mother eight years ago. It almost killed me. I realized then that no one could ever understand the agonizing pain of loosing a mother until they lost their mother. I was disappointed that you could find it gratifing to cause great pain to another human being who recently lost someone they cherrished with your crule comment to Sugar. I tell you this because some day you will loose your mother or father or brother and you will then understand the pain that never goes away. You will then understand tears in your heart that don’t stop. Compassion, not education or money is what makes you a person of worth and purpose.
By Annie on Dec 27, 2008 | Reply
Matty is an amazing, fun guy. I hope some movie producer picks him up for some kind of a role in a fun happy movie. I respected him because when he paid another person a compliment you could tell he was sincere and from his heart. He said that he had respect for everyone that played. Not everyone would have been that kind. He was so cute with his romantic proposal to his beautiful girl friend. That added so much to the program. I wished you would make a rule that the $100.000 could not be given to the winner of the million. People like seeing more than one person come out with something after all that pain, starvation, strain, mentally and phsically. I also would love to see the viewers of the show be able to make the last vote for the winner on at least one show or at least let viewers count as half the final vote. Not leaving it all to a bunch of people who literally HATE others. Also, I think that common sence tells you that putting an out door expert Science teacher in who would win an unfair high amount of immunitys. Come on! Lastly, I was so sad at the final show at the end when Bob jumped up and hugged Corinne so tight after her heartless remark to Sugar. You could see the sadness in Sugar’s face that she was so rudely spoken to by the one she loved as a father and in getting no votes. I think she will go far in life and I hope you update us when she, Matty and Susie does. I also love when you give a new truck to people in the middle of the show. People like that. Thanks for giving us such a fun show. I watch it over and over.
By Fred on May 17, 2010 | Reply
Let it be known that I will not be watching another episoda of survivor again I can’t believe that russel didn’t win he played the game better than anyone else. well so long never to return!!! bye