More Whatnot

Last Season: The student defeated the master as XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” fella Gordon “The Truth Seeker” Holmes bested Benjamin “Coach” Wade.

This Season: One of “Survivor’s” sharpest minds and last season’s third-place finalist Matthew “Sash” Lenahan will match wits with XFINITY TV’s two-time Power Rankings champion (um…and two-time loser).

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Andrea is voted out this week, Sash will receive 2 points and Gordon will receive 8 points. At the end of the season, the person  with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Redemption Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

TEAM SASH Current Score: 0	.	TEAM GORDON Current Score: 0
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#1 David – Want to bet he put the puzzle together instead of Russell?  David is smart enough to not let others know how smart he is.  As long as he keeps a low profile and teams up with a physical player, he’ll make it to Final Tribal…and win.	.	#1 Grant – I think one of the biggest takeaways from the first episode is that the challenges are no joke. This makes our friend Grant very valuable (until the merge at least) to Boston Rob.

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#2 Andrea – She’s smart enough to take orders from Philip and laugh it off, she’s from a Wisconsin farm and won’t get beat-up by the weather, she’s with Rob but not “with” Rob, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she uses her acting skills like Fabio did last season to meander her way to the end.	.	#2 David – The pre-game interviews made David look like an arrogant first-boot candidate. However, inside the game he’s shown that he’s capable of putting his ego on hold. He’s going to be one to keep an eye on.

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#3 Mike – Reminds me of Chase from Nicaragua by being a physical force and very likable.  No one wants to vote out an Iraq War Veteran, and he’ll be a powerhouse in challenges winning rewards.  My guess is he’ll get owned by David using him to clear a path to the Final Tribal council.	.	#3 Steve – If a Russell vs. the world showdown is going to take place at Zapatera, it’d be wise for people like Steve to let Mike and Ralph take the lead. Russell has shown the ability to overcome numbers disadvantages before, no need to become the latest victim on the Russell highlight reel.

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#4 Natalie – Can we call her Amber?  She’s in love with Rob.  Rob loves that she’s in love with him.  Does anyone care that he’s married with kids?  Maybe not for 39 days.  The only problem is that no one is going to allow Rob close enough for a shot at the end.  As soon as Rob is gone, Natalie will be next.	.	#4 Krista – Krista’s this high because she wasn’t Russell’s pick for Natalie 2.0. That was a smart bullet to dodge. That, and she’s a former Auburn cheerleader. War Eagle!

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#5 Boston Rob – He already has the women wrapped around his finger and he’s not going anywhere any time soon…but he did say, “I’m going to do, what I said I was going to do, with the people I said I was going to do it with…and that’s it.”  Hey Rob, last time you put that much trust in your own alliance, you were quickly sent home.  Watch for history to repeat itself.	.	#5 Matt – People keep saying you look like Fabio, but I’m getting more of a younger Jimmy T. vibe from your look. Anywho, you’re in the same boat as Grant, Boston Rob needs you guys right now.

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#6 Phillip – How can you not be in a “hyper state of arousal” when watching this Former Federal Agent(?)?  Despite breaking the law by wearing those droopy fuchsia colored briefs, Mr. Dry Mouth, who pre-game I had pegged to be first voted out, has just earned himself a Get Out of Jail Free card as he’s a sure bet to get zero votes at the end.  Look at him as a swing vote to make it far.	.	#6 Mike – The good news for Mike? David is a smart player and could take him far. The bad news for Mike? I’m not sure how familiar he is with the game, especially after his comment about trying to avoid immunity challenges.

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#7 Ashley – This pageant winner wasn’t sad about losing the challenge, she was sad about letting Rob down.  She’ll do anything her leader says and Rob will sacrifice anyone to keep himself in the game.  Mark my words; Ashley’s departure will cause a downward spiral for the original Ometepe Tribe.	.	#7 Sarita – I didn’t get that good of a feel for Sarita in the first episode. But she’s smart enough to know that getting rid of Russell should be high on Zapatera’s to-do list.

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#8 Steve – His NFL skills will get him to the merge because of his strength, but no one wants to see this guy do what Tom Westman did in Palau by going on an immunity run.  He’ll be a big target after the merge.	.	#8 Andrea – Andrea didn’t get much screen time, but what we saw spoke volumes. While Francesca and Kristina were frustrated with Phillip, she wouldn’t let him get to her. And, she didn’t hack her own foot off, so that’s a plus too.

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#9 Stephanie – She called herself out after seeing Russell get off the helicopter, “If I’m not the one person he picks to go to the end, I’m going to be out…I’M GOING TO BE OUT”.  Guess what…You’re Out!  She’s smart for telling Russell not to be seen walking around camp with her, but she’s dumb for letting everyone see her walk around the camp with him.  Her life will hinge on Russell.  Once he’s gone, his prom date will be next.	.	#9 Ashley – Ashley was more concerned with letting Rob down than with losing immunity. She should be more concerned that Amber is waiting for her at Redemption Island.

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#10 Russell – Love him or hate him, he has successfully lost every time he has played by making it to day 39.  If these players are smart, they’ll allow him to self-destruct a third time.  The only problem is his arrogance won’t allow him to make it that far.	.	#10 Julie – Didn’t get to see much from Julie either. However, with challenges being as physical as they are this season, she should be safe for a while.

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#11 Grant – A pre-season favorite of mine, but may be just a bit too “Zen” for the rest of the tribe.  Instead of finding himself during “Survivor,” he’ll probably find his torch snuffed by Jeff pre-merge.  Besides, Rob is focused on the women, and the women have the numbers.	.	#11 Natalie – Another one of Rob’s lovely ladies. She’s going to be safe while they weed out Kristina and possibly Phillip, but she has to be first on the chopping block if Team Rob has to start eliminating their own.

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#12 Krista – With Russell having already found his Queen in Stephanie, this southern belle’s fate will remind us of Parvati’s closest ally Danielle in another divide-and-conquer move by Russell.	.	#12 Boston Rob – He has the numbers, he’s a challenge monster, and he’s a proven leader. Rob’s biggest problem? He’ll never be safe. Ever. If you’re the one to mastermind Rob’s dismissal, you’ll have made a name for yourself.

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#13 Matt – This harmonious, Fabio-esque, med-student may just be loving “Camp Harmony” so much he won’t see his harmonious blindside by his own tribemates.	.	#13 Russell – I had hope for Russell when I saw him trying to switch up his game. However, that hope went out the window as soon as people saw him walking around with Stephanie. That’s a big mistake.

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#14 Kristina – Wow!  Last season Marty had huge balls for not playing his idol during Tribal Council, turns out that Kristina has huge b….um…well, let’s just say it was a bold move not playing her idol too.  Unfortunately she’s the only one on the chopping block from her tribe.  She’s given herself another 3 days, but not much longer.	.	#14 Phillip – Oh man…love me some Phillip. But what is Ometepe going to do? Bounce him because he’s bad for tribe morale, or keep him and try to take him to the finals NaOnka-style? It probably doesn’t matter what they decide as Phillip will use his federal agent powers to thwart them.

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#15 Julie – This gruff momma already admits that she’s more likely to bond with the guys over the girls.  On a tribe where Russell likes young women, and guys are needed to compete in challenges, this 50-year-old firefighter may have a hard time making friends.	.	#15 Ralph – The preview makes it look like Ralph will be the first target of Team Russell. I’d like to think with Russell’s reputation that Ralph wouldn’t have much to worry about, but I’ve lost too many Power Rankings points betting against Russell to risk it.

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#16 Sarita – She’s not young enough to be Russell’s girlfriend and may be a bit too naive to realize that villains do exist in this game.  Her glowing happiness is ripe for Russell to devour.	.	#16 Kristina – Has anyone ever done so much right and so much wrong in one episode of “Survivor” before? You found an idol with no clues, then trusted the craziest person the show has ever seen. I’d say you were safe this week because you still have the idol, but I wouldn’t be shocked if you traded it for a handful of magic beans.

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#17 Ralph – Ralph, aka “Steel Wool”, was a pre-game favorite of mine to make the end.  Unfortunately he wound up on Russell’s tribe and Russell doesn’t care about winning challenges, he cares about winning over the women.  Despite having “The Most Impressive Man Sweater I’ve Ever Seen”, this beach may not be big enough for the both of them.	.	#17 Stephanie – I don’t think teaming up with Russell is a bad idea. I think letting people know that you’ve teamed up with Russell is a bad idea. Luckily for Russell, they’ll need his strength. Unluckily for you, they’ll want to split you two up. Good luck against Francesca at Redemption Island.

What Do You Think? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags: jeff probst, redemption island, rob mariano, Russell Hantz, sash lenahan, survivor

This entry was posted on February 22, 2011 at 4:18 pm and is filed under survivor, TV News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.