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"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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To paraphrase a little from “Hoosiers,” there are two kinds of crazy in the world. One where the person strips naked, runs out in the snow, and barks at the moon. And the other is where the guy does the same thing in your living room. The first kind doesn’t matter, the second kind you’re forced to deal with.

Abi-Maria was barking in the middle of Peih-Gee’s living room.

I spoke to the most recent victim of Hurricane Abi the morning after her elimination and asked her about life with our favorite Brazilian dragon, Varner’s meltdown, and unique jewelry designs…

Gordon Holmes: Tribe swaps, man. What a trainwreck.
Peih-Gee Law: (Laughs)
Holmes: I feel like I don’t have a great grasp on a lot of the things that happened last night. Let’s start with Varner giving Wiglesworth the high sign after the challenge. What exactly happened there?
Law: I was so out of it after the challenge from the sun and everything that I missed half of it. Varner basically just blew up everybody. I think when Tasha called him out he panicked and said, “Why are you picking on me? I saw Woo talking to Savage, Peih-Gee was trying to make deals with him.” He just called out a bunch of people, and that’s what put him in the hot seat. Woo was like, “I don’t know if I want to work with him. He’s being crazy. I want to go with Savage/Tasha now.” And at that point, I was like, why is Varner calling me out?  I’m his ally. It really should have been Jeff that night.

Holmes: How close were you with Woo? Did that start after the swap or were you close before that?
Law: Woo was my best friend out there. Woo and Kelly Wiglesworth. After we voted out Vytas, I thought about it some more and I really regretted being in an alliance with Abi.
Holmes: Why would you possibly regret that?
Law: (Laughs) Why would anyone feel that way? So, I was going to try to get to know them a little bit better. Let’s start working on the shelter more. And I was able to bond with them from that. Wiglesworth is amazing. Her and I got along really well together because we’re both hard workers. We also bonded over our mutual dislike of a certain tribemate.
Holmes: Maybe if you hadn’t stolen that tribemate’s bracelet, she would’ve been in a better mood.
Law: Well, I am a jeweler.  I wanted to steal it and copy it because it was so beautiful. It was really difficult getting accused of something you didn’t do and then have someone go around and tell everybody you’re a thief. I know it’s a game, but I don’t think that was strategic. That was just her being herself.
Holmes: I like the idea that you would risk your standing in a game for a million dollars over a bracelet that was worth a fraction of that.
Law: (Laughs) And you know what else? The same thing happened to her on her first season. Maybe she would think the same thing happened here and someone put her bracelet in my bag.
Holmes: I thought it would be funny when I put her bracelet in your bag. I didn’t think it’d blow up like this.
Law: (Laughs) That was you the first time also!
Holmes: Yes, in the Philippines. You cannot trust me around camp. You’d think CBS would learn this.
Law: The only good thing that came out of Braceletgate is that it drew a lot of attention to me being a jeweler.
Holmes: You can use this to further your career. The glass is half full.

Holmes: When you guys got to Angkor, you had the numbers. When Savage and Tasha flipped it, was there ever any talk of working out differences and keeping old Ta Keo solid or was Abi long gone by then?
Law: It was always going to be Savage and Tasha. It wasn’t until after the challenge that we were talking about going for Varner. Me and Woo were really tight. And, after the challenge Woo didn’t trust Jeff. And I’d ask Woo, “Where’s Savage? Is he looking for an idol?” Woo would run off, find out, then come back and tell me what he saw. So, I really trusted Woo at that point. I needed to keep Woo happy and if he really wants to go for Jeff, this is what we have to do. It really should have been Jeff. Savage and Tasha were saved by his meltdown. And it wasn’t until I talked to Abi and she said, “I’m never voting with you guys. I’m just totally going to be Tasha’s pawn.” Which is essentially what she said. She made it clear that we’d lost her, so if I vote out Jeff I’ll lose two people. It’s really my own fault. If I said nothing and let Jeff go, he’d 100% be the one going home. They didn’t show it, but right after I was voted out, Tasha yelled out, “It shouldn’t have been you tonight. It should have been Jeff.” Anyway, it was my own fault. It would’ve only bought me three more days. And you never know what can change in three days.
Holmes: The next day they split into fourteen tribes.
Law: Seventeen tribes of one would have been ideal.

Holmes: I really, genuinely like Abi-Maria. Outside of the game, she’s delightful. I have a theory that in the game as long as I’m cool with her, she’ll be cool with me. Based on what I’m seeing, that theory is wildly inaccurate.
Law: I’ve never interacted with Abi-Maria in her home territory. So, I have no idea what she’s like in her normal life. She could be the most amazing person. So, any comments I make are strictly from in the game. She turns into Mr. Hyde when she’s on “Survivor.” She’s literally turned around and bit everyone she’s worked with in the butt. Even Varner, who told me over and over again, “I’ve got her, I can control her. She’ll be easy to get rid of.” I said, “That’s the problem. Everybody is going to think that and she’s going to make it through to the end.” She jumped ship to Tasha who was petting her a little bit more. Suddenly she’ s Tasha’s pet. She’s not Jeff’s pet. I think it’s a mistake to work with someone like that.

Holmes: When the decision was made to get rid of Shirin, was that strictly a numbers thing because they had Kelly, Terry, Abi, Woo, and Jeff?
Law: Yeah. Varner had the numbers already. He was gunning for Spencer. And Shirin was trying to get out Varner. And then Varner rallied everyone against her. The vote that night should have been Abi. Terry, Wiglesworth, Woo, everyone had agree to vote out Abi-Maria. They didn’t show it, but Terry and Abi had a fight also. She accused him of assaulting her when he’d just said a few choice words. She came back crying. They didn’t show that because they want Terry to look like America’s hero.
Holmes: Was that before or after he went to her when she was crying on the beach?
Law: Before. They were all set to vote her out, then the big fight happened and she decided to jump ship because Shirin didn’t come comfort her. And I get why they made it look like Terry was the only one who came to talk to her, but really everybody talked to her that night. She just arbitrarily picked Terry. So, they had an extra number and that was it.

Holmes:  Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Terry.
Law: I have a couple of things prepared.
Holmes: That’s not how this works.
Law: (Laughs) Terry was America’s dad. Dad jokes, dad stories, dad bod.
Holmes: Wiglesworth?
Law: Earth mama. I loved her. One of my best friends out there.
Holmes: Wentworth?
Law: She’s a cat. She’s long and sleek and she keeps landing on her feet.
Holmes: Woo?
Law: A ninja spy. He reported everything to me and was one of my best friends.
Holmes: Varner?
Law: He’s that friend with the awesome new car who takes you out for a ride and you’re like,  “Yeah, I wanna go for a ride in your car!” But once you’re out there he starts going really fast and crazy and you get really scared.
Holmes: Shirin?
Law: Shirin is the shiny new car that Varner is driving that crashed.
Holmes: Spencer?
Law: He’s an earnest, smart, intelligent kid. I love him.
Holmes: Vytas?
Law: I wish I’d kept Vytas around.
Holmes: Savage?
Law: In the words of Shii-Ann (Huang), Savage  is Captain America with his perfect teeth and his perfect life…as he’ll be quick to tell you.
Holmes: Tasha?
Law: Tasha…dressed like a leprechaun.
Holmes: Let’s finish with your buddy Abi.
Law: (Laughs) I thought very long and hard about this. Abi is like a rabid Chihuahua. She yapped too much, was irritating and mad all the time.

Holmes: I heard a hot little rumor that you tried to sneak some contraband into the game.
Law: (Laughs) Well, I’d prepared a couple of things. I’m a jeweler, so I had some earrings that I had gold-plated and I set with some pearls and other gemstones. They were little fishhooks. And I also had a little piece of flint. I wrapped it in some fishing line and twine and sewed it onto a cardigan that I was wearing. It was like a button closure. It got taken away.
Holmes: Sneaky, sneaky.
Law: People say it’s cheating, but people bring in reading glasses that start fire. I just brought in a jacket where the button can start a fire. I don’t see what the difference is. But, I’m designing a whole line of survival jewelry. I already took an order for the fishhook earrings. So, look out for my line of survival jewelry.
Holmes:  Hey, life gave you lemons, and you’ve made hilarious jewelry with them.
Law: You’ve got to work with what you’ve got.
Holmes: And Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer has said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”
Law: I wasn’t cheating! (Laughs) But I was trying.

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

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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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. James Clement was not happy about it.

Gordon Holmes: When the thirty two were announced,  I asked myself what I remembered about you. And the first thing that popped into my mind was you laughing when you were throwing the challenge.
Peih-Gee Law: That wasn’t me!
Holmes: Mmm…
Law: That was Jamie (Dugan)! I was trying to work it. I didn’t laugh at all.
Holmes: Really?
Law: During the challenge I was trying not to laugh at all. I was really trying to seem like I was working on it. Jamie was the one hamming it up. She was throwing pieces like they were frisbees. And then when we got back to camp she was the one who started giggling and cracking up. I was really trying to be serious, but when she’s in the background making ridiculous faces at me…and on top of that I’m getting yelled at by James (Clement). “Puzzle girl can’t even do no puzzle!” It was too much. I almost started laughing there and then too. If it wasn’t for her I would’ve played it straight.
Holmes: Throwing challenges wasn’t as common back then. Did you get a lot of heat?
Law: Oh yeah. For me, I thought it was a smart move. I took advantage of an opportunity. People were outraged. I remember James called me when that episode aired. The next day he said, “For your own safety, do not come to Louisiana. My neighbors are knocking on my door saying, ‘If that bitch comes here I’m going to kick her in her ass.’” (Laughs)
Holmes: And you stayed out of Louisiana?
Law: Yes. (Laughs)
Holmes: Smart.

Holmes: Day one, you and I arrive on the beach. I remember that you threw a challenge. How do you spin that to make it a positive?
Law: First of all, I don’t have other allies here, so if I tell you I’m true to you, you know I don’t have a secret connection that was on my season. I’d tell you that I never flipped on my alliance, I was loyal, I never blindsided anyone. I’m a free agent, I have no ties and connections. I can’t keep things in, so I’m going to tell you what’s on my mind. I’m not sneaky that way.

Holmes: Must be nice to have that clean slate. You mentioned that you’re the only person from “Survivor: China.” Does it concern you that we have four Cagayaners, three San Juan del Surians, two Worlds Aparters?
Law: Of course it concerns me because everybody is working so hard to play it off. They’re not friends, they’re not together. Kass is like, “Spencer and Tasha hate me. Blah blah blah.”
Holmes: You don’t buy it?
Law: You have to take everything Kass says with a ton of salt.
Holmes: An entire salt lick.
Law: (Laughs)
Holmes: There’s a restaurant in Chicago that has a wall of salt that helps cure the meat…or something. I don’t know food.
Law: You need that when you’re dealing with Kass. You can’t trust anything anyone is saying. You have to test their loyalty right off the bat. If you’re not really with this person, we need to vote them out. Depending on where someone’s head is at, it might be useful if someone says, “Hey, I have this one other person. They might be willing to go with me.” But, it’s worrisome to join a pair or a threesome or whatever.

Holmes: Any word on any pre-game alliance?
Law: I hope there aren’t any pre-game alliances. I think most people realize that it doesn’t really work. It’s not pre-game alliances so much as it’s pre-existing friendships…of which I don’t have any. I haven’t been in contact with anybody.
Holmes: Nobody has approached you?
Law: There’s been just…”Hey, I hope you make it on.” Little things like that here or there. That’s really it. I fell out of the scene a bit. I’m not going to the reunions. I actually haven’t hung out with any of these people. I had drinks with Shirin once. We both live in San Francisco.

Holmes: Are you worried that might make you an early target?
Law: Of course.
Holmes: How do you combat that?
Law: You just have to get in good with everyone fast. You can’t go on long walks with yourself. You’ve got to sit and chat everyone up. I hope people will take advantage of the fact that I have no strings attached.

Holmes: Anyone you’re hoping to work with?
Law: No, I don’t have any specific people in mind. I have an idea of a general type. I think my best bet would to take a page out of Todd’s (Herzog) book. And also Amanda (Kimmel) gave me some advice. Amanda said “You have to align with someone on day one. You have to find someone fast.” And she said, “You have to find someone really strong. And preferably someone from a new season because they know how it works with new ‘Survivor.’” And then, if you get somebody like a Woo…who will be able to win challenges, but he’ll be kind of a target after the merge, which is fine because then I won’t be a target. Then you want somebody weaker, like maybe like Kass. They’re good to have by your side because if they want to get rid of someone who’s not good at challenges, then you’re protected. And then, these people, the weaker ones and the stronger ones, they’re the targets. So, they know they need a good alliance. So, hopefully you can buy some loyalty there.

Holmes: I don’t know if you know this, but sometimes “Survivor” has twists.
Law: Shocking.
Holmes: I know. If there is one…what do you think it could be?
Law: I’m the worst one to ask about that. In my season we had a swap…and idols… You’ve just got to MacGyver your way through it and just deal with it. I think I’m really good at being adaptable. That’s one of my strengths.

Holmes: How are you feeling about the Cambodian weather? It’s very different from China.
Law: After China, I can deal with everything.
Holmes: Yeah, I’ve heard China was…
Law: China was (expletive deleted). It was way more humid than this. Everything was constantly wet. The rain was more of a torrential downpour that this. Plus, we were inland. It wasn’t sand.  It was like mud and dirt. There wasn’t as much food. There were no coconuts or bananas. So for me this is like a vacation. I’m chilling. I pay money to stay in places like this. (Laughs)

Holmes: With the Second Chance twist and having to be voted in. It wasn’t a sure thing that anyone was going to make it. I wonder if that’s just going to amp up the risk taking and emotions.
Law: I think most of us were pretty obvious choices.  Well, not me.
Holmes: I think the newer people were, but Kimmi might be the seventh or eighth most famous person from a season that happened fifteen years ago.
Law: The fans know the big caricature players and then the more recent ones.
Holmes: I was worried that’s how the voting would go.
Law: I think the hardcore fans really had a big say in it. I mean…I’m here. (Laughs)
Holmes: But Shane’s not here. The hardcores love Shane.
Law: Yeah.
Holmes: The whole vote is a mystery to me.
Law: Somebody in production did tell me, “I was impressed. You were actually really up there in the votes.” And it’s funny, everybody in production seems to be so surprised that I’m here. Even Jeff. Jeff was like, “Yeah, I wasn’t sure you were going to make it. Even I couldn’t remember anything that you did.”
Holmes: Your Jeff Probst impersonation needs some work.
Law: (Laughs) OK, but I was like, “I won three challenges! That’s more than James did!”

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.
Law: Oh (expletive deleted). I’ve been going through this in my head…

Law: I’m going to align with Woo because I need some hired muscle. And I need some sheeple. And Woo is sheeple.

Law: I would align with Monica. She seems like a smart lady and she seems relatively even-keeled and kind of under the radar. I think sometimes these people are good to have on your side.

Law: I would align with Kelly because I was listening to her interviews and she said she wants to play an honest game. Very old school way of thinking. Hopefully that means she’ll be loyal. And, she’s good at challenges.

Law: Which one of the DILFs do I want…? I guess I’ll take Terry. You’re going to have these alpha males and you’re going to want them on your side…at least in the beginning. He seems like he’s going to want to uphold his reputation and play an honest game.
Holmes: The DILFs?
Law: (Laughs)
Holmes: Him and Savage?
Law: (Laughs)
Holmes: I can see that.

Law: We’ve got the DILFs and then I call the two man buns the Boy Wonders.

Law: Abi-Maria…align. she has a hard time keeping a thought in her head. She doesn’t seem really secretive to me. If she thinks something she’s going to tell you. And, I think that will be good to me as long as I know what she’s thinking. And hopefully if she gets loud she can take some heat off of my back.

Law: I’ll align with Stephen. He’s a wonder when it comes to strategy. You need someone to bounce ideas off of.

Law: Keith…align. He seems a bit like “Survivor” sheeple. You need soldiers.

Law: Let’s see here…I guess I’ll align with Spencer. He seems like an alright kid.

Law: We’re going to malign Ciera. That’s easy. She voted out her mom. And, she seems real cutthroat. It’ll be hard to have someone like that against me. Maybe she’ll be an easy first boot.

Law: Malign Kass, even though personally I think I’d like Kass a lot. She seems like the kind of chick I want to have a glass of wine with and talk (expletive deleted) about people with. But, I don’t know how much I can trust her.

Law: Varner…I don’t trust him either. I listened to one of his interviews and he seemed…he was talking about how he was playing people off of each other. Throwing other people under the bus. That’s sneaky. I don’t like that…even though I think it’d be funny.

Law: How many more do I have to malign?
Holmes:  All of them, you used your eight aligns.
Law: What?
Holmes: This game sucks.
Law: This game sucks!
Holmes: Damn you, Gordon.

Law: OK, Shirin, we’ll malign her because…I can see why her tribe thought she was annoying. I had drinks with her and I thought she was really fun. I think it’s good probably in small doses. Twenty-four hours a day, I don’t think I could deal with it.

Law: Savage I don’t have a reason to malign except that he reminds me of Probst. And I don’t really like Probst. (Laughs)

Law: Kelley…she reminds me of these blonde sorority girls and I just don’t like that type. Malign.

Law: Jeremy…I don’t really know Jeremy. You have to be wary of people you don’t know. Malign.

Law: Tasha…same thing. I haven’t gotten a bead on her personality. But, she’s good at challenges and I want to play against people who aren’t good at challenges.

Law: Vytas seems a little bit sneaky. Malign.

Law: Kimmi…what can I say about her? She doesn’t seem like she’s going to be strategic or good at challenges. We’ll malign her because she seems like an easy first boot.

Law: Joe…I’ll malign him because I already took Woo to be my man bun.

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.