by Mikal Brown
ScoopMe

How did Jenna win? What was Christy thinking voting for Jenna to win? And will the shameful owner of a granola bar please stand up?

Survivor: The Amazon did what many critics, fans, and skeptics didn’t think it could do-it survived.

As many people seem to be tiring of the beginning-to-be-overdone "reality" type of show, many thought Survivor had seen its day-that it was no longer original or different. Prior to the start of the season, promises were made that the game would be bigger, better, more competitive, and more surprising that we thought, or than we had previously seen.

And, for the most part, the promises held. This, in spite of the fact that we were told months in advance that the two tribes would be divided along gender lines, the surprises and twists did not stop. Even told in advance about the gender division, the suspense was not lessened. If anything, interest was more piqued, watching to see who the stronger tribe would be, the men or the women, and how long it would be before there was a really good catfight amongst the women. (hate to say that, but it was true!).

The division between gender lines was only one feature. There became older versus younger, so-called "cute" versus not-so-cute (whatever), raging hormones, and high school politics-all in the middle of the Amazon. There were a sour older man, a snobby model, and a hard-core player trying to mastermind the game, Richard-style. Without a doubt, the show we first fell in love with was back.

And then….we got the final tribal council and reunion special. Two weeks later, and I still don’t have any idea how Jenna won.

Seriously.

How did she win? She didn’t play better than the others. Really-she didn’t! Some of may you argue, stating she got to the end, when 145 others didn’t. True enough. But, she didn’t get there playing the game-she coasted and then got pretty lucky at the end, winning the Immunity Challenges.

Well, maybe she deserved to pull it off, to get to the end, maaybeee. But, to win the whole thing? Her win soured the whole season for me. Richard winning, sure, he manipulated the hell out of people and played the game. Tina, not so much. Ethan, well, he was a nice guy? Vecepia was nicer than Neleh, and Brian from last season was outright icky, but at least there was strategy, there was game.

Rob had game. Jenna had a crappy attitude and was a poor winner. Matthew would have been even more believable for me, in winning, because at least he worked hard at camp, and didn’t offend people like Jenna did. What a pathetic result for an engrossing, entertaining season.

And, when Jeff had the chance to really get the answers behind that unbelievable landslide win, he blew it. When Christy finally was going to get the chance to explain the change of heart about her "evil stepsister," she blew it, too.

End result, great season, terrible ending, and unsatisfying reunion. It’s like I’m still waiting for the "real" reunion show, where Jeff asks the really good questions, and gets some real answers, and not whether or not Alex and Shawna want to go on a date. Please. This is the Survivor Live Reunion Show, not MTV’s Pseudo-Celebrity DisMissed. (Rest assured, that’s not really a show-yet and I’m really not just talking about that nameless wrapper). The fire? What people were thinking when they voted? Ring any bells, there, Jeff?

At this point, I guess Regis isn’t coming to help me, and Jeff isn’t going to jet-ski into the Saginaw Bay to visit me and tell me the answers to all the things I want to know. It’s not going to keep me from watching the next installment in the fall-heavens no!-but I’ll probably always feel ripped off, or cheated by the ending to this installment.

Luckily, before we know it, it will be fall, and the return of Survivor and our favorite shows. Will Survivor: Pearl Islands hold our interest in the series, or has Survivor already had its shining moments? Are there still ways to surprise and entice viewers, even with six previous installments and a slew of other "reality" shows? Or, are we biding our time until the all-star installment heads our way in 2004? (And may I add-I’m so looking forward to the return of Rudy!)

I’d love to tell you to keep tuning in and coming back here for more, but sadly, I can’t. With the end of www.scoopme.com comes the end of that fun.

I want to take a little space and thank all of you that have visited the site over the years, read, and commented on my reviews. I’ve been with the site for over 3 years now, since April of 2000, when it was wbscoop.com. I started out reviewing Beverly Hills, 90210 and Ally McBeal. Yes, I was reviewing FOX shows on a wbscoop.com site, because, as many of you loyal readers know, there was no, (and still is no) WB channel here in mid-Michigan. (The horror! And, yes, I’m still mad). The editors and staff were open-minded and cool enough to let me review non-WB shows, as the site was just beginning to branch into other areas-original work, movies, and other non-WB shows.

In the past years, I’ve reviewed so many shows! When I think of all of them: 90210, Ally, various Real World series, Survivor series, and features on American Idol, and Joe Millionaire, the whole medium of TV has changed so much! There was no "reality" television when I started, and hence, I was not yet the Reality Girl I became at this website. Dylan McKay held my interest, not some hottie handyman named Ty.

Anyway, I digress. Basically, my point is that television has changed, my writing has changed (and hopefully evolved as well!), and I’ve changed-and this site was a big part of it all. It’s been a pleasure reviewing, writing, chatting, creating, and even debating with staff, editors, and the readers over the years. We’ve had some really thought-provoking discussions, like during Real World 10: Back to New York about discrimination and interracial relationships. We’ve also had some insane plotting about possible holiday reality series gone horribly, horribly wrong. (Reindeer Games, anyone?)

I will be continuing writing and reviewing, with reviews of at least Survivor and The Amazing Race currently at www.tvtome.com. There’s also a group set up at yahoo, with the name, (what else?) realitygirlscoop, for any of you interested in still following along. Besides the reviewing and the group, I’ll be keeping busy making myself work on a long-overdue novel idea that’s been in the back of my head for a while. That, and, oh, yeah-my job.

Thank you so much for coming, and reading-it’s been great! And, bright side? I never had to vote any of you off the island!! Now, if someone would just pass that granola bar…

Take Care!

Mikal