SURVIVOR MUSHROOM KINGDOM Season Finale: "King Bob-omb's Powderkeg Mine"

[SLAM!]

@Asyulus @Fancyarcher @Rorschach

 

(Tagging eliminated players (w/ special guest) in the box.)

Spoiler

 @Agafin @Alex SciChannel @Cap @DAJK @The Dark Alfred @DetectiveAl @elcaballero @Ethan Hunt @Goldenhour36  @Jack Sparrow @JJ-8@Morieris @Reddroast @Roxanne @Wrath @ZeeSoh

 

SLAM!: Welcome, one and all, to the finale of Survivor: Mushroom Kingdom, where one of you will become the new BOT Survivor Champion!

Asyulus: Yeah! I'm thinkin' I'm back!

Fancyarcher: Bring. It. On. 

Rorschach: (sweats nervously; looks back at Koopa Squad)

(Koopa Squad waves flags, cheers him on! )

 

Cap: So it was King Bob-omb all along who kidnapped Princess Peach...

King Bob-omb: Yup! You think Bowser's the only one in the Mushroom Kingdom going after Princess Peach? Far from it! Now I kidnapped her and I'm gonna explode on her!

Peach: (pretends to be scared) Somebody save me! 😭

(Hearts appear in Asyulus's, Fancyarcher's, and Rorschach's eyes!)

Peach: Works every time. 🥰

 

SLAM!: Before we begin, let's see which Survivor a portion of the eliminated players are predicting to be the winner of this season!

Cap: Fancyarcher.

DAJK: Fancyarcher.

The Dark Alfred: Rorschach.

DetectiveAI: Rorschach.

Goldenhour36: Rorschach.

Morieris: Fancyarcher.

SLAM!: Thank you for your predictions! Now please go wait in the kitchen for your next activity.

(The six eliminated players move to the kitchen.)

 

SLAM!: King Bob-omb will now explain the rules of the finale challenge.

King Bob-omb: Ahem! For this challenge, you will be dismantling a bob-omb, so that it doesn't explode on you. When you dismantle your bob-omb, the other players' bob-ombs will immediately explode, sending them flying! So yes, the first player to dismantle their bob-omb becomes the ultimate winner of Survivor: Mushroom Kingdom!

Fancyarcher: This has to be a strange form of karma from when I threw the bob-omb in Week Two...

Rorschach: Either that or it's yet another ethical oversight from production.

Asyulus: (plots something in his head)

King Bob-omb: Ready... Set... Go!

(They get to work dismantling the bob-ombs.)

Peach: Hey King Bob-omb? Can I go to the kitchen really quick?

King Bob-omb: Anything for you, Princess Peach—er uh, Hostage Peach!

Peach: 😉 (moves to kitchen)

 

Peach enters the kitchen and faces the six eliminated players from before.

Peach: I want to bake a cake for whoever wins the challenge and rescues me, but I can't do it alone. I need one ingredient from each of you, pronto!

Morieris: I'm adding two eggs to the mix.

Peach: Great, cake always needs eggs to make it fluffy.

(Morieris mixes the eggs, mix mix mix mix.)

DetectiveAI: It's not a Princess Peach cake without Pink Frosting. 

Peach: Good observation, detective! Now make that frosting!

(DetectiveAI makes the frosting.)

Cap: Yeah, who wants some Mimosas!

Peach: Well, some alcohol would surely light up the atmosphere!

Cap: Yeah! (chugs mimosa)

Goldenhour36: I should add some Cherry Blossom to it.

Peach: Yeah, that goes well with the pink look of the cake, and it'll add some nice flavor to the cake!

(Goldenhour36 sprinkles cherry blossom petals over the cake.)

The Dark Alfred: Let's add some Wild Strawberry to it!

Peach: Leave it to the junkie/stoner to give us the best finishing touch!

(Alfred places whole strawberries in some key decorative places on top of the cake.)

DAJK: Plutonium and thermoplastics.

(Everyone stares blankly at DAJK.)

DAJK: I said it. I'm adding plutonium and thermoplastics.

Peach: But then the cake won't be edible!

Morieris: Can we really trust him with such dangerous ingredients?

DAJK: I don't know if I can be trusted with such ingredients. But I know the Nazis can't. I have no choice!

(DAJK adds the plutonium and thermoplastics. And then the cake explodes, and everyone gets covered in a strange pink goop!)

Peach: Let's just give him a mushroom instead...

 

Meanwhile, during the challenge.

Asyulus: Shoot, I can't figure it out! The underdog must win!! I better sabatoge Rorschach!

(Asyulus stomps on a Koopa Troopa, then throws the shell at Rorschach's bomb.)

Fancyarcher: Rorschach! Look out!

(Production rushes in, stuffs an item in Rorschach's hand, and rushes out. Rorschach smirks and reveals the item!)

Spoiler

 

 

THE CAPE FEATHER

 

Asyulus: What the heck is that?!

Rorschach: It's a Cape Feather. It lets me turn into Cape Rorschach! And now that there's a cape on my back, I will deflect the Koopa Shell back toward Asyulus, just like how Mario would deflect it during a game of Super Smash Bros.!

(Rorschach deflects the Koopa Shell, and it heads right toward Asyulus's bob-omb!)

Asyulus: No! NO!

(Asylum's bob-omb explodes, and he goes flying!)

Rorschach: Why'd you warn me about the bomb, Fancy?

Fancyarcher: Well, the best rivalries stem from friendship, right?

(Rorschach smiles.)

Rorschach: May the best man win, Fancy. 

Fancyarcher: Right back atcha! 

(They give each other a fist-bump.)

 

(Disclaimer: Due to concerns surrounding the legitimacy of the timing of Asyulus's prediction submission, Asyulus has been disqualified from contention for the BOT Survivor crown. Asyulus still retains third place due to how impressive it was for him to make it this far. Rorschach did not receive a 'Cape Feather' item, but Rorschach's fictional use of the item was made part of the story as a metaphor for how Asyulus's attempt to cheat the system backfired.)

 

 

SLAM!: It all comes down to this! Who will dismantle their bob-omb first? Will it be Fancyarcher? Or will it be Rorschach?

(The Koopa Squad cheers on Rorschach.)

(A bandaged Asyulus joins the Pokey Squad, and they all cheer on Fancyarcher.)

(The Goomba Squad just stands there.)

(Ludwig Goransson composes intense music.)

(Barbies and Kens dance in the background, ignoring the tension like how they ignore thoughts of death in the movie.)

(Finally, Rorschach dismantles his bob-omb.)

SLAM!: We have a winner!

(Fancyarcher's bob-omb explodes on him, and he goes flying.)

 

Everyone congregates around a podium.

ZeeSoh: I now pass this crown onto you, Rorschach.

(ZeeSoh sets a crown on Rorschach's head.)

(All the Survivor players clap for him!)

Peach: In lieu of a cake, here's a mushroom! 🍄

(Rorschach eats a mushroom. He grows in size, and he pumps his fists in the air like Rocky.)

(Everyone claps for him again.)

(A bandaged Rorschach approaches him.)

Fancyarcher: With the four Invincibility Stars I got throughout the season, I thought I was the real good dude. But it turns out that you were the real good dude. Good game, Rorschach. 

(The Koopa Squad celebrates with Rorschach.)

DAJK: Best friend! You did it, friend!

The Dark Alfred: Nice winning game, man!

Goldenhour36: Yeah! Kudos to you, buddy!

Morieris: You really put the 'survive' in Survivor!

Rorschach: Thank you guys! You inspired me every step of the way!

(The Koopa Squad jumps around in celebration.)

 

RESULTS

Spoiler

First Place: Rorschach (86.90%)

Second Place: Fancyarcher (80.54%)

Third Place: Asyulus (disqualified)

 

Congratulations to Rorschach for winning Survivor: Mushroom Kingdom!

 

But we're not done yet. The six players who sent predictions for a winner and ingredients for a cake also sent their own weekend predictions to see if anyone could beat the first place winner's score. Here's their scores!

 

Cap (82.90%)

DAJK (74.24%)

The Dark Alfred (80.72%)

DetectiveAI (83.52%)

Goldenhour36 (81.86%)

Morieris (63.65%)

 

Wow! Rorschach would've won against all of 'em!

 

Here's the placements, first through 18th:

 

1st: Rorschach

2nd: Fancyarcher

3rd: Asyulus

4th: The Dark Alfred

5th: Goldenhour36

6th: DAJK

7th: elcaballero

8th: Jack Sparrow

9th: Agafin

10th: Ethan Hunt

11th: Morieris

12th: Cap

13th: JJ-8

14th: DetectiveAI

15th: Wrath

16th: Reddroast

17th: Alex SciChannel

18th: Roxanne

 

Stay tuned for a season breakdown.

 

 

[DAJK]

Love it. Congrats @Rorschach!! Well-deserved win! And @SLAM! what a great finale you've written (along with an overall great season). So glad to have been a part of this.

 

And to @Fancyarcher @Asyulus @The Dark Alfred @Goldenhour36 @elcaballero @Jack Sparrow @Agafin @Ethan Hunt @Morieris @Cap @JJ-8 @DetectiveAl @Wrath @Reddroast @Alex SciChannel @Roxanne it was a pleasure playing with all of you! I'm so glad that there are so many great people who are interested in the same niche thing as me (box office tracking) lol. It would be a hell of a lot more boring without all of you!

[Fancyarcher]

Well glad to have gotten this far. Even if I didn't win, still great that I did as well as I did. Congrats to @Rorschach, and @SLAM! for presenting a great game.

 

Also @Asyulus @The Dark Alfred @Goldenhour36 @elcaballero @Jack Sparrow @DAJK@Agafin @Ethan Hunt @Morieris @Cap @JJ-8 @DetectiveAl @Wrath @Reddroast @Alex SciChannel @Roxanne, great to play a game with the rest of you. Well there's always next time.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Fancyarcher

[The Dark Alfred]

Woohoo, Koopa crowned as champion, well done @Rorschach. Also credit to @Fancyarcher, you were a tough cookie to compete against. Amazingly written game @SLAM!, it was exciting from start to finish.

[ZeeSoh]

@Rorschach

 

Once again an amazing job done by @SLAM! this season. And thanks for letting me host an episode, always wanted to do that! Maybe I’ll get an opportunity to do more of it in the future (or perhaps an entire season). 
 

 

Savour it, but I am coming for MY crown!

[Cap]

As always @SLAM! you run such a great game!

 

 @Rorschach!! Congrats on the win!’
 

to @Fancyarcher @Asyulus @The Dark Alfred @Goldenhour36 @elcaballero @Jack Sparrow @Agafin @Ethan Hunt @Morieris @DetectiveAl @Wrath @Reddroast @Alex SciChannel @Roxanne 

 

next time I promise not to self eliminate, and I will come back with vengeances 🥳

[SLAM!]

@Agafin @Alex SciChannel @Asyulus @Cap @DAJK @The Dark Alfred @DetectiveAl @elcaballero @Ethan Hunt @Fancyarcher @Goldenhour36 @Jack Sparrow @JJ-8 @Morieris @Reddroast @Rorschach @Roxanne @Wrath

 

SURVIVOR MUSHROOM KINGDOM

Season Breakdown

 

In this post, I will provide information such as who voted for who.

 

Episode One: "Mario's Pipe Zone"

Spoiler

Special Twist

Morieris, Jack Sparrow, and Cap find the special Week One invincibility stars by deciphering the secret message.

 

Bonus Item: Predict Shazam 2)

Fancyarcher gets the highest prediction on Shazam 2 and earns a Bob-omb. He uses the Bob-omb in Week Two.

 

Elimination

The Koopa Squad attends tribal council, largely due to Roxanne's absence. Roxanne is voted out unceremoniously, 4-1-1.

 

DAJK votes for Roxanne.

The Dark Alfred votes for Morieris.

Goldenhour36 votes for Roxanne.

Morieris votes for Goldenhour36.

Rorschach votes for Roxanne.

Roxanne doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

If Roxanne materialized as a player this season, I think Koopa Squad would've become an unstoppable force this season. Roxanne had a fantastic practice prediction and that practice prediction caused me to send her to this tribe. But everything happens the way it's supposed to!

 

Episode Two: "Bowser's Castle"

Spoiler

Bonus item: Predict Renfield

JJ-8 gets the highest prediction and wins a Super Leaf, though he never uses it.

 

Elimination

The Pokey Squad attends tribal council. Because Alex SciChannel didn't predict, he is voted out unceremoniously.

 

Alex SciChannel doesn't vote (self-vote).

Asyulus votes for Alex SciChannel.

Cap votes for Alex SciChannel.

elcaballero votes for Alex SciChannel.

Fancyarcher votes for Alex SciChannel.

Reddroast doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

I don't have much to say about this week, it's kind of a similar situation to Week One.

 

Episode Three: "Toad's Garden"

Spoiler

Bonus Item: Predict Beau is Afraid

Fancyarcher wins his second special prediction and gets a Boo, though he never uses it.

 

Elimination

The Pokey attends tribal again. Reddroast didn't predict, so he is voted out unceremoniously.

 

Asyulus votes for Reddroast.

Cap doesn't vote (self-vote).

elcaballero doesn't vote (self-vote).

Fancyarcher votes for Reddroast.

Reddroast doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

Reddroast had a fun rivalry going with Ethan Hunt, so as the storyteller, I was disappointed that Reddroast seemingly tapped out as early as he did. But I think everything happens for a reason, as these early weeks set the stage for what the season would eventually become.

 

Was this the start of the Asyulus/Fancyarcher partnership? Because when you vote together and you know you voted together, that's something that often solidifies bonds in the game.

 

 

Episode Four: "Daisy's Dojo"

Spoiler

Bonus Item: Predict Polite Society

The Dark Alfred gets the highest prediction and wins an Ice Flower. He holds onto it for an opportune moment...

 

Special Twist

I presented a button for players to press that would send one of the Goombas to the Pokeys. They would've gotten a Fire Flower, which would have given them the power to burn someone's vote. That would have given them a fighting chance to overcome a 4-1 numbers deficit, as they would only have to convince one player to help them out. But five of the six Goombas chose not to press the button, and that decision may have had some consequences!

 

Elimination

The Goombas go to their first tribal. Most players attempt to vote out Agafin, but it backfires when Agafin plays five mushrooms on himself to clinch immunity. Wrath loses the sudden death tiebreaker and gets eliminated.

 

Agafin votes for Wrath.

DetectiveAI votes for Agafin.

Ethan Hunt votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for himself (I think?).

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

Wrath votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

I fear that I might've tipped off Agafin. One of my reminders was like "don't miss your chance to send Tuesday predictions" because it's heartbreaking when people miss the prediction, and Agafin might've thought from that, "yep, I better play those mushrooms." Wrath was an unfortunate casualty this week, though I wasn't sure what to do with his character as the storyteller. I'm sure I would've figured it out over time though. But this was a pivotal week as the start of Agafin's shroom-spree, and it was funny to watch Jack Sparrow literally vote for himself (that was not a mere self-vote, he voted for himself) and still make it out of the tribal alive.

 

 

Episode Five: "Honeyhive Galaxy"

Spoiler

Bonus Item: Predict Evil Dead Rise

The Dark Alfred doubles up, getting the highest prediction here and taking the Fire Flower that I would've given through the button twist in the previous week. And here's where I admit that I thought the bonus items would be more evenly spread out; I didn't expect for Fancyarcher to win three and for The Dark Alfred to win two. Funnily enough, Agafin got 2nd place for the fire flower by a very slim margin.

 

Elimination

The Goombas go to tribal again, and they try to vote Agafin out, but Agafin uses a mushroom. Turns out he would've won even without the mushroom. They leave it to random draw, and DetectiveAI gets unlucky with his Tuesday prediction so he's eliminated here.

 

Agafin votes for Agafin.

DetectiveAI votes for Agafin.

Ethan Hunt votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

As the storyteller, I was sad to see DetectiveAI go here. They were one of my favorite characters to write with the "detective" schtick, and they were having a decent streak up until this point. As soon as I saw a powerful player like DetectiveAI eliminated here, I was like, "yikes, this tribe is in trouble."

 

 

Episode Six: "Kamek's Library"

Spoiler

Bonus Item: Book Club 2

I think the film was Book Club 2? But yeah, Fancyarcher wins and gets a 1-Up Mushroom, but I don't think he ever used it.

 

Elimination

Agafin and Jack Sparrow fail to send weekend predictions entirely, potentially saving Cap from a 13th place finish, as she was the only one on the Pokey squad who didn't predict. Agafin uses two mushrooms and *narrowly* beats Jack Sparrow by about a .5% margin, sending the tribe back into chaos. Ethan Hunt stabs JJ-8 in the front with a sole vote, and JJ-8 doesn't predict for Tuesday immunity, so he goes here.

 

Agafin votes for Jack Sparrow.

Ethan Hunt votes for JJ-8.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

A pivotal week for the season in retrospect. If Agafin goes here, Rorschach would've used the Genie Lamp differently in the forthcoming weeks when he got it. Plus the kart twist might've played out differently, as who knows which kart JJ-8 would've picked. It was sad seeing JJ-8 go, though I'll admit that it was ironically funny to see him get eliminated over the players who didn't send weekend predictions.

 

 

Episode Seven: "Shy Guy Circuit"

Spoiler

Cap's Ejection

I was planning to do a double elimination sometime during the season. It likely would've been the Final 10 like it was last season. But when Cap left the game, I decided to bump the double elimination up to this one. As sad as it was to see Cap go, the post-merge wouldn't quite have been the same if there'd been a double elimination in that slot. So yeah, everything happens for a reason! Plus I felt bad that she had to leave and gave her a chance to give her idol away, and she gave it to Fancyarcher!

 

Twist

The kart twist was something that favored the game's strongest players in a way I didn't expect. This was also an easier weekend than others due to the films of the weekend, which likely played into how easy for stronger players to outperform other players. I wonder what went into the thought process of why certain players picked certain karts?

 

Elimination

Agafin, Asyulus, Ethan Hunt, Goldenhour36, and Morieris end up in this tribal. Ethan Hunt somehow gets away from this without a single vote cast against him. Goldenhour36 and Morieris target Agafin, but it backfires because Agafin's two mushrooms gave him just enough points to beat out Asyulus for the win. Morieris has the lowest Tuesday score, so the tiebreaker sends her home.

 

Agafin votes for Morieris.

Asyulus votes for Goldenhour36.

Ethan Hunt votes for Asyulus.

Goldenhour36 votes for Agafin.

Morieris votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

If Morieris survives here, the season enters the post-merge with a five-three-two advantage in favor of the Koopas. It would've been interesting to see how that season would play out, but I fear it might've been a little bit more boring than the season we did get. Plus, since I allowed Cap to give away her idol, I choose to do the fair thing and allow Morieris to give away her idol. I did not expect Morieris to pick Fancyarcher! I was very surprised! But yeah, I was sad to see Morieris go because she was a rootable player/character, and I think she would've gotten a deep run if she made it past this week.

 

Ethan Hunt knew something was up, as he votes Asyulus here. Ethan Hunt, please correct me on this, but I think you voted him because of his coin total? But alas, this was a pivotal week for Asyulus to survive, as he would later go on to take a spot in the Top Three.

 

 

Episode Eight: "Yoshi's Island"

Spoiler

Confession

This episode should've just been titled "Delfino Isle."

 

Twist

Here's what was in everyone's Yoshi eggs.

 

Agafin - Dr. Mario's Note

Asyulus - Super Bell

DAJK - Ztar (idol nullifier)

The Dark Alfred - Fire Flower

elcaballero - Safety For The Week

Ethan Hunt - Golden Mushroom (+9%)

Fancyarcher - Invincibility Star

Goldenhour36 - 1-Up Mushroom

Jack Sparrow - Blue Shell (targets first place)

Rorschach - Genie Lamp

 

Fancyarcher's random draw, where he received the egg's invincibility star, really set him up to go far in the game. With Cap's idol and Morieris's idol, this meant he had three idols. There were a lot of ways his game could still take a south turn depending on how the Koopas planned on using the Ztar, but having three idols is always a massive advantage in Survivor. Fancyarcher's luck in this season is like the equivalent of being able to buy both Boardwalk spaces very early on in a game of Monopoly.

 

Elimination

Rorschach uses the genie lamp to turn all red mushrooms that Agafin plays on himself into poison mushrooms. Not knowing about Agafin's Dr. Mario's Note, Goldenhour36 openly targets Agafin by putting poison mushrooms on him during the weekend challenge. This likely causes Agafin to use the Dr. Mario's Note, buying him one more week in the game. With Agafin off the table, and with elcaballero and Fancyarcher both having safety, the tribal council is thrown into a tailspin of uncertainty.

 

Ethan Hunt chooses not to use his Golden Mushroom—but unbeknownst to him, he is the Koopas' targe likely because Agafin isn't available. Rorschach, the Pokeys' target, wins immunity, and Ethan Hunt is eliminated in a 3-2 vote against Asyulus.

 

Agafin sits out and doesn't vote.

Asyulus votes for Rorschach.

DAJK votes for Asyulus.

The Dark Alfred votes for Ethan Hunt.

elcaballero votes for Rorschach.

Ethan Hunt votes for Asyulus.

Fancyarcher votes for Rorschach.

Goldenhour36 votes for Ethan Hunt.

Jack Sparrow votes for DAJK.

Rorschach votes for Ethan Hunt.

 

Even if Ethan Hunt had roped in Jack Sparrow for a vote against Asyulus, he would have lost the tiebreaker against Asyulus, as Asyulus's red mushroom gave him the edge to beat Ethan Hunt in case he needed to.

 

Commentary

This is the kind of episode that shows you that games like Survivor can be very exciting even if the source of votes are clear to everyone, and even if there's clear groups working together. It's a battle against two groups—which group will prevail? And as always, it was disappointing to see Ethan Hunt get voted out, as he is always a fascinating character to write in the Survivor story.

 

 

Episode Nine: "Pauline's Studio"

Spoiler

Elimination

Goldenhour36 and The Dark Alfred overtake Fancyarcher's weekend score to win immunity, but Fancyarcher boldly employs a game move called an "idol hold." He knows he has three idols and 'has idols to burn,' but he doesn't burn a single one just yet. This "idol hold" could have been disastrous, as this was the only time until the final four that Fancyarcher didn't have some kind of immunity. I was very impressed by his courageous choice not to use an idol here.

 

The Pokeys try targeting DAJK, but the Koopas have the numbers as well as the genie's magic powers, and they vote out Agafin after his many weeks of clutching safety.

 

Agafin votes for Jack Sparrow.

Asyulus votes for DAJK.

DAJK votes for Agafin.

The Dark Alfred votes for Agafin.

elcaballero votes for DAJK.

Fancyarcher votes for Jack Sparrow.

Goldenhour36 votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

Rorschach votes for Agafin (x2).

 

(Shoot, I realize because Jack Sparrow voted for Agafin, I missed an opportunity for good drama in the story. Oh well.)

 

Commentary

This was one of the most entertaining tribals of the game. It was like the end of a second act of a good movie or novel. Agafin's luck finally runs out, but he had one heck of a run. The Pokeys' choice to target DAJK was wise in the sense that Rorschach was likelier to win immunity, but they just didn't have the numbers. Perhaps they could have roped in Agafin and Jack Sparrow to help with voting for DAJK, but the season definitely wouldn't have been the same if that happened.

 

 

Episode Ten: "Donkey Kong's Jungle"

Spoiler

Elimination

Goldenhour36 clutches immunity, this time not from Fancyarcher, but from Asyulus. Fancyarcher, with no clear idea of an alternative target for the Koopas, and with immunity to burn, goes ahead and uses one of his stars here (though he would've won immunity anyway). But surprise—the Koopas, likely intending to burn Fancyarcher's star, and likely thinking he only had just one, decide to make Jack Sparrow the alternate target. The Pokeys' bid to target Rorschach is unsuccessful, and Jack Sparrow goes 4-3-1.

 

Asyulus votes for Rorschach.

DAJK votes for Jack Sparrow.

The Dark Alfred votes for Jack Sparrow.

elcaballero votes for Rorschach.

Fancyarcher votes for Rorschach.

Goldenhour36 votes for Jack Sparrow.

Jack Sparrow votes for DAJK.

Rorschach votes for Jack Sparrow.

 

Commentary

Well, if Jack Sparrow had played his idol on himself, Rorschach would have surely gone home. But here's the kicker—and this is a big reveal. Hold on to your seats. Here goes nothing... Jack Sparrow's Tuesday immunity score beats Rorschach's immunity score by about 1%, since Asyulus used the one poison mushroom on Rorschach. So if Jack Sparrow had voted Rorschach with the Pokeys to make it a 4-4 split, Rorschach would've been voted out here. This would change the course of the season! But Jack Sparrow exiting here made the season's homestretch a clear turf war between the Koopas and the Pokeys, which made for an exciting climactic storyline.

 

But what happened to the Goombas this season was dreadful. The moment they decided not to push the button, they all got eliminated almost back-to-back. The tragic implosion of that tribe was truly a sight to behold!

 

Then Jack Sparrow gives his idol to Fancyarcher, and I'm thinking, 'yep, Fancyarcher's getting to the three."

 

 

Episode Eleven: "Penguin King's Icecap"

Spoiler

Twist

These are the items everyone got from the stars:

 

Asyulus - Penguin Suit

DAJK - Blue Shell

The Dark Alfred - Heart of Friendship

elcaballero - Golden Mushroom

Fancyarcher - Genie Lamp

Goldenhour36 - Invincibility Star

Rorschach - Bowser Bomb

 

Elimination

This was a weird week because of the genie lamp, and because of the sudden death challenge. But I was happy that the genie lamp thing happened when it did because it made my life a lot easier during the flight to Guatemala. elcaballero forgetting to predict Tuesday immunity and going home was sad, but when the Pokeys were down to two members, it ironically made it more manageable for Fancyarcher to get both him and Asyulus to the end with the help of the invincibility stars.

 

Commentary

Interestingly, Rorschach, the eventual winner of the season, was once again vulnerable here. He had the lowest Tuesday immunity score with 88.27%. If elcaballero had predicted, that is the score that he would've had to beat to send Rorschach home. Therefore, Rorschach going here is a plausible scenario, so this becomes a fascinating "what if."

 

 

Episode Twelve: "Cranky Kong's Cavern"

Spoiler

Elimination

This was a pivotal time for Rorschach to win immunity. Without that immunity, Asyulus and Fancyarcher had enough coins to decrease his Tuesday score like they did with DAJK, and Rorschach probably would've gone instead of DAJK due to the Secret Superstar Giveaway Twist. As it stands, Fancyarcher puts idols on himself and Asyulus, and DAJK went home.

 

Asyulus votes for DAJK.

DAJK votes for Fancyarcher.

The Dark Alfred plays an ice flower, banks a vote.

Fancyarcher votes for DAJK.

Goldenhour36 votes for Fancyarcher.

Rorschach votes for Fancyarcher.

 

Commentary

This season's climax was made memorable to me by several players' decisions not to use key items they had at their disposal. DAJK had the Ztar and could've nullified Fancyarcher's idol—though of course, he doesn't think Fancyarcher has an idol. Plus, Fancyarcher won Tuesday immunity in a *landslide,* so a lot of mushrooms would've been needed to pull down Fancyarcher's score enough to make the Ztar strategy work. But if they successfully do that strategy, Fancyarcher likely gives the extra star to Asyulus; Asyulus plays it on himself at the final five tribal to get to four. 

 

Episode Thirteen: "Luigi's Mansion"

Spoiler

Confession

I hope you weren't too impatient for the Luigi's Mansion episode. This Summer was light on horror films, and because I matched settings with film releases, I felt compelled to wait for the weekend of Insidious for a Luigi's Mansion episode. But I wouldn't have done a Mario season without one!

 

Elimination

An Asyulus weekend immunity win would have spun the final five tribal into chaos. Fancyarcher has his extra idol, Alfred would have wasted his Heart of Friendship, and Rorschach might very well be a sitting duck, as the Bowser Bomb might have forced his score down to an unwinnable level. So that was a pivotal moment for Rorschach to win immunity, and it was a pivotal moment for Alfred to tag along with the Heart of Friendship due to how the tribal played out.

 

Fancyarcher cashes out and idols Asyulus; Goldenhour36 doesn't expect the idol play, so he's forced out with his own idol in his pocket, since he's the only one without immunity.

 

Asyulus's vote's burned away. (Goldenhour36)

The Dark Alfred votes for Fancyarcher and Asyulus.

Fancyarcher's vote's burned away. (Goldenhour36)

Goldenhour36 votes for Fancyarcher.

Rorschach votes for Fancyarcher and Asyulus.

 

Commentary

In the Survivor TV show, when a player has an idol in a later round even when they know they're safe, they usually play it as a just-in-case, saying something like "I don't need a souvenir." I was fully expecting Goldenhour36 to play his idol as a just-in-case. If Goldenhour36 had played his idol, and everyone had immunity, then I would have implemented some sort of sudden death element into the Mission: Impossible weekend challenge to get someone out then. But everything happens for a reason, and even though Goldenhour36 didn't play his idol, he still played a great game up to this point.

 

 

Episode Fourteen: "Funky Kong Stadium"

Spoiler

Elimination

Another pivotal immunity win for Rorschach, as who knows what would've happened if he'd been exposed at this tribal.

 

Asyulus votes for The Dark Alfred.

The Dark Alfred votes for Asyulus.

Fancyarcher votes for The Dark Alfred.

Rorschach votes for Asyulus.

 

Asyulus 'wins' the tiebreaker, and Alfred goes.

 

Commentary

If I weren't as nice/trusting as I am by default, Asyulus might have been eliminated here. I find his prediction submission sketchy for the same reason I found his finale prediction sketchy. But everything happens for a reason, and I had the brain to realize 'oh I should disqualify this immunity prediction' during this timeframe, there wouldn't have been that satisfying story moment during the finale. Like I've been saying, everything happens for a reason. But Dark Alfred played a heck of a game and was part of the reason why this season was as exciting as it was. And, yes, Fancyarcher would've beaten Dark Alfred's score by about 1.1%, so the Koopas were in the right frame of mind by targeting Asyulus.

 

 

Finale: "King Bob-omb's Powderkeg Mine"

Spoiler

Everything comes to a head in this moment. Rorschach's competition streak doesn't end here, and he pulls out a natural win over Fancyarcher during what was one of the most exciting weekends of box office prediction in this forum's history. Either winner would have been satisfying to the story for different reasons, so I am happy with this conclusion as the storyteller.

 

Things I Would've Done Differently

Spoiler

I'm now going to critique the way I hosted the game to think about what I can do better if I host again.

 

 - Next time, there probably won't be a secret idol giveaway twist. It's more dramatic for idols to be out of the game for good once the player holding it leaves the game. But I like having a lot of idols in the mix. Some Survivor fans aren't fans of twists, but I love writing twists into the game. But I need to be careful not to break the game!

 

 - I did good not asking "hey are you playing your idol" and letting players remember (or fail to remember) to play their idols. But sometimes I reminded people to send Tuesday predictions in a way that may have tipped them off to what was happening behind the scenes. So next time I'll be careful!

 

- One player suggested that I make "who's playing what item" a secret, so that players are free to play more items more often, without fear of retaliation. This is an interesting twist idea, and I might implement that idea in a future season.

 

Why I *Might* Not Host Survivor Again (commentary contains discussion of personal religious beliefs)

(tagging players from my previous season too @YM! @AN9815 @NannerManCan @M37 @Shanks @Eric Bainbridge @Gokai Red @ZeeSoh @chasmmi @StarWarsMemer @Ezen Baklattan @baumer @Keanu @Sheikh @Avatree @PanaMovie @Elegiental @Premium George @Kjtc @Darth Lehnsherr @MrGamer @Claire of Themyscira

Spoiler

Firstly, thank you to everyone who played this season, because I was very happy with how this season turned out. It was exciting from start to finish, without any dull moments. Like the best stories, it began as a slow-burn and gradually built up to becoming something much more explosive, as Oppenheimer would put it. So yes, thank you all for playing.

 

But the reason why this might be my last season is something personal about my relationship with shows like Survivor and Big Brother and my relationship with other priorities. Shows like these and games like these are often played with lying, cheating, and sinning as the game moves. But now, I'm entering a phase of my life where I'm taking my faith more seriously than I did before. So my mind likes thinking doomsday scenarios, and now it's thinking: am I hosting not simply a game, but a platform for sin? It would be hard to make an argument that playing Monopoly with your family is a sin, or that playing a social game like Mafia with friends is a sin. So the question becomes, is Survivor the same as that scenario, or is Survivor fundamentally different to that? Because if I truly want to take my faith more seriously, then I need to take seriously the command to refrain from leading other people astray, because if I do that, or if I've ever done it and I remain unrepentant about it, then the implication is that there's grave consequences...

 

I was having these thoughts in my head as early as Week One, and my encounters with YouTube videos of peoples' heartfelt personal testimonies of heaven/hell didn't help matters. But I decided not to cancel the game because I was eager to finish what I started, and to complete this season for its players as though I would complete it for the Lord. I'm leaning toward being glad I went through with the season because I have experiences and memories I wouldn't have had otherwise. I prayed for help with not being afraid of other people, and I was given an opportunity to be brave enough to disqualify one of the players for cheating the system, and I did it! A different me might not've been brave enough to do it!

 

I then share this analogy not to preach, but to give an example of what I learned during the season. Players have idols, and they have powerful items, but perhaps by ignorance or perhaps by a lapse in thought, they decide not to use those items, and they get voted out. And that's an attitude that I'm guilty of having had with Jesus, where I wear Jesus in my pocket like an immunity idol, but when the time comes for me to rely on his power, I end up failing to rely on his power, you know? And I think it's a good thing that I hosted this season, ultimately, because I'm coming out of this season personally with a beautiful analogy of how I should be handling my own faith.

 

All in all, Survivor is a game, but due to the presence of convictions, doubts, and questions regarding Survivor and Big Brother, I think my best course of action would be to step away from hosting duties for BOT Survivor, at least for the time being. I have great memories of knitting together exciting seasons and storylines, but it would be tragic, in the event of a game like this being inherently immoral, for my enjoyment of a game like this to come at the cost of other peoples' souls as well as my own. So my faith is leading me away from the game, but I'm eager to see where the history of BOT Survivor goes from this point forward. If you have made it to the end of this long message, thank you for giving me your time. If you have thoughts about any of this, I'm eager to hear it. But again, thank you for appearing on one of my seasons! And may the torches of your lives stay lit for many more years!

 

[elcaballero]

@Rorschach Congrats on the well-earned win, you played a fantastic game all the way through!

[Rorschach]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

 

 

OMG, WOW! This is so surreal to me. IIRC, the first two times I played this game, back in 2018 and 2019, respectively, I don't even think I cracked the Top 10 in either season. The fact that not only did I make it way further this go around but that I actually WON the game just feels so unreal. I guess the third time really is the charm ☘️.

 

First off, congrats to both @Fancyarcher and @Asyulus for making it to the Top 3 with me. You guys were such awesome players and predictors for the whole season. Both of you really kept me on my toes for the whole back half of this season, especially toward the very end. I would not have been disappointed at all if either, or both, of you bested me for the win. Well done, gents!

 

Second, thank you to the Koopa Squad for being the best teammates I could ever ask for! @Roxanne I feel really bad that you didn't get much of a chance to participate in the game, but I know for a fact you would've been a great player. Hopefully, you can get another shot in the next game! @Morieris I'm sad you weren't able to join the Top 10 with the rest of the squad, but rest assured, you were a fantastic teammate. I know you had a bit of a rough start with scores, but I gotta say, you getting the highest score out of all the players on the Guardians 3 weekend challenge was probably one of the coolest surprises of the whole season. @DAJK, @Goldenhour36, @The Dark Alfred, you guys were amazing predictors the whole way through. That we all made it as far as we did, together, is just astounding. My only regret is that all of us weren't able to make it to the Top 4 as a squad, but I'm just happy I was able to be part of such a strong group. I would've been ecstatic if any of you guys had pulled off the win. Love y'all so much 

❤️

 

Third, to everyone else (@Agafin @Alex SciChannel @Cap @DetectiveAl @elcaballero @Ethan Hunt @Jack Sparrow @JJ-8 @Reddroast @Wrath), congrats and thank you for being such awesome competitors this season! Especially @Agafin, your streak of avoiding elimination with mushrooms was truly spectacular. I'm sorry I had to be the one to break it for you 😅. 

 

And finally, thank you to @SLAM! and our guest host @ZeeSoh for crafting such an awesome storyline this season! Doing weekly predictions is fun, but seeing those results actually simulated in a reality show format is really the true thrill and payoff of it all. Thank you for putting in the hard work of writing every single week. @SLAM! I'm sad to hear that you might be stepping away from hosting for a bit, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're all so thankful for all your contributions to this game and for organizing all of this. Between this and your work in Cayom, you are an immensely talented writer, and I know you have a bright future ahead of you. I hope we can see you return to the host spot someday down the line, but for now, best of luck to you in your endeavors.

 

Once again, thank you all so much for such an awesome season of Survivor! I feel so honored and privileged to be in this position. I can't say for certain whether I'll participate in the next season (we'll see where I'm at in life when that rolls around), but I'm totally open to another go at this game. One thing I do know for sure is that I'm definitely gonna miss having something to look forward to every week. Seeing the weekend results every Monday night after a long, grueling shift working at UPS was almost always the highlight of that day for me, and it most certainly is today as well. But eventually, all good things must come to an end, and I could not have asked for a better conclusion than this.

 

Until next time, good game, everyone.

 

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Rorschach

[Morieris]

9 hours ago, Rorschach said:

@Morieris I'm sad you weren't able to join the Top 10 with the rest of the squad, but rest assured, you were a fantastic teammate. I know you had a bit of a rough start with scores, but I gotta say, you getting the highest score out of all the players on the Guardians 3 weekend challenge was probably one of the coolest surprises of the whole season.

 

Aw, that's sweet! I had fun, congrats! I always got a kick out of visiting and catching up even after my elimination, I genuinely like the banter and story.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Morieris

[Agafin]

Why do I almost feel nostalgic for this game despite leaving only like two months ago 😅. I really had a great time playing. I thought I had the luckiest streak of the game but @Fancyarcher getting so many idols perhaps has me beat in that aspect, lol. And congrats to @Rorschach for winning it all in the end, I guess if I had to be eliminated, it better be by the eventual winner 💪. And of course, thanks to @SLAM! for creating this season of the game. Whether or not you decide to continue is only up to you, if you enjoy doing it and believe it is in accordance with your faith.

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by Agafin

[Wrath]

On 7/24/2023 at 10:35 PM, SLAM! said:

@Agafin @Alex SciChannel @Asyulus @Cap @DAJK @The Dark Alfred @DetectiveAl @elcaballero @Ethan Hunt @Fancyarcher @Goldenhour36 @Jack Sparrow @JJ-8 @Morieris @Reddroast @Rorschach @Roxanne @Wrath

 

SURVIVOR MUSHROOM KINGDOM

Season Breakdown

 

In this post, I will provide information such as who voted for who.

 

Episode One: "Mario's Pipe Zone"

  Reveal hidden contents

Special Twist

Morieris, Jack Sparrow, and Cap find the special Week One invincibility stars by deciphering the secret message.

 

Bonus Item: Predict Shazam 2)

Fancyarcher gets the highest prediction on Shazam 2 and earns a Bob-omb. He uses the Bob-omb in Week Two.

 

Elimination

The Koopa Squad attends tribal council, largely due to Roxanne's absence. Roxanne is voted out unceremoniously, 4-1-1.

 

DAJK votes for Roxanne.

The Dark Alfred votes for Morieris.

Goldenhour36 votes for Roxanne.

Morieris votes for Goldenhour36.

Rorschach votes for Roxanne.

Roxanne doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

If Roxanne materialized as a player this season, I think Koopa Squad would've become an unstoppable force this season. Roxanne had a fantastic practice prediction and that practice prediction caused me to send her to this tribe. But everything happens the way it's supposed to!

 

Episode Two: "Bowser's Castle"

  Reveal hidden contents

Bonus item: Predict Renfield

JJ-8 gets the highest prediction and wins a Super Leaf, though he never uses it.

 

Elimination

The Pokey Squad attends tribal council. Because Alex SciChannel didn't predict, he is voted out unceremoniously.

 

Alex SciChannel doesn't vote (self-vote).

Asyulus votes for Alex SciChannel.

Cap votes for Alex SciChannel.

elcaballero votes for Alex SciChannel.

Fancyarcher votes for Alex SciChannel.

Reddroast doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

I don't have much to say about this week, it's kind of a similar situation to Week One.

 

Episode Three: "Toad's Garden"

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Bonus Item: Predict Beau is Afraid

Fancyarcher wins his second special prediction and gets a Boo, though he never uses it.

 

Elimination

The Pokey attends tribal again. Reddroast didn't predict, so he is voted out unceremoniously.

 

Asyulus votes for Reddroast.

Cap doesn't vote (self-vote).

elcaballero doesn't vote (self-vote).

Fancyarcher votes for Reddroast.

Reddroast doesn't vote (self-vote).

 

Commentary

Reddroast had a fun rivalry going with Ethan Hunt, so as the storyteller, I was disappointed that Reddroast seemingly tapped out as early as he did. But I think everything happens for a reason, as these early weeks set the stage for what the season would eventually become.

 

Was this the start of the Asyulus/Fancyarcher partnership? Because when you vote together and you know you voted together, that's something that often solidifies bonds in the game.

 

 

Episode Four: "Daisy's Dojo"

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Bonus Item: Predict Polite Society

The Dark Alfred gets the highest prediction and wins an Ice Flower. He holds onto it for an opportune moment...

 

Special Twist

I presented a button for players to press that would send one of the Goombas to the Pokeys. They would've gotten a Fire Flower, which would have given them the power to burn someone's vote. That would have given them a fighting chance to overcome a 4-1 numbers deficit, as they would only have to convince one player to help them out. But five of the six Goombas chose not to press the button, and that decision may have had some consequences!

 

Elimination

The Goombas go to their first tribal. Most players attempt to vote out Agafin, but it backfires when Agafin plays five mushrooms on himself to clinch immunity. Wrath loses the sudden death tiebreaker and gets eliminated.

 

Agafin votes for Wrath.

DetectiveAI votes for Agafin.

Ethan Hunt votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for himself (I think?).

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

Wrath votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

I fear that I might've tipped off Agafin. One of my reminders was like "don't miss your chance to send Tuesday predictions" because it's heartbreaking when people miss the prediction, and Agafin might've thought from that, "yep, I better play those mushrooms." Wrath was an unfortunate casualty this week, though I wasn't sure what to do with his character as the storyteller. I'm sure I would've figured it out over time though. But this was a pivotal week as the start of Agafin's shroom-spree, and it was funny to watch Jack Sparrow literally vote for himself (that was not a mere self-vote, he voted for himself) and still make it out of the tribal alive.

 

 

Episode Five: "Honeyhive Galaxy"

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Bonus Item: Predict Evil Dead Rise

The Dark Alfred doubles up, getting the highest prediction here and taking the Fire Flower that I would've given through the button twist in the previous week. And here's where I admit that I thought the bonus items would be more evenly spread out; I didn't expect for Fancyarcher to win three and for The Dark Alfred to win two. Funnily enough, Agafin got 2nd place for the fire flower by a very slim margin.

 

Elimination

The Goombas go to tribal again, and they try to vote Agafin out, but Agafin uses a mushroom. Turns out he would've won even without the mushroom. They leave it to random draw, and DetectiveAI gets unlucky with his Tuesday prediction so he's eliminated here.

 

Agafin votes for Agafin.

DetectiveAI votes for Agafin.

Ethan Hunt votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

As the storyteller, I was sad to see DetectiveAI go here. They were one of my favorite characters to write with the "detective" schtick, and they were having a decent streak up until this point. As soon as I saw a powerful player like DetectiveAI eliminated here, I was like, "yikes, this tribe is in trouble."

 

 

Episode Six: "Kamek's Library"

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Bonus Item: Book Club 2

I think the film was Book Club 2? But yeah, Fancyarcher wins and gets a 1-Up Mushroom, but I don't think he ever used it.

 

Elimination

Agafin and Jack Sparrow fail to send weekend predictions entirely, potentially saving Cap from a 13th place finish, as she was the only one on the Pokey squad who didn't predict. Agafin uses two mushrooms and *narrowly* beats Jack Sparrow by about a .5% margin, sending the tribe back into chaos. Ethan Hunt stabs JJ-8 in the front with a sole vote, and JJ-8 doesn't predict for Tuesday immunity, so he goes here.

 

Agafin votes for Jack Sparrow.

Ethan Hunt votes for JJ-8.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

JJ-8 votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

A pivotal week for the season in retrospect. If Agafin goes here, Rorschach would've used the Genie Lamp differently in the forthcoming weeks when he got it. Plus the kart twist might've played out differently, as who knows which kart JJ-8 would've picked. It was sad seeing JJ-8 go, though I'll admit that it was ironically funny to see him get eliminated over the players who didn't send weekend predictions.

 

 

Episode Seven: "Shy Guy Circuit"

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Cap's Ejection

I was planning to do a double elimination sometime during the season. It likely would've been the Final 10 like it was last season. But when Cap left the game, I decided to bump the double elimination up to this one. As sad as it was to see Cap go, the post-merge wouldn't quite have been the same if there'd been a double elimination in that slot. So yeah, everything happens for a reason! Plus I felt bad that she had to leave and gave her a chance to give her idol away, and she gave it to Fancyarcher!

 

Twist

The kart twist was something that favored the game's strongest players in a way I didn't expect. This was also an easier weekend than others due to the films of the weekend, which likely played into how easy for stronger players to outperform other players. I wonder what went into the thought process of why certain players picked certain karts?

 

Elimination

Agafin, Asyulus, Ethan Hunt, Goldenhour36, and Morieris end up in this tribal. Ethan Hunt somehow gets away from this without a single vote cast against him. Goldenhour36 and Morieris target Agafin, but it backfires because Agafin's two mushrooms gave him just enough points to beat out Asyulus for the win. Morieris has the lowest Tuesday score, so the tiebreaker sends her home.

 

Agafin votes for Morieris.

Asyulus votes for Goldenhour36.

Ethan Hunt votes for Asyulus.

Goldenhour36 votes for Agafin.

Morieris votes for Agafin.

 

Commentary

If Morieris survives here, the season enters the post-merge with a five-three-two advantage in favor of the Koopas. It would've been interesting to see how that season would play out, but I fear it might've been a little bit more boring than the season we did get. Plus, since I allowed Cap to give away her idol, I choose to do the fair thing and allow Morieris to give away her idol. I did not expect Morieris to pick Fancyarcher! I was very surprised! But yeah, I was sad to see Morieris go because she was a rootable player/character, and I think she would've gotten a deep run if she made it past this week.

 

Ethan Hunt knew something was up, as he votes Asyulus here. Ethan Hunt, please correct me on this, but I think you voted him because of his coin total? But alas, this was a pivotal week for Asyulus to survive, as he would later go on to take a spot in the Top Three.

 

 

Episode Eight: "Yoshi's Island"

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Confession

This episode should've just been titled "Delfino Isle."

 

Twist

Here's what was in everyone's Yoshi eggs.

 

Agafin - Dr. Mario's Note

Asyulus - Super Bell

DAJK - Ztar (idol nullifier)

The Dark Alfred - Fire Flower

elcaballero - Safety For The Week

Ethan Hunt - Golden Mushroom (+9%)

Fancyarcher - Invincibility Star

Goldenhour36 - 1-Up Mushroom

Jack Sparrow - Blue Shell (targets first place)

Rorschach - Genie Lamp

 

Fancyarcher's random draw, where he received the egg's invincibility star, really set him up to go far in the game. With Cap's idol and Morieris's idol, this meant he had three idols. There were a lot of ways his game could still take a south turn depending on how the Koopas planned on using the Ztar, but having three idols is always a massive advantage in Survivor. Fancyarcher's luck in this season is like the equivalent of being able to buy both Boardwalk spaces very early on in a game of Monopoly.

 

Elimination

Rorschach uses the genie lamp to turn all red mushrooms that Agafin plays on himself into poison mushrooms. Not knowing about Agafin's Dr. Mario's Note, Goldenhour36 openly targets Agafin by putting poison mushrooms on him during the weekend challenge. This likely causes Agafin to use the Dr. Mario's Note, buying him one more week in the game. With Agafin off the table, and with elcaballero and Fancyarcher both having safety, the tribal council is thrown into a tailspin of uncertainty.

 

Ethan Hunt chooses not to use his Golden Mushroom—but unbeknownst to him, he is the Koopas' targe likely because Agafin isn't available. Rorschach, the Pokeys' target, wins immunity, and Ethan Hunt is eliminated in a 3-2 vote against Asyulus.

 

Agafin sits out and doesn't vote.

Asyulus votes for Rorschach.

DAJK votes for Asyulus.

The Dark Alfred votes for Ethan Hunt.

elcaballero votes for Rorschach.

Ethan Hunt votes for Asyulus.

Fancyarcher votes for Rorschach.

Goldenhour36 votes for Ethan Hunt.

Jack Sparrow votes for DAJK.

Rorschach votes for Ethan Hunt.

 

Even if Ethan Hunt had roped in Jack Sparrow for a vote against Asyulus, he would have lost the tiebreaker against Asyulus, as Asyulus's red mushroom gave him the edge to beat Ethan Hunt in case he needed to.

 

Commentary

This is the kind of episode that shows you that games like Survivor can be very exciting even if the source of votes are clear to everyone, and even if there's clear groups working together. It's a battle against two groups—which group will prevail? And as always, it was disappointing to see Ethan Hunt get voted out, as he is always a fascinating character to write in the Survivor story.

 

 

Episode Nine: "Pauline's Studio"

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Elimination

Goldenhour36 and The Dark Alfred overtake Fancyarcher's weekend score to win immunity, but Fancyarcher boldly employs a game move called an "idol hold." He knows he has three idols and 'has idols to burn,' but he doesn't burn a single one just yet. This "idol hold" could have been disastrous, as this was the only time until the final four that Fancyarcher didn't have some kind of immunity. I was very impressed by his courageous choice not to use an idol here.

 

The Pokeys try targeting DAJK, but the Koopas have the numbers as well as the genie's magic powers, and they vote out Agafin after his many weeks of clutching safety.

 

Agafin votes for Jack Sparrow.

Asyulus votes for DAJK.

DAJK votes for Agafin.

The Dark Alfred votes for Agafin.

elcaballero votes for DAJK.

Fancyarcher votes for Jack Sparrow.

Goldenhour36 votes for Agafin.

Jack Sparrow votes for Agafin.

Rorschach votes for Agafin (x2).

 

(Shoot, I realize because Jack Sparrow voted for Agafin, I missed an opportunity for good drama in the story. Oh well.)

 

Commentary

This was one of the most entertaining tribals of the game. It was like the end of a second act of a good movie or novel. Agafin's luck finally runs out, but he had one heck of a run. The Pokeys' choice to target DAJK was wise in the sense that Rorschach was likelier to win immunity, but they just didn't have the numbers. Perhaps they could have roped in Agafin and Jack Sparrow to help with voting for DAJK, but the season definitely wouldn't have been the same if that happened.

 

 

Episode Ten: "Donkey Kong's Jungle"

  Reveal hidden contents

Elimination

Goldenhour36 clutches immunity, this time not from Fancyarcher, but from Asyulus. Fancyarcher, with no clear idea of an alternative target for the Koopas, and with immunity to burn, goes ahead and uses one of his stars here (though he would've won immunity anyway). But surprise—the Koopas, likely intending to burn Fancyarcher's star, and likely thinking he only had just one, decide to make Jack Sparrow the alternate target. The Pokeys' bid to target Rorschach is unsuccessful, and Jack Sparrow goes 4-3-1.

 

Asyulus votes for Rorschach.

DAJK votes for Jack Sparrow.

The Dark Alfred votes for Jack Sparrow.

elcaballero votes for Rorschach.

Fancyarcher votes for Rorschach.

Goldenhour36 votes for Jack Sparrow.

Jack Sparrow votes for DAJK.

Rorschach votes for Jack Sparrow.

 

Commentary

Well, if Jack Sparrow had played his idol on himself, Rorschach would have surely gone home. But here's the kicker—and this is a big reveal. Hold on to your seats. Here goes nothing... Jack Sparrow's Tuesday immunity score beats Rorschach's immunity score by about 1%, since Asyulus used the one poison mushroom on Rorschach. So if Jack Sparrow had voted Rorschach with the Pokeys to make it a 4-4 split, Rorschach would've been voted out here. This would change the course of the season! But Jack Sparrow exiting here made the season's homestretch a clear turf war between the Koopas and the Pokeys, which made for an exciting climactic storyline.

 

But what happened to the Goombas this season was dreadful. The moment they decided not to push the button, they all got eliminated almost back-to-back. The tragic implosion of that tribe was truly a sight to behold!

 

Then Jack Sparrow gives his idol to Fancyarcher, and I'm thinking, 'yep, Fancyarcher's getting to the three."

 

 

Episode Eleven: "Penguin King's Icecap"

  Reveal hidden contents

Twist

These are the items everyone got from the stars:

 

Asyulus - Penguin Suit

DAJK - Blue Shell

The Dark Alfred - Heart of Friendship

elcaballero - Golden Mushroom

Fancyarcher - Genie Lamp

Goldenhour36 - Invincibility Star

Rorschach - Bowser Bomb

 

Elimination

This was a weird week because of the genie lamp, and because of the sudden death challenge. But I was happy that the genie lamp thing happened when it did because it made my life a lot easier during the flight to Guatemala. elcaballero forgetting to predict Tuesday immunity and going home was sad, but when the Pokeys were down to two members, it ironically made it more manageable for Fancyarcher to get both him and Asyulus to the end with the help of the invincibility stars.

 

Commentary

Interestingly, Rorschach, the eventual winner of the season, was once again vulnerable here. He had the lowest Tuesday immunity score with 88.27%. If elcaballero had predicted, that is the score that he would've had to beat to send Rorschach home. Therefore, Rorschach going here is a plausible scenario, so this becomes a fascinating "what if."

 

 

Episode Twelve: "Cranky Kong's Cavern"

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Elimination

This was a pivotal time for Rorschach to win immunity. Without that immunity, Asyulus and Fancyarcher had enough coins to decrease his Tuesday score like they did with DAJK, and Rorschach probably would've gone instead of DAJK due to the Secret Superstar Giveaway Twist. As it stands, Fancyarcher puts idols on himself and Asyulus, and DAJK went home.

 

Asyulus votes for DAJK.

DAJK votes for Fancyarcher.

The Dark Alfred plays an ice flower, banks a vote.

Fancyarcher votes for DAJK.

Goldenhour36 votes for Fancyarcher.

Rorschach votes for Fancyarcher.

 

Commentary

This season's climax was made memorable to me by several players' decisions not to use key items they had at their disposal. DAJK had the Ztar and could've nullified Fancyarcher's idol—though of course, he doesn't think Fancyarcher has an idol. Plus, Fancyarcher won Tuesday immunity in a *landslide,* so a lot of mushrooms would've been needed to pull down Fancyarcher's score enough to make the Ztar strategy work. But if they successfully do that strategy, Fancyarcher likely gives the extra star to Asyulus; Asyulus plays it on himself at the final five tribal to get to four. 

 

Episode Thirteen: "Luigi's Mansion"

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Confession

I hope you weren't too impatient for the Luigi's Mansion episode. This Summer was light on horror films, and because I matched settings with film releases, I felt compelled to wait for the weekend of Insidious for a Luigi's Mansion episode. But I wouldn't have done a Mario season without one!

 

Elimination

An Asyulus weekend immunity win would have spun the final five tribal into chaos. Fancyarcher has his extra idol, Alfred would have wasted his Heart of Friendship, and Rorschach might very well be a sitting duck, as the Bowser Bomb might have forced his score down to an unwinnable level. So that was a pivotal moment for Rorschach to win immunity, and it was a pivotal moment for Alfred to tag along with the Heart of Friendship due to how the tribal played out.

 

Fancyarcher cashes out and idols Asyulus; Goldenhour36 doesn't expect the idol play, so he's forced out with his own idol in his pocket, since he's the only one without immunity.

 

Asyulus's vote's burned away. (Goldenhour36)

The Dark Alfred votes for Fancyarcher and Asyulus.

Fancyarcher's vote's burned away. (Goldenhour36)

Goldenhour36 votes for Fancyarcher.

Rorschach votes for Fancyarcher and Asyulus.

 

Commentary

In the Survivor TV show, when a player has an idol in a later round even when they know they're safe, they usually play it as a just-in-case, saying something like "I don't need a souvenir." I was fully expecting Goldenhour36 to play his idol as a just-in-case. If Goldenhour36 had played his idol, and everyone had immunity, then I would have implemented some sort of sudden death element into the Mission: Impossible weekend challenge to get someone out then. But everything happens for a reason, and even though Goldenhour36 didn't play his idol, he still played a great game up to this point.

 

 

Episode Fourteen: "Funky Kong Stadium"

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Elimination

Another pivotal immunity win for Rorschach, as who knows what would've happened if he'd been exposed at this tribal.

 

Asyulus votes for The Dark Alfred.

The Dark Alfred votes for Asyulus.

Fancyarcher votes for The Dark Alfred.

Rorschach votes for Asyulus.

 

Asyulus 'wins' the tiebreaker, and Alfred goes.

 

Commentary

If I weren't as nice/trusting as I am by default, Asyulus might have been eliminated here. I find his prediction submission sketchy for the same reason I found his finale prediction sketchy. But everything happens for a reason, and I had the brain to realize 'oh I should disqualify this immunity prediction' during this timeframe, there wouldn't have been that satisfying story moment during the finale. Like I've been saying, everything happens for a reason. But Dark Alfred played a heck of a game and was part of the reason why this season was as exciting as it was. And, yes, Fancyarcher would've beaten Dark Alfred's score by about 1.1%, so the Koopas were in the right frame of mind by targeting Asyulus.

 

 

Finale: "King Bob-omb's Powderkeg Mine"

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Everything comes to a head in this moment. Rorschach's competition streak doesn't end here, and he pulls out a natural win over Fancyarcher during what was one of the most exciting weekends of box office prediction in this forum's history. Either winner would have been satisfying to the story for different reasons, so I am happy with this conclusion as the storyteller.

 

Things I Would've Done Differently

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I'm now going to critique the way I hosted the game to think about what I can do better if I host again.

 

 - Next time, there probably won't be a secret idol giveaway twist. It's more dramatic for idols to be out of the game for good once the player holding it leaves the game. But I like having a lot of idols in the mix. Some Survivor fans aren't fans of twists, but I love writing twists into the game. But I need to be careful not to break the game!

 

 - I did good not asking "hey are you playing your idol" and letting players remember (or fail to remember) to play their idols. But sometimes I reminded people to send Tuesday predictions in a way that may have tipped them off to what was happening behind the scenes. So next time I'll be careful!

 

- One player suggested that I make "who's playing what item" a secret, so that players are free to play more items more often, without fear of retaliation. This is an interesting twist idea, and I might implement that idea in a future season.

 

Why I *Might* Not Host Survivor Again (commentary contains discussion of personal religious beliefs)

(tagging players from my previous season too @YM! @AN9815 @NannerManCan @M37 @Shanks @Eric Bainbridge @Gokai Red @ZeeSoh @chasmmi @StarWarsMemer @Ezen Baklattan @baumer @Keanu @Sheikh @Avatree @PanaMovie @Elegiental @Premium George @Kjtc @Darth Lehnsherr @MrGamer @Claire of Themyscira

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Firstly, thank you to everyone who played this season, because I was very happy with how this season turned out. It was exciting from start to finish, without any dull moments. Like the best stories, it began as a slow-burn and gradually built up to becoming something much more explosive, as Oppenheimer would put it. So yes, thank you all for playing.

 

But the reason why this might be my last season is something personal about my relationship with shows like Survivor and Big Brother and my relationship with other priorities. Shows like these and games like these are often played with lying, cheating, and sinning as the game moves. But now, I'm entering a phase of my life where I'm taking my faith more seriously than I did before. So my mind likes thinking doomsday scenarios, and now it's thinking: am I hosting not simply a game, but a platform for sin? It would be hard to make an argument that playing Monopoly with your family is a sin, or that playing a social game like Mafia with friends is a sin. So the question becomes, is Survivor the same as that scenario, or is Survivor fundamentally different to that? Because if I truly want to take my faith more seriously, then I need to take seriously the command to refrain from leading other people astray, because if I do that, or if I've ever done it and I remain unrepentant about it, then the implication is that there's grave consequences...

 

I was having these thoughts in my head as early as Week One, and my encounters with YouTube videos of peoples' heartfelt personal testimonies of heaven/hell didn't help matters. But I decided not to cancel the game because I was eager to finish what I started, and to complete this season for its players as though I would complete it for the Lord. I'm leaning toward being glad I went through with the season because I have experiences and memories I wouldn't have had otherwise. I prayed for help with not being afraid of other people, and I was given an opportunity to be brave enough to disqualify one of the players for cheating the system, and I did it! A different me might not've been brave enough to do it!

 

I then share this analogy not to preach, but to give an example of what I learned during the season. Players have idols, and they have powerful items, but perhaps by ignorance or perhaps by a lapse in thought, they decide not to use those items, and they get voted out. And that's an attitude that I'm guilty of having had with Jesus, where I wear Jesus in my pocket like an immunity idol, but when the time comes for me to rely on his power, I end up failing to rely on his power, you know? And I think it's a good thing that I hosted this season, ultimately, because I'm coming out of this season personally with a beautiful analogy of how I should be handling my own faith.

 

All in all, Survivor is a game, but due to the presence of convictions, doubts, and questions regarding Survivor and Big Brother, I think my best course of action would be to step away from hosting duties for BOT Survivor, at least for the time being. I have great memories of knitting together exciting seasons and storylines, but it would be tragic, in the event of a game like this being inherently immoral, for my enjoyment of a game like this to come at the cost of other peoples' souls as well as my own. So my faith is leading me away from the game, but I'm eager to see where the history of BOT Survivor goes from this point forward. If you have made it to the end of this long message, thank you for giving me your time. If you have thoughts about any of this, I'm eager to hear it. But again, thank you for appearing on one of my seasons! And may the torches of your lives stay lit for many more years!

 

This was a tremendous write up and I had fun reading it and catching up on how the game's twists and turns ended up. GL with your personal decisions with your faith. A very personal thing and you have to do what feels best.