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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 7: The Orkun Man Edition

November 11, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

The Rules: Each week our three combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three players will earn. For example, if Kelley is voted out this week, Max and Jenn will each receive five points and Team Gordon will receive two points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Jenn and Max has Kass in spot thirteen, while my pinch hitter Colton Cumbie had her in spot three. The current score is now Team Jenn 85, Team Max 93, and Team Gordon 77.

Before we get into this week’s rankings, let’s crack open the ol’ “Survivor” tweetbag…

“I am seriously considering starting a Survivor blog for season 32. Any advice?” – @animorphlover3 (Gregory McBean)

Well Gregory, “Survivor” blogging has taken me on several amazing adventures, opened many doors in my career, and introduced me to some of my best friends. So, I’m all for it.

As for advice…

1. There’s no shortage of “Survivor” blogs out there. So, try to do something unique to stand out like Survivorbuffs.com’s hilarious drinking game or Lisa Ferreira’s adorable LEGO recaps.
2. Remember that the players are real people. I always try to keep in mind that we’re only seeing the most dramatic 42 minutes of a three-day span.
3. If we ever end up at a “Survivor” location together, don’t do anything to screw up my eight-immunity-challenge winning streak. It’s literally all I have.

And to get you started on the right foot, how about pinch hitting for me in this week’s Power Rankings?

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

Jenn’s Score = 85

Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance

Max’s Score = 93

Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell

Team Gordon’s Score = 77

Any questions for Gregory? Drop him a line on Twitter: @animorphlover3
 1. Abi-Maria: Bow down, (expletive deleted).
  1. Jeremy: Savage comes to Jeremy. Stephen comes to Jeremy. Kimmi comes to Jeremy. Tasha comes to Jeremy. Spencer comes to Jeremy. The game comes to Jeremy.
  1. Jeremy: I think Gordon would kill me if I didn’t put some of the people who are guaranteed to make it through this episode up higher *Cough Colton *Cough. Jeremy has an idol and he recently got back together with his Bayon Brochachos. He is also keeping his “meat shields” in the game for as long as he can so he will not be first to go home.
  2. Keith: All the hype this week seems to revolve around a power player getting blindsided.  I don’t see that being Keith.
  2. Kimmi: Kimmi appears to be the Edna Ma of the Alpha Alliance. But she’s also one of the few remaining castaways who doesn’t have any enemies or rivals left in the game. Taking for granted that she’ll outlast the remaining Ta Keos, now is the time for her to start making the side deals that will put her in a position to survive when Bayon begins cannibalizing itself.
  2. Kelley: Is Kelley safe this week? She san juan del sure is! I really wasn’t sure how well she would do when she entered this game but she has exceeded all of my expectations. Kelley is in control of an idol and she voted with the majority last time so she could possibly find herself in the majority again this week.
  3. Kimmi: If a big player’s going down nobody would be yelling “Timber!” about Kimmi.
  3. Tasha: From Wikipedia: “One may determine how agitated the llama is by the materials in the spit. The more irritated the llama is, the further back into each of the three stomach compartments it will try to draw materials from for its spit.” Last week Tasha was wiping third-stomach llama spit from her face. She managed to clean up enough so that she was presentable for Tribal Council. But is it possible that she missed a spot? Are the allegations that were leveled during that confrontation going to come back to haunt her?
  3. Keith: This is the part of the game where Keith can sit back and relax, maybe even do a little #Joga. This is where Keith needs to let the big players take each other out.
  4. Kelly: Wiglesworth is hilarious to me. It’s like all of this chaos is going on all around her, and she’s just kind of like in her own little clam-collecting world.  I would love to see her orchestrate and execute a huge move, but I don’t know if she has it in her.
  4. Andrew: Remember the first time you beat your dad at tennis or one-on-one basketball or ping pong? It probably felt like a major accomplishment. But now stop and think about how your dad must’ve felt. Andrew played college football. He snagged himself a Playboy model. He made it to the top of the legal field. And now he’s getting lied to by people who don’t even have graduate degrees or hot wives or nice cars. Have a heart, people.
  4. Kimmi: We really haven’t seen much from Kimmi except for the episode where she was a big part of blindsiding Monica. As long as she keeps quiet she will probably just fade into the background, I think that Kimmi will most likely end up in 4th or 5th place this season.
 5. Kelley: Armed with an idol Wentworth’s ready for battle.  5. Kelley: Kelley is a power floater. I mean this only as a compliment. No matter what goes down each week, and no matter who she’s ostensibly aligned with, she somehow finds a way to drift onto the right side of the numbers. She’s got at least three or four more votes left to play this way, after which point she’s got an idol. That’s plenty of time to find a crack in the Bayon alliance.
  5. Kelly: Alright Kelly, it’s time for you to tone down that massive social game of yours and let the big players get rid of each other. Oh wait…
 6. Joe: Joe should always be ranked low now that the merge has happened, but it was cool when he appeared to somewhat land in the driver’s seat of the vote.  With the tide turning this week, I definitely think he could be in trouble. Big trouble. But Joe’s a challenge beast, and we all know the hearts of 12-year-old girls around the world would be breaking if he was gone this soon. So he won’t be.
   6. Stephen: “Roses are red, Violets are blue. Is getting Joe out now really worth risking your alliance over?” – Gerard Manley Hopkins
  6. Tasha: Despite getting votes at the last tribal, Tasha is in a good position. She has a good relationship with Andrew, she still has the old Bayon alliance (although I heard at tribal that Bayon was no more), and she potentially has her Cagayan friend in Spencer.
 7. Ciera: She seems like the obvious vote at this point, which exactly why I don’t think it’s going to be her.   7. Spencer: The closer I put Spencer to the bottom, the more certain I am that he is not going home. I’m hard-pressed to think of another castaway who plays better when the odds are stacked against him. Maybe Yul? Maybe Russell Hantz in Samoa? Tweet at me if you can think of a better power bottom.
  7. Spencer: Going into this week, I can see Spencer being the swing vote again. Spencer is one of my top 5 all-time favorite players so I hope that he doesn’t end up like some past swing votes (see Christy in Amazon and Sarah in Cagayan courtesy of Rob Cesternino and Chaos Kass).
 8. Jeremy: This is where my list of serious prospects to be voted out starts. Jeremy seems to be running a lot of things and a lot of people.  If Wentworth’s got someone in her sights there’s a big chance it could be him.
  8. Keith: Keith’s best moment last week was when he was practicing his golf swing in the background while Ciera was blowing up Orkun. Keith is out of the loop, but he’s also out of the fray. As he proved in SJDS, that’s a good way to make it to the final four.
  8. Ciera: I was okay with Ciera getting the Rick (South Pacific) edit because I knew that there was more to come from her. I really liked her move to vote for Savage! She explained it on Twitter and I thought it was very smart, she voted for Savage so that somewhere down the line she could potentially work with Tasha considering she never voted for her. She had already burned the Savage bridge so she wasn’t worried about that. These are the kinds of things I was looking for from Ciera and I don’t think this is the end for her, she’ll find a way out of this mess.
  9. Spencer: What are the odds that Spencer gets Dolly’d? Probably not that great actually.
   9. Kelly: I’m calling for a moratorium on tweeting out Jeff Probst’s inappropriate challenge commentary. I don’t need my timeline cluttered up with 65 people all tweeting the same line about “holding your long pole” or “placing your balls” on something. Just let Rob Cesternino handle it in the podcast. And while I’m at it, I’m also over jokes about Kelly Wiglesworth’s favorite color.
  9. Joe: Joe is playing a different game this time, even though Spencer thinks he has to talk in “Joe language” in order to strategize with him, Joe is doing quite well for himself. The fact that Savage and Jeremy want to keep him around for a while makes me think that he’ll be safe this week. Plus, he could also just go on an immunity streak like Terry, Mike, or Ozzy.
  10. Andrew: Savage seems the most likely candidate for Wentworth/Abi/Ciera to target.  I think if they’re going to try to take out a power player this one comes with a personal vendetta.
  10. Abi-Maria: Wait, why did Abi vote for Tasha?
   10. Abi-Maria: You can’t spell unpredictable without A, B, and I. I would normally say that someone like her could just keep quiet and go quite far in the game but Abi has proved time and time again that she cannot keep quiet. The only silver lining is that she is the perfect goat to take to the end but in the Philippines they couldn’t even put up with her long enough for her to go to the end. Basically she could finish this game in almost any spot which is why she’s so low on my list.
 11. Stephen: The biggest advocate of making a “big move” has one made against him.  That’s “Survivor” poetry, people.
  11. Joe: It was nice of them to make the individual immunity necklace the same color as Joe’s shirt. It just looks like it belongs around his neck. Unfortunately, I think if Joe loses, he’s gone. The question is, will he lose?
   11. Andrew: So far in the game it’s been Savage in charge over at the Bayon camp and then again at Angkor (but to a lesser degree, Tasha was the one in charge there). If someone wants to make a big move and go after the Bayon alliance, Savage is the perfect first target.
 12. Tasha: This is more so wishful thinking, but I guess there is a possibility if Savage wins immunity you could take out his right-hand woman? I have my pom-poms ready either way.
  12. Ciera: Two weeks ago Ciera made a big move. Last week she and her #1 ally faced the consequences. Her impassioned speech at Tribal Council turned heads. But, I don’t think that it was enough to break up the Alpha Alliance  12. Stephen: The previews show everyone wanting to make a big move. We all know that Stephen’s big move will be trying to get rid of Joe. If Savage and Jeremy have to decide between keeping Stephen and Joe, they will definitely side with Joe. Especially given the fact that Jeremy wants to keep these “meat shields” in the game. On the plus side, he outlasted Rob (Cesternino) so I’m assuming that means he’s the best know-it-all? (Even though Rob is my favorite know-it-all.)

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Kass: ‘People Were Calling Me Kass-anova’

November 5, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

I ask a lot of questions in my pregame interviews that are meant to give us a feel for how people intend to play. Seeing as this was a returnee season, I asked everyone who they thought would be targeted first.

Almost everyone answered “Chaos Kass.”

So, for Kass to make it to the merge and to have some allies on her side speaks well of her return trip.

I spoke to the chaotic one the morning after her elimination and asked her about the wild vote, the alpha male alliance, and her unlikely partnership with Spencer…

Kass McQuillen: You know, I had half of a mind to not do your interview because of your affiliation with Max Dawson.
Gordon Holmes: Yes, but by putting you last in the Power Rankings all the time…he was only hurting himself.
McQuillen: (Laughs) Yeah, but your integrity is compromised when you associate with someone as bitter as Max.
Holmes: You’re assuming I had any integrity to begin with.
McQuillen:  That’s true. You did let Colton stand in for you, so that’s all out the window now.
Holmes: (Laughs)

Holmes: If I had said to you before the game, “You’re going to save Spencer one week, and he’s going to help vote you out the next”…
McQuillen: Technically he voted for Ciera. I don’t think we can say he voted me out. I know he intentionally did not write my name down. Who knew we were going to merge at thirteen?
Holmes: Yeah, that was crazy. It took Probst a month to read all the votes.
McQuillen: And if we hadn’t merged then, Savage would be gone. Ta Keo inevitably would have lost and Savage would have gone home. And Spencer and I didn’t have a problem. All that rivalry stuff is for people and it’s fun. But when you’re in the game you’re not going to throw your game away. Well, a good player isn’t going to throw their game away based on something that happened two years prior.

Holmes: As far as second chances go, everyone was targeting you, but you seemed to make some strong alliances.
McQuillen: I had a target the size of Iceland on me. Everybody wanted me out. It was an easy vote. So, I had to go in and make friends. And I did. Last night my phone was blowing up with nothing but love from everyone out there. Well, everyone but one person.
Holmes: A certain Power Ranker?
McQuillen: (Laughs) No, he wouldn’t have my number.

Holmes: Let’s talk about early Bayon. What were you doing while Jeremy was starting that alpha alliance?
McQuillen: I made amends with Tasha. We spent a night at the campfire talking about Cagayan. We agreed to move on and there were no hard feelings. And I genuinely meant it. I had the same conversation with Spencer. I was out there to play Second Chance, I wasn’t there to replay Cagayan. Early on, my plan was to lay low and let other people ruin their own game. When you have a ten-person tribe, there are people who are going to be far more annoying than me. And that happened. When we won the first challenge, that was a great relief. That bought me three more days. And by day six people were calling me Kass-anova, we were having fun at camp. I had my Joe-mance going. It was such a good vibe over there. We had clear first targets with Monica and Kimmi. It was like we were at summer camp. I was not disruptive. People expected me to come in like Abi and freak out over a bracelet or whatever. I was making bracelets for people! I got voted in because I said I’d be Chaos Kass, and you didn’t see Chaos Kass. You don’t have to act like that when you’re on a winning tribe and you’re not on the bottom.

Holmes: At new Ta Keo, Savage wanted to target Spencer, and use Ciera as a faux vote. Was the faux vote was caused you and Ciera to turn on him?
McQuillen: Savage was clearly with the men all along…and with Tasha. Savage came to me early on at Bayon and told me he didn’t trust me. He was going to have no tolerance for Chaos Kass. Savage gave me this lecture like he was my father. And I knew I wasn’t going to win him over. We did talk about being attorneys and things, but I knew I wasn’t in his top group. And I knew he was a person who judges and is unwavering in his view of things. So, he was a lost cause. When we got over to Ta Keo 3.0 and Savage said, “Let’s vote out Spencer and tell Ciera she’s the target, and it’s your idea.” I said, “We’re not going to do that, we’ve got Wiglesworth and Woo. Why would we throw Ciera out there? We’re supposed to be Bayon strong.” Poor gameplay on his part. I tried to talk him out of it. But, he insisted on doing it. And what that did was piss off Ciera.
Holmes: So why go after Woo instead of Savage?
McQuillen: Ciera wanted to go after Savage. Abi didn’t want to go after him. So we needed to go after someone who was in Savage’s pocket, which was Woo. Abi wanted to target Woo because he’d voted for her twice. It was just a way to keep tight with Ciera who was my number one out there and to keep close with our Ta Keo five…who were going to get back with Joe, Keith, and Wentworth at the merge. And that could have happened had Joe decided to come with us at the merge. So, Savage would have been next.
Holmes: So, the early merge saved him.
McQuillen: Oh yeah, he came back from that Tribal and he was an absolute temper-tantrum throwing baby about it. And he was very vocal about not trusting me and Ciera, and we’re terrible people.
Holmes: I heard he said some bad words.
McQuillen: Yeah. (Laughs) He would’ve been out next and the merge saved him because he got to get back with his bromance.

Holmes: Did you think Spencer was going to side with you last night or did you know he was a lost cause?
McQuillen: I knew. And Ciera knew because she threw a vote at Savage. When people come up to you after an immunity challenge and tell you you’re going home, and then seven or eight people do that you kind of know you’re going home. It’s a rough afternoon. And then to go to Tribal where someone is spewing hate at you. It sucks. Respect the game enough to blindside me.

Holmes: Alright word association time. Let’s start with Terry.
McQuillen: A great father. A good man. A gentleman. Love the guy. Solid.
Holmes: Ciera?
McQuillen: The daughter I never had when I was nineteen-years-old. Love her to death. I could be her mom but we’re more like sisters.
Holmes: Stephen?
McQuillen: Cerebral and poetic and a bad chopper.
Holmes: Joe?
McQuillen: He’s a gentleman, but he’s wishy-washy. He’s great at surviving.
Holmes: Keith?
McQuillen: (Spits)
Holmes: Jeremy?
McQuillen: Jeremy is tough. And he’s focused and he’s nice.
Holmes: Wentworth?
McQuillen: Oh…I don’t know. I didn’t come up with these predetermined Harry Potter references.
Holmes: You’re not supposed to.
McQuillen: Scrappy.
Holmes: Wiglesworth?
McQuillen: Invisible.
Holmes: Kimmi?
McQuillen: Passionate.
Holmes: Monica?
McQuillen: Drunken Periscoper. Bitter.
Holmes: Savage?
McQuillen: He’s like a toddler and a curmudgeon all in one.
Holmes: Woo?
McQuillen: He’s a sweetheart, not suited for the game.
Holmes: Abi?
McQuillen: A firecracker. Love that girl.
Holmes: Tasha?
McQuillen: Wow…she’s vindictive.
Holmes: Spencer?
McQuillen: Spencer is probably too cerebral for his own good.

Holmes: With such an early merge, it wasn’t ridiculous to think it could be an early jury as well. Did Tasha think about that at all?
McQuillen: I don’t think anyone was thinking we’d have a ten-person jury. That’s just unheard of. And I really think the manner in which she went about things was overly cocky. She was just so antagonistic about me the entire day. And she was banking that I wouldn’t be on the jury. You saw the look on her face when Probst said it. And we all know the first member of the jury is very important.
Holmes: Yeah, they set the tone at Ponderosa.
McQuillen: Exactly. It would’ve been more savvy for her to compose herself, blindside me, and gain some respect. It’s reflective of her social skills and lack of personal growth between seasons.
Holmes: Stephen had an interesting point about last night’s targets not being challenge threats. What do you think that means for the game that people are overlooking the challenge competitors.
McQuillen: I think it’s a unique season in that we have so many challenge threats left. Part of that is having thirteen people at the merge. I think it’s great strategy for the alphas to stick together. I don’t think we’ve seen it happen before. I love Jeremy’s tact of staying in that group, but trying to look small to them. To defer to them in some ways, but really be in silent control. So, when I saw his pre-game and saw his strategy, I was like, “Wow.” I respect people who are trying to change and correct things they did wrong their first time.
Holmes: Without getting into spoiler territory, is improvement over a previous season something you’re going to be looking for when you vote?
McQuillen: Definitely. I was taking my second chance very seriously. I improved on a huge deficiency in my game. So, I’m looking for someone who showed up, not to exact revenge, but to make the correction needed to win the game. And I think there are a few people who are doing that. A lot of people are slipping into their old ways.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 6: Orange Is the New Buff Edition

November 4, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

The Rules: Each week our three combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three players will earn. For example, if Kass is voted out this week, Max and Jenn will each receive thirteen points and Team Gordon will receive three points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Jenn had Terry first. Max had him tenth and Gordon had him eleventh. Jenn and I both had Woo in spot fourteen while Max had him in spot twelve. So, the current score is Team Jenn 72, Team Max 80, and Team Gordon 74.

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

Another Important Note: Jenn and Max had some fun last week by writing each other’s Power Rankings. Gordon decided to return the favor this week by having someone else write his.

Jenn’s Score = 72

Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance

 Max’s Score = 80

Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell

 Team Gordon’s Score = 74

Any questions for Colton? Drop him a line on Twitter: @coltoncumbie
 1. Terry: Terry is still #1 to me.
 1a. Jeremy: Jeremy using Joe as a giant meat shield is very smart. Keeping a slightly bigger target around is always a good idea, until Joe wins everything and they come after you. Luckily you have an idol, so you get to stick around. I think Jeremy is in a great spot heading into the merge.		 For this week’s rankings I incorporated some of the amazing feedback we’ve received from our loyal readers into my evaluations of the 13 remaining castaways!

“I don’t understand why Gordon picked these two to do the power rankings.”


1. Tasha: Everybody understands why American picked Tasha to get a second chance. But did the voters really expect her to play this aggressively, let alone this successfully? Sure she’s russled a few feathers along the way (see Varner’s exit interviews). But it also appears that she’s managed to tame the Brazilian Dragon. If that’s the case then Tasha is the “Survivor” version of the Toruk Makto.

  1. Abigoddess: “We should vote out Abi.” [in my best Brazilian impression] “That was a mistake. You shouldn’t have done that.” If there was one person I would be willing to bet my life wasn’t going home this week it would be Abi.
  2. Kelley: She’s making moves but doing it very under the radar. AND she has an idol. AND she is one of two people that know idols are hidden in challenges. People forget that. Jeremy and Kelley are constantly going to be looking for idols in challenges, and it’s easier now because it’s all individual challenges. Hell, they could just play their idols every week and then grab a new one before each challenge. Why not do that, guys?
 “Max not getting a second chance was so satisfying, to see the look on his face. He actually thought he had a chance lol.” 

 2. Jeremy: Seeing Jeremy get his second chance has been so satisfying thus far. After playing too hard and going out too soon in SJDS Jeremy is really embracing Boston Rod’s #1 Rule: Stay Cool, Calm, and Collective. Every week we see him let the game come to him. I actually think he has a chance. No lol.

  2. Kelley: This chick is a badass. I’m a fan.  She’s athletic, she has an idol (that to our knowledge no one knows about), and she’s gorgeous.  She’s just an all around cool chick, but there are still bigger fish to fry than her.
  3. Keith: People keep giving me (expletive deleted) for putting Keith this high, because apparently he isn’t doing much or having much of an alliance. (Hell, people are giving me (expletive deleted) for every aspect of the Power Rankings. Get over it, they’re mine and I can do what I want with them.) But Keith got to fourth place his season by doing EXACTLY what he is doing now. Fourth place is a great place to make. There are always people that don’t make waves, don’t piss off people, and go with the flow that make it far. Keith is one of these people.
 “I love Survivor and your insight is (expletive deleted).”

  3. Ciera: After last week’s vote no one will ever accuse Ciera of having (expletive deleted) insight. Ciera looked at Andrew’s plot to use her as a decoy in his blindside of Spencer and saw the truth: that in the former college footballer’s eyes she was at the end of the Human Centipede. I just wonder if her power move might come back to haunt her after the merge…

  3. Kass: Honestly, I love the fact that Kass has returned and done what I failed miserably to do – embrace change.  I truly think Kass has grown as a “Survivor” player since her last time.  Kudos Kass!
  4. Spencer: Spencer is getting by, by the skin of his teeth. How many times is he going to be almost voted out? How many? He’s higher up than the others though because he keeps almost getting out and manages to find a way not to. Whether it be luck or skill, I don’t know. But he’s scrappy and I like it.
 “I would love if Max went away after this season.” 

 4. Kelley: You know who’s not going away any time soon? Kelley Wentworth! She’s already convinced Joe to keep her over his original Bayon ally Kimmi. Plus she’s got that idol…

  4. Keith: Keith’s done an excellent job of laying low.  He’s not a physical threat to anyone, and anyone who watched him play last time (you know, when his “strategic prowess” got his son voted out :() knows he isn’t a strategic one either.  He’s safe for now.
 5. Andrew: Savage making moves! Trying to get rid of people! That’s great. But you scared off an alliance member when you threw her name out in a totally realistic, hypothetical situation. I thought it was a fine move. You had to tell Spencer something. Unfortunately it didn’t work. Fortunately, you now know where the loyalties lie, and you’re strong AF and going into the merge. “You are dead to me, Max.” 

 5. Abi-Maria: A lot of people, myself included, thought Abi was drawing dead at start of this season. We were wrong. Dead wrong. Last week’s Woo blindside makes me think that Abi has graduated from goat status. She might actually be deciding who goes home and who stays.

  5. Andrew: I really like Savage. He seems like a really solid guy, but I don’t agree with some of the strategic choices he’s made so far.  He’s definitely a traditional (old school, if you will) “Survivor” player, but I admire his ability to go from the bottom of a tribe to the top on Angkor. What I don’t understand is how he lost Abi.  I hope they revisit that next episode.
 6. Kimmi: Kimmi was targeted by Joe. But anyone that is targeted by Joe is pretty safe I feel. A target can’t target a target. Target.
 “Not sure Max’s integrity can be lowered anymore than it already is- he’s already at rock bottom.” 

 6. Keith: Keith is a man of integrity. He’s a straight shooter. That quality makes him one of the most beloved Survivors in recent memory. But his inability to tell a lie will be a liability in a crooked post-merge game. I’m not putting Keith at the rock bottom of this week’s rankings. But I am worried that his guilelessness might make him a sitting duck for a Jeremy or a Fishbach.

  6. Kimmi: It is so cool watching Kimmi play this game again! I was so obsessed with Elisabeth and Rodger the first time that she played she was a mere blip on my radar. It’s hilarious to me that how all of her conflicts seem to revolve around food.  She’s someone else that I feel has really grown as a person since her last time playing. 
 7. Kelly: Why don’t we get to see more of this lady in the show? Seriously. She’s getting the Kelly edit. Where is she? “Max is a loser who taught college classes on Survivor then tries (& fails) to make a mockery of it after he gets premerge on his season (some “Survivor expert” he is psssssh, those students should get a refund) & then rejectedfrom [sic] this current season” 

 7. Stephen: Stephen is a near-winner and a “Survivor” expert. But until recently the show has made a mockery of him, focusing on his gaffes instead of his gameplay. All that changed last week when Stephen gave an emotional confessional outlining his plans to flip the game on its head by voting out Joe. Could this be the start of Stephen’s revenge of the nerd narrative?

  7. Joe: I want to rank him higher.  In my heart he’s number 2 (Hi, Abi!), but there’s so much illusion to the “old school” way of playing “Survivor” and so many old school players left that I’m afraid Joe’s going to become a casualty of the ole “as soon as he doesn’t win immunity he has to go” mantra.
 8. Abi-Maria: Always stirring up trouble Abi is. She’s a fighter, and she’s here to play. And she’s about to be on a tribe with Kass. That is going to make for a fun, drama-filled merge.
 “It amazes me how Jenn and Max get progressively more obnoxious each week. It really makes me feel like I’m watching Worlds Apart again!” 

 8. Spencer: It amazes me how Spencer manages to squeak out of the cross-hairs each week. It really makes me feel like I’m watching Cagayan again. We know how Cagayan ended. Will there be a different outcome for Spencer this time around? I hope so, because I really don’t think I can deal with Spencer coming back and winning his third season against a bunch of simps, teenagers, and ex-NFL concussion victims.

  8. Jeremy: Solid guy. Solid position in every tribe he’s landed on, and solid position in his alliance.  He’s going to be in trouble now though that the game’s individual. He’s going to have to let the bigger threats take each other out and try to lay low as far as physicality is concerned.
  9. Tasha: I didn’t see much from Tasha this week, but I think that she’s going to need a stronger alliance going into the merge than what she currently has.
 “Max is concerned about one thing and one thing only: Max. And he’s always been this way since he was on Survivor. Glad everyone finally recognizes it.” 

  9. Andrew: Actually this one works pretty good for Andrew. You just need to swap his name in for mine.

  9. Kelly: I LOVE her! Nine-year-old Colton wanted her to beat Hatch SO SO bad! She just needs to wake up and realize this is a different game she’s playing this time, and unfortunately for her she’s not on Galang.
  10. Stephen: He tried to make a move by ratting out Joe to his alliance and tried to get him out. You know you can’t get rid of Joe that easy, Stephen. You have to make him lose first, and that (expletive deleted) will never happen when you have a tribe with Joe and Jeremy on it. Bad idea.
 “Max Dawson is a bottom 20 contestant of all time for me. He is so obnoxious and I’m so glad he got owned so early in Worlds Apart.” 

 10. Joe: Joey Amazing did not get owned early in “Worlds Apart.” That said, if he’s going to survive for long after the merge he’s going to have to have to go on an historic immunity run. If anyone can win six it’s Joe, and if he does he’s easily a top 20 contestant of all time for me.

   10. Stephen: If there was ever two pieces of “Survivor” advice I could give it’s do not ever quit and STOP STRATEGIZING! For whatever reason it begins to annoy people. I know, it puzzles me too that people would rather discuss each other’s favorite yoga positions than plotting how to get rid of these people and mapping out the perfect plan to get to the end. But, for whatever reason they do. So, shhh.
 11. Ciera: Hey look, I wrote something this week! That’s great on my part. She flipped her alliance when she got scared, but I think that means going into the merge she’s going to have a lot of people know that and not trusting her. People don’t like it when you flip flop a lot. You gotta do it to make it to the end, but I think with her name already being tossed around, she’s not long for the game.
 “We need some real power rankings from some credible peeps. I say Max and Jenn need to be fired! #ByeFelicia” 

 11. Kimmi: Kimmi lost a lot of credibility with me when she ratted out Monica to Stephen and Jeremy. Maybe you saw it as a power move. I saw it as Kimmi voting against her best interests and paving the way for the alpha alliance that Monica warned her about. The one bright side is that Kimmi’s patronizing “No, Pumpkin” might just be the new “Bye Felicia.”

   11. Ciera: I heart Ciera, but bless her heart she’s kind of just floundering around without a solid plan which is what she did in “Blood vs. Water. “She needs to grab ahold of a solid alliance and ride it until the end or else she’s going to get caught up in her double dealing like she did last time.
 12. Joe: Joe is inevitably going to win every challenge, but the second he doesn’t, just like my season, he’s going to be gone. So, I think a safe spot points wise is somewhere near the bottom here. This is the big difference between him and Jeremy. Jeremy is playing a great social game. Joe’s social game isn’t really there because I don’t think he realizes he’s public enemy #1, regardless of how much people like him, and he’s not trying to divert the attention away from himself at all. He needs to suck at stuff more if he wants to stick around, but at this stage in the game I think it’s too late.
 “youre [sic] such a tryhard max I dont eveen [sic] know who u are”  

 12. Kelly: Clearly Kelly is trying hard in the challenges. But is she trying hard to play the game? Surely after seven episodes we could expect to see her talk strategy at least once. Sometimes I feel like I don’t even know who Kelly is. That tells me that she is a non-factor in this game.

  12. Spencer: The “‘Survivor’ gods” really love this kid, huh?
  13. Kass: I thought Kass was doing great, making friends, being nice, all that jazz. And then the “scenes from the next episode” happened. Was she really just straight up telling people “Now’s the time to scheme! Let’s get to the backstabbing!”? Come on now.
   13. Kass: Kass.
 13. Tasha: I wish someone would have jumped in front of me trying to talk to Caleb the way she jumped in front of Varner trying to talk to Wiggles. I really, really do…

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Woo: ‘The Doctors Said They Could Pull Me from the Game’

October 30, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

When the last decision you make literally costs you the million dollars, that’s gotta be the tied for first-place in the “worst moves of all time” competition. So, if anyone needed a second chance, it was Woo Hwang.

Unfortunately for Woo, only one of these Second Chancers is truly going to fulfill the dream of taking home the big check…and it won’t be him.

I spoke to the master of “Ninja Stealth Mode” the morning after his elimination and asked him about his brutal blindside, his relationship with Abi, and his top skee-ball tips…

Gordon Holmes: Did you see last night’s blindside coming at all?
Woo Hwang: No, Gordon. Not at all. Hashtag blindside.
Holmes: When there’s no indication that you’re going home, does it just drive you insane until you can question someone who was part of that vote?
Hwang: A lot goes through your mind. You’re just kind of whacked out. It’s an out-of-body experience. I think that night, that blindside, my name was written down more times than my whole career in “Survivor.” Just the suspense of one vote left and it could possibly be me. I’d never been in that situation. Handing my torch to Jeff and having him snuff it. And him saying, “I’ve got nothing else for you. Get out of here.” I walked away and I glanced back and realized, wow…my second chance opportunity is finished. It’s a really empty feeling.
Holmes: Does it change how you feel about the game? You played with Tony Vlachos so you’ve seen some blindsides. But this is your first time going through that.
Hwang: Yeah, it changes my view in many ways. When I watched the blindside and remembering the conversations that had happened before Tribal. If I had done this, or said this… If I had aligned with Spencer would this have changed? But, you just go with your gut. Everything was set to have Ciera be the decoy, we told Spencer we wanted to get rid of someone who’s not going to be strong in challenges. It didn’t turn out that way. It’s unfortunate because I’ve been sitting here, the game’s been over, but reliving that whole experience is a tough breakup with the show.

Holmes: I was trying to figure out why they’d target you when Ciera is annoyed with Savage. Was it to not send the wrong message to the other classic Bayon members?
Hwang: I don’t think it was entirely Ciera’s call. Kass had a big hand in the decision making. I remember being at the old Angkor and Savage saying, “Stick with us. When we hit the merge I’ve got all the numbers with Bayon.” He said, “I’m really close with Jeremy, Fishbach, Joe, Ciera, Tash…and if you jump on board you can be our man too.” I just remember him never mentioning Kass. And when we were the new Ta Keo tribe, I was talking to Kass and I said, “I feel great with Savage.” And she asked how I felt about Tasha and I said, “I feel great with Tasha. I feel like a part of this big alliance.” Walking away from that and looking back, I realize Kass didn’t feel close with Savage and now I’m part of this alpha male alliance. She was probably thinking, Savage wants Spencer out, so I can get him on our side. So, it’s better to get rid of Woo now because  if he makes it to the merge he’s going to lined up with Jeremy, Joe, Savage…Keith was mentioned…Fishbach. So, I think Kass was instrumental in that vote. So, I don’t think it was entirely on Ciera.

Holmes: On day one, actually hour one…your feet were injured on one of the boats. What happened and how did it affect your game?
Hwang: Unfortunately on my way to swim to the rice, the ladder that led to the boat…I don’t know if there were nails or pieces of wood, but I managed to cut up my feet pretty well. My right, big toe there’s a big chunk missing. A couple of more lacerations on the other side of the foot. And when you’re out in these isolated jungles, you don’t know what kind of infections are rolling around. The doctors checked it out because it was so bad. They usually don’t come out. They said to keep it clean because there’s not much they can do. The doctors said they could pull me from the game because infections were rampant, so I had to keep it dry and clean. That was a big downfall to the beginning of the game. A lot of strategy talk was being conducted in the water. People were walking here and there and I had to stay in the sleeping quarters.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Varner.
Hwang: Hilarious.
Holmes: Wiglesworth?
Hwang: Mom.
Holmes: Wentworth?
Hwang: Question mark.
Holmes:  Shirin?
Hwang: Interesting.
Holmes:  Spencer?
Hwang: Crafty.
Holmes: Peih-Gee?
Hwang: Friend.
Holmes: Terry?
Hwang: Proud father.
Holmes: Kass?
Hwang: Random.
Holmes: Ciera?
Hwang: Question mark…no comment.
Holmes: Vytas?
Hwang:  Yoga instructor.
Holmes: Abi?
Hwang: Fireball.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Savage.
Hwang:  Great guy.

Holmes: You had a very contentious relationship with Abi.
Hwang: I started the game with Abi and we hit it off really well. She came up to me and said, “Hey, Woo. I have this weird crush on you. I think you’re adorable and super cute.”
Holmes: Yeah, she said similar things in her pre-game interview. Hubba hubba.
Hwang: (Laughs) I was flattered and I was thinking this will really help my game. After that first vote, we got back to camp and I tried to apologize to her. And she forgave me. And she said I have to give her my loyalty and never write her name down again. I said, “Yeah, sure. I just want to make sure you’re in a good mood and I’m on your good side.” Because you know how she is.
Holmes: (Laughs)
Hwang: So, I write her name down twice and she still forgave me. She voted out Jeff. She really had some trust in me. Honestly, the relationship wasn’t as bad as you’d think. If I was Peih-Gee I’m sure it would’ve been terrible.
Holmes: Are you willing to admit now that you put Abi’s necklace in Peih-Gee’s bag?
Hwang: (Laughs) That’s so funny.
Holmes: That’s not a denial.
Hwang: (Laughs) Any one of us could’ve accidentally picked up her bag. She was so fixated on Peih-Gee, she wanted her out. Abi’s a great “Survivor” player, character, she’s great entertainment.
Holmes: You were talking about your mother last week and Abi countered by comparing it to her knee surgery. How did that sit with you? It seems like a case of comparing apples to nothing.
Hwang: I don’t hold it against Abi. How do you blame her?  She doesn’t know my real story. All she knows is I might’ve made that story up to get in favor with Tasha and Savage. She’s just thinking of the game. What did happen to my mom is true. But that’s old news because she is healthy and strong. That’s all I’m thinking about. Do I hold anything against her? Absolutely not.

Holmes: You have the best attitude.
Hwang: (Laughs)
Holmes: Seriously. Between seeing Abi’s side of things and your farewell last night…
Hwang: How can I not? These experiences we go through…I’m just so grateful. I try to stay positive as much as possible. Any negative thoughts or regret…there’s not much I’m going to be able to do.
Holmes: One positive is; now that you’re back home you have more time for Chuck E. Cheese.
Hwang: Right?! My fiancée and I get to hit up more skee-ball. It’s best on the weekdays around nine when all of the kids are in bed. The skee-ball section is wide open! No distractions.
Holmes: Are you a straight-up guy or do you try to bank it off of the side?
Hwang: Straight up. The big left and right corner pockets have the most points. That’s my main move. I’ve been getting 34 tickets every token. I’ve been coming out with some pretty nice prizes.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Terry: ‘Danny’s Heart Is Pumping Like a Champ’

October 29, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

“I’ll do anything to play ‘Survivor’ again,” was a popular comment from people trying to win last Spring’s “Second Chance” vote.

On a starlit night in the Cambodia wilderness, Terry Deitz learned the truth about that statement. When host Jeff Probst told him there was a medical problem with his son Danny, Terry didn’t think twice before hopping on a boat and leaving the game behind.

I spoke with Terry the morning after this episode aired and we didn’t talk about “Survivor” much at all.

Gordon Holmes: You guys took us on a roller coaster last night. Did you know Danny had any issues before you took off for Cambodia?
Terry Deitz: Not at all. The day before we were out on the astroturf throwing bombs and he was like, “I’m a little short of breath.” I’m like, “Don’t worry about it. You’re probably out of shape from lacrosse or whatever.” Two days after I left, everything in his system started breaking down. He was throwing up. Cold, they thought he had bronchitis. The last thing she got him was an echocardiogram. It’s like an ultrasound for the heart. From that they can tell what your ejection fraction is. That’s the percentage of blood coming out of your heart. We walk around with a 50-65. He had an ejection fraction of eight. The doctor comes running back into the room. He says, “Mrs. Deitz, you’re not going on vacation. I just called 911. An ambulance is coming to take your son.” He went to Hartford Hospital, they wanted him to see a specialist. They put him in an ambulance immediately and took him to Boston Children’s Hospital. They’re the best children’s hospital in the world. And thank God they did. He shouldn’t have been walking. They had doctors coming in the room just to look at him. “There’s the kid with the EF eight.” There are athletes who have enlarged hearts and fall down on the field and never get up. Fortunately my wife got him a bunch of checkups because nobody was catching it. And all of this is going on while I’m doing challenges in Cambodia.

Holmes: There’s never been anything like it on the show. Jenna Morasca left “All Stars” but that was based on her intuition. I kept thinking about your mindset on the journey home. Because from the boat you boarded at Ta Keo beach it was another boat, and a three-hour car ride, and three or four flights. It must’ve been a nightmare.
Deitz: (Laughs) I can’t thank Jeff and his team enough. Everything was set up perfectly. Dr. Eliza, the company psychologist even came with me. It was wonderful having somebody with me. As soon as we got on the boat, Jeff gave me his phone and said, “Call Trish (Terry’s wife).” And Jeff didn’t really know what was going on with Danny because of HIPAA rules. I was able to fill him in. The game is the game and it can go on by itself. My tribemates were thinking about me. Jeff was constantly in touch while he was producing the show. It was really cool. But it was small boat to big boat. I was able to Facetime with Trish. I got to see my son. I got to see my daughter. That made my heart sink anymore because I could see how bad of shape he was in. He was one step away from dying. We boated back to the mainland. I got a shower. Four hour drive to Phnom Penh in an SUV. Flight to Hong Kong, layover where I got to talk to them again. And then a sixteen-hour flight with no communication to Boston. “Survivor” had a limo waiting and the limo’d Eliza and I right to Boston Children’s Hospital. Trish and my daughter met me out there. We had a little cry, then we got strong again for Danny. And when I went up and saw him the first thing I said was, “Dan.” He’s a big strapping athlete. 6’2”, 195 pounds and he’s now lost 25 pounds. He’s got all this (expletive deleted) hooked into him and everything. I said, “Look, nobody loves you for Danny Football. Nobody loves you for Danny Lacrosse. They love you for Danny Deitz, and I love you. And I want to see you get better, grow old, have kids, and have them give you the joy that you’ve given me. And we’re going to kick ass on this thing.” And that’s what we did. Two heart procedures and two open heart procedures within a month. God bless the organ donor, because Danny’s heart is pumping like a champ.

Holmes: Damnit, Terry. I’m not supposed to get weepy during exit interviews.
Deitz: (Laughs)
Holmes: I’m a professional!
Deitz: My wife and I have had 79 days in the hospital. We’ve truly had the worst days of our lives. But, we’ve stayed solid as a team. And Danny knows this. And the love and support that we’ve gotten from you and everybody out there. It meant the world to us. It was sad watching the show last night, especially with Kass and Ciera, they have kids. It was tough on them. We’re exhaling. We’re thankful for a lot of things.

Holmes: When’s he going to be ready to go for a “Blood vs. Water” season?
Deitz: (Laughs) He’s only seventeen, so it’d be a couple of years. But even then, it’d be a reach. He’ll never be 100%. But, you never know.
Holmes: The show is going to be on for another fifteen years anyway. He can play in his thirties.
Deitz: Yeah, but the way things are with research and development…the type of rejection drugs that are not only good for his heart, but good for his system are right around the corner. Twenty five, thirty, forty years down the line when he needs another transplant, it’s probably going to be a mechanical heart where there is no rejection. Or they build a new heart out of his own stem cells.
Holmes: So, he’ll need another heart transplant in the future?
Deitz: Yes. It all comes down to the match and how well the body gets along with the new heart. And a lot of them can get along for a long time.
Holmes: My father had serious heart issues in the past year. We were in and out of the hospital for weeks at a time. And the doctors would talk about advances and say things like, “If this had happened five years ago, he wouldn’t be around.”
Deitz: You’re exactly right.
Holmes: It was heartbreaking to watch, but it helped knowing there was a happy ending.
Deitz: Wait, did your father turn out OK?
Holmes: Yes. Sorry. He’s up and about and cranky as ever.
Deitz: (Laughs)

Holmes: What’s Danny’s day-to-day like?
Deitz: He gets up in the morning, he takes his rejection drug, he’s got about eight pills he takes in the morning and in the evening. He’s got to go to Boston Children’s at least once a week. He’s got physical therapy three times a week. He can’t go to school because his immunity system is squashed. He can’t go into a petri dish of a high school. That’ll happen next semester. He’s a teenager so he’s eating like a madman. He does his workouts, and he hangs out with his football team. Whenever he goes in public he has to wear a mask. He has clinics he has to go to. He’s being tutored, he has a girlfriend, and we’re hanging out a lot. He’s actually back driving, which is scary.
Holmes: In all fairness, it’s always scary when a teenager is driving.
Deitz: (Laughs) When Jeff pulled me off, I thought it was my mom who’s 85 or my mother-in-law who’s 85. What happened to them? This is not going to be good news. And when he said, “Danny” the first thing I thought was he had a car wreck.
Holmes: You really wanted to come back after Panama. But the way you left, and the bigger picture it provided you, I feel like there can’t be too many regrets.
Deitz: I don’t spend any time projecting myself into the future of the show. It’s not worth it. It’s fun because Eliza and Jeff both said the same thing. They’re like, “You’ve been here two weeks, these are the goals you’ve talked about. You wanted to do better in the challenges and you wanted to be better socially.” I think I hung with the young guys and on the social side I felt I was involved in one of the big strategic move of getting rid of Shirin. I did those two things in two weeks. And I have no regrets about the show. It’s weird, the whole summer has been such a compelling story. It’s more exciting and more meaningful than anything “Survivor” can give.

Holmes: And where can we go to donate to the Danny Strong Foundation?
Deitz: People can go to bostonchildrens.org/dannystrong. You’ll see the whole story there. There are donations that can be done and t-shirts. It all goes to pediatric cardiomyopathy.

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Episode 6 Recap: Ciera Missed?

October 28, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

Last Week: Kimmi didn’t ration because she wanted Whole Foods, Stephen hit someone else’s Target, and Monica saw her GameStop.

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

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

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

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

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

We start things off back at Ta Keo Beach…which is weird because they weren’t at Tribal.

The reason for the odd beginning is quickly made apparent as Probst arrives in a boat with bad news for Terry. Jeff tells him that his son is in the hospital and it’s serious enough that he should go home. Terry says his goodbyes and takes off.

Poor Terry. Just imagining the questions he must have while he goes on those looooong flights seems like a nightmare.

Note: Terry’s son received a heart transplant and is doing well. #dannystrong

The next day, Probst breaks the news to the other tribes. Savage says that he loves the game, but he would run to the airport if he were in Terry’s shoes. Kelly gets really emotional as she agrees with him.

Aaaand…it’s a little dusty in my living room.

Joe thinks the news took the wind out of their sails, but they’re going to make Terry proud.

Once we’re ready to start the game back up, Probst shocks them with another buff dropping. They’re going to become two tribes; Bayon and Ta Keo. Angkor will no longer exist. I’m sure it’ll be remembered as fondly as Ulong.

Alright, we’ve got Jeremy, Kimmi, Tasha, Stephen, Keith, Joe, and Kelley on Bayon and Savage, Kass, Spencer, Abi, Woo, Kelly, and Ciera on Ta Keo.

Oh man, new new Bayon is going to murder new new Ta Keo.

Immediately, Kass lets everyone know that she’s worried about being on a tribe with Spencer due to lingering Luzon issues. Also, Kelley is nervous about being the only classic Ta Keon on her tribe.

Reward Challenge Time: One member from each tribe will race down a slip-and-side and retrieve a hoop. First person to toss their hoop onto a post wins a point. The winning tribe gets a picnic.

Round One: Jeremy barely beat Savage.

Round Two: Kass defeated Stephen.

Round Three: Abi topped Kimmi.

Round Four: Joe scored against Woo.

Round Five: THE KELL(E)Y ROUND! Wigles bested Went to win reward.

We meet up with Ta Keo back at camp as they sit down to their huge picnic.

Spencer asks what middle-era Ta Keo was like and Kass assures him that they were cool because they’re not very dramatic. Kass. Chaos Kass. Not dramatic. Still doesn’t sound right.

Savage is feeling good because he has two classic Bayonians, Woo, and Abi on his side. He also knows that Kass hates Spencer. Well, we all know that.

Savage wants to throw Spencer off of his scent by telling him that they’re targeting Ciera. As you’d imagine, Ciera does not love this idea.

At Bayon, Joe wants to find a way to save Kelley. He thinks the way to go is to say that she’s stronger than Stephen and Kimmi.

Man, a lot of pre-challenge strategy.

Joe tells Stephen that he wants to target Kimmi and Stephen doesn’t like that one bit. He immediately rats Joe out to Jeremy. This concerns Jeremy, but he likes the idea of one-man-show Joe being his meat shield.

Later, Stephen gets really emotional talking about his second chance. It’s really dusty tonight!

Immunity Challenge Time: GROSS EATING CHALLENGE! First tribe to four wins immunity.

Round One: Woo and Spencer ate tarantulas faster than Tasha and Kimmi.

Round Two: Jeremy and Keith devoured water beetles faster than Savage and Ciera.

Aww…Savage gave Ciera a big fatherly hug.

Round Three:  Stephen and Kelley finished the pig snout before Abi and Kass.

Round Four: Kelly downed deep fried frog quicker than Joe. Joe lost?!

Round Five: Kimmi forfeited to Woo when she was asked to eat pig brains.

Round Six: Kelley gobbled a scorpion before Ciera. I did that once.

Round Seven: Tasha swallowed a balut faster than Kass to win immunity for Bayon.

Oh man, now Kass is crying. This episode is sponsored by Kleenex.

Back at camp, it looks like Spencer is the target. Savage takes Spencer aside and tells him to vote for Ciera.

Savage then goes on and on about what a great blindside it’ll be. Uh oh…foreshadowing?

Later on, Ciera pitches getting rid of Woo over Spencer. Wait, why Woo over Savage? So as not to upset classic Bayon?

Kass and Spencer go for a  little chat and Kass admits that Savage targeting him. She pitches teaming with Abi and Ciera to get rid of Woo.

Oh man, Kass can get rid of Spencer and…she’s debating not doing it? Calm Kass vs. Chaos Kass!

That night at Tribal, some folks still need to get fire! Joe and Keith have yet to have fire!

Woo says he’s learned that you need to be cutthroat to win.

Kass thinks it’s hard to manage all of the levels of relationships.

Probst asks if she’s Chaos Kass or New Kass. She says she doesn’t know.

Savage admits that he’s only known “loving, loyal Kass.”  Needs better alliteration there, Savage.

Ciera thinks it’s weird that Savage has grown close to Woo.

Savage doesn’t worry when he hears his name being thrown around because he trusts his judgment. And worst case, he goes home to his hot model/lawyer wife.

Ciera points out that somebody’s plan will not work out.

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

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Spencer, one vote for Woo, two votes for Spencer, two votes for Woo, and the sixth person eliminated from “Survivor: Second Chance” is…Woo

Well, Abi got her wish.

Verdict: What a roller coaster this episode was. From the heartbreak of Terry’s news, to the swap, to a legitimate blindside. This season is picking up.

Who’s Going to Win? My girl Kelley is in trouble, but I’m staying Team Wentworth until her torch is snuffed.

Power Rankings Results: OK, Jenn (or whoever did her picks) had Terry in first. Max had him in tenth and I had him in eleventh. Jenn and I both had Woo if spot fourteen while Max had him in spot twelve. So, the current score is Team Jenn 72, Team Max 80, and Team Gordon 74.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 5: Everything’s Coming Up Jeremy Edition

October 28, 2015

"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.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

The Rules: Each week our three combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three players will earn. For example, if Abi-Maria is voted out this week, Gordon and Jenn will each receive fifteen points and Max will receive fourteen points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Jenn had Monica in ninth place, Max had her in fourteenth, and Gordon had her in thirteenth. The current score is Team Jenn 57, Team Max 58, and Team Gordon 49.

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

Jenn’s Score = 57

Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance

 Max’s Score = 58

Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell

 Gordon’s Score = 49

Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Terry: Terry is number one because I (expletive deleted) like him. He’s just a good solid guy just like my dad. Plus he’s good at challenges. I don’t see him going anywhere anytime soon.   1. Jeremy: Everyone should have Jeremy at the top.
  1. Jeremy: A medical emergency and a tribe swap in the same episode?! Are you kidding me, Probst?! Normally I’d just pull names out of a “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug. But, anyone with an idol should make it through OK.
  2. Jeremy: Jeremy is a likable guy. Good at challenges. Has an idol. There is zero chance in hell that he is going home anytime soon.
  2. Ciera: I don’t know how Jenn keeps forgetting about Ciera.
  2. Kelley: See Jeremy.
  3. Kelley: I like her. She’s good at challenges and she has an idol and she likes Terry. She’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
   3. Spencer: Spencer is just like me and that’s why I put him here. I like people who love the game.
  3. Tasha: And now I have to redo the colors on all of these Power Rankings graphics?! Before a merge?! Again, Tasha and Savage don’t have the challenge strength, but they have plenty of deadwood to vote out.
  4. Ciera: I didn’t watch Tocantins so I don’t even really know who this is. She hasn’t made any waves so she’s probably safe for now.
   4. Kelley: Kelley is in a great spot because she has an idol and a sense of wits about her. 
  4. Andrew: See Tasha.
 5. KEITH NALE: I really like Keith. He’s great. I think that great guys that people really like aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
  5. Joe: This is as high as I will ever put Joe.
  5. Stephen: When you kinda blow a challenge and your tribemates just laugh about it? That’s a good place to be. Kudos to Stephen for turning around his disastrous start.
 6. Andrew: Savage has a really good social game and I think he’s calling the shots at Angkor. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.
  6. Keith: Keith is doing great. What a likable guy. I think he will make it far, just not to the end.
  6. Kimmi: Kimmi went to Tribal for the first time in fifteen years and she totally called her shot. Was it a good call? Meh… Probably won’t matter in the long run. I’m thinking Kimmi is the least-threatening person out there. She’ll go a long way.
 7. Stephen: Just shut the (expletive deleted) up, man. Stop talking. Guys like this really drive me crazy. All they do is talk and think. Come on, man. I’m just like “Chill. I don’t care about anything. I just want to get drunk and eat cheese on a boat and pet Sunnycat.” And all they do is have ideas and talk about (expletive deleted) and worry about life and take Hali’s bed.   7. Tasha: Somehow her tribe avoided Tribal last week. This week they will be incredibly lucky if they do the same. However, her and Savage are somehow running it still.
  7. Ciera: We joke a lot here about not knowing what to write about people who aren’t getting a lot of camera time. But…for reals…we’re hitting episode 6 pretty soon. Give us more Ciera!
 8. Tasha: Tasha is not as in the loop as Savage but she’s good at challenges. I haven’t seen her make strong alliances with people. This should be fine.
   8. Stephen: This guy just likes to shoot himself in the foot. How do you go with Spencer and still come out more of the “Survivor” nerd outcast?
  8. Kass: Remember when everyone thought Kass would be the first target? She still could be, if she ever goes to Tribal.
  9. Joe: Joe. You win all the challenges and cook all the food and make camp life great for everyone and still find time to brush your hair 100 times before bed with a comb that you made from a (expletive deleted) abalone shell. Did you have to go and tell them that YOU ARE THE BIGGEST THREAT IN THE GAME? STOP BEING SO GOOD AT EVERYTHING. STOP BEING SO LIKABLE. STOP MAKING ME LOVE YOU. I really like Joe so I think he’s fine for now, but if he makes the merge he is gone.
   9. Andrew: This guy is pissing off people. That’s how I got voted out. That’s how he’s going to get voted out.
  9. Spencer: Nothing but question marks for young Spencer. He proved he was loyal by voting with Jeremy. But really, what choice did he have? Also, how many alliance members does Jeremy need?
  10. Kimmi: Eh. I haven’t seen that much from her lately so she’s probably going home soon. I don’t see her going home anytime soon.
   10. Terry: I don’t know why I’m putting Terry below Andrew but I am. He’s still doing good for his alliance though. Even though his tribe will probably lose this week.
   10. Kelly: Kelly, Kelly, Kelly Kelly, Kelly… I’ve learned more about Kelly from Woody’s birthday song than I have by watching this show.
 11. Kass: Kass is really growing on me. She’s making friends with Kimmi and doing really good in the challenges. After the season maybe she and I will eat cheese together. She’s probably fine for now.
  11. Kimmi: She did something this week. Congratulations, you finally made it on TV.
   11. Terry: It’s bad news when a tribe of six people makes a final five deal and you’re not a part of it.
 12. Kelly: I don’t even (expletive deleted) know who this is.
  12. Woo: I think his tribe is going to lose and he or Abi are on the chopping block.
  12. Joe: You’re never safe, Joe. I still say you’re done the first time you lose an individual immunity challenge.
  13. Spencer: Dude got lucky. If he didn’t catch that fish he was probably going home. Guys like him talk too much. He just needs to chill and do good at challenges and he’ll probably be fine.
   13. Kelly: I don’t think we’ve seen any more footage of Kelly since Borneo.
  13. Keith: Maybe this is mean, but Keith strikes me as the Ta Keon most likely to have a medical emergency.
  14. Woo: He’s not doing that much so he could be going home.
   14. Abi-Maria: She has to be next out on her tribe. She got so lucky last week. But this week, I don’t think the cards will be in her favor.
  14. Woo: Tasha has got to realize that she can’t control Abi for another 20+ days. And, seeing that her buddy Spencer is safe means she has some options. Keep Woo for “challenge strength” even if it’s really to maintain your sanity.
  15. Abi-Maria: Abi. You have to chill out. You can’t make every story about you. Ummm…you have another person’s (expletive deleted) body part inside you? You have to get over your drama. BTW Monica was right – you can’t just take all of the clams. They don’t just reappear the next day. (Disclaimer: I work on boats so I know about the ocean.)
   15. Kass: Kass.
  15. Abi-Maria: The more time Savage and Tasha spend around Woo and Abi-Maria, the more they’re probably going to gravitate toward him.

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Monica: ‘I Thought Kimmi Was My One Friend’

October 22, 2015

"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.

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

 Whether it’s Kel’s beef jerky, Sugar’s cookie, or Julie’s trail mix, “Survivor” always always always ALWAYS comes down to food.

Always.

I spoke with the latest victim of a food related targeting the morning after her elimination and asked her if there was more to Kimmi’s betrayal, if Stephen got heat for his shot that went wide left, and what was really going on in the early days of Bayon…

Monica Padilla: How are you, Gordon?
Gordon Holmes: I’m willing to wager that I’m feeling a little better than you are right now.
Padilla: (Laughs) Oh my God, I’m dying right now.
Holmes: You get a pass, you had a rough night. Should I ask all the questions now, or should I save some for later?
Padilla: (Laughs) You can ask them now.
Holmes: I don’t want to deplete them all.

Holmes: What happened with Kimmi? Did that come by surprise or did you know she had it out for you?
Padilla: It really did. I had no idea that she had it out for me. How crazy! I got the invisible edit from the get-go, which sucks. I don’t know which producer I pissed off. I have no idea. If you know me, do you think I hit the beach and didn’t say anything?
Holmes: I figured you’d be a delicate flower. Quietly swaying in the breeze.
Padilla: Mmm…probably not. I have a really big mouth!
Holmes: You wouldn’t upset a soul.
Padilla: I’m a delicate flower who goes and makes her alliance on day one. The first person I made an alliance with was Kimmi. She has a big mouth, she’s a New Yorker.  I was born there, I grew up there, awesome. I aligned with her on day one. I thought, this is sick, this is great. I aligned with Jeremy. Then we made good with Keith. So, the three of us set that with Kimmi. We said, “All the way to the end. Let’s go.” I was trying to play an old-school game and not overkill that. I don’t know where Kimmi just lost her (expletive deleted) against me. I don’t know if she had a chicken flashback or what. (Laughs)

Holmes: They showed the thing with not depleting the seafood and the female alliance. But that’s really all they gave us.
Padilla: They made it look like Kimmi was the mastermind of my blindside. But, I don’t know if that’s entirely accurate.
Holmes: Then who was it?
Padilla: I don’t know. I wasn’t there for the Monica-blindside discussions.
Holmes: That seems smart.
Padilla: I know that if we’d gone to Tribal the first night, Kimmi is the one they said they had wanted to send home. I tried to protect her. So, they knew I was close to Kimmi. I don’t know if they turned that against her to try to separate us. I thought that Kimmi and I were tight. When she pissed me off with the clams, it was like, “It’s fine, we’re good. We’re girlfriends.” I didn’t think that was a turning point. But anytime you attack someone over something stupid you can become a target.

Holmes: So you, Kimmi, Keith, and Jeremy were an early alliance. But, they showed us that Jeremy, Tasha, Savage, Keith, and Joe were an alliance as well. What were the early days at Bayon like?
Padilla: Oh my God, the early days of Bayon…people were so scared to even say the A-word. The A-word was like the F-word. “Don’t talk about alliances, we’re a happy tribe.” And I’m like, “Hi, guys. We’re on ‘Survivor.’” So, the early days I did not want to align with Kass or Tasha…and I was even wary of Ciera. I didn’t know her going into the game. I was really nervous.  I didn’t want to align with everyone. But, they’re all like, “We’re a happy-go-lucky tribe and everything is awesome!” I was on Galu, so I knew how great and awesome everything could be until somebody plays an idol on you. I’d say, “At some point we’re going to have to go to Tribal.” I don’t know if I was the Bitter Betty of the tribe. Savage was talking about his wife. Kass was telling a million one-hour stories. That woman can tell stories. The whole time I never connected with anyone. I thought Kimmi was my one friend. It sucks for a second chance. Nobody really wanted to play hard. Maybe if I was on a tribe with Wentworth or Peih-Gee.

Holmes: Any clues that you were the target last night?
Padilla: I really didn’t see it coming. When you have a majority like that and people who are clearly on the bottom? You’re going to have to wait until one of the Bayon members is voted out. But, the minute I walked on that beach I was targeted for being Russell Hantz’s friend. I’ve heard that. Apparently voting out Kimmi might’ve been a blindside and I would’ve gone home. I heard that from Stephen. So, I don’t know what went down or how it went down. I trusted Kimmi and I trusted Stephen. The three of us were on the bottom, so it was wise of us to stick together. Because early on I saw the bro-out alliance. I saw that Stephen was on the outs of that. So were Kimmi and I . Ciera, Tasha, and Kass were just kind of floating through. Maybe they were sticking together, I don’t know. I didn’t click with Kass or Tasha. I don’t care to hear what Kass is saying any time of the day.
Holmes: She trying to play a better social game. Did that come off as fake to you?
Padilla: To me it seemed like an act. She used to carry that stupid book at Ponderosa, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I was like, “OK, Kass…alright.” I don’t handle people who just keep talking talking talking very well. What (expletive deleted) are you trying to push?

Holmes: What about Ciera? Did you ever try to make inroads with her based on your relationship with her mother?
Padilla: That was another thing that screwed me. Everyone thought I was aligned with Ciera going in and I never once had a conversation with Ciera until we were on Bayon beach. So, we got along great. And when I thought I was on the outs I’d check in with Ciera. But, since we never went to Tribal, I have no idea.

Holmes: Alright, word association time…
Padilla: I told myself I was going to  prepare for this and I didn’t. (Laughs) I drank too much last night.
Holmes: What?! I had no idea.
Padilla: And now I’m sick.
Holmes: What could possibly encourage you to drink too much?
Padilla: Because I was voted off of that TV show.
Holmes: That show is the worst. Jerks.
Padilla: Why did I want to go on there again? They don’t even feed you. They don’t even have craft services.
Holmes: Probst calls “Cut” and then they wheel out a turkey.
Padilla: Oh my God, I’d be a whole new girl.
Holmes: Let’s start with Jeremy.
Padilla: Huge threat, ruling the game.
Holmes: Savage?
Padilla: Very sweet, take him out while you can.
Holmes: Spencer?
Padilla: “Survivor” superstar.
Holmes: Kelly?
Padilla: You shoulda watched a few seasons before you played.
Holmes: Ciera?
Padilla: Ciera is cool. She’s cool, political. She hates challenges. She always sits out.
Holmes: Kass?
Padilla: If I have to hear one more one-hour story from Kass? Please vote me out first.
Holmes: Tasha?
Padilla: Fake.
Holmes: Joe?
Padilla: Joe is awesome.  I don’t have a bad word to say about Joe.
Holmes:  Stephen?
Padilla: Stephen came in thinking he knew how to play.
Holmes: Keith?
Padilla: Keith is really, really cool. Love Keith.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Kimmi.
Padilla: Kimmi is the real snake in the grass. Learn alliances. I hope you win.

Holmes: Did Stephen get any heat last night when he hit the Angkor target?
Padilla: Not really. They teased him about it. But, I heard rumors they threw the challenge to get me out. They didn’t show any of that. Maybe that’s why he didn’t get a lot of heat for it.
Holmes: Not the most subtle way of going about it.
Padilla: I don’t know how much of that is true.

Holmes: With Second Chances, there was always the chance that you could do worse than you did before. Does that change how you feel about the game?
Padilla: I never thought I wouldn’t make it to day 33, which is probably a very naïve way to look at it . I think it’s a very different game than when I played. The first time I played it was just play and we’ll see where it goes. I think a lot of forces changed people’s views.  I don’t know if it was the pressure of playing a second time and people wanting to hit it hard. But, I’m a lot more resentful of the game. Another thing is; I feel like my story wasn’t told. It made it obvious that I was going to be voted out. I had no arc, they showed nothing of my original alliance. It’s all of the sudden; I went home because of clams. I’m just annoyed. You didn’t see anything I did from day one. You saw a ton of Varner. So, why not show who I was loyal to?

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Episode 5 Recap: See Ya, Padilla?

October 21, 2015

"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.

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

Last Week: Monica wished she could trust Spencer Samoa while Abi sent Varner Outback.

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

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

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

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

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

We start things off back at Angkor beach where Woo is happy to have survived his fourth challenge. Quite a switch for a former Brawn member.

Savage says Varner is in a better place. Wha-huh? Ponderosa? He’s not dead, Savage. No wonder he takes this game so seriously.

The next morning at Bayon, the women folk are out a-fishin’. They manage to find some crabs and some clams. They’re halfway to an Admiral’s Feast.

Monica, however, is worried that they’re depleting the supply. Dude, you’re only there for 39 days and the way things are going you could be swapped to Angkor at the next challenge.

Kimmi is starving though and believes they should eat while they can. She thinks Monica should chill out and condescendingly calls her “pumpkin.” Ooo…sarcastic and seasonal.

Reward Challenge Time: One player from each tribe will stuff themselves in a barrel while other tribe members roll them around a course. At different intervals, they’ll hop out to retrieve bags of balls. Once that have all of the balls, they’ll roll them up a ramp and into some holes. The first tribe to sink all six of their balls will win comfort items like chairs, pillows, blankets, a tarp, and some refreshments. The second tribe just gets a tarp.

Fun Fact: I won two challenges in one day when I visited the set of “Survivor: Blood vs. Water.” This was one of them.

Terry and Kass will sit for Ta Keo while Stephen and Kelly will sit for Bayon.

Woo, Monica, and Kelley pull barrel duty and I have nothing but sympathy for them. That looks crazy uncomfortable.

Woo and Kelley do well during the first portion, but Monica has serious trouble retrieving her tribe’s balls. C’mon, be a Monican not a Monican’t! #Gellerjokes

In the second half, Woo and Keith go to work rolling for their respective tribe. Jeremy eventually joins them.

Jeremy isn’t having any luck, so Spencer tags in.

Keith is the first to sink all six balls. Spencer manages to catch up, but it’s too little too late as Woo wins it.

Angkor must be psyched, that tarp looks delicious.

Back at Ta Keo, Ciera pitches a final five while Terry is out fishing. Kelley’s elated that her throw-Terry-under-the-bus strategy has paid off. SneakyX2!

Joe then said something, but I couldn’t hear it over the sound of America sighing.

Keith’s so excited to be included in an alliance that he refers to himself in the third person. Gordon isn’t sure if he likes that.

Over at Bayon, Jeremy and Spencer go fishing in the weird, giant bowl. Hmm..a fire fighter and a chess champ go fishing in a dish…there’s a joke in there somewhere…

At Angkor, Woo is happy that his time playing skee-ball at Chuck E Cheese has finally paid off. That’s true. Do you know how many tickets you have to win to get a tarp?!

The mood absolutely changes when he gets emotional while talking about his mother’s heart transplant.  Aw…Woo…

Abi of course takes this as Woo’s way of getting sympathy from the others. She feels bad for him, but she did have knee surgery. So…uh…yeah.

Tasha lets us know that she’s learning the same lesson Shirin and Varner learned about how much work it is to be in an alliance with Abi.

Immunity Challenge Time: A player from each tribe will race up a tower through a series of obstacles. When they get to the top, they’ll launch sandbags toward targets. First two tribes to knock down all of their targets will win immunity.

Fun Fact: Joe lost this challenge in “Worlds Apart.” Wait, Joe lost a challenge?!

Ciera and Kelley will sit for Ta Keo. Jeremy and Monica will sit for Bayon.

Bayon jumps out to an early lead, but it’s pretty close across the board until Fishbach accidentally hits an Angkor target.

Oh man. That may have been the most Stephen Stephen-thing ever.

This flub lets Angkor claim the easy win.

It’s neck-and-neck between Bayon and Ta Keo for second, but Keith manages to win it for Team Teal.

Quite an episode Keith is having.

Over at Bayon, Jeremy is wondering which of the two former Ta Keons he trusts the most. He and Monica have a chat, and she doesn’t think either has the idol.

Later, Spencer touches base with Fishbach and Jeremy. They both tell him they’re targeting Kelly.

Monica isn’t sure if she wants Kelly gone because she has hopes for a female alliance. Kimmi tells her they need to stick with classic Bayon.

Kimmi lets us know that she’s worried that Monica could be a flipper. She tells Jeremy and Stephen about Monica’s female alliance comment. That does not make them happy…you know…cause they’re not female.

Before they head to Tribal, Stephen makes a good point about it sending a bad message to classic Bayon if they send Monica home. He does know-it-all.

That night at Tribal, fire equals life for like the hundredth time this season.

Stephen says that Tribal helps you prove trust.

Monica thinks that the former Ta Keons are in trouble.

Kelly is under the impression that it’s either her or Spencer.

Spencer admits that he’s new-school and always playing hard, but he finally feels like part of a real tribe.

Jeremy is happy to hear that, but Kelly is loyal too.  He plans to vote based on loyalty and challenge strength.

Kimmi believes the original Bayon ten were close and as long as they get rid of a former Ta Keo, they’ll be good.

Monica thinks the vote is locked in. #famouslastwords

Stephen finishes it up by saying you need to build real bonds to build real alliances. Ooo…that’s good. Like a campaign slogan.

Voting Time: Monica votes for Kelly, Kelly votes for Spencer, Spencer votes for Kelly, and no other votes are shown. Oof…goodbye, Monica.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Kelly, one vote for Spencer, one vote for Kelly, two votes for Monica, and the fifth person voted out of “Survivor: Second Chance” is…Monica.

Oh man, you knew Monica was a goner when they showed her vote.

Verdict: Nice to finally see a non-Abi team go to Tribal, but for some reason this season isn’t clicking for me just yet. Maybe I’ll feel better once we see more from the people that’ve yet to vote someone out.

Who’s Going to Win? Team Wentworth, yo.

Power Rankings Results: Jenn had Monica in ninth place, Max had her in fourteenth, and I had her in thirteenth. The current score is Team Jenn 57, Team Max 58, and Team Gordon 49.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 4 – Dragon Angkor Down? Edition

October 20, 2015

"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.

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

The Rules: Each week our three combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three players will earn. For example, if Ciera is voted out this week, Gordon and Max will each receive seven points and Jenn will receive twelve points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Jenn and Gordon both had Varner in spot seventeen. Max had him in fifteen. So, the current score is Team Jenn 48, Team Max 44, Team Gordon 36.

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

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”

Jenn’s Score = 48

Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance

Max’s Score = 44

Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell

Gordon’s Score = 36

Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. KEITH NALE: I’m gonna put Keith up here cause I like him. Likable guys aren’t leaving the game right now.   1. Jeremy: Jeremy said it himself: he’s the JT to Stephen’s Stephen. By extension that makes the branch the avocado. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to see what kind of bone-headed move Jeremy makes when he returns for Heroes Vs. Villains 2 as a universally-beloved perfect-game winner.
“Rodney–This is a huge turning point in this game…”		  1. Jeremy: Jeremy entered the game wanting a big-guy alliance, but now that he has an idol he won’t have to rely solely on meat shields. Keeping a strategist like Spencer or Stephen around could be a smart move, but which one?
  2. Jeremy: He lost the reward for his tribe and that made me sad. But he still has an idol and an alliance I think. I’m not sure. I forgot. But whatever, he’s great.
  2. Spencer: Alpha males use each other as meat shields. Beta males use each other as nerd shields. Spencer can easily turn any argument for voting him out into an argument for voting out Fishbach. “Sure I’m a student of the game! But I don’t write a blog for People Magazine and co-host a podcast with Rob Cesternino!” “Sure I’m a smart guy! But I didn’t go to an Ivy League school!” “Sure I’m strategic! But I never engineered a cross-tribal Exile alliance and flipped a 6-4 split in my favor!”
  2. Kelley: Kelley’s got to be thinking, “Hmm…with this group they give you bracelets instead of accusing you of stealing them.” Could this be laying the groundwork for a “Sneaky Sneaky Chaos” alliance?
  3. Kelley: I also would’ve thought Kass was up to something sneaky. However, I never would have thought she would do it in plain sight. Double however, your tribe cannot lose and you also have an idol so you’re here and the end.
   3. Joe: Last Wednesday 9.07 million viewers simultaneously found themselves contemplating the same mystery: What happened to Joe’s armpit hair? Wonder no more. As revealed on “Survivor With All the Fixin’s,” my weekly recap podcast for the On The Block Network, Joe does in fact have armpit hair. It just wasn’t visible on camera. Another behind-the-scenes insight revealed on the podcast: according to “Worlds Apart” champ Mike Holloway, Joe sat out the Hero Challenge in order to remind his fellow competitors that Terry is still a challenge beast. This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been waiting to see from J.A.: an indication that he’s working to shift the target from his back to someone else’s.
  3. Joe: No Joe? No show. Are you telling me that there wasn’t any Joe-ga going on at some point during those three days? Or Joe crafting a refrigerator out of a hollow log?  Or Joe cuddling a puppy? Nothing? Look for ratings to drop this Wednesday.
  4. Terry: Terry!
   4. Keith: Terry sired the final three. Keith sired the reigning Louisiana Chicken Nugget Eating Champion. I know which accomplishment I’m more impressed by.
  4. Tasha: Honestly, Tasha and Andrew should both be way higher on this list. There’s no way either one of them is going home this week…
 5. Tasha: Girl, you need to get rid of Abi-Maria. Come on. Take Woo and then just vote her out. For the sanity of the tribe. And me. And the country.
  5. Terry: Terry’s performance during the Hero Challenge proved he’s barely lost a step since Panama. While good for the middle-aged male ego, his heroics showed everyone that he’s still a massive threat in the individual game.
  5. Andrew: …well…unless…Woo finds the Angkor idol. But that couldn’t happen, right? …right?!
 6. Andrew: I’m just surprised at how tired he was after the challenge because he played college football. 30 years ago.
  6. Kelley: Kass made Kelley a friendship bracelet for her birthday. Awww! How sweet! But what if it wasn’t a friendship bracelet? What if it were some kind of voodoo amulet that caused its wearer to develop a Boston accent, a horse trainer fetish, and an irrational hatred of hairdressers? What if the only way to break its spell were to drink the blood of a llama? I don’t know man you try writing these things every week and see what you come up with.
  6. Keith: Keith’s Ta Keo alliance has the numbers and Keith isn’t one to ruffle (or rustle) feathers. He’s fine. And adorable.
 7. Kass: That was really nice of her to make a bracelet. She’s making friends. I like that she walked up and gave the gift then immediately walked away. I would do that.   7. Ciera: I wonder if Ciera is voting for Donald Trump? Or maybe Ben Carson? I wouldn’t put either past her. I mean, you do realize that she voted FOR HER MOM!?!?
  7. Ciera: Not much camera time for Ciera last week, but how can you possibly compete with “Kass’s Fun Time Arts and Crafts Minute”?
 8. Spencer: He’s trying to throw one of the unseens under the bus. That’s alright I guess.
   8. Stephen: The good news: Stephen has an ally who wants him to feel like he’s in the loop. The bad news: Stephen has an ally who makes him feel like he’s in the loop by sending him on a wild chicken chase for an idol that’s already been found.
  8. Kass: So, I watched quite a bit of “Survivor: Cagayan” this week and I liked Kass a lot more than I remembered. Did her new vibe seep into my brain? Has it seeped into everybody’s brain? Well, everybody except for Max…
  9. Monica: GUYS, SHE SPOKE AGAIN. And it was about nothing really. I didn’t even listen. I just stared at her pigtails.
   9. Kimmi: Last week’s preview gave us a glimpse of the Kimmi we’ve all been waiting 14 years to see again. Here’s to hoping that this week proves to us that while you can take the girl out of Long Island you can never take the Long Island out of the girl.
  9. Stephen: Another solid week for everyone’s favorite stick-sparing, chicken chaser. He’s gotta be wondering what his next step is going to be. He won’t be the first to go if Bayon goes to Tribal, but will he still be Jeremy’s buddy when there’s a merge?
  10. Joe: That was the least I’ve ever seen of Joe in an episode. 13-year-old girls around the country are sobbing and going over his Instagram to see if they can re-like and re-comment on his pics in hope Probst will see it and then dedicate the rest of the season to just b-roll of him doing stuff.
   10. Kelly: I wonder if Kelly still thinks that alliances are gross?
   10. Spencer: It looks like some business goes down this week at Bayon that involves Kimmi and a mysterious “She.” Let ’em fight, Spence. You should be over in the corner whistling and not making eye contact.
 11. Stephen: Eh. I don’t think he’s in a good spot. But he’s not in a bad one and he’s not on a losing tribe so whatever.
  11. Andrew: I played college football. #humblebrag
   11. Terry: Man, why would they make Terry and Andrew square off in a hero challenge? That couldn’t have been good for Probst’s heart.
 12. Ciera: …
  12. Abi-Maria: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection transmitted by cats to their human companions. Toxo alters the functioning of the human brain in ways that cause carriers to behave irrationally or even self-destructively. Scientists suggest it also might be responsible for the strong attractions cat fanciers feel for felines. Infected humans think they’re lavishing attention on their adorable kitties. In reality they’re helping to propagate a nefarious brain parasite that’s causing them to make disastrous decisions.
  12. Kimmi: So, this week’s preview features Kimmi saying that some woman is a “snake in the grass.” Well, there are only two other women on her tribe…
  13. Kelly: I’ll write something about her when she’s in an episode.   13. Woo: What Woo said to Angkor: “Keep me because I’m loyal.” What Angkor heard: “Keep me because I’m clueless.”
  13. Monica: …this woman has been with Kimmi since day one. She doesn’t trust Spencer, but why should anyone? He’s known for being smart and savvy.
  14. Kimmi: See above.
   14. Monica: At long last, Monica speaks! Rejoice, right? Not so fast. The subject of her long overdue confessional? She doesn’t trust Spencer. Monica! Never, ever say that you don’t trust Spencer on camera! It’s like saying “Beetlejuice” three times: One minute you’re doing a confessional. The next you’re going from two tribes to three. Or having an early merge. Or eating dinner at Ponderosa.
  14. Kelly: …and while this woman is new to Kimmi, she doesn’t seem like the “snake in the grass” type. Color me intrigued.
  15. Woo: Again. He’s still at the bottom. His tribe is still definitely losing.  Nice speech though. I’m surprised he cared that much.
   15. Tasha: There’s a meme circulating on social media right now that perfectly encapsulates Tasha’s predicament. “Live by the Abi…Die by the Abi.” (Credit: Reddit user Jack_Payback) Thus far every castaway who has attempted to ride the dragon has been burned by her fire. If history is any indication then Tasha should be next.
  15. Abi-Maria: Unpredictabi.
  16. Abi-Maria: I am hoping so hard that they vote her out this episode. She’s just a drama machine and I cannot stand it. Get over your (expletive deleted). Get over little things like “you talked to him and I wasn’t right there why would you do that I don’t trust you ever.” CHILL OUT.
(Disclaimer: this is just how I feel about her current portrayal on the show. She is just lovely in person, I really like her. I’ve never played “Survivor” with her. The feelings are separate.)
   16. Kass: Kass.
   16. Woo: Woo actually brought it last week at Tribal. I was shocked. Now his only hope is an immunity win or an idol find. There’s no way to break Tasavage up and they won’t want Woo running around winning challenges after a merge.

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