Hollywood Upstairs Medical College

First chunk: the end of the race! Decided for both first and second places by single votes!

Second chunk: the announcement of the next Survivor!

Strap yourselves in, this goes for a while.

Because this next Survivor season (probably over the winter hiatus?) will have a theme, I chose the tribe members to keep them somewhat balanced based on the challenges I anticipate. (Which, despite what the players might currently think, don't uniformly favor one tribe.) Also, I picked characters based on who would amuse me to write, which was honestly the primary deciding feature.

( Leg 11: Alaska > New York )

( The next Survivor cast. )

I am covered in mosquito bites. COVERED. My arms look like a topographic map of the Kunlun Mountains.

( Leg 11: Alaska > New York )




[Poll #1762011]

I originally considered sending them somewhere else for the finish line, such as LA for entertainment/Jesse jokes, but then I reminded myself of how much I hate it when a "race around the world" starts in Florida and ends in Seattle. (For one example.)

Just FYI if you're unfamiliar with the show: the last leg has a structure that varies from season to season, so definitely don't expect the typical Detour/Roadblock structure of the legs before.

( Leg 11: Alaska > New York )

[Poll #1761477]

( Leg 10: South Korea > Alaska )

Voting time! Even though the teams left in a certain order, that doesn't mean it's the order in which they'll stay. Particularly for legs in which they have to walk somewhere on foot or drive themselves, teams can bleed a lot of time just making it to the Pit Stop. And so for each leg, challenge order isn't the ultimate determinant of who's gone; you still get to vote for the final cut.

You also get to vote for who wins.

Luck plays a huge role in this game, so if you vote for a top-flying team to get the boot? It is not only possible but I will totally write it. Teams have put gasoline into diesel engines and have gotten detained by local police; there are lots of options for tripping near the finish line.

[Poll #1760686]

True story: as noted in the previous leg, precedent said they were either heading to Alaska or Hawaii next. In the planning stages I messaged a friend—without giving him any context whatsoever as to what I was doing—and demanded "HAWAII OR ALASKA?"

"What?"

"HAWAII OR ALASKA PICK ONE RIGHT NOW."

And that is why they are headed for Alaska.

( Leg 10: South Korea > Alaska )

There is a special poll question today. This possibility has been set up for a while, people have discussed it in the comments, and it's the last real possible leg to have any sort of decent implementation. But I need to ask this at the start of the leg rather than have it be a natural outcome of the vote, as a "yes" will affect my writeup pretty severely. Namely: does Team Inevitable Family Team go out in a blaze of glory not necessarily related to natural task performance, as Kurt's been gunning for?

If you vote "yes" on this, then it does decide who is eliminated this leg right at the start of things; however, you of course will vote for the 1-2-3 placements for the remaining three teams. If you vote "no" on this, it doesn't mean they can't be eliminated; they can still be the natural last-place finishers on checking in to the Pit Stop. This is all about setting up a unique situation that would affect their ability to even participate the next two votes, however. So! Early, weird elimination vote.

[Poll #1760078]

( Leg 9: India > South Korea )

Voting time! Even though the teams left in a certain order, that doesn't mean it's the order in which they'll stay. Particularly for legs in which they have to walk somewhere on foot or drive themselves, teams can bleed a lot of time just making it to the Pit Stop. And so for each leg, challenge order isn't the ultimate determinant of who's gone; you still get to vote for the final cut.

You also get to vote for who wins.

Luck plays a huge role in this game, so if you vote for a top-flying team to get the boot? It is not only possible but I will totally write it. Teams have put gasoline into diesel engines and have gotten detained by local police; there are lots of options for tripping near the finish line.

[Poll #1759399]

In retrospect, I'm really amused I hit the wall and had a Blue Screen of Death moment when I was in the middle of writing about India.

Randomly: over on my tumblr I'm occasionally posting bits of meta about the Mostverse. The latest—completely ridiculous—thing is a full song list for that Elton John jukebox musical, because I am obsessed with making playlists.

( Leg 9: India > South Korea )



[Poll #1758518]

Happy Canada Day! Go get yourselves some timbits and an iced capp to celebrate.

( Leg 8: India )

Voting time! Even though the teams left in a certain order, that doesn't mean it's the order in which they'll stay. Particularly for legs in which they have to walk somewhere on foot or drive themselves, teams can bleed a lot of time just making it to the Pit Stop. And so for each leg, challenge order isn't the ultimate determinant of who's gone; you still get to vote for the final cut.

You also get to vote for who wins.

Luck plays a huge role in this game, so if you vote for a top-flying team to get the boot? It is not only possible but I will totally write it. Teams have put gasoline into diesel engines and have gotten detained by local police; there are lots of options for tripping near the finish line.

[Poll #1757966]