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‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Episode 3 Recap: Some Lucky Fan Gets a Souvenir

October 8, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: Missy’s killer instinct started to waver, Jeremy asked Johnny Rock for a favor, and Val’s 34 pretend idols couldn’t save her.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Hunahpu (wearing blue)

Drew – 25, Sales Rep
Jeremy – 36, Firefighter
Jon – 26, Financial Assistant
Julie – 34, Owner of Spray Tan Business
Keith – 53, Fire Captain
Kelley – 28, Marketing Manager
Missy – 47, Owner of Cheerleading Gym
Natalie – 28, Crossfit Coach
Reed – 31, Broadway Performer

The Coyopa (wearing yellow)

Alec – 22, Student
Baylor – 20, Student
Dale – 55, Farmer
Jaclyn – 25, Media Buyer
John – 39, Former MLB Pitcher
Josh – 32, Actor
Wes – 23, Firefighter

We start off back at camp where everyone is shocked…SHOCKED that Val didn’t have a six-pack of idols. There’s only one cop that was ever able to pull off that trick, and he talked like a llama.

Baylor realizes that maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to trust the dude who keeps voting for her. Makes sense.

Later, Josh tells us that he realized that Val and Jaclyn were going to vote for Baylor and that they got that idea from Johnny Rock.

The next morning, Drew is leading the charge to fix the Hunahpu roof. Well, he leads it in that it’s his idea. Rather than join in the frond weaving, he decides to take a nap.

Keith does not approve of such laziness. He says that he’d like to whoop Drew like he whoops Wes. Aww…that’s something for him and Missy to bond over.

Natalie gives Drew grief over his nap time, but he claims to have other talents. HE DOES! Didn’t you see those pushups?

Anywho, this bums Jeremy out because he was hoping to drag Drew to the end as a goat.

Quick Aside: “Survivor” 101 says, “If someone is accusing you of being lazy…stop being lazy.” Drew’s bad at this.

Next up, we’re off to Hero Stadium (Home of the Fightin’ San Juan del Sur Heroes). Jeremy is not happy to see that Val is gone. He rightly assumes that there’s a bro-liance over at Boyopa.

Rocker apologizes to Jeremy and admits that he tried to save Val. This is news to Josh.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will race across a beam and use a paddle to move squares to the other end. First person to stack six squares wins a tarp, a hammock, and pillows or fishing gear.

They rock-paper-scissors and Boyopa finally wins something. Wes decides to take on his dad. I smell a whoopin’ comin’!

Not much to describe here except for some balancin’ and paddle handlin’. It’s relatively even (no pun intended) until Keith drops one of his squares. Wes pulls ahead and wins it.

When it’s over, Wes and Keith get emotional, being all proud of each other. They hug it out.

Wes picks Josh to go to Exile with his father. Smart move. Maybe these two can finally get a cross-tribe alliance going.

Coyopa decides to take the fishing gear. As Rocker gathers it, he whispers to Jeremy that he did everything he could. Jeremy doesn’t buy it.

Gah…stop making me feel kind of bad for John Rocker.

Back at Hunahpu, Jeremy tells everyone about John Rocker’s history. Natalie doesn’t think Rocker would even care if they voted Julie out.

Missy comforts Julie, but Julie knows that John just put a major target on her back. Which is a shame, because she was doing well.

Over at Exile, Keith and Josh agree to share the clues. Keith says that he needs to get to the idol before Jeremy gets in his way. Aren’t they in an alliance?

Josh and Keith bond, but Keith assures us that there won’t be any spooning. Well yeah, Josh is in a relationship.

That night, Baylor is working hard to get Alec and Wes to partner with her and Jaclyn. It doesn’t seem to work though, they brush her off with the classic, “Let’s wait and see what happens at the challenge.”

Immunity Challenge Time: A pair from each tribe will race through an obstacle course to recover a ball. They’ll then try to shoot it into a basket. First tribe to do this three times wins immunity.

Keith will sit for Hunahpu, Dale will sit for Coyopa.

Round 1: Jon and Natalie beat Baylor and Josh. But, at least Josh managed to not vote for Baylor during the race.

Round 2: Wes and Alec defeated Missy and Julie in super-quick fashion.

Round 3: John and Jaclyn got the best of Drew and Reed.

Round 4: Jeremy and Kelley topped Baylor and Josh. Rocker tried to distract Jeremy with the classic “Caddyshack” chant, but it didn’t work.

Round 5: Jon and Natalie won the challenge by hitting the final shot against Alec and Wes.

After the challenge, Natalie starts yelling at Rocker. She accuses Coyopa of following a racist.

It then blows up with Natalie accusing him of saying racist and homophobic comments and that Coyopa should vote him out.

Quick Aside: Remember when Rudy said homophobic things and America thought it was adorable?

Dale says that Rocker is their tribe member and they have his back.

Rocker then tells Natalie that he’d knock her out if she was a guy. This does not make the situation better.

I’m assuming Rocker is probably just angling for one of those Brandon Hantz/Jeff Probst back rubs.

Back at Casa de Coyopa, Baylor wants to get rid of Rocker because she’s shocked that a professional athlete could be a bad sportsman. Well, this was filmed before the recent NFL awfulness.

Rocker doesn’t think he’s a homophobe because his closest ally is a gay man.

Later, Johnny Rock pitches getting rid of Dale to Baylor and Jaclyn because Dale’s a challenge liability. However, he’s really gunning for Baylor.

Josh and the other guys seem on board with it. Then Rocker tells Josh that if it doesn’t go his way, he has an idol…which is also news to Josh.

Rocker’s strategy is like blowing out a candle with shotgun.

Wes and Josh contemplate getting rid of Rocker. They bring Baylor in on their plan. Wes pitches this idea to Alec, but he thinks Rocker is too much of a physical asset.

That night at Tribal Council, John admits that he was trying to protect Val, but she lied to him.

Wes isn’t psyched that a member of his alliance was making side deals.

Jaclyn thinks she’ll have a target on her back at the merge because she’s on Rocker’s side. She then says that the guys might not be solid anymore.

Wes thinks his alliance is going to stick to their game plan.

Baylor thinks they need to get rid of the dark cloud that’s over their tribe. Aww…like Eeyore.

Voting Time: Rocker votes for Baylor, Baylor votes for Rocker, and the rest might be shown during the credits.

J-Pro tallies and returns and looks darn good doing it. We’ve got one vote Baylor, one vote Rocker, one vote Baylor, two votes Rocker, and the third person to be eliminated from “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water” is…Rocker!

Fun Fact: Jimmy Johnson went out in the third episode too.

Verdict: I’m not sure if that was the smartest move, but Rocker proved he couldn’t be trusted and that he had a big mouth. That being said, I doubt that move is going to help Coyopa in challenges.

Also, poor Dale…he voted with Rocker.

As far as the season goes, I’m ready to learn more about Hunahpu. Get them to Tribal!

Who’s Going to Win? The way Keith was talking about Jeremy has me a little nervous, but Jeremy is still my guy.

Power Rankings Results: Spencer and I both had Rocker in nine. So, the current score is Team Spencer 25, Team Gordon 24.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Power Rankings – Countdown-to-Meltdown Edition

October 7, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ 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 Keith is voted out this week, Spencer will receive 11 points and Gordon will receive 3 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Spencer had Val in spot sixteen. Gordon had her in fifteen. So, the current score is Team Spencer 16, Team Gordon 15.

Spencer’s Score = 16

Any questions for Spencer? Drop him a line on Twitter: @SpencerBGM

  Gordon’s Score = 15

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

 1. Josh – As I rank the snakes and rats of “Survivor: San Juan Del Sur” this week, Reed is still… er, that’s right – it’s Josh that’s on Coyopa. Josh is still tight with the guys as well as being ‘one of the gir’… oops. Let’s start over: While utter confusion of identity seems to surround this power player, he has shown no signs of confusion himself; Josh Canfield is running the show.
   1. Natalie – The Hunahpu tribe can do no wrong. They’re undefeated and aside from the little flint mishap, they’re in really good shape. Natalie finds herself in a great position. She’s a part of the dominant alliance and nobody has to worry about her partnering up with her loved one at the merge.
 2. Jeremy – While Jeremy may be the biggest threat on his tribe, he was just made less threatening by his wife’s ousting. He still finds himself sitting atop his tribe’s food chain, and is poised to ride his alliance mates to the merge like oxen pulling his chariot.
   2. Kelley – I was weirded out when Kelley squared off against Jaclyn last week, because I wasn’t sure that they weren’t the same person. What if it was going to be a “Same Matter Cannot Occupy the Same Space” situation like in “Timecop”? Fortunately it wasn’t. Oh yeah, and Kelley is mega safe.
 3. Jon – When he isn’t squatting 50 lbs, Jon is railroading John Rocker off platforms like the tooth-removing black mamba/king cobra beast he is. Jon walks the walk in addition to talking the howler monkey talk, and is sitting prettier than James was on China with two idols… Val was bluffing about having two idols… well, he’s just sitting pretty, okay?
   3. Keith – I’d like to congratulate Keith for not banging Jon’s head into the ground last week when he asked if flint was necessary to start a fire. That kind of restraint will serve Keith well in this game.

 4. Julie – Julie’s done absolutely nothing but impress me, and if you read between the lines, she’s telegraphing how good of a player she really is. “If it was your dude, you’d probably be like, *shrugs*, but it’s your sister,” she reassured Natalie last episode. Julie shows every sign of being willing to trounce Rocker strategically like she did physically in the last hero challenge.
   4. Jeremy – I’m dropping you a few spots on the list this week, Jeremy. You had another good week; you won immunity, you got your flint back, and you ended up with an immunity idol clue. But, I’m worried that you’re going to let Val’s elimination blind you. Val’s gone, there’s nothing that can be done. Focus on your game.
 5. Drew – Drew is polarizing in that he convinces me he’s going deep one minute, then gives me extreme doubts the next. Greed seems to fuel everything and propel everyone in this game, but does the guy who mistook Reed for Josh know how many zeroes are in $1,000,000? He seems unprepared. I want to see his water shoes. Despite nature-weathering and palm frond-weaving shortcomings, I have to stick to my guns: Drew has a ton to offer a tribe, and there’s no reason for anyone to want him gone at this stage.
  5. Missy – You’re the lowest on your alliance’s depth chart because of how you reacted to hurting Baylor. I’m sure it’s natural to feel terrible after you split your child’s lip, but it almost looked like you threw the rest of the round. If people are looking for a reason to send you home, that could be enough.
  6. Alec – You could be quick to judge this beach bum as an unemployed, uneducated leech on society, but Alec has proven he’s more than meets the eye. This college grad is playing under the radar, but it’s working. He’s sitting at the nucleus of a tribe less stable than J’Tia Taylor’s fire-tending habits, where bluffing about having two idols and bunking up with John Rocker is just “another day at Coyopa.” Maybe Alec is smart beyond his years for staying quiet. And maybe he’ll do what this 22-year-old couldn’t do last season, and seize some strategic control.
  6. Alec – The bro-liance is in full effect at CoyPond and Alec is in the perfect position. He’s not making weird moves like Josh, he’s not drawing a ton of attention like Rocker, and he’s not getting on Rocker’s bad side like Wes.
  7. Natalie – Natalie has let it all out, digested her twinnie’s boot, and puts her nose back to the grindstone with a renewed motivation to go far. If she could be any animal, she’ll need to be a chameleon – changing her colors and hardening her exterior upon Nadiya’s exit to posture herself for the game yet to come.
  7. Josh – Wait, why did he vote for Baylor? So people would think they weren’t buddies? But they were all voting for Nadiya. So, now he’s not reliable. And there’s no real way of knowing who he voted for because he didn’t sign his vote like you would an elementary school valentine. He seems like his mind is going in a zillion different direction, while the path he should go is pretty clear. That kind of sloppy play is going to catch up with him, but not this week.
  8. Kelley – Kelley is sailing smoothly through the early phases of the game, and I can’t imagine she’s made an enemy of anyone. I could see Kelley going on a deep run, being asked to describe the moment that she grappled the most with her integrity, and having little to offer. She’s played a clean game; Jeremy initiated the power alliance from which she is benefiting. Unless I am mistaken (in which case I’ll stop talking), it seems everyone wearing blue likes Kelley. Sail on.
  8. Wes – Didn’t see too much from Wes last week, but he seems tight with the rest of the gents.
  9. John – As much as I want to write “to hell with you” and leave it at that, Rocker has kept bigotry to a minimum, positioned himself in the majority and even found an immunity idol to boot. He’s exceeded expectations. Someone in the majority with an idol should be in as good shape as Tony Vlachos’s grasp of the Llama language. A player in Rocker’s position would have to really try to mess this up. But with Rocker, the sky (ground) is the limit; a few miscalculated words or moves could be right around the corner.
   9. Johnny Rock – Oh man, Johnny Rock tried to save Val, but her weird lies wouldn’t let him. You almost feel sorry for him…almost. Now it looks like he’s going to have a meltdown during the next immunity challenge. He should be fine as his team needs challenge strength and he has an immunity idol. But, you never know on this show.
  10. Baylor – Baylor’s position has been one of the most unpredictable since she planted her flag amongst the Coyopa men and betrayed Nadiya in the first vote. Perhaps it was a great move, but on the other hand, she put a price on her friendship. She threw it away. Like garbage. She basically said, “you know what? You’re not quite worth this much money.” Baylor looks secure in the majority for now, but she played the part of pawn during last week’s vote split, and has received more ballots than any other remaining orange buff-wearer.
   10. Reed – Not quite sure what to think of Reed. He’s not in the dominant alliance, but he doesn’t seem to be making any enemies. Right now he has to be hoping to stick around long enough to make it to the tribe swap/merge.
  11. Keith – Keith going home would be a tragedy of “Jeff Probst Talk Show” proportions. The man is a machine – sound bites left and right. He’s making it rain sound bites. There’s no off switch with Keith, and I don’t want there to be, so here’s to our favorite mustached Louisianan continuing to prosper. 
   11. Dale – “Awww…happy birthday, sweetheart! Now lose.” Yes, Dad-of-the-Year Dale is in the dominant Boy-opa alliance. But, they’re losing challenges right and left. If they drop another one, a strong argument can be made to send him packing in an attempt to keep challenge strength.
  12. Missy – I think Missy is either going extremely deep or is headed for a torch-snuffin’ unfortunately soon. Although you could say that in a word, her overall gameplay could be called feckless, she has friends, and as far as we know she’s still in a majority of five on her tribe. As long as Hunahpu stays strong, Missy stays strong.
   12. Jon – I’m not sure where Jon got the impression that honesty is rewarded on “Survivor,” but I’m thinking people like “Survivor” Hall of Famers “Boston” Rob Mariano, Russell Hantz, and Jonny Fairplay would beg to differ. Honestly, he seems like a super nice guy, but he might not be cut out for this game.
  13. Reed – Boyfriend Josh may be playing “The Godfather,” but Reed could be one of “The Departed” before he knows it if he sees Tribal Council. It’s counter-intuitive, but given Hunahpu’s winning streak, some big players may prioritize whacking this threat over keeping Reed as a challenge asset, confident in their tribe’s ability to win without him. Hopefully he takes his proclivity for negotiating a deal for flint and channels it toward his fate in the game.
   13. Drew – Did you see how many push-ups this dude can do? No way anybody is voting him out! Drew’s got all the tools necessary to be a real player, but he’s using them in all the wrong ways. Does anybody even like the guy? All they’re showing us is Julie hating on him.
  14. Dale – This… hurts me. Dale has played an ethical game – admittedly, played an ethical game. The crazy thing about it is, he’s sitting here (#14 in Power Rankings). Rocker’s sitting up there (#9). Did Dale get to the wrong place… by behaving the right way? I’ve never been in a situation in my entire life where that was the case. People will call him weak. People will say that he is undeserving. But you know what? Why are those characteristics any less “admirable” as lying, cheating, and stealing? If there’s one thing I learned from this game, it’s that perception is not reality. Reality is reality. But Dale is #14 in the Power Rankings, so let’s cross our fingers because I love the guy.
   14. Baylor – Ciera votes her mom out, now Missy busts open Baylor’s lip. Current score: Mothers 1, Daughters 1. Unfortunately, a busted lip is the least of Baylor’s worries. She’s the sixth person in the dominant alliance and there are only seven people left on the tribe. What happens to her if Jaclyn is sent home this week? Does Josh value her enough in an Edna Ma role to keep her around?
  15. Wes – Wes’s dad proclaimed in episode one that he has the mental toughness of a rock, but his real worry should be that a man with the mental aptitude of a rock – John Rocker – has found an immunity idol. In the premiere, Wes discovered Rocker’s secret and painted a target on his back by broaching the issue with the resident hulk himself. Flash forward two weeks, and the whole tribe has discovered who Rocker is. Rocker will blame Wes. Rocker will be angry. Wes isn’t going to like Rocker when he’s angry.
   15. Julie – It’s a shame you’re in this position, because you seem to be playing a solid game. But, how do you think Jeremy is going to react when he gets to Hero Stadium and sees that Rocker and Co. have sent Val home?
  16. Jaclyn – And this week’s Kassandra McQuillen award goes to… Jaclyn! Again. Despite being perfectly likable, Jaclyn is more firmly at the bottom of the totem pole than an Eddie Fox, Chicken Morris, and Wendy Jo combined. She’s the last straggler gasping for air on a ship Baylor and Josh sunk two votes ago, and if the losing Coyopa takes another immunity challenge plunge, former miss Michigan may become a former “Survivor” contestant.
   16. Jaclyn – What? Val didn’t have 34 immunity idols? Color me shocked. Anywho, you owe her a special hug for going the extra mile to keep you safe. Unfortunately, there’s nobody to save you now.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” on Your Computer

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‘Amazing Race’s’ Dennis & Isabelle: ‘We Didn’t Pee in the Boat and We Didn’t Quit’

October 6, 2014

'Amazing Race' (CBS)

Note: XFINITY is the perfect pit stop for “Amazing Race” fans. Every Monday after an elimination leg, we’ll have an interview with the team that was sent packing and the full episode. Follow @gordonholmes on Twitter for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”4975744712465744112″ program_type=”series”]

“Are you crying?! There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!” – Jimmy Dugan – “A League of Their Own

That might be the rule in baseball, but it certainly didn’t work like that on the most recent episode of “The Amazing Race.” Tears were flying from both teams as Dennis and Isabelle and Shelly and Nici raced for the finish line.

Unfortunately for Dennis and Isabelle, Shelly and Nici got the happy Hollywood ending.

I spoke with Dennis and Isabelle shortly after their elimination and had a chance to ask about the finer points of punt steering, Nici’s improvised bathroom break, and their emotional end…

Gordon Holmes: I’m a glass-is-half-full kind of a guy, so let me start by saying at least you didn’t have to pee on your boat on national TV.
Isabelle Du: (Laughs)
Dennis Hour: (Laughs) We didn’t pee in the boat and we didn’t quit the challenge.
Isabelle: We never quit, we just kept going.

Gordon: Walk me through the punt process. What was causing you kids so much trouble?
Dennis: It’s the current. And steering a boat with a stick in shallow water.
Isabelle: And there were parts that were deep.
Dennis: Yeah, some parts were deep. So, sometimes it would stick. And if you’re not used to punting, you don’t know where the shallow part is.
Isabelle: You’re literally taking a stick and digging it into the mud. And it’s kind of really murky. So, you couldn’t tell where it was. And the current at one point was pulling us in different ways. We were running into the rocks, we were running into the trees. All of us fell. Multiple times. Everybody. Everybody was screaming at each other.
Gordon: Was this a situation where some of the stronger players like Robbie or Keith would have more luck with it?
Isabelle: I don’t think so. If you got there early, the current wasn’t as bad. Later in the day the current got stronger. There was also a time issue. And if you have people like Bethany and Adam who are so used to the water, they’re going to know how to navigate it. Dennis and I are not always in the water. We’re not as familiar with currents. If anything, we wished we’d held onto the rocks more which is what the other teams did.
Dennis: By the time we figured out we were able to grab onto the wall, it was a little too late.

Gordon: How far ahead were Shelly and Nici by the time you finished the challenge?
Dennis: We were rolling to the docks and they had just finished. I saw them running and we grabbed our stuff and raced behind them.
Isabelle: We were very close.

Gordon: Isabelle, you got very emotional during that last sprint to the end. What was it that caused you to react so strongly?
Isabelle: (Laughs) We were so close. I don’t think people realize how far ahead we were of so many teams.
Dennis: When we got into London, we raced to the front of the pack very quickly.
Isabelle: It sucks when you’re so ahead and you fall behind in this one challenge. For us, I can’t believe I got so emotional. But, this is our dream. Can you imagine finally accomplishing your dream and being so close to it and then losing it all? It was really hard to swallow. We are huge fans of this show and we knew we were really behind. I know people made a lot of comments about me crying.
Dennis: It hurt because we knew we were that close. Our taxi driver could have driven faster or we could’ve gotten to the docks earlier.
Isabelle: There were barely any taxis around there. We were running around looking for one.

Gordon: You probably learn a lot about your partner on “Amazing Race.” Sometimes you’ll see a duo and the one of them will be like, “Babe! C’mon! Be faster!”
Isabelle: (Laughs)
Gordon: But it seemed like Dennis was super supportive. That has to be a nice takeaway.
Isabelle: It made me want to cry more.
Gordon: Oh, then you should’ve yelled at her, Dennis.
Isabelle: (Laughs)
Dennis: We fought beforehand. By the time we were in the middle of London we were working very well together.
Isabelle: We decided after that we should have fought more! We would’ve gotten it done. We were trying so hard to get along. We were trying so hard to be supportive that we lost track of the fact that there were other teams around us. And watching it, I’ve always known that I can feel Dennis’s love. I had tunnel-vision and I didn’t hear everything he said. So, to hear it again, it’s really comforting. I think it’s made us a stronger couple.

Gordon: That was actually my next question; are you still a dating couple?
Dennis: Yes, we are. Our new hashtag is #thedatingstrongcouple.
Isabelle: (Laughs) Yeah, and afterwards we really had to reevaluate our relationship together because we’d never had to work together as a team. “Amazing Race” really did bring us together. And then we started a blog together, it’s a style blog called “My Boyfriend’s Clothes” where I wear his clothes my way, and then he wears his clothes my way. It’s this project that we do together, it’s continued to glue us together.
Gordon: Any talk of you two becoming an engaged strong couple?
Isabelle: (Laughs)
Dennis: That is the #1 question I get! I’m not going to spoil anything.
Gordon: Good “Amazing Race’ partners don’t come around every day, you’ve got to lock that down.
Dennis: (Laughs)
Isabelle: Thank you! I like that.
Gordon: I’m starting to sound like my mother.
Isabelle: We’re in no rush, but we definitely talk about it.
Dennis: We know where we’re at.

Gordon: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Adam and Bethany.
Isabelle: Water savvy.
Gordon: Misty and Jim?
Dennis: White teeth.
Isabelle: Awesome.
Gordon: Kim and Alli?
Dennis: Intense.
Isabelle: Tough.
Gordon: Keith and Whitney?
Isabelle: “Survivor”? (Laughs)
Dennis: Can’t find the treasure.
Gordon: Tim and Te Jay?
Isabelle: Love them. Dynamite.
Dennis: Awesome.
Gordon: Michael and Scott?
Isabelle: Ridiculous.
Dennis: The funniest people I know.
Gordon: Brooke and Robbie?
Isabelle: Hilarious.
Dennis: Saucy.
Gordon: Amy and Maya?
Isabelle: Underdogs.
Dennis: Extremely bubbly.
Gordon: And we’ll finish with Shelly and Nici.
Dennis: Feisty.
Isabelle: I’m going to say ridiculous too.

Gordon: Did the game ruin pancakes for you?
Dennis: I’m OK with pancakes. I don’t want to ever see any kind of punting again.
Isabelle: I was pretty proud of my pancakes. I wish they’d zoomed in on my pancakes a little more.
Gordon: Maybe at the wedding reception you should have some kind of crepe station.
Isabelle: As an homage to the episode! (Laughs)

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Val – “I Think Josh Was More of a Mess”

October 2, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

How can things go so drastically different for two spouses on “Survivor”?

Jeremy started the dominant alliance on his tribe, received an immunity idol clue, and has yet to lose a challenge.

Meanwhile, Val’s game started with losing a challenge. She then missed an opportunity to start a cross-tribe alliance, got in with the losing alliance at Coyopa, and didn’t work with John Rocker when the opportunity presented itself. And to top things off, her fib about having two idols led to her being the second person voted out of the game.

I spoke with Val the morning after her elimination and had a chance to ask her about missed opportunities, bragging rights, and who’s really running the show at Coyopa…

Gordon Holmes: You were on Exile with Keith for quite a while. Why didn’t you attempt to make an alliance with him and Wes?
Val Collins: When I decided not to share the clue with Keith, it was because I wasn’t sure at that time if Keith was bitter about being sent to Exile. I didn’t know he was a firefighter at that time. I was in the mindset that I could share it with him, but then the more that I knew that Keith didn’t really understand that the clue could be used for both of us…he wasn’t that confident in his ability to work with Jeremy. So, I wasn’t going to put Jeremy in a position for Keith not to share.
Holmes: Did you and Keith discuss working together at all or were you just getting bad vibes?
Collins: We discussed Keith’s thought process on the game. I was trying to figure out who was the gamer and it was more Wes that knew “Survivor.” So, Keith didn’t have a strategy going back and he wasn’t 100% on Jeremy. He kept saying, “I don’t know about Jeremy.” He asked me why I thought Jeremy had sent him there. He seemed very apprehensive about trusting Jeremy.

Holmes: Did you recognize John Rocker?
Collins: Yes, immediately.
Holmes: When he returned from Exile he told you he was working with Jeremy. Did you believe him?
Collins: I didn’t 100% believe him, no.
Holmes: When he pitched the idea of him working with you while Jeremy worked with Julie, did you consider coming clean to him about your double-idol ruse?
Collins: I did consider working with him. All of the girls’ names had been thrown out. And he had told them to steer away from someone else. If you’re working with me, why would you say something like that? You should have been all for someone else going out. He wasn’t 100% with me. He was paranoid about his own game. He was worried about being the athlete that got voted out first. There was never any talk of, “We can share it. We can work with each other.”

Holmes: You had to square off against your husband in a challenge. Was it hard to focus or do you two compete often?
Collins: It was heated. We always have this battle of the badges because, you know, police and fire. It’s all in fun. So, I was really disappointed that I didn’t beat him. But, it was emotional for both of us. You mentally want to win, but you don’t want to win because that means you’re sending your loved one to Exile.
Holmes: Have your police buddies given you grief for losing to a firefighter?
Collins: Oh…everybody. (Laughs) “Jeremy smoked you in that challenge. You looked so old.” It’s a whole lot of trash talking.
Holmes: Does Jeremy talk trash about it, or is he smarter than that?
Collins: Jeremy’s better than that. I wouldn’t be so good. He hasn’t rubbed it in my face that much and he really can’t because he’s getting grief for crying.

Holmes: What was the vibe like at Coyopa beach when you were finally able to leave Exile?
Collins: I was initially approached by the girls. They welcomed me in. Josh was kind of in the group with us. Our tribe was a mess. They were very paranoid. We had lost both challenges, they didn’t have fire. I had fire at Exile and they didn’t. So, it was a little bit more of an alienation. They struggled and I had a fire. They had bonded over the trials they had gone through.

Holmes: Word association time. We’ll start with Alec.
Collins: Bro.
Holmes: Nadiya?
Collins: Hilarious.
Holmes: Rocker?
Collins: Good guy.
Holmes: Jaclyn.
Collins: Loyal.
Holmes: Dale?
Collins: A dad. Know it all.
Holmes: Wes?
Collins: Aloof.
Holmes: Baylor?
Collins: Annoying.
Holmes: Josh?
Collins: Flipper.
Holmes: And we’ll finish with that guy Jeremy.
Collins: Great guy.

Holmes: Let’s jump back into that. You said “Good guy” for John Rocker. “Survivor” has taken some heat for casting him due to his controversial comments. What’s the other side of that? Why’s he a good guy?
Collins: John was one of the guys that welcomed me back. I think you saw he tried to do the right thing. I think that he was paranoid about his own position. He was wondering if he was going to be on the block after Exile. I’m not excusing the things he said, but on “Survivor” he was funny. He was helpful. For him being older than the group, he jumped in and kind of vibed with everyone.

Holmes: Josh seems to be involved with everything going on at Coyopa. Did you know that when you were out there?
Collins: I think Josh was more of a mess. It’s coming across like he had all this game, but he didn’t. Josh’s reasoning on voting for Baylor? That’s wasn’t strategy. I swear he must’ve gotten confused about what they were doing. He told me that he thought he was the lowest man in the group. I don’t think he was. He was paranoid, his insecurities about Nadiya saying he was one of the girls. It wasn’t homophobic, she was saying that he was with us, not that he was a girlfriend.

Holmes: What do your daughters think of mom’s adventure?
Collins: They think it was great. They do vocalize who they don’t like on the show. I let them know it was a game. Like, I told them throwing Baylor under the bus was me trying to take the heat off of me. She was the easiest target.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Episode 2 Recap: ‘Johnny Rock’ Gets a Clue

October 1, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: A flint was misplaced, challenges were faced, and an “Amazing Racer” was erased.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Hunahpu (wearing blue)

Drew – 25, Sales Rep
Jeremy – 36, Firefighter
Jon – 26, Financial Assistant
Julie – 34, Owner of Spray Tan Business
Keith – 53, Fire Captain
Kelley – 28, Marketing Manager
Missy – 47, Owner of Cheerleading Gym
Natalie – 28, Crossfit Coach
Reed – 31, Broadway Performer

The Coyopa (wearing yellow)

Alec – 22, Student
Baylor – 20, Student
Dale – 55, Farmer
Jaclyn – 25, Media Buyer
John – 39, Former MLB Pitcher
Josh – 32, Actor
Val – 35, Police Officer
Wes – 23, Firefighter

The fun kicks off after Tribal Council, where Josh admits to voting for Baylor. He claims to have done it so people won’t think that they’re buddies. She’s not thrilled about it. He couldn’t have told her before?

The next morning at Hunahpu beach, Reed shows off his stretching skills, Jon shows off his weight-lifting skills, and Drew shows off his pushup skills. Oh man, if I was there with an air hockey table, I could show them a thing or too.

Meanwhile, Julie notices that the flint is missing. Kelley lets us know that that is not good. Also, water is wet and the right side of Ariana Grande’s face is hideous.

Jon admits to losing the flint, because “Survivor” is a game that respects honesty. Has he seen this show?

He then asks if you need the flint to start fire. Oh man, one more and he’ll complete the stupidity hat trick.

Next up, the tribes meet at the “Hero Arena.” Is that where they hang out with Ozzie Smith? Cause he’s my hero. Natalie sees that Nadiya is gone and she isn’t pleased. Apparently it’s the first time she’s truly been without her sister. She breaks down and cries.

Reward Challenge Time: One person from each tribe will balance a ball on a disc and then move it through a series of obstacles. Then they’ll roll three balls into a series of targets. First person to hit all three targets wins. The winner gets fishing gear, the loser gets an all-expense-paid trip to Exile (not an) Island.

Rocker wins rock/paper/scissors and gets to pick who gets to compete, he decides to do it himself against Julie.

John almost gets through the obstacles, but he loses the ball. Julie gets through first. She hits all three of the targets before Rocker even completes the obstacles.

Rocker isn’t happy that he lost to a girl. I’m gonna leave that one alone.

Julie decides to send Jeremy to Exile with John. So, the quasi-leaders of the two alliances will be there together…

Before Hunahpu heads back to camp, Reed offers to trade Probst the tribe’s beans for flint. Probst doesn’t go for it, he wants the fishing gear…because he’s hilarious. Make them name their first-born children “Hunahpu!”

They discuss Probst’s offer and decide to give up the fishing gear. Oh man, you know he loved that. Here’s hoping Jon doesn’t trade the flint for some magic beans.

Later at Coyopa, Alec and Dale discuss Rocker’s “Sports Illustrated” comments. Josh is happy to have Rocker on his team because he’s probably going to upset people. Josh gets it.

Over at Exile, Jeremy and Rocker smash their urns. Rocker gets nothing, Jeremy gets the clue.

Jeremy also knows who Rocker really is. He isn’t thrilled to partner with someone who he remembers made racist statements, but he does want to protect his wife. He shares the clue with John and pitches the idea of John protecting Val while Jeremy protects Julie. See, that’s how you properly use time with the opposing tribe.

Immunity Challenge Time: A player from each team will stand on a platform and try to knock the other person off. First tribe to do this five times win immunity.

Julie will sit out for Hunahblue.

Round One: Jaclyn beats Kelley. (They’re not the same person?!)

Round Two: Drew gets the best of his little brother Alec. Then he gives him a wedgie. (Not really.)

Round Three: Wes destroys Jeremy.

Round Four: Natalie goes over Val.

Round Five: Rocker and Jon have an epic battle! Amazingly, Jon was able to pull off the win. He dropped him like the only means his tribe has of starting fire.

Round Six: Missy and Baylor got off to a bad start when Baylor was popped right in the face. Baylor regrouped though and defeated her mother. I wouldn’t be too hard on Missy, though. She was just being aggressive. B-E-ing aggressive.

Round Seven: Reed bested Josh.

Round Eight: In a battle of the elders, Dale dumped Keith in the drink.

Round Nine: In a rematch, Kelley got revenge on Jaclyn to give Hunahpu they’re 30th straight victory.

Back at Coyopa Beach, everyone is mega bummed. Dale is very proud of Kelley for her performance, but isn’t psyched that it went against his tribe.

Val tells Rocker that she has two idols and that she’s going to save herself and Jaclyn. Heck, why not tell him that you’re magic.

Later, “Johnny Rock” starts digging around and…finds himself an idol. Meanwhile, the Internet is livid.

Rocker and Josh discuss strategy. They’re going to tell Val that they’re sending three votes her way and three votes Baylor’s way. Rocker passes this info on to Val, and also tells her that he made a deal with Jeremy.

That night at Tribal Council, Josh makes a Broadway/”Survivor” comparison that probably went over most people’s heads.

Val thinks Baylor is trying to play both sides of the camp.

Baylor tells everyone that Val was behind the failed female alliance.

Jaclyn is annoyed that Baylor flipped on the girls.

Val tells Baylor to own her deceit.

Everyone has heard that Val has two idols. Wes wants to vote for her to flush one out.

Voting Time: Baylor votes for Val, Rocker votes for Baylor, Wes votes for Val, Val votes for Baylor, and the rest aren’t shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Val, one vote for Baylor, one vote for Val, one vote for Baylor, one vote for Val, two votes for Baylor, and one vote for Val. A tie!

Voting Time Part Deux: Rocker votes for Val (and he isn’t happy about breaking his deal with Jeremy) and the rest will be played over the credits. Don’t worry.

J-Pro tallies and returns yet again. We’ve got one vote for Baylor, three votes for Val, and the second person to be eliminated from “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water” is…Val.

Oh man, now Jeremy is really gonna think Rocker is racist!

Verdict: Val really blew it when she went to Exile. She could have partnered up with Wes based on her time with Keith. Instead, she’s a goner. I had high hopes for her too.

My question is; why didn’t the Boyopa alliance target Jaclyn instead of Val? The idol lie?

As for the episode, things are going quite nicely. Looks like we’re in for some fireworks next week too.

Who’s Going to Win? Jeremy’s got the only idol clue on Hunahpu, he has the numbers, and he doesn’t have to protect Val anymore. He’s my winner.

Power Rankings Results: Spencer had Val in spot sixteen. I had her in fifteen. So, the current score is Team Spencer 16, Team Gordon 15.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Power Rankings – ‘Ladies First?’ Edition

September 30, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ 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 Keith is voted out this week, Spencer will receive 13 points and Gordon will receive 6 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Spencer’s Score = 0

Any questions for Spencer? Drop him a line on Twitter: @SpencerBGM

  Gordon’s Score = 0

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

 1. Josh – Josh not only found himself in the majority, but decided which faction of the Coyopa tribe would constitute the majority in the first vote. He recovered from a poisonous plant run-in that made his eyes water and navigated the swing vote with grace that would make Sarah Lacina’s mouth water. His position, on the other hand, is fairly cut and dry – he’s the president right now. Josh’s approachability has put him in a great spot, so let’s just hope Baylor isn’t on the warpath after he voted for her (why, Josh? WHY?!).
   1. Jeremy – Who had a better first episode than Jeremy? He won fire and whatnot for his tribe. He sent his wife to Exile in a manner that set himself up with a potential alliance member. And, he’s holding the numbers in a tribe that currently holds the numbers. He’s on fire, man. (Boy, I hate  myself for that one.)
 2. Jon – Our quintessential “Survivor” bro has more depth than we thought, and although no one labeled Jon a slouch physically, he’s surpassed already high expectations. Next stop: a Jon vs. John immunity challenge in episode two. Hope stays strong for a Rocker meltdown after getting trounced in a physical challenge, as the two go at it next week like bona-fide sumo wrestlers. In the meantime, Jon should try and get in good with…   2. Natalie – OK, so your Twinnie is gone. That’s sucks. But, the good news is that losing your loved one worked out for people the last time they did the Blood vs. Water twist. Now people see you as a potential partner for a final three. Add that to how well Natalie did in the challenge and her place in the dominant alliance and you have a twin that’s set to win.
 3. Jeremy – …The power broker of Hunahpu. Prediction: Jeremy’s going to be the first person in a while to make this aggressive role work. Normally there’s no surer sign of doom than a player making alliances with everything that moves and breathes (see Knight, Zane). However, I think Jeremy has actually set himself up well with Kelley, Natalie, Missy, and Keith. He may just have made enough sparks to form a dominant alliance, but not so many that he’ll have fires to put out when people talk.
   3. John – Yeah, yeah…I’m not happy about this either. So, Mr. Rocker was awesome in the last challenge. He was a force to be reckoned with when it came to getting his tribe up that tower. And, he’s a solid member of the bro-liance. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon unless he says something really stupid. Oh…wait…is it too late to change this ranking?

 4. Kelley – Kelley remains as steady as they come. The daughter of legendary fire-starter Dale has aligned with savvy fire-stopper Jeremy, and should remain inconspicuous. Her tribe just has bigger personalities, bigger fish to fry, and absolutely no reason to vote Kelley out this early. Keith could pulverize the flint. Natalie could panic upon seeing her twinnie eliminated. Drew could get an urgent modeling contract. The possibilities are endless, and few of them entail Kelley going home.
   4. Missy – I…uh…don’t have a ton to say about you, Missy. You are a person. You are playing the game of “Survivor.” You didn’t do much this episode, but you’re in the big Hunahpu alliance, so I’m thinking you’re safe.
 5. Alec – If Kelley is the head of the ‘under the radar’ club, Alec is senior vice president. While that may not give him the legs he needs to win, he’s a safe bet to stick around another week. He’s fit to contribute in both challenges and camp life, he voted in the majority last week and he seems approachable. When Wes realized who John Rocker was last week, he went to Alec as his first sanity check. Alec might just be a better-disguised Josh – someone people want to approach.
  5. Kelley – See Missy.
  6. John – He still isn’t winning, but this is about risk of going home, and John is a hulking behemoth who isn’t going anywhere. So far he’s miraculously remained inoffensive, and predictably been helpful physically. Having proven his ability as a human ladder/mountain to be climbed, Coyopa has every reason to keep him. Best of all, the only person who has recognized him (Wes) also happens to be the only person with a positive view of him, idolizing Rocker as “the man.”
 6. Keith – You and Val certainly wasted a lot of time on Exile Island. Why weren’t you setting up some kind of alliance? Why else would they have Jeremy send someone from his own tribe? It really feels like that whole outing was a wasted opportunity. Anywho, I wouldn’t be too upset about it, you ended up on Jeremy’s side anyways.
  7. Drew – Don’t be too quick to judge the second coming of J’Tia Taylor – shelter-builder extraordinaire Drew. Yes, Julie calls him a “young, dumb guy” and no, I don’t think he has a shot to win. Even so, he’s the prototype of someone a tribe wants around – strategically unintimidating and physically valuable. And if you look closely, there really isn’t that much evidence of him being this supposed young, dumb guy either; all he really did was make a few goofy comments while building a shelter. Time will tell for Drew, but I think he still has way more going for him than against him.
  7. Josh – You did one thing right and one thing weird. The right thing was the way you weren’t too wishy-washy when you were the swing vote. You picked your side and stuck with it. You didn’t give anyone a chance to doubt your loyalty. But, for some reason you voted for poor Baylor. What was the point of that? She’s dying to be your Edna Ma.
  8. Natalie – As tragic as the twinnies’ split may be, the sad truth is that Nadiya’s departure probably bodes well for Natalie. In the first Blood vs. Water, those whose loved ones went home early excelled into the endgame, likely because they were no longer a threat to join an inseparable alliance of two. Natalie is now an unintimidating free agent, and it also only helps that she’s in the mix of early Hunahpu alliance formation.
  8. Dale – Thumbs up for Dale this week. It looked like he was going to be the odd man out on a young tribe. (Old man out?) He managed to turn things around with his clever fire trick and by manufacturing a reason to get rid of Nadiya. Now that he has the numbers and isn’t a threat, he should be able to coast for a while. However, if Coyopond starts dropping too many challenges, he’s going to have to watch himself.
  9. Julie – Julie’s stock may not have gone up much, but it can’t have gone down. She completed the premiere’s immunity challenge puzzle impressively fast, and has come off nothing but competent and sharp in confessionals.
   9. Alec – According to Nadiya, you’re the one who blew the puzzle for your tribe. I wouldn’t sweat it too much though, you were on the right side of the vote and can probably rest comfortably for a while.
  10. Missy – Missy says that after three divorces she’s learned to trust her gut, and so far it’s lead her straight into the fold of Hunahpu’s majority. She gets all the benefits of being theoretically “in” right off the bat, but hasn’t had to put her neck on the line to make that happen; she’s let alliances come to her. As long as she maintains solid challenge performance, there’s no good reason for anyone to target her.
   10. Baylor – Kudos to Baylor for not letting herself get sucked into a men vs. women battle where the women were already outnumbered. But, I’m still wondering about Josh voting for her. She should try to get to the bottom of that.
  11. Baylor – So far, Baylor has proven herself socially adaptable and well integrated. She successfully floated between alliances to land herself in the majority, but I am concerned that more could be at play in Coyopa social politics. I’m still bewildered as to why Josh voted for her, and given she swung between groups last week, I worry that while Baylor has a lot of allies on her tribe, few of those allies are close ones.
   11. Wes – So, Rocker knows you know who he is. Hooray, you figured it out. Now a guy who doesn’t have a great track record of thinking out his decisions has a reason to target you. You’re probably safe for a bit while the guys target the women, but you’d better hope for a tribe swap.
  12. Dale – I love Dale. Here’s a guy who knows his weaknesses – he lives on a farm and isn’t comfortable in big groups – but is so passionate about playing “Survivor” that he’ll sacrifice his vision to start a fire and win his tribe’s admiration. I’m rooting for him to keep scraping by, but I worry for him for the same reasons as before. The age disconnect is just so vast, and worse, the tribe has flint now. As others improve their survival and fire-making skills, Dale becomes more expendable by the day.
   12. Reed – Spider-Man, Spider-Man, swings under the radar like a spider can… What were you up to last week? I mean, besides not working your way into the dominant alliance? The game is already off and running and you’re hanging out at the starter’s line.
  13. Keith – Curiosity may have killed the cat, but lack of curiosity certainly did Keith no favors. Dude, didn’t you wonder a little bit what Val’s note said at exile? Keith is an absolute sound bite machine, from breaking the flint to John Rocker being an ass to Wes having the mental strength of a Rock. He just doesn’t seem that game-savvy, though, and all his eggs are in one basket – the whims of Jeremy bringing him into the fold. 
   13. Jon – Jon and Reed are in the same boat. They aren’t in the main alliance, but they’re harmless. They’ll be here next week.
  14. Reed – Reed has begun “Survivor” brimming with enthusiasm, and while he seems to have all the tools to succeed, we haven’t seen him putting them to use. If he does turn out to be on the outside of Jeremy’s newly formed power alliance, those tools for success could appear threatening and be his undoing. 
   14. Drew – Was anybody surprised when Drew was rubbing people the wrong way? The man whose claim to fame is his ability to “pull off the unthinkable with ease” doesn’t seem to have a ton of humility. And unfortunately for him, the thought of him being the first Hunahputian to go home isn’t unthinkable.
  15. Wes – Wes has been relatively quiet thus far, and aside from struggling to spell “Rocker” there isn’t much to criticize. Sometimes it only takes one thing, though: There was no good reason for Wes to approach Rocker the way he did about his baseball stardom. He could have at least chatted up the tribe’s resident hulk for a longer time and connected over baseball. Yet all Wes did was give up the exclusive information he had and foster distrust. He did vote in the majority in week one, but if the tide turns on Coyopa, it could result in Wes drowning pretty quickly.
   15. Val – Oh, Val…I really don’t think anyone had a worse episode than you. You lost the first challenge which wasn’t a big deal, but then you didn’t share the Exile clue with potential alliance-mate Keith. Keith and your husband had already kind of bonded. He could’ve found the idol with Jeremy. And, it would have set you up to have Wes as your buddy when you finally got to camp. Once you did get to camp, you partnered with the side that was down in the numbers. And you’re hinting at an idol that you don’t have. You’re in bad shape.
  16. Val – While a lot went right for her husband in the premiere, everything went wrong for Val. She missed two critical days of forming relationships while stuck at Exile Island, failed to spearhead an all-girls alliance and spent tribal bluffing about having an idol for no apparent reason. Now she’s in the minority alliance of a losing tribe, and is dangerously close to ending the blue blood hot streak on CBS reality TV.
   16. Julie – You’re getting credit for completing last week’s puzzle which is good. But missing out on joining the main alliance hurts you. Keith knows who John Rocker is, and I’m sure he’s been talking. Everybody saw him dominate the challenge and they probably don’t like the idea of him having a partner around.
  17. Jaclyn – Jaclyn is in the same boat as Val, and she doesn’t even have an idol clue to show for it. With Nadiya’s boot, “one of the girls” may be a thing of the past not only for Josh, but for the actual females as well. There’s a real risk here that Nadiya’s friends meet the same fate she did, and former Miss Michigan is in as precarious a position as anyone.     17. Jaclyn – Here’s how I see Jaclyn going home this week. If Coyopa loses, the men will continue to target the women. Baylor will be safe due to her affiliation with Josh. Val will be safe because they’re worried she might have an idol. And, poor Jaclyn will be sent pack-lyn.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” on Your Computer

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‘Amazing Race’s’ Lisa and Michelle: ‘We Lost Over a Cab Ride’

September 29, 2014

'The Amazing Race' (CBS)

Note: XFINITY is the perfect pit stop for “Amazing Race” fans. Every Monday after an elimination leg, we’ll have an interview with the team that was sent packing and the full episode. Follow @gordonholmes on Twitter for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”4975744712465744112″ program_type=”series”]

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander…

You reap what you sow…

Turnabout is fair play…

However you word it, Boston firefighters Michael and Scott didn’t feel bad about not letting Lisa and Michelle into their cab after the Miami realtors swiped a pen out of their hands.

I spoke with Lisa and Michelle after their elimination and had a chance to ask them about marker possession, shovel substitutes, and taxi affection interruption etiquette…

Gordon Holmes: Alright, tell me about the marker incident. My understanding is that people were trying to sign up for a flight and there was some confusion as to who had legal possession of the marker.
Lisa Thomson: It was the firefighters who claimed that we took the marker from them. Michelle and I were at the board too, so Mike grabbed the pen and then I grabbed the pen out of his hand because we were there first, which means that we should have been on the next plane. And we didn’t want to be on the last plane because we thought that was the pit stop. So, at that point we’d do anything to not be on the last plane.
Gordon: So you confess to pen theft.
Lisa: We took the pen from them, but we were there first.

Watch the Premiere of ‘The Amazing Race’

Gordon: How long were you guys out there for the digging challenge?
Lisa: Probably about four hours. It was a long time. It felt like ten hours. We were out there digging and digging. If you’ve ever used a shovel, it’s extremely difficult. My hands, I couldn’t even feel them. They were raw. They were bleeding. And unfortunately we still didn’t get the treasure.
Gordon: Keith was doing it too. He’s this muscular giant and he was having a hard time.
Michelle Thomson: Lisa can hold her own with the boys, let me tell you. She dug as hard as them.
Lisa: I was out there with Keith who is super tall.
Michelle: He’s a Survivor!
Lisa: I held my own. I wasn’t the one who wanted to give up. I wasn’t the one who wanted the penalty. I would have stayed out there for a week.
Gordon: He’s used to starving on a beach for a month and here he is wiped out.
Lisa: (Laughs) Poor Keith. I love Keith and Whitney, they’re great people.

Gordon: When you watched the episode and they showed where the chest actually was…that had to be heartbreaking.
Lisa: It was because of all the effort we put into trying to find it. We would have done anything.
Gordon: I’d rather not know where it was.
Lisa: (Laughs) At some point we wondered if it even existed. We were getting the same spot over and over.
Michelle: There was only like a foot-length distance every time it was measured. You had to measure it with the shovel and it was complicated to drag that heavy shovel.
Gordon: I was wondering if there was some way you could have used a shoelace or something lighter.
Lisa: We did.
Michelle: Lisa actually broke a branch, because it was lighter than the shovel. She used that for a while, but it ended up taking her to the same spot.

Gordon: Keith and Whitney made the call to forfeit the challenge. Walk me through what all goes into making that decision.
Lisa: Well, I was still digging and I think Whitney and Michelle spoke. Is that correct?
Michelle: Yeah, I couldn’t help Lisa, so I wanted to see how the other teams were doing. I saw that Scott and Keith were struggling. So, it got to the point where we’re watching them dig to China. And Whitney saw that Keith was really drained, so they decided to take the penalty. And they said the firefighters were going to take the penalty too. At that point, we knew if we didn’t find the chest before the penalty was up, that we’d be the last team. So, we had nothing to lose.

Gordon: So, it all came down to the cabs.
Michelle: It was a 3-2-1-go kind of thing. Keith is a freaking…he’s a little runner. He was the first one. Then it was Lisa, then it was me, Whitney…and Scott was last. We fought over the one taxi and we lost. And at that point the other cabs had taken off and we were waiting for our cab driver to turn on his cab.
Gordon: He wouldn’t turn on his cab?
Lisa: Yeah, cause there were only two real cabs and the other was like some weird cab on the side. Our driver…I don’t even know what planet he was on. (Laughs) We knew when it took him five minutes to get in the car that we’d lost our shot.
Michelle: It was like the cab driver and his girlfriend. I don’t think they were even there to drive a cab. They were annoyed with the fact that we were in their cab to begin with.
Lisa: (Laughs) Yeah, I think they were hooking up when we jumped in. They weren’t excited at all.

Gordon: Alright, let’s try some word association. We’ll start with Misty and Jim.
Lisa: Teeth, sparkle teeth. (Laughs)
Gordon: Tim and Te Jay?
Michelle: They’re fun. They’re high energy.
Gordon: Brooke and Robbie?
Michelle: They’re a riot. They’re goofy.
Lisa: They’re fun to watch.
Gordon: Adam and Bethany:
Lisa: They’re invincible.
Gordon: Amy and Maya.
Michelle: Smart. Geniuses. Nobody got to see Amy with the compass. She was quick with it.
Gordon: Shelly and Nici?
Michelle: They’re high energy.
Lisa: Very argumentative. (Laughs)
Michelle: We get along with them.
Gordon: Michael and Scott?
Michelle: Boston strong.
Lisa: They’re great guys.
Michelle: They’re clowns.

Gordon: You’re first out, and that sucks…
Lisa: What are you talking about, it’s great. (Laughs)
Gordon: That’s the right attitude.
Lisa: No, it does suck.
Michelle: We would have rather lost over something other than a cab. That was frustrating.
Lisa: Like if we had lost because we couldn’t find the treasure, that’d be OK. That’s why it was so hard to swallow.
Gordon: I literally had this conversation on Friday where I said my worst “Amazing Race” fear would be losing because of something out of my control like a bad cab or a delayed flight.
Michelle: You know why we look like sore losers? Because Lisa and I really prepared a lot for the race. I didn’t want to work out as much as I did, but I thought it’d pay off. And we lost over a cab ride. And we have so much more to prove. It was really hard to take in.
Lisa: We weren’t sore losers, we were just disappointed that we couldn’t finish. We’re just disappointed in ourselves.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Nadiya on Rocker: ‘I Had No Idea Who That Fool Was’

September 25, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

Conspiracy Theory: Last night’s “Survivor” results were some kind of Emmy revenge.

Think about it; “The Amazing Race” has been scooping up Emmy wins for years and the folks at “Survivor” felt the need to put them in their place. Natalie had better watch her back.

Or, a tribe of generally likable people didn’t have an obvious reason to boot anyone, so Dale fabricated a reason based on what he knew of Nadiya’s past. Either way, when the votes were read, Nadiya was the first one eliminated from a CBS reality show…again.

I spoke to the unfortunate Twinny (Twinnie?) the morning after her blindside and had a chance to ask her about my conspiracy theory, Rocker’s attitude around camp, and what Natalie should do now that she’s gone…

Gordon Holmes: First one voted out? Tell me this isn’t some weird revenge the “Survivor” crew was pulling on “The Amazing Race.”
Nadiya Anderson: Oh yes, I believe it. I cosign. I think Phil (Keoghan) got on the phone, and Phil and Jeff (Probst) had it out, and then they were like, “Get that bitch off.” (Laughs)
Holmes: It’s awful that you were stuck in the middle of it.
Anderson: It was! (Laughs)

Watch the Premiere of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”

Holmes: Did you know your tribe was targeting you at all?
Anderson: It was a total blindside. I overlooked that. We had a tribe full of numb nuts. I figured with so many fools on my tribe that I’d be safe at least for the first voting.
Holmes: What kind of numb nuts behavior was going on around camp?
Anderson: Alec did our puzzle. Alec and Jaclyn…I knew we were doomed. And the fact that I was one of the strongest people in our camp, not just among the girls, I did so much more work than all the girls. I’m stronger physically and mentally, but that’s not saying much because I was voted off the damn island. But seeing who the competition was on my tribe, I figured they wouldn’t get rid of me.

Holmes: One of the things that was pointed out last night was you referring to Josh as one of the girls. Was that actually a big deal?
Anderson: It wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t say he is a girl. I needed him for the numbers of the girl alliance. That’s the only reason I categorized him with the girls. I didn’t know Josh felt some kind of way about that. If I did I would have laid off. Me and Josh, he came up to me, we were good friends around camp. He was the one I had the most in common with.
Holmes: Any idea why Josh would vote for Baylor when it seemed like she was in his pocket?
Anderson: I think it was a mistake. I had no idea he was going to vote for the guys instead of us.

Holmes: It was odd to me that Val admitted to looking for things on Exile Island. Was Val trying to lead you guys to believe that she had an idol?
Anderson: She told me she had a clue and she showed me the clue. I knew when Val came back that we needed her. I told her as a tribe we weren’t going to vote her out because there’s a huge divide between the girls and the guys. I told her, “We need you. We’re going to keep you around.” But, we didn’t have time to look for the idol.

Holmes: Did you recognize John Rocker.
Anderson: No, I had no idea who that fool was. I watch cricket, not baseball. So, I had no idea who he was. That wouldn’t have deterred me from liking him or working with him. I probably would have tried to work with him more if I knew who he was.
Holmes: Was he doing foolish things around camp?
Anderson: He was so bros before hoes. He was not giving the time of day to talk to me. I remember I said, “John, let’s take this log back to camp.” And he was like, “No, Nadiya. I’m waiting for the guys to take the log back.” And I said, “Dude, I can carry this log with you, trust me.” He was aloof with the girls. And he loved the attention he was getting from the younger guys.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Josh.
Anderson: Queen. (Laughs)
Holmes: Val?
Anderson: Tricky.
Holmes: Jaclyn?
Anderson: Air head.
Holmes: Dale?
Anderson: Annoying.
Holmes: John Rocker?
Anderson: Fool.
Holmes: Alec?
Anderson: A pothead. (Laughs)
Holmes: Baylor?
Anderson: Thirsty.
Holmes: People who call you Natalie?
Anderson: Everybody. That’s fine, I don’t care.
Holmes: Wes?
Anderson: Corny, a redneck.
Holmes: And let’s finish with Natalie.
Anderson: Bestest Twinnie ever!

Holmes: What has the reaction been like from the “Amazing Race” community to you guys being on the show?
Anderson: We’re the first crossovers from “Amazing Race” to “Survivor.” People have been supportive, but people like Dale are like, “How come those bitches got the chance to be on ‘Survivor’?” (Laughs) It’s mixed, I think. And I think me getting kicked off first; some people are like, “Haha, Twinnies!” But, Natalie is still in it, so she gets to kick ass, while I did not.
Holmes: I hope Probst’s conspiracy doesn’t take her out as well.
Anderson: (Laughs) We’ll see. I think me getting kicked off is going to be the best thing to happen to her game. I hope she forgets about the million and she just goes for blood. She’s going to be going balls to the wall now.

Holmes: Now that you’ve done “Survivor” and “Amazing Race,” are you prepared to say that “Survivor” is way better.
Anderson: It’s definitely way harder. And if I had to choose between them, I’d want to do “Survivor” again.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Episode 1 Recap: How Do You Spell Relief?

September 24, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

And…we’re off.

Things kick off with everyone’s favorite host, Jeffrey Montgomery Probst in a sweet chopper high above San Juan del Sur.  The pairs of new contestants are below him trying to figure out how flint works. Quick thought; if you go on this show without knowing how flint works, you probably should have signed up for “Utopia.”

More like “U-dope-ia.” Am I right?

(Crickets)

Jaclyn is worried that everyone is going to hate her and Jon because they seem perfect. So that’s why everyone hates me…

Controversial MLB pitcher John Rocker lets us know that people call him a homophobic bigot. Well, he says he isn’t a bigot. Oh, but he doesn’t dispute “homophobic”?!

Reed and Josh manage to catch some crabs right off the bat. Josh says the Reed gave him flint as a gift. See, someone gets it.

The Twinnies Nadiya and not-Nadiya say a quick prayer, then they get to work not making fire.

Keith and Wes immediately lose the striker for their flint. Sounds about right.

Finally, Jeff says something about…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

We start off with the duos arriving at Redemption Island a random arena.

Everyone has a good laugh as Keith and Wes admit that they lost their striker. Everyone also makes a mental note not to let them near the machete.

The tribes split up and take sides. Here’s what we’re working with…

The Hunahpu (wearing blue)

Drew – 25, Sales Rep
Jeremy – 36, Firefighter
Jon – 26, Financial Assistant
Julie – 34, Owner of Spray Tan Business
Keith – 53, Fire Captain

Kelley – 28, Marketing Manager
Missy – 47, Owner of Cheerleading Gym
Natalie – 28, Crossfit Coach
Reed – 31, Broadway Performer

The Coyopa (wearing yellow)

Alec – 22, Student
Baylor – 20, Student
Dale – 55, Farmer
Jaclyn – 25, Media Buyer
John – 39, Former MLB Pitcher
Josh – 32, Actor
Nadiya – 28, Crossfit Coach
Val – 35, Police Officer
Wes – 23, Firefighter

Fun Fact: I hate the word Hunahpu sooooooo much.

John Rocker says it’s like the Civil War, brother vs. brother. Hmmm…I wonder if Johnny would be a confederate or a union soldier. Keith recognizes Rocker and hopes he isn’t an “ass” anymore.

Reward Challenge Time: One person from each tribe will race through a wooden box and untangle a rope. They’ll then unhook a ring. They’ll use the ring to lasso a platform. They’ll do this process twice. First person to retrieve both platforms wins flint and beans. The loser of the challenge will be sent to Exile Island.

The blue tribe wins a rock/paper/scissors to decide who they will have compete. They pick Jeremy. Unfortunately, that means he has to square off against his wife.

The challenge starts off and there isn’t much to describe except for two people climbing around a box. Jeremy wins it easily. Someone just earned some time sleeping on the couch time when he gets home.

Jeremy gets to send someone from his own tribe to keep Val company. He chooses Keith…you know…the dude who was part of the team that lost their striker. I’m now questioning Jeremy’s intelligence.

We meet up with the blue crew at Hunahpupu Beach and Jeremy feels terrible about beating his wife in a challenge. It’s a challenge, dude. A game. I beat my girlfriend in Yahtzee and you didn’t see me crying about it…much.

Later, Jeremy, not-Nadiya, Missy, and Kelley decide to form an alliance. Missy says as someone who’s been divorced three times, that you have to trust your gut. What was your gut telling you the first three times?

Over at Copacabana, actual-Nadiya points out that they have a young tribe. Might not be good news for Dale.

When Dale’s getting water, he notices a weird emblem on the lid. It isn’t an idol, but he keeps it in case he’s in one of those old Sierra games like “King’s Quest” where you’re supposed to pick up everything that isn’t nailed down.

Coyopa has two crews working on fire. You’ve got the young-uns doing the old scrubbing technique, and Dale alone with his glasses. He breaks the glasses in half so he can use two lens at once. Sure enough, it works. Go Dale.

Over at Exile, Val and Keith both have to pick an urn. Val’s urn has an immunity clue inside, while Keith’s note is blank. She doesn’t share the clue with him, telling him it’s just generic stuff about camp. He doesn’t seem too concerned about it.

That feels like a mistake. Why wouldn’t you try to start something with Keith? You could then have an ally in Wes when you get back to camp.

Quick Aside: Couples should have a safe word they can use when they have a secret. Like if Val got back to camp and said, “Wes, we should align. Keith told me to tell you “Apricot.”

Later, they bond over the fact that Jeremy, Keith, and Wes are all firefighters. That’s not fair. If I’m on “Survivor” what are the odds I’m out there with Dalton Ross and Dru Moorhouse?

Back at Hunahpu, Drew is really playing the martyr over the work he’s putting into the shelter. Settle down, dude.

Julie doesn’t like the fact that Drew thinks he’s in charge. She says that she’s used to it because Rocker is type-A as well. In other news, “Duh.”

Over with the yellow fellows, Wes outs Rocker as a former MLB relief pitcher. John tries deny it, but it doesn’t hold. He asks Wes to keep it to himself. Rocker says that that he might target Wes because he knows his secret.

Also, Wes thinks there are five letters in “Rocker.” He swallowed the flint striker, didn’t he?

The next morning, Josh is having some kind of issue with his eye. C’mon, if military tough guy Shamar can live with an eye issue, so can you! Oh wait, Shamar quit over a grain of sand.

Next up, Jon tells us about his father, a “Survivor” fan who has an inoperable brain tumor. That’s terrible, buddy. I hope he’s on his couch watching you right now.

Immunity Challenge Time: Teams will race to the top of a giant tower. They’ll use a rope to scale the first part, pegs to scale the second, and imagination to scale the third. On top they’ll find a puzzle. First tribe to complete the puzzle wins immunity and flint.

The Survivors are ready, and they go. Things are pretty even during the early going. John has rope duty for Coyote, while Keith will throw for Hapapupu. John gets it first and yellow has a  lead. Drew takes over with the rope and finally hooks it for the blue crew.

The yellow crew has no problem with the pegs portion, but the blue team is starting to catch up.

For the final level, Rocker literally lets people climb him like a ladder to get to the top. Finally he leaps up himself. Impressive.

Yellow starts work on the puzzle with blue only a few people behind. They eventually reach the top of the tower.

With Julie leading the way, the blue team figures out the puzzle and wins immunity.

It’s all hugs and high fives back at casa de blue. Keith’s very impressed with how well the camp came together in his absence. Jeremy brings him aside and tries to start up a firemen alliance. Here’s hoping for a better name than “Fireman R Us.”

At Coyopa, Val immediately starts looking for the immunity idol.

Meanwhile, Dale calls actual-Nadiya, “Natalie.” Who the hell is Natalie? Actually, I think I’m going to retire that joke because it’s confusing me.

Wes, Dale, and Josh all want to target Nadiya because they’ve seen her backstab people on “Amazing Race.”

Later, Nadiya tries to make an alliance with Josh. She also calls him a girl. He doesn’t like that.

Val, Jaclyn, Nadiya, and Baylor realize they need one guy to jump. Nadiya is sure that Josh is with them. They decide to target Dale because they’ll get flint at Tribal.

Baylor doesn’t care who she votes for as long as she votes with Josh.

That night at Tribal Council, fire equals life. Seriously.

Rocker is bummed that they’re at Tribal. He doesn’t think there’s an obvious obnoxious person to vote out. Is that like poker where if you can’t tell who the mark is, it’s you?

Nadiya isn’t ready to make the decision and she’s going to vote based on attitudes and what they’re bringing to the team.

She also says that “Survivor” is so different from “Amazing Race” because “Survivor” doesn’t give you a map and tell you what to do. Also, “Survivor” is totally awesome.

Val thinks it’s stressful because she hasn’t had time to form relationships. She then says that she had time to find things at Exile. Uh…that probably wasn’t smart.

Jaclyn thinks there’s a bro-lliance.

Dale points out that he sacrificed his glasses to start fire.

Wes thinks that Josh is the most liked member of the tribe.

Nadiya says that she thinks Josh is one of the girls. Probst asks if it’s because he’s gay. Nadiya says she’d never have a straight guy be her “girlfriend.” Is that reverse homophobic? heterophobic? I’m lost. Let’s move on.

Voting Time: Rocker votes for Nadiya, Nadiya votes for Dale, and the rest are sooper secret.

J-Pro leaves and shows us that he still has mad tallying skills even twenty nine season later. We’ve got one vote for Nadiya, one vote for Dale, one vote for Baylor, one vote for Dale, one vote for Nadiya, one vote for Dale, one vote for Nadiya, one vote for Nadiya, and the first person to be eliminated from “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water” is…Nadiya.

Verdict: THANK GOODNESS! I was scared to death of having to recap after the merge with Nadiya and Natalie wearing the same color buffs. Bullet dodged.

Otherwise, first episodes tend to be a lot of getting to know eighteen people at once. Can’t wait to see where it goes.

Also, why would Josh vote for Baylor? What’d we miss?

Who’s Going to Win? My pre-season pick Jeremy’s got a solid alliance. I’m sticking with him.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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Official ‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Pre-Season Rankings

September 24, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, 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=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The first “Blood vs. Water” season was like nothing we’d ever seen before. The crazytown rules made for some impossible to anticipate results. Who ever thought they’d vote out someone in an attempt to make their loved one take their place at Redemption Island? Who ever thought having a loved one would be a liability? Who ever thought someone would quit in an effort to stop their loved one from taking their place?

The mind boggles.

And here we are, preparing for a second “Blood vs. Water” that has no Redemption Island, no returnees, and more men than women due to a last-second medical evacuation.

Fortunately, as last season’s 17th place finisher Spencer Bledsoe and 18th place finisher Tony Vlachos will tell you, I don’t have a high standards to live up to with my pre-game rankings. So by all means, take the following statements with a truckload of salt.

Note: Betting on XFINITY “Survivor” Pre-Game Rankings is frowned upon.

  1. Jeremy – Firemen are the new beauty queens! We’ve got a team on “The Amazing Race” and three (count ’em!) on this season. Hook and ladder alliance for the win! Seriously though, Jeremy gets my pre-season jinx this year because he’s old enough to hang with the oldies, but young enough to get along with the kids. He’s deceptively athletic. He’s laid back. And best of all, I loved the way he deferred to his wife during his TVGN interview. That’s the kind of person who can blend and go far.
   2. Val – The Foxboro duo are probably the most formidable Blood vs. Water pair ever. They both bring a ton of good qualities to the table. Val’s fit, she’s smart, and she’s got that special cop sixth-sense. She can read when people are lying. And, as a mother, she has to be patient. I expect good things from these two.
 3. Reed – Listen up, Reed. I saw “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” on Broadway. I saw the Green Goblin and the rest of the Sinister Six sing “A Freak Like Me Needs Company.” I’m not happy about it. But, I’m not going to hold it against you. I know you just swung over my head, you didn’t produce, write, or direct it. So, why are you so high on this list? Well, as an aerialist, I’m thinking you perform well under pressure. You clearly know a thing or two about the game. And, I think your tribe is going to do well in challenges before the swap. You should have tons of options.
   4. Kelley – Oh man, if you were to feed every “Survivor” bio since the beginning of time into a machine and had it pick out the perfect average one, it’d probably be Kelley’s. Pretty, blonde, athletic, in her 20s, hates lazy people, thinks she’s the next Parvati, claims to be “competitive” on three separate occasions. Don’t get me wrong, she not a bad pick to win this thing because she doesn’t have any obvious flaws, but…zzz…
 5. Missy – I actually like Missy a lot. She’s going to be on a young tribe, but she deals with young people all the time. If she can turn off the coach part of her personality and relate to her tribemates as a peer, she should do well.   6. Dale – So, Dale is a hard worker who spends most of his time by himself. Sounds like a “Survivor” social disaster waiting to happen, right? Not necessarily. He isn’t going to be leading any alliances, but if he can keep his head down and get in with some movers and shakers he could be sticking around to the end.
 7. Nadiya – Were Jet and Cord busy? Were the Globetrotters on tour? I kid, I kid…the Twinnies are fine, they just wouldn’t have been my “Amazing Race” first choices. OK, one of the things I don’t think anyone is talking about is the fact that their “Race” experience could serve them well in Nicaragua. They won’t be stressed out or overwhelmed by all the cameras surrounding them at all times. They’ll be used it. And, they’ve been competing in stressful competitions for years.
   8. Natalie – I just thought of this; what if both of the Twinnies make it to the merge and then pull off some challenge switcharoo stuff like the twins in the movie “Moving”? What if they end up on opposite alliances, and then pretend to be the other twin to get intel? That’s it. Next time, cast an all-twin “Blood vs. Water.”

 9. Julie – Johnny Rocker is a big dude with some big opinions. I’d imagine the woman who spends her life with him must know a thing or two about dealing with egos. I think a lot of people are going to underestimate Julie, and that makes her dangerous.
   10. Wes – Oh…where do I start with you? You say you’re going to have women under your wing like Russell Hantz. Well, there’s only one Russell Hantz, kid, and it ain’t you. You seem like a nice guy and Russell’s strategy depended on him being a not-nice guy. Russell’s a cult leader. That requires a certain level of gravitas. You’re a little young for that. Your best bet is to play second fiddle to someone with a little more charisma.
 11. Josh – Hmmm…Reed doesn’t think Josh has a very good poker face. That might not be a big deal, seeing as they spend so much time together and Reed has had time to learn the intricacies of Josh’s face. But it is troublesome. He’s also on a tribe with John Rocker and some other people who don’t strike me as Broadway fans. That’s equally troublesome.
  12. Jon – Jon seems like a nice, athletic guy who will do well in challenges and make some friends and probably be the first one gone after the merge. Especially if Jaclyn starts pushing the “We need to win so we can start a family” narrative. Nobody wants to stand up against that at the final Tribal, so they’ll be gone long before then.
  13. Alec – Just having Drew around is going to be good for Alec’s game. Alec seems like a less-threatening, less-arrogant version of his brother. So, as long as Drew is around, Alec should be safe. I don’t think he has the killer instinct to take this whole thing, but this Mini Me should do better than his Doctor Evil.
  14. John – It’s easy to write John Rocker off because of his controversial comments. But honestly, most of the players will probably judge him based on how he presents himself in the game. Now, if he hasn’t grown a filter over the years and spews the same garbage, he might not last long. But, like him or not, the guy’s a world-class athlete and has experience performing in stressful situations. Does that mean I think he has a chance of winning? Well…honestly, I don’t. He doesn’t seem that psyched about being on the show. He doesn’t seem to give himself much of a chance of winning. So, why should I?
  15. Drew – I can’t quite figure out who’s going to lead Drew’s tribe. I see Keith on the outs early, Reed, Kelley, Jeremy, and Missy are too smart to be the leader, Jon and Natalie are a little too goofy, and Julie is going to overcompensate for being John Rocker’s girlfriend by being super nice. So does Drew, the man who can “pull off the unthinkable with ease” step up? And does it drive everyone crazy? I’m thinking yes.
  16. Baylor – I think the only young person I’ve ever picked to do well in this game was Sophie Clarke, and that’s because she’s an old soul. I think Baylor clearly has the athletic chops to do well in this game, but I don’t think she has enough life experience to top her older competition in the social game.
  17. Jaclyn – The “Survivor” contestant Jaclyn thinks she’s most like is Jefra from “Survivor: Cagayan.” Let that one sink in for a minute. There have been over 400 Survivors to play this game, and she chose the one who had next to no impact on her season. That’s like saying the holiday you’re most like is Arbor Day. Or the Peanuts character you’re most like is Frieda. Or the pizza topping you’re most like is extra sauce.
  18. Keith – Lookit that mustache! That’s a beaut! Not since the days of Rick Nelson have we seen something like that saunter into the game. Seriously though, I like him a lot more than I like Wes, but I worry that he’s only here because his son wanted to be on “Survivor.” Add that to the fact that’s he’s the oldest member of a young tribe and you have a recipe for an early dismissal. Of course, with my track record, Keith will probably win the whole thing.

Don’t miss the 90-minute premiere of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water” on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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