Posts Tagged ‘jeff probst’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Joe: ‘(Jeff Probst’s) Compliments Were Not Helping Me’

September 14, 2015

"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.

[xfinity-record-button id=”4814958312953183112″ program_type=”series”]

Name: Joe Anglim
Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: “Joey Amazing” was a challenge stallion and he crafted the most impressive fake immunity idol this side of “Runaround” Bob Crowley.

Gordon Holmes: Alright, how are you doing with the eBay handmade immunity idol business we discussed?
Joe Anglim: (Laughs) It’s in the works.
Holmes: Cause I need you to make me rich.
Anglim: I’m building my art empire as we speak.
Holmes: I’m anxiously awaiting my 10%.
Anglim: Mmm…we’ll talk numbers.

Holmes: There were five members of the Dirty 30 up for the vote. Man, I hate that nickname.
Anglim: But you used it!
Holmes: I did. I hate myself as well. So, now there’s only you and Shirin. Does this turn of events work for you or against you?
Anglim: I think it really works in my favor. I ran the numbers over and over and I think it’s definitely better that there are only two of us here.  I knew that Mike (Holloway) was most likely winning the game. I voted for Mike. He ran it, he deserved it. Mama C (Carolyn Rivera) and Max (Dawson) would have put a big target on us based on the fact that there would be four of us and people know we’re a tight cast. So, for me only having Shirin, and Shirin kind of being against me…subtly…works in my favor. But, if she wants to work with me and if we have the opportunity to work together, I think we’d make a really good team.

Holmes: I was watching the reunion and Jeff Probst was all, “Oh Joe…so handsome, so talented. Is there anything this god among us can’t do?”
Anglim: (Laughs)
Holmes: That can’t be good for your game.
Anglim: Jeff was blowing me kisses. His compliments were not helping me out for this season. Jeff was just being Jeff and I was being myself. But, knowing I was potentially coming back…and my opponents are backstage listening…it’s a tricky situation. I’m hoping people don’t read into it too much. To say that I’m a golden boy, I’ve heard the term used a couple of times now. I think I…not accept it, but continue to say, “If that’s what people think, that’s nice.” There’s no hiding it. The only thing I can do now is make the case that on my season I was the only person of my caliber playing in terms of athleticism. I was isolated. Where as now…I’m not.
Holmes: Here’s my advice; that first challenge, right out of the gate…you just trip. Fall right on your face.
Anglim: (Laughs)
Holmes: If there’s a tree puzzle…you avoid it like it has the plague.
Anglim: Well here’s the thing, if there’s a tree puzzle the people on my tribe are going to be like, “Joe, you’re doing the tree puzzle.” I’ve got to own in. They know it, I know it. It hurts me if I pretend to be someone I’m not. I’ve got to accept what people know from my edit. I think they think I’m loyal. Even on a sinking ship I remained true to my alliance. I tried to make some moves, but it didn’t work out. I think they know I’m a physical threat, but they didn’t see a big strategic side to me. Which is good. I can use that to my advantage. I’m hoping I can play hard, but not so hard that I’m above everybody else.

Holmes: Are you an early target?
Anglim: I don’t know if I’m an early target. I know I’m a merge target. I’m even a swap target. The only thing I worry about is if people do look into what Jeff said and they are looking at me as the golden boy. “A lot of fans would be really upset if we got rid of Joe. Let’s get rid of Joe right away.” If people have a vendetta against me, “Look at this narcissistic, piece of (expletive deleted).” You never know what other people are thinking, they might worry that I’m going to get all the limelight. So, I’m really looking to avoid that as much as possible. Put it on the team, I’m all about the tribe.
Holmes: Who do you think the early targets are?
Anglim: I think the early targets are going to be people who aren’t supporting their weight at challenges, around camp. People who don’t deserve to be here. If you give somebody a reason; someone who’s annoying right off of the bat. I think Kass is a big threat…she got the nickname “Chaos” Kass for a reason. Specifically, Spence, Tash, Kass…there’s a group from a season. Keith, Jeremy, Kelley, the same dynamic. Just because they weren’t close in or out of the game doesn’t mean they won’t vote together as a community. And, I’m sure that’s crossed other players minds. If I can use that to plant the seed, even if it’s not true, to put the target on someone else, I’ll do it. So, it’s just going  to be a matter of finding ways to alter my destiny and put targets on anyone else, by any means necessary.

Holmes: In returnee seasons, pre-game alliances are always an issue. Are you a part of one? Have you heard of anything?
Anglim: I was trying to stay focused on Season 30 and just enjoy that chapter. My head was thinking about the future, I was watching old seasons of all these players, I was doing my homework. I was reaching out to people via social media. I’ve met some of the prior Survivors. I didn’t put strategy out there, I just established a relationship. Just saying, “Hey, good luck. Rooting for you. Can’t wait to see you out there.” Basic cable. I know some people have made pre-game alliances, but I think this is one of those seasons where it doesn’t mean jack until you’re on the beach and you know who’s on your tribe.

Holmes: As you’re well aware, sometimes “Survivor” has a twist. If there is one this time around, any guesses as to what it could be?
Anglim: I don’t see a guys vs. girls…”One World Part II.” It seems like the men would have so much more of an advantage. I could see a three-tribe dynamic again. The numbers aren’t there, but if there was a two vote out, like right when we hit the beach. We have a challenge, both tribes are going to Tribal. We vote two out, then it’s eighteen. A three-tribe split. I could see four tribes of five. And, there’s swapping…

Holmes: How about ten tribes of two?
Anglim: Ten tribes of two…well, that’s kind of obvious. (Laughs) I think this time it’s going to evolve quickly. This season is about redemption. Which brings Redemption Island to mind. Or, it’ll be like Savage’s season where they bring back the Outcasts. The people we vote out are going to come back. It’ll be a crazy season of swaps, redemption, switching…maybe a redemption idol? Something crazy. I think the three tribes is going to happen because it just works. I have so many theories, this is all I think about.
Holmes: You’ve got nothing but time.
Anglim: Nothing but time!

Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Anglim: I’m like Caesar. Thumbs up or thumbs down.
Holmes: Exactly.
Anglim: This is so difficult. This is all I’ve been thinking about. Dang…
Holmes: Language, please.
Anglim: (Laughs) This is hard! I have so many I’m 50/50 on. But this is good, I can break down what I’ve been working out.
Holmes: Make me proud.

Anglim: Jeremy…align because I feel like we’re going to play very similar games. He’s a physical threat. And I can use him come merge-time. We can protect each other.

Anglim: Vytas…align. Me and him are both spiritual guys. We do yoga. We have a lot in common. I can easily relate to him.

Anglim: Terry…align. He’s kind of an egotistical guy. You stroke his feathers a little bit and you can get on his good side easily. And, he rubs people the wrong way so he’d be good to keep around.

Anglim: Savage has got that winning smile. He can win over a lot of people. I’ve got good vibes from him now. So, align. All four of those guys are big threats so they can be a buffer. If I said, “Hey, we need to get together and protect each other. We’ve got five, we need one more.”

Anglim: Abi…align. She’s a firecracker. You don’t know which way she’s going to go, but she’s loyal. I’ve met her before. We have a good relationship. I think she’s going to want to work with me.

Anglim: Keith…align. He’s pretty easy to read. Pretty basic cable. He’s a country boy. I’m from the country. We have a lot in common. I feel like he’s going to play a similar game.

Anglim: Ciera…align. She’s a dark horse. I’m going to have to stay as close to her as possible because she’s going to be so quiet. She can just slip under the radar. I need to find out more because I think she’s going to play a really important part in this season.

Anglim: And Woo…align. He has this same kind of vibe he had last time. He’s going to play an honorable game. I can relate to him, but at some point he’s going to want to make a move and it’s going to be easy to tell when that is. So, all of these people I feel like I have a good read on. And, there are five big physical threats I can use to protect myself.
Holmes: As an XFINITY guy, I love that you’re using “basic cable” as a descriptive term.
Anglim: (Laughs)

Anglim: Avoiding these people…Tash is just good. She’s good at everything. She’s very social. She’s got that winning smile. Malign.

Anglim: I love Shirin, but she is devious and sneaky. She knows this game very well. And now that she’s played it, I think she’s going to be able to control her emotions. But at some point she’s going to try to get a female alliance together. That’s the only way they’re going to be able to beat all these big, strong guys. She’s going to be the cornerstone of the female alliance. Malign.

Anglim: Kelley…malign. Bright, smart, athletic…gotta go.

Anglim: Stephen…malign.  He knows this game very well too. He’s incredibly intelligent. He has really good reads on people. He knows the flow of the game. He’s just so savvy…he knows so much.

Anglim: Peih-Gee is the same way…so, malign. I feel like all the people who know the game well and have accurate reads on people are trouble.

Anglim: Kelly has an advantage being so old. Just in terms of her season. People are going to overlook her and I feel like she can go really far to the end just by being very malleable and going with the flow. I worry about Kelly. Malign.

Anglim: Chaos Kass? That’s easy. Malign.

Anglim: Spence…malign. Spence was a toss-up because he’s a big threat out of the gate and he’s so well-received. I could work with him, but I feel like if me and him are sitting at the end together that I can’t beat him. So, he has to go. Earlier than later.

Anglim: Kimmi…love her to death, but I feel like she’s the person that people will want to take to the end. She’s not the Will (Sims) of the season, but people will want to keep her. Malign.

Anglim: Jeff…malign. He’s a conniver. He’s sneaky. He’s got plans. He wouldn’t be a challenge threat, so if he makes the merge he can go far.

Anglim: Monica…look at that picture…she’s gorgeous. And I would probably fall victim to that.  (Laughs)
Holmes: “Booty blinded” is the term Malcolm (Freberg) coined.
Anglim: Yeah, booty blinded. She’s gorgeous and she has a wonderful smile. I’d be in trouble just based off of being attracted to her. So, malign.

 

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Joe: ‘(Jeff Probst’s) Compliments Were Not Helping Me’

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Jeff: ‘My Alliance Had a Conference Call Before We Left’

September 11, 2015

"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.

Name: Jeff Varner
Season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Jeff was eliminated from the game because of the old rule where tie votes are broken based on the amount of previous votes that were cast against the tied players.

Gordon Holmes: Now I hear you have a medical concern already?
Jeff Varner: I have COPD. I was diagnosed about six years ago. It’s never been an issue for me. Living at home I had one attack that sent me to a doctor. But, I never need the inhaler. I have no reason to use it. I run, I exercise. The second I got off the plane here and I couldn’t breathe. It’s so thick here with the heat and the humidity. It’s changed my voice, it’s a little raspier. Walking from one end of the camp to the other is a nightmare. Probst was concerned. Sort of on the D.L. he had a doctor walk me around the back. We went way back into the woods. He jogged with me on the beach and made me do all these tests. I thought he was going to pull me out. But when you can’t breathe a lot of other things happen. There’s this claustrophobia thing that settles in, it’s a panic attack kind of thing. I’ve had a couple of those this week.
Holmes: Where does it stand now?
Varner: The doctors cleared me. And Jeff thinks I can. I have to figure out the best way to use this to my advantage.
Holmes: Hopefully this long pre-game will give you a chance to get used to the weather.
Varner: Right. Oh, and another (expletive deleted) thing that happened is I fell in the bathtub when I first landed and dislocated my shoulder. Popped it back in myself. So, for the first four days here I couldn’t do anything. We’re doing swimming tests and everybody is watching. I’m pretending like I’m OK.
Holmes: What the hell, Jeff?
Varner: I know! I can’t breathe, I had the flu before I left. I had a 102 temperature. I did my prep and shopping and everything the day before I got on the plane.
Holmes: So, you’re allowed to have your inhaler in the game?
Varner: I am allowed to have that in the game. They’ve cleared that.
Holmes: How do you play that? Day one, you just tell everyone it won’t be an issue?
Varner: I don’t know. This group is looking for every little thing.
Holmes: Any reason to send someone home.
Varner: And so much is going on out there on that porch already.
Holmes: Speaking of…who’s winking at each other?
Varner: It’s almost become who’s not at this point. You can tell who the better players are by the ones who are completely stone-faced. But, there’s a lot going on. My alliance had a conference call before we left in case we got separated. Who are the early targets? Who do we lean toward? And, we’re all here but one, which is good.
Holmes: Mr. Coy. Who are we talking about?
Varner: Terry Dietz and Wiglesworth and Shane. So having him left behind sucks. Seeing his face is burned into my head. But, because we did all the legwork before that, I feel pretty prepared. And Kelly and I seem to be…we’re passing each other at the right times. She’ll say something and it’s exactly what I’m thinking. We were bringing Vytas in at the last minute. So, he’s on board. He knows to come to me and Kelly as soon as we hit the beach. Although we’ve not had a conversation this connects me to Ciera, which connects me to Monica, because of Ciera’s mother.
Holmes: It’s like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Varner: Oh yeah, I’m sitting here doing all of this in my mind. We have that Cagayan four, they’re the target. It’s Spencer, Kass, Tasha, and Woo. They’re the only show here with four people. That’s a voting block right out of the gate. They find three other people? We’re (expletive deleted). So, it’s about capitalizing on that out of the gate.
Holmes: Bad news for the Cagayaners.
Varner: Kass is trying her damnedest to make us think that Spencer, Tasha, and Woo hate her. But, I’m sitting here watching them all smiling at each other. You don’t do that with someone you hate. And Tasha is hogging everything. She’s a hammock hog. Watch her spread out on the only place we have to lay down. She’s doing it now.

Holmes: There are quite a few San Juan del Surians here as well.
Varner: Well, I’m tight with Kelley Wentworth, which nobody knows.
Holmes: Holy crap.
Varner: Why would anyone suspect that? Why would I know her? She and I have been communicating for months and she’s hooking me up with Jeremy. I feel good with that group. I feel good with the “Blood vs. Water” group. The singles here are assets. Tremendous assets. Stephen, Peih-Gee, Abi-Maria…already. We’ve already connected. I feel like I’m set up really well.

Holmes: Everyone’s probably thinking, “Oh, Jeff and Kimmi!”
Varner: No. I’m playing that up. Kimmi’s one of my best friends out here. We’ve also talked. And my group out here they don’t know that I’m talking to other people. That’s my strategy. I’m not going to be a challenge champion.
Holmes: Especially with your bathtub gymnastics act.
Varner: (Laughs) I’m a (expletive deleted) nightmare. Sandra (Diaz-Twine) won this game without doing anything physical. So, I called her before I left because I knew I’m not in the shape these people are. And she just rattled off things and I wrote page after page. I think I have my hands in enough pies that it doesn’t matter how well I do in challenges.

Holmes: It’s been fifteen some years since you played. What do you think the other players will remember about Jeff Varner’s time in the game?
Varner: I don’t know. People love me and people hate me. I never understood that. I felt I played an honest game. I think I was a little beyond my time, maybe. “Survivor 2” was very survivalist and I was very strategic. People weren’t playing with me the way I needed them to. Starting the fight with Kimmi and Alicia (Calaway) was one of the things that I did. Gagging at Tina (Wesson) to get her to throw up. These ballsy things that nobody else had the guts to do. This group here? Eats, sleeps, and breathes like me. And I like that I’m being called up for pictures last. We’ll be out there and they’ll be like “Vytas over here, Joe lean down, guy in the blue do this…” It’s a sign to me that these people don’t know who I am. I’m sure they do, but fifteen years is a long time.

Holmes: I was pleasantly surprised that the fans voted you in. I was worried that recency bias was going to leave people like you and Fishbach on the sidelines.
Varner: It changes everything. I can’t jump off a pole for peanut butter because I’m not just letting myself down, I’m letting millions of people down. And that’s heavy.
Holmes: So, you feel the weight of the fans expectations?
Varner: Oh yeah.
Holmes: I never thought of it that way. Once the vote ended, I figured it’d be “Survivor” as usual. Almost two halves to the season.
Varner: When we had our first interview with CBS yesterday, they actually tapped into that. I cried. I’m a (expletive deleted). I don’t know where it came from. But there’s something there and it’s deep. And it’s going to get me far.

Holmes: “Survivor” has changed a bit in fifteen years. Are you on top of all the twists and whatnot?
Varner: Yeah, I’m not a Spencer who could probably rattle off the color of everybody’s underwear.
Holmes: Me neither. This is my job and I have to jump onto Wikipedia every couple of minutes to double check things.
Varner: I’m not that dude. I was for a minute. But, life goes on.
Holmes: Any guesses on twists for this season if there are any?
Varner: I think out of the gate whatever Jeff can do to break up pre-game alliances will be done. Kass is whispering around to everyone, “Double elimination off of the bat. Then we’re breaking into three tribes.” I don’t know if it’s the island talking to her or how she knows this. Maybe she overheard something. That’s her collateral. I don’t trust her as far as I can spit. And I’ve been reading a book on body language so I can understand people. Kass, there’s a whole chapter on people who have no body language. They’re liars, perfect liars. They believe their own (expletive deleted). If your feet don’t do anything, if you don’t do anything with your hands? Kass just sits there perfectly. There’s nothing there. Every word out of her (expletive deleted) mouth is a lie.
Holmes: You need to stick around for a long time. Win the whole thing if you can.
Varner: I’ll do my best. Spencer is a textbook everything. When you defy gravity, when your feet come off the ground and your toes point to the sky, you’re extremely confident. That’s all he does. He takes up a lot of territory, which means, “I own this place.” A lot of crotch framing which is, “I’m the boss.” He thinks he’s got this (expletive deleted) down pat.


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Varner: I only get eight?!
Holmes: That’s the deal.
Varner: Why?
Holmes: Because if you got nineteen aligns you might be tempted to say wonderful things about all of these people.
Varner: Wow…I have more than eight.
Holmes: Too bad. The rules are surprisingly strict.

Varner: Kelly Wiglesworth is an align. She’s a good soul, she’s at peace. She’s from my hometown. We have a lot in common. We go way back in the “Survivor” franchise. I can tell by the look on her face that she thinks this pre-game (expletive deleted) is as much (expletive deleted) as I do. She’s a challenge champion.

Varner: People are going to target  Joe which is going to protect her. He’s the shield for her. He’s also a lot like her. He’s very feeling, emotional, sweet. He’s communicating to me here, non-verbally, in a way that makes me very comfortable with him. Align.

Varner: Same with Vytas. I can tell Vytas I have COPD. Align.

Varner: Ciera, the other day I had a panic attack because I couldn’t breathe. She wouldn’t give me the time of day. Wouldn’t make eye contact. The second she sensed something was wrong her hand went on my knee and she started comforting me. I like that. Align.

Varner: Kelley Wentworth…align. We’ll go far in this game together and nobody will see it coming. She’s the coolest chick of the group. Her sense of humor is randy. She’s a nasty little girl and I love it.

Varner: Terry…very loyal. He’s going to stick with me. I know that he and Vytas are together. I know that he and Kelly are together. Align.

Varner: Abi-Maria…align. You need your bitch in the group, she is out of control. She’s flipping around. She’s hysterical here. She’s a shield for me. I can be a little bitchy.

Varner: Shirin…align. She went through a lot in her last season. She overcame a personal obstacle and I feel like that is going to be my experience in this show. So, that’s going to bond us together.

Varner: Kass is a (expletive deleted) liar. She’s a strategist. She thinks she’s got it down. She’s making eye contact with everyone. She’s trying her best. That says desperation. Malign. She’s already shown everyone that she’ll make an alliance out in the woods and then come out and tell everyone.

Varner: Spencer…malign. He’s the winner of this game if you don’t get rid of him quick.

Varner: Woo…malign. I don’t even know why he’s here. My niece looked at him and said, “Why is Michelle Kwan running for ‘Survivor’?” Nice guy. He’s not these people. He’s his own thing. I just don’t think he should be here.  I find him boring.

Varner: Andrew I like a lot. But he’s desperate because he doesn’t know anybody here. He’s not in anybody’s group. I’ve heard through the grapevine that he is desperately looking for someone to align with. You’re making me malign him.

Varner: Monica keeps making eye contact with me like her body is something that is going to turn me on. She’s working it. I love how she’s trying to play me. I trust her…I think. You’re making me malign her, too.
Holmes: I’m the worst.

Varner: Kimmi has had a rough life. Her husband screwed her over. She’s had financial trouble. Her kids are sick. I want her to go as far as she can and I want to help her, but I’m not going to jeopardize my game to do it. Malign.

Varner: Jeremy’s body is sick. He’s in great shape. We’re going to get along well. But, malign.

Varner: Keith is an awesome dude. But, the very first night we were chosen, he came up on stage and I said, “Another old man!” He was offended by that, I could tell. Right off the bat I pissed him off. Malign.

Varner: Stephen knows everybody, knows everything. I also think he’s arrogant. He’s named an award after himself and gives it to people, who does that? Malign.

Varner: Peih-Gee…I think we’d work together well, but I think she’s hard to read. And she seems clumsy and oaf-y, sticking her foot in her mouth already. Malign.

Varner: Tasha is the biggest threat in this game. She’s mean. There’s a mean sort of thing coming off of her. Mean like “I’m going to kick your ass,” mean. There’s an energy coming off of her that I don’t want to align with.

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Jeff: ‘My Alliance Had a Conference Call Before We Left’

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Kass: ‘I’ll Write (Spencer’s) Name Down Any Minute’

September 10, 2015

"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.

Name: “Chaos” Kass McQuillen
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Third Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Kass earned her “Chaos” nickname by turning on her alliance and voting out Sarah Lacina. She also had a very dramatic come-from-behind win at the final four immunity challenge.

Gordon Holmes: Chaos Kass!
Kass McQuillen: Chaos Kass, that’s me.
Holmes: Is that nickname good or bad coming into a returnee season?
McQuillen: I think it’s just funny. I think it’s actually good in some ways because even though I’m the old lady mom out here, I definitely have shed that persona in my prior season. Nobody’s going to be looking to me to be the mother figure. And, I think I can clear it up with people. In Cagayan I played alone, I never had an alliance. So, it’s not that I’m disloyal. Everybody out here is disloyal. Every single person on this beach has betrayed someone. But me? I never had the chance to be loyal.
Holmes: I think you have to assume people are always working in their own best interest. You can plan for that. The best players can predict it. But what about the concern that you’re out here to wreak havoc?
McQuillen: If people think I’m just out to cause trouble…I think now everybody knows that I was never in an alliance. I was doing whatever furthered my game. I did everything I personally had to do to get further. If anybody asks me, I’ll tell them why I flipped. I think it’s come out since the game that everybody considered me number six when I flipped. I was never anybody’s right-hand person or main alliance.

Holmes: We have a group of returnees who have been through the process and who appreciate that the audience isn’t shown everything that happens. Could that work in your favor as far as getting people to come learn about the real you?
McQuillen: That’s totally going to work to my advantage. I know who I am and I know who I was when I played. I think a lot of people hang onto the character they played on TV. They’re coming in here wearing that. Especially people without life experience. This is an older cast. I think people are going to be more open to listening to people and getting to know them. Plus, we all have preconceived notions. But we all also have a piece of the story that wasn’t told. Every single person here feels like something was missing from their great “Survivor” story.
Holmes: Aside from the win?
McQuillen: Yes, not just the win, but I’m sure everyone here is saying, “I was screwed by the Outcasts, I was screwed by this.” Everyone has a chip on their shoulder. I know personally I’m a pretty easy-going person. I’m not one of the great troublemakers. I work around camp. I’m not worried socially. I just never got in on my season. The Brains tribe? We were all individuals playing. Nobody ever was cohesive together. Not even Spencer and Tasha. And when I got in with Tony (Vlachos)  and Trish (Hegarty) and Woo, I stayed there. That was what was working for my game.

Holmes: There are four Cagayaners here. The most out of any season. That feels like a disadvantage. I’d be worried people might make assumptions.
McQuillen: I think it can be a negative. For me, I don’t think it’s a negative. Everyone knows everyone from my season still hates me. I’m not considered part of the crew. Everyone knows Spencer and Tasha still harbor some resentment toward me. They’ve been very vocal on social media with their anti-Kass status. They’ve bonded over that. They’ve been a force. And they both shunned me. And Woo, I don’t think he’s a big part of the “Survivor” community. I like Woo. I counseled him to take me, not Tony. I always had his best interest in mind. I think Woo would trust me. And the benefit of having them here is I know their tells. I know how they play, I know what bothers them. I know what they’re prone to do as we get to day twenty. I like that. But I think Tasha and Spencer have the bigger target out of the four of us.

Holmes: Who’s going to be in trouble early?
McQuillen: I’d like to see Vytas go early. I’m thinking Joe is going to go early. Just look at him.
Holmes: Jooooooey Amazing.
McQuillen: He’s a specimen! Seeing him in person is like, “Wow, you’re an Adonis.”  But he stands out. We’ve got a lot of alpha males here. There are shorter alpha males, older guys. They’re going to want to get rid of the younger guys. Plus, Vytas has a lot of connections. I don’t think I’m a target. And if I am, there’s no valid reason for it. That’s just the way it goes. I didn’t do the pre-gaming that you hear about people doing. I don’t even know to what extent people did that.
Holmes: None of it?
McQuillen: I was so tight-lipped when I got to casting that when I saw J’Tia (Taylor) and Tasha, none of them knew I was going to be there. That’s how non-close we are. I was hoping J’Tia was going to be cast because we were pretty good friends. But, she didn’t make it. Maybe I direct messaged on Twitter like, “Hey, glad to see you’re here.” But, nothing.
Holmes: Were people receptive to it?
McQuillen: Originally I said I wasn’t in the mix when all of that started. I intentionally said I had a conflict and that I declined. I didn’t want to start playing the game. I have a life and to start playing two months before…
Holmes: How dare you have a life outside of “Survivor”?
McQuillen: I know! It’s ridiculous.
Holmes: Have you heard of any other pre-game shenanigans?
McQuillen: You hear about the “Blood vs. Water” and “One World” people. That’s narrowed down quite a bit. A lot of people who were in the mix didn’t make it. I think Shane and Terry were contacting a lot of people. And, I talked to Terry, but we talked about being in the Navy. In fact, I thought he didn’t like me after our conversation.

Holmes: We’re thirty one seasons into this business. Sometimes they like to switch things up. If there are any twists, what do you think they could be?
McQuillen: I’m sure it’ll be two tribes because there are twenty of us. I think we’ll have at least two double Tribals. I’m guessing they might narrow it down in the first day or two. Kind of like a “Heroes vs. Villains” start where it’s super physical and people are getting hurt. Then a double Tribal. Then randomly put us in three tribes. I’d like it if they’d switch us up a lot just to thwart that pre-gaming. I’ve always thought they’d play the game in reverse where it starts more individual. But that might be too much of a burden on the cameramen.
Holmes: Twenty separate crews running around an immunity challenge might be tough.
McQuillen: I don’t know if they’ll do that extra vote thing again cause it bombed.
Holmes: They probably liked how it worked out because it was such a big chain reaction.
McQuillen: Yeah, but it wasn’t a very big impact.
Holmes: Not in the big picture, but it was a great moment. It’s probably a thing where in the perfect situation it’s amazing and every other time it’s lame.
McQuillen: You really have to know what’s going on to use it correctly.
Holmes: And if Carolyn didn’t use her idol, it wouldn’t have made a difference. They already had the votes.
McQuillen: So wasted. But, are we surprised?
Holmes: Poor Dan. Talk about a  rough reunion.
McQuillen: Well actually, I think the “Worlds Apart” cast was much more civil. People were horrible in that season. They said mean things. A lot of people think I’m a villain, but what did I ever do personally to anyone? I voted you out. I didn’t say stuff about your family. Yet, my cast was horrible to me and still is.
Holmes: It’s tough to take home a win with that kind of negativity. How do you keep jurors on your side?
McQuillen: The first person on the jury will be a nice person, and hopefully I won’t have written their name down. Because they set the tone at Ponderosa. When you have an ego like Sarah’s at the time, just such a strong personality. When you blindside that person and you’re the person that she already didn’t like? It just adds fuel to that fire. And when that alliance started to fall like dominoes… Nobody likes to lose to me. Sarah and I have made up. Trish on the other hand…
Holmes: That’s a shame. It’s a game.  But, it’s real emotions and it’s real money.
McQuillen: I don’t have hard feelings toward the people. There are a couple of people in my cast who still despise me. Morgan (McLeod) never spoke to me again.
Holmes: Well, she’s young. Hopefully she’ll come around.


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.

McQuillen: I’ll be hard pressed to find eight.
Holmes: (Laughs) Feel free to malign everyone.

McQuillen: Vytas…malign. There’s something about him I don’t like. He’s very calculated and false in his smiling and movements. He’s not a natural person out here. I have a really bad feeling about Vytas.

McQuillen: Jeff…align. I think he’s going to be whiny out here. He’s going to be complaining. He’s going to have a rough time with the elements. And he’d be great to take to the end.

McQuillen: Keith…I could align with Keith. I don’t think he’ll take charge. I don’t think he’ll be an alpha. And he’ll fall away in seventh or eighth place.

McQuillen: Peih-Gee…I’m going to malign. I think she’s smart. I think she’s scrappy. China was a much different environment. I think it’s going to be hard for her out here. I can already see her not understanding the island type of game. I think she’s very abrasive and would do whatever it takes to win, so I don’t want to be with her.

McQuillen: Kimmy…definitely align. She’s so annoying already. A vegetarian with a  leather purse reading Bill O’Reilly? Hails from New York but lives in Houston? She’s going to be insecure, she’s not going to be a challenge threat.

McQuillen: Stephen…I could align with Stephen. I don’t think he has the confidence to win the game and I think a lot of people are going to be gunning for him…or he thinks they will because of his relationship with Rob (Cesternino) and the “Survivor” community. He already lost the game at final two and I think he could do it again.

McQuillen: Joe…malign. He’s going to be gone early. I love Joe, but maybe he should take over as host.

McQuillen: Tasha…malign. I don’t trust her and she’s out to get me.

McQuillen: Ciera…malign. She’s too in bed with everybody in terms of the Monica, the Terry, the Vytas. She’s got too many connections.

McQuillen: Kelly Wiglesworth…I don’t think she’s even going to have an alliance. Malign. She’s not in the game. Her heads not here. It’s been fifteen years and she hasn’t watched a season.
McQuillen: Abi…I would align with her in a heartbeat. You can already tell she’s going to blow up on people. She’s already blown up on a couple of the staff here. And, she’s in a rough place in her life. She just broke up with her long-term boyfriend. She’s in her thirties. She’s probably looking to get married and have kids. She’s going to be a trainwreck. And I think she’d be loyal.

McQuillen: Woo…I’m going to say…malign. I’m going to throw him to the wolves. I can read him and it’d be nice to have someone on the other side. I might use him a little. He’ll understand and still vote for me because he still feels guilty.
Holmes: There’s that first juror you were looking for.
McQuillen: He’d be a great first juror. So would Joe…so would Keith.

McQuillen: Jeremy…he’s so physical…and he was loyal. I’m going to malign him. I just don’t see it.

McQuillen: Kelley Wentworth…malign. She’s too much of a physical threat to go to the end with.

McQuillen: Shirin…so annoying. But, I’ll align with her because she’s annoying. This older group is not going to put up with that and her social skills are kind of stunted I think. And for me to say that? That’s bad.

McQuillen: Monica…do not trust. Malign.

McQuillen: Savage…definitely align with him. I don’t think he’s going to be able to deal. He has the Jeff Probst link everyone is bitter about. He’s a millionaire already. No one is going to give him the money. He’s probably going to find an idol being best friends with you-know-who.

McQuillen: I’ll align with Terry. We were both in the Navy.

McQuillen: Spencer…MALIGN! I’ll write your name down any minute.

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Kass: ‘I’ll Write (Spencer’s) Name Down Any Minute’

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Andrew: ‘There’s Nothing Holding Probst Back from Throwing Everything at Us’

September 9, 2015

"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.

Name: Andrew Savage
Season: “Survivor: Pearl Islands”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: The leader of the Morgan Tribe was sent home after eventual finalist (and one of two returning Outcasts) Lil turned against him.

Gordon Holmes: You have always been one of “Survivor’s” great “What If?” stories with the whole Outcast twist. Put me in your shoes all these years later with you finally getting that second chance.
Andrew Savage: It’s surreal. I’m honestly not sure how it happened. The beautiful things about “Survivor” is the twists, the turns, and the blindsides. And there’s no greater blindside than the Outcast twist. If you think about 30 seasons of “Survivor,” how many twists and blindsides and how many folks were in the cross-hairs? It less about me, it’s more about the Outcast twist. The super fans were up in arms. They were screaming that Mark Burnett had jumped the shark. It was against the very fabric of “Survivor.” Once somebody is out, you’re out. You can’t bring them back in. So, I think me being on the “Second Chance” list is about redemption for the fans being vocal. Saying, “We didn’t like the Outcast twist. It happened, but you’ve got to give Savage a second chance because he was in the cross-hairs and he got bit in the butt by it.
Holmes: I’ve been doing this since Gabon. Every now and then I’ll ask Probst, “Who do you want back?” Your name always comes up.
Savage: I love that. You just gave me goosebumps.
Holmes: One of the criticisms about the “Survivor” Hall of Fame is how recency bias plays into it.  So, I was concerned that people like you who are interesting characters, but haven’t played in twelve years were going to passed over for newer names.
Savage: I was stunned. Twelve years ago I didn’t make the jury, right? And I’m on a list with some kick-butt folks. Many of them, final three…final four. The outcry of support and cheering for me was stunning. And frankly humbling. I was in awe of the super fans.

Holmes: If you and I arrive on the beach on day one. What do you think I remember about Andrew Savage and his gameplay?
Savage: I hope that you remember that I had a bunch of younger kids on my season. I was the oldest guy, I was 39.  And I didn’t tell a single lie. My tribe, we were the Morgan Five once Lil (Morris), and Nicole (Delma), and skinny Ryan (Shoulders) were gone. We loved each other. There was never a hint that anyone would vote for me because I always had their back. I have a great work ethic. I support people. I hope that’s what they remember. Twelve years later I’m still fit and I’m a decent guy.
Holmes: Decent guys don’t do as well these days.
Savage: That doesn’t really work in the new “Survivor.”
Holmes: I did the press for “Worlds Apart” and to set a baseline I asked, “Will you lie? Will you flirt?” And to a person, everyone there said they were fine with lying to get ahead.
Savage: It’s a totally different game.
Holmes: Where are you with that?
Savage: When I started “Pearl Islands” I was ready to lie, cheat, steal, do whatever it took. I landed on the Morgan Tribe and the five of us immediately bonded. Game over. I didn’t have to lie. If I were in a different situation, I’m happy to lie. In life, my word is my bond. I’m wired in a way that I don’t lie. This is not real life. Going into the “Second Chance” season I’m going to have to lie my butt off. The trick for me is being able to sense when others are lying.
Holmes: And how old are you now?
Savage: Fifty one.
Holmes:  Where do you get off being in such good shape?
Savage: (Laughs)
Holmes: I’m 38 and I’m a sweaty, gross mess out here.
Savage: My wife is ten years younger. She keeps me young.

Holmes: You’re the only Pearl Islander out here. Any concerns that you might end up on a tribe that has people from the same season?
Savage: I think it’s a disadvantage to be with people from your own season. Woo, Tash, Spencer, and Kass have a lot of baggage. Look at what Kass did to them. I think that’s a disadvantage. I like that I have a clean slate.

Holmes: Having twelve years away probably gives you a very different perspective than someone like Joe who was out here less than a year ago. What has that distance taught you?
Savage: At the end of the day, “Survivor” strips you of everything. It strips you to your core. You can only be who you are. Jonny Fairplay had this persona. But at the end of the day, there’s a lot of the Jonny Fairplay persona that is him. Outside of the game we’re friends, but inside the game I hate him. So, I’m just going to be who I am. I don’t have a choice. If you’re lazy in life you don’t come on “Survivor” and have a great work ethic. If you’re a (expletive deleted) in life you don’t come on “Survivor” and be a great guy. It doesn’t happen. So, I’m going to come in and give it everything I have and have no regrets. I’ve got regrets from “Pearl Islands.” And that’s what’s been tormenting me for twelve years. That’s why this is an epic dream.

Holmes: Who’s an early target?
Savage: A bunch of folks. I think Joe is an early target. I don’t know Joe at all. I loved him in his season. If he’s on my tribe he’s not going home. I’m going to do everything I can to keep him. I think he’s got a big heart. I think he’s a loyal kid. Physically he’s a stud. I looked at his bio, he loves playing sand volleyball. I’ve played for fifteen years. If you’re going to play sand volleyball, there’s something in you that is gold. I think Shirin is a target based on her last season. She’s a powerhouse in terms of being a super fan and she’s absolutely brilliant.
Holmes: You two also work for the same company.
Savage: She’s a Yahoo! executive. As am I. I don’t know her very well. She’s an engineer, I’m a lawyer. We’ve got 13,000 employees. It’s a huge campus.
Holmes: I went to Penn State and people are always saying, “Oh, you must know Tom.”
Savage: (Laughs) I think Kass is a big target. Chaos Kass. How can you trust her?
Holmes: That nickname is hard to overcome.
Savage: I think Terry’s a big target. He’s a pretty smooth operator and he’s a beast.

Holmes: There’s a lot of talk of pre-game alliances. Have you formed one? Have you heard of any?
Savage: I’ve heard of some pre-game alliances. I have not partaken. For me, I was voted out twelve years ago. I flipped off “Survivor.” This is b.s. I’m done. I’m not the typical “Survivor” contestant. It’s very incestuous. You’re part of the “Survivor” family and there are 400 of them and they hang out together. They go to charity functions. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s what they do.
Holmes: (Laughs) Let’s be clear, Andrew Savage has no problem with charity.
Savage: (Laughs) Right. But I’ve got this amazing life going on. And I’m just not in the “Survivor” world. So, I don’t know anyone. You probably heard Brad Culpepper had made a list and he’d invited folks to his Tampa estate to hang out, drink, form alliances.
Holmes: Now that eleven people didn’t make the show, the laundry is being aired.
Savage: Well, when I heard about it I was angry because I didn’t get the call. (Laughs) But then I thought; that seems so stupid. It’s against the rules first of all. And then, you’re painting a big target on your back. I haven’t spoken to any of the nineteen. And that list is amazing, I can’t wait to get to know them.

Holmes: You experienced a big crazy twist. If there is one this season what do you think it could be?
Savage: Remember “Africa” where they switched tribes very early? I think there’s going to be a lot of twists like that. You’ve got two tribes of ten. That’s a lot to handle. My guess…based on nothing…is that there’s four tribes of five. You’ve got some studly women. Kelly Wiglesworth could beat most of the guys, even me. You could have a tribe of three women, two guys and they would not be at a disadvantage. If I’m Probst, four tribes of five, then a crazy swap to keep us on our toes. And the beauty of the “Second Chance” season is that everyone on this list has been through “Survivor” hell. The old saying is, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” There’s nothing holding Probst back from throwing everything at us. We should know better.


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Savage: I love that! That’s very cool.
Holmes: You guys did a hundred pre-season interviews, so I was trying to figure out something unique.

Savage: I would say Keith…align. He’s a got a big heart, he’s good in challenges. He’s a couple of years older than me. But, I can trust him.

Savage: Jeff…malign. Don’t trust him. Body language. He has no love for Savage.

Savage: Kelley Wentworth…beautiful heart. Total stud. Her bio indicates that she has a lot of love and she’s loyal. Definitely an align.

Savage: Abi-Maria…love her. Big heart. Spitfire. She’s an align.

Savage: Peih-Gee…malign. She’s brilliant. Don’t get a good vibe from her. Haven’t talked to her. Don’t trust her.

Savage: Monica…doesn’t bring much to the table. Sweet girl…fellow lawyer. Probably not good in challenges. Probably a ride-the-coattails kind of person. I don’t see a lot of value there. Malign.

Savage: Spencer…love him. Genius. Great endurance. Captain of his cross-country team. That’s a tough sport. And he’s going to be, if I’m lucky enough, he will be my brains. My strategist.

Savage: Stephen…not a chance. Malign. His claim to fame is coming up with a brilliant idea and convincing you that it’s your idea. Next thing you know he votes you out.

Savage: Align with Joe. He’s a beast. And my take on Joe is he’s very loyal and trustworthy.

Savage: Love Jeremy…clearly an align. The reason I say that is because he’s a great athlete, he has two daughters, his luxury item in the past was a bracelet made by his two daughters which is my luxury item. My daughters made a bracelet for me. There isn’t anything I don’t love about the guy.

Savage: Let’s do some easy ones. Chaos Kass…malign. Enough said.

Savage: Kimmi…malign. Don’t see a lot of value.

Savage: Wiglesworth, kind of a wild card in my book. Word on the street is she’s not into alliances and likes to vote her heart. That doesn’t work in “Survivor.” I think she is clearly an incredible athlete.  She has my respect…so…align.

Savage: Vytas…don’t know the guy. Heard he had a strained relationship with Aras. I’ve heard that Aras and I have a lot of similarities. That tells me that Vytas and I won’t mesh too well. Malign.

Savage: Tasha…if I had more people to align with I’d put her on my side. But I’ll say malign cause I’m running out of people.

Savage: Terry…I don’t think he’s trustworthy. I think I’ve got to get him out as soon as I can. I just don’t trust him. Malign.

Savage: And Woo would be an align, but I’m maligning him because I don’t have enough. I think he’s a good guy, I think he’s trustworthy, I think he’s physically capable, but I’m running out of numbers.

Savage: My fellow Yahoo! Shirin…love her…she’s a genius. Align. She and Spencer will be hopefully my strategists. My weakness will be the strategies. I can handle the challenges. As super fans I need their eyes and senses…their chess mentalities.

Savage: Ciera…wild card. I heard she was on the Culpepper list. Wasn’t happy about that. Malign.

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Andrew: ‘There’s Nothing Holding Probst Back from Throwing Everything at Us’

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Brings Back Gross Eating Challenges

September 9, 2015

"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.

There have been many twists and turns to “Survivor” over the years, but I have to admit that the original premise is still my favorite; a big group of strangers, shipwrecked on a deserted island and forced to create their own society.

This means scrounging for useful items among the boat’s wreckage. It means creating elaborate “S.O.S.” displays. And it definitely means having to eat weird things found in the area. That’s why every time I visit a “Survivor” location I make it a point to harass Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer about gross food-eating challenges.

Well, let’s file this next story under; “Be Careful What You Wish For.”

Little did I know that Mr. Kirhoffer had something up his sleeve for my latest visit. Well, maybe it wasn’t up his sleeve, it was probably scampering in the jungle somewhere. At any rate, he was going to make me put my money (or something worse) where my mouth was and eat something horrific.

So, what’s the big deal? I’m always looking for new ways to participate in “Survivor” activities. It helps me understand the players’ motivations.

But…

Fun Fact: You know how every elementary school has the smelly kid, or the kid who wets his pants, or the kid who cries when his mom drops him off? Well, I was the kid that was always throwing up.

That’s right. All anyone who attended Hanna Woods Elementary in the mid-to-late ’80s had to do was say the word “boogers” and I was sprinting for the bathroom. But, if Gervase could give it his best, so could I.

It was roughly 1,000 degrees out on the day we were scheduled to eat…whatever. As Parade.com’s Josh Wigler and I made our way to the challenge department, he asked me if this little event would count toward my 7-and-1 lifetime challenge record.

I hadn’t thought of that. With the previous day’s challenge victory under my belt, I was looking forward to at least 12 more months of bragging about my winning streak. I didn’t like Wigler’s question one bit.

“I don’t think it should count as a real challenge,” I said. “We’re not going to a real location with a cool set and Probst won’t be there.”

Whether or not Wigler bought my attempt to casually play it off was quickly rendered moot when we turned a corner and saw a well-dressed challenge location and a certain 40-time Emmy winner.

Who knew that Jeff Probst would demand to be present whenever I was about to do something potentially embarrassing?

The competitors; Mr. Wigler, “Entertainment Weekly’s” Dalton Ross, and myself were placed behind a table. On that table were three covered plates and to our sides were conveniently placed buckets. Apparently the buckets were there in lieu of a Hanna Woods Elementary School toilet.


The covers were removed and we were each greeted by a large, cooked scorpion. The tail had been cut off as that is the most dangerous part. Later, a production member also removed the claws.

As Probst gleefully discussed what we were about to endure, I was putting my plan in motion. I know this sounds weird, but I did my best to fill my mouth with as much saliva as possible. My theory was that it would dilute the terrible taste and make it go down quicker. It also made sense to try to take this monster in two portions. So, when Probst set us loose I was going to have to bite this thing in half.

My heart was pounding as Probst was building to his trademark line. I know what it’s like to run across a field or swim in the ocean. I have a good idea what it’s like to throw coconuts in a basket or dive into a mud pile. But, I had no idea what it was like to eat a scorpion.

But, when the man says, “Survivors, ready?” you don’t think. You go.

Well, he said it…and I did it.

And, right off the bat I made a mistake. I crammed the whole thing into my dumb, stupid face.

I’ve never been so mad at myself, but I wasn’t going to spit it up. I knew there was no way my stomach could handle the sight of mangled-up scorpion.

So, I chewed and chewed. And then a funny thing happened; I realized it wasn’t that gross. Later on, we came to the consensus that it was like eating soft-shell crab.

Not terribly unpleasant taste aside, this thing still needed to be swallowed. In the end I had to rock my head back like a duck in order to get it down. I cleared my mouth of any spare legs and showed my empty mouth to Probst.

Holmes wins…Wigler comes in second, Ross spits the remaining scorpion bits on a nearby camera.

In the end, I feel like the experience is much more mental than physical. If whatever was under the plate cover was moving, it’s possible I never would have touched it. And if the taste or smell was particularly bad I might not have had the stomach for it.

But the excitement between “Can I do it?” and actually doing it was awesome. Totally worth the twenty times I would brush my teeth immediately afterward.

And Mr. Wigler’s question? Yeah, it totally counts. Eight wins in a row, baby…

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Brings Back Gross Eating Challenges

A Sneak Peek at the Second ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Immunity Challenge

August 28, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (XFINITY)

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.

It wouldn’t be a trip to “Survivor” without the traditional Press vs. Dream Team immunity challenge. (Note: The Dream Team is a bunch of tanned, buff, bad asses who run the challenges to make sure they’re safe, fair, and entertaining).

I’ve competed in seven of these challenges. The first one in Gabon was a humiliating, soul-sucking, heartache-inducing nightmare. The Dream Team treated me the same was a dog treats a freshly cut lawn.

So, I decided to win the next six.

(Yeah, it’s lame to brag about wins in an exhibition competition, but I truly have so little else. Let me have this.)

With my good name cleared, I’ve been looking for new ways to get motivated for the games, and this season the producers were nice enough to give me one…

The Hidden Idol

“Entertainment Weekly” writer Dalton Ross has been begging “Survivor” to hide an idol at an immunity challenge for years. They finally listened to him. And since it was his idea, they wanted him to test it out.

The way it works is; a clue is hidden at camp. If you find the clue, it will tell you exactly where the challenge idol is hidden. It’s up to the individual to figure out how best to retrieve it and stash it without anyone noticing.

So, the producers took Dalton aside and told him where the idol was hidden.

My mission was now clear; I was going to beat him to the punch, watch him like a hawk, and claim immunity for myself.

The Challenge

In keeping with the theme of Second Chances, this challenge was a mash-up of competitions that appeared in “Survivor: Samoa” and “Survivor: Blood vs. Water.”

For the first part, the teams will have to run up and over three A-frames. The first two A-frames are a medium height, while the third one is much larger. Three members of the team will need to do this while carrying a heavy rope.

Once they’re over the obstacles the players will use the three ropes to create a MEGA rope. They’ll attach the rope to the end of a crate, then pull it across a slanted course.

When the crate reaches the end of the course, the players will untie knots to open the crate, then use the puzzle pieces they find inside to complete a picture puzzle. The first tribe to complete the puzzle wins respect.

“Survivors, Ready?”

There were plenty of press members at the event so the challenge wouldn’t be straight up Press vs. Dream Team. It was Press vs. Press with Dream Teamers sprinkled in to even up the sides. I made sure to be on Dalton’s team.

We gathered at the starting mat and went over strategies.

Finally, “Survivor” host and Emmy-hoarder Jeff Probst said the magic words and we were off.

Getting up the first A-frame was a piece of cake, getting down wasn’t quite as smooth. You see, Dalton Ross was one of the people selected to carry a rope. As I scurried over the top, I didn’t notice that he had some slack dangling over the other side. On the way down my foot got caught and I was sent tumbling down buff over teakettles.

In fact, when it was over the medics told me they were about to stop the challenge to check on me. But I just popped back up as if nothing had happened so they assumed I was fine.

And they were right, I was fine. However, it did make me wonder why Dalton was trying to kill me.

The race up the second A-frame wasn’t quite as successful. I tried and lost my footing on the first attempt, and was about to fail my second attempt when none other than “Survivor” Hall of Famer and my occasional Press challenge enemy Parvati Shallow reached out for me. I grabbed her hand “Cliffhanger”-style and was able to get over.

The third A-frame (the much higher one) required us to climb one of the CBS cameramen like a ladder. Hey, whatever it takes.

By the time we were down, the other tribe was at work pulling their crate along the course. Uh oh.

Our crate team went to work, but wasn’t having much luck. At one point, Parvati even had to run up to the crate to fix the rope as it had gotten stuck.

The other team had a significant lead by the time Parade.com writer Josh Wigler and I had a chance to tackle the puzzle.

The puzzle was the same style as the one that gave Tina Wesson fits in “Blood vs. Water” where you have to place double sided poles in the proper order to create a picture. One of the rules states that you can’t create the image on the ground and then move it into the frame. So, it involves a lot of trial and error to get everything placed correctly.

Fortunately, Mr. Wigler and I were in the zone. We had puzzle pieces bouncing in and out of the frame at a furious pace. And, once we figured out how to do it two at a time, we were really in business.

It didn’t hurt that the commentary we were hearing from Probst was not very positive when it came to our opponents’ puzzle.

Slowly but surely we were able to complete the puzzle and bask in the sweet sounds of Probst declaring us the victors. It was hugs and high-fives all around.  I don’t know if seven wins in a row is a record, but it felt pretty good.

Quick Aside: Do you remember what my real goal was for this challenge? Because apparently I didn’t.

When the merriment was over, Probst approached Dalton and asked if he’d retrieved the idol. Dalton reached into his pocket and proved that he had.

Wow.

Nobody saw him do it. Every person on our team knew he had the clue and not one of the eight people saw him grab it. It was like the second after Probst said, “Survivors, ready? Go!” the thought of the idol popped right out of my head.

It’s going to be an interesting season.

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on A Sneak Peek at the Second ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Immunity Challenge

‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Aligns or Maligns the ‘Second Chance’ Cast

August 26, 2015

"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.

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I hold before you a deck of twenty cards that feature the “Second Chance” contestants.
Jeff Probst:  I need a set of those!
Holmes: I need them for now, but you can have them when I leave.
Jeff Probst:  Those are super cool. Did you make them?
Holmes: I did. My fiancée is a teacher, she knows all about laminating things. So, the reason they are here is because…
Probst: You’re going to be a great dad. That’s a dad move.
Holmes: (Laughs) I can’t wait. Anywho, we’re going to play a game called “Align or Malign.”
Probst: Oh…I like it.
Holmes: You’re going to go through this deck and you’re going to tell me who you’re going to align with and who you’re going to malign. The catch is you only get eight aligns.
Probst: OK.
Holmes: It was very interesting when I did this with the cast.
Probst:  You did this with the cast?
Holmes:  Oh yeah.
Probst: Wow, you always have one unusual, clever idea.
Holmes: Gordon Holmes, unusually clever.
Probst: (Laughs)
Holmes: Alright, let’s do this…

Jeff Probst’s “Align or Malign”

Woo…malign. He just doesn’t make the cut as far as trusting that I could rely on him strategically and trust his advice.

Spencer…align. I would love to go all the way with Spencer. I trust his instincts and if he came to me and said, “This is what we should do.” I would believe him. I would think he was gunning for me, so I’d have to watch him.

Peih-Gee…malign. Peih-Gee has no shot to win. I know that. She’s going to annoy people. So, I might as well get ahead of that bus.

Shirin…malign, but with an asterisk. I only get eight aligns. I actually think Shirin is a really good person to align with because she is loyal and she does know the game. But, I only have eight choices and she’s not going to make the cut because she’s going to annoy other people and I can’t have that.

Monica…malign. She’s hot and she’s street smart which is a really great quality on “Survivor.” But, I do not think she can get deep enough and I wouldn’t trust her.

Jeremy…align. Jeremy and Spencer? I’m good to go. Jeremy is trustworthy, likable, great strategist. I’d know going into it that he wanted to take me out, but I’d be OK with that.

Vytas…in any other season I would align with Vytas, but in this season I’m maligning him. I think Vytas is one of our villains this season and I think trust is going to be a big issue for him.

Abi…malign. No way.

Kelly Wiglesworth…align. I’m putting Kelly Wiglesworth in my align…maybe it’s because she doesn’t watch television. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t kept up on “Survivor.” There’s something pure about her. She’s physically in great shape. I think I could manipulate her to trust me and just vote the way I tell her to.

Terry…oh, we’re getting down to it…Dietz…I’m going to malign. And the only reason is; I don’t think Terry really, fully understands how to play strategically. But Terry is super likable. I’d love it if he won.

Savage…align. Like Dietz he’s very good physically, very good strategically. And, I think I could take him out before he took me out.

Tasha…align. I love Tasha and if I lost to her I’d be OK with that. Super physical…really smart. And so eager to play that I think she’s a good leader.

Kelley Wentworth…malign. I just don’t have room for her in my alliance and I don’t trust her.

Ciera…align! She’s one of my favorites, she could win the game. I think she’s very underestimated by people who think she just followed along with her mother last time. But, I don’t see that at all. I see a girl who’s been through a lot. I watched her grow. She voted out her mom. She forced a tie, she’s here to play.

Joe…align. I really like him and I wouldn’t mind losing to him. I think he could beat me in challenges and like Jeremy, Spencer, and Savage I know he’d be coming for me and I’d be ready for it.

Stephen…breaks my heart to malign him. But, I don’t think Stephen trusts me and I don’t think I could get past that.

Kimmi…malign. Fun personality, not long for the game. I just can’t spend my time there.

Kass…malign. So glad she’s here, but not in my alliance.

That leaves me with Keith and Jeff Varner who I both love equally. But, I’m going to malign…Keith because I think I’d like playing the game with Jeff more. I like the way he sees people. I like his sarcastic point of view. So, Jeff Varner will be my eighth and final align.

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

“Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Aligns or Maligns the ‘Second Chance’ Cast

‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Breaks Down the ‘Second Chance’ Twists

August 25, 2015

"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.

Strap your buffs snugly around your head or wrist (or go for the tube top look if you’re feeling saucy), because “Survivor” season is finally upon us!  “Survivor: Second Chance” will kick off with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.

With a season made up of twenty returning contestants, you know there’s going to be some curveballs. So, I spoke to the man himself, “Survivor” host and Executive Producer Jeff Probst, to get an early look at the trials and tribulations he has planned for our returnees…

Idols in a Variety of Styles
“Usually the idols all look alike and are all very ‘Survivor’-ish. They are cast out of some sort of resin or something. You look at it and think, ‘This has to be an idol.’ This time, we’re making every idol different. One idol might look really polished and finished, and the next one might look like bits and pieces of leftover string. The next one might look like it’s made by a seven-year old as a craft project. Both of them will have the same power, but how do you convince somebody that it’s a real idol? Or will somebody get fooled and think it isn’t a real idol? Or, will someone make a fake idol thinking this is a season where they can sell it as real? The levels of gameplay with the idols should be really complicated because nobody is anticipating that an idol would not look like an idol.”

Idols Hidden at Challenges
“We’re also going to make finding the idols a little more difficult. Instead of finding an idol at camp, you’re going to find a clue. And the clue is going to say, ‘The good news is you’re very close. All you have to do is be courageous enough to grab it during your next immunity challenge.’ It will be sitting in plain sight, all you have to do is reach for it. So, while you’re participating in the challenge, and while you’re trying to help your tribe win, you’re thinking, ‘How can I get that idol and put it in my pocket without anybody seeing?’”

Shaking Up the Returnees
“We’re going to start with two tribes and then we’re going to switch it up a bit. We’re going to try to make it tougher to keep alliances together. It doesn’t mean they won’t. But we’re going to try to keep the game a little uneven. And I think they want that. I think they want the entire full-tilt boogie experience. That’s what we’re going to try to do without making it feel like a runaway train without any boundaries.”

The Return of the Double Vote?
“I can’t say. I liked it. I think it can work. The thing I really like about the extra vote is it’s uncertain if it’ll have any impact on the game. I like that. It’s a great advantage if you get the opportunity to play it. But, Dan played it and was voted out. So, it isn’t a foregone conclusion. I like adding layers like that that don’t have a certainty to their outcome.”

Second-Chance Challenges
“Once we had our list of 32 possible players, we had to start building challenges. We looked at the list and said, ‘Let’s make some assumptions. Maybe Joe will make it, maybe Wiglesworth will make it. Maybe Spencer and Ciera.’ Then we started picking challenges that they had participated in and started building them. Then you have to hope that they get voted in. Then you have to hope that they last long enough to play the challenge that you slated for them. From a thematic point of view, we were going for second chances as often as possible. In our very first challenge we’re doing ‘Quest for Fire’ which we did fifteen years ago. Kelly Wiglesworth will play again. I will say, ‘Kelly Wiglesworth did this fifteen years ago and she lost. This is her first second chance to change that history. And it’s not just challenges that they lost. Just that they participated in it. We still have to serve the big picture that is; which are the challenges we love and of them, which ones match up with our second chancers? And when it was over we said, if there are six or seven that pertain to our players, that’s great.”

Steps to Break Up Pre-Game Alliances?
“I don’t see pre-game alliances as a concern and I never have. Some producers on our show get really worked up about it and think it’s going to spoil the game. The players have no idea what the creative is, they have no idea what tribe they’re going to be on. It’s something I would do. I’d call some people. But if you don’t end up on my tribe, or if a better alliance comes up to me, now I’m in a bad spot if I promised you something before the game started. I’ve talked to a lot of former players and they say everybody calls everybody, then you get out there and it goes away. And if it doesn’t, if somebody has a pre-game alliance and they’re able to keep that together for 39-days? Nice job.”

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

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Breaks Down the ‘Second Chance’ Twists

‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Finale Recap – Lone Star?

May 20, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Quick Note: Just because the season is over, doesn’t mean the fun is over. Check back for exit interviews with the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” final five.  And, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

Previously on “Survivor: So? So long. Vince? Vamanos. Nina? Ni-nope. Lindsey? Tattoo ta-ta. Max? Meh. Joaquin? Bro down. Kelly? Cop rocked. Hali? Hasta la vista. Joe? No. Jenn? (Expletive Deleted), Jenn. Shirin? Snuffed clean. Tyler? Punted. And Dan? Edited out…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

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

The Merica Tribe (wearing purple)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

Alright, let’s wrap this business up!

We start off after last week’s crazytown Tribal with Rodney telling Carolyn that he’s upset with her because she didn’t tell them about her idol. However, Carolyn doesn’t feel too bad about it because they VOTED FOR HER.

Reward Challenge Time: The players will race under a net, then they’ll slide tiles through a target. After that they’ll use a machete to carry the tiles across an obstacle course. They’ll then use the tiles to figure out a combination. First person to open their lock and raise their flag wins time with their loved one and an advantage in the next immunity challenge.

Wait…this is a loved-ones challenge? Oh man…cue the tears…

Carolyn’s husband is out first, adorable…

Mike’s mom is out next. Equally adorable!

We meet Rodney’s dad, and hilariously, Rodney calls him “Bro.” Our Boston buddy also breaks down a little bit which is odd considering this happened…

“My father would see me crying, and he’d be like, ‘Are you bleeding? No? Then get the (expletive deleted) back up. You (expletive deleted).’ That’s how I was taught. There are no tears. One of the guys said that 80% of the people cry on this show. You’re not going to see a single tear out of me.” – Rodney (About Two Days Before the Game Started)

Rodney goes on to explain that his time in the game has helped him get over the death of his sister. That’s awesome. Good for him.

Sierra’s dad is next and he’s even taller than her! A family of giants!

Finally we get to meet Will’s wife. She still thinks he’s cute despite 30-some days in the wilderness.

The challenge starts off and Will has an early lead…wait, what?

Mike’s the first one to complete the tile sliding portion. He’s followed by Will, Rodney, and Sierra.

From there, Mike destroys the obstacle course portion. He figures out the combination and wins reward.

Back at camp, Mike’s mom Deborah is making herself at home. The Texas twosome goes for a walk and Mike fills her in on what’s going on in the game.

In a cute moment, he lends her his Texan swimwear so they can go in the water together. I adore Mike’s mom.

Later on, Mike and Deborah are allowed to spend time figuring out the next challenge. It’s a blindfold maze. She tries to lead him through the maze, but she makes a few mistakes. She feels terrible about this and is worried that she just screwed up his game.

Could you imagine? That’d make Thanksgiving awkward.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will be blindfolded and placed in the middle of a maze. They’ll have to find four medallions and then the immunity necklace. First person to retrieve the necklace wins immunity.

We start off and there isn’t much to describe except for stumblin’ and a-bumblin’.

Mike is the first one to retrieve a medallion and he maintains that lead throughout the whole thing. Rodney even tries to help Sierra and Will, but it doesn’t matter. Mike wins immunity.

It wasn’t even close.

Quick Aside: I hate the challenge advantages. That was awful and boring.

Back at Merica Beach, Carolyn and Sierra approach Mike about getting rid of Rodney. Mike says he’s fine either way and isn’t writing Carolyn’s name down. But, he doesn’t like that everyone was working together in the challenge against him.

Sierra tries to mend fences and says she’ll vote with Mike. She swears 100% on her father’s love. C’mon, Sierra. Mike doesn’t work with percentages that low.

Later, Mike tells Rodney that the women are targeting him. Rodney counters by saying that Sierra has a better shot of beating Mike at final three.

That night at Tribal Council, Dan looks really annoyed that Mike has immunity.

Mike knows he’s the swing vote. But, he doesn’t trust anyone to get him to the final three.

Rodney says that he swore his vote on his sister’s life. Father’s love vs. sister’s life…yikes.

Sierra says she’s playing hard and she’s been second place behind Mike many times. Probst calls her out, saying she might be pointing out that she’s a threat.

Will says Mike’s out if he doesn’t win the next immunity. Way to keep him on your side there, buddy.

Also, Will says that’s a 150,000% certainty. Now there’s a percentage Mike can understand!

Voting Time: Rodney votes for Sierra, Sierra votes for Rodney, and the rest are secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Sierra, one vote for Rodney, one vote for Sierra, and the fourteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” and the seventh member of the jury is…Sierra.

Wow…I thought Carolyn was an obvious first boot.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will untie knots to open a gate. Then they’ll race to the top of a tower to retrieve a key. Once they have the key they’ll slide down a giant slide and climb to the top of structure to retrieve a bag of puzzle pieces. Then they’ll do it again. Once they have all three bags, they’ll have to put together a light tower puzzle. First person to complete their puzzle wins immunity.

Mike gets an early lead, but Will and Carolyn are right behind him.

Will and Carolyn are dragging, Rodney eventually passes them.

Mike is the first to retrieve all three bags. He goes to work on his puzzle.  Rodney isn’t too far behind. Carolyn and Will catch up as well.

Carolyn does well with the puzzle, but Mike’s lead was too much. Mike wins immunity.

So, the winner of “Survivor: Worlds Apart” by a vote of seven to one is…Mike.

Before we head to commercial, everyone congratulates and hugs one another. Will, Carolyn, and Rodney even ask to put the necklace on Mike. That’s nice.

Then, Mike treats us to some happy dance! Even better!

Politicking around camp starts with Rodney and Will wanting Carolyn gone because you can’t win the game against a Mama. Ummm…Missy is someone’s Mama.

Mike tells Carolyn that he’s not going to vote for her because his Blue Collar compadres turned on him. He wants Carolyn and Rodney to have to build fire as the tie-breaker.  He tells Carolyn that she should start practicing. Lucky for her the tie-breaker isn’t clever impressions.

Like it matters, any combo of this final four will lose to Mike.

That night at Tribal, Mike says he was moved by the others wanting to put the necklace on him at the challenge.

Rodney and Carolyn both appreciate that they’re in danger.

Mike says they’re both threats and it says a lot that they got this far.

Quick Aside: Dan is making so many exaggerated faces that he’s probably going to owe Eliza Orlins royalties after the show.

Voting Time: Caroyln votes for Rodney, Rodney votes for Carolyn, and the rest are super secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Rodney, two votes for Carolyn, and the final vote is for…Rodney.  We’ve got a tie.

Tie-Breaking Challenge: First person to build a fire high enough to burn through a rope gets to stay. Loser joins the jury.

We start off and Mama C’s flint breaks six minutes into it. Probst has a back up for her. Eventually Rodney needs a second flint too.

I wonder if those are the flints Wes lost in San Juan del Sur…

Forty five minutes later…ho boy…Rodney finally gets fire…kinda…no…it’s out.

Fifty three minutes later…Rodney gets fire again…and so does Carolyn!

They race to place wood on their fires…and Carolyn wins it!

So, the fifteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” and the eighth and final member of the jury is…Rodney.

As Rodney’s saying his farewell testimony, he says that he’s going to make Mike pay for making him do a fire challenge.

The next morning, the threesome is greeted by the traditional Day 39 brunch.

Wow…the final three is one from each collar. Hakuna Matata.

They each talk about how their collarness led them to the end. Mike says he has a battle waiting for him. Yeah…too many votes are going to be thrown at him.

That night at Tribal, Joe bats lead-off. He claims his vote is open at this point. He tells Will he won’t vote for him unless he owns his game. He tells Mama C. that she has to show how she outsmarted people. Then, he says Mike has to prove that he did things other than winning immunity.

Joe, he won like a billion immunities. Give him a break.

Hali asks Carolyn if being in the mother role has been a disadvantage. She says she embraced the mother role because everyone was younger than her.

Rodney goes next. He asks Will how he kept things real. Will says that he knew he was going to be the underdog. He tried to make friends and was very giving by sharing his snacks. He says he has a relationship with everyone except Shirin.

Shirin agrees.

Rodney then asks Carolyn what moves she made. She says she axed Tyler because she couldn’t beat him. She also admits that she was one of the few people who voted for Dan. Well played, Carolyn.

Tyler is batting clean-up. He asks Mike about his social game because he feels like Mike became paranoid toward the end. Mike says he wanted to do better socially than he did, but he thinks he failed.

Dan agrees.

Tyler then tells Carolyn that he’s heartbroken because she stabbed him in the back. She says Tyler was her most difficult vote, but “Survivor” makes you do things you’re not proud of if you want to get to the end.

Sierra asks Will which trait he would want that the other finalists have. Will says he likes how Carolyn analyzes things and he likes Mike’s work ethic.

Jenn doesn’t have problems with anyone. She then tells the jury that they’re bitter because Mike did better than they did. She says a vote for Mike proves that the voter is a fan.

Dan goes next. He tells Mike that Colby proved that winning immunities doesn’t win you the game. He claims that Mike didn’t care about the jury. Mike says his biggest regret in the game is losing Dan’s trust. He says he’s sorry and he hopes that they can be friends. Dan thinks that’s the most honest thing Mike has said to him since the auction.

Finally, we get to Shirin. She’s very proud that she was able to stand up to Will during his attack. But, she was very moved that Mike came to her aid. She then admits that she made her first million by the time she was 25. She says Mike doesn’t have her vote, because she’s voting for who played the best game and Carolyn is still in it.

She says Mike is like a howler monkey because he’s loud and will rip you apart if you get in his face. She thinks Carolyn is a hidden stingray who will sting you dead if she needs to. She points out that Carolyn was on the winning side of every vote.

Um…what about the Sierra vote?

EDIT: I stand corrected, Carolyn did vote for Sierra.

Finally, she says Will was a dead fish that they dragged in with their nets.

She wraps it up by quoting Sue Hawk. C’mon, Shirin. You can go more obscure than that.

My Thoughts: I’m still pretty sure Mike’s gonna win this, but Carolyn did a heck of a job.

Voting Time: Jenn votes for Mike, Rodney votes for Will, Sierra votes for Carolyn, Dan bangs his head against the voting podium because he’s soooooooo torn, and the rest will have to wait till we get to Los Angeles.

We meet up with Probst in the City of Angels and he’s ready to read ’em. We’ve got one vote for Mike, one vote for Will, one vote for Carolyn, two votes for Mike, and the winner of “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Mike.

Verdict: Lindsey called it. A Blue Collar won the whole thing.

Overall, this season had all of the strategy, backstabbing, and craziness that I love from “Survivor,” but it was overshadowed by some ugliness.

Mike’s a solid winner, but this season will probably end up in the middle of the pack for me.

Power Rankings Results: Josh and I had Mike and Rodney in the right spots for four points. While Reed only had Mike in the right spot for two points. So, the final score is Team Josh: 88, Team Reed: 94, Team Gordon 96. Thanks again to the Broadway Betrothed for being such awesome Power Rankings competition!

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

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Finale Recap – Lone Star?

CBS Announces the Fan-Selected Cast of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance’

May 20, 2015

"Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance" (CBS)

Quick Note: XFINITY TV will be sending me deep into the wilderness to bring you all kinds of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance” goodness. Before the season airs, I’ll have all manner of behind-the-scenes interviews, images, and more to share. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

For the first time in the show’s fifteen-year history, the fans were given the chance to select the cast of “Survivor.” Over 10 million votes were cast on CBS.com and the results were read during the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” finale.

The cast of ten women and ten men is made up of former competitors who have only ever played once before and have never won the game…

Name: Kelly Wiglesworth
Season: “Survivor: Borneo”
Finish: Finalist
Why You Should Remember Her: In the season of “Survivor” that first captured America’s imagination, Kelly went on an impressive individual immunity run (four straight wins!) and was the victim of Sue Hawk’s legendary “Rats vs. Snake” speech.
Name:  Kimmi Kappenberg
Season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback”
Finish: Twelfth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Kimmi accidentally let Tina Wesson know that a member of her tribe had previous votes against him. That tribe member was…
Name: Jeff Varner
Season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Jeff was eliminated from the game because of the old rule where tie votes are broken based on the amount of previous votes that were cast against the tied players.
Name: Andrew Savage
Season: “Survivor: Pearl Islands”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: The leader of the Morgan Tribe was sent home after eventual finalist (and one of two returning Outcasts) Lil turned against him.
Name: Terry Deitz
Season: “Survivor: Panama”
Finish: Third Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Terry won five consecutive individual immunity challenges and was the first person to have a “Whaaaaambulance” called for him.
Name: Peih-Gee Law
Season: “Survivor: China”
Finish: Fifth
Why You Should Remember Her: Peih-Gee threw a challenge in China by tossing away a piece of the puzzle and then laughed about it. Classic.
Name: Stephen Fishbach
Season: “Survivor: Tocantins”
Finish: Finalist
Why You Should Remember Him: “The Wizard” orchestrated the show’s first-ever cross-tribe alliance but received no votes at the final Tribal Council.
Name: Monica Padilla
Season: “Survivor: Samoa”
Finish: Seventh Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Monica was offered a spot at Russell Hantz’s side at the merge, but she decided to stick with her eight-person Galu alliance. This ended up being a mistake when the Foa Foa four managed to overcome those steep numbers.
Name: Abi-Maria Gomes
Season: “Survivor: Philippines”
Finish: Fifth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: The Brazilian beauty is best known for stabbing her alliance-mate RC Saint-Amour in the back.
Name: Vytas Baskauskas
Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Finish: Tenth place
Why You Should Remember Him: The brother of “Survivor: Panama” champ Aras Baskauskas made a strong showing for himself, but was quickly voted out after the merge when the brother pairing was deemed to be too powerful.
Name: Ciera Eastin
Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Finish: Fifth place
Why You Should Remember Her: Ciera became the only person in “Survivor” history to vote out a family member when she sent her mother Laura Morett packing.
Name: Spencer Bledsoe
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Fourth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: This “Young Lad” almost went the distance after “Survivor” host Jeff Probst (and…uh…someone else) went on record saying he had no chance to win.
Name: Tasha Fox
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Sixth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: With her back against the wall, Tasha pulled off three consecutive immunity challenge wins.
Name: Woo Hwang
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Finalist
Why You Should Remember Him: Woo probably would have won “Survivor: Cagayan” if he had chosen to take Kass to the final two over eventual winner Tony.
Name: “Chaos” Kass McQuillen
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Third Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Kass earned her “Chaos” nickname by turning on her alliance and voting out Sarah Lacina. She also had a very dramatic come-from-behind win at the final four immunity challenge.
Name: Jeremy Collins
Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Jeremy had a very impressive run in the game, but he might be best remembered for sending his wife to Exile Island after beating her in the opening challenge.
Name: Keith Nale
Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Finish: Fourth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Keith accidentally got his own son voted out of the game when he tipped Jon off by urging Reed to “Stick to the plan.”
Name: Kelley Wentworth
Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Finish: Fourteenth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Kelley and her father Dale ended up on the losing end of a family feud that pitted them against Baylor and Missy.
Name: Joe Anglim
Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Finish: Tenth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: “Joey Amazing” was a challenge stallion and he crafted the most impressive fake immunity idol this side of “Runaround” Bob Crowley.
Name: Shirin Oskooi
Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Finish: Eighth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Shirin got back at Will after his tirade by not allowing him to read his letter from home.

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

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on CBS Announces the Fan-Selected Cast of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »