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‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Last Week: Adam took his vote and got Figgy with it.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Ikabula Tribe (wearing green)

Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Michaela – 25, Vacation Club Sales
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor
Will – 18, High School Student

The Takali Tribe (wearing purple)

Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Jessica – 37, Assistant District Attorney
Ken – 33, Model
Taylor – 24, Ski Instructor

The Vanua Tribe (wearing orange)

Chris – 38, Trial Lawyer
David – 42, Television Writer
Michelle – 28, Missionary Recruiter
Zeke – 28, Asset Manager

We start off after last week’s Tribal and Adam immediately wants to clear the air with Taylor. Adam admits to screwing Taylor and ruining his romance.

Well, now that it’s come to light that Taylor is expecting a child with another woman…hopefully Adam doesn’t feel too guilty about it.

Taylor plays it cool, but he does plan on destroying Adam. Bro-venge is a dish best served totally chill.

(I’m old.)

Over at Vanua, David shows Zeke his idol in an attempt to gain his trust and make the most adorable alliance ever. Team Zavid! Deke? I’ll work on it.

Reward Challenge Time: Teams will work to release a bag of three balls. They’ll then shoot them through a hoop. From there they’ll take the balls and throw them onto a perch. First tribe to finish will receive a meal prepared by a chef. The second tribe will receive kabobs that they’ll have to cook their own darn selves. Third tribe receives self-doubt.

Quick Aside: So many basketball-type challenges. Was Scottie Pippen originally supposed to be on this season?

Before the challenge starts off, Jay is shocked to learn that with Figgy gone, his triforce is now a bi-force.

Michaela, on the other hand, is amused.

Bret and Sunday will sit out for Ikabula.

We start off and Ikabula is the first tribe to get to the ball-shooting portion. However, the other two tribes aren’t far behind.

Vanua is the first tribe to move on to the final stage and it looks like Chris’s height is going to be a big help in getting the balls on top of the perch.

Sure enough, Vanua wins it easily.

It’s Ken vs. Michaela for second place with Michaela coming from behind to win kabobs for Ikabula.

Another Quick Aside: I love me some Jeff Probst. He’s a hell of a guy. It makes my skin crawl when he talks about bellies being full.

Back at Vanua beach, Chris, Zeke, and David seem to be having some kind of burping/farting contest. This might be the grossest thing since Kaoh Rong’s “Show us your festering sores” montage.

Michelle is a little worried that she might be an easy vote because she isn’t participating in the parade of bad manners. Well, there’s one way to remedy that, Michelle.

At Takali, Taylor and Ken are enjoying a political debate. No, seriously.

Later on, Taylor claims to be a free agent and swears allegiance to Ken and Jessica. Jessica likes that Taylor is much less strategic than Adam.

Meanwhile at Ikabula, Michaela compares her intensity to Michael Jordan. Yeah…but Michael didn’t need to win a popularity contest at the end of the NBA Finals.

In other Ikabula news, Hannah is sizing up the competition. With four Millennials facing two Gen-Xers, she thinks Bret or Sunday should be next to go. And she simply doesn’t trust Bret. She asks him what he does for a living and he says, “Definitely not a cop.” OK, he didn’t say that, but his funeral director story is just as bad.

Sure enough, she’s convinced that he’s a cop.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race to throw coconuts into a net. Once the net is full, it will raise a flag that will reveal a combination. The players will use the combination to open a lock and release a slingshot. The first two tribes to use the slingshot to knock down all of their targets will win immunity.

Hannah and Will are gonna sit for Ikabula.

The Survivors are ready…and they go.

Takali is the first tribe to reveal their combination, they’re followed by Ikabula.

Vanua is waaaay behind and Michelle’s problem with the combination lock is not helping matters.

Fortunately, the other tribes aren’t doing well with the slingshot. Jay asks Michaela if he can tag in, but she turns him down.

Vanua finally makes it to the slingshot and Chris starts hitting some shots.

Ken and Taylor manage to nail all of the targets, winning immunity for Takali.

It’s back and forth between Vanua and Ikabula with Vanua finally pulling off the win.
Politicking around Ikabula starts with the four Millennials ganging up on the Gen-Xers. Michaela doesn’t care who goes home because they’ll still have the numbers.

It’s decided to split the vote in case one of them has an idol.

However, Jay is worried because Michaela is smart and a challenge machine. He approaches Will with this plan. Will is on board and points out that Michaela knows about Jay’s idol.

That night at Tribal, Probst points out that both of the majorities have voted out one of their own since the merge.

Michaela isn’t worried about that because her tribe is full of trustworthy people. #famouslastwords

She’s also bummed they have to vote out “Uncle Bret” and “Mama Sunday.”

Bret says he’s been genuine with everyone. This comment causes Jay to give a Eliza-Orlins-on-a-jury-type reaction.

Will thinks a Tony Vlachos game is dangerous. It worked for him.

Jay believes that you should follow your gut.

Will and Jay both agree that tonight’s vote will make the tribe stronger.

Michaela hopes that Bret or Sunday don’t feel like they’re on the bottom after the vote.

Voting Time: Hannah votes for Bret and it’s the only vote shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got two votes for Bret, three votes for Michaela…

Note: At this point, Michaela yells, “What?!” and asks Jay if he was responsible for that vote. He coldly responds, “Yep, I did it.”

And the seventh person voted out of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” is…Michaela.

On her way out, Michaela tells Jay that he “Just (expletive deleted) up,” and that he’s “Going to feel like an (expletive deleted).”

This whole incident sets off another panic attack for poor Hannah.

Verdict: This season, man. Wow.

And now we’re heading into a merge with a fractured Millennial alliance and three idols in play. Crazytown.

Power Rankings Update: Michele Fitzgerald had Michaela in spot 5, Shirin Oskooi had her in spot 7. So, the current score is Team Michele 58, Team Shirin 56.

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Gordon Holmes: How are you?
Jessica Figueroa: I could use a margarita.
Holmes: You and me both.

Holmes: Seems like you should’ve taken Probst up on his offer to get married last night. No way anyone is getting voted out after that.
Figueroa: (Laughs) Something like that, right! I was like, “Hey, ‘Survivor’ first, let’s make it happen.” I got the boot. I kinda saw it coming, then I kinda didn’t. So, I’ve got mixed emotions.
Holmes: What kind of heartless bastard would vote out a bride on her wedding day?
Figueroa: Adam Klein. That’s who.

Holmes: What happened between the challenge and Tribal? Did you know something was up?
Figueroa: Adam knew he was in the power position. When we first swapped tribes we didn’t see that. We just thought it was three Millennials. But, there were two Millennials, two Gen-Xers and Adam…someone who tried to vote you out. So, when we all came back, I was like, “Adam, who do you want to vote out?” I had to make Adam feel like he was on top of the world. “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.” At that point I was at his mercy. “You want me to feed you grapes? You want me to fetch you water? What would you like me to do?” It was that game at camp. Then he and Ken would go on walks. So would Jess. And Taylor is just chilling, flipping his hair, and eating coconuts.
Holmes: What was your read on Adam right before Tribal?
Figueroa: When we walked in, I had this gut feeling that it was me. I turned to Taylor and said, “I think it’s going to be me.” And he said, “No, you’re going to be OK.” And we walked in and it didn’t feel real. It felt like I died and my ghost came out of my body. It was such a bad feeling.

Holmes: Taylor said that Adam would have problems with the other Millennials if he voted for you. Without giving anything away, at that time did you think you had friends that would try to avenge you?
Figueroa: I think my little tri-force of Taylor and Jay would try to avenge me. My boys will have my back…and they will ride into the night! I think they will definitely do some justice for Figgy.

Holmes: Did you or any of the other Millennials suspect that Adam had an idol?
Figueroa: No, we did not. Like David’s paranoia where he needed to get an idol, we were all that way. We had speculated that he may have had one early in the game, but we didn’t know for sure. And we were like, let’s not look for one at Takali, it’s probably not here. But yeah, nobody knew. I wish I would have.

Holmes: What was your relationship like with Taylor after the game?
Figueroa: Um…you know…life…on an island is one thing and life in the real world is another. So…yeah…(Laughs)…we dated a little bit longer than the show. And real life got in the way. So…yeah.
Holmes: Still friends?
Figueroa: (Silence)
Holmes: (Silence)
Figueroa: That’s interesting. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Figueroa: You could say no.
Holmes: That’s a shame. Because “Survivor” has a better track record of successful relationships than “The Bachelor.”
Figueroa: Well, when real life relationships get in the way and you find things out outside that things aren’t all peachy…that can really affect a relationship.

Holmes: Were there any things that happened out there that we didn’t see that you wish we had?
Figueroa: Maybe me strategizing would have been nice. You go back to episode two and you see me, Michaela, and Jay signing a peace treaty and strategizing about the Mari vote. People would say, “Boston Rob and Amber, are they going to be like them?” I was Boston Rob and Taylor was Amber. I strategized and he listened and batted his blue eyes at everybody and would do what I said. Even Adam said it in episode five. “You’re going to do whatever she says.”

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Jay.
Figueroa: My boy.
Holmes: Zeke?
Figueroa: Sneaky.
Holmes: Mari?
Figueroa: Bye.
Holmes: Jessica?
Figueroa: Smart.
Holmes: Taylor?
Figueroa: (Laughs) There are so many words I want to say.
Holmes: You can use as many as you like.
Figueroa: Hmm…
Holmes: I feel like I should’ve gotten you that margarita.
Figueroa: You should have! All I want to say are things that are aside from the game.
Holmes: There are no wrong answers here.
Figueroa: (Laughs) Oh man… ARGH! Why are you doing this to me! It’s morning.
Holmes: We can come back to him. Will?
Figueroa: Rat.
Holmes: Adam?
Figueroa: Sweet.
Holmes: Michelle?
Figueroa: My girl.
Holmes: Hannah?
Figueroa: Spaz. (Laughs)
Holmes: Michaela?
Figueroa: Machete.
Holmes: Ken?
Figueroa: Bossy.
Holmes: And we’ve come back around to Taylor.
Figueroa: Can I say, “A little bitch”?
Holmes: You absolutely can.
Figueroa: I think that’s a good way to put it.

Holmes: Jumping back into that, you called Will, “A rat.” We really didn’t see much interaction between you two.
Figueroa: He’s a rat! He’s hunting down cheese on the island. He’s running around in the middle of the night. He’s a little rat. He’s someone to keep an eye on. I consider him to be a little mouse. He’s all over the place.

Holmes: What’s your takeaway from this experience? Unlike “The Bachelor,” this show seems to change lives.
Figueroa: You just reminded me, I wish they had shown when I went spearfishing and I caught two fish. Even from that experience, I literally can do whatever the (expletive deleted) I want. I went spearfishing! I was afraid to get out there and I took away so much mentally and about myself. When I was out there, you didn’t see me meditating and doing these things. I became one with the island out there. It was really cool to do all of this growing. And I’m ready to redeem myself at this point.
Holmes: So you’re ready to book a return trip to “Survivor”?
Figueroa: Hell yeah. You kidding me? I’m waiting for Jeff to call me right now…after I’ve had my margarita, of course.
Holmes: That wedding would have guaranteed a return trip.
Figueroa: I know! That’s why I said, “A ‘Survivor’ first, let’s go.” And Taylor was all, “Wha?! Duhhh…”

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Last Week: An idol was found in the Wright place, the tribes were split in three, and CeCe said, “See ya.”

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Ikabula Tribe (wearing green)

Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Michaela – 25, Vacation Club Sales
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor
Will – 18, High School Student

The Takali Tribe (wearing purple)

Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Figgy – 23, Bartender
Jessica – 37, Assistant District Attorney
Ken – 33, Model
Taylor – 24, Ski Instructor

The Vanua Tribe (wearing orange)

Chris – 38, Trial Lawyer
David – 42, Television Writer
Michelle – 28, Missionary Recruiter
Zeke – 28, Asset Manager

We start things back off at Vanua beach where everyone is in good spirits because the vote was unanimous. David declares the end to the Millennials vs. Gen-X twist and renames it “People I Trust vs. People You Trust.” Neither of those is very catchy.

Meanwhile, Zeke is blown away that the Gen-Xers threw away their advantage on the only tribe where they had a numbers edge.

Over at Ikabula, Jay shares a heartfelt moment and says he wants to take care of his tribe like he takes care of his family back home. He then says he’s going to win “Survivor” for them. Have we talked about how much I love Jay?

Later, Jay manages to find his tribe’s hidden idol. Unfortunately, Will is with him when he does. Even more unfortunately, Michaela walks up on the two of them.

Michaela lets us know that Jay is in her alliance, but if he turns on her, she’ll happily snitch. Wait…she’ll run around until the seeker catches her?

Reward Challenge Time: A caller for each tribe will stand on a platform and shout directions to their blindfolded tribemates. The tribemates will stumble out to gather puzzle pieces and will undoubtedly crash into crotch-level obstacles. Once all of the puzzle pieces have been retrieved, one player will complete the puzzle while STILL WEARING THEIR BLINDFOLD. The first tribe to finish the challenge will receive a variety of snacks. The second tribe will receive chocolate chip cookies. The third tribe will receive bruises.

Jessica will sit for Takali, Hannah and Bret will sit for Ikabula.

Before we start off, Figgy admits that she’s really happy that her girl Michelle is still around instead of CeCe. Probst asks Michelle if she’s worried that Figgy’s honesty will get in her in trouble, to which she responds, “I think the truth works well in this game.” Sure…

Quick Aside: Probst is wearing a white shirt. It’s like a chase figure.

Michelle, Figgy, and Jay are our callers. Other than that, there isn’t much to describe except for stumblin’ and wipin’ out.

Takali is the first to return all of their pieces, but Ikabula isn’t too far behind them. Vanua eventually joins them.

During the puzzle portion, Hannah claims that she’s feeling faint. Probst tells her to let him know if she wants him to call in the medical team.

Zeke and Michelle manage to come from behind and complete the puzzle for the win. Jay and Michaela claim second place.

Figgy is not happy that her tribe lost their big lead.

Doctor Joe is brought in to check on Hannah. Luckily, it seemed like she was only having breathing issues due to the excitement of the challenge. She sums it up as saying that she was just having a panic attack.

Over at Takali, Taylor and Figgy decide to come out to their tribe as the couple known as “Fig Tails.”

Hilariously, they’re comfortable coming out because Adam is on their side and they have the numbers. #famouslastwords

Figgy breaks the news to Jessica and her response was, “You think?” Ken’s reaction is similar.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race across balance beams and retrieve bags of coconuts. Once they have all six bags, they’ll maneuver three balls through a table maze. The first two tribes to complete the maze will win immunity.

Adam will sit for Takali, Will and Sunday will sit for Ikabula.

The Survivors are ready, and they go. Not much to describe at first except for balancin’ and runnin’.

Jay gives Ikabula a big lead, but Taylor manages to jump ahead for Takali. Power of love!

Figgy and Jessica are the first to try the maze. They’re eventually joined by Michaela and Hannah and Zeke and Michelle.

Michaela hilariously barks orders at Hannah, and it works. Ikabula wins immunity.

Figgy and Jessica seem to be working well together, but Michaela decides to even things up by offering advice to Vanua. Huh…

Apparently the advice helped, because Zeke and Michelle were able to come from behind to win immunity.

Probst asks Michaela why she was helping the other tribe, and she says that she’s trying to keep Millennials safe. Ken points out that there are Millennials on his tribe, but Michaela isn’t worried because they have the numbers. #famouslastwords

Michaela was also worried that Russell Hantz was about to be victimized by an all-woman alliance on “Heroes vs. Villains.”

Back at Takali beach, we learn that Adam is the swing vote between the two sides.

Taylor wonders if Adam is way smarter than he has given him credit for and is thinking of flopping. Man, if Taylor thinks you’re dumb…I’m not sure how you come back from that.

Jessica and Ken make a play to get Adam on their side, telling him that they’ll never write his name down.

Adam proves that he’s psychic by saying, “The whole world is probably screaming, ‘Get out the power couple!’”

That night at Tribal, Taylor is pretty confident that the Millennials are all going to stick together. Because that’s what they’re known for; thinking of others.

Figgy even forgives Adam for voting for her earlier.

This segues into Probst asking if Taylor and Figgy are in love. What is this, “The Amazing Race” blind date season where that was the first thing the couples were asked when they arrived at the mat?

Fun Fact: Probst loves love. The guy’s a romantic.

Probst says that Millennials are so fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants that they could get married right now. He even offers up his services as an ordained minister to make it happen.

The couple doesn’t bite, so we miss out on the first “Survivor” Tribal Council wedding. Maybe if they’d offered a wedding cake.

Figgy doesn’t think that it’s a big deal that they’re a couple because they’re just voting together like every other alliance.

Adam admits that he’s in the middle. Wait, why would you say that if you’re not flipping?

Taylor makes the point that Adam shouldn’t flip because there are more Millennials left in the game and that would put a target on his back.

Adam claims that he really likes who he’s voting for tonight.

Voting Time: No votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Ken, one vote for Figgy, one vote for Ken, one vote for Figgy, and the sixth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” is…Figgy.

So unchill, Adam.

Adam offers to explain himself to Taylor, but Taylor doesn’t seem interested in what he has to say.

Figgy simply says, “Win” to Taylor.

Verdict: This season, man. It seems like every vote has been a blindside. And a tribe swap where none of the previous alliances have stuck together? Good times.

Add to that people worth rooting for (Adam, David, Jay, Michaela, Zeke, even Ken a little bit) and you’ve got one of the best pre-merges ever.

Power Rankings Update: Michele Fitzgerald had Figgy in spot 13, Shirin Oskooi had her in spot 9. So, the current score is Team Michele 53, Team Shirin 49.

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn.  The person with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” champion.

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

Michele Fitzgerald and Shirin Oskooi’s Rankings

Team Michele’s Score = 40 Any questions for Michele? Drop her a line on Twitter: @meeshfitz	Team Shirin’s Score = 40 Any questions for Shirin? Drop her a line on Twitter: @theshirin
1. – Jay:  Ultimate “Survivor” Checklist: Survival Skills (check) Challenge Prowess (check) Social Ability (check) Funny Confessionals (check)	1. – Adam: Aligning with Ken to show Figgler what a real power couple looks like. #IfIWereARichMan
2. – Michaela:  The ice queen melts with fire.	2. – Ken: People fall all over themselves to give him gifts. First a legacy advantage from Jessica, and inevitably a numbers majority from Adam.
3. – Chris: I know two people from Oklahoma. Person #1	3. – Jay: Between stoking Michaela’s flames into fire and keeping the tribe’s torches alive with his challenge dominance, Jay’s life in this game is lit.
4. – Zeke: Person #2	4. – Michaela: The pre-merge will not claim all the women of color.
5. – David: That challenge was much like your “Survivor” experience. You get the ball, you lose the ball, you chase the ball, you struggle with the ball, you get the ball in, you apologize to your tribe.	5. – Chris:  They won’t come for the Sooner until later, OK.
6. – Adam: You have finally found the one situation where being a third wheel is fun.	6. – Zeke: His newfound alliance with Chris will at least advance him to a Bowl…of merge food, OK.
7. – Ken: You may not have the numbers, but with those soft words and hard abs, it shouldn’t be hard to win people over.	7. – Taylor: Tails: the brains are the ones making the #BigMovez™, so I call Heads.
8. – Will: You skipped school again?	8. – Jessica:  If the Millennials want to keep eating and winning, they’ll target her first.
9. – Bret: It is good to let the youngsters feel like you aren’t bossing them around. I saw you building shelter on Gen X and I’m not sure I believe you are as incapable as you are making it appear.	9. – Figgy: She’s likely still Adam’s target, but considering the tribe’s challenge prowess, target practice is not in session.
10. – Sunday: Sundays are a day of rest.	10. – Will: Blending into his tribe, right into the background.
11. – Hannah: When Zeke told you to go away… he didn’t mean, like, forever.	11. – Sunday: She’s been bowing her head in silent prayer these last few episodes, and it brought her a faithful new tribe.
12. – Taylor: 1. “Lets openly make out because we have the numbers” (see Figgy) 3.“But- You. Are. Hot” (See Figgy)	12. – Hannah: Hannah has shallow roots… like a water hyacinth plant. Some people she clings on tightly. And wind and waves blow them apart. #TaiDrop
13. – Figgy: 2. “No, that’s dumb” (See Taylor) 4. “*Giggles* OK, let’s go tell everyone we are together” (End Scene)	13. – David: Looks like Chris won’t choke you, so don’t choke on playing that idol.
14. – Michelle: Making logical points to illogical people makes your logical points seem illogical to people.	14. – Michelle: She may have stumbled upon a real life dragon in her new tribe. David breathes fire in this game.
15. – Jessica: If you told me you would give me your legacy advantage once you get voted out, the first thing I would do is vote you out.	15. – Bret: Millennials hate micro-management: taking it, as well as giving it.

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Gordon Holmes: Were there any clues that David and Chris were going to blindside you last night?
CeCe Taylor: Yeah, I felt a little uncomfortable when I came back down to the beach and Chris, David, and Zeke were already there and they were talking. And before I walked up, Chris yelled out, “Yeah, we’ve got the numbers.” And I was like, we already discussed voting out Michelle, so why was he so eager to audibly say that again? That was alarming to me because Chris never does that. He’s never eager to tell me about his plan, especially when we already talked about it. Also, there was a little bit of scattering around camp with Michelle. But, I thought it was a numbers game and if they were planning to vote me out, it was going to be what it was going to be. I did my best to state my case at Tribal.

Holmes: Did you have any interest in working with Michelle or were you solid with the Gen-Xers?
Taylor: At that point I was interested in working with her. But, I didn’t want to be the first person to flop on the Gen-Xers. I didn’t want that hanging over my head in case the merge happened soon. I was thinking; if I flip and vote out David, I’ll have these other Gen-Xers coming for me. And there was no guarantee that I would’ve got in with the Millennials. Michelle said she would have had my back, but who’s to say that she would’ve?

Holmes: We’ve had swaps after the fourth eliminations a lot lately. Was that something the Gen-Xers were preparing for?
Taylor: We talked about it a little, but we thought it’d just be a swap of two tribes. We had no idea that it’d be three tribes. That threw us totally off.

Holmes: Were you closer with David or Ken?
Taylor: I think it was equal. Ken was more trusting right off the bat. Ken never wrote my name down once. David, it was kind of ehh with him because he was with the majority in the beginning. And then he reneged on that. Then the whole thing with Jessica, and he flipped on that. So…maybe I was closer to Ken.

Holmes: Everyone assumed David had that first idol, were there any clues that he had found the second?
Taylor: None whatsoever. If I thought he had an idol I would have begged him, made a deal, everything. I would’ve had his back to the very end. We just thought that nobody found the idol.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with David.
Taylor: Manipulative.
Holmes: Paul?
Taylor: Jerk.
Holmes: Jessica?
Taylor: Unloyal.
Holmes: Lucy?
Taylor: Flip-flopper.
Holmes: Ken?
Taylor: Loyal.
Holmes: Zeke?
Taylor: Smart.
Holmes: Rachel?
Taylor: Fun.
Holmes: Bret?
Taylor: Good guy.
Holmes: Michelle?
Taylor: Sweetheart.
Holmes: Sunday?
Taylor: Untrustworthy.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Chris.
Taylor: Alpha male.

Holmes: There’s been a disturbing trend this season with four of the first five eliminations being women of color. What is your take on that?
Taylor: I always have that feeling every season. It comes down to numbers. It’s visible on TV, you see there are two black people or two Asians. So, even if people are not saying it, it’s definitely in people’s minds. Especially as a minority. I don’t think it’s deliberate. We had such a diverse season. It was great to see. I really think it came down to that they were trying to get rid of the strong women who could change the game later on. If you look at the ones that were voted out; Lucy had a voice, Mari had a voice. They were trying to get out the ones who could cause some trouble.
Holmes: It makes me nervous for my girlfriend Michaela. She is a strong woman.
Taylor: She’s strong in challenges, she’s mentally strong. The only thing is she says what’s on her mind and that might get her in trouble if she doesn’t back off a little bit.

Holmes: Was there anything out there that happened that we didn’t see that you wish we had?
Taylor: Absolutely! So much! They cut out all my good stuff. In the second episode I went to all the girls and said, “Let’s do an all-girl alliance.” I said, “This is the time to do it, and we can pull in Ken as our guy to get the numbers.” And what you see on camera is Jessica and Sunday talking to Paul about it, but it was my idea. I even brought it up to Figgy at the summit. I asked her if there had been any talk of an all-girl alliance, but she shut that down. I always think they should try an all-girl alliance. You didn’t see my confrontation with Lucy after Paul went home. She was upset because she was supposed to be with the majority and she wanted to smooth things over with Chris and Bret.

Holmes: When we spoke before the game, you said your kids were too cool to be excited about your big adventure. Did they ever come around?
Taylor: (Laughs) No, they’re teenagers. “Yeah, you’re on TV…whatever.”

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Last Week: Adam got more than a clue, Michaela provided a view, and David’s idol got rid of Lu…cy.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Vanua Tribe – Millennials (wearing orange)

Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Figgy – 23, Bartender
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Michaela – 25, Vacation Club Sales
Michelle – 28, Missionary Recruiter
Taylor – 24, Ski Instructor
Will – 18, High School Student
Zeke – 28, Asset Manager

The Takali Tribe – Generation-X (wearing purple)

Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
Chris – 38, Trial Lawyer
CeCe – 39, Insurance Adjuster
David – 42, Television Writer
Jessica – 37, Assistant District Attorney
Ken – 33, Model
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor

Oh boy…we meet up with our Gen-X friends after Tribal and David’s got some splainin’ to do. He’s bummed because he played an idol for someone that nobody wanted to work with. Yeah, that’s like #7 on the list of 14 Reasons David Shouldn’t Have Played His Idol.

Later on, Jessica apologizes to Ken for not believing in her. She then tells him that she would leave her legacy advantage to him if she’s voted out. So…now he won’t want to vote her out?

The next morning it’s Idol Hunt ’16! All of the Gen-Xers rush out like they were handing out free Pearl Jam tickets. (That’s a Gen-X stereotype, right?)

As they’re searching, David finds the tribe logo on a log. He cracks it open and finds himself yet another idol. Wow. Very Hantzian.

Reward Challenge Time: Psych…

Instead of running a challenge, it’s buff droppin’ time. And not only that, we’re going from two tribes to three.

Wait! Sixteen isn’t divisible by three! You maniacs!

The Vanua tribe will go to Millennial beach, the Takali tribe will go to Gen-X beach, the green buffs will be called Ikabula and will have to start from scratch. To offset that disadvantage, they’ll have an extra tribe member. Mmm…I’d rather have a shelter and food.

Alright, we’ve got Taylor, Figgy, Adam, Jessica and Ken on Takali. Taylor is psyched to have Figgy on his tribe and he’s pretty sure he has the numbers. Really? Cause Adam voted with you guys?

Vanua is made up of Zeke, CeCe, Chris, Michelle, and David. And Ikabula consists of Michaela, Sunday, Hannah, Bret, Will, and Jay.

Michaela is really not happy about being on the start-over tribe. She says she wanted to flip Jeff off for sending her to an empty beach with no food. So that’s the difference between her and Sugar.

Over at Ikabula Beach, Jay is not happy with his new Gen-X tribemates but he isn’t worried because he has the numbers.

Meanwhile, his former Tri-force buddies Figgy and Taylor have decided to hide their showmance from their new Takali tribemates. And by hide, I mean Taylor whispers “you are hot” to Figgy behind Ken’s back.

Later on, Adam admits to Ken that he was on the bottom third of his tribe. The two hit it off immediately. It’s like Ken collects adorable nerds.

At Vanua, Michelle is not thrilled with her new predicament. It doesn’t help matters that Chris and Zeke are able to bond over Chris’ experience as an Oklahoma Sooner football player.

So, everything is going to be OK for Zeke?

Ahem…OK.

(Moving on.)

The next day, we learn that Ikabula tribe hasn’t been able to make fire. Jay and Bret both give it a try, but eventually give up. Michaela, who is incapable of giving up, finally makes it work. Because she is the best. Team Michaela.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will dive into the water and retrieve a buoy. Once all five buoys have been collected, the team will have to decide between shooting baskets with the buoys, or using a line to pull the buoy closer and then shooting baskets. The first two tribes to sink all five shots will win immunity.

Will will sit out for Ikabula.

We start off and Sunday immediately has trouble releasing her buoy. This will cost her tribe a ton of time. Michelle has similar problems.

CeCe isn’t setting speed records either, but at least she got a buoy. She’s like the anti Joey Amazing. That, or she’s holding back so she doesn’t seem like an individual immunity threat.

Then, David can’t get up on the platform with his buoy. It’s so comically bad that Zeke wonders if he’s trying to throw the challenge. Seriously, the only thing David’s performance was missing was the “Benny Hill” theme.

Takali is the first with all of the buoys. Ken uses the lasso to pull the target closer. Ikobula is next, Michaela uses the lasso as well.

Then Michaela shows that bikini tops don’t hold her back by easily sinking the first two shots while remaining clothed.

Vanua finally gets their buoys and decides to not bother with the lasso.

Michaela is on fire, she hits the fifth and final shot before any of the other tribes has two.

Vanua makes the call to change things up and go for the lasso. Unfortunately while they’re doing this, Ken finds his rhythm and puts the game away. Takali and Ikobula win immunity.

Back at camp, CeCe is bummed that they lost the challenge, but psyched because Gen-X is the majority. Yup…

Gen-X discusses targeting Michelle, however, Chris has other plans. He wants to target CeCe.

He approaches David with his plan and while David isn’t excited about it, he does appreciate that Chris has Zeke and Michelle on his side.

They tell the youngsters what’s going on and Chris says that if David crosses him, he’ll strangle him in front of Jeff Probst. Well, this has been a season of many firsts.

Michelle, not being happy with following Chris and David’s lead, tries to talk strategy with CeCe. But, CeCe doesn’t seem to give her anything.

CeCe tells David that Michelle is targeting him, which makes David realize that he’ll be the weakest player when CeCe is gone. Oh man, we might see that Tribal choking yet!

That night at Tribal, David thinks the Gen-X three is very strong and none of them think they are on the bottom. Seems like the CeCe vote is in.

Zeke thinks it’s hard to work with the Millennials because they have more numbers, but he can be a bridge for a Gen-Xer to partner with a Millennial.

Chris admits that the Millennials have been trying to work with him. I thought the Millennials didn’t work at all?

It concerns CeCe to see Chris talking to the Millennials.

Chris points out that he’s been blindsided twice and this vote can go a long way toward rebuilding trust.

David says he’s going to use this vote to prove his loyalry.

Then, Chris says he was kidding about choking David. Darn it.

Michelle wouldn’t want to work with someone who blindsided her twice. She then says she’d target David.

Voting Time: No votes are shown. Dun dun dun…

JPro tallies and returns. He then asks if anyone would like to play an idol and…nobody does.

We’ve got one vote for Michelle, two votes for CeCe, and the fifth person voted out of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X is…CeCe.

Verdict: Three tribes?! And now we have to learn tribe names?! Can’t we just call them by their colors?

Ugh…

Anywho, I’m still liking this season. There are people to root for and it hasn’t gotten unnecessarily mean-spirited. Good times.

It is, however, a little disturbing that four of the first five people out are women of color.

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn.  The person with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” champion.

Last Week: Michele Fitzgerald had Lucy in spot seventeen, while Shirin Oskooi had him in spot sixteen. So, the current score is Team Fitzgerald 40, Team Oskooi 40.

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

Another Note: Michele is away on vacation this week, so Gordon Holmes will be filling in for her. However, due to his spoiled state, he will only be providing commentary on the players’ games up until this point and the number placement will be the same as the ones Michele used last week. NO POINTS WILL BE AWARDED THIS ROUND.

Gordon Holmes and Shirin Oskooi’s Rankings

Team Michele’s Score = 40 Any questions for Michele? Drop her a line on Twitter: @meeshfitz	Team Shirin’s Score = 40 Any questions for Shirin? Drop her a line on Twitter: @theshirin
1. – Michelle: Her move to get rid of my favorite YouTuber was impressive, but she might not want to the Gen-Xers to know she’s one of the main shot callers after the swap.	1. – Adam: SPEAK SOFTLY and carry a big shell.
2. – Sunday: David and Ken think you’re tight with Jessica, but Lucy disagrees. Where does your loyalty really lie?	2. – Michaela: Surely Michaela’s new tribe won’t say ‘tata’ to someone who’ll help them dominate challenges.
3. – Ken: Your buddy made a pretty big move without consulting you last week and the person you voted for is still in the game. You two need to get back on the same page quickly.	3. – Jay: Bros before foes. <fistbump> #socialgame
4. – Jay: Jay is the typical sly player who casual fans probably think is a jerk, but I adore. Jay is bae. (Did I use that right?)	4. – Chris: “David Chris is like our puppy dog right now. We’re trying to keep petting him until we get rid of him. We’re just keeping him busy (with challenges). If you let him get in his own head (eg by blindsiding him), that’s when he goes nuts.”
5. – Michaela: Hey, I’ll admit that I’m a Gen-Xer who’ll yell at kids the second a Nerf ball bounces across my lawn. But, I’m really rooting for quite a few of these Millennials. Michaela is one of them.	5. – Ken:  His new tribe will probably tolerate his girl emotions if he keeps providing in camp and challenges.
6. – David: I’m just not a fan of the idol play last week. Sure, you earned Jessica’s loyalty, (maybe?) but it cost you your reputation as the puppy dog they don’t have to worry about. And heading into a swap, you don’t want to be seen as Big-Move Dave.	6. – Michelle: Having sat out of this week’s challenge and episode, I have Militant Faith in her ability to maneuver her way through another week. Let’s just hope her affiliation with the Wildfire couple doesn’t blow her up.
7. – Jessica: You trusted someone who was clearly gunning for you. I’d think a lawyer would be able to see through lies better.	7. – Zeke: Michelle gave him lemons, but the swap (and Beyoncé) gave him Lemonade. Keep working that phyZeke in challenges.
8. – Taylor: You’re adorable. I’d give you grief for playing a Fabio-esque game, but we know how that worked out on the last age-divided season.	8. – David: David has now proved that loyalty is bigger than Goliath. #SaveTheDayv
9. – Will: Is there a single legitimate reason to target Will at this point?	9. – Sunday: Sunday’s day in the sun will be alongside Millennials.
10. – Adam: Way to be last week, buddy. I’m sure your mom loved it.	10. – Figgy: People need not look far if they’re hunting for goats.
11. – Bret: Swaps are usually bad for big guys on tribes that are down numbers, but I’d imagine David, Jessica, and Ken are in more trouble than you after last week’s Tribal fiasco.	11. – Will: Where there’s a will, there’s a stay.
12. – Chris: I’m hungover too, so… See Bret	12. – Bret: You can build relationships with different body types, you know. And you’ll need to. Soon.
13. – Hannah: My big memory of Hannah at this point isn’t the 40-minute vote, it’s when she wouldn’t leave poor Zeke alone. Know when it’s your time to act, Hannah.	13. – Taylor: Bro-Tails can no longer ride coat-tails after a swap-fail.
14. – Figgy: My favorite memory of All-Stars was when Boston Rob asked Lex to take care of Amber. I’m imagining a similar moment where Taylor asks Bret to “Sicky sicky nar nar” Figgy and Bret has no idea what he’s talking about.	14. – Hannah: Hey Hannah! How’s your alliance search going? Good luck, buddy!
15. – Zeke: Loooooove.	15. – Jessica: Her read is bad, but writing her own will should be right in this lawyer’s wheelhouse. #DavidsLegacy
16. – CeCe: Make fun of CeCe all you want, but she survived two votes that could’ve been her and now she’s getting ready to blend in at the swap.	16. – “CC”: People still care about the two Cs after a swap: challenge competence.

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

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

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

Last Week: Jessica felt slighted, Paul’s torch was de-lighted, and there was a summit for some reason…

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Vanua Tribe – Millennials (wearing orange)

Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Figgy – 23, Bartender
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Michaela – 25, Vacation Club Sales
Michelle – 28, Missionary Recruiter
Taylor – 24, Ski Instructor
Will – 18, High School Student
Zeke – 28, Asset Manager

The Takali Tribe – Generation-X (wearing purple)

Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
Chris – 38, Trial Lawyer
CeCe – 39, Insurance Adjuster
David – 42, Television Writer
Jessica – 37, Assistant District Attorney
Ken – 33, Model
Lucy – 42, Dietician
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor

Things kick off back at Gen-X camp where Chris is p—-d. He’s tempted to go all Brandon Hantz on the tribe and destroy the rice, but decides against it. The only thing that’s good for is earning yourself a free Probst backrub.

Maybe it’s worth it?

During a group chat, Jessica admits that she got rid of Paul because he said she’d be gone if there was a male alliance.

Later on, Lucy speaks. Seriously. She compares turning on Chris and Bret to cheating on someone. How would you know that, Lucy? Hmmmmm…

She should’ve talked sooner.

Also, she thinks Jessica is trying to implant things in her mind. Like Russell seeds? Jessica seeds? At any rate, Lucy plans to do something about it.

And do something about it she does, she tells Bret and Chris that getting rid of Paul was Jessica’s idea and that she had David and Ken in her pocket. Wait, she hasn’t spoken in three episodes and she has people in her pockets?!

Over at Millennial beach, the youngsters go on a goat hunt. They don’t actually catch a goat, but I’m sure the goat hunting participation trophy will help them maintain their self worth.

While the majority of the tribe is off, Adam finds himself an idol clue.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will race into the ocean to retrieve a ring, the first tribe to return the ring to their tribe’s post will get a point. The first tribe with three points will receive everything they need to host a barbecue.

Michelle will sit for the Millennials.

Round One: Chris and David defeat Jay and Adam.

Round Two: Figgy and Michaela get the best of CeCe and Sunday.

Round Three: Bret and Ken top Taylor and Will.

Round Four: Michaela and Hannah square off against Jessica and Lucy. This was your basic wrestling match, until Michaela became frustrated with her loose bikini top and just ripped it off. From there, she was able to muscle both Jessica and Lucy over to her tribe’s post. Amazing.

Quick Aside: Michaela tosses her top aside at a challenge and she doesn’t even get peanut butter? The Amazon cast had it so easy.

Round Five: David and Chris scored against Zeke and Jay to win it for their tribe.

Quick Aside: Jeff gets walloped by a wave at the end of this challenge. I could seriously watch that on a loop all day.

Back at camp, Michaela says, “You can either lose, or let your bathing suit get ripped off and win.” One could argue that everyone won that day.

Adam sneaks away for a little idol hunt…and he’s successful. Well, mostly successful, apparently Hannah caught him in the act.

Later on, Adam breaks down a little as he dedicates the idol to his mother and her battle with stage-four lung cancer. You’re doing her proud, kid.

Over at Gen-X, Lucy tells Ken and David that they have to nothing to worry about because they’re going to vote out Jessica next. She then tells them that she’ll be upset if she sees them talking to anyone else. Damn…Lucy is a gangster.

Needless to say, being bossed around does not sit well with Ken.

Immunity Challenge Time: One player from each tribe will run through an obstacle course, then the other members of the tribe will use a chair on a pulley system to retrieve 10 numbered bags. They’ll do this three times until all of the bags are claimed. The first tribe to use the tiles in the numbered bags to complete a puzzle will win immunity.

Quick Aside: This word puzzle looks really hard.

Adam will sit out for the Millennials.

The Survivors are ready, and they go.

Chris and Figgy attack the course first. Chris uses his longer reach to get the tiles to give Gen-X a lead.

Ken is next; Michelle is way behind him. Ken manages to maintain the lead.

David bats third, he’s followed by Michaela. (Yes, she’s fully dressed.) David has a slight lead going into the puzzle.

The piece retrievers also double as the puzzle team.

And as predicted, 20 minutes pass as they stare at the letters.

Then 45 minutes pass. Well, at least it’s not too sunny out there.

Zeke finally figures it out and whispers the answer to his team. Millennials win immunity.

Politicking around Gen-X camp starts off with Lucy planning for her Bret, Chris, Ken, and David to vote out Jessica. She compares herself to a tiger mom, saying her kids and husband don’t always like her because she makes all of the decisions.

She follows this up by saying, “If it’s successful at home, it should be successful here.”

Wow.

Just…wow.

There’s no way Lucy isn’t going home tonight, right?

Sure enough, Ken wants to get David, CeCe, Jessica, and Sunday to vote for Lucy. Ooo…Sunday the swing vote.

Ken approaches Jessica with the new plan. Unfortunately for Ken, Jessica doesn’t buy it. She immediately goes to Lucy and spills the beans.

Fortunately for Ken, Lucy still trusts David and tells him what’s going on.

What a mess. No good deed, Ken.

That night at Tribal, David believes that voting out Paul was the right move, but it didn’t bring the tribe together.

Chris admits that he was upset about the vote and that the tribe is now in complete chaos.

Jessica hopes the former members of the six-person alliance are back together.

Lucy thought she was safe until Jessica ratted out Ken.

Ken is still upset with the way Lucy pushed him around. Lucy confesses to being blunt and most men appreciate it.

Jessica asks Ken if she should just believe everything he says. He calmly says, “Yes.”

David declares it to be a live Tribal. Good, those are the best ones.

Chris wants to know who the sucker at the table is. Well, they say if you don’t know…it’s probably you.

Voting Time: Chris votes for Jessica…and that’s the only vote that’s shown.

Probst tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol…and David does! Not only that, but he’s playing it for Jessica.

Alright, we’ve got five votes for Jessica, one vote for CeCe, one vote for Lucy, and the fourth person voted out of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” is…Lucy.

Man, Ken didn’t even know that was going to happen. He voted for Jessica.

Verdict: That ending…doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. Is David hoping that his idol sacrifice will bring Jessica and Sunday over to his side? And if so, why didn’t Ken know? Very weird.

Otherwise, I’m still digging this season.

Power Rankings Results: Michele Fitzgerald had Lucy in spot seventeen, while Shirin Oskooi had him in spot sixteen. So, the current score is Team Fitzgerald 40, Team Oskooi 40.

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