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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway Carter: ‘I Wanted to Do What (Ozzy) Did’

December 6, 2012

Carter Williams (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

If Carter Williams was looking for a positive to take away from his “Survivor” experience, this might be it…

His physical prowess > Abi’s ability to annoy her tribemates

I spoke with Carter the morning after his elimination to find out about the off-camera moves he was making, his relationship with a potential MLB Hall of Famer, and some negative accusations that were made by former members of Kalabaw…

Gordon Holmes: Good morning, Carter.
Carter Williams: Good morning.
Holmes: How’s it going?
Williams: I was voted out last night.
Holmes: What?!
Williams: I know.
Holmes: That’s some (expletive deleted).
Williams: I agree. It sucked.
Holmes: Every season some players seem to fall through the cracks, we didn’t get to see much of your game. What were you up to that whole time?
Williams: Honestly, I thought that me, Penner, Skupin, and Lisa were tight. I talked to Skupin, I talked to Penner. Lisa and I were really great friends out there, but we never really discussed strategy. I thought it was going to be me, Skupin, and Penner in the final three. I did have a strategy and it wasn’t to ride on the coattails of Penner. But it was with that four. I didn’t know that a handshake didn’t take place and that they felt uncomfortable.
Holmes: When Lisa and Skup tried to set up a final four with you guys, you didn’t know that was going on at that time?
Williams: Yeah, I didn’t see that go down. But, Penner came to me and said, “Look, we got screwed because they’re nervous that I didn’t shake their hand.” So, I was aware that that happened, but I wasn’t aware that they were saying final three with me as the fourth.

Holmes: I was a little shocked last night when Skupin said you were like a son to him. We didn’t see a lot of your relationship on the show.
Williams: We were really close. I don’t know if that’s something I did wrong or did right, but I became good friends with all of them. The merge became a completely different game. The rain stopped, we were on a different island, more resources, more smiles, and I was so stoked to be hanging out with Peter and Malcolm. Skupin and I became really close. We had fun, we’d talk about sports and make up games to play. We’d go fishing. And like I mentioned, I don’t know if it was to my credit or not to become liked by all of those people. I was taken out over someone who has been labeled the most disliked person in the game. It’s an interesting concept, you want to play as hard as you can or as well as you can so you can say to the jury, “Hey, vote for me.” But people stab each other in the back. It’s a mind-blowing thing.

Holmes: It’s a long season. Things were said about you by people who are long gone. I’m referring specifically to Dana saying you were a chauvinist.
Williams: (Laughs)
Holmes: That was of course in the Kalabaw days. Post-merge, it’s like an episode of “Everybody Loves Carter.” I always want to give people a chance to defend themselves. So, why do you think Dana felt that way?
Williams: I think it was because it was team immunities as opposed to individual. Maybe it didn’t get shown, but I’m so competitive. We sat out girls in the challenges most of the time. I think every time a guy competed. I think there was a challenge where I blamed Katie or Dawson on a puzzle and unfortunately, it did probably make me look bad. I don’t know what that was about. I was kind of bummed. Your interviews weren’t portraying me in a good light there, man.
Holmes: That’s why I brought it up. I didn’t want you to go out like that. You can go on the record right now and say you’re not a sexist.
Williams: (Laughs) I don’t think I’m a sexist. I’ve never been told that before. But, “Survivor” you’re living with people 24/7 in harsh conditions and maybe a side of you comes out that you don’t really want to.

Holmes: Before the show started, one of your goals was to show some Ozzy Lusthian skills in the challenges. You managed to kick some posterior, win some immunities.
Williams: Yeah, immunity challenges, I should’ve focused more on other things. When Penner went home my eyes lit up. I thought here’s my chance to dominate this game. Here’s my chance to make everybody notice me. My chance to prove myself as a “Survivor” All-Star. To pull a Danni Boatwright…to pull an Ozzy. I mentioned on Twitter that Ozzy’s my hero and I wanted to do what he did. But, a lot of people pointed out that Ozzy fell short too.
Holmes: That’s true.
Williams: My back was against the wall and the competitor in me lit up. I’m forever going to have to live with that challenge where Malcolm beat me.
Holmes: That’s the problem with being a challenge monster is that you never know what kind of wacky contraption John Kirhoffer is going to come up with.
Williams: (Laughs) Seriously. I don’t think I had to do a puzzle that whole time and if a puzzle had come up  I would’ve been in trouble.

Holmes: Alright, let’s get to some word association. We’ll start with Denise.
Williams: (Long pause) You’d think with all of your interviews I’ve read I’d be ready for this.
Holmes: I’m just glad you didn’t prepare beforehand, that would defeat the purpose of this exercise.
Williams: Poker face.
Holmes: Malcolm?
Williams: Van Owen
Holmes: Lisa?
Williams: Timshel.
Holmes: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Williams: Timshel is from a book from the writer of “Of Mice and Men” and Malcolm’s goes along with the one Penner said about me. Van Owen decapitates the Thompson Gunner.
Holmes: Yikes. OK, Abi.
Williams: Fiery.
Holmes: Jeff Kent?
Williams: Brett Favre.
Holmes: Penner?
Williams: Werewolf in London.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Skupin.
Williams: He’s a good man.

Holmes: You had some celebrities in your midst. What was your reaction when you realized that you’d been playing with an NL MVP and a teen TV star?
Williams: Ninety nine percent of the world knows him as the National League MVP second baseman. I know Jeff as a hard-working Texas hick. (Laughs)  I love that me and Jeff got to know each other without the baseball thing. I’ve had so many people come up to me and be like, “Jeff Kent was my hero.” I really got to know the guy and like the guy away from that. It’s cool, it might’ve been different if I’d known that.
Holmes: Have you caught any “Facts of Life” since you’ve been back?
Williams: (Laughs) You know what’s weird? I’d seen Lisa before. I’d seen her face places. I remember getting there and I’m thinking, “I know this lady. I know her from somewhere.” But eventually it just slipped out of my mind. I think there may have been a bit of a generation gap.
Holmes: Yeah, if Zach Morris or A.C. Slater had been on that boat, someone your age might’ve had a better shot of recognizing them.
Williams: Yeah, I’d know those guys.

Holmes: You dropped the name Danni Boatwright earlier. Only a hardcore fan would do that. As I’m sure you know, they’ve been doing these family visits for a long time. I love my mom, but we go 30 days without seeing each other and it isn’t a big deal. What is it about seeing a loved one after 30 days that makes people lose it?
Williams: You go through so many ups and downs out there. I didn’t know what was going on with my family. You start dreaming about them, you start wondering. And 33 days out there feels like a whole year. Just to feel that comfort that a mom represents…to see her come running out there was one of the craziest feelings I’ve ever had. And you saw me, it caught me off guard. I wasn’t ready to get hit with that wave of emotion. Even when we read the letters from home on day fourteen, it killed me. It was this touch of home in this rough, harsh environment.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway Jeff Kent: ‘I’m So Bitter and ****ed Off’

November 8, 2012

Jeff Kent (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Jeff Probst said that last night’s Tribal Council was the most entertaining Tribal ever. I’m not sure if I’m willing to go quite that far, but it certainly was a doozy.

Alliances were exposed, idols were outed, plans were formed, then reformed. And in the end, a former National League MVP was sent home. It was something to see.

(And as a quick aside, it’s nice to see that after 25 seasons, this show can still be great.)

I spoke with Jeff Kent the morning after his elimination and had a chance to get a breakdown of exactly what happened during that mind-blowing Tribal Council…

Jeff Kent: Hey, Gordon.
Gordon Holmes: Good morning, Mr. Kent. How are you?
Kent: I’m OK, buddy. What can I do for you?
Holmes: For starters, you can tell me what the hell happened last night.
Kent: (Laughs) I don’t know, man. I’m still bitter about it myself.
Holmes: As you should be. That was a mess.
Kent: Well, before we went to Tribal Council, we were all passive. The tribe had an understanding that we were going to vote for a veteran player. And since Penner had won the idol, we were all scrambling, we were all pissed off because that was the direction we were going to go. So, the most likely was Skupin. And most everyone out there didn’t care if it was Penner or Skupin for days. And then when it got down to the 11th hour, I think the mindset of Pete and Abi and Artis changed. They figured that Skupin was worth keeping around for some reason.
Holmes: Was that Lisa’s doing?
Kent: Lisa started playing the game a little bit better. Penner and I went to talk strategy and when I got back I was approached by Malcolm and he said they’re throwing every name under the bus. Malcolm’s name had been thrown out there. My name was thrown out. Carter’s name too. I was scrambling and I was pissed off that they’d target me because I had a feeling that Malcolm had the idol. We were trying to make sure that it wasn’t me. We concocted that we’d go after the guy who was making all of the rules, Pete. And it happened right before Tribal so we couldn’t talk through or solidify what would happen in the future. We were all going to vote for Pete.

Holmes: What changed when you got to Tribal?
Kent: When we get to Tribal everyone starts dumping all their laundry. Everybody’s telling secrets and lies and nobody knows what’s going on. Then, in what I thought was a good move by Penner, he said OK all us six let’s vote for Pete. Which was good because Penner knew he had to start playing for the future. And typical of Skupin, he just didn’t want to play the game as good as he should have. He ended up voting the wrong way, and then Penner threw his vote the wrong way, which I’m having a hard time understanding. Penner threw his vote the other way and I’m the one who got the boot.
Holmes: What’s your best guess as to why Penner made that seemingly random vote for Abi?
Kent: When we were at Tribal Council, Penner and I were doing some hand signs and whispering to each other about if we should split the vote in case Pete plays the idol. I told Penner that we didn’t have the votes to split the vote. And, we couldn’t communicate across the board and I didn’t trust anyone who was on the right side of me. So, Penner and I did talk about it. I kind of think that Penner thought that we had the votes to keep me safe even if he voted another way, because Skupin agreed to vote with us. He agreed to vote with us when he was sitting there, but when we went to vote he didn’t.

Holmes: Whenever a celebrity is cast on “Survivor,” some people roll their eyes. But, “Survivor” is the real deal. You’re out there cold and starving. Jimmy Johnson learned that the hard way. But you gave it your all and seemed to be having a great time.
Kent: It’s a long time to be away from the family, and I’ve got four young kids in the house. It was a long time to be away.  But I had a great time. I’m glad I took the challenge, I’m glad I had a chance to play. And I played that game from day one. Hurting my knee coming off the boat, I didn’t want to quit. I wasn’t going to give up. I did everything I thought I could to survive and win that game and that’s why I’m so bitter and pissed off that I got kicked off. But, I’m grateful to have that opportunity. But Lisa and I, I hope we had a chance to quiet those critics, and I hope they had a good time watching.

Holmes: When we spoke in the Philippines, you were concerned about how you were going to be portrayed. Do you think it was accurate?
Kent: Yeah, I do. I didn’t really have a good understanding of what Dawson knew about me. I didn’t know she was so keen on who I was. Now I understand why all the conversations we had in our hut were about baseball and sports. It’s kind of funny.
Holmes: When I spoke to her, she made it sound like you knew that she knew about your baseball career.
Kent: I did not know that she knew that I was a baseball player, because I guarantee that I would have kicked her off. I would have had it out for her. Or, I would have tried to cut a deal with her to keep her quiet. She talked about sports and baseball players, but my name never came up. It was all about how she wanted to date Chipper Jones. That’s as far as it ever went.
Holmes: You played the Braves more than a few times. Is Dawson a good match for Chipper Jones?
Kent: (Laughs) I feel sorry for the guy she matches up with.

Holmes: One of the things we kept seeing you say is that you didn’t want Penner to go further than you. That seems like a shortsighted strategy to me. Was that how you genuinely felt or was that a ruse to help you get farther?
Kent: It was twofold; one it was a deflection off of me. I was a guy who came in and had a leadership personality and a guy that could do the challenges and survive out there in the environment. I was deflecting that attention off of me. Who’s bigger and better than me? Penner.  And number two, I respected Penner a lot. I understood his game and his personality. I liked Penner and I knew he was a great player. And if I could stay one step ahead of Penner I knew I was going to go far and possibly go to the end and possibly win. Because I didn’t think anyone was going to give Penner any money. They didn’t show this, but at the end I wanted to keep Penner and  Skupin with us and go forward with those two because I didn’t think they’d get the votes to win because they’re returning players.

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start with Penner.
Kent: Aggressive.
Holmes: Skupin?
Kent: Dingy.
Holmes: Dawson?
Kent: Air. Just air.
Holmes: Katie?
Kent: Worthless.
Holmes: Malcolm?
Kent: Gamer.
Holmes: Carter?
Kent: Loyal.
Holmes: Pete?
Kent: Idiot. (Laughs)
Holmes: Lisa?
Kent: Lisa was naive.
Holmes: Abi-Maria?
Kent: Wow…
Holmes: Artis?
Kent: Resilient.
Holmes: Denise?
Kent: Denise was tough.

Holmes: Whenever someone leaves the show, it’s either; this was the greatest experience of my life or there isn’t enough money to make me ever go back. Where do you fall on the spectrum?
Kent: I dramatized my comments at the end when I got kicked off, but they were real. I’ve been able to have a life where I don’t need to be on the island. But, that’s what I wanted to do.  I wanted to win. I wanted to be the sole survivor. It wasn’t about the money, it was about winning. So, where I fall in that, is if the challenge presents itself again, I’ll think about it and I may have to take it.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Recap: Lisa Whelchel, Master Manipulator?!

November 7, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Last Week: Denise and Malcolm remained BFFs, Penner trusted Kent, but was SOL, and the merged tribe got rid of RC ASAP…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands…

The Dangrayne Tribe (wearing black)

Abi-Maria – Business Student, 32
Artis – Computer Engineer, 53

Carter – Track Coach, 24
Denise – Sex Therapist, 41
Jeff Kent – Former MLB Player, 44
Lisa – Former ‘Facts of Life’ Star, 49
Malcolm – Bartender, 25
Michael – Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach, 50
Penner – Writer, 50
Pete – Engineering Graduate, 24

The festivities kick off with Penner trying to make sense out of what happened at Tribal Council. Denise owns up to voting for Penner, saying that she has her own strategy.

Kent tries to play it off that he thought the numbers were going to be against them.

Skup tries to make Penner feel better by telling him how many cracks there are in the majority alliance. Penner thinks he could lay back and wait for an opening or he could set the world on fire.

(This is where Gordon crosses his fingers hoping for Penner to set the world on fire.)

The next morning, Lisa fills us in on the pecking order. Penner’s set to go first, with Skupin’s ready to go second. Apparently the anti-returnee sentiment isn’t exclusive to Jeff Kent. And honestly, with the frequency they’ve been bringing back players and the track record of those players, it was just a matter of time. The last complete season this cast saw had Ozzy Lusth finishing fourth and Coach Wade finishing second. The season before that saw “Boston” Rob Mariano steamrolling everyone on his way to the big check.

Lisa’s plan has them bumping off the returnees, then her, Denise, Malcolm, Carter, and Kent booting the other Tandangers. Look at Blair Warner the power player!

Reward Challenge Time: Players will be split into two teams. One person from each team will race into the water holding a rope. They’ll attach the rope to a fish trap and their teammates will pull it back. Once a team has four traps they’ll dig for a key. They’ll use that key to unlock a puzzle. First tribe to complete their puzzle wins a river cruise through the jungle. There they’ll enjoy ribs, potato salad, and other goodies.

The blue team is Skup, Pete, Artis, Carter, and Abi. The yellow team is Kent, Malcolm, Penner, Lisa, and Denise.

Not much to describe early on except for runnin’, swimmin’, hookin’ and rope pullin’.

Skup doesn’t wear the fishing mask because surely it would have burst into flames on his face. While this keeps him in one piece, it makes it hard for him to find the fish trap.

The yellow team completes the first part with a slight lead. Malcolm starts digging. Artis is right behind him and manages to find the key super quickly. Malcolm finds his shortly after.

Penner and Kent are working on the puzzle for the yellow team. Pete and Skup go for the blue team.

The yellow team flies through the puzzle and wins reward.

Back at camp, Abi is spilling the strategic beans while sharing some actual beans with Carter. This annoys Pete. Later, Pete tries pitching alternate strategies to Abi and she cuts him off. He admits that he’d like to vote her off, but he knows she can’t win at a final Tribal. This is true. In fact, the only way Pete’s winning this season is if he gets to the end with Abi and Artis. Even then it’s not a slam dunk.

At the reward, everyone’s bashing Artis, Pete, and Abi. Penner pitches the idea of them keeping him around longer to help get rid of one of them. Lisa likes the idea of five likable people battling it out at the end, but she likes the idea of getting to the end with a couple of hated people better.

Later, Lisa approaches Skup with the idea of aligning with Artis, Pete, and Abi and eliminating the remnants of Matsing and Kalabaw. She even tells him that Malcolm has Matsing’s immunity idol. She’s like Russell Hantz with a SAG card.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race over and under a series of obstacles while collecting puzzle pieces. First three players to cross the finish line will advance. First person to complete the puzzle wins immunity.

Again, not much to describe except for puzzle-piece gatherin’ and obstacle navigatin’.

Pete, Kent, and Penner advance with Penner diving over the finish line in dramatic fashion.

The puzzle is a very cool snake-shaped piece of business. Kent and Pete jump out to a lead, but Penner makes a comeback and wins it! Gah…that can’t be good for Skup.

Apparently Penner had never won individual immunity before, and boy did he need it.

Sure enough, politicking in the Penner-safe world seems to put a target on Skupin’s head. Sorry, if there’s anything this show has taught me, it’s that you can’t bring Skupin down without a silver bullet dipped in holy water.

Lisa, however, has other plans. She takes Pete aside and tells him about Malcolm’s idol. Her plan is to blindside Malcolm. Booo…

Pete asks Malcolm if he has the idol. Malcolm denies it. Pete then admits that Lisa told him about it. Oh snap… Later we learn that Pete totally buys into Malcolm’s lie. Now he’s left wondering what Lisa’s motive was.

Pete and Malcolm decide to target Jeff Kent instead and keep Skup as a swing vote.

Then at the last minute, they all start talking about voting for Pete! This is getting hard to keep track of. This is all Penner’s fault…

That night at Tribal Council, RC becomes the first member of the jury. Thanks for the heads up last week, Probst.

Penner shows appreciation for RC’s new cleaned-up look.

Skup thought he was the main target, but was psyched when other names came up.

Malcolm calls Lisa out for throwing him under the bus.

Lisa owns up to it, saying she wanted to keep Michael around and wanted to get rid of Malcolm and his idol. I’m loving the honesty from Lisa and Denise this episode.

Abi then slips up and admits that Malcolm is an expendable part of their alliance.

Malcolm’s had enough of this nonsense. He whips out the Matsing idol and announces that he’ll be playing it. Nice. I love that kid.

Probst asks if anyone else has an idol they’d like to reveal. Abi makes my night by fessing up to owning one.

This Tribal Council rules, by the way.

Penner then makes the play that he, Kent, Carter, Denise, Skup, and Malcolm can take the game into their hands. And all five of them seem on board with it. Whoa!

Lisa says that the people in her alliance can keep the numbers if they go with “Plan B.” She’s calling Tribal audibles like she’s Brett Favre!

Pete thinks he’s in serious trouble.

Kent thinks his name has been “thrown under the hat.” I don’t know what that means.

Probst thinks this is the most entertaining Tribal Council he’s ever been to. As someone who’s in the middle of a “Heroes vs. Villains” rewatch, I’m going to disagree. It’s probably the most frank Tribal ever.

Voting Time: Lisa votes for Jeff, Denise votes for Pete, and the rest of the votes are secret.

The polls close, and Probst starts a-tallyin’.

Nobody plays their idols. Ooo…

We’ve got one vote for Abi, one vote for Kent, one vote for Pete, one vote for Kent…

And with 40% of the votes in, we’re prepared to project a winner. We’re calling this Tribal Council for Jeff Kent.

One more for Pete, one for Kent, one for Pete, one for Kent, one for Pete, and the ninth person to leave “Survivor: Philippines” and the second member of the jury is…Jeff Kent.

So, it looks like Tandang stuck together. And wait, why did Penner vote for Abi instead of Pete? It would’ve been a tie.

Verdict: Seriously, what just happened?!

And, Probst referred to it as being the “biggest missed opportunity” ever. But I’m not sure what he was talking about. An opportunity to get rid of Pete? For Penner to tie the vote? To flush Abi or Malcolm’s idols?

Either way, fun episode. This season is getting tougher and tougher to call.

Who’s Going to Win: Lisa and Skup are the most likable people in the now dominant alliance. If we end up with an Artis/Pete/Abi final three, the jurors might have to pull a Monty Brewster and vote “None of the Above.”

Power Rankings Results: Kat’s streak continues! She had Jeff Kent in spot ten while I had him in spot nine. So, the current score is Team Kat: 101, Team Awesome Thunder: 104.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings: Round Seven

November 6, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

The Rules: Each week Kat and Gordon 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 Malcolm is voted out this week, Kat will receive 2 points and Gordon will receive 1 point. The person with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the ‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings champion!

Last Week: Kat is on a roll. She has picked the last six eliminated players perfectly. Kudos. She had RC in spot eleven, while I had her in spot ten. The current score is Team Kat: 91, Team Awesome Thunder: 95.

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: Philippines

Kat’s Current Score: 91 

Any advice for Kat? Drop her a line on Twitter: @KatEdorsson

Gordon’s Current Score: 95

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Denise: I know, I know, I know… Stop judging….from last week’s rating, 8th place to 1st is intense, but I have reasoning! Denise is someone I would like to call “The Dark Knight.” At this point in the game, her odds are becoming greater for a final three and after my experience of Kim Spradlin`s total domination from “One World,” you should never underestimate these women that play the game. Denise will compete when necessary and fall back when necessary and not to mention LISTENING will make her gameplay solid and under the radar. I’m so proud to see my girl win immunity!! Besides, if this group is as bitter as we all think they are she will dominate! 

  1. Malcolm: Tandang splits up, Kalabaw splits up, and Malcolm was barely there. That’s an amazing spot for someone who’s such a big challenge threat. With all of the splinter groups that are floating around right now, Malcolm and Denise should be able piece together the perfect combination to help them get to the end.
 2. Malcolm: So proud this man did NOT win immunity! Way to play with your head! Thata boy!  Malcolm needs to watch his back now. Play smart, dude…not kidding. This is the time where you watch the game PLAY IN FRONT OF YOU. We all know you’re as bad as a honey badger, but please don’t remind your tribe mates. Take it from personal experience; wait till the very last days of the game to beast in the challenges. If you don’t win them all your alliance could turn on you, and we can’t have that!  2. Denise: “Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of (expletive deleted) smelling foulness I can’t even imagine.” Red, “Shawshank Redemption”

Yup, that was Denise. She survived the Matsing implosion, she survived the Kalabaw mini-implosion and now she’s sitting pretty at the merge. And with all of the bizarre mistrust and in-fighting, her and Malcolm can write their own ticket.
 3. Lisa: “Facts of Life” is still in great shape. She did well in the challenge. She is not a normal “Lamb” final three. She wasn’t the first one out, and never is. She understands the nature of the game, and she has heart. I’m happy she is now a part of my dynamic duo and with that being said I hope Malcolm gave her his word.

  3. Lisa: You know what makes me think Lisa is playing this game the right way? When Malcolm discovered that she’d found his idol, his first instinct wasn’t, “That sneak! She’s snooping around trying to get an advantage.” It was, “Oh Lisa, she’s so motherly she slipped up while doing my laundry.” That makes me think people don’t view her as much of a threat. Well played, Whelchel.

  4. Pete: Give credit when credits due….. #TeamPinkSweater lives to see another day. Pete has aligned himself with Abi, Artis, and the remaining Kalabaw tribe. He was able to blindside RC and now seems to be manhandling once again teaming up with Kent. I don’t know how safe this alliance will be after Penner goes ape (expletive deleted) on them. Besides Penner is a returning player and I bet he has a lot of miles left on his tires.

  4. Abi-Maria: The game feels very weird at this point. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if anyone from this spot down goes home on Wednesday. Of those folks, I’m putting Abi at the top because she still has an idol and she isn’t as much of a challenge threat as Pete or Artis.

  5. Abi-Maria: Nothing too exciting about Abi this week, she got RC out, what else is new? That was the goal, now I’m excited to see her actual play the game.
  5. Michael:  My first instinct was to have Skup near the bottom of this ranking because he seems like a man without a country. But, with all these weird little factions it might not be such a bad thing to be a lone vote. Hopefully his Penner vote last week is a sign that someone trusts him enough to bring him in.
 6. Carter: Carter does not feel like a threat to me, more like a pawn in the game. Not a winner and as you can see he is speaking now, which is great, and clearly he’s not a loser because he is still very much in this game. I enjoy watching players like Carter strive to the top because everyone is too busy blaming each other for some other bull (expletive deleted). I hope he understands how to play the game before “Survivor” plays him.
  6. Pete: It can’t be awesome to see your name come up for the first time at Tribal Council, but Pete had better get used to it. If he and Abi are considered to be the leaders of the former Tandang alliance, and he’s the bigger immunity threat of the two, the groups on the outside are going to be gunning for him. Fortunately for him, he now knows this and he and Abi can use their idol if they feel threatened.
 7. Artis: I feel like Aritis is an old movie that keeps replaying and I can’t find the remote to change the channel. Sorry, bud, but whose game are you playing? Kent’s? The old Kalabaw tribe is not going to save you when your butt is on the line, but it’s nice to see your social game is getting better. Now when you fly off the handle, Kent will take the blame, not you! So great job, you’re safe for another week!
  7. Artis: RC’s exit interview made me a little sad. You’re a nice guy, but you’re clearly not enjoying yourself on the island. With the kind of numbers the majority alliance is boasting right now, it wouldn’t blow up their game to get rid of someone who’s being a real Grumpy Gus around camp.
 8. Michael: I can’t decide who will be going home this week. I feel like Skupin is in deep waters after his whole plan went flying out toward the Pacific Ocean with him left there on his raft with holes in it!!! All fingers point to Skupin being eliminated, but after you watch the previews you see Penner shifting all the attention to him, which is fantastic for Skupin. Ultimately, I’m hoping they team up and take over quickly!
  8. Carter: Welp…whatever move Kent made last week to rid the game of one of those horrific returning players has put you in a bad spot. Your best shot right now might be to try to create some kind of youth alliance. But, the odds of that working out for you are slim. 
 9. Penner: I want Penner to WIN IMMUNITY! I have a soft spot for this situation because my little brother “Troyzan” had the exact thing happen to him. Penner against the world right now, and I know I don’t do this often but I’m rooting for the underdog! Let’s go Penner! If he doesn’t win, he’s in serious trouble.

  9. Jeff Kent: What the what, Jeff?! To steal a baseball metaphor, it’s like you blew out your pitching staff to win game one of the World Series. You’re now in a terrible position to pull out those other three wins. It Team Tansing sticks together, you and Carter are as good as gone as soon as Penner is sent packing.
 10. Jeff Kent: If Penner wins he’s coming after you and do you blame him? Great gameplay, but I’m hoping to see this happen!
  10. Penner: As the highest profile member of the tribe that was down numbers, you knew you would be in serious trouble. So, kudos for recognizing that and playing the idol at the right time. But now what? The preview makes it look like you’re going to employ some kind of Randy Bailey-esque burn-down-the-camp policy. It probably won’t work, but I’m sure it will be entertaining to watch.

Watch ‘Survivor: Philippines’ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway RC: Abi-Maria Is ‘Bat-!@#$ Crazy’

November 6, 2012

RC Saint-Amour (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Quick Note: This week’s exit interview was delayed due to some serious hurricane-related difficulties that RC is experiencing. We wish her and her family (and everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Sandy) the best during these rough times.

The game moves so fast these days. Alliances are made the second players hit the island, usually before the players even get a chance to learn each other’s names. In Salani’s case, you had a solid group that lasted through to the end.

In RC Saint-Amour’s case…not so much.

I spoke with the hoop-rolling, leopard-print-rocking, dolphin-esque former Tandanger and had a chance to get her thoughts on Lisa’s secret identity, the disintegration of her alliance with Abi-Maria, and what really happened between her and Michael Skupin…

Gordon Holmes: I’m going to blow your mind. Are you ready?
RC Saint-Amour: Please.
Holmes: Have you ever seen the show “The Facts of Life”?
Saint-Amour: (Laughs) Um…no! I don’t think I was born yet when that was airing.
Holmes: You make me feel so old.
Saint-Amour: No, I had no clue. I thought she was this beautiful older woman. And, I knew she was hiding something. She just seemed very uneasy in the game. That’s why I didn’t want to team up with her because I thought she was hiding something from me. Now that I know what it was, I think it’s the silliest thing in the world. If I knew that all it was is that she was on a television show, there’s no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have targeted her as someone who was being untruthful.
Holmes: But if she’d been on “Saved by the Bell” you would’ve known.
Saint-Amour: Oh yeah, without a doubt. But I just spent 20 days starving with her and I know her as a wonderful person. I don’t know her like you do from the show. But, there’s something very beautiful about our relationship that I will cherish. I know the real Lisa.
Holmes: We never really got to see you two interact. It seemed like you were always on opposite ends of the pecking order.
Saint-Amour: I had a really tough time with my tribe, but Lisa was like a silver lining. We talked about how she couldn’t be aligned with me. She told me she couldn’t do it because she wanted to be in the major alliance. And I understood it and respected her for it because she was always honest with me. She never gave me false hope. I can respect her for that.

Holmes: The other blonde on your team, the one with the accent…what happened there?
Saint-Amour: She’s very angry.
Holmes: Cause watching from home; one minute you’re BFFs and the next she wants you dead. It didn’t click for me. What didn’t we see?
Saint-Amour: I think it just goes back to the fact that we were polar opposite people and I think people can see that. I’m happy and I’m good in challenges. I think she has every reason to hate me, Gordon. I represent everything in life and in the game that she’s not. She’s this 34-year-old woman who has yet to graduate community college. It’s really hard to connect to someone like that and keep a relationship with an irrational person.
Holmes: You used the term “irrational” and like I said, I didn’t get why she turned on you. Is there nothing to grasp, it just happened?
Saint-Amour: No, I think the grasp is that she was always asked to sit out challenges and I was always winning challenges. Unfortunately, Lisa put a little bit of a target on my back when she called me the beautiful girl on our tribe and Abi was sitting right there.
Holmes: Snap.
Saint-Amour: There was a lot of little stuff that happened. It’s hard to explain. I understand why she’d hate me if I was getting the spotlight.
Holmes: So, it’s because you’re almost as good at swimming as I am.
Saint-Amour: (Laughs) You’re better than me, no?
Holmes: Not even close. It’s a miracle I didn’t drown out there.
Saint-Amour: Really, I can’t hate her or blame her for how she feels. I think she’s completely justified in going off the deep end a little bit.

Holmes: The immunity clue…Pete pulled a bit of a Russell Hantz move by setting you up with that. Did you have any idea that he was behind it?
Saint-Amour: The problem was, when that happened the entire tribe stopped talking to me and Michael. All communications ceased. And that’s like “Survivor” 101 to not ostracize people or show people where they are in the tribe. So, we knew right away. The problem is I didn’t have any rational thinkers on my tribe that wanted to do anything or think through the situation, so I didn’t have an out. I didn’t have anyone I could say, “Hey Abi, do you think you showed it to someone else and they’re fooling us and trying to cause bickering?” And I don’t know what she was thinking either because she had the idol. And, she was in the major alliance so there wasn’t a need to target me that strongly at the point because she had the upper hand. So, the move that Pete made makes no sense.

Holmes: When I met Artis in the Philippines, I thought here’s a nice guy who’s been through a lot and came out the other side of it with a good attitude. I’m not seeing this guy at all on the show. Everything he says is negative. Is he being portrayed accurately?
Saint-Amour: It’s kind of what you see. And, it’s funny because I was nervous about editing, but who you see on TV is who everyone really was. He really was like that constantly and you couldn’t talk to him. You couldn’t do anything with him without him being angry. And you’re right, that isn’t who he is. The person I know is the most gentle, loving, sweet guy. And that didn’t come across on the island. That’s unfortunate for him. How he acted on the island is what’s being portrayed.

Holmes: Alright, let’s get into some word association. We’ll start with Mr. Skupin.
Saint-Amour: He’s my heart. I love him. Even after everything that happened at the last Tribal Council, he’s still an amazing person. We’ve obviously moved past him backstabbing me.
Holmes: If he makes it out of this show in one piece, I’ll be thrilled.
Saint-Amour: (Laughs)
Holmes: Malcolm?
Saint-Amour: There.
Holmes: Artis?
Saint-Amour: I don’t like this word association! (Laughs)
Holmes: There are no wrong answers.
Saint-Amour: I know, but Artis now I love. Artis on the island I disliked.
Holmes: Pete?
Saint-Amour: A 24-year-old that still lives at home with his parents.
Holmes: Lisa?
Saint-Amour: Sweet. She is like the sweetest, nicest person in the entire world.
Holmes: Let’s finish this with Abi-Maria…
Saint-Amour: (Laughs) I can’t stop laughing. I mean…the girl’s like bat (expletive deleted) crazy. I hope she wins so that she can seek medical help.

Holmes: Skup voted for Penner, which I’m assuming you did not know about.
Saint-Amour: No.
Holmes: What did you think his line of thinking was there?
Saint-Amour: I have no idea. I really don’t. I hope you get to ask him one day. But, I know that it’s a game and there can only be one winner, but me and Michael went through a lot together. We suffered through blood, sweat, and tears together and I thought we had each other’s back. If I was in that situation I can pretty much say with 100% certainty that I would have never done what he did. I would have never lied to his face and said I was going to vote for Pete and then didn’t. I think he should have been a man and said, “Hey RC, you’re getting some votes tonight. Maybe you should fight.” Or maybe, “I love you, but I can’t keep you around longer.” I think I’d respect him more for that decision. But, I’m happy that the viewers have picked up on his betrayal as much as it hurt me.

Holmes: Losing you and Katie in back-to-back weeks has sucked.
Saint-Amour: (Laughs) Did you like the bikini?
Holmes: Ah…I don’t just watch this show for the strategy.
Saint-Amour: (Laughs) I think they should ban any future player from being able to wear leopard print.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Recap: Is Lisa Whelchel’s Secret Out?

October 31, 2012

Lisa Whelchel (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Last Week: A reward challenge ended in a way that was lame, Carter slipped up and said the wrong name, and poor Miss Delaware was kicked out of the game.

Oh, and Jeff Probst put on a fake beard and wig and pretended to be a psychic. (OK, that wasn’t last week, that was earlier today on “The Jeff Probst Show.” I just wanted everyone to know.)

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Kalabaw Tribe (wearing red)
Carter – Track Coach, 24
Denise – Sex Therapist, 41
Jeff Kent – Former MLB Player, 44
Penner – Writer, 50

The Tandang Tribe (wearing yellow)
Abi-Maria – Business Student, 32
Artis – Computer Engineer, 53
Michael – Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach, 50
Lisa – Former ‘Facts of Life’ Star, 49
Malcolm – Bartender, 25
Pete – Engineering Graduate, 24
RC – Investment Banker, 27

We meet up with the Kalabatians after Tribal Council. Penner points out that Denise has been to every Tribal so far in the game. That has to be a record, right? Some kind of consecutive Tribal streak?

Penner is also wondering why Katie voted for him. He thinks it was a wake-up call that people could be lying to him. C’mon Penner, you’ve been around too long to need that kind of warning.

Kent knows that he’ll cut Penner’s throat or vice-versa, it’s a just a matter of who does it first. That might be the best way to approach an alliance in this game; assume you’ll have to turn, but hope you never have to.

The next morning at Tandang, Skup points out that it’s the day he fell in the fire. Happy Anniversary, Skup! The festivities are interrupted by a boat and a letter.

Psychic Jeff holds the letter to his forehead and says…

Sorry, couldn’t help it. I like to think that’s how Jeff would look after 39 days on the island.

Tandang is given a couple of minutes to gather all of their stuff. Fortunately, Malcolm didn’t forget where he buried his idol. That’d be embarrassing.

Same deal over at Kalabaw island. Penner hopes they can sway some Tandang folks over to his side. With Skup and RC on the outs, he might have a shot.

They all arrive at what I think is the old Matsing beach and are greeted by a feast. Ooo…and they get black buffs. Very slimming.

Later, Abi approaches RC with the idea of becoming a spy, but RC isn’t comfortable with that due to the unrest at the old Tandang camp. Gah…might’ve been smart to go along and be a double agent.

Uh oh…while Lisa was doing Malcolm’s laundry she accidentally stumbled upon his hidden immunity idol. Denise sees it happen and lets Malcolm know.

Malcolm takes Lisa aside and she instantly fesses up. She apologizes up and down, but he takes this as an opportunity to bring her into his alliance with Denise. Lisa agrees to join them, but lets us know that she thinks she might be being played. Dun dun dun…

Quick Aside: People groan when they see celebrities on “Survivor,” but Kent and Lisa both came to play. Go them.

Later that afternoon, Penner asks Lisa if anybody has recognized her from her popular ’80s sitcom. Wow…busy day for Lisa.  The two bond over the connection, but don’t discuss strategy. Penner promises not to out her, but that’ll last only as long as Penner feels safe in the game.

Then Penner plants the seed in Skup’s brain that they could both be targets because they’re returning players. Smart. RC’s interested in joining up with Kalabaw because Pete and Abi forgot the Survivor 101 rule of taking care of the people on the bottom of your alliance.

Back at camp, Kent’s making moves to get rid of Penner. What’s interesting is Kent doesn’t tell anyone that Penner has the idol. Apparently even Carter doesn’t know this piece of information.

Negotiating around camp has Tandang (minus RC and Skup) and Kalabaw (minus Penner) splitting the vote between Penner and RC in case Penner plays his idol. We haven’t even had an immunity challenge yet!

Oh wait…

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will hold onto a handle that is attached to a bucket. The bucket holds 25% of the person’s body weight inside of it. Last woman and man with a bucket in the air win a chic immunity necklace.

Skup’s the first to go, he’s followed by Pete. Next up we lose Penner. Probst makes a point of saying that Penner will be in trouble at Tribal. Whoa, maybe he is psychic…

Lisa and Malcolm go next. There are three men and three women left.

RC and Abi both drop out. Denise finally wins something!

We’re down to Artis, Jeff Kent, and Carter. Artis drops out quickly.

Carter and Kent hang on for another ten minutes. Kent tries to make a deal with Carter, but he isn’t having it. Kent drops…Carter wins.

On the way back to camp, we learn that the tribe’s new name is Dangrayne. Seriously, I plant the idea of a cool merge name every time I visit the set and it never happens. Dawson was my best hope.

RC lets us know that her and Skup are going to side with Kalabaw against Tandang. Skup’s a little weirded out because he’s never felt threatened before. I’d say that fire was pretty threatening.

Skup says he won’t team up with Artis, Abi, and Pete without some kind of divine intervention. Well, Coach isn’t playing this season…

Skup discusses the plan with Kent, and for the third time this episode, Kent says that he doesn’t want Penner to get farther in the game than him. That’s kinda strange. Getting to the end with a jury that likes and respects you should be the goal.

Kent’s concern is that on one side he’s teaming with returning players who he doesn’t want to win and on the other he and Carter are on the bottom. Quite a conundrum.

That night at Tribal Council, Tandang finally gets to see their torches. That’s just odd.

RC thinks Tandang fought each other a lot, but it’s cool because families fight some times. Good spin. Now let’s vote out Grandma.

Abi thinks that RC betrayed her by hiding the clue, so she moved on to another alliance.

RC denies hiding the clue. (Reminder: Pete totally moved the clue.)

Lisa argues that an alliance of flippers can’t be trusted.

Pete thinks there’s always a “mutiny feeling” around returning players. Yeah, that’s why those players always get to the end.

Pete also thinks there are two idols in the game because Matsing’s idol is gone. Dun dun dun…

Jeff Kent says it’s very likely there will be a blindside. Probst resists the urge to ask if it will be a “Major League” blindside.

Voting Time: Abi votes for Penner, RC votes for Pete, Artis votes for RC, Penner votes for Pete, Pete votes for RC, and the rest are secret.

Psychic Jeff tallies the votes, even though he already used his powers to see how everyone voted.

He asks if anyone would like to play their idol. Penner steps up. Blam!

Three votes for Penner, one vote for RC, one vote for Pete, two votes Penner, one vote for RC, one vote for Pete, one vote for RC, and the eighth person to leave “Survivor: Philippines” is…RC.

Skup voted for Penner?! Was there divine intervention and we missed it?!

Verdict: Well, so much for tribes always sticking together after the merge. That’s a welcome change.

This was a good, solid episode. It was nice to finally see Tandang get down and dirty in the voting cubicle. Can’t wait to see how all these weird alliances and sub-alliances and side-alliances work out.

Who’s Going to Win: My boy Malcolm’s in a good spot. Denise and Lisa too. When the Dangrayne hits the fan after tonight’s Tribal, they should be the least splattered.

Power Rankings Results: Kat is on a roll. She has picked the last six eliminated players perfectly. Kudos. She had RC in spot eleven, while I had her in spot ten. The current score is Team Kat: 91, Team Awesome Thunder: 95.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings: Round Six

October 30, 2012

Michael Skupin and Jonathan Penner (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

The Rules: Each week Kat and Gordon 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 Artis is voted out this week, Kat will receive 10 points and Gordon will receive 8 points. The person with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the ‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings champion!

Last Week: Blam! Kat and I called it as we both had Katie in spot twelve. The current score is Team Kat: 80, Team Awesome Thunder: 85.

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: Philippines

Kat’s Current Score: 80Any advice for Kat? Drop her a line on Twitter: @KatEdorsson Gordon’s Current Score: 85

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Malcolm: This guy might not be the almighty sole Survivor, but I’ll tell ya in this crowd he sticks out like a sore thumb! Malcolm I believe is still in the best position as of right now in Tandang.  His idol, Denise in his back pocket, and Pete`s loyalty give me reason to believe his chances on winning the million only multiplie each day. At the immunity challenge the man was a BEAST! I’m assuming he learns well from “Mama Bear” (Denise).
  1. Malcolm: I seriously don’t know how to act. I’ve never had my pre-game pick be in such a good position at the merge.  Much like Jessie Spano after she took too many caffeine pills, I’m both “So excited” and “So scared.” Excited because Denise and Malcolm can team up and be the likable part of the constantly feuding (yet dominant) Tandang alliance. Or, they can snag RC and Skup and bounce over to the Kalabaw Crew. Scared, because what they do this next episode will have a huge impact on how they finish. Fingers officially crossed.
 2. Lisa: Again my beautiful “Lamb” is strictly on “CRUISE CONTROL.” When I see this strategy it dawns on me how some of our finest “Survivor” legends love playing this role. I refuse to mention by name the following who favor this, but it is a fantastic strategy. Ultimately this is what I would like to call the “Why should I play ‘Survivor’ when I’m having too much fun watching these bozos play it for me?” Keep it up, Lisa!  2. Penner: Penner’s another one who has a ton of options at the merge. If he sticks with his buddies in Kalabaw, he could work on the Matsingers. He also might have a previous relationship with Skup (all the former “Survivor” players meet each other during charity events and other get-togethers). Best of all, he’ll have a little longer to figure out his plan thanks to his idol. The question is; would he use it to save Kent or Carter? I’m thinking no.
 3. Abi-Maria: God, I hate this…. Okay, Okay, Okay, I’m just kidding. That was mean. But seriously I’ll tell ya this; I don’t care for taking players like Abi to the final three just because you know there’s a 100% GUARANTEE that nobody will vote in their favor. No offense Mamasita, but have you played in a challenge yet? Lisa is understandably on “cruise control” but she still killed it in the last challenge.  I would really like Abi to step up, chill out, and give someone a hug or someone hug her for crying out loud. Strategically she is playing and Pete is on her side but once “Jeff Prosit” starts to call you out, that’s usually a sign to GET IT TOGETHER!
  3. Abi-Maria: If I’m Malcolm, I’m trying to come up with ways to get to the end with Abi-Maria. If that’s the direction he chooses, then known Abi-haters RC and Skupin are probably destined for the jury. Add her ability to go off on people at a moment’s notice and her lack of challenge prowess and you have the perfect goat.

  4. Pete: Hi Pete, I enjoy watching you manhandle Tandang and you’re putting the work in, I’ll give it to ya. But, I only have two things; #1. They always chop the head off the snake. #2 Take off my sweater!
  4. Pete: Pete’s been playing a pretty solid game up to this point. The only thing I’d question is how quickly he gave up all of that info to Malcolm. If the Tandang alliance sticks together through the merge, it probably won’t hurt his game. But if Malcolm swaps sides it could be a disaster.

  5. Penner: Come on Bud, I think someone was really hungry during that reward challenge. Do you think it was really worth it? I am no all-star and I’m probably one of your biggest fans, however…#DUMBMOVE. In “One World” the ladies and I lived solely off rice because catching fish was never a guarantee and when you know your challenges are so many days apart how could you possibly think that was the best idea? I mean the real question is, since when is Jeff Probst stopping a challenge? I’ll admit, I totally understand you guys would have been there for hours, people really will never understand how much energy it takes to open a coconut, let alone sit up in the morning when you’re starving. I just hope this doesn’t decimate Kalabaw based on this decision.
  5. Denise:  Alright, so does Malcolm join Denise with the Kalabaw guys or does Denise join Malcolm with the Tandangers? Malcolm swapping alone won’t put Kalabaw in charge, they’d have to turn some other Tandang folk. The call with the least number of variables is Denise swapping sides, then trimming people like RC and Skup when the numbers support it. This isn’t ideal for Denise as this will put some Kalabaw people on the jury, but in her defense, she wasn’t aligned with them for very long.
 6. Carter: Sweet Carter is making a breakthrough after all! He doesn’t seem too intimidating so I believe he should be safe. But, I don’t recall Penner and Kent telling Carter they have an idol so ultimately I believe he is still on the outs in his own alliance. But, if he makes it to the merge he looks strong enough to hold his own. Well, if he stops complaining about his stomach! Poor kid, you could tell he was against Penner’s decision about the rice disaster but we will see how things unfold.
  6. Lisa: Is it going to blow everybody’s minds to see Blair Warner sitting at the final Tribal Council? Now that Lisa has made the merge, it feels like she’s going to be able to coast for a long while. If she can do it without making too many enemies, she could find herself with that million-dollar check. It’ll be weird…
 7. Jeff Kent: My three amigos seem to be as strong as they can be for the situation at hand. But if you ask me, I think Kalabaw was just “Low Balled.” Did anyone believe the immunity challenge was MADE FOR KENT!! Catching slingshot balls in the outfield??? Come on! I was really pulling for Kalabaw, after losing the rice and the immunity I hope they can still stay strong.
  7. Jeff Kent: Kent has a little bit of wiggle room, but only because I don’t see him being the first Kalabaw boot after the merge. However, he’s in some serious trouble if things don’t change soon. Every member of Tandang has seen Upolu and Ometepe stick together to get to the end. Maybe it’s time to out himself as a millionaire? That’d make me think twice about voting him out.
 8. Denise: Not too much to say about Denise this week. She busted her ass in the challenges. Her + Mud X take down Lisa = “Survivor” Gold. Denise might be the one to go if Kalabaw loses but I’m hoping for the best.
  8. Artis: A good rule of thumb on “Survivor” is to ask yourself “What do I have to gain from this?” Whenever you do something, think of the consequences. What did Artis have to gain from blowing up at Jeff Kent at the reward challenge? It shows Skup that he doesn’t approve of the move and shows everyone else that Artis is hot-headed. He belongs in the same category as Abi. They’re both going to make too many enemies.
 9. Michael: Angel Face Skupin! Don’t be down in the dumps because Artis is picking on you. He’s just grumpy and hungry. If the challenge was going to be ending that way anyway, you made the right decision. Taking their rice will make them weaker and adding…let me rephrase…“fixing” your problem that ultimately looked like the excuse why the rest of the tribe was targeting you about cooking all the rice, YOU FIXED! You added more rice to your tribe and you’re handling all of this tension very maturely. Wish I knew how to do that on the island. You’re down this low on the totem pole because the odds are against you. Fix this problem and you’ll sail to victory!
  9. Michael: I’m going to stand by my belief that the food swap was a good move for Tandang. They traded something they didn’t have for something that Kalabaw did. Not only that, but it could have crippled Kalabaw if the merge took longer than expected. That being said, I’m not sure if it was a good move for Skupin. RC and Artis seem to be hanging on to every reason they can find to send the Australian Phoenix home.
 10. Artis: Dude, we need to lighten up! I love your background, I love where you came from and what you have been through. That’s where people like you and I strive, from what we have overcome! But now you have shown Kalabaw your aggression at the challenge and no one will work with you with that attitude. Please try to work with your tribemates. You don’t have to be angry if you’re in the majority, they will probably go home anyway. Right now you need to work on your social game like asap!  10. RC: Nobody needed a merge more than RC. Abi and Pete have been trying to get rid of her for what seems like a couple on months now. Maybe her and Skup can make something work with the Kalabaw guys?
  11. RC: Wahh…sorry RC, but I think it might be one of those days. It looks like Abi and Pete are after you and it seems like Tandang is shaken up a little. I would rather lose points against Gordon knowing you would be safe this week then me be right and see you sent packing! Sometimes things just don’t work out the way they are planned. I still think you’re awesome though!
  11. Carter: Things never turn out well for challenge studs that are on the tribe that is down numbers when they get to the merge. Combine that with the fact that Carter was clearly rubbing some of the Kalabawians the wrong way and you have a recipe for disaster. Carter is going to need an individual immunity run if wants to stick around.

Watch ‘Survivor: Philippines’ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway Katie: Jeff Kent Is a ‘Dominant Male Force’

October 25, 2012

Katie Hanson (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Somewhere in an alternate universe, Dana is 100% healthy. The Kalabaw women voted out Carter last week and Jeff Kent last night. When they’re not listening to desperate pleas from Penner, they’re trying to figure out how to get Malcolm to join them when they get to the merge.

Unfortunately for the Katie Hanson I spoke to this morning, she lives in this universe.

Instead, the former Miss Delaware and I got to chat about the weirdest reward challenge ever, the ladies’ lack of love for Carter, and Dawson’s indecent proposal…

Gordon Holmes: Good morning, Katie.
Katie Hanson: How are you?
Holmes: I’m sad.
Hanson: (Laughs) Aww…me too!
Holmes: Was your girlfriend voted off of “Survivor” last night too?!
Hanson: Oh…honey! You are so cute! I’m sad too, but I’ve had some time to get over it.
Holmes: What am I supposed to do for the next seven or eight weeks this show is on?
Hanson: I appreciate your sadness if that makes any difference.

Holmes: Alright, that reward challenge last night was a whole new brand of ridiculous. What happened?
Hanson: It almost looked like from out angle that things were going our way, and then they’d go back, and then it was just a stalemate. It went nowhere. And I was thinking, “OK, I’m never going to get to play in this challenge.” Which was alright with me because it’s a reward challenge in the mud, rolling around with these people. Rewards are awesome, but it’s not immunity. So, me not playing last night, kind of made me a little happy because the goal is to not get injured before an immunity challenge.
Holmes: I’m watching it…and Penner has his arm in one of Mr. Skupin’s…sensitive…areas.
Hanson: (Laughs)  Uh huh.
Holmes: And I’m thinking, “Jeez, at least buy him dinner first.” Next thing you know he’s literally trading dinner with him.
Hanson: (Laughs)
Holmes: How did you feel when that deal was being brokered?
Hanson: The last two rewards that were food went to Tandang, so we were starving. The idea of winning a full-on meal was absolutely amazing. At this point I was like “Give away the rice! Let’s do this!” The fact that they were bartering for it made my day. They went back and forth a lot. That was the best day of our lives.

Holmes: Artis freaked out a little bit, and I didn’t really understand what set him off.
Hanson: I think he just wanted to earn it. But, it’s easier for someone on the sidelines to say, “No, you guys can win this.” But you don’t know what they’re going through. And don’t you want your strongest players to have enough energy to perform well in an immunity challenge? He was very angry.
Holmes: It seemed like he was giving grief to you and Jeff Kent.
Hanson: He was giving grief to Jeff for sure, but Jeff knows how to get under people’s skin. It was kind of funny to watch, but I was trying to stay out of it.
Holmes: Did Jeff get under your skin?
Hanson: No, no, no…he just knows the right ways to get under people’s skin and he totally did it to Artis. Not me, I like Jeff. Jeff and I had a very good relationship.
Holmes: Did you know about Jeff’s baseball past?
Hanson: No one else to my knowledge knew. And I’m not a big sports girl, so I had no clue. I just really believed his story that he was a rancher. I totally bought it. He didn’t give any indication that he was some great athlete. He performed decently in the challenges but I would never know he was a pro.
Holmes: Dawson was pretty harsh when she was discussing Jeff’s social game. Do you think that’s accurate?
Hanson: I think that’s totally false. Jeff Kent was playing the game from the get go. He knew the right people he wanted to align with. He had Carter following his every move. He got Penner, who actually wanted to play with him. He was, in my opinion, the dominant male force on our tribe. So, I think Jeff has an excellent social game.

Holmes: Dana leaving really screwed things up for the Kalabaw ladies. Was there ever a chance for you to sneak back in with the guys?
Hanson: It just about broke my heart that Dana got sick. Not only for her health but me lasting in this game. And Denise wanted to be on the side with the numbers and why wouldn’t you want to be in an all-girl alliance? We would have had four. As soon as she got sick, what’s going to make Denise stay? We’re not strong anymore. That sucked for me. I think I was just getting played the whole time. People were giving me the run around because they knew I was going to be the next one out. Honestly, it makes sense, because not knowing when the merge is coming you want your strongest players. And let’s be honest, I’m not that. I’m not Denise and I’m not a man.

Holmes: Dana also had some harsh words for Carter. She called him a “chauvinist.” Did you witness any of that? Did you get along with Carter?
Hanson: I think all of us can agree on this; he had nothing to talk about. He had nothing to say. The only thing he had to talk about was the exercise. He was just so boring. He didn’t have much character to him. And I couldn’t respect him because all he’d do is follow Jeff around. I think all of us girls, if Dana had never gotten sick, Carter was our number one priority to get out of there. Because then Jeff wouldn’t be so powerful. He wouldn’t have this little tool he could manipulate. So, I definitely agree with Dana.

Holmes: Let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Dawson.
Hanson: Bubbly, out-going, wild, love her.
Holmes: Dana?
Hanson: Strong, powerful woman who takes no crap.
Holmes: Carter?
Hanson: Not that intelligent and a rat.
Holmes: Denise?
Hanson: Strong, smart, mother-like figure.
Holmes: Jeff Kent?
Hanson: Very intelligent, athletic, good manipulator.
Holmes: The first Survivor from the first state?
Hanson: (Laughs) She’s a sweetheart! The best player ever. We love Katie!
Holmes: We do. Let’s finish this with Penner.
Hanson: My father-figure on the island. But, he’s also a snake so you’ve got to watch your back.

Holmes: What the reaction from Kalabaw when you had to watch Dawson molest poor Jeff Probst?
Hanson: (Laughs) I think all of us were like, “What is she doing?!” But that’s totally her. She’s had the biggest crush on that man from the moment I met her. That’s one of the first things I learned about her. If anything, she did what she went there to do.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Recap: Of Rice and Men

October 24, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Last Week: Matsing was rebuffed and split, Dana got sick and quit, and Dawson was voted out and tried to swap spit.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Kalabaw Tribe (wearing red)
Carter – Track Coach, 24
Denise – Sex Therapist, 41
Katie – Student, 22
Jeff Kent – Former MLB Player, 44
Penner – Writer, 50

The Tandang Tribe (wearing yellow)
Abi-Maria – Business Student, 32
Artis – Computer Engineer, 53
Michael – Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach, 50
Lisa – Former ‘Facts of Life’ Star, 49
Malcolm – Bartender, 25
Pete – Engineering Graduate, 24
RC – Investment Banker, 27

Our evening kicks off with the Kalabaw Nation returning from Tribal Council. Katie realizes that she’s up some kind of foul smelling creek without an implement that will help her navigate her boat. She talks to Denise and tries to convince her that Penner has the idol and should be the next to go.

Over at Tandang, Pete is annoyed with Skup for eating all of the tribe’s rice. “Survivor” always comes down to food. Always.

Also, Skup has been eating the rice without cooking it which sounds horrific. Does it even digest?

Reward Challenge Time: Three members from each tribe will try to push a giant wicker ball into their opponents’ goal. First tribe to score three points wins a trip to a hut that is filled with sandwiches, brownies, and other goodies.

RC and Artis will sit for Tandang.

Round One: Pete, Skupin, and Lisa vs. Penner, Carter, and Denise.

We start off and Lisa hits a big takedown on Denise! How do you like them Facts of Life!

Oh…and Penner has his arm in a very…sensitive…part of Skup’s body. We’re about to hit TV-MA territory here in a second.

Things eventually grind to a halt, with everyone holding someone else in position. Apparently this went on for a full hour.

Rather than continue the challenge, Penner and Skup start negotiating. Skupin offers to trade the reward for the rest of Kalabaw’s rice. Penner wants to make this trade happen because he’s confident he can catch some fish.

Artis thinks this is a terrible idea and says so in an unnecessarily tense matter. Yikes.

Kalabaw accepts this deal and the challenge is off. Honestly, anytime Skup can finish up a challenge without losing a limb, he’s gotta go for it.

Wow, that seems like a dumb move by Kalabaw. Tandang gave up something they didn’t have while the red tribe gave up their rice.

Afterwards we meet up with Kalabaw enjoying an impressive luncheon spread. While they’re eating, Penner realizes that letters from home are over on a separate table. Cue the sad piano music…

Back at Tandang, Artis is still ticked off over the lack of reward sandwiches. Abi isn’t thrilled about it either. RC uses this obvious tribal division as a way to try to motivate Skupin. She’s gotta do something.

Later at Kalabaw, Penner fails on his promise to catch some fish. The tiny specimens he returns from the ocean with are barely bigger than a McDonald’s hashbrown. Ozzy Lusth he ain’t.

Immunity Challenge Time: One member from each tribe will launch balls into a field while the other players try to catch them in a net. First tribe to score five wins immunity.

Skup and Abi will sit for Tandang.

Lisa and Denise will launch balls for their respective tribes.

Round One: Penner catches a ball.

Round Two: Pete and RC both catch balls.

Quick Note: How is Jeff Kent not awesome at this challenge?

Round Three: No catches.

Round Four: Jeff Kent catches one. Shows what I know.

Round Five: Jeff Kent catches another one. I’ll shut up now.

Round Six: Jeff Kent catches yet another one. Kent, I get it!

Skup tells Lisa to shoot them toward Malcolm.

Round Seven: Malcolm catches one.

Round Eight: Malcolm snags another one.

Jeff Kent covers Malcolm now. We’re tied at four points apiece.

Round Nine: Malcolm gets the best of Kent and catches a third ball. Tandang wins immunity.

Fun Fact: Denise still hasn’t won a challenge.

Politicking at Kalabaw centers around Katie vs. Penner. The argument against Penner is that they’re worried about what he’ll do after the merge. However, Katie obviously isn’t much help in challenges.

Carter thinks taking Penner to the merge is a good idea because all of the eyes will be on Penner. Hey, Carter’s thinking!

Wait, Carter isn’t thinking. He literally turns to Penner and says, “Penner…what do you want to do, Katie or Penner?” Really? Why don’t you just ask him how to spell his name? Seriously, even the monkeys that were grooming themselves around camp were shaking their heads.

Either Penner didn’t hear it or he was playing it off.

Later, Penner tells Katie that Denise is the next to go. Katie doesn’t buy it.

That night at Tribal Council, Denise and Katie both think they’re in trouble. Denise because she’s the new girl and Katie because she’s isn’t good at challenges.

Penner says he didn’t say he was vulnerable because he wants to seem confident.

Jeff Kent says every vote will be a blindside because everyone likes each other.

Penner agrees, because the votes aren’t personal, they’re strategic.

Jeff Kent thinks “Survivor” sucks because the game is a mix of surviving the elements and blindsiding your friends. He’s seen this show, hasn’t he?

Voting Time: Katie votes for Penner, Penner votes for Katie, and the rest of the votes remain a secret. Unless you ask Carter, cause he’ll straight up tell you.

Some tallying takes place. We’ve got one vote for Katie, one vote for Penner, one vote for Katie, and the seventh person to leave “Survivor: Philippines” is…Katie.

For some reason, Katie doesn’t take advantage of this chance to make out with Jeff Probst.

Verdict: Another interesting episode, but it’s getting too easy to predict the booted players. Thank goodness it looks like the merge is next. We’ve been waiting too long for this Tandang explosion.

Who’s Going to Win: I hate to jinx Malcolm more than I already have, but he is in an amazing position. He’s the Tandangian with the least amount of heat on him. Not only that, but he has an idol and is probably about to reunite with Denise. Team Malcolm FTW.

Power Rankings Results: Blam! Kat and I called it as we both had Katie in spot twelve. The current score is Team Kat: 80, Team Awesome Thunder: 85.

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

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings: Round Five

October 23, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

The Rules: Each week Kat and Gordon 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 Artis is voted out this week, Kat will receive 10 points and Gordon will receive 9 points. The person with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the ‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings champion!

Last Week: Kat killed it last week. She had Dana in spot fourteen and Dawson in spot thirteen for a total of twenty seven points. I was right behind her with Dana in fourteenth and Dawson in twelfth for a total of twenty six. The current score is Team Kat: 68, Team Awesome Thunder 73.

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: Philippines

Kat’s Current Score: 68

Any advice for Kat? Drop her a line on Twitter: @KatEdorsson

Gordon’s Current Score: 73

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Malcolm: Champ, Champ, Champ!! And the crowd goes wild!! Really enjoying watching Malcolm strive for victory within his new tribe. During the immunity challenge Malcolm proved to be a great asset and in addition to this, Pete tells Malcolm about his idol solidifying an alliance within the remaining six tribe members. His chances are looking great right now!
  1. Malcolm: Welcome back to the top, Malcolm. You probably would have been in good shape no matter which buff you pulled out of the bag, but Tandang is probably the best situation for you. Add an idol to that equation and you’ve got an impressive turnaround in the game.
 2. Lisa: Nothing out of the ordinary to say about Miss “Facts of Life”.  She is my “Survivor: Philippines” Lamb and I can’t tell you how important it really is to cruise under the radar at this point in the game. Still looking beautiful!  2. Pete: Wow, I was a little shocked at how quickly Pete spilled the beans to Malcolm. Malcolm doesn’t need to know that you guys have the idol. He just needs to know how to vote.
 3. Pete: Right now, Pete seems to have his tribe wrapped around his fingers. Believing Malcolm has joined his alliance, Pete seems to be sitting pretty. However, can someone please tell the man the “pink hoodie” has already been trademarked…by me!  3. Abi-Maria: Are we seeing a situation where Pete is going to make all the decisions while fiery Abi takes all the bullets? That’s a good way to get to the end, but not a good way to win.

  4. Abi-Maria: Her alliance and her idol will get her far, but pulling a “Hantz” will never give you the win. People have to eventually like you. Hopefully she will warm up soon, if not there is no hope! With her temper she would be great to take to the finals!  4. Jeff Kent: The power struggle in the red tribe is over and the Kalabros have won. Although, I’ll have to rename them now that Denise is on board. However, if Penner is already making moves toward some kind of returnee alliance with Skup, Kent will have to nip that in the bud. I bet he’ll have the votes he needs, too.

  5. Penner: How I love these three amigos! This tripod containing Penner, Carter, and Jeff Kent is fantastic, no offense, ladies, but I’m happy to see some strategy going on. I’d like to see how Penner wiggled his way out of being the first boot to now the strongest alliance with an idol and my favorite Denise!
  5. Carter:  We haven’t heard much from Carter on the show, but Dana had sure heard more than enough from him. That makes me wonder if he doesn’t have a great grasp on the way people view him.
 6. Jeff Kent: Jeff is making the moves and playing the game! Pulling Denise in was great strategy and just their luck, two girls were eliminated!  6. Lisa: Mark my words, Lisa Whelchel is going deep into this game. If Tandang hits the merge with numbers (and it looks like they’re gonna) she’s going to coast for a long time. Tootie would be so proud.
 7. Carter: Good Morning Sweet Carter, welcome to “Survivor”!! How in the world did he get to the safety zone! He could possibly have a shot at this game! Did you see how fast he hit that immunity challenge; they probably could have won if Katie wasn’t dragging that tail! I have high hopes for this kid if he makes the merge for individual immunity. However, his only downfall seems to be how gullible he is. This kind of a player might need a second round of “Survivor” to really understand the game. “Survivor” is mentally challenging, don’t forget! But it’s nice to finally meet you!
  7. Denise: Denise is going to have to walk a bit of a tightrope. It’s probably pretty safe to assume that Katie is going home the next time Kalabaw loses immunity, but then what? Can she relate to Kent and Penner better than Carter? She’d better hope so.
 8. Denise: This is my hands-down favorite woman in this game, and I believe she will come out harder and stronger than any competitor because of how self motivated she is. She never complains, keeps her head up, and is given her spot on Kalabaw that she so rightfully deserves. She has an alliance with Malcolm with an idol plus she has been invited to the three amigos alliance making it a newly found quad. So, I believe she will be safe and continue to play this game.
  8. Penner:  Oh boy, it looks like Penner and Skupin might share loving looks during this week’s immunity challenge. Not smart. Whenever it looks like you’re cozying up with the enemy it never turns out well. (See Elrod, Matt)
 9. Michael: Skupin, you’re still my favorite and I love how big of a competitor you are! But, with Pete with the upper hand you might need to look out! As of now the tribe remains strong and I’m hoping to see if Malcolm comes to you with some new information to cause a flaw and give you and RC a fighting chance!  9. Artis: Malcolm pulling the yellow buff was great for him, and less great for some of the other guys. If Pete trusts Malcolm enough to share the whole gameplan, what does he think of Artis? And, what’s going on with Artis flipping out in this week’s challenge?
 10. Artis: I still stand by how I felt last week. Artis might be on the strongest tribe which could be the only reason why he is still in this game. Let’s say it together . One, Two, Threeeee “SOCIALIZE!!!” Please before you’re out of this game!! Outwit, outplay, outlast!! Play the game and hurry!  10. Michael: Now that Malcolm’s playing for Team Tandang, the young ‘uns can send Skup packing without really losing any challenge strength. The only thing working in his favor right now is how badly Abi wants to boot RC.
  11. RC: Come on RC, do something! Anything! What a shame, RC is a great competitor and I’m sad to say but I think she’s a goner. Abi gives her the stink eye if she even looks at Malcolm which means they will be coming for her if their tribe loses this week. It will be RC hands down. Pete and Abi are in control and these are the times I feel lucky to have been blindsided because feeling isolated in “Survivor” like “TroyZan” is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
  11. RC: Sorry, RC…I can’t imagine Malcolm being “booty blinded” twice in the same game. You need a merge in the worst way.
 12. Katie: You’re so cute and I’m happy I was able to hear you speak last episode, but your tribe is targeting you as their weakest link. And, you’re the only girl because let’s face it; Denise is not a chick, she’s a beast and she’s rolling with the fellas!
  12. Katie: Dana’s illness really turned the tide of this game over at Kalabeach. If she sticks around and Dawson is right about Denise joining the ladies, then the Kalabros are in the minority. From there it’s up to Penner to pick the right person to protect with his idol. Instead, Denise joins the guys, and Katie and Dawson are lined up on the chopping block. I’ll be sorry to see my fellow Delawarean take the long, lonely walk.

Watch ‘Survivor: Philippines’ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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