Green Room - Week 35 - Day 1

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

One of the challenges of putting together a mini-season is doing whatever you can to make sure that it doesn't just become the playground for a group of friends.

Not that groups of people who like each other is a bad thing. Far from it. But the danger is there of one group just running the tables on everyone else.

Heck, it's a danger in a full season as well. But there tends to be hiccups along the way that dislodge that sort of thing before you get to the very end.

It keeps things interesting and people involved.

Which is good, because Idol is greater than any one group of people. Folks who have been around for any length of time have seen "The In-Crowd" shift in change. People who were on the outside become "the cool kids" and they end up falling out of favor as the "new group" moves up. It's "the way of the world" and it's no different here.

The danger, in a mini-season, is that one group will grab hold early on and not let go... or just squeeze other people out of having a chance to enjoy their time in the game, so in planning the next one, I have to figure out how to mess with these hypothetical people. I have some ideas. :)

***

I was thinking about that earlier today, reflecting on Survivor: San Juan Del Sur with something that happened, and something that *almost* happened. When the numbers were down to the core alliance, with a couple folks they just hadn't gotten rid of yet - there was a reward challenge. Once the "other people" were out of the game - the remaining players were stopping and conferring on who would go next. Which of course pissed off the host (and executive producer) Jeff Probst. Eventually, he told them to just go ahead and tell him who was going to win. They picked Missy to go on the reward.

That's what happened. What *almost* happened is that there were two pairs left in the game: Jon and Jaclyn with Missy and Baylor. The four of them were aligned with Natalie. The plan was that when they reached Final 5, Jacyln and Baylor would allow themselves to be eliminated. Just say "OK. It's alright if I don't win."

What ended up happening though is that Natalie and Baylor decided that the deal wasn't in their best interest - and blindsided Jon.

I find that heartening - that even when you *think* you know everything that is going to happen, you can always count on someone to look out for their own self-interest and change things up!

It makes planning seasons, or mini-seasons, a little easier, knowing that the threat of a group running things to the end isn't as much of a possibility as it may seem at times. (Granted, those were still the people who got to the end in Survivor... so it can still work out of them....but not always as planned)

It's also one thing that I really do like about Idol - is that things tend to be completely up in the air at times!

Like the results from last week: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/829327.html
Setting us up for some epic battles in the Quick Fire http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/829885.html and the new Topic: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/829608.html

(There is a Work Room for those needing a little extra help: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/830124.html )

Some folks left are closer to each other than others. Some spend more time in the Green Room. All of them are really talented writers - and all of them are "a danger to go on a run" to the top! :)

Which is exciting. (at least as exciting as someone making it 100 Weeks! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/828979.html)

I can't wait to see how this plays out. (as I plan for next time!)