Episode 7: Acta Est Fabula
Ever since I started to watch All My Children years ago, I’ve been a fan of soap operas. The appeal, for me, was that they focused on inherent characterization and the struggles that these characters were put through on a daily basis. The storylines weren’t always plausible, but in the fantastical realm that had become said characters lives, it always worked for me. But every now and then, a storyline would come through that seemed more contrived than revolutionary. Such hackneyed plots would undeniably drag the show down a bit, and introduce a melee of melodrama that distracted the rest of the rising action. In the curious case of Lisa Whelchel, I think it’s pretty safe to say that in terms of art imitating reality, Lisa hasn’t lost her touch for theatrics, as she has threatened to hijack Survivor into a soap opera of her own...
This lady has soap opera star written all over her face...
This guy has soap opera star written all over his face...
Drama follows Lisa around like trouble follows Lindsay Lohan. From the way that she carries herself in front of the camera, to the way that she acts around her fellow castaways. We’ve seen her fleeting moments where she regressed herself to the resident wishing well; engulfed in tears and self pity. We’ve seen her internalize her struggles when she decided to make a major move in the game (and likewise, when she subsequently apologized profusely for said act). And like a gushy game of table tennis, we’ve seen her pingpong back and forth between her own blustery definitions of loyalty and lunacy. If there was ever a castaway who has hovered more at the precipice of their own moral cliff, I’m not sure I’ve witnessed them yet (Leslie Neace on Survivor: China deserves a quick nod though). Lisa’s constant caterwauling about how every move will define some aspect of the rest of her life is not only distracting, but it creates a lethargic pacing after a while. It’s almost as if she cannot separate her natural acting abilities with the chance to simply play “herself” in front of the camera.
There's been a lot of this going around as of late...
What will Lisa lament over this week? Like a bad soap opera plot revisited, the audience wishes she can just negotiate with her demons long enough so that the show can move onto the next storyline. For her credit though, it really is amusing just how much dominance she has held during the course of the game. Her self-deprecating, estranged moments at the beginning of the game make her a constant focus of the rest of Tandang. She unearthed Malcolm’s idol, and suddenly, she was in the driver’s seat. She became a an ally of Penner, but was also working as his adversary, concurrently. The past three weeks, the spotlight has belonged to her exclusively, and as the show winds down, she has shown no interest in sharing it.
I suppose that the tribe that prays together, reaches the final two together
But perhaps, hypothetically, maybe Survivor is one giant soap opera; just on a more limited scale. You have a host of storylines that develop naturally as the season plays out. Perhaps, not as gimmicky as soaps, but storylines that certainly are potent enough to define a castaways fate on the show. Through the magic of editing, events can be slightly skewered, and like the Wizard of Oz, Mark Burnett hides behind a curtain, playing puppet master in terms of not only having a hand in the casting, but also with the amount of information we leran about these castaways. There are no scripts though; just the natural conversation and reality that will be harvested by throwing sixteen strangers into a strange land. Everything else, at that point, will play itself out. Alliances will form; tears will be shed; there will be blood; there might even be romance. Mixed passionately into this cauldron of human hyperbole, is a basic quest of outlasting the others, and this recipe is one that has appealed to Survivor fans for the last decade. (And maybe if it was actually a soap, Abi could write-off her loutish behavior as the work of her evil doppelganger, trying to get revenge on her for ruining her fifth wedding).
Yeah, this would be one giant telemundo no-no...
The producers have a job too though. They need to play up the drama at every turn, whether it be during challenges, or during the camp life. Humanistic feelings like hunger, isolation and separation need to be center-staged for the sake of drama. And when alliances are jaundiced, and natural rivalries begin, it needs to be documented and reinforced for the sake of vital characterization. But it’s easy to sometimes forget how real these people are, and how easily they become ‘characters’ on a grander scale. In many ways, the characters on a soap opera are like castaways. A team of writers mold them, and throw them all into a fictional setting, where they’re suddenly forced to concordantly coexist with each other, and like life on an island, there’s really no place to run. So perhaps, Survivor is more like a soap opera without the guidance of a script. The end result will still be a group of people trying to survive each other, but unlike a soap, the castaways on Survivor find their escape after a finite amount of days.
Detective Probst: Digging into the human psyche since 2001.
Survivor: Philippines has had a number of captivating plotlines: Mike Skupin’s penchant for injuring himself; Jonathan Penner’s quest to play a complete game; Russell Swan on the couch, his childhood examined for the sake of exorcising his demons; Carter’s journey from halfwit to hero; the unlikely union of Denise and Malcolm finding life, long after Matsing’s expiration date; Angie’s undying love for cookies; Jeff Kent’s ability to masquerade his profession; Abi-Maria’s ability to annoy the crap out of everybody she’s encountered; RC’s inability to find players willing to play the freaking game with her.
I swear, I spent an hour in front of the mirror trying to recreate this
In many ways, this bevy of anecdotal opportunity could be one of the things that holds the show back. When Survivor first began, the show was loaded with players who were playing their asses off, and somewhere over time, it just seems like the competitiveness nature of the game has depleted a little. Perhaps, this could be the byproduct of producers looking for captivating ‘personalities’ opposed to competitive ‘players’. I remember Pete and Artis getting on RC’s case at Ponderosa, telling her to essentially ‘get over it‘ , but what may have been lost in translation, was that the ‘game’ was something that she had poured her heart into, and just because she had been voted off of the tribe, it didn’t mean that she was done from the game. The reason why players like Russell H, Troyzan, Penner, Stephenie, Mariano, Marty, Rupert, Parvati, and a handful more (I place RC amongst this elite group without hesitation) are so entertaining is because of their desire to win and when they fail, it’s obvious to all those around them. I just feel the game has become ridden with too many wishy-washy players who are cast more for their ability to ruffle feathers and become a sideshow opposed to casting players who are completely emotionally invested in the game and will do whatever they have to do to win. For that reason, I always like when there is a little bitterness and a little sand in the ol’ craw at the final jury, because it once again proves that these are real people playing this game, and not a collection of automaton’s who were never really that passionate about the game in the first place.
Failed blog idea: RC & The All Boys Club
In summary, it would behoove CBS (in my humble opinion) to seek out potential players opposed to potential headaches. Because I think it’s a lot more entertaining to watch people trying to survive the elements and the harsh realities opposed to trying to figure out how to fashion a gag to shut Abi-Maria up. In the end though, human nature will always prevail, and the castaways will always reveal their true colors. In Lisa’s case, her natural acting talent would eventually find a voice. You just can’t sometimes watch the show and wish that the curtains on her meandering story arch would shut just a bit. /rant
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But how dare we forget about our idle queen of the Ponderosa? When RC fist arrived there, she was already chomping at the bit for a chance to claw at Abi a little. Several weeks removed, RC has become seemingly disenchanted by Ponderosa; Kent turned out to be a big, dull dud…Artis was churlish initially, before gradually opening up…She could never muster any semblance of logic out of Pete’s forked tongue, and Penner and Carter make nice company, but they don’t offer RC the challenge she craves. I feel she still desires to give Abi a piece of her mind, and that the tension has been building steadily after each disappointing tribal council. Ideally, RC seeks validation when Abi walks into Ponderosa as a failure; just like Abi continually tried to make RC seem like the one who had failed. In any case, the stage has certainly been set, and RC has been not-so-secretly practicing for her showdown all along…
Man, I wish my gym class was more like this...
Eating plenty of carbs to stay strong
Channeling her inner She-Ra
Keeping her mind sharp with brainy strategy games...
RC: The Warrior Princess!!!
Enhancing her endurance by swimming
And now she's like..."Next?"
And even a little downtime...owing the TV room like a boss
Let's take a moment to observe Abi's training regimen:
Challenge accepted!!
Coming to a Ponderosa near you!!!
And RC...who do you think will win this match?
Clearly intimidated, Abi pukes behind a tree
Next stop? American Gladiators!!
Lionel the Llama's Weekly Spit Award
Despite our threatening appearance, llamas are actually very peaceful creatures. Spitting is our last form of self defense. This week, I bask in harmony...
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