Posts Tagged ‘francesca hogi’

‘Survivor’ Castaway Francesca: ‘I’m Either the Worst Player or the Unluckiest’

February 14, 2013

Francesca Hogi (CBS)

Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, Power Rankings, and more. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs Favorites”
I have come not to mourn Francesca Hogi’s unprecedented second first elimination from the game of “Survivor.” I have come to celebrate the fact that she was not content to coast along as so many have done before. And in the words of the immortal Def Leppard…

“It’s better to burn out, than fade away.” – “Rock of Ages*”

I had a chance to speak with Francesca the morning after her heartbreaking loss and asked her about her shocking elimination, her Bikal tribe mates, and the fine art of rock cuisine.

*Yes, I know those lyrics also appear in Neal Young’s “My My, Hey Hey.” But what do you want? I’m a kid of the ‘80s.

Francesca Hogi: Hey, Gordon!
Gordon Holmes: Hi, Francesca…
Hogi: (Laughs) You sound so disappointed.
Holmes: I’ve never had a situation where everybody I know sent me emails saying, “When you talk to Francesca, give her our love.”
Hogi: (Laughs) Aww… That is so sweet.
Holmes: Because you know me, I love me some backstabbing and some deception, but…I didn’t feel clean last night when it was all said and done.
Hogi: (Laughs) It was a dirty, dirty move.
Holmes: I’m glad to hear you’re laughing. How are you holding up?
Hogi: I’m fine, I didn’t actually watch it. This obviously happened a long time ago and what can you do? It happened. You just have to keep it in perspective. There are much more important things in life. I wish this was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but I’ve actually suffered real loss in life. At least I get to be the polar opposite of Sandra.
Holmes: The Anti-Sandra.
Hogi: That’s kind of cool. All the hundreds of people who have played the game are somewhere in the spectrum between me and Sandra. I’m either the worst player or the unluckiest player. It’s kind of cool.
Holmes: Your attitude is amazing. I keep thinking of Russell Swan who was dealt two pretty bad hands in the game, and he had a rough time coming to terms with it.
Hogi: Thank you. But, what else can you do? It’s just “Survivor.”

Holmes: Today is Valentine’s Day.
Hogi: I’m in China, so Valentine’s Day was yesterday.
Holmes: When I have dinner with my girlfriend tonight, I was wondering if you had a recommendation for which wine goes best with rocks.
Hogi: (Laughs) I have so much heat for this comment, that I don’t even remember making. It almost makes me want to watch the episode so I can verify it, but I really don’t want to watch it. I didn’t think I was going home, I thought they liked me, I was an asset to my tribe. But, I’m not going to eat a rock. I will only eat a rock if Jeff Probst brings the exact rock that I had in my hand when I made that comment.
Holmes: So you’re willing to bet that CBS production won’t trek back to the Caramoan Islands to hunt down that rock?
Hogi: If they do that, I’m going to want some kind of forensic, CSI analysis to be sure it’s the exact rock.

Holmes: You and Andrea were in an alliance last night, but she was also a part of the new Stealth R Us. However, Andrea is someone who you had a relationship with before this season. You were both on “Redemption Island” and casts tend to become close with the reunion and all.
Hogi: Without getting into too much outside of the game, it’s no secret that I had a relationship with Andrea. For that reason, not that I was like, “Andrea, you and me to the end.” It wasn’t anything like that. But, I wasn’t targeting her, so as far as I was concerned she knew that and she didn’t have any reason to think any different. So, we have to ask Andrea why she made the decision she made.

Holmes: Can you walk me through the pre-Tribal scramble? All hell seemed to break loose toward the end.
Hogi: It was a stupid day. We were all in shock that we lost the challenge. No one wants to be seen as the person scrambling, so everyone sat around and we all just talked and told stories. Then we were like, “OK, we need to actually figure out who we’re voting for.”  I thought that Phillip was an easy choice because he’s insufferable and he’s not particularly good in challenges, and nobody really likes him as a person. So, this is an easy choice. Let’s get rid of the insufferable buffoon who’s not helping in challenges. But, there’s logic in that and that doesn’t always work in “Survivor.” I knew there was a hidden immunity idol. I suspected that Corinne and Malcolm had found it and that they had possibly shared it with Phillip. And, this goes without saying, but Phillip was acting bizarre.
Holmes: I was going to say, you need to be way more specific than that.
Hogi: (Laughs) Right? Even more so than usual. So, I knew they were up to something. Phillip is going to assume that I’m going to vote for him, so we need to do something differently because they could have an idol. That was what started the whole scramble and the splitting the vote.
Holmes: And were you leading all of this?
Hogi: I wanted to take a backseat. I didn’t want to be the person that was calling the shots. I just wanted to chill out and fly as far beneath the radar as possible. But nobody was doing anything. It just turned into a big (expletive deleted) show.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Brenda.
Hogi: Stoic.
Holmes: Brandon?
Hogi: Sensitive.
Holmes: Erik?
Hogi: Amicable.
Holmes: Phillip?
Hogi: Insane, buffoon, choose any of those.
Holmes: I’ll use them both. Dawn?
Hogi: Weepy.
Holmes: Andrea?
Hogi: Conniving.
Holmes: Malcolm?
Hogi: He’s easy-going, but he’s not really. He’s calculating.
Holmes: Corinne?
Hogi: Snarky.
Holmes: And we’ll finish with Cochran.
Hogi: Oh…three-legged dog.

Holmes: My last question was going to be to ask what your takeaway from this crazy set of experiences is, but you hit on that pretty well at the beginning. I guess my last thought is how much it had to suck to take those long flights to the Philippines for such a short stay.
Hogi: Seriously, I was like, “Please let me go home.” I’d be gone a week, and it was an adventure, but whatever. But it felt like such a huge waste of time. I could’ve just stayed in New York. You know how people always say you need to say “Yes” to more things.
Holmes: Yes.
Hogi: I need to say “No” to more things.
Holmes: But you said “Yes” and now you’re in China.
Hogi: (Laughs) That’s true. I love it here.
Holmes: Well, thanks for your time and I look forward to talking to you before “Survivor: 30.”
Hogi: (Laughs) Now that is hilarious.

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

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaway Francesca: ‘I’m Either the Worst Player or the Unluckiest’

My Valentine’s Day Gift to ‘Survivor’ Fans

February 14, 2013

survivorlove“Survivor” is a game that seems to encourage lying, backstabbing, and bad behavior. It’s fun to watch, but it can lead to some bad blood. So, in the wake of last night’s heartbreaking “Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs Favorites” premiere and in honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to take a minute to send out some love to everyone in “Survivor” nation*.

*Is “Survivor” nation a thing?

(more…)

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in TV Whatnot | 2 Comments »

‘Survivor: Caramoan’ Favorite Francesca: ‘I’m Not Thrilled to See Phillip’

January 15, 2013

Francesca Hogi (CBS)

I had a chance to sit down with all twenty of the “Fans vs. Favorites” competitors the day before they left for the Caramoan Islands. I’ll be posting exclusive interviews with each contestant every weekday until we get through all of them. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for tons of updates.

Name: Francesca Hogi
Age: 38
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Attorney
Previous Finish: Francesca came in 18th place in “Survivor: Redemption Island”
Memorable Moment: Francesca’s opening-scene comment that the returning players were “sizing us up like prey” may have led to her early elimination

Note: The “Survivor: Caramoan” pre-game interviews are unlike the pre-game interviews we’ve done in the past. Usually, the interviews take place on location, this time they took place in Los Angeles before the players flew out. At this point, all the “Favorties” know is that they’re flying out in the next few days. They have seen each other, but haven’t seen the new players.  They don’t know for sure where they’re going, and they don’t know any of the season’s twists.

Gordon Holmes:  You are the first person to ever return to the game after being voted out first.
Francesca Hogi: Yes. “Survivor” history, baby.
Holmes: Indeed it is.
Hogi: This is my second bit of “Survivor” history. The first is I was the first person to go to Redemption Island.
Holmes: Oh…and the first person to get…eliminated from Redemption Island…
Hogi: I wasn’t going to throw that in there. (Laughs)
Holmes: So, that’s three firsts. And I’m just going to keep my mouth shut.
Hogi: (Laughs)
Holmes: But I’m not good at that, so let’s continue. Why do you think you were invited back?
Hogi: I have no idea. I find this all very surprising. I didn’t believe it was going to happen until yesterday when I got on the plane I thought, “I guess this is really happening.” I guess people in production felt like I got screwed. I guess some people liked watching me on the show. It’s very flattering.
Holmes: I remember thinking it was too soon. You and Kristina Kell.
Hogi: Thank you.
Holmes: It seemed like you were both very smart and had a lot to offer as far as gameplay. And, you were a very good narrator.
Hogi: Thank you. It’s great, I was extremely surprised by people’s reactions to me.
Holmes: You could be the first person to be voted out first, then come back and win the whole deal.
Hogi: That’s the plan.
Holmes: Right, I meant you’re going to be that person.
Hogi: That’s right. That’s what’s happening.
Holmes: Well great, then this whole thing is going to be anti-climatic.
Hogi: It’s like Dalton Ross said, “Worst to first.”
Holmes: You talked to Dalton Ross?
Hogi: I did.
Holmes: I hate that guy.
Hogi: (Laughs)

Holmes: What’ve you been up to since we saw you last?
Hogi: Plotting, scheming, working, playing, traveling.
Holmes: And it’s all going to pay off.
Hogi: Oh yeah.
Holmes: So there’s a basement somewhere with pictures of Jeff Probst and candles…
Hogi: It might be alarming for the outside person to see it, but it’s harmless. I’m not going to kill anyone, I’m just going to win “Survivor.”

Holmes: You have played with returnees before, I’m referring of course to “Survivor” Hall of Famer “Boston” Rob Mariano.
Hogi: “Boston” Rob.
Holmes: And now you are a returnee yourself. What did you learn from watching his approach to returning to the game that you can utilize?
Hogi: Well, if I’m on a tribe with new people, I’m going to employ my own version of the “Boston” Rob, “Who me?” Because “Boston” Rob said to us on the first day, “I know I have no shot of winning this game. I’m not here to win. I just love this game and I want to help you guys win.” And everyone was like, “Oh my God, he’s so nice.”
Holmes: You guys bought that?
Hogi: Yeah, he doesn’t mean that. He’s going to win this game if you let him. I thought, this tribe is going to give “Boston” Rob a million dollars because they want him to like them. Which is exactly what happened. It was like that from day one.
Holmes: Well, he is quite charming.
Hogi: Yeah, but I remember when he was saying it, I was thinking, “Nobody’s going to buy this.” And I looked around and everyone bought it. I think that I could more plausibly do that because I’m not “Boston” Rob.  I’m far from it. I’m the least successful returning player ever.
Holmes: Right now.
Hogi: (Laughs) Right now. So, no one should perceive me as a threat. I’m bad at “Survivor.” Or, I used to be. I’m going to say I just want to get a little bit farther because anything is an improvement from where I’ve been.

Holmes: You march out on the beach on day one, what do you think the other players remember about you?
Hogi: I guess they’ll remember that I have a big mouth. I don’t think there’s anything else to remember. You could probably answer that question better than I could.
Holmes: As a “Survivor” fan I remember you being smart and going home early because you were a threat. Didn’t you say something early on like, “They’re eyeing us like sharks?”
Hogi: Something like that, or “They’re eyeing us like prey.”

Holmes: If there is a twist, what do you think it is?
Hogi: What I’m expecting, so it’s probably the opposite of what will happen, is that we’ll be returning players and new players all mixed together. I think people are thinking this will be like a Fans vs. Favorites 2 situation. I don’t think that’s what it’ll be. I think there will be mixing. But, I’d rather it be all returning players on one side.

Holmes: I feel like “Survivor” is very much influenced by the last season a cast sees before they play the game. In this case, with “South Pacific” and “One World,” people on the bottom of alliance have been content with their places and have been bounced one by one.
Hogi: It’s driving me crazy. I think not everybody plays “Survivor” to win. I think some people play to get as far as they can. It’s all the cliché stuff. You are out of your element. You are hungry, you aren’t sleeping well. Whatever it takes to get to the next day. It takes a lot to make a big move and not everybody has that drive. People get complacent.

Holmes: Everybody here has been asking themselves “What if” since they were voted out. Is there anything in there you can use? Mistakes they’ve made and if they’re likely to make them again?
Hogi: I’m going to assume that everyone is going to be smarter. You really learn so much from being out there. I assume everyone will be smarter. Whether or not they are, remains to be seen. But I’m not going to rely too much on my preconceived notions of people.

Holmes: You’ve been with the cast for a little bit today. What are your first impressions of the group?
Hogi: So far it’s been pretty good. Well, I’m not thrilled to see Phillip. But, I’m not surprised to see Phillip.
Holmes: Is that still a thing?
Hogi: You know, it’s not a thing for me. I have no relationship with him. I don’t think I’ve had one conversation since that Tribal Council. I’ve seen him and we’ve said, “Hello” and that’s it. I don’t like him. I don’t find him to be a likable person. I’m not looking forward to living with him. I’m trying to really go in very open-minded. Well, not open-minded like I’m going to align with Phillip. I’m not insane. (Laughs) But, I’m not like, “OK, Phillip’s got to be the first one to go.” I’m not thinking that way. I know he could be gunning for me.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
Holmes: Anyone else stick out to you?
Hogi: Other than Phillip I think it’s a pretty good group for me. I don’t know Corinne at all. I’ve never even met her. I met Brenda once. I definitely see Brenda as a big threat in the game, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to align with her, because I will try to. Corinne has a bad reputation for being really bitchy, but she was really loyal to her alliance. I have no problem with that. Smart, bitchy, loyal? Sign me up. (Laughs)  Let’s do it. Brandon makes me a little wary because I think he’s a little bit of a loose cannon. It’ll be interesting to see the people who learned from their mistakes the first time versus people who can’t help themselves and will play the same way. Is Phillip going to do what Coach did and go from being a complete raving lunatic his first season to being an eccentric his second season to a normal person his third season?
Holmes: I think Coach did it right. For Coach to have that crazy reputation, then be able to play against that and say, “What you saw on TV isn’t the real me. This is the real me.” That probably makes people feel closer because they’re seeing a side of him that most people haven’t seen.
Hogi: Yeah, is Phillip going to be Phillip 2.0? A toned-down…well…actually, I saw him today holding a feather, so it’s not looking good. (Laughs)
Holmes: I’ve heard about that. I’m not going to lie, I’m very excited to see it.
Hogi: (Laughs) I don’t see Phillip as being the kind of person who realizes how lucky he was the first season in that everybody was driven crazy by him on day one, but “Boston” Rob saw in him that potential to keep him around as someone he wanted to go to the end with. It took a lot of discipline to keep Phillip around because he’s not an easy person to live with. The rest of the tribe had a big problem with that. I don’t think Phillip appreciates that. I think he might give himself a lot more credit than he deserves for how far he went in the game. So, I don’t know if he’ll play differently.
Holmes: If he pronounces your name correctly, is that a step in the right direction? Will that help mend fences?
Hogi: The last time I saw him he came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, “How are you doing, Francesca?”
Holmes: Oh! See, there’s hope.
Hogi: He was practicing. We’re going to be best friends. I love him. No…I don’t love him.

Don’t miss the two-hour premiere of “Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites,” Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Black Entertainment, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Caramoan’ Favorite Francesca: ‘I’m Not Thrilled to See Phillip’

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Power Rankings: Round 3

March 8, 2011

The Rules: Each week, “Survivor: Nicaragua” finalist Matthew “Sash” Lenahan and XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes 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 Andrea is voted out this week, Sash will receive 11 points and Gordon will receive 12 points. Also, each player will pick who they think will win at Redemption Island. If they choose correctly they will receive a bonus point. At the end of the season, the person  with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Redemption Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Both Sash and Gordon earned the Redemption Island bonus point by picking Matt, while Gordon had Russell in spot 14 and Sash had him in spot 9. Sash still leads by a score of 23 to 20.

TEAM SASH

Current Score: 23

 .

TEAM GORDON

Current Score: 20
david . david
#1 David – David’s move to flow with the tribe’s consensus of throwing the challenge has kept him off everyone’s radar, but at some point he is going to have to make a bold move to win this game. . #1 David – Ding dong, the troll is dead. Well, for the time being. Last week’s move gives the Zapatera Six a strong foundation (as well as two more cannon fodder votes) that should get them to the merge. From there, David will have plenty of room to maneuver.
mike . mike
#2 Mike – Mike is David’s sidekick and is willing to allow others to make the decisions.  That mentality will get him to the end, but won’t win him the million. . #2 Mike – If you’ll notice, the Zapatera Six (I’m going to have to think of a better name) makes up the top six spots in this ranking. I have them all this high because I don’t see a reason for any of them to shake things up before the merge. I think they’re in it for the long haul.
natalie . julie
#3 Natalie – Natalie seems innocent enough to follow Boston Rob until he gets voted off and will easily find another boy to latch onto when needed.  Her lack of strategy will carry her far, just not far enough. . #3 Julie – If Russell and Stephanie went after Julie because she’s the low person on the totem pole, Julie did her best to show the members of her alliance that she deserves a higher slot.
ashley . ralph
#4 Ashley – Ashley is playing a great game, but will undoubtedly show her hand too soon as a physical and strategic player which will ultimately cause her demise. . #4 Ralph – Know this, if a grown man ever tried to wake me up with a rooster call, he’d end up with a coconut upside his head. That being said, he bested “Ressell” and he’s got an immunity idol, so he must be doing something right.
bostonrob . sarita
#5 Boston Rob – Boston Rob is playing harder than anyone else in this game and that’s tough to keep up for 39 days.  He is clearly the puppet master of his tribe but sooner or later someone has to catch on, right? . #5 Sarita – Still waiting to hear more from Sarita. Is she a mover and a shaker, or is she content to blend into the background?
grant . steve
#6 Grant – Grant has found himself in a great alliance with Boston Rob, Ashley, and Natalie but because of his strength he is also on the bottom of that pecking order and will suffer the consequences. . #6 Steve – Why is Steve at the bottom of the Zapatera Six? Because he lied to Russell about Francesca winning at Redemption Island. Granted, it worked out fine for him, but it was a worthless lie. It didn’t help his game, all it could have done was hurt it.
ralph . grant
#7 Ralph – Ralph is in a great position right now with his alliance, by providing at camp, and by holding onto the hidden immunity idol.  He claims he knows how to play this game, but I’ll have to see it to believe it. . #7 Grant – Grant is the safest person on Ometepe beach. Rob can’t afford to lose his only challenge monster. After the merge though? He’d better watch his back.
steve . ashley
#8 Steve – Throwing a challenge is always a bad idea, especially when you can win shelter in the form of a tarp, which aside from food and an idol is the next most important item you can possess in Nicaragua during the rainy season…trust me, I lived there.  I thought this guy was smarter. . #8 Ashley – Oh, Ashley. You’re fine. If Ometepe needs to lose someone for challenge strength, it’s Ashley or Natalie. If they want to lose someone who’s annoying, it’s Phillip. If they want to lose someone who’s a strategic threat, it’s Kristina.
sarita . bostonrob
#9 Sarita – Sarita hasn’t made any bold moves and I don’t expect her to.  She is at the bottom of her alliance and should consider what Stephanie and Krista may offer before voting them out. . #9 Boston Rob – We’ll see how strong Boston Rob’s alliance is the next time Ometepe loses immunity. I’m still not sold on that Matt move and I wouldn’t put it past Ashley or Kristina to try to send the Robfather packing.
julie . natalie
#10 Julie – Julie played it safe by not voting with the Russell-Stephanie-Krista alliance, but playing it safe will never win “Survivor” and she looks to be headed down that path. . #10 Natalie – I want to say Natalie is super safe, but the fact remains that Ometepe is 0 and 2 in challenges that Zapatera is trying to win. That, and the other players may want to split her and Rob the way they split Andrea and Matt.
andrea . phillip
#11 Andrea – Andrea made a bold move by speaking up during the Matt-Francesca duel by letting Matt know that she didn’t vote for him.  Although she is in no immediate danger, that target on her back just got a lot bigger. . #11 Phillip – Has Phillip toned things down, or did we just not see much of him last week due to Ometepe winning the immunity challenge? His best bet is to settle down and become important to Rob.
krista . andrea
#12 Krista – Krista played into Russell’s hands and now finds herself only shielded by Stephanie.  I’m sure she had good intentions, but she should just enjoy the ride as her dismissal looms closer. . #12 Andrea – Andrea played Matt’s exit from the game perfectly. However, Rob will never fully trust her. Which is unfortunate, because Andrea hasn’t done anything to betray Rob’s trust.
phillip . krista
#13 Phillip – Phillip is getting on everyone’s nerves and although he’s a loyal servant to Boston Rob, sometimes your sanity on day 39 is more valuable than a million-dollar vote. . #13 Krista – Bad news: One third of Russell’s Angels was sent to Redemption Island. Good news: The other third of Russell’s Angels was ridiculously vocal in her defense of the team leader. Krista will be safe the next time Zapatera loses immunity, but will be next on the chopping block after that.
stephanie . kristina
#14 Stephanie – Stephanie has proven herself a better strategist than most of her tribemates but she also aligned with Russell which makes her next on the chopping block. . #14 Kristina – Kristina’s been living on borrowed time ever since the first Tribal Council. Rob has to know she’s too dangerous to keep around. Right now her only hope to get something started is to sway Andrea or find another immunity idol.
kristina . stephanie
#15 Kristina – With no immunity idol, Kristina is now defenseless against Boston Rob and his cronies.  She needs to disrupt the tribe dynamic to place the focus on someone else and Phillip is the biggest target out there. . #15 Stephanie – Russell’s Angels must’ve been convinced they had Julie last week. Otherwise, why would Stephanie have been so insulting at Tribal Council? I’m sure her tirade wasn’t forgotten, she’ll be an easy next vote.
russell . russell
Redemption Island Winner – Russell’s newest tattoo will “keep hope alive” for this Good vs. Evil duel by making Matt wish he stayed home in Nashville.  Evil will prevail. . Redemption Island Winner – I wouldn’t call myself a Russell fan, but I think the show is more interesting with him around. Go Russell.

Any questions? Any comments? Our commenting system is down for the time being, but feel free to drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes or chat with fellow “Survivor” fans at the “Survivor” Hall of Fame Facebook page.

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in survivor, TV News | Leave a Comment »

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: Francesca Hogi

March 3, 2011

People have been voted out of “Survivor” for beef jerky smuggling, banana theft, and being unlucky…but this season was the first time someone’s first sentence doomed them.

“They’re sizing us up like we’re prey.”

Those were the first seven words Francesca Hogi ever said to ‘Boston’ Rob Mariano and those seven words were enough for him to send her to Redemption Island.

I had a chance to chat with Francesca the morning after her elimination to get her thoughts on her relationship with Boston Rob, what life was like on Redemption Island, and Jeff Probst’s rapping skills.

Gordon Holmes: Good morning, Francesca.
Francesca Hogi: Good morning!
Gordon: Did I pronounce your name correctly?
Francesca: (Laughs) That was perfect.
Gordon: That wasn’t so hard.

Gordon: So, you were the first person ever sent to Redemption Island. What was that like?
Francesca: It was kind of tough. You’re the only person who has to do everything. Everyday collecting firewood to keep the fire going, that took all my energy. The shelter that was there was not much of a shelter. The first night I got there I had to make a bed and try to improve on the roof to give myself protection from the rain.
Gordon: Was the isolation a tough part?
Francesca: It didn’t bother me so much. I was very anxious because I didn’t know how soon someone was coming. I didn’t know if somebody was going to arrive and we were going to have a duel right away. I was afraid it was going to be Phillip and Phillip and I were going to be stuck there for a couple of days which would have been a disaster. Probably good television, but not good for me.
Gordon: What happened once Matt arrived?
Francesca: He and I were there together for a couple of days, and it was a couple of days of us wondering, “When is this duel going to happen?” We were eager to get going.

Gordon: You mentioned your buddy Phillip, he’s your B.F.F. right?
Francesca: People keep asking me if he’s really like that, and I’m not a mental health professional, but what you see from Phillip is what you get from Phillip. I don’t hate Phillip or anything like that, but I certainly don’t like Phillip. I don’t enjoy being around him. The thing I do wonder about Phillip is if he cries every time he sees that question mark that CBS puts after “Former Federal Agent” because they’re insulting his integrity.
Gordon: Did you find it odd that a man with such finely tuned powers of perception didn’t realize he was sitting on an immunity idol clue?
Francesca: That was pretty funny. I guess anyone could miss that clue.

Gordon: Why was Kristina so determined to make the big move to vote Boston Rob out early in the game. You seemed to think it was better to wait.
Francesca: I definitely thought it was too soon. I think Kristina was excited to be there and she found that idol and she thought it was her opportunity to make her mark. I think she got carried away. She got carried away enough to tell Phillip about the immunity idol which she knew was a bad idea. There was no talking her out of it.

Gordon: Rob said he targeted you based on what you said at the very beginning of the game. And, he targeted Matt for shaking hands with Zapatera. Is he super paranoid out there?
Francesca: Boston Rob is obviously a great player and he’s a really smart guy. I think whatever I said on the beach made him distrust me. Which is unfortunate because it isn’t how I meant it. I would have been happy to align with Rob. If I could turn back time I wouldn’t have made that comment because it obviously started me off on the wrong foot in the game.
Gordon: And Matt?
Francesca: I was shocked that he voted Matt out, but I think that had less to do with the handshake and more to do with his relationship with Andrea.

Gordon: Alright, first word association of the new season. I’ll give you a name, you give me the first words that pop into your head. Let’s start off with…Andrea.
Francesca: I call Andrea, “Dr. Dre.”
Gordon: Now does that make you Ed Lover or Snoop Dogg?
Francesca: (Laughs) Um…I’m going to choose Snoop Dogg.
Gordon: Smart choice. Matt?
Francesca: Sunny.
Gordon: Kristina?
Francesca: Determined.
Gordon: Boston Rob?
Francesca: (Laughs) Determined.
Gordon: (Laughs) Ashley?
Francesca: Complacent.
Gordon: Natalie?
Francesca: Natalie…”Survivor” mistress.
Gordon: Ooo…  OK, Grant?
Francesca: Stoic.
Gordon: Russell’s weird arm pimples?
Francesca: Oh… Russell’s weird arm pimples are extremely unfortunate.
Gordon: Also extremely unfortunate…me owning an HDTV last night.
Francesca: Once you see that you can never unsee it.
Gordon: OK, let’s finish this off with Federal Agent Phillip.
Francesca: I’m just going to say…unstable. That’s the kindest thing I can say about Phillip.

Gordon: What did you take from your time in Nicaragua?
Francesca: I’m probably more obnoxious than I realized. (Laughs) Things didn’t turn out the way I planned, but I was true to myself. If I could have been more insincere I probably would have done better in the game. That’s unfortunate for “Survivor” but makes me feel good about my life.

Gordon: Now, Jeff Probst had said on his website (jeffprobst.com) that before the game started he busted out a boombox and played Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” for the cast.
Francesca: Yes, he did.
Gordon: What was that like?
Francesca: It was very strange. The game hadn’t begun yet, so none of us had spoken a word to each other. He gathered us all around and he said, “Guys, I’ve never done this before, but I woke up this morning with such a good feeling about this season.” And he was inspired to play this song for us. And he printed out the words and we all had a little party moment before the game began.
Gordon: Did he actually rap along with it?
Francesca: He did.
Gordon: I am sooooo jealous.
Francesca: (Laughs) He was excited.

Any questions? Any comments? Our commenting system is down for the time being, but feel free to drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes or chat with fellow “Survivor” fans at the “Survivor” Hall of Fame Facebook page.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in survivor, TV News | Leave a Comment »

%d bloggers like this: