'Survivor: Blood vs. Water' (CBS)
Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, and Power Rankings with Malcolm Freberg. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.
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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 Tyson is voted out this week, Malcolm will receive 11 points and Gordon will receive 10 points. Also, each player will pick the players they think will win at Redemption Island. They’ll receive a bonus point for each correct pick. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.
NOTE: If a current player decides to swap places with their loved one at Redemption Island, they’ll also swap places in the rankings. For example, if Gervase swaps places with Marissa, Marissa will take the 10th spot in Malcolm’s rankings and the 5th spot in Gordon’s rankings.
Last Week: Malcolm had Rachel in spot 13 while Gordon had her in spot 12. They both picked Candice and Rupert to advance at Redemption Island, so they each received one bonus point. The current score is now Team Malcolm 14, Team Gordon 13.
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Malcolm’s Current Score: 14 Any advice for Malcolm? Drop him a line on Twitter: @MalcolmWHW |
Gordon’s Current Score: 13 Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes |
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| 1. Aras – I can’t tell if Aras is responsible for creating the Zen’d out, no-gameplay vibe on Galang, but it’s the best thing possible for him. Yoga bro can sit around and meditate all day and not worry about anyone actually talking about important things like, I dunno, “Survivor.” But don’t think it’s a coincidence that the peaceful, strategy-vacant tribe is being led by the two past winners. |
1. Aras – Centuries from now, “Survivor” historians will be sure to refer to late 2013 as the Great Baskauskas Dynasty. The only question is; will they work together like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris did when they led the New York Yankees to the 1961 World Series after their infamous home run battle? Or, will they self-destruct like Mega-Powers teammates “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan? |
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| 2. Hayden – Hayden should blame the challenge loss on his parents – they clearly didn’t take him to Chuck E Cheese’s enough as a kid. I hate carnival game challenges and am not going to hold what happened against him, and I doubt his tribe will either. |
2. Vytas – Things aren’t all rosy for the Five Guys (Burgers and Fries) alliance. Brad’s big and occasionally angry, John’s an immunity idol target, Hayden’s got that “Big Brother” thing, and Caleb comes with some…baggage. But Vytas? Who doesn’t love Vytas? He’s the most exciting new player since the guy whose rankings are to the left. |
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| 3. Tina – Looks like Aras’s lieutenant is fully behind the YMCA programming at Galang. She’s locked into the majority alliance and thus should be able to navigate the hairiest part of the game for older women, so suddenly her odds to go deep look very good. |
3. Hayden – I’ll admit it, I like me some Hayden too. In any other season, he’d be the safest person out there. However, if Tadhana wins the next immunity challenge, what’s to stop Galang from doing to Kat what Hayden’s tribe did to Rachel? |
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| 4. Caleb – The most we saw of Colton’s better half was in the preview for this week – apparently everyone’s favorite farmer will be getting a lap dance at RI on Wednesday. It’ll be interesting to see how Colton’s behavior affects Caleb’s game, but he’s insulated enough by the He Man Woman Hater’s Club (HMWHC) to be safe for now. |
4. Tina – So, we still haven’t seen any official alliances over at Galang beach, but it seems like Tina, Aras, Monica, Gervase, and Tyson are tight. That’s not a bad little group. You have some solid challenge competitors and just about everyone has a track record for being loyal. |
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| 5. Vytas – You crafty devil you. That Rachel move was clever in a way never before possible in “Survivor.” He’s definitely the brains in HMWHC and safe for a while, but he may be putting a target on himself by being the obvious strategic mastermind for the beefcakes. |
5. Gervase – Gervase, buddy…I love you. You’re bad at swimming. You’re good at skee-ball. Either way, STOP WITH THE TRASH TALK! You are a likable dude. People like you. But, the way you’re acting has a former NFL player ranting about body slams. This isn’t good for your game. |
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| 6. Monica – She started channeling her inner Lisa Whelchel for a bit and gave me traumatic Philippines flashbacks, but there’s no denying she did a great job of inserting herself into the Galang majority. Monica’s best bet is to go into stealth mode for a while. |
6. Monica – Seems like Monica’s in good with the cool kids over at Galang. I know she’s interested in working with Colton, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to keep him safe. That could make some of his bad Q rating bounce back on her. |
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| 7. Brad – I can’t tell if I should laugh at him or be scared of him. The HMWHC is safe and he’s their figurehead, so no worries for the Culpepper clan this week. Plus, I’m kind of excited to see him go WWE on Gervase. |
7. Brad – Team Culpepper is on pretty solid footing at this point. John has surpassed Brad as the most vulnerable member of Tadhana’s dude alliance. But, Brad’s got to learn to tone it down. Threatening Gervase, getting into spats with Marissa…play it cool. |
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| 8. Laura M. – She’s not the biggest target at Galang because she’s not ruffling any feathers, but she’s not in the majority and I can’t imagine she’s thrilled with the moratorium against strategic discussions. I’m actually kind of excited she’s on the outside of the numbers because she definitely seems the type to try and shake things up, but the time isn’t right yet. Hold on Mama Morette, hold on. |
8. Caleb – Oh, Caleb… I hate to say this, but Colton going home would be the best thing for your game. And you seem like a super selfless guy, but don’t take his place on Redemption Island. Colton can’t win. He isn’t built for “Survivor.” You are. Work hard around camp and be your usual likable self and you could go really far. |
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| 9. Laura B. – Two tie-dye shirts was never going to be OK, but I think I can handle one. Not being dragged down by her hubby should be a positive for her game, and it seems the Galang majority has bigger fish to fry before finishing off the Bonehams. I’m cautiously optimistic for Laura B. to stick around for a while. |
9. Laura M. – It’s hard to tell where Laura ranks on the Galang totem pole. I don’t think she’s in with the top five, but I think she’s in better standing than tribe pariah Colton. Either way, she won’t be the next person sent packing. |
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| 10. Gervase – Someone get him a muffle. Even at the duel he was sitting next to Laura B. and rubbing in Rupert’s loss. He really should be higher in these rankings per safety in the game, but I’ve become wildly disillusioned with this positive figure from my childhood. He’s safe because he’s BFF with Aras, but he needs to take a lesson from his buddy in grace. |
10. Tyson – Here’s my theory on the Tyson rant that took place during this week’s preview; I think he says it after Rachel loses at Redemption Island. But, just to be safe, I’m placing him lower in the ranking in case he takes Rachel’s place and Galang is annoyed and votes her out. |
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| 11. Tyson – The mouthy Mormon damn near turned into the Hulk upon seeing Rachel on RI, and while I tried to read into that preview multiple times, I can’t tell if he’s going to swap in for her or not. Part of me thinks it would make sense: his majority alliance would take care of his girlfriend, and he’s a monster in individual challenges (see: Tocantins). But I also think the rest of Galang is going to try to talk him out of it – he makes his entire tribe weaker if he bails, plus we all saw how well switching in worked for Rupert. I think Tyson replacing Rachel is a coin flip. | 11. John – You know, it’s hard to be a target when you’re in the dominant alliance with someone as boisterous as Brad, but John has managed to do it. Keeping that clue to himself was a major miscue. He should immediately start referring to it as “our clue” and get his bros to help him find it. |
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| 12. John – Shhhhh. It’s a good thing I love you for your looks because the things coming out your mouth weren’t nearly as pretty. You can gently push to keep Rachel, but being too stubborn about it raised flags. Combine that with publicly getting the idol clue then being shady about it, and you’re firmly planted on the bottom of the HMWHC. Could be safe for a bit still, but looks like a blindside waiting to happen. |
12. Laura B. – She certainly got off to a rough start. But, out of anyone, she’s the one with the cleanest slate. I’m still a big believer that there’s a real benefit to being a lone player out there. |
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| 13. Kat – Hayden not spending enough time in divey skeeball halls may have bailed her out. From the sound of things, she was the first target of the returnees. But even if her gentleman lover pulls out a win next week, the other diva on Galang may have taken her spot under the guillotine. |
13. Ciera – It’s possible that the Five Guys alliance is unbreakable. If they lose a third straight immunity, Ciera’s going to have a hard time convincing the guys that getting rid of challenge strength is a good move. Her best bet is probably trying to work the John/idol angle. |
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| 14. Colton – I actually understand being pissed off that no one wants to play the game you’re supposed to be playing, but blowing up about it is not going to help. And he’s correct about his ability to rule in chaos, but he’s not going to be able to force it with tribe Kumbaya. Bad situation for Colton, and the preview suggests he doesn’t react well to it, but how does quitting help? Caleb, the man-meat he misses, is still out there playing. I hope he doesn’t throw in the towel and tries to claw his way back in, but the odds are long on both. |
14. Kat – It seems like the politics around Galang are skewing older. That’s not good news for Kat. And like I said above, Galang could target Kat the same way Tadhana targeted Rachel. |
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| 15. Katie – The new girls are in trouble, and it’s entirely their fault. What they were thinking to be born without penises is beyond me and they deserve to be kicked off for it. I think Katie may be safer because it seemed like Ciera was the brain behind the John votes – which I HATED – and someone’s going to have to shoulder the blame for those two shots across HMWHC’s bow. |
15. Katie – See Ciera. |
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| 16. Ciera – Please, oh please let me be wrong. From first to worst in 2 episodes. Part of me wants to put her higher on principle and faith, but a bigger part of me can’t stand the thought of Gordon’s mockery if I lose our little game this season. If Tadhana keeps spiraling and the voting pattern holds true, my pre-game pick is done. | 16. Colton – I know more about St. Louis Cardinals baseball than most people. That doesn’t mean I’m the best person to play first base in the NLDS. Colton is a mega “Survivor” fan. I’m sure he knows the show better than anyone else out there. But he is a bad “Survivor” player. In the pre-Phillip Sheppard days he’d be a unanimous first boot. His only play here is to be someone’s goat at the final Tribal Council. |
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| Redemption Island Picks: Candice and Rachel – Candice was a rock star last week and she’s going to be around for a while – no doubt about that pick. Marissa, however, only got through that challenge because Rupert was absurdly dumb with his tactics. The Rachel pick partially stems from the HMWHC’s consensus that she was a better competitor than the other girls on Tadhana, but, based on the wildly-confusing rules for both “Survivor” and the Power Rankings this season, she also gets a bonus because of Tyson potentially subbing in. | Redemption Island Picks: Candice and Marissa – This ties into my prediction above that Tyson is upset over Rachel leaving. That, and I still believe that poise and experience mean a ton at Redemption Island and Candice and Marissa have both. |
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