Board Thread:Fourty-Two Iconic Moments/@comment-7785749-20141229060338

From twenty-one seasons of our ORG, forty-two of the most iconic moments in its history have been brought together and ranked. Starting at #42, another entry will be posted each day until completion.

"Moments" is a loose term to include any individual moment, overarching storyline, or any other source of notoriety, infamy, or notice.



#42 - Côte Can't Merge (Various Seasons)

#41 - Andrei's Immunity Run (Papua New Guinea, Episodes 8-11)

#40 - Savanes Sucks (Côte d'Ivoire, Episodes 1-7)

#39 - Ashes to Ashes (All-Stars, Episode 6)

#38 - Beyoncé's Divine Intervention (Madagascar, Episodes 12-13)

#37 - A Random Idol Play (Cuba, Episode 7)

#36 - An Anarchic Advent (Anarchy, Episode 2)

#35 - Uspekh (Kamchatka)

#34 - An InZane Tribal Council (Sardinia, Episode 12)



#33 - The Askja Cockroach (Salvation, Episodes 3-9)

This entry comes to us from our latest completed season, and I'm very happy about that because that means I get to give first-hand insight into what is, potentially, one of the funniest recurring storylines in the ORG's history.

Let's set the scene. It's Salvation, episode three. The five tribes have condensed into two, and of those two, one will kick ass and one will suck ass.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">(lol Askja sucked lol)

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">On that tribe which will suck ass, furthermore known as Askja, is a guy named Isaac. So when the Exile Island twist was announced, and the guys on Team Victory had to choose someone to send, I wanted to send Isaac for a few reasons. The first one - Isaac would probably be getting voted out if he wasn't sent. He's such a liability that they wouldn't keep him around. The second one - I'd talked with Isaac a bit, so maybe he'd share the clue with me. Hopefully he won't take me - I don't want that target on my back - but hopefully he'll share the clue with me.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">So he takes me, and in that moment, I was unaware that I was about to participate in the first Exile Island trip of a legend.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">Isaac is spared from near-certain execution because of this Exile Island twist. Go Isaac! But Team Ass Kickers will probably kick ass, and he'll be gone soon enough. You can't Exile someone back-to-back, so his time will come soon enough, right?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">Isaac is spared because Askja wins immunity... for the only time during this stage in this game. Askja winning guarantees that Isaac will move up two slots in the rungs because he won't go to Exile this time - due to the immunity win - and he will go to Exile next time - because we will take full advantage of that twist to screw Askja.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">(I laughed a lot about this at the time and I still am.)

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">As anyone with a basic grasp of probability would've guessed, Askja loses again (ily Askja as people but y'all weren't that good at the whole challenges thing) and we send... Isaac to Exile Island. Saving him from almost certainly being booted. Nice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">And now, Askja finally loses for that second time in a row. We can't send him back to Exile Island, and it's time for The Askja Cockroach to meet his maker... right?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">At this point, I'd like to bring in a quote from a former member of Askja to explain just exactly why The Askja Cockroach lived to see another 'three' days:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          '"The first opportunity that we had to get rid of him was when Julia was sent home, and that was only done because we sucked so bad in challenges and we assumed he could spasm better than Julia could. - Trace Tdemarest23"'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">Isaac gets yet another reprieve in this game simply because Askja was worried that someone else was starting to suck more than he was. Did Askja make the correct choice? Would Isaac, in Trace's words, "spasm better than Julia could"? Did keeping Turbofrog around in the game end up bolstering Askja to reach huge heights and defeat the mighty giants opposing them?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">Askja goes on to lose for the third time in a row, Isaac gets Exiled again, and another person's hopes and dreams get crushed by Isaac's keen skill and manipulation of the game around him.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">A tribe swap occurs next, with The Askja Cockroach remaining on Askja... and because of the switch importing some of The Greatest Tribe This Side Of Uspekh's great physical players (myself, George, Tyler), Askja finally becomes not only a force to be reckoned with, but a tribe actually capable of winning challenges.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">And we do. And Isaac is spared for another few days.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">And here comes the climax of the story, where Isaac redeems himself in the eyes of the players, the views, and the hosts. Where Isaac wins a challenge all by himself for the tribe, earning everyone's respect in the process, and all accusations of him being "carried through the game because lol" will be put to rest. Right? That's where this storyline is going, right?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">Askja loses immunity (wow Askja loses a challenge much surprise), the challenge having been a series of 1-on-1 debates. TJ is sent to Exile Island - because if it's Askja vs. Anti-Askja, let's keep TJ safe, and at this point, nobody gives a damn about Isaac anymore to even consider letting him skip ahead anymore - and Isaac looks ready to go. Here's a confessional from the time before Tribal Council:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          '"I'm going to say it now, Isaac is virtually worthless to this tribe in terms of challenges and in terms of being a person; he's hardly ever around. I should feel a little bad about this because I'm supposed to be working with him, but I don't; the kid's ignored my messages repeatedly recently, and coupled with him just being a leech in this game as a whole, I've got no reservations about sending his Icelandic waste of space out of here. - Mitchell Kalabang"'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">So yeah, Isaac wasn't really sticking around. He tried some stuff with a fake Idol, gave it to Matthew, I'm honestly not even really sure what was trying to be accomplished with that, but whatever it was, it didn't work. Here's a voting confessional from during Tribal Council:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          '"I'm banking on you not having an Idol, because in order to have one, you actually would've had to be playing the game. - Mitchell Kalabang"'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">And the legend of The Askja Cockroach, Mr. Isaac Turbofrog himself, comes to an end, having outlasted eleven other contestants, being sent to Exile Island thrice, and ultimately being voted out unanimously on Day 21. But he fought really hard and put a lot of effort into his time, right? He worked his ass off to stay as long as he did, right?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">tl;dr: Isaac, by all accounts, should've been the first boot. And then he ends up on Askja, where the planets must've aligned in some strange manner, because despite everyone's intention of getting rid of him as soon as it was possible, he managed to keep on creeping through the game, be it because of Exile Island, a well-timed immunity, or the fear of someone possibly sucking more than he did. Isaac became a legend during our time in Iceland not because of what he had to offer as a player but because of what he didn't offer as a player, and how well it was working out for him in the game. Nice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">As a special treat, having taken part in the experience myself, I asked some hosts and contestants for a testimony on Isaac's time in the game:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          "Everyone wanted him to be first boot. Joan freaked out when probably the least favorite player of cote could break the cote curse. (See: #42 - C ô te Can't Merge) Thankfully he went. - Nuno LúdicoManao"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">'''                                          '"Everyone knew from day one that Isaac was on the bottom. I think that because of that, we kind of overlooked him as a player and he was able to hold on for a REALLY long time. So many times we would say, Isaac next, Isaac next. And we planned on doing it, but then Sulur had to keep exiling him. The first opportunity that we had to get rid of him was when Julia was sent home, and that was only done because we sucked so bad in challenges and we assumed he could spasm better than Julia could. I'm just upset that after all that time of waiting for the perfect moment to vote him out, I ultimately couldn't after I was swapped onto Sulur. He really was holding on for dear life the entire game, and though people give him tons of shit, he made it far. It was because of a twist, but he still did it. Kudos for hiding on another island for 21 days!''   -  Trace Tdemarest23 "

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          '"The tribe legit only had like one chance to get him out before they did, and they took out Julia instead. He somehow managed to stay alive, due to little-to-no merit of his own. The other tribe sent him to exile, everytime, keeping him invulnerable throughout. - Kevin KevDog660"'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          '"Honestly, I thought it was really funny how he kept outlasting some really good players. It's actually kind of sad that he coasted through that whole time because of us, but it was good strategy. It must've been super frustrating for people like Szymon and Liam and to get outlasted by someone who was barely there. Sorry guys. Love you. Still funny though. - Mitchell Kalabang"'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">                                          "hmm you could say i said something about him doing some dumb shit which is why we kept him lol - Tyler ForeverTyC"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">P.S. - I loved having the opportunity to write about a first-hand experience. I don't get to do that a lot, but there's one more entry from Salvation where my commentary and point of view greatly enhances my ability to write it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">P.P.S. - Ironically, the only person to have been sent to Exile Island more times than Isaac was Steve, who would later go on to win the whole shebang. So if Isaac wasn't voted off, maybe he could've won. (lol)

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">P.P.P.S. - Isaac's status as a cockroach is so much funnier when you realize that it started way before he even ended up on Askja. He was a target moving into the First Impressions vote for the same reasons that Brian was, receiving one vote against him, but he survived and got placed on Baula... which lost the first tribal immunity challenge. And I remember talking to TJ during this time, telling him that Perry and Ted would be together, and he should stick with Isaac and force a tie. And TJ ended up deciding to force that tie, with Isaac and Perry moving on to a challenge tiebreaker that I can guarantee you Isaac would've lost, sending him home on Day 3.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">The only thing that saved him was the OG Askja cockroach, James JamesBCrazy, being caught for cheating and getting disqualified, interrupting Baula's Tribal Council. If Baula had performed a little worse in the challenge, or if James hadn't been caught cheating, Isaac would've been gone from the game before he even had a chance to dominate. I love irony.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:6px;font-size:14.4444446563721px;color:rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:21.466667175293px;">P.P.P.P.S. - I just realized that this entry was originally #32 instead of #33, but after writing it, I'm going to reposition it here. The original #33 is a much juicier entry anyways, so I'm good with making it #32 instead. As a treat for my mistake, I'll give everyone a small hint: It comes from Peru. <ac_metadata title="#33 - The Askja Cockroach"> </ac_metadata>