More Whatnot

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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Last Week: Varner spilled his M.O., Abi got P.O.’d, and Peih-Gee was K.O.’d

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

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

The Angkor Tribe (wearing yellow)
Abi – Philippines
Andrew – Pearl Islands
Jeff – The Australian Outback
Tasha – Cagayan
Woo – Cagayan

The Bayon Tribe (wearing pink)
Jeremy – San Juan del Sur
Kelly W. – Borneo
Kimmi – The Australian Outback
Monica – Samoa
Spencer – Cagayan
Stephen – Tocantins

The Ta Keo Tribe (wearing teal)
Ciera – Blood vs. Water
Joe – Worlds Apart
Kass – Cagayan
Keith – San Juan del Sur
Kelley W. – San Juan del Sur
Terry – Panama

Tonight’s fun kicks off after Tribal and Jeff can’t believe he’s still there. You and me both, buddy.

He tells Savage and Tasha that he’s always been loyal to Abi. Yeah, some people are loyal to their cigarette brands, and it doesn’t work out for them in the long run either.

Later, Tasha tells Woo that it should have been Varner that went home due to his rat-like activities after the challenge. She tells Woo that he isn’t going anywhere…which Abi takes issue with.

Abi then calls  Tasha out in front of everyone, saying that she doesn’t like her partnering up with someone who just voted for her. Here we go…

You know, people say Abi is erratic, but she always does the same thing…which is make people regret aligning with her.

The next morning at Bayon, Jeremy shows us his idol and it looks like an actual idol. Not a stick or a crayon or Barbie doll with one closed eye and missing hair. When Stephen asks if he has the idol, Jeremy says he hasn’t found it yet.

Reward Challenge Time: One player from each tribe will race out into the water and retrieve a sand bag. They’ll then try to teeter-totter the bag into a net. First person to score three bags gets a cookout. The second person gets some kitchen implements.

Hey, I remember reward challenges!

We’re going to have Savage going for Angkor, Jeremy for Bayon, and Terry for Ta Keo.

Leaving Joe on the bench?! Blasphemy!

We start off and Terry jumps out to an early lead due to his awesome teeter-totter skills. Savage manages to catch up on the second round.

Quick Aside: The trips to get the bags must be grueling. These guys look beat.

It comes down to Deitz and Savage with Andrew managing to pull out the win. Deitz claims second shortly after.

Back at Casa de Angkor, Andrew is truly a real American hero. Forget, Snake Eyes and Shipwreck.

They chow down on their dinner and craft their own Angkor chant. The food and merriment keep Abi from killing anyone’s face to death.

At Ta Keo, Kass admits that she was probably on the top of most people’s elimination lists coming in. But, she’s turned over a new leaf and is using self-help methods. Good for her. Strategically she has always been sound, it was her social game that needed work.

Kelley catches Kass playing arts and crafts on the beach and Kass shoos her away. Kelley thinks Kass was making a fake idol, but really she was making Kelley a birthday gift. Wha-huh? Shiny new Kass! Charismatic Kass?

That was seriously like in “Mortal Kombat” where you expect Sub-Zero to pull your spine out and instead he gives you a little doll of himself as a “Friendship.”

…that joke wasn’t for everyone.

At Bayon, Spencer starts the process of throwing Kelly under the bus. He tells the classic Bayonians that she’s close with Terry and Woo.

Monica doesn’t buy it though. Which is interesting, because I had forgot she was on this season.

Immunity Challenge Time:  Blindfolded players will stumble across a field looking for heavy puzzle pieces. A caller from each tribe will try to send them in the right directions. Once they have all of their pieces they’ll try to build a giant cube. The first two tribes to complete the puzzle will win immunity.

Fun Fact: Those puzzle pieces have been cursed to hit people in their most vulnerable parts.

Monica and Ciera will sit for their respective tribes.

Our callers are Jeff for Angkor, Kimmi for Bayon, and Kass for Ta Keo.

We start off and it’s pretty even. But Kass seems to be having trouble communicating. She’s screaming at Keith, but he can’t quite hear her.

Then the injuries happen. Pieces in the face, in the leg, in the crotch…they should play “Wacky Sax” over the montage.

Angkor gets all of their pieces back first, but all three teams are pretty close.

Bayon manages to fly through the puzzle and win it. And Angkor…is…just…drained. It’s like they’re not even trying. Ta Keo takes second place.

That was weird.

When it’s over, Savage admits that he had nothing left and has never experienced anything like it before. He is zonked. They’re all zonked. I think it’s obvious at this point that the twist of having a tribe that has nothing is simply too much of a disadvantage.

At camp, Tasha is debating aligning with Abi because she’s…you know…Abi. She wants to target Jeff because he could win Abi back.

Woo takes Abi aside and tells her that he’s worried that they’re losing all the old Ta Keons. He wants to target Varner, but Abi is still stuck on that whole him-voting-for-her-twice thing.

She asks Woo to put himself in her shoes. Don’t do it, Woo. She’ll accuse you of stealing them.

Later, Jeff tells Abi that he misses their buddy/buddy time. This actually seems to sway Abi a bit.

Oh man.

That night at Tribal, some flying insect scares the crap out of everyone. I swear, production must have an animal wrangler there to mess with the players.

Woo knows it’s between him and Varner. Abi agrees, but she doesn’t know who she should vote for.

Savage doesn’t think Varner is good at challenges, but he doesn’t want to face Woo at the merge.

Woo argues that the merge isn’t for a while. Savage, always expecting a terrible twist, says that they don’t know that.

Varner points out that he was loyal at the last Tribal Council. He then tells Tasha that they haven’t been talking, but he’ll stay loyal. He then pledges total loyalty to Abi.

Woo parries by saying that Varner has relationships with all of the classic Ta Keons.

Voting Time: Woo votes for Jeff, Jeff votes for Woo, and the rest are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Woo, two votes for Jeff, and the fourth person voted out of “Survivor: Second Chance” is…Jeff.

Aaaand…my curse is intact. Sorry, Varner.

Verdict: Jeff just played too hard and too fast and too high profile and too going to Tribal every stinking week. Man…I’m going to miss him.

That being said, making a new tribe start from scratch is just too much. I’ve never seen a tribe just stop during a challenge.

Who’s Going to Win? Gotta be Abi, right? Just kidding. Is there room on the Team Kelley bandwagon?

Power Rankings Results: Jenn and I called it this week. We both had Varner in spot seventeen. Max had him in fifteen. So, the current score is Team Jenn 48, Team Max 44, Team Gordon 36.

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

"Survivor: Second Chance" (XFINITY)

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

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Last Week: Abi and Terry’s unlikely friendship was a “Small Wonder.” Stephen continued to be “The Single Guy.” And Jeff showed Shirin “Who’s the Boss.”

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

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

The Bayon Tribe (wearing pink)
Andrew – Pearl Islands
Ciera – Blood vs. Water
Jeremy – San Juan del Sur
Joe – Worlds Apart
Kass – Cagayan
Keith – San Juan del Sur
Kimmi – The Australian Outback
Monica – Samoa
Tasha – Cagayan
Stephen – Tocantins

The Ta Keo Tribe (wearing teal)
Abi – Philippines
Jeff – The Australian Outback
Kelley W. – San Juan del Sur
Kelly W. – Borneo
Peih-Gee – China
Spencer – Cagayan
Terry – Panama
Woo – Cagayan

We kick things off at Casa de Ta Keo and Spencer is psyched to still be around. He tells everyone that’s he’s committing himself to making the team stronger. Peih-Gee does some foreshadowing by saying that things can change overnight.

Terry is equally psyched to finally have a social game. However, he does the cabbage patch while saying this. C’mon…least socially acceptable dance next to the Macarena, right?

The next morning, Probst gathers the tribes. Both groups say they’re happy with how things are going. Oh man, Probst is loving this. He tells them to drop their buffs because two tribes are splitting into three.

The bad news? The mysterious third tribe, known as Angkor, will have to start from scratch and build a new camp.

Savage is freaked out because he doesn’t have the best history with big twists. Well, he isn’t wrong.

They pull new buffs and we’ve got Abi, Tasha, Jeff, Woo, Andrew, and Peih-Gee on Angkor. Kelley, Ciera, Joe, Keith, Terry, and Kass on the new Ta Keo. And Kimmi, Jeremy, Kelly, Stephen, Spencer, and Monica on Bayon.

Andrew is freaked out because he’s surrounded by former Ta Keons, Spencer is relieved to be surrounded by former Bayonians.

Fun Fact: There will be idol clues at the Bayon and Angkor beaches. Ta Keo won’t receive one because Kelley has the Ta Keo idol.

Over at Angkor beach, there’s no food, no rice, and no sympathy for Savage. The former Ta Keo folk immediately agree to get rid of him if they lose immunity. Maybe they can bring him back as an outcast.

Meanwhile at actual Ta Keo, Terry is giddy because of how strong they’ll be in challenges. He’s not concerned about being behind in the numbers because they have SuperJoe. What if the challenge involves being ugly, Terry? How will Joe win that one?

Later on, Kelley tells Joe that she isn’t really working with Terry. She throws him under the bus saying Terry has been looking for the idol non-stop. Sneaky sneaky!

At Bayon, the former Bayonians have also decided to band together. Stephen likes this because it means he’ll be able to beat Rob Cesterino’s “All-Star” record.

Spencer tries to get close with Jeremy by sharing a genuine conversation. Well, as genuine a conversation as you can have while you’re trying to get on someone’s good side.

At Angkor, Tasha tells us that she knows how to fight because she was on Luzon. She forgets to mention that she also learned how to live without rice thanks to J’Tia.

Tasha takes Abi aside and tells her that she has a place with old Bayon at the merge. She tries to make a similar deal with Jeff.

In fact, they tell Jeff they can get him all the way to the jury. Well, that’s a heck of a deal…the jury…

The next day at Bayon, Kelly saves everyone from a scorpion. Aww…I miss Mike Holloway.

Later on, Stephen tells the rest of his alliance that they need the idol to maintain their advantage. They look around and Jeremy manages to find the clue. But is it for one idol like most people would find or for forty idols like Val would find?

Immunity Challenge Time:  The tribes will push a cart around a course while gathering keys and collecting chests full of puzzle pieces. They’ll then have to take the cart apart so they can fit it and the chests through a wall. From there, they’ll put the cart back together and transport the puzzle pieces to the end. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity.

Fun Fact: This challenge first appeared in “Survivor: Cagayan.”

Another Fun Fact: I watched the Dream Team do a test run of this challenge and the puzzle took foooooorever.

We start off and it’s pretty even up until the wall, although Ta Keo has a slight lead.

Jeremy manages to easily pocket the idol.

Ta Keo is the first through the wall with Bayon and Angkor tied for second.

Joe and Kass take on the puzzle for Ta Keo. Eventually Peih-Gee and Tasha and Spencer and Monica pull puzzle duty for their tribes.

Woo and Jeremy tag in, but it’s too late to pass Ta Keo. They win immunity.

The puzzles continue to be close, but Bayon wins it. Hmm…so the tribe with no supplies and no shelter lost? Shocker.

Before we can hand out idols, Tasha catches Jeff motioning to Kelly and yells, “We’ve got a rat!”

Probst asks her about it and things break down. It’s hard to follow, but Jeff says that Savage made a deal with him, then a deal with Peih-Gee. Woo wonders why nobody made a deal with him.  He seems frustrated that he’s the last to know.

Back at Angkoria, Savage, Peih-Gee, and Woo go for a little walk. Savage tries to make the case that they won’t win immunity without him and they should target Jeff. Peih-Gee thinks he makes a good case because he’s a lawyer. But, you can’t trust him because he’s a lawyer.

Abi approaches Tasha and asks if they’ll target Jeff. She thinks he’s too unpredictable. Whoa…when Abi calls you unpredictable…

Later, Abi tells Peih-Gee and Woo that she’s voting with Savage and Tasha no matter what because she knows she’s on the bottom of the old Ta Keo.

Peih-Gee goes to Savage and Tasha and tells them that she wants Abi gone.

Then, Jeff tells Abi that he’s cool with getting rid of Peih-Gee. What the what?!

Finally, Abi tells Abi that she wants Abi gone.

OK, that last one didn’t happen.

That night at Tribal, Tasha and Savage learn about that Tribal Council ritual of fire meaning life.

Peih-Gee thinks that Savage and Tasha would usually be in trouble because they were on another tribe.

Jeff didn’t feel like he was a rat for motioning to Kelly. Tasha disagrees.

Varner admits that he’s heard many names thrown around the camp including himself, Peih-Gee, and Abi. He says Tasha and Savage are now on the top of the heap.

Abi thinks she’s the one going home based on the conversations around camp that she wasn’t involved in.

Peih-Gee wants to be with people she trusts.

Varner has no idea what’s going on tonight, but he reiterates that Savage and Tasha are in charge.

And Woo was there.

Voting Time: Peih-Gee votes for Abi, Abi votes for Peih-Gee, and the rest are lost to the magic of editing.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Abi, one vote for Peih-Gee, one vote for Abi, one vote for Peih-Gee, one vote for Peih-Gee, and the third person voted out of “Survivor: Second Chance” is…Peih-Gee.

Note: Varner, Abi, Tasha, and Savage all voted for Peih-Gee.

Verdict: Wow, that was a wild one. I don’t love the idea of one tribe having to start from scratch, but what could you do?

Who’s Going to Win? Jeff’s still my pick, but that blow-up was amateursville. Fortunately, his ability to adapt kept him alive.

Power Rankings Results: Oh man, my Power Rankings were just BLOWN UP! Jenn had Peih-Gee in spot fourteen, Max had her in spot sixteen, and I had her in…gulp…spot four. The current score is Team Jenn 31, Team Max 29, and Team Gordon 19.

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

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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The Rules: Each week our three 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 three players will earn. For example, if Kass is voted out this week, Jenn and Max will each receive eighteen points and Gordon will receive ten points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Jenn had Shirin in spot seventeen, Max had her in spot thirteen, and Gordon had her in spot fifteen. So, the current score is Team Jenn 17, Team Max 13, and Team Gordon 15.

Important Note: These rankings are not based on who is most likely to win the entire season. Players tend to rank the players based on their safety in the next episode.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

Jenn’s Score = 17 Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance	Max’s Score = 13 Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell	Gordon’s Score = 15 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
1. Terry: I’m going to preface this with the fact that since there is a tribe switch-up happening next, I have no clue what to do here because I have no idea who is on what tribe. So… this is just…uh…I’m completely guessing on this (expletive deleted). Terry is great. He is strong. He is a guy’s guy. No one is going to be voting out the strong guys at this round in the game.	1. Jeff: Varner is Cochran in confessionals and Will Sims in challenges. If Jenn can make Terry her #1 for no other reason than he reminds her of her dad I can make Jeff Varner #1 just because he’s so much fun to watch on TV.	1. Kelley: Oh good, a tribe swap. And this isn’t the traditional three-becomes-two or even a Spice Girls merge where two become one. This is two turns into three? Who’s safe? If you have the numbers now, what’re the odds you’re going to end up with enough of your alliance to keep you safe? Bad news all around. As Kelley’s the only person packing an idol, she’s the only one I feel comfortable ranking first.
2. Kelley: She still has an idol and has been going alright so far. I think she is just fine for this next vote. Hopefully.	2. Jeremy: Even when Jeremy is crying he’s angry. That’s what I love about him. I also love that he has the good sense to go off and do his crying in private to prevent himself from slipping up and spilling the beans about Val’s pregnancy. Everything Jeremy is doing is motivated by strategy. And yet he’s not coming across as a gamebot. That bodes well for him.	2. Keith: A tribe swap is perfect for someone as easy-going as Keith. Even if he lands in a bad numbers situation, he won’t offend anyone enough to be their first target.
3. KEITH NALE: Everyone loves Keith and he is surprisingly a beast in challenges. There is zero chance in hell that he is going home at this tribe swap and if he does I’m not doing Power Rankings anymore because what’s even the point without Keith this early? Sorry, Gordon.	3. Kelley: Kelley sold out Shirin and Spencer faster than Dimples sold out the Dirty 30 after fans started complaining about the nasty tone of our season. Where was this Kelley in San Juan Del Sur? How great would it have been to have heard her say to Missy, “You won’t see me talk to my dad for the rest of the day. In fact, if you want, I’ll never talk to him again. Ever. For the rest of my life.”	3. Ciera: OK, worst case for Ciera is if she ends up on a tribe with either all the bros from old Bayon or all Ta Keons. Otherwise, she’s pretty safe. There’s no reason to target her with Vytas doing down dog at Ponderosa.
4. Andrew: Again, see Deitz. I don’t think the strong dudes are going anywhere.	4. Terry: The good news: Terry overcame one of the biggest deficiencies in his game to win the allegiance of an excluded tribe member. The bad news: Terry’s now saddled to a Brazilian Dragon.	4. Peih-Gee: She’s another one of those people where there isn’t a strong reason to get rid of her first. She’s just gotta stay cool and leave everyone’s bracelets alone.
5. Jeremy: Jeremy is in the boat with Deitz and Savage. Can you imagine if the tribe swap happens and it’s Terry, Andrew, Keith, Jeremy, Tasha, and Joe all on one tribe? I would feel so sorry for the other tribes. I think all six of those listed above are smooth sailing straight to the merge. And then the merge will happen and then all hell will break loose. It’s gonna be great.	5. Keith: I just want at least one great Keith confessional per episode. Is that too much to ask for?	5. Jeff: Varner’s playing some next-level “Survivor” at this point. Right now, he’ll be able to work with any of the other seven Ta Keo folks he ends up on a tribe with. And, he’s done it subtly enough that others won’t run to the Bayonians and scream that he’s a threat.
6. Tasha: See Above. Plus she seems to not have made any waves yet. Seems to get along with people. This should be fine.	6. Tasha: One day Tasha will tell the story of how she met the love of her life to a rapt audience. “He was standing on the beach wearing nothing but a manbun and he was leading our entire tribe through a series of yoga poses. He was the most beautiful thing I ever saw…” She pauses, dabs at the corner of her eye, and then sobs uncontrollably. “I’m sorry, it just that he’s…he’s my everything.” Everyone within earshot will clutch their hearts and sigh, except for Stephen, who will interrupt to ask if anyone knows where the bathroom is.	6. Kimmi: Kimmi’s still on this show? Everyone in pre-game was worried about how annoying she’d be, but annoying doesn’t send you home first anymore. In fact, it will often get you dragged to the end. She should be fine.
7. Woo: I just don’t get Woo. I like how he straight up was like “NO” to Spencer and Shirin last episode though. Tells me he’s not putting up with facades and (expletive deleted). That should help him out a bit.	7. Monica: I once heard Purple Kelly tell the story of how she got on the show. “I was walking around at a mall and someone came up to me and said ‘You’d be great on ‘Survivor!”” she explained. Then, without missing a beat, she continued, “Clearly they were wrong.” Monica may have worn purple on Galu, but she is no Purple Kelly. LET MONICA SPEAK.	7. Kelly: There have been more twists and turns in Kelly’s first six days than in her entire stay in Borneo. However, she’s been handling it like a champ. Her alliance is back on top and if they all end up scattered in six different directions, she’ll have some time to plan her next move.
8. Ciera: What is even the point of ranking the following four people when we have seen nothing from them yet?	8. Joe: Deleted Joe confessional: “Before I left for Cambodia Mike and I talked about changing up my strategy so that I don’t run into the same problems that I had after the merge in ‘Worlds Apart.’ So instead of just being amazing at challenges this time I’m also going to be amazing at camp. That should eliminate any thoughts about me being a threat, right?”	8. Monica: Not much to go on when it comes to Monica. With all the chaos in this upcoming episode, I’d imagine that’s good news for her.
9. Monica: Was she even in the last episode?	9. Spencer: By surviving last week’s council, Spencer became the Shirin to Shirin’s Max. But don’t count The Lad out quite yet: Spencer is at his best when the odds are stacked against him. Just pray he doesn’t end up with Kass after the swap.	9. Abi-Maria: I’ve been seeing the smile Abi gave to Shirin in my nightmares all week. Super creepy. My life goal from now on is to stay on Abi-Maria’s good side. Anywho, she probably won’t be anyone’s first target at a swap unless she stabs someone in the face over a real or perceived slight.
10. Kimmi: See “Monica Padilla.”	10. Ciera: Every week when I type out the names of the castaways to do my Power Rankings I always end up one short. Every week I forget the same person.	10. Kass: I can’t believe how high Kass is in my rankings. I never thought I’d see the day. But, she seems to be getting along famously with her Bayon tribemates. And after the swap, if she can keep those good vibes flowing, she won’t be an obvious target. Well, unless she lands on Spencer’s tribe, but he’s got bigger problems than her.
11. Kelly: Apparently Monica, Kimmi, Ceira, and Kelly are just not going to exist for a couple episodes. Whatever.	11. Kelly: Head back to camp, I got nothing for ya.	11. Stephen: Only Spencer needed a tribe swap more than Stephen. Now that he’s got it, he should be the town crier to warn everyone else about the Challenge Stallion alliance. Of course with Stephen’s luck, he’ll end up on a tribe with Joe, Jeremy, Savage, Tasha, Keith, and Biff Tannen.
12. Joe: Joe. You made hammocks for everyone and then caught a bunch of fish AND THEN WON THE CHALLENGE. STOP. STOP IT. STOP. YOU ARE PUBLIC ENEMY #1 AND IT’S EPISODE THREE. I think he’s fine for now, but if he makes it to the merge, I think he’s doomed. (Sorry, I still love you, though.)	12. Kimmi: There’s no way that they’d let Kimmi go home without first giving us some big, sloppy, finger-wagging, over-the-top, Lawn Guyland moments, right? RIGHT?	12. Spencer: He won’t get a completely clean slate with the tribe swap, but odds are he’ll have more Bayons around him than Ta Keos. He should act like the Ta Keo alliance is much closer than it really is to turn the Bayons against them.
13. Stephen: Dude is talking too much. Making himself a target. Questioning the motives of a man who misses his pregnant wife. Come on, Fishbach. You’re not playing with a bunch of intellectual and strategy-always Spencers. You’re playing with four macho men, who don’t have time for your (expletive deleted). If the tribe swap doesn’t put you in the graces of people like Spencer and Kelley and Ciera, you’re digging yourself a hole and probably going home.	13. Woo: Woo went from Alec Christy Mouthbreather to Drew Christy Badass in the blink of an eye last week. I know that a lot of people were impressed by the way that the Weas rebuffed Shirin, but let’s be honest: all he really did was turn down an opportunity to make a big move™ for the illusory safety of an alliance that’s being led by a disloyal power-drunk Fred Flintstone look-alike.	13. Tasha: Oh man, I hope this tribe swap doesn’t cost Tasha her 9:30 Joe-ga class.
14. Peih-Gee: Something about her just stirs up controversy. Maybe it’s just Abi. I’m not sure. But if she’s on a tribe with Abi and Varner I think she could be going home soon. She is just going with the tribe votes, making no moves on her own. That can carry her to the merge, hell to the end, but I don’t see it happening. However her hair looked flawless last episode.	14. Stephen: At this point it’s obvious that we’re being set up for a Stephen versus Andrew showdown. But is Stephen the new Ryan Shoulders or the new Lill Morris?	14. Terry: Kudos to Terry for showing some compassion to Abi and making a new bestest buddy for life. But, what’s he going to do now that his freshly reunited alliance is about to be torn apart? Maybe he can fit into Jeremy’s plans.
15. Jeff: I love me some Jeff Varner. That move last week was just perfect. I’m just afraid that if he ends up on a tribe with the folks at the top of the list he will be in trouble.	15. Andrew: Andrew is using the hammer and nails and other tools that Bayon won at the last challenge to build a locker so that he has something to shove Stephen into.	15. Jeremy: Alright, you’ve probably noticed that the challenge threats are at the bottom of the rankings. That’s because swaps can ruin the importance of challenge dominance. People become less concerned with winning and more concerned with getting to the merge with their buddies.
16. Spencer: Spencer you got so lucky, but this could easily happen again next week.	16. Peih-Gee: Peih-Gee is slippery. In episode 1 she got caught stealing from her fellow tribe members and yet her name never came up at council. In episode 2 she got caught expletive deleted-talking Abi and yet somehow the vote came down to Spencer and Shirin. No, I don’t really think for a second that Peih-Gee stole Abi’s bracelet. Nor do I think that she should have been targeted for her social faux-pas. I am, however, starting to wonder why she is in the middle of nearly every Ta Keo argument.	16. Andrew: Oh…the bitter irony if the same man who brought down by the Outcasts twists was brought down by the first-ever tribe expansion. I won’t feel too bad for him, he still has his model/law student wife.
17. Abi-Maria: Abi. You gotta chill out. I will be shocked if you make it to the merge if you keep this up. Unless someone gets just as crazy and is like, “(expletive deleted) let’s take her to the end.”	17. Abi-Maria: Abi has Terry’s protection…for now. We all know that Terry is a man of his word. But will he be able to keep his word the next time Abi Abis?	17. Joe: Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe…you need to wait for a season with Redemption Island to come back.
18. Kass: I think she is going to go soon. Even after that “she has feelings” edit.	18. Kass: Kass.	18. Woo: Challenge threat, possibly down in numbers after the swap. Sonic might be gone-ic.

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

Quick Note: XFINITY TV sent me deep into the Cambodian wilderness to bring you all kinds of “Survivor: Second Chance” goodness. So, be sure to check back for exclusive interviews, photos, and behind-the-scenes tidbits. And, follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

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Gordon Holmes: That Tribal…I’m still not sure what I just saw.
Jeff Probst: It was a doozy and it made me super happy. Everybody contributed to what you just saw.
Holmes: I’ve seen a few of these in person, and I’ve never seen anything like what we saw with Varner. He literally stopped the show to ask Peih-Gee if she was going to do what they discussed in the ocean. It seems like he just changed his mind mid-stream…no pun intended.
Probst: I’m not certain what happened. I’m not sure what the tribe divisions are. But, based on Woo, I would say that Woo and Terry and Vytas were together with somebody else. They’re now going back to camp thinking they’re in trouble because it was a four-to-six vote. I’m not sure who the fourth person was.

Note: I watched Tribal on a monitor, Jeff didn’t have a chance to check the tapes yet.

Holmes: The fourth vote was actually cast by Kelly Wiglesworth. Do you think Varner was worried about a tie?
Probst: I think Varner was probably in the middle. He was deciding what he was going to do, so he was checking in with Peih-Gee and he wanted to make sure they were doing what they had discussed earlier.

Holmes: In pre-game, Varner said he had a pre-game alliance with Terry and Kelly. Here we are three days in and he’s already voting against them. Is this proof that pre-game alliance don’t work?
Probst: It’s hard to say, but Parvati Shallow, a great “Survivor” player, told me one time that pre-game alliances are a terrible idea because you’ve now committed to somebody before you know what the play is. And, that’s the best take on it that I’ve heard.
Holmes: Any chance this is some kind of Keyser Soze move to throw people off of their scent and Varner will get back with Kelly and Terry?
Probst: (Laughs) I don’t know. Varner could be playing some kind of a long game and playing people. It’s a good question, but I don’t know. I’m really excited for Varner to be back. He’s a very clever guy.
Holmes: He was great tonight.
Probst: He was fantastic.

Holmes: It didn’t seem like Vytas was blindsided. Why didn’t he scramble more?
Probst: It’s hard to know if he was truly not blindsided. All of these guys are good enough that they’re going to say, “It could be me.” I think if you’d asked him to put money down, Vytas would have said he’s not going home tonight. I think otherwise he would have been talking. I think he heard his name, but he thought he had Woo, Wiglesworth, Deitz, and Varner. I think Abi was the one who really thought she was going home.

Holmes: It’s gotta make this worse to have this on the heels of the fan vote.
Probst: Yeah.
Holmes: What do you think would hurt more; losing the fan vote or being first out?
Probst: Oh, it’d be worst to not get here. Being on the list is one thing, it’s like you’re nominated for an Oscar. Getting in is like winning. He made it. People wanted to see him again. I did think Vytas said it well in his confessional, “Somebody has to be first.” And Vytas has to know if he gets another shot he could turn it around and win.

Holmes: Shirin had an odd laughing fit.
Probst: I don’t know what happened with Shirin. It was fascinating.
Holmes: But then you mentioned her going home and it stopped being funny.
Probst: Yeah, she had three distinct moods. She has, “Let me set up what it’s like to play.” Then she’d lose her mind for a moment over something that wasn’t funny. Then the color drained from her face when she realized they might be talking about her. That’s why Shirin is great. She really wears it on her sleeve. She’s very sharp. She knows how to tell a story. And she’s really good at choosing which part of her personality to tell a story with. That’s why she’s so complicated and confusing. She really can get excited about watching monkeys fornicate.
Holmes: “Monkeys fornicating” seems cold. Monkeys making love is a little classier.
Probst: That’s a good point. That’s because you’re in love.
Holmes: That’s true.

Holmes: This is the first time I’ve been to Tribal and had no idea what was going to happen. Do you think the move to ship them here immediately after the challenge had something to do with that?
Probst: Oh yeah. It really screwed them up. I think even though Peih-Gee said you should be prepared for that, you could tell the uncertainty was worrisome. I didn’t get to check in with anybody, and just because somebody at Tribal gives you a nod, you don’t know if they’re playing you.

Holmes How did you feel about the marooning?
Probst: I liked it a lot. I felt the energy, I felt the emotion. I like how happy they were to be here. I liked Shirin being the last one out of the boat. I like it when someone is last.
Holmes: And you like calling it out.
Probst: I have to! And I liked that Deitz had to go back to get his sandals. I love that Kelly outswam a raft with nine people on it. I loved that Woo and Joe raced for the rice. Woo proved he’s here to play.

Holmes: We’ve been talking non-stop about second chances, but what’s yours? If you were granted some kind of cosmic do-over, what would it be?
Probst: Oh man, that’s a long list. The one that comes to mind is in the very first season at the final Tribal Council, I had this line that I was determined that I was going to say, which is, “Conflict reveals character.”  But instead I say, “Character reveals characters.” And our editors didn’t catch it or didn’t know what I had meant to say. And if you go watch the final Tribal, I say this line that means nothing. That one always haunts me because it makes…no…sense! And nobody has ever brought it up to me.
Holmes: And now that you have, it’ll be a meme.

Holmes: The next challenge is the A-frame challenge we ran a few days ago. Keeping in mind that Vytas is now gone, who do you think wins it?
Probst: It’s a big puzzle…it’s a tough puzzle.
Holmes: And Joe is amazing.
Probst: (Laughs) Joe is amazing. But they’ve both got some good puzzle solvers…Spencer is good. Shirin is better than we’ve seen. I’m going to go with Bayon again.
Holmes: And who goes home after that Tribal?
Probst: Wow…Deitz, Woo, and Wiglesworth were on the wrong side of the vote, but Jeff is a tricky player. Is he locked in or is he going vote by vote? He might come back and say, “I got rid of who I want to get rid of, now let’s play.” Terry seemed old school, Kelly seemed old school. Jeff seemed like an old-school guy who was willing to listen to the hip hop and dance. That’s a terrible quote.
Holmes: It’s late.
Probst: (Laughs) So, I don’t know.

Holmes: Great marooning, a close challenge, and an odd Tribal Council. How are you feeling about this premiere.
Probst: Not just an odd Tribal Council, but a Tribal where the audience isn’t going to know what’s going on. They’re not going to know who’s going home. They’re going to feel pretty much like we did. Woo’s concerned, Abi’s concerned, Shirin’s concerned, Terry’s concerned, Varner asks questions and shuts it down. Based on what we’ve seen, I think it’s going to be a stellar premiere. Fantastic. I really do think it’s going to be an amazing premiere.

Holmes: I’ve been pushing the line “Tomorrow is your next second chance” for a few days now. When are we going to hear it?
Probst: Right. (Laughs) When am I going to say it? I’ll probably use it at some point. I think we’ll use that on a Tribal with a lot of emotion.
Holmes: And if you could point and wink.
Probst: You’ve got it. And that was Dalton’s line, right?
Holmes: No, it was the guy that ate the scorpion today and did so well.
Probst: Parvati?
Holmes: She didn’t even…
Probst: Dan from ET?
Holmes: Damn you.

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

"Survivor: Second Chance" (XFINITY)

Quick Note: I was live in Cambodia for the first three days of “Survivor: Second Chance.” My mission? To bring you all manner of outwitting, outplaying, outlasting goodness. So, be sure to check back after the premiere for an exclusive interview I conducted with Jeff Probst after the first Tribal Council. Also, we’ll have a full recap of the episode along with behind-the-scenes tidbits. Then, the next day we’ll have an interview with the first booted castaway. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the up-to-the-minute news and info.

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Alright, here it is…my latest attempt at making sense out of the un-make-senseable.

The players you see below are not ranked by the place in which I think they will finish. They are ranked based on their odds of winning the whole she-bang. As many of you know, I am historically bad at this. So, if you base your office pool around my thoughts, I will not be held responsible.

Important Note: I know who goes home during the season premiere because I was huddled around a monitor in Cambodia when it happened. These rankings were written up shortly after the pre-game interviews and do not reflect anything that happened during the first episode.

Fun Fact: Gordon has failed in fourteen attempts to pick a “Survivor” winner. The closest he came was picking Denise Stapley second in “Survivor: Philippines”	1. Jeff: The most dangerous person in the game of “Survivor” is the lovable scoundrel. Guys like “Boston” Rob Mariano and Tyson Apostol who can make cutthroat moves, while still keeping the jurors’ votes. I think Jeff Varner has the potential to be that kind of player.	2. Kelley: Ciera stabbed her mom in the back, Kass flipped and flopped, Keith blew his alliance’s cover. Kelley is a blank slate. Most people don’t remember much about her. They don’t know that she’s smart, savvy, and willing to do what it takes to be remembered this time.
3. Ciera: Ciera’s biggest problem is going to be if people want to boot her to hurt Vytas. If she can work around that, she’s going to be fine. She’s likable, smart, and a convincing liar.	4. Kelly: Kelly’s still got it athletically, lots of people want to align with her, and everyone is underestimating her. Go back and read her pre-game interview where she claims to not watch the show and yet knows quite a bit about each player. She’s trouble. I’d love to see her take it.	5. Andrew: I think Andrew’s in a really good spot. People think he’s super honest, but he’s perfectly willing to lie. If he can save that lie for the right time, he could set up his end-game and finally “outcast” the frustration over his Pearl Islands loss. (I hate myself for that last sentence.)
6. Terry: In any other interview, if someone is lying to you, you call them on it. In “Survivor,” when Terry is telling you he doesn’t have pre-game alliances right after Jeff told you Terry was part of a pre-game conference call, you have to keep your mouth shut. It’s unfair for someone’s pre-game story to bleed into someone else’s. But oh man…did I want to. That being said, according to my Align/Malign game, everybody wants to partner with Terry. So, he’ll have a lot of room to maneuver.	7. Monica: Monica who? She’s another Kelley who basically has a clean slate. If she can find her way into the numbers and bide her time until after the merge, she could be a big move or two away from the million.	8. Abi-Maria: Abi-Maria is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wearing a buff. Outside of the game she’s delightful. Inside the game, she has Malcolm calling her “A dementor.” Apparently she was already getting revved up and being a little cray during the pre-game. I could see her getting to the end as the Secret Agent to someone’s “Boston” Rob.
9. Jeremy: Jeremy’s plan to keep the challenge threats around isn’t necessarily a bad one. But writing people off because they remind you of people from your past season seems a little shortsighted. Keep your options open, Jeremy.	10. Vytas: I went back and watched some “Blood vs. Water” recently and was mega-impressed with how Vytas played Laura Boneham. He’s got serious game, but that isn’t a secret. He’s not one of the super targets like Spencer or Joe, but he’s close.	11. Shirin: The biggest knock against Shirin is that people found her annoying on her season. That’s a pretty simple thing for her to remedy. Like comedy, annoyance is very subjective. If she can read people and stay on their good side, she could stick around for a long time.
12. Peih-Gee: This is a big season with big players and big challenges and big blah blah blah… I’d want to be the person hanging back and letting all those strategists and challenge stallions bang heads. Peih-Gee could easily be that person. She’s cool and clever.	13. Keith: I’m betting this jury is going to be made up of people who respect strategy and people like Keith, Woo, and Kimmi are going to have a tough time winning them over.	14. Spencer: Yeah, Spencer’s chances of winning are better than 0.0% this time around. But, they’re not that much better. Say you’re up five people to three and you’re picking people off. Spencer will always be the top person to get rid of from a minority alliance.
15. Stephen: Watching Stephen in Tocantins was a joy. His performance in the memory challenge is the perfect example of brain over brawn (and I guess beauty…thanks for that, Cagayan). In a season where everyone is given a “Men In Black” mind erase just before the marooning, Stephen tears the game apart. But, he’s just too highly regarded for his own good. Hopefully he’ll take it as a compliment. Ironically, he’ll be seen as too much of a threat and be sent home quickly like the other guy that was the “Best Player to Never Win the Game.”	16. Kimmi: See Keith.	17. Tasha: Who would have thought that Tasha would rub so many people the wrong way during the pre-game festivities? Can she overcome the bad first impression? Maybe. But, does she even know about it? Having a good grasp on how people perceive you is vital to this game.
18. Woo: Woo has proven he’s capable of getting to the end of “Survivor.” And given the chance, he’s not going to take a Tony with him when a Kass is sitting right there. But, if he gets to final Tribal this time, I don’t see the jury rewarding him.	19. Joe: Number nineteen? Say it ain’t so, Joe! I love the guy. I wish we were neighbors and he could come over to play darts. But, the fact is there is never not a good time to send him packing. They don’t make alliances sturdy enough to keep someone like Joe safe.	20. Kass: My dirty secret? I really like Kass, and I think she could make a run for it if people would give her a chance. The problem? Nobody’s going to give her a chance.

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