Archive for December, 2011

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame Ballots – The ‘Survivor’ Press Team

December 9, 2011

As members of the Executive Voting Committee, the “Survivor” press team (along with Producer Jesse Jensen, Host and Executive Producer Jeff Probst, and other “Survivor” luminaries) has an awesome responsibility. The committee’s votes will make up 50% of the final tally for entry into the prestigious Class of 2011. The other 50% will come from “Survivor” fans like you.

Note: Fan voting for the 2011 “Survivor” Hall of Fame has ended. Be sure to check back Monday, December 12th to meet the first member of the Class of 2011.

Drusilla Moorhouse – E! Online

Drusilla Moorhouse is an Editor for E! Online, where she celebrates TV and celebrity gossip with a liberal dose of exclamation points. A fanatic of the “Eco Challenge” producer Mark Burnett’s O.G. reality competition, Dru carried a torch for “Survivor” even before the first pixelated images of Richard Hatch hit the airwaves.

Ozzy Lusth – (“Survivor: Cook Islands,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): Hall of Fame or Hall of Shame, the blissed-out beach bum deserves a spot in the record books for schooling his competitors in challenges and making tree monkeys seem clumsy. Sure, he left his Immunity Idol at camp when he needed it most and might be too naive for this cutthroat game, but he’s still a “Survivor” star. Plus, he’s hot.

Rudy Boesch – (“Survivor: Borneo” and “Survivor: All Stars”): This: “Me and Richard got to be pretty good friends—not in a homosexual way, that’s for sure.”

Tom Westman – (“Survivor: Palau” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): Tom is the Bruce Willis of “Survivor”—only more handsome and courageous. The New York City firefighter’s leadership, strength, indomitability, and integrity earned him the admiration of his fans and fellow Palau competitors, who gave him a million dollars—and top billing.

Mara Reinstein – US Weekly

Mara Reinstein is the movie critic for Us Weekly magazine. But thanks to her unofficial title as Resident “Survivor” Fanatic, she has somehow finagled her way into 10 (!) “Survivor” location visits since 2004.

Ozzy Lusth – (“Survivor: Cook Islands,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): The human dolphin continues to read at a 3rd grade level when it comes to the social game. He’s played so poorly during “Survivor: South Pacific” (is it the ego or the hair?), he should send thank you notes to the producers for creating Redemption Island.

Stephenie LaGrossa – (“Survivor: Palau,” “Survivor: Guatemala,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”):
I saw this firsthand: During the first challenge of “Heroes vs. Villains,” she separated her shoulder, popped it back in, then went back in the game! Advil, be damned! Plus, you still got to admire what she accomplished in Palau. She didn’t have to resort to awkward flirting, either.

Ethan Zohn – (“Survivor: The Amazon” and “Survivor: All Stars”): It’s the sentimental choice, but screw it. The guy is a champ.

Dalton Ross – Entertainment Weekly

Dalton Ross is the Assistant Managing Editor of Entertainment Weekly. He may have written about this show once or twice over the past 10 years.

Tom Westman – (“Survivor: Palau” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): Until Boston Rob on “Redemption Island,” Tom had the most dominating season in “Survivor” history in Palau when you factor in physical, social, and strategic gameplay. He led his tribe to an undefeated ass-whupping of the Ulong tribe, then coasted post-merge to the win. How the hell was he not in the original Hall of Fame class? Who’s voting on these things anyway?

Cirie Fields – (“Survivor: Panama,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): What’s incredible about Cirie is how far she came from when she first started on “Exile Island.” The woman was afraid of the outdoors for crissakes! But she evolved into a stone cold killer who would have won “Fans vs. Favorites” had there not been so many injuries to other players (causing producers to abort the original final-three plan). I loved watching Cirie go from a woman completely out of her element to someone who not only survived, but thrived as well.

Ozzy Lusth – (“Survivor: Cook Islands,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): Okay, his strategic game is not very good, and his social game is even worse. But if anyone was ever born to be left to his own devices on an island, it’s Ozzy. The guy is the absolute epitome of the living off the land conceit that “Survivor” is all about. He’s also arguably the best challenge competitor the game has ever seen. And consider this: He only lost to Yul by one vote in “Cook Islands” and has made it to at least the jury all three times he’s played. Compare that to Boston Rob, who twice failed to even make the jury. Ozzy may only represent one facet of the game, but he represents it better than anyone.

‘Survivor: South Pacific’ Castaway Interview: John Cochran

December 8, 2011

In the “Survivor” pre-game interviews several people said they wanted to win the million dollars, Brandon Hantz said he wanted to clear the Hantz family name, and John Cochran said he wanted to make the show better.

Well, we don’t know who’ll win the money and Brandon is still trying to keep his word. But, one thing’s for sure – Cochran made the show better.

I had a chance to speak to the person I consider to be the most entertaining new player in years the morning after he was eliminated from Redemption Island. We discussed the flip that doomed Savaii, Coach’s winning ways, and how Jeff Probst might’ve gotten him in trouble with his tribe.

Gordon Holmes: Do you prefer John or Cochran?
John Cochran:
I’m still skeptical as to whether or not I’ve earned the “Cochran” moniker. I’ll take John.
Holmes: Does anybody call you John anymore?
Cochran: It’s nice from a branding standpoint that I know people that call me Cochran know me from “Survivor.” All of my friends still call me John.
Holmes: I like that you said, “branding.” I can’t wait to get my Cochran t-shirts and hats.
Cochran: I’m sure people are flocking to get t-shirts of the 8th-place contestant on the 23rd season of a reality show.
Holmes: See, that’s funny to me. You know the exact numbers. Some people try to play it cool like they don’t know. I’m sure you know exactly how many votes were cast against you…
Cochran: I got thirteen votes, which is close to one of the records. I think Phillip (Sheppard) has the record with seventeen and it used to be (Jonathan) Penner with I think fifteen.

Holmes: Let’s talk about your game…
Cochran:
Uh oh…
Holmes: Now c’mon, you made the big move, now you’ve gotta talk about it. I was on the record as saying I didn’t think it was the smartest move. You seem to be a guy that looks at all the angles. What  logic went into make the decision to leave Savaii for Upolu?
Cochran: I don’t think that flipping was fatal to my game in the way that I think a lot of people do. The big turning point for me wasn’t the super cowardice of drawing rocks, the big thing for me was after the “Jack and Jill” challenge where I bombed the challenge by failing to fasten the clip properly, my entire tribe gathered together and told me they were voting me off. That was immediately before the merge. And I thought if any of these people really wanted to go to the end with me, they’re not going to vote me off. And it seemed bizarre to do it right before the merge because that’s when you’d want to get rid of a big threat. So knowing that I was dispensable to people who I thought were my closest allies, that was a big thing that made me want to flip. I would’ve changed things I would’ve done post flip. My big problem is I got complacent. I didn’t do a lot of scrambling or pulling people together. I think flipping is fine, I just didn’t follow up on it well.
Holmes: I have a theory that you threw the “Jack and Jill” challenge so you wouldn’t have to watch “Jack and Jill.”
Cochran: (Laughs) But I love bad movies. Have you ever seen “The Room”?
Holmes: I have.
Cochran: That’s one of my favorite movies. But I didn’t throw it. I have no delusions about being good at challenges. I know I’m horrible. But I’m not the one who fastened the clip improperly. Jim was the one that did it wrong. But I think Jeff’s commentary, when everyone else is blindfolded, all they hear is him saying, “Cochran, who is so inept at everything in the world, fails to manage the rope properly.” And that’s all they hear. That challenge and the aftermath were the turning point.
Holmes: Is that why you called Jeff out on his love of blue shirts?
Cochran: Jeff and I have a bizarre relationship, because I feel like he likes me. But, his line of questioning for me at Tribal Council was always peculiar to me. He’d say, “Keith, how important is it to win immunity?” “Jim, have you given much thought to the hidden immunity idol?” “Cochran, are you a huge loser in the real world? How many bruises have you received being a dodgeball target back at home?”
Holmes: (Laughs)
Cochran: They were oddly personal questions. So, I had to throw it back at him a little bit.
Holmes: Now, I’ve had conversations with all of the members of Savaii as they left the game, and they all said that they never bullied you. Was Jeff Probst bullying you?
Cochran: (Laughs) I don’t think Jeff was bullying me. I think he was fascinated by me. He thought I was bizarre in the way I’d fumble and stumble past Tribal Council every week. But Jeff’s not a bully, he’s a sweetheart.
Holmes: He’s a doll.

Holmes: Coach has a reputation for being kind of a goofball on the show. But in reality, Coach is very smart and personable. Did that realization that, “Oh, he’s not what I expected” help him get you to open up to him?
Cochran:
Absolutely. It was a huge shock. I thought he was a joke coming into this season. I think I called him a lunatic. And he’s a really smart guy. And even more than being a smart guy, I’m guessing you’re going to ask me for one word about each person at the end of this…
Holmes: What gave you that idea?
Cochran: (Laughs) Just my intuition. It’s never served me wrong. Is that an expression?
Holmes: Sounds like one.
Cochran: It’s never led me astray. That’s better. But, beyond being smart, he’s very disarming. Maybe it’s because he has this goofball reputation that you don’t feel threatened by him. I was very impressed. And seeing how he interacted with his tribe. You’d think between the two returning players that Ozzy would command the most respect. But Coach was running the show. He’s a charming, funny, intelligent  guy. They say “Don’t meet you heroes,” but maybe you should meet your villains.

Holmes: Now, I feel terrible catching you off guard, but if I give you the name of someone in the game, could you give me the first word or words that pop into your head?
Cochran:
I haven’t prepared anything for this, so it’ll be off the top of my head…with a few exceptions.
Holmes: Excellent, let’s start with Jim.
Cochran: Cunning.
Holmes: Dawn?
Cochran: Sweetheart.
Holmes: Coach?
Cochran: Disarming.
Holmes: Brandon?
Cochran: Complex.
Holmes: Sophie?
Cochran: Competitive.
Holmes: Keith?
Cochran: Romantic.
Holmes: Whitney?
Cochran: Talented.
Holmes: Albert?
Cochran: Disconcertingly polished.

Holmes: That leads into the next question. Albert seems to be someone who every week tries to get something new started and every week it seems to fizzle and die. Is he as smooth as he thinks he is?
Cochran:
I think he’s playing a good game in that even after all of these failed attempts at changing the game he still seems to be secure. But, I don’t think he’s as smooth as he thinks he is. Even giving me the massage I wasn’t thinking, “Oh wow, this is a gesture of kindness and goodwill.” It was transparent that he was going to vote me off and he wanted me to remember him fondly from the jury. But he’d come up with these plans, and Sophie would say, “No, let’s stick with the plan.”
Holmes: What’s the rest of the Upolu dynamic like?
Cochran: Brandon is an immovable object. It’s impossible to strategize with him. I spent seven hours on a hammock with him trying to woo him. I lent him my beloved sweater vest on multiple occasions. And all for nothing. Edna is a tricky case. She was told on day two that she was number six in that alliance and she was resistant to doing anything until I was voted out.

Holmes: We’re getting ready to unveil the “Survivor” Hall of Fame Class of 2011 next week…
Cochran:
I got like 40 votes! What’s that all about?
Holmes: You got a respectable amount. You should be very proud. Aside from last year’s class; Russell, Boston Rob, Parvati, Sandra, and Richard, who would’ve been your top picks?
Cochran: Todd (Herzog), he played a great game. I think Yul (Kwon) played a great game, granted he had an overpowered immunity idol, but that wasn’t his fault. Cirie (Fields) I think is great. Stephanie Valencia is a given, right?
Holmes: Yes, she’s a very popular choice amongst people from Louisiana.

Holmes: I’m willing to make the argument that you’re the most interesting, polarizing original character since Russell Hantz in Samoa. If they do an all-star “Lawyers vs. Bartenders” season, would you be in?
Cochran:
I absolutely want to play again. It’s this weird, addictive, perverted thing where you’re miserable at the time, and then you reflect on it and you love it. My only fear is the reputation I have. I’ve proven myself to be weak, worthless in challenges, apparently I’m annoying, and I’m a traitor. I don’t think all of those are true, but I’m afraid I’d go into the game and there’d be no reason why people would want to keep me. People would be calling me Sugar 2.0. So, I want to do it, I just need major image rehabilitation.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

Why This Cardinals Fan Is Cool with Albert Pujols’s Decision

December 8, 2011

Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were the leaders of their respective wrestling organizations in the ‘80s. However, both peddled their wares in very different ways.

Ric Flair’s job was to be the NWA’s top bad guy and make the local heroes look like a million bucks. He’d accomplish this by putting on breathtaking, five-star, hour-long, time-limit draws. The fans would go home thinking their guy was *this-close* to winning the title. They’d be sure to come back next month when a no-time-limit match was booked. A month later they’d watch their hero dominate only to see Flair get himself disqualified to win. This would lead to a no-disqualification match the next month. And on and on until a new local star would get a shot.

(more…)

‘Survivor: South Pacific’ Recap – Now With Even More Hantz!

December 7, 2011

Quick Note: Voting for the “Survivor” Hall of Fame has ended. Be sure to check back Monday, December 12th to meet the first inductee into the Class of 2011.

Last Week: Rick gave Albert a nickname, Albert gave Cochran a massage (in a sense), and Upolu gave Cochran a trip to Redemption Island.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Here is the tribe as it currently stands…
The Te Tuna Tribe (wearing yellow)
Albert – 26, Baseball/Dating Coach
Brandon – 19, Oil Tanker Crewman
Coach – 39, Slayer of Dragons
Edna – 35, Anesthesiologist
Rick – 51, Rancher
Sophie – 22, Medical Student

Currently Residing on Redemption Island (wearing awkward silences)
Cochran – 24, Harvard Law Student
Ozzy – 30, Challenge Destroyer

The evening’s festivities kick off with Cochran heading to Redemption Island to meet the great and powerful Oz.

Cochran feels like he was used by Upolu and that they didn’t have the decency to keep him around. OK, Cochran’s seen enough “Survivor” to know that you’re not really promised anything in this game.

Ozzy thinks a great way to get back at them would be to vote for him at the final Tribal Council. Cochran isn’t thrilled that it’s a foregone conclusion that Ozzy’s going to beat him at the challenge. He’s right, it’s entirely possible that the challenge will involve “Simpsons” trivia.

The following morning, Edna excuses herself from Te Tuna’s morning prayer because she doesn’t feel like she’s part of the tribe. Uh oh, that’ll cost her God’s vote at the final Tribal.

Edna let’s Coach know that she’s annoyed that they aren’t six strong. Coach says they are, but now they’re at the final six. He has a point.

She doesn’t like that a nineteen-year-old high-school dropout who advertises that he’s crazy (her words, not mine) is dictating her place in the game.

The nineteen-year-old high-school dropout who advertises that he’s crazy (her words, not mine) interrupts their chat to inform them that the day’s tree mail is a Sprint phone.

Sprint. The Now Network.

Sure enough, it’s videos from home. Videos include greetings from Rick’s wife, Edna’s sister, Sophie’s dad, Albert’s mom, Coach’s brother, and Brandon’s dad (also known as Russell’s brother).

Redemption Island Duel: The players will use a grappling hook (like Batman!) to retrieve three bags. In those bags are balls. They’ll use one of those balls to complete a marble-type table maze. First person to complete the maze stays in the game.

Ozzy gets off to a strong start, retrieving all three bags quickly. Upolu tries to help Cochran by giving him hook-tossing tips. Fortunately for Cochran he can’t be discouraged by the comical sound effects the “Survivor” editing team has added to his embarrassing grappling hook tosses.

Cochran eventually manages to get all three of his bags and it’s so on. Both players have to keep restarting the maze as they’re having trouble keeping their balls on the table.

Ahem…

During the proceedings, Probst refers to Ozzy as one of Cochran’s idols. I’m sure Cochran would dispute that.

It seems to be super close in the end, but Ozzy manages to pull out the win.

In the post-game chat, Cochran gets a little emotional. Probst gives him a touching pep talk, telling him that he’s seen him grow as a person in his time out there.

Probst then calls out the remaining players’ loved ones. Rick takes this opportunity to grope his wife. Oh, now he’s entertaining.

Fun Fact: Probst has about a billion catchphrases. The only ones that bug me are “Give (a person) some love,” and “Get some food in your belly.”

Ozzy is given the opportunity to pick three people to spend time with their loved ones. Ozzy chooses Albert, Coach, and Brandon.

Probst then lets us know that they’ll all be spending time together on Redemption Island. That’s interesting.

Coach claims that being on “Survivor” is a once-in-a-lifetime event. I’m thinking Coach, who’s on his third season, is bad at math.

The players and their loved ones spend some time taking photos of each other with the new Sprint phone. Apparently it’s super impressive.

Coach takes Ozzy aside to talk strategy. He tells Ozzy that he wants to take him to the final three. He punctuates this statement by saying he’ll do it “as a Christian man.” Coach says he won’t ever go against that word.

Oof…I know Coach’s is all “Take the best to the end,” but I don’t know if he could beat Ozzy in front of a Savaii-stacked jury.

Later, Brandon tells his dad (Sean) that he won’t go against his word to win the million dollars. His dad doesn’t approve of this. Well, he is Russell’s brother.

Sean tries to swing Brandon’s thinking by telling him that God wants him to make a good decision and to put his family in a good position. Even if it involves lying? I’m not the most religious person, but I’m pretty sure God has issues with that.

Quick Pitch: “Survivor: Hantzs vs. Kardashians”…make it happen, Jeff.

Sean questions Coach about his final-three strategy. Coach claims that he hasn’t decided yet. Sean tells Coach that he’s going to tell Brandon to do whatever Coach says. Coach isn’t buying it. He’s dealt with Hantzs before.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will move across a giant pineapple-shaped puzzle board. Once they’ve stepped off a tile they’ll have to flip it over. Once they’re out of tiles to step on, they’re out of the game. Last person standing win immunity.

Note:
This seems very similar to the challenge Danni Boatwright won on “Survivor: Guatemala.”

Not much to describe here except for steppin’ and tile flippin’. Albert is the first one out of the challenge and is followed by Brandon.

After the elimination, Brandon admits that he intentionally eliminated himself to cut off Edna’s space. Edna, as you’d imagine, is not pleased.

Rick’s out next, he’s followed by Sophie.

Edna lets everyone know that they can’t be a team forever before she makes her final move. Coach wins immunity.

Politicking around camp seems to center around Edna vs. Brandon. Sophie and Rick both think it was messed up that Brandon admitted to sacrificing himself to eliminate her.

Brandon tries to apologize to Edna, but she doesn’t let him off the hook.

Later, Edna approaches Coach, Sophie, and Albert with a proposal to get rid of Brandon. She claims to have shown more honor and integrity than Brandon has throughout the game. Edna then asks Coach if he’d use his idol for her. He says he won’t because it’ll show his tribe that he doesn’t trust them.

He does, however, tell her to tell Albert and Sophie that he’s on board. I’m not sure what he was getting at there.

Sure enough, Edna tells Albert and Sophie that Coach is voting with her, she even offers to eat a piece of his (excrement) if Coach isn’t on board. Yikes, I know they’re hungry out there but that seems extreme.

That night at Tribal Council, Edna admits to targeting Brandon. She thinks he hasn’t been keeping up with Upolu’s mantra of honor and integrity. More tribes need mantras…or a mission statement…or at least a catchy jingle.

Brandon doesn’t think Edna should take shots at his character. Probst calls him on that, saying that Brandon admitted to lying at earlier Tribal Councils.

Albert and Sophie think the tribal alliances end with this Tribal Council.

Voting Time: Brandon votes for Edna, Edna votes for Brandon, and the rest of the votes will have to wait until the next paragraph.

One vote for Edna, one vote for Brandon, two votes for Edna, and the fourteenth person to make a trip to Redemption Island is…Edna.

Verdict: Ozzy wins? Check. Edna gets the boot? Check. Very predictable episode. Next week though? Who knows.

I think ultimately “South Pacific” will answer the question; can a season with predictable gameplay still be entertaining if it’s packed with interesting characters?

Who’s Going to Win: Sticking with Sophie.

Power Rankings Update: Andrea picked it again this week. We both had Edna going home. However, she had Ozzy winning at Redemption Island while I chose Cochran. The current score is tied as we head into the final ranking; Team Boehlke 152, Team Holmes 152.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame Ballot – Executive Producer David Burris

December 7, 2011

As a member of the Executive Voting Committee, Executive Producer David Burris (along with Producer Jesse Jensen, Host and Executive Producer Jeff Probst, and other “Survivor” luminaries) has an awesome responsibility. The committee’s votes will make up 50% of the final tally for entry into the prestigious Class of 2011. The other 50% will come from “Survivor” fans like you.

Note: Fan voting for the 2011 “Survivor” Hall of Fame has ended.

David Burris has spent the last eight years working on the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Survivor.”  From his early beginnings as supervising producer, to his current role as executive producer, Burris has put his stamp on the series that redefined a genre.  In his current role as executive producer, Burris serves as the show runner, overseeing all aspects of developing, producing, and delivering the show.

David Burris’s 2011 “Survivor” Hall of Fame Ballot

Yul Kwon – (“Survivor: Cook Islands”): I re-affirm; Yul’s ability to maneuver, manipulate, and mesmerize without being nasty makes him the “good guy,” “intellectual” version of Russell Hantz.  Which proves that nice guys can actually win. Plus, if not for Ozzy being on the same season he would have been remembered as a physical threat as well.

Benjamin “Coach” Wade – (“Survivor: Tocantins,” “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): Third time’s a charm. With “Survivor: South Pacific,” Coach has proven that in addition to being a Dragon Slayer he is a savvy, canny, adaptable player. He went from a “day-one” status of being dead in the water to leading his tribe, defining an alliance’s ethics and strategy, and, thus far, making it deep into the game.  And he did it with a genuine desire to be a principled player – as much as one can be in “Survivor”…

Ozzy Lusth – (“Survivor: Cook Islands,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): Again I forward Ozzy as one of the greats. Genetically bred to play the game from a physical perspective, we now must add to his list of accomplishments a heightened understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses, that is self-awareness — which led directly to the brash, risky, and well-considered strategic moves of this season. You have to contend that he is one of the best to play the game.

Honorable Mention:

Philip Sheppard – (“Survivor: Redemption Island”):
I will get some “push-back” on this one but I believe it. In “Survivor: Redemption Island,” Phillip read the situation of his tribe with Boston Rob perfectly… and it got him to the final. He played the fool when necessary, caused distracting conflict when necessary, and generally made disorder and bedlam his weapons. His tribe-mates were so distracted by his antics that he slipped through to the final three. There’s a thousand ways to skin a cat with this game and Phillip perfected a very unique one; his manipulation of Rob’s manipulation of him was positively Shakespearean.

Chris Daugherty – (“Survivor: Vanuatu”): He dodged and darted being targeted as a physical liability at the first Tribal Council and then maneuvered his way through weeks of a women’s alliance to win it all. On day one he declared his ability to read tough social (tribal) situations and wiggle his way through them; later he stated that the way to beat a women’s alliance is to sit back and watch them scratch themselves to death – which he did. Hard to argue with that strategy.

Be sure to check back Monday, December 12, 2011 to see the first inductee into the Class of 2011.

Any Questions? Drop us a line on Twitter: @survivorhall and @gordonholmes

‘Survivor: South Pacific’ Power Rankings – Week 11

December 6, 2011

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 Sophie is voted out this week, Andrea will receive 1 point and Gordon will receive 2 points. Also, each player will pick who they think will win at Redemption Island. If they choose correctly they will receive a bonus point. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: South Pacific” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Andrea picked it last week. She had Cochran in spot seven while Gordon had him in spot five. They both predicted Ozzy would win Redemption Island. The current score is now Team Boehlke 145, Team Holmes 146.

Wanna Play? Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings. If you do better than Gordon does, (like @SherriIrwin and @johnsacton did last week) he’ll give you 25 “Survivor” Points*.

* “Survivor” Points have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for anything, ever.

teamboehlke . TEAMHOLMES
Current Score: 145

Got any advice for Andrea? Drop her a line on Twitter.

. Current Score: 146

Got any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter.

SOPHIE2 . COACH
#1 Sophie: Sophie is back on top where she belongs. She doesn’t seem too concerned about her endgame not panning out, and neither am I. She is playing safe and smart, sitting pretty in the CRABS and probably even the SAC, and nobody seems raring to target her. Sophierce may just fly under the radar on this one, looking ‘island hot’ while doing so. . #1 Coach: The Dragon Slayer is going to have to make a choice next week; does he want to go to the final Tribal with Sophbert or Brickdon? Taking Sophbert follows his “compete against the best” mantra and will have Albert helping him defeat whoever returns from Redemption. But, Brickdon will be way easier to defeat in front of a jury.
COACH . SOPHIE2
#2 Coach: Although I predict that Coach is going to the end (everyone sees him as their goat) I think he made a big mistake by getting rid of Cochran.  Who is he planning on taking to the end? He could potentially beat Brandon or Edna in the finals and that one guy that doesn’t talk, but what if Sophie or Albert gets to the end? Yikesies. . #2 Sophie: Why are Sophie and Albert so afraid of getting rid of Coach? Do they think the jury won’t want to award the million to a returning player? People banked on that last season and it didn’t work out. Are they afraid of inspiring the wrath of pitbull Brandon? If anything, upsetting Brandon could earn them the favor of some jury members.
BRANDON . albert
#3 Brandon: Another day, another Brandon breakdown.  Coach knows that if he votes out Brandon he probably won’t get his vote since this whole ‘loyalty’ thing is looming. Brandon ‘Breakdown’ Hantz may just get to the end without ever having to discuss much strategy. . #3 Albert: Albert has to hold the record now for most shot down big moves. It seems like he’s trying something new every week. Anywho, at least he’ll get credit for paying attention to the Coach juggernaut unlike the players who were bested by Boston Rob last season (no offense, Andrea).
albert . RICK
#4 Albert: With so much hammock strategizing, Prince Albert must have some things brewing in that pretty little head of his. I do hope he has some “secret mission” that will likely unfold. However, if people see Albert as always scheming, it could make them nervous and he could be one of the next to go. . #4 Rick: Hard to believe coming up with the obvious “Prince Albert” nickname almost got Rick booted from the game. At this point, keeping Rick around is smart gameplay. None of the future jurors see him as anything more than one of Coach’s numbers.
RICK . BRANDON
#5 Rick: I think Rick will stay over Edna, but he sure pissed off Albert by calling him a Prince/Princess. Seriously though, I’d be pissed too! Rick talked like, four times this season and two out of the four were bringing down Albert. First there was the “he snores” comment (lest we forget), then he drops the whole Prince Albert thing. I’m not even going to comment on that one because unlike Gordon, I like to keep my rankings PG. . #5 Brandon: Apparently Brandon’s dad is visiting Savaii beach this week and while he’s there he causes some serious trouble. Will it cost Brandon his spot in the tribe? Will this pave the way for an All-Hantz season?
EDNA . EDNA
#6 Edna: I always knew the CRABS were going to stick together. Unfortunately for Edna, the CRABS are stronger than the BRACES. Personally I’d rather SCARE off the B(randon) but Edna didn’t help her case by voting for Rick. (Isn’t playing with letters so fun?) Brandon laid out at TC that Edna was 6th…so I’m sticking to that gem of information. . #6 Edna: What?! Brandon said she was going to go this week and Brandon never, ever lies.
OZZY . COCHRAN
Redemption Island Pick – Ozzy: Ozzy wins. Unless the duel is some sort of mom-massage competition, I’m not sure Cochran will pull this one off. Although it would be pretty epic if he did. . Redemption Island Pick – Cochran: I don’t believe in fairies, zombies, or the power of Hulkamania. But I believe Cochran can pull off a miracle and beat Ozzy. Here’s hoping the challenge involves remembering facts about successful litigation.

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame Ballot – Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer

December 6, 2011

As a member of the Executive Voting Committee, Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer (along with Producer Jesse Jensen, Host and Executive Producer Jeff Probst, and other “Survivor” luminaries) has an awesome responsibility. The committee’s votes will make up 50% of the final tally for entry into the prestigious Class of 2011. The other 50% will come from “Survivor” fans like you.

Note: Fan voting for the 2011 “Survivor” Hall of Fame has ended.

John Kirhoffer is the brain behind some of  “Survivor’s” most difficult and exciting challenges. After 11 years and more than 23 seasons, John continues to design and execute innovative challenges that never fail to impress. His commitment, attention to detail and dedication to creating some of the best challenges on TV are a critical part of “Survivor’s” continued success. With hundreds of challenges on his resume, he credits “Boulder Dash” from season three (Africa) and “Vertical Maze” from season nine (Vanuatu – Islands of Fire) among his favorites.

John Kirhoffer’s 2011 “Survivor” Hall of Fame Ballot

Benjamin “Coach” Wade – (“Survivor: Tocantins,” “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): He was brought back a third time for a reason, he’s entertaining and reinvents himself. From the deluded Dragon Slayer, to (an emotionally conflicted) strategic “Survivor” player, whose humanity is inspiring by being truly conflicted between being honorable and doing what it takes to get to the end.

Cirie Fields – (“Survivor: Panama,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”):
She was never able to win it all, because she was always the (unlikely) biggest threat. Her strategy, attitude, and iconic “Survivor” stature, I believe, make her a perfect Hall of Famer.

Amanda Kimmel – (“Survivor: China,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): No denying it was her strategic mind and love of the game that took her to the very end twice, but could never pull it together to sway the jury. She was involved in designing some of the greatest blindsides and gave us great television. Her reveal of the hidden immunity idol in “Fans vs. Favorites” was a classic American television moment.

Be sure to check back Monday, December 12, 2011 to see the first inductee into the Class of 2011.

Any Questions? Drop us a line on Twitter: @survivorhall and @gordonholmes

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame Ballot – Parvati Shallow

December 2, 2011

Quick Update: Voting for the “Survivor” Hall of Fame ends today at 5 p.m. ET. ‘Boston’ Rob Mariano, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Russell Hantz, Producer Jesse Jensen, and some dude named Jeff Probst have already cast their ballots. Don’t miss your opportunity to cast yours.

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is pleased to welcome 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Parvati Shallow to the Executive Voting Committee. As a member of this exclusive committee, Parvati (along with Host Jeff Probst, Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer, and other “Survivor” luminaries) has accepted an awesome responsibility. The committee’s votes will make up 50% of the final tally for entry into the prestigious Class of 2011. The other 50% will come from “Survivor” fans like you.

Another Quick Note: Parvati chose two people as honorable mentions. As we’re not in the habit of telling Parvati what to do, we’ve included them on the ballot even though they will not count toward the final Executive  Committee tally.

Parvati Shallow’s Hall of Fame Ballot

Jerri Manthey – (“Survivor: The Australian Outback,” “Survivor: All Stars,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): Gotta give it up to the original man eater! The girl had game in “Heroes vs. Villains” where she earned my respect.

Ethan Zohn – (“Survivor: Africa” and “Survivor: All Stars”): A true “Survivor” hero. Ethan’s a winner. He fights cancer, runs marathons, and founded GrassRoots Soccer, an AIDS education/prevention charity for kids in Africa. Love him madly.

Jenna Morasca – (“Survivor: The Amazon” and “Survivor: All Stars”): The hottest, youngest female winner. She made peanut butter sexy. Jenna makes no apologies for who she is and always tells it like it is.

Parvati’s Honorable Mentions

Ozzy Lusth – (“Survivor: Cook Islands,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: South Pacific”): Stole my heart in “Cook Islands” with his jungle-boy “Survivor” style. No matter how deep he goes in the game, Ozzy’s underwater skills provide endless viewer entertainment.

James Clement – (“Survivor: China,” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): The man rips palm trees out of the ground with his bare hands and holds the record for shelter building. James is awesome. Enough said.

Any Questions?
Drop us a line on Twitter: @survivorhall or @gordonholmes

bannerimage

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: Whitney Duncan and Dawn Meehan

December 1, 2011

I’ve always kind of wished “Survivor” would take a page from “Big Brother” and show bonus footage on Showtime.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season and I think Brandon, Cochran, and Coach are worthy of our attention, but I’d have loved to have seen more from TV’s most adorable bully Whitney Duncan and crybaby-turned-challenge-warrior Dawn Meehan.

I spoke with Whitney and Dawn the morning after they were eliminated from Redemption Island to find out about the moves they were making that we didn’t see, why Cochran turning on Savaii was different than Savaii turning on Elyse, and an unfortunate Power Rankings controversy…

Gordon Holmes: Dawn, you went from crying to Ozzy on Day One, to kicking some rear in the strength challenge, to acting like you’re someone who was born to spend her time in the Samoan wilderness. What changed?
Dawn Meehan:
I almost felt like a pet who switched homes. I had a new habitat. The experience in the game is so different from my life. I know it is for everyone, but really for me. It took me a little bit of time for me to get my bearings. But also, since Whitney is with me, a big thing for me was I’m close to Whitney. I went to her before I went to Ozzy and after and said to her, “I want to play this, I know how I want to play this game and that’s not happening.” I think from that point on I was able to clear my head. I got my confidence back.
Holmes: Did it bother you that Whitney was such a horrible bully?
Whitney Duncan: (Laughs) Oh yeah, you know me!
Meehan: I though the exchange they showed with Whitney and the earrings was a good representation of what camp life was like. There’s a lot more human kindness in the game than people realize.
Holmes: OK Whitney, I don’t want you bullying me. I’m sensitive.
Duncan: OK, I’ll try not to, Gordon.
Holmes: As I said to Keith and Jim, I didn’t see much actual bullying during the show, and I know how much “Survivor” editors love to show bad behavior.
Duncan: The word “bully,” who did that come from? It came from Coach. Cochran never actually said those words, so I’m not going to be hard on him. But, he did let that term be thrown around. But it’s disappointing because I really liked Cochran. I hung out with Cochran on the beach. I was never rude to Cochran ever and I actually trusted the guy. So I felt very betrayed. And even though it is a game, feelings do get hurt. The only thing negative I ever said about Cochran is he definitely tossed and turned a lot in the bungalow. I’m not going to lie. I was caught in the middle of him and Keith and they’d rip the covers off of each other every ten minutes.

Holmes: Now, it seems like a lot of the Savaiians took Cochran’s flip personally. How is that different from when you guys blindsided Elyse?
Duncan:
The difference is; Elyse wasn’t really involved in any strategic conversations. I tried so hard to talk to Elyse about the game. I liked Elyse. I didn’t want Elyse to go. But, at the same time that’s very scary when a returning player has somebody like that in their back pocket. She’s not talking about the game to any of us, so who is she talking to? She’s talking to Ozzy. I guess you can call it a blindside, but we didn’t technically vote for Elyse, we just let it happen.
Holmes and Meehan: (Laughs)
Meehan: Yeah, let’s talk about that Whitney!
Duncan: (Laughs) Yeah, I definitely had some smoothing over to do with Dawn afterwards. But I never said Elyse was in my final five. I never led Elyse to believe she was in my final five. So, therefore I didn’t really betray Elyse.

Holmes: Now Dawn, I know you’re a Mormon. And Whitney, I know you love Jesus and Elvis…
Whitney:
(Laughs) I wouldn’t make those two equal. But yes, I do love them.
Holmes: Upolu made a very big show of their religious beliefs. Was that off-putting at all? Did that seem genuine?
Meehan: I didn’t see it as necessary in the game.
Duncan:
Yeah.
Meehan: I think that the “Jack & Jill” challenge, that was just the pinnacle of having a really difficult time with tolerating it. We saw it at every challenge, a lot of…you know…who’s on the Lord’s side?
Duncan: Yeah, I’m sorry, but I do not think the Lord favors any one team on “Survivor.” I know the Lord has better things to do. And obviously I’m a Christian, that doesn’t mean I’m perfect in any way, but I definitely prayed when I was out there. Sure, you have a lot of time to yourself. But I didn’t make a big spectacle out of it. And I think that’s a lot of what that was, a spectacle. I feel like Coach used that to help manipulate people.
Meehan: I think Coach has a good read on people and that worked, so he used it. I think what surprised me more is that really, outside of Sophie, does anyone see it? It seems so transparent to me.
Duncan: Yeah, I agree. When they’re praying about a hidden immunity idol that’s actually in their pocket? It looks bad for Christianity. That’s not something to be prayed about.

Holmes: Were there any cracks in Upolu that you could have exploited?
Meehan:
Rick and maybe Albert for us. I think Whitney and I just felt like we needed more time. Once we were on the downside of the numbers we were close to working something with Rick, Brandon, and Albert. We really wanted to take out Coach with Albert. Not the tail of the snake, the head of the snake. And it just didn’t work.
Duncan: I think Albert just wanted to injure the snake by taking out Edna. But you had to be so careful about what you said in the game. They would tell on you.
Meehan: It was like tattle-tails in school.
Duncan: It was never good for me and Dawn if word leaked back. But I never felt like Rick was going to flip. He’d given his word to Coach and he was going to stay true to that.
Meehan: I think Jim was close to getting Rick to flip at the merge. We made an agreement; Jim, Rick, and myself for final three. That was very close.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Ozzy.
Meehan:
Fearless.
Duncan: Strong.
Holmes: Coach?
Meehan: I actually don’t have words for Coach.
Duncan: Creepy.
Holmes: Albert?
Meehan: For me, Albert is kindhearted.
Duncan: He’s a nice guy.
Holmes: Sophie?
Meehan: Talented.
Duncan: Sophie’s smart.
Holmes: Brandon?
Meehan: Intense.
Duncan: Loose cannon.
Holmes: Keith?
Meehan: Genuine.
Duncan: Amazing.
Holmes: When I asked him “Whitney” last week he said “Beautiful.”
Duncan and Meehan: Awww…
Holmes: Adorable. OK, let’s finish this with Cochran.
Meehan: He is a complete character. He’s almost like a caricature.
Duncan: Yeah, I’d actually go with that. But I’ll say this…fearful.

Holmes: Whitney, you have your country music fan base and Dawn I know you have a devoted six-kid fan base at home, what have been their reactions to seeing you in the game?
Duncan:
My fans, they know who I am. I’m a nice person, but I have a little fire in me and I get a little spunky some times. I think they got a kick out of seeing my temper come out. They got a good laugh out of it. My family too, they’ve seen that side of me too.
Meehan: It was just awesome to be able to show them. Maybe not day one, but that was real, but to see me overcome.  For me, the overwhelming feeling that I have with the game is it taught me you have to go after the big things in life. The kids have loved watching it. It’s a lot of fun. It’s made them more fearless. I’ve got my eight-year-old going off of the high dive. It’s taught them to go get life.

Holmes: Now, I hate to bring this up, but there was a big controversy this season…and I just want to know if this is true or not… Dawn, is it true you tried to bribe the Power Rankings judges with home baked bread?
Duncan:
(Laughs)
Meehan: It’s absolutely true!
Holmes: Dawn, I adore you…but you have to realize that the Power Rankings judges, myself and Andrea Boehlke are incorruptible.
Duncan: There’s no bribing? I’m telling you that bread is good enough to bribe with.
Meehan: I just need your P.O. Box because I sent Andrea her bread for real.
Holmes: Whoa! Hold the phone…you sent Andrea bread?
Meehan: It got there. Sophie took it to her. She was my courier.
Holmes: This is a nightmare.
Meehan: I love reading those Power Rankings, so for me that was so fun.
Duncan: It is fun. I like those.
Holmes: And you have sullied the entire process.
Meehan: And I’m happy to have done so.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

bannerimage