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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Prelude to Kim’s Coronation?

May 9, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Tarzan’s hopes to spend time with his wife were ignored, the wrong people were chosen to go on reward, and Kat’s elimination from the game left her floored…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Quick Aside: Since Redemption Island is gone, is it possible we could get a fallen comrades ceremony this Sunday? Ah…classic “Survivor.”

The penultimate episode kicks off with a somber Tikiano tribe after Tribal Council. Everybody seems to feel bad about Kat’s blindside.

Tarzan lets us know that he has a plan to get into the final three, but part of that involves getting into the final four first. Mathematically, that is a sound strategy.

Later, Tarzan runs an idea by Kim where he offers to be Kim’s advocate on the jury if she keeps him until the final four. That’s actually very savvy. A lot of people think the Ponderosa set-up has too much of an affect on the jury’s votes.

The end of the discussion results in Kim giving serious thought to getting rid of Chelsea and Sabrina so she can go to the end with Alicia and Christina. Wow…who would’ve ever picked Christina in the final three?

Afterward, Tarzan makes a similar jury-advocate offer to Alicia. I’m not against this plan. If anything, he’s making it interesting.

The next morning, Chelsea offers to take Christina on the reward if she wins. Oh, c’mon. We know how this always turns out…

Chelsea does her best to get Christina to come on board, but, also claims she’s just talking out loud, (which is how most people talk.) She asks Christina to keep their conversation between them.

CUT TO: Christina telling Alicia and Kim what Chelsea just said. This, of course, concerns Kim because she’s been playing both sides.

Reward Challenge: Players will spin around a post to release a disc. They’ll then take the disc to the next station and do it again. Once they have three discs, they’ll use them to create a decoder wheel. First person to use the decoder to get a three-number combination and release their flag wins a lovely evening on a yacht.

Not a ton to describe here except for a lot of spinnin’ and disc retrievin’. This is actually hilarious as the spinning makes them all dizzy. Well done, John Kirhoffer. Should’ve made them drink beers first.

It’s all fairly even until they get to the decoder. Chelsea thinks she has the combination, but comes up short. Others join her, but aren’t able to get it to work either. Eventually, Chelsea figures it out and wins reward.

The part where she doesn’t take Christina on reward is coming in 5…4…3…2…

Probst gives her the opportunity to take someone with her, she chooses Sabrina.

Uh huh…

Probst lets her pick one more person and she goes with Kim.

BAHA! I’m a Survivor psychic! That, or I can decipher basic patterns.

We meet up with Chelsea and her buddies on the yacht. Kim lets Chelsea know that she thinks they can go all the way. Funny, she said something similar to Kat last week. I’m getting déjà vu.

Back at camp, Christina and Alicia are livid over Chelsea’s reward challenge choices. I’m getting déjà vu.

Anywho, Tarzan, Alicia, and Christina agree to vote for Chelsea if she doesn’t win immunity. They’re also going to try to bring Kim on board. If not, Alicia’s OK with pulling rocks. Does she remember that Kim has an idol?

EDIT: I was reminded by @Hugh310 that Chelsea is the only one who knows about Kim’s idol.

The next morning, Tarzan kicks back into bizarre Tarzan mode by being weird about random things. In this case, Alicia doesn’t want him to use his gross buff to filter food. He doesn’t think this is a big deal because they’ve been in the wilderness for over a month and microbes are everywhere.

Once the yachting team returns, Alicia and Kim have a discussion about how Tarzan told both of them that he’ll be their jury advocate. Dah…busted.

Alicia is not pleased that he tried to play a social game on her. She doesn’t approve because she’s the “Queen of the Social Game.” Oh boy…not sure where to even start with that comment.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will use large fish hooks to grab puzzle pieces. They’ll then use those pieces to (duh) complete a puzzle. And to make things more difficult, they’ll have to do it with one hand behind their back.

Kim and Alicia are both off to a strong start as they complete the beginning section of the puzzle first. Kim finishes the second section first and is building a big lead; Tarzan and Alicia are right behind her. Chelsea’s way in the back.

In the third and final stage, Kim has trouble with her hooks and can’t get her bags. She’s eventually passed by Alicia and Tarzan.

Kim, Alicia, and Tarzan are neck and neck in the end with Alicia finally pulling off the win by a matter of seconds.

Back at camp, there’s an uncomfortable moment where Tarzan calls Alicia a b—- for having the audacity to beat him. He was probably kidding, but it was awkward.

Politicking around camp centers around everyone going after Tarzan. However, Sabrina and Chelsea aren’t convinced that Alicia isn’t still gunning for Chelsea. Chelsea asks Kim to play the idol on her behalf, but Kim is noncommittal. (Or nonkimmittal)

In fact, Kim lets us know that if the others aren’t voting for Tarzan, that she’d rather get rid of Chelsea and use her idol to get to the final four. Dun dun dun…

Fun Fact: Everyone seems to think that Kim is super smooth, and everyone blames it on her blue eyes.

Before they head off to Tribal, Tarzan decides to wear someone’s panties as if it’s a headband. This grosses the women out. Oh jeez, they’re only microbes.

That night at Tribal Council, Tarzan thinks he’s still in the game because he helped the ladies get rid of the guys.

Sabrina thinks that the male jurors may want to give the million to a man.

Tarzan thinks he’s misunderstood and that he knows more about microbes than anyone. Also, apparently those were Kat’s panties that he was wearing on his head. Kat, as you’d imagine, was not amused. I’m assuming that’s one less jury vote for Tarzan…

Alicia thinks it wasn’t fair for Chelsea to take Kim on the reward as she’s been on like every reward ever.

Christina was frustrated that she wasn’t chosen for the reward.

Chelsea is OK with not taking Christina because she thinks Christina broke her word to her.

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

J-Pro tallies and returns…we’ve got one vote for Chelsea, three votes for Tarzan, and the thirteenth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Tarzan.

As Tarzan is leaving, he gives a very polite farewell. Michael responds by giving him the middle finger. Well, that seemed unnecessary.

Verdict: Kim deserves points for convincing Alicia that Tarzan is a threat.  Other than that…um…well…huh…

Who’s Going to Win: It certainly seems like Sunday will result in a Spradlin family celebration. However, in Gabon it was believed that there was a jury alliance made up of Randy, Charlie, Corinne, and Marcus that was going to award the million to whoever they wanted. Is it crazy to think the guys would do something similar? Just to mess with everybody? Probably not, but something to think about.

Power Rankings Update: Dawn Meehan had Tarzan in spot four while Sophie Clarke had him in spot three. Therefore, the winner of the “Survivor: One World” Power Rankings is bread-making maven Dawn Meehan!

Congratulations to Dawn and a huge thanks to Jim Rice, John Cochran, Sophie Clarke, Christine Shields Markoski, Andrea Boehlke, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, and a “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug for participating in this season’s competition.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Finals – Dawn Meehan vs. Sophie Clarke

May 9, 2012

Dawn Meehan vs. Sophie Clarke (CBS)

In honor of “Survivor: One World’s” men vs. women theme, XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” guy Gordon Holmes captained a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” guys against a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” gals.

However, the Power Rankings imitated life and the women’s team ran away with the game. In fact, the men were mathematically eliminated with three weeks still left to go.

So, the executive “Survivor” Power Rankings committee decided that the Power Rankings should continue to imitate “Survivor,” and the women should be forced to compete against each other until one sole Survivor is left standing…er…ranking.

Note: The “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug has filed an appeal with the “Survivor” Power Rankings committee. It has yet to be ruled upon.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The Rules: Dawn and Sophie will create separate Power Rankings.  The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Alicia is voted out this week, Dawn will receive 3 points and Sophie will receive 5 points. The person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: One World” Power Rankings champion.

Tie Breaker: If both competitors have the eliminated Survivor in the same position, the winner will be determined by whoever has the closest answer to the tie-breaker question. The tie-breaker question is; how many times will Jeff Probst say the word “guys” in the next episode?

Dawn’s Tie-Breaker: 11

Got any advice for Dawn? Drop her a line on Twitter.

Sophie’s Tie Breaker: 3 (“Even though there are no (real) men left in the game.”)

Got any advice for Sophie? Drop her a line on Twitter.

1. I don’t see any scenario where Kim isn’t sitting at the Final 3. Here we are 30+ days into “Survivor: One World” and she’s still holding onto a hidden immunity idol! Kim’s safe this week. 1. The name of the game now is kicking out the threats (Kat last week and perhaps Alicia or Sabrina this week?) You might think this would put Kim, the biggest threat, at risk. Her dominance, however, is old news. If they haven’t gotten rid of her yet, they wont get rid of her now.
2. I think Chelsea is going to give Kim a run for the money! She’s a threat in challenges, she’s well-liked by most players, and she’s tight with Kim—who just so happens to be holding onto a hidden immunity idol. (Side note: You never hear anyone say, “Let’s get rid of Chelsea.” And clearly, Alicia and Chelsea are in some kind of alliance. I mean, they both voted Kat out last week.) So, as far as Final 3, Chelsea’s got options!  I think she is the one to watch come Sunday’s finale. 2. Kim isn’t making moves against tag-along Chelsea and Chelsea hasn’t built up a big enough resume to appear a FTC threat to Alicia or Sabrina. Unless Tarzan takes the throne and can’t stand the thought of looking at the botched (?) boobs any longer, Chelsea will survive another week.
3. Aside from the “Colton Days,” I really am impressed with Alicia’s game. When you think about it, SHE’s the one we saw negotiate the Day 1 alliance with the original Salani tribe. And she also managed to stay on good terms with Tarzan and many members of the jury post-merge.  If she can make it to final 3, I think Alicia has a solid shot at convincing a jury that she ran this game. 3. The sudden blindside of Kat last week proved that the girls have no allegiance to any kind of pecking order. This makes the never-gonna-win speedo-clad odd ball out perhaps the safest person out there.
4. I’m speechless when it comes to Tarzan. Truly. But I think he’s safe this week. (They’ve kept him around for a reason: he’s loyal to the core alliance/decision-makers.) 4. Christina is in the same boat as Tarzan. I don’t think she can win the game, but she certainly isn’t threatening enough to be targeted next.
5. I think Christina is safe this week… but only because the remaining players are focused on getting rid of Sabrina (a HUGE threat to win the game) first. 5. Every week, Alicia makes bold claims that she is in control of the game, and she actually might be! If the girls in charge get whiff of this, they will have no trouble cutting her loose.
6. Unfortunately, I think Sabrina is heading to Ponderosa this week. She barely survived last Tribal Council—and it’s clear that several remaining players see her as a threat to win the game. So, unless Sabrina wins immunity, I think she’s the next to go. 6. Sabrina only narrowly missed execution last week. Unless things get shaken up, it looks like she is next on the chopping block.

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What if There’s a Tie at a ‘Survivor’ Final Tribal Council? Jeff Probst (Kinda) Explains

May 7, 2012

Jeff Probst (CBS)

There has never been a tie vote in a “Survivor” final Tribal Council. In early versions of the game, this wasn’t an issue as there were an odd number of jury members and only two final contestants. However, ever since “Survivor: Cook Islands” introduced a final three, a tie has been a very real possibility.

With the “Survivor: One World” finale right around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to get to the bottom of this long-standing “Survivor” mystery. I reached out to the guy who’d know, “Survivor” host and executive producer (and Emmy hoarder) Jeff Probst, to get all the information he was willing to reveal…

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: One World’

Gordon Holmes: What is the official plan if there’s a three-way tie at the final Tribal Council?
Jeff Probst: I can’t tell you. But we do have one.
Holmes: So, it’s a trade secret? Like the recipe to Coca-Cola?
Probst: It’s not even a big deal, but until we use it, we don’t want to give it away. We always have it, we are always ready for it. And I hope we get to use it.

Holmes: OK, but what if there’s a two-way tie where two of the finalists have four votes and the third finalist has a single vote?
Probst: We would revote again and you would have to vote for one of those two.
Holmes: A revote at the reunion or at the Tribal Council?
Probst: At the Tribal Council.

Don’t miss the “Survivor: One World Finale and Reunion Show” this Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Kat Edorsson

May 3, 2012

Kat Edorsson (CBS)

It’s easy to take knowledge for granted when you’re watching “Survivor.” We know Kim is running the show because she looks right into a camera lens and tells us.

Kat Edorsson didn’t have the same luxury. She thought she was in charge of things at Tikiano beach all the way up until Jeff Probst read her name four times.

I spoke with the blindsided beauty the day after her elimination and got her take on Troyzan’s inspirational aside, her quirky characteristics, and Kim’s hurtful words…

Gordon Holmes: You seemed really upset after last night’s blindside. Can you walk us through what you were feeling?
Kat Edorsson: During that moment I didn’t have words to express how upset I was. During the walk back I was babbling to myself, I was just so upset. That was the biggest blindside. I had no idea it was going to happen. I just felt so hurt.
Holmes: But I thought blindsides were fun and exciting.
Edorsson: (Laughs) They’re not fun and exciting! I want to make that completely clear. I was completely blown away. In the game you have to trust somebody and the only part that was naïve about my experience is that I trusted my alliance with my whole heart instead of keeping my eyes open. What we said always went so I thought it was completely OK.

Holmes: When you were voted out you mentioned that you would be perceived as the most naïve person to ever play, and earlier you had expressed concern that you’d be perceived as a follower. Were you more worried about the perception of the jury or of the viewing public?
Edorsson: It was more of how America was going to view me. When I came out to play “Survivor” I had all of these goals as to how I wanted to be perceived. And the entire time, I felt like I was making all the moves. I felt like it was all me, that Kim was following me. I wanted to make sure that America thought I was doing a great job and making all of these strategic alliances. I thought I was a leader. I didn’t think the jury would ever see me as not a good player.
Holmes: And how did things like, pardon my bluntness, farting on other players or crawling toward your cousin play into America’s perception of you?
Edorsson: (Laughs) That’s just me. That’s 100% Kat. I took the experience and I went with it. I was never afraid to show who I really was. I love to laugh, and the best part about me is if you’re not laughing with me, you can laugh at me.
Holmes: I think it’s very cool that you own that. What’s the reaction been like from the fans?
Edorsson: I have a lot of love. OK…from the Kim fans I’ve received a little bit of negativity and some of the Troy fans. They’re really strategic players. People that have been watching the game for 12 years, they’re very into the strategic part of the game and they didn’t think that I was very strategic. They thought I was just being ridiculous and that hurt my feelings because I was very loyal to my alliance. I made those decisions like everybody else did in my alliance.

Holmes: What do you think the motivation was behind Troyzan’s “Do it” pep talk. Were you close enough that that meant something to you, or was he trying to make a statement?
Edorsson: That meant something to me. We had a very close bond. It’s funny because my closest bond in the game was with Kim and Troy. I have a great alliance with these women, but Kim and Troy both really believed in me. They were like a part of my family. And Troy really wanted me to win. He wanted to vote for me. I know he had great intentions behind it.

Holmes: What was your relationship like with Chelsea?
Edorsson: Chelsea was always picking on me. I think she was a little threatened by the relationship that I had with Kim. And every time it was me and Kim, I think Chelsea got a whiff of that. Kim said this was her final three (with Kat and Alicia), which was the truth. We made that alliance on day three. Inside our five I always had my three. Even when Alicia went to Manono, I still protected her.

Holmes: Was it weird listening to Kim say that she wanted to take you to the end because she thought you were the kind of person who’d blow the million dollars in a year?
Edorsson: Kim said that?
Holmes: Yes, to her sister.
Edorsson: I didn’t actually see that part. When I was watching it I was having a moment to myself.  I’m pretty sure I heard it, but I didn’t want to believe it. That really does affect me. It really hurts to hear things like that. If I don’t have anything else, I have common sense. That really just bothered me. I felt I was belittled when I’d watch Kim and Alicia say stuff like that and when Chelsea said I didn’t deserve to be in the final three.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Sabrina.
Edorsson: Intelligent.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Edorsson: Incredible.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Edorsson: Ugh…there are things I want to say, but I’ll say “hero.”
Holmes: Tarzan?
Edorsson: Very strange.
Holmes: Really?
Edorsson: (Laughs) Yes.
Holmes: Christina?
Edorsson: What game are you playing? Clueless.
Holmes: Alicia?
Edorsson: I want to say “margarita!” Firecracker.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Kim.
Edorsson: Genius.

Holmes: Troyzan seemed to be staring holes through you guys from the jury stand. What was going on there?
Edorsson: (Laughs) He was so angry. He looked like he was going to kill Kim.
Holmes: And of course, Kim’s an old lady, right?
Edorsson: (Laughs) I feel so bad for calling her old! Actually, I called her an “old hag.”

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – When the Kat’s Away…

May 2, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Kim picked people to join her on reward and clearly blew it, Christina was the back-up boot and Sabrina made sure she knew it, and on his way out of the game Troyzan told Kat to “do it.”

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kat – 22, Timeshare Rep
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Troy’s farewell proclamation to Kat is the talk of the camp after Tribal Council. Kat claims to not know what he was talking about. In her defense, she doesn’t know what a lot of people are talking about.

Alicia thinks Tribal proved that Christina isn’t terribly bright and that’s a reason to keep her around. Oh, so she shouldn’t throw herself in the fire like Colton had suggested? Good to see attitudes can change.

The next morning, Tree Mail arrives in the form of a Sprint EVO 3-D phone. Uh oh…family members can’t be far behind.

True to form, the phone is loaded with videos from their families. We’re treated to footage of Sabrina’s brother, Alicia’s sister, Chelsea’s dad, Christina’s dad, Kim’s sister, Kat’s cousin, and Tarzan’s wife who are all apparently on the island.

Sure enough, all of the family members show up at the reward challenge. Oh man, Christina’s dad recently had a kidney transplant and has only been give five-to-ten years left to live. It’s gettin’ dusty up in here.

Sabrina’s brother is jacked. If this is a team challenge, look out for them.

When Kat’s cousin comes out, she crawls toward him like a dog for some reason. She’s hilarious. I’m starting to love her.

Things get uber-emotional when Tarzan’s wife comes out, and everyone recognizes it. Sabrina even says that she’s playing for herself and Tarzan.

Reward Challenge: The players and their loved ones will be attached to a rope that is wound around a series of obstacles. First team to get to the end wins a barbecue with their loved one.

Team Kim, Team Alicia, and Team Chelsea jump out to a big lead while Team Sabrina can’t even get out of the starting gate. So much for my pre-game prediction.

It gets close at the end, but Kat and her cousin manage to come from behind and win.

Probsty allows her to take someone with her, she chooses Kim. Seriously?!

He allows her to bring one other person and she goes with Alicia. Even more seriously?!

This is normally where I’d say, “Does she even watch this show?” But, she was literally a part of this exact situation three days ago.

Kat explains her decision by saying that she has been meaning to get drunk with those two. That’s some strategy…I guess. Everybody else agrees that she should have taken Tarzan and his wife.

Later at the reward, Kat pitches the idea of booting Sabrina before Christina because at least Christina knows she isn’t in a final alliance. The others seem on board with this plan.

Kim tells her sister that she thinks taking Kat and Alicia to the final three is her best bet. Her reasoning is that Alicia isn’t well liked and that Kat is someone who would squander the million dollars in a year. Wow, so Kat really is the female Fabio.

Back at camp, Sabrina is furious that Kat didn’t pick Christina and Tarzan for the reward. They even go so far as discussing a side alliance that boots Kat next.

Quick Aside: I’d be pretty annoyed if my girlfriend took the super-long flight to Samoa only to get to spend 20 minutes with me.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will lean over the water on a ledge while hanging onto a rope. As the challenge goes on, the rope will extend. The last person standing (er…leaning) wins immunity.

Sabrina is the first one to go, and Kat does a not-so-subtle happy dance. Tarzan falls a minute or so later.

Alicia drops out next.

This challenge seems like it’d be unfair to people with longer arms, right?

Chelsea is the next to go, she’s followed by Christina. It’s down to Kat and Kim.

At the one-hour mark, Kat finally drops. Kim wins immunity.

Back at camp, Kat talks about how embarrassing it is to lose to a 28-year-old. As a 35-year-old with an impressive immunity challenge record, I think I love her less now.

Politicking around camp centers around Sabrina vs. Kat. Alicia was originally on board the boot-Sabrina bandwagon, but Kat’s strong challenge performance has her considering switching sides.

Kim, however, thinks Sabrina is more likely to win over a jury.

That night at Tribal Council, Probst calls Kat out for picking Kim and Alicia for the reward challenge. Kat thinks it was the toughest choice she’d ever made in her life.

Kat then says she chose Kim and Alicia based on who she’d have the most fun with.

Sabrina thinks Kat will look back on that choice and regret it.

Chelsea thinks Kat uses her age as an excuse every time she messes up.

Tarzan says the pick didn’t bother him because he appreciates that Kat is young and naïve.

Alicia was shocked with what a challenge threat Kat has become.

Sabrina says that her jury vote wouldn’t necessarily go to the best player.

Kat thinks blindside votes are fun and exciting. Yeah, Michael said something similar right before he was blindsided.

Voting Time: Kat votes for Sabrina, Sabrina votes for Kat, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Sabrina, three votes for Kat, and the twelfth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Kat.

Whoa…Kat’s in tears as she walks away. So much for fun and exciting…

Verdict: It seems like the only real drama left is; who’s Kim going to take to the final three? That usually doesn’t lead to thrilling TV.

Who’s Going to Win: There’s no way Kim doesn’t walk away with the big check.

Power Rankings Update: Sophie Clarke had Kat in spot six while Andrea Boehlke had her in spot five. Therefore, Sophie has earned a spot in next week’s finals against Dawn Meehan.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Semi Finals: Andrea Boehlke vs. Sophie Clarke

May 1, 2012

Andrea Boehlke vs. Sophie Clarke (CBS)

In honor of “Survivor: One World’s” men vs. women theme, XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” guy Gordon Holmes captained a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” guys against a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” gals.

However, the Power Rankings imitated life and the women’s team ran away with the game. In fact, the men were mathematically eliminated with three weeks still left to go.

So, the executive “Survivor” Power Rankings committee decided that the Power Rankings should continue to imitate “Survivor,” and the women should be forced to compete against each other until one sole Survivor is left standing…er…ranking.

Note: The “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug was disqualified for failing a drug test.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The Rules: Each week a pair of the remaining women will create separate Power Rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Tarzan is voted out this week, Andrea will receive 6 points and Sophie will receive 7 points. The person with the most points will advance to the next round.

Got any advice for Andrea? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 

  

Got any advice for Sophie? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 
1. So apparently everyone and their mom’s cat’s gardener’s cousin is drinking the Kim Kool-Aid. From what I can gather, every person still playing “Survivor: One World” must think they are going to the end with Kim. Heck, I’m not even playing this game and I’m wondering whether I might have an alliance with her.  Do I? Clearly, we are all fighting to be Kim’s SBFF (Super Best Friend Forever) but from my own personal experience with SBFFs, I know you can only truly have one. So, who will Kim’s be? 1. K’impossible’ or Kim’possible’? I think the latter.
2. Chelsea APPEARS to be Kim’s SBFF at this point. I can’t really see Kim getting rid of Chelsea, and I think Chelsea is planning on riding the Kim train to the end. If Kim takes the heat for the inevitable backstabbing that is about to go down, Chelsea could come out as the sweet sidekick-turned-millionaire. 2. Chelsea stands in Kim’s shadows. She is less athletic. She is less well liked. She is less strategic. Soon she is going to be less rich.
3. Kim chose Alicia to come on the reward, which tells me that Alicia may be closer to Kim than I originally thought. Is she BFF #2 over Sabrina? Time will tell, but Alicia may be a better choice to bring to the end than the rest, only because it seems as if she may have rubbed some people the wrong way. 3. Alicia is the dark horse. I don’t think the jury considers her to be the head of the hated and, in Troyzan’s words, “cocky” girl alliance but she is also not completely strategically inept like Christina. The tribe switch at the beginning of the game forced Alicia to make decisions in her own self-interest, and we saw her flourish. After the merge, however, Alicia seemed content as just another member of Kim’s Kult.  I hope this girl remembers the mischievous fun she had when Colton was around and forges her own path to the end before it is too late.
4. If you have not seen Troyzan’s secret scene (the one involving ‘fuzzy squares’ and Alicia riding the pig) please do so now. I’ll still be here when you’re back. Annnnnnnd okay—you saw it? The Sabrina dance was all I needed to remind me why I’m a Sabrina fan. Not sure where she falls in line in the Kimber-rankings, but I feel that she is safe over Christina, Tarzan and Kat. Sabrina seems pretty game savvy too, so maybe she will be the one to stir the pot soon? 4. I can’t really tell where Sabrina fits into this game. Who is her closest ally? What is her end game plan? Why doesn’t she work at camp? What does the jury think of her? Does she have any say in her alliance? If the jury is equally as confused and ambivalent about her game, Sabrina doesn’t have a shot to win. However, “Survivor” juries have very short-term memories, and Sabrina still has time to make her mark. I hope this girl wins a challenge, orchestrates a blindside, and fetches some water… all in one episode!
5. I’ve been rooting for Kitty Kat all season, but if she wants to not be seen as a follower she needs to act fast. Maybe she will take Troyzan’s advice and “Do it” this episode, even though I’m not exactly sure what that entails. Do what? Kill the pig? Pull a blindside? Just keep dancing?  I hope Kat can find a way to shimmy her way to the end, because her little Kat dances are probably the highlight of each episode for me. 5. Christina has missed her chance to make a move and is at the mercy of Kim. You might think that would make Christina safe for a while – she and Tarzan are the perfect end game goats. However, Kim will win—hands down—if she makes it to the end. It doesn’t matter against whom. Now is not the time for Kim to ruin her reputation as “someone you would trust with your life” by backstabbing her closest allies in favor of the nut jobs.
6. Who would have guessed that the kooky plastic surgeon would be the last zan standing?! I’m not sure what planet Tarzan is on. I’m not sure what alliance Tarzan thinks he’s in. I’m still not sure what was on Tarzan’s shorts back in the day. Some things will always be a mystery. However, since Tarzan is so out there, he could be *that* guy you drag with you to the end. Gosh, I hope not. 6. If the girls need to make a move against anyone, it is Kat. I hope Troyzan’s parting words of encouragement to Kat set off some bells in Kim’s brain. Underdog Kat could win this game! She performed well in challenges, didn’t directly orchestrate any of the jury boots, and seems to be relatively sweet and likeable. This Female-Fabio might be Kim’s biggest end-game threat with a biter jury.
7. The fact that they split the vote between Troyzan and Christina instead of just splitting votes between the zans makes me think that the rest of the Tikiano girls see Christina as disposable. I feel that the end is near for sweet Cha Cha. 7. Kim has established herself as the fair, merciful ruler of the Tikiano tribe. She is unflinchingly sending people to their deaths, but in an order and manner that appears just and even compassionate. If she booted Tarzan, she would uphold the status quo with the rest of her tribe, and probably even get Tarzan’s vote at the end.

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Gordon Holmes Is a Selfish Jerk

April 30, 2012

I take the SEPTA train into the City of Brotherly Love every weekday morning. Now, being a bit of a night owl, I’ve managed to train myself (no pun intended) to be able to sleep on the way in. In fact, sometimes the only thing that gets me out of bed is the fact that a nice little nap is waiting for me.

Another thing waiting for me is Carol. She’s the attendant who covers the R2 into Philly. She’s the best. Since we’re buddies, if I’m already sleeping by the time she comes into my car, she won’t even wake me up to see my train pass.

(more…)

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WWE World Champ Sheamus on Daniel Bryan’s Popularity, Brock Lesnar’s Return

April 27, 2012

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus Is Ready for Sunday's Extreme Rules (WWE)

You can’t watch a television commercial in eighteen seconds. You can’t make a bag of microwave popcorn in eighteen seconds. But at Wrestlemania 28, WWE Superstar Sheamus was able to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Daniel Bryan in eighteen seconds.

Understandably, Mr. Bryan would like a rematch.

I spoke with the Great White in the days leading up to his two-out-of-three-falls rematch at Extreme Rules and got his opinion on his opponent’s new-found popularity, the grudge match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar, and his work with the Be A STAR anti-bullying campaign…

Watch WWE: Extreme Rules, Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET on Pay Per View.

Gordon Holmes:  At Wrestlemania you defeated Daniel Bryan in only eighteen seconds. At Extreme Rules you’ll be facing him in a best-two-out-of-three-falls match. Is it your goal to end this match in thirty six seconds?
Sheamus: (Laughs) Absolutely. The first person to get two falls wins. Who knows what’s going to happen?
Holmes: I couldn’t tie my own shoe in eighteen seconds.
Sheamus: It wasn’t what I was expecting. Daniel Bryan beat Big Show, Mark Henry, Randy Orton…he went through a lot of guys. And he’d been using AJ or any means necessary to get himself disqualified to hold onto the World Heavyweight Championship. And the Monday before on Raw, it was me and Randy Orton taking on him and Kane and I was preparing to kick his head off when AJ figured into the match. It basically cost me the match. So, when I saw him kiss AJ (at Wrestlemania) I wasn’t sure if he would try to use AJ again, so when I saw the opportunity I kicked his head off because I wasn’t going to let him screw me out of the World Heavyweight Championship. He got too cocky and that’s what happened.
Holmes: Since then, Daniel Bryan has amassed a huge cult following with his “Yes” chants. Are you worried that you’re going to be facing a hostile, “Yes”-crazy crowd in Chicago at Extreme Rules?
Sheamus: I wouldn’t expect anything else other than a hostile crowd in Chicago. That’s what makes performing so fantastic. The crowd makes up their own minds, they’re as much a part of the show as we are.
Holmes: How does the Windy City usually react to you?
Sheamus: Chicago is a fantastic place to perform. The first time I ever got the crowd behind me was at Money in the Bank last year when I put Sin Cara through a ladder. The more unpredictable the crowd, the better. I’m expecting a hostile crowd. I’m expecting lots of “Yes” chants. I’m expecting it to be a great night, and me and Daniel Bryan are going to steal the show.

Holmes: The other big match this Sunday is of course John Cena squaring off against the returning Brock Lesnar. It seems like Cena’s had a rough run lately with a large portion of the fans turning against him and his Wrestlemania loss to the Rock. What’s your take on what he’s been going through lately?
Sheamus: You know, John raised his game in taking on the Rock. Cena’s done everything in about eight years in the WWE. He’s created an incredible foundation. People come to see him whether they want to boo or cheer him. And everybody has ups and down. But Cena always bounces back. I think he’s going to bring it Sunday against Lesnar, I think it’s going to be a great match. It’s exciting times for everybody.
Holmes: You’re excited to have Brock back in the fold?
Sheamus: I think it’s great, man. It creates a buzz around what we do. It brings attention from outside of the WWE Universe back in, like people who have strayed away, it brings them back. And I think that’s only a positive thing. People will tune in to see Brock Lesnar taking on John Cena, but guess what, there’s going to be a two-out-of-three-falls match between two of the most exciting superstars right now in the WWE, that’s Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. And we’re also two of the most hard-hitting superstars.
Holmes: John Cena had given the Rock some grief about being a part-time wrestler. The same could probably said for Brock Lesnar. When people like the Rock and Brock come back and don’t go on the big tours, is that something that bothers you at all?
Sheamus: It doesn’t me in the slightest, fella. These guys coming in are bringing attention to the WWE and attention to the product. I thought Rock coming back was great. As far as I know, I think it was the highest grossing Wrestlemania ever. How positive is that? That’s incredible. For me, it’s fine, it happens. People come and go.

Holmes: You’re in a fascinating business. You’re backstage and you’ve got people in crazy costumes and guys like the Big Show and guys like Hornswoggle. What’s been the most surreal moment for you?
Sheamus: It’s kind of funny, you see all these people and they’re kind of like family now. We see each other more than we do our families. But I remember when I first started, I came up to UK for a tryout and I remember walking back and seeing everyone from Triple H to Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Big Show…all the superstars there. It was unbelievable. It was very intimidating. You try not to say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. It’s very important to make a good first impression. But now it’s business as usual. They’re a great bunch of guys and I’m happy to be working with them.

Holmes: You’ve been on the main roster for about three years now; you’ve held two WWE Championships, the World Championship, King of the Ring, Royal Rumble. All of this, and you’re still a young guy. Are you worried that there are less stories to tell or less places for you to go?
Sheamus: I don’t worry about that at all. I’ve had a lot of success early, which is fantastic. But there are a lot of superstars I haven’t really mixed it up with yet. Like Punk or Jericho really, a lot of superstars coming up from FCW like Claudio Castagnoli and Ryback. Lord Tensai has come in, Brock is back, Alberto Del Rio is back. I don’t see any shortage of stories. There will always be interesting stories. And that’s all that matters.
Holmes: Which superstars do you think have the potential to break through and be the next big thing?
Sheamus: It’s difficult to say, there are a lot of guys on the cusp. Alberto Del Rio, he’s got an incredible resume. I think you’ve got some tremendous talents like Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes has a lot of promise as well. Wade Barrett is coming back. There’s potential in Drew McIntyre too. His work is incredible. Of course Claudio, Ryback, Lord Tensai…it literally could be any one of them. Whoever steps up. All of those guys could bring it.

Holmes: You’re a super huge guy. Like a big, walking muscle with pale skin and bright red hair. What’s something you could tell me about yourself that would shock me? Do you knit?
Sheamus: (Laughs) I’m a pretty laid-back fella. I know it sounds like a cliché, but when I get home I chill out and relax, I’ve got two dogs. I like reading Celtic mythology or chilling out to music. I literally am enjoying every moment of this job because I scraped so hard to get to it. It’s funny, and this might be going off topic, but when people talk about ROH (Ring of Honor, a popular independent wrestling organization) they talk about Claudio and they talk about Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, the indie darlings and stuff like that. But funnily enough, myself and Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre, we were on the indies in the UK. Obviously we didn’t get the exposure that they did in ROH, but we worked for free and we paid for flights to the UK and Ireland. We worked as much as we possibly could to get experience. But now that we’re here we appreciate everything we do and we’re loving every minute of it.

Holmes: You do a lot of work with the Be A STAR anti-bullying campaign. What inspired you to get involved with that initiative?
Sheamus: It’s very important to me. I volunteered for that program because of my experiences as a kid being bullied.  I didn’t always look the way I look now. I was a small, chubby kid with red hair. I was an introvert so I was an easy target. I had a tough time. I can relate to a lot of the cases that are going on now. I see some tragic stories with kids taking their own lives. I’ve met some kids at the schools, I had one kid actually who had a stroke as a teenager. He was being bullied and was pushed down some stairs by three or four guys. Having a stroke as a teenager? How tragic is that? These things are happening to kids. We feel like we have the ears of these teenagers and we’re trying to bring a positive message. A lot of bullies don’t know what they’re doing because they’ve never been in these situations themselves. So, we’re trying to educate them and we’re trying to teach kids to stand up to bullies in a non-violent way. We’re trying to tell these kids not to be ashamed of themselves because they’re not the problem.

Holmes: You recently returned from an international tour of Europe. What was it like to compete in front of your hometown crowd?
Sheamus: That was unbelievable, man. It took a lot for me to hold back my emotions. It was an incredible feeling. I used to stand in that arena, the O2 Arena in Dublin, working security or whatever. And just to see the superstars up close was like a parallel world. And to go from that to working in front of a packed house as World Heavyweight Champion, that was just a really special thing for me. It was probably one of the highlights of my entire life.
Holmes: Are Irish fans any different than US fans?
Sheamus: They did those “Ole Ole Ole” chants that were made popular by the Irish football team, or soccer team as you call it. It was incredible. I can’t tell you how proud I was.
Holmes: You aren’t a tiny guy. Those international flights have got to be rough.
Sheamus: (Laughs) Yeah, but you kinda feel bad when you look around and see Khali and Big Show. I don’t know how those guys do it.
Holmes: Not to get too graphic on you, but can you guys even fit into those tiny lavatories?
Sheamus: It’s a struggle, fella. But, it can be done.

Watch WWE: Extreme Rules, Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET on Pay Per View.

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Troy “Troyzan” Robertson

April 26, 2012
Troy 'Troyzan' Robertson (CBS)

Troy 'Troyzan' Robertson (CBS)

Many people consider “Survivor” Hall of Famer Ozzy Lusth to be the greatest challenge competitor in the show’s history. But even he couldn’t pull off the “win every immunity challenge until the end” strategy.

Troy “Troyzan” Robertson had little choice but to try a similar strategy after his alliance with Kim Spradlin went up in flames. Ultimately he was unsuccessful. But in fairness to Troyzan, immunity doesn’t always go to the fastest or the strongest. Sometimes it goes to whoever’s the best on a slip n’ slide.

I spoke with Troyzan the morning after his elimination and found out why it was so hard to break up the Spradlin Six, what he really said after last week’s heated challenge, and why anyone would ever request time off from taking pictures of bikini models…

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: One World’

Gordon Holmes: Now, I understand it’s best not to (expletive deleted) with you, so I’m going to do my best to stay clear of that.
Troy “Troyzan” Robertson: (Laughs) Well, they bleeped out the word “eff,” because I never said (expletive deleted). I wanted it to make the show.
Holmes: I think the point gets across either way.
Robertson: I agree.

Holmes: You were eliminated in the first round of last night immunity tournament, and instead of watching the rest of it, you kind of just stared off at the beautiful Samoan beach.
Robertson: First of all, I didn’t like those kinds of challenges. I wanted it to be me against everyone where we’d do something at the same time. Especially a physical challenge, like something Navy SEALs would do. And I didn’t like that I was paired with Tarzan because it’s one ring toss, it could be a lucky toss and you’re done. So, I was hurrying to try to get stuff done. And then when I heard his name I was distraught because I knew that was it. I couldn’t even look at the challenge, I was just beside myself. I couldn’t look at these people. But then I realized that they thought I might still have an idol, so I can’t act completely bummed out. I was disgusted. Disgusted with them.
Holmes: So, you’re trying to say that Navy SEALs don’t use slip n’ slides?
Robertson: (Laughs) They would laugh at that. I wanted something like swimming or something in the water. And we never did one! I was jacked up for serious challenges. But in my mind, I thought I’d win every challenge. I was going to win out. I was 100% sure. So when I heard, “Tarzan wins,” I just walked away.
Holmes: That’s a shame, because hearing Jeff Probst’s melodious voice should always be a good thing.
Robertson: It was brutal, it kept ringing in my head. And I could hear those girls celebrating, and they were so smug to begin with. I could’ve killed them.

Holmes: Speaking of things you could have killed; what happened with the pig?
Robertson: We had enough food. And those girls were talking stupid stuff like, “Let’s kill the pig and have ham sandwiches for dinner and bacon for breakfast!” And I’m thinking, “You guys are stupid.” First of all, you don’t know how to kill a pig. It’s going to be squealing and bleeding and suffering. I’m not into that. If we had a way to kill it quick and we were starving, I’d be for it. Christina was like, “Knock if over the head with a pan!”
Holmes: Like a cartoon.
Robertson: I don’t even know where to start with the mentality of the women.

Holmes: What is it about this season where people are afraid to make moves until they’re specifically in danger? Is it really that bad strategically out there?
Robertson: Yes, it is. They’re totally clueless. I don’t know if it’s because the majority of them have never watched the show. They’re all afraid, and when people are afraid they just want to be safe and they want to be told what to do. The single most difficult thing to do out there is to change someone’s mind who is in fear. You can starve and be tired and strategize, that’s easy. Changing someone’s mind is difficult. They weren’t playing to win, they were playing to stay around.

Holmes: When you thought you were still tight with Kim, she told you that Michael was gunning for you. Did you trust her that much that you took that at face value or did you talk to other people and try to find out if that was the case?
Robertson: I’d been told that for weeks on end. It started back when it was just the men. He’d been saying things about wanting to get rid of me. I walked by him one time and he called me, “Your highness.” I didn’t appreciate where he was coming from. We were on the outs from day one. He was constantly saying things to perturb me. It wasn’t a thing where Kim said one thing and I blew up; it was the culmination of weeks and weeks of him annoying the crap out of me.

Holmes: After you were voted out last night, you got all Obi-Wan Kenobi with Kat. You told her to “Do it.” What was the motivation behind that?
Robertson: I feel like Kat is an underdog. All the girls play her. OK, Kat isn’t the most intelligent person based on what comes out of her mouth. But, she’s an underdog and I always root for the underdog. I got tired of Kim and Sabrina and Chelsea and Alicia’s smugness. So I said, “Kat, you’re smart enough to figure this out, so do it. Don’t let these people get to you.”

Holmes: The reward challenge we saw last night has been used in past seasons, and I’m pretty sure it only exists to hurt people’s feelings. Last night it was said that you’re the biggest poser and that you’re someone people would never want to see again after the show. How do you take that?
Robertson: I just take it as those girls showing their true colors. They are who they are, they’re smug. And they think that they’re only like that on “Survivor,” but that’s who they are deep down. Every single one of them. What you saw is who we are deep down inside. So, if you see someone who’s deceitful, they’re deceitful in some ways in their real life. Just like me; I lied to Matt, and I can do that in my real life. What you saw of me is 100% me and it’s 100% of everyone out there. And if they don’t want to see me out of the game, I have no problems with that, because I have no plans to be friends with them. We’re not going to be singing “Kumbaya” around the fire.

Holmes: Let’s get into some word association. We’ll start with Kim.
Robertson: No comment.
Holmes: Kat?
Robertson: A goofy innocence.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Robertson: Insecure.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Robertson: (Laughs) An eccentric alien.
Holmes: Alicia?
Robertson: (Laughs) Hairy.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Robertson: Split personality.
Holmes: Christina?
Robertson: Oh my, God…Christina? Boobs.

Holmes: A lot of people describe “Survivor” as their ultimate adventure. And I agree, it must be an amazing experience. However, you’re a swimsuit photographer, which also seems like an amazing adventure. Why would you ever leave that job for a minute?
Robertson: You have no idea how much I love “Survivor.” From the first show with Richard Hatch with all the people running around naked and starving and doing all of these crazy challenges, I thought, “Whatever this is, I need to be a part of it.” I had to do “Survivor.” And people say it’s hard to pull myself away from shooting swimsuit models, but at this point I love “Survivor” more. So, it was easy to do. Although Kate Upton and Brooklyn Decker were tough to break away from, but they knew how much I wanted to do it, so they gave me their blessing.
Holmes: OK, I was sorry to see you go, but now I’m finding myself hating you.
Robertson: (Laughs) Hey, you’ve got to play your cards right, you could come on a shoot with me.
Holmes: You misheard me; I meant that now I adore you.
Robertson: Oh, alright. Wait, you’re with Comcast, when am I going to get a special deal on my cable?
Holmes: I’ll get to work on a cable-deal-for-bikini-outing exchange.
Robertson: Exactly!

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Is the Women’s Alliance Slipping Away?

April 25, 2012

Kat on a Wet, Gross Slide (CBS)

Last Week: Troyzan was just too darn loud,  Leif made like a tree and got out of there, and it seems like winning the game is Kim’s density.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kat – 22, Timeshare Rep
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

OK, I said this on Twitter, but anyone who thought Troyzan and Tarzan would be the last two guys standing is a liar.

The show kicks off with Tarzan pledging his allegiance to the ladies. Quite a switch from the guy who was screaming “Cheaters!” at them in early challenges.

Kim doesn’t like being called out as the mastermind. She wants to get rid of Troyzan ASAP. Whoa…looks like she’s not going to heed his warning not to !@#$ with him.

Tree mail arrives the next morning and it sounds like the winner of the next reward challenge is going to get a trip. Kat makes a deal with Kim that whichever of them wins, they take the other. This never turns out well.

Reward Challenge: The players will be asked questions about their tribemates. They’ll then have to guess what the other players said. If they get it right, they’ll get to chop a rope for an opposing player. Once a player has three chops against them, they are eliminated. Last person standing wins a helicopter ride to a picnic.

Quick Aside: “Food in your belly” is my least favorite Probstism.

Question One: Who does not deserve to be here? The consensus is Christina. Kim, Chelsea, and Troyzan got it right.

Christina is shocked that she was chosen.

Troyzan goes for Kat, Kim hits Troyzan, and Chelsea hits Tarzan. Ooh…undiegate rears its ugly head.

Question Two: Who would you trust with your life? The answer is Kim. Christina, Chelsea, and Alicia got it right.

Christina hits Chelsea. Alicia and Chelsea both hit Troyzan, thus eliminating him. Alicia earns some respect by jokingly saying, “This is my island!”

Question Three: Who most needs a wake-up call in life? The answer is Kat. Everyone guessed that except for Kat. That’s awesome.

Sabrina and Chelsea eliminate Tarzan, Tarzan hits Chelsea, Christina hits Sabrina, Kim hits Christina, and Alicia eliminates Chelsea.

Question Four: Who is the biggest poser? The answer is Troyzan. Everyone got it except for Alicia who said Christina.

Kim hits Sabrina, Christina hits Kim, and Kat and Alicia hit Sabrina.

Question Five: Who does the least for their tribe? The answer is Sabrina. Oof… Kim, Christina, and Alicia got it right.

Christina and Alicia eliminate Kat, while Kim eliminates Sabrina.

Question Six: Who would you most like to be stranded with? The correct answer is Kim. Kim and Alicia both got it right.

Fun Fact: Kim voted for herself.

Kim and Alicia both eliminated Christina.

Question Seven: Who do you hope to never see again after the game? The answer is Troyzan. Kim and Alicia both got it right. Kim eliminated Alicia and won reward.

Kim is allowed to bring someone with her and she chooses Alicia. Although in fairness, Kat may have forgot that she wanted to go.

Probst lets her pick someone else and she goes with Chelsea. Ooo… Kim plays it off by saying that Chelsea hasn’t eaten in a while.

Troyzan takes the opportunity to point out that Kim’s picks were representative of the pecking order.

I think it’s amazing that there’s a reward like this every season and people still mess it up. I seriously think it might be sound strategy to throw any reward challenge.

Back at camp, Troyzan hammers home the point that everyone who isn’t at the picnic is on the bottom of the totem pole. Kim’s sick of hearing it and plans to bring it up with Kim when she returns. Troyzan seriously has all the subtlety of a punch in the face.

Sabrina tries to play if off by saying that Kim left the two people she trusts the most behind. Kat doesn’t care because she wanted to eat. She breaks down a bit, saying she doesn’t want to go down as a weak player, and if that means voting out Kim, she’ll do it.

Later, Sabrina pitches the idea of turning on Kim to the larger group. However, she only did it to determine who can’t be trusted. That’s smart. Christina immediately went for it…dun dun dun.

When the picnickers return, Kat tells Kim that she’s hurt because people think she’s a follower. Kim says she wishes she’d never won the challenge because it’s much more fun to be picked than it is to pick. Tell that to a booger, Kim. (That’s easily the worst joke in eight seasons of recaps. I apologize.)

A little while later, the dumbest pig in the world moseys his way into camp. They chase him with ropes and various tools but aren’t able to catch him. Where’s Michael Skupin when you need him!

Immunity Challenge Time: Two players will slide across a slippery course and grabbing rope rings along the way. They’ll then toss the ropes onto a post. First person to get a ring on the post advances. Last person standing wins immunity.

First Round: Chelsea defeated Alicia, Kat topped Sabrina, Tarzan bested Troyzan (and the women freak out), and Kim went over Christina.

Second Round: Chelsea beat Kat and Kim got the win over Tarzan

Note: Troyzan didn’t even watch the second round. He just stared off into the distance.

Third Round: Kim was victorious over Chelsea.

On the way back from the challenge, the pig just laid there watching them. Good, I was waiting for someone to root for this season.

Politicking around camp is pointing toward voting for Troyzan but throwing a few idol-insurance votes at Christina.

Sabrina tells Christina this plan, AND SHE SEEMS OK WITH IT! SHE SEEMS OK THAT IF  TROYZAN PLAYS AN IDOL, THAT SHE WILL BE GOING HOME!

(Sorry to get all Caps Locky on you there.)

Then…she goes to Troyzan and tells him that she’s going to get the insurance votes. So, Troyzan gets the bright idea to vote for her too.

That night at Tribal Council, Troyzan tells Probst that the Spradlin Six + Tarzan are gunning for him. Well, doy.

Another Quick Aside: The jury is all men. They should start a barbershop quartet.

Sabrina says that the Spradlin Six isn’t that tight. Probst jumps on that and asks Christina if she feels close with the girls. She doesn’t.

Kim admits that she was thinking of her top three on day one.

Christina thinks she’s still in the game because she’s a lucky girl. Alicia totally agrees because the tribe said during the reward challenge that Christina doen’t deserve to be there.

Kim thinks that Troy’s a brilliant guy, and he probably used the reward challenge to get into people’s heads.

Voting Time: Troyzan votes for Christina, Christina votes for Chelsea, Kim votes for Troyzan, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Chelsea, three votes for Troy, three votes for Christina, and the eleventh person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Troyzan.

As Troy is leaving, he leans in to Kat and says, “Do it.”

Verdict: I have to admit, I was pulling for Troyzan in the end, if only so I could feel like the people out there were finally recognizing that Kim is owning this game. But alas, it literally took Sabrina telling Christina that she was being voted for to get her to act. Strategically, this season has been a disaster.

Who’s Going to Win: You never know which way a jury will swing. I’m hoping this is one that respects gameplay and strategy. And if they are, Kim deserves every one of their votes.

Power Rankings Update: Dawn Meehan had Troyzan in spot eight, while Christine Shields Markoski had him in spot seven. Therefore, Dawn will advance to the finals where she will face the winner of next week’s bout between “South Pacific” champion Sophie Clarke and Power Rankings legend Andrea Boehlke.

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

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Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Is the Women’s Alliance Slipping Away?

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