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

September 23, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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My Patented Terrible ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Pre-Season Rankings

September 23, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (XFINITY)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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‘Survivor’s’ Jenn and Max Accept the ‘Second Chance’ Power Rankings Challenge

September 23, 2015

Jenn Brown and Max Dawson (CBS)

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

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For as much as I hate the “Dirty 30” nickname, I do adore the “Worlds Apart” cast. And, now that the three-combatant barrier as broken last season with Josh and Reed, it made sense to do it again to include some of my favorite peeps. So, I’m proud to announce that Jenn Brown and Max Dawson have both stepped up to accept the “Survivor: Second Chance” Challenge.

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.  At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Second Chance” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

NOTE: Because I was in attendance for the first Tribal Council of this season, I know who was voted out. Therefore, the first round of the Jenn vs. Max vs. Gordon showdown will take place next week. But to hold you over, we’ve asked Jenn and Maxx to give us their thoughts on which player will be voted out first…

Any questions for Jenn? Drop her a line on Twitter: @jenncantdance
 Any questions for Max? Drop him a line on Twitter: @fymaxwell
 1. Terry: He is amazing and I love him. Also he’s probably going to be at or near the top of my Power Rankings most of the time because I hope he wins…so get used to it, guys. (But really he’s a strategic player, well respected, strong, and put on a tribe with some other old-school players so I think he will be just fine for a while.)
  1. Monica: When all of the challenge beasts and scenery-chewing screen-time monsters have annihilated one another, who will be left standing? Calm, level-headed social gamers like Monica. Monica is one Second Chancer who’d benefit immensely from not changing a thing about the game she played her first time out. If she can once again install herself as the loyal lieutenant of her tribe’s leader and avoid direct conflict she’ll last a long time in this game.
 2. Keith: KEITH NALE! I love me some Keith. After Greg Buis he’s probably one of my favorite “Survivor” players ever. Down to earth, awesome to be around, and a nice dude. I see him going far.
  2. Stephen: During the “Second Chance” campaign a lot was made about how this Know It All’s knowledge of the game would make him an early target. I didn’t buy it then and I don’t buy it now. When the excitement of the marooning wears off and the monotonous reality of camp life sets in the members of the Bayon tribe will quickly realize that Fishy is exactly the sort of guy you want to be stranded on an island with. Loyal. Hard working. Conscientious. A great conversationalist. Stephen is not going anywhere for awhile.
 3. Jeremy: One of my favorites from 29. He got screwed on the jury, but was semi-avenged by Nat, so I’m thinking this go around he’s not going to let that happen again. My only concern is he is also a challenge beast, and that puts a target on him when he gets to the merge.
  3. Kelley: The biggest challenge that Kelley Wentworth will face in the first stage of the game is overcoming social-media withdrawal. Otherwise, unless there is a challenge that requires the castaways to drop a freestyle, Kelley won’t have to break a sweat until well after the merge.
 4. Andrew: This dude is on a tribe with Joe, Jeremy, Tasha, and himself. I don’t think there is any way they are losing the first challenge. The only real brawn person the other tribe has is Terry.  Savage is a beast and also super smart. I think he is going to be just dandy for a while, just like the three above him.  4. Woo: Everybody loves a puppy – at least until you leave that puppy home alone and he breaks into a cabinet and helps himself to some people food. Bad dog. No million dollars for you. Woo should be fine for awhile, provided he plays the loyal lapdog instead of the stealthy weasel.
 5. Kelley: Well she made no impression on me in 29. Hell, I hardly even remember her from 29. I have a bad memory. But she’s cute and on a tribe with some newbies and another chick with her same name, so maybe they’ll team up and be besties. However seeing as she was a pre-merge in her very recent season, she probably feels like she has a lot to prove and has had some time to figure out what she needs to do differently to stay around longer. I’m rooting for her.  5. Keith: By the time you start worrying about Keith Nale it’s already too late. During the first few days of the game Keith’s Bayon tribemates are going to appreciate his work ethic, his easy-going nature, and his challenge prowess. Fast forward three weeks and they’ll be kicking themselves for not getting rid of him when they had the chance.
 6. Jeff: This dude is hilarious. I hope he goes far. I wish he read the news for me every morning where I lived, but I can’t live in the humidity down south, so I will just have to hope he’s on for a while so I can hear him talk.
  6. Kelly: Do you even watch this show, bro?
 7. Shirin: I love Shirin.
  7. Jeremy: Mark my words: Jeremy and Andrew will be swinging their arms in unison by the end of the first episode.
 8. Tasha: Also a challenge beast. I don’t think she will be out first.
  8. Andrew: I refuse to call him Savage. I’m sorry.
 9. Joe: Joe is like a brother to me. I love him to death. He is a challenge dominator and on a tribe with two others that are just like him, only older. This puts him in a bad position, being the young gun with two older fellows with more life/people experience. I think he will be around til right before the merge. If they let him get to the merge I think it’s a big mistake, because he has the possibility of Mike Holloway-ing his way to the end.
  9. Terry: Captain America and Captain ‘Merica. Both faced seemingly insurmountable odds in the post-merge game. Both found hidden immunity idols. Both won five individual immunity challenges. The difference between these patriotic “Survivor” übermenschen? Strategy. Mike understood it. Terry didn’t. As a result, Mike has a million dollars, while Terry doesn’t. Fortunately for Terry it probably doesn’t matter at this point in the game. Just win, Terry, and if you don’t make a big speech about “keeping the tribe strong” while looking at Shirin or Peih Gee or Abi.
 10. Stephen: See “Spencer Bledsoe” but with more life experience.
  10. Tasha: Who did you have in your office pool as “Most likely to annoy everyone at pre-game Ponderosa”? Abi? Shirin? Kimmi? Who would have ever guessed that Tasha would take that distinction? A lot of people seem to have been put off by Tasha’s behavior in the week leading up to the start of the game. That said, given her superior athleticism Tasha should be good for awhile. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see her bro down with Andrew and Jeremy.
 11. Ciera: I have no opinion on her really. She won’t be a first boot but I can’t see her winning. Very middle of the road. Also, she voted out her mom. That’s not cool.
  11. Peih-Gee: The only thing that Peih-Gee could do to screw things up at this point is to link up with Shirin and Abi.
 12. Woo: Athletic, but also has a reputation with the castaways for being a weasel. I don’t see him making it far because of that, but he slipped through the cracks last time so I guess we will see.
  12. Ciera: Did you know that Ciera voted out her mom? No, really, she voted out her mom. Like, she cast a vote that had her mom’s name on it. At Tribal Council. On “Survivor.” And then her mom went home. Actually she went to Redemption Island. Yeah, Redemption Island. It was like Last Chance Kitchen, but worse. But yeah. She voted out her mom.
 13. Spencer: Spencer is a nice dude. But, he’s also like Max Dawson; analytical, and likes the sound of his own voice saying the words “Survivor.” If he makes it past the first couple Tribals he’ll be OK at the merge, but I can’t see that happening just yet.
  13. Jeff: Conference calls. Crotchframing. Neti pots. Hit lists. Untying knots. Holding children. Has any other “Survivor” contestant ever been more guilty of “too fast too soon”? Even if the rakish Varner were to be voted out first he still would leave a lasting impact on this season due to his aggressive pre-gaming.
 14. Kelly: She has had literally 15 years to think about how she came in second. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for her. Honestly, I don’t know too much about her because the last time I saw her play I was eight. But I’m going to put her here because I don’t think she’s a first boot but not a winner either.
  14. Joe: Instead of text I wish I could just insert here the GIF Joe smiling from the opening credit sequence. Joe’s charm alone should be enough to get him through the first few votes. Unfortunately, his challenge skills should be enough to get him voted out after a tribe swap.
 15. Kimmi: See “Kelly Wiglesworth”
  15. Shirin: Shirin’s best play is to lay low and stay as far under the radar as possible for the first few votes. Do I think that she can do that? Not a chance. As was the case in “Worlds Apart,” Shirin is here to play, and it appears that many of her tribe mates want to play with her. Her choice of partners will seal her fate, much as it did her first time out. My advice to my former partner in crime: avoid aligning with the Max Who Doesn’t Suck at all costs.
 16. Monica: Doesn’t really stand out of the crowd for me. I don’t remember her at all from her first season.
  16. Vytas: Vytas’ name has been coming up a lot in pre-game press. So have words like “calculated,” “sneaky,” and “trouble.” As a yoga teacher, a college-level math instructor, and a newly-reformed bad boy Vytas is the definition of a “Survivor” triple threat. Sure, he’s dangerous. But would his fellow Ta Keo tribe members really go after Bad Aras this early in the game? Ta Keo would have to be crazy to write Vytas’ name down. Unfortunately for Vytas, Ta Keo ended up with most of this season’s crazy people.
 17. Peih-Gee: She’s super nice, but from her previous season can be super confrontational. I don’t think that bodes well for her, just like it doesn’t for Abi-Maria.
  17. Abi-Maria: Were Abi’s interpersonal conflicts with her Phillipines rivals products of cross-cultural misunderstandings or side effects of the world’s longest bout of PMS? Ta Keo is about to find out.
 18. Vytas: I’m not spelling that last name – Vytas has a target on his back from the start I think because of his betrayal of Aras from the last season. I can’t see anyone wanting to work with or trust him after he would do that to his own brother. I wouldn’t trust him, and if they go to Tribal I see him in the running for first boot along with Abi, Spencer, and Peih-Gee.
  18. Kimmi: Kimmi is light. Kimmi is joy. I would say Kimmi is my spirit animal but I’d be lying. Randy Bailey is my spirit animal. I’m worried, though. I’m worried that the first time Bayon loses an immunity challenge Savage and Jeremy and Tasha are going to target her as the tribe’s “weakest link.”
 19. Abi-Maria: Judging on her last season, I cannot see her making it far. She’s going to blow up at something completely minuscule and piss off everyone. In the running for first boot if they go to Tribal.
  19. Spencer: I can imagine Varner convening special conference calls for the sole purpose of talking about Spencer’s crotch framing. “Can you believe him? The nerve! He can’t keep his hands off it. Every time I go on the computer it’s like he’s trying to shove that thing down my throat.” With each additional mention of the lad’s nads Shane grows more incensed. “What are we even DOING talking about this $%$?” he screams into the shattered face of his iPhone. Wiglesworth remains silent. Is she even on the call still? Returning players vote for strategic purposes, but they also take into consideration screen time. No one in this cast gets more of that ego-sustaining substance than the reigning Mr. “Survivor.” That fact alone puts Spencer at grave risk of being the first voted out this season.
  20. Kass: I would love to see her as a first boot. But I can’t see it because I can’t see her tribe losing, but I also can’t see her making it far at all. She pisses off people (and seems to enjoy it, which I can’t fault her for). And just because I can’t see it happening doesn’t mean it won’t. So she’s here.
  20. Kass: Kass.

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Ciera: ‘Monica…Malign. Sorry, Mom’

September 22, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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Name: Ciera Eastin
Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Finish: Fifth place
Why You Should Remember Her: Ciera became the only person in “Survivor” history to vote out a family member when she sent her mother Laura Morett packing.

Gordon Holmes: You have this huge advantage over most of these nineteen people you’re about to victimize. I’m of course talking about your XFINITY Power Rankings experience.
Ciera Eastin: My Power Rankings background is going to be pretty huge for me. I Power Ranked Kass, Spencer, Tasha, Woo…I analyzed their game pretty intensely.

Holmes: Another advantage is you’re one of the few people who has a mother who has played “Survivor.”
Eastin: My mom is so stoked. She’s incredibly pumped. She basically told me, if you don’t win, I’ll still love you. Thanks, Mom!
Holmes: As far as worst-case-scenarios go, that’s pretty solid. She played with Monica Padilla in Samoa.
Eastin: I think I maybe met her. I’ve never talked to her. I know she talks to my mom. My mom could’ve told her, “Ciera and you are tight.” I don’t know.
Holmes: You have your mom brokering a deal?
Eastin: She could have.
Holmes: That’d be the best, you’re getting on the plane and Laura’s like, “Have fun, and keep Monica till final five.”
Eastin: (Laughs) Mooooom, I don’t want to!
Holmes: Not that you shouldn’t.
Eastin: We’ll see.

Holmes: You were a “Blood vs. Water” contestant. You played with second, third, and fourth timers, now you yourself are a second timer. Did you learn anything from watching them?
Eastin: I feel like I have such a huge advantage being that I’ve played with second timers. I’ve played with three winners; Tyson (Apostol), Aras (Baskauskas), and Tina (Wesson). I’ve played with older players, Tina and Gervase (Peterson). I’ve played with more recent players, myself and Vytas. So, I feel like I’ve been well-rounded in the game and had some really great mentors. And I grew up with a mentor. My mom is Ms. “Survivor.” I learned so much my first season, I want to attack this second game with the same stride that I had at the end of my first season.
Holmes: When you drew rocks, that was a big deal. I think people know you’re smart and you’re not willing to settle. That seems like a good thing in life and a bad thing for a season of “Survivor.”
Eastin: I can’t really use the whole, dumb Ciera, I’ll do whatever you want me to do thing. I have this reputation as someone who does these crazy things. So, that’s going to be a challenge.
Holmes: But, it wasn’t crazy. You were coasting to a fourth-place finish and you risked going out immediately for a chance at the final three.
Eastin: It was smart.  So, I’m looked at more as a calculated player than someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. I’m going to have to break that somehow or get someone to believe that I want to work with them and let’s make these smart moves together.
Holmes: Does that make you an early target?
Eastin: If definitely makes me an early target. I’m hoping there are more annoying people here so I can slide by not being the most annoying. Maybe being helpful. And if I can’t, I’m going to have to pull some magic out of my hat. I think my struggle is going to be early in the game. It’s all about making it to the merge. And after the merge you have more freedom to make big moves for yourself. And just because I made big moves, you should really want to work with me because I’m really trustworthy.
Holmes: I think it was pretty clear that you were making the best move for your game. And as long as someone is working in the best interest of their own game, you can play with them.
Eastin: Yeah.  I think something I definitely have learned is the thing where, you can’t trust anybody, but you have to trust somebody. So many of these people who have won have had early alliances that were formed and made it to the end; “Boston” Rob (Mariano) and Natalie Tenerelli, Russell Hantz and Natalie White, Tyson and Gervase. Every season these people meet early and they stick together. I think you need someone like that. I’m hoping I have that natural selection with someone, then we pick our thirds and fourths and extras together.

Holmes: What’ve you been up to since your time on the show?
Eastin: I did my Power Rankings, that was really fun. I’ve been home with my kids and my husband and living life. Nothing really exciting. This is a highlight for me. I’m really fortunate that I’m not working a Monday to Friday job. I get to watch my kids grow…which is a full-time job.

Holmes: It’s not a surprise you’re back.
Eastin: I thought that. I thought they’d have me back, I just didn’t know when.
Holmes: Is it better or worse to be in this situation where there are 32 potential players and you had to be voted in?
Eastin: It makes it really sticky when we know who we could be potentially playing with before we go out. It does open it up for pre-game alliances. I honestly, and you’re probably going to hear this a lot and it’s a lie, I really tried to stay out of it. You just never know what’s going to happen. You don’t know the circumstances. Half the people that could’ve been able to play didn’t make it. If I made a big pre-game alliance with Brad Culpepper, and he’s gone? What a waste of energy. There’s just so many twists. And if you have to break a promise, that could come back to bite you in the butt.
Holmes: Sure…
Eastin: (Laughs) I obviously knew Vytas, but it wasn’t a thing where we talked beforehand. It wasn’t like, “You, me, final two.” It was more like, “You’re good with me, I’m good with you. Let’s see how it goes.” I’m hoping everybody did the same.
Holmes: Probably not.
Eastin: Probably not. But if they didn’t, when we get out there I can use it as an advantage. I can say, “I know these people have a pre-game alliance.”
Holmes: Oh, you know people have pre-game alliances?
Eastin: Well, I’m assuming they do. And even if I don’t, I’m going to say they do anyway.

Holmes: Does it concern you that you’re one of only two from your season while Cagayan has four and San Juan del Sur has three?
Eastin: I think it is a concern. You can even tell walking around people kind of giving each other looks and glances. You can see where the bonds are already made. It’s either going to be a hard thing to overcome or it’s going to be easy because there’s such a lack of trust. I think you have to expose the bad history.
Holmes: Who’s making faces at each other?
Eastin: Definitely the “Blood vs. Water 2” people. Jeremy and Keith and Kelley are all sharing the same crossword book. They’re giggling.
Holmes: Do you think they’re writing notes in the crossword puzzle?
Eastin: I thought that!
Holmes: They totally did that in “Ocean’s Eleven!”
Eastin: (Gasps) I’m going to have to get a hold of that. Mission number one.
Holmes: I’ll distract them.
Eastin: But yeah, they’re friendly. The Cagayan people are extremely cold to each other, which I think is a strategy. They’re very aware of where they’re sitting. And with Vytas, I’m trying to be friendly. Smile, but not overly friendly. Find a balance.
Holmes: If there are twists, what do you think they will be.
Eastin: Ugh…there will be twists. Because we’re all second-time players, they’re going to totally screw with us. I hope it’s not Redemption Island. I hate that. When you’re gone, just go. Don’t haunt me.

Holmes: Describe your day one.
Eastin: Day one I want to be looking for hidden immunity idols. It’s a little risky, but it’s unexpected because everyone’s in the mix meeting people. If I’m kind of keeping my eyes open, normally you can find them in more monumental spots.  And I’ll figure out who I mesh with. In my season, there were people like Katie (Collins) where I just knew.
Holmes: Dude, Katie is the best.
Eastin: She’s like the best, smartest person on Earth.

Holmes: What do you think of Cambodia?
Eastin: It’s so hot. The rain has been refreshing. They’re quick little twenty minute rains. And then it’s hot as (expletive deleted) again.
Holmes: How hot?
Eastin: As (expletive deleted).
Holmes: Wait, Abi-Maria is right behind us.
Eastin: We need to be quiet.
Holmes: Right.
Eastin: Don’t give away my game. She’s probably wondering why I was screaming (expletive deleted).


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Eastin: OK.
Holmes: You’re the first person to play this game.
Eastin: Ooo…so  I have to set the bar high.
Holmes: That’s right. Don’t (expletive deleted) up the rest of my day.
Eastin: (Laughs)

Eastin: I have Vytas…but he’s such an in-betweener for me.
Holmes: One or the other.
Eastin: Malign. Cause I think he knows me too well and I think he’s going to be after me eventually. I have to cut him before he cuts me.

Eastin: Shirin…align. I think I can beat her in the end. She confessed that she was a millionaire at the end of her season.

Eastin: Tasha…align. I think she’s smart. I think she’s a good competitor and I think I can beat her in the end. I don’t think she’d do enough strategically or socially.

Eastin: Andrew…malign. He already kind of annoys me. He thinks he’s funny when he’s not.

Eastin: Peih-Gee…align. I like her. She’s one of those people where she seems trustworthy and she hasn’t played in a while, so I think I could outsmart her.

Eastin: Abi…malign. She’s crazy. She’s crazy cat. She’s already bizarre. Really cute, really fun. I don’t think I could live with her for 39 days. And she seems like a loose cannon.

Eastin: Kelly…she’s one of these people where she needs to go early or she needs to be my number one. She gives me crazy vibes. I feel like I need to align because you need to keep your enemies closer.

Eastin: Joe…malign. He’s way too likable. He just had a big season. I want him gone early. And if there’s a fan favorite, I don’t want him getting it.

Eastin: Kelley…she’s from the Pacific Northwest so I want to align with her. Same concept, I think I’d really get along with her. She could be my Katie.

Eastin: Jeff…malign. No, get rid of him. Same thing with Andrew. They are trying to be funnier than they are. And I don’t think they’re strategically smart to the game because they haven’t played in a long time.

Eastin: Monica…malign. Sorry, mom.
Holmes: (Laughs) First you vote her out, then you malign her buddy.
Eastin: (Laughs) She seems conniving. Like a flip-flopper.

Eastin: Kass…align. It’s similar to Kelly Wiglesworth because she’s one of those people you need to be best friends with or she needs to go early.

Eastin: Kimmi…malign. She doesn’t seem like she’s going to make it. Her head is in the clouds.

Eastin: I have all these good people left!
Holmes: You knew what nineteen names were in there.
Eastin: Unfair!
Holmes: You have nobody to blame but yourself.

Eastin: Stephen…align. He played with Tyson. He actually married Tyson and Rachel (Foulger). I feel like I can use that relationship. I can say, “Hey, Tyson told me I can trust you.” Even though Tyson never told me that.

Eastin: Keith, no…malign. Nothing special about him. I don’t think we’ll click.

Eastin: Woo…I’d bet a lot of people would want to align because the mistake he made taking Tony (Vlachos) to the end, I don’t think he’ll make that mistake again. I wouldn’t want to give him the second chance. Malign.

Eastin: Terry…malign. He was huge in challenges. I think he’ll be surprised that maybe he won’t be that great this time. And I think a lot of people will want to be in an alliance with him. I think he’ll be like an Aras where he thinks he’s going to win, but he’s really not.

Eastin: Spencer is my last align. We’re coming in on a similar boat. Recent seasons with big reputations on the line. And he’s younger than I am, so I think I can manipulate him. “They’re going to be gunning for us, let’s stick together.”

Eastin: Jeremy…malign. I don’t have a reason why. There’s nothing hugely special about him. He does seem a little sneaky. On the island he wouldn’t have a lot to say, but in his interviews he would. I don’t like that. Own it wherever you go.

 

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

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

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Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Ciera: ‘Monica…Malign. Sorry, Mom’

‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Stephen: ‘I’ve Publicly Said Bad Things About a Lot of This Cast’

September 22, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Stephen Fishbach
Season: “Survivor: Tocantins”
Finish: Finalist
Why You Should Remember Him: “The Wizard” orchestrated the show’s first-ever cross-tribe alliance but received no votes at the final Tribal Council.

 

Gordon Holmes: You do a weekly podcast with Rob Cesternino entitled, “The ‘Survivor’ Know-It-Alls.” How much are you regretting that “Know-It-All” nickname today?
Stephen Fishbach: (Laughs) So much. I think it’s only bad. It doesn’t give me any actual “Survivor” superpowers. Strategy is still the same for everyone. You get a majority in the numbers, then you vote somebody out. But, I think people have this idea because I’m a know-it-all and because I write for “People” that I’ve got some strategy superpowers and I’m going to work my voodoo.  There’s also this belief that I know a lot of people.
Holmes: Knowing it all would include knowing a lot of people.
Fishbach: But I don’t. I’ve heard a lot of people in their campaign interviews say that through the podcast I know everybody. I don’t know everybody. Maybe Rob does. He’s the one interviewing everyone.
Holmes: This is all Cesternino’s fault.
Fishbach: It really is! I think I’m coming in with a target because of all that stuff. And I’ve talked (expletive deleted) about half of them. I’ve said mean things about them.
Holmes: And the Wine & Cheese thing in New York? I assume that if someone on the East Coast has played “Survivor” that you’ve been in a group shot with them in Eliza Orlins’s living room.
Fishbach: Yes, from maybe like four years ago. If this was season 26, like Caramoan, I would probably know everybody on the season and be friendly with them. But I kind of stopped doing that because it’s exhausting. It was exciting to meet everyone out of gate, but then I was like, “Ugh…whatever…you’re all the same.” Now I don’t as much. I do the podcast, I do my blog, but other than that, I don’t do much with the “Survivor” community.

Holmes: I don’t feel like anyone else has this second story the way they do. Like with Kimmi, I remember what I remember from “The Australian Outback,” but I have no knowledge of her life since then. How are you going to combat that?
Fishbach: It’s almost like the opposite. I was the runner up to JT (Thomas), but nobody cares. The reason I’m here is because of the blogging and the podcasting stuff. Those are the fans that got me on and that’s why the producers still care about me. Random…runner up…gamebot from sixteen seasons ago or whatever.
Holmes: I love having the runner-ups on. I want people who’ve never had their torch snuffed. Risking that perfect record.
Fishbach: It is a big risk. If I fall on my face, how will I ever say I’m a know-it-all again.
Holmes: I don’t know, somebody else who’s a know-it-all…
Fishbach: (Laughs)
Holmes: He didn’t set the world on fire in his second go-round.
Fishbach: That’s true. I do have that.
Holmes: Head to head, you were a finalist, Rob was third place. Then Rob was out fourth. By my math, as long as you’re not third out, you’ve still got him beat.
Fishbach: Exactly. Although, he would have won in the finals.
Holmes: Definitely. I give him credit for getting me back into “Survivor.”
Fishbach: From that season?
Holmes: Absolutely. I was bored with it until he shook the game up. The way he was bouncing back and forth.
Fishbach: He really did change the game.
Holmes: Agreed. Probst and I did a thing a few years ago, a Mount Rushmore of “Survivor.” It’s actually where the idea for the “Survivor” Hall of Fame came from. I went with Richard Hatch because he invented alliances, Jonny Fairplay because he made it so the game begins before the filming starts, and Cesternino because he was the first person who wasn’t content with final four.
Fishbach: I never liked Fairplay’s game that much. When I watched Pearl Islands I was like, “What? Who cares?” It just didn’t seem that great. It was just because of that one lie?
Holmes: It was the fore thought to say to your buddy, “If I get to the family visit, we’re going to do this thing that could earn me sympathy.” It added a tool to his toolbox.
Fishbach: That’s interesting. Because his game was a fine game, but it wasn’t like he was some devious mastermind. That’s a great call.
Holmes: Well, I’m no know-it-all…
Fishbach: (Laughs)

Holmes: Let’s say we arrive on the beach on day one. I was voted out seventh on Marquesas but people remember me because I had great one-liners. How do you keep me from being scared to death of you?
Fishbach: I don’t know, man. I’m worried about it. Do I just act self-conscious about it? Do I hope there’s some cache to it? I think my best move is to go to some of these floaters, these women, there are a lot of huge dudes and a lot of small women. And the looks I’m getting from some of these women…it seems like…they’re a little scared of their future too. If I can pick them up and be like, “Hey, I’m Stephen Fishbach.”
Holmes: That does have some cache.  It would work on me.

Holmes: Worst case scenario, day one…your pants rip?
Fishbach: (Laughs) It’s happened before.
Holmes: I might’ve checked out some Tocantins on the flight over.
Fishbach: That was such a nightmare. I literally, when I was testing my pants, I was squatting to test crotch tensile strength.
Holmes: (Laughs) I was hoping at some point to get you to say “Crotch tensile strength.”
Fishbach: I’m happy you did.

Fishbach: What do you think I should do to play off the know-it-all thing?
Holmes: I don’t know if you can. If you say, “I don’t know people, Rob knows people.” It feels like the same thing I’d tell Coach (Wade) where if you deny a lie, even if you’re telling the truth, they’ll still think it’s a lie.
Fishbach: Totally.
Holmes: I think you’ve got to own it.
Fishbach: Yeah, you’ve got to own it.
Holmes: I think in South Pacific if Coach had owned up to his lies, even if he hadn’t actually lied, he’d have been much better off.
Fishbach: So, should I let them think I know people?
Holmes: Unless they think you’re the center of some big alliance. Everybody here knows somebody. The Cagayaners are rolling four deep.
Fishbach: That is the fear, that they think I have an alliance. And the twenty people on this beach, do I know them? Not really. Hopefully there’s something to that. It scares me. The theoretical argument in my head is; I think about strategy. I write about strategy. But to me, good strategy is strong alliances. Hopefully I can make that case.

Holmes: With the possible exception of voting out Taj (Johnson-George) I don’t remember a lot of chicanery from you and JT.
Fishbach: We came off pretty great…well until the end. We betrayed people.
Holmes: You were down in the numbers, you have to do whatever you can.
Fishbach: Yeah, we were down six to three.
Holmes: So, even though you’re viewed as super-smart, it’s not like you’re a crazy backstabber.
Fishbach: I’ve publicly said bad things about a lot of this cast, but I’m hoping once they meet me, they’ll think that’s just me talking about the game and I’m really a good guy. I am worried that I might’ve said something bad about Val (Collins) because of her two idol nonsense. It’s easy to forgive something someone says about you, but impossible to forgive something someone said about your wife. But…he couldn’t have thought the two idols was a good play. (Laughs)
Holmes: How could you have thought my wife pretending to have forty idols was a bad move?
Fishbach: Exactly. (Laughs)

Holmes: Did anyone approach you for a pre-game alliance?
Fishbach: Shane approached me. And he was approached by some folks here. But, I don’t want to say who.
Holmes: Why not? Nobody’s going to see this until August at the earliest.
Fishbach: Good point, I think Kass approached him. It’s scary when people are approaching each other and not me. And Culpepper approached me. Shane I would have considered, but Culpepper is a lunatic. He’s a crazy man. The funny thing is; he was so energetic and so gung-ho about our secret alliance. I was like, “Are you doing this with everyone?”
Holmes: It’ll be the Fishpepper alliance! C’mon!
Fishbach: (Laughs)
Holmes: I remember our pre-game interview during “Blood vs. Water” he had a lot of really crazy ideas. And I was like, “That’s interesting, but how about this instead?” And when it was over he credited me with getting him as far as he got. So, my advice can propel someone all the way to fifteenth place.
Fishbach: He can’t contain himself.

Fishbach: What do you think; is this the best cast, pound-for-pound in “Survivor” history?
Holmes: In what sense?
Fishbach: A normal cast, five people maybe tops are potential winners. “Heroes vs. Villains,” maybe nine people could win the game. Here seventeen of us are potential winners.
Holmes: It feels very low on the fodder side.
Fishbach: Exactly! I don’t know if there’s a Parvati (Shallow) here or a Tony (Vlachos,) someone who’s truly one of the great players. But, maybe this is their chance to shine. It feels like there are a lot of good, solid players.
Holmes: What could make it great is; on a regular all-star season your “Boston” Robs and your Russell Hantzs assume they belong here. Everyone here had to get in by a fan vote. To me, I’m thinking I almost didn’t make it, so I’m going to exhaust every possible avenue to prove I belong.
Fishbach: Totally, people are going to play hard. People like Spencer, Kass, Joe, Shirin…they were coming back no matter what. But me, Monica, Peih-Gee, Varner? We weren’t coming back. And that was proven by the fact that we haven’t been back.

Holmes: Who’s making eye-contact over at the contestant porch?
Fishbach: You know, you see it. I don’t know how much I’m supposed to do it. I want to smile, but I don’t want to be high-fiving. It almost seems less with smiles and how people gravitate toward each other. I see Jeremy and Savage stick together a lot. That to me is scary. They’ve got some bro thing, they’re both manly men. I don’t think they’ve spoken about it, but they’re muttering to each other all the time. That’s the kind of thing that alliances are made from.
Holmes: That happens every season.
Fishbach: Oh yeah, apparently the whole Carolyn (Rivera), Rodney (Lavoie Jr.), and Will (Sims II) alliance was made at Ponderosa. Rodney was making crazy eye contact. And, Coach fell in love with JT at Ponderosa.
Holmes: How could you not?
Fishbach: Yeah, with those pretty eyes? (Laughs)
Holmes: He’s only human.

Holmes: Does it concern you that you’re the only Tocantinian around so many Cagayers and San Juan del Surians?
Fishbach: It doesn’t concern me. They’re probably happy to have each other. Even Spencer and Kass, they lived together for over a month. That whole will-they-or-won’t-they thing.
Holmes: It’s like Monica and Ross.
Fishbach: Ummm…
Holmes: Rachel and Ross! Monica and Ross were brother and sister. That’s way different.
Fishbach: Hopefully not. I hope it gives them a target.

Holmes: You are secretly in shape.
Fishbach: Yeah, I’ve had a stomach bug, but we’ll see. I’m in shape, but I’m still the smallest guy here, basically. I’m 6’2”, 185 lbs. There are some giant dudes. My hope is to be better than the girls, well not Kelly Wiglesworth…or Wentworth. I’m not better than them.
Holmes: My favorite Stephen moment was the challenge where you figured out the memory puzzle.
Fishbach: Probst said something about using past challenges. I’m hoping it’s that one for me.

Holmes: If there’s a twist this season, what do you think it is?
Fishbach: The word twist is so weird. Was the extra vote a twist?
Holmes: I feel like anything over, win an immunity challenge or go to Tribal to vote someone out is a twist.
Fishbach: I could see Probst wanting Redemption Island. It’s a second chance for second chancers. I’d be so upset if there was a Redemption Island. I’m imagining the conversation in my head if there’s an early vote out like “Blood vs. Water.” If that’s my fate, I’m swimming home.
Holmes: That’s the fear?
Fishbach: That is my number-one fear. I’m dreading a pick ’em. I think that’s possible because of the way our wardrobes worked out. There are no color combinations. There’s gotta be something. Probst said they’re giving us a lot of room to play. I don’t know what that means. It feels like foreshadowing. One tribe? That would be ridiculous.
Holmes: Twists!
Fishbach: Do you know what it is?
Holmes: I know some things.
Fishbach: That’s exciting.
Holmes: Who’s the know-it-all now?
Fishbach: (Laughs)


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

 Fishbach: Vytas is the hardest one. He’s super strategic. He’s got great emotional intelligence. He would be a great partner in crime. He’d also be a terrifying adversary. I’m going to say align.

Fishbach: Monica…she’s like me. She’s from a random mid-season. She doesn’t have a lot of connections here. I think she’s the kind of person I’d want to align with because she isn’t going to be hooked in with one of the big guys. She’s going to be looking for someone to work with.

Fishbach: Peih-Gee…I’m going to say she’s boisterous. Watching her at Ponderosa I think she’s going to get annoying. I think a lot of other people want to align with her. So, I don’t want her. I’m saying malign.

Fishbach: Spencer…no brainer. He’s one of us. Got to align with Spencer.

 

Fishbach: Kelley Wentworth…same thing. The problem is she’s part of the San Juan del Sur shenanigans. But, I still say align. Send her through!

Fishbach: Jeremy…I think he’s a smart guy. He got burned. He also gravitates toward the women. He’s going to come out swinging. I say malign.

Fishbach: Woo…I don’t know if Woo and I are natural partners. I’m excited to be infected by his great karate energy. But, I don’t think he’s one of my core eight. Malign!

Fishbach: Savage scares me. He’s such a bro. He’s a natural leader, he’s physical. He can connect with guys’ guy. I don’t know if I’m going to connect with him. I think maybe he’ll pick up some of the women that I’d love to be with. I have to say malign.

Fishbach: Abi-Maria…another mid-season girl without a lot of connections. I say align. Abi has a lot of trouble speaking English, maybe a good person to have with you at the jury. Of course, that didn’t work out well for me last time with a guy who had trouble speaking English.

Fishbach: I actaully know Terry from just being a Survivor. I love him, I think he’s a solid guy. Straight shooter. I don’t think he has a lot of zig or zag in him. But I’d love to fist bump him after he destroys some challenge. So, I’ll say align.

Fishbach: Shirin…random, crazy girl. I love her. Strategic? Maybe. Definitely going to get under people’s skin. I think that could be a good goat quality. The only concern with Shirin is do I get Dawson’d? Will we be lumped in, “Oh, look at the two of them together.” That’s a fear for me, but align.
Holmes: Dawson’d?
Fishbach: (Laughs) Yeah.
Holmes: I’ll cosign that one.

Fishbach: Joe is a beautiful person, he radiates light. He’s also a (expletive deleted) giant. I didn’t know watching last season that he was so big. He’s 6’7” and made of steel.
Holmes: (Laughs) That may not be completely accurate.
Fishbach: Beautiful steel. I’m getting good eye contact vibes from Joe. I’d love to align with him. He’s a fine competitor and going to be such a huge target. Align!

Fishbach: Kass…I think we all know why we’re maligning Kass. She’s a flipper and I don’t think her flips are as strategic as she thinks they are. They’re a little erratic. So malign.

Fishbach: I love Tasha, she’s just not in the top eight. She’s a smart, strategic, physically sound competitor, which is a great reason to malign her. I don’t want her at the end with me.

Fishbach: Varner…I thought he’d be an align, but there’s something about him. I think he’s going to be as scheme’y as hell. I think he has a lot to prove. He scares me. Malign!

Fishbach: Ciera…similar deal. She’s unreliable. She voted out her mom. Malign.

Fishbach: Keith…I love a country boy, as you know. But, is Keith going to be trying to play a strategic game? If he is, then how the (expletive deleted) do you read Keith? Malign.

Fishbach: Kimmi…you know. I love her, I don’t know how much game she’s got. Malign.

Fishbach: Kelly Wiglesworth, the original runner-up. I feel such a kinship with her. But, she’s such a bad-ass, I don’t think she’d love a nerd like me. So, I’ll have to malign her.
Holmes: It’s interesting that you’re maligning these people you don’t think you’ll click with, when nobody would have ever anticipating you and JT getting along so well. Years later you’re officiating his wedding. That’s one of the great things about “Survivor,” two people from different walks of life, like Richard Hatch and Rudy Boesch who become best friends.
Fishbach: Absolutely.
Holmes: You and Keith could be that new combo.
Fishbach: It’s true, but you can’t plan on it.
Holmes: You could officiate Keith’s wedding.
Fishbach: I’d love to!
Holmes: Did you do JT and Tyson’s wedding?
Fishbach: Yeah.
Holmes: Is this a Tocantins thing? You’re just going to go down the line?
Fishbach: Erinn (Lobdell) got married and I wasn’t invited. Joe (Dowdle) got married. These jerks.

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

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Kelly: ‘Can You Really Trust Any of These (Expletive Deleted)’

September 21, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Kelly Wiglesworth
Season: “Survivor: Borneo”
Finish: Finalist
Why You Should Remember Her: In the season of “Survivor” that first captured America’s imagination, Kelly went on an impressive individual immunity run (four straight wins!) and was the victim of Sue Hawk’s legendary “Rats vs. Snake” speech.

Gordon Holmes: You are “Survivor” royalty. Don’t roll your eyes at me…
Kelly Wiglesworth: (Laughs)
Holmes: Fifteen years later, we’re in Cambodia. Put me in your shoes.
Wiglesworth: I’m really excited to be here. Obviously it’s been a long time. I’m glad we’re in Cambodia. I feel very comfortable with the surroundings. It’s a lot like Borneo. It’s like a baby Borneo. It’s a little nicer. I’m definitely equipped to deal with this environment.

Holmes: What about the changes that have been made to the game over the years?
Wiglesworth: Everyone keeps saying, “The game has changed so much!” I don’t think so. As far as the structure with hidden immunity idols and Exile Island and Redemption Island…there’s a lot of new things. Things…or twists.
Holmes: We can call them things.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) The actual game itself, that’s the same. You’ve got to make an alliance, hope it works out, and do what you’ve got to do to get to the end. That’s been the same since day one. We just weren’t as open about it. Now people are making alliances already. I’m sure everybody knows everybody. I’m sure there are several alliances happening already. It hasn’t changed, it’s just quicker.

Holmes: Have you kept up with the show at all?
Wiglesworth: No, I never watched it ever. I watched the first one and the last one. And not because of any reason other than I wanted to keep my experience pure for myself. “Survivor” was this big, amazing, wonderful thing I did. I wanted to keep it in that little bubble. I guess I didn’t want to see what TV made it look like. So, I never watched anything between one and the last one. Up until around three years ago I finally watched my show.
Holmes: How was it?
Wiglesworth: It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Not bad, they didn’t warp it into something else. I thought, “Oh, what if they make me look like a total jerk?” I think everyone has that fear of how you’ll be portrayed. But as far as the rest, I don’t watch any TV. I don’t own a TV.
Holmes: But how do you watch wrestling if you don’t have a TV?
Wiglesworth: I know, right? (Laughs) I miss out on all that stuff.
Holmes: I feel so bad for you.
Wiglesworth: But if I had a TV, that’s what I’d watch. Clearly. I do love wrestling.
Holmes: That’s my smart-ass response whenever someone doesn’t own a TV.
Wiglesworth: I’m not kidding.
Holmes: Wow, I’ve never had that thrown back into my face so well.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) When I had a TV and I watched wrestling I liked the classics like the Road Warriors, the Nature Boy…
Holmes: I did not anticipate us bonding on this level.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) C’mon, dude! I grew up in Las Vegas and they used to have those wrestling matches all the time. I went to it once when I was seven and it was the Road Warriors, it was Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Andre the Giant! I was so excited. I was running up and down the aisles screaming. My mom was like, “Whoa…you are really into this.”

Holmes: So, without a TV, do you know who you’re up against here?
Wiglesworth: I haven’t watched every single show, but I’ve studied a little bit. Who they are, what show they were on, what place did they come in. I have a general idea of who they are. People aren’t always the same in every situation.

Holmes: How do you think people perceive you?
Wiglesworth: Obviously people know who I am. They know what I’m capable of in the game. But…I don’t know…good question. People could see me as a threat as far as challenges and whatnot. Also, everyone kind of alludes, “Oh, you’re the original second chancer.” So, nobody wants to go to the end with me. They think the jury will give it to me. I’m hoping that people will want to play with me. I’m hoping they’ll see me as a weird oddity. Or an antique. (Laughs)
Holmes: Found in a glacier and unfrozen from days past.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) Yeah!

Holmes: There’s always talk of pre-game alliances in returnee seasons. Have you made any?
Wiglesworth: I haven’t made any. I don’t know anybody, so I don’t know anybody to make any with. I’m not out in the mix. I can speculate. My thought would be there are a lot of people who were on the same show together. My initial thought was, “Sure, they’re going to align. They know each other.”

Holmes: Are you worried that you’re  the only player here from your season?
Wiglesworth: Well, I can assume that those people are going to be in an alliance together. But, they might’ve hated each other. It could be easy like, “Let’s break up that alliance.” Or, that’s a solid three-or-four people, maybe I should try to be in an alliance with them.

Holmes: Do you still have relationships with anyone from your season?
Wiglesworth: I keep in touch with Gervase (Peterson) and Joel (Klug). Gervase more than anybody. I don’t have internet where I live. Again, how do I watch wrestling? (Laughs)
Holmes: I’m sending you some DVDs.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) It’s an hour-and-a-half drive for me to use the internet.
Holmes: Gervase had quite a run a few years ago. Did he give you any advice?
Wiglesworth: He didn’t. I didn’t ask him. But, I know he did really well.  I love Gervase like a brother. I was so proud of him. My mom watches, I wouldn’t call her a super fan, but she knows everybody. She helped me. I got some intel. But, I’m not a planner. I can’t strategize too far in advance. I think when you get too locked in, it just screws you up. Nothing ever goes according to plan. And can you really trust any of these (expletive deleted)?
Holmes: That should be the subhead for this season, “Survivor: Can You Trust Any of These (Expletive Deleted)?”
Wiglesworth: Exactly! You can’t. I think my strength in my game and my life in general is I don’t plan for anything. This thing happens, deal with it.

Holmes: Any guesses for if there are any twists…or things…this season?
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) I thought that they might add some random players into the mix. Maybe people we wouldn’t know of. Another thought was maybe they’d have us in pairs right off the bat. But, I think maybe they wouldn’t put people on the same show in the same team. I think we might be teams of three. Based on what we’re wearing there seems to be three distinct color groups. There’s a green, a blue, and a red. Possibly a Redemption Island…it is Second Chance. You never know, they’re sneaky.


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

Wiglesworth: Andrew…align. I just get a good feeling from him.

Wiglesworth: Terry…align. He beat my record for challenges. I get a good feeling from Terry.

Wiglesworth: Joe…he’s a tricky one. I’m going to go with align…because…I have a feeling Joe might want to play with me.

Wiglesworth: Spencer…align. I think Spencer wants to play with me too.

Wiglesworth: Jeremy…malign. He seems like a good guy, but he’s good at challenges.

Wiglesworth: Stephen…malign. He seems really sneaky and strategic.

Wiglesworth: Tasha seems like she wants to stir the pot and create a lot of drama. I’m not down with that. Malign.

Wiglesworth: Vytas…align. We’re both yoga teachers. I’ve got to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.
Holmes: The down-dog alliance.
Wiglesworth: (Laughs) Yeah. That works or “Namaste, bitches.”
Holmes: (Laughs)

Wiglesworth: Kelley…malign. She’s too super fan, watched every episode. All into the strategy. And there can only be one Kelly/Kelley.
Holmes: No matter how many Es.
Wiglesworth: Exactly.

Wiglesworth: Kass…malign. Her nickname is Chaos Kass. Too much drama.

Wiglesworth: Peih-Gee…align. She seems like she’d be a good person.

Wiglesworth: Ciera…malign. Voting out your mom? That’s kind of harsh.

Wiglesworth: Varner…align. He seems like a good guy. It might bite me in the ass.

Wiglesworth: Abi…malign. Seems a little shady.

Wiglesworth: Keith…align. He’s a redneck. I am a redneck. I watched some of his season and he seems like a solid dude. If he gives you his word, I’d believe it.

Wiglesworth: Monica…malign. Seems sneaky.

Wiglesworth: Kimmi…malign. I sort of remember her from her show being really whiny and complaining a lot.

Wiglesworth: Woo…malign.  I don’t know anything about Woo. So, sorry dude.

Wiglesworth: Shirin…malign. The whole going naked , and talking about poop, and monkeys having sex…that’s going to annoy the (expletive deleted) out of me.

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

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Vytas: ‘I’ll Take Ciera to the End, I Can Beat Ciera’

September 21, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Vytas Baskauskas
Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Finish: Tenth place
Why You Should Remember Him: The brother of “Survivor: Panama” champ Aras Baskauskas made a strong showing for himself, but was quickly voted out after the merge when the brother pairing was deemed to be too powerful.

Gordon Holmes: You were my pick to win “Blood vs. Water,” and whoever I pick to win loses. So, I feel terrible.
Vytas Baskauskas: Like the ill-fated car curse of “Survivors” of old.
Holmes: Yeah, and at least they get a car out of it.
Baskauskas: (Laughs)
Holmes: I am truly sorry. So, who would you like me to curse this time?
Baskauskas: Who do I think has a good shot at winning this game…? I guess I’d like you to curse Stephen.
Holmes: He’s done for. Great guy, but he’s a goner.
Baskauskas: Oh, I’m planning on working with him. But when it gets down to the end…
Holmes: The curse will kick in.
Baskauskas: Exactly.

Holmes: Did Aras give you any advice before you came back out?
Baskauskas: Aras is smart, dude. Aras has a really good knack for this game. He is excellent at building relationships and I think I was lucky that my first impression from people was one that Aras had laid the groundwork for. “Everybody loves Aras! I’m going to like his brother, too. He does yoga, too! Aras and Vytas, such trustworthy guys!” Unfortunately, I don’t get to create a first impression the second time. But, as soon as the campaign started, all of my social media was about creating  that impression anew. As far as what you saw on my season, I was a little more conniving and manipulating. I wasn’t a true villain, but I the knives were out a little bit more in my gameplay.
Holmes: You’re worried that’s what people might remember about you?
Baskauskas:  A little bit. So, as soon as the campaign started it was pictures of me and my son. And, “I’m into yoga, remember me? I’m Aras’s brother. I’m a family man. I’m loving and kind and sweet.” And I think in the beginning, what Aras and I talked about was creating those bonds, engendering trust in people, engendering good will. You can’t win the game in the beginning. You can only lose the game in the beginning.

Holmes: You have history with Ciera…
Baskauskas:  I’m surprised we’re the only two “Blood vs. Water” players. I guess a lot of the others didn’t really have a shot at the second chance. You know, Brad (Culpepper) didn’t make it on here. Hayden (Moss) didn’t make the cut of the group. People like Marissa (Peterson) I think deserve a second chance.
Holmes: Are you and Ciera working together?
Baskauskas:   I’m sure Ciera and I will be working together. That’s a relationship that is a good relationship for me to have, but is unfortunately the relationship that everybody knows about. It’s not something I can hide. In a big group, people are going to know that we’re together. It’s an alliance we can minimize. If we’re on the same tribe we can have a talk on day one like, “Hey, we’re obviously together. But, don’t sit near me when we eat. Don’t sleep near me.” Maybe we can even bad mouth each other, “Yeah, I like Ciera. But, I don’t think I’m going to stick with her.” I’ll take Ciera to the end, I can beat Ciera. Get me to a final Tribal with her? She’s not the best at playing this game. You’ve got to work the people you have positive relationships with.

Holmes:  Who else do you have positive relationships with?
Baskauskas:  Ciera is one of them. Terry is one of them. Spencer is one of them. Pretty sure Stephen…Stephen and I haven’t met. But I live in L.A. so I get to meet people when they come through the finale. And that’s where I get to use Aras because Aras loves the “Survivor” community. Same with Jeremy, I think we shook hands at their finale. But at a finale party later Aras and Jeremy had a long conversation. So, that’s something. I can say, “Hey Jeremy, my brother loves you, man. He says the best things about you. Let’s work together!”

Holmes: With returnee seasons, there’s always talk of pre-game alliances. Have you taken part in any?
Baskauskas:  I’m close to Brad. Brad didn’t make it. I was pretty close with Shane. Shane didn’t make it. And Ciera and I didn’t talk very much. She’s busy being a mom. I talked to Spencer a little bit. But, when you talk to people before the game, you hear that “so-and-so reached out to me. So-and-so has offered me this.” The only thing I feel when I hear things like that is that they’re playing too hard. They’re dangerous. I didn’t want to be someone who had his name out there. I didn’t want anyone saying, “Vytas is making a lot of alliances pre-game.” Of course I wanted to solidify some relationships I had. Even a guy like Woo, I met him at his finale. I sent him a text like, “Dude, I’m so excited that you’re in this group. Hope we get to play again.” It wasn’t like…
Holmes: Final five!
Baskauskas:   (Laughs) Yeah. Some people are doing that.
Holmes: Who’s doing that?
Baskauskas:  Some of the stuff is pretty obvious. You see Kass and Jeff on Twitter. Jeff even made a llama video about Kass’s comment to Tony (Vlachos). Kass offered Shane final five. Shane showed me the text that Kass sent. I don’t really know anybody else exactly. You have to imagine people from the same season are close. I’d imagine that Jeremy and Keith are tight. Is Kelley with them? Kelley was a pre-merge boot. She didn’t get to bond with them at Ponderosa. In fact, maybe she’s bitter that Jeremy talked about voting her out right in front of her. I think people are over the bitterness. I’m going to guess she’s going to want to work with them.

Holmes: Then how dangerous is a cast like Cagayan that has four representatives?
Baskauskas:  Well, Woo was never with Spencer and Tasha. And Woo made it to the end, so he didn’t really bond with them at Ponderosa. I’m sure Spencer and Tasha are good. Stephen Fishbach and Spencer, they spend time together on “Know-It-Alls.” They have the “Rob Has a Podcast” community. Jeff and Kimmi, they had a little feud on their season. But is that something that is fun now, are they really tight?
Holmes: It’s this crazy six-degrees of separation situation. I could see someone with a huge board with yarn going from headshot to headshot.
Baskauskas: And some are so obvious. I’m sure Joe and Shirin are together. Shirin’s Ponderosa video, “I love you, Joe!” They’re tight-knit for sure.

Holmes: Who are some early targets?
Baskauskas: I’m real open. I think there are early targets which are nice. There are a lot of heroic men. There are no real villainous men. There are villainous women. But Terry, Joe…what does it say about what America likes in their men and what it likes in their women? I don’t want Kass around. Her chaotic gameplay scares me. You know when she’s on the bottom she’s going to (expletive deleted) stuff up. She’s going to make it really tough on people in the dominant alliance. I wouldn’t be shocked if we did an initial vote-out like they did on my season. That’s a lot of people to start with.
Holmes: I was there for that. We didn’t know what was happening until we got out there. Probst took me aside and filled me in on the 300 twists that were happening that morning. I remember thinking, “What a trainwreck.” It was awesome.
Baskauskas:  It was awesome. He was like “Welcome to ‘Survivor,’ new players, returning players, here are your buffs. Oh, and one more thing. You’re voting someone out right now.”
Holmes: It was like 20 more things.
Baskauskas:  (Laughs) I was just like…my jaw dropped and I was like, “Oh, (expletive deleted).” We had no idea. The only reason Laura was voted for was because Brad looked at me and Laura (Boneham) was standing next to me. I pointed. If they do that again, I’m sure Kass will be someone who gets the early boot. But, what if you have to vote out.

Holmes: As far as twists, if there is one, any predictions?
Baskauskas: I’m curious how they will break us up. A schoolyard pick is interesting because it shows alliances. We’ll see who wants who. I already have my pick if there’s a schoolyard pick. A man has to pick a woman, so I’ll probably pick Wiglesworth. I heard her Rob (Cesternino) podcast and she seems like someone I’d want to work with.
Holmes: Did the pre-game talk sway you in anyone’s else direction?
Baskauskas: I listened to every one of them. I wanted to hear what people were thinking. And some of the people were really unaware that everyone was listening. Tasha said something like, “Alliances are going to be changing on a whim. You’ve got to be ready to bounce back and forth between alliances.” And I thought, “Not working with you.” Some people were saying, “I’m going to make a huge move this time!” Well, not in my alliance you’re not.


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Baskauskas: That’s a minority alliance, by the way.
Holmes: Well, let’s hope there isn’t a twenty-person tribe.

Baskauskas: Jeff…malign. That dude campaigned so hard. He posted a thousand memes on Twitter. Someone who wants it that badly scares me. The fact that he’s aligning with Kass scares me.

Baskauskas: Kass…malign. Her gameplay is not to be trusted.

Baskauskas:Keith…align. Seems like a trustworthy dude. I loved his character. Happy they brought him back.

Baskauskas: Stephen…align. Smart guy. I think you want smart players to think you’re with them.

Baskauskas: Kimmi…malign. She lives in Texas, loves her guns. Saw her reading a book on Republican economic theory. It kind of annoyed me a little bit.

Baskauskas: Abi-Maria…I want to align with because she’s so hated. She got such a bad edit her first time around. She knows she’s a villain. I think if you make Abi feel safe, she’ll become a pawn.

Baskauskas: Savage…I don’t know. Something about this guy. I’m maligning for sure with this guy. Maybe because he’s Probst’s good friend.

Baskauskas: Shirin…she got a lot of flack for being annoying on her season. Malign.

Baskauskas: Kelly…align. She seems like she’s really cool. She seems like she wants to go out there and have a really good time.

Baskauskas: Tasha…malign. Some of her campaign stuff talked about doing big, bad things in this game.

Baskauskas: Ciera…align.  We have a good positive relationship. Good history.

Baskauskas: Joe…I’m going to align with. Take a huge target and put it right out in front of me.

Baskauskas: Woo…I’m going to align with. He’s a trustworthy dude.

Baskauskas: Monica…malign. I think she’s a girl who’s used her good looks to get what she wants in life. I’m not into that kind of manipulation.

Baskauskas: Kelley…malign. Super fan, pre-merge…she’ll do anything to make the merge this time.

Baskauskas: Jeremy…malign. He seems a little too cool for school. There’s something about his energy. He seems like a nice guy, but a little rough around the edges.

Baskauskas: Spencer…malign. Somebody that…he’s such a great kid…he spent the night on my couch in L.A. I’m sure I’ll try to align with him at some point, but I always go back to that Cagayan pre-season video he did where he was talking about being the greatest villain the show has ever seen. That scares me.

Baskauskas:Peih-Gee…malign. I don’t know a lot about her. She’s a little bit villainous.

Baskauskas: Terry…align.  He’s one of the most trustworthy guys here. From what I know through Aras and Shane Powers, Terry’s a guy who if he tell you, “Final three,” he’s not going to write your name down.

 

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

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Tasha – ‘I Want to Get Rid of as Many Girls as Possible’

September 21, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Tasha Fox
Season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Finish: Sixth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: With her back against the wall, Tasha pulled off three consecutive immunity challenge wins.

Gordon Holmes: You and I have an issue where you live in St. Louis and yet you don’t know much about my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Have you improved this flaw in your game? Do you have a favorite Cardinal now?
Tasha Fox: (Laughs) My favorite Cardinal is Matt Holliday.
Holmes: I’ll accept that.
Fox: How about Chris Carpenter?
Holmes: He’s retired!
Fox: (Laughs) I tried. And after our last interview I was naming off all these Cardinals.
Holmes: Sure you were.

Holmes: Alright, what do you think players will remember about Tasha Fox?
Fox: I would say I was somebody that was likable. I didn’t have any friction with anyone else in the cast. I was strong. I was strategic. I think I built up some good will. People who watch my season wouldn’t view me as a villain or a troublemaker. So, I think I have some options this season that I didn’t have my first season. In the beginning you could see my strategy. The whole Garrett (Adelstein) situation, the whole J’Tia (Taylor) situation. I came out on top. Not once was I considered for voting out. So, to be able to work in that situation and not be a threat shows my strategic side.

Holmes: I’m pretty sure I picked you to win Cagayan. I’m blanking.
Fox: Well, you should have. (Laughs) The thing is you have no idea how the game is going to go.
Holmes: It’s like marbles. You drop them, then you have no idea where they’ll end up.
Fox: Well, the tribes sucked.
Holmes: (Laughs) Fair enough. But, the person I pick never wins. So, I cursed you. I won’t do that to you again because I feel terrible. But, is there anyone else you would like me to curse?
Fox: Yeah, make Kass your pick.
Holmes: You want me to say Kass will win this season.
Fox: Yeah, then she won’t.
Holmes: That might kill my reputation. But, it wasn’t much of a reputation to start with.

Holmes: A lot of returnee seasons have pre-game alliances. Have you been approached by anyone?
Fox: I wouldn’t say that I’ve been approached like, “Hey, let’s work together.” It’s more like, “I really like the way you played, I’m voting for you.” That’s how loose it’s been. I don’t know if you can take that as a pre-game alliance set-up. I’m not as connected as other players. I’m going to be forming my alliance on the island.
Holmes: You guys have been together a while. Is there a lot winking, nudging, nodding going on?
Fox: I see people smiling at each other. We’re supposed to be on lockdown, but some quick conversations are going on. It’s frustrating because I’m trying to play by the rules. I see stuff going on, I’m taking notes.
Holmes: Who’s talking?
Fox: Kass is the main one. She’s talking to everyone. The handlers are like, “Stop it!” Abi is pretty social with the non-verbals as well.

Holmes: You’re one of four Cagayaners. Does that put a target on your back?
Fox: I don’t think it puts a target on my back. It’s obvious that I’m not tight with Kass and I’m not tight with Woo. If anybody is worried about two people getting together, they should worry about Spencer and me. But other than Spence, they shouldn’t worry about me working with Woo or Kass.
Holmes: What about the San Juan del Surians?
Fox: I would say I’m not worried about them because they played with their loved ones and that was their main alliance. But, I might seek one or two of them out because they’re gameplay was with another person. They’re used to immediately having someone.

Holmes: There are some old-school players here who haven’t had to deal with idols or double votes. How do you approach that?
Fox: Kelly Wiglesworth, Jeff Varner, Kimmi…it’s going to be interesting to watch them play. “Survivor” was slow back then. Now it’s a very fast game. I’m trying to debate if I will reach out to them. I just don’t know how they’re react to the fast style of play. I’ll have to feel that out. Kelly looks strong, she was a challenge threat back in the day. She might be a good alliance member. But I don’t know where her mind is at. Ideally for me, I want to get rid of as many girls as possible.
Holmes: Really?
Fox: We have a lot of strong guys. I don’t expect to be the challenge beast this season. So, if we can knock off the girls and then have the guys dominate post merge, I think they’ll pick themselves off. And then I can step it up at the end.

Holmes: Any guesses on any potential twists this season…if there are any?
Fox: I definitely hope they do more tribe switches because of the threat of pre-game alliances. It’d be nice if every few challenges…drop your buffs. It’ll force you to not rely on pre-game alliances. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was Redemption Island. This season is about second chances and that’s what Redemption Island is. I expect some crazy twists. I expect a lot of activities and challenges to be reminiscent of our seasons. Like challenges done in our seasons.

Holmes: The vote-in process had to have been horrible.
Fox: It was a great concept for the fans, but from the players’ standpoint you’re telling your job, “Hey, I might be back and I might not be back.” And mentally, you want to get prepared, but you might be doing this work for nothing. It was tough.
Holmes: When Jeff says, “Tasha…you’re in,” what’re you thinking?
Fox: Well, first of all I was sweating bullets because there were nine girls already on the stage. I was the last one. So, I was nervous. And it was between me and Mama C (Carolyn Rivera). If she’s in, that means I’m out. I was looking at her and she was looking at me. And the look on her face when he told her, I felt so bad. But then I was like, “Yay!” I was jumping up and down.
Holmes: You felt bad…but not that bad.


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

Fox: Vytas…align. I love his gameplay. Very strategic and spiritually grounded.

Fox: Spencer…align. What else can I say? We’re Team Spensher together.
Holmes: Yikes. That’s better than Team Tasher?
Fox: (Laughs)

Fox: Woo…malign. Been there, done that, not impressed.

Fox: Peih-Gee…malign. Too opinionated. Will likely be an early target and I can’t lose an alliance member that early.

Fox: Monica…align. She has the face. We can use her to woo the guys.

Fox: Jeremy…align. Strong, strategic, and a nice guy.

Fox: Joe…malign. Pretty face but I don’t know if he’s very strategic.

Fox: Kelly…align. Strong girl, can use her to get to the end.

Fox: Kimmi…malign. Not very physical in terms of appearance. Will likely be an early boot.

Fox: Terry…align. He’s like the father figure. He’ll look at me hopefully like a daughter and treat me as such.

Fox: Keith…malign. Appears to be more of a man’s club kind of guy.

Fox: Stephen…super strategic…very well connected. Knows the game. Align.

Fox: Shirin…malign. Annoying.

Fox: Abi-Maria…malign. Too controversial. Too rash.

Fox: Jeff…malign. Too much of a gossip.

Fox: Ciera…align. A strong girl, I loved the game she played the first time. I think she has staying power.

Fox: Kass…malign. No words necessary.

Fox: Kelley…malign. Sweet girl, I don’t know if I can trust her.

Fox: Andrew…malign. Sweet guy, too. But, I already have eight alliance members.

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

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Keith: ‘The Girls Are Not Going to Be Hitting on Me’

September 18, 2015

"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Keith Nale
Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Finish: Fourth Place
Why You Should Remember Him: Keith accidentally got his own son voted out of the game when he tipped Jon off by urging Reed to “Stick to the plan.”

Gordon Holmes: You were on “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” with your son Wes who is a giant “Survivor” fan. How mad is he that you got the call back and he didn’t?
Keith Nale: (Laughs) Well, he’s not that mad. He was happy for me. He was sort of my campaign manager through this whole thing. He said, “Go out there and do it.” He’s not jealous.

Holmes: Good kid. What do you think people remember about you and your time in the game?
Nale: Let’s see…well I was a little bit under the radar. I didn’t make too many alliances.  I tried to play an integrity game. Win a few challenges here or there. That gets you to fourth place.

Holmes: How many times do you hear “Stick to the plan” in a given week?
Nale: Boy, I’m going to take that to my grave.
Holmes: (Laughs)
Nale: I just blurted it out. You don’t sit around and hold stuff in. Looking back it was a mistake. Wes went home that night.
Holmes: That’s why second chances exist.
Nale: That’s right. You know, if I came in fifteenth or ninth, I might’ve said, “Let the next guy get it.” But fourth is a hard pill to swallow. That’s why I’m giving it another shot. I might tweak my game a little bit.
Holmes: What kind of tweaks are we talking about here?
Nale: Maybe get an alliance. I pretty much did that last one by myself. Hook up with somebody, win a few challenges…but there’s a bunch of folks that can win challenges. I don’t know if it’s the best of the rest, it’s the one’s America wanted, but there are some big guys.

Holmes: Have you done your research on everyone out there?
Nale: I started. I don’t know much about Terry, Andrew, Kelly…I kinda know her, that’s season one. Everyone knows Spencer, Kass, Woo…that bunch. Maybe I’ll learn a few of them as we go.

Holmes: Any early targets?
Nale: Shoot, I bet they’re all gamers. Thinking back, Woo was a good player. Kass was kind of sneaky. I don’t know much about Abi…Monica. I might have to go with the flow again.
Holmes: In a season of gamers, that might not be such a bad strategy.
Nale: We’re going to see how that goes. If someone approaches me, I might think about it for a minute. But, I’d better hook up quick. If someone doesn’t approach me, I’m going to approach somebody.

Holmes: Jeremy from your season is out there.
Nale: That’s what I’ve been saying. I’m pretty sure Jeremy won’t be on my team. I might be with Kelley or Kelley might be with Jeremy. It didn’t work out the first time, I don’t know why. But, I made it further than Jeremy. Maybe it’ll work out this time, but I don’t want people thinking we’re together. If it does happen, we’ll keep that on the down low.
Holmes: Have you and he mended fences since your season?
Nale: Oh yeah, no hard feelings at all.
Holmes: What’s your relationship with Kelley like?
Nale: Kelley’s a smart player. From what little I knew before she got voted off, she could tell you the fifth person voted out of the eighth season. I can barely tell you who was voted out last season. But, she’s pretty sharp.

Holmes: There’s a lot of talk of pre-game alliances. Are you involved in any of that?
Nale: No, I can go down and wink at somebody, but Lord knows what that means.
Holmes: Well, a wink is rarely negative.
Nale: (Laughs) Yeah. There’s nothing you can do. They keep us on lockdown. They want to keep the game pure.
Holmes: Who were you winking at?
Nale: (Laughs) I wasn’t winking at nobody.
Holmes: Cause there are some girls I wouldn’t mind winking at.
Nale: Oh yeah, there are some nice girls. But, I don’t have to worry about that. The girls are not going to be hitting on me.

Holmes: If there are any twists this season, any guesses to what they could be?
Nale: Golly, man. It’s so crazy. You’ve kinda just got to get out there. You ask me that about thirty minutes after they divvy us up, I could tell you something. I don’t know who’s going to be a hero, a villain. I just don’t know.


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

Nale: Kelly…align. I think she knows what’s going on. She’s had fifteen years to study this. She was one of the very first players and made it to number two, I believe.

Nale: Andrew…malign. I don’t know much about him.

Nale: Let’s align with Joe. He’s good at challenges. Maybe a little too good and that’s why he hit the highway real early.

Nale: Ciera…don’t know much about her. I’m going to have to malign her.

Nale: Jeremy…I’d like to align. I don’t know if it’d work. He’s pretty smart.

Nale: Kelley…align. She’s pretty sharp at the game. And she went out a little premature and I had something to do with that.

Nale: Let’s malign Woo. Woo wasn’t too sharp out there. He made it to number two though.

Nale: Shirin…malign. I don’t  want to see her running around there naked.

Nale: Abi…I’m going to have to malign her too. She just doesn’t think.

Nale: Vytas…align. He’s a big strong guy. He’ll work hard.

Nale: Peih-Gee…malign. I’ve seen her hopping around. She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going.

Nale: Tasha…let’s malign her too. I really don’t know why. Because I’m running out of aligns.

Nale: Let’s align with Spencer. Heck. He’s pretty good. He was good at challenges.

Nale: I’m going to malign Kass. She was kind of sneaky there. I don’t like that.

Nale: Jeff…malign. Just because I don’t know anything about Jeff.

Nale: Kimmi…malign. I don’t know anything about her either.

Nale: I’m going to align with Terry. He’s pretty good at challenges and I think he’s a little bit older than me.

Nale: Let’s align with Monica. She can keep the guys in line.

Nale: Stephen…malign. I don’t know much about him either.

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

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

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‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Shirin: ‘I’m Going to Be in a Final-Three Deal with Everybody’

September 18, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

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

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

Name: Shirin Oskooi
Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Finish: Eighth Place
Why You Should Remember Her: Shirin got back at Will after his tirade by not allowing him to read his letter from home.

WARNING: The following interview features spoilers for the “Harry Potter” book series.

Gordon Holmes: Hey! It’s Cherilyn!
Shirin Oskooi: It’s Shinini…not to be confused with Shane.
Holmes: Speaking of nicknames, the “Worlds Apart” crew likes to call themselves “The Dirty 30.” What are you leaning toward for this season?
Oskooi: I like “The Dirty One.”
Holmes: That’s terrible…there was the potential for five of you to be out here. Mike rendered himself ineligible by winning.
Oskooi: I love that guy, Mike.
Holmes: Join the club.
Oskooi: He’s Team Shirin, by the way.
Holmes: How’s Joey Amazing feel about that?
Oskooi: He can still cheer for Joe.
Holmes: Like Joe needs more people cheering for him.
Oskooi: He doesn’t!
Holmes: Max didn’t make it, Carolyn didn’t make it. Good for you? Bad for you?
Oskooi: I feel really badly about Max and Carolyn. I’m shocked that Carolyn didn’t make it, I’m not as surprised that Max didn’t make it. But, it’s so much better for me that they’re not here.
Holmes: You guys are all very active together in social media. More than any other cast I’ve ever seen. I think having a ton of you here would put immediate targets on your backs.
Oskooi: It’s true. If Carolyn came out here, people don’t know that we’re friends. But, if Max was here everybody knows how close we are. And no amount of distancing could have helped that situation.

Holmes: So, at the end of the finale, you guys all jumped on a tour bus. Did you take it all the way here?
Oskooi: (Laughs) Absolutely.

Holmes: I know you were really excited to do Power Rankings for this season. Does that put a damper on this experience for you?
Oskooi: As much as I was looking forward to doing the Power Rankings for this season, I know that I’m a lock for next season.
Holmes: Oh, are you? You think I invite first boots to do the Power Rankings?
Oskooi: (Silent Stare)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Oskooi: Excuse me?!
Holmes: Which you will not be. I won’t leave Cambodia if that happens. I’ll live here and carve the Power Rankings into the sand every week.
Oskooi: The winner of season 31: Shirin Lua Oskooi.
Holmes: With all eight votes. And they bring back the Player of the Season and give it to you.
Oskooi: Clean sweep.
Holmes: And as your hugging your family, Probst will run up and hand you the check. Or, he’ll fold it into a paper airplane and throw it at you.
Oskooi: (Laughs) Did you see Mike kiss Probst?
Holmes: No, I’m so jealous. I’m not sure of who though.
Oskooi: Maybe his lips went straight into that deep, deep dimple.
Holmes: We’re way off track.

Holmes: As we head into the game, how do you think most people see you?
Oskooi: I think I’m coming into this with a good reputation. I think people saw that I’m smart.
Holmes: You never flipped.
Oskooi: I was lucky enough to be super loyal the whole time.
Holmes: Even though that wasn’t your original game plan. You were ready to slit throats.
Oskooi: I never had the luxury of lying or having to turn on my own people. But, I had every intention to do so. That’s great for me on my second chance. I intend to use that as a bargaining chip. I don’t lie. My word means something. I’m “Boston” Robbing this. “Hey, you and me, final three.” I’m going to be in a final-three deal with everybody out there. They have all of these positive impressions of me, I also think they underestimate me. I think they think I’ll rub people the wrong way. Even if I don’t rub these people the wrong way, they just saw my season and I was portrayed as an annoying goofball, they’ll just assume that’s how I am. So, I think a lot of people will want to take me to the end because they think they can beat me. But what will actually happen is, if I make it to the end with great relationships with people, the voters will think, “Oh, but I like her. I’m going to vote for her to win.”

Holmes: Do you think you’re an early target?
Oskooi: I think the only way there will be a target on my back in the first couple of votes is if people care about the perception of challenge strength. Particularly in the individual challenges in my season I didn’t do so well. So, I need to come out guns blazing on these team challenges. I’m hoping there are strength ones because I have easily 50 pounds on the other women. So, if there’s mud wrestling or pillow fighting…
Holmes: Oh my God…pillow fighting would be amazing.
Oskooi: (Laughs) You know what I mean! Where you push someone off of a platform. These 100-pound girls are going to run at me and tap me with a pillow. And they’ll literally ricochet off of me and fly backwards ten feet in the air.

Holmes: Who is an early target?
Oskooi: I think Kass is an early target. She has a pretty negative, untrustworthy reputation already. I don’t think anyone will want to align with someone so chaotic.
Holmes: That’s why they call her Erratic Kass.
Oskooi: She makes illogical moves. Then you’ve got someone like Kimmi, lovely as she seems, but she’s already exhibited a lot of annoying behavior. She’s unaware of other people…GAH!

Note: At this point in the interview we were attacked by a BIG bug. I managed to dispose of it.

Oskooi: That was so manly.
Holmes: Right? But, if that thing fell on me in my sleep, I’d never be able to use that bed again.

Holmes: A lot of talk of pre-game alliances. Have you taken that road?
Oskooi: I think there’s a stigma to pre-game alliances at this point and I think people have clearly been afraid to be seen or caught doing any of that stuff.
Holmes: If you had to guess, who do you this is already working together?
Oskooi: I’m looking more at the already deep-rooted connections that people have. For example, there’s a foursome there that I look at with a little bit of trepidation. I want to split them up right away.
Holmes: And this is…?
Oskooi: That is…the center is Vytas and Ciera from the original “Blood vs. Water.” They haven’t hidden the fact that they are incredibly close and it’d be silly for them to do so. Everybody knows. Ciera’s mom played in season 19 with Monica and they were like mother/daughter. They were incredibly close. They have a deep bond. I’d bet Ciera and Monica are close. And on the other side you’ve got Vytas and Terry. Vytas’s brother Aras played 38 days of “Survivor” with Terry. And even though they didn’t get along in the game…
Holmes: A wahmbulance had to be called in.
Oskooi: That’s how serious it got. It’s no secret that Aras and Terry are incredibly close. So, you’ve got Terry, Vytas, Ciera, and Monica. I’d love to work with those ladies, but not with Terry and Vytas around. Terry because…I’m going to try to get to know him as a person and try to read him…but I didn’t like the way he played last time. I didn’t like the way he treated Cirie (Fields). I didn’t like the way he targeted women. And that is something I will not tolerate. With Vytas, I find him a little bit threatening. Speaking of first-boot targets, I think a lot of people…he has this past with drug addiction and I think people’s read on that is that makes him an incredibly good liar. I’m not intimidated by that at all, but I’m intimidated by other aspects of him. Like the fact that people seem to be taken by him so easily and the fact that he will be able to dominate individual challenges because of his yoga, tip-toe balancing skills.

Holmes: If there are any twists, and every now and then there are, what do you think they could be?
Oskooi: I presume there are going to be a ton of twists. If I were guessing I’d say there will be more tribe swaps. Maybe we’ll start with two and go to three. Maybe we’ll start with four and then go to two. I don’t know. Maybe we’ll start with one tribe. I’m not even going to try to anticipate the twists. I don’t want to have a million different contingency plans. When you’re in a situation like this, you don’t want to have set plans. You want to think of creative plans in the moment. Right now, I’m just hanging back, rereading “Harry Potter.”
Holmes: Which one?
Oskooi: I’ve already reread five and six. I’m working on seven.
Holmes: Six! “Half-Blood Prince” is my jam.
Oskooi: Six is really the best. Oh my gosh. I just started on seven, so in my mind Snape just killed Dumbledore.
Holmes: Jeez…spoiler alert.


Holmes: Alright, we’re going to play “Align or Malign.” In my hand I have nineteen cards featuring your competitors. You’ll go through them and tell me who you’ll align with and who you’ll malign. Trick is, you only get eight aligns.
Oskooi: I’m digging the lamination.
Holmes:  I’ve got twenty of these interviews to get through, I don’t want them to get all smudged and crappy.

Oskooi: Starting with the maligns. Joe…because he’s a golden boy. Too good at challenges. And, our Dirty 30 connection has got to be severed so it’s not a target on my back.

Note: Shirin threw Joe’s card down onto a pile of ants.

Holmes: What’re you doing?  I still have to use these.
Oskooi: (Laughs) That’s how I feel about these people.
Holmes: You are the worst. Just hand them to me.

Oskooi: Kimmi…malign. She’s super annoying, you can’t deal with that for 39 days.

Oskooi: Woo…malign.  He’s a space cadet. You can’t trust him. He doesn’t think logically.

Oskooi: Terry…malign. He’s more of a guy’s guy and not that socially adept.

Oskooi: Kass…malign. I can’t anticipate what doesn’t make sense.

Oskooi: Vytas…malign. Too much of a threat in the individual game. Other people seem to be taken by him too easily. And, I just never trust him.

Oskooi: Jeremy…malign. Fabulous as he was in his season where he aligned with all the women, which I loved, he feels like that was his downfall. From his exit interviews I gather that he wants to align with other athletic, big men so he’s no longer the front-runner target of his alliance. I don’t think he’d want to work with me.

Oskooi: Kelly Wiglesworth…malign. She thinks that alliances are slimy. And, doesn’t own a TV.

Oskooi: OK, now we’re moving into more of the middle ground…
Holmes: You’ve got to pick a side. It’s not align, malign, and indifferent.
Oskooi: Alright, Andrew Savage…malign. Love him, played in my favorite season. But, he’s such a lovable, nice, loyal guy, I can already see in pre-game that people love him.
Holmes:  What about the Yahoo! Connection?
Oskooi: That will hopefully bring us together so he’s on my side…deep into the game…then we’ve got to get rid of him because he’s too nice.

Oskooi: Tasha…malign. Love a strong woman. She’s too good at challenges. She’s easily the strongest woman out here in terms of challenges. I know she socially rubbed people the wrong way on her season. She had this thing where she felt she was pre-ordained to be the winner. And, I would rather work with someone more flexible.

Oskooi: Ciera…malign. Love her to death, but even if she doesn’t make a move, and gets to the end, her big move from last time will carry over and everyone will say, “Oh, you did it all.” I think she’s riding the coattails of her last big move.

Oskooi: Stephen…Mr. Know-It-All…really smart, really gets this game. Also really polite and respectful. I think people will really like him and feel threatened by him. I think if he makes it to the end this time, people will reward him for his reputation even if he’s dragged to the end. But, I don’t think he’d be dragged to the end. Align…but only so far.

Oskooi: Spencer…similar deal. Really smart, really knows the game. I feel most  kindred with Spencer. Going in, I probably trust him the most. I don’t think he’s a great liar, but I think he’s going to try to work with me. Align.

Oskooi: OK, now we’re down to the magic six. Monica…align. I think she’s a strong, fun woman. I think she’s going to be willing to be sneaky, but I think she’ll be loyal. Also, she’s brown. Woo! Love her.

Oskooi: Peih-Gee…align. Old school…middle schooler. Love that she’s a woman of color. Love that she’s quirky and sassy and a strong woman. I think she’s going to want to align with other strong, quirky women.

Oskooi: Abi-Maria…Brazilian wonder. Align. Last year when the social media ban was enacted, J’Tia (Taylor) tweeted…it was very Batman-esque…”I will represent the contestants who cannot speak for themselves and defend them to the death against other former players.” And she never did that. However, Abi did it. And Abi had a bad reputation from the last time she played as an emotional, crazy person. But, if you go back and rewatch her Ponderosa videos, she was incredibly contrite and lovely. She was so full of love. And I think she wants to repair her reputation. I want to be a part of that.

Oskooi: Kelley Wentworth…align. She reminds me of a more mellow version of me. She’s smart, she’s girl power, she’s a career woman. She’s a lovely, nice person who understands the game and is loyal, but is willing to make those moves that you need to.

Oskooi: Jeff Varner…my ultimate old-school alliance. I’m in love with Jeff. He’s funny, he’s goofy. He’s nerdy. He’s my love child. He’s my future 11th best friend.

Oskooi: And I’ve saved the weirdest for last. I think if you looked at this list and had to decide who the least likely person I’d align with…it’d be Keith. I think he thinks that too.  I’m going to pull him aside and say, “Mike and I thought we had nothing in common too. And look at us now. It’s because at the end of the day, Mike and I are hard workers who take care of who we love. We’re loyal.” Keith and I are in the same boat. Does that mean I’ll go to the end with him? No. Will he be upset after I cut him loose after a speech like that? Yes. I will not have his jury vote, but I’m willing to take that risk. Also, he’s the funniest person out here. I love him to death.

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

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

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