Archive for May, 2018

Jeff Probst and the Contestants Pick the Stars of “Survivor: Ghost Island – The Movie”

May 14, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

In the days leading up to the beginning of “Survivor: Ghost Island,” I had a chance to ask Jeff Probst and the contestants who would play them in the inevitable movie adaptation of this season…

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Chelsea – “A Lot of the Time the Strategy Was My Idea and the Credit Was Given to Somebody Else”

May 10, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Gordon Holmes: So, I’m watching “Survivor” last night and I’m yelling at my television. How can everyone not see how dangerous Domenick and Wendell are? It had to be obvious at that point.
Chelsea Townsend: Yeah, absolutely. Everything was pretty well set up for that vote to happen as it should of. I used the loved ones visit to my advantage with Laurel. I was just very upset and very pissed off. I thought, this is perfect. It’s just going to fuel my fire to get her to flip. To see things the right way. Unfortunately, Laurel was just attached to Wendell and Domenick at the hip. She was their informant and kind of did everything they said. I made so many good points to her as to why they were the biggest threat and I was nowhere near the biggest threat. She just couldn’t detach herself.

Holmes: Was it obvious at the time that Laurel was with them, or was she still pretending to be a Malolo remnant who was now kind of a swing vote?
Townsend: Laurel told me, “I need to start building my resume, I need to make a big move. I’m with you.” She told me she was with me to the end, so she lied up until the vote. I went back to her several times and asked if she was good and she said she was on board. I was unsure whether it would happen. But I was hopeful, and it would have been so epic had Laurel just done it.

Holmes: At this point, Domenick has an idol, Wendell has an idol, there’s a fake idol. Which advantages were you aware of at this time?
Townsend: I was aware that they both had idols. I knew the second Dom found his because he came up to me and said, “I found an idol.” (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Townsend: I found out about Wendell’s through Dom. Because our conversations would eventually center around, “We’ve got to get out Wendell.” I had all of that information and I was using it to my benefit. And you’d think when you have a power couple like that they’d be a target. But, apparently two individual immunity wins is enough to scare people.

Holmes: When Desiree made her move a couple of weeks ago with the classic Malolos, she included you in that deal. How on-board were you with that plan?
Townsend: I had no idea of Desiree’s plan. And even though I was on the good side of either outcome, I think she was worried about my connection with Kellyn. When I got Bradley out, the intention was to have Kellyn come to me. And she did. We formed a great connection. I think Desiree thought she wasn’t going to hurt me, but she wasn’t going to tell me about it because it had to seem like a covert plan. And my name got threw out by Laurel, and Des didn’t tell them I was part of the plan, she just told them she could reign Angela and I in.

Holmes: Before the game, you said that your sister was in love with Jeff Probst…as we all are…what did it mean to you to get to arrange that meeting?
Townsend: That was huge. I promised her I’d get her out to Fiji. So, I’m glad they showed that moment of me telling her I’d get her out there. It was a real cool moment getting to hear about her journey, it was really important to me.
Holmes: It seems like Jeff got a little bit emotional during Angela’s visit. What happened there?
Townsend: It was a very emotional loved ones visit. Everyone was so excited and we wanted it to so bad. And Angela is the most amazing person. She served our military for over 21 years. She’s used to having to leave her family behind. So, her talking about how she had a hard time because she might have let her family down, Jeff just kind of broke down. They had to stop so he could catch his breath. He started crying, he looked at us and said, “All of these years of ‘Survivor’ and this is the first time I’ve cried to the point where I couldn’t continue.”

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start off with Morgan.
Townsend: Animated.
Holmes: Brendan?
Townsend: Honorable.
Holmes: Bradley?
Townsend: Salty.
Holmes: Angela?
Townsend: A bad ass.
Holmes: Stephanie?
Townsend: Gregarious.
Holmes: Domenick?
Townsend: Outgoing.
Holmes: Laurel?
Townsend: Passive.
Holmes: Sebastian?
Townsend: Chill.
Holmes: Donathan?
Townsend: Kind-hearted.
Holmes: Wendell?
Townsend: Crafty.
Holmes: Chris?
Townsend: Funny.
Holmes: Libby?
Townsend: Mild.
Holmes: Michael?
Townsend: Impressive.
Holmes: Jenna?
Townsend: Kind of whiny.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Desiree?
Townsend: Strong willed.

Holmes: So, say the vote goes your way last night and Wendell goes home, what would be the plan going forward?
Townsend: I would have started gunning for Dom. Knowing he had an idol, it might take a couple of votes. And then, take out big threats…Kellyn…then others who aren’t as big threats like Donathan and Sebastian. The final three would be me, Laurel, and Angela. I think I could beat them.

Holmes: You got a bit of an invisible edit this season, which has to be frustrating. But, there are 20 people and only 42 minutes a week. However, when we did hear from you, it seemed like you were always spouting some kind of sound strategy. Is that solace at all? Where are you with how your edit ended up?
Townsend: That was the most frustrating part of the journey. I played really hard. I’m a huge fan of the show. I wanted to play under-the-radar and call the shots in a way that people didn’t know I was doing it. I thought I did a good job of that. Then at the merge I wanted to come out swinging, winning individual immunities. I was always out looking for hidden immunity idols. I think I did play that game. So, the frustrating part was not getting credit for it. But, I was talking strategy and making really good connections with people. So, I think it’s frustrating. In some of the episodes I was the central part of the drama or strategy. And to be left out of it was really hard. A lot of the time the strategy was my idea and the credit was given to somebody else. But, at the end of the day, it’s not about how I was shown in the edit, it’s about my experience and I’m extremely proud of the game I played.
Holmes: Was there anything in particular you wish we had seen?
Townsend: Well, you did see much, so there’s a lot. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Townsend: They didn’t show this, but Domenick and I on the Bradley boot, we actually threw the challenge because we wanted Bradley out before the merge. I had this plan, I told Domenick, “I can’t throw a challenge. It’s not in my nature. So, if you want to do this, then I need you to do it and I’ll sit on the bench. Then it’ll be less peculiar.” My plan was if there was any backlash down the road, I could say, “Hey, I was sitting. He threw the challenge.”

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

‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Episode 12 Recap: Ladies’ Night?

May 9, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: A real/fake idol was found, a pretend/real idol was believed, and a real/real idol was wasted.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Lavita Tribe (wearing black)
Angela, 42 – Army Veteran
Chelsea, 24 – EMT/Professional Cheerleader
Donathan, 26 – Caretaker
Domenick, 38 – Construction Supervisor
Kellyn, 31 – Career Counselor
Laurel, 29 – Financial Consultant
Sebastian, 22 – Fishing Guide
Wendell, 33 – Furniture Company Owner

Post Tribal Shenanigans

It doesn’t take long for everyone to realize that there were six votes cast by five castaways. Kellyn owns up to the extra ballot, as if it wasn’t obvious.

And uh…that’s it.

Reward Challenge Time

The players will race through an obstacle course, then attempt to throw a bean bag onto a small platform. The first person to make this shot wins a barbecue lunch and…

Cue: “Loved Ones” music

Sure enough, Jeff tells them that the loved ones visit has finally arrived.

We get to meet Wendell’s father first. They share a beautiful hug and I don’t cry. Because I’m super tough.

From there we get to meet Kellyn’s brother, he tells her to “Do it.” It’s unclear if he means, “Believe in invisible immunity idols.”

Donathan’s aunt is next and he asks for an update on his grandmother and mother. She assures him that they’re fine. Dusty…dusty in here…keep it together.

Then it’s Angela’s daughter. Probst really digs into the notion that Angela has missed a lot of her daughter’s life due to her military service. Jeez…Jeff. This isn’t hard enough?

Wow…Chelsea’s sister is like a slightly younger version of her. Which…is probably not too weird considering they’re siblings. Also, Chelsea’s sister has had as many lines as Chelsea this season.

Next up is Laurel’s brother and she bursts into tears. I, however, do not. Because I have a will of iron.

Sea Bass’s little sister is our next visitor…and she kinda looks like Jenna. I’m not going to read anything into that.

And finally, we get to meet Domenick’s wife…and that’s it for me. Waterworks. Stupid “Survivor.”

Domenick’s wife quickly becomes one of my favorite people on this season by saying, “I love you and I hate you so much.”

Fun Fact: During pre-game interviews, Domenick and Kellyn said they’d rather lose the family visit than win and have to decide who to take along.

Result: Sea Bass picks up the win and it’s not even close. He’s allowed to choose three people to come with him and he picks Domenick, Wendell, and Donathan. All the dudes, yikes.

Sebastian is also allowed to send someone to Ghost Island. Aaaand…there is no challenge waiting there. Whoever goes will automatically get an advantage. Sea Bass doesn’t want to send himself, but Wendell volunteers to go. That means he has to sacrifice lunch with his dad. But, Wendell assures us that his dad was all for that plan.

At Ghost Island

Wendell is greeted by an extra chance in the immunity challenge that Malcolm screwed up at final four during “Survivor: Philippines.”

Seriously?! No trigger warning? It hurt my heart to have to watch Malcolm blow that challenge again.

Family and Feasting

Domenick quickly makes a play to get Donathan and Sea Bass on his side. Donathan’s aunt hilariously threatens to hunt Domenick down if he stabs her nephew in the back.

Kell Hath No Fury

Hoo…boy…Kellyn is not pleased that the guys all got to go on little adventures. She immediately rallies the women to her side. It seems like Laurel is into it, but she does say things like, “They may or may not have idols” when she knows they do.

The plan is to target Domenick because Wendell probably has more tricks up his sleeve.

Honestly, Laurel should seriously consider this. The guys are getting too deep into this game with too many advantages.

Also, is Kellyn becoming this season’s villain? I never would have guessed that during pre-game interviews. It’s like rooting against Mr. Rogers.

Immunity Challenge Time: Yup…it’s the final four immunity from season 25. The players will have to balance a ball on a cylinder that they’re holding up with two handles. As time goes on, they’ll add pieces to the cylinder. If your ball drops, you’re out. If Wendell’s ball drops, he’ll get a second chance. The last person standing wins immunity.

Result: Wendell does not last long at all. Curse-unreversed. Domenick picks up the win.

Pre-Tribal Politicking

It looks like it’s going to come down to Chelsea or Wendell with Donathan and Laurel being the swing votes. It’s tough to tell which way they’re leaning, but Wendell does say that he’s getting weird vibes from Laurel. Uh oh…

Tribal Time

Donathan quickly drops a bomb, saying that there are finally cracks in the classic Naviti tribe. This immediately puts everyone on edge.

However, after that it’s all just a bunch of vague statements from everyone. So, it’s hard to get a read on what’s going on.

Voting Time: Chelsea votes for Wendell, Wendell votes for Chelsea, and the rest of the votes are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol and…nobody does. We’ve got one vote for Wendell, one vote for Chelsea, one vote for Wendell, one vote for Chelsea, one vote for Wendell, two votes for Chelsea and the thirteen person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” and the sixth member of the jury is…Chelsea.

Verdict: I…I like all these people…but I’m kind of bored with this season.

Do somethinggggggg…

  • Wendell – The target on your back can’t possibly get any bigger. So, going for the advantage was smart. Also, congratulating Chelsea on the way out is a good move.
  • Domenick – Good job keeping your options open with Sebastian. He seems loyal and you can definitely beat him in the end.
  • Kellyn and Angela – Hey, you tried.
  • Laurel and Donathan – I don’t think either one of you can win over Wendell or Domenick. This vote may have been your last chance.
  • Sebastian – I think you’re partnering with the wrong guys, buddy.

Power Rankings Results: Roark had Chelsea in spot eight. I had her in spot seven. The current score is Team Roark 125, Team Gordon 128.

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

‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Power Rankings Round 10 – Kell to Pay Edition

May 9, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

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. For example, if Angela is voted out this episode, Roark will receive five points and Gordon will receive six points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Ghost Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Last Week: Roark had Jenna and Michael in spot ten and nine. I had them in spot nine and ten. The current score is Team Roark 117, Team Gordon 121.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

Roark’s Score: 117

Any questions for Roark? Drop her a line on Twitter: @roarkstweets

Gordon’s Score: 121

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

1. Domenick: Is it just a forgone conclusion that Dom and Wendell are going to march through the mid-merge? The bottom line is – THEY BOTH STILL HAVE IDOLS. And one is on the loose. And Ghost Island is still there. Ugh. Oh god a fake idol, too. 1. Domenick: Welp…I think the time for trusting Kellyn has passed. She let Michael get into her head and it almost cost Domenick one of his closest allies.
2. Wendell: I repeat – they both still have idols. 2. Wendell: There’s going to come a point where the challenges are less standing in one place and more running around and solving puzzles. And with Michael gone, Wendell’s gotta be a top contender to win all of those.
3. Laurel: So what’s going to happen between Kellyn and Laurel? Laurel is solidly in with the people Kellyn thought she was “Naviti strong” with, and Kellyn has no interest in working with Laurel, so either the two sides fight it out, or Kellyn cries uncle and finds a way to fit within Laurel’s landscape. 3. Laurel: If Michael had voted for you, his crazy plan would’ve worked. I’d absolutely let Wendell and Domenick know how you feel about that.
4. Donathan: Donathan made some odd choices this round. He made it through, but if we are viewing this group of 8 as two blocks of 4, I think he is 4th. 4. Donathan: So…uh…what was the point of that idol fun? Were you trying to boot Sebastian, but figured out that Jenna wasn’t really going for it? You’re probably fine this week, but idols don’t grow on trees…they’re hidden next to them.
5. Angela: Angela seems like an easy get for either side. She seems safe and malleable. 5. Sea Bass: Voting out your girlfriend?! Cold-blooded. Anywho, with Michael gone, your potential challenge prowess is going to put a target on your back.
6. Sea Bass: Shockingly, this man is still here. I hope he gets tricked by Dom’s fake idol. That would be fun. But there is no change Sea Bass sees it, right? I feel like there could be a neon sign directing him, personally, to an idol and he would miss it. 6. Angela: I don’t even know.
7. Kellyn: In theory, Kellyn still has Angela, Sebs and Chelsea which would make this vote a four/four split. Bet you wish you had that extra vote, eh Kellyn? Well, I don’t see this going in her favor, tie or no. 7. Chelsea: Challenge beast! Keep it going and you can pick who to take to the end. Or…you can pick who gets to make fire for a chance to get to the end.
8. Chelsea: If Chelsea doesn’t win immunity, I sense trouble. Left out of the Des vote two weeks ago, *beyond* purple edit, doesn’t look good. 8. Kellyn: You made some bad reads and it’s going to cost you. Domenick and Wendell can’t trust you anymore. So, you’ve got two potential moves; try to win them back…which will probably fail. Or, rally the others against them. But, they have idols to protect themselves. It doesn’t look good.

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Michael – “(Kellyn) Never Once Asked Me to See the Idol”

May 3, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

 

Gordon Holmes: A vote for Laurel would have bought you another round. That’s gotta be heartbreaking.
Michael Yerger: It’s hard. Hindsight is 20/20. It sucks knowing I was so close. I was pretty confident going into it that we were going to get a blindside on Wendell. But, me and Kellyn didn’t know how close Wendell and Laurel were. It was hard. I wish I knew. But, me, Laurel, and Kellyn, the plan was to blindside Wendell.
Holmes: Honestly, the whole, “Hey, I have an idol, but I’m not going to show it to you.” It blows my mind that that worked on Kellyn. Why do you think she bought it?
Yerger: I really think it was because I’d talked to Donathan about it. I knew what the idol was. I knew which season it was from. I seemed to know everything about it. It gave me ammunition to use in that lie. On the beach I was able to say it’s the super idol from Kaoh Rong and blah blah blah. She didn’t question it. And she knew I’d been looking for idols out there when I could. So, I don’t think it was hard to her believe. But, Dom was an idol guy out there too, so he wised up pretty quickly. I reached out to Donathan to see if he’d let me use the idol to help me, so that sucked that he was a little bit selfish in that way.
Holmes: So Kellyn never asked to see the idol?
Yerger: She never once asked me to see the idol. She just trusted me, which is hard because with that James idol back on Malolo beach, I stretched the power and she fell for that.

Holmes: We know now that Laurel and Donathan are close with Domenick and Wendell. Did you know that was going on when you were out there?
Yerger: I knew they were getting pulled in different directions. They had always been in the middle between the alliance I was in and the Naviti alliances. I knew that was going on. They really tricked us well, saying they were working as ambassadors and getting information. They’d say they knew they couldn’t win if they got to the end with them. Maybe when they said that they were keeping their options open. So, I credit them for that.

Holmes: I feel like you’ve got this Dom/Wendell alliance that is packing a few idols. And the deeper into the game we get, the harder they are going to be to eliminate. Why aren’t people rising up to take them out?
Yerger: (Laughs) Dude! It beats me! I can’t figure out why people aren’t ready to do it! When you have numbers, you have to make those moves. You’ve got to get out a big dog and build your resume. I don’t know if it was out of fear or they were worried about blowing up their game. It’s playing safe to a certain extent. I’ve got to trust that they thought they were doing what was best for their game. And thank God for Des. She was the only one willing to make a move. She saw the trajectory the game was going. And then Laurel has to be a loudmouth and leak it. There are so many of those things where we had an opportunity to blindside one of those guys. It doesn’t make any sense, it’s very frustrating.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Brendan.
Yerger: Heroic. The dude’s a leader. I love the guy.
Holmes: Laurel?
Yerger: Scaredy cat. Pitiful.
Holmes: Bradley?
Yerger: Level headed. Arrogant at times.
Holmes: Chris?
Yerger: Animated.
Holmes: Donathan?
Yerger: Selfish.
Holmes: Gonzalez?
Yerger: Intimidating.
Holmes: Desiree?
Yerger: Risky. She was willing to do it with us. Ballsy.
Holmes: Domenick?
Yerger: Strategic.
Holmes: Jacob?
Yerger: Giddy. He was so excited to play.
Holmes: Libby?
Yerger: Oh man…princess…charming.
Holmes: Kellyn?
Yerger: High-strung and empathetic.
Holmes: Stephanie?
Yerger: Persuasive. She was incredible.
Holmes: Jenna?
Yerger: Chill, laid-back, I love the girl.
Holmes: James?
Yerger: Analyitcal, stoic.
Holmes: Wendell?
Yerger: Smooth. Very charismatic.
Holmes: Sea Bass?
Yerger: Love the dude, but I’d say clueless.
Holmes: Angela?
Yerger: Aimless. I don’t think she had a reason for anything that she did.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Chelsea.
Yerger: She was very under-the-radar. She was never super outspoken. Like a spy.

Holmes: Angela made a big show of throwing you under the bus, but you were already under there…setting up camp. What was your take on that?
Yerger: I was under the bus already. I was not in a great position. But, that definitely made things worse because I was not on Wendell’s radar at that time. So, for her to blow that up was not a good thing. At that time Wendell and Dom saw me as an advantage to keep me around as a meat shield. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why she did it, because she could have worked with us to pull off a blindside.

Holmes: There needs to be a “Survivor” stat for how long people manage to stick around after they become the #1 target. Like instead of a pitcher’s ERA you have an EAT – Episodes After Targeting. If there were, yours would probably be very impressive. Is that something you’re proud of?
Yerger: I really am. I wish somethings were different. I wish I had the power and could make some bigger moves. But, I’m proud of what I did.

Holmes: What was the reaction from your Malolo buddies when they learned your real age?
Yerger: It didn’t change a thing with me and Jenna. Same with Libby, that was in our Ponderosa. But, I didn’t make it a priority to tell anybody else. I didn’t want it to be a factor in our relationships. When the game was over, people started finding out through the grapevine and the reactions were pretty damn funny. Dom and Brendan and Kellyn especially. They were baffled.
Holmes: Were they like, “I was wondering why Michael kept asking me to buy him beer.”
Yerger: (Laughs) Not quite. But, they had some red flags. But I felt the worst about Kellyn. We got really close out there and we had some big talks and I didn’t like lying on a deep, personal level like that.

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Jenna – “Once I Got Voted Out by (Sebastian) I Was Pretty Salty”

May 3, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Gordon Holmes: So, you’ve got that weird tribe of five and they told you they were voting for Donathan and they told him they were voting for you. I’m trying to understand why Donathan was trying to save you because they didn’t show much of a relationship there. And him not playing the idol for you seems like it’d just upset you as you were heading to the jury.
Jenna Bowman: My thought process was; here I am, we have a small tribe so maybe I can take control. Naviti still has the numbers but it’s the three Navitis that are the least strategic and on the bottom. I approached them and they were still Naviti strong, so it didn’t work. The next thing was, I’m close to Sebastian. He said, “I want you to see your dad tomorrow. Let’s vote for Donathan.” I said, “Perfect.” In my mind, I want Donathan to think it’s me so he won’t play his idol. Then, Donathan says he’d be willing to play his idol for me if I voted for Sebastian. We didn’t have a relationship, so it felt like a trap. It was really strange. I told him I’d do it. It’d be a Plan B for him to play the idol on me. And obviously that did not work.
Holmes: I just can’t get into his thought process.
Bowman: I think he was trying to make a move. I think he wanted something on his resume. So, if he was noble and played it for an old Malolo alliance and got a Naviti that it’d be this amazing thing. I don’t know. I have no idea what his thought process was. That plan didn’t work out because I didn’t take it too seriously.

Holmes: At Tribal you wanted to get to the vote quickly, which to me meant you thought either Donathan was going home or he was going to protect you. What was behind that move?
Bowman: I was hoping either one would work. I thought that acting like it was for sure me that Donathan would realize it wasn’t him and he’d feel bad for me. It was just an awkward Tribal. None of them wanted to talk, so I was like, “Time to vote.” I wanted to keep our plans on lock.

Holmes: At that point in the game, Laurel and Donathan have a bond with Wendell and Domenick. Is that something you had a hunch about?
Bowman: Everyone knew Laurel and Wendell were close. But I don’t think we knew that those four were an actual group. Donathan was always close with Naviti, that’s why we never trusted him. He was always hanging out with Angela or Chelsea. For Donathan, I never knew he was in that alliance.

Holmes: Chris said that while you were out there, there wasn’t any hint that you and Sebastian were forming a relationship. However, it seems like that has happened outside of the game. I want to read you a quick excerpt from our pre-game interview…
Bowman: (Laughs)
Holmes: This is what you had to say about Sebastian, “Future husband. Move to Fiji, raise our kids like little Fijians.”
Bowman: (Laughs) It’s the weirdest thing. Everyone flies over together, we sat next to each other on the plane. You’re not allowed to talk to each other, but the chemistry…it somehow started there. Then at Ponderosa. We were on separate tribes when we started, but after the swap, he said, “If we weren’t in this game we’d be dating. I think you’re amazing.” He opened the gates with that. But after that, he wouldn’t talk strategy with me. We’d hold hands at night, but that was it. We were never viewed as power couple. And once I got voted out by him I was pretty salty. And when we got home everything changed.
Holmes: What’s the conversation like last night when you have to watch your boyfriend vote you out of “Survivor”?
Bowman: Last night I started a text with “You lied to me.” And we are officially in our first fight right now. We had to go from reliving him voting me out to watching Michael and my Ponderosa video with…there are some scenes in there that are a little racy. So, we’re dealing with that right now.
Holmes: Oh goodness.

Holmes: When someone gets voted out of “Survivor,” it’s very emotional. Medical is there to look at you immediately. But you had to go right to the jury. Were you able to focus on Tribal or were you still in shock?
Bowman: It was such a strange moment, I had no time to process it. I had to watch the people who just betrayed me walk out of Tribal. It was very hard. You’re going from playing to the jury so quick, I think I was able to move on because I had to.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Chelsea.
Bowman: Nothing, just regular.
Holmes: Brendan?
Bowman: DILF, still.
Holmes: Laurel?
Bowman: Impressive.
Holmes: Libby?
Bowman: Angelic.
Holmes: Michael?
Bowman: Talented.
Holmes: James?
Bowman: Level-headed.
Holmes: Bradley?
Bowman: There are two versions of Bradley…I’ll say calculated.
Holmes: Desiree?
Bowman: A cool bad ass.
Holmes: Gonzalez?
Bowman: Spicy.
Holmes: Chris?
Bowman: (Laughs) Character.
Holmes: Domenick?
Bowman: Loud and obnoxious.
Holmes: Jacob?
Bowman: I don’t really know him. Weird and goofy.
Holmes: Kellyn?
Bowman: Mama bear…personable.
Holmes: Wendell?
Bowman: He’s smooth.
Holmes: Stephanie?
Bowman: Queen.
Holmes: Angela?
Bowman: No comment.
Holmes: Donathan?
Bowman: Spirited and gay.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Sea Bass.
Bowman: Hot.

Holmes: Why did we get a no-comment for Angela? What was your relationship like with her?
Bowman: It just wasn’t there. Her and Chelsea…they’re just kind of there. Wet blankets.

Holmes: We didn’t get to see much of you, which is unfortunate. Was there anything that happened that you wish we’d seen?
Bowman: There are no specific moves. When you don’t have the numbers and you don’t have options…we’re on the bottom. There was a reason I made it this far. I was scrappy and did my best to maintain relationships. I wanted to play this game. I can be very controlling and manipulative, but I wasn’t allowed to. I was constantly shut down. There was this wall up. It was frustrating.

Holmes: I hope you and Sebastian are able to clear all of this up, because I definitely want to hang out with you guys in Fiji.
Bowman: (Laughs) We’re still having the wedding there for sure. You’ll have to come out.
Holmes: Deal. It is not hard to get me to Fiji.

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

‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Episode 11 Recap: Real Idols, Fake Idols and Pretend Idols

May 2, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: Donathan received a gift from Tai, Kellyn desperately wanted to target a guy, and Desiree was the one to say, “Goodbye.”

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Lavita Tribe (wearing black)
Angela, 42 – Army Veteran
Chelsea, 24 – EMT/Professional Cheerleader
Donathan, 26 – Caretaker
Domenick, 38 – Construction Supervisor
Jenna, 23 – Advertising Account Executive
Kellyn, 31 – Career Counselor
Laurel, 29 – Financial Consultant
Michael, 18 – Real Estate Agent
Sebastian, 22 – Fishing Guide
Wendell, 33 – Furniture Company Owner

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

Domenick gives Laurel a big hug for tipping him off about the whole Desiree thing. This makes Laurel feel great, saying that for the first time she feels like she has some real protection in the game.

CUT TO: Kellyn saying she still doesn’t want to work with Laurel. What’s the rule about making definitive statements about feeling safe on this show?

The next morning, Wendell and Domenick both vow to not stab each other in the back and then turn around and tell us that they’re fully prepared to slit each other’s throats.

A Real Fake Idol

With Michael’s idol out of play, Domenick goes on a little idol hunt. He ends up finding the fake idol that David tricked Jay into playing in “Millennials vs. Gen-X.” However, it’s still a fake idol. I guess it didn’t have enough time to gather power like the (expletive deleted) stick did.

Domenick decides to rehide the idol and hopes that someone else finds it and uses it.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will have to use a handle to hold a ball up in the air. The last person with their ball in play will win immunity.

The Twist: The tribe will be split in two, so there will be two individual immunity challenges at the same time. Both of the new tribes will vote someone out at Tribal. Also, the last person standing out of both tribes will determine which tribe goes to Tribal last.

Whew…

So…this season didn’t have enough twists?

The New Tribes: We’ve got Michael, Kellyn, Laurel, Domenick, and Wendell on one tribe and Donathan, Sea Bass, Angela, Jenna, and Chelsea on the other.

Result: Domenick and Chelsea both won individual immunity. Domenick was the last person standing, so his group will go to Tribal second.

Pre-Tribal Politicking

Michael realizes his number is up, so he asks Donathan if he can use his idol for a little bit to fool everyone. Yeah…Donathan isn’t going to fall for that one. Not a bad idea though.

So, instead Michael just tells Kellyn that he has an idol…and she totally buys it.

Domenick tries to talk some sense into her, telling her that he’d show it to her if he had one. But, she sticks to her guns.

Yikes, between trusting Desiree last week and believing Michael this week, Kellyn’s having a rough run. If I were Domenick, I’d tell her that my magic unicorn will keep her safe.

Urgh…so Kellyn decides to use her regular vote and her extra vote to go after Laurel.

Laurel gets wind of this (the regular vote, not the extra vote) and wants to target Kellyn.

Seriously?! All of this over a make-believe idol? Not even a fake idol, mind you. And they all know there are already three idols out there.

In other news, it seems like a pretty clear vote from the other crew with Jenna being the target.

Buuut…Donathan tells her he’ll save her with his idol. Wait…why exactly?

And then Jenna repays his kindness by telling us that he’s an “idiot.”

This makes no sense.

Tribal Time

Jenna immediately admits that she’s in trouble and she’s ready to vote. She must be very confident that they’re voting for Donathan or Donathan is going to give her that idol.

And, they vote. Shortest Tribal ever.

Voting Time: Jenna votes for Donathan…and that’s the only vote shown.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol and…Donathan does…for himself.

Alright, we’ve got one vote for Donathan, one vote for Sea Bass, two votes for Jenna, and the eleventh person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” and the fourth member of the jury is…Jenna.

So…what was the point of all that idol talk? All it did was upset a future jury member.

Also, Jenna immediately takes her seat with the jury. Stinkiest jury member evar.

Tribal Time Part Deux

Wendell immediately says that a former Malolo is going home, but Kellyn isn’t so sure because Michael is “The Idol King.”

Probst asks if all eyes are on Michael to see if he has an idol and Kellyn admits that all eyes are on him because he’s handsome. Rawr…

In the middle of this Dom and Wendell start whispering to each other.

Laurel is worried that this conversation means that they’re switching from Michael to her.

Voting Time Part Deux: Laurel votes for Kellyn, Kellyn uses her extra vote against a mystery person, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

Quick Aside: It’d be cool if Kellyn just scratched out the last “A” in Michaela and that counted as a “Michael” vote.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Kellyn, one vote for Wendell, one vote for Laurel, one vote for Michael, one vote for Michael, and the final vote is for…Laurel.

It’s a tie.

Also…if Michael had voted for Laurel he’d be safe. So…his crazy plan almost worked.

Voting Time Part Trois: No votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns yet again. We’ve got one vote for Michael, and the twelfth person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” and the fifth member of the jury is…Michael.

Verdict: Jenna wasn’t going to win and Michael was a dead man walking, so it’s nice to get rid of them in one episode. Hopefully we’re finally gonna build up to the end game.

  • Domenick – You were once again able to figure out what was going on. It’s a shame Kellyn doesn’t listen to you.
  • Laurel – Kellyn just opened the door for you to get rid of her. Step right through.
  • Kellyn – Domenick has tried to point you in the right direction twice. It’s clear that your instincts need some fine tuning.
  • Donathan – Idol wasted, juror annoyed…not a good episode for you, buddy.
  • Wendell, Angela, Chelsea, and Sebastian – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Roark had Jenna and Michael in spot ten and nine. I had them in spot nine and ten. The current score is Team Roark 117, Team Gordon 121.

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

‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Power Rankings Round 9 – Double Trouble Edition

May 1, 2018

“Survivor: Ghost Island” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

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. For example, if Donathan is voted out this episode, Roark will receive four points and Gordon will receive three points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Ghost Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Last Week: Roark had Des in spot nine. Gordon had her in spot ten. The current score is Team Roark 98, Team Gordon 102.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

 

Roark’s Score: 98

Any questions for Roark? Drop her a line on Twitter: @roarkstweets

Gordon’s Score: 102

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

1. Domenick: Dom was so great in this episode. He handled that Kellyn conversation like a champ, then snaked her perfectly. Need more Dom. 1. Domenick: Sooo…two people are going home, but it doesn’t look like we’re getting two smooshed together episodes. I’m thinking with a big twist, the idol holders are going to be more likely to make a move if they feel threatened.
2. Laurel: I think Laurel did the right thing here – while I do like the spirit of Des’ move, the long game did not make much sense – I’ll assume Laurel saw that fact and decided to stay the course for now. She seems to be in a good crew. 2. Wendell: See Domenick.
3. Wendell: Depending on how this double boot goes, we could end up in a weird situation. Is it the same tribal or two tribals? My guess is it is two tribals where each one of those necklaces we saw in the preview protects a different person within each one. Regardless, things could get wonky with the double boot and the idols and the challenge immunity. All of this is to say Wendell may have to bring out that idol. All of them might. 3. Donathan: See Domenick.
4. Donathan: Let me make sure I have this. Donathan, Wendell and Dom all have idols. Kellyn has an extra vote? Or is it a vote steal? Donathan strikes me as someone who is going to pull the trigger on his idol if he feels the least bit uncomfortable. So odds are he is safe for this double round. 4. Laurel: Ugh…this double elimination/double immunity thing has me nervous. Right now, I think Laurel is relatively safe because all three of the idols are with her allies. It’s like an Infinity Gauntlet of immunity.
5. Angela: Another no cry Ghost Island visit. I would really enjoy seeing someone tell their alliance that they don’t have a vote. It would be fun if that came into play. 5. Kellyn: I feel like you’re in the same boat with Kellyn. Obviously Domenick valued enough to tip you off last week.
6. Kellyn: Oh boy did Kellyn ever play this wrong. Moving forward – how will she bounce back? Odds on her playing from the bottom and becoming the new Cambodia Wentworth? I would take those odds. 6. Sea Bass: C’mon! Who doesn’t love Sea Bass?
7. Sea Bass: Sea Bass is on a different planet. The way he spelled “Desiree” is classic. I love it. 7. Angela: Desiree thought Angela would go along with her plan to get rid of Kellyn. But, we have no proof of that. We also don’t know which way Angela was told to vote due to her losing her vote. I’m not sure which side she’s on, but I’d assume she’s low in the pecking order on either side.
8. Chelsea: This poor girl. She just won individual immunity and hasn’t had a confessional since episode 2. (Do not fact check this as I have 0 confidence in it, I just know it’s bad). With this kind of edit, we are just counting down her limited days. 8. Chelsea: They did not trust you to vote with them last week. That can’t be a good sign. I hope you have some more immunity wins up your sleeve.
9. Michael: I’m not sure how *safe* Michael actually is, but he is in a great position game / TV audience perception wise. He’s on the absolute bottom of the totem pole, so he can’t do anything wrong. Enjoy! 9. Jenna: Naviti is going to stay Naviti strong for a little bit longer. It probably won’t matter how well you can braid hair.
10. Jenna: Just reading the preview, I am concerned that Jenna saying she’s lying to Donathan so easily is a bad sign. 10. Michael: Kellyn was not subtle about wanting you gone last week. She went along with Domenick’s plan and this week it’s time he pays the piper. The only thing that’s going to save you is an immunity win.

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