Survivor: Micronesia

Unit 1: Vote Out the Swing Vote! 02.11.08

Spring 2008 (2 units): Basic analysis of tactics and dynamics in the game of Survivor. Students will be introduced to flawed strategic reasoning, unstable social behavior, and an unholy number of balance beams.

Unit 2: Sub-Alliances and Sub-Sub-Alliances 02.21.08

Usually, it seems that Survivor contestants aren't trying hard enough to come up with viable strategies. Now it becomes clear that the alternative is much, much worse.

Unit 3: Be Prepared 03.04.08

What makes a good Survivor contestant? Someone who watches the show religiously (or is willing to say they do)? Or someone who has been on the show before and lost? Possibly... neither?

Unit 4: Strength Is a Weakness 03.11.08

The teams are mingling, and most of the contestants are still playing remarkably stupid strategy. Hey, it's an approach that's won before. (Pretty much every time.)

Unit 5: Weakness Is Also a Weakness 03.20.08

I think this might be the earliest Survivor column I've ever posted, while simultaneously among the tardiest. History!

Unit 6: Just Be Cool 04.08.08

As Survivor approaches the mid-game merge, the level of interesting activity asymptotically approaches zero.

Unit 7: The Bad Beat 04.22.08

It's a Favocaust on Fans vs. Favorites all of a sudden! I suppose it was meant to be, since everyone has a chip on his shoulder about previous contestants getting second chances.

Unit 8: Fool Me Twice 04.29.08

Eeeeeeeeee! The girls have formed an alliance. They put their heads together and came up with a foolproof plan that can't lose! Now, all that's left to do is squeal about it constantly. Damn these women for living down to the worst possible female stereotypes and making me feel like a jerk for hating them.

Final Lecture: The Jury 05.12.08

The Survivor fans vs. favorites season is over at last! Let's take a look at how it broke down, then read a book or something to wash the stink off our brains.