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‘Survivor’ Castaway Cliff: ‘Being Irritating Was a Part of (Trish’s) Game’

March 20, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; tribe swaps are the worst. It takes a pair of teams and immediately turns them into individuals. Challenge strength takes a backseat to merge strategies.

(Although in this case, Cliff’s tribe was already trying to get rid of him. But, that doesn’t prove my point, so we’ll ignore it.)

I spoke to the world’s tallest sports management executive the morning after his blindside and asked about his end-game plans, being targeted by Cops R Us, and the Lindsey/Trish feud…

Gordon Holmes: Rough way to go last night with Tony and Trish stabbing you in the back. Did you see it coming at all?
Cliff Robinson: I felt pretty strong all day. But, right before leaving to Tribal there was a conversation that was brought to my attention that made me feel some kind of way about Tony. But, we were getting ready to leave so I couldn’t get back to Tony and massage the relationship or confirm that he was going to vote the way we had decided to vote.
Holmes: Was your plan to be five strong with Woo, Lindsey, and Cops R Us and then go to the final three with Woo and Lindsey?
Robinson: That was the plan. The plan was to keep the five together. I knew Trish was going to, once I saw that she was able to get with LJ, I knew it was going to be over. She was so taken by LJ that I knew once he was able to get her to the side, we would probably lose her. But, she was lost from the beginning.
Holmes: Yeah, it seems like her and Lindsey were butting heads from the first episode.
Robinson: They just didn’t get along. I think that was a part of Trish’s game. (Laughs) And I’ll give her credit for that. I think being irritating was a part of her game. It worked its magic eventually on Lindsey and on me because after a while I didn’t talk to her either.

Holmes: What’s going through your mind when you’re watching Tony poisoning Sarah against you and then them trying to throw a challenge to get rid of you?
Robinson: I had to give them kudos for trying it. They tried to make a move. Big moves are going to be rewarded or you’re going to pay for them. They tried to make a big move.
Holmes: I think the mistake they made was trying to throw a challenge that involved you making free throws.
Robinson: (Laughs) This is true.
Holmes: Sarah approached Woo about throwing the challenge and he seemed to be into it. Did you have any idea that Woo wasn’t 100% on your side?
Robinson: That was the thing that surprised me. Even though they talked to Woo about it, me and Woo had conversations about Sarah and Trish, but he never confided in me about them trying to throw the challenge. I think in his defense, he didn’t know which way the tribe was going. And he was on the fence whether to stick with Cliff and Lindsey or to go with Sarah, Trish, and Tony. When you’re in a numbers game you’ve got to be on the fence. So, I understand where he was at.

Holmes: Did you tell everyone you were in sports marketing?
Robinson: (Laughs) I do work in sports marketing. But right from the beginning, the basketball thing came up immediately. I thought I’d just nip it in the bud and be honest with them.
Holmes: Jeff Kent wears a baseball hat and a helmet and he isn’t quite as tall as you. He might blend a little better.
Robinson: There was nothing wrong with me wanting to omit something. So, if they would’ve asked me if I’d played basketball without someone recognizing me, I probably would’ve said I played some kind of basketball and tried to not bring up the fact that I played in the NBA. But, right at the beginning Woo outted me with the basketball cards.

Holmes: You’re a big guy. You require a lot of calories to get going. How tough was the lack of food on you?
Robinson: After a while, it’s not really that big of an issue. I was able to catch a fish, we found papayas, we found bananas. So, we were able to take advantage of some of the things that were in our environment. But, the biggest thing is hydration. You’re sweating, you’re moving. You want water all the time.
Holmes: One of the knocks Trish made about you was that you weren’t contributing around camp. Do you think her assessment was correct? We only see what they show us.
Robinson: Very not true. That was one of the things I was disappointed about the editing of the show. I caught coconut crabs, I fished, I was the person to locate the papaya trees, I found a lime tree. I was the person to get the bananas. I think that’s a very unfair assessment, especially when she was the person who was eating all of the stuff that I brought into camp. But, at the same time, it was a part of her game to get LJ and Jefra to think negatively about me.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Woo.
Robinson: Reliable.
Holmes: Lindsey?
Robinson: Tough.
Holmes: Trish?
Robinson: (Laughs) Not my type of person.
Holmes: Sarah?
Robinson: Shady.
Holmes: Tony?
Robinson: Very shady.
Holmes: (Laughs) Jefra?
Robinson: Naïve.
Holmes: Let’s finish with LJ.
Robinson: LJ is smooth. He was able to win some people over with his ability to be laid back.

Holmes: Both of our cops are “shady.” Has your experience in the game affected your opinion of the boys (and girls) in blue?
Robinson: No, not necessarily. There’s always a place for a police officer when you need one. But at the same time I’ve run into police officers who don’t tell the truth. I probably should have remembered that when I was out there.

Holmes: It seemed like you were having a blast out there. Any interest in going back?
Robinson: I wish I had the opportunity to blindside someone. I can’t wait to get back out on the beach. I said, “Let’s go, Probst. Get me back out there!”

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

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‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 4 Recap: Pretty Smart?

March 19, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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Last Week: Brawn tried to throw immunity, but the Brainiacs still lost, while J’Tia made like a bag of rice and ended up being tossed.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Appari Tribe (wearing orange)
Cliff – Former NBA Star, 46
Lindsey – Hairstylist, 29
Sarah – Police Officer, 29
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

The Luzon Tribe (wearing green)
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21

The Solana Tribe (wearing purple)
Alexis – Student, 21
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Jeremiah – Model, 34
LJ – Horse Trainer, 34
Morgan – Ex-NFL Cheerleader, 21

We kick this party off back at Brainy Beach after Tribal where a very thankful Spencer is giving hugs left and right.

Kass says they aren’t the Brain tribe, they’re the “Crap for Brains” tribe. Well, it doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it’s accurate.

Reward Challenge Time: Wait…not yet…

Before the challenge can get underway, Probst tells ’em to drop their buffs. I wonder if Probst has ever used that as a pick-up line.

J-Pro hands out the new headgear and it looks like we’ve got Woo, Cliff, Jefra, LJ, Tony, Lindsey, and Trish on the Solana tribe and Latasha, Kass, Alexis, Morgan, Jeremiah, Spencer, and Sarah on the Aparri tribe. Great, now I have to learn tribe names.

Sarah is not psyched to be on the tribe that has none of her brawn buddies on it.

Latasha, on the other hand, is happy that she isn’t surrounded by people who suck at challenges anymore. She may not have used those exact words.

Reward Challenge Time (for reals this time): One person will hold onto a pole while two people from the other tribe will try to get them off of the pole and across the beach. First tribe to do this twice wins pastries and other assorted breakfast goodies.

Round One: Morgan and Sarah will try to get Lindsay off the pole while Jefra and Trish will try to evacuate Tasha. It’s quite a brawl with Morgan and Sarah eventually getting the point.

Round Two: Spencer and Jeremiah will attack Cliff while LJ and Trish will battle Alexis. No contest here, Alexis is quickly dragged across the beach. Seriously, Cliff is so big. I wonder if he just lied there flat if they could move him at all.

Round Three: Spencer and Jeremiah will go after Cliff again while Lindsey and Tony will try to take down Sarah. Sarah tried her best, but it wasn’t close. Lindsey and Tony win it for the Solana tribe.

Back at camp, LJ gets in a solid joke asking if their shelter is a tarp or Cliff’s jacket. Well played. Jokes aside, he realizes the idol is only going to buy him three more days. Luckily for him, Trish thinks he’s cute and likes that he’s from Massachusetts. Unluckily for us, this eventually devolves into a conversation about twerking.

Later on, Cliff lets us know that he’s happy that so many Brawns ended up on his tribe. But he could do without having Trish (and her laugh) around.

A little while later, Trish admits to Jefra that she doesn’t get along with Lindsey and that they’ve been gunning for Cliff. Dun dun dun…

Over at Aparri, Sarah asks everyone what decisions their tribes made with the immunity idol clues on day one. This upsets Morgan because she lied to her tribe about the idol clue.

Alexis picks up on this and immediately wants to cut Morgan loose. She approaches the Brains about an alliance.

Afterwards, Morgan accuses Alexis of twerking for LJ. Again with the twerking? Kids these days. Either way, it looks like the Brainy Bunch is finally in the driver’s seat.

Immunity Challenge Time: The teams will use a battering ram to drive their way through two walls. Then they’ll have to maneuver the ram through a maze. First tribe to complete the maze and smash a gong wins immunity.

Trish and Morgan will sit for their respective tribes.

Note: Before the challenge got underway, Probst tried to determine the sex of the immunity idol. Unfortunately (fortunately?) the idol isn’t anatomically correct.

Both tribes manage to get through the walls at the same time. From there, Aparri completes the maze first and wins immunity. Didn’t see that coming.

Politicking around Solana seems to pit the former Brawnies vs. the former Beauties. However, Trish wants to bring the cuties on board with her and Tony to get rid of Cliff. She approaches Tony with this idea and he doesn’t seem that into it. Well, maybe if their new alliance had some kind of cool name…

Quick Aside: If LJ admitted to having an idol, he could flip the game with Trish and not have to worry about Tony.

That night at Tribal Council, LJ feels like he and Jefra are only going to be around for as long as the Brawns want them there.

Cliff thinks there’s someone in his alliance who isn’t comfortable with their position.

Woo thinks going against your alliance will only put you in a bad position. Gah…way to play the game, Woo.

Trish thinks sometimes you have to make other arrangements for yourself.

Jefra thinks the game is about risk and the person on the bottom won’t win.

Lindsey thinks the Brawnies will do better if they stick together because the tribes will eventually merge.

Tony thinks Tribal will decide if they’re sticking with the gameplan or starting a new alliance. Just like every Tribal ever.

Voting Time: Woo votes for LJ, Jefra votes for Cliff, and the rest of the votes are secret.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for LJ, one vote for Cliff, one vote for LJ, one vote for Cliff, one vote for LJ, one vote for Cliff, and the fifth person to be voted out of “Survivor: Cagayan” is…Cliff.

Oh man, the look on Lindsey’s face is priceless.

Verdict: Wow, the guy I thought was safe was just voted out by the tribe I was convinced would win immunity. This season keeps with the goodness.

Power Rankings Results: I had Cliff in spot eight. Ciera had him in spot three. So, the current score is Team Ciera 27, Team Gordon 35.

Who’s Going to Win? Cops R Us is looking pretty good at this point. But the Brains have a lot of room to  make things happen. Tough call, but I’m sticking with Sarah.

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

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‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings: Tribe Swap Edition

March 18, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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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 two players will earn. For example, if Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 2 points and Gordon will receive 7 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had J’Tia in spot fourteen, Gordon had her in spot fifteen. So, the current score is Team Ciera 24, Team Gordon 27.

Ciera’s Score = 24

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 27

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Tony –  This week is difficult because I don’t have a whole lot to go off of cause of this whole tribe swap thing. Judging from the preview for next week it looks like one tribe has a lot of the brawn which is why I think if they are smart they’ll stick together for awhile. But that rarely happens so we’ll see. Tony does have the hidden immunity idol and the numbers so he should be okay this week.   1. Kassandra – Alright, let me get this out in the open first…I HATE TRIBE SWAPS! HATE, HATE, CAPS LOCK, HATE THEM! They punish people who are playing good games and they immediately put strong challenge competitors at a disadvantage before the merge. Teams are more likely to throw challenges so they can eliminate the other alliance’s strong players. HATE HATE HATE. Anywho, the swap is just what the Brainy kids needed. Kass should be safe for a while.
 2. Woo – Woo also has the numbers and seems to have built enough relationships that I doubt he is in any trouble this week.
   2. Lindsey – And another thing; TRIBE SWAPS MAKE POWER RANKINGS TOO HARD! We’ve never seen Kass interact with Woo. What if they fall in love? What if they start a blood feud? Bah…Lindsey will probably be alright too.
 3. Cliff – Cliff is a great asset to the challenges. He’s former Brawn tribe, and he’s close with Woo.
   3. Latasha – Kudos for making the right move last week in getting rid of J’Tia. It would have been a disaster to go into a tribe swap being known as the person who kept a rice tosser around. Now you’ve got some room to maneuver.

 4. Lindsey –  She is part of the numbers, all she needs to do this week is perform well in the challenge and lay low.   4. Trish – It looks like one of the tribes is very Brawn heavy. Probably safe to assume they’re going to stick together, but if not, Trish probably won’t be a primary target.

 5. Trish – She is the oldest woman on her tribe so she needs to start building an alliance fast before she gets left out of one.   5. Spencer – It was easy to be annoyed with Spencer before the show started. All of his pre-game interviews made him out to be an arrogant twit. But, he’s proven to be a very shrewd player. I even caught myself rooting for him. Keep up the good work.
 6. Latasha – I have loved this girl so far. She’s a fighter and she knows how to use people to get further in the game.
   6. Tony – The bad news for Tony is that it looks like his Cops R Us partnership is going to have to be put on the back burner. The good news is he’ll still be surrounded by tribemates and he’s still got an idol.
 7. Kassandra – Kass has Tasha and maybe Spencer?
   7. Woo – Who doesn’t love Woo? He’s good looking, funny, he’s got a great attitude, and his tribe has the numbers. Not only that, but his new tribe seems to be the stronger of the two.
 8. Sarah –  Having someone to all of the sudden having no one is no fun! Sarah is going to have to start fresh and build a new alliance to get her to the merge. I could see her sticking with the guys instead of the girls but I guess we’ll see. Whoever she goes with I believe she will be safe this week.  8. Cliff – A free throw immunity competition? Seriously? That’s like having Ciera compete in a “Trivia About People Who’ve Voted Their Mothers Out of ‘Survivor’” immunity challenge.
 9. LJ –  I definitely think LJ rubs people the wrong way and if he didn’t have the idol I could see him going home this week…but he does! So maybe his only ally Jefra will take the heat this week?   9. Sarah – Looks like you’re the only person who isn’t going to have a former tribemate around. Hopefully that won’t cause you too much trouble. Your lack of allegiances should allow you to sneak in with the dominant alliance.
 10. Alexis –  She is a girl on a tribe that the girls dominate…she does have Jeremiah but she seems to be stirring the pot a little. If the women are intimidated by the beauties Tasha and Kass could be wanting Alexis or Morgan out.   10. LJ – Like I said above, tribe swaps are bad news for challenge competitors on smaller tribes. That’s you, buddy. You’d better take that immunity idol with you everywhere.
 11. Jeremiah –  The bad blood between Morgan and Jeremiah I think will come to a head here. Jeremiah is smooth and likable and I could see the new tribe mates falling for it and trusting him.  11. Alexis – Looks like the Beautiful People are going to dominate the bottom of this week’s rankings. That’s because the Brawns have numbers and nobody is afraid of the Brains.
 12. Spencer –  I loved him last week. and I am rooting for him. He seems to have his work cut out for him though, but he definitely has some options. He has shown to be great in the challenges, a helper around camp, and has ties to Tasha and Kass. And Jeremiah whose not going to want to get rid of another guy.  12. Jefra – Could the Brawns split the vote for fear of Jefra or LJ having an idol? Definitely. Right now the only thing really working in Jefra’s favor is that fact that her tribe looks to be more physically dominant.
 13. Jefra –  Jefra needs to expand and charm her way into a new alliance to get her to the merge. She doesn’t bring a whole ton to the challenges, she seems to complain a little, and she doesn’t have the hidden immunity idol.  13. Morgan – Outside of a couple of Brainiacs, nobody needed a tribe swap more that Morgan. Now that she’s got it, here’s hoping she can use some of those smarts she’s shown to find a new alliance.
 14. Morgan – I don’t want to see this girl go. I loved that she called out Jeremiah in front of everyone last week. BUT that could have really gotten you into trouble now, because instead of having Jeremiah and Alexis wanting to work with you now Jeremiah wants you out! Better just focus on winning the challenge and convincing the girls to stick together.  14. Jeremiah – The question that will determine Jeremiah’s fate is; does his tribe care more about challenge strength or getting rid of threats and diminishing the Beauty tribe’s numbers? Ask Tyrone from “Survivor: Nicaragua” how that works out.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway J’Tia: ‘I Didn’t Care If They Didn’t Eat’

March 13, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

If you Google “How to Cook Rice” you’ll get about 147,000,000 results.

I can’t speak for which method is the most tasty, but I’ll bet J’Tia Taylor’s will get you in the most trouble.

I spoke with “Survivor: Cagayan’s” most notorious chef the morning after she was voted out of the game and had a chance to ask her about the motivation behind her culinary disaster, her relationship with the Brainy Lady alliance, and why she never wants to be a good loser…

Gordon Holmes: You, Latasha, and Kass seemed pretty tight heading into last night’s vote. Were you blindsided?
J’Tia Taylor: It was not unexpected. I knew there was a chance. Anytime anyone goes to Tribal Council they should assume there’s a chance they can be voted out. Going in I did not think they would vote me out, but as it progressed and as Jeff spoke more I understood that he was leading them to consider the challenges. So, it was no surprise to me when I was voted out.

Holmes: You’re probably going to be remembered as the woman who threw the rice on the fire. And this has happened on “Survivor” before. Brandon Hantz did something similar. But, Brandon was an excitable, young man who wanted to make big TV moments, where you seemed like you’d be way more strategic. Help me understand what went into your decision.
Taylor: So, at this time everybody on my tribe basically told me that I was going home. I was already feeling dejected because I did not come through with the puzzle. I felt bad enough and they were kicking me when I was down. Then, I felt like Garrett, who was supposed to be in my alliance, we were supposed to vote Kass out next, turned on me. So, I figured I’d get him where it hurts and that was his stomach. He was always talking about how he was hungry. And, he was supposed to be watching me, so I figured it’d be a double whammy. And I really wasn’t too happy with everyone else, so  I didn’t care if they didn’t eat. And personally, I’d rather stay and starve than go home and eat. So, I threw out the rice.
Holmes: Latasha was in your corner at that point. Was there any concern for her?
Taylor: Latasha said I was going home as well. And as far as us not having any rice to eat, we actually had more food after I threw out the rice than before. We had bananas, I caught us some crabs, we got a little smarter about how we ate. And we still had some rice left over. But, nope. Didn’t feel bad.
Holmes: Do you ever have any over-the-top reactions to things in your everyday life?
Taylor: Like I just go into the cafeteria and dump out all the rice in anger?
Holmes: That’ll show ‘em!
Taylor: (Laughs) Yeah! You, Colonels…how dare you? But no.

Holmes: So many of the things we saw about you were negative. What were some of the positive things that we missed?
Taylor: It seemed like Tasha and Kass hated me. And it’s OK to say I was volatile because I was. I was really hurt. But we got along for the most part. Kass and Tasha, they told me things to my face, they were honest, we did each other’s hair for the challenges. I’m not going to say I enjoyed every minute of it, but I liked everybody I was out there with. I didn’t know they had so many problem with me or thought I was bossy, (Laughs) although I can imagine why they thought I was bossy. But, I am who I am.

Holmes: You’re very successful in your everyday life, and here you’re put into a situation where your value is based on how well you can put a flag on a board while blindfolded.  Was it frustrating to be unable to contribute?
Taylor: It was very frustrating, these are clearly not skills that I use in my everyday life. I thought the Brawn people were so successful because they had a history of competing under pressure. That really helped them come from behind and not panic. It was very frustrating. I’m not used to losing. I’m not a good loser, I don’t want to learn how to become a good loser, because I don’t intend on continuing to lose in real life.

Holmes: What has the reaction been like from “Survivor” fans?
Taylor: I don’t know, I only read the good comments.
Holmes: Smart, I have a filter on my computer that doesn’t let bad comments in.
Taylor: No, I don’t have that, I just ignore everybody. You guys with negative comments are wasting your time. Here…let me see… “J’Tia Angel, you’re a star, you make this season so much better just by being in it.” Here’s another one, “J’Tia, I still love you down to your bone marrow.”

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Garrett.
Taylor: Muscular.
Holmes: David?
Taylor: Crafty.
Holmes: Spencer?
Taylor: Deaf mute.
Holmes: Kass?
Taylor: Salty woman.
Holmes: Jeff Probst?
Taylor: Dot dot hmmm…
Holmes: (Laughs) And Latasha?
Taylor: Really athletic.

Holmes: You had an interesting ride out there. What’s your big takeaway from the experience?
Taylor: I want to say I had a big takeaway, but I can’t think of one. I’m trying to give you something, Gordon. I am who I am. I like who I am. That’s the takeaway. I like who I am, some people don’t. You’ve got to rock with how you are and that’s what I do.

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

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‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 3 Recap: MENSAd

March 12, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: A cop received some back-up, LJ found an IDL, and beautiful butterfly Brice was released into the wild.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Appari Tribe (wearing orange)
Cliff – Former NBA Star, 46
Lindsey – Hairstylist, 29
Sarah – Police Officer, 29
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

The Luzon Tribe (wearing green)
J’Tia – Nuclear Engineer, 30
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21

The Solana Tribe (wearing purple)
Alexis – Student, 21
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Jeremiah – Model, 34
LJ – Horse Trainer, 34
Morgan – Ex-NFL Cheerleader, 21

We’re back at Beauty Beach after Tribal, and the resident hot girl isn’t a happy camper. She shows she’s got some strategy chops by calling out Jeremiah in front of everyone. She asks why he flipped after being the one to come to her with the idea of an alliance.

Jeremiah says “ya know” about a dozen times in his response.

Morgan then approaches one of the cute girls (Alexis) and tells her that they targeted her because of Jeremiah’s maneuvering. Morgan’s doing a solid job of showing she’s not just a pretty face. Ya know?

The next morning, tree mail hints at a blindfold challenge. You can almost hear Mark Burnett giggling in the background.

The Brain-o’s show their smarty smartiness by doing a dress rehearsal.

J’Tia really hopes they can win some food because she’s feels responsible for them starving…for some reason.

Reward Challenge Time: Pairs of blindfolded players will wander out into the wilderness in the search of items. A caller on top of a tower will try to direct them. The first tribe to get all of their items and a tribe flag and hoist them up a tower will win hens and a rooster, the second tribe will win a dozen eggs, the third tribe gets nothing.

So, wait…this is like an immunity challenge, but the winner gets a prize? That’s unique.

Also, why not just have them try to catch the chickens while blindfolded?

Woo, Sarah, and Morgan will sit out.

Latasha, Alexis, and Cliff are the callers.

The challenge starts off and it is several shades of hilarious. LJ took so many shots to the groin. Like a whole episode of “AFV” worth.

Beauty manages to win this disaster. However the real drama happens when J’Tia takes forever to get her tribe’s flag up the tower and the Brawnies sneak in from behind to claim second.

Back at Casa de Lovely, the whole tribe uncovers the immunity idol clue. LJ breathes a sigh of relief, Morgan…not so much.

Later, Alexis is confused as to how chicken babies are made. They’re nice enough to explain it to her without prefacing it with “When a hen loves a rooster very much…”

Not to let the proceedings get too mushy, Jeremiah twists the head off of one of the chickens. Life, reproduction, and death all encapsulated in one segment. Go “Survivor.”

Over at Muscle Beach, Cliff tells Lindsey that he’s ready to get his blindside on. Sarah, having been told by Tony that Cliff is gunning for her, wants our favorite NBA player gone. She approaches Woo with this idea and he’s all for it. Apparently he thinks that one of the non-millionaires should win the million. Yeah, of course a non-millionaire would say that.

Later on, Tony tells us that he was lying about Cliff gunning for Sarah. Oh man.

Tree mail arrives and talks about “Sinking the Shot.” I bet the team with an NBA player does well.

Oh wait, the team with the NBA player on it is considering throwing the challenge. Sarah and Trish are for it, Woo seems like he’s on the fence.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will dive down into the ocean to retrieve five buoys. They’ll then shoot those buoys into a basket…basketball style. First two tribes to sink all five shots wins immunity.

Quick Aside: This is seriously a challenge on the season Cliff Robinson is on? Why not just have a home run derby for Jeff Kent?

Tony and Lindsey will sit for Brawn. Alexis will sit for Beauty.

The challenge starts off…and…J’Tia…is…bad at retrieving buoys. It isn’t a total disaster though, because Trish and Sarah are having mysterious problems retrieving their buoys as well.

The Beauties quickly get all of their buoys and are raining threes. They sink all five of the shots before the other tribes have even retrieved theirs. Very impressive.

Meanwhile, Spencer is single-handedly getting his tribe back into the challenge. The problem is, J’Tia can’t retrieve his rebounds after he misses a shot. J’Terrible.

It comes down to a shootout between Spencer and former NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson and…SPENCER WINS!

Yeah…no, Cliff totally won. But Spencer did a fantastic job.

Back at Smarty Central, Spencer is understandably frustrated. He’s the tribe’s only challenge competitor while J’Tia is like a person wearing roller skates and oven mitts.

Latasha and Kass are considering sending J’Tia home. But, for fear of J’Tia murdering them, decide not to clue her in.

That night at Tribal Council, J’Tia claims she did the best she could in the challenge and in high stress situations she usually rises to the top. Yeah, you rose to the top, you just didn’t have a buoy in your hands.

Latasha thinks J’Tia has been weak in most of the challenges.

Kass thinks the rice dumping was an emotional response, not a sign that J’Tia isn’t loyal. SHE DECIDED TO LET YOU STARVE.

Spencer says if he sticks around he’ll be solidly with the group.

Kass thinks people will be watching this Tribal and yell at her not to do something stupid. OK, that’s creepy. I was just doing that. What number am I thinking of Kass?

Voting Time: Spencer votes for J’Tia, J’Tia votes for Spencer, and the rest of the votes are secret.

J’Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for J’Tia, one vote for Spencer, one vote for J’Tia, and the fourth person to be voted out of “Survivor: Cagayan” is…J’Tia.

OK, would you have blamed Latasha and Kass if they’d covered their heads when J’Tia went for her torch?

Verdict: Challenge ineptitude, totally imploding an entire tribe, the rice incident…J’Tia’s got to go down as one of the worst “Survivor” players of all time, right? She might be a perfectly nice person, but this game is not for her.

But yeah, I’m really liking this season. Interesting characters, great challenges, good times.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had J’Tia in spot fourteen, I had her in spot fifteen. So, the current score is Team Ciera 24, Team Gordon 27.

Who’s Going to Win? Looks like we’ve got a tribe swap coming up next week. Personally, I’m not a fan. The game is now wide open.

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

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‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings: Better-Late-Than-Never Edition

March 12, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 two players will earn. For example, if Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 6 points and Gordon will receive 7 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera  had Brice in spot 10, Gordon had him in spot 12. So, the current score is Team Ciera 10, Team Gordon 12.

Ciera’s Score = 10

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 12

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Tony – There ya go! Coming clean about being a police officer to Sarah was the right move, it gave you and her something to relate over AND something that means so much to Sarah that she swears on her badge to you. You’re planting seeds in peoples’ heads about not trusting others, making yourself seem so much more trustable, AND you have the hidden immunity idol!   1. LJ – He’s got an idol, he’s got the numbers, and he’s got an easy next target. He’s also good looking, he’s in great shape, and he’s on a tropical beach with Alexis… I hate my life.
 2. Sarah – Sarah is in a good spot. She seems to be holding her own in challenges and is fairly likable. Staying under Tony and letting him make the moves for a little while might be her best bet until she can get to the merge. Her biggest mistake could be trusting Tony too much though.
   2. Jeremiah – I’m pretty sure I knew what you were thinking when you were considering siding with Brice and Morgan. Either, you wanted to be in a dominant alliance of three instead of an alliance of two twos, or you wanted to stay on Morgan’s good side. I can see the merit in those two strategies (trust me). But, I think you made the right call. It’s simply too soon to make two serious enemies and alert the rest of the players that you’ve got some strategy chops.
 3. Latasha – You’re definitely the leader on the Brains tribe. And I’m liking you more and more. I’m normally all for girl power but in your case I think aligning with Spencer could be good for you. Your tribe looks to you when deciding who to vote for and that’s why you’re gonna be safe.
   3. Latasha – Alright, I’ve had a chance to rethink this J’Tia thing. She’s got to go. I know you can’t trust Spencer, but the last thing you want is to hit the merge being known as the person who let a rice tosser hang around. You’ve done J’Tia a solid, she got some extra days in the game. She might even get that Jeff Probst Patented Shoulder Massage for Rice Tossers on the way out. But, she is going to kill your credibility if you keep her for much longer.

 4. Jefra – Poor Jefra! That weather did not look fun, but I thought you did well this week. if she can continue building her relationship with Jeremiah and keeping her friendship with Alexis you will be in good spot. I would like to see a little more strategy to your game though, so far you don’t seem to be playing to win.   4. Alexis – Dodged her first bullet well. Trusted in her alliance and it paid off. Now she has to convince the guys that she’s more valuable then Jefra. I’d start planting the seeds that Jefra is too likable and might not be willing to slit throats when the time comes for it.

 5. Alexis – Same as Jefra only Alexis seems to be a third wheel, which is okay for now but come merge time could be bad. Alexis also needs to show more strategy.   5. Jefra – Jefra, darling…go watch “Survivor: Nicaragua,” then go watch “Survivor: One World.” Are you done? First of all, I’m sorry for subjecting you to that. Second of all, did you see the way people were making alliances within two seconds of reaching their beaches? That happens every season. You’re lucky you ended up on the right end of someone else’s strategy.
 6. Woo – Woo is the same as last week. Hasn’t done a whole lot but isn’t in any danger right now.
   6. Kassandra – OK, you guys survived a challenge, and you’ve avoided a Tribal Council. But is that best for you? Following the “Philippines” model, couldn’t it be better for you and Latasha to be the last two standing, get split up, then realign after the merge. Neither one of you would be viewed as a threat. Just something to think about.
 7. Trish – At this point it seems like whoever gets in with Sarah and Tony is going to be good for a while. Trish could be the one to do that, and would be smart to considering she seems to be the weakest on the Brawn tribe and needs numbers.
   7. Woo – I’m not big on preview reading, but Sarah approached Woo and said she wanted to throw a challenge to get rid of “him.” Now, the him could be Cliff or it could be Tony, but it’s definitely not Woo.
 8. Jeremiah – Jeremiah made the right move keeping Alexis over Brice. I think his relationship with Jefra is what’s going to get him to the merge. He pulled his weight around camp and in the challenges and is in with LJ and the girls. He has the numbers and should be good.  8. Lindsey – Again, mega uncertainty coming from the jocks this week. Lay low, Lindsey. This stuff always sorts itself out.
 9. LJ – You did find the hidden immunity idol this week and I think it’s awesome you didn’t let the weather stop you from bettering your position in this game. I think that Jefra, Jeremiah, and Alexis are closer than you think. And you being the oldest on your tribe definitely puts you on the outs. Since you do have the idol, and Morgan is still an easy vote out, I think you’re safe this week.   9. Trish – The good news for you is; apparently you’re not the low person on the Alpha Beta totem pole. This challenge throwing business might give you a chance to wiggle into the majority alliance.
 10. Spencer – Being the only guy on a tribe of women can be a blessing and a curse. The girls know they are really going to need you in some of the challenges and even around camp, therefore its not going to be easy to get rid of you.   10. Sarah – Wow, that’s quite a drop this week. You’re super perceptive, so you immediately know Tony is a cop. But then you can’t see through the lies he’s feeding you? And now you want to throw a challenge over it? I don’t hate the idea of challenge throwing as much as some people do, but this is a marathon, not a sprint.
 11. Cliff – The same as last week. Only he needs to distance himself from Lindsey and build a relationship with Cops R Us.  11. Cliff – It wouldn’t be a crime for Tony to have Sarah targeting Cliff when Cliff hasn’t done anything wrong. Nobody ever said “Survivor” was a fair game. I will say, if Cliff is voted out before we get a chance to watch him in a balancing immunity, that would be a crime.
 12. Kassandra – Kass I still think that you’re not in the best spot. You’re the weakest physically on the Brains, you don’t seem to be as close to Tasha as J’Tia, and Spencer seems to be smarter than you.  12. Tony – I’m a big fan of not lying unless you need to lie. And Tony’s telling some whoppers when he already seems safe with Sarah. Worst of all, Sarah seems like the type that would freak right out if she ever learned you were deceiving her. Keep that idol handy, buddy.
 13. Lindsey – Saying you wish you hadn’t put yourself in game of “Survivor”….would have easily been enough for me to vote you out. There are people who would die to be playing the game of “Survivor” rain or shine! Being lazy around camp, having Cops R Us after you, and comments like that are going to get you out of this game quick.  13. Morgan – You were kinda screwed before the game started, weren’t you? LJ didn’t trust you because you were hot, then he had time alone with the tribe to get them all on his side. Jeremiah isn’t going to do anything, Alexis and Jefra aren’t going to do anything. Morgan needs a merge.
 14. J’Tia – Pouring out 95% of your tribes rice and then trying to figure out how much rice you guys should cook for the day?! Wow. Some nerve this girl has or she’s just totally socially unaware. Either way she’s annoying people, she’s slightly crazy, and she does nothing for the Brains tribe in challenges. Should the Brains tribe lose she could easily be gone.  14. Spencer – I spoke with Brice last Thursday, and he told me that they had no idea that J’Tia had dumped her tribe’s rice. Maybe that’s Spencer’s play; threaten to spill the beans about J’Tia spilling the rice. (See what I did there?) Then Kass and Tasha would be more likely to get rid of her because nobody is going to trust a rice dumper and her alliance mates.
 15. Morgan – Morgan you need to start being a girls’ girl and quick!! Get those girls to see that they don’t want to be over powered by the guys and that their best move is to stick with a girls alliance, and if Morgan could do that she would not only be safe but she would be safe for at least a few weeks. If she cannot, she’s gone this week!  15. J’Tia – I feel bad picking on J’Tia. She actually seems very nice. Sometimes the stress of the game and the elements just gets to people. But, dumping rice has got to be like the “Survivor” scarlet letter. Imagine it’s the merge, and you’re Sarah, and you’re starving, and you hear that J’Tia had dumped her tribe’s rice and was now going to be a part of your tribe. How would that be acceptable?

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Brice: ‘They Can No Longer Call it the Beauty Tribe’

March 6, 2014

Brice Johnston (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. On Mondays we’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Nobody ever said “Survivor” was a fair game. Sometimes a well-liked player who helps around camp and pulls his weight in challenges is voted out before a shelter-destroying, fire-dousing, rice-burning liability.

I spoke with Brice Johnston the morning after he found himself on the wrong side of the numbers and asked him about immunity idol clues, why he didn’t side with LJ and Jeremiah, and the mental state of the Brains tribe…

Gordon Holmes: So, is it right to still call this tribe the “Beauty Tribe” now that you’ve been eliminated?
Brice Johnston: Absolutely not. That name has been stricken and they have to find another name. Now that Brice is gone they can no longer call it the Beauty Tribe.
Holmes: Any thoughts on what they should go with?
Johnston: Country bumpkins, maybe? (Laughs)

Holmes: We didn’t see a lot of how the tribe ended up with you and Morgan on one side and LJ, Jeremiah, Alexis, and Jefra on the other. Could you break it down for us?
Johnston: It’s not hard to explain. I felt like LJ and Jeremiah felt comfortable because they were two heterosexual men and they were uncomfortable with me. Honestly, that’s just what I felt. And they went with the two weak girls who were not playing the game. I came on “Survivor,” day one I was playing the game. So, LJ and Jeremiah were not only threatened that I could play a social game, but I was physical and I could survive. They were immediately threatened by that. They ostracized Morgan, so I went to Morgan because maybe we could use her bosoms to get someone else. But it didn’t work, because I don’t think those guys are interested in bosoms…if you know what I mean.
Holmes: Oh, I do. Was there anything specific that they did that made you feel like your sexual orientation was an issue for them?
Johnston: Being out there on the island you could definitely feel it. Or, maybe they wanted to stay away from it for other reasons. (Laughs)

Holmes: It seemed like Jeremiah was considering flipping to you and Morgan. Was that ever a realistic scenario?
Johnston: Absolutely, I just think that Jeremiah is not smart enough to think on his own. I felt like LJ beat it into his head. I don’t think Jeremiah can process that LJ is a huge threat. So, why keep him? But Jeremiah is used to cutting lawns and taking pictures, so he couldn’t process what was going on. I don’t fault Jeremiah for that. He doesn’t understand the game too well.

Holmes: LJ was selected as the leader on day one. Did he maintain that role once you got to the beach?
Johnston: He definitely did. He wanted to make himself dominant for those girls who were very weak so he could seem like a leader. I think what surprised him is, I was a leader as well. I was doing a lot of things around camp, I held my own in the challenges. I was funny to be around at camp. So, I think LJ was so threatened by  me.

Holmes: What was your relationship with Alexis like?
Johnston: On the island, we got along well. Everyone, for the most part, got along. However, when it comes to strategic moves, I know who’s talking to me and who is not. I know who’s a pawn, and who’s just a number. And I felt like Alexis was just numbers to them.

Holmes: The Brains Tribe had a titanic meltdown last week. Did you have any idea how bad it was over there with J’Tia dumping the rice?
Johnston: We did not know how bad it was. But, when we would come to the challenges we could see in their eyes that it wasn’t going well. We didn’t know how bad until last week. They looked drained.

Holmes: Did Morgan tell you about the immunity idol clue?
Johnston: I don’t think we needed to have that conversation. When we walked up on the beach it was pretty obvious what was going on. We just knew, “Why are you coming out of the water looking like a ‘Baywatch’ hottie?” We never had that conversation because I didn’t want to pressure her.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Now, I know this is going to be hard for you because you don’t remember their names, but let’s start with Morgan.
Johnston: Hottie Ba-tottie.
Holmes: LJ?
Johnston: Horse whisperer.
Holmes: Alexis?
Johnston: Bootie shaker.
Holmes: Jeremiah?
Johnston: Dummy.
Holmes: Jefra?
Johnston: Who’s that?

Holmes: What’s your takeaway from this experience?
Johnston: Growing up in Philadelphia being a gay, black man, I definitely was not always so secure with myself. But like I said at Tribal Council, the last couple of years of my life I’ve just been so proud. Just taking my life by the horns. So “Survivor” confirmed that for me. Everything I knew about myself; that I’m amazing, I’m smart, I’m talented, I’m good-looking, I’m funny…coming on “Survivor” confirmed it. And moving forward I’ve got a lot of good things coming up. Being on that island, I smelled so funky, I never want to smell that funky again. I went back to Philly and I started my own fragrance company.  Fragrances by Brice Izyah will be available this May.

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

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‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Episode 2 Recap: Cops Rock

March 5, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. On Mondays we’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: Morgan proved to be a good liar, David and Garrett were booted with votes that came down to the wire, and J’Tia threw her tribe’s rice away.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Appari Tribe (wearing orange)
Cliff – Former NBA Star, 46
Lindsey – Hairstylist, 29
Sarah – Police Officer, 29
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

The Luzon Tribe (wearing green)
J’Tia – Nuclear Engineer, 30
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21

The Solana Tribe (wearing purple)
Alexis – Student, 21
Brice – Social Worker, 27
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Jeremiah – Model, 34
LJ – Horse Trainer, 34
Morgan – Ex-NFL Cheerleader, 21

The party kicks off after last week’s Tribal Council. Spencer’s mind is blown that the ladies chose the great rice liberator over Garrett. You and me both, buddy.

J’Tia says the Brains tribe is a disaster, but it’s entertaining. That might be the first logical thing she’s said all season.

Meanwhile over at Brawnyville, Tony admits to Sarah that he’s a cop. This is enough to get her to align with him. He tells Sarah that they should team up with Lindsey and Cliff as “Cops R Us.” Eh…I don’t love the name, but it’s catchier than “Cops, Forwards/Centers, Hairdresses R Us.”

However, we later learn that Tony is feeding Sarah false information about things he has overheard Lindsey and Cliff saying. For someone who’s mega-perceptive, Sarah seems to buy right into Tony’s lie.

Then the rain starts. And holy cow is it no joke. Tony says it’s what he envisions hell to be like. A rainy jungle? Has he ever seen a cartoon?

Things are even less cheery over at the Beauty Shop. Jefra is not dealing with the weather or her prune hands very well. She’s also not dealing well with helping to build the shelter.

Later on, LJ wanders out to where Morgan was caught looking for the immunity idol. He searches around a bit and…finds himself an idol. Way to be, LJ.

Tree mail shows up, saying the players will be “mazed and confused.” Spencer quickly deduces that there will be a maze. That’s why he’s on the Brains tribe.

Latasha wants to practice immunity challenge techniques, but everyone else has other ideas. Tasha makes it a point to tell Spencer that he should want to win immunity more than anyone. Subtle.

Immunity Challenge Time: Tribe members will use buckets to toss water to each other. The last person will use the water to fill a container that is attached to a teeter-totter. Once the container is full, the teeter will totter (or something like that) and release a ball. They’ll then use the ball in a super-cool swiveling maze. First two tribes to complete the maze will win immunity. The winning tribe will also win blankets, pillows, and a tarp. While the second-place tribe will just win a tarp.

Lindsey and Tony will sit for the Brawnies. Jefra and Alexis will sit for the Beauties.

The challenge starts off and the Brain tribe immediately falls behind. I hope Russell Swan is laughing somewhere.

The Beauty tribe is the first to release their ball, they’re followed by Team Brawn. Jeremiah, LJ, Woo, and Cliff all pull puzzle duty.

Eventually Kass and Spencer join the fun.

Woo and Cliff figure out the puzzle quickly and win immunity.

It’s neck and neck between the Beauties and the Brains, but the Brains finally live up to their name and complete the maze.

Back at camp, Tony again digs through the reward to find the immunity clue. Seriously, way to go, Tony. However, I wonder if it’d be better for him to leave the clue there and pay attention to who finds it. If Sarah finds it and she doesn’t share it, can she be trusted?

Later, Sarah tries out the hammock and it promptly falls apart. Well, they didn’t have a nuclear engineer to set it up.

Politicking around Beauty Town starts off with LJ informing us that Brice and Morgan are on the outs. He wants to target Brice because he seems like more of a threat. Also, voting out Morgan would make me super sad.

Jeremiah tells Brice about LJ’s plan and Brice tries to point the vote toward Alexis. Wait, that’d make me extra super sad.

Then, Morgan approaches Jefra and tells her that Jeremiah wants to get rid of LJ. OK, that’d make me less sad.

Later on, Alexis pitches the idea of splitting the votes in case Brice or Morgan has the idol. Jeremiah likes this, because he’s considering flipping and voting for Alexis. Dude, don’t. It’s way too soon. There’s no reason to be the target of two members of your tribe.

That night at Tribal Council, Probst breaks out some algebra saying how fire = your life.

Brice is psyched to be on the Beauty tribe because he’s a butterfly that comes “out of a caterpillar.” I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.

Jefra thinks the rain killed the tribe’s momentum because nobody was talking strategy before it starting pouring. Oh sweetie, they were.

Brice doesn’t like that Alexis has never talked strategy with him. Good point. He also doesn’t think she’s pulling her own weight.

Brice says there’s “talk of the town” that Morgan could have the idol because she got to the camp first.

Jeremiah says he knows where the vote is going and it’s going to suck.

Voting Time: Morgan votes for Alexis, Alexis votes for Brice, LJ votes for Morgan, and the rest of the votes are lost to the magic of editing.

J-Pro does his thing with the votes.  He returns and we’ve got one vote for Alexis, one vote for Brice, one vote for Morgan, one vote for Alexis, one vote for Brice, and one vote for Morgan…a tie.

Voting Time Again: No votes are shown.

J-Pro tallies yet again. We’ve got one vote for Brice and the third person to be voted out of “Survivor: Cagayan” is…Brice.

Sorry, Brice. Back into the caterpillar.

Verdict: This season continues at a solid pace. Interesting players, awesome challenges, and no tribe is getting the Matsing treatment. Good times.

Who’s Going to Win? Cops R Us is looking good, but Tony’s got to keep track of the lies he’s telling Sarah.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera Eastin had Brice in spot 10, I had him in spot 12. So, the current score is Team Ciera 10, Team Gordon 12.

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

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Ciera Eastin Accepts the ‘Survivor: Cagayan’ Power Rankings Challenge

March 4, 2014

Ciera Eastin (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. On Mondays we’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

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 two players will earn. For example, if Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 7 points and Gordon will receive 2 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Ciera’s Score = 0

Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin

Gordon’s Score = 0

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Sarah – I love this girl so far. She performed great in the challenges and even pulled out the puzzle skills saving her tribe from Tribal Council. She obviously has great intuition and awareness to recognize that Tony is a fellow police officer. She might need to tone it down moving forward… maybe pull a Tyson Apostle and fake an injury early on to make her not too large of a threat.   1. Sarah – Blam! She’s in the heart of the dominant alliance on the dominant tribe, she killed that puzzle, and she got a memorable quote when she said she should’ve been on the Brains tribe. Love her. Wait, scratch that…LOVE HER.
  2. Cliff – My Rip City blood runs deep for Cliff Robinson. Since my state of Oregon and the Portland Trail Blazers love Cliff Robinson, I do too!!! Not to mention he obviously handles his own physically and seems to be even a social threat according to my girl Sarah. I loved the bromance between him and Woo, but he can’t put all his eggs in Woo’s basket, he needs to start working the rest of the brawn tribe or he could be an early boot.
   2. Woo – Why’s Woo so high on this list? Did he have a strong first episode? Not necessarily, but he’s harmless and well-liked. He should be super safe until the merge.
  3. Alexis – This girl is really using all the cards that she was dealt. She is using her good looks and her sweet personality to charm the men, and she’s also smart enough to know a girl’s got to have her BFF. Keeping Jefra close is a good move for her because not only do you need numbers this early on, but you don’t want the guys forming an alliance and getting rid of the women (trust me).
   3. Latasha – Well Latasha, you’re the big winner from last week’s Brain tribe disaster. J’Tia super owes you, Kassandra is sticking with you, and Spencer desperately needs you.  You’re in the best situation on the worst tribe. Kinda like being the smartest person in remedial math. It’s good, but I wouldn’t brag about it.

 4. Latasha – LOVED her desire to actually play the game!!! She made the right move keeping J’Tia over Garrett at this point, but being aligned with a loose cannon like J’Tia could bite her in the butt down the road.   4. Cliff – I think more people would be willing to believe that I’m an eighteen-year NBA veteran than would believe that Cliff is in marketing. Luckily for him, nobody seemed too offended by his ill-advised ruse.

 5. Spencer – I was pleasantly surprised by Spencer. Watching his pre-game interviews I really did not expect a whole lot from this guy, but so far he’s shown he can lay low, stay cool, and let J’Tia and Garrett make all the dumb moves. If he can get in with the girls this week I could see him making it far into the game.   5. Jeremiah – It’s tough to tell what’s going on with the Beautiful People. Will Jeremiah be drawn into a Brice-facilitated showmance with Morgan? If so, could you blame him? If not, does he pair with LJ and Alefra? Too soon to tell, but either way he’ll be here next week.
  6. Jefra – Jefra almost seemed like the black sheep of the Beauty tribe to me… I’m not sure why… and I could be speaking too early, but it was refreshing to see a girl being a girl’s girl vs. a guy’s girl. Like I said I hope her and Alexis hold their own… but we’ll see…
   6. Alexis – Again, not enough information to know what’s going on with the Beauties. Best for Alexis to see where the Morgan/LJ feud ends up and side with the winner.
  7. Woo – I don’t really have a whole lot to say about Woo… I like him and I am really rooting for him but I haven’t seen much strategy from him yet. If he just sticks to Uncle Cliffy and doesn’t start expanding his relationships he will be an early boot like Cliff.   7. Jefra – See Alexis.
 8. Morgan – This girl really surprised me. Within the first 5 minutes of the episode when she was almost caught looking for the idol I thought this chick was screwed for sure, but she thought quick and covered her tracks well. Kudos for that, Morgan. She’s definitely not going anywhere this week but if I were her I would start getting in with those ladies.  8. Tony – Sarah’s claim that you were a police officer was so weirdly specific that you probably should have just owned it. But, you did a fantastic job sniffing out the clue and locating the idol. It might not be the worst idea to use it to try to buy some allies.
 
 9. Tony – The decision to tell people you’re a construction worker and not a police officer was so pointless in my mind… it’s not like you’re Batman and you want to lay low and be Bruce Wayne…you’re a police officer. Not only that, you’re risking a lot considering you are with these people for possibly 39 days. Chances are you’re going to slip up and have to cover your lies. In the game of “Survivor” that’s just one more lie to worry about.   9. Lindsey – So, you’re in with the cool kids at the Brawn tribe, but you’re not doing enough work to get Trish off of your case. Might need to step it up a bit if you’re going to stick around.
 
 10. Brice – Brice showed he is aware of his surroundings, which sounds so easy, but early in the game when you’re getting to know people it’s easy to think the game hasn’t started. You’re busy just building your shelter and getting to know each other. He saw people pairing up and decided to get a pair of his own. I saw some over strategizing though, if he doesn’t reel that in he will be an early boot.   10. Kassandra – Tough call for you last week. You decided to keep J’Tia so you could be the #2 person in your tribe’s dominant alliance. However, that tribe is going to be decimated the next time immunity is up for grabs. You’d better hope John Kirhoffer has lined up a Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit challenge next.
 11. Jeremiah – Simple country boy with good looks is my kind of guy. With a good alliance he could be the one to beat. I put him this low because I don’t really have too much of an opinion on him yet.  11. Trish – Oh Trish, you came off way passive aggressive with your comment to Lindsey last week. And it seems like she’s got more friends around camp than you do. It’ll be bad news for you if the Brains tribe ever figures out how to complete a puzzle.
 12. LJ – He really rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t like how he talked about Morgan and he came off super cocky to me. Cockiness can be one of the BIGGEST mistakes you make in this game. I hope Alexis and Jefra use him for votes and then toss him to the side. He is safe this week, and I hope he redeems himself.  12. Brice – Brice the puppet master, who woulda thunk it? The first vote the Beauty tribe has to make should be an interesting one. The question is; has Brice successfully set himself up as the silent power behind Morgan’s maneuvering?
 13. Lindsey – I really loved this girl in her preseason interviews, and I am still hoping she pulls it together. Not helping out around camp is an obvious no-no. She could be in trouble because she seemed to have an attitude and maybe even a little lazy?  13. Morgan – Slick move by Morgan with her lie about the decision she had to make. And with Garrett gone, the only way it can bite her is if Trish says something. Now she’s moving on to getting revenge on LJ. The Brains tribe meltdown should work in her favor, as the other tribes might be more likely to get rid of their stronger players.
 
 14. Trish – I feel like these people are making some of the most obvious mistakes ever and Trish is another example of one. Calling Lindsey out for not helping out around camp was not smart. Even if she wasn’t helping it is too early in the game to start making enemies. She clearly feels the need to speak her mind and that could get her sent home if the Brawn tribe loses.  14. LJ – David made the mistake of not immediately making peace with the person he sent to camp. LJ needs to learn from that. It may sound weird, but you’re the old guy on a young tribe. You need to get on Morgan’s good side quickly.
 
 15. J’Tia – She showed signs of being a little unstable. She made so many bad choices so early on. Her only good choice was aligning with Tasha. One thing I hope she learned is that the game is not over until your torch is snuffed. Crazy things can happen at Tribal Council. She gave up so fast to me, throwing the rice in the fire was a sign of defeat, when she should have been making things happen to save her spot in the game, not pissing everyone off.  15. Spencer – You’re down, but you’re not out. If you’ve got the chops you claim to have, you’ll be able to convince Kass and Latasha that J’Tia is simply too unhinged to drag to the end.
 16. Kassandra – I would be very surprised if the Brains won this week, and if they lose I think Kass is the next to go. I really appreciated her sticking with the girls, “GIRL POWER.” But I HATED that she told J’Tia that she may be the next to go. Survivor 101, you never tell the person being voted out they are the next to go. That could have really blown up in her face. Also I believe Spencer has shown way more game than her and the Brains need a guy for the challenges, and Kass is just dead weight.
  16. J’Tia – Wow…that was just…wow…I can’t even…like, seriously…can we all agree that…I mean…I just…wow.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Garrett: David ‘Didn’t Know How to Play ‘Survivor’ at All’

February 28, 2014

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. On Mondays we’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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It used to be the weak link was the first person who was sent packing from a “Survivor” tribe. If you were bad in challenges or were accused of smuggling beef jerky, you were a goner.

But today? Blow a challenge? No worries. Engineer a possibly dangerous shelter? Meh. Dump out the tribe’s entire supply of rice? Big whoop…

I spoke with the latest victim of this new “Survivor” strategy, Garrett Adelstein, the morning after his elimination and had a chance to ask him about David’s decision, Tasha’s gameplay, and J’Tia’s culinary skills…

Gordon Holmes: Last night was beyond crazy.
Garrett Adelstein: Yeah, I’m obviously really disappointed. I thought I’d be cool six months later, but reliving it all over again… I suppose if there’s one silver lining, it’s that the viewers had a solid couple of hours of entertainment.
Holmes: Yeah, I’m sure seeing it opens up old wounds. Also seeing scenes and testimonials for the first time.
Adelstein: I’m such a perfectionist in general, so when I fail at something, even when it’s out of my control, that can be tough. As you know, I worked really hard preparing to be there.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Cagayan”

Holmes: Right off the bat, David chooses you to leave the Brains tribe. I know you hadn’t seen “Blood vs. Water” where they got rid of Candice and Rupert immediately, but did you think you were out of the game?
Adelstein: No, I thought there was 0% chance I was out of the game. In pre-game there were 18 of us the entire time. So, you’d better believe they’re not going to eliminate three people on day one. They showed the confessionals where I was bummed about it, and there’s validity to that. At that point I’m concerned that I was isolated from my tribe. But, I also know there was something positive related to that, and knowing my “Survivor” history, I knew an immunity idol clue was the most likely scenario. So, I would say I had mixed feelings.
Holmes: David picks you as the “weakest player.” Looking at you, you’re built like a superhero.
Adelstein: (Laughs)
Holmes: You’re clearly not the weakest guy. Did you ever try to make peace with David and work together?
Adelstein: That’s something I would have been open to. David and I are good friends now. That might have worked out very well for me, in fact. But at the time, it was never an option. David was never open or warm with me. And he played his cards very face up.  I knew he didn’t want to work with me. David’s my guy, but he didn’t know how to play “Survivor” at all. He assumed alliances aren’t built until a couple of weeks in. He and Kass isolated themselves. They assumed everything was fine because J’Tia was bad in the challenges.
Holmes: David also said he didn’t know why you were on the Brains tribe. I’m assuming that meant you never told him about your occupation or educational background.
Adelstein: That was a tough sell. Being put on the Brains was just brutal. We had a lot of people playing the game, playing the game well, and playing very early.  Specifically Tasha and Spencer. So, I didn’t tell them I was a professional poker player. I wanted to lie as little as possible, but I thought that was one thing that was worth it. So, I just told everybody that I was a personal trainer. I said I didn’t know for sure why they put me on that tribe, but in casting they said I did really well on the IQ test. I think it’s actually called the Wonderlic test.

Holmes: I assume a big part of being successful at poker isn’t necessarily having the right cards, but being able to read the other people at the table. Did you have trouble reading your tribemates?
Adelstein: (Laughs) I certainly agree with that assessment. It’s so easy to be results oriented in this game, and for me to say anything other than, “I sucked at it” would be a poor answer. But, there were many instances where I knew exactly what was going on. I knew David was out to get me. I didn’t need to watch his confessional where he spelled that out. I didn’t have to watch Kass’s confessional to know that it was complete B.S. when we made the final-three pact.

Holmes: Tasha flipped it. How do you feel about her gameplay?
Adelstein: Tasha is a skilled “Survivor” player without question. That’s something that was left out of the episode that’s really critical. Spencer and I realized on day one that in a three-tribe format that it was optimal for us to pull Kass in. Because if we got rid of Kass, then we’d be deadlocked two-two and then I could no longer trust Spencer because our interests would no longer align. I’d been working on Kass since day one. We had many conversations because I knew it was going to be important to pull her in. And I wanted Kass to be closer to me than to Spencer. But, Tasha appreciated what we were doing with Kass. All of the sudden she starts being very close with Kass. She clearly had the same thought that we did. So. what you saw with her being shocked that the four of us were no longer in an alliance or that she was upset that we strategized as a group, that’s complete B.S. It was all to pull in Kass and get her to flip on me and Spencer.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Latasha.
Adelstein: Strategy.
Holmes: Kass?
Adelstein: (Laughs) Random.
Holmes: Spencer?
Adelstein: Brilliant.
Holmes: David?
Adelstein: Based on what he did on the island…naïve.
Holmes: And we’ll finish with everyone’s favorite rice cook, J’Tia.
Adelstein: Unstable.

Holmes: Kass almost seemed to blame you for leaving J’Tia alone with the rice. Were you supposed to know that J’Tia was going to go all Hantz on your food supply?
Adelstein: J’Tia had proven that she was not mentally stable at all. But, what you didn’t see was before J’Tia dumped all of our rice out, literally 30 minutes before, she burned our fire out. She took a bucket of water and burned our fire out. So, it became more of a risk. But, that being said, I’m not a security guard.  My goal was to play “Survivor.” So, of course once I see Latasha try to pull Kass down to the beach I immediately went down there.
Holmes: Wow.
Adelstein: Yeah, J’Tia is already one of the most infamous Survivors ever and she’s still there. It’s easy to hate myself playing Monday morning quarterback.

Holmes: I feel like you’re being really hard on yourself. In a post-“Boston” Rob/Phillip Sheppard world, people who do destructive things or things that are bad for tribe morale are being dragged to the end.
Adelstein: I totally agree. And unfortunately it looks to the viewer as though me wanting to have an open forum is the reason I went home, while I’d argue in the opposite direction. If her dumping the rice out still wasn’t enough to get Kass to vote with Spencer and I, then I think approaching it as a typical blindside wouldn’t have worked as well.

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

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