The episode in which Altaaf got ousted.
I am back on South African soil people!! Unfortunately, I was unable to watch episode 15 while I was in Bali and Hong Kong, hence this post has only gone live now. I managed to catch-up over the weekend and OH BOY!! What an episode!!
Tribal Council was explosive to say the least. Before I talk about #ricegate though, I feel compelled to reflect on that magical family moment.
During every season of Survivor, there is one episode that is guaranteed to bring out the tears. After going through 20 plus tough days playing this mentally and emotionally draining game, there is a huge sense of joyous surprise, relief and overwhelming love when you see your mother walking towards you with open arms.
I will never forget the moment that my sister Rogene and my mum, Anne appeared from behind a huge bush of trees on Day 23 in the middle of the Malaysian jungle. I needed my family so badly at that moment since my entire alliance had been voted out and it was fairly probable that I was next.
I woke up that morning feeling so alone and just needed some sense of comfort, even for a brief moment. I immediately burst out sobbing and then got the best hugs ever from two women who mean so much to me! While I was in her arms, I said, crying: “Mum, this is so hard for me”.
She just held me and said everything was going to be ok. I will forever be grateful that I got to share that with her - definitely worth way more than the million bucks. What that hug does for the human spirit is inexplicable.
It is the exact motivation needed to try harder, not give up, see the light at the end of the tunnel and do the best you can for the remaining days. That kind of rejuvenation is soul-restoring and can do more than any amount of pizza!!
I believe that day was a huge reason why I was able to fight and make it to the final 3. So happy for the lucky few on this season who have a such a special memory to carry with them!
Now many may disagree with me, however, I think that the Zavion/Graham/Altaaf number “game” to guarantee that the 3 of them got to enjoy the reward with their loved ones was smart play. It’s not cheating!!
Once you win something and then devise a plan to a.) ensure that you have a 3 in 6 chance of enjoying the reward and b.) try and prevent the other players from taking it personally, it is a great strategy!
As a Survivor fan, I have seen how the selection process after a reward can make or break someone’s future in this game. It can be controversial so the plan would have nullified any backlash.
The problem is that if you then plan to vote one of the conspirators out, you run the risk of this strategy being revealed at Tribal Council to fellow competitors and the jury who may not take too kindly to it. That brings me back to #ricegate.
Altaaf did the right thing by outing the pre-planned scheme. It drives me insane when people start harping on about morality when it comes to this game. This is Survivor! There is no moral yardstick, there are no rules, this isn’t real life and it is just a game. So when Zavion started saying how hypocritical Altaaf is, I wanted to throttle him. Of course he had hypocritical moments - you get to do that when you’re on Survivor dude.
Having said all of that though, I must concede that quite frankly, it was a great strategic move to take out Altaaf. He is well-liked, has proven himself in challenges, hasn’t really upset anyone on the jury and so he could easily walk away with the title. I applaud the move, as a viewer.
As a player, my heart sank a little for Altaaf. It is really tough to get this far and have the people that you were aligned with turn on you. Throwing the rice into the fire was definitely not a classy move and he did unfortunately come across as a bit of a spoilt brat. I can only say in his defense that emotions run high and they tend to get the best of you.
All in all, he played a great game and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, you do something silly on national TV and you just have to live with it. Let’s not blow this thing out of proportion. But to all the people suggesting that Altaaf get a Tastic endorsement out of this, quit it. Why would Tastic want someone who threw the rice AWAY to promote the product? Not gonna happen people.
Cannot wait to blog about episode 16!! Coming up next :)
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