#110. Brian has no idea what Shii Ann's name is
Thailand - Episode 8
This comment happened at the very start of Thailand episode 8 and, unless you were paying attention, you might have missed it. And it's a moment that has always made me laugh because it could have only been spoken by "Mr. Freeze" himself, the one and only Lord Brian Heidik.
At the beginning of the eighth episode, Brian, Clay, and Ted are debating who they think the Sook Jais are going to be voting out. The obvious answer is "Shii Ann", of course, because she has burned all her bridges with everybody on her tribe. But the funny thing is that when discussing this topic, Brian can't seem to remember Shii Ann's name. Even though he's been her friend for the past three days, Brian has no idea what the girl's actual name is.
Brian: "Like I said, if they vote off... Soo-yee? (pause) Sin-jo? Then they're not thinking."
Shan Mon? Su Shee? See Mai?
This moment isn't actually that funny on the surface, but I've always found it to be hilarious once you realize that:
A) Brian had spent the past three days kissing ass to Shii Ann and telling her she was part of the family.
B) Brian had spent the majority of the past three days thinking Shii Ann was their only hope of breaking a 5-5 tie.
C) Brian was so good at this game that I almost consider him a borderline sociopath, and it's entirely possible that he never actually considered Shii Ann to be an actual person with an actual name.
D) Brian was such a control freak that he was usually aware of everything that happened around him at all times.
E) Brian is probably the single best player in the history of the game, yet when confronted with an Asian name he turns into my dad trying (and failing) to order a plate of Chinese food.
So here's this control freak who has complete control of the game, yet he doesn't even know the name of a girl he was relying on as a potential ally! So then you stop and think... well maybe Brian's just not good with Asian names. After all, there are lots of people in the world (aka, my dad) who don't see Asian words that often, so they tend to butcher them any time they try to pronounce one. So maybe Brian just isn't comfortable with Asian names.
And then you remember... oh wait. His wife is Asian. So I guess that can't be it.
So why on Earth couldn't Brian remember her name? Well my personal opinion is that he was so cold and distant to the other players in the game, and he treated people so much like pawns and chess pieces, that I bet he didn't even remember half of their names! I don't think it had anything to do with Shii Ann at all.
I think the Shii Ann comment was the only time that Brian slipped and actually displayed his true nature while on camera. And that's why I think Brian was alternately the best player of all time, while alternately being the scariest player of all time. He was so good at distancing himself from people that it was really altogether quite frightening. And this moment is funny to me because it was the only time in the game we ever really saw Brian slip up and give away the fact that he was a sociopath.
And if you don't believe me, just go ask Soo-yee.
Soo-Yee Hong, being voted out on day 21
The 115 Funniest Things to Ever Happen on Survivor #110
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