Jenn Brown and Max Dawson (CBS)
Quick Note: XFINITY TV sent me deep into the Cambodian wilderness to bring you all kinds of “Survivor: Second Chance” goodness. So, be sure to check back for exclusive interviews, photos, and behind-the-scenes tidbits. And, follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.
[xfinity-record-button id=”4814958312953183112″ program_type=”series”]
For as much as I hate the “Dirty 30” nickname, I do adore the “Worlds Apart” cast. And, now that the three-combatant barrier as broken last season with Josh and Reed, it made sense to do it again to include some of my favorite peeps. So, I’m proud to announce that Jenn Brown and Max Dawson have both stepped up to accept the “Survivor: Second Chance” Challenge.
The Rules: Each week our three 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 three players will earn. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.
NOTE: Because I was in attendance for the first Tribal Council of this season, I know who was voted out. Therefore, the first round of the Jenn vs. Max vs. Gordon showdown will take place next week. But to hold you over, we’ve asked Jenn and Maxx to give us their thoughts on which player will be voted out first…
 |
 |
| Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance |
Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell |
 |
 |
| 1. Terry: He is amazing and I love him. Also he’s probably going to be at or near the top of my Power Rankings most of the time because I hope he wins…so get used to it, guys. (But really he’s a strategic player, well respected, strong, and put on a tribe with some other old-school players so I think he will be just fine for a while.) |
1. Monica: When all of the challenge beasts and scenery-chewing screen-time monsters have annihilated one another, who will be left standing? Calm, level-headed social gamers like Monica. Monica is one Second Chancer who’d benefit immensely from not changing a thing about the game she played her first time out. If she can once again install herself as the loyal lieutenant of her tribe’s leader and avoid direct conflict she’ll last a long time in this game. |
 |
 |
| 2. Keith: KEITH NALE! I love me some Keith. After Greg Buis he’s probably one of my favorite “Survivor” players ever. Down to earth, awesome to be around, and a nice dude. I see him going far. |
2. Stephen: During the “Second Chance” campaign a lot was made about how this Know It All’s knowledge of the game would make him an early target. I didn’t buy it then and I don’t buy it now. When the excitement of the marooning wears off and the monotonous reality of camp life sets in the members of the Bayon tribe will quickly realize that Fishy is exactly the sort of guy you want to be stranded on an island with. Loyal. Hard working. Conscientious. A great conversationalist. Stephen is not going anywhere for awhile. |
 |
 |
| 3. Jeremy: One of my favorites from 29. He got screwed on the jury, but was semi-avenged by Nat, so I’m thinking this go around he’s not going to let that happen again. My only concern is he is also a challenge beast, and that puts a target on him when he gets to the merge. |
3. Kelley: The biggest challenge that Kelley Wentworth will face in the first stage of the game is overcoming social-media withdrawal. Otherwise, unless there is a challenge that requires the castaways to drop a freestyle, Kelley won’t have to break a sweat until well after the merge. |
 |
 |
| 4. Andrew: This dude is on a tribe with Joe, Jeremy, Tasha, and himself. I don’t think there is any way they are losing the first challenge. The only real brawn person the other tribe has is Terry. Savage is a beast and also super smart. I think he is going to be just dandy for a while, just like the three above him. | 4. Woo: Everybody loves a puppy – at least until you leave that puppy home alone and he breaks into a cabinet and helps himself to some people food. Bad dog. No million dollars for you. Woo should be fine for awhile, provided he plays the loyal lapdog instead of the stealthy weasel. |
|
|
| 5. Kelley: Well she made no impression on me in 29. Hell, I hardly even remember her from 29. I have a bad memory. But she’s cute and on a tribe with some newbies and another chick with her same name, so maybe they’ll team up and be besties. However seeing as she was a pre-merge in her very recent season, she probably feels like she has a lot to prove and has had some time to figure out what she needs to do differently to stay around longer. I’m rooting for her. | 5. Keith: By the time you start worrying about Keith Nale it’s already too late. During the first few days of the game Keith’s Bayon tribemates are going to appreciate his work ethic, his easy-going nature, and his challenge prowess. Fast forward three weeks and they’ll be kicking themselves for not getting rid of him when they had the chance. |
 |
 |
| 6. Jeff: This dude is hilarious. I hope he goes far. I wish he read the news for me every morning where I lived, but I can’t live in the humidity down south, so I will just have to hope he’s on for a while so I can hear him talk. |
6. Kelly: Do you even watch this show, bro? |
 |
|
| 7. Shirin: I love Shirin. |
7. Jeremy: Mark my words: Jeremy and Andrew will be swinging their arms in unison by the end of the first episode. |
 |
|
| 8. Tasha: Also a challenge beast. I don’t think she will be out first. |
8. Andrew: I refuse to call him Savage. I’m sorry. |
 |
|
| 9. Joe: Joe is like a brother to me. I love him to death. He is a challenge dominator and on a tribe with two others that are just like him, only older. This puts him in a bad position, being the young gun with two older fellows with more life/people experience. I think he will be around til right before the merge. If they let him get to the merge I think it’s a big mistake, because he has the possibility of Mike Holloway-ing his way to the end. |
9. Terry: Captain America and Captain ‘Merica. Both faced seemingly insurmountable odds in the post-merge game. Both found hidden immunity idols. Both won five individual immunity challenges. The difference between these patriotic “Survivor” übermenschen? Strategy. Mike understood it. Terry didn’t. As a result, Mike has a million dollars, while Terry doesn’t. Fortunately for Terry it probably doesn’t matter at this point in the game. Just win, Terry, and if you don’t make a big speech about “keeping the tribe strong” while looking at Shirin or Peih Gee or Abi. |
|
|
| 10. Stephen: See “Spencer Bledsoe” but with more life experience. |
10. Tasha: Who did you have in your office pool as “Most likely to annoy everyone at pre-game Ponderosa”? Abi? Shirin? Kimmi? Who would have ever guessed that Tasha would take that distinction? A lot of people seem to have been put off by Tasha’s behavior in the week leading up to the start of the game. That said, given her superior athleticism Tasha should be good for awhile. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see her bro down with Andrew and Jeremy. |
 |
 |
| 11. Ciera: I have no opinion on her really. She won’t be a first boot but I can’t see her winning. Very middle of the road. Also, she voted out her mom. That’s not cool. |
11. Peih-Gee: The only thing that Peih-Gee could do to screw things up at this point is to link up with Shirin and Abi. |
|
|
| 12. Woo: Athletic, but also has a reputation with the castaways for being a weasel. I don’t see him making it far because of that, but he slipped through the cracks last time so I guess we will see. |
12. Ciera: Did you know that Ciera voted out her mom? No, really, she voted out her mom. Like, she cast a vote that had her mom’s name on it. At Tribal Council. On “Survivor.” And then her mom went home. Actually she went to Redemption Island. Yeah, Redemption Island. It was like Last Chance Kitchen, but worse. But yeah. She voted out her mom. |
 |
|
| 13. Spencer: Spencer is a nice dude. But, he’s also like Max Dawson; analytical, and likes the sound of his own voice saying the words “Survivor.” If he makes it past the first couple Tribals he’ll be OK at the merge, but I can’t see that happening just yet. |
13. Jeff: Conference calls. Crotchframing. Neti pots. Hit lists. Untying knots. Holding children. Has any other “Survivor” contestant ever been more guilty of “too fast too soon”? Even if the rakish Varner were to be voted out first he still would leave a lasting impact on this season due to his aggressive pre-gaming. |
| |
|
| 14. Kelly: She has had literally 15 years to think about how she came in second. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for her. Honestly, I don’t know too much about her because the last time I saw her play I was eight. But I’m going to put her here because I don’t think she’s a first boot but not a winner either. |
14. Joe: Instead of text I wish I could just insert here the GIF Joe smiling from the opening credit sequence. Joe’s charm alone should be enough to get him through the first few votes. Unfortunately, his challenge skills should be enough to get him voted out after a tribe swap. |
 |
|
| 15. Kimmi: See “Kelly Wiglesworth” |
15. Shirin: Shirin’s best play is to lay low and stay as far under the radar as possible for the first few votes. Do I think that she can do that? Not a chance. As was the case in “Worlds Apart,” Shirin is here to play, and it appears that many of her tribe mates want to play with her. Her choice of partners will seal her fate, much as it did her first time out. My advice to my former partner in crime: avoid aligning with the Max Who Doesn’t Suck at all costs. |
| |
 |
| 16. Monica: Doesn’t really stand out of the crowd for me. I don’t remember her at all from her first season. |
16. Vytas: Vytas’ name has been coming up a lot in pre-game press. So have words like “calculated,” “sneaky,” and “trouble.” As a yoga teacher, a college-level math instructor, and a newly-reformed bad boy Vytas is the definition of a “Survivor” triple threat. Sure, he’s dangerous. But would his fellow Ta Keo tribe members really go after Bad Aras this early in the game? Ta Keo would have to be crazy to write Vytas’ name down. Unfortunately for Vytas, Ta Keo ended up with most of this season’s crazy people. |
|
 |
| 17. Peih-Gee: She’s super nice, but from her previous season can be super confrontational. I don’t think that bodes well for her, just like it doesn’t for Abi-Maria. |
17. Abi-Maria: Were Abi’s interpersonal conflicts with her Phillipines rivals products of cross-cultural misunderstandings or side effects of the world’s longest bout of PMS? Ta Keo is about to find out. |
|
|
| 18. Vytas: I’m not spelling that last name – Vytas has a target on his back from the start I think because of his betrayal of Aras from the last season. I can’t see anyone wanting to work with or trust him after he would do that to his own brother. I wouldn’t trust him, and if they go to Tribal I see him in the running for first boot along with Abi, Spencer, and Peih-Gee. |
18. Kimmi: Kimmi is light. Kimmi is joy. I would say Kimmi is my spirit animal but I’d be lying. Randy Bailey is my spirit animal. I’m worried, though. I’m worried that the first time Bayon loses an immunity challenge Savage and Jeremy and Tasha are going to target her as the tribe’s “weakest link.” |
|
|
| 19. Abi-Maria: Judging on her last season, I cannot see her making it far. She’s going to blow up at something completely minuscule and piss off everyone. In the running for first boot if they go to Tribal. |
19. Spencer: I can imagine Varner convening special conference calls for the sole purpose of talking about Spencer’s crotch framing. “Can you believe him? The nerve! He can’t keep his hands off it. Every time I go on the computer it’s like he’s trying to shove that thing down my throat.” With each additional mention of the lad’s nads Shane grows more incensed. “What are we even DOING talking about this $%$?” he screams into the shattered face of his iPhone. Wiglesworth remains silent. Is she even on the call still? Returning players vote for strategic purposes, but they also take into consideration screen time. No one in this cast gets more of that ego-sustaining substance than the reigning Mr. “Survivor.” That fact alone puts Spencer at grave risk of being the first voted out this season. |
 |
|
| 20. Kass: I would love to see her as a first boot. But I can’t see it because I can’t see her tribe losing, but I also can’t see her making it far at all. She pisses off people (and seems to enjoy it, which I can’t fault her for). And just because I can’t see it happening doesn’t mean it won’t. So she’s here. |
20. Kass: Kass. |
Tags: jenn brown, max dawson, survivor, survivor cambodia, survivor second chance
More Whatnot 