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'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” finale fun. We’ll have the last round of the Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, Wednesday night we’ll bring you a recap of the last episode, and this Thursday we’ll have an interview with this season’s winner and the rest of the final four. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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Gordon Holmes: There’s an old entertainment adage that says a show usually doesn’t peak until its 28th season.
Jeff Probst: (Laughs)
Holmes: Now that you’re here and you’re clearly having one of the best seasons ever, how does that feel?
Probst: We never thought we’d get here. And you and I have talked for years about that elusive 28. You patted me on my back…and on my (expletive deleted).
Holmes: I did what?
Probst: So, to actually get here now, it made the pain worth it. It made the wait worth it. And now I’m looking to that next elusive number, 68.

Holmes: Now that you’re beating “American Idol” in the ratings, tell me you’ve given Seacrest some grief about it.
Probst: I’ve actually not talked to Ryan at all about it. And in fairness, Ryan never called me once to say “Hey, we’re beating you.” (Laughs) I would never call Ryan to say that. I know what it’s like to be on a show and every morning you wake up and the first email we get is, “Hey! You’re great! You’re awesome!” or “Hey, we didn’t do so well. You suck.” And really, if you look at the ratings, it’s very rewarding to beat “Idol” from a show standpoint, because “Idol” has been such a dominant force for so many years. But if you look deeper in the ratings, it says less about us beating “Idol” and more about our audience isn’t going anywhere.
Holmes: Yeah, you guys have held that number for so long. Even changing nights.
Probst: In television, flat is the new up. And while our ratings don’t grow, they don’t go anywhere. It’s what I’ve been saying to you for at least five or six years, that our relationship with our audience is very rare, and very unique. And they feel that, they believe it when we say we make the show for you. We spend all year thinking about two seasons and casting. We think through it. And we’ve been very lucky that the last four season have been some of the best we’ve ever done.
Holmes: I would second that emotion. When we were out there for “Blood vs. Water” I was not liking the twists. Then when I saw it in action I had to admit I was wrong…which I hate doing.
Probst: (Laughs)

Holmes: But, I’m going to have to admit to being wrong again. I had Spencer ranked 17th out of 18 in my pre-game rankings. And you, my friend, said he had no chance of winning. How were we so wrong?
Probst: Gordon, I can’t think of anyone I’ve been more wrong about. I was so adamant with Spencer before the game. My deal with Spencer was, “Yeah, you’re very smart and you’re clearly a student of the game. And you’re not even that unlikable once you stop talking.”
Holmes: (Laughs)
Probst: “But, your arrogance combined with your lack of life experience…you just won’t have enough to get through.” I would love to think that Spencer heard some of that and that’s why he made the remarkable turnaround. I think it was day 15 that I said to myself, “I was completely wrong. That is an awesome young man. He’s playing his butt off. And when this is over I’ve got to let him know that he was right and I was wrong.” He’s a cool kid, I really like Spencer. Not only is he someone we’d invite back, but I enjoy going toe-to-toe with him. He’s not unlike you in that…
Holmes: (Laughs) OK, here we go.
Probst: He has very strong opinions and he can back them up. It doesn’t mean it’s personal. It’s just what he thinks.
Holmes: I thought you were going to say I’m not that unlikable once I stop talking.
Probst: (Laughs) No, I think Spencer beats anybody except Tony. That’s the one I’m not sure about. Because it’s a final two…and they don’t know that yet. Everybody always assumes they know everything about the game. And usually they’re right. And every so often they’re not. They figure it out in the final episode. Somebody figures it out. Somebody says, “Wait a second, something’s wrong here.” They start doing some math. And all of the sudden everybody starts to panic that the game they’ve laid out so beautifully for the last 37 days may be in trouble.

[iframe http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/watch/Survivor%3A-Cagayan/7054975368782091112/256848963800/Survivor—Season-28-Finale-(Preview)/embed 580 476]

Holmes: What was the reasoning behind returning to the classic final two?
Probst: I don’t remember the reasoning…
Holmes: Is it because I’ve been whining about it for years?
Probst: No, well…part of it is that. I know you study the show and want us to try it again. I’m still on the final three for my own personal reasons. But it comes down to numbers. If we start a season with 20, you could make a guess that it’s going to be a final three. If we start a season with 18, there’s a chance we could do a final two. It depends, sometimes on something we didn’t anticipate happening. Like, if we lost three people due to medical injuries, we might have to change and go to a final two because we’ve run out of people. I don’t think that’s ever happened. But, we’re always prepared for it.

Watch Every Episode of ‘Survivor: Cagayan’

Holmes: During Jefra’s exit interview, she referred to Tony as a “wannabe Russell Hantz.” Do you agree or disagree with her assessment?
Probst: No, I know where Jefra is going in that Tony plays a very aggressive game. But, maybe it’s just me, I don’t see Tony as unlikable. I see him as a villain that it’s fun to root against, and he may be too aggressive. And he seems to fly by the seat of his pants, although I’m sure he’d argue that it’s all very well thought out. But, I saw Russell as kind of a mean person. And I don’t think Tony is a mean person. He’s playing hard.

Holmes: I think Tony and Spencer are the favorites. But is there anything Kass can do at this point to win?
Probst: I think for Kass it comes down to…she has to be against the right person. If I were Kass I’d want to be against Tony. And I think she’s got a chance. I think it really does come down to your ability to sway somebody who’s probably 99% sure of what they’re going to do. She’ll have to call on those warrior skills. And get people to forgive her smirk. Which I think is half the reason people don’t like her. It’s her smirk. And I don’t even know if that’s something she’s aware of. If you vote someone out and you’re smiling, that’s salt on a wound. But, I do think she could win. The argument I would make would not start off with “I’m sorry.” I don’t get that at all. They get suckered by these faces in the jury who are over there making these mean faces. If I played I’d say, “I’ve been watching you guys for the last 15 days, and I know you’re mad at me and you want me to know that you’re mad at me. And now I’m going to ask you for something. We’ve all played this game together, it’s going to go down in history as a complete game. So, would you please vote the way you would have voted in a year? In a year you won’t be so emotional, and reason will take over. And I reason right now that I kicked all of your asses. And I did it so handily that it left a mark. So give me the vote, don’t give it to this idiot next to me.”
Holmes: (Laughs) It’s certainly unique.
Probst: We both know that every speech starts with, “I want to thank all of you for being a part of an amazing adventure.” Nobody cares, dude. No one cares!
Holmes: I’m a big believer in; just admit you lied. Even if you didn’t lie, say you lied.
Probst: Yes! Exactly!

Holmes: OK, how does Woo win?
Probst: What if Woo’s story was this; “I know I’m easy to look past. And I know I didn’t make big flashy moves. And I never yelled and screamed about my accomplishments. Well, let me tell you why; I am from the world of martial arts. And if I win a gold medal at the Olympics, I don’t jump up and down. I go hug the guy I beat. That’s how I’m raised. I hope you appreciate that I didn’t do what Tony did. I wasn’t like Kass and flipped people off. I didn’t make big gestures like Spencer. My heart was pumping for 39 days and I’m here, and you’re not. And I’m likable. You like me.” I think he’s got a shot.

Holmes: Alright, I have a new game for us. I’m going to give you a statement, you tell me which of the final four it best applies to. So, either Woo, Kass, Tony, or Spencer. It’s like a lightning round…
Probst: OK.
Holmes: Which player will be cheered the loudest at the finale?
Probst: Spencer.
Holmes: Which player would you most like to have a beer with.
Probst: (Laughs) Spencer.
Holmes: Which player had the hardest time physically?
Probst: Good one…this four did really well. I’m going to say Spencer.
Holmes: Which player would you trust with your money?
Probst: Woo.
Holmes: Which player will get booed loudest at the finale?
Probst: Kass…wait…maybe Tony? Wait, lightning round…I said Kass…I’m going to stay with Kass.
Holmes: Which player deserves to be in the final four the least?
Probst: None of them. And this is not blowing smoke. You know I’m honest. I think this is one of the best final fours we’ve ever had.
Holmes: Which player is most likely to be asked back?
Probst: Man…three of the four. Tony, Spencer, and Kass are definitely on the list. And depending on how it finishes, maybe Woo too.
Holmes: Which player was the most different from when you met them at casting?
Probst: Spencer.

Holmes: When I interviewed Lindsey, she wanted to pitch you a boxing match between her and Trish at the finale. What are your thoughts on this?
Probst: No. (Laughs) I think Lindsey made a really wise move. I think she showed a lot of maturity that she was about to make a mistake in character and do something she would not be proud of.  People have asked why I let her off so easy, I don’t always give someone a hard time when they’re quitting. There’s always context. And I think Lindsey’s context was I’m afraid I’m going to say or do something I regret. I respect that.

Don’t miss the finale of “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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Last Week: The accountant had trouble a-counting and was sent a-packing.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

Quick Note: Ciera got me her Power Rankings right under the wire…and they’re identical to mine. She had Tony in first, Trish in second, Kass in third, Woo in fourth, and poor Spencer in fifth. So, this episode is a push no matter what.

The fun starts off after Tribal and the rains are a comin’ down. Also coming down is Spencer’s respect for Woo. He calls him out on going back on their final-three deal. Kass has his back though, saying that everyone lies in the game.

Kass then lets us know that it’s smart to stick with Tony because he’s upset everyone. Yeah, but that strategy works best when you yourself haven’t upset everyone in the game.

Later on, Tony and Woo discuss who to take to the final three. Tony agrees with me that Kass couldn’t get any votes unless she was sitting with King Joffrey and an IRS agent.

However, he’s very concerned with how well Woo could do in front of the jury. As he should be, but Spencer is much more liked that Woo, and he’d have the underdog story.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will cover themselves with mud and then scrape the mud into a bucket. The person with the most mud after ten minutes wins 40 immunity idols.

Just kidding, they’ll get hot pizza delivered to the camp. No word on if those pizzas will have all the fixins.

The challenge starts off and there’s not much to describe except for…people in the mud.

The ten minutes ends and it looks like Tony has won. His bucket literally overfloweth. They don’t even measure it.

Oh wait! Probst does say all the fixins will be on the pizza! Dude never lets us down.

Tony’s allowed to share and he chooses “Anorexia.” Trish assumes that’s her and dubs herself “Malnu-trish-a.” Meanwhile, I’m starting to feel uncomfortable with the message we’re sending here.

Back at camp, Kass does her best Ed Grimley impersonation with the mud in her hair. I can respect that. She’s also psyched that Tony picked Trish because that shows how closely aligned they are.

While they’re enjoying their pizza, Tony admits to having both idols. However, Tony tells her that the power idol can be used at final four when it’s actually only good at final five. Oooo…smart. Although, that does seem a little unfair that they weren’t all told the rules of the idols.

Later on, Tony tells Kass that Woo told him that she was gunning for him. He says he’s cool with it and wants to take her to the end. He even swears on his mother and child. Kass immediately tells Woo that Tony said that he’d take her to final three. It’s almost like you can’t trust people on “Survivor.”

Tony doesn’t appreciate this, so he compares Kass to a llama and follows it up with a pretty solid llama impersonation.

I’m thinking it’s smart to keep Kass around, but don’t strategize with her at all.

Eventually, Woo starts to realize that Tony might not want to take him to the end. Spencer chimes in and says that getting rid of Trish would be a way to get rid of Tony’s power. Kass agrees. Trish overhears this and is not pleased.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race to complete a tethered puzzle. From there they’ll complete a ladder puzzle. From there they’ll complete a stair puzzle. From there they’ll complete a slide puzzle. First person to complete the slide puzzle wins themselves some immunity.

Also…PUZZLES!

Tony is the first one through the braided puzzle. He’s followed by Trish and Kass.

Tony is also the first one through the ladder portion as he builds a solid lead. In fact, he’s finishing up the stairs just as Spencer gets up his ladder.

Spencer eventually joins Tony on the slide puzzle.

Fun Fact: Slide puzzles aren’t that hard if you know the trick of isolating sections.

Unfortunately for Tony, he doesn’t know that trick. Spencer passes him and wins immunity.

Back at camp, Trish wastes no time getting in Kass’s face. (Oh man, yes!)

Tony tries to make peace between the two, but Trish is all revved up.

Kass thinks that Trish looks like Skeletor with her bulging eyes. But Kass, Skeletor doesn’t have eyes. She must be thinking of Moss Man.

Tony, Woo, and Trish head out to talk strategy. Woo wants to know if Tony told Kass that he was going to take her to final three. Tony admits it, but only because he knew she was targeting him. Tony swears on his wife, kid, and deceased father that he’s with Woo.

Why do people buy into swearing on family members? What is a swear worth in “Survivor”?

Later on, Woo approaches Kass and Spencer and tells them that he wants to boot Trish. However, it seems like Tony overheard it.

What’s the big deal? Just give your regular idol to Trish. They’ll vote for her and he’ll still get to keep his final four idol ruse.

That night at Tribal Council, Kass calls Trish a wild, blue-eyed banshee.

Trish thinks that Kass is always the victim. She riles people up, then doesn’t back it up.

Spencer is loving life. As he should. He’s happy that they had to turn on each other sooner.

Woo thinks it’s three brawn vs. two brains. Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that.

Tony thinks Kass is delusional. He then does a hilarious Kass impersonation.

Kass follows this up with a Tony impersonation. I support this strategy. This is fun.

Woo thinks they’re a messed up family where he’s the foreign exchange student.

Tony says he’s safe because he has a billion idols. He then produces two of them.

Voting Time: Spencer votes for Trish, Trish votes for Kass (and recommends a book on self awareness), and the rest of the votes are secret.

J-Pro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone would like to play an idol. Tony gives Jeff his idol even though he thinks he doesn’t need it.

We’ve got one vote for Trish, one vote for Kass, one vote for Trish, and the fourteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the seventh member of the jury is…Trish.

What the what?!

And, Kass gives Trish the middle finger as she’s leaving.

#ClassyKass

Verdict: Wow…just wow.

Rare misstep from Tony. He could’ve avoided that whole thing if he’d played the idol correctly.

EDIT: Hold the phone. Tony actually voted for Trish! Well now I really don’t know what to think.

Also, I usually don’t do the season rankings thing, I’ll leave that to “Entertainment Weekly’s” Dalton Ross. But this one has got to be teetering on the verge of the top five.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera and I both had Trish in spot two. And, due to the new rules, we’re doubling the points. So, the current score is Team Ciera 90, Team Gordon 103.

Who’s Going to Win? If Spencer gets to the final three, he wins. If not, it’s got to be Tony.

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

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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Quick Note: Unfortunately, Ciera had to cancel her participation at the last minute. So, this week’s picks will be pulled from a “Survivor: Gabon” coffee mug.

Another Quick Note: To spice things up between now and the finale, the two combatants will be playing for DOUBLE THE POINTS! (Exciting, right?)

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode (times two!) will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 10 points and Gordon will receive 8 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had Tasha in the 3rd spot, Gordon had her in the 6th spot. And, due to the new rules, we’re doubling the points. So, the current score is Team Ciera 86, Team Gordon 99.

Ciera’s Score = 86 Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin	Gordon’s Score = 99 Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
	1. Tony – Team TV is marching to the final four unless Tyler Perry has another magic idol that negates all other idols. (Don’t get any ideas there, Probst.) Right now the only thing that can stop Tony is Spencer making it to the end. He’d better hope the next immunity isn’t a chess tournament.
	2. Trish – If there were a “Survivor” SAT, I think a good analogy would be Tony is to Trish what Tyson is to Monica. It may seem like Tony and Trish aren’t that close and that Trish is mad that Tony keeps going behind her back, but I’m betting they’re much closer than we’re seeing.
	3. Kass – Did Kass make the right move last week? If her plan is to go to the end and hope that the jury views Tony the same way past juries have viewed Russell Hantz, then she’s probably in for a rude awakening. It doesn’t seem like Tony has nearly as much heat as Mr. Hantz had in Samoa and…well…other Samoa. And even if he does, the third finalist will probably get more votes than Kass.
	4. Woo –  Here’s my pitch, CBS…Woo goes to different needy schools and entertains the kids while Spencer looks on and makes snarky comments. It’ll be like “The Odd Couple” meets “Extreme Makeover: School Edition.” It’s a license to print money.
	5. Spencer – Probst said Spencer had no chance of winning “Survivor.” I had him ranked 17th out of 18 players for this season. And yet, here he is…two immunity wins away from a million-dollar check. Unfortunately, I think that’s the only way he can get there, because the others would be foolish to keep him around.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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

'Survivor: Cagayan (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

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Last Week: Tony found another idol, while Spencer blew his dough. Latasha won immunity, and Jefra had to go.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

After our latest blindsidey Tribal, Trish tells Tony that she understands why he did what he did because Jefra was going to target him. Kass, however, isn’t thrilled with being in the dark on two different votes. She’s sick of Tony’s condescending tone and calls him a jerk.

Tony tries to apologize, but she won’t accept it, just saying, “Good for you.”

Kass is just scoopin’ up those future jury votes.

The next morning, Tony shares cop stories with Woo and Spencer, saying he’s been shot at three times. Cops always have the best stories. Nothing cool ever happens at my desk.

Kass overhears these stories and thinks Tony was talking smack about her. Spencer knows Tony wasn’t talking trash, but chooses not to clear up the situation. Smart.

Later, Kass tells Tony that she’s going to vote for him and that he should play his idol. He tells her that she’ll go home if she votes for him.

Then, Tony admits to having a “special” idol. Kass doesn’t buy it. Yeah, because one guy having two idols is ridiculous.

Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will break into two teams of three. They’ll throw beanbags at the opposing team’s wall/puzzle. After one tribe’s wall is completely knocked over, they’ll race to put their own wall back together. First team to complete their wall wins a trip to a local elementary school where they’ll be bringing school supplies to kids.

Aww…I love these kinds of charitable rewards. They should do more of them.

Alright, we’ve got Tasha, Trish, and Tony on one side (Team T!) and Woo, Kass, and Spencer on the other.

The Survivors are ready, and they go.

The first round is pretty even with Team WooKaSp getting all of the blocks down first.

Spencer and Latasha both pull puzzle duty.  Good call sending out the brainy players.

Latasha jumps out to a big lead, but Spencer manages to DIG DEEP and pass her to win.

At the reward, Spencer admits that he doesn’t like kids. But as the day went on his heart grew three sizes and broke the heart-measuring device.

Afterwards, Woo put on a martial arts/basketball exhibition. And it was adorable. Way to be, Woo.

Later on, Kass puts together a plan to flush Tony’s idol. But which idol, Kass? He couldn’t possibly have a second magic one.

Spencer seems into it, but Woo’s on the fence. Well yeah, Spencer should do any move that saves his skin at this point.

On the way back to camp, Woo tells Kass that he’s in. Interesting…

Tony asks Woo if there was any strategy talk. He tells them that Kass and Spencer are targeting Tasha. Tony doesn’t buy it because that’s a bad move for Spencer.

You know, it’s fun to paint Tony as a hyperactive dolt. But, that’s not even close to accurate. He’s super sharp.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race out and count the number of items at six different stations. They’ll then use those numbers to complete a combo lock. First person to unlock a club and smash a tile wins immunity.

Why do they bother having these challenges? Just give the necklace to Latasha.

The challenge starts off and it’s hard to tell who’s doing well.  Kass is the first to think she has all six numbers. She doesn’t. Neither does Tony, Spencer, or Woo. Latasha and Trish don’t have it right either.

The counting continues for 40 hours. (I’m bad at counting too.) Eventually Spencer wins it and is awarded Latasha’s necklace.

Back at camp, the voting block of Tasha, Woo, Spencer, and Kass decide to split the vote between Trish and Tony.

Latasha does a good job of playing up that she thinks she’s a goner, but Tony doesn’t buy it because she isn’t scrambling. Tony tells everyone he’s going to play his idol in case Tasha has one.

Later on, Kass and Latasha both compare Tony to “Survivor” Hall of Famer Russell Hantz. This makes Kass consider keeping Tony around because he’d be a good person to take to the end. Sorry Kass, you’re not Natalie White. Natalie had a social game.

That night at Tribal Council, Latasha hopes people realize Tony is a threat.

Tony admits that he’s worried because Tasha wasn’t scrambling. And for that reason, he brought his Bag of Tricks(TM).

Tasha thinks Tony is a much bigger threat than her.

Tony believes his alliance is tight and loyal to each other.

Kass disagrees because they’re getting so close to the end. She then admits that tonight’s the night to flush one of Tony’s 30 idols.

Woo thinks they should flush the idols because Tony can dictate who stays and goes. Psst…he’s in your alliance, Woo.

Tony hopes his alliance sticks together and that Latasha goes home.

Kass thinks it’s fun to fantasize about the final three, but you have to get there first. She hopes tonight is a blindside.

Voting Time: Tony votes for Tasha, Spencer votes for Tony, Tasha votes for Trish, and the rest of the votes will have to wait.

J-Pro tallies and returns. When asked if anyone would like to play an idol, nobody does. DUN DUN DUN!

We’ve got one vote for Tasha, one vote for Tony, one vote for Trish, one vote for Tasha, and the thirteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the sixth member of the jury is…Latasha.

Verdict: The choice seemed obvious. It’s clearly time for threats like Spencer or Latasha to go…but it was still mega stressful! I don’t think Kass is playing a good social game, but she’s thinking of all the angles. Between her and Tony, this season has been way cray.

And way awesome.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had Tasha in the 3rd spot, I had her in the 6th spot. And, due to the new rules, we’re doubling the points. So, the current score is Team Ciera 86, Team Gordon 99.

Who’s Going to Win? If there is a Natalie White this season, it isn’t Kass…it’s Trish.

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

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

Last Week: The cast was stalked by a pile of sticks that carried a magic idol. Also, Jeremiah said, “Good bye, ya!”

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Solarrion Tribe (wearing black)
Jefra – Miss Kentucky Teen USA, 22
Kassandra – Attorney, 41
Latasha – Accountant, 37
Spencer – Economics Student, 21
Tony – Police Officer, 39
Trish – Pilates Trainer, 48
Woo – Martial Arts Instructor, 29

Things start off with the Jeremiah-less Solarrion returning from Tribal. Kass tells Spencer that she  knew he had the idol because he wasn’t as mean to her as he usually was. He’s impressed with how well she read him. Dude, if people can read you by your level of meanness, your social game might be a tad off.

Kass then follows that up by saying that college-aged men are the most selfish people. In the background you can hear Twitter revving up.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will bid on items in an auction. The person who bids the most will receive the item. It really isn’t much of a challenge.

Tony lets us know that he’s going all-in for the challenge advantage. Smart.

First up is popcorn, candy, and soda. Trish wins it for $80.

Next we’ve got a covered item. Jefra gets it for $100, but Latasha was bidding on it. (Not smart.) Probst uncovers it and it’s a quesadilla, guacamole, and a margarita.

The third item is also covered. Kass takes it for $20. Probst gives her the choice of a second item. She goes with the original item and gets a steak sandwich and ice tea.

Probst puts the item Kass didn’t pick up for auction and Trish claims it for $60. It’s water and rice. Hilarious.

Woo wins ribs and a beer for $40. For some reason they play some slow, sexy sax music as he eats it. He and Probst exchange lustful adjectives, but Woo doesn’t receive a Brandon Hantz shoulder massage.

The advantage is next. Instead of letting the top bidder take it, the top bidders will have to pull rocks for it. Spencer and Tony both bid the full amount. Latasha chooses not to.

Spencer and Tony pull rocks and Tony wins it.

The auction ends and Latasha gets nothing. Well, maybe they’ll let her keep the money.

Back at camp, Kass is super psyched that she got to eat and Spencer got a rock. Aw…it’s like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

Meanwhile, Tony is annoyed that all of his alliance mates got to eat while he got to watch.

Tony sneaks out to read his advantage, and it’s not help in the challenge, it’s yet another idol clue.  He goes a huntin’ but comes up empty handed.  I swear, this season has more idols than reward barbecues have fixin’s.

Later on, Tony is a little concerned that a women’s alliance is forming. Spencer feeds Tony’s paranoia by telling him that Jefra was willing to make a big move at final seven. Spencer’s a smarty.

Annoyed with the women possibly conspiring, Tony runs out and finds himself his 43rd idol. He promptly shows it to his alliance and tells them it’s for everyone.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will dig up bags in the sand. Once they have all five bags they’ll use the balls that are inside the bags to complete a table maze. First person to get all five balls to the end wins immunity.

The challenge starts off and everyone is doing well except for Kass and Trish.

Latasha is the first one to start the maze.  She’s so far ahead that she manages to get two balls to the end before a second person even gets to the maze portion.

Woo eventually makes it close, but Latasha’s lead was too much to surmount. Latasha wins immunity for the third straight time.

Politicking around camp seems nice and easy with everyone targeting Spencer, but Latasha is doing her best to plant seeds for an all-lady alliance.

Sure enough, Tony doesn’t like the idea of Spencer going home and the men being down in numbers four to two. So, he wants to target Jefra. Man, keeping Spencer and Latasha around is dangerous.

That night at Tribal Council, Tony says that Spencer told him that Jefra was going to flip on him. So, he reaches into his bag of tricks(TM) and pulls out one of his 73 hidden immunity idols.

Spencer believes the chaos in the dominant alliance is great.

Jefra is worried that the people on the bottom are trying to stir things up.

Spencer thinks he played well and can go home with his head held high. But,  if he and Tasha go home the people who finish fifth and fourth made a mistake. Wow, great line.

Voting Time: Kass votes for Spencer, Spencer votes for Jefra, and the rest of the votes totally happened, but we’re not going to get to see them until the credits.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, one vote for Spencer, one vote for Jefra, and the twelfth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Cagayan” and the fifth member of the jury is…Jefra.

Verdict: I don’t hate that move. At a final five, Trish’s best play is to team with Jefra and Kass. So Tony had to break that up when he could. However, he’d better hope that Trish maintains the loyalty that helped them survive the LJ blindside.

Also, I don’t like the mega idol, the secondary idol, the tartar-control idol, or the caffeine-free diet wild cherry idol.

But, I love this season.

Who’s Going to Win? Unless Latasha continues her winning ways, I think we’re headed to a Woo/Tony/Trish final three. If Tony can keep from rubbing too many people the wrong way, he’ll take it.

Power Rankings Results: Ciera had Jefra in spot five. I had her in spot six. So, the current score is Team Ciera 80, Team Gordon 87.

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

'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7054975368782091112″ program_type=”series”]

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Woo is voted out this week, Ciera will receive 4 points and Gordon will receive 3 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Cagayan” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week’s Results: Ciera had Jeremiah in spot six, Gordon had him in spot five. So, the current score is Team Ciera 75, Team Gordon 81.

Ciera’s Score = 75 Any advice for Ciera? Drop her a line on Twitter: @cieraeastin	Gordon’s Score = 81 Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. Tony – Considering Tony has a crazy hidden immunity idol that allows him to see the votes before he can use it…I don’t see him going anywhere this week.	1. Tony – Ah…the easiest rank I’ve ever had to rank. Tony isn’t going anywhere because of the super idol. So, we might as well look ahead to his road to the million. At this point, the only thing I can see that can stop him is a Jefra/Kass/Trish alliance. He probably can’t get rid of Trish without becoming a full bad guy, so he might gun for Jefra.
2. Kass – Kass is close enough with the Tony-Trish alliance and also not on the radar of the Spencer-Tasha alliance. She been very under the radar ever since her big backstab, but she is also unpredictable and a possible swing vote when it starts to get lower in numbers.	2. Kass – Why should Kass worry? She’s everyone’s dream date for the final three. It doesn’t seem like she has any friends on the jury, and her resume is full of unpopular moves.
3. Trish – Trish is coming off like Tony’s puppet. I would love to see her make a move against him at some point, but it wouldn’t be smart for her to make that move just yet. Tony seems to be closest with Trish so I don’t think he would use that idol to get rid of her. And she’s not a big enough threat to the others.	3. Woo – Do you want to be the guy who lost your shot at a million dollars because you fell out of a tree? Stay on the ground, buddy. And while you’re there, realize how tough to beat Tony and Trish are becoming.
4. Woo –  Woo should stick with Tony for a while longer, because Tony will always be a bigger threat than Woo. He seems like he gets along well with everyone, hard working around camp and preforming good in the challenges. He also hasn’t had to get any blood on his hands yet which could make for a great speech to the jury.	4. Trish – I think Trish is in the most interesting position in the game. She can probably win at a final three if she gets there with the right people. Tasha and Spencer have too many friends on the jury and the majority of the jurors will probably respect Tony’s gameplay enough to give him the prize. So, the trick will be keeping Woo, Kass, and Jefra around long enough to make a move on Tony.
5. Jefra –  Jefra has shown her alliance that she doesn’t completely trust Tony. There is always a bottom in an alliance…and that bottom person is definitely Jefra. Will Jefra make a move to try and further her game? …Doubt it.	5. Spencer – A tough call between Latasha and Spencer this week, but Latasha seems to be better liked and I think Latasha is seen as more of a challenge threat. Also, Spencer has serious “Survivor” chops. You just know he’s going to save all of his auction money for a challenge advantage.
6. Latasha –  Now that Jeremiah is gone the girls do have the advantage here with numbers. Maybe just maybe Tasha can pull some girl power and get an all-female alliance going. But it probably won’t matter now that Tony has that hidden immunity idol.	6. Jefra – I got some grief for being harsh to Jefra in my last recap when I said she couldn’t beat anyone at a final Tribal. Well, I take that back, she could probably beat Kass. Unfortunately for Jefra, the days of the final two have gone the same was as visible luxury items. Also unfortunately for Jefra, she’s the best target in a group that threatens Big-Move Tony.
7. Spencer – Tasha and Spencer are very clearly on the bottom. I hate when an episode turns out to be so predictable so I am hoping I am wrong about this. But unless Spencer can pull out an immunity challenge win, he’s probably the next to go.	7. Latasha – Yeah, I know Latasha has been on the bottom of my rankings forever, but that’s because she’s the one person I think that could beat everyone else at the final Tribal. Add to that her challenge prowess, and you have someone that people will be eager to get rid of quickly.

Don’t miss “Survivor: Cagayan” this Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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