Archive for April, 2014

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 10 Recap – The Case of the Paranoid Policeman

April 30, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: The cast was stalked by a pile of sticks that carried a magic idol. Also, Jeremiah said, “Good bye, ya!”

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands.

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

Things start off with the Jeremiah-less Solarrion returning from Tribal. Kass tells Spencer that she  knew he had the idol because he wasn’t as mean to her as he usually was. He’s impressed with how well she read him. Dude, if people can read you by your level of meanness, your social game might be a tad off.

Kass then follows that up by saying that college-aged men are the most selfish people. In the background you can hear Twitter revving up.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will bid on items in an auction. The person who bids the most will receive the item. It really isn’t much of a challenge.

Tony lets us know that he’s going all-in for the challenge advantage. Smart.

First up is popcorn, candy, and soda. Trish wins it for $80.

Next we’ve got a covered item. Jefra gets it for $100, but Latasha was bidding on it. (Not smart.) Probst uncovers it and it’s a quesadilla, guacamole, and a margarita.

The third item is also covered. Kass takes it for $20. Probst gives her the choice of a second item. She goes with the original item and gets a steak sandwich and ice tea.

Probst puts the item Kass didn’t pick up for auction and Trish claims it for $60. It’s water and rice. Hilarious.

Woo wins ribs and a beer for $40. For some reason they play some slow, sexy sax music as he eats it. He and Probst exchange lustful adjectives, but Woo doesn’t receive a Brandon Hantz shoulder massage.

The advantage is next. Instead of letting the top bidder take it, the top bidders will have to pull rocks for it. Spencer and Tony both bid the full amount. Latasha chooses not to.

Spencer and Tony pull rocks and Tony wins it.

The auction ends and Latasha gets nothing. Well, maybe they’ll let her keep the money.

Back at camp, Kass is super psyched that she got to eat and Spencer got a rock. Aw…it’s like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

Meanwhile, Tony is annoyed that all of his alliance mates got to eat while he got to watch.

Tony sneaks out to read his advantage, and it’s not help in the challenge, it’s yet another idol clue.  He goes a huntin’ but comes up empty handed.  I swear, this season has more idols than reward barbecues have fixin’s.

Later on, Tony is a little concerned that a women’s alliance is forming. Spencer feeds Tony’s paranoia by telling him that Jefra was willing to make a big move at final seven. Spencer’s a smarty.

Annoyed with the women possibly conspiring, Tony runs out and finds himself his 43rd idol. He promptly shows it to his alliance and tells them it’s for everyone.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will dig up bags in the sand. Once they have all five bags they’ll use the balls that are inside the bags to complete a table maze. First person to get all five balls to the end wins immunity.

The challenge starts off and everyone is doing well except for Kass and Trish.

Latasha is the first one to start the maze.  She’s so far ahead that she manages to get two balls to the end before a second person even gets to the maze portion.

Woo eventually makes it close, but Latasha’s lead was too much to surmount. Latasha wins immunity for the third straight time.

Politicking around camp seems nice and easy with everyone targeting Spencer, but Latasha is doing her best to plant seeds for an all-lady alliance.

Sure enough, Tony doesn’t like the idea of Spencer going home and the men being down in numbers four to two. So, he wants to target Jefra. Man, keeping Spencer and Latasha around is dangerous.

That night at Tribal Council, Tony says that Spencer told him that Jefra was going to flip on him. So, he reaches into his bag of tricks(TM) and pulls out one of his 73 hidden immunity idols.

Spencer believes the chaos in the dominant alliance is great.

Jefra is worried that the people on the bottom are trying to stir things up.

Spencer thinks he played well and can go home with his head held high. But,  if he and Tasha go home the people who finish fifth and fourth made a mistake. Wow, great line.

Voting Time: Kass votes for Spencer, Spencer votes for Jefra, and the rest of the votes totally happened, but we’re not going to get to see them until the credits.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, and the twelfth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the fifth member of the jury is…Jefra.

Verdict: I don’t hate that move. At a final five, Trish’s best play is to team with Jefra and Kass. So Tony had to break that up when he could. However, he’d better hope that Trish maintains the loyalty that helped them survive the LJ blindside.

Also, I don’t like the mega idol, the secondary idol, the tartar-control idol, or the caffeine-free diet wild cherry idol.

But, I love this season.

Who’s Going to Win? Unless Latasha continues her winning ways, I think we’re headed to a Woo/Tony/Trish final three. If Tony can keep from rubbing too many people the wrong way, he’ll take it.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had Jefra in spot five. I had her in spot six. So, the current score is Team Ciera 80, Team Gordon 87.

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Ranking – Idol of the Gods Edition

April 29, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 4 points and Gordon will receive 3 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had Jeremiah in spot six, Gordon had him in spot five. So, the current score is Team Ciera 75, Team Gordon 81.

Ciera’s Score = 75

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 81

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

 1. Tony – Considering Tony has a crazy hidden immunity idol that allows him to see the votes before he can use it…I don’t see him going anywhere this week.   1. Tony – Ah…the easiest rank I’ve ever had to rank. Tony isn’t going anywhere because of the super idol. So, we might as well look ahead to his road to the million. At this point, the only thing I can see that can stop him is a Jefra/Kass/Trish alliance. He probably can’t get rid of Trish without becoming a full bad guy, so he might gun for Jefra.
 2. Kass – Kass is close enough with the Tony-Trish alliance and also not on the radar of the Spencer-Tasha alliance. She been very under the radar ever since her big backstab, but she is also unpredictable and a possible swing vote when it starts to get lower in numbers.
  2. Kass – Why should Kass worry? She’s everyone’s dream date for the final three. It doesn’t seem like she has any friends on the jury, and her resume is full of unpopular moves.
 3. Trish – Trish is coming off like Tony’s puppet. I would love to see her make a move against him at some point, but it wouldn’t be smart for her to make that move just yet. Tony seems to be closest with Trish so I don’t think he would use that idol to get rid of her. And she’s not a big enough threat to the others.
  3. Woo – Do you want to be the guy who lost your shot at a million dollars because you fell out of a tree? Stay on the ground, buddy. And while you’re there, realize how tough to beat Tony and Trish are becoming.

 4. Woo –  Woo should stick with Tony for a while longer, because Tony will always be a bigger threat than Woo. He seems like he gets along well with everyone, hard working around camp and preforming good in the challenges. He also hasn’t had to get any blood on his hands yet which could make for a great speech to the jury.   4. Trish – I think Trish is in the most interesting position in the game. She can probably win at a final three if she gets there with the right people. Tasha and Spencer have too many friends on the jury and the majority of the jurors will probably respect Tony’s gameplay enough to give him the prize. So, the trick will be keeping Woo, Kass, and Jefra around long enough to make a move on Tony.

 5. Jefra –  Jefra has shown her alliance that she doesn’t completely trust Tony. There is always a bottom in an alliance…and that bottom person is definitely Jefra. Will Jefra make a move to try and further her game? …Doubt it.   5. Spencer – A tough call between Latasha and Spencer this week, but Latasha seems to be better liked and I think Latasha is seen as more of a challenge threat. Also, Spencer has serious “Survivor” chops. You just know he’s going to save all of his auction money for a challenge advantage.
 6. Latasha –  Now that Jeremiah is gone the girls do have the advantage here with numbers. Maybe just maybe Tasha can pull some girl power and get an all-female alliance going. But it probably won’t matter now that Tony has that hidden immunity idol.   6. Jefra – I got some grief for being harsh to Jefra in my last recap when I said she couldn’t beat anyone at a final Tribal. Well, I take that back, she could probably beat Kass. Unfortunately for Jefra, the days of the final two have gone the same was as visible luxury items. Also unfortunately for Jefra, she’s the best target in a group that threatens Big-Move Tony.
 7. Spencer – Tasha and Spencer are very clearly on the bottom. I hate when an episode turns out to be so predictable so I am hoping I am wrong about this. But unless Spencer can pull out an immunity challenge win, he’s probably the next to go.
  7. Latasha – Yeah, I know Latasha has been on the bottom of my rankings forever, but that’s because she’s the one person I think that could beat everyone else at the final Tribal. Add to that her challenge prowess, and you have someone that people will be eager to get rid of quickly.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Jeremiah: Tony Is ‘So Paranoid It’s Unbelievable’

April 24, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

When Jeremiah was invited to play “Survivor,” he probably didn’t realize how much the game was going to change in one season. Instead of building a society and working with others to get to the end, it became a crazy free-for-all of idol clue theft, constant backstabbing, and shacks designed specifically to aid the act of spying.

And while it is pretty awesome, it didn’t leave much time for Jeremiah’s story to be told.

Luckily, that’s why I’m here.

I spoke with the stealth male model the morning after his elimination to find out what moves he was making that we didn’t see, last night’s crazy Tribal Council, and how he really feels about big move makers like Tony and Kass…

Gordon Holmes: You were a victim of a ghost edit. We didn’t see much of you at all. What were you up to that whole time?
Jeremiah Wood: I was trying to be the comic relief. I had everyone laughing. I made the fire, I did things where people would fall in love with me. That was my main strategy; I wanted people to fall in love with me kind of like JT (Thomas) did. But, I didn’t play the same game because he ended up winning.
Holmes: Let’s start with the vote that sent Brice home.
Wood: I voted him out, I wanted the numbers. I kept LJ close, I kept everyone as close as possible even though I lost Alexis. And going into the first merge I wanted to rebound. I knew Spencer, Tash, and Kass were on the bottom. They had had a bad draw as far as not playing the game smart. I went to them because I needed an alliance, but I needed a strong alliance in the alliance. I apologized to Morgan. I won Morgan back over. Sarah came to me, she was asking if I’d take her to the end.
Holmes: You seemed closest to Spencer. What was that relationship like?
Wood: Me and Spencer were talking. Spencer wanted to be the next JT and Stephen (Fishbach). He felt like he was on the bottom of his alliance with Tash and Kass and he wanted to make a strong bond with me. It was playing into my hands.

Holmes: It looked like you were in really good shape until the Tribal where Kass flipped.
Wood: When Kass flipped I found myself scrambling. I talked to LJ, he said he was fine where he was at. Nobody was budging an inch on that alliance until Tony budged. And I jumped on that with both feet. I wanted to win Tony over. And we did win him over so we could get rid of LJ. But, nobody wanted to play the game with common sense.
Holmes: Kass rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with that flip. Did she ever try to get back on your good side?
Wood: Absolutely not. I knew Tony had an idol, I knew LJ had an idol. So I wanted to vote for Jefra so they’d play their idols. Kass said she wanted to vote for Trish and Sarah said she would not vote for Trish. I said, “Oh no.” You’ve got to think about what you’re saying. When Kass flipped, she voted out Sarah because she didn’t like her. Then she said, “I’m still a free agent, I could not stand Sarah. She needed to go.” And as the last couple episodes have unfolded you can see that she’s not a free agent. But, she definitely didn’t try to make peace with me. We did talk some, I was being nice to her. You don’t want to be a complete jerk out there. I tried to be nice to her. But as far as being apologetic? Nothing like that.

Holmes: Tony found the mega idol last night. Was everyone looking for it?
Wood: Every day I was looking for that idol. I tore that jungle apart.
Holmes: Tony is a force of nature out there. He’s making all these crazy moves. But as far as being a person, is he likable? Is he someone you’d like to sit down and have a beer with?
Wood: Outside the game? Definitely. Tony’s a pretty nice guy. He loves his family. He’s a respectful guy. He came in with the strategy of being a villain. But, he’s a likable villain. That’s where his game is looking better. Everybody sees he’s lying. He’s lying to everybody.  But he’s still keeping peace with everybody. It blows my mind. He’s playing an unbelievable game. But out of the game? He’s a super nice guy.
Holmes: For the rest of your life, whenever you see some foliage that looks out of place, are you going to be worried that Tony’s in there peeking at you?
Wood: (Laughs) Yeah. I’ve always got one eye looking the other way. I don’t want him creeping up on me. He’s so paranoid it’s unbelievable:. But the whole spy shack thing is hilarious.

Holmes Word association time. Let’s start with Jefra.
Wood: Southern belle.
Holmes: Woo?
Wood: Sneaky.
Holmes: Trish?
Wood: Sweetheart.
Holmes: Spencer?
Wood: Little brother.
Holmes: Latasha?
Wood: Warmhearted.
Holmes: Tony?
Wood: Tony is conniving.
Holmes: LJ?
Wood: He’s a good guy.
Holmes: Kass?
Wood: Loose cannon.

Holmes: Spencer made fun of Woo during his vote last night. Have those two been at odds ever since the idol clue incident?
Wood: That turned Spencer completely against Woo and Tony. It did me too, but it’s “Survivor.” You can do what you want out there. It rubs you the wrong way and you don’t forget it. Them boys just weren’t too nice to Spencer.
Holmes: Was there any talk of Spencer giving you the idol?
Wood: We talked about playing it for me. It’s one of those 50/50 shots. I’d love for him to play it for me, but he’s been more of an immunity threat.
Holmes: Normally someone with your physique would be considered a major immunity threat, but the challenges have involved memory or balance or other things that don’t rely on strength.
Wood: I was so mad. Every time a challenge would pop up I’d see it’s a balance challenge. And now the world knows I’m bad at balancing. (Laughs) It’s one of those things. If it was more hand-eye coordination I would’ve done well. I’m good at puzzles. If it’d been more physical I believe I could beat any of them out there.

Holmes: Tony called you “Jeremy” last night. I don’t have my “Survivor” rule book handy, but if Tony’s voting for Jeremy, I don’t think it should count against you.
Wood: (Laughs) I don’t have mine handy either! I thought it was a tie. Trish didn’t spell my name right either. I’m going to have to talk to Jeff about that.

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 9 Recap: It’s Not a Lie If Your Mom Says It’s OK

April 23, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: LJ’s time in the game, like his name, was abbreviated.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands.

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Jeremiah – Model, 34
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

Quick Note: I’d like to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers during my family emergency last week. You guys are the best alliance ever.

Ah…good to be back home. However, Tony might not agree with me because Jefra gets all up in his business when they get home from Tribal.

But Trish understands why Tony didn’t tell her and she still trust him. Wait, what?! He tells you one thing, then does another and you still trust him?

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Inigo Montoya to Trish

The next morning, Tony builds Spy Shack 2.0 around the water well so he can hear people strategizing.

And it works! He totally overhears Trish and Jefra talking shop!

I’m waiting for an A.C.M.E. package to arrive at tree mail addressed to the guy.

Fortunately for them, they weren’t plotting to get rid of Tony. They think the alliance is still in effect, it’s just short one handsome horse whisperer.

Reward Challenge Time: Two teams of four will race out in boats to collect paddles. Back at the beach, the players will use the paddles to solve a word puzzle. The winners will go on a field trip to a barbecue.

Kass, Trish, Tony, and Woo are the orange team, Jeremiah, Jefra, Tasha, and Spencer are the purple team. Oh man, Jefra’s going to be stuck with the underdogs no matter what.

The race gets off to an awkward start, with poor Jefra hanging off the side of a boat. But, things eventually even out.

The orange team gets back to the beach with the paddles first, but just barely.

Woo and Kass have puzzle duty for orange, while Tasha and Spencer go for purple.

Both tribes are doing some cheating, looking at each others’ puzzles and whatnot. However, the purple team manages to pull off the win.

Back at camp, Kass is cool with Tony’s move because she finds Tony annoying and would rather have him around than a threat like LJ.

Meanwhile, Tony is annoyed because Trish would rather look for food than talk about strategy. But, when Woo and Trish do find food, Woo falls out of a tree! Maybe getting Woo to fall to his death is part of her strategy! Keep an eye on her.

Fortunately, Woo says the fall only caused a “Charlie Horse in my butt.” Meanwhile in Delaware, I call dibs on “Charlie Horse in my butt” as a band name.

At the barbecue reward, Tasha, Jeremiah, and Spencer go to work on Jefra. She agrees with them that Tony should be the next one to go.

After the meal, letters from home are delivered and Jefra loses it. And as if she was watching the season live, Jefra’s mom gives her permission to lie. Jefra takes this as a sign and makes a final four alliance with her lunchmates.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will stand on a narrow beam while balancing a ball on a pole. As the challenge goes on they’ll move down the platform and lower their hand on the pole. Last person on the beam with their ball in place wins immunity.

Note: No, I’m not going to make ball or pole jokes. You have to go to Twitter for that.

Round One: Jefra is out first. She’s followed by Trish, Tony, and Kass.

Round Two: Jeremiah is out quickly. Everyone else makes it.

Final Round: Woo does his best, but he falls. We’re down to Tasha and Spencer.

The two battle it out, but Spencer eventually loses it. Tasha wins immunity.

Politicking around camp has Jefra, Jeremiah, Spencer, and Tasha voting for Tony and if they go to rocks, so be it. This seems like the perfect time for Spencer to bust out that idol.

Speaking of idols, Tony runs off on an idol hunt. He decides to target the iconic locations around camp. Good for him, he knows his “Survivor.” Sure enough, he finds the magic idol (complete with special magic idol music).

The rules state that the magic idol can be played after all of the votes have been read. So, basically it’s like the overpowered idol that made “Survivor: Cook Islands” so boring.

Also, the idol can only be used by the person who’s holding it. It can’t be given to someone else.

Fun Fact: Apparently movie mogul Tyler Perry is the person who came up with the idea for this overpowered idol. Huh…this idea Probst uses and yet he ignores the Holmes vs. Shallow season I’ve been pitching for years.

Back at the beach, Trish is able to see through Jefra because her poker face sucks. Jefra tells Trish how she really feels about Tony. Trish smartly reminds Jefra that she can’t beat the members of her new alliance.

Later, Tony cements a final five alliance with himself, Woo, Trish, Kass, and Jefra.

Kass then says that she thinks Spencer has an idol because she can read him. Well played.

Before Tribal, Jefra tells Jeremiah that she won’t be voting with them. Well, there goes your chance of blindsiding them.

Capitalizing on Jefra’s mistake, Spencer admits to the rest of his alliance that he has the idol. They decide to target Woo because he’s the biggest physical threat.

That night at Tribal Council, Jeremiah is finally allowed to talk. He totally says something.

Jefra says she was weighing her options and that she doesn’t think she can beat Tasha or Spencer. Ummm…or anyone else. Ever. (I added that last part.)

Spencer thinks this is foolish because Jefra is clearly on the bottom and that Tony has broken a ton of promises.

Tony says he hasn’t broken promises, he’s done things for a reason. Dude, it’s still a broken promise if you have a reason.

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Inigo Montoya to Tony

Then, Spencer and Tasha both say they’ll vote for Tony to win because he steered the game. So smart. Well done, Brains.

Tony thinks there’s a time to make big moves and that time isn’t now.

Woo’s vote is based on who could have the immunity idol.

Jeremiah thinks Spencer is a bigger threat than he is. Spencer thinks Jeremiah is way more likable than he is. I think both big lugs are threatening and likable.

Voting Time: Spencer votes for Woo (while making fun of the way he talks) and the rest of the votes are sooper secret.

J-Pro tallies and returns. But before the votes are read, Spencer plays his idol for himself. Tony pulls out his own idol, then claims it is a fake, and says that Spencer was going to give his idol to “Jeremy” but didn’t because of the fake. OK…

Alright, we’ve got three votes for Woo, three votes for Jeremiah, and the eleventh person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the fourth member of the jury is…Jeremiah.

Verdict: I don’t like the mega idol. I really hope it doesn’t mess up what has been an outstanding season of “Survivor.”

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had Jeremiah in spot six, I had him in spot five. So, the current score is Team Ciera 75, Team Gordon 81.

Who’s Going to Win? If Tony can somehow break up the Kass/Trish/Jefra alliance, it’s all his. If not, here’s hoping Trish enjoys her million.

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings: Lovable Scamp Edition

April 22, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 5 points and Gordon will receive 3 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had LJ in spot seven, Gordon had him in spot two. So, the current score is Team Ciera 69, Team Gordon 76.

Ciera’s Score = 69

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 76

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

 1. Spencer –  Spencer has the idol… and I think he’s smart enough to use it if he senses any trouble, so I don’t think he’s going anywhere this week.   1. Trish – OK, let’s get this out of the way quick…I HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA HOW TO RANK THIS CRAZY SEASON! BETWEEN BIG-MOVE TONY, CHAOS KASS AND THE MYSTERIOUS UBER IDOL I CAN’T FATHOM WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. IT’S LIKE JEFF PROBST IS TRYING TO GIVE ME A CORONARY. Alright, now that I’ve calmed down, I’m thinking Tony might be able to keep Trish by his side. But who knows, she could be traded to the Padres for an alliance member to be named later.
 2. Kass – Kass is a total wild card for everyone. And that means she could mean numbers to someone looking to make a move because she’s not a challenge threat and not a threat for jury votes in the end. I don’t think she’s anyone’s major target this week.
  2. Spencer – Are you in an alliance with Tony now? Did he just use your numbers to get rid of LJ? Are dogs and cats living together? Mass hysteria? I don’t know. But, I do know you have your idol and you’re not going to keep it as a souvenir.
 3. Trish – Trish seemed close to Tony before the last vote to get rid of LJ. Now that Tony’s shown to be playing his own game and didn’t seem to care about Trish’s input maybe, just maybe, Trish can make a move to get out Tony.
  3. Woo – You’re a part of whatever ballyhoo Tony has cooked up. So, I’m thinking if things backfire on him, you’ll be OK for at least one more vote. But who knows? You might be replaced like Becky on “Roseanne.”

 4. Latasha – Tasha, in my eyes, is one of the biggest threats out there. She’s not only proven herself in challenges but has also shown to be a strategic social player. Right now if people want to split up Spencer and Tasha I think Tasha would be the one to go.   4. Kass – Have there ever been two wilder wild cards in one season than the Chaotic One and Officer Blindside? Probably not. The heat is finally off Kass, she should hang back and try to butter up some future jury members.

 5. Woo –  So far he has been able to dodge the bullet, either by winning immunity or by being on the good side of a blindside. But his time could be coming if he doesn’t make a move soon.   5. Jeremiah – Is Jefra-miah safe? Nobody knows…
 6. Jeremiah –  Jeremiah is really growing on me and I really love that he is aligning with Spencer. But he is a huge threat to win this game and he is in the alliance with less numbers. But after Tony’s move to get rid of LJ maybe Jeremiah’s alliance does have the numbers?   6. Jefra – Food for thought; Jefra, Spencer, Tasha, Jefra-miah, and Spencer’s idol could take over this game. But, it’ll all depend on how Jefra reacts to LJ’s blindside.
 7. Jefra – Jefra was tight with LJ therefore she may be one of Tony’s targets this week? She also is going to be super easy to get rid of if they just want to get rid of dead weight.
  7. Tony – From here on I’m dubbing Tony’s game the “Lovable Scamp” strategy. He plays this crazy game with a hundred huge moves. Then, when he’s confronted at Final Tribal by LJ or whoever and they say, “You voted me out, bro.” He can respond, “Yeah, wasn’t it awesome?! Isn’t ‘Survivor’ awesome?!” Who could stay mad at that? That being said, no way would I align with him at this point. He’s way too unpredictable.
 8. Tony –  Tony is playing too hard. I think it would have been smarter to keep LJ and get rid of another threat out there because there are many right now. Now that LJ is gone his old alliance probably won’t trust him and if he doesn’t win immunity he could definitely be the one going home this week.  8. Tasha – Why are you on the bottom again? Because you’re just too dangerous. The jury is going to be full of pro-Tasha folks. People have to see that.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings – Remembering Morgan Edition

April 15, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 9 points and Gordon will receive 8 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had Morgan in spot five, I had her in spot nine. So, the current score is Team Ciera 62, Team Gordon 74.

Ciera’s Score = 62

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 74

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

 1. Trish – Socially Trish seemed to piss a few people off which means she might be a great person to be sitting next to in the end. She’s not a challenge threat, and she seems to have numbers right now. There’s really no reason to get rid of Trish for anyone at this point. She’s really in a great spot.   1. Jefra – I feel like Jefra is destined to get to the end and have to answer juror questions like; “What did you do?” and “Who are you?”
 2. Jefra – Who? I’m sorry… I don’t think she’s going home this week but yet again I am very bored by her. And don’t see much strategy.
  2. LJ – Is LJ in driver’s seat this week? If Woo and Tony are throwing down, he and Trish could be the ones calling the shots going forward. And honestly, it’s a tough call between the two. Both Woo and Tony could do well in front of the jury.
 3. Spencer – Way to go!! So glad you won immunity and even more excited you found the hidden immunity idol. That should secure you through this week at least.
  3. Trish – I think we all pegged Trish as someone who rubbed too many people the wrong way. But, it seems like everyone she annoyed is long gone. If she gets to the finals she could take it.

 4. Kass – I’m still not over Kass’s move from a couple weeks ago. That being said, based on the preview for this week its gonna be one of the big threats going home and that’s definitely not you.   4. Spencer – Has anyone had a more stressful “Survivor” run than Spencer? Each time he thought he was on top of the game someone pulled the rug out from under him. And that was before Sonic the Ninjahog made off with his immunity clue. Fortunately, he was able to rebound and snag both the idol and a challenge immunity. He can win if he gets to the end, but it’ll be tough to get there.

 5. Tony –  Tony is playing this game fast and hard. And I think he definitely needs to slow down a little or people are going to start pointing fingers his way. I could see him outsmarting Woo or LJ and getting one of them voted out before himself but if they do get wise he could be going home this week.   5. Kass – This free agent thing is going to earn Kass a spot on the jury. Probably not this week, but soon. I like to think of this as the Jimmy Johnson Mistake. If you stay vague and elusive, people can’t count on you and will send you packing.
 6. Jeremiah –  It was really frustrating watching someone like Morgan getting voted out last week. I think if the other alliance was smart Jeremiah would have been the one to go home. Jeremiah’s alliance doesn’t have the numbers and that would make getting rid of Jeremiah (a huge physical and social threat) very easy this week.   6. Tony – Tough call between you and Woo this week. I’m picking you over him because LJ obviously has a lot invested in you with the way he gave up his idol.
 7. LJ – This is the point in the game where the big threats are going to start working to get rid of each other. LJ is definitely one of the biggest threats.
  7. Jeremiah – What does it tell you about Jeremiah that a handsome guy who is in great shape is being completely ignored post-merge? It means that nobody is worried about him, he’ll be taken out in due time.
 8. Latasha – Tasha is the biggest social threat out there. Being on the outs of the numbers is working against her this week, but if she can work her magic and make it through this week she could sneak her way to the end of the game.  8. Woo – You’re well liked, you’re a challenge threat, and you’ve been the low man on the totem pole since the Lindsey meltdown.  I’m thinking only an immunity run can save you now.
 9. Woo – I already said it…a big threat will go home this week unless everyone’s stupid. Woo doesn’t seem to have anyone he’s really close to so if his name is brought up I don’t see why anyone would want to save him.assume he has that idol.   9. Latasha – If Team Tony sticks together, Latasha is a goner. Spencer’s slightly more dangerous, but they probably assume he has that idol.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Morgan: ‘I Can Admit It; I Was a Goat’

April 10, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Take it from me, life as a hot person is pretty sweet. People are always doing things for you and taking care of you. It’s five-star awesome.

So, imagine how poor Morgan felt when she was singled out and punished by LJ in the first fifteen minutes of the show. Her only crime?  Being hot.

It’s messed up.

I spoke with “Survivor: Cagayan’s” lounging lovely the morning after her elimination and had a chance to ask her about LJ’s early move, her relationship with Chaos Kass, and Alexis’s accusation that she wanted to quit…

Gordon Holmes: I hate to start this off with a question that’s controversial, but this is going to be the elephant in the room until we address it. How awesome was the Outback Steakhouse pineapple/bacon margarita?
Morgan McLeod: (Laughs) Oh man, it was really good. Not that strong, like we all wanted it to be, but it was really great. I was so scared to drink more than one because I had a pretty much empty stomach for over two weeks.
Holmes: Now to be clear, is bacon just on the pineapple on the top or have they somehow integrated bacon into the actual margarita?
McLeod: There was bacon on the little skewer that had the pineapple. But then it had this rim of…it wasn’t normal salt. It was so good.
Holmes: Was it some kind of bacon salt?
McLeod: Maybe, it was like a brownish red color.
Holmes: My goodness.
McLeod: (Laughs) Maybe I can be Outback Steakhouse’s little representative now. If they need me for commercials I’ll be there.
Holmes: And you will take me with you and I will help you drink margaritas.
McLeod: Great! (Laughs)

Holmes: Alright, that show you were on, there was a lot of talk about you having a poor work ethic. That surprised me because you were a professional cheerleader. You don’t get to be a professional cheerleader by being lazy.
McLeod: That’s right.
Holmes: What weren’t we seeing?
McLeod: They said I was lazy and laid around all day, that’s not completely true. I definitely helped out a bit.
Holmes: (Laughs) A bit.
McLeod: I didn’t do as much as LJ or Tony or Jeremiah. They were work horses and they were awesome. They totally supported the camp. I applaud them for that. But for the women to call me lazy, there were definitely some of them laying around. So, whatever. I go to school, I work. I’ve been working since I was fourteen years old. I’m definitely not a lazy person. But when you’re starving and dehydrated it’s definitely nice to lay around sometimes.
Holmes: Who else was laying around?
McLeod: When we were on the Beauty tribe, Jeremiah and LJ would wake us up with rice in the morning. So, Jefra, Alexis, and I would lay down and sleep in. It was great. But, I got the slack for that even though the other two girls were laying right there with me.

Holmes: Speaking of Alexis, she made it sound like you had given up out there. That you were upset when your tribe had won immunity because you wanted to go home. Is that accurate?
McLeod: No, not at all. I was so happy when we won because I knew I wasn’t going to go home. When we went to that first Tribal I thought I was going home for sure. When Brice got voted out, I was happy because it wasn’t me, but Brice was my only ally out there. So, for her to say that, I think she was just trying to stir the pot.

Holmes: LJ sends you away fifteen minutes into the show. Then you were in the minority on the Beauty tribe, you’re in good shape for about an hour during the merge, then Kass flips. Was there ever a point where you felt safe out there?
McLeod: When we voted out Alexis, I was having fun. I was so excited. I felt for sure that we were going to be six strong. We were going to be the final six and most likely I was going to be in the final three. I can admit it; I was a goat toward the end. None of us thought that Kass was going to do that to us.
Holmes: What was your relationship like with Kass?
McLeod: For her to say that I completely ignored her and never talked to her, that is true once she flipped. But before that we’d lay down and go to sleep and she’s tell me stories and we were laughing. So, I had no idea that she thought that we just hated her. I think that was in her head a little bit.

Holmes: I was shocked last week when Sarah told me that you and her were besties. I feel like we haven’t seen any of your relationships. Who else were you close with?
McLeod: You really didn’t get to see Tasha and I. Once Sarah was voted out and we were all alone, we were like best friends out there. We slept together, we kept each other warm. We would eat rice together. That’s why I said, “Good luck,” to her last night. Tasha was my girl.

Holmes: Did you and LJ ever manage to make peace?
McLeod: No. Not really. When we were doing the idol hunt, Tash and I approached him, “Can you get with us? Save us!” And he was like, “Nope, I’m good. Let’s keep looking for the idol.” So, we didn’t leave on the best note. But, that’s the game.
Holmes: During the premiere LJ basically said, “Jefra and Alexis are cute and Morgan is hot. I don’t trust hot.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been punished for being hot before.
McLeod: (Laughs)
Holmes: Was that weird to hear?
McLeod: It was really weird. I didn’t understand why LJ just didn’t like me. You saw from the start he wanted me gone. I’d never come across that before. Maybe he’s had some girl issues in the past. Maybe I remind him of an ex-girlfriend or something. For him to call me out on how hot people shouldn’t be trusted, I thought it was hilarious.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Jeremiah.
McLeod: Oh man…good ol’ boy.
Holmes: Jefra?
McLeod: Sweet.
Holmes: Tony?
McLeod: Can I say like, “guido?”
Holmes: Much like Outback Steakhouse, there are no rules here. LJ?
McLeod: Annoying.
Holmes: Trish?
McLeod: Good hearted.
Holmes: Woo?
McLeod: He’s like silent out there. We didn’t talk at all.
Holmes: Brice?
McLeod: Awesome.
Holmes: Latasha?
McLeod: Sassy.
Holmes: Spencer?
McLeod: Genius.
Holmes: Kass?
McLeod: Invisible to me.

Holmes: Your edit was very negative. How has that affected your life outside the game?
McLeod: Before last night it was mostly positive. A lot of people were rooting for me. But, last night it took a turn for the worse. A lot of people are very mad at me. They’re mad at what I said. You know, I said those things when I was very upset, very tired, and very hungry. Usually people have a friend or boyfriend to go behind closed doors and say those things when they’re really upset. But, I didn’t have that, I had a camera. It’s not who I am every day. I’m actually a nice person, believe it or not.
Holmes: Aww…I believe it. Overall was the experience a positive one?
McLeod: Oh yeah. It was very cool. I don’t regret anything. From the start, everyone thought I was going to be the first one voted out, and I fought my way to the jury. I’m proud and I don’t regret it

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 7 Recap: Save the Cheerleader

April 9, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: Sarah fought the lawyer and the lawyer won.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands.

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Jeremiah – Model, 34
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
LJ – Horse Trainer, 34
Morgan – Ex-NFL Cheerleader, 21
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

Things kick off after last week’s fiasco and Spencer is congratulating the victors on a wild Tribal. He tells Kass that he’s not mad, but he thinks it’s a bad move. My dad was the king of that, he was never mad, he was just disappointed.

Later on, Spencer loses it a bit when he hears Kass talking strategy. But, he’s not mad.

Kass lets us know that she thinks the people she stabbed in the back will get over it. Because that’s what “Survivor” juries are known for; getting over it.

The next morning, Morgan doesn’t think Kass likes her because she’s a “bitter, ugly, old lady.” Well, it certainly sounds like Morgan likes her.

Morgan then does her trademark thing where she compliments herself after worrying about sounding conceited. Just be conceited, save yourself some words.

Next up, Probst asks the guys to come on in, and they totally do.

Reward Challenge Time: The players will be divided into two teams. They’ll race through the water through several obstacles and retrieve a chest. They’ll then drag the chest up a tower. Inside the chest is the final piece of a puzzle. First tribe to finish the puzzle gets a trip to a special Outback Steakhouse.

Outback Steakhouse: No Rules, Just Right!

I was in Cagayan, where was my Outback dinner?! I love me some bloomin’ onions.

Kass, Tony, Woo, Trish, and Tasha are on the purple team. LJ, Jeremiah, Jefra, Spencer, and Morgan are on the orange team.

The challenge starts off and things are pretty even until Woo falls off the balance beam and slows his team down. Maybe he’d do better if the beam was shaped like a dog house.

Both tribes get the chest to the wall at about the same time, but the purple team is doing a better job of getting it up the wall.

In the end, LJ and Spencer fly through the puzzle and win it for the orange team.

Back at camp, Tony and Trish want to know who Kass wants to target, but she’s being non-committal about who’s side she’s on. Oh man, that never works out well.

Tony isn’t worried because he’s a cop and he’s good at reading people. Just like Sarah?

Over at the fake Outback Steakhouse, our victors are greeted by pineapple/bacon margaritas. That’s…like…all three of the things I like in this world.

While Spencer is eating, he finds an idol clue in his napkin. Seriously, Spencer? You’re the super fan. You should’ve been rifling through all of those napkins.

Woo gets it though. He knows that people who go on rewards find clues in napkins. He follows Spencer and breaks into his “Ninja Stealth Mode.” He catches Spence digging into a wall.

Now, here’s where it gets hilarious. Spencer had placed the clue in his pants. He took off the pants when he went digging. Woo found the clue and ran off.  Spencer’s having a rough couple of days.

Woo and Spencer return to camp and each side gets their buddies together for an idol hunt. Tony gets the line of the night when he says you know it must be serious if Morgan got up to look for it.

Spencer eventually uncovers the idol and does a good job of not letting anyone know that he found it. He reads the instructions that came with the clue, and apparently it’s a normal idol. So we have normal idols and super special idols in play at the same time? Maybe if you play them both at the same time you become a unicorn!

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will have to stand on their tippy toes while holding a block against a board with their head. Last person standing wins immunity.

Kass is almost immediately out. She gets the Crystal Cox award. Jeremiah, Trish, and Tony are right behind her.

Morgan’s out at the 25-minute mark. She’s followed by Woo.

We lose Jefra at the one-hour mark. We’re down to LJ, Spencer, and Latasha.

C’mon, Probst! Offer them peanut butter!

LJ is the first one out and we’ve got a battle of the brains.

At the one hour, thirty-minute mark  Latasha finally caves. Spencer wins immunity.

Politicking around camp has Team Tony wanting to target Morgan because the other alliance wouldn’t save her with an idol. However, Tony’s Plan B will be to target Latasha if they pull any idol shenanigans.

Spencer tries to get Kass back on board by telling her that it could help her win jury votes. She tells him that she considers herself a free agent.

Kass later tells us that she “loves the blindside.” Me too, oh Chaotic One.

That night at Tribal Council, Kass says she got the cold shoulder from the people she betrayed.

Spencer admits he did feel betrayed and that he got out of hand. He’s also super psyched to have immunity. But, he’d trade it if it gave him a better shot at winning.

Morgan doesn’t think she’s a physical threat and she thinks people don’t like her. What? That didn’t sound conceited at all.

Trish thinks Morgan left out “doesn’t help around camp.” Ooooh…Boston burn!

Probst thinks that Morgan is used to people taking care of her. She agrees. She also thinks people would rather be ugly than cute.

Then, she says she’ll try to work harder around camp. Yeah, but could she be cuter around camp?

Jefra looks at her alliance as a chain and no person is on the bottom. Buh…

Fun Fact: If you hold a chain up at one end, a link is definitely on the bottom.

Tony thinks Kass is in a comfortable place. Probst thinks she’s unpredictable and could be setting them up.

Voting Time: No votes are shown. Oy…

J-Pro tallies, etc. We’ve got four votes for Tony, five votes for Morgan, and the ninth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the second member of the jury is…Morgan.

Verdict: Boy, Chaos Kass the Wild Card is sure making things interesting. Loving this season, but I’m worried about the new mega idol. Guess we’ll see how it plays out.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had Morgan in spot five, I had her in spot nine. So, the current score is Team Ciera 62, Team Gordon 74.

Who’s Going to Win? Right now I’m thinking it comes down to however wins the inevitable showdown between LJ and Tony. Trish could have a shot, too. The people left in the game don’t hate her the way Lindsay did.

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

‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings – Kass Hysteria Edition

April 8, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 1 point and Gordon will receive 5 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had Sarah in spot eight, Gordon had her in spot five. So, the current score is Team Ciera 57, Team Gordon 65.

Ciera’s Score = 57 

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 65

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

 1. Woo – I thought that after Cliff left Woo would be lost. But Woo seems to be doing okay. He’s not a loud voice in his alliance and doesn’t seem to be “Russeling” too many feathers on either side. He won the immunity challenge and I could see him winning this week as well. Either way I think Woo will be safe this week.   1. Jefra – Quick Note:I don’t know how to base rankings around the new magic idol. My understanding is movie mogul Tyler Perry invented it, you can play it after the vote is read, and it gets you free admission and a small popcorn at the next Madea movie. However, not knowing who’s going to find it, I’m going to rank without it.

Close one for you last week, Jefra. But here you are now, safe and sound in the top spot in the rankings. Chaos Kass stunned the world and made you the least threatening person in the dominant alliance. Not only that, but you’re probably both Tony and LJ’s dream pick for the final three.

 2. Tony – Using your hidden immunity idol was a necessary move if you wanted to have any chance of not being picked off like flies moving forward. Giving LJ the idol gained you a TON of respect from your alliance and definitely from LJ.
  2. LJ – Aww…you protected Tony with your idol. Best friends 4-ever! However, it can’t feel good to be besties with someone who loves deceiving and has no problem making major moves. Tony does not want to go to the end with you, so you’ve got to figure out when it makes sense for him to cut you loose and do it to him first.
 3. LJ – Giving Tony your hidden immunity idol was a big statement. I have such mixed feelings on it. Because of your relationship with the Beauties and because you showed your alliance you’re trustworthy I think you are safe this week.
  3. Trish – It looks like the merge was just what Trish needed. Everyone has taken the heat off of her. Now she’s got to figure out who can she beat in the end. LJ and Tony are making moves. Woo is winning immunities. She might want to try to get some girl power going.

 4. Jefra – Letting other people do all the strategizing can definitely be a strategy in itself. And that seems to be Jefra’s game plan so far and she’s doing it quite well. Seeing her name written down this week might have lit a fire under her to start fighting a little more and I would love to see it.   4. Tony – Someone asked me last week how I thought Tony compared to “Survivor” Hall of Famer Russell Hantz. It might be too soon to have this discussion, but I think that’s a fascinating question. Hantz was a fearless player who lacked one key component; a social game. He’d pick fights when they weren’t necessary. Tony seems to be doing alright socially. A perfect example was him congratulating Woo as he fell out of the challenge. I could absolutely see this cast rewarding Tony with the big prize.

 5. Morgan –  Being the girl who everyone underestimates can be a great place to be, because no one will see it coming when you turn on the heat. Morgan does not really have anyone at this point but if she can hold on a little longer I’ll be rooting for her to turn on the heat and take it home.   5. Woo – With all the craziness that’s been going on the past few episodes, let’s not forget that Woo was solidly in Camp Cliff. Add his challenge prowess to his new-found standing on Team Tony and you might have an early target.
 6. Trish –  She showed great game by catching on to the little argument she overheard and then exploiting it. I give Trish all credit for the Kass flip. Tony has her back and LJ has heart. She seems to be in pretty great hands. She needs to stop being so confrontational though and lay low.   6. Latasha – So close, Latasha. You were about to be on top of the world. Then Chaos Kass went and roused some rabble. (Is that how it works.) Anyway, there are more attractive targets than you at this point if you can stay out of the limelight.
 7. Jeremiah – Jeremiah did show his loyalty this week to his new alliance members. But now that Kass has flipped no one knows what will happen. He is a huge social threat, and holds his own in challenges so if people are wanting to keep targeting the big treats Jeremiah could be hurting.
  7. Spencer – OK, for those of you who think Kass flipped because her woobie was hurt, check out my exit interview with Sarah where she admits that her, Spencer, and Jeremiah were already targeting Kass. That being said, this isn’t Spencer’s first time with his back against the wall. If he can stay in this thing, he’ll have some friends on the jury. But the question is, who can he work with?
 8. Kass –  Flipping on your tribe just got you from spot #3 to spot #6. Not a good move. One of two things could happen for you… you could have either just made yourself the perfect goat to take along for the ride, OR you could have just solidified yourself as too untrustworthy and the next to go.  8. Chaos Kass –  I didn’t love your move last week, but if you were on the bottom of the Aparri alliance you had to do something. Unfortunately for you, the game isn’t too kind to flippers. And in cases like John Fincher, revenge can come quickly. Also, the playing of both idols tells me that Team Tony wasn’t quite sure that you’d flip. So, how much can they trust you?
 9. Latasha –  Tasha was the voice in her alliance and that voice should have been keeping crazy Kass a lot happier. Now that she has lost her advantage with the numbers she needs to start solidifying relationships on the other side. And unfortunately it’s probably a little too late.   9. Morgan – The preview makes it look like Kass and Morgan are headed for a showdown, but there really isn’t a strategic reason to get rid of Morgan at this point. My bet is that the Team Chaos targets the immunity threats first.
 10. Spencer – Noooooooooooo. That’s all I can say about this. Spencer went from an amazing spot to an incredibly crappy spot. Which can happen so quickly in this game, which is why you have to be able to adapt. Hopefully Spencer can adapt and he won’t be leaving this week.   10. Jeremiah – Jeremiah, remember in Morgan’s entry where I referred to “Immunity threats?” I was talking about you. Get your idol-finding shoes on.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

Exclusive Sneak Peek at This Week’s Grueling ‘Survivor’ Immunity Challenge

April 8, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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“Survivor” Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s generous with his beer, he’s one of the greatest foosball players the world has ever known. He’s truly a five-star guy.

But if that’s all true, why do so many “Survivor” players curse his name? Well, it might have something to do with challenges like the one he’s set up for this week…

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And, here are some exclusive photos from Mr. Kirhoffer’s evil experiment…

The ten remaining contestants stand in a soaked field, unaware of the horrors that await them.

Jeremiah and Trish hang in there while Woo wonders how he can apply standing on a dog house or pressing a block with his head to his everyday life.

Morgan, Jefra, and Jeremiah give it their best shot. Meanwhile, the challenge crew is thankful they didn't have to build a 12-foot frame for Cliff.

Morgan seems to be having no problems with this challenge. Maybe she has ballerina training?

LJ takes a zen approach to the challenge while Latasha and Spencer passionately hate Kass.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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