Posts Tagged ‘jeff probst’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: Steve Wright

May 5, 2011

Some people take to “Survivor” like a fish takes to water. The lack of food never really seems to bother them, they have little trouble getting along with others, and the stress of the game doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Steve Wright took to “Survivor” like a fish takes to molasses. The 51-year-old former Dallas Cowboy had trouble dealing with the lack of food, he participated in a shouting match with Double-0 Phillip, and thanks to Boston Rob, he never really had a chance to maneuver within the game.

I spoke with Steve the morning after he was eliminated from Redemption Island to get his take on his controversial argument, how he views Boston Rob’s dominance, and if Redemption Island is a break from the game…

Gordon Holmes: Last night Phillip claimed that he’s only acting crazy, he’s just pretending so people will want to go to the end with him. Do you buy that?
Steve Wright: No, not at all. I think when the cameras are on you 24/7 you can only hide so much.  The real you will come through, and I think America’s seen the guy he is. A Looney Tune. The question mark behind his name as to if he’s a federal agent? Nobody in that position would brag about themselves. They’re very humble people. I don’t think he’s really stable.
Gordon: A couple of episodes ago, you and he had an altercation where he accused you of being a racist. What was going through your head when you clearly had one intention in calling him “crazy” and he took it another way?
Steve: It was pretty sad. He obviously has a huge chip on his shoulder. And I’m learning a lot as I’m watching this show. He’s calling himself a “red-headed stepchild.” He felt paranoid because of Grant and Boston Rob. I haven’t walked in his shoes, so I’ll go easy on him, but he’s got a log on his shoulder. I called him “crazy” just like I’d call you “crazy” or anybody else. I’ve got probably over a dozen texts from black former teammates and buddies saying, “Racist, my ass.” I’ve got a black brother-in-law. There was no ulterior meaning behind it.
Gordon: Were you comfortable with the way it was portrayed in the episode?
Steve: Yeah. And I think Probst did a great job opening it all up and getting it all out on the table. Like I’ve said, I’ve gotten a lot of great comments from around the country. They say I took the higher road and I came off well.
Gordon: Probst did a bang-up job. He brought both sides of the issue to light and alleviated some of the tension.
Steve: Yeah, Jeff’s amazing that way. He’s a sharp guy that really knows how to open you up. He’s like a therapist. He gets things exposed and settled, then you can move on. But I thought we’d put it behind us, I had no idea that Phillip didn’t believe me. That’s how narrow-minded the guy is.
Gordon: Yeah, but in hindsight you’re not that shocked, are you?
Steve: No, I’m not. I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his 16-year-old son having to take the pressure of all his buddies talking about his dad. When I was voting for him, I said I hope he finds peace in his heart some day.

Gordon: You seemed to be having a tough time out there. Did the thought of quitting ever cross your mind?
Steve: It definitely passes through everybody’s mind. It’s a pretty cold slap in the face. The first night you know you’re not going to be eating much the next day. You go through some pretty dark times out there. You’ve got to get each other through it. We all made a vow not to complain. We hung together and supported each other through some pretty tough times. Julie was missing her girls and her home was being foreclosed on. She helped me through a lot. But, quitting does cross your mind.
Gordon: As a former NFL player, how would you compare surviving in professional football versus surviving the Nicaraguan wilderness?
Steve: That’s a good question, but in the NFL training camp they make sure you’re eating like a king, that you have a soft bed, and an air-conditioned room. They’re going to take care of you. My body is used to eating every three hours. There’s nothing to compare “Survivor” to. It was rough beyond my wildest dreams. It’s rough and it’s real.

Gordon: Boston Rob seems to be running the show. How did that affect your feelings toward him? Was it respect? Was it resentment?
Steve: It was a little of both. It was respect for how well he was playing the game and watching him control his tribe. And then on the other side you can’t believe how his tribe mates are under his spell and drinking the Kool-Aid. We were working like crazy trying to infiltrate the girls or Grant. We felt sorry for them in a way. We had plenty of fish and we offered it to them, and Rob wouldn’t let them eat it. Also, anybody that plays the game three times, I respect. And he’s not a bad guy, he’s a likable guy who plays a really tough game.

Gordon: What was the mood at Redemption Island when you arrived?
Steve: It was really friendly. Matt’s a great kid and Ralph, Mike, and I were close. It was a great evening sitting around the fire.
Gordon: Without having to worry about strategy, does it make Redemption Island feel like a break from the game?
Steve: Yes it was. It was a huge break from the game. But it was a break from the game the last week or so. We knew our days were numbered no matter how hard we tried. It was like the game was over at that point. There was no cracking them.

Gordon: Word association time, let’s start with Matt.
Steve: Love him, great kid.
Gordon: Mike?
Steve: Big heart, warrior.
Gordon: Ralph?
Steve: Simple and loving.
Gordon: Andrea?
Steve: Wacky.
Gordon: Natalie?
Steve: Just sweet and innocent.
Gordon: Boston Rob?
Steve: Very intelligent.
Gordon: Phillip?
Steve: (Laughs) CRAZY!
Gordon: In the non-racial way, of course.
Steve: No racial in there, just crazy.
Gordon: Julie?
Steve: Warrior.
Gordon: Ashley?
Steve: Very sweet.
Gordon: Grant?
Steve: How about…follower.

Gordon: I feel like you had a rough run out there. Was there a time when you were enjoying yourself or found yourself inspired?
Steve: Just having my solitude time after the merge, meditating out on the rocks. That was really inspirational and lifting.
Gordon: What do you take from the time that you bring back to your everyday life?
Steve: No complaining, happy with what I have, not wanting more, and appreciating who you’re with without distractions.

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

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Recap: Boston Rob’s Scary Moment

May 4, 2011

Last Week: Phillip recovered his shorts, Andrea regretted turning on Matt, Grant rewarded Rob’s friendship with cake, Ashley and Natalie refused to do anything that required strategy, and Steve and Ralph were sent to a place that offers redemption.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Murlonio Tribe (wearing black)
Andrea – 21, Student
Ashley – 25, Nurse
Grant – 29, Yoga Instructor
Natalie – 19, Dancer
Phillip – 52, Former Federal Agent?
Rob – 35, “Survivor” Hall of Famer

Currently Residing on Redemption Island (wearing a population boom)

Matt – 22, Pre-Med Student
Mike – 31, Former Marine
Ralph – 45, Farmer
Steve – 51, Former NFL Player

Writer’s Note: I hate spelling “Murlonio.” For some reason the proper spelling doesn’t stick in my head. Who do I talk to about having them go back to “Ometepe”?

We start off this week’s show with Ralph making his way to Redemption Island. He’s only there a few minutes before Steve joins the party. They shake hands and exchange hugs.

I find this troublesome. There’s no stress at Redemption Island other than “Who’s going to win the challenge?” There’s no backstabbing or strategy. Are we going to end up with a situation where the person who goes back into the game is BFFs with the entire jury?

Steve does the math and points out that the majority of the jury will be former Zapaterans. Oof…I don’t think I like this.

Meanwhile over at Murlonio, Natalie breaks down a little because she misses her family. If only “Survivor” would do something where a player’s family member could come visit them…

The following morning Tree Mail arrives in the form of a box marked with a Sprint logo.

Sprint…The Now Network

Sure enough, the box contains a Sprint Epic 4G phone that is full of videos from home.

I’m putting the “Proud” count at three.

We get to hear from Natalie’s mom (proud), Andrea’s dad (not proud), Phillip’s sister (not proud), Rob’s sister (proud), Grant’s sister’s husband (not proud), and Ashley’s mother (not proud).

Only two prouds?!

However, the Murlonians weren’t the only ones to receive a phone. It seems like the Sprint folks made a special delivery to Redemption Island too.

Proud count at two.

We see videos from Ralph’s buddy (proud), Michael’s mom (not proud), Steve’s brother (not proud), and Matt’s brother (not proud).

One?! One lousy proud? I’d be proud of my sister for surviving 31 days in the wilderness.

Redemption Island Challenge Time: Each player will try to break a series of four tiles with a ball. First person to break all of their tiles gets to spend time with their loved one. The last person to break all of their tiles will be eliminated.

Round 1: Matt, Ralph, and Steve miss, Mike hits one.

Round 2: All four guys break a tile.

Round 3: Matt, Mike, and Ralph break a tile. Steve misses.

Round 4: Matt, Ralph, and Steve miss. Mike hits his final tile winning “Love” from a family member.

It always weirds me out a little to hear J-Pro refer to it as winning “Love.”

Round 5: Matt and Ralph break their third tiles, Steve misses.

Round 6: Matt and Ralph both break their fourth tiles, Steve is eliminated from the game.

Before Mike can claim his “Love,” J-Pro tells Mike that he has a choice between the Redemption Islanders spending time with their loved ones, or the Murlonians spending time with their loved ones.

Mike quotes some scripture, then decides to do right by the most people and allow the Murlotians to visit with their loved ones.

Probst is shocked, but Mike’s mom isn’t. She knows her son is a hero. Yeah, the military is having a good week.

Back at camp, Ashley is showing her mother around the hut. Apparently it’s Ashley’s responsibility to mark the calendar every day. That’ll shut up those people who think she doesn’t do anything.

Andrea’s dad asks the question that America has been wondering; how does she still look so good after 30 days out in the wilderness? So unfair.

Rob breaks down his strategy to his sister…wait…where’s Amber?! Anywho, he tells her that Grant and Natalie both think they’re going to the end with him, and if they’d just talk to each other he’d be in trouble.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will race to retrieve a set of puzzle steps. They’ll then place those steps on a giant staircase. First person to place all their pieces and get to the top wins immunity.

Andrea, Grant, and Rob jump ahead with the first set of steps. Grant gets a bit of a lead after the second set but Rob and Andrea are right behind him. During the final set, Rob manages to take the lead, but his legs start to give out on him. It’s ugly. He’s literally using a step as a crutch to get up the stairs. Somehow he manages to complete the final set and win immunity.

Wow, Rob’s a mess. His legs are cramped and he’s dehydrated. Natalie brings him water. He nearly passes out while drinking it.

Yikes, Probst must be having “Heroes vs. Villains” flashbacks to Rob’s collapse.

Politicking around camp seems to be focused on lovely young Andrea. However, Phillip isn’t going to let them have a leisurely afternoon without sprinkling a little crazy on it.

Phillip wants us to know that this has been his plan all along. He wanted to NaOnka his way to the finals. I don’t believe this for one second. Phillip was very close to being the first person out of Ometepe. I think he’s trying to make himself look good in hindsight.

Phillip is also convinced that he has a Final Tribal Council argument to use against Rob that nobody else has thought of. Oh geez, let’s see…

1.    Rob’s already been on the show thirty times?
2.    Rob’s wife is a millionaire and he doesn’t need the money?
3.    Rob will eventually have to stab most people in the back?
4.    Rob lied about where the term “Murlonio” comes from?

Sorry Phillip, those arguments have already been thought of. Unless you’re going to argue that Rob doesn’t deserve votes because he’s a Red Sox fan. That’d totally sway my vote.

That night at Tribal Council, Andrea claims to be confident with the relationships she has formed.  Hmm…

Jeff asks Phillip if it’s a benefit to not be good at challenges. Phillip disregards the questions and goes on about how good he is at challenges. J-Pro’s working for you, Phillip. Keep quiet for once.

Grant thinks being yourself is the best thing you can do in the game, because it’s easy to see through people. How Rob kept from giggling I’ll never know.

Probsty asks if anyone feels nervous about the night’s vote. Nobody raises their hand. That’s amazing. Sorry, that’s AMAZING. How does everyone feel safe? That’s unpossible. (‘Survivor” points for whoever gets that reference.)

Voting Time: No votes are shown.

Probst does his tallying duties and returns; we’ve got one vote for Andrea, one vote for Phillip, two votes for Andrea and the fourteenth person to be sent to Redemption Island is…Andrea.

Verdict: No shocker there. In fact, we haven’t had a shocking vote since Matt was voted out the second time.

Redemption Island is scaring the crap out of me. I can’t help but think the season will fall flat if the ultimate winner comes from there. When it was one-on-one duels it was cool, but now you can stick around by coming in third.

Who’s Going to Win? As if Rob’s argument about leading and manipulating Ometepe wasn’t impressive enough, now he has a series of immunity wins to back it up. It’s going to be a crime when he loses.

Power Rankings Update: Sash and I both had Matt and Mike as our Redemption Island picks. So, we both earn two points. Sash and I both had Andrea in spot six. So, we both earn six points. The current score is now Team Sash 137 to Team Gordon 124. I pitched another perfect game and still can’t gain ground on Sash! Unfair. However, none of the readers did better than I did. Although @truedorktimes gets extra credit for picking all three of the Redemption Island winners correctly.

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

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Power Rankings: Round 11

May 4, 2011

The Rules: Each week, “Survivor: Nicaragua” finalist Matthew “Sash” Lenahan and XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Ashley is voted out this week, Sash will receive 4 points and Gordon will receive 5 points. Also, each player will pick who they think will win at “Redemption Island.” If they choose correctly they will receive a bonus point for each player. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Redemption Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Sash and Gordon both had Matt and Mike as their Redemption Island picks. So, they both earn two points. Sash had Steve eighth and Ralph seventh. Gordon had Ralph eighth and Steve seventh. So, both earn fifteen points. The current score is now Team Sash 129 to Team Gordon 116.

Wanna Play? “Survivor” fans have been posting their own Power Rankings on Twitter. Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings, or post your picks in the comment section of this post. If you do better than Gordon does, (which is highly likely) he’ll give you credit in his weekly recap.

TEAM SASH

Current Score: 129

 .

TEAM GORDON

Current Score: 116
bostonrob . natalie
#1 Boston Rob – Rob still has an idol, still has control of the tribe, and still can pretend he’s Phillip’s best friend…that’s impressive! . #1 Natalie – There’s a good reason to vote every member of the tribe out…except for Natalie.
natalie . phillip
#2 Natalie – Natalie is a prime example that in “Survivor” you don’t have to be the best at survival skills, you just have to be the best at being loyal. . #2 Phillip – They’re hinting that Phillip may be pretending to be crazy. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. Crazy nearly got him voted out in the first episode.
phillip . bostonrob
#3 Phillip – Phillip’s antics are outrageous and perfectly designed to make it to the end…but is he outwitting the tribe or himself? . #3 Boston Rob – Rob’s strategy has worked perfectly up until this point. If he can finish strong this’ll have to go down as the most dominant performance since Tom Westman in Palau.
ashley . grant
#4 Ashley – Ashley’s abrasive tone has impeded her ability to make any strong alliances, and with the game nearing the finish line, she needs a strong ally. . #4 Grant – Rob Cesternino made an excellent point on his podcast that it’s much easier to make a big move at five than at six. The big move is coming to get rid of you, Grant. And it’s coming next week at five.
grant . ashley
#5 Grant – If Grant can oust Boston Rob, he can win this game.  Unfortunately for him, that’s easier said than done. . #5 Ashley – Ashley isn’t interested in making any moves. In fact, the only move she’ll make this week is to pray that Andrea doesn’t win immunity.
andrea . andrea
#6 Andrea – Andrea has the whole package to make it far, but she has already shown her hand and will be immediately on the chopping block because of her obvious strengths over the other women. . #6 Andrea – I think your number is up, Andrea. Which is a shame because I never felt like you had a good opportunity to make a move.
matt

mike

 . matt

mike
Redemption Island Winners – Knowing they are fighting for a chance to spend time with their loved ones, Matt and Mike will continue to dominate on Redemption Island. . Redemption Island Winners – How many people are left on Redemption Island? Fourteen? I guess I’ll go with these two guys again, they’ve been lucky for me.

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

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: Julie Wolfe

April 28, 2011

To put “Boston” Rob Mariano’s post-merge performance into baseball terms; the guy is throwing a complete game shutout. Julie Wolfe? She was just another Zapateran infielder who wasn’t able to make solid contact.

I had a chance to speak with Julie the morning after her elimination to find out why she couldn’t crack Rob’s Ometepe alliance, why she chose not to align with Russell, and what it was like to witness Phillip’s fury first hand…

Gordon Holmes: I spoke with Russell a few weeks ago and he believed that the two of you could have gone all the way. What was your reasoning behind avoiding Russell’s alliance?
Julie Wolfe: You know Gordon, I’ve always been a big fan of Russell. I actually like the way he plays the game. But, I just did not trust him and I didn’t want to be one of his victims. And I’d made, not just an alliance, but really good friends with Mike and Steve and I just didn’t want to break their trust. Never was there one second where I was going to go against my alliance.
Gordon: Oh, c’mon. What has Russell ever done to make it seem like he was untrustworthy?
Julie: (Laughs) Yeah, Russell gives you that handshake and then he has his fingers crossed behind his back. I don’t have any second thoughts or regrets about voting Russell off. I do have regrets about throwing that challenge.  The reward was so great, having a tarp and blanket would have made a big difference in our game and our attitude.

Gordon: It seems like the Zapaterans had no luck whatsoever making any inroads with Ometepe. What kinds of moves were you trying to make to crack that alliance?
Julie: Once Matt got sent back to Redemption we pretty much knew there wasn’t going to be much of an opportunity to break that alliance, they were so strong. And like I said, they seemed like a cult. There were a couple of times where I tried to align with the women, and they didn’t want anything to do with me. We knew they were going to start picking us off, but we thought I was going to be last.
Gordon: Why do you think you went before Steve and Ralph?
Julie: I think Rob got wind that I wanted a female alliance. Steve wanted to go home and I was trying everything I could not to go home. I think Rob saw that as a threat.

Gordon: You were there for the blow up between Phillip and Steve. What was your take on what went down there? What were you feeling during that uncomfortable situation?
Julie: It started off with the Ometepe tribe, I’m not going to say Murlonio tribe because we were always two separate tribes. They wanted to put their rice in with our rice. And we were like, “No, heck no, we’re not doing that.” And somehow it became a racial war. It was just an ugly, ugly atmosphere. It’s just a really uncomfortable situation, I just wanted to remove myself. It definitely was not a race issue. I was pretty disgusted with the whole thing.
Gordon: It was uncomfortable to watch. I felt horrible for the rest of the evening.
Julie: Yeah, it was very uncomfortable. I was like, “Please make it stop.”

Gordon: On the lighter side, what were you thinking when Phillip showed up to Redemption Island wearing his missing shorts?
Julie: (Laughs) When he showed up to Redemption Island…at that point I was so happy to be removed from all of that tension. So you know what? I was glad he found his shorts because nobody wants to see him in his disgusting pink panties. So whether your great great grandfather or if one of the guys told him, I was happy for him.
Gordon: I want you to know what I was going through. When you first hid them I thought it was hilarious. But on the other hand I thought, “Julie, how can you do this to us, the viewers? How can you sentence us to more of the pink panties?” Were you worried about my feelings when you did that?
Julie: (Laughs) I just wanted to get back at him. But you know what? He has a pair of jeans. He has the option to wear his jeans. He’s just out there for attention.

Gordon: OK, then I can’t be too mad at you. Let’s try some word association here. We’ll start off with Boston Rob.
Julie: Deceiving.
Gordon: Andrea?
Julie: Untrustworthy.
Gordon: Grant?
Julie: Awesome.
Gordon: Steve?
Julie: He’s just a great guy.
Gordon: Ralph?
Julie: Does it have to be one word?
Gordon: I don’t want to get too strict. You say what you need to say.
Julie: (Laughs) Ralph is the hardest working man on this planet.
Gordon: Matt?
Julie: Loyal to his God, faithful.
Gordon: Phillip?
Julie: Crazy, lunatic.
Gordon: Mike?
Julie: Respect. I have nothing but respect for that man.
Gordon: Phillip’s pink panties?
Julie: Disgusting.
Gordon: And Natalie?
Julie: Immature.

Gordon: Last night you said you came on the show for the money. Did you find anything else while you were out there that can help you?
Julie: I didn’t go there to make friends or for the experience or to be on TV. But, I realized that I was there on “Survivor” for a reason. I have a reborn relationship with God. I found a great church, and that’s worth way more than a million dollars.

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

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Recap: Boston Rob and the Package of Doom

April 27, 2011

Last Week: Phillip proved that while he may not be playing with a full deck, he certainly has a race card, Rob again earned the crown of puzzle king, and Julie showed her hand at Tribal Council and was sent packing.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Murlonio Tribe (wearing black)
Andrea – 21, Student
Ashley – 25, Nurse
Grant – 29, Yoga Instructor
Natalie – 19, Dancer
Phillip – 52, Former Federal Agent?
Ralph – 45, Farmer
Rob – 35, “Survivor” Hall of Famer
Steve – 51, Former NFL Player

Currently Residing on Redemption Island (wearing concern)

Julie – 50, Firefighter
Matt – 22, Pre-Med Student
Mike – 31, Former Marine

We start off with the Murlonios returning from Tribal Council. Steve takes Phillip aside and tries to clear the air. Thank goodness. Last week’s episode ruined my whole evening. Phillip accepts the apology, but let’s us know that he doesn’t trust Steve and he’ll be the next to go.

Later on, Rob says that as long as Phillip keeps up his crazy antics he’ll be safe. Thank you, Russell Hantz and NaOnka Mixon for adding that wrinkle to the game. When I get on this show (for the “Survivor: Press vs. Probst” season) I fully intend to walk around insulting people’s mothers.

The following morning Phillip has a conversation with the spirit of his great great grandfather. The topic of conversation? Not the meaning of life, but the location of Phillip’s hidden shorts.

OK, in 2112 when my great great grandson is on “Survivor: Press’ Ancestors vs. Probst’s Ancestors,” I hope I’m too busy eating Ben & Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream in heaven to care about anyone’s missing shorts.

There must be something to it though, cause Phillip manages to find the shorts. He also thinks that like Jack Nicholson said, Julie “Can’t stand the truth.”  Well, maybe Jack Nicholson said that at some point, but I’m pretty sure his famous line had something to do with handling the truth. I could be wrong though, I didn’t consult my great great grandfather.

Meanwhile over at Redemption Island, Matt’s there in the corner, Matt’s there in the spotlight losing his religion. Just kidding, he’s totally still got it, but he’s super bummed about staying in the game.

Redemption Island Challenge Time: “Survivor” shuffle board, baby! The players will slide pucks across a board. If you get all three pucks into the end zone, you stay. If not? You go home.

Before the challenge gets underway, Matt lets Probst know that he’s ready to go if he doesn’t win the challenge.

First Shot: Mike hits the end zone, Matt and Julie miss.
Second Shot: Mike and Julie each get one in the end zone, Matt misses.

Third Shot: Matt hits his shot, Mike and Julie miss.

Fourth Shot: Matt hits another shot, Mike and Julie miss again.

Fifth Shot: Matt lands a third puck, he survives. Mike misses, Julie knocks one of her own pucks off.

Sixth Shot: Mike lands his third puck, he also survives.

Before Julie can go, Jeff asks her why she came on “Survivor.” She breaks down a bit as she explains that her house is in foreclosure and she needed the money. However, she’s happy that she’ll be having peanut butter soon.

Quick Aside: That’s really what this season has been missing. After someone loses at Redemption Island, it doesn’t have the same weight as when they were voted out at Tribal Council in previous seasons. They’ve just become an instant afterthought. If they do Redemption Island again, they need more moments like this.

Back at camp, Andrea lets us know that she’s starting to feel bad about how she played Matt. Rob tries to put her at ease by telling her that everyone is responsible for voting Matt out.

Later, Grant and Rob decide that Andrea should go home soon. They worry that Andrea is too close with the Zapaterans and they don’t want her buddying up with Matt if he returns to the game. Grant says that timing is everything when it comes to voting people out, and it may come down to the immunity challenge.

And then as if on cue…

Immunity Challenge Time: Log roll time, baby! The players will square off in a log roll competition. Last person standing wins immunity, a monster chocolate cake, and ice cold milk.

And…apparently there’s a mysterious package.

First Round: Grant beats Rob, Purple Ashley tops Andrea, Ralph bests Steve, and Phillip defeats Natalie.

Semifinal Round: Grant wins over Purple Ashley, Ralph beats Phillip, and Bobby Brown is disqualified when he does an illegal kick on Daniel LaRusso.

Final Round: Grant beats Ralph after a long contest.

Grant is allowed to choose a cake-eating buddy. To nobody’s surprise he picks Rob. He’s allowed one more cake compadre (yeah, I know, I hated that the second I typed it) and decides on Andrea.

Then, J-Pro tosses the mysterious package to Steve. Apparently it’s for the whole tribe and they’ll open it at Tribal Council.

After that, we learn that the Survivors only have two minutes to eat the cake. Wait, what? Worst reward ever.

Back at camp, everyone is trying to figure out what the twist is. They think the package feels like a deck of cards. I’m hoping it’s a new Medallion of Power.

Boston Rob breaks down his thoughts on the night’s vote. He thinks Steve won’t fight anymore as he’s tired and wants to go home, therefore they should get rid of Ralph. He’s also concerned that the twist may involve voting off two people. If that’s the case, he wants Ralph to go home first, then Andrea to go home second.

Steve tells Natalie and Ashley that he’ll be voting for Rob. Natalie and Ashley promptly relay this information to Rob. This, as you’d imagine, changes Rob’s thoughts on keeping Steve around.

That night at Tribal Council, Rob tells J-Pro that the Zapateran purge will continue.

Probsty points out that once the Zapatatians are gone, the Ometerps will have to turn on each other. Andrea isn’t concerned because she feels her alliance is rock solid.

Steve and Ralph both think that Ralph is going home next.

Grant and Phillip think Steve isn’t as feeble as he looks.

Steve reminds everyone of the time when Boston Rob stabbed Lex Van Den Berghe in the back after Rob asked him to save Amber. Why wasn’t that in the “Previously on ‘Survivor’” montage?!

Voting Time: Ralph votes for Rob and the rest of the votes are secret.

Note: When people were voting, Steve turned to Natalie and said, “Let’s do it.”

Probst tallies and returns, two votes for Rob, four votes for Ralph, and the twelfth person to be sent to Redemption Island is…Ralph.

After Ralph is snuffed, J-Pro tells Steve to open the mysterious package of mystery. Sure enough, it’s a set of cards. Apparently there will be an immediate immunity challenge and then they’ll vote out another player.

Immunity Challenge One Mo’ Time: Probst hands out decks of cards to everyone. All of the cards have symbols on them. Probst will show the players a series of symbols. The players will have to show the symbols back to him. If you get one wrong, you’re out. Last person standing wins immunity.

Round One: Phillip and Natalie are out first. Andrea and Grant are out second. Steve and Ashley are out next…Rob wins immunity.

Voting Time…Again: Andrea votes for Steve, Steve votes for Grant, and the rest will wait.

J-Pro tallies yet again and returns, one vote for Grant, three votes for Steve, and the thirteenth person to be sent to Redemption Island is…Steve.

Verdict: Heh, I feel like the producers were pushing the fast forward button on the Pagonging of Zapatera. And honestly, you’re not going to hear me complaining about it. Hopefully things will pick up now that Andrea’s rock-solid alliance has to vote each other off.

In other news, there are a jillion people on Redemption Island now. It’s making figuring out the Power Rankings a nightmare. It’s like trying to predict a game of Calvinball. (I tweeted that joke a week ago and loved it enough to recycle it.)

Who’s Going to Win? Could the Redemption Islanders form a pack to vote for whoever returns to the game?

Power Rankings Update: Sash and I both had Matt and Mike as our Redemption Island picks. So, we both earn two points. Sash had Steve eighth and Ralph seventh. I had Ralph eighth and Steve seventh. So, we both earn fifteen points. The current score is now Team Sash 129 to Team Gordon 116. Since I pitched a perfect game (…for once…) none of the readers got the best of me. Better luck next week.

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

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Power Rankings: Round 10

April 26, 2011

The Rules: Each week, “Survivor: Nicaragua” finalist Matthew “Sash” Lenahan and XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Andrea is voted out this week, Sash will receive 6 points and Gordon will receive 2 points. Also, each player will pick who they think will win at “Redemption Island.” If they choose correctly they will receive a bonus point for each player. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Redemption Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Sash had Matt as his Redemption Island pick, Gordon had David. So, Sash earns a point. Sash had Julie in spot seven, Gordon had her in spot five. The current score is now Team Sash 112 to Team Gordon 99.

Wanna Play? “Survivor” fans have been posting their own Power Rankings on Twitter. Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings, or post your picks in the comment section of this post. If you do better than Gordon does, (which is highly likely) he’ll give you credit in his weekly recap.

TEAM SASH

Current Score: 112

 .

TEAM GORDON

Current Score: 99
bostonrob . natalie
#1 Boston Rob – Hook, line, and sinker…could this game be any easier for Boston Rob?  If he can get rid of Grant and Andrea while avoiding comeback kid Matt, he will have his redemption. . #1 Natalie – Natalie’s probably going to get a lot of grief for riding Rob’s coattails, but what else should she do? Make a bold move that could cost her a guaranteed Final Three in order to maybe sway some jury votes? Jury votes that are already annoyed with Boston Rob?
natalie . andrea
#2 Natalie – Riding coattails is what Natalie does best.  Could this be the easiest ascent to Final Tribal Council in “Survivor” history? . #2 Andrea – The previews make it seem like you’re in trouble. This leads me to believe you are safe. Also, Rob doesn’t want to target Ometepe until he has to. Otherwise, he’ll have a tough time with the jury.
phillip . ashley
#3 Phillip – Phillip is playing this game almost as hard as Boston Rob is.  We’ve seen him go from crazy to ridiculous…a perfect strategy for making a run for Final Tribal Council. . #3 Purple Ashley – Something about Nicaragua must make it easy for blonds to blend into the background.
ashley . grant
#4 Ashley – If “Survivor” was a scored game, Ashley would have zero points.  How can someone coast so easily to the end?  Two words; Boston Rob. . #4 Grant – You’re still safe, Grant. But if you don’t make a move soon you’re going to join Lex and Big Tom on Boston Rob’s list of buddies he’s stabbed in the back.
grant . bostonrob
#5 Grant – Grant’s best shot at the end is blindsiding Boston Rob.  Hopefully he isn’t completely brainwashed yet as light at the end of the tunnel begins to appear. . #5 Boston Rob – If the Ometepians ever decide to make a move Rob is done for. But right now that seems like a very big “if.”
andrea . phillip
#6 Andrea – What’s going to happen when all the remaining Zapatera have been voted out?  Andrea needs to quickly decide on her end game; otherwise, she won’t have any hope of making a run for the million dollars. . #6 Phillip – I agree that Phillip is the perfect choice for Boston Rob to take to the end, but I think he might earn some goodwill from the jury if he sends him home. Will Rob go this route? I doubt it.
ralph . steve
#7 Ralph – Ralph definitely has a way with words (when we can understand them), but hasn’t been able to charm the Ometepe women in the slightest.  Unless he can go on an immunity run, he’s a goner. . #7 Steve – Why weren’t you voted out last week, Steve? Is it because you irritate Phillip? Could Boston Rob want everyone to hate Phillip as much as possible and that’s why you’re sticking around?
steve . ralph
#8 Steve – Steve’s wish to be sent home to Ponderosa was not granted by Boston Rob and now he must endure a slow, painful death with Phillip outlasting him…ouch! . #8 Ralph – Steve and Ralph are pretty interchangeable at this point. I’m going to go with Ralph here because he’s stronger physically.
matt

mike

 . matt

mike
Redemption Island Winners – Julie has no shot at Redemption despite Matt’s sanity cracking at the seams. . Redemption Island Winners – Yeah, Matt seems to be having a rough time with his return trip to Redemptionville. But, has Julie done a thing this season to make me think she can top either of these guys in a challenge? Nope.

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

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

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: David Murphy

April 21, 2011

One of the great things about “Survivor” is that it appeals to so many different people. If you like exotic locations, there’s something for you. If you like to see people pushing themselves to their limits, there’s something for you. If you like starving people yelling at each other, there’s something for you.

Me? I like strategic gameplay.

Heading into “Survivor: Redemption Island”, I knew Boston Rob and Russell were capable of cranking out some interesting strategies. Outside of those two established vets, it was believed that our best bet for some creative gameplay was going to be defense attorney David Murphy.

I had a chance to talk to David the morning after he was eliminated from “Survivor” to find out why his strategic options were so limited, what he would have done if he were a member of the dominant Ometepe alliance, and his thoughts on last night’s unfortunate incident between Phillip and Steve.

Gordon Holmes: A lot has been said about the move to get rid of Russell early in the game. It seems like you could have gone either way. Could you walk me through your thought process with the decision to stick with the Zapatera Six?
David Murphy: I was in a difficult position at that point and time. I had the opportunity to go either way. And while I thought one way would have been good for me personally, the other way was numerically the only choice to make. I couldn’t align with Russell because the numbers would have been four to five and it would have put me in a difficult position. It would have put me in an even worse position having already made some sort of deal with the other alliance to then join Russell’s alliance. It could have been a much different game, and it could have turned out much better for me had I aligned with Russell. But there was really no option at that time.
Gordon: There wasn’t an opportunity to pull somebody else along with you?
David: I think the core Zapatera alliance had such strong resentment for Russell at the get-go that there was really no guarantee that anyone would have actually done that. And had I attempted to do it it would have made my situation even worse.

Gordon: You had a bit of feud with Sarita. Was it really over her choosing Stephanie to do the puzzle over you, or was there something else?
David: The issue that Sarita and I had went back to an earlier point in the game. We had some disagreements about a variety of things. I’ll leave it at that.

Gordon: Was there ever an opportunity to work with Ometepe after the merge or were they completely shutting you out?
David: There was really no opportunity to work with them. I approached Rob the first moment and attempted to find out whether or not it was even possible. My attempt was not successful. I don’t think it was poorly received but there was no opportunity there. Rob had it set in his mind that he was going to run the show after the merge.

Gordon: Rob said part of his strategy was to have his alliance be mean to the Zapaterans. Did you see any of that?
David: Nobody was really mean to me. Well…if you discount Phillip’s antics. I got along with everybody really well, and socially speaking it was fine. I’d hang out with the girls or talk to Grant and Rob. That was no big deal. It was a gameplay move to put distance between us.
Gordon: You mentioned Phillip, we saw the two of you butt heads a couple of times. What is it like dealing with him on a day-to-day basis?
David: Phillip, from the very moment we were in the same place, rubbed me the wrong way. He wanted to tell everybody how everything should be done, and his way was the only way that things should be done. Not to necessarily say that he was wrong in his approach to doing things, but there’s more than one way to get things accomplished. Phillip was very controlling. It was quite aggravating from the very beginning. He’s definitely an interesting dude.
Gordon: That is an understatement.

Gordon: You were on Redemption Island with Matt for a little bit. It seemed like he was having a meltdown last night. What was your take on that situation?
David: When I got to Redemption Island, Matt and Mike were just kind of relaxing. I didn’t see any of Matt’s, if you want to call it that, meltdown. When I was there it was very cordial. We were all having fun and goofing around. I didn’t see any kind of breakdown on Matt’s part.

Gordon: Time to initiate you into the word association family. Let’s start this off with Ralph.
David: Wow…Ralph’s an interesting character. Hard worker.
Gordon: Rob?
David: Mastermind.
Gordon: Phillip?
David: Crazy. Especially after last night. And there were no racial undertones to that statement.
Gordon: Ashley?
David: Very nice.
Gordon: Andrea?
David: Playing the game more than anybody realizes.
Gordon: Natalie?
David: Conveniently innocent.
Gordon: Mike?
David: Physically dominant.
Gordon: And let’s finish this off with Sarita.
David: Annoying.

Gordon: I know you weren’t there for the incident between Steve and Phillip. But based on what you know about Steve, what were your feelings on what happened?
David: I felt very bad for Steve. Having lived through Phillip’s antics, the word “crazy” means exactly what everyone thinks it means. It is the word and that’s the context in which it was used. I had a little discussion with Phillip and I used a similar word. I meant nothing by it other than the fact that his behavior wasn’t rational. I don’t think Steve had the slightest intention to call Phillip anything other than crazy. I think it was really unfortunate to have that thrown on him on national television.

Gordon: Going into this season, we all had really high hopes that you were going to be a strategic player. However, from the sounds of it you didn’t have many avenues available to you. I’m interested to know what your strategy would have been if you had been a member of that Ometepe alliance.
David: From the outset my strategy would have been different in that if I were with Rob I would have tried to work closely with him. I would have said, “Hey, we can collectively manipulate these people to get to the end of this.” I don’t know how that would have worked out. Maybe he would have kept me around while I was useful and then tried to go against me, but I would have had the same opportunity to do that too. I think it would have been a better fit for me as far as the personnel. I would have had a better time dealing with the younger crowd. I think the strategy element of the game was definitely not something I was able to exploit just based on the way the core alliance of Zapatera formed and refused to do anything to try and advance the smaller alliances. After the merge there was really nothing left to do.

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

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Recap: Most Depressing Episode Ever?

April 20, 2011

Last Week: Rob rejected Ralph’s rations, Phillip found a feather, and Mike the Marine met his match as he and David the defense attorney were dismissed.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Murlonio Tribe (wearing black)
Andrea – 21, Student
Ashley – 25, Nurse
Grant – 29, Yoga Instructor
Julie – 50, Firefighter
Natalie – 19, Dancer
Phillip – 52, Former Federal Agent?
Ralph – 45, Farmer
Rob – 35, “Survivor” Hall of Famer
Steve – 51, Former NFL Player

Currently Residing on Redemption Island (wearing uncertainty)

David – 31, Defense Attorney
Matt – 22, Pre-Med Student
Mike – 31, Former Marine

Jeff Probst tweeted that tonight’s Tribal Council is going to be a doozy. And there’s a filter on Twitter that prevents people from lying, so consider me excited.

This week’s episode kicks off with Matt telling God that he doesn’t want to be in the game anymore. However, if God wants him to stay in the game he’ll keep fighting.

I’m thinking God has bigger things to deal with than who wins “Survivor: Redemption Island.”

The next morning Steve lets us know that he wasn’t ready to leave the game. He also seems to be annoyed with Phillip. Phillip gives us a prime example of how annoying he can be as he mutters to himself while he fashions a new feather headband.

Seriously, if that thing isn’t a full feather headdress by the end of the season, I’m going to be super disappointed.

Phillip follows up his arts and crafts project by telling us about his morning meditation. Apparently his ancestors have told him to trust Boston Rob. So, it’s probably fair to say that Lex Van Den Berghe isn’t one of Phillip’s ancestors.

There’s a bit of a food disparity around camp as the Zapaterans have more food left than the Ometepians. Yeah, but how much of that is crispy rice?

Phillip doesn’t approve of the tribes keeping their own rations, so he intends to liberate some of the Zapateran rice. This will end well, I’m sure.

Redemption Island invites go out and this time everybody is welcome. That’s awfully neighborly.

Redemption Island Challenge Time: Each player will have 150 wooden tiles. They’ll use them to build a house of cards. The first two players to reach eight feet will continue on. The loser will become the first member of the jury.

“Survivor: Gabon’s” Susie Smith, represent.
Not much to describe here except for some stackin’. Mike has about an inch to go and almost loses it. He eventually figures it out and wins. Matt then gets the best of David to advance. David is the first member of the jury.

Upon returning from Redemption Island the Ometepans learn that their rice has mold and maggots in it. They separate the good from the bad and ask Steve if they can combine the two tribes’ rice supplies. He doesn’t think that’s a great idea. As you would imagine, Phillip and his feather do not approve of this.

Phillip believes that only rewards are separate after the merge. Of course, that’s easy to say when the other dude has more rice than you. Steve wants to discuss the matter with Ralph. However, Phillip threatens that he’ll hide the Zapateran rice the second Steve leaves.

Doh…

Steve calls Phillip a “lunatic.” Phillip agrees that he is a lunatic, but that whenever a man of his “color” gets in someone else’s face, they’re considered a lunatic.

Doh…again.

Grant and Rob rightfully get a little freaked out that Phillip dropped a “race card.” That can’t be good for tribal harmony.

Steve tries to play it off, but Phillip informs him that he’s dealing with the “Chief of Counter Intelligence” and a “Wing Chun Kung Fu” expert. Phillip does have a point, a lot of what he does seems to be the counter of intelligence.

Things heat up again when Ralph returns. An enraged Phillip even drops a few “n words.” I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must’ve been.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will spin around a disc in an attempt to release it from a post. Once it’s free, they’ll use it to complete a puzzle. The first six to finish will move on to a second ring to their puzzle wheel. First person to complete the second ring wins immunity.

Rob, Julie, Ralph, Andrea, Steve, and Grant were the first six to complete the initial puzzle. Phillip thought he had it, and even mimicked J-Pro’s announcing style, but nobody fell for it.

In the second round, Rob returned to his previous “Survivor” form and completed the puzzle first. Rob wins immunity.

Politicking around camp, not shockingly, involves the Zapaterans trying to get rid of Phillip.

Julie isn’t content just to vote him out as she reaches into the Russell Hantz playbook, swipes Phillip shorts and buries them. OK Julie, that’ll annoy Phillip, but think of what you’re doing to the viewers. The return of Phillip’s pink panties can’t be good for ratings.

That night at Tribal Council, Phillip lets Jeff know that it isn’t cute that somebody stole his shorts.

Steve brings up the race/rice war. Phillip thinks the term “crazy” is a substitute for the “n word.” Probst can’t see where Phillip is making that leap. Phillip says he can’t put it into words, but he knows it when he sees it.

Steve lets us know that there is no line of black or white in his heart.

Jeff does a masterful job of explaining that they are both welcome to their take on the events, and that in their hearts they are both right. Wow, well done, Mr. Probst.

Afterward, Jeff gets Julie to fess up to stealing Phillip’s shorts. Man, he’s two for two tonight.

Voting Time: Steve votes for Phillip (shocker), Julie votes for Phillip, Ralph votes for Phillip (technically it was “Phile”), Phillip voted for Julie, and the rest of the votes are secret.

J-Pro tallies and returns…three votes for Phillip, four votes for Julie, and the eleventh person to be sent to Redemption Island is…Julie.

Verdict: Probst was right, Tribal Council was crazy. However, it wasn’t entertaining-crazy.

I like my “Survivor” with everyone at each other’s throats, but that was just depressing. I felt bad for Phillip because he’s obviously been made to feel that way in the past. And I feel bad for Steve because I don’t think that was his intention at all.

Here’s hoping Steve and Phillip eventually find some common ground and are able to figure things out.

Who’s Going to Win? Natalie’s got the perfect path, right?

Power Rankings Update: Sash had Matt as his Redemption Island pick, I had David. So, Sash earns a point. Sash had Julie in spot seven, I had her in spot five. The current score is now Team Sash 112 to Team Gordon 99.

Ooof…that may have put this game out of reach. Also, readers @truedorktimes, @SherriErwin, and Kyle got the best of me. Congrats!

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


Watch Full Episodes:
‘Survivor’

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Power Rankings: Round 9

April 19, 2011

The Rules: Each week, “Survivor: Nicaragua” finalist Matthew “Sash” Lenahan and XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Julie is voted out this week, Sash will receive 7 points and Gordon will receive 5 points. Also, each player will pick who they think will win at “Redemption Island.” If they choose correctly they will receive a bonus point. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Redemption Island” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Sash and Gordon both had Mike in spot eleven. Sash had David in spot six, Gordon had him in spot seven. So, Gordon gained a whole point. He must be so proud. The current score is now Team Sash 104, Team Gordon 94.

Wanna Play? Last week, several “Survivor” fans posted their own Power Rankings on Twitter. Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings, or post your picks in the comment section of this post. If you do better than Gordon does, (which is highly likely) he’ll give you credit in his weekly recap.

TEAM SASH

Current Score: 104

 .

TEAM GORDON

Current Score: 94
natalie . natalie
#1 Natalie – Natalie’s loyalty to the men of her original tribe is keeping her safe and has cleared an easy path to the end. . #1 Natalie – Natalie’s allegiance to Rob was cemented when she spilled the beans about Ashley’s discussion with Ralph. It proves she’s more interested in getting far in this game than she is in having a spa buddy.
ashley . andrea
#2 Ashley – The buddy system may lead to Ashley’s demise now that Natalie gave Boston Rob the inside scoop on her exchange with Ralph. . #2 Andrea – There’s usually some awkward negotiating at the end of an endurance challenge. There was none last week. Ashley and Natalie happily let Andrea win. I think this and the Matt blindside prove that Andrea is solid with Rob’s Zombies.
bostonrob . grant
#3 Boston Rob – Rob has complete control over his groupies as they vote off the original Zapatera one-by-one, but once the original Ometepe tribe begins to cannibalize itself, he will have a very difficult time working his way to Final Tribal Council. . #3 Grant – Someday Rob is going to stab Grant in the back. It won’t be this week, but it’s coming…and soon.
phillip . ashley
#4 Phillip – Phillip’s stories are “Survivor” gold for those of us not living with him on the island, but will he wear out his welcome among his tribemates? . #4 Ashley – Rob sent Matt packing over a handshake. You think he’s going to take kindly to your odd deal with Ralph? Once the Pagonging of Zapatera is over, you’re in trouble.
grant . julie
#5 Grant – Grant is the total package with his athleticism, puzzle making skills, and charm, but Final Tribal Council does not have enough room for both him and Boston Rob. . #5 Julie – Gamewise, I think there are bigger (Boston Rob-approved) fish to fry right now. But she’s not going to get close to the end.
andrea . bostonrob
#6 Andrea – Voting against Matt was the best move Andrea has made all season long.  She now needs to remain under the radar and hope that an opportunity presents itself to make a bold move. . #6 Boston Rob – The Ometepians have the kind of numbers advantage now where nobody should feel safe. They could lose one of their own and still get the best of the Zapaterans. Rob had better keep his idol close at all times.
julie . phillip
#7 Julie – By association with Steve and Ralph, Julie’s time is limited.  Her only move is to work her magic with the younger women. . #7 Phillip – Right now, Phillip is playing a game that makes him valuable to take to the end. However, if he’s driving the Brady Bunch crazy, Rob could decide to bounce him to win some favor with the future Zapateran jury members.
ralph . steve
#8 Ralph – Ralph is on Boston Rob’s hit list because of his failed attempt to pull information from Ashley, and now without an idol, he has a one-way ticket to Ponderosa. . #8 Steve – The previews make it look like we’re going to see a Phillip vs. Steve throwdown this week. Will this lead to the wild Tribal Council that Probst has promised?
steve . ralph
#9 Steve – “Survivor” is a delicate game where building relationships is everything.  Steve’s lack of social awareness with Phillip and the rest of the tribe will lead to his dismissal. . #9 Ralph – Why Ralph instead of Steve? Because Steve’s ready to go and Ralph has proved that he’s prepared to scramble. No way Rob wants someone with the will to fight sticking around.
matt . david
Redemption Island Winner – Matt is the only one with experience on Redemption Island and is poised to dominate the only part of this game he excels in. . Redemption Island Winner – Hmmm…why David? Because I need points and I think Sash will pick either Mike or Matt.

Any questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

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

‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ Recap: Birds of a Feather

April 13, 2011

Last Week: Matt came back from Redemption Island, ratted out Mike, and was voted out. Ralph used his immunity idol for no good reason, and the merge tribe was named after Amber’s stuffed animal. Basically everything is coming up Rob.

Tonight I expect him to trip over a bowling ball-sized diamond and fall into a puddle of chocolate ice cream.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The Murlonio Tribe (wearing black)

Andrea – 21, Student
Ashley – 25, Nurse
David – 31, Defense Attorney
Grant – 29, Yoga Instructor
Julie – 50, Firefighter
Mike – 31, Former Marine
Natalie – 19, Dancer
Phillip – 52, Former Federal Agent?
Ralph – 45, Farmer
Rob – 35, “Survivor” Hall of Famer
Steve – 51, Former NFL Player

Currently Residing on Redemption Island (wearing loneliness)

Matt – 22, Pre-Med Student

Prediction: The previews say we’re getting two Tribal Councils tonight. I wonder if that means we’ll be getting some predictable votes…

We kick this shindig off with Matt making his not-so-triumphant return to Redemption Island. He thinks he’s the most naïve person in the history of “Survivor.” “Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites” Erik Reichenbach might disagree with that. But it’s an issue that’s certainly open for debate.

The following morning, David and Steve are giving Boston Rob props for his blindside. Julie isn’t as impressed with it. She thinks it was cold blooded.

Later, Ralph asks Ashley and Natalie if he is on the “Chaw Blaw.” Apparently that is Ralph for “Chopping Block.” He tells the girls that he’ll vote for them in the final three instead of Boston Rob. No concrete deal was offered there, so I’m not sure what he was getting at.

The Robfather then lets us in on his plan for the second half of the game. He wants to keep Ometepe separate from Zapatera. He wants Ometepe to hate Zapatera. Just like the Sharks and the Jets.

Whoa…I don’t like musical theater. I meant the Hatfields and the McCoys.

That was close…

Rob has also implemented a buddy system. He doesn’t want any Ometepians to be caught by themselves.  He also wants his Ometepe buddies to be arrogant toward Zapatera so they’ll vote for Rob at the end.

So smart. It’s like he’s played this game before or something.

After Rob takes us through his twelve-tiered plan, Natalie spills the beans about Ralph’s weird deal with Ashley. Apparently Ashley didn’t think it was important to share this information with Rob. As you’d imagine, Rob disagrees.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will dig in the sand for a club. Once they have the club they’ll break a tile. The first six players to break a tile will advance. Then, those six players will submerge their heads into a water tank. They’ll get a mouthful of water, then crawl under the tank, and spit it in a tube. First three people to fill their tube up to a line will move on to a puzzle. First person to complete their puzzle wins immunity.

Quick Aside: Am I the only one who thinks of “Double Dare” when they have to fill a tube up to a line?

Oh, and Phillip found a magic hawk feather. It appeared out of thin air while he was meditating. Yes, I’m serious. How can he possibly lose?

Not much to describe in the first part of the challenge except for some good old fashioned diggin’. Grant, Rob, Ralph, Mike, David, and Julie all advance.

Again, not much to describe in the second round except for some dunkin’ and a spittin’. Grant, Mike, and David advance.

The puzzle involved putting together a bunch of Tetris pieces. Grant completed it first to win immunity. So much for David’s puzzle prowess.

Hmm…if I ever start a band, I might call it Puzzle Prowess.

We meet up with the Murlonians back at camp. David and Mike decide to mess with the “Mariano Crime Syndicate” (as David puts it) and start digging underneath the flag. Rob and Phillip go idol crazy and start digging with them. It seems like Rob has some idol paranoia. That’s understandable after the trick Russell pulled on him last year. However, I think he’s fine, they usually only do one idol after the merge.

That night at Tribal Council, Phillip lets us know that his great great grandfather (a former Cherokee) told him that an Ometepe player will live long in “Survivor” lore.

I’ve got nothing.

David says he thinks Phillip is on the bottom of the Ometepe alliance. Phillip’s OK with that because he enjoys it on the bottom.

Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a family website.

Ralph thinks he may be the next person to get a hawk feather. Phillip disagrees because it takes courage and determination to get a magic feather.

David thinks Phillip sounds like a lunatic. Phillip thinks David sounds like a “Guy on the bottom of a cesspool.”

Casting has to be somewhere high-fiving each other right now.

Voting Time: Steve votes for Phillip and the rest of the votes are super secret.

J-Pro does his tallying thing then returns. Five votes for Phillip, five votes for Mike, and the ninth person to be sent to Redemption Island is…Mike.

Back at camp, Rob tells Phillip that he isn’t at the bottom, he’s on the top. Rob feels like Phillip is a loyal soldier and is probably the perfect person to take to the end.

Apparently Phillip gets this too. He realizes that the more he antagonizes Zapatera the better he’ll look to Rob. Phillip knows he’ll have to make a move to prove he’s worth a million dollars, but now isn’t the time.

Sorry, I had to rewind that. Did Phillip say something that made total sense?

Immunity Challenge Time…Again: The players will hang from a bar. After twenty minutes they won’t be allowed to use their arms and will have to hang by their legs. Last person left hanging wins immunity.

Probsty gives the players the chance to forfeit their chance at immunity in exchange for a picnic lunch. Phillip and Steve decide to eat.

Really, Steve?

Again, not much to describe here except for hangin’. Rob has trouble getting comfortable and is the first person to fall.

When the twenty minutes are up, people start dropping quickly. Julie, Grant, and Ralph drop first.

After forty five minutes we lose David. The girls start negotiating…Natalie and Ashley agree to drop out and give Andrea immunity.

Back at camp, the Zapaterans notice that there are tons of fish in the fishing net. However, all of the fish are dead. Rob is worried that the fish are bad because rigor mortis has set in. Ralph isn’t concerned, he’s going to eat them anyway.

Grant doesn’t have a problem with it either. He goes over and tries the fish. Uh oh…is that the merge equivalent of shaking someone’s hand after a challenge?

Politicking comes down to Steve vs. David. Apparently Steve is ready to go home, but David is the more dangerous player.

That night at Tribal Council, Phillip teaches Jeff about Stealth R Us. Oh man…it must sound so cool in his head.

Also, Andrea, Ashley, and Natalie have been upgraded to “The Three Degrees.” What, they don’t deserve individual nicknames?

Ralph gives Phillip some grief about sitting out of the challenge.

Julie calls out Ometepe for using the buddy system. She also says they’re more of a cult than a tribe.

Voting Time…Again: David votes for Rob four times, (is that legal?) the rest aren’t shown.

Four votes for Rob, five votes for David and the tenth person to be sent to Redemption Island is…David.

Note: Apparently David’s multi-Rob vote only counted once. I give the lawyer credit for looking for the loophole.

Verdict: I was right, two predictable votes. I was worried that things would slow down as the Zapaterans were eliminated, but Jeff Probst promised an “Unreal” Tribal Council for next week during his Twitter chat. Can’t wait.

Also, are we getting a three-way dance at Redemption Island next week?

Who’s Going to Win? Could Natalie sneak in there and win this Natalie White-style?

Power Rankings Update: Sash and I both had Mike in spot eleven. Sash had David in spot six, I had him in spot seven. So, I gained a whole point!  Booyah. The current score is now Team Sash 104, Team Gordon 94. Reader Liam was the only person to get the best of me. Congrats to Liam.

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

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

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »