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‘Survivor’ Castaway Malcolm: “JT Was Trying to Screw Us, 100%”

March 23, 2017

“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Malcolm Freberg: I love/hate you right now.
Gordon Holmes: You love/hate me?! What did I do?
Freberg: You picked me to win, you jackaloon!
Holmes: YOU TOLD ME TO!
Freberg: I need the adults in my life to save me from myself sometimes, you should have known better.
Holmes: Let me paint a picture for you; a sweaty me in the jungles of Fiji and you with your gorgeous mane of hair saying, “Oh no, we’re going to do this together. Pick me to win and we’re gonna take this whole thing.” My only crime is believing in you.
Freberg: You’re not allowed to put blame on me today. I’m very tender and fragile and I just want to be spooned. So really, you can’t be mean to me today.
Holmes: We’re all hurting today.

Holmes: Alright, I stayed up last night coming up with the perfect opening question when I really just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. But, I’m a professional, so here’s what I came up with; what the (expletive deleted), man?
Freberg: (Laughs) I’m feeling the exact same way. Months and months later, I’m going to try to help you out and explain what happened, but there’s going to be some guesswork involved.

Holmes: JT goes up to Brad and says you’re targeting Sierra. Do you think he was screwing you guys or was he trying to trick them?
Freberg: JT was trying to screw us 100%. He goes over there and says, “They’re voting for Sierra.” And he didn’t do that for idol purposes. I don’t know if JT knew about their idol. But, he was trying to tell Brad he was safe because that was JT’s closest ally at the time. And, he wanted them to vote for Sandra. I think had JT felt that it was going to go that way, if he felt the other tribe was going to listen to him, he would’ve voted for Sandra instead of Sierra. The biggest thing that wasn’t really shown was JT freaking out before the vote because he got the feeling that they weren’t going to vote for Sandra.
Holmes: Do you think there was a point where he told them to vote for Sandra?
Freberg: Oh yeah, absolutely. Didn’t they show that?
Holmes: I don’t think so, it’s a blur.
Freberg: He absolutely told them to vote for Sandra. I think three-quarters of the way through Tribal, and they only showed half a dozen of those huddles, but there were at least twenty. We were standing up and moving around. And at one point he looked terrified. I think he knew they weren’t going to go for Sandra, but he didn’t want to tell us what had happened.

Holmes: Was the plan always to vote for Sierra?
Freberg: Yeah, it seemed pretty straight forward. It was six on five. Our thought was that she’d never find an idol. I love her in real life, we’re friends outside the show. She’s a rodeo girl, but she hates getting her fingernails dirty on “Survivor.” The consensus was that’d she’d be the last person to find an idol. And the idea that someone would hand it off, like Tai did, didn’t cross our minds. It was a huge move so early in the game. You’d have to be 100% sure to give up your own safety in a blind, pre-merge vote. Obviously JT made it a lot easier on them. And even if he flips, we could probably pull in Hali.

Holmes: Hali told Sandra to vote for Brad. The way it worked out, it would’ve saved you. Do you think this was a plan of hers to get rid of him while allowing her to vote for you and look like she had stuck to tribal lines?
Freberg: I like Hali. But, I can’t explain her thinking. She had a habit of saying things at Tribal that don’t make the most sense. With Hali though, we wanted to keep her safe. There was a feeling that the game was going to keep going along the original tribe lines. We couldn’t know that she was in such a terrible spot. We didn’t know what went on with the Caleb vote. So, we were trying to keep her safe. And we didn’t think we needed her vote because we thought JT was with us 100%.

Holmes: The original concept of the show was; you’re a community and every three days you’re going to vote someone off. Before anyone had ever thought of an alliance, you’d imagine someone would be voted off because they weren’t helping around camp or they weren’t getting along with everyone. You were voted off by a different community. Twists are twists and it’s weird to say something is unfair, but was last night unfair?
Freberg: Obviously I feel that way because I’m talking to you after a couple of episodes. (Laughs) It crossed my mind at the time. It doesn’t feel quite right. I think that the social aspect is the best part of my game. So, not even having a chance to talk or play with these other people before Tribal is sort of…well…it’s a first. It’s not like any vote before. At first I thought it was unfair to the other tribe. We were so confident going into that Tribal. I felt bad for the new Mana. And if a twist goes bad for you, you’re going to hate it. If they ever do it again you’re going to hear me screaming on Twitter. From a game perspective I’m a super traditionalist. Put one idol out there and do straight votes with no twists and I’m the happiest guy. But, it’s hard for me to knock it as a fan, because it was great TV. And whenever it’s something like that that’s so talked about, that’s why we get to do this seventeen years later. You can’t be mad at it.
Holmes: Oh, I can be mad at it.

Holmes: It looked like you and JT were targeting Sandra. How serious were you about that? Because she’s looking like the shield of shields at this point.
Freberg: JT and I got really close. Half an hour after the swap me and JT were bromancing hard on the beach. I was cheating on you.
Holmes: Yeah, how hard was this bromancing?
Freberg: (Laughs) You’d be sitting at the camp staring at us, twiddling your thumbs. So, we were tight. And my old tribe encouraged it because we needed to bring people to our side. But, Aubry and Sandra are feuding hard. Every time it comes up for discussion Sandra doesn’t like Aubry and Aubry doesn’t like Sandra. When JT starting throwing around the name Sandra, I was like “Sure, whatever.” But everyone’s name comes up. I couldn’t tell you who would’ve gone home if we’d gone to Tribal alone. I wanted Michaela gone, to be honest with you. And if it was a regular Tribal Council, Varner might’ve been in trouble because he blew a huge lead in that challenge. It was much worse than it looked.

Holmes: Sierra and Hali are acting like they’re not Dirty 30 buddies. Do you buy it?
Freberg: Yes and no. Me and Hali were on good terms on the first tribe. The game is playing out so divided along the tribe lines. It was just us vs. them. So, to see Sierra say what she said about Hali at Caleb’s Tribal Council, it’s like, “Holy (expletive deleted), Sierra.” It wasn’t surprising in the context of the way the game was playing.

Holmes: Was there any chance to look for the Nuku idol?
Freberg: Yeah, besides JT stranding us on the raft. Where we were like, “Good move, JT. This is hysterical. You’re toast if we go to Tribal.” After that, we had a group hunt before the last Tribal. We went out looking for it as a team. We were digging, and we came up empty. Early on I didn’t look much because it seemed like the game was moving so slow. Playing too hard put a target on people. I just sat on my hands and it was driving me crazy.

Holmes: I’m going to blow your mind. I want to try a word association exercise.
Freberg: What’s that?!
Holmes: I know. It’s this crazy new thing I’m trying. Let’s start with Tony.
Freberg: Thoroughbred.
Holmes: Sandra?
Freberg: Honey pot.
Holmes: Hali?
Freberg: Loca.
Holmes: Aubry?
Freberg: That’s my girl.
Holmes: Caleb?
Freberg: Donkey Mode Cow-Weenie.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Freberg: Biggest penis I’ve ever seen on a man.
Holmes: Oh.
Freberg: Fun fact.
Holmes: Varner?
Freberg: Sassy pants.
Holmes: Michaela?
Freberg: Abi-Maria.
Holmes: Oh…I was going to ask why you were targeting her. Nevermind. Classic Ciera?
Freberg: (Laughs) My twin.
Holmes: Let’s finish with JT.
Freberg: Son-of-a-bitch, bastard idiot.
Holmes: (Laughs) Subtle. Actually, let’s do a few more since you were at a Tribal with them. Sierra?
Freberg: Giant.
Holmes: Tai?
Freberg: Manipulated.
Holmes: Debbie?
Freberg: What the (expletive deleted)?
Holmes: And Brad?
Freberg: Impressive.

Holmes: My heart and soul are bruised…but I think they will heal.
Freberg: (Laughs)
Holmes: You are the wind beneath my wings. You are sunshine on a cloudy day.
Freberg: (Laughs)
Holmes: (Expletive deleted) (Expletive deleted)
Freberg: I feel the same way. It’s going to be hard to do the rest of my interviews with this erection I just sprouted.
Holmes: (Laughs)
Freberg: (Laughs)
Holmes: Sprouted?
Freberg: And that’s how we end interviews.
Holmes: And scene.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Episode 3 Recap: Two Tribes, One Vote

March 22, 2017

“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Last Week: A goat was spared because of its mother, Sierra disowned her Dirty 30 sister, and Tai voted out his Big Brother.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Brad, 47
Debbie, 51
Hali, 26
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Aubry, 30
JT, 31
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41

The Tavua Tribe (wearing green)
Andrea, 27
Cirie, 45
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Troyzan, 54
Zeke, 28

The fun kicks off back at Mana Beach after Tribal Council. Tai is bummed that he had to vote out his buddy, but he did it for the good of his game. And, he got a bag of magic beans out of it. So, it was a pretty sound decision.

The next morning, Hali and Debbie agree that Tai should go home next. However, Debbie was just joshing, because she wants to keep things classic Nuku strong.

Reward Challenge Time: One player will race through an obstacle course while balancing a ball on a pole.  Once they have all the balls to the end, another tribe member will use sandbags to knock over pegs. The first tribe to knock over all their pegs will win comfort for their face in the form of chocolate and coffee. The second place tribe will win a thermos of ice coffee.

Quick Aside: “Survivor” production has amazing ice coffee. No joke.

JT and Malcolm will participate for Nuku, Ozzy and Troyzan will play for Tavua, Tai and Culpepper will suit up for Mana.

Another Quick Aside: Why a challenge for just two players at this stage?

Ozzy is the first one through the ball-balancing portion, but JT is right behind him.

Malcolm and Troyzan battle it out with Malcolm taking a lead. Tai finally makes it through the course and now Culpepper gets to join the fray.

Malcolm wins first place for Nuku. Culpepper and Troyzan go toe-to-toe with Brad amazingly pulling off the come-from-behind win.

Culpepper Bandwagon…Woo Woo!

Man, that was intense for a thermos of coffee.

Oooo…as we head to commercial, Cirie lets us know that Troyzan’s performance did not help his standing in the tribe. Well, yeah.

Back at Tavua Beach, Ozzy isn’t too heartbroken about losing, because it makes his fishing skills more valuable. He says he doesn’t mean to toot his own horn, but then he goes right on tooting it.

Ozzy proves his talent by bringing back a giant stingray. Nobody on Tavua seems to care if the stingray is a mother or not.

Meanwhile at Nuku, Sandra tells us that she’s the queen and nobody knows it. Dude, you say “Queen stays Queen” every three minutes. I think people might have figured it out.

CUT TO: Malcolm and JT talking about how dangerous Sandra is.

JT and Malcolm agree to work together and tip each off if either of their names is mentioned.

Immunity Challenge Time: One player from each tribe will stand on a tower and be a caller. They’ll direct their tribemates, who are blindfolded and tethered in pairs, through an obstacle course. The duos will have to retrieve three balls. Once all three balls are attained, the players can remove their blindfolds and maneuver the balls through a table maze. The first tribe to get all three balls to the end will win immunity. The other two tribes will go to Tribal Council.

Sandra will sit for Nuku while Troyzan will sit for Tavua.

Brad, Jeff, and Cirie are our callers. Oh, and all of the obstacles are at groin height. Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer is the devil.

Nuku is the first tribe to get all of their balls. They have a huge lead. Mana and Tavua eventually join them.

JT sinks the first ball, then Ozzy gets one.

Malcolm hits Nuku’s second one, Sarah gets Tavua’s second.

Varner…just…struggles…with the third one.

Culpepper gets Mana’s first, while Andrea gets Tavua’s third. Tavua wins immunity.

Wow…Varner blew a huge lead. He actually wept when it was all over.

Before Jeff sends the tribes off, he tells them that both tribes will vote out one person. Oh man…

Oh man…

These are not even tribes.

Back at Nuku, JT is psyched because his tribe clearly has a numbers advantage. The others realize that he is the most likely person to flip, seeing that he was a member of classic Nuku. But, he assures them that he’s solid.

JT and Malcolm wonder who Mana will target and agree that it will probably be Sandra. This makes JT contemplate voting for Sandra to help them along. Oh man, JT. Stick with the plan, buddy.

At Mana, Hali realizes that she doesn’t necessarily have to be on the bottom anymore. Brad tries to convince her that the bonds she’s forged on New Mana are stronger than the ones she had on Old Mana, but I’m not sure why exactly he believes that.

Everyone wants to vote for Sandra because they think that’s how JT will vote. However, Sierra wishes they could get rid of Malcolm.

Tai, however, has another plan. He goes out looking for an idol…and finds a clue. Huh…and it’s not at a challenge. It’s buried between four trees.

Note: Probst did say they’d use all kinds of methods for hiding the idol this season.

Sure enough, Tai finds it. He shares it with the tribe and earns a kiss from Sierra. Totally worth it.

That night at Tribal, JT finally gets to light his torch. That fire represents his life.

Malcolm admits that their time at camp was crazy because there were so many different angles to cover.

Brad calls it a “Mexican Standoff” because you’ve got two sides with their guns pointed at each other. But, they don’t know if there are traitors on either side.

Sandra assures him that all of their guns are pointed at Mana.

Debbie points out that JT used to be really close with them at Old Nuku.

JT thinks it’d be a shot in the dark for him to end up in the right place.

Sandra admits that she isn’t worried because she knows she isn’t going home.

Debbie wants to know if JT or Hali is going to flip. Brad even says Hali will be public enemy number one if she votes against them.

JT says he’s got to do what he’s got to do to stay alive.

Hali raises her hand and tells everyone that they should be focusing on physical threats.

Sandra takes this to mean that they want Culpepper gone.

Now everyone is whispering to each other.

Finally, JT approaches Brad and says, “I love you, brother. But they’re voting Sierra out.”

THEN Hali approaches Sandra and says, “You have to do Brad. It’s better for us. I promise.”

Everyone is wandering around whispering to each other. Both tribes split into huddles. Probst is loving it.

They finally settle down. That was insane. Jeff asks if they’re ready to vote and Hali tells him that she’s not ready. Sandra tells her that they’re good and they’re ready.

What the what?

Voting Time: No votes are shown.

During the voting, Michaela wondered why Hali didn’t tell them about an idol. Sandra assures her that none of them have an idol.

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

And…he plays it for Sierra!

Alright, we’ve got six votes for Sierra, three votes for Malcolm…and the fourth person eliminated from “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Malcolm.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Verdict: That…was…a wild one. Too much going on to unpack during the brief period where it happened. Did JT betray his tribe? He told Culpepper they were targeting Sierra. Or, was he trying to misdirect them? Did Hali betray her tribe by telling them to vote for Brad? She could’ve voted for Malcolm knowing he’d be safe if Tai played the idol for Sierra and she wouldn’t have been in trouble because she voted the way she was supposed to.

And, was Malcolm targeted because they assumed an idols played would be played for Sandra?

Either way, that was intense.

Power Rankings Results: Adam Klein had Malcolm in spot five. I had him in spot four. The current score is now Team Adam 23, Team Gordon 20.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Caleb: “Hali Sucks at Everything”

March 16, 2017

Caleb Reynolds (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Gordon Holmes: What was the mood like before Tribal last night?
Caleb Reynolds: I was about 75% sure that I was going home. Tai was being very odd with me before we left. None of the other people were talking to me. When you’re going to go home, people just leave you alone.
Holmes: How was Tai being odd?
Reynolds: I went up to him and said, “Hey man, how’s it looking?” And he said, “Yeah man, you’re going to stay. I think you’re overthinking it.” He said, “You’re a strong player, you’re going to help us win and no one wants to get rid of you.” Going into it, I had a feeling there was something fishy because normally when Tai talks to you he looks at you. And that time, he was looking away and fidgeting and stuff. On my way to Tribal I took everything with me. That’s how not-safe I felt. I honestly felt like I was going home. I was hoping there was some type of catch that Hali might go home. It wasn’t a blindside. Especially after Tribal started and people started talking.

Holmes: Tai and I talked before the game and he said that you and he had agreed to do what’s best for your game and to not be upset about it afterwards. But, he said your wife could be upset.
Reynolds: (Laughs) Ashley’s take on it is she’s not happy with Tai due to the fact that he did say he was going to keep me safe. He did promise that he wouldn’t write my name down. He did all these things, but she also says that he has to do what’s best for his game. At first she was like, “Ugh…why did Tai do that?” But it wasn’t an anger thing and more of a “Gosh, you were supposed to be his friend.” She knows it’s a game and he has to do what’s best for his game. Although, she could see him doing it at final five or final four. Then yeah, get rid of me. But that early in the game? She was like, “I can’t believe he did it so early. With all you guys talked about and him being at the wedding.”

Holmes: At Mana, you were viewed as Tony’s right-hand man. Was there ever a chance to use that to your advantage and say, “Look, my alliance was voted out. Hali’s buddies with all of the former Mana players.”
Reynolds: A lot of people were thinking Tony was crazy, Tony’s looking for idols. And nobody was talking to Tony, so I thought this was a chance to get on his good side. I didn’t think they’d send him home so early. I figured I could shield myself with Tony because he’s such a big target. And I did trust Tony. I trusted Tony with my life in that game. But, when people started going, “Tony and Caleb are hanging around. We’ve got to split them up.” I started to distance myself. So, when Tony would say, “Hey Caleb, you want to go down here and crab hunt.” (Editor’s Note: Caleb does a pretty solid Tony impression.) I’d say, “No man, I’m tired. I don’t feel like getting up.” He’d come back five minutes later and I’d be climbing up coconut trees. So, I really tried to distance myself from him.

Holmes: Sierra and Hali claim that they have no relationship outside of the game. Is everyone buying that or is there some suspicion?
Reynolds: They never said that there’s no relationship between the two, they just made it seem like their relationship was so long ago that it was irrelevant that I made the statement. Sierra would say, “Tai was just at your wedding several months ago. Why would we want you two to play together?” And I’d say, “You and Hali have matching tattoos from the time that you played. Why would we want you two to play together?” I used her line against her. Her response was, “Oh my gosh, Caleb. That was so three years ago.” I wish they showed things like that at Tribal Council. I know they have their story, but there’s so much they left out.

Holmes: What was your relationship like with Sierra?
Reynolds: I called her Judge Judy. She came up to me and said, “Aren’t you going to plead your case to me?” And I said, “I don’t have to plead my case to you, Sierra. You’re just another girl out here on this island that’s playing the same game as all of us.” She said, “You’re in jeopardy of going home, aren’t you going to talk to people?” I said, “I have talked to people. I haven’t talked to you. You know why I should be here. I shouldn’t have to plead my case to you. Hali sucks at everything. It’s evident. She sucked at the first two challenges. She’s the reason we lost dang near all of them. If you want to win, and you want to be strong and you want some loyalty, you’ll keep me.” And that was it. She walked off. At Tribal I said, “Jeff, this woman comes up to me and says, ‘plead your case to me.’ Who is she? She ain’t Judge Judy?” Everybody was laughing. Production was rolling. They didn’t show any of that, they wanted to show Tai stab his best friend in the back. I tried to plant seeds, but Brad Culpepper had everybody doing whatever he wanted. And he wanted to be the alpha male.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Brad.
Reynolds: Manipulative.
Holmes: Debbie?
Reynolds: Who is she?
Holmes: Malcolm?
Reynolds: Outgoing.
Holmes: Varner?
Reynolds: Amazing.
Holmes: Sandra?
Reynolds: Vibrant.
Holmes: Hali?
Reynolds: Know it all.
Holmes: Tony?
Reynolds: Funny.
Holmes: Sierra?
Reynolds: A follower.
Holmes: Ciera?
Reynolds: Fun.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Reynolds: Mysterious.
Holmes: Aubry?
Reynolds: She was smart.
Holmes: Michaela?
Reynolds: Firecracker.
Holmes: Tai?
Reynolds: Goofy.

Holmes: I want you to know I told Jeff Probst he was a sick man for having digging in the first challenge.
Reynolds: (Laughs) What did he say?
Holmes: He claimed that didn’t even occur to him.
Reynolds: You noticed I found the bag, and then I gave someone else a shot.
Holmes: Smart.
Reynolds: I did my part. It’s someone else’s turn.

Holmes: Are you prepared to finally admit that “Survivor” is better than “Big Brother”?
Reynolds: Um…you know what? I don’t believe I’ll ever admit that one is better…I have goods and bads for both. I’d say I enjoy “Survivor” much more. It’s more my thing. You know what? I guess “Survivor” is better than “Big Brother.”
Holmes: Aha!
Reynolds: (Laughs)
Holmes: We’re finally on the same page.

Holmes: Did it make you feel better to learn that Tai’s chickens were going to be dinner that night?
Reynolds: (Laughs) Yes, it does make me feel better.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Episode 2 Recap: Goats, Boats and Votes

March 15, 2017

“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Last Week: Sandra proved she’s the queen, Sierra found an advantage just by loo-king, and Tony and Ciera said “Good knight.”

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Aubry, 30
Caleb, 28
Hali, 26
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41
Troyzan, 54

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Andrea, 27
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Debbie, 51
JT, 31
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52
Zeke, 28

We kick things off immediately with both tribes being invited to, “Come in, guys.” Sarah is shocked to see that her former Cops R Us buddy has been sent packing.

Probst asks the players if they know what’s going on, and they’re smart enough to know that it’s time for the ol’ buff exchange. Let’s look at these new tribes, shall we?

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Brad, 47
Caleb, 28
Debbie, 51
Hali, 26
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Aubry, 30
JT, 31
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41

The Tavua Tribe (wearing green)
Andrea, 27
Cirie, 45
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Troyzan, 54
Zeke, 28

Tai is super psyched to be back on a tribe with his beauty buddy, Caleb. He is finally able to give Caleb the peck on the cheek he wanted to give him. Adorbs.

JT isn’t concerned that he’s alone on Nuku. Troyzan tries to play it off too, but he doesn’t do as good of a job. If only he had a “Boston” Rob capable of saying, “Take care of him.”

Oof…also Tavua will have to start from scratch. That seems extremely unfair considering how much food the tribes got during the marooning.

Over at New Nuku, the former Manaians are blown away that their new camp includes trained chickens and interior decorations. (Er…exterior decorations?) Wait, what? Who’s doing the interior decorating? Zeke? Andrea?

CUT TO: Brad Culpepper hanging up decorations at Mana Beach. Hilarious.

Back at Nuku, JT hatches a plan to take everyone out fishing and then strand them out there while he goes idol hunting. Malcolm gives JT the perfect opportunity to enact this plan when he bends the fishing spear. JT selflessly agrees to swim back to camp to get a pair pliers for a quick repair job. The problem with this plan is JT takes waaaaay too long to retrieve those pliers. Everyone knows what’s up. And what’s worse is that it’s all for naught as JT ends up empty handed.

Politicking starts up immediately at Mana beach with the former Nukians wanting to target Caleb or Hali. During a chat, Tai tells Brad that he’d rather keep Caleb over Debbie. Cool your jets, dude. We’re talking Hali vs. Caleb right now.

Brad lets us know that he’s very wary of a “Kaoh Rong” alliance and he’d like to see Caleb go home first. That’s also a good way to show that Brad isn’t interested in a bro-down.

From there, we finally get our first look at Tavua beach. I think I liked it better how they split the tribes into three during “Millennials vs. Gen-X” where at least the new tribe was given one more person.

With their reduced numbers, both Cirie and Ozzy realize that they need each other and that Troyzan is an easy first boot. Troyzan, appreciating that as well, goes on a mad idol hunt. He locates a message in a bottle (“Sending out an S…O…S”) that tells him that the idol will be hidden at the next challenge.

Later on, the Nuku tribe manages to chase down a mother goat and a baby goat. This sparks a huge philosophical debate. Sandra wants to cook them up and everyone else feels terrible about turning the cutest baby goat in the world into an orphan.

Personal Note: I have no problem eating meat. Chickens, cows, pigs, seafood; I eat these things all the time. And I wouldn’t have a problem assisting in their slaughter and preparation. But, to see that baby goat and its mother? I couldn’t do it. And the weird thing is; if you’d asked me a few hours ago, I probably would have said I’m OK with it. I guess you never know until you’re faced with it.

Another Personal Note: Take into account the fact that I’m not starving as I’m writing this.

The tribe votes and decides to free the goats and eat a chicken instead. If only those chickens had an idol.

Seriously, Nuku could gain a huge psychological edge over Tai by bringing a handful of feathers to the challenge.

Immunity Challenge Time: Three players from each tribe will be tethered together and run through an obstacle course. They’ll retrieve a bucket and use it to fill up a larger bucket. Once that bucket is heavy enough, it’ll raise a gate. Once the gate is raised, one member of each team will have to untie puzzle pieces. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity, a tarp, and their choice of comfort goods or spices. The second place tribe will win immunity and the reward the first place tribe didn’t choose.

Michaela, Malcolm, and JT run for Nuku, Caleb, Tai, and Debbie will run for Mana, and Andrea, Ozzy, and Sarah will run for Tavua.

The Survivor are ready…and they totally go.

Nuku is the first tribe to get to the puzzle portion, but not before Michaela takes a nasty spill on the teeter-totter portion. Mana and Tavua aren’t far behind them.

Varner and Sandra manage to maintain that lead and win immunity for their tribe. Varner wins his first immunity since 2000!

It seems super close between Hali and Culpepper and Cirie and Zeke, with Cirie and Zeke taking home the win for Tavua.

During the celebration, Troyzan is able to nab the idol without anyone noticing. Well done.

Nuku chooses the comfort rewards.

Also, the secondary immunity idol is the weird stand that the original immunity idol sat on. Enjoy your immunity stump, Tavua.

At Mana Beach, Caleb is a little worried that he might be sent home on the ninth day again. Well, better to go out with a snuffed torch than a snuffed life, dude.

Hali doesn’t like her chances because Caleb is a challenge stallion.

Brad, on the other hand, doesn’t love the idea of being on a tribe that has a “Kaoh Rong” majority. But, he doesn’t want to be the one to push to send Caleb home.

He approaches Tai and tells him that it might look bad if he and Caleb get to the merge together.

Quick Aside: Tai is rubbing sand all over himself during this exchange, What’s the purpose of that? Skin exfoliation? Tai does have a wonderful glow.

That night at Tribal, Probst says something about fire and life. It was pretty deep.

Caleb doesn’t think that his friendship with Tai will come into play because Tai spent seven days away from him. He’s got a point. If my friends don’t like any of my tweets after seven days, I totally write them off.

Sierra is very worried about Caleb and Tai, but people shouldn’t be worried about her and Hali because she hates Hali’s dumb face.*

*I may have made up that last part.

Hali thinks the Kaoh Rong connection gives Caleb more angles to work.

Caleb follows up with this gem where he says he’s good in challenges and loyal while Hali is easier to manipulate and easier to take along.

Caleb…Caleb, Caleb, Caleb.

Hali jumps on this and points out that Caleb is going to be tougher to work with.

Brad gets the line of the night, saying that Hali is a “Budding attorney” and that she’s doing really well.

Another Quick Aside: Is it too late to jump on the Brad Culpepper bandwagon? Oh wait, it’s empty? I get to drive! Who’s riding shotgun with me?! Who’s going to help me host the CulPep Rallies?

Tai lets us know that he’s playing the long game. Or, he’s going to follow the last person who talked to him before Tribal.

Caleb points out that Hali has more connections at the merge.

Hali disagrees and says she wants to play with her current tribe.

Voting Time: Hali votes for Caleb, Caleb votes for Hali, and Tai takes a half an hour to vote. Maybe his Spidey senses were telling him that at that moment Nuku was killing one of his chickens.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Caleb, one vote for Hali, two votes for Caleb, and the third person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Caleb.

Verdict: Super glad to see the return of the idol hidden in the challenge. And, it’s nice to see some non-strategy segments like Goat-gate. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to come to terms with my new feelings of admiration for Brad.

Power Rankings Results: Adam Klein had Caleb in spot eighteen while I had him in spot sixteen. So, the current score is Team Adam 18, Team Gordon 16.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Power Rankings Round One: Queen’s Greatest Hits Edition

March 14, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn. For example, if Michaela is voted out this episode, Adam will receive one point and Gordon will receive twelve points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Game Changers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank the contestants based on who is the most likely to be voted out in the next episode.

Donate to the #LiveLikeSusie Memorial Fund for Lung Cancer Research

Adam’s Score = 0

Any questions for Adam? Drop him a line on Twitter: @AdamScottKlein

Gordon’s Score = 0

Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. Michaela: This is a tough week for Power Rankings, since we only know one of the tribes from the preview. That tribe is the Nuku tribe, consisting of 5 old Mana members (Sandra, Aubry, Michaela, Varner, and Malcolm) and one old Nuku member (JT). To me, the safest person on this tribe is Michaela, as she is solidly in the majority of the majority and will be needed for her strength in challenges. According to Tony’s exit interviews, Michaela was never really a target on Mana, and so the danger she was in seems to have been artificially inflated by the edit. 1. Sarah: Seriously? A swap right before the first round of Power Rankings? Probst is messing with me. And I just made these graphics! Urgh… Alright, one of the benefits of being an original Nukunian is the fact that you never went to Tribal and thus, never had to show your hand. Someone like Sarah who’s viewed as loyal and a challenge asset should have no problems.
2. Malcolm: Malcolm, like Michaela, will be in a strong position on new Nuku, as he is also in the majority and an asset for challenges. The only thing that I could see going wrong for him right now is if Michaela continues to be frustrated by having to play second fiddle to Malcolm as the challenge closer. 2. Brad: It doesn’t matter if they swap the tribes 40 times. Brad is still this season’s dream final three companion.
3. Brad: Without much else to go on for the other tribes, I am going to assume that old Nuku has the majority on both of the other tribes. At best, if Caleb, Troyzan, and Hali are on the same tribe, they will have a split tribe, but it’s more likely that two of them are on one tribe and one is left alone on the third. So I am looking towards the people who looked most solid on old Nuku to continue to be safe in their new tribes. So far so good for Brad, who has laid low early and started to rack up allies. 3. Sierra: You got a legacy advantage? Awesome. You can only use it when there or 13 or 6 people left in the game? That’s so weirdly specific. Do you have to give it to Probst with your left hand while repeating the alphabet?
4. Sarah: I can’t imagine the ‘silent assassin’ going home in the 3rd episode before we get to see her in action. She should be in a solid position in a majority, and her early quotes in the premiere suggest longevity and maybe a villainous rise for Sarah down the line. 4. Malcolm: After dropping the first two immunity challenges, you can bet the former Manaians are going to have no problem cutting a former Nukuian loose. This might also give Malcolm a chance to fulfill his pregame wish and start a strong alliance with Aubry.
5. Sierra: With the legacy advantage in hand, we have no reason to believe Sierra is in any kind of immediate danger. Like Brad and Sarah, she is laying low and collecting allies (and advantages!). I don’t think anyone is looking at Sierra as someone to take out of the game soon. 5. Andrea: We get to hear about Zeke bathing in blood. We get to hear about Debbie having the tenacity of a squid. But, we barely get to hear from Andrea?! Booooo…
6. Andrea: We didn’t get to see much of Andrea in the premiere. Not sure what that means for her chances long-term, but for now, she seems safe. 6. Ozzy: Ozzy’s still a challenge champ and it looks like he’s getting along with everybody. The only mistake he’s made so far is trusting Tai with anything ever. He should be good till the merge.
7. Zeke: Zeke is an excitable superfan in a game changer candy store, and you have to imagine the others love hearing how much Zeke adores them. He seems well integrated and in no immediate danger. 7. Troyzan: Troyzan’s transformation from loud, arrogant island owner to lovable surf watcher is almost complete. As long as he keeps smiling and being useful around camp, he’ll be fine. Much bigger fish to fry.
8. Ozzy: Ozzy did well in the premiere, trying to let old grudges go and focusing on tribe strength and making good connections. His challenge strength should keep him safe in a small tribe, as long as Cirie doesn’t go after him and create the 2nd iteration of Sandra v. Tony. 8. Zeke: Zeke’s starstruck “Survivor” fan gimmick is gold. The Ciries, Malcolms, Ozzys, and JTs of the world deal with those folks all the time and they’re not intimidated by them. Unfortunately for them, Zeke is a shark in fan’s floral-print clothing.
9. Jeff: Varner got a great tribe draw. He is locked into the majority of the tribe surrounded by bigger threats (Sandra, JT, Aubry). If Varner sits tight he should be just fine, as long as he doesn’t become a significant challenge liability.  9. Hali: Hali went toe-to-toe (fin-to-fin?) with one of the most impressive swimmers in “Survivor” history and did a fantastic job. My only worry about her is Ciera saying that she’s pushy around camp. Lay low and let the big dogs battle it out.
10. Debbie: Debbie got an intro confessional, laid low, and should be in a solid Nuku majority. Her wild antics are sure to come up again, but the Debbie story doesn’t seem to be close to over just yet. 10. Debbie: This feels like a season that is going to slow down a bit. The big players aren’t going to want to end up like Tony. If I were Debbie, I’d hang back and start making friends.
11. Sandra: Sandra got a great draw as well. She has another winner on her tribe to take the heat if people come for more trophies, as well as a solid group of allies that seem to want her on their side, at least for now. (Some, as Troyzan admitted in a secret scene, even want to take her to the final 3!!). #TheQueenStaysQueen at least for another round. 11. Jeff: The Varner we saw in “Second Chance” was destined to burn out quickly. The Varner we saw last week can go a long way. 
12. Troyzan: There is nothing to indicate that we should be worried about Troyzan, but he will most likely be in a minority on his new tribe. So far, he seems to be doing a good job of building a group of allies and no one would have any specific reason to gun for him. 12. Michaela: Michaela is at her best when she’s proving her worth in a challenge. Hopefully this swap will give her the fresh slate she needs and the next challenge will be something she can knock out of the park.
13. Hali: Hali is in the same boat as Troyzan. Nothing in particular that should put her in danger, besides being in a minority. If old tribe loyalties hold, then Hali will be in trouble, but otherwise there is plenty of time for the “cobra” to strike. 13. Cirie: Nobody needed a swap more that Cirie did. And the good news is; all that work she did when she felt like she was on the bottom should help her out when she ends up on her new tribe.
14. Cirie: While Cirie will likely be with majority Nuku, she doesn’t seem to have solidified herself within the core of that group. If she is with Ozzy, the brewing tension could come to a head, and I think Cirie would lose that battle at this point. In a small tribe with a long way to go until the merge, few would get rid of a challenge legend like Ozzy over the strategic mastermind Cirie. I have faith, of course, that Cirie will work her way out of this jam. 14. Aubry: Ooof…it can’t feel good to be the idol alternate. Especially when the person capable of playing that idol is Tony Vlachos. But, tomorrow is a new day and you’re getting a new tribe. Time to mend fences and regroup.
15. JT: JT is in a rough position. He already has a huge target on his back as a winner, and now he is the lone member of his old tribe in post-swap Nuku. It would seem easy for them to pick off JT, but JT isn’t going to make it easy for them. He’ll be idol hunting, maneuvering, and hopefully finding a way out of a really tough spot. 15. JT: Whaaaaat is going on in next week’s trailer? You let your fellow castmates drift off to sea? And we thought Tony had weird strategies. I think you’re in trouble this week if you’re surrounded by former Manaians. Hopefully your challenge prowess or your castaway stratagem will buy you some time.
16. Aubry: Aubry is still in hot water. If the JT focus in the previews is a red herring, as it often is, and Sandra and JT decide to team up as the only winners left in the game, Aubry could take the hit. Sandra has to be worried that Aubry will never trust her after putting two votes on her and playing with her life in the game, and Sandra won’t like to leave any ‘liabilities’ in the game. 16. Caleb: As Tony’s former “right-hand man,” I’m betting you’re the person the former Manaians trust the least.
17. Tai: If anyone from old Nuku is going to go, I think it might be Tai. Patience from his own old tribe members seemed to be wearing thin early, with Tai’s antics with the chickens being heavily criticized (Zeke in a secret scene called it ‘pageantry’), as well as seemingly getting caught up in the Cirie/Ozzy battle. If people consider him a solid ally he could go far, but so far I am nervous about people’s perceptions of Tai. 17. Sandra: Sandra is a legend. She’s a pleasure to watch. She’s the queen. She’s “literally a wizard.” But, she’s also never going to be safe. Tales of her domination of Tony will be spun around all three campfires. And for that reason she will never get too high in my Power Rankings.
18. Caleb: To me, the editing of the premiere did everything it could to set up the downfall of Caleb. He was emphasized to be Tony’s right-hand man, and now without Tony, who is going to (literally) pick him up off the rocks when he falls? He is likely to be in a minority on a new tribe, possibly with someone he was not closely aligned with on Mana (Hali or Troyzan). His challenge strength should get him through on a small tribe, but something about Caleb’s edit in the premiere reeked of impending doom.  18. Tai: Oh man…again with the chickens! It’s one thing to not let me eat a chicken. It’s quite another to take food that I would put in my face and give it to a chicken. And again with the loose lips! Cirie played you like a fiddle. She’s was like Tai-chaikovsky. I love me some Tai as a TV character. But, I’m not sure why anyone would keep him around at this point.


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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Tony: “The Writing Was on the Wall and It Was in Plain English”

March 9, 2017

Tony Vlachos (CBS)

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Gordon Holmes: I feel terrible.
Tony Vlachos: Oh…man!
Holmes: You broke my heart.
Vlachos: Oh, I’m sorry. I really am.
Holmes: This is going to hurt, but we’ve got to do this.
Vlachos: (Laughs) I know. I know.
Holmes: Did you know you were done for when you were heading into that Tribal?
Vlachos: I knew I was done. Right before Tribal I was trying to talk to Caleb. “Let’s do this. Let’s play this game.” But there was just a blank face. Malcolm, same thing. We were supposed to vote for Aubry, but Malcolm lied to me. He just walked away. Jeff Varner, he gave me the thumbs up from a mile away when I tried to talk to him. Troyzan said, “I’m just trying to have a zen moment on the beach, I don’t want to talk right now.” Aubry told me, “I’m going to let fate take its course.” Michaela says, “Tony, I’m on the bottom here. I’m going to do what they told me and that’s vote for Aubry.” The writing was on the wall and it was in plain English. I tried my best, Gordon. But, I really didn’t think Sandra would want to go against me. Why would she want to stay with non-threats like Hali, Varner and Troyzan? I was pitching that to her. “They’re not threatening enough to protect you. You need me, Caleb, Malcolm…”

Holmes: It seemed like you two were going to work together until that moment where Sandra and Troyan walked up while you were working on the Spy Bunker™.
Vlachos: What happened was, we moved our camp closer to the water well. Which made it harder for me to work on my Spy Bunker™. It was 50-75 feet away. So I didn’t have much of a chance to build my bunker that I desperately needed. Every chance I got I’d start digging on it. At night was my best chance. I’d wait for everyone to go to sleep. I’d watch them until they’d close their eyes. So, I see Sandra and Troyzan walking by and I said, “Oh snap.” I crawled away and was hiding when I heard my name. That’s not a good sign. It doesn’t matter what they said, but I heard my name at four in the morning. I bum rushed them, cause if they’re lying to me I’ll catch them off guard. That’s what I did. Troyzan tells me he’s looking at the tide. Sandra tells me she’s talking to Troyzan about a crate being too close to a fire. I thought, “I’m done. It’s over for me.”
Holmes: You couldn’t repair that rift after that moment?
Vlachos: No, that was it. Once they saw that, whatever they said didn’t matter. I thought they were gunning for me, maybe they weren’t at that point. But, Sandra got a little spooked by me. He can’t be looking me in the eyes and interrogating me. She started scrambling on her side, and I needed to get my troops together. And, she got the best of me.

Holmes: A lot of people don’t understand why Sandra has been so successful, but last night there was a moment where you pressed Sandra to join in a strategy conversation and she responded with something along the lines of, “You tell me who you’re thinking of targeting and I’ll give you my thoughts.” That’s next-level gameplay.
Vlachos: I always had respect for Sandra’s game. You can’t win a game like that two times unless you play a good game. I knew she was a good player. I asked her to tell me what she’s thinking and she avoided it. And we were clashing then already. But again, kudos to her. To pull Malcolm and Caleb away from me. We had three strong guys and we wanted to keep the tribe strong. She was still able to do it.

Holmes: There was a lot of animosity as you left. Was there any of that before the vote or did it start when you told people to be wary of her?
Vlachos: She looks like she takes things a lot more personal than I do. It’s a game. I don’t take things personal. I burned so many people in Cagayan and they didn’t take it personal with me. I knew my time was up. And I said, “Sheep being lead to the slaughter.” I was thinking, “C’mon, Malcolm. You’re going to let her lead you around? Caleb…Aubry? You’re going to let this lady manipulate you and vote off this big shield? Come merge time you’re going to need me.” They did it like it was nothing. I was very surprised. And Sandra started running her mouth, “That’s what you get. That’s what you get.” I give her the props. She’s the queen bee. I got stung by the queen bee.

Holmes: Were there any other cracks that you tried to exploit? Were there people who weren’t getting along?
Vlachos: You know what, Gordon? There was no malice. Nobody was gunning for anybody. Michaela and Aubry were on the bottom, but I couldn’t make it happen. I tried to get them to give me a chance.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Sandra.
Vlachos: Queen bee.
Holmes: Malcolm?
Vlachos: Thoroughbred.
Holmes: Ciera?
Vlachos: Sneaky.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Vlachos: Awesome dude.
Holmes: Caleb?
Vlachos: All American boy.
Holmes: Hali?
Vlachos: Invisible.
Holmes: Varner?
Vlachos: Smiley.
Holmes: Aubry?
Vlachos: I guess…laid back.
Holmes: Michaela?
Vlachos: Unknown.

Holmes: I wish I had told you this before the show started, but when you arrive on tribe beach, don’t go running into the woods screaming that you’re going to find an idol.
Vlachos: What was I supposed to do, man?! All eyes were on me, I couldn’t even go pee. I was like, “You know what? I’ll get in their face and make a joke of it.” And you know behind every joke lies the truth. Let me rewind; we took a field trip around the whole campsite. We saw where treemail was, we saw where the water was. And when we were walking together like a big happy family, I saw the mail had a lot of props there. I thought, “Wow, there’s got to be an idol there.” When we got back to camp I was itching. I wanted to look at the mail. And nobody was letting me walk nowhere. I said, “You guys play nice, I’m going looking for the idol.” And that’s exactly what I did. Nobody came behind me, so I took my time and looked everywhere. And I didn’t find anything. And because a typhoon had hit before we got there, every tree was knocked down, there were palm fronds everywhere. There were so many places to look. I was looking non-stop for six days.

Holmes: When we spoke before the game and you said if you lost you would never play again. That is absolutely unacceptable.
Vlachos: (Laughs)
Holmes: Just because you said something in a pre-game interview does not make it legally binding.
Vlachos: You know what, Gordon man? I got voted off and I said, “I’ll never play this game again.” Two months later I said, “I want to go back for a third time.” Last night after I watched it I said, “I never want to play again.”
Holmes: Damnit, Vlachos!
Vlachos: I’m a roller coaster. You know that.
Holmes: I came into this interview fully prepared to spend all fifteen minutes of it begging you to come back.
Vlachos: (Laughs)
Holmes: Word association be damned.
Vlachos: In another three months I’ll be calling Jeff begging him to come back.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Ciera: “Sandra Is Literally a Wizard”

March 9, 2017

Ciera Eastin (CBS)

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

Gordon Holmes: Ciera played too fast, Ciera named names…it felt like there was something we missed. Were you setting up sub-alliances? Were you digging Spy Bunkers™?
Ciera Eastin: (Laughs) It was hard for me to watch back and figure out what really happened. But I think it’s a couple of things. I’d just come off of “Second Chance,” like less than a year ago. And the first day everyone hit the beach running. It was crazy. I thought this would be similar. So, when I came in I wasn’t even playing full crazy Ciera. I was pretty mild. But, compared to everyone else, I guess it was too much. But, when Malcolm said I was the only one throwing out names, that wasn’t true. I thought everyone wanted Tony gone. Tony was looking for idols. He had to go. The scene where I walked to the well, they were already talking about Tony.
Holmes: I was there for that. I can confirm that.
Eastin: Right. And so for me, I joined in the conversation. I didn’t walk in and say, “Hey, this is what we’re going to do.” I think what sealed the deal for me was I said, “If we think Tony has an idol, we can go for Caleb.” And I think there were people in that group like Malcolm who wanted to work with Caleb. And Tony and Caleb were so close those first days. Tony and Caleb were gone one night. We woke up one night and they were gone, we didn’t know what they were doing. And so, I thought it was obvious.

Holmes: What was it about Hali’s “loose lips” comment that tipped you off?
Eastin: It was because I was under the impression that it was Michaela and not for those reasons. Everybody was saying she wasn’t doing great in the challenges and in the water she wasn’t the strongest. She was an outcast. People thought she had a little bit of an attitude. So “loose lips” isn’t why we’re targeting Michaela.

Holmes: When the six of you were at the water well, Malcolm pointed out Tony’s Spy Bunker™ hole. Did you have any concept that he could’ve possibly been digging a hole that an adult-sized man could hide in?
Eastin: (Laughs) No! We thought he was digging for idols. It made me think he had a clue because it was a weird spot to dig.

Holmes: When you got you buff on day one. How did you feel about the tribe alignment?
Eastin: I thought I was in trouble. It’s so hard to describe. So much of my play is on gut and feeling. And looking around I didn’t think I was going to click with a lot of these people. And looking at the other tribe, I thought, “Damn, those are my people.” I already have relationships with Brad, I know Sierra, I know Andrea. So, I was super bummed out of the gate. And at camp, nobody was talking to me. I think Malcolm didn’t talk strategy with me one time alone. So, I knew I was in trouble. When nobody is talking to you, there’s usually a reason.

Holmes: Did anyone on your tribe see Sierra pick up the legacy advantage?
Eastin: Nope, that was the first time I’d ever heard about it.

Holmes: Sandra is someone who when you watch her on TV…it’s hard to quantify why she’s a two-time winner. If I were trying to explain it to someone, I’d use the moment last night where they were asking for her opinion and she said something along the lines of, “You tell me who you’re targeting and I’ll tell you my thoughts.” Did your opinion of her change when you were out there?
Eastin: It only got better. I’ve always thought Sandra was the queen, but getting to play with her it gave me such a greater perspective on why she does so well. Sandra is literally a wizard. She says the perfect thing. And if she doesn’t say the perfect thing, people take it as a joke. It’s this thing where you can be a total (expletive deleted) and I’m not saying Sandra is, but you can make a snide comment and people view it as, “Oh, Sandra!” And when she says, “You tell me what you’re thinking,” that’s so simple and so brilliant. When you’re living day-to-day there and there are so many conversations, Sandra is constantly on.

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start with Malcolm.
Eastin: Witty.
Holmes: Sandra?
Eastin: Queen.
Holmes: Michaela?
Eastin: Strong.
Holmes: Tony?
Eastin: Funny.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Eastin: Genuine.
Holmes: Hali?
Eastin: Know-it-all.
Holmes: Caleb?
Eastin: All American.
Holmes: Aubry?
Eastin: Unique.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Jeff.
Eastin: Handsome.
Holmes: You’re not wrong.
Eastin: We’ve had this conversation before.

Holmes: Let’s jump back into that. You called Hali a “Know-it-all.” Was there something we missed? Was there tension there?
Eastin: I really don’t hold grudges, it’s a game. So, in the game, Hali, for someone who wasn’t really in my opinion a Game Changer. And I get that Ciera’s opinion is not gold. But from my perspective, I didn’t remember her. But, she came in and she knew what to do with everything. She knew what to do with the fire, she knew how to do the food, she knew the best strategy for the game. Everything. But, at the time I was thinking, “You know we’ve all done this before, right?” It rubbed me the wrong way out there, but out of the game I have no hard feelings.

Holmes: Dude, I lost so many bets on the challenge last night.
Eastin: (Laughs)
Holmes: I said to everyone, everyone, “Ciera’s done this puzzle. She’s gonna bring it home for Mana.”
Eastin: You know what? I think lesson learned, if I ever play again, don’t bet on me to win any challenge ever. I’m terrible. I get such bad anxiety. But, I knew the concept and how it works. It took forever for both teams to do the puzzle. It took so long. I can’t tell you what happened, but I can tell you that I sucked.
Holmes: The hardest part is getting all eight of the spokes even. The press ran it while we were out there and Parade’s Josh Wigler and I managed to beat the puzzle in about four minutes. And last night, a former Survivor named Laura bragged that she beat it in three.
Eastin: (Laughs) She would! My mom is a freak of nature when it comes to challenges and puzzles. She says she’s going to win and she does it. She says I have to be positive, and even when I am I lose. And I heard her voice in the challenge last night, she said you have to create a skeleton key. The key is to make one spoke that fits perfectly, then match it across all of them. The problem was I made a key and it was perfect and when I was making the rest, one of them had to be reversed because one end had a thing sticking out. And when I went back to figure it out, that’s when we got scrambled.
Holmes: I said to your mom, “If you’re so great, why don’t you teach your kid?” And her response was that you don’t listen.
Eastin: (Laughs) I really don’t. That’s very true. If I ever go back I need to get in better shape and practice my puzzles. The social aspect I can navigate, it’s those dang challenges that get me.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Premiere Recap – Full of Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits!

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

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

I was on location for the first three days of filming. So, the first half of this recap will be jam-packed with behind-the-scenes tidbits. Unfortunately, the second half will only be filled with obvious jokes. You can’t win them all.

Let’s do this!

We start off with our castaways on a boat…so technically they’ve yet to be cast away.

Tony immediately breaks down his Game Changing resume. And it’s pretty impressive; spy shacks, special idols, etc.

Malcolm is next, he tells us about the big moves he’s made in the past. The Three Amigo double-idol stratagem being the one that is highlighted.

Sandra, the show’s only two-time winner, lets us know that the “Queens stays queen.”

Cirie getting Erik to give up immunity in Micronesia is also called out.

Man, these folks changed…the…game.

Then, Debbie tells us that she has the tenacity of a squid.

Brad follows this up by saying they’ve all change the game.

All? Like everyone there?

It’s then that a guy in a logo-riddled cap says something about…

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)

Aubry, 30
Caleb, 28
Ciera, 27
Hali, 26
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41
Tony, 42
Troyzan, 54

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)

Andrea, 27
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Debbie, 51
JT, 31
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52
Zeke, 28

The ship drops anchor and Jeff welcomes everyone to “Survivor: Game Changers.” He tells them that they all make moves, some big, some quiet. Fair enough.

JT thinks this season will crown the next two-time winner. Cirie disagrees.

After pleasantries are exchanged, Probst tells them that they’ll have a minute to grab what they can off of the boat. And in a fun twist, a large cache of tools is located in the water. The first person to reach it and untie it can claim it for their tribe.

Jeff sets them loose and Ozzy immediately dives for the tools. And, because it’s Ozzy, nobody bothers trying to compete with him.

Everyone else scrambles to grab what they can. In the chaos, Andrea uncovers an advantage, but doesn’t see it. Sierra eventually stumbles upon it and stashes it away. That’s gotta be rough for Andrea to watch after the fact.

As they dive into the water, Tai almost meets his maker when a chicken cage falls on top of him. Although, I imagine that’s how he’d want to go.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I can make fun of that now because Tai is OK, but when it happened, everyone on the crew freaked out. It looked really bad.

Once the chaos has died down, the two tribes paddle off to their respective beaches.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: The tribes paddling away with all of their goods is always a hilarious trainwreck. At one point Probst screamed, “(Expletive deleted), my kids paddle better!”

When the Mana tribe arrives at their beach, Tony immediately runs off into the woods to find the idol. He wasn’t trying to be subtle either, as he was screaming about it the whole way. Sandra is cool with that because he just made himself a target.

Tony claims that he was making a joke. But…you know…Tony.

Sandra and Caleb eventually catch up with Tony and tell him that he’s managed to upset everyone.

Over at Nuku Beach, Zeke tells us how excited he is to bathe in his opponents’ blood. I know that isn’t a literal statement, but c’mon.

The tribe finds a trio of goats, but Brad tells them not to bother because they’d have to kill Tai before they kill any goat. OK, that’s funny.

Also, nice to see that Brad isn’t the only goat on Nuku Beach.

Sierra sneaks away to check out her advantage. Apparently it’s a legacy advantage where she’ll be able to use it as an immunity idol when there are thirteen or six people left in the game. That’s oddly specific. She can also will the advantage to someone if she’s voted out.

Meanwhile, the Ozzy vs. Cirie narrative has immediately kicked off. They seem to make peace during a shelter building session, but Tai accidentally lets Cirie know that Ozzy might have it out for her.

The three quickest ways to spread info; telephone, telegraph, and tell-a-Tai. (Millennials will not get that joke.)

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Both tribes got a ton of food from the drop. The camps look like a WholeFoods produce section.

At Mana, Tony sneaks away so he can start building his Spy Bunker. And I was right! When I was on location I saw this weird hole…

Troyzan catches him digging and assumes he’s looking for an idol. Because you’d never expect a rational adult to dig himself a hidey hole.

Hali, Jeff, Ciera, Aubry, Malcolm, and Michaela meet at the water hole to discuss the latest development. Ciera wants to get rid of Tony or Caleb who is now considered Tony’s “Right-hand man.”

Quick Aside: While she’s talking, they show a cut-away of poor Caleb wiping out on the rocks at the beach. Dude’s trying to earn his second med-evac.

Jeff disagrees with this course of action because he wants to stay strong for challenges. This concerns Malcolm too because he wants to keep as many threats around as possible.

Ciera thinks she has an advantage because she has played with winners. Everyone who’s ever donned a buff has played with winners.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I was totally there when this scene was shot. Apparently Sandra is a part of this clique, but she doesn’t want to get rid of Tony or Caleb either.

Oh…and by being the person to throw out names, Ciera has earned a target on her back. So sensitive these Game Changers.

Immunity Challenge Time: Seven players from each tribe will push a raft into the water. They’ll paddle out to a platform. From there, one player will swim to a second platform to retrieve a key. When the key has been obtained, all seven players will have to go over some obstacles on the way back to the beach. They’ll dig in the sand to retrieve two bags of puzzle pieces. Then one person will use the keys to unlock a third bag of puzzle pieces. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity and flint.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Debbie asked if they could play for a tarp, but Probst shut her down.

Debbie and Jeff will do the key portion. Zeke and Cirie and Sandra and Ciera will do the puzzle.

Before the game starts, Jeff tells everyone that tie votes will not lead to a revote. If there is a tie, a unanimous decision will have to be made amongst the remaining players. If a decision can’t be reached, they have to pull rocks.

The Survivors are ready…and they go.

It’s pretty even up until the swimming for the keys portion. Ozzy swims for Nuku and Hali swims for Mana. No offense to Hali, but you can imagine how that turned out.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Probst couldn’t tell who was swimming for Mana at first and kept calling her Malcolm.

Nuku is the first tribe back to the beach, they maintain this lead through the digging portion.

Varner is having some trouble with the keys and he gives Probst some serious attitude when he mentions it.

Debbie is the first to open her crate, Jeff isn’t far behind her.

The two duos go to work with Cirie and Zeke figuring it out to give Nuku the win.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: During the press challenge, it took Josh Wigler and I four minutes to complete this puzzle. In the game it took about twenty minutes. I was so sure that Ciera was going to remember this puzzle and win it for her tribe. I was very wrong.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: It was pointed out that Jeff Varner hasn’t won an immunity challenge since October 2000.

Politicking back at Mana beach starts off with Tony, Malcolm, Caleb, Jeff, and Aubry wanting to target Ciera. Sandra approaches this group and tells them that she’ll do whatever they want. Classic Sandra.

When Tony pushes her for an opinion, she tells him to tell her who they’re considering and then she’ll give her opinions. So good. She’s like a “Survivor” master class.

Ciera sidles up on the group and they tell her that they’re targeting Michaela. As you’d imagine, this news does not sit well with our favorite Millennial challenge beast.

Michaela has a low-key freak out, which is enough to have Tony and Sandra wondering if she’s worth keeping around.

That night at Tribal Council, there’s some ritual about having fire in your life or something.

Tony thinks this cast is way tougher than Cagayan.

Caleb hopes that his game being a bit of a mystery will help him.

Michaela isn’t sure if she made a great first impression. She thinks she’d be too easy of a first vote on a big season like “Game Changers.”

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Malcolm’s torch blew out three times during this Tribal. I was freaking out.

Sandra calls Michaela a “pleasure” and says that everyone loves her.

Probst points out that voting out Sandra would make a big statement. Shut up, Jeff.

Sandra pitches herself as the perfect person to take to the end.

Hali wants to keep the tribe strong. She also says that “loose lips sink ships.”

Ciera is very concerned with Hali’s “loose lips” comment.

Voting Time: Ciera votes for Michaela, Michaela votes for Ciera, Sandra says, “Queen stays queen” for the fortieth time, and the rest of the votes are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Michaela, five votes for Ciera, and the first person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Ciera.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits:

• Aubry was worried that there was a target on her back because there are so many “Kaoh Rong” players in the game. She said that she doesn’t know Caleb and Debbie didn’t vote for her. Malcolm said that sounds good, but he’s not sure he believes it.
• Varner expected a fast game like in “Second Chance,” but that’s not happening.
• Sandra didn’t think she was responsible for the challenge loss because they never had a lead.
• Ciera rolled her eyes when Tony said the whole tribe was one alliance.

What Was Said In the Voting Booth:

Note: I was in a dark room, so these quotes aren’t verbatim.

• Caleb voted for Ciera and said that she should have never named him as a target.
• Michaela voted for Ciera and said that honest people don’t play with stinky people.
• Tony voted for Ciera and said if anyone appreciates aggressive gameplay, it’s him. But Ciera’s timing was off.
• Ciera voted for Michaela and said she’d rather play with the devil she knows than the devil she doesn’t.
• Troyzan voted for Ciera and said he was voting with the majority.
• Sandra voted for Ciera and said she would have rather had Aubry go home, but Ciera wanted to split up Tony and Caleb.
• Varner voted for Ciera and said, “You wanted fireworks, boom!”
• Aubry voted for Ciera because she went from 0 to 60 too fast and didn’t know the terrain she was on.
• Malcolm voted for Ciera and said he had no interest in playing with her.
• Hali voted for Ciera and said she talks too much about other people in camp.

Note: Check out what Jeff Probst had to say after this Tribal.

The next morning, Sandra, Aubry, Malcolm, Caleb, and Tony form an alliance. Oh man, Malcolm, Sandra, and Tony?! DREAMLLIANCE!

That night, Tony sneaks out to work on his Spy Bunker™ again. He literally crawls into this hole and starts burying himself. So good. However, he’s interrupted by Sandra and Troyzan. He manages to sneak out without them seeing him. The duo is talking about who to vote out next. Tony approaches them and they give him a story about a crate being too close to the fire. Tony does not buy this.

Oh man.

Sure enough, this kicks off a Tony vs. Sandra war.

NOOOOOOOO! Work it out, guys. Please?

Gah…Sandra immediately gets Troyzan, Jeff, Michaela, and Hali onboard with her plan to boot Tony.

Tony realizes that something is up and approaches Aubry with a counterattack. He thinks they have Malcolm and Caleb on their side, so they only need to pull one other person.

Caleb thinks he can trust Tony more than he can trust Sandra. That’s like saying you’d enjoy a punch in the face more than a punch in the groin.

In even more crappy news, Cirie is having some troubles over at Nuku. Ozzy and JT are getting really close and she is clearly their first target. Cirie tries to make inroads with Sarah, Zeke, and Debbie, but it doesn’t seem like she has anything solid.

Also, Debbie is concerned with Tai’s love of chickens. She thinks they’ll eventually start looking like angus cattle. Wait, why do they have to look like other kinds of food?

Immunity Challenge Time: Six players from each team will run across a balance beam and then climb into a cage. They’ll then have to untie a 400-pound snake and pull it out of the cage. They’ll carry it back across the balance beam and then place it into a cradle. The other three members will open the snake to find tiles that have the combination to a lock. Once the lock is open they’ll be able to retrieve a set of rings. The first tribe to throw all eight of their rings onto a series of paddles will win immunity and a fishing kit.

Cirie will sit out for Nuku.

The first half of this challenge is a disaster for Mana. In fact, Nuku has five rings in place before Malcolm throws his first ring for Mana.

Malcolm manages to gain some ground, but it’s too little too late. Nuku wins their second immunity challenge and Jeff Varner’s losing streak continues.

As you’d imagine, Cirie is ecstatic.

Back at camp, Michaela is bummed that she didn’t get a chance to throw rings when Malcolm was clearly getting tired.

Hali, Troyzan, and Sandra are trying to get Caleb to vote with them. Tony approaches them, and they tell him that they’re targeting Aubry.

Tony doesn’t want Aubry to go home, but he’ll do whatever he needs to do to stay in the game. Dude didn’t do all that digging for nothing.

Caleb and Tony decide that getting Michaela to flip is their best bet because Michaela wants to win challenges. Caleb makes this pitch to Michaela and Jeff and it seems like they’re into it.

That night at Tribal Council, Tony thinks they need to keep the tribe strong for challenges. Malcolm and Michaela agree with Tony’s assessment.

This freaks Sandra out a little bit, so she points out that they had the strongest players in the right positions and still lost.

Troyzan doesn’t want to have to worry about someone running off at four in the morning.

A giant bug then attacks Sandra’s hair and everyone freaks out. You sleep in the woods! One bug?!

Tony says that he hasn’t been scamming anyone. Varner, Caleb, and Malcolm believe him.

Varner finishes it up by claiming that they’re a round hole and they’re going to get rid of the square peg.

Voting Time: Sandra votes for Aubry and says that Tony is going home, the rest of the votes are secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Aubry, one vote for Tony, one vote for Aubry, three votes for Tony, and the second person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Tony.

NOOOOOOOOOO!

And what’s worse is Tony and Sandra get into it as Tony’s leaving. Rewind this whole episode! Be friends and work together!

Verdict: Neither of the votes was much of a surprise. Everyone was wary of Tony and Ciera in their pre-game interviews. But, watching Sandra stick and move was a pleasure. All future players should be forced to watch her seasons and dissect her game.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Host Jeff Probst Breaks Down the First Tribal Council of the Season

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

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

Gordon Holmes: You haven’t seen the testimonials from the vote yet, but one of the themes was that Ciera was playing too hard, too fast.
Jeff Probst: Interesting…
Holmes: Right? In a season of Game Changers, the first person voted out was hindered by her desire to play too quickly.
Probst: Well, the players decide how the game is going to be played. I think the most interesting comment to come out of Tribal was when Ciera said, “Maybe the new school players can learn something from the old school players.” Because the game has been on a trajectory for quite some time of going up in terms of the game being amped up and alliances being even less and less clear. And what I felt like what she was saying is that they need to slow down a bit. Unfortunately, it sounds like she didn’t take her own advice. Or, she wasn’t aware early enough.

Holmes: It reminded me a lot of “Second Chance” where Shirin was accused of the same thing where someone is playing hard, but they don’t have the challenge prowess to give them that must-keep status in the tribe.
Probst: Yeah, absolutely. I like Ciera. I think she could win the whole thing. I even predicted that. And I like that she embodies game changers. And she got caught. She made a move at camp, she was talking about who she wanted to vote out when nobody else was talking about it yet. So, the fact that she talked, was enough. Sounds like there isn’t much wiggle room this season. If you make one mistake it could cost you. And that’s where a player like Sandra is so lethal. She doesn’t make many mistakes.

Holmes: How good is Sandra?
Probst: Sandra is great. I think you watch the first Tribal and you think, “She could win again.”
Holmes: She shushed you in the challenge. I’ve never seen that before.
Probst: She and Varner. I like that. My job really is to give the audience a play by play. But, I like it when the players are a part of it and talk back. It tells me they’re there and their head is in it.

Holmes: Michaela was the name used to throw Ciera off. She didn’t like that one bit. Her and Caleb were the most nervous up there.
Probst: Yeah.
Holmes: Michaela mentioned that her and Caleb are both challenge threats whose games are still unknown. She said something about Caleb getting a wider birth because he’s a guy. Was there anywhere to go to follow up on that?
Probst: I thought it was interesting. I think she felt like she was getting into deep water and wanted to get back out. I think what she was saying is that Caleb and I are both unknowns. You don’t know how Caleb plays this game, so why am I the one getting heat? Michaela’s in a tough spot, because if she isn’t gifted enough to turn the uncertainty into an asset, then it is scary. It’s scary to play with someone you don’t know. Everyone has a past or a question around them. Hers is, “Who are you?”

Holmes: As a journalist I’m supposed to stay impartial. As a fan I want Tony to find 37 idols and stay to the end.
Probst: (Laughs)
Holmes: Seems like we saw a kinder, more reserved Tony tonight.
Probst: I got a sense tonight that he is able to play another game and it’s a more understated game. He knows he’s in a season of true all-star players. He’s not going to get as many looks. He’s not going to get his hands on the balls as often. So, I’ve got to be quiet and go with the flow. He’ll have an opportunity. But, I think he has to change, because I don’t think that Cagayan personality can win. I think Tony wins by saying, “Look, I was playing with people I thought I could school. Now I’m playing with people I respect.”

Holmes: What did you think of Hali taking the swimming portion today?
Probst: Damn, I should’ve asked about that. I was shocked. In fact, my vantage point was so bad that I first thought it was Malcolm, then I thought it was Troyzan.
Holmes: They look a lot alike.
Probst: (Laughs) And when she got out of the water I realized it was her.
Holmes: We can fix that in post.
Probst: Thank you. I believe that when Hali played the first time, she came into the game as a smart lawyer type but was labeled a no-collar and tried to fit in. She hooked up with Jenn and it was a disastrous move. She’s a sharp woman and that’s the game she’s going to play now.

Holmes: How are you feeling about this season so far?
Probst: So good, I couldn’t believe I was talking to Tony, Varner, Sandra, Malcolm…it was great. Usually, that many people in one show is good and this is one tribe!

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

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‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Plays Align/Malign/Take to the End

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst (CBS)

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

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I hold in my hand a deck of cards that features all twenty of this season’s players. I’m going to hand you three random cards at a time. You tell me who you’re going to vote out first, who you’re going to work with and eventually eliminate, and who you are going to take to the end.
Jeff Probst: Oh, so it’s like (expletive deleted), marry, kill?
Holmes: Exactly.
Probst: Cool.
Holmes: If we have time we can play that too.
Probst: Oh man, I should not play that game with a cast.
Holmes: Yeah, cause I’m sure you’d (expletive deleted) all twenty.
Probst: (Laughs) Holmes…
Holmes: Alright, focus.

Round One: Aubry, Troyzan, and Hali
Probst: I’d vote out Troyzan, I’d work with Aubry, and I’d take Hali to the end. Aubry is a really good player and I believe that I could convince Aubry that we could work together. But, I know she’s going to come for me at a certain point. I’m going to trust that it won’t be early. I’m thinking that we’re going to keep looking at each other and when you stop looking at me, I’m in trouble…and vice versa. I’d love to sit next to Hali at the end.
Holmes: Sitting with a lawyer?
Probst: I just think she’d be fun to go against. I think she’s super well-spoken and I love the way she can turn an argument like she did with flippers. And Troyzan is out because he offers me the least and he’s a threat to me physically.

Round Two: Malcolm, Ciera, and Debbie
Probst: I hate to do this, but I’m voting out Malcolm. I can’t beat him in anything. And I’m going to need to at some point. I’m going to work with Ciera and then try to blindside her and hope she doesn’t get me first. Which…is a big question. She could probably beat me to the punch. I’m going to take Debbie to the end and I’d make her look like the most crazy, whacked-out nutjob by the time I’m done with her.

Round Three: Tai, Sierra, and Sandra
Probst: I hate to do this, because I love her, but Sandra is going home. She is a lethal weapon. I’m going to work with Sierra because her biggest asset is that she has shown loyalty. I’m taking Tai to the end because I don’t think he can pull it off in the end.

Round Four: Michaela, Caleb, and Brad
Probst: This is a tough one. I’m actually getting rid of Michaela first because I think she could win. I’m going to work with Brad, but I don’t trust him at all. And, I’m going to take Caleb to the end because I think I can outtalk him in the end.

Round Five: Andrea, Zeke, and Ozzy
Probst: I’m going to roll the dice and get rid of Andrea, she’s trouble. I’m going to work with Zeke knowing full well that he will probably take me out. It’d be hard for me to take Zeke out because I like him so much. I’d take Ozzy to the end because I can beat Ozzy. I can outtalk him easy.

Round Six: Jeff, JT, and Tony
Probst: Holy moly.
Holmes: These are the best games because I just sit here and you do all the work.
Probst: (Laughs) I’m in trouble on this one because I don’t want to go to the end with any of them. I think I lose against all of them.
Holmes: You’ve gotta play the cards you’re dealt, Jeff. That’s how life works.
Probst: OK, then I’m saying up front that I lose to all three of them. My best shot…is against Tony. I’m going to take him to the end. But, he’s a winner. I’m going to work with Varner and get rid of JT. That’ll allow me to get rid of one big threat early. He’s likable, he’s physical, he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Varner, I think I can find an alliance with the catty side of him. I think I can play that catty side as well. And I think he might trust me a little bit.

Holmes: Alright, we’ve got two left, so align one and malign the other.

Round Seven: Cirie and Sarah
Probst: Well, just because I love her so much, I’m working with Cirie. And if I lose to her I’m OK. That’s a great story. And I’m voting out Sarah because she’s up against Cirie. Nothing against Sarah.

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers,” Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET.

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

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