More Whatnot

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Gordon Holmes: Often times a vote will be portrayed as a blindside…that wasn’t really a blindside. That looked like a blindside to me.
Morgan Ricke: It was really a blindside. It would have been a blindside to any of us. I mean, Angela was so clueless. She was so out of the Tribal, she didn’t even count. I think it would have been a blindside for Domenick or Wendell.

Holmes: People talk about “I knew something was up because someone wouldn’t look me in the eye.” In hindsight, did you sense anything like that?
Ricke: Right before we went to Tribal, I was getting a weird feeling from Libby. One of the very last questions she asked as we were packing up to go for Tribal was, “Are you a fan of ‘Survivor.’” Well, this is a huge question. Obviously I assumed she was a recruit. So, I’m like…does she want to know from the superfan side of it? If I am a fan and I’ve wanted to be on the show for years is she going to be too sad to vote me out? Why is she asking?! So, I played up the fact that I come from a large family and this is how our Wednesday nights were spent since I was 13 years old. I played up the family side of it because she’s a good little Catholic school girl. There was so much to that question. And once we started going to Tribal, Libby stopped looking at me. She stopped smiling, she stopped winking. And I was thinking, “Oh, (expletive deleted).” That’s why at Tribal you see me reassuring her. “Libby is gorgeous, and I trust her.” I was getting this vibe. I wanted her to think, “We’ve got this. I’m not turning on you.” Because she knew Angela was going to vote for her. We told her not to worry about it, because Angela is clueless. So, Libby was probably getting a little paranoid.

Holmes: There was a point where old Malolo seemed concerned about Domenick’s idol, so they had to decide between you and Wendell. Why do you think they went with you? I’d imagine it’d make sense from a game standpoint for Libby to try to keep you around.
Ricke: Correct. Libby did not want to vote me out. The relationship we had was real. I’ve gotten to talk to everyone since the game and James said that he thought I was the glue that was holding Naviti together. He said everyone likes you and that made him terrified. And Libby and I were immediately friends. James said we didn’t even say anything to each other and we were already sisters. “You talked about Catholic school and reality TV and the Kardashians, and ‘The Bachelor.’” We had so much in common that it was terrifying. And Angela liked me, we were fine. He felt like Chris and I had a good relationship. We weren’t in an alliance, but we talked together. I think it was because I was well liked and he won’t say this…but I kind of embarrassed James in challenges. He’s not very good at challenges. He’s a Harvard grad, he’s supposed to be super smart but he never does puzzles. The swimming challenge was difficult for him, the “Ninja Warrior” steps, he failed at that and had to go back. I was a strong female that at the merge would have won some challenges. And guys don’t like it when girls are better at them at things.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Wendell.
Ricke: Behind-the-radar…but he forms good relationships with people. He really gets to know people for who they are.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Ricke: Ghost? Her edit is how she was. She’s going to hate me for saying this, but she didn’t do anything. Her and Desiree would be chilling in the bed. That’s what they did. I’m sure there’s some strategy somewhere, but I never saw it.
Holmes: Bradley?
Ricke: I love him. He’s one of my original alliance members. He talks so much (expletive deleted) and I think it’s hilarious. What you see is what you get.
Holmes: James?
Ricke: (Laughs) He voted me out! Solid move on James. Credit to him. Hopefully he can step it up in challenges. This guy has a super good IQ. I’d love to see him step up in puzzles.
Holmes: Laurel?
Ricke: Quiet…I hope she solves a puzzle at some point. She’s a strong female…she’s behind the radar.
Holmes: Domenick?
Ricke: My right-hand man. I love Domenick. My brother.
Holmes: Angela?
Ricke: I asked her questions and tried to get to know her, but she didn’t want to talk about her past. She got a divorce, she didn’t want to talk about it. She’s in the military, she didn’t want to talk about that.
Holmes: Sebastian?
Ricke: Laffy Taffy! I love Sebastian. We’re both water people, we’re both Florida people. He’s so passionate about what he does. He’s so happy. We see everything in rainbows.
Holmes: Donathan?
Ricke: He had this hero edit, which is good for Donathan. I don’t know. I saw him sit there, during the water challenge saying, “I’m not going to do it.” It took him a long time. It took Jeff Probst yelling at him for him to get in the water to become that hero. I see why fans like the guy. He’s playing low-key. He didn’t say much.
Holmes: Chris?
Ricke: Chris is…what you see is what you get. He has his one liners. I never had a problem with how he treated me. Some of them did. I get him. He’s funny, but people take it the wrong way.
Holmes: Desiree?
Ricke: Hopefully she starts playing. She’s good in challenges.
Holmes: Kellyn?
Ricke: Love her. She’s awesome, she’s hilarious, she’s quirky.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Libby.
Ricke: Your cute…southern girl. I still love her. I hope she goes far. I have nothing negative to say about her.

Holmes: We didn’t get to see much of the politics around Naviti outside of the Chris/Domenick feud. What would have happened if the original Naviti had gone to Tribal?
Ricke: It would’ve been a five-five split. We were hoping to pull Sebastian or Chelsea. But Chelsea didn’t…game. We were hoping to tell her she was going home and pull her. We also wanted Sebastian because everyone loves Sebastian.
Holmes: When you say five-five, was that yourself, Wendell, Domenick, Bradley, and Kellyn?
Ricke: Correct.

Holmes: Was there anything out there that you wish we’d seen?
Ricke: It was a good portrayal of me. I had a ton of fun out there. The sunset, the stars at night, I was enjoying everything. We were constantly staying up and keeping the fire going. You didn’t see how much I held back at the water challenge. (Laughs) I couldn’t have gone any slower if I wanted to. The challenges were pretty easy for me. I think the crazy thing is after nine days I felt good. I still had energy. I didn’t feel weak. I was proud of myself for that.

Holmes: Did you tell anybody about the legacy advantage?
Ricke: I did not tell anybody. I actually kept my mouth shut.
Holmes: Look at you!
Ricke: It’s shocking. (Laughs)

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Last Week: Kellyn showed a lot of spirit, Chris was spooked by the thought of Domenick having an idol, and Gonzalez and Jacob didn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

The tribes as they currently stand…

The Naviti Tribe (wearing purple)
Angela, 42 – Army Veteran
Bradley, 26 – Law Student
Chelsea, 24 – EMT/Professional Cheerleader
Chris, 27 – Male Model
Desiree, 21 – Student
Domenick, 38 – Construction Supervisor
Kellyn, 31 – Career Counselor
Morgan, 29 – Marine Animal Trainer
Sebastian, 22 – Fishing Guide
Wendell, 33 – Furniture Company Owner

The Malolo Tribe (wearing orange)
Brendan, 41 – Physical Education Teacher
Donathan, 26 – Caretaker
James, 24 – Business Analyst
Jenna, 23 – Advertising Account Executive
Laurel, 29 – Financial Consultant
Libby, 24 – Social Media Strategist
Michael, 18 – Real Estate Agent
Stephanie, 34 – Yoga Instructor

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

Libby tries to make James feel better about the votes he received by telling him not to hate himself. Really? There are plenty of people he should be hating other than himself.

Costume Change

Next up, both tribes meet up with Probst. Naviti does not seem surprised that Jacob is gone.

Donathan returns from Ghost Island™ and he doesn’t seem particularly shocked to see how the vote turned out either.

Everyone seems pretty happy with their teams, Libby even doubles down on Jacob’s assertion that Malolo is the best tribe ever. So of course Probst decides to switch them up.

Someone named Angela is pretty freaked out because she really liked her tribe.

When the dust settles, we’re left with…

The Naviti Tribe (wearing purple)
Angela, 42 – Army Veteran
Chris, 27 – Male Model
Donathan, 26 – Caretaker
Domenick, 38 – Construction Supervisor
James, 24 – Business Analyst
Libby, 24 – Social Media Strategist
Laurel, 29 – Financial Consultant
Morgan, 29 – Marine Animal Trainer
Wendell, 33 – Furniture Company Owner

The Malolo Tribe (wearing orange)
Bradley, 26 – Law Student
Brendan, 41 – Physical Education Teacher
Chelsea, 24 – EMT/Professional Cheerleader
Desiree, 21 – Student
Jenna, 23 – Advertising Account Executive
Kellyn, 31 – Career Counselor
Michael, 18 – Real Estate Agent
Sebastian, 22 – Fishing Guide
Stephanie, 34 – Yoga Instructor

First Impressions: We’ve got a 5-4 split on both tribes. And boy…Malolo looks like a force to be reckoned with as they have Sebastian, Michael, and Brendan.

At New Naviti Beach

The former Malotians are very impressed with Naviti beach. Apparently, they have the better shelter and two fire pits. Ooo…what are the property taxes?

Chris and Angela immediately start trying to figure out a way to get rid of Domenick. It’s a very awkward conversation with Chris talking down to Angela in a weird way. Angela picks up on it immediately.

Later, Chris approaches the former Malolo players about going after Domenick. In the process, he manages to rub Libby the wrong way too. Two for two with the ladies today, Chris.

Fortunately for Libby, she finds a former Naviti person she likes much better in Morgan. The duo bonds over their Catholicism…apparently.

At New Malolo Beach

The former Navitians are not impressed with the Malolo camp. And Brendan does a TERRIBLE job of selling it to them. Immediately he’s like, “Yeah, it’s probably not great. We should change it.”

Kellyn compares it to a friend’s baby that you have to pretend is cute. I wonder what her friends are thinking as they watch this?

Bradley, in particular, doesn’t like the new beach. And…he’s not wrong. Naviti is way nicer. However, Stephanie and Brendan don’t appreciate the negativity.

Realizing that old Naviti isn’t going to split up, the former Malolans go on a mad hunt for the hidden immunity idol. Michael eventually finds one of the idols that James was holding when he was voted out of China.

Quick Aside: That idol is enormous! It’s like the size of a clipboard. How would you hide that thing? Maybe it just looked smaller in giant James’s hands.

Immunity Challenge Time: The two teams will race across an “American Ninja Warrior”-esque obstacle course. They’ll then lift up a teammate to retrieve a rope. The rope will be used to climb a (non-warped) wall. The first team to complete the puzzle at the top of the tower will win immunity and a tarp.

Result: It was pretty even up until the puzzle portion, but Kellyn and Bradley destroyed it. Malolo wins immunity.

Malolo has to decide who to send to Ghost Island, and the vote has to be unanimous. They can’t come to decision, so rocks are pulled. Chris gets the unlucky (lucky?) rock.

At Ghost Island

Chris doesn’t get the opportunity to play a game, but the time alone gives him a chance to reflect. He cries quite a bit, discussing his mother’s battle with MS. He hopes this will give him a chance to regroup and continue the game with a clear head.

Pre-Tribal Policking

Angela decides that she’s not ready to go with Chris’s plan and break from old Naviti. She tells Wendell how she feels and he doesn’t seem to buy it.

She also tells Wendell that she’s willing to go to rocks if there’s a tie. He’s not quite up for that, so he thinks targeting Angela is their best bet.

When discussing numbers, Morgan assures Wendell that Libby will vote with them. It seems like all of the former Malolans are in on this vote.

In an effort to earn more of their trust, Domenick shows the Maloloans the fake idol and confesses that it was made to throw Chris off of his scent. He even swears on his children that he’s with them.

It looks like Dom is coming on way too strong and they don’t buy it. James is worried that the fake idol is to cover for a real idol. Wow! Good call, James.

So, they decide to target Wendell or Morgan in case the idol is real. Libby doesn’t like the idea of sending her new bestie home.

Tribal Time

Everyone is acting like it’s going to be a straight up old Malolo vs. old Naviti vote. I’m sure all of this talk is for Angela’s benefit.

Libby is asked about lying, and she admits that it’s part of the game. Morgan laughs because she thinks Libby is adorable, but will probably have to lie at some point.

Voting Time: Angela voted for Libby, Morgan voted for Angela, and the rest of the votes are sooper secret.

Probst tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol and…nobody does. We’ve got one vote for Libby, three votes for Angela, three votes for Morgan, and the third person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” is…Morgan.

On her way out, Morgan says, “Don’t trust the cute blonde.” Should Angela take offense to that?

Morgan willed her legacy advantage to Domenick during her closing remarks.

Verdict: This episode is a good example of why I don’t love swaps. Can you point to anything Morgan did wrong her whole time out there? I can’t. She didn’t play too fast. She didn’t upset anyone. She didn’t tell anyone about her legacy advantage. She didn’t wash her feet in the cooking pot. And yet, she’s gone. Blah.

 

	James – Heck of a move by James this week. With that vote he kept all of old Mololo safe and he will have perfect inroads to work with Angela and Chris next week. Bravo. Michael – Great rebound with the idol find, my friend.
	Kellyn – Another big puzzle win. But being super honest with old Malolo might have inspired their frantic idol hunt.
	Libby – You’re still in good shape, but you clearly didn’t win the big Morgan/Wendell debate.
	Domenick – Your plan did not go according…to plan. But, you’re obviously making good enough connections to get Morgan’s advantage. Chris – What does it say about the Chris/Domenick feud that everyone from old Malolo was turned off by both of them?
	Angela – I’m giving you a low grade for not sensing what was up. But you’re going to be in a good spot next week. Bradley – You’ve got to be more careful with the vibes you’re putting out there. Wendell – You almost paid the price this week. It could’ve easily been you.
	Donathan, Brendan, Sebastian, Stephanie, Jenna, Chelsea, Desiree, Laurel – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Roark had Morgan in spot seven, I had her in spot twelve. The current score is Team Roark 7, Team Gordon 12.

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

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 Kellyn is voted out this episode, Roark will receive two points and Gordon will receive four points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Ghost Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank players based on how safe you think they are in the upcoming vote.

Roark’s Score: 0 Any questions for Roark? Drop her a line on Twitter: @roarkstweets	Gordon’s Score: 0 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. Domenick: I am patting myself on the back for this preseason ranking, and for now, I am not moving Dom anywhere. Unless he ends up giving Chris the fake idol, I am not sure what the point of telling him was, but A for effort, Dom, keep it up.	1. Domenick: A swap already?! What are you trying to do to me, Probst? How am I supposed to rank all the people that haven’t been shown saying or doing anything? Ugh…oh well…Domenick has an idol. He’s smart enough to know when he needs to use it.
2. Kellyn: Kellyn was prominently featured in the premiere, despite winning both challenges and not really being involved in the Dom – Chris alliance scuffle. This tells me she is sticking around for a bit.	2. Stephanie: And another thing, are we swapping to two tribes or three? That makes a big difference. You can hide in a tribe of nine. If you end up on a tribe of six with five members of the other tribe, it’s probably bad news. Grr…Steph was amazing last week. She should be able to wriggle out of any swap trouble.
3. Donathan: “Survivor Season 36: Donathan Island”	3. Wendell: And I have to make all new images! These take a long time to put together! Anywho, yay me for my winner pick making it to the third episode. Add to that the fact that everyone on his tribe seems to like him and be willing to work with him, and he should be fine during the swap.
4. Wendell: Wendell did not slide into my DMs, per our deal, so no first place ranking for him. Regardless, he remains high in the rankings as we heard from him several times despite avoiding Tribal twice.	4. James: Your diving issue last week might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. A million-dollar body is a lot less intimidating after you’ve seen a dude struggle to perform during a challenge.
5. Sebastian: He is fantastic comedic relief and I need him here for a long time giving us malaphors in every confessional.	5. Kellyn: They didn’t show a lot of Kellyn last episode, but from my vantage point when I was out there, her tribe was loving her. Her enthusiasm wasn’t coming off as hokey and she got most of the credit for completing the cube puzzle. She’s a sleeper pick to take this whole thing.
6. Laurel: Laurel was relatively quiet across the two episode premiere. That said, she is clearly trusted by her tribemates and built that trust across two Tribals. Granted, they seemed like easy votes, but she seems safe om this tribe of misfits.	6. Bradley: Lookit, Bradley…lurking out there…being buddies with everyone. He’s a perfect example of someone living by the credo; you can’t win it on day one, but you can certainly lose it there. Keep your eyes on him.
7. Morgan: Morgan’s bright and bubbly, just as expected. She also seems incredibly useful in challenges. Stephanie could spill the beans on her legacy advantage, but it seems early for that.	7. Laurel: Laurel didn’t pull the trigger on getting rid of Michael last week, but she probably didn’t have to. She appreciates that she was on the outs, but it’s early in the game and there’s no need to rock the boat just yet.
8. Stephanie: Stephanie impressed me. She’s shown herself to be socially competent and willing to not rock the boat or die on the sword of her own personal preferences.	8. Libby: There’s Libby, just kinda hanging out in the middle of the dominant alliance. Not a threat to anyone. Probably a good place to be early in the game.
9. Brendan: Brendan is *very* in the mix and is strong in his opinions. He let his thoughts on the vote be known and he would not be pushed around. That should work for a little while longer…	9. Chelsea: I spent an hour on Naviti Beach on day two. It looked like Chelsea and Desiree were working together with Chris thinking incorrectly that he had Desiree in his pocket. What does that mean for Chelsea’s game going forward? Who knows. But she’s doing stuff.
10. Michael: Despite losing the first two challenges, Michael has clearly been deemed indispensable. For the time being.	10. Angela: Hey, buddy! Having fun out there? Hope so. Drop us all a line when you get a chance.
11. Jenna: Jenna was also quiet throughout these two episodes. She seems affable and gets along with Stephanie. Probably safe.	11. Sebastian: Dropping names before you’ve even lost immunity? Rookie mistake, Sea Bass. Lucky for you Domenick probably holds Chris accountable. Just relax, kick back, and catch some of those giant lobsters that are out there.
12. Bradley: From here down, consider all these people ranked the same. Massive tie at twelfth place. Well, expect James. It should be no surprise that most of them come from Naviti, the tribe that got less screen-time. I apologize for seeming flippant, but as someone who was invisible on a winning tribe until a boot episode screen-time spike – I feel y’alls pain. Don’t hate me.	12. Morgan: So, it’s probably safe to assume that Stephanie is the only person who knows about Morgan’s legacy advantage. If they end up on the same tribe, that could bring them together. Or…it could be a reason for Stephanie to target Morgan.
13. Desiree: Crushed the basketball portion of the second immunity challenge. Besides that – unknown.	13. Michael: Jacob has me thinking that Michael isn’t very self-aware. He might want to stop and think about why people were targeting him.
14. Libby: Her tribe went to Tribal both hours and still very unsure about who she is.	14. Jenna: You seem to be close with the Brendan/Michael alliance, but why was your name being tossed around?
15. Chris: Dom seems like a train at full speed, and Chris is currently standing in its path.	15. Brendan: Gonzalez was not subtle in letting us know that Brendan was running the show. That could get in him in a bit of trouble after a swap.
16. Angela: Apparently a human woman on the Naviti tribe.	16. Desiree: You’re bad at slide puzzles, you’re good at buoy basketball. I still worry about you because of the whole, “Making up a baby back home” plan you were bouncing around.
17. Chelsea: Who?	17. Donathan: They played up that diving thing to be a big moment for Donathan, but watching it back…it didn’t look that good. His tribe was basically begging him to go back in. He could be a goner if a tribe gets serious about challenge strength.
18. James: Pretty sure he drowned. RIP.	18. Chris: If Domenick and Chris end up on the same tribe and they lose immunity, Chris is going home. He’ll see this as his chance to send Domenick packing, it’ll escalate, and there will be no turning back. Domenick is too savvy and Chris doesn’t have a great read on how people perceive him.

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

WARNING: The following “Survivor” article has very little actual “Survivor” content in it.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Ghost Island”

I know what you’re thinking, “Hey Gordon, where’s that once-a-year article you write about the press immunity challenge where it looks like you’re going to lose, but somehow pull off a victory and learn a valuable lesson?”

That article is not coming.

Oh, the press immunity challenge happened, it was the one from the premiere where they had to pull the block puzzle pieces on a sled. And the lesson I learned was, “Sometimes you get your (expletive deleted) kicked.” Trust me, it does not require 2,000 words. It was so bad that newly minted press member Andrea Boehlke was desperately trying to switch teams.

So, my challenge winning streak was snapped at nine straight. And while a career record of 9 and 2 is still impressive, it certainly isn’t 10 in a row.

Ten immunity wins would have been epic. Just…the perfect round number. I had even imagined posing for a photo with a giant “10” written in the sand.

It’s kind of stupid, but I’ll admit to being down in the dumps about it.

And as bummed out as I was it wasn’t nearly as bad as the thing that had happened a few days earlier.

The pre-game interviews had taken longer than expected, so we were granted an extension. While Hollywood Reporter’s Josh Wigler and I were finishing up, EW’s Dalton Ross, ET Canada’s Erin Cebula, and CBS’s Andrea Boehlke were going to get to run through the water/basketball challenge.

I wasn’t heartbroken to miss this because swimming isn’t my strongest skill and I wanted the best opportunity to retain the winning streak that nobody cares about except for me.

Here’s where it gets bad.

We were hoping to get to the water challenge in time to watch them perform, but we were told we probably weren’t going to make it. We were told wrong. For some reason, the challenge was delayed. And when multi-time Emmy award winner and everyone’s favorite blue, button-down shirt model Jeff Probst asked me to participate I told him I couldn’t because I didn’t have the proper swimming attire.

That was a lie.

I could have easily participated in the shorts I was wearing. I just didn’t want to risk my precious streak.

In hindsight that sounds really stupid. How many “Survivor” fans would kill for the opportunity I turned down?

I’ve made a career out of saying “Yes” when other people have said “Meh” and it has served me really well.

So, I sat…and I watched…and I hated myself for doing it.

Fast forward to the end of the press immunity challenge; I’m a sweaty mess, my hands are callused hunks of hamburger, and all I want is a nap.

Never one to shy away from making a bad situation worse, Probst pulled me aside to offer me a third challenge.

“You know how we’re giving them less food this season?” he asked.

“I do,” I responded.

“I want to send you out to one of the beaches with our fishing expert to show everyone how hard it is to catch a fish,” he explained.

“Oh…so go out there, catch a fish and then let everyone know how difficult it is for somebody who has little-to-no experience?”

“Oh no. I would say you’re not going to get a fish,” he assured me.

“So…”

He continued, “Yeah, I asked if our fishing expert would be able to do it. And they said, no problem. Like 100%. But you, with no experience, probably like 1%.”

“Uh huh…”

He capped off his bright idea by saying, “And then he’ll show you how to start a fire and you can talk about how hard that is too.”

I shot back, “And what are the odds I’ll be able to do that?”

“Probably…maybe…who knows? Stranger things have happened.”

With that vote of confidence from a national icon bouncing around my head I had the whole evening to figure out how I wasn’t going to embarrass myself. There wasn’t much I could do to prepare for the fishing, but for years I’ve been the biggest proponent of contestants LEARNING HOW TO MAKE (EXPLETIVE DELETED) FIRE BEFORE GOING ON THE SHOW.

So, I did what any other person from my generation would do; I sat in my hotel room and watched fire-making YouTube videos.

The next thing I knew, I was on a boat with tanned, toned, Hawaiian fishing god Joaquin and his crew members as we jetted off to one of this season’s unused beaches.

When we arrived, I double-checked with Joaquin to make sure that I didn’t have to be concerned about sharks or anything. He assured me that there were occasionally sharks in the area, but we probably didn’t have to worry about anything.

Ahem…probably.

FUN FACT: Joaquin and I are totally Facebook bros now. Like a week after this trip took place, he posted something about having to dive back into a boat to avoid a shark. Thanks, buddy.

First, Joaquin showed me the Hawaiian sling the contestants were using. It was old and rickety. He told me not to worry though, because he had a better one for me. I hated to do it, but I told him the story wouldn’t work if I was using better equipment than the contestants. He agreed, and went about showing me how to use it.

So basically, the Hawaiian sling is a long spear with four sharp prongs on one end and a large rubber band on the other. You take the rubber band into your hand then stretch it up the length of the pole. You point the spear at your target, then release it. The rubber band will launch the spear toward your prey, catching it easily, and turning you into your tribe’s hero.

Then, he showed me the crappy old flippers and goggles the contestants would receive, but he assured me he had better ones for me. Once again, I had to turn them down.

Equipped with the finest in 1950s fishing gear, I hit the water. And as if the moisture in the Fijian sea was too much for the ancient rubber to handle, the strap on my left flipper immediately disintegrated. I retrieved the now-useless flipper and tossed it back into the boat. I guess I’ll just swim in a circle.

Undeterred I readied my spear and set off to prove Jeff Probst wrong. Once I was underwater I was happy to discover dozens of potential entrees.

I slowly stalked my prey, aimed my weapon, and released it. And boy, if those fish didn’t have a sixth sense as to when a rubber band was about to be released. Those little suckers would immediately dart out of the way.

I’d readjust my spear, get close enough to lunch, release it, and they’d vanish. Lather, rinse, repeat.

And what was worse, sometimes I’d miss and be treated to the frustrating clang of the spear banging against the coral.

Release…clang!

Release…clang!

Release…clang!

Finally, I got the drop on a good-sized specimen. I slowly approached it, released the spear, and hit him!

…And he promptly wriggled off the spikes and swam down into the reef. I hovered above the reef for a while hoping maybe he’d die from his injuries, or old age or something, and float back to the surface. But, it never happened.

Ugh…I’d never appreciated Ozzy Lusth so much in my life.

I continued for about an hour and all I had to show for it was a gash on my hand from where I had to remove a piece of coral from my prongs. It was bleeding quite a bit, but I wasn’t worried because there weren’t any sharks in the area. (Right, Joaquin?)

Finally, I spotted a school of fish that didn’t seem too alarmed that a sunburnt, bleeding journalist was milling around their area. I targeted one, released the spear, and nabbed him. I immediately pointed the spear straight up so he couldn’t get away.

Victory!

In your face, Jeff Probst!

I surfaced and cheered like I had just won the World Series. Joaquin’s crew was greatly amused. I’m sure it’s the first time they’ve heard such a big fuss over such a small fish.

Joaquin heard the commotion and paddled over using flippers that were created in this century. He was clearly very proud of his pupil and told me to look under the water to see what he’d caught for lunch. I looked down and saw the biggest lobster I have ever seen attached to his belt.

Well, I’d happily share the world’s smallest fish with him if he was willing to share the world’s biggest lobster.

We hit the beach and Joaquin and I started our survival training. He showed me the proper way to open a coconut with a machete and various other techniques. But then it was time for the main event; fire making.

He retrieved a coconut shell and some kindling. From there he scraped off a small pile of magnesium and started striking the flint.

Spark…spark…nothing.

Spark…spark…nothing.

Spark…spark…nothing.

And while this probably didn’t bode well for my ability to start a fire, it was nice to see him having some trouble with it.

This went on for about twenty minutes with no success. Finally, Joaquin laughed and said, “I’m really more of a fishing guy.”

While this was going on, Joaquin’s crew had darted off in all directions. Immediately they had caught a ton more fish (and about four times the size of what I had procured). They also went into the forest and came back with other treats. They started a raging fire (using a lighter) and went about preparing a feast.

Realizing that all of this fire-attempting was going to get in the way of our lunch, Joaquin suggested I give it a go. I followed his instructions, remembered my YouTube training, and went to work.

I got my coconut shell, I got my kindling, I made a little pile of magnesium…

Spark…spark…nothing.

Spark…spark…nothing.

Spark…spark…nothing.

This went on for about fifteen minutes until…

Spark…spark…sizzle!

The magnesium finally caught! I slowly blew on the ember, hoping it would catch the kindling…and it did! Actual fire!

Joaquin and I jumped up and down and hugged as if we had just won the lottery. His crew members laughed again…which…come on, guys. You had a lighter.

With my trip to “Survivor” School finally completed, it was time to eat. I was presented with the fish I had caught earlier and took a bite out of it. It tasted like victory.

I offered to share it with my new tribe, but honestly, it would have been like trying to share a Tic Tac. Fortunately, they had prepared a ton of fish, Joaquin’s giant lobster, and various other things they had found around the island. And believe me when I say, it was all delicious. If these dudes ever decide to open up a seafood restaurant in Philadelphia, I’ll be there every day.

They even made a spicy dipping sauce using sea water and spices they had located. The only thing we ate that wasn’t caught or scavenged on location was a lemon they had brought for the fish. Amazing.

In fact, we ate so much that I was too full to have dinner when we got back to base camp. Just goes to show what a motivated tribe is capable of…if they are all fishing and wilderness experts.

That night at Tribal I told Probst my tale. And every time I’d see him after that he’d exclaim, “I still can’t believe you caught a fish.”

Believe it, buddy. Jeff had given me a challenge and I’d accomplished it. Surely this must count as that tenth win I was looking for, right?

Wrong.

I asked Probst…he said, “No.”

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Gordon Holmes: How are you holding up?
Jacob Derwin: I’m doing alright.
Holmes: That was hard to watch, my friend.
Derwin: Yeah, you’re telling me. (Laughs)
Holmes: You love “Survivor.” Where are you with it now that you had to watch everything you missed while you were out there?
Derwin: I had a lot of trouble watching 35. I watched very little of it, to be frank. And I feel bad because many of those people have reached out and been kind and we’ve had lovely conversations. I had a very bitter taste in my mouth. I’m going to commit to watching “Ghost Island” because I’m lucky to have friends on the cast. I want to support them. I don’t know about the people who said I was “the least social person on the planet” or that I was “special.” But, there are a lot of people that I support.
Holmes: You’re special to me, Jacob.
Derwin: Aww…thanks!

Holmes: Sometimes I’ll start this off with a snarky joke. And…I wrote one. But, I feel horrible about it.
Derwin: (Laughs) Nothing you can say can pierce this armor at this point. I am a husk of a man. I can’t feel a thing. Hit me, man.
Holmes: When they do “Ghost Island 2,” which of your cursed items will be out there; the shoes that floated away, the dirty sock you filled with rice, or the fake idol that nobody bought?
Derwin: (Laughs)
Holmes: I’m not proud of that.
Derwin: It’s alright. I think the shoes are long gone. (Laughs) They actually had a shot of it in the show! I was surprised. I didn’t see them go. I have the fake idol here if they want it.

Holmes: I spoke with Gonzalez a couple of minutes ago and asked why you were on the outs so quickly and she said that you just didn’t seem to fit in. What was your take on why you were having trouble connecting?
Derwin: I think that’s about right. I was making friends, but I wasn’t making enough friends. Laurel and James are people I liked a lot. I talked to Stephanie a lot, not just once. (Laughs) Kill me. We talked a lot out there. But, there was always that looming Michael, Brendan, Libby, Jenna thing. I couldn’t get in with them. I tried with Libby for a bit. Michael and I had nothing to connect over. Brendan and I could talk about music. But, I could see through it. He has this face he puts on when he’s talking cool with you.
Holmes: I was out there on day two and you and I snuck out for a little idol hunt. Was it was really that bad that quickly that you didn’t care if everyone knew what you were up to?
Derwin: Yes. I know a lot of the portrayal is I went searching for no good reason and that’s why I went home. But for the first few days, nobody would talk to me, Gordon. I would literally walk around with people…it’s the modern game of “Survivor.” People make alliances on day one. You talk game, “I don’t like this person, I do like this person.” I’d talk to people and ask about their game and they’d say, “I don’t really know yet, I haven’t thought about it.” And I’d be sitting there and thinking, so that means it’s me. It was really frustrating that nobody wanted to play with me. So, fine…if I need to protect myself, I need to protect myself. And if that’s what it looks like, so be it.

Holmes: So, you act up after the immunity challenge and Naviti decides to send you to Ghost Island. When you trick somebody…don’t tell them that you’re tricking them.
Derwin: (Laughs) Gordon, my plan at that point was to make Naviti hate me.
Holmes: Mission accomplished!
Derwin: (Laughs) I was hoping they’d keep sending me back. And unfortunately it didn’t go as planned. It worked once.
Holmes: You weren’t the first person at Ghost Island, our friend Josh Wigler from the Hollywood Reporter got to break it in. Did he leave behind a noticeable smell?
Derwin: (Laughs) I got there and it looked like someone had tried to make a fire.
Holmes: I said you were the perfect person to go there first. You must’ve been like two friends in a candy store.
Derwin: I didn’t recognize everything, I’m not that crazy. I was having a good time walking around and seeing stuff. It almost makes it a little more embarrassing because it feels like this season was formulated for me, right? The entire twist is there’s an entire place based on previous seasons. You need to know the game.

Holmes: You’re using words like “embarrassed,” which is understandable. But, I think a good takeaway from this for you could be; you’re proof that “Survivor” is easy…to play on your couch.
Derwin: It’s hard to say this because I know it sounds dumb, but I believe I could have pulled something off. I believe that I can play this game. But, I also believe that I did a few things quickly wrong. And in my efforts to save myself I just made the target bigger. That’s how it goes sometimes. Great players can go home early and bad players can stay until the end.

Holmes: When Brendan called out the lack of an idol letter, did you know you were in trouble?
Derwin: I knew it was going to come up. He’s right, I know the game too well. There were a lot of different things I could have done. I was thinking of wrapping it in the parchment from the urn. But then I thought, if they saw what it said it’d be bad. I thought maybe it was glued inside of the bamboo and I couldn’t get it out. Honestly, the most believable one I could think of was, “Crap, where did it go?” (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Derwin: It’s not great. But I thought the people who didn’t know the game well, the Libbys might believe it.
Holmes: I needed it for kindling.
Derwin: I could’ve said I needed fire, so I burnt my souvenir. I almost tried to sell Ghost Island as desolate. But when you get there it’s like a resort. Better shelter than the one on Malolo.

Holmes: Heading into Tribal, if you had to put a percentage on how much you trusted Stephanie, what would it be?
Derwin: Maybe 25%. It was there, I thought there was a chance. It was a crazy plan because we were pulling together people who didn’t want to work together. Laurel wasn’t a huge fan of Stephanie. I’m trying to pull people together who haven’t talked to each other much. I’m the common thread and I’m not a good common thread at this point. Stephanie did legitimately think about working with me which makes me feel better. She did talk to Jenna about it. And I talked to Laurel and James. If we all got together, maybe we could have pulled it off. But, when you’re the obvious boot and you’re trying to gather forces against everyone’s favorite golden boy? It’s a tough thing to pull off.
Holmes: When you voted for Michael, your comment about him needing to listen more seemed a little biting considering how little we had seen you two interact. What was behind that?
Derwin: Michael talks a lot. (Laughs) I did have trouble fitting in with the tribe because we’d sit around and talk. And they’d talk and talk about burritos from Chipotle and their orders and Instagram followers. And I’m sitting there, how do I talk to you? I have Michael’s Chipotle order committed to memory because I’ve heard it so many times. And I was only there for six days. And he played a better game, I can admit that. But, there’s a sea of dark anger toward him because of how frustrating I found him out there.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Brendan.
Derwin: Steady as a White Stripes rhythm section.
Holmes: Gonzalez?
Derwin: She deserves better. She deserves a lot better.
Holmes: Rainbow Stephanie?
Derwin: (Laughs) My mom is cooler than your mom.
Holmes: Libby?
Derwin: Princess.
Holmes: Laurel?
Derwin: Smarter than any of us will ever be.
Holmes: James?
Derwin: Also smarter than any of us will ever be. He also has the best posture I have ever seen in my life.
Holmes: Donathan?
Derwin: The War on Drugs.
Holmes: Jenna?
Derwin: Who?
Holmes: Jenna?
Derwin: Yeah…who?
Holmes: I see what you did there. Let’s finish with Michael.
Derwin: Burrito bowl with an extra tortilla on the side.

Holmes: Should I be worried about “The War on Drugs” for Donathan?
Derwin: It’s a band, he’s a big fan of the band. It’s the main thing we connected with out there.
Holmes: OK, good. I’m an old man, Jacob. I don’t know about your new-fangled bands.
Derwin: No, it’s dad rock. It’s good stuff.

Holmes: We need to talk about the rice sock.
Derwin: (Laughs) Oh no.
Holmes: How much grief have you gotten from people who had to eat rice that was seasoned with your foot?
Derwin: No one! Not a single person on the cast. And I told people out there. When I was trying to get with Libby I told her, but she was uninterested. And I told Stephanie Johnson about it, she came back and saw a few grains of rice on the floor and she said, “You’ve got to clean that up right now. You don’t want them to see that.” Look, I wanted to put it all back in the jar. And I’ll tell you what, I checked Twitter and a few former players have said, “No, that’s what you do. If you have a hunch, you go for it. They’re going to boil it later anyways.”

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Gordon Holmes: How are you?
Stephanie Gonzalez: I am great! I’m sitting in a bubble bath.
Holmes: What? That is how you do exit press. Well done.
Gonzalez: That’s how you do it.

Holmes: Let’s talk about last night’s horrible fiasco. Immediately you have an easy target because Jacob is on the outs with your tribe. What was he doing that put him in that position?
Gonzalez: Jacob was on the outs because…I think it was a self-realization of how different he really was. He already knew he was going to be different because he’s a little more quirky, a little bit of a different personality, which I love by the way. I think he’s a cool guy. He got to camp and we realized he stood out. He realized it and thought he was in danger because he wasn’t a part of the conversations we were having. Everyone had some kind of fit…other than Donathan. But, he was a little more charismatic and in with the girls. It was easier for him. He’s gay and we love gay guys because they’re a part of us. We feel like we can talk to him. And Jacob didn’t have that flirty personality or leader, charismatic charm. He’s just this cute, goofy guy.
Holmes: And once he realized that, he started the idol hunting?
Gonzalez: Yeah, he was like, “Game on. I need to find an idol to stick around longer.”

Holmes: You were very vocal about the challenge puzzle. What happened there?
Gonzalez: It was a (expletive deleted) show. We all talked about different tasks we were going to be doing. The physical part, I don’t know that Jacob felt confident. So, he did the puzzle part. He said he’d been practicing puzzles. And he didn’t do so well. I think at one point we were uniformly instructing people what to do because they were having a meltdown.

Holmes: You lose the challenge, he goes to Ghost Island. And this wasn’t aired last night, but you said you went on a five-minute walk, and when you came back everything was different. Nobody would look you in the eye. What was the plan before the walk?
Gonzalez: The plan was to go with Donathan or Jenna. I spoke to Brendan about it. Me and Brendan were kind of working together on the low. Even me and Michael. What they didn’t show at Tribal was, when I was whispering I asked Brendan who he was voting for. Then I asked Michael because…there was no blindside…I knew what was going on. I spoke to Brendan and he told me one person and Michael told me another. And I knew he and Michael were the tightest next to Stephanie and Jenna. So, I spoke to Libby…who was a little more clueless about the game plan. I said, “Brendan said, ‘We’re not voting for me anymore,’ you’re going to vote for Donathan.” And she said, “It’s not you anymore? OK, Donathan.” So, that confirmed that they were voting for me.
Holmes: So, why you?
Gonzalez: Michael and I had a conversation before Tribal and I told him we have to keep the tribe strong. We already saw that the other tribe is strong. We need to level up. And Michael agreed. And I told him that I’m really good at puzzles and I was strong in the challenge. The more obvious person was Donathan. And Michael said, “You sound like you’re pleading your case. You’re sticking around. We need you.” At that point he hadn’t talked to everyone else. And when I wandered off they switched the vote. It was between Donathan and Jenna. But Donathan spoke to Brendan and me and Brendan fell for it. Donathan was tearing up and was emotional. He started bawling and Brendan said, “I don’t want to send the kid home.” So, he wanted to target one of the stronger girls. And guess who that was?
Holmes: Awww… When you were voted out you said, “One lion, seven sheep, sad.” My guess is that Brendan is the lion, right?
Gonzalez: Correct!

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Brendan.
Gonzalez: Chief.
Holmes: Stephanie?
Gonzalez: Rainbow.
Holmes: Laurel?
Gonzalez: Anonymous.
Holmes: Libby?
Gonzalez: Nair. (Laughs)
Holmes: Donathan?
Gonzalez: Exciting.
Holmes: Jacob?
Gonzalez: Soft.
Holmes: Michael?
Gonzalez: L.A.
Holmes: James?
Gonzalez: Calculating.
Holmes: Jenna?
Gonzalez: Hot dog.
Holmes: Hot dog?
Gonzalez: It’s her favorite food. I’ve never met anyone in my life who would choose a hot dog.
Holmes: A hot dog is good, but your favorite food?
Gonzalez: Right? What’s the best food?
Holmes: Garlic bread.
Gonzalez: (Laughs) Yeah.

Holmes: When you’re watching it last night and you’re seeing Jacob poor your rice supply into his dirty sock…what was your reaction?
Gonzalez: Honestly, everyone was freaking out because Jacob put rice in his sock. I had a viewing party and there were like 200 people there and everyone was like, “Oh my God! No way!” Women were cringing and covering their eyes. And I’m thinking, “Well, we have to boil water to cook rice.” I didn’t think it was a big deal.
Holmes: Blah…
Gonzalez: I knew he was looking for idols. I called him out on it. “Jacob, did you disappear for three hours?”

Holmes: Was there anything out there that we didn’t get to see that you wish we had?
Gonzalez: I wish they’d have shown more of the shelter building. Or, the talks with me, Brendan, and Michael. That was an instrumental part of my story. If they’d shown me helping them build the shelter…I was the dirtiest by a long shot. And it wasn’t because I was wearing a yellow dress, I was fil…thy.

Holmes: When you’re voted out first it’s probably because you’re a weirdo, you’re a jerk, or you’re a threat. Is it any solace that it was probably because you were a threat?
Gonzalez: Nothing will bring me inner peace, but if there is one way to be voted out first, it’s because you’re a threat. If I saw myself on TV and it was because people thought I was annoying? Or she’s dumb or a nuisance? I’d take it so personal.

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

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 with Roark Luskin, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: I was in Fiji for the filming of the first half of this episode. Keep your eyes peeled for all kinds of behind-the-scenes tidbits.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Alright, let’s take a closer look at the brand-spankin’ new tribes…

The Naviti Tribe (wearing purple)
Angela, 42 – Army Veteran
Bradley, 26 – Law Student
Chelsea, 24 – EMT/Professional Cheerleader
Chris, 27 – Male Model
Desiree, 21 – Student
Domenick, 38 – Construction Supervisor
Kellyn, 31 – Career Counselor
Morgan, 29 – Marine Animal Trainer
Sebastian, 22 – Fishing Guide
Wendell, 33 – Furniture Company Owner

The Malolo Tribe (wearing orange)
Brendan, 41 – Physical Education Teacher
Donathan, 26 – Caretaker
Gonzalez, 26 – Graphic Sales
Jacob, 22 – Music Teacher
James, 24 – Business Analyst
Jenna, 23 – Advertising Account Executive
Laurel, 29 – Financial Consultant
Libby, 24 – Social Media Strategist
Michael, 18 – Real Estate Agent
Stephanie, 34 – Yoga Instructor

The Marooning

J-Pro brings the 20 new victims to a beach on two boats. Jeff announces the Ghost Island twist, but doesn’t explain very much about it. This immediately leads into…

The Opening Challenge

• Both tribes must choose someone to “represent their tribe.” Malolo chooses Brendan and Chris basically volunteers for Naviti. (Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Both tribes assumed the person they picked was going to run the challenge.)
• The tribe representative had to choose someone to run the obstacle course part of the challenge. Brendan chose Michael while Chris picked Sebastian.
• Then, they had to choose someone to do the puzzle. Brendan went with Laurel while Chris drafted a somewhat reluctant Desiree.

The Challenge: One person from each tribe will run through an obstacle course three times. They’ll have to dig up a key each time. When all of the keys have been retrieved, the other member will unlock a slide puzzle. The first tribe to complete the puzzle wins a shelter-building kit. The losing tribe will forfeit their fishing kit.

The Twist: When the puzzle starts, Probst will pull the pin on a bottle of sand. Sand will slowly flow out of the upturned bottle. During that time, the tribe captains (Chris and Brendan) can choose to submit. If they submit, they get to keep their fishing gear. But, the opposing tribe will receive eggs and flint.

The Result: Chris pulled the lever on Desiree’s puzzle to submit for his tribe. Malolo wins reward.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: That was absolutely the right call by Chris. From my vantage point Laurel was way ahead.

During the post-challenge discussion, Domenick says he would have made a different decision than Chris.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Michael was in terrible shape after this challenge. Medical was almost called in.

At Malolo Beach

Donathan immediately makes good on his pre-game hope of making an African American friend. Laurel gets to fill that role.

Michael also keeps up with his pre-game decision to lie about his age. He tells everyone that he’s 23 when he’s really 18. Oof…I hope Probst doesn’t out him during some kind of alcohol reward.

In other news, Jacob put his shoes on the beach and the tide took them away. Wow. Now he’s like “Survivor” John McClane.

Jacob goes “exploring” and everybody absolutely notices what he’s up to.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I was actually with Jacob at this moment watching him hunt. He said something along the lines of, “I can’t believe I have to do this on day two.”

Later, when the tribe goes yam hunting, Jacob decides to search the rice jar for clues. How does he do this you ask? He pours the rice into his disgusting sock. Sure enough, Jacob remains clueless.

Ahem…

Quick Aside: Can you imagine being Libby, surrounded by your friends and family, watching this at home? Everybody now knows that you ate Jacob’s sock rice.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I heard through the grapevine that Jacob actually told someone in his tribe about this grossness. I’m sure they weren’t pleased.

At Naviti Beach

Domenick quickly dubs Sebastian “Sea Bass.” Somewhere Fabio is psyched that someone has finally taken his mantle of “Worst ‘Survivor’ Nickname.”

Later, Chris and Sebastian quickly bond over their Floridian roots and decide to target Domenick. Careful who you give odd nicknames to, buddy.

Sebastian refers to this new alliance as “Best Friends in a Candy Shop.” Meh…it’s still better than every “Big Brother” alliance name ever.

From there, Sebastian approaches Wendell with the idea of voting out Domenick. However, Wendell has already partnered up with Domenick.

CUT TO: Wendell and Bradley telling Domenick that Sebastian is targeting him. Domenick quickly connects the dots and figures out that Chris is behind it.

Immunity Challenge Time: The two tribes will run through a net bridge, then lift members of their tribe up to retrieve two bags of rope. They’ll use the ropes to pull a sled filled with puzzle pieces. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity. The winning tribe will also decide who from the losing tribe will be sent to Ghost Island.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: This challenge suuuuuuuucks. My hands were ripped up for weeks.

Result: Naviti was able to capitalize on a few Malolo mistakes to claim the win.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Kellyn got a lot of credit from her tribe for managing the puzzle.

When it was all said and done, Jacob wasn’t concerned because Malolo is still “One of the best tribes of all time.” Probst took a little exception to this comment considering they’re 0-1 in challenges. However, Jacob stuck to his guns.

Naturally Naviti chooses Jacob to go to Ghost Island because it’s clear that he’s annoying his tribe. Jacob immediately celebrates by telling everyone that Naviti fell into his trap. I think this is the fastest someone has ever annoyed an entire cast.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: No joke, it was clear that both tribes were ready to strangle Jacob.

Jacob on Ghost Island

So, Ghost Island is basically the coolest “Survivor” museum ever. There Jacob finds every snuffer ever, old immunity idols, and more. They certainly picked the perfect person to go there because he geeks right out.

Jacob is given the opportunity to play a game. He’ll have to bet his vote at the next Tribal for a chance to earn an advantage. He chooses to play and wins Sierra’s legacy advantage from “Game Changers. (The game was literally a 50/50 game of chance.)

He has to send the advantage to one person on the other tribe. He chooses Morgan because he’s confident she’ll be there after the merge.

Then, he decides to fashion himself a fake idol to buy himself some time using pieces from a tree mail. He actually makes a pretty decent facsimile.

Post-Challenge Politicking

Donathan is trying to paint a target on Gonzalez’s back because she was talking some trash during the challenge puzzle. Meanwhile, she’s targeting Donathan because he doesn’t have the physicality to help during challenges.

Stephanie is also interested in keeping Donathan around because she thinks she can control him. Michael wants to keep the tribe strong, but Stephanie defends him with the hilarious point, “if we need a little person to shove into something.”

Tribal Time

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: It took Donathan forever to light his torch.

Everyone seems to agree that Jacob would have been an easy vote. However, now they’re torn as to who to vote for. Gonzalez and Donathan are clearly the two names being bounced around.

Behind-the Scenes Tidbits:
• Brendan tried to make Donathan feel at ease, even saying, “You’re alright.”
• Jenna thought her name was in play too.
• There was a long discussion about who the “We” is as far as alliances.
• Gonzalez claims that she took a five-minute walk before Tribal and when she came back, nobody would look her in the eye.

Before they can vote, Gonzalez kicks off a round of Live Tribal™. The whispering happened in this order…

• Gonzalez whispers to Brendan and Michael
• Michael whispers to Jenna and Laurel
• Gonzalez whispers to Stephanie and Libby
• Brendan whispers to James
• Steph and Libby whisper
• Nobody whispers to Donathan

Voting Time: Donathan votes for Gonzalez, Gonzalez votes for Donathan, and the rest of the votes are super secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Donathan, four votes for Gonzalez, and the first person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” is…Gonzalez.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Here are the votes…

• Gonzalez votes for Donathan, saying they have to keep the tribe strong.
• Donathan votes for Gonzalez, saying he’s tired of his voice not being heard.
• Libby votes for Gonzalez, saying “I guess you’re not part of the ‘we’.”
• James votes for Gonzalez, saying “It’s not you, it’s the game.”
• Steph votes for Gonzalez, saying there’s only room for one Steph. Also, Steph forgot to remove the pen cap when voting.
• Brendan votes for Gonzalez, saying he’s trying to keep order in the tribe.
• Jenna votes for Gonzalez, saying this is what she gets for trying to plot against her.
• Michael votes for Gonzalez, simply saying he’s sorry to see her go.
• Laurel votes for Gonzalez, saying she’s playing too hard, too fast.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: As Gonzalez was leaving she said, “One lion, seven sheep. Sad.” I’m pretty sure she was referring to Brendan as the lion.

At Naviti Beach

Paranoia is getting the best of Domenick. He goes for a late-night stroll and manages to find himself the idol Andrea Boehlke took home from “Fans vs. Favorites.” Wow. That’s some Tony-level business.

Morgan finds the legacy advantage that Jacob sent her way. She freaks out and tells us she’s worried because she has a big mouth and might slip up and tell someone. Oh no! That’s some Cole-level business.

Later on, Domenick tries to make peace with Chris. Chris immediately asks if Domenick has found an idol, which Domenick denies. This sparks an idea, as Domenick decides to make his own fake idol and pair it with the letter from the real idol. He shows it to Chris and tells him he’ll be willing to play it for him. Chris doesn’t seem to buy it completely and he certainly doesn’t like that Domenick lied to him in the first place.

At Malolo Beach

Jacob returns and immediately asks everyone to gather around to hear his tale. He proceeds to tell everyone about Ghost Island and his idol. Everyone.

Brendan smartly asks about the letter that tends to accompany immunity idols. Jacob claims that he left it behind. Nope…nobody’s going to buy this.

Sure enough, Brendan tells his alliance that there’s no way a “Survivor” hardcore fan isn’t going to hoard all of the memorabilia he can.

Immunity Challenge: Two players from each tribe will swim across an obstacle course, then release a set of buoys. Then a second team of two players will do the same thing. From there, a fifth team member will retrieve all of the marked buoys. Finally, two members will shoot the buoys into a basket. The first tribe to hit eight shots will win immunity and comfort items.

Result: Naviti won immunity easily after James and Donathan had a meltdown. Donathan swam to the platform while James was absolutely incapable or releasing the buoys. After much hesitation, Donathan finally went back and helped. It was sold as an inspiring moment, but the fiasco absolutely cost Malolo the challenge.

Naviti chooses to send Donathan to Ghost Island. Jacob is not pleased.

Donathan at Ghost Island

Not much to report here as Ghost Island did not offer Donathan a game.

Post-Challenge Politicking

James immediately owns up to choking during the challenge. He swears that he’ll redeem himself if he’s given another chance.

The popular opinion still seems to be to target Jacob. They decide to split the votes in case his Ghost Island story is real. Stephanie offers to get on his side to learn more about the “idol.”

Stephanie turns on the charm and Jacob doesn’t just spill the beans, he chucks them across the island. He tells her that he gave the legacy advantage to Morgan. He even tells Steph that…his…idol…is…fake.

Oh Jacob…

Stephanie seems to be entertaining the idea of working with him, because he clearly trusts her. A potential alliance of Stephanie, Jacob, Laurel, James, and Jenna is batted around. And…they seem to be targeting Michael for no rational reason.

Tribal Time

James again owns up to blowing the challenge, but nobody seems to hold it against him. Jacob stands by his belief that he’s part of the greatest tribe ever. Jenna believes a lot more thought has been put into alliances this time around. As they go to vote, Brendan tells Michael that he thinks they’re being set up.

Voting Time: Jacob votes for Michael and the rest of the votes are lost to the magic of editing.

Probst tallies and returns. He asks if anyone wants to play an idol and…nobody does. We’ve got one vote for Michael, one vote for James, one vote for Jacob, one vote for James, three votes for Jacob, and the second person voted out of “Survivor: Ghost Island” is…Jacob.

Verdict: I’m digging the Ghost Island twist, it’s like a charismatic Exile Island. Plus it’s an opportunity to reach out to former Survivors and remind them of their most public failures.

Anywho, I’m ready to see Naviti visit Tribal.

	Stephanie – She’s got several alliance options and a ton of information. I think she played everything perfectly. Wendell – He’s got all the tools to build a strong alliance. (That’s some carpenter humor for you.)
	Morgan – It seems weird to give you a high grade for simply opening your bag. But, it looks like you’re in pretty good shape.
	Desiree – You had a rough run with the puzzle, but your jumpshot was solid. Brendan – He’s running the show at Malolo for better or worse. But he does not seem confident in his alliance at all.
	Domenick – Good on you for finding an idol and starting an alliance with Wendell. But, messing with Chris might cause problems. If you want him gone, just vote him out. Sea-Bass-Tian – Don’t be the first to throw names out early in the game. You’re lucky it deflected to Chris.
	Chris – I think you made the right call during the opening challenge. But, I’d bet Naviti is more likely to be on Wendell and Domenick’s side than yours. Michael – What is it about you that made you an attractive name to throw out? You’d better start making friends and influencing people. Donathan – You came out of that challenge fiasco looking better than James. But you need to find someone that has your back.
	James – A bad first showing from a strong dude. Walk it off, you’ll have more chances.
	Chelsea, Angela, Bradley, Laurel, Libby, Jenna, Kellyn – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

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

QUICK NOTE: The good folks at XFINITY sent me deep into the Fijian wilderness to bring you an exclusive look at “Survivor: Ghost Island.” While I was there I conducted interviews with “Survivor” host Jeff Probst and the entire cast. I also captured exclusive photos and other behind-the-scenes tidbits. So, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Gordon Holmes: How does one become the Executive Producer on “Survivor”?
Matt Van Wagenen: Well…
Holmes: Because I’m hoping that’s my next career move.
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) We’ll see. It was a long process. I started off on season 14, I had been a huge fan from the beginning. And even in season 2 I made a mixtape for this girl.
Holmes: Mix tape? In 2001?
Van Wagenen: A mix CD at the time. I’d put little clips from movies and TV shows in between songs and I actually put Jerri Manthey getting voted out right before a song. I was an intense fan. We used to love watching the show together and I had always wanted to work on it. I had some connections to get into “Survivor,” but they never hired me. So, I kept trying and trying. I was really persistent. And finally there was an opening around season 14. It was the dream job for me. I didn’t want to leave. I loved it. There’s a rush working on “Survivor.” And being a producer on the beach is the best job because you’re watching “Survivor.”
Holmes: “Survivor” the live show.
Van Wagenen: It is! It’s “Survivor” the live show the entire time. You’re watching all of the mistakes as they happen. It’s like watching at home on your couch, except you’re allowed to pause the show and ask the players, “So, why did you do that?” You can actually ask those questions. I was a producer on the show up until season 26 and then I got promoted to Co-Executive Producer in season 27 and a couple of years ago got promoted to Executive Producer.

Holmes: How much of a say do you have in creative?
Van Wagenen: Quite a bit. It all starts with Jeff. Jeff is our driving force. People say he’s the face of “Survivor,” but he’s much more than that.
Holmes: The heart, the soul, the dimples…
Van Wagenen: You joke, but I’ve never met someone who’s so tenacious. He has such a love for this show. He really drives the ship. Jesse Jensen deals more with the logistics and I deal more with the creative. It is not uncommon for us to be talking about creative years in advance. Ghost Island is something we’ve had in the works forever. We’ll be doing a boat ride to a challenge, two years ago and we’ll be like, “OK, what can Ghost Island be?” And we’ll spit out ideas. We’ve been around for so long, that a Segment Producer can come up with an idea. Jeff can be the driving force, I have a say in it, but we’ll take a good idea from anyone.
Holmes: Jeff and I have already hashed out season 37. I’m sure he’ll be bringing it to your attention soon.
Van Wagenen: What is it?
Holmes: “Survivor: Host Island.”
Van Wagenen: (Laughs)
Holmes: It’s going to be huge.

Holmes: Alright, tell me about this Ghost Island I’ve been hearing so much about.
Van Wagenen: Ghost Island…we had the title first, then worked on the theme. “Survivor” is a game where literally a million decisions are made over the course of the game. Sometimes there are good ones and sometimes there are bad ones and sometimes there are disastrous ones. We thought it’d be fun to do a season with relics from bad decisions of the past. We didn’t just want to say, “Someone made this bad decision.” We had this idea where we want people to reverse the curse. For the “Survivor” geek, it’s going to be a playground.
Holmes: I said it’s like a love letter to hardcore “Survivor” fans.
Van Wagenen: I used that term just the other day. But, we also want to make sure new fans enjoy it as well. I’m a person who…sitting on my desk back at home I have objects and relics…
Holmes: Right, don’t you have Eliza’s stick and things like that?
Van Wagenen: Right. I have David’s fake hidden immunity idol in a jar.
Holmes: Do you have to fish them out of the fire after Jeff chucks them in there?
Van Wagenen: Oh…they’re in the fire. As soon as we wrap I get on the radio and say, “Can someone from art please grab that for me?” These objects, they symbolize a mistake. Some of these items will be making an appearance. It’ll be a question of if people can correct the mistakes that others have made. Going to Ghost Island myself, I was struck by how cool it looks. And you can draw power from it, or it can be a little haunting.

Holmes: Probst and I were joking about the target that Stephen Fishbach hit that belonged to the other tribe being out there as a cursed item.
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) I love Stephen. You could also throw in his steal-a-vote advantage. He’s got a lot of cursed items. The ball that he dropped in the final challenge in Tocantins, I’d say that’s cursed.
Holmes: Is Stephen out there?
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) Wouldn’t that be great? He’s out there with his horrible intestinal distress. He has a few things out there.

Holmes: Jeff was telling me that you’re giving them less food as a way to make providers more valuable to the tribe. What’s the balance between, “This is your game, go play it,” and “Providers should get more of a shot”?
Van Wagenen: It’s also, we love to see people out there fishing. Anything you can do to encourage people to go out in the water is good. But, I think we always want to lean toward it being their game. The whole point of “Survivor” is for them to create their own society. But, I think we also want them to create their own game. People last season complained that there was too much whispering at Tribal. But, they did it. We didn’t want to bridle them with rules.

Holmes: The original concept was you’re marooned, every three days you get rid of somebody. And it can be for any reason; they’re annoying, they don’t help around camp, they’re a strategic threat. During “Game Changers”, Malcolm goes home after being voted out by another society, and Cirie goes home without receiving a single vote. How do you feel when moments like that go down?
Van Wagenen: I think the game is evolving. We’re never…well, I should never say never…but there are always going to be idols. Anything we can do to keep the players on their toes is good. Nobody wants a stale season. Malcolm was voted out and sometimes there are casualties. Good players go. In “Survivor: Second Chance” when Kimmi was voted out, everyone thinks it was awesome. If it’d been Jeremy, maybe people would have been more upset. I do wonder how much the victim matters in how people feel about it.
Holmes: Yeah, if anything happens to Malcolm I am (expletive deleted) furious.
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) Yeah, sorry about “Game Changers.”

Holmes: Here’s an actual compliment.
Van Wagenen: Finally!
Holmes: I love the new final Tribal format.
Van Wagenen: I’m surprised it took us this long to get there. It started with Jeff. He’s been there since day one and it became this thing. We look at a process that we’ve been doing for a long time and we question; why are we still doing this? And, I think looking at final Tribal, why are we doing this thing where someone can just be talked to. It’s not a speech, it’s a conversation. And a season where we celebrate “live Tribals,” if the final Tribal can be live, how much better is that? I think you actually see people being swayed more because of the new format.
Holmes: It’s interesting to see who advocates for who.
Van Wagenen: Yeah, you’ll see; this person plays like I played, so I want to champion their cause. I think there’s a little bit of the jury member wants to identify with the winner.

Holmes: If we were filming “Survivor: The Movie,” who would play you?
Van Wagenen: Jeff would play himself, right?
Holmes: He said Tom Cruise.
Van Wagenen: Wow, that’s good.
Holmes: I think (Challenge Producer) John Kirhoffer would be played by Robert Duvall from “Apocalypse Now.” For me…maybe John Cusack? I want to be the nice guy, a little bit. Or Corey Feldman from “Lost Boys.”

Holmes: Alright, I’ve been playing this with your host and your cast. I’ll give you two “Survivor” situations. You let me know which one you prefer.
Van Wagenen: Oh man.
Holmes: I don’t know why people agree to be interviewed by me. Align with a Trump supporter or a Hillary supporter?
Van Wagenen: Hillary supporter…because my brother worked with Donald Trump on “The Apprentice.”
Holmes: Steal a vote or eliminate a juror?
Van Wagenen: Steal a vote because I feel like it has more power. At the end I want to feel like I don’t need to kick out a juror.
Holmes: Align with a racist or a sexist?
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) These are terrible questions!
Holmes: I’m not proud of them.
Van Wagenen: There’s literally no right answer! I think I’d say sexist. I’d rather align with them…because…ugh…this is terrible.
Holmes: I only asked this to literally every contestant.
Van Wagenen: What did they say?
Holmes: I think it’s mainly sexist.
Van Wagenen: Well, the violence associated with racism… So, there’s my answer, I’ll align with a sexist. Even though sexism is horrible.
Holmes: I was thinking of Rudy in season one who said negative things about homosexuals and then became best friends with Richard. Make this a positive.
Van Wagenen: Do we have to keep doing this?
Holmes: Yes. Voted out first or before the final Tribal?
Van Wagenen: Before final Tribal.
Holmes: Only person who ever said first was Tony Vlachos.
Van Wagenen: Really? I’d want the experience. I want to go on a reward, I want to push myself.
Holmes: Align with an adulterer or a tax cheat?
Van Wagenen: A tax cheat. An adulterer is willing to betray their spouse, so they’ll definitely betray me.
Holmes: Lose the family challenge or win and have to decide who to take?
Van Wagenen: Rather lose, no brainer.
Holmes: I got a lot of loses from this cast.
Van Wagenen: I think people go out there with that mentality, but when they’re out there and they’re starving, and they’re in a world where they don’t trust anyone? Something animal takes over and they feel the desire to win.
Holmes: Caught stealing food or idol hunting?
Van Wagenen: Idol hunting, everyone hunts for idols.
Holmes: Align with a super fan or someone who doesn’t watch the show?
Van Wagenen: Super fan. I would never align with someone who doesn’t watch the show. Luckily, we don’t really have those people in the cast. We’ve found that people who watch the show just play it better. But, my mentality is; I want someone who knows the game, so when I want to make a move, they’ll be willing to make the move. People who don’t watch the game kind of become strategy clogs. There’s no back-and-forth.
Holmes: All I can trust out here is for you to work in your best interest. And if you don’t know the show, it becomes harder for me to guess what you think is in your best interest.
Van Wagenen: Right. And it’s interesting, there has been this slow thing over seasons where you can almost sense when they realize there’s someone who doesn’t know the game very well. And those people go pretty early these days.
Holmes: Dance challenge or karaoke challenge?
Van Wagenen: Karaoke, 100%.
Holmes: What’s your go-to jam?
Van Wagenen: It’s a toss up…I’m really good at “Centerfold” from J. Geils Band and I also do a pretty good “Danger Zone” from Kenny Loggins.
Holmes: Those would not have been my first guesses.
Van Wagenen: There’s this part where I can do this little riff between the guitar solo. And I love “Top Gun.”

Holmes: “Millennials vs. Gen-X” was so different…
Van Wagenen: I loved it.
Holmes: I felt like you had this vibe where if you stab me in the back, I wouldn’t be like, “Screw you.” Instead it was like, “Great job!”
Van Wagenen: Wasn’t that the best?
Holmes: Everybody seems to get along. No real bad blood in the cast when it’s over. It seems like the stereotype around reality producers is you’d be like, “How can we make these people hate each other?”
Van Wagenen: (Laughs) No, not at all.
Holmes: Would that even work on another show? People go on “Survivor” and say, “This show changed my life. I’m going to go home and live in the now.” You don’t get that same vibe from “The Bachelor.”
Van Wagenen: I think that’s one of the things I love about it. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but when I was a producer on the beach and someone was having a down time, I’d say, “It’s OK. They want this story, and they want it to go up in the end.” “Survivor” is all about overcoming things. And watching transformative stories and making people better, those are my favorite stories. Cirie is one of my all-time favorite players. She didn’t have an episode arc, or a season arc, she had a series arc. You see where she started and where she ended? It’s beautiful. Cochran, Spencer…I (expletive deleted) love Spencer. For someone who when we met him in casting and he was like a calculating shark…he’s an amazing open and vulnerable person. I think any time you can celebrate a victory, it’s a good thing. That’s why “Millennials vs. Gen-X” was one of my favorite season. They just respected a good move. I’d love that every season.
Holmes: You’re making reality TV producers look bad.
Van Wagenen: I love that you’re putting it that way. Because I hadn’t really thought about it compared to other shows. There was some negativity in season 30 and we took that to heart. We want to concentrate on the positive. Because I think that’s what the fans want.

Don’t miss the season premiere of “Survivor: Ghost Island” – Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 8 pm ET.

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

QUICK NOTE: The good folks at XFINITY sent me deep into the Fijian wilderness to bring you an exclusive look at “Survivor: Ghost Island.” While I was there I conducted interviews with “Survivor” host Jeff Probst and the entire cast. I also captured exclusive photos and other behind-the-scenes tidbits. So, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Alright, you all know the drill; I go out on location. I interview everyone, I hang out for a few days, I get a sunburn. Then I come back and rank the players from most-likely-to-win to least-likely-to-win. Inevitably these rankings are misguided and embarrassing. Let’s also ignore that mathematically, I probably should have picked a winner by now.

Note: Betting on Gordon Holmes’ Patented Terrible ‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Pre-Season Rankings is frowned upon.

1. Wendell: He’s smart, but he doesn’t have a job that would tip people off to that fact. He’s athletic, but he doesn’t have the physique of Chris or Michael. He’s a super fan, but he doesn’t put off super fan vibes like Jacob. Add to that a heaping helping of charm and you have my pick to take it all. (Of course, I’ve never picked the winner, so enjoy 7th place, Wendell.)	2. Kellyn: Love me some Kellyn. If she can combine her genuine good nature with the ability to own any backstabbery she does (and you have to own your game these days), she could be next to impossible to beat in front of a jury.
3. Domenick: This guy is a force of nature. Best of all, he’s a force of nature in a season where he doesn’t have any real competition for that crown. He’s gonna win big or flame out spectacularly.	4. Bradley: If Bradley ends up taking the million-dollar check, he should probably send a cut of that money to the “Survivor” press. His first day of interviews was a rough ride with him rubbing everyone the wrong way. Fortunately, he was able to learn from his mistakes and course correct the following day. He may stumble, but eventually he will run.
5. Laurel: She’s smart, she’s athletic, she knows the game, and she’s personable. There’s no reason for her to be anyone’s first target. She’ll have a lot of time to plot her course.	6. Stephanie: Stephanie is the right kind of super fan. She’s not going to go full Max and throw Probst’s quotes back at him. She’s going to use her expertise to make sound decisions.
7. Jenna: Maybe more than anyone else this season, Jenna and I clicked immediately. I spared you this in the interview write-up, but I ended up boring her with some pretty intimate details about my life. I think she’s going to click with quite a few people out there.	8. Morgan: Despite the rookie mistake of bringing fancy bags to Ponderosa, Morgan has a lot going for her. She’s fun, sweet, and will kill any water challenges.
9. Angela: Angela isn’t going to let everybody in. But the people she does let in are really going to like her and possibly even trust her. She could be the big surprise this season.	10. Sebastian: I…just…don’t…see…it. Unless he has some kind of Fabio run against a tribe of horrible people, I can’t imagine him taking home the big check.
11. Michael: What must it be like to look like Michael and only have like the 4th or 5th best male physique in the cast? Ugh…”Survivor” makes me hate myself and my middle-aged body. Anywho, Michael strikes me as first to go after the merge.	12. Gonzalez: A lot of people have pegged Gonzalez as a drama queen in the pre-game interviews. But I think she’ll be able to win them over and overcome that first impression.
13. James: James’s narrative about being a track coach isn’t going to last long considering Jacob already knows that he was a Harvard track star.	14. Chelsea: Out of everyone on this list, Chelsea is the hardest one to predict. She seemed nice enough during our interview, but I don’t feel like I got to speak to the real her. If others feel the same way, she could be gone quickly.
15. Donathan: I love me some Don Don. But, he gets my award for “Most Likely to Be Overwhelmed Early in the Game.” That’s not to say he can’t get his wits about him and right his ship. But, I’m worried he might overplay (or even underplay) in the first couple of days.	16. Libby: Can Libby drive an alliance to the end and convince a jury that she made the moves to get them there? I’d love to see it, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
17. Brendan: Brendan is the real deal. It’s like if Tom Westman and Captain America had a baby. I think the popular sentiment around the guy is going to be, “I’d love to have him as a neighbor, I’d hate to sit next to him at final Tribal.”	18. Desiree: Lies are to “Survivor” what baseballs are to…uh…baseball. They’re a necessity at this point. But doing things like fabricating entire people and storylines back home are bound to blow up in Desiree’s face at some point.
19. Jacob: I think we’re heading into a new era of “Survivor” where people are going to be very wary of super fans. Jacob will be the first true victim of this. Don’t be mad at me over it, blame Cochran, Adam, etc…	20. Chris: After the first tribe swap (and you know there will be at least twelve) Chris is done. With his physique and his lack of self-awareness, there will never be a bad time to send the “Noble One” home.

Don’t miss the season premiere of “Survivor: Ghost Island” – Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 8 pm ET.

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