RHAP: We Know Survivor - Know-It-Alls: Survivor 49 Ep 3 Recap

Episode Date: October 9, 2025

Today, Stephen Fishbach and special guest, Omar Zaheer, discuss Survivor 49 episode 3.

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We're about to break it down Like they've won The game a million times Well, actually They didn't really win the game At all Survive, no way it holds Oh, yes, that's

Yes, that's right, that's right, Robbed out, New York in New York City. So I am joined in New York City, so I am joined by the cockatoo bro himself. Omar Omi Zikir. Welcome. So happy to have you here. Thank you so much for having me on what a wildlife-focused episode of the show. This is perfect. I'm glad I'm not hobnobbing with the Glitterati.

I'm glad we're here right now to talk about the, what a biting episode it was. This really was the perfect episode to have you on for the recap because you are another, you know, ripped Canadian bro. exactly and you watch the video it's it's right here yeah right here um two peas in a pod and jeremiah goes home two canadians in one episode this a canadian this is a day of morning for us well actually omer i'm going to tell you something this is this is breaking news and this is totally sincere today today today like a few hours ago today i officially became a Canadian citizen 100% true you're you're you're you're fucking with me no no 100% true i was sworn in today so i've dual citizen i'm also a u.s i'm officially also okay so this was really a big day for all of us

let's see if this if here's me getting getting sworn in by judge um by judge um well actually this is a memorable name anthony blair tony blair um yeah um swore me in yeah to as a can Canadian citizens, so I, you know, when are you moving? I, you know, TBD, TBD, I need my passport first, but, uh, okay. Yeah, I'm official, I figured like Traders U.S. was never going to call me. So this seemed like best, the easiest. Anyone can get on Traders Canada. So you got it.

What an exciting time to be a Canadian citizen, but this is, maybe it's like when one Stephen converts to Canadianism, two Canadians must die on survival. I'm willing to make that sacrifice. Yeah, this is, they're your blood sacrifice and we're happy for it. You know, I guess they did us good. Well, let's jump in. This was such a crazy episode, such so intense. And we do have like the definitive wildlife expert here to talk about this huge biting episode, as you say.

Took a bite out of a box. Tell us about the sea crate. The secret, the banded secret. This is actually crazy because I was obsessed with a snake before I went to Fiji because I was like, I need to learn all about it. Because I hope there's a situation. in which this information comes in handy. And here I was on too early, the bandit secret is truly one of the most venomous snakes in the world.

And venom, do you know much about venom? Are you one of those hobnobbing glitteratis that call it poisonous snakes? Because if so, I'm going to kick your ass right now. No, I was, you should explain, but like, I was, I did not understand the difference. I actually have a venomous snake in escape, a little plug here. So actually, and it's in fact a crate. So, yeah, but it's a different crate. You accepted all the Canadian citizenship, the snake in the book, this is all you.

This is like if we take them the curtains, like the Truman Show or some shit like that. That's actually crazy. I did learn about venom versus poison. Yeah. So poison is when you consume something that kills you or hurts you. Venom is when it's injected into you. And snakes that are venomous, they're never poisonous. So in terms, unless you eat the poison gland, which will be idiotic.

But there are five types of ways to cat. categorize how dangerous a snake is based on their venom. One is opportunity. Are they in a very, you know, the spanishe crate is in the sea. So it's not really hobnobbing with our glitterati out on land very often. However, the sea crate is interesting because it does spend half of this time on land, especially after they eat. Do you know what they eat?

I mean, Canadians. Yeah, exactly. And an eel or something. You know, that's what their primary diet is. And so when you're catching an eel in the ocean, you've got to have really potent venom so that you can kill it very quickly. Otherwise, it's going to get away from you and you're going to lose your meal. So their opportunity is kind of 50-50 there.

They're not aggressive at all. So it actually takes a, you know, Jake was a shoe bandit, a one-of-a-kind player. It's a one-of-a-kind person to get bit by a secret. How does it happen? Ordinarily non-executive. So you were going through a whole list of you. That was just one, right? About like what they mean.

Yeah. The opportunity, aggression, the injection mechanism. So if they have really long fangs in the front or in the back, the quantity of venom they inject, because sometimes it's only a little bit, sometimes it's a lot. And then how potent the venom is. And how potent the venom is really depends on what they're eating.

If they're in the ocean, they have to kill something really quickly, otherwise it's off and away. There is the Brazilian pit viper you might be familiar with. There's a South American snake called the eyelash viper. And on mainland Brazil, it has, you know, it's venomous. It's moderate venom-vening abilities. But there's an island called snake.

island off the coast of Brazil, which is illegal for people to go to because of the high concentration of these eyelash vipers that live on it. And they actually have even more potent venom than the ones on mainland because they have to catch birds in the air. And if they don't, if they don't kill them right away, those birds are flying away and dying somewhere else. Are they jumping? How is a snake catching a bird in the air? Their body halfway through the air to like strike them as they fly by because that's their only source of food. So it's one. A nightmare unlocked. The crate is extraordinarily venomous, but extremely non-aggressive. It is very difficult to get eaten by or bit by a snake, but it seemed like a

freak accident where it came up to him. However, it makes sense that it was a dry bite, which is because it costs the animal a lot of energy within the body to create venom. So it doesn't want to go wasting it. It's how birds, it's like how birds are lazy as fuck. They don't want to fly unless they have to. That takes a lot of energy. We're not running around just for fun unless you're, I don't know, who are these runners on the show, whoever is running marathons and half marathons and whatnot. They're doing it for fun, but you don't want to expend more energy than you have to. So these snakes, if they don't, if they're not biting prey, they don't want to use their venom unless they're really threatened. So Jake was clearly not threatening or pestering the

snake, which is probably why it was a dry bite as opposed to something more insidious or dangerous. But why give the bite at all? Like, Jake was just sitting there. You know, that snake, like, why give the bite at all? It might have been unwell, but it came, it came by. And it, like, if you see something large and kind of in your way, and it's a small, a relative small animal, it's going to bite. And also, they're probably more likely to bite on land because the sea crate has a little paddle for a tail. And so on land, they actually can only go about one fifth of the speed as they can in the water. So they already are impaired in being able to get away. And if maybe it walked up or slithered up and was startled, that's an easy

way to kind of mark its territory and then run for the water. Or it could have been unwell. We don't know. Do you think it's like because it was his foot, like something that it was like a rodent or something, you know like a like this um i think the thing is they kind of like can sense heat so they can probably see the big oh yeah yeah yeah yeah i don't think so but i think it's more like uh oh this is kind closer than i want it to be let me just warn it and walk away or slither away have you ever a seen a crate or b do you treat snakes i do treat snakes but non-venomous snakes at the zoo we did a little bit of work with some of the venomous snakes but you do have to be really careful because they can i mean it's quite it's very difficult to get anti-venom which is another

thing. Like, do you know how anti-venom is made, Steven? I'm guessing from the venom? Yes. So, you have to milk the snake by putting it on, yeah. You can milk anything. Yeah, you can milk, milk your own milk. Milk that snake. Um, so you put their fangs in a little cup and then they, they leach the venom out. And then you have to take small quantities of that venom and put it into a large animal like a horse who then creates antibodies to it. And then you can give them a little bit more, and that creates more antibodies, and then you can take that horse's antibodies from its blood and use it to create venom. So it's a very anti-venom. So it's a very labor-intensive process, and it's not just widely available. It's not like Tylenol, Stephen. So, you know,

there's so much focus this episode on treating Jake for having gotten bit by the snake. Is the snake in any danger for having bitten Jake? The snake got rabies now. He's gone. He's gone. We got the maple syrup bug. Maybe the snake. You know what? I think I saw a picture of that snake a few days later. I think he had a nipple ring. So I think, you know, something osmosisly went over there.

Well, let's talk about this. This was, I thought it very intense, you know. I mean, like, apparently I'm more of a Jake fan than other people, but like, I really found it to be a very intense moment to watch. Like, I got a little, like, agitated, you know. And then, you know, you have this, this crazy image I thought where, like, they're running with Jake on a street, you know, first of all, like, is he breathing? You know, they're yelling it across the water.

Is he breathing? Like, that's the baseline. They don't even know if he's breathing. I feel like they should have radioed. He's still breathing. Just make sure he's still breathing. We wouldn't have gotten a peek inside, Stephen. We have to know everything.

Yeah. But then they're like racing across. I have such a cool image with him on the sled and like three boom mics hovering over him, which I thought was such like, this is like a crisis on reality TV. You've got the sled, but you also have the three boom mics. And then they take him. to this like little like shack because obviously they're still trying to keep him like game ready you know not um what we did what walk us through like what what did you think about this like where's

where was your head during this whole so do you do you know why they asked if he's breathing or how their venom works i guess they wanted him well it's it's i know it's a neurotoxin so like presumably it just like you know yeah yeah so they they do have a neurotoxin they also have a bit of a myotoxin meaning they can attack the muscles as well and both of those together will call paralysis cause paralysis and paralysis of your breathing muscles. So, you know, sometimes in severe cases, if it is truly a bite where you're envenomated, which it only takes, I think about 45 milligrams or something like that to kill an adult or something very small amount.

And you will need to be on a ventilator. Like they will need to put a breathing tube in and breathe for you if you stop breathing on your own because of this. And all of the muscle damage can also cause damage to your kidneys as well. So it is like this is one of the most dangerous types of venom to get. envenomated with. So they do have to be on alert for breathing, pain, vital signs, all of that. And I thought it was a very, you should have had your heart racing because, I mean, we all know he's okay. We've seen pictures of him. He was hobnobbing with the glitterati of Rome,

Carolyn, Jesse, all of those, Venus, Venus flytrap, all of those characters he's playing around with. So we know he's alive and well. But in the moment when they're going through this process, you don't know if he's going to start showing signs of respiratory depression or respiratory arrest and he has it we know he has a baby on the way and how much the game means to him and he's Canadian which you can you know he's your people yeah so you know I get how intense that that moment really was and it was a huge um relief when it because you know a lot of medical emergencies you know you got Neil with his little like abscess on his nail he's going to be just fine um but if you get envenomated by the snake you might not live so that is it's probably one of the

most serious medical emergencies that's ever happened on the show, other than maybe Caleb or Russell Swan. Yeah. Well, let's talk about Jake's position in the game because it actually seemed like he was in an extremely good spot. Now, granted, his tribe is getting windowed down. But as we know, from Mott Singh on, being on the disaster tribe is actually great for your game. Jake seemed to be in the best position on the disaster tribe. Like, in fact, like everyone's mind is absolutely blown, right? Like, Alex and Sophie, like, how do I even function in this game without about Jake, Jeremiah to a lesser extent. And, you know, it really seemed like he was in a good spot.

Was Jake in the best position of any Medevac contestant ever? Ooh, good question. You don't think that Joe Dowdell was walking away with it, Stephen? Joe Douddle wasn't a good spot, but actually, well, no, I should I say that, but actually, Joe probably, like, might have gotten voted out, like, anyway. It was like a good, it was like a, we saw you blindside his fake showman, Sidney. We know he wasn't in a great position. You know, it wasn't Mike Brassy, that's for damn sure.

Bruce Canagai was kind of going to get clipped. I feel like he might have, maybe, no, Jonathan Penner, he was kind of on the outs, but he started to make his way in, but he wasn't as top of a position as possible. People say, Mike, okay, you know what, I'm going to get on my high horse here. People all over the internet and all, whatever existed in 2001. And all over TV was like, Mike Scooping. I mean, redacted, would win, exactly. That guy who the fire could have done a better job on.

He was going to win if he didn't get Medevac and I at the time. Even as a child said, no, he was making everybody mad and nobody really liked him. So I disagree. I don't think he would have won. So I do think, yes, you are correct. Ring the bell if you have it. Yeah, I don't. Oh, you didn't get custody of it.

I don't get cussed of it. I don't send me the bell. You know, it's not safe. You've been here with this organization for how long and you haven't been given a bell? The bell is like a relic. There's like a whole team that moves the bell from place to place of like priests and things.

Send it to Ghost Island for Arham. So then let's talk about, do we do we do this more to say about Jake and the snake? Well, I just think he was in such a good position. And, you know, Survivor crowns itself on, prides itself on big power swings and changing up the game and making moves. And I think that a snake should get the fishing

well let's TBD I'm not out on that the people the people don't like it when that happens but I do think that that the snake actually might deserve it with you here um we can we can make the case um well let's talk about like the decision to pull jake from the game because it was interesting about it was it felt like it was as psychological as anything they weren't saying you can't physically compete in this game they were saying you've had a traumatic experience you know theoretically you're fine I'd love to give you some some better food we want to give you some air conditioning, but it really seemed more about the trauma of what he had gone through. Like, where are you on that? Like, did you feel like that was, like, too aggressive for the doctors

or do you think that that was, like, good caretaking? Yeah, well, I mean, first, I guess, far be it from me to say what a human doctor should do. I can tell you if it was a rabbit, what I would do. What do you do with a rabbit? Yeah. A rabbit would have been, that would have been a real envenation because you got to eat that bag. But in terms of, this situation like yes it did seem largely psychological you know he had his life flash before his eyes and maybe he was going to lose his kid i think from a medical perspective if i had to guess like i think by the time they cleared him as a dry bite or a at least mostly dry bite they probably are confident he's not going to go into like respiratory arrest which is the most concerning part but is there a smaller venom dose

and he's a larger man um that is it going to start destroying some muscles or will to be some weakness will that affect his kidneys and then he's going to be dehydrated on the show and is it too much of a liability as a precaution at that point i think that i mean that would be more where i would go to i think if it was truly a dry bite and there was nothing further than i i don't i kind of think they should let him try and see how it goes but at the same time you know we we saw three four minutes of that five minutes of it maybe um who knows how distraught he was and what the situation was really like I'm sure that they made, I feel like they probably made a cautious decision, but I'm not sure about, like, I thought, you know, when it seemed like he was getting medevac and they're yelling,

is he breathing? I thought it was because he was a true in benedimination. Yeah, yeah. Well, and it certainly looked like that at the beginning. And what's so cool about, you know, this episode is like, they don't know, you know, like, they're shouting as you right? Like, they don't know either. Like, we're watching it unfold for them in real time, you know?

There's no way to know. You know, like you really can't know until you start to see vitals change or the inability to breathe or move. Yeah. So Jake is pulled from the game and the Blue Tribe down to three and they're going to do it for Jake. They have decided like, this is for Jake. We're going to bring it home for Jake.

We're fighting for Jake here. We're going to win for Jake. And that is actually a moment where I will say, yeah, people, it doesn't always translate on TV. I think this one actually did a very good job of translating the. high emotions of moments like that because it really does mean a lot to the people you do bond very quickly i get it's 26 days and whatnot but this is an adventure that people were like looking forward to for their whole much of their lives sometimes their whole adult life and the intense emotions of

these challenges is really something that's hard to replicate on screen unless you really feel it and i was not a sports person you know growing up so i didn't really get that intensity of competition and bonding in the same way that you know the highs are really high when you win and the lows are really low when you lose. And I felt like this episode did a reasonable job showing how emotionally devastating that loss was because even the other teams like couldn't physically celebrate. But I will say like even losing Jackson on day three of Survivor felt like a big loss. Like that was very upsetting and it really bonded our tribe very close together because we were like we are down one person and we are facing two fully intact tribes. And if we lose, we're going to get

decimated. And it really brought the group together as opposed to tearing. it apart and I'm sure you felt the same thing um like you were like gonna win it for you jo on his way out oh that one didn't you know what did though I mean I really like Joe but like Joe was getting voted out so it didn't feel like it actually felt like they're kind of like you know this is like a nice way so was Jackson um the um when Terry was pulled I that was like a very like upsetting moment because like you know Terry had been waiting for his second shot for so long and then to like have him like leave in this sort of dramatic LA did kind of bring it home.

You know, this guy just like life circumstance just kind of in an instant, hold him away from it. And Joe Del Campo? Hmm. His bladder? My God. Mm-hmm. Yeah, very upsetting.

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This champ is picking up speed. But they found a lane. Phenomenal launch into the air. Absolutely incredible Air Transat. Fly the seven-time world's best leisure airline champions, Air Transat. So let's talk about having to jump into the water immediately after someone has been. Like, I was like, you know, Bandit C-Crates have an opportunity. here to do something very funny you know they are known for their sense of humor um yeah

they would definitely fishy if they went for the second the second yeah yeah fishy for the rest of the season yeah um yeah no i know i mean going jumping it's yeah it was a bit crazy but um also just even just going into a competition after that right after with no decompression that is respect i mean that must have been very difficult for them to do it um but blue absolutely once again falls apart. And there was some Discourse on... You even know their tribe name, Stephen?

Well, I've got it... Is it Kelle? Kelle? Yeah. Kelly. I don't... I don't... I make a point

to not learn their names before the murder or after the murder. Fair enough. But yeah. So Kelle is... They do terribly. And again, like, it comes down

to the puzzle. And this just feels like there was some interesting discourse on X.com about why there are these disasters. tribes and I saw some folks saying that it had to do with the and on chap BCC this was a discussion that had to do with like really coming down to like one of one of the things posited was the puzzle solver and it really feels like that's the case in this in this trio of tribes where you have

Jason on one tribe who's like lightning fast blazes through these puzzles crazy that he was an alternate um and then nicest man as well he seems so sweet yeah um and then and the other um on Kelly, there's just, there's just nobody who knows how to do the puzzles. Like, like, and you just like, what do you do? Like, you just don't have that person. And they don't test you for it beforehand. Well, yeah, I mean, I guess there's an IQ test or whatever, but it's not, or like, I mean, I don't even think it's the regular IQ test anymore, but it's the one, I don't

know what it's called. It's a W-name or something like that, well, Wonderlek. But, yeah, I don't think that still accurately can portray things, especially when it's in the moment, you know, it's very physical. It's not on a computer screen. And I do think that, you know, in my opinion, there's some discourse about whether it is the, you know, rejection of Flint and loss of supplies that kind of compounds each other. There's also the psychological component.

I think it is probably more the psychological component plus the fact that a lot of the challenge, it doesn't even have to be the puzzle. They're very homogeneous overall. Like, if you're good at one, you're probably going to be good at the other ones because they're that similar. And especially when you have the confidence of winning, it's just we've seen it now time and time and time again, whereas in the,

back in the day, when you were hobnobbing in the Brazilian highlands, you know, every challenge was different. Remember we had to throw those ceramic pigs? What the fuck was that?

I know. Very, I do miss that. And as a, like, even as a player, like, when you show up for a challenge

in token chains, like everyone was, I'm amazing that you remember that ceramic pig challenge because I think about that too. It's like, what a weirdo challenge. But it was like,

everything was so different. You'd like, no clue, what was, going to happen. There was one way we had to like move, you know, we had to race back and get boards and line them up and then like flip it upside down. And I mean, just like, like, so many different weird style because you were sucked at that day. It didn't suck at that. I was really bad at that. But like there was like there was no one skill set or like that really could could dominate in any

sequence of challenges because everyone was like, you know, we had the weight holding challenge, which I love, you know, where that was just like, who's going to stand the be, be there the longest. with weight on their back. But then there's like, again, like throwing ceramic pigs. It's like everything was a test of something different. And so it felt like even as both as individuals, but also as like a tribe, you kind of had to like find new ways to work together,

which was really cool. But now it's like even on Cambodian, I think it's gotten more so extreme. Like there was like, okay, here's like the physical component. And then this is the like skill component and here's the agility component. And here's the puzzle component. And it was like very much like you kind of knew what was going to happen every tribe just every time just because of who was in your group.

Yeah. for sure. And I think that that is really the thing that we're missing the most. Do you think if they're going to go back to that, would that lose some of the casual audience who loves these big obstacles or no? Does anyone like, I guess there are people who are watching?

I don't know. I feel like the- They love the challenges, bruh, that's what they love. You're probably right that there's like, does anyone want to watch the ceramic pig challenge? I mean, I do, but. Yeah, but like, does the Facebook casual want to watch the ceramic pig challenge?

I don't know. So let's talk about, so Kelly, Kelly loses, and it actually presents a really interesting strategic conundrum. Very, like, you know, you've got these three players. Wait, hang on, one question. I'm going to lose track of it about the disaster tribe thing. Yeah. Do, firstly, do you think it's, like some people think it's iconic and some people think it's played out. I feel like it's played out and a little bit boring.

I want to see more groups go. what do you think i mean i get the utility from a storytelling perspective where you get to focus so much on one group you see them you learn about them and you're kind of getting the other two as like side characters and then and then at the merge it all kind of comes together i also am a little tired of it the fact that it's like every single season is sort of the same thing i mean anything repeated i think it's a really interesting strong narrative but it just happens every single time and i think we like i'd like to see it make it mixed up a little bit yeah fair and then i would I agree so much.

And what I would love to see is just something different. Even if they're going to stick with three tribes, what I would personally love to see is if only one tribe, one immunity and every week two tribes were going to one tribal council. I think that especially with large tribes to one, so they're both voting out one player. I think that would be kind of fun. It'll be just a different season.

The first week that that happens then like, but then every subsequent week, the second tribe. You got your journeys to lose votes, you know. I guess so, I guess. People on the bottom, maybe they want to do, I don't know. I feel like it would be interesting to switch it up. but I feel like that would lead to like a preseason pegong or like a pre-mer.

Yeah, fair enough. Or they could at least send somebody from the winning tribe to the losing tribe and let them vote for fun. Yeah, I mean, or just like mix it up a little bit. I mean, I'm with you. Like we, you know, do some format tweaks. Like, Jeff's big thing, you know, in the new era was throwing stuff against the wall and, you know,

seeing what works. And I feel like they've, they've thrown the stuff. They throw like one set of stuff. We need to keep throwing. You know, you don't just like throw the one stuff. You know, you know, you know where what that suggestion that I had would come in more handy as a returning player season because then there are cross-tribal relationships. So if you're going, it's not going to be a Pagonging necessarily, but regardless.

Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of storytelling though there that you're like, oh, why did this character jump over to this group? You know, 90-minute episodes, baby. We didn't have the luxury. It's because they played clock tower together. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. But yes, your point about this, this vote being very interesting is very valid because I think it was actually even more interesting on paper than what was presented on this TV screen. I was like writing out like like even just from Sophie's POV like why you and it actually was more complicated than it seemed different. So like talk us through it. So let me let me set the stage and then you you talk us at the strategy and then and then I'll jump in if I have anything.

But like so basically they go back and Alex has this idol and you know, they don't know if he's going to play it or not. And to me at least, it seemed like both Sophie and Jeremiah, their preference was to stick together. Is that sort of how you read it? Like if they could have chosen, if there was. no idol at all, they would have voted together. But because Alex has this idol, they kind of end up, they devise this plan to let's

wall Alex into this false sense of security where we can then blindside him because he's not going to play his idol. And then they kind of each go about that in their separate ways, which we should, I want to hear more about your perspective of their different tactics for that. But then obviously, ultimately, Sophie votes with Alex. So, like, talk me through all the strategic permutations here. Yeah, I think this is like, the thing that this reminded me the most of was Eric Reichenbach going home because this was a golden opportunity to do something like that. Like I feel like the best move for Jeremiah and Sophie, if they truly wanted to stick together and kick Alex out, was to go full on theater.

Start throwing each other under the bus at tribal council, make it very distracting. Don't say, oh, well, we don't know if he's going to play it or not. Be like it's irrelevant if he does or something like that. I don't know. I think that really laying into it. And then Alex probably, he was already close to not doing it. it. But I think it really comes down to looking at it from each person's perspective. And I think there's a unique element of they don't know a tribal swap or absorption Malcolm and Denise style is coming after this. Very well, what they could do is go back to the Survivor Palau playbook and allow another immunity challenge. And if they lose, one of them is going home. And what happens if Alex kept his idol and it's still in the game? Like, then you go home, Surrey style. So I feel like Jeremiah and Sophie have to almost from just a pure mechanic standpoint, not counting their personal relationships, kind of have to force Alex

to play his immunity idol while simultaneously trying to get Alex, or sorry, trying to get him voted out if he doesn't play his immunity idol. Because if he keeps it and they're the last two with him and they do have another immunity challenge and lose, they're going home automatically. Now, obviously, that's clearly not the case because they are swapping, but they don't know that. I think that that's something that they should keep into account. So if they're, they either need to lull him into a sense where so i think they're actually both incentivized to vote for him because if he plays his idol then it's out of the game and they go down to two and they still don't have an advantage over one another or he goes home with the idol and you have the two that you want now especially

this is what seemed like jeremiah was doing because that's what he ended up following through on for sophy i think it's a more interesting conundrum because clearly alex was you know favoring her he got into the alliance with three with her. So now if he plays the idol and she votes for him, that is going to damage her long-term game significantly. So it almost does make sense, I guess in her position to like cut bait on the relationship, but then try to get Alex to play his idol.

Yeah. Because then it's out of the game. I think that's kind of right. I mean, my feeling was, you know, basically it makes sense for her to vote with Alex almost regardless. Because if Alex and Jeremiah are voting for her, she's done. If, you know, if Alex, and, you know, if Alex is voting Jeremiah and she doesn't and he plays his idol, then, you know, she's, she's done, right?

Or she's like, you know, she looks, she's, you know, if Alex was Jeremiah, she doesn't, she votes for him and he plays his idol. Jeremiah goes, Jeremiah is going home, but it like, right, the relationship is ruined. And then there's like the world where like Alex votes for Sophie, Jeremiah, and plays his idol. Jeremiah votes for Alex and Sophie votes for Jeremiah and then it's a tie with Alex as a tiebreaker but then and she probably flips because

she was loyal to him right like so that's like the only world and so in that world like it still makes sense for her to for Jeremiah so like most instances I think it makes the most sense for her to vote for Jeremiah and I think you're right that like you know you kind of have to like cut that one opportunity out of the equation

because like the risk of absolutely destroying a relationship with him. But she has to make him play the idol. Like, I think that's because if she gets down to hitch us to both of them and he's the only one of the idol, that's a really bad spot to be in. And not just if there's another challenge, like, even if they're like absorbed, you know, and like it's the two of them. And, you know, you're always worried as the little group that they are going to want

to pick you off, even though it like literally never happens. But, but is it literally never, like, maybe like one time in his, I don't know. Back in the older days it happened. a lot but like not like like not in like when there's like two folks left i mean i guess stephanie did kind of go out uh pretty shortly thereafter right yeah um but but um you know even in that instance like if you assume that they're coming for you you still want to do what happened last season bula right right right right that's that's fair although that was like that was sort of like a unique case because of caleb like he was this like wait that was that was that was for you

it was like uh but yeah caleb and emily went out i was thinking of caleb because where they voted caleb at the merch anyway but also like he was like caleb he was this like huge um yeah yeah like satel last and and mary um out or pretty early but yeah um yeah um but that wasn't like one two three was it i guess maybe um i say mary lasted mary mary yeah yeah um but they didn't really have they had the they had those whole unique set of circumstances i mean every season is different but in in the in terms of yeah like i think that if the mat sing's strategy is like really not, is tried and trude as like a pretty good. That's what, you know, Annie was on to something. Annie was a strategic mastermind. Annie wanted to get down to two. She didn't

care because she could be absorbed by the other tribes. But obviously it's too risky to kind of actually do that. But I think that Alex and Sophie, now that they've solidified this bond moving forward, have a lot of legs in the game to go far. Yeah. Yeah. I absolutely agree. And especially because like the other tribes are going to like, I mean, you see it now. They're all like, it's us versus them, you know um you know it was uh um joan was saying that right that it was like you know it's yellow versus red so the crazy yellow was kind of not mad at joan like what is you gonna do so yeah so what are you what who did did was this was there any world where this is like because of the pitch like was this because of did sophie give the better pitch here um you know was was jeremiah's

focus on him being a libra like you know jeremiah was like i'm not going to say anything i'm going to let him talk through it. Sophie kind of went in for the hard sell. Like, should Jeremiah have gone in for the hard sell? Or was this decision made like before this, you know. I didn't know Jeremiah was so into astrology. I went to Jeremiah's premier party. And he, um, he's like, uh, or he asked me, um, if I would like what I was. And I was like, yes, that makes so much sense.

And I was like, I don't know what that means. Is that a compliment? Is that awful? I think what Scorpio is as, and my daughter's a Scorpio, I feel like the Scorpio, it's like, every sign is like, you're so creative. You're so like wise. And Scorpio's like, you are a hot. as it should be um but yeah no i think that sophie's pitch was stronger a because she kind of got

in there through the jake route a little bit earlier um she started moving you know immediately she hit the beach made her alliances very quickly and the jake and her connection connected with alice very quickly and they they started the three before jeremiah made his move even though he wasn't that far behind so he's already kind of primed to want to work with sophy uh and then when we look at the way that both Sophie and Jeremiah were talking to me was a little bit more like Sophie really gave a good pitch of like you know the nails the you know how her life late leads with that which is another reason she really could not vote out Alex at that point yeah you say all of that and then vote out Alex like that's a really good point if that's your like whole identity is not a good look and he

plays his idol yeah not a good look yeah but Jeremiah you could tell kind of when he was talking with Alex that you know you could see there was something behind his eyes of like he's trying to get one over on him and I whereas Sophie I think was not trying to do that I think she was genuinely trying to see if she could find a way out of it with both of them and that self-preservation I think translated into more authenticity and led to the decision that Alex made that would be my read on the situation yeah I mean and you know you're you're bringing up um you know say in Cedric last season and like I think so much of what went wrong there was the that they went into that merge situation

with all the suspicion between them where like, you know, you had that, you know, Cedric just basically like wringing his hands about whether he was going to keep say or not. And like, you know, he like voted against her before he saved her, right? And then, then, that's like writing without the venom. Yes.

So like you have that kind of like situation where like that's part of why they didn't have that experience of like most of, of the, you know, sort of like loser tribes is that I think like, because they were against each other, right? Like, I mean, say was always like up to throw Cedric's name out. So it was like, you know, they were, they didn't have each other's back and so they were keeping each other in the spotlight, I think, to some degree.

So let's, so, I mean, like, other than the crate, fishy for Sophie here or fishy for Alex? Is it that Alex made the right choice or did Sophie do the right thing? I feel that's interesting. So I think that I would actually give it to, Sophie, I think. Sophie made the best of the situation that she was in. I think that Alex, without that idol, is in a lot of trouble and almost didn't play it.

I'm nitpicking. I don't think you can really fault Alex too much for what he did. I think he made the right moves ultimately and did everything correctly. But I think that Sophie, the way she kind of positioned herself between Jeremiah and Alex, and neither of them voted for her. Like, that is the most successful game player at the end of the day. Yeah, that's a really good point. I think, I think that's right.

I think fishy for Sophie. And it was really told from Sophie's point of view. What did you think of like the sneak? I really thought that was going to blow up in her face. Like the sneak. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Time and time.

We've seen the Spy Shack work time and time again. It really does work. I'm like, I'm like, you know, I think of what myself. I think of like the beach in Cambodia. And like there was one little thing of bushes. And actually I think it's on some point did like Spencer did it did a sneak like with Sierra on the beach. I don't know if that made air or not. No.

But like. or maybe Sierra did the sneak anyway, someone snuck. And like, it just feels like there's not that much coverage in these little bushes. People are not giving not giving Sandra Diaz twine the credit.

She started that strategy. Oh, that's true. She was Pearl Island. Wow. Not Tony. Interesting that they're the only two-time winners. Well, Parvety as well, but you know what I mean? But in terms of, you know, the Spy Shack strategy,

I think it's interesting. It's hard to know how much she truly heard, but you know I think that shows that she has the hustle and like the real desire to win and she's not letting her foot off the gas and I think that that is a very good quality to have in the game I wish I had been that like that like there was one point where I snuck up on Jonathan and Mike but I like announced and they were actually talking about me voting me out that night and I stuck up but I didn't want them to think that I was sneaking up on them so I was like I'm here but I should have just snuck up and listen to their conversation big yeah

yeah just even just for the airtime of the at all um so let's talk about some of the other tribes where do you want to start um let's start with heena because you know what i think stephen posted it on instagram this week that all the reddit comments about how this tribe was going to suck ass and i have to say i thought they were going to suck ass i thought that they were going to be down to two by now and they have been killing it and i think that's fantastic i do think that there's a lot of the jason factory here oh yeah yeah for Yeah, I mean, like, it's sort of like, the tribe is handling itself well, but the edge always kind of happens as the challenge when, like, Jason just like blows past the other two tribes. Jason is the soul of this season, just a force, incredible, incredible human.

He's also the nicest, he seems too pure for this game, poor thing. He does seem quite pure for the game. I wonder if that was why they didn't cast him. Like, you know you're going to be great at the puzzles, but you're too pure. I want to see him cut someone up now. I want to see him make a bite, but it's not a dry bite, you know? Let's see the inner snake come out. Maybe it's just a phase you're going through.

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another wrong turn. Visit camh.ca to help us forge a better path for mental health care. And then the other, like, highlight of the Hina tribe was the other alternate, right? Which we know who it is? Is that public info? Yeah, so where MC finds the idol and what did you, or the beware advantage, what did you think of her choice to share it with only Stephen? Yeah, I love. Okay, first of all, I love MC. I feel like people, like, when I saw her last week, tell Paul Sophie. aside and give her a little what's what about the whole alliance that was forming behind her back. I actually love that in some ways, which I would like to contrast with another moment where that happens on the Red Tribe later.

But MC is in a, like, I love that, but I saw a lot of pushback online about that. And I was like, I don't really get it. Like, I get you wait till after the challenge. But if she has a true and tried and true connection with Sophie, she should nurture that and keep her in the loop and maybe don't bring in Jason yet, but like start the ball rolling of how you're going to save each other and go with the connection. that you want, as opposed to just settling for the ones that don't feel right to you. Like, I actually quite admired that choice.

And as long as she can trust that Sophie will not rat her out, which it's very possible that she won't do that. And she's now developed a very strong relationship with Stephen. I, and she's showing the thinking ahead movements of like, let's, how can we create a scenario where you and I can go looking for this idol without suspicion being cast upon us? And these idols, these beware advantages, is so important that your allies know. like you actually famously Stephen when I was listening back in the day

as a child because I was so young at that time I remember you always saying you've got to make your alliance with everybody and use the idols to bond with each other and I remember thinking at that time foolish keep it a secret

don't tell anyone and there was an era where that was really true that post that was after the era where you were speaking of and now it's kind of swung back the other way where you do kind of

have to bring pre-merge people into the full otherwise you're going to have to do this huge sketchy thing remember Gem Gem No Survivor 46

Yes yes yes yes Find to be where advantage hides it Nobody knows they still don't know until after but she's acting very sketchy because she's on a side quest all the time

and that loses trust and she gets voted out. And so I think that everything that I had no notes on MC, I think she handled it perfectly. And I think the time of keeping things a huge secret is post-merge or when there's plausible deniability. Yeah, that's interesting. I do think you're right that it has swung.

But I mean, there definitely was an era where like the sharing was, it did seem to work. And then I feel like the centuries ago. Yes, yes, thank you. Thank you. Then like the sort of like very like the fast moving era where like anyone was kind of looking for anyone to talk, any reason to target anybody suddenly if you had an idol you were a target and like I feel like

that was like sort of like the mid 30s you know and even into the early 40s um and especially with like the beware advantage but now it does seem like you kind of need there's like so much hardware that out in the game and maybe it's kind of cooled down a little bit but like you it is worth sharing it to like make it work and what's interesting to me is that people aren't immediately targeting people with stuff anymore you know and maybe it is because there's so much stuff but like I feel like in those like that like mid 30s era if you had a thing like you were you were gone. Like we need to get rid of you right now. But now I feel like it's if you've got a thing like, okay, like that's interesting. How do I work with that? Yeah. Why do you think that is

though? Because I feel the reason that that is partially is because a, I think a lot of the people that are getting these advantages that are so heavy on social capital because you have to take time away, you have to get people to cover for you. That automatically inherently means there's going to be stronger bonds with the people that know about it. But also there's so much power in knowing where advantages rather than not knowing and that is you know when i have an idle nullifier that's why i want mike in the game with the idol with the idol for as long as you know we left him in for it's it's not knowing where it is is so much more dangerous than knowing who has it that was always my attitude was like let me like know where everything in the game is rather than like have to control it all myself

but i also think it's just because there's so many things now you know it's like i mean again like less so in the last like couple seasons then in the earlier 40s where there's like you know six different types of advantages at any given time. But I do think that kind of affected it. Yeah, for sure. Where it was like, there's just like everybody had something in their bag. And you're like, oh, that's his thing. Oh, I've got my extra vote here.

You know, like this is my knowledge is power. Trojan comes out with something. Who the hell is this? There's another player in this game named Troise. Where did this person come from? Yeah. So, I mean, and it was interesting to be that like Sophie suggested, and I'm sure other players have suggested into this and it just hasn't made air that like,

oh, if we vote out Alex, then we can find it, you know, which used to be just like a common strategy. Like, if you vote the idol out, then the idol goes back in the game and then you have a chance to get it. Which I feel like I don't hear as much about anymore. No, I mean, it's not. But I think that that is something where, again, it really depends on who's got it.

You know, if it's somebody you don't want to have it, then yes, get it out and let's replant it. And if you're already seeing this Kelly tribe, you know, wither down to nothing and Sophie's thinking ahead whilst Jake is still in the game, she knows that there's going to come a time where Alex and Jake's relationship is going to be a problem for her. So getting him out and redistributing the Idol

makes a lot of sense for her strategic game in those instances. And also it's a reason for her to continue to bond closer to Jeremiah, which she clearly didn't have any intention or at least action towards the truth. But it was a reason for her to get Jeremiah on her side. What about, so what's your, what are your hopes here for Stephen and MC? I, like, are they going to do well? such a good position and they keep winning and they the thing is the way that this tribe has bonded together is so powerful because they don't have to show their cards um with each other yet they

haven't had to go to tribal council they're all looking as a group and like fostering this trust and then you have steven and emcee that are going to keep sophy and matt uh who are on opposite sides maybe together um for the short term and so that will taking them into a swap where their tribe has a lot more trust with each other, it often just comes down to that and the numbers, and they could easily clock and get rid of some of the Uli members because they're more unified, whereas Uli is already kind of the Red Tribe,

I'm sorry, Stephen, are kind of turning on each other already, and there's distrust that's becoming very obvious to where I feel like Hina or the Yellow Tribe could have an advantage. But we always like, I mean, the traditional edits, reading and I try to avoid edit reading because I'm usually wrong is that the like messy tribe is where the winner comes from it's usually like it's someone from like the drama tribe the complex theory yeah complex tribe theory yes yeah complex tribe theory yes um where like that's the way that's where the winner comes from what do you think I mean like if you had to pick a tribe

now for the winner like which one would you pick I mean I think that clearly would be Uli because they are the most well developed night thing is Hina I think that I think in the game, if we're just looking myopically at where we're at right now, they have the advantage. However, based on the edit, like clearly they don't. Like, to me, this strikes me as a tribe that is going to kind of get decimated and be gone by the mid-merge situation. But just based on where their position is, like, it is so much greater in the current moment. If we look at like complex tribe theory, I think, or I think that that does have legs, but I think it's more important for who the end game people are

as opposed to always the winner because if you look at Guatemala for instance, the complex tribe was really Stephanie's tribe, but Danny won because she was the last one from that group to kind of make it all the way to the end. And last season, I really thought that the complex

tribe was Lagi with Joe, Eva, Shaheen, Thomas, Bianca, and Starr. And I thought that Siva, which had Kyle and Camilla, I felt like that was the only relationship they were developing that they would be the heena of this season so you know maybe

they are switching it up a bit but i would guess that the red um tribe would have more people in the end game just based on the edit um but last season i was wrong about that so who's to say you know you're listing tribes and the people on those tribes from last season i like have to struggle are you like i mean i really the new era for me and maybe it's just that also i have i've only had kids in the new I cannot place like which contestants are on which season in the new era like for the light I know you are on the early 40s somewhere

yeah 43 you were with you were on Erica's season no I knew you were there's a Canadian winner though on your season is that true yes that is true the infamous the infamous yeah so

no but I really have so much trouble like like plays. Do you feel that way? Like as a new era person, are you also like, all these new era. So I would say that if I were just a common folk, absolutely. But the, the problem is I've always been such a survivor nerd, Stephen. Like, you don't understand the spreadsheets that I had, you know, counting confessions as a child. Like, I had it all unlocked. So I remembered, I do remember everything. I do find it a little bit harder now because I'm more a little that casual, as they say, but I, I, that's always been something I've been good at. So I think you are to Survivor as your sister is to all other.

Yes, as to Jeopardy. If there was like clear anybody, like, I'm telling you right now, I could get Brandon's ass, Donlin, Owen. This sounds like a challenge. Everyone is Owen Knight? Yeah, Owen's a big survivor fan. I mean, I was a fan, but I didn't know, I didn't know that he was of that. Like, is you're, you're like a new, you know, you're like citing the Pigs Challenge.

I didn't know that Owen was like Pigs Challenge level fan. I mean, you're, but we'll see. Sam Phelan's pretty good too, but I could kick his ass. Wow. You guys, wow, I didn't know. We didn't have nerds like you when I was, you know, we were, I mean, like. And when they did, they were, uh, last long. Well, I mean, not.

Wasn't Spencer a little bit of a survivor nerd? Oh, Spencer. Yeah, Spencer. Um, yeah. He was. You don't remember his last name, too. No, I do. I just, like, I was like, which, I feel like, I've been on Twitter.

I got it. I already did it. Okay. I am, yeah, he, yeah, no, he was a Survivor Superfan, but that back then it was a different thing, you know. Truly, like, splitting votes back then was like, you know, splitting votes. Like, well, it's, we're just going to blow out your, blow your mind. It was very, it was a lot easier. But now, now it's all the, there's all these, you know, I wish we had a Sandy Burgeon that could whip my little nerd ass around.

Like, that would have been great. You were the nerd of the time. Yeah. And you weren't even that nerdy, to be honest, on the show anyways. I ripped my pants in the first day. That was kind of nerdy. Oh, fair now. Yeah.

So just because my quads were so big. No, so this is back to the Uli tribe. So let's talk about the Uli tribe. You wanted to compare what happens here with Shannon and Sage. Yes, I did. So MC, I feel like MC, Ratting out information. I shouldn't say ratting out.

Ratting out information. Well, you know what? Rats are cool and cute and fun and adorable. Snaking out information? Snakes versus rats. To say, constricting it. But I think that that made sense because her relationship with Sophie was stronger

and she was developing a relationship where she needed to kind of flip the power dynamics and make things aware and become the center. Shannon is already at the center. You know, she is in between Savannah and Sage. They both are looking to her as their kind of number one. situation. And I think in the current status of that tribe, in the current dynamic, Shannon's best bet is status quo where things are peaceful because they both want to work with her.

If she now starts to rip that apart a little bit, that can only hurt Shannon's game long term. And I think that that is where I think that sometimes you should protect your allies by not divulging everything like that. You know, that's what I would say. I don't see, because I don't see, I mean, the only upside for Shannon here is that maybe it makes Savannah trust her more. Yes. But like, there's a very real world or Savannah then is like, Sage, why did you say this? You know, to Shane? Yes.

Like, you know, where like that's the problem with, you know, passing the information on one degree. It's like it gets around. So, I mean, I get it in some perspective as well because if she doesn't say something and then Sage does, that's really. really bad for Shannon. But it just not seemed like that's the way, the vibe of what was happening. And also, I did like that she said, it's not really that big of a deal. It's not getting that. But she kind of did downplay a little bit. So I can see her kind of thinking through the things that we're talking about. But ultimately, was there a situation in which you felt like you were the peacekeeper where you didn't, like JT's your guy? You were going to go to the ending with him if you

had won that final immunity challenge famously, as we all know. And we know that you weren't close at all to winning that. So thankfully, the family podcast. I know, just kidding. We all know you were very close and you would have cut JT. But earlier in the game, you needed him in the game.

If Joe Dowdell is coming up to you or Sidney Wheeler is coming up to you being like, let's, let's, or I don't trust J.T. and whatnot, but you have, you're in the middle, have a good relationship. Or Taj and J.T. towards each other, are you keeping keeping peace?

Yeah, of course, because, like, and that happened all the time. Like, JT was always coming to me and being like, let's vote out. You know, like, um, the other. It doesn't like soul music as we see. And then, you know, I mean, you use it tactically, right? I remember that, like, I would, you know, Spencer, uh, do. No, Spencer Doom would come to me and be like, you know, why don't we vote out so and so? And then I'd be like, oh, Spencer, doom.

He's, he's cutting throats. He's, he's, you know, he's, he's, you use the information when you want to paint a target on someone, but you don't do it just to like do it, I think, because I think you do want it. I mean, especially now if, you know, at least we didn't see the, the perspective from Shannon saying, I really need to get sage out. She's my target. I want her gone. You know, we saw, and we did see her kind of like not having these relationships, even saying this is my soul sister and I'm going to just immediately betray that soul. How about this? She. She. feels she's got her alliance of four with the Riz God Nate and Savannah Joanne and Sage are on the outs but she has a close personal relationship with Sage. Why not spin it like

I think Joanne's been getting into Sage's head about you and Rizzo. Right, right. Well, it's like you don't, we don't really have it because also like, you know, it did seem like Joanne was in with that group too. So I mean my guess is between the two of them probably Sage is more on the outs and my read on this specific situation

is maybe Shannon is kind of just trying to like curry more favor with the Queen Bee you know, like it seems pretty clear that Savannah is the Amanda Kimmel to the Parvety. Yeah, which one is the Queen Bee? The Parvety is the Queen Bee and the Amanda Camel? This is like Alexis trying to curry

Oh yeah, yeah, so cringe, Alexis. It's a lovely person. Okay, let's talk about another choice here. So both the Hina and Uli tribes go, they have like big tribewide hunts for the idol. In this case, M.C. chose to share it with only one person. Rizzo's like, guys, I've got it. What do you think of that? Yes, yes.

You know, again, I don't hate it in the situation that he's in, right? If he is on the outs like Joanne or Sage, and by the way, I love Sage and Joanne. And I think that they are, I think I wish that Joanne, I don't think he did anything. wrong last week. I think that he should have done what he did, and I can't believe the yellow tribe was so upset with him for nothing, really. And then Sage, I really liked her story tonight, and I think her reads are like very on point, and I hope that she can find some traction in the game. But I think that in their position, if they find the beware advantage, probably not the best idea to tell people. But if in Rizzo's position where he can only lose things by becoming

sketchy and using it as we need to unite as a tribe and do this, I like it. I like it. I I like it a lot for him. That's interesting. I mean, because I thought it was, like, too much, like, letting everybody know. But I, I hear you that there's, like, there's, like, some, like, real upside there. I just worry, like, it's then, you know, certainly if they merge or swap, everyone's going to be like, it's going to be like, it's a way of differentiating yourself negatively. I do think you, I think you need to play it, right?

That's the new meta, right? It's like, Alex did the right thing. Alex said, what's talk about? Do you think Alex, I mean, in my mind, like, I do, Alex, Alex, 100% did the right thing. I mean, yeah, yeah. Because they, the thing is, it did incent, the other two were incentivized to vote him out

if they don't want to go down to two with somebody else having an idol. So I think that you have to end up in that spot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's right. And then just in general, I mean, Rob and I've talked about this, like it makes so much, just like play your idol. You know, play it, get it out of the way, you know,

you've had it, play it if there's any risk. And then you're done, you know, move on, move on. Yeah, but does Rob Sester, Nino, I don't care if this is in podcast. He never played with a guy. He never played with an eye. He doesn't know. So he doesn't know. Yeah, I agree.

You know, back in the day, they're two robs. Now there's two sofies and he thinks he knows everything about idols. I guess we'll find out. The game has changed. So, let's see, is it, anything else that stick out to you from the episode? Well, the opening, I thought, was very funny. It was a big, rich and Rudy callback. Alex and I love each other, but an homosexual way, and that's for sure.

yeah yeah that was and i think also stephen is doing we just touched on some of the people we haven't spoken about but stephen not fishback is doing a great job i think that he is uh well positioned within his tribe much like his earlier stephen counterpart but unlike he was a very great name for survivor we have chicken you know um and then stephen wright he did okay oh yeah yeah yeah i forgot about him um we're close to a whole tribe of stevens step i heard i saw it's on redid that Steve Wright was dead. Is that true or false? Oh, gosh. I don't know. I didn't. I feel like it might have been a rumor or a fake thing.

I hope he's alive and well, but he was good. But I mean, I think that fishbock, as that one person said. And Ram. Ram is also like, you know, it's a pastoral. And chicken. You know, we've got like the fish, the ram, the chicken. Yes. That's very true. And they're all right choices. So there you go. But I think that he's doing a great job. I really like Christina as a character I wish they give her a little bit more air time except the fact that she hates birds so fuck that

how do you feel like having a bird hater honestly like I'm ready to I think I wanted to be too far because I sent her a bunch of pictures of cute birds and I guess you shouldn't do that to somebody with a phobia but I'm trying to like exposure therapy to situation like it's like I want to fix her

you know I think that I can fix her Sophie I loved her attitude about finding out that she was on the outs she's ready to play the game so that's great too Nate is a fun narrator I think we've talked about everybody else correct and I don't think I really like Nate as a narrator too we haven't really like yeah touched on him too much

because he hasn't really been a part of the action so much but I really have enjoyed him too as a narrator yeah and then Shannon's in a really great spot Savannah I think is a spicy player which I kind of like that's kind of fun to watch because it's not just a straightforward game bot we get a little bit of variety because that's been a complaint of the new era is how many game bots there are.

But she is, I think that her Achilles heel, though, is interesting because she, you can tell she gets very fired up when she hears something where calmer heads could prevail. And maybe it's just talking to the camera about it. But I think if she gets too focused now on stage, that could only be bad for her. But I do think that she's, I think she's one of those players

who's different and can earn professionals than she is around camp. Because I feel, and those are the best players, right? You are able to, like, be very, like, chill and peaceful and vibes focused. at camp and then turn it on into confessionals because A, like obviously it makes them better characters. You know,

they're great players around camp and great, you know, but also it shows that they're able to kind of like sort of like modulate their emotions in that way. So like, yeah. And I think I that, to me that suggests that she's a very strong player.

What did you think of casting's choice to cast five white brunettes whose name started with S? Do you think at a certain point they're like, like we need like at that point, They've got four. They're like, we should just do the fifth, right? We're not going to cast that blonde girl. Like, let's just get the fifth S Burnett in here.

You know, that's really, you know, people said they wanted some old school survivor back and they're doing it, you know? I don't know. There was more of a mix of hair colors in old school. Was there? I don't know. There was always like two blonde girls. I suppose. I suppose.

It's a new era, Steve. You have to change it up a little bit. So anyway, so what else? Okay, fishy, we got the fishy for Sophie beat. We have the crate. If the crate had gone, like, you can't do the half measure where you like, you know, you either go full, if you're going to take the shot, you better take the shot.

That's true. Yeah, you can't just be like, oh, then Jake knows you're trying to get him out, but you didn't finish the job. Not finish the job. You know what I mean. I do. Yeah. Yeah, so fish or the snake's second choice, Sophie.

Yeah, yeah, I think that's right. The real snake in the game. Tell me, so what's going on with you? Me, oh, nothing much, just living life. I just got a condo, so I've been trying to deal with that. Congratulations. A very exciting life stuff, and everybody should tune into Traders Canada on October 21st, 2000. I'm so excited.

Do we know yet if you're a faithful or a traitor? nobody knows until the premiere night baby wow did you can i ask what you told them that you wanted no okay you'll see it on the premier stephen oh i'm so i really can't wait i've never um i've never watched an international traders before but this is going to be my first i'm so excited with guy you know what the canadians are messy you know we want season two haven venus no i've never watched an international trainer's before. Yeah. Yeah. Funny as hell. I'm very excited for this. I really can't wait to watch you again. Yes. And I also want to plug your book because you know what? I'm going to, did you know, Stephen, that I am not, I don't, I'm like Leah Michelle. I don't know how to read.

I have not read a book of a non or a fiction book voluntarily since grade. eight, maybe. Wow. Maybe seven. Wow. I've only read nonfiction and, like, I read textbooks and journal articles. Boring. This will be the first fictional book that I have read since 2002, since Survivor's Thailand.

You don't have to read, you know, you can skim. That's okay. You know, as long as I really, wow. Well, you say that, but, you know, you haven't started yet, so you don't know. But speaking of which, I got this blurb, which is you can see, I just got this, but I'm so excited. about it, which you can see if you're watching this video, and if you're listening to this, I'm going to read it to. This is the blurb from Nathan Hill, who was the author of the Knicks and Wellness. And he wrote about my book, a scathing behind the scenes expose, but also a heartfelt

and tender story of people being turned into entertainment, then scrambling to edit themselves back into people. And I was so excited when I got this blur. Nathan Hill is like one of, like, my he he like blew open what writing could be now because he writes these like big books that are hilarious they're super fun to read they're also like deeply moving and they all deal with kind of big cultural themes um in a way that like so like he really like opened the door to me on like what a book you know what like what i wanted to be doing as as a writer so it was like to get this kind of testament from him was just so awesome um and you know hopefully inspires you to go out and buy my book

at stephenfishback.com signed copies also available. Omer's already bought it and apparently is going to read it. I'm going to read it and I'm going to review it and I kind of want the audiobook version. Well, I actually just finished casting my audiobook and I can't reveal

who they are yet. You're not going to read it? Well, I just can't do. I shouldn't be saying this because I think it'll hurt sales, but I am not going to it's like I can't do voices. No one else listeners know like I don't do the improv. If it was just like a nonfiction book, I would read it. But it's like fiction. You know, people like do characters' voices and like banter and like, you know, enact scenes.

And that's a gun to your head do JT right now. Oh, well, I hope you. Steve-O. I can do better than that. I can do better than that. Hi, Steve-O. Like, how you doing there, buddy? See?

This is why. See, thank you. That you've just proving my point. Hi, Steve-o. All right, that's a little better. Yeah. If you buy a lot of copies, then we can, if people buy a lot of copies, then we can play more BMR, yeah?

That's right, that's right. Well, the other thing to say is, like, if you have bought a copy and you mail a proof of purchase, like a screenshot of your purchase to escapefishback.com, I'll add you to the Escape Clock Tower server, which actually is a really cool thriving community of Clock Tower players, like a lot of new players who are playing just for the first time. And, like, what's been amazing to me to watch is, like,

Not only is this like building, like turning into like a whole games community, but like they're having like movie nights. Like it's actually like a social community that's united by, it's like the interest of like people who love Survivor, people and listen to the node also usually, most of them, people who are readers and people who like social strategy games like Clock Tower. And like they're all, they're all in like it's like turning into a real community. And two of your members who we are now on a first name basis with Lauren and Pamela.

wanted us to talk about the snake together. So this is that right. And you could be shout out. You could have a shout out next time too if you join the community and buy escape. Yeah, Lauren just played ClockTower with Marianne, right? I mean, like. In person, yes. In person.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So real life friendships are being made here through Clock Tower. What else? What else we got coming up? So as you know, tonight, Rob is hobnobbing with the glitterati in New York. But that's not all. If you want to see Rob in San Francisco, I don't know if there's still tickets available.

It doesn't say, maybe there are tickets available. Are there tickets, Jess? There could be still tickets available. November 5th in San Francisco at the Sydney Goldstein Theater. It would be very exciting. And there may very well still be tickets. So you can buy them still, possibly. What else we got?

I was so close to going to that one. Really? I was talking about it, too. I told Savage that I was going to go. But this is my blind side. I may or mean, I'm still hoping to go, but I advertised on the Andrew Savage podcast that you were going and the Amy QSack one. I should maybe inform him. Well, I, I'm hoping to.

I'm hoping to. I'm, I'm really hoping to. I lied about the Amy Kusack one. He never said it. Amy knows who I am. She wouldn't, she wouldn't have been like, who? She didn't mean she didn't name drop you. Oh, positively?

More neutral. Like, oh, yeah, I know, fishback. He's someone who exists in the world. Yeah. Okay, so the Amazing Race, Big Brother edition, we have an episode three recap coming up. So if you like The Amazing Race with Big Brother players, then this would be the recap for you.

And I pulled the strings. Deep dive with Ashley Hollis. Is that a Taryn thing? Taryn's doing that, right? Yeah, Taryn did that. Yeah. Oh, Taryn did it. Taryn did it, and it was great, and you can listen to it.

Tehran, as they said. Another, my fellow. Did you see that clip? What? Did you see that clip? No. Oh, no. Oh, Ashley was like, who's, they're like, are you going to do a deep dive with Taryn?

And she was like, who's to run? What's funny? Did she just repeating back his name, but like, wrong? Well, it was in text because it's an Instagram live. Oh, okay, okay, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, very funny. And then join the club, club condo with Rob Sester Nino and Chappelle. And it's very fun.

And they'll be talking about all the things I like to talk about on Club Condo. What? Why is his tongue so long? I don't know. You know, this might not be appropriate, but I have the shortest tongue in the world. Really? Let's see it.

That's it. That's it. That's all you got? That's it. That's it? I should probably cut the thing under the tongue because I think that's what's... Oh, do you have a tongue tie? Yeah.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Do you have kids? I can probably do it myself. What's the ice cream situation? Is that challenging for you? licking ice cream? Well, um, no, because you can still go like this. Yeah, but like then you're getting it really. You're going to increase the rating of this

podcast. But like, you know, get the nose, you know, too. Like, you know, with, uh, you know, get to get the ice cream right after your, you know. I forgot to lick. I prefer to bite. Okay. Ice cream. And eat it with a fork. I don't like eating it with a spoon. Wow. Okay. Well, this is a new podcast. Uh, what else we got, Jess? Anything else? Jessica Sterling what do we got I think that might be it all right that's it that's it she says

so thank you so much for being here where can people find you me oh I'm on Traders Canada season 3 October 21st Instagram X blue sky that's it right clock tower occasionally yeah

very fun you were a very fun roll in the latest clock tower that was a very fun game that was a cruel game in my opinion I will thank you so much for being here tonight and I think that's it thank you all for listening what a joy yeah oh snakes are friends

they're not foes actually we didn't even talk about that they don't they're doing their best and they're not bad I'm scared of snakes I should be scared of snakes we can like Christina exposure therapy I'll send you some cute little snake no no no no please don't I'll send you my snake picked

You know what I'm really scared of children? Adorable children. I'm scared of playgrounds. Yeah. Don't send me pictures of playgrounds on them. Don't tell me pictures of adorable children. They're the snakes are some of the best pets people could have because they're so chill and nice.

And they don't smell and they don't shed and they're cuties. Yeah. They smell, though. Don't they like they're kind of smell? No, they don't smell at all. They smell like nothing. And they're not slimy. Hmm.

Why does like the snake enclosure always kind of smell? at the zoo. It's probably the other stuff in it. Maybe it's other reptiles, yeah. Yeah. All right, well, thank you so much. This was really a pleasure, and I will be, you know, here next week, I guess.

You know what they only smell when you give them an enema? Maybe my zoo is very enema forward. All right, live that, let's go. Thank you.