Pregaming Controversy
Well, it wouldn’t be Survivor without some controversy would it? We are only one episode into the new season and we already have drama on and off the screen. Jenna Lewis-Dougherty has told me and others there was pre-gaming going on and that hurt not only her game but the games of others.
“I felt, as soon as I landed though, there was something off, like I wasn’t involved in a conversation. It’s just because there were all these relationships outside of the game that I wasn’t privy to. I had no pregame because I’d been out of this for 20 years but I think it will be a similar refrain (from others) that there were so many pregame alliances that it felt impossible. That’s why I was playing so scrappy, because I felt like I was playing from the bottom,” she told me in our chat.
She also said that she wouldn’t be the only one claiming this.
“I think actually what doomed me, and I think you’ll hear this a lot in the coming weeks, it was the relationships that people made outside of the game. You’re not supposed to pregame. I didn’t; I haven’t been in the Survivor universe in 20 years. I didn’t have any of them on social, nothing. And we are told daily in an email, “You will be cut from Survivor if we catch you interacting.” And I’m like, “Okay, I’ve been in this for 20 years. I will not.” I did not. And I felt it immediately. So, not necessarily like my game preceded me; it was literally like I landed and it was like, “Okay, I don’t fit in here.” Like, there’s a big group that has been talking that I wasn’t privy to. I likened it to somebody else, and I’ll repeat it, but it was like I was worried about being late to the party, right? And I wasn’t even invited! They were all like, “What’s she doing here?” she said.
Pregaming or setting up alliances before the game has been a controversial issue that has not only haunted Survivor here and there but more prominently, Big Brother. It is generally frowned upon by fans and producers as puts those who don’t behind the eight-ball in a big way going into the game. Others claim it is just using the resources that are available to you and that if it didn’t happen through texts or social media, it would happen on the island or in the house. I guess it depends how you see things.
Here is my full interview with Jenna, print and video:
Jenna Claims Pregame Alliances Ruined Her Game
Kyle’s exit was heartbreaking. What is even worse though is his recovery journey. Who would think that a fall like that would lead to surgery and months, months of rehabilitation. He still cannot run but it working up to that. Kyle gave me an update here, print and video:
Kyle Fraser Begins the Road Back After Survivor Injury
Here is what we will see tonight:
“Therapy Carousel” – Castaways are forced to go back to the drawing board and reassess their alliances. One castaway’s attempt to publicly set the record straight, sends shockwaves through the rest of camp. The reward challenge is a smash hit as tribes must shatter all other’s hopes of coming in first. Then, differences in work ethic cause strain among tribemates.
On with this week’s Survivor Stock Ticker:
Well, according to her, Christian, Emily and Devens were in a pregame alliance, so that could very well be part of the reason why Jenna was sent packing. She claims she wasn’t playing aggressively but she bought into Christian’s Cirie plan and became his biggest advocate so…
Yeah, Coach outwitted him at the challenge but he had a great first episode otherwise. Could he be in the for the long haul?
If Jenna is right and he was the one who put Cirie’s name out there, he has done a great job covering his tracks. He does appear to be the strategic mind the tribe is rallying around.
That was a massive bullet to dodge. Cirie’s social and strategic games are already paying dividends for her.
She should never have told the others she won her season nor should she have lied to the them about the Journey with Colby.
Her reputation seems to have proceeded her, there are some trust issues. In a war with Aubry it doesn’t seem like Genevieve will have the upper hand.
Who’s next to go?
Cila Tribe
The others don’t trust her and if you believe the pre-season alliance controversy, there is that too.
Vatu Tribe
No matter how hard he tries he just doesn’t fit in with his tribe and there is no way when there is so much on the line that anyone will want to tolerate a wildcard like Q in the mix.
Kalo Tribe
He is quite out of the loop so far as to the tribal politics happening around him. He needs to up his strategic game or he will be off to Ponderosa sooner rather than later.
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