Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Finale + Reunion

And the winner is...

This is it! I can't believe it's over... but this season of Survivor has come to a close, and for the second time in a row, my favorite and clear pick from the beginning has won with a landslide. I'm so excited!!!

I have a TON to say about what went down tonight, from Redemption Island returns to emotional manipulation, and of course Final Tribal council, the crowned winner and Reunion episode ridiculousness. I encourage you to watch my video below, but in a nutshell, here are my main points:

• Redemption Island returnee was not my pick.... but I don't think it really affected the outcome
• Tyson just continued to play a flawless game towards the end, from challenges to his Final Tribal performance
• I was very surprised to see how people continued to give Monica such a hard time at Final Tribal. To me, she was an open book (hence the thumbnail in my last blog post!)
• Who disappointed me with their Final Tribal questions and attitude
• How Final arguments either lacked in delivery or didn't
• Who stood out the most at the Reunion
• Next season

That's all for this season, folks! Thanks for following, and be sure to let me know how excited you are (or not) for the winner, and how you feel about next season! Brawn vs. Brain vs. Beauty. 

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Twelve

Best challenge I've seen in a long time!

Just finished watching the episode and OMG-WOWZA-WOOHOO! Some Tribal Councils just make me want to jump up and down and hug the screen and share to whoever will listen how amazing Survivor is. Tonight was one of them. Not only was it hilarious (rustle/ruffle feathers, anyone?), it was also high in adrenaline, surprises and sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seatness.

Right? 

But because my videos go over more than just Tribal Council, what you can expect to see in this one includes my thoughts on Caleb, Hayden's last ditch attempts to shake up the game, Ciera's risky and ballsy decision, and drawing rocks at Tribal Council for the second time in 13.5 years. 

At this point... the two possible Final Threes seem pretty clear: it'll either be Tyson, Gervase and Monica or Hayden, Ciera and whoever comes back from Redemption Island. I'm still rooting for Tyson whole-heartedly, but I think everyone left has played a commendable game and contributed to making this season very, very good! 

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Nine

I want me one of those...
but I wouldn't eat grubs for it.

We got a double challenge + elimination episode tonight! Made things seem to go so much faster, but it also got me in the mood for a Survivor marathon. Man, I remember when I watched old seasons in the space of a few days just back-to-back-to-back... But I digress.

Nothing too unexpected happened this week, except for the turn Vytas took that showed a less than charming side to him. I'm still a fan, but I wish he'd stayed as strategic and with his head screwed on straight rather than lose it completely. His best move instead of verbally attacking everyone would have been to try and get an all loved ones alliance going... but he didn't see it, and if he didn't see it, I doubt anyone else would have, and so that means that game is pretty much over for any of the loved ones as far as I'm concerned.

I'm definitely rooting for Aras on Redemption Island and would be more than happy for Aras to win if it's not Tyson. Gervase is also playing an excellent game, and I'm so happy to keep witnessing how much better of a game he's playing this season vs. 13 years ago. I also talk about Monica and Tina in this video, particularly how awesome Tina is. Such grace that woman has!

Video is below, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

PS. Small shoutout to Hellogoodbye, Metric and Paramore, who I saw tonight at Madison Square Garden and who KILLED it! Definitely recommend checking these guys live if they're in your area. 

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Eight

My favorite brothers of Survivor.

You might hear me say the word "excited" once or five times in this video... but hey, I'm allowed, right? It's the MERGE, after all! I'm not excited that Redemption Island is still in play, and that could mess up a lot of things for Tyson and Gervase, but at the end of the day, maybe that's a good thing too and will prove exciting. I think Aras making it back from Redemption is almost as good of a story as Ozzy making it back.

I've pretty much laid out all my cards when it comes to voting predictions, but it's true that I haven't taken into account a rock-the-boat-return from Redemption Island... and I also still need to think about Jury votes, because I'm taking it for granted right now that they'll vote my way, so still lots to ponder!

Other things you'll find in my video are: the Redemption Island challenge and the big return, Tyson's brilliant moves that led to this crucial blindside, and how what-who-said-when made the chips fall as they did for the votes and the expulsion (temporarily) of King -- I mean, Sir -- Aras.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Seven

Does a player coming back from
stand a chance at winning the game?

Wow, we're already halfway through the season! And here we are with another key episode that in and of itself isn't exceptional but continues to reinforce how incredible this season is overall.

I have to give all the props of this episode to Vytas. He showed incredible self-control, intelligence, intuition and strategy in order to survive not one but two Tribal Councils and as we saw in the preview, make it to the merge as one of the two sole remaining pairs in the game. It's safe to say, though I think it will be very difficult for either one of them to win, that Aras and Vytas are the most epic pair of the season.

In this video, I talk about Kat (briefly), Tyson and his new alliance on Tadhana, Vytas Vytas Vytas, who might have just earned a spot in my favorite players of Survivor ever, Monica/Tina/Katie's move to vote off Laura B., and how I see alliances falling post-merge next episode.

CANNOT WAIT!

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Six

Isn't it weird that all of a sudden Gervase was swimming...
swimmingly?

I have so much to say in the latest episode of Survivor that I hope I was able to articulate it all clearly in my video... I thought this was a good episode, and a good setup for even more exciting things to come later. Overall, I have to say, this season is really delivering so far.

To try and make things easier to follow in the video below, here are the big chunks/ideas to take away from this episode:

- better managing Laura M. before and at Redemption Island
- tribe swaps: who's in a good place and who isn't... and how they handle it from there
- how the dice falls on Galang and optimal strategies/alliances vs. what actually went down
- a series of stupid moves from Kat, Monica, Kat again, and maybe Tyson
- Hayden vs. Tyson vs. Aras next week... and personal moves of choice

Check out the video for yourself and let me know what you would've done!

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Five

Way to go, Candice! 

How exciting that things finally turned around a bit in this episode! As much as I always root for the returning players to win, I was dying to see some more Galang action, and this was just what the doctor ordered.

I'm continually impressed with Aras, though I think people in his tribe and his alliance are equally impressed and will ensure he doesn't make it the final three... Poor Laura M. though didn't see through him, and that's what got her on Redemption. At least she'll take comfort in knowing she was only sent there to beat Brad so that Monica would become a stronger asset in the alliance of 5. 3 out 5 without loved ones? That's definitely a solid alliance, and those three aren't innocent spring chickens -- they know what they're doing.

I was definitely bummed about who left Redemption Island, but so it goes... Nothing that changed the game tremendously in any way. Nothing like a tribe mixup that looks like it will go down next week!

All this and more in my latest video...

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Four

Yeah, think hard, Brad!

This was a decent episode, but definitely a "middle of the pack one." I don't agree with Jeff that it was one of the biggest shifts of power during a Tribal Council ever, but that's because I'm very wary about these "ever" kind of statements. It was certainly exciting, and I'm surprised it didn't come to a tie -- particularly that Vytas was the one who ended up switching votes -- but on the other hand, when things are out of your hands, you're almost worst off and now Vytas can align with Caleb, Ciera and Katie if he needs too.

That said, I'm still a bit frustrated at the Tadhana tribe... They're either playing with their head too far in the game, or they're being rash and emotional and their tribe ends up being weaker as a result -- and that's what I think happened here.

For more on that, as well as my thoughts on what went down at Redemption Island and the challenge of the week, check out the video below!

Tyson still for the win!

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Three

Love this guy.

I have to say, I'm loving this season -- which is surprising because I was not a supporter of the theme when it was first announced. I feel like I'm getting a special Survivor treat for superfans only every week.

That is, aside from Colton, who I talk about in my video, but who I do not want to dwell on much either. Honestly, it kind of serves the producers right for casting him again, even if it sucks for viewers. I really hate when contestants quit.... but it also pisses me off that they're making such bad decisions in bringing back "controversial" players. Brandon Hantz, anyone?! I mean, bring back villains like Abi-Maria, not crazies like Colton. I don't feel bad for him. Jeff is right -- he should have just stayed on the couch. How immature.

Other things I cover in this week's video are the challenge, where I thoroughly enjoyed watching loved ones battle each other, Tadhana's voting strategy, which I don't agree with, and my favorites, which haven't evolved all that much since the beginning. I'm still rooting for Tyson to take it all -- and even more so after this episode. I also love Aras and Vytas.

Check out my latest video here:

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode Two

Redemption Island challenges always
have me holding my breath... 

Let me start this post by venting a little bit.

Some guy wrote a comment on my video from episode one that supposedly revealed, according to a "reliable source," who was in the final three. Now, if you know anything about me, you know I hate spoilers -- especially Survivor spoilers. In fact, one of my close friends who watches the show loves spoilers, but still hates them when it comes to Survivor. I mean, why even bother watching a show like Survivor if you're just going to look up who gets voted out / gets to the end. So, I obviously deleted to the comment and told the guy to never do that again so I wouldn't ruin it for anyone else, but I also can't unsee it and I'm worried my commentary and predictions are now going to get skewed by what I've not read. I'm going to do my best to ignore it, but as I work on that, I ask that please, no one post any spoilers anywhere on my blog or YouTube channel or anywhere around me, really. Please.

Ok, rant over, and episode commentary a-go: I thought this was a solid episode, and I love how all the twists are coming into play. What I love even more is that the players are working the system and using those twists. Tonight's vote was all about that.

So in my video this week, I talk about the outcome at Redemption Island, Colton on Galang, Tadhana's strategy in voting and the new alliances / contestants that excite me.

Since last week, I've kind of lost some hope for John, but I'm still pumped about Vytas and Hayden. And Ciera really impressed me, so I hope she can turn the tides and play the Tadhana guys. For Galang, I'm still excited about Tyson and confident he'll make the right decision at Redemption Island, and my respect for Aras has substantially increased. I'm still excited about Tina too, and I hope Monica can live up to the potential I saw in her when she played in One World.

Check out my video below and comment away!

Survivor: Caramoan - FINALE

PLEASE LET ME BE ON THE SHOW!

It is bittersweet to be writing this post tonight... Excited at the amazing finale, but sad say goodbye to Survivor for a few months once again... At least I know Jeff Probst has his bags packed and is still going to host the show for the next year! I was almost afraid that with Boston Rob's appearance, they were going to announce him taking over for Jeff as host. Not yet, people, please!

But let's talk about the season, shall we? It has definitely been a roller coaster, with some awful moments and some really standout/epic ones, but ultimately I'm SUPER happy with the outcome, both on the Sole Survivor front (called it!) and on the Player of the Season front (Malcolm, I love you.).

In my final video of the season, I go over my thoughts on the Reward Challenge advantage, the Eddie vs. Dawn in Final Three dilemma, the Final Tribal speeches and questions, and some thoughts on next season's Blood vs. Water theme...

Can't wait to hear your thoughts, and look out for my upcoming Best Survivor Players of All Time post to complement my Favorite Survivor Players of All Time, and my soon-to-be updated (yet again) Hottest Guys and Girls of Survivor!

Survivor: Caramoan - Cast Breakdown

Oh dear lord, Phillip is wearing his pink undies again!

We're about four weeks away from the premiere of Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites (take two) and I couldn't be more excited. I've just watched all the cast interviews, taken notes, made judgements and I have my favorites for the season so far.

Of course, this could all change in a minute after the first episode; after all, it's one thing to see these people talk about themselves before the game and another to see what they'll be like when actually in the game, so I'm taking these predictions for what they are, and that's very preliminary.

Let's break it down, shall we?


The Favorites:

• Erik Reichenbach [Micronesia]: I'm so excited he's back! He looks older (well, it has been a few years) and hopefully he's a bit wiser. He was a strong contender in Micronesia if not for that massive blunder -- I mean, he was the last remaining male!! AND a fan, a.k.a. first-time player! -- and if he makes the right alliances, I think he could go far. I'm not giving him a big Star endorsement, but I've got hopes. 

• Corinne Kaplan [Gabon]: Corinne is the only returning player this season that I'm not familiar with. She definitely seems shrewd, and I can tell why she got as far as she did in Gabon, but I'm not confident she's going to do well this season. In her intro video, she says that she wouldn't change anything about how she played (when she clearly didn't win that time around) and she's going to give the audience exactly what they expect, as though she were playing for us rather than for herself in the game. That's not a winning strategy, and I think her self-stated bitchiness and illusions of power will be her demise. 

• Brenda Lowe [Nicaragua]*: Here's another one I'm pumped to see back, and another really strong contender that was a favorite for me until she lost her footing. I think she knows what she did wrong in Nicaragua and could definitely be a force to be reckoned with this season. She's getting my first Confidence Star. 

• Francesca Hogi [Redemption Island]: Franny! You're back! I bet people are wondering why she's back when she was the first voted out in her season, but I don't think it's completely outrageous. I might be biased because I've met her and know how charismatic she is in life, so I do believe she could be an amazing player if given the chance. She definitely needs to play her cards right and do everything she mentioned in her interview. If she stands out too much straight upon arrival or tries to make big moves too soon, she might suffer the same fate she did in her first season, particularly because her tribe might not take her seriously as the most 'inexperienced' returning player, as she put it. 

• Phillip Sheppard [Redemption Island]: Ha, I can't wait to see Franny's reaction when she sees her favorite Redemption Island co-contestant return this season and on her tribe. I have to say, I am glad he's back -- for entertainment purposes only. I don't think there's a chance in hell that he'll win, though he might make it to the end again because he's such a perfect person to take along.

• Andrea Boehlke [Redemption Island]: I should start by saying that I really did believe in her potential on Redemption Island. I always said it was a shame she played with the players she did, because she could have done better otherwise. That said, I'm not super confident in her after watching her video. I think she considers herself a big 'Favorite' now, and she's still got to earn her brownie points in my book. I definitely do believe she'll play that flirty card -- and it might work, but she'll have to follow up with some strong moves to get beyond the winks and cuddles.

• Brandon Hantz [South Pacific]: Ugh. That is all. Ok, fine I'll elaborate a bit more... I have very low hopes for Brandon. He's clearly over-confident (and for no good reason) and I think he'll either stay for the ride because people want to sit next to him at the end to beat him, or he'll get voted out early on because he won't have the same religious support system/bonding crew that he had in South Pacific and will just be unlikeable and stupid. 

• John Cochran [South Pacific]*: Happy Birthday Cochran! At least, it'll still be your birthday if I post this in the next 55 minutes. I'm really excited to see Cochran back. He's so charismatic, and seriously, what you see on screen is not fabricated. I'm lucky enough to have hung out with him a few times in Boston and New York, and he really is that quick and also self-deprecating. I'm hoping his self-awareness will get him as far as I think he'll go. He does have a fan-base behind him, and I'm really rooting for him. I also think it'd make a GREAT finale to have him there. To prove my confidence, I'm giving him my second Confidence Star.

• Dawn Meehan [South Pacific]: Aww, Dawn. She's so great, isn't she? I remember being so impressed by her when she knocked it out of the ballpark in challenges and exceeded my expectations all around. Let me say it to you now: you did earn your returning slot, Dawn! Now, I'm excited she's getting another shot and I think she's a good pick for a Favorite, but I don't think she'll win. She might, and she could... I just think there are stronger players right now that have a better chance. 

• Malcolm Freberg [Philippines]*: Malcolm, oh Malcolm, am I happy you're back. I'll try to keep this professional and will just write my predictions based on what I've seen and know and not how awesome it was when the camera just kept filming your abs during that balancing challenge (which you lost...). I'm giving Malcolm my Confidence Star, because he does have the whole package: strategy, strength and likeability. BUT, I'm worried that he won't make it as far because hey, he just came back. It's hard to have that endurance especially when he had a really hard time on Matsing and even throughout the whole season last season. He does have the advantage of returning immediately so having the experience without the exposure to the other contestants, who don't quite know just how much of a threat he is. I'm hoping it's his game this time around. 

The Fans:

• Eddie Fox: I'm not very confident in Eddie. He's a firefighter from Jersey, and that's great, but what ticked me off the most was how he described himself and why he was there. He basically made it sound like he was just there for the adventure and to have fun. I hope he does, but I don't think he'll win. It doesn't seem like he has the strategy, and it just makes me wonder: is he even a Fan?? 

• Allie Pohevitz: She seems cool and tough, which I like, though it took her about half her interview to get there (which is really no big deal at all). She's among the slew of new contestants who think they're "people persons" and it'll be interesting to see how social and likeable they are when they're hungry and without comfort. I did see a fighter in her, and I liked that she said this was the only opportunity you could get to have one shot in 16 (well, 20 this time) to win a million dollars. That screams logic to me, and I think if she keeps her head on straight, she could do well. 

• Hope Driskill: This one's the Miss Missouri chick. She's definitely beautiful, which might get her some points with the guys, and she's aiming to play the 'underestimated' card. I'm going to reserve full judgement on her until the first episode, but I can also see her leaving quickly. 

• Matt Bischoff: The guy with the beard and a tender loving side seems to think he has the complete package, and that "good things just happen" to him. Well that may very well be true, but in order for good things to happen to you on Survivor, you need to make them happen. I have my doubts about Matt, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. 

• Michael Snow: When I heard his name, I had high hopes -- but that may just be because I'm reading A Game Of Thrones and Jon Snow is an awesome character. Then I listened to him talk and was left unimpressed. He's not very well-spoken and he's probably my least favorite new player with Eddie. He also claims to have a "nice, well-rounded strategy" and newsflash: that never works. You've got to be flexible. 

• Laura Alexander*: Laura gets my first Fan Confidence Star because she's clearly smart and has the advantage of being experienced in politics, which I think will be a huge asset. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders too and here's one who knows you need to be flexible. It'll all depend on "the cards [she's] given." That's right! Hope you manage them well, lady! 

• Julia Landauer*: And there goes my next Confidence Star! This awesome-looking racecar driver looks super cool, and I'd even venture to say she's my early favorite on the Fans tribe. I obviously don't know how well she'll actually play, but hey, I'd like to know that chick. I like her attitude and if she is, in fact, good at turning things on and off (aggression, competition, etc.), then I think there's a great future for her this season! 

• Sherri Biethman: Is it just me or does Sherri remind you all of Sandra Bullock, too? That might be why I automatically felt warm towards her... I'm not giving her a star, but I do think that if she can pull through the first couple of votes, she could be very successful this season. She also needs to keep it together when it comes to her family, which clearly means a lot to her. I'm rooting for her. 

• Shamar Thomas: The "army brat" seems like he'll be a strong player -- but by strong I just mean physically. Yes, he'll have the survival part down, but Survivor is so much more than that! He does seem personable, so if he can avoid the 'leader' trap, he could do okay. Though someone should tell him that "destroying everybody" is not the most thought-out strategy... 

• Reynold Toepfer*: Now here's another one I really like! Between Reynold and Julia, I have high hopes for the Fan tribe. He's another one who gets that you have to be "socially adaptable" and I even wrote in my notes how likeable and strong he seemed before he said it in his interview. I'm confident he will achieve his goals of being fun and easy to connect with. He gets my last Confidence Star.

Voilà! So, who are your favorites so far? You can check out the bios for all cast members on CBS's cast bios page and I've linked each name to their respective interviews on YouTube, so you have no excuse not to comment! 

Survivor: Philippines - Finale + Reunion in 455 seconds

This is it... the end of an epic season -- and one of my new top three favorites. I'd even say it might have snuck its way up to #2, but I know that's because it just ended and it was so welcomingly amazing, so I'm going to say it's snug at #3 now, topped only by Heroes vs. Villains at #2 and Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites at #1.

But let's talk about the finale! They made us wait, oh boy... and they made us speculate going into it with a final four rather than a final five. In fact Rob Cesternino and Parvati Shallow even stumbled across an exciting prediction that there might be a tie in the final vote. But there was no such twist, and the reading of the winner went by really swiftly actually, so we just got treated to more of what went down in those final three days.

In this final video of the season are some of my thoughts, including my feelings about Malcolm (definitely one of the 'older girls' that's totally backing him!) and Denise of course, as well as some of the things that went down at the reunion (you fans all know what I'm talking about)!

One thing I didn't mention is my feelings about the winner for Fan Fave, and I was totally surprised to see Lisa sweep it from under Malcolm's feet! In fact, if anything, I thought it'd be a toss up between Penner and Malcolm, with Malcolm for the win. It sucks to be Malcolm at this point, with both the victory for sole Survivor and fan fave escaping him so closely. I certainly hope/look forward to seeing him again! [wink wink nudge nudge]

Until February fellow Survivor fans!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 13 in 320 seconds

Malcolm: A Lone Survivor or The Sole Survivor?

It's the episode before the finale, and we're left with the Final Four that committed to each other: Malcolm, Denise, Skupin and Lisa. Lisa is back in it to win it; Skupin is showing his physical prowess is not to be disregarded; Denise shows she's a fighter - and a graceful one at that - and Malcolm is laying it all out just when it matters.

We've got four amazing contenders for the title, with one clear favorite in Malcolm, and there are several possible outcomes ahead, which in my mind all involve Malcolm getting voted out if he doesn't win the next Immunity Challenge(s). So what's next? There's only the finale to go and I'm still sitting on the edge of my seat...

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 10 in 265 seconds

"That was fun!"

The outcome of this episode may not have been as scandalous as previous episodes, but what makes this season so great is that it could have been... There are so many options, potential twists and strong contestants that nothing is predictable even when the 'most predictable' outcome comes to pass.

For this video, I've broken it down by contestants, starting with Miss Abi, who I think is a true villain (I mean, Parvati, Sandra and Candice were hardly villains!) and also a true Survivor gem. As much as I dislike her behavior on a personality level, I love her completely on a Survivor level. Scoring her was casting gold and I wouldn't be surprised to see her return in future season -- though I don't think she'd do well, but hey, she could learn and actually turn out to be an incredible returning player.

Other things on my mind this week are: Penner's idiotic response to a potential Final Three with Skupin and Lisa, Malcolm's risky but rewarding move (he is the only remaining contestant with an active Idol!) and Skupin's game and why he didn't choose to eliminate Malcolm.

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 8 in 225 seconds

Were they lined up that way intentionally...??

Holy moly, what a great episode!!! This season is just full of great moments, and this ep was among the best I've seen, no doubt. Tribal Council was ridiculous, and so many outcomes were on the table. Turns out the least exciting (but maybe that'll make for the most exciting moves next week?) happened, but the process was amazing to watch nevertheless.

It looks like this season could go any which way and there are still a great number of variables that could swing things left, right or diagonally. My biggest question mark right now is WHAT THE HELL WERE PENNER AND SKUPIN THINKING!??? Their votes are what changed everything at Tribal and I wonder where they came from. Any theories?? I'd be curious to hear them. I'm going to say they concerted with one another beforehand and orchestrated this strategically, and if that's the case, I cannot wait to hear what their end game was.

While missing out on voting Malcolm out may be several people's demise, it's not over yet -- and well I certainly can't say I'm disappointed it didn't work out. I'm definitely definitely rooting for Malcolm the most, and Denise very closely after. And though I think it's a long shot for him, if Penner can make it to the Final Three, he certainly deserves to win too.

On my mind in images this week: Lisa's move, blow opportunities and their consequences, Malcolm's move with the Idol and future alliances...

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 5 in 130 seconds

Maybe we'll see these two warriors facing off again
 at the end... *fingers crossed*

How refreshing to have such a solid season of Survivor! I'm bummed about certain series of events, but only because I'm invested -- not because they're a result of lackluster candidates or lame [or worse: no!] moves. Welcome back, Survivor!

Speaking of welcomes: welcome back Reward Challenges! I was waiting and waiting, and finally, they are here. I suppose they were delaying them in order to give more air time to the contestants (which failed in many ways... right Kalabaw?), but I'm excited to see some more of those signature Survivor challenges back in action!

On my mind this week are my disappointment at Matsing's decimation, a.k.a. the separation of Malcolm and Denise, how they've played their cards as a result, how Dawson made a huge mistake that definitely cost her the game, and how I would totally have hugged Jeff Probst had I been in her position. Also, and this isn't in the video, I'm very impressed and relieved to see that Penner has his game face on and is kicking butt as far as I can see. It was a rocky start, but somehow, he managed to make most of his bad moves in one go at the start when he had several free Tribals to buy himself time and make amends to climb his way to the top. Well done!

Without further ado... my latest video... in 130 seconds. Note at the end: first Jeff mentioned = Jeff Kent, last Jeff mentioned = Jeff Probst. Obvi.

What were your thoughts? Excited at the twist? Disappointed? How about that leap across the pit that Carter landed in the Immunity Challenge... rad, right?! Any predictions for the next episode? The preview sounded exciting... Yay Survivor!

Survivor: Philippines - Episode 1 in 15 seconds

SURVIVOR'S BACK! And it's back with a bang. First of all, I love the opening shots they took of the Filipino landscape. It's stunning! I can't wait to see what gorgeous places the reward challenges will bring our new contestants.

Now, before I get into a deeper post about the new contestants and what I think of them, here's my 15 second reaction to the premiere. (Sorry about the flickering. I had a brand new camera to use and everything but wasn't home and didn't have all the cables to charge it... bummer! But yay iPhone!)

What did you think? Happy about the first elimination? Do you like the returning players? Stay tuned for more blogging to come soon... and some experimenting with format! :) 

Welcome back Survivor!

Survivor: One World - FINALE in 15 seconds

Final 5 Girls

That's it! The season's over and Kim was crowned victor and Sole Survivor. I can't say I was surprised or particularly excited, but I do think it was deserved. She owned the game, both physically and strategically, and I go to sleep feeling a bit better about the whole thing because she didn't totally blindside and backstab everyone and actually stuck to some values and alliances by choosing to go to the end with Chelsea and Sabrina. Do I think she would have still won beside Alicia and Christina? Definitely. But I wouldn't have felt as good about it.

I also think the Final Tribal Council was very self-absorbed. Any respect Alicia might have earned in last week's episode in my mind was totally stalled in her completely self-promoting and somewhat delusional speech at Tribal. There were very few poignant and enlightening questions, and as much as I love Troyzan as one of the contestants this season, his question to Kim was just weird. I don't think there's any right or wrong answer to "when Kim's strategy to take him out began," and he certainly can't be the judge of it. Anyway, the right person won this season, and that's that.

As for the Reunion Show, Colton's chance at apologizing and eventually redeeming himself was wasted, and he just comes across as an even more ignorant and socially inept person. I completely agree with Jeff's comment that he's actually a contestant people hate, versus a villain people love to hate like Russell or Fairplay. All I can say, and I hope the Survivor gods hear me, is that I never want to see or hear of Colton again. The End.

Before moving on to thoughts about the season up ahead, here are my 15s on the Finale!!



So... Do you think the right person won? What are your thoughts about the three returning players twist for next season? Who do you hope to see? Who don't you hope to see? [Hope: Jonathan Penner / Dread: Colton] Let me know your thoughts!

Love and cuddles until next season... and maybe a few posts between now and then... :)

Survivor: One World - Episode Two: Managing Airheads

How To Make Fools and Alienate Women

I'm going to start this post with a good ol' fashioned rant:

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET INTO THESE CONTESTANTS' HEADS THAT OLD DOES NOT MEAN INCOMPETENT AND WORTHLESS?!??

Which takes me to my first point....:

1. There are some fierce older competitors in the ladies' tribe this season! 

Seriously, if you look at all the seasons where young and old align and neither one dismisses the other, you get much stronger tribes. Just take Savaii and Upolu from last season: one tribe rejected the older members and ended up being decimated despite having one hell of a competitor in Dawn, while the other meshed young and old to form an indestructible alliance that took them to the Final 5. Future Survivor contestants: learn from this. There are some fierce older competitors this season and they're getting very little love. Nina could have done very well had she been given a chance, and Monica is definitely an early favorite for me. I hope she has time to prove herself and get through to the stubborn ladies who seem to be calling the shots.

2. It is not OK for any challenge to go Jeff-less. 

I don't know what this DIY challenge experiment was, but I didn't like it. Jeff Probst tweeted asking fans what they thought and here are mine loud and clear: Jeff Probst needs to be at all the challenges. No exceptions. I don't know if it's the filming of his movie, the prepping for his new show or the 24 seasons of Survivor, but now's not the time to be getting tired! Not when such an amazing and intriguing season is starting to form before us... I seriously hope this doesn't happen too much this season. Because clearly our thoughts have no impact on future episodes.

3. I don't want to talk about Colton. 

I know he's drawing a lot of attention to himself, and the Jury's still out on whether he's playing a smart game or a short-sighted one... and I just don't find myself wanting to talk about him. But as an objective blogger who takes her role very seriously, I will say a few words nonetheless: It's obvious Colton is not stupid... but it's also apparent that he's making a great number of early mistakes. It's not enough to have an Idol early in the game and use it as a weapon. I think he should have kept the Idol secret for much much longer and at least acted like he had something lose with his tribe instead of behaving as if he didn't need to move a finger. My prediction: he has the potential to do well, but he's going to run out of his Joker cards too early and get eliminated before the merge.

4. There's hope for Salani yet with Chelsea and Monica, and potentially Kim. 

Back full circle to my first point... There is a handful of strong and smart women that might be able to turn things around for Salani. Chelsea was very close to voting Kat off, and it looks like she and Kim are in a solid sub-alliance. I understand the caution they exercised in not breaking their 5-way alliance so early, but I hope it's not too late for them to align with some more qualified contestants. I think the most solid alliance Salani could have right now is Monica, Sabrina, Chelsea and Kim. That's a majority alliance and it includes the tribe's cream of the crop. At least, that's the team I'd pick.


Not much talk about the guys in this blog post, but I'm sure that will come. As yet, I'm still very unimpressed with the men. I couldn't even tell you who my favorites were - at least not unless it's by process of elimination in which case they would be Leif and maybe Bill because he seems like a cool kid.

Who are your early favorites? Do you think Salani stands a chance? How long do you think we have before the tribes mash up like they have in the past?