More Whatnot

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

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 players will earn.  The person with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” champion.

Last Week: Michele Fitzgerald had Chris in spot 3 and Jessica in spot 11, while Shirin Oskooi had Chris in spot 7 and Jessica in spot 11. So, the current score is Team Fitzgerald 93, Team Oskooi 86.

Quick Note: XFINITY “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will be unable to participate in this season’s Power Rankings due to being more than a bit spoiled. Therefore, he has invited defending Power Rankings champion Shirin Oskooi to take his place.

Michele Fitzgerald and Shirin Oskooi’s Rankings

Team Michele’s Score = 93 Any questions for Michele? Drop her a line on Twitter: @meeshfitz	Team Shirin’s Score = 86 Any questions for Shirin? Drop her a line on Twitter: @theshirin
1. – Zeke: I want the power. (See David) Well, you can’t have the power. (See David) I have all these people that are willing to go to rocks for me. (See David) Lets just put everyone in danger to see who has more power. (See David) *End Scene*	1. – Adam: “Just that little piece,” that shell, that idol, “it’s enough…to get me through these last two weeks of the game.”
2. – David: No, I want the power. (See Zeke) Well, neither can you. (See Zeke) So do I, and I have this idol. (See Zeke) OK, let’s put everyone in danger to see who has more power. *End Scene*	2. – Ken: You can only stare into the sun for so long before it blinds you, but “for the first few seconds of the day, you can look into” Ken’s winner’s edit, “and it doesn’t hurt your eyes.”
3. – Jay: Winning immunity how you would win this game. Without any close competition.	3. – Sunday:  Sunday “ranks up there as one of my favorite days literally ever in my life.” It’s chill and reliable. P.S. Three pips for Sunday: 1) Her bathing suit 2) The “Ken” bamboozle 3) Muzzling her ally when he was a jerk
4. – Sunday:  Throwing the dogs off the scent of the vote. Delicate moves like whispering Ken’s name at Tribal have the potential to change the course of the game without getting blood on your hands.	4. – Hannah: “My OCD is going crazy right now. My body can’t handle” – Hannah’s obvious decoy winner’s edit.
5. – Ken: You have built loyalty as strong as your abs and your sweet demeanor should have all the ants crawling on you for your vote this week.	5. – Zeke:  “David is never going to let me stay in this game, and neither is Adam,”  – The two intellectuals who show respect in the heat of battle as if they’re used to debating at a national level.
6. – Hannah: Trust cluster? More like a clusterf***. Now that you have an alliance, stick with it.	6. – David: “I’m really schizophrenic about what I’m going to do” with David’s ranking because it’s an uphill battle when you’re facing such an obvious winner.
7. – Adam: This position is solely based on the possible use of your advantage at a family visit reward. Just. Don’t.	7. – Jay:  “I saved (the idol) so long for myself, I’m going to keep it for myself” …as a souvenir?
8. – Bret: Keep acting rowdy and you may get kicked out of the bar.	8. – Bret:  “Shut up, Bret, ya losah.” #macho
9. – Will: It was smart to jump off the sinking ship, but now you are in shark infested waters.	9. – Will: “None of us are willing to give up our games for (them)” — and the feeling will now be mutual.

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Gordon Holmes: How are you?
Jessica Lewis: I can’t complain.
Holmes: I beg to differ.
Jessica: (Laughs)
Holmes: If I were in your shoes I’d be complaining a lot.

Holmes: Alright, you almost went out of the game early with your eye infection. You did go out of the game when you pulled the wrong rock. Which is worse?
Lewis: Oh, the rock. That was my own doing. If I’d just moved my hand to the left.
Holmes: In “Blood vs. Water” you had these tight alliances and the rock pull was going to determine the rest of the game. It seems like alliances are switching every day this season. Why stick with your vote?
Lewis: I didn’t have a lot of options on the other side. And, I didn’t come out here to get to the end. I came to win. I could already hear the questions I was going to be asked by the jury. David had played an idol to save me, so that was a hole I was going to have to dig out from. It was hard, I knew I wasn’t going to win if I flipped. And I stand by it. I pulled the wrong rock and that’s frustrating and sad.
Holmes: It feels like everyone is playing to win this season. Strong challenge threats like Ken and Jay have slipped off of the radar.
Lewis: Everybody was thinking, “How am I going to get to the end and how many moves is it going to take?” It was very strategic right from the get-go and that’s why I think the game turned out the way it did. People were just being so strategic. It wasn’t, “I need to take out physical threats.” It was, “I need to take out mental threats.”

Holmes: If David plays his idol on the right person, we’re not having this conversation.
Lewis: I knooooow! (Laughs) But, I have to give him credit. It really appeared as if the Ken whisper is what solidified it. That wasn’t the case. We had actually been hearing Ken’s name, David’s name, and my name throughout the day. We weren’t sure where the vote was going to end up. I had no idea about the conversation that David and Hannah had where she thought it might be her. Otherwise, I might have pushed a little differently. I didn’t think for a second that  it was going to be Hannah.
Holmes: Do you know what David’s idol intentions were when he went into Tribal? Did he have a name in mind?
Lewis: David was going to play the idol for himself. And, he actually did. You didn’t see that. He initially played it for himself and then changed. He was being really aggressive in hopes that they would vote for him.

Holmes: Based on the edit, it seemed like the feud with Sunday was very one sided. She was constantly targeting you, and we didn’t see you speaking ill of her. Was this something you were aware of?
Lewis: That was the most surprising aspect of the whole game. Sunday and I were close from day one. We had assured each other that we had each other’s back. Mom strong. We were going to do this. Then, when we decided that we were going to vote out Paul, that was a group decision, Lucy, Sunday, and myself had that conversation. I ultimately ended up being blamed for all of it. She had assured me that she could get Bret and Chris back on our side. So, I left that up to her. But she left me out to dry and never tried to rebuild the bridge. From that moment forward she was done with me. And after the Paul vote, when they were gunning for me, Sunday kept assuring me that I was good. And I ultimately picked Sunday over Ken because I believed her. I learned a hard lesson. I never expected Sunday to turn on me the way she did. I knew Chris, Sunday, and Bret would eventually have to be dealt with, but Sunday was not on the top of that list.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Ken.
Lewis: Genuine.
Holmes: Hannah?
Lewis: Unfiltered.
Holmes: Zeke?
Lewis: Calculating and very intuitive.
Holmes: Jay?
Lewis: Entertaining.
Holmes: Will?
Lewis: Impressionable.
Holmes: David?
Lewis: (Laughs) He’s a maniacal genius. But, he’s so self deprecating.
Holmes: Adam?
Lewis: Impressive.
Holmes: Chris?
Lewis: Smart.
Holmes: Sunday?
Lewis: Surprising.
Holmes: Figgy?
Lewis: Charismatic.
Holmes: Taylor?
Lewis: Shocking.
Holmes: Michelle?
Lewis: Very centered.
Holmes: Lucy?
Lewis: Firm.
Holmes: Rachel?
Lewis: Lively.
Holmes: CeCe?
Lewis: Determined and unexpected.
Holmes: Bret?
Lewis: Very funny.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Paul.
Lewis: Talkative.

Holmes: You now know what the Legacy Advantage is, what did you think it was earlier in the game?
Lewis: My guesses were based on past seasons. I thought for sure it was going to be that you’d get to practice an immunity challenge ahead of time. Also, an extra vote has been used before.
Holmes: You willed it to Ken. If Ken is voted out, does he get to will it to someone else?
Lewis: Yes. That’s the way it works. You have to will it forward.
Holmes: Was there any concern that by telling Ken that he’d get a present if you get voted out that he’d be more likely to send you packing?
Lewis: No, and the reason why I did that with Ken was that I knew I needed to get him back in my good graces. And by sharing that with Ken and by knowing how he was, he would be true to me if I proved that I was true to him. And it worked, he came right back around and decided that he could work with me.

Holmes: You reach into the bag, you pull out a white rock.
Lewis: (Laughs)
Holmes: From there, what would have been your dream final three?
Lewis: It was a mix. It either would have been Ken and Hannah or Ken and Adam. Maybe even Adam and Hannah.

Holmes: So, you’re a photographer…
Lewis: (Laughs)
Holmes: And Bret is a mortician and Chris runs a football program, and I am an astronaut.
Lewis: (Laughs)
Holmes: If the photographer and the football guy met in a court of law, who do you think would be victorious?
Lewis: Me, absolutely.
Holmes: I just asked him the same question.
Lewis: And I’m sure he said himself.
Holmes: He did. He said he would destroy you.
Lewis: (Laughs) The difference between he and I is I have to represent the people. I don’t destroy the enemy, I prove my case that the other side is wrong.
Holmes: How many standing ovations do you think that football coach has gotten from a jury?
Lewis: Exactly!

Holmes: Every now and then I’ll pitch Jeff Probst some ideas. How do you feel about a season with all people who were eliminated by a rock pull?
Lewis: I think that’s great because there are only three of us! (Laughs)
Holmes: A one-in-three shot at a million bucks isn’t a bad deal.

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

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Gordon Holmes: You forgot to choke out David at Tribal!
Chris Hammons: (Laughs) They edited it out. It really happened.

Holmes: It’s easy to say, “I’m going to lie to everybody.” It’s different to say, “I’m going to lie to this person I have a relationship with.” What was your takeaway from Zeke’s betrayal?
Hammons: I can’t say that it didn’t hurt. Zeke and I really made friends. Zeke is my friend, still. But it was hard. That was a really tough blow to take. I didn’t think Zeke would go after me at that point. It honestly really gets you. When I was walking down that ramp, I was doing the numbers in my head. It finally hit me, it was Zeke…that’s very tough to deal with.
Holmes: Did you regret giving him the, “Boomer” before you left?
Hammons: No, we had that planned. Whether he backstabbed me or I backstabbed him we were going to give the Sooner Nation a shoutout. If Zeke hadn’t given me the “Sooner” back, I’d have probably killed him.
Holmes: I like that that’s where the line is. You can vote me out of “Survivor,” but you’d better respond to my chant.
Hammons: That’s right.

Holmes: Jessica and Sunday had a rift, you and Jessica had some business left over from the Paul vote. What goes into the process of deciding when the time is to send her packing?
Hammons: My thought process was it would take away a two-way street that Dave had. Dave had Ken and Jess on one side and then he had my crew, which was me, Bret, and Sunday and really Zeke…him and Hannah. At that point, I thought if I can take Jess out, Dave will flounder around and he has to go with us. And he’s vulnerable. We can take him out when we need to. It’d also eliminate Adam and Jess…they were tight. And Jess and Ken were tight. Those three people would then be looking for someone to cling to, and hopefully that would be me.

Holmes: This is a really interesting season. Normally after the merge you have people targeting challenge competitors, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case.
Hammons: Right.
Holmes: Jay is a perfect example. He’s got an idol, he’s fit, he can do puzzles. How is he slipping through?
Hammons: Jay is doing a good job of keeping his mouth shut. He’s not really making any rifts. Quite frankly, he’s been very brave not playing his idol up to this point. I don’t know how Jay has been sliding by, but he’s done a good job of staying under the radar. And plus, Dave didn’t want me in the game much longer. That vote would have meant that I had complete control of the game.

Holmes: It’s rare that I get to interview someone an episode after they’ve been eliminated. In a season like this where trust clusters are switching so frequently, could you have bet your entire game on one vote?
Hammons: I wouldn’t have liked to pull a rock, but in that situation I had respect for everyone. Even Dave, Dave said, “I’m not turning.” I had respect for it, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t have just written someone else’s name down and just been done with it. But, I wasn’t up there. I might’ve stayed true to pulling a rock.

Holmes: Bret has claimed he’s a mortician, Jessica says she’s a photographer. Did you admit to being a lawyer?
Hammons: No, I said I was a coach. I said I was a director of football ops for a small college.
Holmes: Did anyone have any doubts about that?
Hammons: I don’t think so. I’m big and it’s clear that I played football. Nobody has told me that they had doubts.

Holmes: If the vote had gone your way, what was your dream final three?
Hammons: I would’ve taken Adam and Hannah or Sunday. They were my top three to come with me. I would’ve tried to have maneuvered into that situation. Bret would have been a tough one. I’m a loyal player. I probably would have had to do it, Bret’s too likable to face at the end. And, he played a pretty good game.
Holmes: Bret came out to Zeke last episode. Was that something he was open about to you in the game?
Hammons: I didn’t find out until after the game. It was interesting when Bret and I finally talked about it. He felt like he couldn’t tell me even though he was my closest ally out there. He thought an Oklahoma guy, a big athlete…he didn’t know that I was so liberal. It was kind of funny watching that play out.

Holmes: What is the general opinion about Hannah? At this point in the game is she playing a game that you’d respect?
Hammons: Not me personally. For me, the conversations I had with her, she was all over the place. I don’t know if she knew up from down. She was playing a different game, as I watch it back, than I thought she was. At the time, I thought she was just doing what Zeke told her to do.

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start with Paul.
Hammons: Captain, roger that!
Holmes: Bret?
Hammons: Friend.
Holmes: Cece?
Hammons: Nice.
Holmes: Rachel?
Hammons: Wild.
Holmes: Lucy?
Hammons: Strength.
Holmes: Michelle?
Hammons: Hot.
Holmes: Taylor?
Hammons: Bright.
Holmes: Jessica?
Hammons: Adversary.
Holmes: Sunday?
Hammons: Sweet.
Holmes: Adam?
Hammons: Very smart.
Holmes: Ken?
Hammons: Coconut.
Holmes: Hannah?
Hammons: Crazy.
Holmes: Zeke?
Hammons: Moustache.
Holmes: Jay?
Hammons: Tough.
Holmes: Will?
Hammons: Young.
Holmes: David?
Hammons: Gollum.

Holmes: You referred to Taylor as bright. I doubt we saw his best moments out there.
Hammons: During the game I thought he was a crazy kid, but he’s really a very grounded person and probably the most sane person out there. He’s very bright, he speaks a few languages. He’s got a lot going for him. I really liked Taylor once I got over him stealing all the food.

Holmes: And if you and Jessica squared off in a court of law, how would that turn out?
Hammons: I’d destroy her in a court of law. (Laughs)

Holmes: I’m a Penn Stater, is anyone allowed to participate in the “Boomer Sooner” chant?
Hammons: Sure, Sooner Nation is across the world. You can find a Sooner anywhere.
Holmes: Let’s test this…Boomer!
Hammons: Sooner!

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

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Last Week: Jay tasted forbidden fruit, Adam’s advantage was announced, and Taylor was knocked up…er…out.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

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

The Vinaka Tribe (wearing black)
Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
Chris – 38, Trial Lawyer
David – 42, Television Writer
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Jessica – 37, Assistant District Attorney
Ken – 33, Model
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor
Will – 18, High School Student
Zeke – 28, Asset Manager

We kick things off back at Vinaka Beach where Jay smartly digs up the remaining food and returns it to tribe. (Anyone else get a flashback to Vern trying to dig up his jar of pennies?)

He lets us know that he hopes that the fact that he didn’t play an idol will lead people to believe that he doesn’t have one. I will give him that, not playing it last week was a gutsy move.

Later on, Chris and Bret decide that it’s finally time for Jessica to go home. Chris confesses that it’s 90% because she’s a good player and 10% because he owes her one. Ah…revenge is a dish best served in a jar that was buried on a beach by a surfer guy.

The next morning, Hannah admits to flirting with Ken. She doesn’t think he’s into her but she reallllly wouldn’t mind if he was. Join the club, Hannah.

Later on, Will tries to win Zeke’s trust by telling him about Jay’s idol. Will also makes sure to hammer home the point that if word gets back to Jay, he’ll know that he ratted. Zeke promises that he’ll keep it a secret.

CUT TO: Zeke tells David about Jay’s idol.

CUT TO: David tells Chris about Jay’s idol.

CUT TO: David tells Hannah about Jay’s idol.

CUT TO: Chris tells Bret about Jay’s idol.

CUT TO: David tells Ken about Jay’s idol.

CUT TO: Zeke tells Chris about Jay’s idol.

Quick Aside: I wish this had ended up like a game of telephone with everyone thinking Jay has a Billy Idol jacket pencil duck cat.

Eventually Zeke and Chris come up with a plan to make Jay think his number is up so he’ll play the idol, but they’ll really target Jessica.

Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will be split into two teams of five. They’ll then stand on a raft and use a rope to pull themselves to an obstacle course. There they’ll retrieve keys. When they return to the beach, they’ll use the keys to unlock a set of colored blocks. First tribe to stack their blocks so that there are no matching colors on any side wins a visit to a floating pizzeria.

Another Quick Aside: I’ve been to that pizzeria! It’s amazing.

The teams will be chosen by picking rocks. The odd person out will not be allowed to play. (I hate that, let them bet on the winner!)

David offers to sit out because he’s a bad swimmer and doesn’t want to be blamed for a loss.

The others give David a vote of confidence and poor David breaks down a little. It might be getting dusty in my living room too.

Our teams are Ken, Jessica, David, Chris, and Will vs. Bret, Zeke, Sunday, Hannah, and Adam. No pizza for Jay.

We start off and things are pretty even with Ken’s team only having a slight lead when they get to the blocks. (And David performed adequately, yay!)

The puzzle portion is Zeke and Adam against Chris and David with Zeke and Adam managing to pull off the come-from-behind win.

During the reward, the winners are treated to letters from home. Adam immediately starts crying because it’s a letter from his mother who is battling cancer. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE DUST MY LIVING ROOM!

Back at camp, Ken and David discuss how far David has come since the start the game. Just a real nice heart-to-heart between two people who seem like they’ve bonded.

Honestly, this is great. I feel like too much time is devoted to strategy and not enough time is devoted to relationships.

Later on, David lets us know that he’s uncomfortable with the Chris/Bret/Sunday alliance. He tells Jessica and Ken that he wants to get rid of Chris. Oh, we might see that Tribal strangling yet!

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will stand on a beam while balancing a statue on a pole. At intervals they’ll move further away from the statue. Last person standing wins immunity.

We start off and Ken is annoyed because ants are crawling on him. Well, can you blame them?

Everyone survives the first round. Hannah is the first out in the second round. She’s joined by Ken.

Sunday is the first one out in the third round. We then lose Chris, Will, Kay, and Bret.

We’re down to Jessica, Adam, Zeke, and David.

Adam is the first one gone in the final round. Jessica is out next. It’s down to challenge powerhouses David and Zeke. They battle it out for a while and David eventually claims the win!

David’s afraid of death, but “Survivor” glory lives forever!

Politicking around camp has Chris, Bret, and Sunday wanting to pretend they’re going for Jay while actually voting for Jessica. Meanwhile, David pitches getting rid of Chris to Zeke.

David also clues Jessica in to the fact that Chris is gunning for her. As you’d imagine, she is not psyched about this development.

Zeke and Hannah realize that they’re the swing votes, but they don’t give an indication as to which way they’re leaning.

That night at Tribal, Jay says he was waiting for a crack to open, but he still feels like he’s on the outs.

David admits that there are different voting blocks.

Fun Fact: Stephen Fishbach gets a quarter every time someone mentions “voting blocks.”

Hannah doesn’t think it’s a voting block, she thinks it’s a “trust cluster.” Never change, Hannah.

Bret believes there are multiple trust clusters and the key word is “trust.”

Adam hints that there is a war brewing under the surface and they can’t all agree on a single threat.

Jay is still under the assumption that he’s the biggest target.

Jessica is worried that her run-ins with other Gen-Xers could get her in trouble.

Chris doesn’t think she has anything to worry about because you need to have a short memory in the game.

Jeff asks people how comfortable they are with how the vote will and everyone says, “100%.”

Voting Time: Jessica votes for Chris, Chris votes for Jessica, and no other votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol…and…nobody does! Jay!

Alright, we’ve got one vote for Chris, one vote for Jessica, one vote for Chris, one vote for Jessica, one vote for Chris, one vote for Jessica, one vote for Chris, one vote for Jessica, one vote for Chris, and the tenth person voted out “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” is…Chris.

On the way out Chris and Zeke share a “Boomer Sooner” chant. Adorable.

Also, Jay voted with the Jessica, Chris, and Bret trust cluster.

Back at camp, Jay reveals that he didn’t play his idol because nobody was talking about him. Good read.

Bret congratulates Zeke on the move and tells him that they would have had to have done it sooner or later. (Heh, SOONER or later.)

Zeke’s glad Bret isn’t mad at him because he’s preparing for the eventual showdown with David. Nooooo! Best Friends!

Sure enough, Zeke is on David’s hit list as well. He tries to get Bret on board, but Bret has already thrown is loyalty to Zeke. Bret tells Zeke what’s up and Zeke immediately outs David’s idol.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Zeke tries to rally Hannah and Adam to his side, but Hannah is torn because she wants to work with David too.

Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will be split into three teams. Each player will have their arms and feet bound together. They’ll have to slither through the sand, then put together a snake puzzle. The first team to complete their puzzle gets a helicopter tour and a picnic.

One person won’t get to compete, but they will get to go on the reward. LET THEM BET!

They pull rocks and it’s Hannah, Jessica, and Adam vs. Will, Ken, and Jay vs. Sunday, Zeke, and Bret. David automatically gets the reward.

The Survivor are ready, and they go. And…it’s hilarious. All the players have to wriggle on the ground like worms. It’s like the worst breakdance competition ever.

The Ken/Jay/Will team is the first one to the puzzle. Jessica is not doing well. Bret’s losing his shorts.

The other teams eventually make it to the puzzle team with Bret, Sunday, and Zeke managing to come from behind to win it.

After the victory, Bret screams, “I got naked on ‘Survivor!’” He wouldn’t be my first choice.

The quartet enjoys beers at the picnic. Oh man…more alcohol for Bret. He might have a problem.

When David and Sunday sneak away, Bret admits to Zeke that he’s a homosexual and they bond over it. That was a nice moment. “Survivor” can be great.

Sunday returns and it’s back to strategy talk. They want to target David, but have to be sure that he doesn’t see it coming.

Back at camp, Hannah lets us know that he has decided to target Zeke. She tells David about Bret’s betrayal and David rightfully freaks out. She tells David that Zeke still trusts her and she’ll look out for him.

Jay’s gonna sneak through again, isn’t he?

Immunity Challenge Time: Each player will stand behind a cage door and maneuver a handle through a blind maze. Once they release themselves from the cage they’ll have to complete a slide puzzle. First person to finish the puzzle wins immunity.

We start off and there isn’t much to describe except for people wiggling handles.

Jay is the first one out. And before anyone else can open their door, Jay completes the slide puzzle. Well done.

Politicking around camp starts off with David telling Jessica that Zeke is gunning for him. Both Jessica and Ken say they’ll vote with David.

Later, Zeke lets us know that he realizes that Hannah can’t be trusted. He tells her that she has to decide if she’s working with him or with David.

Zeke realizes David’s idol is bad news for him, so he tries to switch the vote to Hannah. It looks like he has Will, Jay, Bret, and Sunday on his side.

Hannah tries to get Adam to vote with her, but he isn’t sure.

Before the vote, Hannah asks David to play his idol for her.

It feels like new people are in trouble every episode. This season is crazy.

That night at Tribal, Probst again asks them how confident they are about the vote. Nobody is confident and only Jay is sure that he’s safe.

David compares himself to a fruit bat because everything looks upside-down. Good analogy.

Adam and Hannah are whispering, but we don’t know what’s being said.

David refers to it as as trust cluster-muck, which sets Bret off. Bret says it’s every man for himself.

Adam tells Jeff that the vote is still very live.

Jessica claims that she doesn’t know what’s going on.

More whispering makes it sound like Ken is in trouble.

Bret believes the whispering is all just smoke and mirrors.

Voting Time: No votes are shown, but a giant bug lands on Taylor.

Probst tallies and returns. He asks if anyone would like to play an idol…and…David does!

As he’s doing it, Hannah tells him to wait. Adam tells him that the others are whispering that they’re voting for Ken. So, David says the idol is for Ken.

We’ve got one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, and the final vote is for Hannah. A tie!

Wow…

Voting Time Part Deux: No votes are shown, but Hannah begs Jessica to vote for Zeke. Jessica is very worried about drawing rocks.

JPro tallies a second time (the third tonight!) We’ve got one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Hannah, one vote for Zeke! Another tie!

The eight non-Hannah and Zeke players have to unanimously decide who should go home. If not, it’s rock time.

Will doesn’t want to go home for Hannah or Zeke. Jessica doesn’t want to draw rocks. Everyone else can’t come to a consensus.

ROCK TIME!

Ken, Jay, Zeke, and Hannah are safe. The other six have to draw.

They reveal their hands and the eleventh person eliminated from the game is…Jessica.

Wow. Just wow.

Jessica stays true to her word and wills her legacy advantage to Ken.

Verdict: Why aren’t more people loving this season? Every episode is a roller coaster. It seems like there are two new people on the outs every week. Remember when Jay was in trouble? Or Adam? It feels like people aren’t playing just to get to the end, they’re playing to win.

Like McDonalds, I’m loving it.

(I don’t really love McDonalds.)

Power Rankings Results: Michele Fitzgerald had Chris in spot 3 and Jessica in spot 11, while Shirin Oskooi had Chris in spot 7 and Jessica in spot 11. So, the current score is Team Fitzgerald 93, Team Oskooi 86.

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

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

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 players will earn.  The person with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” champion.

Last Week: Michele Fitzgerald had Taylor in spot 10, Shirin Oskooi had him in spot 4. So, the current score is Team Michele 79, Team Shirin 68.

Quick Note: XFINITY “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will be unable to participate in this season’s Power Rankings due to being more than a bit spoiled. Therefore, he has invited defending Power Rankings champion Shirin Oskooi to take his place.

Michele Fitzgerald and Shirin Oskooi’s Rankings

Team Michele’s Score = 79 Any questions for Michele? Drop her a line on Twitter: @meeshfitz	Team Shirin’s Score = 68 Any questions for Shirin? Drop her a line on Twitter: @theshirin
1. – David: “The one to fear is he who fears everything” – Michele Fitzgerald, 2016	1. – Zeke: Sat out the balancing challenge but won the balancing act back at camp.
2. – Zeke:  With food comes mental clarity. Sitting out tells me you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Keep your weapon sharp.	2. – Sunday: Sunday is stealthily carrying out Michaela’s shells and rocks plan to keep Ika Bula dominating.
3. – Chris: It’s a good sign that everyone is running the game plays by you. #thatsmyquarterback	3. – Ken: All this invisibility indicates safety for now, doom for later.
4. – Bret:  Like your drinks, your chances of staying this week are strong.	4. – David: Between his allies Zeke, Ken, Jessica, and Ken’s bud Adam, David is one vote away from controlling the game, and has an idol to help get him there.
5. – Hannah: #1 rule of “Survivor” is to play to your strengths. You’re not really the ‘team captain’ type. Go back to the science lab and work on your own formula to win.	5. – Adam:  He’ll be a soldier in the Gen X civil war and has an idol to protect him from crossfire.
6. – Ken: Like a statue. Chiseled, beautiful, silent.	6. – Hannah:  Episode 8: Hannah: Jay thinks I’m this pathetic idiot that can’t see past his pretty face and intense gameplay. Episode 9: Jay: Hannah, I’m so proud of you! Hannah: ❤ ❤ ❤ thanks
7. – Jay: You DO have an idol! Use it.	7. – Chris: Between his allies Zeke, Sunday, Bret, and Sunday’s bud Jay, Chris is one vote away from controlling the game, and Jay has an idol to help get him there.
8. – Adam: Idols and advantages are great but do you know where winners really get their power? Words. Use them wisely.	8. – Jay:  Modern Millennial about to be undone by an old fashioned (game of) telephone.
9. – Will: You are on a sinking ship. There may be room to save you and Jay short term but it makes more sense to detach and survive. #alwaysletgo	9. – Will: Milking the knowledge of Jay’s idol for all it’s worth.
10. – Sunday: Goat has 2 meanings. Someone who is brought to the end because they are easy to beat or Greatest of All Time. Be the latter.	10. – Bret: If Zeke sides with Ken Stark and the North, he’ll spare his ally Chris and Bret’s game will go south.
11. – Jessica: Blindsided once by sand, once by Sunday.	11. – Jessica: Half of Gen X hates her, and her game is out of her hands. The hidden immunity idol that saved her was shaped like a flower; the immunity necklace that eludes her is shaped a bit differently.

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I assume you’re going to get this question a lot today, so let’s just get it out of the way.
Taylor Stocker: Let’s do it.
Holmes: You promised me you were going to fall out of a giant tree. Why didn’t that happen?
Stocker: (Laughs) I did not fall out of a giant tree. I did climb a lot of trees, I promise.

Holmes: We got Figgy’s take on what happened to your relationship. Now it’s your turn.
Stocker: We got back and one of the first things that happened was I found out I had a son on the way. From that, I had to do what was best for my family. I talked with Jess about it and ended things. I know she was super upset about it and really hurt about everything. I know she has her own opinions on some stuff that’s outside of the game about me. And she’s not happy with me at all. I respect that if she wants to hate on me and make a bunch of allegations, then she can say whatever she wants. I’m not going to let it affect me.
Holmes: Were you in a relationship with the mother when you were on the show or was it over?
Stocker: I went in and the situation was pretty confusing. I knew that I was going on “Survivor” so I was going to keep my options open and do what I think would help me get ahead in the game. I was kind of a free agent. I know Jess has her different opinions on that. But I definitely had a girlfriend prior to casting.
Holmes: With your situation the way it is now, it must’ve been rough watching this season.
Stocker: (Laughs) Yeah, there are some episodes that I didn’t watch. It was so cringing. You could compare it to having a relationship and having a ton of pictures, and it’s on your computer, and when it’s over you’re like, “What do I do with this stuff?” There were some scenes that I watch and I’m thinking, “What was I thinking there?” Not that Jess is a bad person, but just from a game purpose. “What was I doing?” Things didn’t end super-well there, but in the game it went well.
Holmes: Well, let’s not overlook that you’re about to be a father. Congratulations on that. When is the due date?
Stocker: She should be due pretty soon. I can’t reveal a date yet. But yeah, thanks so much.
Holmes: And I hear Vinaka is a wonderful name for a boy.
Stocker: (Laughs) I think we have a name picked out, but it’s a secret.
Holmes: It’s Probst, isn’t it?
Stocker: (Laughs) Yeah.

Holmes: So, Jay called Adam an (expletive deleted) last night and Zeke and Hannah are basically like, “Yup.”
Stocker: (Laughs)
Holmes: Is there a side of Adam we’re not seeing? Because he doesn’t seem that antagonistic to me.
Stocker: I don’t think Adam is an (expletive deleted), but in certain circumstances he comes across in a unique way. Like after Jess was voted out, Adam comes to me and it’s almost like he’s apologizing, but he’s really just telling me a lot of bad things. He’s telling me a lot of things that suck for me. That’s not an apology, Adam. “I totally screwed you.” It’s like he boasting about it or something. I think he’s meaning to talk strategy, but it could come across in a totally different way.
Holmes: Does it seem like he’s constantly in game mode and can’t discuss other things?
Stocker: Yeah. I would say that’s a trait of Adam, he’s always in game. He’s a superfan. He loves “Survivor.” His heart and soul is all about this game. He loves talking about it. If he’s not talking about strategy, then he’s talking about past strategy. The fandom is off the charts. But, he is one of those useful people to keep around. “In that vote in the year of 2001, what happened is…” He’s a funny guy. I love hanging around him.

Holmes: One of the things he should’ve taught you is how badly it tends to work out for people who are caught stealing food.
Stocker: (Laughs)
Holmes: Banana etiquette, man.
Stocker: He did tell me that, too. When I was stealing it and he was with me he said, “This is the type of stuff that gets you voted out.” I said, “I don’t care, Adam. I’m hungry.”

Holmes: Why was Jay comfortable not playing his idol last night?
Stocker: I don’t think he was confident. I think he flipped a coin. He flipped a shell. I think he had no idea what was going to happen. I think in his mind, playing it and being flushed would’ve been worse.
Holmes: Did you know he had it?
Stocker: I wish he had told me so we could’ve plotted some way to use it. If we could’ve tied the vote.
Holmes: With last night’s numbers you’d have to flip some folks. Who would’ve been the best target?
Stocker: Hannah. She’s one of those people where you might not need to tell her before Tribal. You just lean over and say, “Hey, you’re on the other side of the vote.” She’ll just vote whatever you say. It’s insane.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Mari.
Stocker: Gamer.
Holmes: Jay?
Stocker: Surfer brah.
Holmes: Will?
Stocker: Duh… (Laughs) Just put in duh. Or High school.
Holmes: Zeke?
Stocker: Beer.
Holmes: Hannah?
Stocker: Sporadic.
Holmes: Adam?
Stocker: Intelligent.
Holmes: Michaela?
Stocker: Wild.
Holmes: Michelle?
Stocker: Thoughful.
Holmes: Ken?
Stocker: Hawaii.
Holmes: Bret?
Stocker: New York.
Holmes: David?
Stocker: Family Guy.
Holmes: Chris?
Stocker: Viking.
Holmes: Jessica?
Stocker: Lawyer.
Holmes: Sunday?
Stocker: Church.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Figgy.
Stocker: (Laughs) I don’t even know what to say to that one. I will say…kind.

Holmes: Having a relationship fall apart is tough. Having it fall apart in front of a national audience has got to be worse. How’ve you handled the fan backlash from that situation?
Stocker: It’s not fun. There’s a pretty good mix of people that don’t like that combo of her and I and people that do. You get these crazy people who just feel like their voice should be heard. They’d probably never say those things to my face. But behind the screen they feel like they’re safe. It’s been quite a wild trip.

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